Jun 3 (DM) Morison Ltd, the pharmaceutical manufacturing arm of Hemas Holdings, is aggressively laying the groundwork for a major export drive after reaching a critical mass in the domestic healthcare sector. According to the Hemas Holdings Annual Report 2025/26, company is currently undergoing the rigorous EU-GMP certification process, a strategic outward pivot designed to position the homegrown manufacturer as a highly competitive player in regional and more..

Jun 3 (DN) Rupee devaluation will have both a positive and challenging impact on Sri Lanka’s event management industry increasing affordability for foreign clients, boosting demand, and local revenue. However, it raises costs for imports. Adaptation and strategic responses are essential for competitiveness, Saliya Weerasekara, President Event Management Association (EMA) said. He said although geopolitical tensions in the Gulf affect global travel, particularly the MICE sector, more..

Jun 3 (FT) A rare SL sapphire has fetched approximately $ 1.75 million at a prestigious international auction, with the 102.40-carat Peacock of Ceylon reaching a final total of 1.55 million Swiss Franc at Sotheby’s High Jewellery Sale in Geneva, reaffirming the global appeal the Ceylon sapphire. The gemstone, an unheated natural blue sapphire originating from SL, attracted competitive bidding before being knocked down for a more..

Jun 3 (DM) For the eighth time, after bagging six in a row, the girls from Devapathiraja College in Ratgama, Galle became the undisputed champions of the Under-19 Division One limited overs cricket tournament with a resounding seven wicket win over Anula Vidyalaya Nugegoda in the final played at the Wickramashila NS ground at Giriulla. Devapathiraja won the title in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2023 from the ten finals they entered and are backed by the Foundation of Goodness, more..

Jun 3 (FT) Diversified conglomerate CIC Holdings has recorded steady revenue growth during the year ended 31 March 2026 (FY26), navigating weather-related disruptions and sectoral cost pressures. Group posted consolidated revenue of Rs. 91.75 billion, reflecting 10.16% year-on-year (YoY) growth, driven by resilient performance across its diversified portfolio, CIC. Group gross profit rose to Rs. 24.09 billion, an 8.39% increase YoY, with gross margins maintained at approximately 26.25%. more..

Jun 3 (TM) A leading anti-corruption watchdog has called on the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to launch an independent investigation into the Mahaweli Water Security Investment Programme (MWSIP), raising serious questions over hundreds of ms of dollars spent on the project while key components remain incomplete. The Citizen Power Against Bribery Corruption Waste (CPABCW) organisation has also urged ADB to suspend more..

Jun 3 (ST) Sri Lanka is in the process of setting up a National Fraud Management system, much needed in the wake of multiple high-profile cases in the country. LankaPay will be issuing a request for proposals within a month, inviting potential bidders to apply for such a management system, banking sources said. When it was proposed in 2022, during the pandemic and the economic crisis, some bank CEOs opposed it, arguing that it would be cheaper to adopt a joint insurance system than to more..

Jun 3 (EN) Sri Lanka’s central bank is conducting a digital payments promotional programme in Trincomalee on June 5-6, to raise awareness among govt officials, the business community and the public. “The public will be able to receive personalised assistance from financial institutions, including banks, finance companies and e-money service providers, as well as LankaPay (Pvt) Ltd, which operates LANKAQR and other interbank digital payment systems in SL, to register and more..

Jun 3 (DN) Sri Lanka is taking significant steps to establish a comprehensive regulatory framework for Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs), as authorities work to align the country’s digital asset sector with international standards and best practices. The fourth meeting of the VASP Sub-Committee was held at the Central Bank of Sri Lanka on May 25, 2026, under the chairmanship of Deputy Minister of Digital Economy Eranga Weeraratne. more..

Jun 3 (FT) Celebrating two decades of pioneering success, the food industry specialist Pyramid Wilmar has set sights on doubling its top line in the next five years with further innovation and value offering both in B2B and consumer segments. Pyramid Oil Mills, the local oil miller in the year 2004 forged a strategic 50:50 joint venture with Wilmar International Ltd, Asia’s leading agribusiness group, headquartered in Singapore; with over a 1000 manufacturing plants in over 50 countries. more..

