Jun 27 (TM) The SJB, alleged that the Parliament has not been properly informed of the proposals that have been presented to the IMF and the discussions on the ongoing debt restructuring process. SJB MP Hector Appuhami said that in such a context, it is difficult to conduct an honest assessment about the country’s economic situation, especially concerning the debt situation, and that the Government can easily mislead the people about the same, especially in the context of the Prez Election. more..

Jun 27 (CT) Constitutional Council (CC) has once again rejected the proposal submitted by President Ranil Wickremesinghe to extend the term of Attorney General Sanjay Rajaratnam by another six months. Consequently, AG Rajaratnam’s term of service ended yesterday (26). The CC was convened yesterday evening to discuss the Prez’s proposal. Ceylon Today learns that the proposal received five votes against and three votes in favour. It was decided to communicate the decision to Prez more..

Jun 27 (FT) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe last night declared that Sri Lanka has won following the country reaching a final agreement with official bilateral creditors on external debt worth $ 10 billion on Wednesday. “This is indeed encouraging news for those who genuinely care about our country’s welfare. Sri Lanka won!” said the President emphatically. His reference to good news coincided with a multi-media campaign more..

Jun 27 (FT) Archbishop of Colombo, Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith has voiced his strong criticism against the proposed Indo-Lanka land bridge project. Speaking to the media on Friday Cardinal Ranjith warned the project will endanger Sri Lanka’s sovereignty and independence. He cited historical instances of South Indian invasions where Sinhalese kings had to defend and reclaim parts of the island. He warned that such a project would lead to Sri Lanka becoming a part of Tamil Nadu. more..

Jun 27 (EN) Sri Lanka telco company Dialog Axiata Plc said it had completed the acquisition of Bharti Airtel Lanka (Private) Limited. “Dialog has acquired 100% of the issued shares in Airtel Lanka on 26 June 2024,” the company said in a stock exchange filing. Dialog announced in April it was entering in to a Share Sale Agreement with Bharti Airtel Limited for the acquisition of the entirety of the issued shares of Bharti Airtel Lanka Private Limited (Airtel Lanka). As part of the acquisition, more..

Jun 27 (DM) For the education of the country's children, teachers should definitely stay in the schools in the morning. If this does not happen in the future and schoolchildren are deprived of their education, necessary steps will be taken to make the service of teachers and principals essential, Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe said. Prez said this today when he visited Chief Prelates of Asgiriya and Malwathu Chapters. Teachers and principals should act as role models for the children and more..

Jun 27 (FT) Sri Lanka declared bankruptcy on 12 April 2022 (the local new year perhaps is better than any day to declare bad news and wonder how many astrologers indicated this to happen a regional first). It has been indicated to us that we had only $ 20 million in our national account and it was apparently a declare or die situation. Today two years later we have announced early that we are about to declare that we are not bankrupt any more. Apparently multiple tranches and additional loans more..

Jun 27 (CI) Chris Silverwood has resigned from his position as head coach of Sri Lanka's men's team, effective immediately. Silverwood had been in the job since April 2022. SLC had extended his tenure in April until the end of the ongoing T20 World Cup. SLC CEO Ashley de Silva told ESPNcricinfo that Silverwood had conveyed his decision to resign before the board had had any internal discussions as to whether more..

Jun 27 (DM) Japanese Ambassador Mizukoshi Hideaki extended congratulations to Sri Lanka for its recent accomplishments in debt restructuring. The commendation came during a meeting with SL's Foreign Minister Ali Sabry at the Foreign Ministry today. Ambassador Mizukoshi praised Sri Lanka's efforts and achievements in effectively managing its debt obligations. Beyond the economic sphere, the meeting between Ambassador Mizukoshi and Foreign Minister Ali Sabry also focused more..

Jun 27 (DM) The Grama Niladhari Trade Union Alliance (GNTUA) has decided to engage with a stern trade union action while refraining from their duties for three days for delaying to provide solutions to their several demands. The co-conveners of the alliance claimed that the government had made quick decisions to resolve the issues of administrative officers. "Our alliance has been discussing these issues for years, but solutions to our problems are continuously delayed," more..

Jun 27 (Reuters) SL's agreements with China and other creditor nations to restructure about $10 billion in bilateral debt brought it a step closer towards restoring debt sustainability, IMF said. SL signed deals with China and other creditor nations to restructure about $10 billion in bilateral debt on Wednesday, helping it approach the end of a restructuring process that began in Sept 2022 after its reserves hit record lows and forced it to more..

Jun 27 (EN) SL’s merchandise exports fell 5.81% from a year ago to US$ 960.2 million in May 2024. Goods exports in the five months to May 2024 was 5,016.30 million up 3.09% from the corresponding period last year. Service exports were up 21.24% in May at US$ 327.35 million. Total goods and services exports fell 0.15% in May to 1,287.59 million. In traditional hard goods exports in May, tea was down 1.1% to US$ 115.04 million, rubber-based products were up 5.62% to US$ 81.17 million, more..

