Diplomats gather in Colombo for Hail and Farewell Reception 2026

Ambassador of Indonesia to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, Dewi Gustina Tobing, in her capacity as Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, hosted the annual Hail and Farewell Diplomatic Reception 2026 in Colombo, bringing together Heads of Mission and their spouses accredited to Sri Lanka.

Commonwealth Lawyers’ Association backs BASL, opposes judicial retirement age amendment

The Commonwealth Lawyers’ Association (CLA) has extended its full support to the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) over its opposition to a proposed Constitutional amendment aimed at increasing the retirement age of apex court judges, urging the Sri Lankan authorities not to proceed with the proposed changes.

‘Proposals on table, ball in Sri Lanka’s court’ – Envoy

In reference to the planned move to purchase oil from Russia, Russian Ambassador Levan Dzhagaryan said that his country’s proposals are now on the table, but the ball is in Sri Lanka’s court.

Backlog of 1.1 million court cases in Sri Lanka : MP

There is a backlog of 1.1 million court cases in Sri Lanka, National People’s Power (NPP) MP Hiruni Wijesinghe told Parliament.

High blood pressure a major cause of serious diseases: Specialist

High blood pressure is one of the main factors contributing to a range of serious diseases in the human body, Specialist Physician Suranga Manilgama has said.

U.S. Navy Littoral combat ship USS Canberra arrives in Colombo

The U.S. Navy’s Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ship, USS Canberra (LCS 30), arrived at the Port of Colombo today , marking the fourth U.S. littoral combat ship to visit Sri Lanka and reaffirming the strong maritime partnership between the two nations.

Education reforms needed to reduce student stress, Experts warn

Health authorities have raised concerns over a rising trend of depression among schoolchildren, with reports indicating that six out of every ten children are experiencing severe depressive symptoms.

Officers accused of failing to stop Easter Attacks now investigating Sallay- President’s Counsel

Former Director of the State Intelligence Service (SIS), Major General Suresh Sallay through his lawyer yesterday informed the Court of Appeal that senior police officers including Shani Abeysekera and Ravi Seneviratne who had been identified by several investigations as having failed to prevent the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks are now leading investigations against him.

Underworld turning to homemade guns as raids drain weapon supplies

Sri Lanka’s criminal underworld is increasingly relying on locally manufactured firearms and imitation weapons as sustained police operations continue to reduce access to military-grade firearms.

West Indies defeat Sri Lanka by seven wickets in T20 opener

The West Indies secured a convincing seven-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the opening T20 International at Sabina Park, taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

SriLankan UL606 turns back to Colombo due to adverse weather

SriLankan Airlines has confirmed that Flight UL606, which departed from Colombo to Sydney at 00:05 hrs today (12 June), returned to Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) following an operational occurrence encountered amid adverse weather conditions.

El Nino to hit Sri Lanka’s power generation

Amidst various forecasts regarding the impact of the El Nino phenomenon expected to hit Sri Lanka in the coming months, Minister of Ports, Civil Aviation and Energy Anura Karunathilaka said yesterday that the Ministry of Energy has forecast that the impact of the El Nino phenomenon could result in the reduction of 127 gigawatt-hours (GWh) in the national grid in the coming months.

Bollywood stars shine at BIA

NCPA receives 287 complaints of children forced into begging in 2025

The National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) says it received 516 complaints related to child labour and child exploitation in the first part of 2025. Most of these cases are about children being forced to beg.

Sri Lanka on brink of dengue epidemic

Sri Lanka faces a high risk of a dengue epidemic as infections continue to rise sharply across the country, with nearly 39,000 cases reported so far this year and thousands of mosquito breeding sites detected during a nationwide eradication drive, health experts warned.

Thai Princess Bajrakitiyabha dies after more than three years in coma

Thailand’s Princess Bajrakitiyabha, who has been in a coma for more than three years, has died, the royal household has announced. She was 47.

Iran says no final decision made on deal that Trump hopes could be signed soon

President Donald Trump on Thursday said the United States and Iran could sign a peace deal as soon as this weekend that ​would reopen the Strait of Hormuz to shipping, but Iran countered that it had not reached a final decision on an agreement.

Mexico defeats South Africa 2-0 in the World Cup’s opening match

Mexico kicked off the 2026 FIFA World Cup in style, defeating South Africa 2-0 in the opening match of the tournament.

Colombo university medicine faculty unveils 80 kW solar energy project

The Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo has officially launched its 80 kW Mega Batch Solar Energy Project, marking a key step towards institutional sustainability, the Environment Ministry said.

Motor vehicle sale gains exempted from tax under new IRD amendment

Gains arising from the sale of certain motor vehicles will no longer be treated as taxable income under a series of amendments introduced through the Inland Revenue (Amendment) Act, No. 11 of 2026, the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) announced.

Elderly man dies in elephant attack

A 72-year-old man was killed after being attacked by a wild elephant in the Sumedhankara area within the Serunuwara Police Division yesterday (11).

Air testing confirms ’no hazard exists’ at Pentagon after lockdown incident

Normal operations have resumed at the Pentagon after the building was earlier placed on lockdown following the detection of an ’’air quality issue’’ that sent hazardous material (hazmat) response teams to the scene.

Sri Lanka faces AI shake-up as 22.8% of jobs exposed

Nearly one in four Sri Lankan workers are exposed to generative artificial intelligence (AI), with professional and office-based occupations facing the greatest risk of disruption, prompting the government to place AI at the centre of its economic transformation strategy.

China learns to live on less fuel, to the relief of oil markets

Three months into the Iran war, the oil ​market is coming to grips with an unexpected new reality: China, the world’s largest importer, needs much less fuel than previously thought.

Rain likely in several areas after 1 p.m.

Showers or thundershowers are expected at a few places in the Uva Province and in the Ampara and Batticaloa districts after 1.00 p.m. today (12), the Meteorology Department said.

Elon Musk’s SpaceX raises $75bn ahead of record stock market debut

SpaceX has raised $75bn (£56bn) from financial firms ahead of it becoming a publicly traded company on Friday, in what is expected to be the highest-value stock listing in history.

Govt. to launch export blueprint targeting US$ 36bn revenue by 2030

Sri Lanka will next week unveil a five-year national export strategy aimed at nearly doubling export earnings to US$36 billion by 2030, as the government seeks to shift the economy onto a stronger export-led growth path and reduce its dependence on domestic demand and external borrowing.

Tourism industry veteran Hiran Cooray expresses cautious optimism for winter amid bleak summer warnings

As Sri Lanka pursues an ambitious target of 2.5-3 million arrivals this year, Jetwing Hotels Chairman Hiran Cooray expressed cautious optimism for the upcoming winter season while warning of a highly challenging summer.

Health Ministry warns of silent health threat from everyday plastic use

The Health Ministry has issued a strong warning over the growing use of non-standard plastic utensils and food containers, cautioning that long-term exposure could lead to serious health complications.

FIFA World Cup 2026: 10 Best Group Stage Matches to Watch in Sri Lanka

With 104 matches spread across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, most group stage kickoffs fall in the early hours of the morning in Sri Lankan Standard Time. You cannot watch everything, so the question becomes: which matches are worth setting the alarm for?