June 25 (Island) SL have handed the Test cap to Sonal Dinusha, a 24-year-old left-hander with a golden arm, as they scramble to fill the sizeable void left by the retired Angelo Mathews. 2nd Test against Bangladesh starts today at the SSC. Selectors had their task cut out, weighing the credentials of domestic run-machines Pasindu Sooriyabandara and Pawan Rathnayake. But Dinusha’s dual skill set – solid middle-order more..

June 25 (TM) A Fundamental Rights (FR) petition was filed last week in the Supreme Court (SC) by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) ex-Vice President K. Mathivanan, against SLC President Shammi Silva and its Executive Committee. The petition has challenged the election of office bearers to the game’s domestic governing body held in late March this year. He stated that the FR petition filed on his behalf by former head of the Bar Association of SL (BASL) Saliya Peiris is to be heard tomorrow. more..

June 25 (Island) Vicknaraj Vakshan, Rusiru Chathuranga and Nimali Liyanarachchi increased SL’s medal count to six golds as they won their respective disciplines at the Thailand Open Athletics Championship on Tuesday. SL’s campaign ended yesterday with six golds, four silvers and a bronze. Vakshan finished the men’s 5,000 metres in a time of 15:04.56 seconds to win gold nearly 15 seconds ahead of Anucha Pada who clinched silver. It was Vakshan’s second medal following the silver more..

June 25 (FT) SL food and beverages exporters took part in THAIFEX Anuga Asia 2025, the leading food and beverage trade show in Asia, which was successfully held in May in Bangkok. SL EDB in collaboration with the Embassy of SL in Thailand organised the SL Country Pavilion at THAIFEX Anuga Asia 2025 to showcase the food and beverage products of four SL manufacturers, including three SMEs, aiming at potential buyers and distributors in Southeast Asia. more..

June 25 (FT) In conjunction with Sri Lanka’s participation at the Middle East Rubber & Tyre Expo 2025, the Sri Lanka Business Council UAE (SLBC) hosted a high-profile Networking Dinner at the Pullman Hotel, Deira City Centre, Dubai, to welcome and support the visiting delegation of Sri Lankan rubber product exporters. The event was designed to provide exhibitors with a platform to connect with potential business partners, distributors, and regional stakeholders. It was well attended by more..

June 25 (FT) Three leading global donors have expressed concerns over some of the amendments to the Electricity Act urging the Govt reconsider the move to ensure alignment with good governance, competitive procurement, regulatory independence, and financial sustainability. In a strong stand the World Bank and IFC Country Manager Gevorg Sargsyan, ADB Country Director Takafumi Kadono and JICA Chief more..

June 25 (Island) A military funeral was held on the evening of June 15, 2025, at the new crematorium of the General Cemetery, Borella, to bid farewell to the late General Hamilton Wanasinghe (retd.) VSV USP ndc. Wanasinghe passed away at the Military Hospital, Narahenpita, on June 13. The eleventh commander of Sri Lanka Army (SLA), Wanasinghe was 91 at the time of his demise. Admiral Ravindra C. Wijegunaratne did a piece on the late General, titled A legendary military leader of our time more..

June 25 (GV) SL’s fisheries industry sustains the livelihoods of over two million people and provides a substantial contribution to the country’s GDP. Fifty percent of Sri Lankans consider fish to be their main or sole source of protein given its affordability and accessibility. Despite these significant statistics, livelihoods of fishing communities are under imminent threat owing to a longstanding series of issues. The Vanishing Catch is a documentary about the plight of the fishermen more..

June 25 (ST) With the nuclear sword overhead arrayed, the world watches helpless as the ongoing war between Israel and Iran rapidly escalates to fever pitch. Israel’s deadly attack on Teheran came on Friday the 13th night. The opening hours of the theatre of war saw a series of targeted assassinations. The attacks were focused on crippling Iran’s nuclear ambitions, which Israelis claimed stood on the threshold of reaching fruition. Apart from killing some of Iran’s top military more..

June 25 (FT) A nationwide blackout in February this year sent shockwaves across SL. While the initial outage itself was infamously attributed to wildlife coming into contact with critical systems, CEB also attributed the subsequent difficulties in restoring power to the island in part, to the rapid growth of rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) systems. In response, Power and Energy Ministry formed a committee to explore solutions, including curtailing solar generation and reducing the feed-in more..

