Jun 6 (PMD) In recognition of veteran actor Ravindra Randeniya’s outstanding contributions to SL cinema over five decades, the ceremony, Ravi – Self-Reflection on Half-Century in Cinema took place yesterday (05) at the BMICH in Colombo, presided over by Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe. Ravindra Randeniya, who entered the film industry with the 1974 movie Taranga, has been celebrated for his exceptional acting skills, consistently delivering memorable performances that have left more..

Jun 6 (FT) SJB MP S.M. Marikkar urged the Govt yesterday to increase the compensation provided to those affected by disaster situations to reflect current market prices. MP highlighted that despite the rising cost of living, the Govt has not increased the compensation amount for citizens in disaster situations. He pointed out that currently, a person is given Rs. 150 per meal, totalling Rs. 450 per day for meals. more..

Jun 6 (DM) A Parliamentary Committee has instructed the relevant officials to take immediate steps to remove the obstacles in the local production and export of toddy, kithul, palm and coconut related products. The instructions were given during a meeting of the Sectoral Oversight Committee on National Economic and Physical Plans chaired by MP Mahindananda Aluthgamage. Relevant govt institutions including the Excise Dept and the Customs Department were called before more..

Jun 6 (DM) Ministry of Labour and Foreign Employment has expressed willingness to allocate a portion of the foreign job opportunities to retired military personnel and war hero families, the Ministry of Defence said. This was revealed during a meeting held to educate tri forces personnel on the programme of providing foreign employment to retired tri forces personnel and members of war hero families under the patronage of State Minister Premitha Bandara Tennakoon. more..

Jun 6 (EN) The two major parties in the opposition have proposed similar amendments to energy laws, Minister Kanchana Wijesekara said, adding that the new electricity reform bill will result in the disappearance of utilities unions. Wijesekara told parliament that both the main opposition SJB and the leftist NPP have formally proposed similar revisions to the laws governing the electricity sector despite their loud protests more..

Jun 6 (Island) A delegation from the Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University in Russia recently briefed a group of students in Colombo. The briefing took place at the Russian Cultural Centre, where a high-profile Academic delegation from the Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University met parents of students who are already studying in Russia, parents of students of those who are planning to study in Russian and students who are seeking to pursue their higher education in Russia. more..

Jun 6 (EN) Sri Lanka plans to hire a 4,000 strong workforce to man electric fences built to keep elephants away from villages near forests, Minister of Wildlife and Natural Resources Pavithra Wanniarachchi said. “We admit that we did not have the sufficient number of officers to repair damaged fences,” Minister Wanniarachchi told Parliament. “That is why we are looking to recruit a new workforce of at least 4,000 multipurpose development officers to sort this out.” more..

Jun 6 (EN) SL has asked Greece if it could increase employment opportunities for Sri Lankan sailors on Greek ships, PM’s office said after PM Dinesh Gunawardena met Greek ambassador Aliki Koutsomitopoulou. “Bilateral relations, trade and investment promotion, maritime issues and commercial marine employment opportunities were discussed here,” a statement said. The ambassador is said to have expressed her willingness to discuss employment opportunities more..

Jun 6 (Island) Founder of The Pathfinder Foundation, former Cabinet Minister and High Commissioner to India Milinda Moragoda recently published a book, titled Ashoka Vadana, in Sinhala. This book was translated into Tamil as Malarum Yugathirku Pudiyathor Vadivam and launched at Saraswathy Hall, Bambalapitiya. The book contains selected articles from his newspaper column of the same name that ran during Moragoda’s tenure as High Commissioner to India. more..

Jun 6 (AD) Sri Lanka and a group of creditors are in advanced talks over a deal aimed at restructuring the nation’s debt with bilateral lenders, according to people familiar with the matter. The govt and members of the official creditor committee, which includes India, Hungary and the Paris Club, are exchanging draft versions of the accord, or MoU, the people said, asking not to be identified as the talks are private. more..

Jun 6 (AD) The govt has decided to provide Rs. 10,000 each for the families affected by floods in order to clean up their houses, State Minister Premitha Bandara Tennakoon said. The govt has primarily allocated an amount of around Rs. 150 million for this purpose, and the relevant funds will be provided to the district secretaries, the State Minister expressed. Furthermore, he requested the officials to responsibly distribute the relevant funds among the affected families, more..

Jun 6 (DM) Maldivian Minister of Foreign Affairs Moosa Zameer during his visit to Sri Lanka, requested Public Security Minister Tiran Alles to facilitate arrangements for Maldivian senior citizens to come to Sri Lanka for permanent residence. This request was made during their meeting at the Ministry of Public Security, attended by a delegation led by Ms. Sheryna Abdul, Maldivian Minister of State for Foreign Affairs. The discussions primarily revolved around immigration matters, more..

