Jun 4 (TM) The implementation of a public-private partnership program aimed at developing the skills of school-level athletes for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics has received a Cabinet nod. According to the Govt, the Ministries of Education and Sports have planned to implement a joint program with the support of the private sector and civil society to make SL a medal-winning country in the 2032 Brisbane Olympics. It is also expected to provide opportunities for talented athletes to more..

Jun 4 (EN) SL is facing legal barriers in its efforts to reclaim priceless artifacts from Britain, as many of these items are held by private individuals rather than the state, Minister Vidura Wickremenayake said. SL has been actively requesting the return of invaluable artifacts taken during colonial rule prior to the country’s independence in 1948. Last year, Netherlands returned 6 Kandyan artifacts, including gold & silver ceremonial more..

Jun 4 (DM) Supreme Court's determination that the Electricity Amendment Bill is inconsistent with the Constitution as a whole, caused a showdown in Parliament with the Opposition calling for the postponement of the debate while the ruling party insisted that it should go ahead as scheduled on Thursday with the necessary amendments. Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa called for a postponement of the debate while Chief Opposition Whip Lakshman Kiriella called for a delay more..

Jun 4 (DM) SL surpasses all its South Asian counterparts in recruiting women at entry level in the banking sector, a recent report by the IFC highlighted. Women comprised 46% of new recruits and 27% of board positions, making SL the leader in board level gender diversity, according to the report. Titled Women’s Advancement in Banking in Emerging South Asian Countries, the IFC, in collaboration with the Australian govt, had assessed the private sector commercial banks more..

Jun 5 (TM) Yesterday, will likely be a momentous day for India, with voters across the vibrant tapestry of the South Asia economic juggernaut, casting their ballot and bringing in a new balance to the power structures in New Delhi. The 2024 Indian elections which was conducted from 19 April to 1 June is likely the world's largest democratic event, with nearly a billion eligible to vote. While the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will likely form a coalition govt, and declare victory, more..

Jun 5 (TM) The US has been making strides into the World of Cricket since late. With them currently co-hosting the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup this year, they are heavily investing on promoting cricket in their country. Not only in Men’s game, even in the Women’s game, they have made significant inroads in the recent past. Women’s team was a part of the recently concluded ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier in UAE. 23-year-old left arm seamer Jessica Willathgamuwa was a part of more..

Jun 5 (TM) SL takes pride in its natural resources, including water bodies that are spread throughout the country. While water is generally viewed as a resource that is abundantly available in most parts of the country, it is high time for SL to pay attention to identifying the challenges faced by these water resources and to remedy them. Failure to do so will place the country in a difficult situation as far as its access to water, especially drinking more..

Jun 5 (DM) The prez election to select SL’s fifth president occurred on Nov 17, 2005. There was a debate when Prez Kumaratunga argued that her term ended in 2006 because she was sworn in for a second time in 2000. It was brought before the Supreme Court. On Aug 26, 2005, Supreme Court decided that it should take place in 2005. Nominations for the Prez Election were opened on 7th Oct, 2005. Rajapaksa needed to re-establish the alliance with the JVP that had been formed more..

Jun 5 (SLG) Sri Lankans observe May 1 the International Labour Day as a holiday. Political parties hold rallies, often as a show of strength. Three decades ago, Prez Ranasinghe Premadasa was killed by a LTTE suicide bomber, while addressing the UNP’s May Day rally. This year as many as 19 rallies were held in Colombo. The prez election poised to be held in Sept-Oct added interest to the rallies. Notable among them was the rally of UNP addressed by Prez Wickremesinghe. more..

Jun 5 (TM) Even though SL has attained some level of economic stability, it is not a guarantee for the complete economic revival that the country needs. While the country continues the economic recovery plans, various indirect adverse impacts of that plan, such as increasing poverty, should not be overlooked. These pros and cons of the present economic recovery plan, and how the overall plan, which has a lot to do with more..

Jun 5 (CT) Recently, nearly 100 MT of garbage were collected from the reserve along the Nallathanniya-Sri Pada trek, highlighting a significant problem in SL’s approach to environmental conservation. Ceylon Today, this week, reported, the waste accumulated, after the annual six-month pilgrimage season, included over 60,000 kg of biodegradable waste, 36,000 kg of non-biodegradable waste and 3,000 kg of plastic bottles. This waste, taken to the Nallathanniya garbage recycling centre, more..

Jun 5 (DM) As has been usual in our country, at every monsoon season especially during the South-West monsoon flooding, landslides and displacement of citizens have become normal. Every year this newspaper has highlighted this fact and called on authorities to draw up plans to prevent these disasters. To date, 16 people have died, 5 remain missing and 84,749 persons have been displaced. Sadly, nothing has changed. Have our engineers run out of ideas as to how such more..

