Jun 4 (CT) State Minister Premitha Bandara Tennakoon said that within the last 48 hours, as at 6 p.m. yesterday, 16 individuals had lost their lives due to hazards across the island. Fatalities were recorded in the Ratnapura (5), Colombo (3), Matara (6) and Galle (2) Districts since 1 June. Due to hazardous conditions, 84,000 people from 23,707 families, across 261 Divisional Secretariat Offices, in 23 districts, have been affected more..

Jun 4 (DN) Sri Lanka has attracted over USD 1 billion Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) to the country in the first quarter of 2024, said State Minister Dilum Amunugama yesterday. “This fulfills our first quarter target and we hope to touch the USD 4 billion investment target by year end,” he said during conversations with investors who signed investment agreements with the Board of Investment in the first quarter of this year and followed up on their business progress. more..

Jun 4 (DM) A foreign train passenger died this evening after being hit by a tunnel wall while hanging out of the open doorway of a compartment, SL Railways General Manager N.J. Indipolage said. The foreign passenger was travelling to Ella by train from Colombo Fort to Badulla. The accident happened at around 4 p.m. today. The foreigner died after being hit by tunnel No. 19 between the Nanuoya and Idalgashinna railway stations. Railway Dept has requested a report regarding the accident. more..

Jun 4 (TF) LTTE founder leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, his wife and their three children are dead, all of them perishing in the final stages of SL’s war in 2009, Prabhakaran’s elder brother Velupillai Manoharan has declared publicly for the first time. Manoharan told the Jaffna Monitor magazine’s latest issue that he was stating this to end what he said was a huge scam perpetrated by a section of the Tamil diaspora to cheat more..

Jun 4 (DN) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe has discussed with PM Dinesh Gunawardena and agreed to submit an emergency Cabinet paper yesterday afternoon to address the plight of the people affected by the adverse weather, for the provision of relief measures and the construction of houses that are completely damaged, with govt assistance and the support of the Tri-Forces. Prez addressing an event at the Shangri-La Hotel in Colombo to mark the successful completion more..

Jun 4 (Island) Labour and Foreign Employment Ministry yesterday declared that plantation companies would have to pay Rs 1,700 as minimum daily wage promised by the govt to workers. Ministry issued a statement hours after the Court of Appeal refused to grant an interim injunction preventing the implementation of the gazette notification issued by the Minister of Labour, which stipulates a minimum daily wage for plantation workers. Order was issued when a petition filed by plantation companies more..

Jun 4 (DM) Private institutions are facing the heat as over 1,200 premises are flagged for mosquito breeding, sparking legal action and raising concerns over public health negligence. This was revealed during the National Mosquito Control Week conducted by the Epidemiology unit of the Health Ministry from May 26 to June 1. Out of 4,599 private companies inspected, a staggering 1,220 were identified as breeding grounds for mosquitoes. This negligence has sparked outrage, more..

Jun 4 (Island) A new regulatory body under the purview of the power and energy ministry would be established in the near future whose duties will include the ensuring of uninterrupted fuel supplies at all the filling stations in the country, leaving no room for any more fuel queues, State Minister D.V. Chanaka said. He made this remark to the media at a ceremony where Sinopec Lanka Energy (Pvt) Ltd inaugurated its first renovated filling station at a grand re-opening ceremony more..

Jun 4 (EN) SL’s budget deficit fell to 129.3 billion rupees in the first two months of 2024 down from 322.9 billion rupees last year, with tax revenues climbing 41% and interest costs also showed a downward trend. Total revenues were up 41% to 647 billion rupees in the first two months of 2024, on top of a 35% rise achieved in 2023 with a rise in tax rate also helped by recovering economic activities and currency appreciation more..

Jun 4 (FT) The Maximum Retail Price of a 50kg bag of cement has been reduced by Rs. 150 to Rs.2,250 from 1 June. In May, the price was reduced by Rs. 50 to Rs. 2,400. The price revision aims to boost the local construction industry by passing on the cost benefit to customers. Cement production in the first quarter had grown by 26% to 866,000 tons whilst imports had declined by 8% to 262,000 tons. Total cement availability rose by 23% to 407,000 tons. Cement production in 2023 declined by 15% more..

