Jun 10 (DM) Hambantota International Port (HIP) will be entering the tourism mix of Indian cruise ships, with an agreement of 13 ship calls to the port between June and Sept this year. “We are positioning the port to several categories of cruise ships from luxury liners to all inclusive, budget and low budget carriers. With a 17-metre depth, the HIP can accommodate any cruise liner in the world and as a new and modern port, we are well geared to handle needs of ships, crew & passengers, more..

Jun 10 (CT) TNA has told Prez Wickremesinghe that if the current Govt fails to provide a solution to the ethnic question within a certain period, it will take steps to find a solution under the int'l law of self-determination. TNA had said, this during the discussion with the Govt held at the Presidential Secretariat on Thursday. During the discussion, TNA has alleged that the Govt has deceived the Tamil people again and more..

Jun 10 (FT) State Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya hinted that the Govt is likely to resume vehicle imports to boost tax collection. He stressed that a proposal would be made to develop a system in which all payments for automobile imports may be completed in the country where the relevant import takes place. State Minister also said that a report on increasing tax receipts and safeguarding the exchange is presently being developed, and the pertinent suggestion is ready to be included. more..

Jun 10 (ST) The tragic death of a 13-year-old boy in Wadduwa has again highlighted the danger posed by unroadworthy vehicles. Gagana Mendis, a Grade 8 student of Wadduwa Madhya Vidyalaya, was cycling with his younger brother near his home in Habaralagaslanda on May 25 when the side door of a passing lorry suddenly came loose and struck him. He was rushed to the Panadura Base Hospital but succumbed to his injuries while being treated at its Intensive Care Unit (ICU). more..

Jun 10 (FT) The National Trade Facilitation Committee (NTFC) conducted a high-level review meeting to boost the country’s trade facilitation commitments and reinforce the business environment. The high-level review of the NTFC’s performance underscored the urgency of taking decisive action to enhance the business landscape, as the Govt aims to expedite trade facilitation commitments and promote a conducive atmosphere for businesses in the country by addressing more..

Jun 10 (FT) Prez Wickremesinghe has taken steps to appoint an Experts Committee in line with the Cabinet Decision No.23/880/026 dated 22 May to provide guidance and to ensure timely decision-making for the control of the spread of COVID-19 and Dengue in the country. Health State Minister Dr. Seetha Arambepola has been appointed as the Chairperson of the Experts Committee. To support the Ministerial Committee in its objectives, the following experts and officials in the relevant more..

Jun 10 (EN) Cabinet of ministers will take a final decision on the sale of Sri Lanka Telecom shares after taking recommendations from the ICT sector. Parliament’s sectoral committee on national security said earlier in the day that the move would be a threat to national security. The govt has the assurance that the move will not compromise national security, the statement said. “Hence, the Govt will take a final decision during more..

Jun 10 (CT) Vavuniya High Court Judge M. Illancheliyan on 8 June handed down the death sentence to former Vavuniya PLOTE leader Sivanadan Premanath, alias Nedumaran, after finding him guilty of murder of Vavuniya General Hospital gynaecologist in the year 2000. The gynaecologist, Dr. Mohammad Sulthan Meera Mohideen, who was preparing to go home after work, had been gunned down by the accused near the Hospital gate on 20 April 23 years ago. more..

Jun 10 (DN) SL junior Athletes who took part at the Asian Junior Athletic championship in South Korea were warmly welcomed by SL Athletic officials and Sports Ministry officials at the Katunayake Airport. SL juniors took two gold medals, one silver and two bronze medals at this meet while they finished 7th among 45 countries and it was a huge achievement said SL Athletic President Palitha Fernando. We have good promising athletes with potential and they are always very dedicated more..

Jun 10 (FT) SJB this week warned in Parliament that the crisis faced by the Micro, Small & Medium Enterprise (MSME) sector is worsening and called for urgent measures including new efforts to ease their plight. SJB MP Harsha de Silva led from the front to shed light on the dire state of the MSME sector in a compelling speech delivered in Parliament. He emphasised the urgent need for comprehensive measures to more..

Jun 11 (SO) It was reported recently that Alliance Air, a subsidiary of Tata-owned Air India, has completed 100 passenger flights to the Jaffna Int'l Airport (JAF) from Chennai, TN. Alliance Air began flights to Jaffna just before the Covid-19 pandemic hit and revived the flight only recently. This is a laudable achievement that cements Jaffna’s place as a regional gateway. Before both Mattala and Jaffna came online, there was a great debate on which city is suitable for SL’s second int'l airport. more..

Jun 11 (CT) Around the year 1945 there was a conflict between DS Senanayake, The Leader of the House and the Bhikkhus of the Vidyalankara Pirivena. Senanayake was of the view that to engage in politics was not suitable for the Bhikkhus, and Bhikkhus of the Vidyalankara Pirivena held the opposite view. The Vidyalankara Declaration was released on Feb 13, 1946 under the signature of Ven. Kiriwaththuduwe Pannasara, the Head of the Vidyalankara Pirivena. more..

