June 18 (PMD) A range of new projects for the 2025 financial year have been launched under the Clean Sri Lanka programme, a flagship government initiative aimed at fostering A Thriving Nation, A Beautiful Life. A progress review meeting for these projects, which are being implemented by various ministries and their respective departments, corporations, boards and institutions, was held yesterday, chaired by Dr. Nandika Kumanayake, Secretary to the President. more..

June 18 (Island) Nimal Senadheera officially assumed duties as Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to the UK on Monday, at the SL High Commission in London. The occasion was marked by a traditional and dignified ceremony. Senadheera succeeded Rohitha Bogollagama who took over the mission in Nov 2023 during Ranil Wickremesinghe tenure as the President. Senadheera was warmly welcomed by officials and staff of the Mission. In his address, he highlighted the Govt’s vision to strengthen more..

June 18 (CI) Mushfiqur Rahim, Najmul Hossain Shanto and Litton Das scored 401 runs among them, but the complexion of the game changed after a two-hour rain interruption as SL came roaring back late in the day, to leave Bangladesh on 484 for 9 at stumps of day two in Galle. It meant the 20.4 overs bowled in the final session saw five wickets fall for 61 runs, and resulted in a dramatic Bangladesh collapse more..

June 18 (FT) Sampath Bank said yesterday it has set a new milestone as the first bank in Sri Lanka to launch a standardised Application Programming Interface (API) platform. This revolutionary move redefines corporate banking by simplifying and automating intricate financial processes for businesses of all sizes, reflecting the Bank’s steadfast commitment to providing agile, technology-driven solutions for its expanding base of corporate and SME clients. more..

June 18 (AD) Attorney-at-Law Rajeev Amarasuriya is scheduled to conclude his tenure as a member of the Governing Board and the Monetary Policy Board of Central Bank of SL (CBSL) on June 27, 2025. Bar Association of SL (BASL), in an official statement announced that Rajeev Amarasuriya resigned from the board after assuming duties as the President of the BASL. Upon the approval of the Constitutional Council, Rajeev Amarasuriya was appointed as a Member of the Governing Board of the CBSL more..

June 18 (EN) President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and his party threatened to sack him . But outgoing Finance Secretary Mahinda Siriwardena earned appreciation from the same leader who threatened to oust him after standing for tough reforms. Siriwardana retired from the post of Secretary to the Ministry of Finance and Treasury on Wednesday (18). He is expected to take up an alternative director post in ADB. more..

June 18 (DM) A heated debate broke out in Parliament yesterday (17) as UNP MP Ravi Karunanayake criticised the govt’s handling of the country’s renewable energy policy and power sector management. The discussion came in the wake of the nationwide blackout that occurred on Feb 9 this year, which the CEB blamed on excessive solar power destabilising the national grid. MP raising the matter in Parliament, pointed out govt’s inconsistent position on renewable energy. more..

June 18 (EN) Sri Lanka is calling international tenders for renewable large renewable projects to boost competition and bring down electricity costs, Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody said. “There are only two or three local companies tendering for these projects, and they are also observed to have internal connections,” Minister said, answering a question by opposition legislator Ravi Karunanayake in parliament. SL had a practice of calling international tenders for large plants, he said. more..

June 18 (DM) The NPP has taken control of the Kolonnawa Municipal Council with the backing of a SJB councillor, who had secured the highest number of preferential votes in the last local govt election. A tense situation unfolded during the council meeting held this morning (18) to elect a new chairman. The NPP held nine seats in the 19-member council, while the opposition collectively had 10. With no clear majority, an election was called to select the chairman. more..

June 18 (AD) The Parliament was adjourned until 9.30 am on Thursday morning despite the objections raised by opposition’s parliamentarians who had called for a debate on the Israel-Iran conflict. The Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Dr. Rizvie Salih announced the adjournment of the parliamentary session as SJB MP Ajith P. Perera failed to be present in the House at the scheduled time to start the adjournment debate he had proposed on the escalating Israel-Iran conflict. more..

June 18 (NW) Starlink, the satellite internet service owned by Elon Musk, is set to begin operations in SL next week, according to Telecom Regulatory Commission of SL (TRCSL). TRCSL Director General Bandula Herath announced that 12 initial users have been selected to receive Starlink services, with equipment already distributed to them this week. A total of 112 Starlink equipment kits have been imported into the country. more..

