Jun 2 (EN) SL’s democracy now resembles Ugandan dictator Idi Amin’s administration, according to SJB. SJB legislator Harshana Rajakaruna said that whole country is being governed as a dictatorship with no word on local govt or provincial council elections. “There are no provincial council (PC) polls today. PC polls are not even being discussed. [Provincial] governors friendly to [central] govt appointed to provinces. more..

Jun 2 (Reuters) Sri Lanka's central bank is likely to continue to ease monetary policy, following a 250 basis points rate cut on Thursday, as it tries to boost economic growth and lower borrowing costs for the govt in the crisis-hit economy. In a sign of confidence that the worst of Sri Lanka's financial crisis is over, its central bank surprised markets with its first rate cut in three years on Thursday, signalling a change of course to fuel a rebound in the economy. In a snap poll conducted on Friday, more..

Jun 2 (DM) Trade, Commerce, and Food Security Minister Nalin Fernando said he expects the price reduction of 50 kg bags of cement and concrete steel rods in the next few days. He said the request was made to manufacturing companies after a discussion held at the ministry with all associations relating to the constriction field. During the discussion, it was revealed that there is a decrease in the construction field due to the price increase of raw materials. more..

Jun 2 (EN) If President Ranil Wickremesinghe is serious about consensus, he must seek the formation of a national govt, UPFA said. UPFA general secretary and former MP Thilanga Sumathipala said that, as long as Wickremesinghe was not looking out for the govt or looking to save his own positions, he could potentially obtain the support of other parties on some matters of significance. “I don’t think anyone would oppose such a proposal,” said Sumathipala. more..

Jun 2 (WN) A joint operation by the Indian Coast Guard, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence and Customs has foiled an attempt to smuggle gold bars weighing 32.689 kgs into India, via the sea route from SL. Launched on Tuesday 30th May, this operation was carried out based on specific input from DRI regarding the smuggling of contraband from the island nation to India. In anticipation of the smuggling attempt, Indian agencies maintained close surveillance of fishing vessels operating more..

Jun 2 (BNN) Thailand’s PM Gen. Prayut Chan-o-cha, warmly welcomed SL PM Dinesh Gunawardena during his official visit to Thailand. The visit was in conjunction with the 18th United International Vesak Day, a significant event that highlights the close ties between the two countries, particularly their shared Buddhist heritage. PM Prayut praised SL’s economic recovery and expressed Thailand’s readiness to provide more..

Jun 2 (FT) As the Govt gears up to present the new Broadcast Authorities Bill seeking to regulate broadcasters in the country, SJB MP S.M. Marikkar said it is to become yet another tool of Govt repression. Marikkar warned the country will soon face a far worse economic situation, creating a wave of public opposition against the Govt. “It is to control this that they are attempting to bring this legislation now,” he said. SJB MP said his party will go to court against it. more..

Jun 2 (TM) A collective of Opposition MPs has appointed several committees to look into several allegedly undemocratic laws such as the proposed Anti-Terrorism Bill, Central Bank of SL (CBSL) Bill, and the Electronic Broadcasting Authority Bill that have been brought by the Govt. SJB MP Imthiaz Bakeer Markar said that 3 separate committees have been appointed in this regard under the chairmanships of Opposition MPs Prof. G.L. Peiris, Prof. Charitha Herath & Eran Wickramaratne. more..

Jun 2 (EN) A new draft on Truth Reconciliation Commission (TRC) has failed to meet minimum expectations in addressing the concerns of ethnic minority Tamils who have lost their loved ones in what they allege as forced disappeared, in the final stage of the war, TNA legislator M A Sumanthiran said. Thousands of people, mostly Tamils in SL’s north and east, went missing during the civil war, which Tamils refer as more..

Jun 2 (CT) CB Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe said, the USD 200 million in loans, obtained from Bangladesh, will be paid back in August or September this year. “We have already committed to the agreement to settle the loan in August and Sept,” he said. At the peak of the forex crisis, Sri Lanka borrowed USD 200 million from Bangladesh in May 2021. The repayment of these loans was originally scheduled for April of the following year, but Sri Lanka failed to meet this deadline. more..

Jun 2 (AD) State Minister of Finance Ranjith Siyambalapitiya has addressed concerns pertaining to the recent requirement for those aged over 18 as at 31 Dec 2022, or is due to turn 18 on or after 1 Jan 2024 to be registered with the Inland Revenue Department (IRD). State Minister explained that this requirement does not mean that the said individuals will be charged a tax, but instead will receive welfare benefits in the future under this respective tax file number. more..

Jun 3 (CT) In recent times there have been several instances of blatant abuse of ICCPR act, namely the article 3 of the said act. Article 3 reads as follows; “3.(1) No person shall propagate war or advocate national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence. (2) Every person who Attempts to commit; Aids or abets in the commission of; or Threatens to commit, An offence referred to in subsection(1), shall be guilty of an offence under this Act. more..

