Jun 6 (ST) The steady rise of the cost of living is affecting all walks of life, with the monthly expenses of an average family now much higher than officially reported. DCS reports that Sri Lanka’s official poverty line is at Rs.16,730 per person a month. A cross section of those who spoke to the Sunday Times said official figures were not realistic. Prices of goods and services have increased compared to the first few months of the year more..

Jun 6 (FT) High Commissioner of India to SL Santosh Jha and Minister of Housing, Construction and Water Supply Dr. Susil Ranasingha on Thursday jointly inaugurated and handed over Pathinigama Model Village in Rathnapura to the 24 beneficiary families. The event was attended by a dignitaries including Tissa Warnasooriya, Governor of the North Western Province; Dr. Namal Sudarshana, Deputy Minister of Women and Children’s Affairs and Hon. Sujeewa Indika Dissanayaka, District MP. more..

Jun 6 (FT) Deputy Minister Prof. Ruwan Ranasinghe has been recognised with the 2026 SITF Eminent Tourism Pioneer Award at the 41st Seoul International Travel Fair (SITF) in South Korea, becoming the first Sri Lankan to receive the international honour. The award was presented on 4 June at the SamcheongGak cultural complex in Seoul following an evaluation process conducted by the SITF Tourism Award Committee, which assesses contributions to tourism research and more..

Jun 6 (FT) Prime and Melwa have unveiled the Prime Marina Sales Suite at Port City Colombo, a first of its kind in the region and a new benchmark for how a landmark real estate address is presented to the world. It is designed for globally minded, internationally travelled, and long past the language of conventional real estate. Every space within it is intentional, every detail deliberately crafted to ensure that the moment a customer steps in, they understand, without a word of explanation, more..

Jun 6 (FT) As part of its ongoing partnership with SL on climate action and sustainable development, the European Union supported the Ministry of Environment in revising the National Green Reporting System (NGRS) Guidelines through the EU-funded Accelerating Industries Climate Response in SL (AICRSL) project, implemented by US Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO). The revised guidelines align with internationally recognised sustainability reporting more..

Jun 6 (ST) Every Vesak, millions of devotees across Sri Lanka visit temples carrying flowers as offerings. The fragrant blooms placed before Buddha statues symbolise impermanence — a reminder that beauty, like life itself, is fleeting. Flowers have therefore become one of the most meaningful and visible elements of Vesak celebrations. Yet beyond their spiritual symbolism lies another story that often goes unnoticed. more..

Jun 6 (FT) The increasing arrests of foreign nationals linked to cybercrime operations in Sri Lanka should no longer be treated as isolated criminal incidents. It has become a dangerous and deeply organised pattern. Almost weekly, reports emerge of Chinese, Korean and other foreign nationals being taken into custody for cyber fraud, online scams, financial crimes, cryptocurrency-related rackets and sophisticated digital deception schemes operating from luxury apartments more..

Jun 6 (FT) Central Bank of SL (CBSL) suddenly increased interest rates a few days ago. This was to stop further depreciation of the rupee or to stabilise the exchange value of the rupee by containing private credit growth. Many writers, including the writer of this essay, have pointed out that excessive private credit growth could destabilise the managed exchange rate mechanism. It has happened now. However, now it seems the obvious solution was to increase the interest rates, thinking that more..

Jun 6 (Island) Dialog Axiata collaborated with the Ministry of Buddha Sasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs to bring one of Sri Lanka’s largest and most technologically advanced Vesak experiences to the Dakshina Prabha National Vesak Zone. The 3-day celebration, in Matara attracted more than hundred thousand visitors, who engaged with a series of innovative digital activities powered by Dialog 5G Ultra, including Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Virtual Reality (VR) experiences, more..

Jun 6 (Island) Tuesday’s tragedy at Anguruwatota, where a fire engulfed an elders’ home, claiming 13 lives and seriously injuring several others, has shaken the conscience of the nation. Equally shocking are the allegations that the residents of the care centre had been mistreated; among them were persons with disabilities, and some of them had been restrained with chains, according to eyewitnesses. The police have said they found the charred body of a resident in chains. more..

Jun 6 (CT) Following the Israel-US war against Iran and the resulting tensions across the Middle East, concerns over energy security have revived discussions around fuel-saving measures and reduced energy consumption. Earlier this month, Indian PM Narendra Modi urged Indians to revive Work From Home (WFH) practices, buy less gold, and limit foreign travel as part of austerity measures aimed at easing pressure from more..

