Jun 13 (DM) A 14 year-old schoolgirl, who was kindnapped and hidden in an underground chamber, was rescued by a group of police officers in the Buttala area. The girl is a resident of Katugahagalge in Buttala. A 25-year-old man, his uncle who prepared the bunker and two other youths who assisted the man to abduct the girl are among those arrested. According to information recieved by the police, the suspects had assualted the father and mother of the girl and abducted the girl. more..

Jun 13 (CT) Diyasaru Park is a 60-acre urban oasis located in Colombo. This unique ecosystem, originally a paddy field, was transformed into a wetland in the late 1970s with dredged material from the construction of Parliament Lake. In 2010, SL govt undertook a project to reconstruct and modify the area, creating artificial canals and dividing the land into several small islands. Today, Diyasaru Park serves as a sanctuary for diverse wetland habitats and a crucial flood detention area, more..

Jun 13 (ANI) SriLankan Airline CEO Richard Nuttall said that the govt is on its way to privatise several state-owned enterprises as part of the IMF program and one of those is the flag carrier of the island nation. "The govt is trying to privatise a number of state-owned enterprises as a part of the IMF program that it's going through. One of those is SriLankan Airlines," he said. Nuttall shared that one of the steps taken in more..

Jun 13 (AD) Colombo Chief Magistrate�s Court has scheduled the consideration of Aura Lanka Chairman Viranjith Thambugala�s request to provide a confidential statement before the court for July 18. The case, filed over alleged financial fraud committed by Thambugala, was taken up before Colombo Additional Magistrate Pavitra Pathiraja today. However, the officers from CID were not present in court at the time. Accordingly, Additional Magistrate ordered the relevant request to more..

Jun 13 (DM) Former MP Ranjan Ramanayaka was acquitted from the case filed against him over a financial fraud promising to marry a female teacher in Kandy. The ruling was given by Kandy Chief Magistrate Chamara Wickramanayake. The Kandy Crime Investigation Division had filed the case against Ramanayake over a incident where he is suspected to have obtained Rs.1 million from a female teacher in Kandy, promising to marry her. The case had been heard for more than more..

Jun 13 (TM) Department of Customs denied allegations that the probes pertaining to the alleged duty fraud involving 1,728 BMW vehicles are being conducted in a lethargic manner as alleged by certain civil society organisations (CSOs), stressing that the relevant inquiries are being conducted in the appropriate manner. Commenting about the allegations that have been mounting during the past few weeks regarding the alleged duty fraud, more..

Jun 13 (DM) Local matchbox manufacturers claim that their factories are on the verge of closing down and they are currently in a critical situation due to the imports of low-quality gas lighters. Environmentalists also claimed that the low-quality gas lighters imported in bulk are causing significant environmental pollution after being discarded once the gas runs out. It was reported that a large number of low-income families are working in a match box manufacturing more..

Jun 13 (AD) Colombo High Court has temporarily lifted the overseas travel ban imposed on the Chairman of Perpetual Treasuries Ltd (PTL) Geoffrey Aloysius. This order was issued when the relevant case was taken up before a three-member judge panel comprising Justices Amal Perera, Naml Balalle and Adithya Patabendige today (13). Geoffrey Aloysius, sixth defendant of the CB bond scam case, was allowed to travel overseas for his medical treatments in Malaysia accordingly. more..

Jun 13 (AD) Train operations on the Coastal Line have been further limited to a single track, following the derailment of a train at Panadura Railway Station this morning. A slow train plying from Panadura to Maradana derailed near the Panadura railway station, disrupting services on the coastal line. Furthermore, one of the compartments of the derailed train had collided with a nearby railway signal board, causing a complete breakdown of the railway signaling system in the area. more..

Jun 13 (TM) The Sri Lanka Railway Station Masters Union have threatened to initiate trade union action. The union claims the Govt and the Cabinet has discriminated the rank of station master by deliberately excluding it from the list of positions eligible for grade promotions every five years. According to the union, this discrepancy has fueled discontent among station masters, who claim their entitlement to equal treatment in terms of career advancement opportunities. more..

