Jun 5 (CT) Ongoing adverse weather conditions wreaked havoc in 13 districts, claiming 20 lives and injuring 13 persons, and one person has been reported missing, affecting a total of 53,289 families comprising 202,651 persons within 18 hours concluding at 6 p.m. yesterday. Highest number of six deaths had occurred in the Matara District. Highest number of 19,860 affected families comprising 80,411 members had been more..

Jun 5 (FT) The concept of a legislated economic plan that incorporates economic parameters (or targets) is an opportunity to end 76 years of insanity. The challenge for the major political parties is to accept the concept and then work out any areas of contention, and areas of improvements. Opposing the concept is insanity and a disservice to future generations. The Economic Transformation Bill is expected to provide for the National Policy on Economic Transformation and more..

Jun 5 (FT) A report in an English daily recently stated that the UN human rights office has “criticised the SL Govt’s failure to acknowledge and hold accountable the perpetrators of tens of thousands of enforced disappearances… Authors of the report also accuse the LTTE of engaging in abductions which were described as tantamount to enforced disappearances.” Continuing, the report adds that the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights had stated: “Accountability must be addressed. more..

Jun 5 (AD) Irrigation Department reported that the dangerous situation in the Kelani River, Kalu River, and Attanagalu Oya is gradually dissipating as the water levels are dropping. As a result, it is expected that the water levels in the flood-affected areas of Gampaha, Ja-Ela, Wattala, Minuwangoda & Katana will gradually decrease today, Sakura Dilthara, an engineer for the dept said. Additionally, she mentioned that the water levels in the low-lying areas of the Kelani River Basin, more..

Jun 5 (DM) A foreign national couple has drowned while bathing in the sea off the Kirinda beach, police said. They said the victims were identified as a 35-year-old male and a 33-year-old female who are Indian nationals. They were rescued while drowning after being dragged away by strong waves, but died upon admission to the Debarawewa Hospital. Investigations revealed that the victims were a married couple, and the incident had occurred during a visit to Sri Lanka with their family. more..

Jun 5 (EN) Transparency International SL (TISL) has raised concerns over proposed wind power projects by India’s Adani Group in the island nation’s north after the project was given on an unsolicited basis any competitive bidding. The TISL also has demanded more information on the projects from the govt via RTI after some local experts and state-owned CEB officials said Adani’s unit price is highly expensive. more..

Jun 5 (EN) India’s PM Narenda Modi has exchanged tweets with Sri Lanka’s political leadership after mammoth elections that saw his BJB losing its earlier absolute majority. The BJP is expected to win only 240 seats, short of a required 272 majority in the 543 assembly, and will have to govern with his broader NDA coalition which is expected to get 295. The opposition India block, led by Rahul Ghadhi has 232 seats with the Congress itself getting 99 seats almost doubling its tally. more..

Jun 5 (AD) The 7 political parties representing the Sarvajana Balaya alliance, engaged in a peaceful protest today near the Parliament Roundabout against the proposed SL Electricity Bill. National Organizer of NFF Jayantha Samaraweera, leader of MJP entrepreneur Dilith Jayaweera, leader of PHU MP Udaya Gammanpila, the General Secretary of the Communist Party, Dr G. Weerasinghe, President of Yuthukama organization, Gevindu Kumaratunga and Prof. Channa Jayasumana more..

Jun 5 (DM) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe has raised concerns with the National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol (NATA) about the latter’s moves to enforce law against scrapping hotels’ Happy Hour, which in turn could result in the country’s growing tourism industry. A controversial communiqué issued by the NATA last week raised eyebrows of many in the tourism and hospitality industry including its stakeholders more..

Jun 5 (DM) The suspect identified as Kukul Chaminda alias Bibile Chaminda, who was wanted for the brutal assault on a 4-year-old child, has been arrested by the Police, along with his wife and another woman. Police initiated investigations following the circulation of a video on social media which went viral, depicting the suspect's ruthless assault on the 4-year-old child. A neighbour had recorded the video which was released on social media, of the particular suspect brutally more..

Jun 5 (AD) Over 25,000 cases of dengue infections have been recorded within the five months so far this year, according to the National Dengue Control Unit (NDCU). Director of National Dengue Control Unit, Dr. Sudath Samaraweera stated that dengue breeding sites being detected in most of the schools is a dangerous situation. Dr. Samaraweera also stated that there had been a significant surge in dengue cases last year, with nearly 90,000 reported by the end of 2023. more..

Jun 5 (FT) The UNP made key appointments for its upcoming election campaign at a meeting held at Sirikotha on Sunday. At the meeting chaired by Party Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, several key positions were filled to strengthen the party’s election strategy. Harin Fernando was appointed as the National Election organiser while Ravi Karunanayake was named the National Secretary, and Ronald Perera will serve as the Deputy General Secretary of elections. In other notable appointments, more..