June 18 (FT) The flavour of the week in Colombo is indubitably NPP. While an NPP woman mayor may not be to everyone’s taste, no doubt Vraie Cally Balthazaar (VCB) is the toast of the rest of the town these days. In a closely watched contest, VCB won over a broad opposition coalition that failed to muster the muscle it needed to elbow the NPP’s lady-candidate out. This was despite the joint antagonists wielding the sufficient weight required to carry the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) more..

June 18 (AD) The Supreme Court today ordered that the hearing of the Fundamental Rights Petition filed by the Bar Association of SL (BASL) which seeks a ruling that the ragging incident involving Charith Dilshan, a second-year student at the Faculty of Technology of the Sabaragamuwa Uni, constitutes a violation of fundamental human rights, be taken up for consideration on July 18. The BASL also seeks an order calling relevant authorities to conduct a thorough investigation. more..

June 18 (AD) Former Minister of Health Keheliya Rambukwella, his wife Kusum Priyadarshini Epa, and their daughter Chandula Ramali Rambukwella have been granted bail after being produced before the Colombo Magistrate’s Court. The trio was produced before the court today, following their arrest by officers of the CIABOC in connection with an investigation conducted under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. They were taken into custody at approximately 11:30 a.m. today, more..

June 18 (FT) Sri Lanka’s ban on palm oil imports, which began in 2021 due to environmental concerns, along with high taxes on locally made edible oils, is now causing serious problems for the country’s economy. The impact goes beyond cooking oil shortages—key industries like food, tourism, and manufacturing are also feeling the pressure, making it harder for the country to recover from its recent economic crisis. Among the vegetable oils, palm oil emerged as the largest segment more..

June 18 (DM) Sri Lanka is grappling with a shortage of several medicines, including cancer drugs, insulin, and oral rehydration salts like Jeevani affecting both govt hospitals and pharmacies. A wide range of crucial drugs including those used to treat cancer, diabetes, psychiatric disorders, epilepsy, and infections are either unavailable or in dangerously limited supply, according to health professionals and patients. more..

June 18 (EN) Sri Lanka could face lower remittances and higher oil prices due to the current conflict and instability in the Middle East after Israel’s June 13 attack on Iran, Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath said. More than 20,000 Sri Lankans are employed in Israel and they have been sources of Sri Lanka’s main foreign inflows, remittances. “There could be impact on the foreign remittances sent to Sri Lanka. Also there is a risk of oil prices going up,” Minister Herath told the parliament. more..

June 18 (CT) The women’s representatives of the UNP who have been elected to various Local Govt (LG) bodies, including the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC), strongly condemned the attack on CMC’s senior member, Uluwaduge Sandamali. The incident, which left Sandamali injured, allegedly occurred on the CMC premises on the evening of Monday (16). They accused a supporter of the NPP of carrying out the attack. The representatives also expressed concern for the victim, more..

June 18 (FT) Health Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa yesterday charged the Opposition for stoking public fear over potential shortages of essential medicines, insisting that the situation is being exaggerated. Acknowledging that there is a risk of medicine shortages at all times, he said that sometimes even if one hospital is out of that particular medication, another would have it in stocks. “There are some fluctuations in the more..

June 18 (DM) Colombo Chief Magistrate Thanuja Lakmali imposed a travel ban on Sudarshana Fernando, former Chairman of the Ceylon Fisheries Harbour Corporation. Magistrate also ordered the Immigration Dept to arrest the suspect upon arrival in the country. Bribery Commission informed the court that an investigation is underway into allegations that Fernando had misused his position to recruit his associates to high-ranking posts within the Corporation, bypassing the standard more..

June 18 (DM) App-based taxi services at BIA claimed that they are facing huge issues after airport authorities suddenly decided to limit the types of vehicles allowed inside the airport. A spokesman for the taxi services said the Airport and Aviation Authority told the App-based taxi services to stop using small cars such as hatchbacks for picking up passengers at the airport. Only sedans or bigger vehicles are now allowed. He said the reason for this rule has not been clearly explained. more..

