Jun 12 (FT) Low country estate workers issued a warning of a countrywide strike if the Govt-mandated Rs. 1,700 wage hike is not implemented within this week. Some workers already protested in Elpitiya town on Monday, expressing frustration and disappointment over the delay. The workers lamented that they hope this wage increase will not become another unfulfilled political promise. They cautioned that if Regional Plantation Companies fail to honour Govt-gazetted wage hike, more..

Jun 12 (CI) Sri Lanka and Nepal came to Lauderhill searching for their first wins, hoping to put their T20 World Cup 2024 on track. However incessant rain, heavy enough to trigger flash-flood alerts for local residents, left both teams splitting one point apiece. That means Sri Lanka are almost certainly out of Super Eight contention while Nepal's chances of qualification also took a hit. South Africa, currently Group D toppers, were confirmed a place in the Super Eights. more..

Jun 12 (Island) SL Embassy in Moscow said that Foreign Minister Ali Sabry, who is currently in Russia to participate in the BRICS 2024 Foreign Ministerial Session, had a bilateral meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Monday (10). Minister Sabry, during the meeting, brought to the attention of his Russian counterpart the issue of SL citizens who have joined the Russian Armed Forces and sought his assistance more..

Jun 12 (FT) The maritime dispute between India and Sri Lanka over illegal fishing by Tamil Nadu fishermen in SL waters in the Palk Bay, the Gulf of Mannar, and the Palk Strait has reached a critical juncture. Recent incidents of Sri Lankan authorities detaining Indian fishermen for allegedly crossing the IMBL have reignited longstanding tensions. This article will attempt to delve into the heart of the conflict simmering for many decades, explore the environmental and socio-economic impacts, more..

Jun 12 (MFA) 20 newly recruited officers to the Sri Lanka Foreign Service (SLFS) were welcomed to the Ministry by Foreign Secretary Aruni Wijewardane today (11/6). The Foreign Secretary highlighted the important role of the SLFS and the special responsibilities of all officers as public servants. She referred to the skills required in the modern world of diplomacy including the priority given to economic diplomacy. 20 New Officers have been recruited to SLFS through an open competitive exam more..

Jun 12 (EN) Sri Lanka will revise its Penal Code to criminalize sexual harassment, Cabinet Spokesman Minister Bandula Gunawardena said. “The cabinet has given approval to criminalize sexual harassment including harassment in public places,” Gunawardena told reporters. “The clearance of the Attorney General has been received for the draft Bill prepared by the Legal Draftsman.” The draft Bill will be published in the Govt Gazette and submitted to Parliament for approval. more..

Jun 12 (FT) It was only after the 2022 Aragalaya that the need for system change was felt among different quarters of SL’s intelligentsia and opinion makers. In his Independence Day address to the nation even President RW casually referred to system change without any elaboration. One or two outspoken members from the opposition parties also, without much details, described the shortcomings of current administration as systemic. But it was NPP that adopted system change as its central pillar more..

Jun 12 (FT) Ten years: that was how long three State institutions didn’t pay EPF and ETF monies to their retired and deceased employees. Most victims of this act of criminal injustice suffered and died in silence. A few (about 2,000) filed court cases. Larger society, including the media, political parties and the labour movement, didn’t know, didn’t care. This injustice happened in the only place it could have been perpetrated with legal, more..

Jun 12 (EN) Cabinet has approved to award a long-term contract to Aditya Birla Global Trading (Singapore) Pte supply five stocks of shipment of 92 Unl petrol to the state-owned CPC with a volume of 1.5 million barrel. The decision was made based on the bids received from the registered suppliers of CPC for a period of six months from July 15, 2024. “Based on the recommendation of the Standing Technical Evaluation Committee, the Standing Procurement Committee appointed more..

Jun 12 (DM) National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) denied the reports circulating in social media that people are suffering from diarrhea and vomiting after drinking the pipe borne water distributed by the NWSDB around Colombo. NWSDB Deputy Manager Susantha Mallikarachchi said that the rumor has been spread in a move to sell bottled water. He said that drinking water is provided to the consumers after completing a proper purification process. more..

Jun 12 (DM) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe emphasized that the upcoming presidential election will be pivotal for the country's future, focusing on national success rather than individual triumphs or losses. Speaking at a policy reform discussion held at the Water's Edge Hotel in Battaramulla, Prez addressed youth representatives from the Economic Reforms Sectoral Monitoring Committee. more..

Jun 12 (FT) SJB MP Dr. Harsha de Silva said that they will support an amended IMF program for SL. Dr. de Silva made this announcement following a constructive discussion with notable economists and policymakers, including Jayati Ghosh, Martin Guzman and Charles Abugre, alongside fellow SJB member Kabir Hashim. “Good conversation with @Jayati1609 @Martin_M_Guzman @CharlesAbugre w @KabirHashim4 on purported alternative to @IMFNews. more..