Jun 5 (EN) SL parliament’s Committee on Public Finance has concluded its examination of a visa deal with IVS-GBS-VFS Global, a private company, its chairman Harsha de Silva said. Officials of the Public Security Ministry who had not come to an earlier meeting was present on June 4, he said. “IVS-GBS VFS visa matter was concluded,” de Silva said. “Our report will be presented at the earliest. As I have maintained throughout, I shall not discuss substantive issues until then. more..

Jun 5 (DM) In the midst of the increased number of calls from ex-SL soldiers who joined the Russian military to fight against Ukraine, a SL delegation headed by State Minister Tharaka Balasuriya will head to Russia later this month to seek repatriation of them under a plan to be implemented in stages. The delegation comprising former SL ambassador to Russia Saman Weerasinghe, Defence Secretary Kamal Gunaratne, more..

Jun 5 (FT) Ports, Shipping and Aviation Ministry said the efficiency of the Jaye Container Terminal (JCT) will be boosted with Rs. 10 billion investment by the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA). JCT is the oldest container terminal at the Port of Colombo and expansion of operational capacity and efficiency is currently being completed and scheduled to be officially opened by the end of the month. Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva yesterday made an inspection visit to JCT to see the progress. more..

Jun 5 (AD) PM Dinesh Gunawardena says that the government has planned to establish ten botanical gardens based on the climate zones in the country. Delivering a statement in Parliament today, the PM revealed plans to establish the projects in areas including Galle, Vavuniya, Ampara, Polonnaruwa, and Deniyaya. He stated that they have currently planned a Mangrove Botanic Garden at Akmeemana, Galle as well as botanic gardens in Vavuniya, Ampara, Polonnaruwa & Deniyaya. more..

Jun 5 (AD) Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) today announced that Sequoia Consultants, Inc., a leading civil engineering consulting firm based in Los Angeles, California, has come forward to take over the future of the LPL team, Dambulla. Team will be operated under DeSilva Holdings, specifically setup for this purpose. The majority stake in Sequoia Consultants is owned by Priyanga De Silva, Chartered Civil Engineer, more..

Jun 5 (PMD) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe received the credentials of five newly appointed High Commissioners and nine Ambassadors to SL at the Colombo Fort President’s House this morning. The High Commissioners representing New Zealand, Cyprus, Maldives, Sierra Leone, and Mauritius were present. Additionally, Ambassadors from Guatemala, Algeria, Estonia, Laos, Colombia, Turkey, Ireland, Greece, and the Republic of Bulgaria also handed over their credentials. more..

Jun 5 (DM) The International Centre for Foreign Studies (ICFS) has organized a multi destination university admission day, aiming to provide Sri Lankan students with valuable opportunities for higher education across various destinations such as Australia, New Zealand, UK, Canada, Germany, and Malta. The admission is set to take place on June 8th from 10 am to 4 pm at the ICFS Education Centre in Nugegoda. The ICFS said they focused to offer students who aspire to study abroad more..

Jun 5 (FT) Elon Musk’s revolutionary Starlink service had originally sought for a licence from the Telecommunications of Regulatory Commission of SL (TRCSL) late last year and its application is still being processed and pending approval which has caused concern among the IT industry. Industry analysts said Sri Lanka taking over six months to decide on Starlink high speed broadband service using commercial satellites reflects bad on Sri Lanka in terms of commitment and more..

Jun 5 (DM) SJB General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara today filed a Special Determination petition before the Supreme Court challenging the constitutionality of the Economic Transformation Bill, which was tabled recently in Parliament. Madduma Bandara filed this petition seeking a declaration that the Bill requires the approval by the people at a Referendum in addition to the 2/3 approval of Parliament. The petitioner states that several Clauses of the Bill more..

Jun 5 (Island) Two dissident SLPP MPs, Prof. G.L. Peiris and Gevindu Cumaratunga urged SLPP parliamentary group not to throw its weight behind Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe efforts to enact laws inimical to the country in the run-up to the prez poll. In terms of the Constitution, prez elections should be conducted in the Sept/Oct period this year. Prof. Peiris focused on Wickremesinghe’s move to secure parliamentary approval for more..

Jun 5 (EN) SriLankan Airlines has reported a net profit of 1,124 million rupees in the 9 months to Dec 2023 turning around from a loss of 73.26 billion rupees for the full year ending March 2023, official data shows. SriLankan had earned revenues of 248 billion rupees in the nine months to December, with 205.6 billion in passenger income and 22.6 billion rupees in freight and 18.7 billion in unspecified other incomes. Operating costs were 223.8 billion rupees with 86.3 billion rupees spent on fuel, more..