Jun 27 (AD) The Supreme Court has decided to expedite and take up on 25 July the case on which it previously issued an interim stay order on the President and the Constitutional Council preventing them from nominating judges to the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka. On April 30, the Supreme Court had issued an interim stay order on the President and the Constitutional Council, preventing them from nominating judges to the Supreme Court, except for the position of Chief Justice. more..

Jun 27 (HT) Minister for External Affairs S Jaishankar on Thursday responded to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, assuring proactive action by the Centre for the release of detained fishermen in Sri Lanka. He said 34 Indian fishermen are currently under judicial remand in Sri Lanka, and six others have been convicted and are serving sentences there. He also mentioned that the NDA govt has endeavoured to address the livelihood interests of the fishing community. more..

Jun 27 (FT) Cabinet on Monday approved the drafting of a Bill to amend the National Innovation Agency Act, directing the Legal Draftsmen to proceed with the necessary changes. National Innovation Agency, established in 2022, plays a crucial role in formulating national policies and offering innovative recommendations across social, scientific, technological, security, environmental and service sectors. In line with current requirements and under the National Innovation Agency Act more..

Jun 27 (HRW) Govt officials in Sri Lanka are withholding exam results from 70 Muslim women and girls because their head coverings allegedly covered their ears while they took their exams. The decision violates the students’ right to freedom of religion and further entrenches discrimination widely experienced by Muslims in SL. The students, many from relatively low-income families living near the eastern city of Trinco more..

Jun 27 (USE) On June 26, U.S. Embassy in Colombo, in partnership with the SL Dept of Import and Export Control, launched the first SL Strategic Trade Forum. This event brought together a diverse audience from govt and the private sector to address critical aspects of trade security and explore the development of competitive practices for global trade hubs. Following a welcome from Dept of Import-Export Controller General Upulmalee Premathilaka, trade regulators from Malaysia, more..

Jun 27 (DM) Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2024 has announced a new addition to its format called Power Blast Overs. This feature will debut in the upcoming season, injecting a new level of intensity and strategy into each match. Power Blast Overs will consist of a two-over power play allocated to each team during the 16th and 17th overs of their innings. This period will see only four fielders allowed outside the 30-yard circle. "This initiative aims to further enhance the thrill of LPL," more..

Jun 27 (TM) Minister Kanchana Wijesekera said that under the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) restructuring plan, the CPC-owned refinery will be set up as a separate Govt-owned and operated entity to attract and raise investments with the aim of improving fuel quality, efficiency, capacity, and reducing costs. A discussion on the timeline and process for implementing the reforms pertaining to the CPC took place on Tuesday more..

Jun 27 (EN) SL to plans to clamp down on the exports of metal scrap and make it illegal to export items without navigating through a licensing system. Measures are being taken to ban the export of metal, iron, related equipment and scrap in the country, without a license, Finance Ministry said. In the future, all metal exports should be made only on the recommendations of the Ministry of Industry. He had made the statement after meeting metal workers, Ministry of Industry buraucrats and more..

Jun 27 (FT) Women’s International Foundation (WIF) announced that WIF Founder and Chairperson Seroshi Nandasiri has been honoured with the prestigious Eisenhower Fellowships’ 2024 Women’s Leadership Program award. This program, now in its fourth iteration since 2010, is dedicated exclusively to connecting and empowering women leaders worldwide, preparing them for the critical role women play in addressing global challenges. Nandasiri’s selection is a testament to her impactful work more..

Jun 27 (DM) Former Prez Mahinda Rajapaksa left for a four day official visit to China today morning and will hold discussions with Chinese PM Li Qiang and Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his stay. Rajapaksa's visit was on an invitation by Minister Wang Yi to attend the commemorative events marking the 70th anniversary of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence in Beijing. The commemorative events will be attended by China's Prez Xi Jinping, PM Li Qiang, more..

Jun 27 (DM) CID arrested 60 Indian nationals during a crackdown on online financial crimes across the Thalangama, Madiwela and Negombo areas. The CID conducted simultaneous raids in these mentioned areas, leading to the seizure of 135 mobile phones and 57 laptops. The crackdown follows a complaint from a victim who was lured into a WhatsApp group promising cash for social media interactions. Further investigation revealed a scheme where victims were coerced into more..

Jun 27 (SCMP) President Ranil Wickremesinghe announced much awaited agreements on debt restructuring with bilateral creditors, but many analysts see his politically charged speech as more of an effort to boost his standing before the coming elections rather than an accurate portrayal of the country’s still dire economic situation. Wickremesinghe announced the conclusion of a final agreement on debt restructuring with more..