Jun 6 (CT) Dr Bhagya Senaratne is an independent Scholar whose research interests intersect foreign policy studies, Chinese foreign and security policies towards South Asia, Indo-Pacific Studies, the politics and security of small and medium states, and maritime security. Her work has appeared in peer-reviewed publications, including The Routledge Handbook of US Policy in the Indo-Pacific, National Security Journal, and Journal of World Affairs, amongst others. more..

Jun 6 (FT) Can our blessed island nation monetise meditation and mindfulness? SL has spent decades selling itself as sun, sea, sand and safari. This is a splendid way to promote a tropical paradise such as ours... until one notices that other Indian Ocean nations have swathes of beach. Also observe that elephants and leopards are no longer unique selling propositions, and every second touristy country now promises authentic wellness experiences with suspiciously expensive herbal tea to boot! more..

Jun 6 (Island) Saudi Arabia has once again demonstrated its unparalleled capacity to manage one of the world’s largest annual religious gatherings, with this year’s Hajj pilgrimage concluding successfully despite extreme temperatures and the immense logistical challenge of accommodating more than 1.7 million pilgrims from around the world. In an exclusive interview with The Island, Khalid Hamoud Al-Kahtani, more..

Jun 6 (GV) The history of humanity is filled with stories of destruction and renewal. Empires have risen and fallen, cities have been built and destroyed and cultures have faced repeated attempts at erasure. Yet one lesson remains constant throughout history: knowledge is remarkably resilient. While physical structures can be destroyed, ideas, learning and cultural memory often find new ways to survive. The burning of the Jaffna Public Library on May 31, 1981 remains one of the most devastating more..

Jun 6 (CT) There is a popular African (Swahili) proverb: Mountains don’t meet, but people do (Milima haikutani, lakini wanadamu hukutana). After several reminders and many WhatsApp messages, I finally found time to sit with Dhamma Dissanayake for a long conversation. Nearly two hours. He was one of the lecturers who taught us at university. Later, he became a Governor and eventually returned to university teaching again. The purpose of the meeting was simple. more..

Jun 6 (DM) While SL universities have integrated the language of global higher education reform into strategic handbooks, a critical gap persists between institutional policy and actual classroom capability. Merely exposing students to English-Medium Instruction (EMI) does not guarantee professional communicative competence. The question now is not whether professional communication matters. Most universities, employers and students already recognise that it does. The more difficult question is more..

Jun 5 (FT) SL Chamber of Garment Exporters (SLCGE) presented a strategic proposal for the establishment of the SLCGE Design Hub to Deputy Minister Chathuranga Abeysinghe, on 28 May 2026. SLCGE delegation was led by President Nishantha Bakmeege, accompanied by chamber officials Jeremy Enas, Menuka Gunawardana, and Shehan Olegasageram. The proposed SLCGE Design Hub represents a pioneering initiative & is expected to be first of its kind within SL’s apparel industry. more..

Jun 5 (NF) TColombo Fort Magistrate’s Court has ordered the further magisterial inquiry into the death of former SriLankan Airlines CEO Kapila Chandrasena to be postponed until the 9th. Recording of evidence in the death investigation was taken up for the eighth day today before Colombo Fort Magistrate Pasan Amarasena. During the proceedings, President’s Counsel Rienzie Arsakularatne, who appeared for Chandrasena in a prior case, along with his junior counsel more..

Jun 5 (NW) By any measure, 92.62 metres is a long distance in javelin. For Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage, it was the throw that transformed him from one of Asia’s emerging talents into one of the world’s most talked-about athletes. When the 23-year-old Sri Lankan launched his javelin into the Rome sky at the Diamond League meet on 4 June, he did more than win a competition. He produced the longest throw in the world this year, more..

Jun 5 (DM) Authorities are taking steps to invoke the Public Property Act for the first time in SL against a suspect accused of causing the death of the iconic tusker Deega Danthu, who was fatally electrocuted after becoming entangled in an illegally installed high-voltage electric fence. When the magisterial inquiry into the tusker’s death was taken up before Kekirawa Magistrate Udari Gunasekara, the Galkiriyagama Police was ordered to submit a valuation report on the deceased tusker more..

