Jun 7 (DM) Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva, who accused the media of involving him and Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardane in the ordeal experience by Venerable Ajahn Brahmawanso, said it was a case warranting regulation of media activities. The minister said that the PM was at a different lounge while he was at a separate section of the VIP lounge. "Media should not manufacture news. They report what really happened. This is why we need regulation on the media," he said. more..

Jun 7 (Reuters) The global sovereign debt roundtable will meet on Friday to focus on technical talks aimed at discussing issues such as arrears and comparability of treatment for countries in default, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter said. This would be the third encounter for the group that includes representatives of the IMF, World Bank and current Group of 20 (G20) major economies leader India after one in Bengaluru in February followed by an April meeting in Washington, more..

Jun 7 (FT) In a bid to boost tax receipts by eliminating tax exemptions, Cabinet has approved revising the Value Added Tax (VAT) law. �The move is expected to increase the tax revenue by 1.2% of the GDP by reactivating the existing law,� Minister Bandula Gunawardena said at the post-Cabinet meeting media briefing. It was also noted that the Simplified Value Added Tax (SVAT) methodology will be discontinued with effect from 1 Jan 2024. more..

Jun 7 (EN) SL has invited India�s Alliance Air which is now flying to Jaffna to also extend the flight to Ratamalana in Colombo, Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said. Alliance Air which is now flying to Jaffna�s KKS airport from Madras four times a week. �I have requested that the frequency be increased to seven day, and same flight to also come to Ratmalana, and if possible, also to Mattala,� he said. He did not say whether the airline would be allowed to carry passengers within the airports. more..

Jun 7 (DM) Police Crime Division requests people to refrain from entering parents' data when setting up e-mail accounts for school children and also to enter the correct age of the children. The officials said if parents' data were provided when using smart phones and setting up e-mail accounts, the children will have the opportunity to access any website. They said if the information including the correct age of the children is provided, the internet system itself will control the ability and access more..

Jun 7 (Island) Having handed over the manifesto of the Eksath Janaraja Peramuna to Election Commission Chairman Nimal Punchihewa, yesterday at the Election Secretariat, Rajagiriya, its leader MP Patali Champika Ranawaka said that the LG polls couldn�t be postponed any further on the false declaration that the incumbent administration lacked funds. Former Minister said that the expenditure on govt events in the recent past showed that money was no longer an issue. more..

Jun 7 (CT) A tremor of magnitude 2.02 on the Richter scale was reported in Gampola on Monday night, Geological Survey and Mines Bureau (GSMB) said. The tremor was detected by all four early warning towers in Mahakanadarava, Hakmana, Pallekele, and Buddhangala, which monitor seismic activity in SL. The tremor�s epicenter was identified in the Gampola Pupuressa area, approximately ten kilometres below the surface. It affected multiple areas surrounding the epicenter. more..

Jun 7 (DM) Plastic waste dumped in the ocean from eight different countries -China, Bangladesh, India, Turkey, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and Seychelles - have been found washed ashore in SL, a case warranting collective global action to deal with. This was disclosed by a scientist at the China- SL Joint Symposium on Coral Reef Ecology yesterday. It was conducted with the participation of scientists & environmentalists more..

Jun 7 (FT) The Inter-University Students Federation (IUSF) led by its newly appointed convenor Madhushan Chandrajith will hold a massive protest march in Colombo today citing several demands from the Govt. The IUSF will take to the streets to demand an increase of the monthly Mahapola scholarship, the release of student activists Kelum Muddannayake and Dilshan Harshana, reduce the cost of living and the abolishment of the Prevention of Terrorism Act. more..

Jun 7 (DM) The govt is determined to launch the proposed e-motoring system within this year overcoming resistance from certain bureaucrats. Minister Bandula Gunawardana revealed that the Cabinet of Ministers has recently approved a resolution to fast-track the project in order to launch it within this year. The proposed e-motoring system which has been in the making for over a decade is expected to simplify vehicle registrations and minimise corruption and fraudulent activities. more..

Jun 7 (TM) Following a revelation that about 5,400 police officers have been deployed for the security of various persons in addition to those deputed for the security of MPs, including Ministers, Ministry of Public Security is to conduct a review and remove such security attachments whenever possible, according to Subject Minister Tiran Alles. SJB MP Ajith Mannapperuma raised concerns over the shortage of police officers in the country. more..

Jun 7 (FT) Former MP, Deputy Speaker and President of the TULF, Murugesu Sivasithamparam passed away in a Colombo hospital 21 years ago on 5 June 2002. Sivasithamparam hailing from Karaveddy in the Vadamaraatchy division of Jaffna peninsula, was known affectionately as our Siva or Em Siva in Tamil on account of his initial �M� (em). Born in 1923, Sivasithamparam�s birth centenary will be commemorated on 20 July this year. Sivasithamparam was a well-built six-footer more..