Jun 3 (GV) The starting point of the analysis in this article is to question the conventional approach to studying a state. The conventional approach treats the state as a concrete, self-contained entity that has attained a final status. Much of the effort to promote goals such as economic growth, social development and democracy is based on a notion that states have been formed, and now the task is to focus on promoting these objectives. In contrast, this article looks at states more..

Jun 3 (CT) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe, during a special statement to the nation, presenting the National Transformation Roadmap, reiterated his commitment to prevent any regression of the country to its previous state. He also emphasised his determination to transform SL into a fully developed nation by 2048. Prez explained, at length ,the measures taken by the govt in the past nine months to assist the SL economy to recover, more..

Jun 3 (CT) Just like any other policy in this country, SL never had a coherent, consistent, long-term tax policy. Our tax policies in the past depended on the political will of the successive govts in power and how desperately they wanted to win elections. However, in the face of the grave economic crisis that brought the country to its knees last year, the IMF stipulated the reintroduction of a stringent tax policy to drastically increase State revenue, as a condition to approve a bailout package more..

Jun 3 (DM) Poson Full Moon Day holds great significance for SL Buddhists as it commemorates the introduction of Buddhism to SL by Arahat Maha Mahinda Thero. This cherished event, which took place more than two millennia ago signifies the transformative moment when Buddhism took root in the country, shaping its spiritual and cultural landscape. Story of Arahat Mahinda Thero’s encounter with King Devanampiyatissa and the subsequent spread of Buddhism has become more..

Jun 3 (TM) Within a matter of a few weeks, some SL Buddhists seem to have come forth to fight a so-called well-orchestrated and foreign funded plot allegedly aiming to create religious divisions in the country, especially among Buddhism and other religions. While these concerns are not new and are not limited to Buddhism, certain statements made by several public figures and the interpretations of those statements have been more..

Jun 3 (ST) One of my colleagues – a University teacher -, while reading a project assignment submitted by a student, found the following few lines amid the text: “I don’t know the background of how the outcomes of this data set were determined because I am an AI language model…. As an AI language model, I lack the subjective knowledge necessary to assess the effects of a data set….” The assignment was part of the assessment process, related to a quantitative subject area within more..

Jun 3 (Island) Long lines of vehicles were seen near filling stations yesterday as well, and it may be a couple of days before the situation is brought under control. Minister Kanchana Wijesekera has threatened tough action against the fuel stations that did not maintain adequate stocks due to speculation about fuel price reductions. But the govt’s bark is worse than its bite. Worryingly, country is experiencing a crippling fuel shortage while the GCE O/L exam is on. more..

Jun 3 (TM) Don Baron Jayatilake was born on 13 Feb, 1868 in Waragoda, Kelaniya, in the Gampaha District. His father was Wickramarachchilmia Rajakaruna Liyana Athukorallage Don Daniel Jayatilake and his mother was Liyanage Dona Elisiyana Perera Weerasinghe. His father was a landed proprietor commanding much wealth and respect in the area. In 1874, when D.B. Jayatilake passed the age of six years, he read his first letters at the feet of the Founder and first Principal of more..

Jun 3 (Island) What a ho ha over a silly standup comedian’s stupid remarks about Prince Siddhartha. I have never watched this Natasha Edirisuriya’s supposedly comic acts on YouTube or whatever and did not bother to access derogatory remarks she supposedly introduced to a comedy act of hers that has brought down remand imprisonment on her up until June 6. Speaking with a person who has his ear to the ground and to the gossip grape wine, I was told her being remanded was not for what more..

Jun 3 (CT) Govt has stopped hiring graduates during the past three years and 75 blind graduates who graduated in the year before are severely affected by the prevailing economic crisis and unemployment. This article is based on research that involved 30 out of them as respondents. The researcher herself is blind and a graduate of University of Sri J'pura, specialising in philosophy and psychology. more..

Jun 3 (FT) Commercial High Court on 30 May 2023, dismissed the action bearing No.: CHC/37/2022/CO filed in the Commercial High Court by the Chairman of Cooperative Insurance Company, Susil Weerasekera as the Petitioner. This action had been filed in Sept 2022 by the Chairman as a shareholder action under sections 224 and 225 of the Companies Act No. 7 of 2007 and the Petitioner had moved Court for ex-parte Interim Relief. The Interim Orders so sought from the Commercial High Court more..

Jun 3 (FT) FriMi, SL’s first fully-fledged digital banking experience powered by Nations Trust Bank, has teamed up with SPAR Supermarkets to introduce the ultimate shopping frenzy competition. Winners will get to dash through the aisles and sweep up items worth a whopping Rs. 40,000 in just 90 seconds. To enter the competition, FriMians need to shop at any SPAR Supermarket in Sri Lanka and transact effortlessly with their FriMi physical debit card or through LANKAQR via the FriMi app. more..