June 25 (CT) The spotlight this week has been firmly fixed on former Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella and his family. Generating major headlines, several family members were seen in and out of remand prison in connection with a series of legal battles. Here is a summary of the high-profile cases the Rambukwella family is currently facing. A govt-procured shipment of life-saving human immunoglobulin, purchased with State funds, more..

June 25 (Island) The world must have heaved a huge sigh of relief on hearing that Israel and Iran had agreed to a ceasefire. An uneasy truce between two belligerent nations, after nearly two weeks of intense fighting, resembles the clinch of two exhausted boxers—noses blooded, teeth broken and jaws shifted. Explosions were ringing out in Iran at the time of writing, despite the ceasefire, with US Prez Donald Trump asking Israel to stop attacks. One can only hope that such incidents more..

June 25 (DM) A few days ago, on the 22nd of this month, Prime Minister and Minister of Education Harini Amarasuriya addressed a discussion held with the Task Force appointed by the Cabinet to oversee Digital Education Transformation, emphasising that digital education systems should be introduced nationwide, ensuring fair distribution of human and physical resources across all schools. The premier’s goal is applaudable, and everyone in this country will wish her well. more..

June 25 (CT) When the Right to Information (RTI) Act was passed in SL in 2016, it was widely hailed as a transformative legal milestone. Designed to empower citizens, enhance transparency, and provide oversight over Govt actions, it was viewed as a potent democratic tool in a country long plagued by secrecy, corruption, and unaccountable governance. Nearly a decade on, the RTI framework finds itself in a precarious more..

June 25 (DM) After bombing the deep underground nuclear facilities of Fordow and then loudly musing over the regime change of Iran, America’s Prez Donald Trump on Tuesday mediated a pre-dawn ceasefire between Iran and Israel. The ceasefire seemed to save the Ayatollahs of Iran what they most valued: A tyrannical clerical regime of which offensive capabilities have seriously degraded, but not its suffocating hold over the Iranian people. However, Trump also helped avert more..

June 25 (CT) DCS has recently announced that a Sri Lankan requires Rs 16,342 per month to meet basic living standards as of April 2025. In Colombo, the figure stands at Rs 17,625, the highest in the country, while Moneragala records the lowest at Rs 15,626. These numbers, while methodically calculated, raise more questions than they answer. The issue is not with their arithmetic precision, but with the assumptions they quietly carry and the complacency they risk encouraging. more..

June 24 (AD) PM Dr. Harini Amarasuriya has left for Canada early this morning (24). Prime Minister Amarasuriya who is the Minister of Education, Higher Education, and Vocational Education departed for Canada to participate in the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) Board of Governors as the representative of the South Asian region, the Office of the Prime Minister said. The Commonwealth of Learning (COL) Board of Governors will be held from June 24 to 26 in Vancouver, Canada. more..

June 24 (AP) NATO leaders were gathering in the Netherlands on Tuesday for the start of a historic two-day summit that could unite the world’s biggest security organization around a new defense spending pledge or widen divisions among the 32 allies. The allies are likely to endorse a goal of spending 5% of their gross domestic product on their security, to be able to fulfil the alliance’s plans for defending against outside attack. Still, Spain has said it cannot, and that the target is unreasonable. more..

June 24 (DM) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued an update on the current status of SL nationals in Iran, Israel, and several neighbouring countries, as evacuation and repatriation efforts continue amid ongoing regional tensions. In Iran, SL Embassy in Tehran reported that 41 Sri Lankans have been accounted for, including nine who have already departed. On 24 June, three individuals—two students and another national—departed from Mashhad Airport to New Delhi more..

June 24 (AD) The NPP has so far succeeded in securing power in 200 local govt bodies across the country. NPP secured outright victories in 151 local govt bodies based on the results of the 2025 LG election. Meanwhile, today, the NPP secured power in the Balangoda Urban Council and the Thanamalwila Pradeshiya Sabha which has increased the number of LG bodies secured through votes to 49. Furthermore, with the addition of the Gampola Urban Council and the Bentota Pradeshiya Sabha, more..

June 24 (DM) The Committee on High Posts has approved the appointment of Chairpersons of four State Institutions including the Employees' Trust Fund Board (ETF). The approval was granted during the Committee’s meeting held recently, chaired by the PM Dr. Harini Amarasuriya. Accordingly, the appointments of Somasiri Ekanayake as the Chairman of the Employees' Trust Fund Board (ETF), B.A.P.K.R. Bamunu Arachchi as the Chairman of the Ceylon Fishery Harbours Corporation, more..