Jun 7 (FT) Politics of paranoia confronts politics of dialogue. All around us, there is a frighteningly outlandish carnival in full swing. We�re trying to rationalise our way out of a situation where we�ve been made to believe that we have no choice but meek acquiescence with the arsonists who set the house on fire who now claim that they are expert fire fighters. Our basic freedoms are under constant and calculated assault. Pied pipers and charlatans are on a ceaseless parade vilifying all dissent. more..

Jun 7 (DM) Minister Ali Sabri has provided a new official residence at Stanmore Crescent to former Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa, MP Shanakiya Rasamanickam alleged today in Parliament. Minister Ramesh Pathirana who refuted the allegation said that no such thing has taken place and the Minister of Foreign Affairs has no authority to provide official residences to anyone. "Minister of Foreign Affairs has no authority to provide official residences to anyone. Official residences are provided by more..

Jun 7 (DM) PHU leader and MP Udaya Gammanpila thanked the police for arresting TNPF leader and MP Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam. He said certain parliamentarians from both the north and the south are under the impression that they are above the law. "Therefore, we express our pleasure in the police having the backbone to remind the MPs of their real position. "This is not the first time that MP Gajendrakumar had obstructed the duties of the police and the army," Gammanpila claimed. more..

Jun 7 (EN) SJB MP Harsha de Silva has been appointed as chairman of the parliamentary Committee on Public Finance (COPF) following a proposal by Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe, de Silva�s office confirmed. The development follows months of controversy around the ruling SLPP allegedly blocking de Silva�s appointment to the post, despite the president having agreed to it. SJB leader Sajith Premdasa told parliament more..

Jun 7 (EN) Shares closed lower on Wednesday after four consecutive gains in previous sessions spiraled into selling interest and profit taking, an analyst said. ASPI was down 0.28% or 24.39 points to 8,722.06, this is the lowest the index has been since May 02, while the most liquid index S&P SL20 was down 0.4% or 9.92 points to 2,468.44. �The market was gaining in the previous sessions and there is selling and profit taking present today, due to continuously being on green,� an analyst said. more..

Jun 7 (AD) Colombo Fort Magistrate�s Court has ordered the stand-up comedian Nathasha Edirisooriya and the owner of the YouTube channel SL VLOG Bruno Divakara to be remanded in custody until June 21, 2023. CID arrested the SL VLOG owner on May 31, after grilling him for more than 08 hours over the recent controversial comments of the stand-up comedian. Divakara was brought in for questioning as the video of concern, which had gone viral across social media more..

Jun 7 (CI) Dushmantha Chameera and Lahiru Kumara blasted out Afghanistan's top order, the spinners took care of the lower order, and then SL's top three raced to the target of 117 in 16 overs. It wasn't much of a workout ahead of the World Cup Qualifier, which starts on June 19; but having lost the first match of this series, the resounding nature of their victories to end the series will nevertheless give Sri Lanka some confidence. more..

Jun 7 (Island) India has launched a grant project to provide over 1,000 sanitation units/toilets for the people of the Batticaloa district. The Batticaloa project is among over 20 grant projects that are at various stages of implementation. The Indian High Commission spokesperson in Colombo said that a Project Steering Committee (PSC) meeting on construction of sanitation units/toilets in the Batticaloa District was convened on Monday under the co-chairmanship of Deputy HC more..

Jun 7 (Reuters) Sri Lanka and Thailand could sign a free trade agreement (FTA) by March, a top official of the Indian Ocean nation said, as it attempts to rebuild its crisis-stricken economy. The two nations restarted deal negotiations in January, months after a severe financial crisis engulfed Sri Lanka, as its foreign exchange reserves fell to a record low. "Both sides are enthusiastic and there is strong political will," Sri Lanka's chief FTA negotiator, K.J. Weerasinghe, told Reuters. more..

Jun 7 (DM) State Minister Diana Gamage accused the SJB of forging her resignation in an attempt to remove her from the party's Deputy Secretary post. Gamage said a forged document had been submitted to the Colombo District Court indicating her resignation by the SJB. "This forged document indicating my resignation has been submitted to the District Court. I don't know what games these people are playing with the judiciary by forging documents," Gamage said. more..

Jun 7 (TD) SL economy has not been doing well for the last few decades. Consistent balance of payment issues due to dwindling exports and ballooning imports, low levels of foreign direct investment, and significant youth unemployment and underemployment have been features of the country�s economy. Post-World War II history has shown us that land reform and labor-intensive manufacturing is the key to development. However, during its early years of independence, more..

