Jun 1 (NW) The All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama (ACJU) Irakkamam branch has refuted the Police statement claiming that an individual arrested over the sexual abuse of a 14-year-old girl in Irakkamam was a Moulavi, stating it was incorrect. Issuing a statement, the ACJU said that the individual was not a certified moulavi and had not been educated at any Arabic school. The organization further said that the said individual was not a member of the ACJU or its Irakkamam branches. more..

Jun 1 (AD) SL Police have issued a new directive requiring licence holders of firearm to present their weapons for inspection every six months as part of licence renewal procedures for 2026. According to Police Media Division, licence holders must produce their firearms at the nearest police station six months after obtaining or renewing their licence. Authorities will then verify the firearm’s functionality and ensure that the serial number matches the details recorded on the licence. more..

Jun 1 (DM) Minister Anura Karunatilake said that the govt intends to strictly enforce the existing fuel QR code system moving forward. Minister said that the primary objective during this crisis period is to limit fuel consumption to mitigate its adverse effects on the national economy. Despite a noticeable reduction in fuel usage following the introduction of the QR and quota systems, consumption levels have still not more..

Jun 1 (CT) The estimated cost for holding the Provincial Council Elections is around Rs 10 billion, Commissioner General of Elections Rasika Peiris said. Peiris said, out of the Rs 20 billion allocated to the Election Commission in 2025 for three elections, Rs 8 billion was returned to the Treasury at the end of last year due to the Ditwah disaster situation. “We requested funds from the Treasury for three elections and received Rs 20 billion in 2025. However, due to the disaster, more..

Jun 1 (AD) An individual known as Dubai Sudda has been arrested in Kaduwela over allegations of recruiting Sri Lankans for employment in Dubai and Moldova using tourist visas. The arrest was made today by officers of the Special Investigation Unit of SLBFE, following a complaint received from a resident of Giriulla who alleged that Rs. 700,000 had been paid for a promised job that was not provided. Authorities said the suspect, who had previously travelled abroad and returned more..

Jun 1 (CT) More than 1,000 new import licence applications and licence renewals submitted by Indian pharmaceutical companies are currently pending approval at NMRA, raising concerns as 85% of the drugs are imported from India. The delays have prompted India to raise concerns with SL authorities, warning that prolonged regulatory uncertainty and pricing disputes could disrupt medicine supplies and discourage more..

Jun 1 (NW) Two police officers attached to the Bentota Police Station have been commended for returning a mobile phone worth approximately Rs. 150,000 to its rightful owner after finding it on the Bentota Bridge. Police Sergeant Isuru Sameera (60706) and Police Constable Ramesh Aravinda (79425), who were on traffic duty on Sunday (31), discovered the phone and remained in the area to see whether its owner would return to look for it. A young man later arrived at the location more..

Jun 1 (SLN) In line with the national initiative Clean Sri Lanka and under the theme Beautiful Coastline – An Attractive Tourist Destination, the SL Navy played a role in a large-scale beach clean-up campaign conducted across the Jaffna Peninsula on 23 May. Objective of this timely intervention was to protect the fragile marine ecosystem, maintain a pristine and visually appealing coastline and foster a welcoming environment conducive to the growth of the tourism industry. more..

Jun 1 (FT) Somebody got a tax cut. It was not most of us. Between 2021 and 2026, SL raised the tax on salaries to company profits, from electricity to gas cylinders, from bread to the bar of soap — all of it on the explicit logic that the country needed more revenue. But over the same period, the tax on a pack of cigarettes was quietly allowed to fall by 7.2 percentage points. That missing slice of tax is worth Rs. 17.3 billion a year in 2026 — money the Treasury could have collected by more..

Jun 1 (FT) Dr. Wimal Hettiarachchi who had completed a full career in the Central Bank of SL in numerous capacities is no longer with us. He completed his life journey last week. Hettiarachchi joined the Central Bank as a non-staff officer in the early 1960s immediately after he finished his school career. Though he was eligible to join the University of Ceylon to complete an undergraduate degree, pressed by economic hardships, he chose the Bank in preference to a university degree. more..