June 24 (DM) Nearly 1,500 tons of solid waste, four tons of plastic PET bottles, and 50 kilograms of plastic garlands were collected at the end of last year’s Kataragama Esala Perahera season, the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) said. The amount of plastic waste collected last year marked a significant reduction compared to previous years a positive outcome of ongoing awareness campaigns and waste management programs. Each year, nearly 1.5 million devotees visit Kataragama more..

June 24 (NW) The govt has decided to upgrade the Colombo Central Bus Stand within the next year, in line with its Clean Sri Lanka national programme. In line with the same initiative, 50 major bus stands nationwide are scheduled for renovation, with assistance from the SL Air Force. The renovation of the Colombo Central Bus Stand will include the refurbishment of key facilities such as the canteen, rest area, ticket counters, administrative unit, operations room and driver quarters. more..

June 24 (CT) Colombo High Court Judge Lanka Jayaratne yesterday ordered the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) to submit a report on any disciplinary action taken against Dr. R.P.K. Chandana, who allegedly submitted a false medical report regarding former minister Johnston Fernando at a private hospital in Narahenpita. The disputed report claimed that Fernando was too ill to appear in court due to severe back pain during a previous hearing in Sept 2024. more..

June 24 (DM) The COPF has directed the creation of a special mechanism to monitor the importation of casino machines, while approval was granted for the importation, its Chairman Harsha de Silva said. “The govt came to the Committee to remove import restrictions imposed during the crisis. I realised that Casino equipment was also in that list. So with the concurrence of the committee, I directed them to create a special mechanism to monitor every casino machine to be imported,” more..

June 24 (EN) US Embassy Colombo, SL, has asked people applying for non-immigrant visas to make all their social media accounts public to allow vetting. “Individuals applying for an F, M, or J nonimmigrant visa are requested to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media accounts to public to facilitate vetting necessary to establish their identity and admissibility to the US,” the embassy said on X. US has required visa applicants to provide social media identifiers on immigrant more..

June 24 (TM) Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) said that it is planning to take necessary measures if any possible fuel crisis arises in the future due to the ongoing conflict and escalating tensions in the Middle East. The decision comes days after the US directly entered the Israel-Iran war, by bombing three key Iranian atomic-energy installations, and issued an ultimatum to Iran to return to negotiations. Following the unprecedented attack, global oil prices jumped yesterday more..

June 24 (Island) National Joint Committee (NJC) has expressed serious concerns over recently concluded agreements between SL and India. The NJC has emphasised the pivotal importance of transparency in the process while accusing the govt of undermining SL’s sovereignty. The following is the text of the open letter Lt. Gen. Jagath Dias (retd), President of the NJC, has sent to Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake: We, representing a coalition of national organisations committed to safeguarding SL’s sovereignty, more..

June 24 (NW) A segment of the Festival of Australia, a first-of-its-kind multi-city showcase celebrating Australia’s world-class education and premium food and beverage products, will be held in Colombo this week. The third phase of the festival is being organised by the Australian Trade and Investment Commission. Colombo showcase will provide an opportunity for students and parents to engage directly with the representatives of Australian universities to explore educational programs more..

June 24 (FT) International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), (ICC is represented in Sri Lanka by ICCSL) the world’s largest business organisation representing 45 million companies across 170+ countries, has warned of the serious risks posed by tariff retaliation and advocates for a stable, open global trading system. Against this backdrop, SL’s journey from 2025 to 2030 stands as a critical inflection point as it charts its course from economic recovery to sustainable growth. more..

June 24 (FT) On a misty morning in Nuwara Eliya, where the hills once shimmered like emeralds under a sheath of dew, the silence is broken only by the brittle crunch of dry tea leaves underfoot. But this cradle of Ceylon tea, famed from London to Beijing, is faltering. Soil, once fertile, now lies tired from years of chemical overload. Pest outbreaks are more frequent. Fertiliser prices have soared beyond reach. And the cup, once golden, is losing its richness. more..

June 24 (Reuters) U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Monday a complete ceasefire between Israel and Iran, potentially ending the 12-day war that saw millions flee Tehran and prompted fears of further escalation in the war-torn region. Israel, joined by the United States on the weekend, has carried out attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities, after alleging Tehran was getting close to obtaining a nuclear weapon. more..