Jun 11 (SO) Communist Party of SL (CPSL) will present an alternative economic strategy at its 80th anniversary celebrations on July 3 at the Maharagama Youth Centre. Party Leader D.E.W. Gunasekara said their economic strategy will be presented to all political parties adding that no political party in the history has put forward such an economic strategy and policy. Economic strategy Idiri Maga put forward by party founder more..

Jun 11 (ST) Opposition Leader made a pertinent point this week in Parliament. How come, he asked, a Frenchman was fined Rs 70 million by Customs for attempting to smuggle 4.6 kilos of gold while an MP was fined a paltry Rs. 7.5 million for smuggling 3.5 kilos of gold. MP concerned merrily goes about his business as if nothing has happened. Equally shocking is the fact that neither the CID nor Customs is launching a full-scale investigation into what is obviously a longstanding more..

Jun 11 (SO) Some of the greatest boxers in history are born out of poverty. They may not have been born with a silver spoon in their mouths but boxing has provided many people an opportunity to keep away from the streets and become celebrated prize fighters giving them an identity and purpose in life. In SL where boxing is an amateur sport, prize fighting is unheard of. The ultimate goal is fighting in the Olympics which is a Herculean task in the modern era and winning a medal more..

Jun 11 (CT) The CIABOC on 10 May 2023 received a complaint regarding an alleged bribery incident, involving a top official at the NAQDA in relation to the Chinese sea cucumber project in Jaffna. The CIABOC has acknowledged the receipt (BC 03/04/2023 – B 102) of the complaint and has called for the submission of all relevant details for further investigation. To aid in their investigation, the complainants have provided relevant photos more..

Jun 11 (TM) An unpleasant outcome of the current economic crisis which the political leadership is refusing to admit or accept is the fact that a huge chunk of the middle class of this country has fallen into poverty – poverty not only in financial resources, but also in health and education as a result of paucity in financial and other resources. Needless to say, it is a growing crisis that will lead to a gamut of new sub-crises, potentially affecting a large segment of the population, more..

Jun 11 (Island) State Minister Diana Gamage, whose eligibility to remain a MP has remained an open question for a long time now since she ceased her allegiance with the SJB on whose National List she entered the legislature in 2020, was back in the news last week. Appeal Court determination of an action challenging her continuance as an MP, that was due to be delivered on Tuesday, has now been postponed for July 25 by a two-judge bench. This made front page news nationally. more..

Jun 11 (EN) Bank account ownership among SL’s poor would rise to 71% if Samurdhi welfare scheme was brought under the formal banking system, research by LIRNEasia found. At present, 60% of adults living in poverty own an account with a bank, according to LIRNEasia. Adults who own either a formal bank account or a Samurdhi bank account make up 71% of the poor. The research showed that Samurdhi beneficiaries spend an average of 4 hours a month collecting their benefits. more..

Jun 11 (FT) They were at the next table, a typical urban middle-class family; fortyish parents, two boys and a girl, perhaps in their early teens. The children were excited, their occasional treat, a night out at the Chinese cafe! The musty smell, dusty carpets, over used plates, worn-out cutlery or the surly waiters of the old place did not matter, nothing could detract from their joy at the café experience. About three decades ago, before Chinese restaurants mushroomed all around Colombo, more..

Jun 11 (ST) Chinese Embassy in Colombo hosted a reception on Tuesday at Shangri-La Hotel in Colombo, appreciating SL’s efforts on the recent rescue mission of its capsized fishing vessel. Chinese Ambassador Qi Zhenhong hosted the event which saw some 300 guests including senior officials and foreign diplomats taking part. Chinese fishing boat capsized in the central part of Indian Ocean on May 16, with 39 Chinese more..

Jun 11 (CT) Out of the 400 million tonnes of plastic products made annually around the world, it is estimated that 8 to 10 million tonnes end up in the ocean. In a shocking revelation it was found that, from that number, SL releases around 32 million kilos of plastics into the ocean every year, making us one among the big ocean polluters around the world. Once known around the world for our pristine, golden sandy beaches – a hackneyed phrase used to attract tourists into this country more..

Jun 11 (ST) My dear Pastor Jerome, I thought of writing to you because I am not sure where you are, although you have said you will return to Paradise today. It must be a novel experience for you, being almost unknown among the general public a week ago and becoming the hot topic of discussion a few days later. We heard that you had left the country suddenly, when one of your videos went viral. However, you say it was a trip planned much earlier. Whatever it was, at least you knew where more..

Jun 11 (DM) Hatton National Bank PLC (HNB) announced the resignation of its Chairperson Aruni Goonetilleke and the subsequent appointment of Nihal Jayawardene as its new Chairman. According to a stock market disclosure filed by HNB, at a special board meeting, Goonetilleke tendered her resignation from the board of directors of HNB, with effect from June 9, 2023. The disclosure said the HNB board accepted her resignation. Goonetilleke assumed duties as HNB Chair in Sept 2021. more..