Jun 1 (Island) Chairman of the COPF Dr. Harsha de Silva, MP, yesterday said that the NPP govt was going ahead with a controversial move to pass on the massive losses caused by the coal scam to the public. The govt also intended to recover USD 2.5 (approximately Rs 800 mn) lost by the Treasury from the people by introducing an amendment to the Budget, the Opposition lawmaker alleged. Dr de Silva said that the govt more..

Jun 1 (NW) The National Transport Commission (NTC) has confirmed that there will be no revision of bus fares despite the recent increase in diesel prices. The CPC raised the price of Lanka White Diesel by Rs. 15 per litre and Super Diesel by Rs. 20 per litre, effective from midnight on 30 May. However, the NTC stated that an interim bus fare adjustment will not be implemented at this stage. Meanwhile, the Lanka Private Bus Owners’ Association has urged authorities to consider more..

Jun 1 (NW) Six people were killed and seven others injured after a cab crashed into a crowd waiting in a queue at a Vesak dansala near Meegoda Junction on Sunday night. According to Police, the accident occurred on the High Level Road in the Meegoda Police Division when a cab travelling from Avissawella towards Colombo ploughed into a group of people standing in line at the dansala. A total of 13 injured persons were admitted to the Homagama Hospital following the incident. more..

Jun 1 (FT) European Union (EU) has strongly encouraged SL to seek continued preferential access to the bloc’s market under the next GSP+ framework, while noting that the country has not fully capitalised on the opportunities provided by the trade concession over the past decade. Addressing the SL-German Business Forum 2026 in Colombo last week, EU Ambassador to SL Carmen Moreno said SL should use the period before the next more..

Jun 1 (ST) SL’s e-Motoring project is in a critical transition phase to digitise the Dept of Motor Traffic (DMT), aiming to eliminate corruption, with a new focus on a localised development structure following the exit of Face Technologies. While the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) commercial tender awaits final Cabinet approval, Millennium IT has finalised the core software, and the project is moving forward with a revised, locally-driven strategy, a senior official of Ministry of Transport said. more..

Jun 1 (DM) Police have arrested all suspects involved in the violent robbery of a PickMe driver, an incident that sparked widespread outrage after footage of the crime went viral across social media platforms earlier today. The incident, which took place within the Welikada police jurisdiction, involved three individuals who accosted the young driver, violently threatening him and physically grabbing him by the neck inside a vehicle. It was reported that the victim managed to stay calm and more..

Jun 1 (TM) National Movement for Social Justice (NMSJ) has urged the Buddhist clergy, the Govt, and key Buddhist organisations to take immediate and coordinated action to safeguard the Buddha Sasana in SL. In a statement issued by its leader and former Speaker Karu Jayasuriya, the organisation stated recent incidents involving members of the Buddhist clergy had caused distress among Buddhists and created divisions within society, making urgent intervention necessary. more..

Jun 1 (FT) Sri Lanka on Saturday raised fuel prices for the fifth time since the escalation of the Middle East conflict, as the country grapples with a sharply higher fuel import bill driven by soaring global oil prices and increased import volumes. Under the latest monthly pricing revision effective from 31 May, the State-owned Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) increased the price of Auto Diesel by Rs. 15 to Rs. 407 per litre and Petrol Octane 92 by Rs. 24 to Rs. 434 per litre. more..

Jun 1 (TM) Prices in all major fuel categories have risen sharply since March, with increases ranging from Rs 103 to Rs 155 per litre following five separate price revisions implemented between 1 March and 31 May. With the latest fuel price revision, which came into effect from midnight yesterday, prices have now risen to their highest levels this year. Compared with the prices that prevailed prior to 1 March, more..

Jun 1 (FT) EDB Chairman Mangala Wijesinghe has confirmed that SL intends to apply for continued access under the next GSP+ framework, describing the scheme as a key pillar of the country’s export strategy. “GSP+ has been extremely beneficial to SL,” Wijesinghe said. He noted that significant untapped export potential remains in the European market and said discussions with the country’s political leadership had produced encouraging signals regarding continued engagement more..

Jun 1 (FT) The vehicle imports bill, including personal and commercial vehicles, expanded to $ 208 million in April from $ 195 million in March. Imports of vehicles had fallen to $ 194 million in February from $ 224 million in January, and from a 10-year peak of $ 301 million recorded in Dec 2025, reflecting a moderation after the reopening of the sector. Cumulatively, vehicle imports during the first four months of 2026 reached $ 821 million from $ 613 million in March, more..