Jun 12 (PMD) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe has appointed a Committee of Inquiry to investigate the actions taken by State Intelligence Service (SIS), Chief of National Intelligence (CNI), and other relevant authorities concerning prior intelligence received about the bomb attacks on April 21, 2019. This decision follows the findings of the Final Report of the Commission of Inquiry, dated Jan 31, 2021, which highlighted that Indian Intelligence agencies and other sources had provided more..

Jun 12 (AD) Three persons have reportedly been killed and several others have been injured after a van and a private passenger transport bus collided head-on at the Wagama area along the Bibila - Mahiyanganaya road today. Three deceased are members of the same family. Meanwhile, the Police Spokesman’s Office said that a private bus travelling from Bibila towards Kotagama had stopped in front of a garage in the Wagama area this evening for repairs when a van arriving from more..

Jun 12 (FT) Land Reform Commission (LRC) will grant 3,192 transfer deeds to worker families in the plantation sector simultaneously to the Urumaya national program, which grants unconditional freehold ownership of lands to people. LRC Chairman Panduka Keerthinanda said that 1,059 deeds have already been transferred to estate worker families in Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Matale and Kegalle districts. He said the following recommendations of the New Village more..

Jun 12 (FT) SJB MP S.M. Marikkar yesterday claimed the recent televised debate planned between SJB leader Sajith Premadasa and NPP party leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake with only the latter attending was a conspiracy hatched by the NPP, ITN and the Prez’s Office. Marikkar displayed a photograph to support his allegation. The image depicted NPP’s K.D. Lalkantha and Upul Kumarapperuma in conversation with more..

Jun 12 (FT) At a recent UNP gathering in Anuradhapura, former Minister P. Harrison made significant claims regarding the upcoming Prez election, suggesting a major political shift towards President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s leadership. Harrison asserted that numerous parties from both the Govt and the opposition have pledged their allegiance to Wickremesinghe’s alliance. “Members from the SLPP are expressing their readiness to support President Wickremesinghe. more..

Jun 12 (CT) In the backdrop of Tamil politicians still deciding whom to field as a Tamil Presidential Candidate without a consensus, former Northern Provincial Council member M.K. Sivajilingam, who also contested the Prez Election in 2019, said if there is a problem in fielding a common Tamil Prez Candidate, he will contest independently. This is the first time Tamil politicians have decided to have a common candidate representing the North and East as a presidential candidate. more..

Jun 12 (TM) Minister of Sports Harin Fernando yesterday lit the touch paper and – in a very outspoken manner – insisted that self-styled experts and keyboard warriors on various social media platforms have become the bane of cricket in this country. He said, following a few defeats here and there suffered by the national team, the social media pundits have emerged as the new analysts of cricket in Sri Lanka. more..

Jun 12 (EN) Sri Lanka will revise its Penal Code to criminalize sexual harassment, Cabinet Spokesman Minister Bandula Gunawardena said. “The cabinet has given approval to criminalize sexual harassment including harassment in public places,” Gunawardena told reporters on Wednesday. “The clearance of the Attorney General has been received for the draft Bill prepared by the Legal Draftsman.” The draft Bill will be published in the Govt Gazette and submitted to Parliament for approval. more..

Jun 12 (DM) United Postal Trade Unions Front (UPTUF) is set to launch a 24-hour trade union action from tonight due to the failure to fill more than 6,000 existing vacancies in the postal service. UPTUF convener Chinthaka Bandara informed that no recruitments have been made to any grades in the postal sector since 2018. "At least 500 people are working as acting service officers across the country, including in sub post offices, and nearly 1,200 are serving as acting duty officers. more..

Jun 12 (CT) Members of the Educational Non-Academic Employees’ Union will report sick on 24 and 25 June, citing several demands, including the preparation of the national education non-academic employee policy pledged by Education Minister Susil Premajayantha in 2023. General Secretary of the Union, Ajith Thilakarathna, said this decision was made due to delays in addressing the issues faced by non-academic staff in schools, the failure to implement the national education and more..

Jun 12 (AD) Central Bank of SL (CBSL) has expressed confidence that the IMF will approve the release of the third tranche under the EFF programme today. Commenting regarding the matter, Assistant Governor of the CBSL Dr. Chandranath Amarasekara said: ““we hope IMF will announce releasing of the 3rd tranche to Sri Lanka under the EFF programme this evening”. Dr. Amarasekara made this remark while speaking during an event held to brief heads of media more..

Jun 12 (FT) NPP Executive Council member Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa announced that the party plans to enlist the support of former top Police officers, Senior DIG Ravi Seneviratne and SSP Shani Abeysekara, to investigate financial frauds under an NPP-led Govt. Seneviratne and Abeysekara recently extended their support to the NPP with Seneviratne taking over as the head of NPP’s Retired Police Collective. more..