Jun 4 (TM) The ruling SLPP has declared that they will not only oppose any potential proposal in the Parliament to postpone the upcoming Presidential Election, but also lead efforts to defeat any such attempts. The UNP General Secretary Palitha Range Bandara recently said that both the Presidential and Parliamentary Elections should be postponed by at least two years, and that a related proposal should be tabled in the Parliament, with a referendum called only if necessary. more..

Jun 4 (FT) JVP led NPP party filed a fundamental rights petition against the Economic Transformation Bill before the Supreme Court. Petition, submitted by NPP Economic Council members Sunil Handunetti and Dr. Harshana Surpiyapperuma, challenges the Bill’s implications on future governance and economic decision-making. NPP member Mahinda Jayasinghe, criticised Govt’s attempt to enact legislation to legalise Sri Lanka’s open economy policy in place since 1978. more..

Jun 4 (Island) UNP General Secretary Palitha Range Bandara, who disturbed a hornets’ nest last week by calling for a poll postponement, was widely expected to make an about-turn yesterday by way of damage control. But he, in his wisdom, stood by what he had said and even peddled an absurd argument that flew in the face of common sense. He only provided more ammunition to the opponents of his master, President Ranil Wickremesinghe, ahead of a crucial election. more..

Jun 4 (CI) South Africa opened their T20 World Cup campaign in authoritative fashion by bowling SL out for their lowest total in the format and chasing 78 runs inside 17 overs to secure two points. At the first official T20I match to be played at the newly-created stadium at Eisenhower Park, we learnt more about the conditions than either of the two sides. The surface is tricky to bat on, there's inconsistent bounce, not much turn and more..

Jun 4 (FT) Sinopec Lanka Energy Ltd., yesterday inaugurated its first renovated filling station at a grand re-opening ceremony in Trans Lanka Filling Station, Nawagamuwa, witnessing a major milestone on the company’s first anniversary since entering into SL. After seven months of smooth operation of all 150 stations, this new completion highlights Sinopec’s long-term commitment in revitalising the country’s energy sector. With continuous investments in renovation projects, more..

Jun 4 (FT) Court of Appeal refused to issue an injunction order in response to a petition filed by 21 Regional Plantation Companies (RPCs) yesterday. The petition sought to suspend the implementation of the gazette issued by Ministry of Labour and Foreign Employment, which mandates an increase in the salary of estate workers to Rs. 1,700. A bench chaired by Justice Sobitha Rajakaruna of the Court of Appeal considered the petition filed by 21 RPCs against respondents Labour Minister more..

Jun 4 (FT) SL Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) Chairman Priantha Fernando highlighted the potential benefits of a proposed visa-free travel policy, targeting citizens from 67 countries. He said the initiative aims to stimulate tourism and promote SL as a preferred travel destination, aligning with the country’s goal of achieving 5 million tourist arrivals by 2030. “Waiving visa fees could significantly enhance SL’s appeal to international tourists, more..

Jun 4 (FT) Lanka Exhibition and Conference Services (LECS) is proud to announce the return of SL’s most focused construction, interior products, lighting, power and energy exhibition - Construction Power and Energy Expo 2024. Scheduled to take place from 5-7 July at the BMICH. Construction Power and Energy Expo is SL’s premier exhibition in the construction, interior products, power, and energy-related sectors. With its eighth successive year, expo provides a comprehensive more..

Jun 4 (DN) North Western Province and Southern Province emerged women’s and men’ s champions at the Beach Volleyball C'ship of the 48th National Sports Festival held at Browns Beach Negombo on Sunday. Southern Province beat North Western at the men’s final with 2-1. The first set North Western won by 21-17 but Southern fought back strongly to win second and third sets 21-17,15-11 to clinch the title. Earlier in the men’s semi finals Southern beat North Central 2-0 while more..

Jun 4 (FT) All Union Alliance of the Board of Investment (BOI) expressed its strong displeasure with the points mentioned in the online webinar on the proposed Economic Transformation Act, by Mangala Yapa on 31 May and firmly rejects those statements. In a statement the All Union Alliance of BOI said the following. 1. We disdainfully reject the highly inaccurate claim made by Mangala Yapa that the Unions of the BOI have expressed agreement with the contents of this Act. more..

Jun 4 (FT) A delegation representing 14 leading private sector companies together with Employers’ Federation of Ceylon (EFC) engaged in a high-level visit to explore strategic investment, trade, and growth opportunities in key sectors in the Northern Province. Organised by Int'l Labour Org (ILO) in partnership with EFC, among the key objectives of the visit were to showcase the investment potential of northern province, foster dialogue, and collaboration among key stakeholders, more..

