- President Ranil Wickremesinghe attends Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s swearing-in ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi, along with leaders from neighboring countries: His arrival was warmly received earlier that day at the airport, and the event featured a captivating Indian cultural performance: Modi’s victory in the recent Indian general election was highlighted, and Wickremesinghe’s visit garnered significant media attention in India.
- Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa pledges to implement the 13th Amendment to the Constitution under a Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) administration: emphasises his commitment to implementing the amendment, which has been a recurring topic in Sri Lankan politics, unlike other politicians who have hesitated: reiterates his stance to enact the 13th Amendment nationwide, ensuring the rights of Sri Lankan citizens.
- Retired Police investigators Ravi Seneviratne and Shani Abeysekara publicly endorse the National Peoples Power (NPP) party led by MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake: praise praised Dissanayake as a potential future President and voice concerns about current law enforcement issues in Sri Lanka, while expressing confidence in the NPP’s development agenda: Both Seneviratne and Abeysekara are noted for handling controversial cases and faced challenges under former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
- Minister Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena stresses the importance of preserving the state-owned Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) during an induction programme at Temple Trees: emphasises its role in the economy and daily commuting, announcing a fixed promotion system to ensure stability: Transport Minister Bandula Gunawardena echoes this sentiment, marking a historic development in SLTB’s 67-year history.
- A strike initiated by the Sri Lanka Railway Locomotive Operating Engineers’ Union leads to the suspension of over 20 commuter train services today, with more than 50 services cancelled yesterday: The strike, now in its fourth day, is due to grievances including promotion delays and recruitment issues: Only drivers from two out of five depots have joined the strike, affecting power set train operations: The union has warned of further escalation if their demands are not met.
- USAID is aiding Sri Lanka’s investment climate by improving access to commercial alternative dispute resolution (ADR): train and accredit 23 international commercial mediators, doubling Sri Lanka’s qualified mediators: These mediators, trained by the Singapore International Mediation Centre, will conduct around 100 commercial mediations by October 2026: Commercial mediation offers a faster, cost-effective resolution, preserving business relationships and supporting international trade: US Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Doug Sonnek emphasises the US commitment to fostering a favourable investment climate in Sri Lanka through such partnerships: USAID’s Efficient and Effective Justice (EEJ) project also supports ADR training and pilot programs for judicial mediation, aiming to enhance the overall efficacy of Sri Lanka’s judicial process..
- Sri Lanka’s tourism sector sees a slowdown in May, with revenue dropping to $154 mn from April’s $225.7 mn: Despite challenges like the 2019 Easter attacks and pandemic-related restrictions, the industry has shown improvement compared to last year: However, global travel advisories and seasonal fluctuations continue to impact recovery efforts: Despite these challenges, tourism inflows over the past five months almost reached pre-pandemic levels, with close to 900,000 visitors: Tourist arrivals for June have seen a dip, with India being the main source of visitors, followed by the UK, China, and Bangladesh.
- Sri Lanka plans to invite EOIs for establishing a nuclear power plant as part of its long-term energy plans: Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekara announced the intention to include nuclear energy in future generation plans, aiming to reduce reliance on imported oil, coal, and hydropower: Russia’s Rosatom offered to build a plant with two reactors generating 300 megawatts of energy: An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safety review evaluated Sri Lanka’s site selection process, with six candidate sites identified: The review team provided recommendations to optimise site evaluation, emphasising adherence to IAEA safety standards: Sri Lanka sees nuclear energy as a low-carbon option to address climate change and bolster energy security, committing to nuclear power planning.
- Sri Lanka partners with China’s Deep Space Exploration Lab (DSEL) to join the global space race: Supreme Deep Space (Pvt) Ltd., a newly established Sri Lankan company, collaborates with DSEL to advance lunar and Mars missions: This partnership follows China’s successful Chang’e 6 lunar mission and aims to contribute to groundbreaking scientific endeavours: Sri Lanka’s cooperation with China may align with strategic interests amidst the US-China space competition: The collaboration focuses on various research initiatives, including cataloguing local expertise, 3D printing for lunar construction, water electrolysis for oxygen generation, and graphene-based space elevator technology: Supreme Deep Space will provide infrastructure for mission monitoring and control, supporting DSEL’s missions in real-time.
- Sri Lanka’s Nuwan Thushara reflects on lessons learned from IPL and T-20 World Cup matches, emphasising team success over personal achievements: highlights differences in pitch conditions between the IPL and T-20 World Cup, noting challenges for bowlers and batsmen: Sri Lanka’s team manager, Mahinda Halangoda, attributes their defeat to batting shortcomings and stresses the need for players to adapt to pitch conditions: Despite attempts to prepare, challenges with practice facilities hindered their training: Cricket experts urge players to take responsibility for performance in the T-20 format, emphasising the importance of adaptation and learning from mistakes.