Jun 5 (NW) Deputy Minister Anil Jayantha Fernando says the recent increase in the US dollar exchange rate does not indicate that SL is facing an economic crisis, urging the public not to be misled by what he described as false and misleading claims. Addressing concerns over the depreciation of the rupee, Fernando said the recent movement in the exchange rate was linked to external shocks, including developments in the Middle East, which had increased demand for US dollars, more..

Jun 5 (DM) For the first time in its history, employees of the 1990 Suwa Seriya emergency ambulance service have launched a street protest yesterday in Colombo. Staff members gathered to voice their strong dissent against what they described as a newly imposed military-style administration and arbitrary workspace transfers that undermine the welfare of workers. An employee representative said that more..

Jun 5 (DM) Highlighting that there is a fresh move to restructure two State Banks by offering shares to the public, Opposition MP Ravi Karunanayake urged the Govt to come out with the actual position with regard to the two institutions. “A document which outlines a plan to restructure Bank of Ceylon and People’s Bank has been leaked from the Ministry of Finance. It talks of a fresh move aimed at capital formation for the two Banks. It seems that there is a move to offer shares to the public,” more..

Jun 5 (NW) The elders’ home in Anguruwathota, Horana, where a fire claimed the lives of 12 residents earlier this week, had been operating without the required registration and approval, Minister Upali Pannilage said. Speaking on the incident, the Minister said that under the Protection of the Rights of Elders Act No. 9 of 2000, any individual or institution accommodating more than five elderly persons as an elders’ home must be registered with National Secretariat for more..

Jun 5 (PMD) A three-member delegation from the World Customs Organization (WCO) Integrity Technical Sub-Committee, headed by Ms Andrea Hampton, Integrity Lead & A-CIP Programme Manager, met with the Secretary to the Prez Dr Nandika Sanath Kumanayake on June 2 at the Presidential Secretariat. The delegation which is on a Scoping Mission with SL Customs held discussions with the Secretary to the President on the measures implemented by more..

Jun 5 (AD) Litro Gas Company has decided not to make any revisions to domestic Litro LP gas prices for the month of June, the Litro Gas Lanka Ltd said. The company stated that despite increases in global LP gas prices and the depreciation of the SL rupee, domestic gas prices will remain unchanged for June. Litro Gas Lanka Ltd further noted that disciplined cost management measures, continuous sales growth, and strong profitability from other business segments have enabled the company to more..

Jun 5 (EN) SL’s Ministry of Digital Economy is planning to change the current public service from a person-based system to a system based on digitization, the Ministry said in a statement after a meeting. “The primary objective of this initiative is to enhance efficiency within the country’s public service and eliminate service delays by developing officers’ technological knowledge to keep pace with rapidly changing global technology,” more..

Jun 5 (CI) Shashini Gimhani, the ambidextrous wristspinner from Sri Lanka, will miss her maiden trip to the Women's T20 World Cup after picking up a lower-back injury during training. She has been replaced by right-arm seamer Chethana Vimukthi. Vimukthi is yet to play T20Is for Sri Lanka, although she has played three ODIs, all against New Zealand in March 2025. She was part of the Women's Asia Cup Rising Stars tournament earlier this year, playing one T20 for SL A in that campaign. more..

Jun 5 (AD) Illegal Assets Investigation Division of SL Police has taken steps to freeze properties allegedly purchased using funds earned through drug trafficking by a female narcotics trafficker. According to police, the assets belong to a resident of Colombo 14, who, along with her husband, is alleged to have accumulated wealth through illegal drug trafficking activities. The frozen properties include a three-storey house and two plots of land located in Thotalanga, valued at Rs. 30 million. more..

Jun 5 (PMD) National commemoration of World Environment Day 2026, held under the theme Let us take action to mitigate the impacts of climate change, was held this morning at the Temple Trees under the patronage of Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake. The environmental policy of the present Govt, which is guided by a vision of a sustainable environment that ensures the survival and well-being of more..

Jun 5 (DM) More than 25 Ditwah affected families living in tents in Wewandon estate in Kotmale have been burdened with further hardship due to the prevailing heavy rains. Several families have left the tents to live in their houses in the endangered areas regardless of the warnings of the disaster management authorities. They pointed out that they lived for more than eight months in tents undergoing severe hardship without any attention of the relevant authorities. more..