Jun 4 (CI) Sri Lanka's players were in a hurry to complete the media commitments after their first match of this T20 World Cup. That's because immediately after the match, they had to rush to their hotel in Brooklyn, an hour-and-a-half away, pack, check out, and then make their 6pm flight to Dallas where they will be playing what is now a must-win match against Bangladesh. This after they had to wait for seven hours at the Miami airport more..

Jun 4 (Island) UNP Secretary Range Bandara’s statement at a media briefing that the terms of the current Prez and current Parliament should be extended by two years to save the Nation has drawn the ire of the people at large, with even the UNP’s ally (for the moment?), SLPP distancing itself from the proposal. The essence of the people’s response is that the present Parliament has lost its legitimacy, and Prez Wickremesinghe has been elected not by the People directly but more..

Jun 4 (ST) Both the National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka (NOC) and Ministry of Sports are at crossroads with regard to the arrest of NOC Media Manager Gobinath Sivarajah, also known as Sigo, who was apprehended by the Colombo Fraud Bureau at the BIA on Monday. He was arrested while on his way to Prague, Czech Republic to attend an official matter or a training course conducted by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), but no records show of such an event. more..

Jun 4 (FT) What does genocide mean to Justin Trudeau, PM of Canada? His special statement issued on 18 May last introduced as Statement by the PM on Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day begins with the sentence, 15 years ago, the quarter-century-long armed conflict in Sri Lanka came to an end. So, he knows it. Yes, it came to an end 15 years ago with the LTTE proscribed in 33 countries as a terrorist organisation including in Canada, was completely annihilated. more..

Jun 4 (ST) General Secretary of the UNP, Ranga Bandara has received egg on his face in abundance for trying awfully hard to make history repeat itself by suggesting this year’s prez elections should be postponed for two years in the same manner the UNP deferred parliamentary elections in 1982. In a televised broadcast under the party’s Smart campaign, Ranga showed just how smart he was when he said on Tuesday: “This is not the time for a Parliamentary or Presidential election. more..

Jun 4 (TM) Post-conflict, the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) is in a period of transition and aims to evolve into a leaner, more lethal, and technologically-advanced force by 2030, Lt General Vikum Liyanage, the 24th Commander of the SLA, said. He discussed the future of the SLA and the restructuring process which is ongoing, stressing that the Army must maintain its combat effectiveness & improve its capabilities while right-sizing to troop levels more..

Jun 4 (DM) The experience of sitting for an exam is competitive for a child. Having dedicated countless hours to studying, they approach the question paper provided by Dept of Examinations with a multitude of hopes. Habouring for examinations and the attempts taken to clear hurdles like the Scholarship Exam, GCE O/L Exam and GCE A/L Exam are crucial in a child’s life. In this country, Dept of Examinations has failed to properly monitor even these preliminary exams, critics point out. more..

Jun 4 (CT) In any unfavourable circumstances, it is easy for us to blame others without critically examining the issue. Similarly, politicians are often blamed for the short-term oriented, popular policy interventions of govts, which are considered unhealthy for the long-term of the economy. However, we need to see this issue from multiple perspectives for a better understanding. At present, Sri Lanka is practising representative democracy to appoint rulers for the country. more..

Jun 4 (CT) Health Ministry in its Mission statement states it would contribute to the social and economic development of Sri Lanka by achieving the highest attainable health status through promotive, preventive, curative and rehabilitative services of high quality made available and accessible to people of this island. In 2023 the number of State-run hospitals and specialist units in the country increased by 400. more..

Jun 4 (TM) Each year, Sri Lanka faces predictable cycles of drought and heavy rains, which disrupt day to day life and damage crops which many depended on, and also cause numerous deaths and injuries. As of last evening, around 16 persons have been killed due to lightning, flooding, and landslides. 21,350 families have been affected due to the adverse weather. Just a few months ago, the ongoing heat wave, and the drought in some parts of the island was the talking point. more..

Jun 4 (DM) Uni students in the country have been severely inconvenienced due to administrative functions at state universities continuing to be crippled as a result of the month-long strike by university non-academic staff over their salary anomaly issue and several other demands. Lectures at the state universities have been forced to be conducted online and many uni examinations, int'l conferences and uni convocations have also been indefinitely postponed. more..