Jun 3 (ST) The Indian peafowl, which usually populates the dry zone, is now found in the Western and Central provinces. Environmental experts and researchers say human activities have created favourable conditions for the proliferation of peacocks and peahens. Their natural predators have also declined. Colombo Uni’s Zoology Professor Sampath Seneviratne, a well known bird researcher, said peafowl are now found in the wet zone more..

Jun 3 (FT) The tourism industry has managed to rebound with earnings exceeding $ 800 million along with the boost in arrivals in 2023. Tourism earnings in the first five months of 2023 were at $ 827.8 million, reflecting a 30.4% increase from the corresponding period of last year, whilst May earnings stood at $ 131.5 million, latest data showed. However, compared to the past four months, May recorded the lowest income so far in 2023, as it is a traditional low arrivals month. more..

Jun 3 (FT) Tourist arrivals to SL in May exceeded its target despite it being a traditionally low month. At the end of last month, Sri Lanka received a total of 83,309 tourists surpassing its target of 75,989. Although May recorded a year-on-year (YoY) growth of 176%, it is still 31% below May of benchmark year 2018. Last month’s figures also pushed the year-to-date (YTD) arrivals to 524,486 which is a significant rebound from 2022. India topped the tourist inflow reflecting 28% or 23,016 of the total traffic more..

Jun 3 (Island) The fourth quarter of FY 2022/23 marked the close of a challenging year for Hela Apparel Holdings PLC. While revenue of Rs. 20.5 Bn in Q4 represented a 40.6% increase in the same period of the previous year, this was primarily driven by the impact of the rupee depreciation. In US Dollar terms, quarterly revenue declined by 9.6% year-on-year. The drop in US Dollar revenue, however, is smaller than the 19.7% year-on-year decline recorded during Q3, as consumer demand more..

Jun 3 (DM) SLT-Mobitel recently unveiled its technologically advanced, high-tech operational green headquarters, first in the history of SLT, located at Welikada, Colombo. Designed with state-of-the-art aesthetics and advance technology, the building features cutting-edge amenities including 5G zone, Rainwater harvesting, green energy, power and cooling systems, wastewater treatment, energy rated glass facade, energy-rated electrical fittings, lifts, ACs etc. more..

Jun 3 (FT) FPC Leader Dullas Alahapperuma in response to Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe’s recent address to the nation questioned the identities of those responsible for the alleged deterioration of our country. “Wickremesinghe said he will not allow anyone to ruin the country. For nearly 40 years he served as a legislator, out of which he presented the executive for at least 30 years. So who took part in acts that ruined the country? more..

Jun 3 (DM) Responding to Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe's address to the nation on the economic progress, SJB MP Harshana Rajakaruna said that inflation had dropped as a consequence of reduced consumption but not an economic achievement. He was responding to the president who referred to the inflation coming down from 70% to 22.5%. “There is no economic progress as claimed by the Prez who said the reduction of inflation is a sign of economic stability. more..

Jun 3 (DM) Ali Sabry Raheem who was recently nabbed trying to smuggle mobile phones and gold is not eligible to remain as an MP, March 12 Movement which is an organization committed for clean politics said. MP through his action has confirmed the negative perception which people have developed on politicians of today,” Convener of March 12 Movement Rohana Hettiarachchi said. “The offence committed by the MP by trying to smuggle in gold and mobile phones worth Rs 72 million more..

Jun 3 (CT) Host Royal College dominated the second edition of the RCUAC Challenge Shield, winning all 3 finals – under-11, under-13 and under-15 – held at the Royal College pool complex last week. Royal defeated Nalanda by 8 goals to 3 in Under-11 age group, won against neighbour Thurstan College by 7 goals to 3 in Under-13, while outclassed archrivals S. Thomas College, Mount Lavinia by 13-4 in the Under-15 category. The host did not enter a team in U-17 category, more..

Jun 3 (DN) The arrival of the Buddha presented a challenge to other faiths. His teachings often clashed with other faiths. According to early Buddhist history, Brahmins made significant attempts to infiltrate the Buddha’s order of monks and distort his teachings, but their efforts were in vain. On the other hand, Brahmins had valid reasons to pursue their own strategies. Buddha’s teachings shattered the elevated status enjoyed by Brahmins, who basked in unrivalled glory. more..

Jun 3 (AFP) When social media was inundated with rumours that SL's holiest tree was being harmed by 5G mobile signals, Colombo's cash-strapped govt pulled out all the stops. Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe dispatched a high-powered team of experts to the 2,300-year-old Sri Maha Bodhi tree in the sacred city of Anuradhapura. It included the head of the telecom regulator, his technical chief and the director of the National Botanical Gardens, more..