Jun 3 (FT) European Union (EU) last week urged SL to develop a robust pipeline of investment-ready infrastructure projects and leverage innovative financing mechanisms to attract global capital, positioning its Global Gateway initiative as a high-quality and transparent model for funding strategic developments. Addressing the SL-German Business Forum 2026, Delegation of the EU to SL and the Maldives Head of Cooperation more..

Jun 3 (Island) In the summer of 1789, as the French Revolution gathered momentum, delegates of the National Assembly assembled in Versailles to debate the future of France. Seating arrangement inside the chamber was not planned to shape political vocabulary for centuries to come. Yet it did. Those who favoured sweeping political change, greater equality, and the dismantling of inherited privilege gravitated to the left side of the hall. Those who defended monarchy, established institutions, more..

Jun 3 (CT) Sri Lanka’s racism problem is not a relic of the past; it is a live political and social issue that keeps resurfacing in public debate, online spaces, and institutional practice. The NPP govt has publicly pledged to defeat political racism, but the persistence of Islamophobia, communal deflection, and social-media hate show of political power, shows how deeply entrenched the problem remains. Sri Lanka’s racism problem is not fading with the change of govt. more..

Jun 3 (DM) In Sri Lanka, there is one promise that keeps coming back during every election. It is the promise to abolish the executive presidency. It is repeated with confidence, with conviction, and with great appeal to the public. Yet, once the election is over and power is secured, that promise quietly fades away. This pattern is not new. It has happened again and again, across different leaders and different govts. And today, people are beginning to ask a simple question. more..

Jun 3 (TM) When Sri Lankans speak of unforgettable songs in stage drama, one melody almost always returns. Made Lagina Tharawun, sung by late Mercy Edirisinghe in Lucian Bulathsinhala’s celebrated play Tharawun Igillethi. Whenever the subject of Parliamentary crossovers emerge, my mind quietly travels back to that song. You may wonder why. Read the following lines: Should I bathe a duck that forever delights in mud? What pearl can one expect from a boar’s tusk? more..

Jun 3 (CT) SL’s transition toward renewable energy has increasingly been presented as a pathway to a cleaner and more sustainable future. Across the country, solar power projects are promoted as symbols of progress, promising reduced dependence on fossil fuels, lower carbon emissions and greater energy security. Yet in Hambantota, an unfolding controversy raises questions about what happens when more..

Jun 3 (ST) Reading the media comments of the aftermath of Prez Donald Trump’s state visit to China, however belated it might be, nothing I read was particularly surprising. Perhaps Prez Trump’s customary departure from diplomatic protocol might have been less noticeable. But then Trump is capable of surprises, though not necessarily welcomed in serious society. Perhaps it was Chinese President Xi Jinping’s early warning to his visiting counterpart that cut the turf under his feet. more..

Jun 3 (DM) Govt’s critics warn, some with smug satisfaction, that SL is yet again heading towards an economic crisis reminiscent of the one during the Gotabaya Rajapaksa administration. Some insist the country is already there or faring worse– their barometer being the oil prices now which are as high as then. Cost-reflective energy pricing in the backdrop of the Middle East crisis may not be the most appropriate measure for economic health. In any measure, govt’s decision to stick to more..

Jun 3 (TM) The Govt plans for sources of non-renewable energy to be gradually removed from the national grid by 2050 as SL accelerates its transition towards a fully sustainable power sector. Deputy Minister of Energy Arkam Ilyas said that this target was part of a sweeping strategy to overhaul the national grid, eliminate structural reliance on imported fossil fuels, and establish total carbon neutrality. more..

Jun 3 (Island) Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa is reported to have lamented that in SL, politicians who are adept at lying succeed at the expense of those who work really hard. He never misses an opportunity to project himself as a hardworking politician, and therefore his political rivals may claim that his lament smacks of self-promotion. Nevertheless, his argument is not untenable. During the last several decades, we have heard zillions of lies uttered by numerous political leaders, more..

Jun 3 (TM) We have heard warnings about dengue for decades. Every year, with the arrival of the monsoon rains, public appeals are made, clean-up campaigns are launched, and health officials urge citizens to eliminate mosquito breeding grounds. Yet the country continues to find itself confronting the same threat, often with tragic consequences. Latest warning from NMRA Chairperson Dr Ananda Wijewickrama should therefore not be dismissed as another routine alert. more..