Jun 1 (EN) SL’s Treasury is not buying dollars to service debt because it has not done so in the past, IMF Mission Chief Evan Papageorgiou, amid questions on depending on the central bank, which has to monetize the balance of payments to get reserves. “The reason is that the central bank is the intermediary of financial flows and because they have close contact with the financial markets, treasury doesn’t deal with foreign exchange issues,” Papageorgiou told reporters after approving more..

Jun 1 (NW) Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath held a meeting with members of the SL community in Melbourne, Australia, where he discussed issues faced by Sri Lankans living overseas and outlined the Govt’s ongoing and future initiatives. According to Herath, the event was organized by Sri Lankans residing in Melbourne and drew a large turnout at the Springvale Town Hall. Minister said the discussion provided an opportunity to listen to concerns raised by members of SL diaspora more..

Jun 1 (DN) SL’s promising middle distance athlete Tharushi Abhisheka (Podi Tharushi) once again came to the highlight when she clinched her second medal winning bronze in 800m women’s final at the final day of the Asian Under 20 Athletic Championship held in Hong Kong China yesterday. Tharushi is the only SL athlete to win two individual medals in this meet. Tharushi earlier won 1500 gold medal on the first day and more..

Jun 1 (DN) Abhiru Perera of Killerspin TT Academy and Jessica Venya of Holy Cross College Gampaha emerged open men’s and women’s champions in the SL Future Stars Table Tennis Championship at Gateway College Indoor Stadium Colombo over the weekend. Abhiru made two straight sets win (11-4 11-8) over K.D.Chrish of Loyala College Bopitiya to win the men’s title at the final while Jessica defeated Minuli Hettiarachchi of Horizon Int'l School Malabe with two sets (11-5,11-5) to win women’s title. more..

Jun 1 (FT) In a remarkable feat for Sri Lanka’s tourism sector, arrivals surpassed the 1 million mark on 28 May, sparking optimism about meeting the ambitious target of 3 million visitors by the end of the year. From 1 Jan to 28 May, the country welcomed a total of 1.01 million tourists, reflecting a 1% YoY decline compared to the same period last year. During the first 28 days of May, 134,530 visitors arrived in the country, up 12% YoY compared to 120,120 during the same period. more..

Jun 1 (CT) National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) Chairman Dr. Ananda Wijewickrama has rejected allegations that the regulator uses an ad-hoc pricing mechanism for pharmaceutical products, maintaining that licences are being withheld only in cases where companies seek prices that exceed those permitted under the approved pricing formula. He stressed that the regulatory process applies equally to all more..

Jun 1 (FT) Lanka Hospitals Corporation successfully hosted its exclusive Pulse of Excellence awards ceremony today. The event was organized to recognise and celebrate the institution’s remarkable milestone achievements and outstanding overall performance in 2025. The ceremony was held under the patronage of Minister Nalinda Jayatissa, who attended as the Chief Guest and delivered a special address. During his address, Minister highlighted the institution’s profound contribution to SL, more..

Jun 1 (FT) LOLC Holdings said it delivered a strong operating performance for the year ended 31 March 2026, underpinned by robust income growth, a significant expansion in core operating profitability, and the continued scale-up of its financial services-led diversified business model. With a global operating presence across 27 countries, the Group continues to strengthen its position as Sri Lanka’s most internationally diversified conglomerates, combining financial services more..

Jun 1 (FT) The most diversified conglomerate Hayleys Group has delivered a record performance during the financial year ended 31 March 2026, achieving the highest revenue in its history with a 19% year-on-year (YoY) increase to Rs. 585.02 billion, whilst Consolidated Profit Before Tax (PBT) rose by 4% to Rs. 38.04 billion. Performance gathered momentum in the fourth quarter, with revenue increasing by 29% to Rs. 164.62 billion and PBT improving by 6% to Rs. 13.87 billion. more..

Jun 1 (Island) On 6 May, I wrote an essay in this column titled, Monks, the Law and the Future of the Buddhist Monastic Order. While my point of departure was the arrest of 22 Buddhist monks on narcotics charges, my focus was the need to treat everyone in this country equally before the law – including Buddhist monks. The fact that the Mahanayaka Theros had requested in a statement that the errant monks be thoroughly investigated and legally dealt with was encouraging given more..