Jun 27 (PHC) High Commissioner of Pakistan Maj. Gen. (R) Faheem Ul Aziz HI (M), visited Mannar on 24th June, to attend the event organized by Muslim Hands SL. During his visit, the High Commissioner interacted with the local farmers of the area. High Commissioner said, that the productive agriculture sector may help the local communities to become self-reliant. He appreciated the Muslim hands’ upcoming project to facilitate SL people by providing fencing, drip irrigation system, more..

Jun 27 (DM) The Asian Cricket Council have drawn up plans to conduct the Women’s Asia Cup where eight teams will vie for supremacy scheduled to be played from July 19 to 28 with Sri Lanka as the host and the matches scheduled to be worked off at the Rangiri Dambulla Stadium. The tournament will usher with the first match on July 19 between Nepal Women and UAE Women in the afternoon session followed by the clash between traditional rivals India Women who are the defending champions more..

Jun 27 (DM) Following Sri Lanka's early exit from the Cricket T20I World Cup 2024, calls have been made to sack the coaching staff, including Chris Silverwood. Although SL was able to lift the Asia Cup a few years ago under the Englishman, the team hasn't really made much progress since then. Especially in the ICC World Cup tournaments, SL have been awful, so the Silverwood sacking looks imminent more..

Jun 27 (CT) SL Govt did not report any action against past abuses in State-run childcare institutions, nor any outcomes in cases against State-run orphanage employees charged with sexual abuse of children, the US State Dept’s 2024 Trafficking report released on Monday said. Also, the Attorney General (AG), claiming a lack of sufficient evidence, dropped the Govt of SL’s case against a PS member, two police officers and a naval officer arrested for sexual exploitation more..

Jun 27 (DM) In reference to the statement made by Acting Education Minister Bandula Gunawardana requesting the teachers to report to work, the Ceylon Teachers' Union (CTU) said that it is up to them to decide, not the Minister. CTU General Secretary Joseph Stalin told the Daily Mirror today that during the tenure of Education Minister Bandula Gunawardana, nothing substantial was provided for teachers. "We only held a strike for two days. We will not report for duties as he said. more..

Jun 28 (DM) Sri Lankans in many parts of the island celebrated on Wednesday (26) the government’s so-called victory of successfully restructuring its debt repayment commitments with foreign lenders with a round of milk rice and chilli sambol. However, the govt is silent about how it would settle multilateral debts. A large share of these debts was used for purposes that can be contested. Debts were also used for infrastructure projects which brought no worthwhile return, more..

Jun 28 (GV) This article questions how we understand what is meant by state security. Rethinking what we mean by state security has to start with how we understand the state. The state is usually treated state as a concrete, self-contained entity that has attained a final status. The physical geographic space covered by the state is securitised, and this is called national security. This spatial unit is objectified in maps, and borders are drawn to demarcate it. more..

Jun 28 (TM) Sri Lanka's regulatory and oversight-related landscape is under intense scrutiny, with multiple commissions facing significant criticism for their alleged inefficacy and lack of independence. Key commissions, such as the Public Utilities Commission of SL (PUCSL), the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC), and Human Rights Commission of SL (HRCSL), are accused of more..

Jun 28 (TM) Ending a 14-year legal battle and after spending more than five years in a British high-security jail and seven years in asylum at the Ecuadorean Embassy in London, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange walked free this week. Although he faced 18 criminal charges, he only pled guilty to violating the United States espionage law, and a deal permitted him to go back to Australia. The case of Assange has been controversial, largely because of the nature of the secrets that more..

Jun 28 (DM) From freedom to WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange is a free man. His freedom is a triumph for all those who cherish and advocate freedom of expression and transparency in governance. A product of the Internet-led digital era, WikiLeaks dared to publish what the mainstream media dared not do, though they were supposed to. He exposed the imperialists’ agenda, their illegal acts, and how they schemed behind the scenes to protect and promote their control of more..

Jun 28 (TM) Consumer rights activists in SL have raised significant concerns over the inadequacy of existing consumer protection laws, arguing that they fail to adequately safeguard consumers amidst economic challenges. National Movement for the Protection of Consumer Rights Chairman Ranjith Vithanage spoke to The Sunday Morning, highlighting the plight of consumers in the local market, emphasising a lack of more..

Jun 28 (ST) It used to be said that even a joke could be a serious thing. I cannot remember where I first heard it, perhaps from some SL wag on the way to inebriation or a deep thinker like our philosophy teacher at Peradeniya, Basil Mendis, who had been mistakenly thought to have the earth is flat like some jokes that emanate from so-called wits in parliament. The reverse is also true. It happened to the UNP’s general secretary, Range Bandara, the other day when he sent a political kite into the sky more..