Jun 12 (FT) The National Movement for Social Justice (NMSJ) led by former Speaker Karu Jayasuriya has issued a call to action, urging both the ruling party and the Opposition to urgently address critical national issues to foster unity and justice. Emphasising the need to cultivate mutual trust between the north and south of Sri Lanka, the NMSJ in a statement yesterday asserted that issues rooted in race and religion must never resurface. The organisation highlighted more..

Jun 12 (AD) Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Sabry, delivering his statement at the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ meeting, stated that Global South should collectively address global challenges of climate change, debt burden and food security, SL Embassy in Moscow said in a statement. He further stressed that the architecture of global governance, established in the aftermath of World War II has achieved significant milestones. “However, that it was increasingly evident that more..

Jun 12 (EN) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe will need a referendum if he needs to extend his tenure by one year despite an error in the constitution’s 19th amendment when it was passed in 2015, Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe said. Speculations have been on rise that the island nation’s constitution could allow Prez Wickremesinghe to extend his tenure by one year due to a mistake in the constitution, more..

Jun 12 (DM) The NPP would bring in a new Constitution under its rule, which would incorporate a lasting solution to the national issue agreed by all parties, NPP MP Vijitha Herath said today. He said that the solution to the national issue would be introduced with the agreement after discussions with all parties and that discussions in that regard have not yet started. Responding to a question on the meeting with NPP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake & TNA representatives in Jaffna, more..

Jun 12 (EN) The ongoing renovations in Northern railway track from Maho to Anuradhapura will help to reduce Colombo-Jaffna journey time to around 5.5 hours from the current 7.5 hours, Minister Bandula Gunawardana said. Work to upgrade the track started in January this year and is part of a $91.27 m project carried out by IRCON, an Indian state firm, and is expected to be completed in six months. “Train to Jaffna takes 7.5 hours to travel. Now it has been under renovation after more than more..

Jun 13 (TM) The recent death of a 17-year-old schoolgirl, who was reportedly electrocuted to death while attempting to plug in an electric sewing machine to a power socket in an unsafe manner, highlights the need to build awareness about household safety, and safety in general. It is reported that the teenage student had attempted to connect wires from the motor of the sewing machine to a wall switch socket but was unsuccessful. She was then electrocuted while attempting to modify plug more..

Jun 13 (CT) NPP is a people-centered political movement. The primary purpose of the movement is the broader economic and social development of the country, a beacon of hope above petty politics, thereby ushering in the overall improvement of SL economy while safeguarding the nation’s true democracy. Mission and Vision statements have smartly enveloped the masses in the country, both ordinary people as well as all professional groups and intellectuals, which is the foundation more..

Jun 13 (DM) For Kingsley Croos, a fisherman from Palgahathurai, one of 14 islands that shapes the Kalpitiya peninsula, illegal bottom trawling has been a curse that wreaked havoc in his life. As populations of shrimp, sea crab and other fish species found along the sensitive Puttalam estuary declined, Croos and fellow fishermen knew that their livelihoods would be threatened forever. It was after Jan 2021, that these fishermen breathed more..

Jun 13 (DM) While the crime rate all over the world is intensifying with US Prez Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, recently being found guilty on three charges related to his possession of a weapon and using it under the influence of drugs, and Former President Donald Trump being convicted of numerous criminal charges with other cases to come, there are also crimes that the world talks little about, and one of them is hate speech. With the elections due to be held in SL this year–casting aside more..

Jun 13 (CT) We have completed a trip around the sun since the catastrophic counterfeit drug episode, but the patients who were victims of some of those drugs, still haven’t seen the light after having been plunged into darkness. Contrary to what cataract surgery is supposed to achieve, 10 patients suffered allergic reactions for nearly 16 days while two patients lost their vision completely, following the use of the substandard Prednisolone Acetate post-surgery eye drops. more..

Jun 13 (DM) Five years after the Easter attack, former Senior DIG, CID Ravi Seneviratne said that he and his most senior officers could have avoided the attack if the State Intelligence Services and Directorate of Military Intelligence provided accurate information to the CID without misleading them. Seneviratne further said that his team could have concluded the investigations and brought the criminals to book had they were more..

Jun 13 (CT) Beauty is skin deep, nevertheless, the damage caused by harmful and toxic cosmetic products runs much deeper than just skin. In fact, it has come to a point that the harm is not merely personal but, is growing into a national threat, given the ever-rising number of cases of cosmetic-related injuries, hospitalisations and even deaths. Add to the already long list, a group of at least 30 employees of a cosmetic factory in Nalluruwa, Panadura have been hospitalised after more..