Jun 2 (DM) Cabinet of Ministers has approved the awarding of procurement contracts for the supply and delivery of lubricating oil to the Sapugaskanda Power Station for the upcoming 2026/27 operational year. The decision follows a competitive bidding process initiated after a Cabinet briefing on Feb 9, 2026, aimed at securing crucial engineering consumables before current supply terms expire. Following the Standby Procurement Committee recommendations, the Ministry of Energy more..

Jun 2 (DM) The Cabinet has approved a new National Plan and digital platform to respond to oil spills and hazardous chemical spills in SL waters. The Government said the move was necessary due to the increasing number of ships operating near SL, the expansion of ports, growing oil-related activities and the impact of climate change. More than 400 ships pass through the East-West shipping route near Sri Lanka each day, while over 5,000 vessels call at local ports every year. more..

Jun 2 (DM) Three senior legal professionals have filed a writ petition before the Court of Appeal seeking urgent intervention to prevent a sitting High Court Judge from being summoned and questioned regarding judicial decisions made in the course of his official duties, arguing that such action poses a serious threat to judicial independence and the rule of law. The petition has been filed by President’s Counsel more..

Jun 2 (Island) Former Commander of SL Army with possibly the best battlefield record, having recovered the most amount of enemy occupied territory by troops he led from the front in the Vanni theatre of operations (2007-2009), General Shavendra Silva recently discussed growing challenges faced by smaller countries, like SL, in what he called the evolving global environment. Stressing that responsibilities must be shared across all states, the former Commander of the SL Army told more..

Jun 2 (AD) Water tariffs will be increased by a marginal amount in response to the recent rise in electricity charges, Minister of Housing, Construction and Water Supply Susil Ranasinghe has stated. Minister said the adjustment would be made in proportion to the impact of higher electricity costs on water supply operations. He explained that electricity expenses account for approximately 12% of the water tariff structure and that the increase in electricity tariffs has affected that component. more..

Jun 2 (Island) People’s United Opposition alleged that the IMF had turned a blind eye to serious corruption allegations against the NPP govt and was going ahead with the USD 2.9 bn loan in terms of the EFF programme, finalised in 2023. Former Ministers Prof. G. L. Peiris and Champika Ranawaka questioned the failure on the part of the IMF to act in spite of the NPP govt engaging in open corrupt practices, contrary more..

Jun 2 (DM) A brilliant object flying across the sky over the Puttalam town in the early hours of yesterday morning caused much panic, and the people dashed out of their homes to catch a glimpse. Several of them have been able to take photos of it. They said the mysterious object was several feet long and that it had a tail of fire similar to that of a rocket or a missile. They said flying faster than an aircraft at an elevation of about 300ft, it disappeared into the distant skies over more..

Jun 2 (NF) Former Minister Johnston Fernando appeared before the Illegal Assets Investigation Division today and subsequently left the premises at around 12:30 p.m. after providing a statement to investigators. Fernando had been summoned in connection with an ongoing investigation into the alleged provision of a vehicle on a rental basis to an individual identified as Sampath Manamperi. Authorities are probing the transaction as part of a broader inquiry into possible irregularities more..

Jun 2 (NF) Supreme Court has concluded hearings today in the fundamental rights petition filed by former Eastern Province Chief Minister S. Chandrakanthan, widely known as Pillayan. Petition was filed challenging his arrest and detention under the PTA, with the former provincial leader alleging that his fundamental rights had been violated through the legal process. After hearing submissions in the case, SC bench announced that proceedings in the matter have now been completed. more..

Jun 2 (AD) Minister Nalinda Jayatissa today disclosed details pertaining to the fuel consumption and fuel import costs in the country so far this year. He stated that fuel import costs have continued to increase in line with prices in the global market. He stated that the govt spent USD 186 million on fuel imports in January, while the fuel import bill had surged to USD 521 million by May. Minister further commented, “If we look at fuel consumption figures, Auto Diesel consumption stood at 4,538 more..