Jun 6 (DM) Today (3) is the 99th birth anniversary of Muthuvel Karunanidhi, the former Chief Minister of TN, the closest Indian state to SL both geographically and historically. Karunanidhi, who passed away on August 7, 2018, was the leader of the DMK for nearly 50 years. His son M.K. Stalin is the incumbent TN Chief Minister. Official Birth Centenary celebrations of the versatile Karunanidhi commencing today and culminate next year with the construction of a gigantic mid-sea pen more..

Jun 6 (CT) Apart from the comedy-religion fiasco that was dominating our newsfeeds for more than a week, including the moment we witnessed a well-known British comedian publicly annihilate a relatively-insignificant SL politician at his own logic, we heard the bells of mishap ring at the VIP departure lounge of the BIA. Renowned Ven. Ajahn Brahm Thera had missed his flight due to someone�s mistake involving a politician who�d arrived in the same VIP lounge � a picture that paints itself. more..

Jun 6 (ST) Hundreds of foreign refugees and asylum seekers are facing an uncertain future in Sri Lanka as the local UN refugee agency representation office in Colombo plans to wind up its operations by the end of this year. As SL marked the 75th freedom day on Feb 4, Rizwan Hanjra from Fort Abbas in Pakistan�s Punjab province thought he was breathing the air of freedom when he landed at BIA with his family of 8 more..

Jun 6 (ST) As part of the Nuwara Eliya Development Committee, a special sub-committee has been designated to oversee the development of the racecourse in Nuwara Eliya, the only existing such facility in the country. It is understood that veteran hotelier Hiran Cooray and Sunela Jayawardena, a renowned architect, are part of this committee, which will look into the facility that has been managed and maintained by Royal Turf Club (RTC). The newly formed committee is said to have been more..

Jun 6 (ST) The Sri Lanka Institute of Nanotechnology (SLINTEC) has just received the US patent for slow-releasing fertiliser. Thushara Perera, Director SLINTEC, told the Business Times that this fertiliser was tested by the Ministry of Agriculture at Mahailuppallama on rice varieties. �It was found that rice grows better with this fertiliser. As the fertiliser dissolves slowly, there is no need to add multiple rounds of it, unlike in traditional fertiliser.� He also said that more..

June 6 (FT) Central Bank Director Economic Research Dr. P.K.G. Harischandra issued the following clarification on the Daily FT story yesterday titled Net credit to Govt. swells by half trillion in April, outstanding tops Rs. 8 t mark. We wish to inform you that while the description in the article is factually correct based on the provisional data for April 2023, the lack of background information has resulted in some misreporting, which requires a correction to ensure that the public is more..

June 6 (TM) SLPP MP and State Minister Geetha Kumarasinghe criticised the allegations levelled by certain senior members of the ruling SLPP that they have not been given proper places in the current Govt. The media questioned her about the allegations made by some members of the SLPP that they are not receiving treatment befitting their seniority under the current Govt. In response, Kumarasinghe said that the SLPP also did not consider seniority in certain cases. more..

June 6 (TM) It is alleged that certain officials of the Ministry of Health are deliberately delaying the granting of internship appointments to 400 medical graduates who have passed the final year exam of Govt medical faculties for the second time in June, 2022, and those who have obtained medical degrees from foreign universities. The Ministry should by now grant internship appointments to 400 medical graduates, more..

Jun 6 (Island) Dwivedi Samarth from India won the Dialog Sri Lanka Open played after a lapse of six years. Dwivedi Samarth from India based with his family in Bangkok, Thailand since 1993, plays in the PGTI having turned Pro-Golfer eight years ago. Samarth is currently ranked 34th in the current PGTI rankings and during the off-season of the PGTI, plays in the Thailand Pro-tournaments. Samarth said �After eight years of hard work, injuries, training and playing with passion and more..

June 6 (FT) Ministry of Justice said it will welcome public proposals and suggestions on the proposed Anti-Terrorism draft Bill. Ministry said any party interested in the proposed legislation can submit their ideas to the Ministry for consideration. According to the Ministry, persons and groups intending to submit proposals must inform their expression of interest to the Ministry in order to allocate a time and date for the discussion with the Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe more..

June 6 (Island) Ratnayake Central, Walala runner Tharushi Karunaratne won back to back gold medals as Sri Lanka reaped a haul of three medals on day two of the Asian Junior Athletics Championships in South Korea on Monday. Karunaratne won the gold medal in the women�s 800 metres before running the vital anchor leg for her team to clinch gold ahead of strong Indian and hosts� teams in the 4�400 metres mixed relay. more..