Jun 7 (AD) SL�s national carrier is expecting a profit of USD 50 million for the upcoming year, SriLankan Airlines CEO Richard Nuttall revealed, adding that he also expects passenger traffic to surpass pre-COVID levels by the end of 2023 owing to the economic boom in tourism. Nuttall said that he expected a stronger outlook for next year, with matters gradually returning to normalcy in terms of SL's economy and its tourist arrivals. more..

Jun 7 (EN) President Ranil Wickremesinghe who stood for freedoms and independence of the judiciary in the past has turned upside down like Singer became Regnis and is now promoting anti-freedom legislation and opposition legislator questioned in parliament. In 2015 Ranil Wickremesinghe was PM he established independence commissions and ensured the independence of the judiciary,� legislator Thushara Indunil Amarasena told parliament. more..

Jun 7 (AD) MP Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, who was arrested over allegations of obstructing police duties, has been granted bail by the Kilinochchi Magistrate�s Court. Jaffna District MP, who represents the AITC in the parliament, was taken into custody by a team of officers attached to Maruthankerny Police at his residence in Colombo this morning for being complicit in obstructing the duties of police officers and verbally abusing them during a recent incident in Vadamarachchi. more..

Jun 7 (EN) SL�s foreign reserves grew US$ 722 million to US$ 3,483 million in May 2023 from US$ 2,761 million in April, official data showed as deflationary policy and weak credit reduced above the line outflows. SL lost almost all its reserve in over two years as the central bank sold reserves and printed money to keep rates down including borrowed dollars from India. Gross official reserves fell to a low of US$ 1,705 mil in Sept 2022. more..

Jun 7 (AD) Police fires tear gas and water cannons to disperse protesting uni students near the Sri J'pura Uni at Wijerama Junction in Nugegoda. The protest march had been organized by the IUSF based on several demands including the revoking of the suspensions imposed on several uni student activists. Earlier today, Soratha Road � the stretch of road from Wijerama Junction to the Sri J'pura Uni � had been cordoned off by the police due to the protest march by the IUSF. more..

Jun 7 (DM) Claiming that more than 400 properties of small and medium-scale industrialists have been seized under the Parate execution law within the first four months of 2023, Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa urged the govt to suspend the Parate execution law considering the economic situation in the country. He said that small and medium-scale enterprises are facing a huge crisis today. "Parate law, which has a history of 30 years, should be amended to suit the modern era," more..

Jun 7 (PMD) In a momentous development, Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe convened a meeting today with a delegation composed of members from the esteemed SL Red Cross Society (SLRCS) and the prestigious International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). The delegation comprised distinguished leaders, including Mr. Jagath Abeysinghe, President of SLRCS, Dr. Mahesh Gunasekara, Director General of SLRCS, Mr. Alexander Matheou, more..

Jun 7 (AN) Food standards save lives is the theme of the fifth World Food Safety Day, which is marked today around the world. The aim is to recognise the importance of standards to keep consumers safe and protect them at the various stages of the food trade. Standards show food products� origin, composition, appearance, freshness, permissible additives, maximum bacterial content, as well as information on hygienic handling. To mark the occasion, Ministry of Health sponsored more..

Jun 7 (TM) Ceylon Teachers� Service Union (CTSU) claimed that it is doubtful as to whether teachers will participate in the upcoming GCE O/L paper marking process unless the Govt takes steps to make payments properly for the GCE A/L Exam paper marking. CTSU President Mahinda Jayasinghe said that examiners who are engaging in the A/L paper making process have to face many difficulties as the Govt continuously delays more..

Jun 7 (AD) Colombo Fort Magistrate�s Court today ordered a case against former minister Johnston Fernando, Sanath Nishantha and Milan Jayathilake filed over the attack on the GotaGoGama protest site at Galle Face Green to be recalled on July 19, 2023. The case was taken up before Colombo Fort Magistrate Thilina Gamage this morning. CID informed the court that a petition has been filed before the Court of Appeal, challenging the instructions provided by the Attorney General more..

Jun 7 (AD) The Deputy Assistant Secretary for Asia of U.S. Treasury Department, Robert Kaproth concluded his official visit to Sri Lanka during which he met with U.S. Ambassador in Colombo, Julie Chung and a wide range of SLofficials. Kaproth�s visit from June 05-06 focused on gaining a clear understanding of SL�s latest macroeconomic and financial conditions and outlook. During the visit, the Ambassador and Treasury official called on Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe and more..

Jun 7 (Nikkei) As SL rushes to work out debt treatment arrangements with its global creditors, the embattled South Asian nation faces the simultaneous challenge of restructuring domestic debt, sparking unease among the crisis-weary public. The govt had been expected to craft a plan for domestic public debt, largely held by banks and other institutional investors, by the end of May. But a week into June, the country is still waiting for more..