June 18 (DM) Patients were forced to pay between Rs. 120,000 and Rs. 250,000 for a medical item labelled EVD, used in surgeries at a government hospital in 2022 that had been officially procured and supplied to a govt hospital at just Rs. 17,500 (its current market value being around Rs. 46,500), the CIABOC revealed yesterday. A specialist neurosurgeon and a clerk attached to the Sri J'pura General Hospital along with a third individual, who worked in a private firm owned by more..

June 18 (DN) SL Export Development Board (EDB), together with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), is steadily progressing in the development of the National Export Development Plan (NEDP) for 2025–2029. As part of this ongoing initiative, the second round of discussions took place on June 2 2025 at the EDB premises, following the inaugural meeting held in April. The forthcoming strategy aims to strengthen Sri Lanka’s export sector through a data-driven, diagnostic-based approach, more..

June 18 (DM) A specialist neurosurgeon at the Sri J'pura General Hospital, a management assistant and her employee were ordered to be remanded till June 24 by Colombo Additional Magistrate Harshana Kekunawela, over allegations of corruption. The suspects, Dr. Maheshi Wijerathna, a specialist neurosurgeon at the Sri J'pura General Hospital, Kekulandala Liyanage Indika, a management assistant at the same more..

June 18 (TM) The Ministry of Public Security stated that all 52 high-crime areas identified across the country are located in the Western and Southern Provinces, and that a special operational mechanism is already in place to address rising criminal activity in these zones. Speaking in the Parliament recently, Minister of Public Security Ananda Wijepala said that the Police has identified 52 Police areas in the country with the highest crime rates. When queried as to whether the ministry would introduce more..

June 18 (DN) SL made a strong start to their Billie Jean King Cup by Gainbridge Asia/Oceania Group III Tennis Tournament, with a clinical 3-0 victory over Qatar at the SL Tennis Association’s clay courts in Colombo yesterday. In the first singles match, Akesha Silva of SL took on Hind Al Mudahka of Qatar. Akeesha played confidently from the start, winning the first set 6-3. The match ended early when Hind retired while trailing 0-3 in the second set, giving Sri Lanka an early lead. more..

June 18 (FT) Cabinet approved to call for investment proposals for a prime land parcel located at No. 40, D.R. Wijewardena Mawatha, Colombo 10. The land extending three roods and 13.85 perches is currently owned by the UDA. It will be offered to investors on a 99-year lease basis to develop a mixed-development project that aligns with UDA’s planning and development objectives. The investment call will be based on an updated land valuation conducted by the Govt Chief Assessor. more..

June 18 (ST) Sri Lanka has recorded a significant shift in its budget financing pattern, with official data showing net foreign debt repayments of US$ 0.09 billion (Rs. 27.9 billion) during the first four months of 2025. This marks a steep rise from the amount repaid in the same period last year, indicating that the govt is continuing to repay more foreign debt than it borrows, a trend rarely seen in the country’s fiscal history. The entire budget deficit of Rs. 261.6 billion from Jan to April 2025 was more..

June 18 (TM) In the wake of the Govt noting difficulties in providing internship training for medical graduates, Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) stated that it is currently analysing the situation, with a dedicated medical specialist deployed to review available internship training capacities across the country. SLMC Registrar, Dr. Hemantha Herath said that internship placements must be provided at properly equipped hospitals, under more..

June 18 (FT) Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) said yesterday it is set to launch a Central Counterparty (CCP) framework next month, marking a significant advancement in the evolution of SL’s capital market infrastructure. This move is aimed at enhancing the safety, efficiency, and transparency of the market, ensuring the smooth settlement of trades. Since August 2021, CSE has been operating under a Delivery versus Payment (DvP) settlement mechanism, ensuring that securities are more..

June 18 (DN) Two long-standing meet records tumbled on the opening day of the 50th MILO Annual SL Schools All Island Age Group Aquatic Championship, commenced at the Sugathadasa Swimming Pool Complex in Colombo yesterday. Meheli Navithma of St. John’s Girls’ School, Panadura, produced a stunning performance in the Girls’ Under-12, 100m Breaststroke preliminary heats. The young swimmer clocked an impressive 1 m 31.31 s, erasing 15-yr-old meet record more..