Jun 6 (EN) SL’s Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRCSL) has granted preliminary approval for Starlink to provide satellite-based internet services in the island, following a formal public consultation process. “It’s my pleasure to announce that TRCSL has granted preliminary approval for Starlink to provide satellite-based internet services following a formal public consultation process,” State Minister more..

Jun 6 (CT) June marks the global Pride Month, dedicated to celebrating the rights of queer and transgender individuals. Across the globe, countries come together to honour the diversity and resilience of LGBTQ+ communities. (LGBTQ+ encompasses individuals who identify as gay, bisexual, transgender and those who challenge traditional gender norms). This year, LGBTQ+ community organised the Freedom Pride March – 2024. The march commenced from Kollupitiya, more..

Jun 6 (DM) Education Ministry has launched a new initiative this month to provide free vouchers for schoolgirls to purchase sanitary pads, announced Minister Susil Premajayantha. The inauguration of this programme took place this morning at the President's Girls School in Nawala. During the event, the Minister revealed that Rs. 1 billion had been allocated for this project. Ministry has introduced various student welfare programmes aimed at ensuring uninterrupted education, more..

Jun 7 (DM) These are days when people are working hard to make ends meet; even when the spouse is employed too. With regard to those frequenting the corridors of power, they too are working immensely hard to be in power when the next govt is formed. There was a recent meme (an image, video or piece of text) on Facebook which portrayed two candidates who are likely to bid for the presidency at the next big election. The one with a love for nature photography was saying more..

Jun 7 (CT) For a longtime I argued that the prez election was a two-horse race between Ranil Wickremesinghe and Anura Kumara Dissanayake and recently hinted that the advantage was slipping in Ranil’s favour. However, the political weather is squally and it would be slipshod not to give thought to other possibilities. In particular a full accounting needs to be made of the impact of the Sajith Premadasa candidacy. Let me, however, first summarise the underlying logic of the more..

Jun 7 (DM) Major Gen. Dr. Boniface Perera a battle hardened Infantry officer served the SL Army for more than 36 years dedicating 20 years in the battlefield. He was the former Security Forces Commander of the Wanni Region and Eastern province in addition to being the Competent Authority to resettle 300000 displaced people in the North. Having secured a PhD in economics, presently Major Gen. Perera more..

Jun 7 (CT) Debt-ridden SL faces a crucial week, next week, as the IMF Executive Board meets on the 12th to consider the progress of the second review and disbursement of the third tranche of the USD 2.9 billion EFF, totalling USD 330 million. For SL, which has completed all the pre-requirements for the release of the funds, this is an important juncture. The anticipated IMF disbursement is expected to strengthen SL’s foreign reserves close to the USD 6 billion level at the end of this month, more..

Jun 7 (ST) Pay up or face the consequences! That was the chilling message from Labour Minister Manusha Nanayakkara threatening to pull the plug on the long-term leases of plantation companies which fail to follow the mandatory wage hike for plantation workers. This was after Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe announced the wage hike at the May Day rally of the CWC in the central hills, in an election promise to workers. Nanayakkara’s comments drew an angry response from more..

Jun 7 (TM) Despite the IMF Governance Diagnostic Assessment on Sri Lanka warning about the risks of unsolicited proposals and projects without competitive tenders, the Govt is persisting in approving such initiatives. Recent instances include granting approval to Sinopec for the Hambantota Oil Refinery, Adani’s 500 MW renewable energy project in Mannar, and entrusting visa operations to VFS Global by the Public Security Ministry, more..

Jun 7 (TM) Economic and public sector reforms alone will not help SL to stage an effective recovery and move to a better trajectory as a country. Another essential component of change which is needed is to rebuild its citizenry’s faith in our domestic justice mechanisms and in the fair enforcement of the law. These two sectors play a key part in improving governance and building investor confidence in the troubled island as well. SL Judiciary yesterday cut to size the often abused powers more..

Jun 7 (TM) Social media platforms such as Facebook are inundated with photos and videos of people engaging in various recreational activities in flooded areas. Some freely jump into water bodies with increased water levels, some swim and freely roam around in flooded residential areas, and some make TikTok videos in areas where floods have receded. It all seems fun, and as some who are active on social media platforms have said, it is harmless fun which those affected by floods more..

Jun 7 (Island) The recent govt gazette notification increasing wages for plantation workers in SL has sparked significant debate among stakeholders, including plantation companies, workers, and policymakers. This decision, although rooted in the commendable goal of improving workers’ living standards, has also raised concerns about its impact on the plantation industry and broader economic implications. To navigate this complex issue, it’s essential to consider the perspectives of more..