Jun 5 (Island) The SLFP shows signs of being on the fast track to oblivion. The Battle of the Blues, as it were, has got down and dirty, with the Sirisena and Chandrika factions tightening their grip on each other’s jugular. They have left the blue party red in tooth and claw. One might argue that what is unfolding at Darley Road has the trappings of a third-rate soap opera with a kudzu or ridiculously complicated plot owing to numerous appointments to top posts, endless protests, more..

Jun 5 (DN) Our bowling is more powerul than batting and we had an idea to put up a good score first and defend that total with our bowlers said Sri Lanka skipper Wanindu Hasaranga who defended his decision to bat first after winning toss in first game against South Africa which South Africa won by six wickets. We have won last few matches after bowling second and shown our bowling power. However this time our plan was not executed. We kept bowling for 16 overs for them to reach more..

Jun 5 (FT) The Supreme Court has ruled that the proposed Sri Lanka Electricity Bill conflicts with the Constitution, requiring a special Parliamentary majority for its passage. Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena announced to Parliament yesterday that the identified inconsistencies can be rectified, allowing the Bill to pass with a simple majority if the necessary amendments are made as per SC's guidance. more..

Jun 5 (CT) An Open Letter Submission to the Prez, Minister of Finance, Chief of Staff of the President, Minister of Justice, Chairman Public Finance Committee, Secretary to the Treasury, Governor Central Bank, Auditor General, Attorney General, Legal Draftsman, Secretary General Parliament, Diagnostics Team- IMF. This submission is made in the long-term sustainable interests of SL and all its people; and sets out some critical aspects to be considered by you, prior to proceeding with more..

Jun 5 (Island) Govt leaders appear to be considering all options for remaining in office beyond the constitutionally mandated periods of 5 years for presidency & parliament. UNP General Secretary Palitha Range Bandara has announced that the govt is considering postponing both the prez and general elections for two years. There has been a considerable amount of speculation about a possible postponement of elections. In fact, this has been a part of the political discussion for over a year. more..

Jun 5 (DM) Global market demand for ship building and ship repairs looks promising in the near future. However, financial market problems in SL will continue to pose a challenge to the growth targets of Colombo Dockyard PLC. The entity, which operates as SL’s largest engineering facility leading in the business of ship repairs, shipbuilding, heavy engineering and offshore engineering with a Japanese collaboration said it remains cautiously optimistic that the country’s financial market more..

Jun 5 (FT) Former PUCSL Chairperson and Presidential hopeful Janaka Ratnayake yesterday criticised the professionals involved in drafting the new SL Electricity Act after the Supreme Court found that it is inconsistent with the constitution. Ratnayake said it should be required for the professionals involved in drafting the bill to be aware of its constitutionality. “Professionals should retain the dignity of their profession and ensure they protect the rights of the public when more..

Jun 5 (ST) A month into a strike by uni non-academic staff over their salary anomaly issue and several other demands, administrative functions at state universities continue to be crippled, subjecting students to severe inconveniences. Strike has forced the postponement of many university exams and key events such as int'l conferences. Scheduled uni have also been indefinitely postponed. more..

Jun 5 (FT) National Savings Bank said yesterday it began 2024 with a growth momentum, achieving Rs. 3.4 billion Profit After Tax (PAT) for the first quarter with an impressive increase of 221.8% over the same period last year. Followed by two years of financial hardships, the Bank has reverted its regular financial performance showing the balance sheet strength backed by 100% Govt guarantee and demonstrating the strong management skills and dedication of employees at all levels. more..

Jun 5 (FT) Several police teams are on the hunt for a man suspected of brutally assaulting a four-year-old boy. A viral video circulating on social media shows suspect Munasinghe Kodikarage Chaminda, a resident of Hansawila, Kalyanipura in Welioya, assaulting the child while feeding him. The video sparked public outrage, with calls for the police to immediately arrest the man. DIG Nihal Talduwa said the Welioya OIC IP Lakmal was informed of the incident before the video went viral. more..

Jun 5 (FT) Mujibur Rahman issued a warning yesterday to both political parties and the public in Sri Lanka to stay alert for potential Govt tactics aimed at postponing elections. Rahman urged all groups to unite in order to safeguard the people’s democratic rights and their right to vote. MP accused Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe of collaborating with a corrupt group and emphasised that the SJB has no intention of working with them. more..