Jun 5 (TM) Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) has approved the creation of a separate transitional listing board called the Catalyst Board to enable the listing of State-owned Enterprises (SOEs), SEC Chairperson Faizal Salieh said. In their annual review, Salieh said that In support of the Govt’s policy on reforms in SOEs, SEC has approved a separate transitional listing board to enable the listing of SOEs. He said this is a critical step towards progressively bolstering market liquidity and more..

Jun 5 (EN) A Women’s Caucus in parliament has commissioned a survey on gender pay gaps with the intention of bringing legislation to narrow the gap, the group’s Chairperson Dr Sudarshani Fernandopulle said. “We are conducting a survey to identify the places that have a gender pay gap, so we can bring in necessary legislation to minimise it,” Fernandopulle said during a debate to pass a bill on Womens’ Empowerment. more..

Jun 5 (EN) About 75% of students at the law faculty are female but there are hardly any female Presidents Counsel, opposition legislator Eran Wickremaratne said. “75% of students at law faculty are female but there are only two or three presidential counsel lawyers in the entire country,” Wickremaratne told parliament during the debate of the Women’s Empowerment Bill. “So what is this problem? There seems to be an attitude problem. We have to accept this. more..

Jun 5 (DM) All Island Canteen and Restaurant Owners' Association (AICROA) has decided to lower the prices of food items from tonight due to the reduction in the prices of domestic LP gas, vegetables and eggs. Association announced that the prices of fried rice, rice and curry, and kottu will be reduced by Rs. 25 from tonight. Prices of short eats, including paratha and egg rotti, will be reduced by Rs. 10. In line with these reductions, the price of a cup of plain tea will be reduced by Rs. 5. more..

Jun 6 (DM) Devastating cricket fans across the country, South Africa beat SL by six wickets at the T20 World Cup, on Monday (3). It may be a cliche in the scorebook, but a famous saying lasts a lifetime. It goes like this: “For when the One Great Scorer comes to mark against your name, He writes, not that you won or lost, but how you played the Game.” Though often quoted, Rudyard Kipling’s poem ‘If’ also applies to what we learn and what we should become through sports. more..

Jun 6 (CT) Can I take that Risk? If I take it, what can happen to me, my family and my country? These are the nagging questions, the opposition wants the people to ask themselves about the National People’s Power (NPP) and its leadership. But would the people ask these questions and if the opposition is correct in their assumption, how would the people answer them? A totally new context is being created. A challenging circumstance is being forced on the AKD and his Party. more..

Jun 6 (TM) Amnesty International, Clean Clothes Campaign, and Human Rights Watch on Monday (27) called on the Government to immediately halt the current proposals for labour law reforms, noting a need to “ensure that reforms to the labour laws are only taken after due consultation with workers and their representatives”. In 2023, the Labour Ministry introduced draft labour legislation, which has since garnered heavy criticism. more..

Jun 6 (DM) A politician’s life is often hectic. It has to be; because he has to serve the people who elected him to office. But we also see the lifestyles they live and often envy them. Talk about our lawmakers having hectic lives, there are some who are the opposite, are lazy and not worth the salaries they earn. The outside world sees SL as an island. Tourists dream of coming here on vacation and experiencing the lifestyle of islanders. But they have their lives to live. more..

Jun 6 (ST) It used to be said in days gone by that the UN’s chamber in New York used to come alive when it anticipated a verbal clash between Sri Lanka’s sharp-witted Permanent Representative to the UN, Shirley Amerasinghe with his coruscating tongue, and Israel’s superbly eloquent Foreign Minister Abba Eban reputedly fluent in 10 languages. SL, then Ceylon, chaired the UN sub-committee on Israeli Practices in the Occupied Territories of which Shirley Amerasinghe was chairman, more..

Jun 6 (CT) Children are the most vulnerable members of society and often bear the brunt of the consequences resulting from the actions of adults. This is painfully evident in SL, which is grappling with a severe and ongoing economic crisis. Many parents face heartbreaking choices, struggling to decide whether to send their children to school or to provide them with three meals a day. more..

Jun 6 (GV) Climate change is one subject that has consistently dominated the world headlines over the past decade. Increasing consumerism fuels large scale fossil fuel usage and damages the natural environment. This results in a steep rise in carbon emissions leading to global warming and climate change, affecting all forms of life on earth. Global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions from energy use rose by about 1.1% in 2023 compared to a 1.3% rise in 2022. more..

Jun 6 (Island) The outcome of India’s parliamentary election (2024) has led to a perspective ambiguity. PM Narendra Modi lost no time in declaring victory for the BJP-led NDA alliance, which secured 293 seats in the 543-member Parliament, but he must be a worried man. The BJP is short of 32 seats to form a govt under its own steam; it has lost 63 seats or about 20% of its parliamentary strength. It had 303 seats in the previous Parliament, and that number has dropped to 240. more..