Jun 11 (IT) Santhan alias T Suthenthiraraja, a SL national, is one of the seven life convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. He was ordered free by the Supreme Court on Nov 11, 2022, yet is lodged at the special camp located on the Trichy Central Prison campus, along with Murugan, Robert Payas and Jayakumar. In a letter, Suthenthiraraja talks about his life inside the special camp where even sunlight doesn’t touch their body. Through his note, he requests Tamilians across the world more..

Jun 11 (EN) SL’s businesses should be careful about acting on number on prediction on the rupee that forecast steep falls, CB Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe has warned. SL’s rupee has strengthened from around 360 to 300 to the US dollar since March after a surrender rule was lifted amid negative private credit and non-conflicting money and exchange policies. “A lot of analysis and int'l newslines have their own predictions” more..

Jun 11 (AD) GMOA warns that the mosquito population in the Colombo district has significantly increased. Secretary of GMOA Dr. Haritha Aluthge stated that the mosquito population in the localities of the CMC area and Gothatuwa has exponentially increased. He stressed that the internationally accepted Breteau Index – which is used for estimating the density of infectious mosquitoes in an area – is five times higher than the usual value calculated in certain areas of C'mbo district. more..

Jun 11 (AD) The 52-year-old, arrested in connection with the death of a child in the Halbarawa area in Malabe last evening (9), has been remanded in custody until June 15, after being produced before the Magistrate’s Court. Suspect is a grass cutter who had been in the vicinity of the construction site where the 5-year-old’s body was found. The child, who had suffered cut wounds initially believed to have been caused by the pieces of a broken glass bottle, was found dead on Thursday more..

Jun 11 (TM) The Govt, in a move to ensure that a repeat of last year’s energy security crisis does not take place, has included in the contracts of the petroleum market’s new players a clause which states that the suppliers shall, at all times, ensure the maintenance of buffer stocks equivalent to a one-month market requirement. Govt was keen to ensure that the fuel shortages and energy crisis which crippled SL last year would not occur more..

Jun 11 (DM) Considering the appreciation of the SL rupee against the USD, SL Telephone Dealers' Association has decided to reduce the current mobile phone prices by 20%. Association Prez said due to the increase in the dollar, purchase of mobile phones had decreased by 40% during the past months. Instead of buying new phones, people have got used to getting their old phones repaired, he said. "Prices of mobile phones increased with the increase in the dollar rate against SL rupee. more..

Jun 11 (EN) Robust regulation is the best way to address any national security concerns associated with telecommunication services, and questions of ownership are largely immaterial, according to opposition MP Harsha de Silva. He said that fears of a national security risk posed by the proposed sale of Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT)’s shares have no basis in fact. While risks certainly exist, said de Silva, appropriate regulation is the way to mitigate them. The MP, who also chairs the COPF, more..

Jun 11 (TM) Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) has revealed that it is actively seeking foreign investors for the realisation of the newly-conceptualised Colombo North Port development project, despite the absence of a specific timeline for its implementation. SLPA Managing Director Prabath Jayantha disclosed that despite the significant media coverage surrounding the Colombo North Port development project, which aims to create additional port capacity in a protected harbour for future more..

Jun 11 (Island) One Day International (ODI) cricket has been played for over half a century now and early this year the sport saw the biggest ever defeat in that format of the game in the Indian city of Trivandrum when Sri Lanka suffered an ignominious defeat by a massive 317 runs at the hands of India. On that fateful day, Sri Lanka had been shot out for just 73 runs with rookie Nuwanindu Fernando top scoring with 19. Sri Lanka had got their combination awfully wrong in that series. more..

Jun 11 (TM) The project to construct a cross-country pipeline from Colombo Port to Kolonnawa has been abandoned amidst the ongoing economic crisis. This decision comes despite the contract already having been awarded and the significant financial losses incurred by the country due to the absence of this pipeline. Power & Energy Ministry Addl. Secretary revealed that following the approval of the project by Cabinet in 2020, more..

Jun 11 (ST) SL’s limited over skipper Dasun Shanaka and Wanindu Hasaranga have been denied No Objection Certificates (NOC) to play in the inaugural edition of the United States T20 League. Ashley de Silva, SLC’s CEO, said that the board turned down their request following the decision to allow only two foreign league appearances for SL players. The inaugural edition of the Major League T20 tournament will be played between July 13 and 30 in Texas. more..

Jun 11 (ST) Chanithma Sinaly, one of the top seeds and a rising star in squash, has been forced to withdraw from an int'l competition, which is currently taking place in Hong Kong, mainly due to financial restrains. This was revealed by Mahesh Chandana, Chanithma’s personal coach, who is also the father of the 18-year-old. “The lack of support from Sri Lanka Squash (SLS) and even the Sports Ministry, and failure to meet the funding, she (Chanithma) had to drop out from few overseas competitions,” more..