Jun 5 (EAR) Sri Lankan activist Jeewaratnam Suresh was among dozens of people from the Malayaiha, or upcountry Tamil community who walked around 124 miles over 15 days in 2023. “I don’t see this merely as a march, but as a journey symbolizing rising up,” Suresh told the Hindu in August 2023. The Maanbumigu Malaiyaha Makkal march started on July 28, 2023, from Mannar in the country’s northern province and ended on August 12 in Matale, the central highlands. more..

Jun 5 (DN) SLC will launch specialized Fast and Spin Bowling Academies at the High Performance Center, with the aim of developing a talent pool that will serve as a feeder system for the national team. Under the guidance of the Cricket Selection Committee, the High Performance Coaching Staff screened 105 first-class players from Tier A and B clubs at the R. Premadasa stadium Nets last week. The screened players were selected based on the recommendations of their club coaches, more..

Jun 5 (DM) CPC has scheduled a major shutdown of the refinery at Sapugaskanda from July 8. The refinery crude unit was shut down on May 29, followed by a complete shutdown of the production processes on May 30 morning due to a failure in the water demineralization plant, which is crucial for refinery power generation facilities. After painstaking efforts, the repair work on the boiler water system has been successful, and the restoration of the power system will be completed shortly. more..

Jun 5 (DM) Pandemonium broke out at the Kandy Police Station when the husbands of two women who were in a same-sex relationship attempted to take them home from the hotel where the two were staying at in Kandy. Police investigations revealed that a 34-year-old married woman from Wattala had been taking her child to school in Kandana, where she formed a clandestine relationship with a 29-year-old female teacher. According to the police, the same-sex couple had disappeared from more..

Jun 5 (TM) DMT has launched an investigation into the missing State-owned vehicles in order to identify the total number of vehicles and the public institutions to which those vehicles were given. Recently, National Audit Office has emphasised the necessity of locating more than 5,000 State-owned vehicles that have allegedly gone missing from certain public institutions over the past few years and which are valued at more..

Jun 5 (FT) Team Sweden celebrates 75 years of SL-Sweden diplomatic relations by bringing a high-level delegation of Swedish companies to Sri Lanka from 5-7 June, in connection with Sweden’s National Day celebrations on 6 June and an Energy Seminar on 7 June. With the SL economy set to rebound this year, Team Sweden in Sri Lanka including the Embassy of Sweden, Honorary Consulate of Sweden in SL and Business Sweden, in collaboration with Sweden-SL Business Council (SSLBC) more..

Jun 5 (BBC) Indian PM Narendra Modi has won a third consecutive term in a much tighter general election than anticipated. His BJP looks set to fall short of a majority and is leading in the 543-seat parliament, below the required 272 seats. However its coalition partners have gained additional seats. The results are a personal blow to Mr Modi, who has always secured majorities in elections as both chief minister of Gujarat state and India’s PM, and dominated the country's politics for a decade. more..

Jun 5 (ST) Govt is likely to lift the palm oil ban this year after Indonesian Prez Joko Widodo called for the lifting of import restrictions on Indonesian palm oil and related products at a bilateral meeting at the 10th World Water Summit, with Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe on Monday. Presidential Secretariat officials said that a Cabinet paper in this regard has been submitted to the Cabinet already. They said Prez Wickremesinghe had instructed an advisor to assist with this process. more..

Jun 5 (TM) The medical report pertaining to a hamstring injury suffered by SL’s most prized possession on the track, Yupun Abeykoon, is to be received today (5), said Sri Lanka Athletics (SLA) Secretary Saman Kumara Gunawardana. This was after Abeykoon’s gold-medal winning effort in the 100 m event at the Diamond League (B Series) Meet in Stockholm, Sweden. However, he was optimistic that the injury suffered by South Asia’s fastest man and the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth more..

Jun 5 (TM) Department of Police has stated that it is taking disciplinary actions against Police officers who commit various misconducts more rigorously than any other govt agency when it comes to discipline. In the recent past, frequent incidents of Police officers committing misconducts have been reported, with many leading the Judiciary to order disciplinary actions against the relevant officers. more..

Jun 5 (DM) University Grants Commission (UGC) Chairman, Prof. Sampath Amaratunge, has urged students and parents not to share their 2023 (2024) GCE A/L examination results on social media. He informed the Daily Mirror that there have been several reports of incidents involving the misuse of examination result details by unknown individuals. "Examination result sheets are unique documents that serve as a means of individual identification for students by the ministry. more..

Jun 5 (Island) Tempers flared during an argument between Kandy District SLPP MPs Mahindananda Aluthgamage and Gunathilake Rajapaksa over providing relief to the people affected by the inclement weather, at yesterday’s govt group meeting chaired by Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe. Subsequently MP Rajapaksa was admitted to the Army Hospital with injuries. He had suffered leg injury and was to undergo a surgical operation. Aluthgamage, contacted for comment, more..