June 6 (FT) Renowned singer and cultural icon Yohani has been awarded the prestigious Golden Visa in Dubai, marking a significant milestone in her illustrious career. The Golden Visa recognises Yohani�s exceptional talent and global impact as an artist, honouring her contributions to arts, culture, and entertainment. With gratitude, Yohani acknowledged the unwavering support of Classic Global and Serendib Classic, along with the expertise of Sadhic Ali and Asma Ali, more..

Jun 6 (Island) SL-based, export- oriented manufacturer, Venora Lanka Power Panels (Pvt) Ltd, with a state of the art electric panel factory at the Export Processing Zone, Biyagama, will set up an assembly plant in Australia. �Once we set up the electric panel assembly plant in Australia, we will export all our panels from SL and that plant will do 30 percent value addition to the product to supply that market, the company�s chairman Sagara Gunawardena told The Island. more..

Jun 6 (FT) India yesterday launched its first-ever international cruise from Tamil Nadu to SL operated by Cordelia Cruises. The maiden voyage was flagged off by Indian Ports, Shipping and Waterways Minister Sarbananda Sonowal from the Chennai Cruise Terminal, marking the beginning of the journey. Cruise will call at Hambantota Port tomorrow. The cruise tour package will allow tourists to visit the ports of Hambantota, Trincomalee, and Jaffna in SL, before returning to Chennai. more..

Jun 6 (DN) SriLankan Airlines is in the process of restructuring its fleet and the ailing airline is set to lose close to a quarter of its fleet to retirements and lease expirations in the next two years. Among these are three Airbus A320-200 models. The airline, currently operates an all-Airbus fleet of 23 aircraft. It is made up of A320 and A330 family aircraft. SriLankan Airlines is being proactive and is not only looking to replace these aircraft but expand its fleet as well. more..

Jun 6 (DM) Govt is in the process of adding final touches to a new set of regulations in relation to food advertisements, where approval of the Director General of Health Services has been made mandatory before publishing selected food advertisements. The new regulations have been introduced in a bid to address the loopholes that can be seen in the original Food Act. The regulations have been made by Minister of Health more..

June 6 (FT) JVP expressed the party�s willingness to accept the implementation of the 13th Amendment and the Provincial Council system as a temporary solution for the Tamil national question. Former JVP MP Ramalingam Chandrasegar said it would be part of a broader plan to completely overhaul the current political system when the JVP-led NPP party comes into power. �JVP�s approach aims to ensure the unity of the country rather than division while addressing the demands for autonomy in N&E region,� more..

Jun 6 (DM) Central Environment Authority (CEA) will conduct raids from tomorrow on shops and sellers involved in selling and stocking single-use plastic products, which are banned from use, CEA Chairman said. Therefore, an awareness-raising campaign in this regard was conducted at Colombo Fort today by the CEA and the environment police. "Since 2017, the CEA has banned several polythene and plastic items; in 2021, three types of one-time-use plastic items were banned," more..

Jun 6 (FT) Tourism stakeholders have raised concerns over an all-night musical festival scheduled to be held on Saturday (10) at the Bentota beach stretch. In a letter to SLTDA Chairman Priyantha Fernando, the Bentota-Beruwala Hoteliers Association stressed, the 12-hour music festival will lead to sound pollution in the area and attract huge uncontrollable crowds, eventually resulting in an unsafe environment for the hotels and its guests. Appreciating efforts taken by tourism ministry more..

Jun 6 (EN) SL�s cement prices are expected to come down by 300 to 500 rupees per 50 kilogram bag of cement, following a recent appreciation of the rupee, Minister Nalin Fernando said. �The reduction in prices is due to the strengthening of our currency, the falling interest rates and the current economic standards that we have out in place,� he said. A 50 kilogram bag of cement retailed at about 2,600 rupees. A request was made to manufacturers to also reduce prices of steel rods, more..

Jun 6 (TM) Sectoral Oversight Committee on Foreign Employment and Labour has instructed an official representing the Central Bank to submit a report on the institutions in which money pertaining to the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) has been invested. This directive was given at the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Foreign Employment and Labour held recently in Parliament under the chairmanship of Hector Appuhamy. more..

Jun 6 (MJ) The bereaved kin of a SL woman who died while detained in a Nagoya immigration facility in 2021 despite her pleas for medical treatment have expressed their dismay over recent news that a female doctor at Osaka Regional Immigration Services Bureau is suspected of having worked under the influence of alcohol. The family of SL woman Wishma Sandamali, who died in March 2021 at the age of 33, protested that unless the medical system for immigration facilities is improved, more..

June 6 (FT) FPC Member MP Prof. G.L. Peiris opined that the Broadcasting Authority draft bill will most likely be rejected by the Supreme Court due to its many legal errors. Peiris said his party will challenge the draft bill in court and he is confident it will be rejected by the SC. �It has many language-related mistakes as well as legal errors,� he said. Peris also said he believed that a landmark judgement delivered by former SC Justice Dr. A.R.B. Amarasinghe in 1997 will also more..

