- President Ranil Wickremesinghe has appointed a specialist committee to address salary discrepancies in the government service, the President’s Media Division said. With careful consideration of the prevailing salary anomalies among various employee groups within the public service, measures will be taken in the 2025 budget to review and potentially revise salaries, wages, and other provisions across all sectors. This task has been delegated to the Expert Committee.
- Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa has issued a stark warning, stating that any postponement of elections would spell the end of the United National Party (UNP). Rajapaksa expressed his disbelief that the elections would be delayed, calling such an action “silly” and predicting dire consequences for the UNP.
- Minister of Education, Susil Premajayantha, announced that the G.C.E. Ordinary Level (O/L) and Advanced Level (A/L) examinations will be expedited to facilitate faster university enrollment for students. The goal is to enable students to complete their schooling by the age of 18 and seamlessly transition into higher education.
- Oman, represented by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources, and Sri Lanka, represented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Plantation Industries, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the field of Agriculture. It was signed by Ahmed Ali al Rashdi, Ambassador of Oman to Sri Lanka, and Mahinda Amaraweera, Sri Lankan Minister of Agriculture and Plantation Industries.
- The Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) says it is ready to extend its support to Opposition Leader MP Sajith Premadasa if the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) is willing to conduct a comprehensive study on the impacts of the implementation of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution.
- The Ceylon Teachers’ Union (CTU) has warned of an islandwide strike due to the failure of authorities to increase the salaries of teachers and principals as promised in Budget 2024. CTU General Secretary Joseph Stalin told the media today that a strike action will be launched on June 26 if the authorities fail to address their issues.
- During the meeting of the Committee on Public Finance (CoPF), it was disclosed that even though it is clearly stated by law that online casino operations cannot be carried out in the country, online casinos operate in the open depriving the state of the revenue due without any implications. The Chair of the committee Dr. Harsha de Silva directed that a letter be sent to the Minister of Finance requesting for his immediate attention regarding the matter.
- The Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) has warned the public of a racket involving the sale of meat of hens killed in the recent floods experienced in Sri Lanka.
- The government of Sri Lanka presented a detailed report to the Supreme Court, outlining the measures undertaken to combat climate change. This submission responds to an order from the court, prompted by a petition filed by the Center For Environmental Justice. The petition alleged that the government had failed to implement adequate measures to address climate change, thereby violating basic human rights.
- Former Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe says Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) officials must take responsibility for the poor show of the national men’s cricket team in the ongoing T20 cricket world cup. Speaking to reporters, Ranasinghe said he will not and has never laid blame on the cricketers, stating that they are talented players.