Jun 7 (ST) The recent drowning of seven elephants in the Polonnaruwa area has sparked serious concerns among environmentalists and villagers. Among the dead elephants were two between 15 and 25 years of age, four who were about four years old, and one who was about one year old, a wildlife official said. They were attempting to cross the Ode Ela, a waterway in the area from the Flood Plains National Park to the Somawathiya National Park, in search of food and shelter. more..

Jun 7 (TM) Sri Lanka is expecting to recover at least Rs. 200 billion in 2024 from the removal of exemptions from the VAT, a Finance Ministry official said. Speaking before the Committee on Ways and Means on Wednesday (5), Tax Policy Adviser to the Treasury Thanuja Perera said that the overall revenue loss to the govt due to tax exemptions provided for VAT was 1.2% of GDP while it expects to recover at least Rs. 200 billion in 2024. more..

Jun 7 (CT) SL and Bangladesh have developed a strong rivalry in cricket over the past few years, creating many unforgettable moments and controversies. This rivalry will once again be in the spotlight during their Group D clash on Saturday (8), at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas. SL has a commanding 11-5 record against Bangladesh in 16 T20Is, and will be motivated by their recent series win against Bangladesh in their home conditions. Despite a poor performance against more..

Jun 7 (Island) SLPP-UNP govt is going hell for leather to make bad laws as if there were no tomorrow. It is abusing its parliamentary majority, which has been retained with the help of some crossovers, for that purpose. The Opposition, the media and trade unions are up in arms, and understandably so. The incumbent regime is a dead man walking; it is so desperate that it is capable of anything. Hence the need for it to be restrained. Electricity (Amd) Bill plunged Parliament more..

Jun 7 (FT) Presidential Advisor Prof. Ashu Marasinghe claimed that Ranil Wickremesinghe will contest the upcoming poll as an independent candidate. He emphasised the Prez’s ability to lead and develop the country. “The only solution is Ranil Wickremesinghe. He can build this country and has proven it. We should give him the support he needs. We should provide him with the necessary support, particularly since he is running as an independent candidate. We are certain of this,” more..

Jun 7 (ST) Sri Lanka will bank heavily on its four-man seam bowling attack to make the 2024 ICC Men’s World Cup a memorable success, opines Anusha Samaranayake, the newly appointed fast bowling coach of the Khettarama High Performance Centre. Samaranayake, who previously worked with Sri Lankan fast bowlers before his controversial removal, believes the team is high on confidence and has the potential to make a significant impact in T20 World Cup in USA & West Indies. more..

Jun 7 (DM) By the end of July, all schools offering various subject streams will be brought together, and their information will be networked and digitized, Minister Susil Premajayantha said. While attending a programme at Nalanda Vidyalaya, Colombo, as the chief guest for the commencement of A/L studies for students who recently passed the O/L exams, Minister announced that approximately 1,500 leading schools will be networked. more..

Jun 7 (DN) West Indies National Women’s Cricket Team started their training at NCC Indoor Stadium yesterday to focus on three ODIs and three T20Is against Sri Lanka women’s team. Earlier three ODIs were scheduled to play at Galle but yesterday Sri Lanka Cricket announced ODI matches will play in Hambantota on the same dates, June 15, 18 and 21 while the T-20Is will be played on June 24, 26 and 28 at the same venue, Mahinda Rajapaksa Stadium in Hambantota. more..

Jun 7 (Island) If the recent bilateral series between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh were any indication, the former world champions should cruise past Chandika Hathurusinghe’s side in their day-night fixture on Friday here in Dallas, a city in the southern US state Texas. Sri Lanka overcame Bangladesh in the recent T-20 series between the sides 2-1. Head to head these teams have competed in 16 games with Sri Lanka winning 11 of those, a winning percentage of 70%. more..

Jun 7 (ST) With less than a month left for the Esala Perahara, captive elephant owners have suggested ways of dealing with the shortage of elephants. However, the state authorities are not too happy with the elephant owners’s ideas, including releasing some elephants from the Pinnawala elephant orphanage to temples and devalayas. They are not however completely against elephant breeding programmes. more..

Jun 7 (DN) Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said arrangements are on to begin a compensation programme for crop damage caused in many areas due to flooding. It is estimated that Rs.100 million will needed for this and the Cabinet led by the Prez has also paid close attention to the payment of crop damage, the Minister said. Minister has informed the Agriculture and Plantation Industries Ministry Secretary Janaka Dharmakeerthi to provide an immediate report on all these crop damages. more..

Jun 7 (TM) Fossil fuels, which primarily have been the cornerstone of industrial development and modern society for over a century, is well on its way to become the very reason for its eventual downfall. The environmental and economic costs associated with these fuels are alarming. Fossil fuels emit Greenhouse Gases which trap heat, leading to global warming and climate change, besides of course adding to air pollution. Coal-fired power plants produce coal ash that can contaminate more..