Jun 6 (TM) The main Parliamentary Opposition Parties, SJB and NPP emphasise that the national transformation plan presented to the country by Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe would not be successful in action. SJB MP Kabir Hashim said that the SJB is hesitant about the success of this programme as there is a huge difference between the words and actions of the Govt. Hashim also said that Govt has not yet more..

Jun 6 (FT) On 1 June the Prez once again addressed the nation on electronic media, perhaps for the fourth time I guess, since assuming office almost one year ago. Prez tends to believe, addressing the nation thus, is what transparency in governance is. In his address to the nation this time he said, �I am actively taking steps to regularly present information about our reform and reorganisation programs to the public. I believe that the President should make it an annual ritual more..

Jun 6 (FT) Tom Nairn�s classic book, The Break-Up of Britain, brims with thought-provoking points. In one counterintuitive passage, Nairn argued that because Marxist revolutions, especially the German Revolution, failed in Western Europe in the early part of the 20th century, British Marxists must recalibrate their understanding of the relationship between Marxism and the national question (Verso Edition, 1981, pp.84-85). For Nairn, the struggles emerging at the time he was writing, more..

Jun 6 (TM) ACBOA claimed that inferior-quality bread is being produced due to the fault of bakers or oven-related issues. Moreover, the association noted that reductions in the price of flour in comparison to the appreciation of the SL rupee will contribute to the reduction of prices of bakery items. Consumers purchasing bread in the City of Colombo have allegedly complained that bakers produce poor quality bread, which, they claim, is not properly baked and becomes stale quickly. more..

Jun 6 (EN) Shares closed lower on Tuesday after four consecutive gains spiraled into selling interest and profit taking, an analyst said. The main ASPI was down 0.37% or 32.64 points to 8,733.96, this is the lowest the index has been since May 02, while the most liquid index S&P SL20 was down 0.59% or 14.71 points to 2,475.17. �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 6 (DM) Govt will introduce a floor and ceiling price for fuel with the launch of business operations by Sinopec, a leading international petroleum company, in the country shortly, a top source said. Sinopec has already signed the agreement to distribute fuel in SL. Sinopec will be allocated 150-dealer operated fuel stations in the country. Besides, two other foreign fuel companies will be allowed to operate in the country later. more..

Jun 6 (AD) Food and Agriculture Organization of United Nations (FAO) through EU-funded BESPA-FOOD (Best Standardized Practices for the Agri-Food Sector) project will support the govt to establish a well-coordinated food safety system in the country. Through the 6.5 million Euro project, FAO will work closely with the Ministry of Health to implement institutional revisions in the country�s food safety policy and regulatory framework towards adopting preventive, risk-based measures more..

Jun 6 (CT) Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted an evening of classical music, by the Symphony Orchestra of SL (SOSL), on Friday (2), at the Lionel Wendt, to mark 75 years of diplomacy. The event International Harmony showcased a mix of orchestral music from famous composers of the best eastern and western traditions to epitomise SL�s longstanding and friendly relations with countries near and far. The concert was also in aid of a worthy cause � a celebration with a mission more..

Jun 6 (TM) In response to US Ambassador to SL Julie Chung recently highlighting the importance of equality and expanding female contributions to the country�s legal profession, Minister of Justice, Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe said that female participation in the judicial system is currently at an exceptional level. Dr. Rajapakshe said that since everyone relies on the number of sitting female MPs, which is relatively lower than in any more..

Jun 6 (Island) Indian High Commission in Colombo organised a Special Exhibition on India�s rich Buddhist Heritage as a part of the Homagama Poson Zone from 3-4 June 2023. Exhibition was inaugurated by Minister Bandula Gunawardane, in the presence of several dignitaries, including members of the diplomatic corps. The Exhibition showcased a series of photographs depicting some of the prominent Buddhist pilgrimage sites in India including Dhamek Stupa in Uttar Pradesh, more..

Jun 6 (AD) A special parliamentary committee has been appointed to look into the damages caused by MV X-Press Pearl and MT New Diamond maritime disasters and to make necessary recommendations. Commencing today�s parliamentary session, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena said this committee would be chaired by Minister Ramesh Pathirana. The members of the Parliament Select Committee are as follows: Suren Raghavan, Diana Gamage, G.L. Peiris, Vijitha Herath, more..

Jun 6 (PMD) Chief of Staff to the Prez and National Security Advisor (NSA) Mr Sagala Ratnayaka led the SL delegation to the 20th IISS Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia�s premier Security Summit held in Singapore from 2�4 June 2023. The highly anticipated summit commenced on 2 June with a powerful Keynote address delivered by Australian PM Anthony Albanese. Throughout the event, a series of plenary sessions delved into various crucial geo-political issues, encompassing the establishment more..