Jun 13 (EN) Museum of Cultures and the Natural History Museum in Basel, Switzerland returned a collection of approximately 90 aboriginal artefacts, including human bones and tools, of SL�s indigenous population this week. Chief Uruwarige Wannilaththo, head of the Vedda tribe, inspected the aboriginal artefacts returned by Switzerland during a exposition to the media at the Lotus Tower. The artefacts, which were taken to Basel around the end of more..

Jun 13 (CT) As of 31 Dec 2023, a startling 1.1 million cases remain pending in SL Courts, adversely affecting the country�s economic development and causing a decline in international rankings, according to the Justice Ministry�s 2023 Performance Report. Presented in Parliament last week, the report revealed that this enormous backlog of cases has created an unfavourable investment environment, discouraging foreign investment. Although the number of unresolved cases more..

Jun 13 (AD) United Postal Trade Unions Front (UPTUF) has launched a trade union action starting from midnight yesterday. UPTUF convener Chinthaka Bandara stated that a 24-hour nationwide strike will be held till midnight today. He further stated that the main objective of the trade union action is to demand the govt to provide immediate solutions to the shortage of employees in the postal service. However, Postmaster General stated that it has been decided to immediately cancel more..

Jun 13 (DM) An alarming increase in the number of cases involving online pornographic content featuring underage Sri Lankans is being reported. The police have been receiving information on these incidents on a daily basis, raising serious concerns about the safety and protection of minors in the digital space. The officer who wished to remain anonymous said such cases are reported constantly, and police institute legal action more..

Jun 13 (AN) The UN World Food Programme has welcomed Saudi Arabia�s donation of 300 tonnes of dates for vulnerable children in Sri Lanka. Provided through Saudi Arabia�s aid agency KSrelief, the dates will be given to primary grade children enrolled in the country�s national school meal program. The contribution was acknowledged at a signing event on Tuesday between the Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Sri Lanka and the WFP, according to a press release. more..

Jun 13 (TM) One of the key challenges faced by the authorities when it comes to managing the country�s non-governmental organisations (NGO) is NGOs obtaining legal registration under various laws, which make it difficult to properly work with and monitor them. Although laws are currently being formulated to address this issue, among others, support from NGOs would be instrumental to overcome this challenge. National Secretariat for NGOs Director General Sanjeewa Wimalagunarathna more..

Jun 14 (DM) Sri Lankans believe in resorting to strike action to resolve grudges related to employment. And the govt plays dumb till then; in other words the state has to be told that workers have a problem. Just a day ago, postal workers commenced strike action citing existing job vacancies not being filled. According to United Postal Trade Union Front there are as many as 6,000 job vacancies to be filled in the postal service. To make matters worse, there are about more..

Jun 14 (GV) The ramifications of SL�s civil war live on in the north, especially in the matter of mental health where the lack of human, physical and financial resources to address complex trauma and create a healing environment are sorely lacking. A study conducted in 2019 on the prevalence of mental health disorders in the north by a group of researchers found that among 533 female and 482 male participants, 58.8 percent were suffering from a range of problems including anxiety, more..

Jun 14 (TM) In an era where the drive for sustainability often grapples with the demands of profitability, few companies manage to seamlessly integrate eco-conscious initiatives into their business ethos. Barista, a leading name in the caf� industry, stands as a beacon of sustainable innovation and community engagement. In a recent conversation with Barista SL CEO Dilupa Pathirana, Daily Morning delved into the motivations, more..

Jun 14 (CT) 'Even if we are killed, the cry we raised will never die!� (Apa maraa damuwath, apa negu handa sadaa nomiyenu etha). That is a slogan/quote from an April-�71 Insurrectionist, a JVP fighter, during the failed insurrection in April 1971. He was tortured by the police at the time. Sirimavo Bandaranaike govt with aid from neighboring India and other so-called non-aligned countries crushed the revolution. Hundreds of youth who took part in the uprising and tens of thousands more..

Jun 14 (TM) SL governance has struggled with identifying national priorities. One sector which had been long neglected is the Judiciary and law enforcement of the island nation. This, despite high levels of corruption, bribery and record-low public trust in the state and justice. SL Judiciary has over the years been poorly allocated with funds. However, this is not an isolated trend, crucial sectors such as foreign policy/diplomacy, health, education and research remain low-funded sectors. more..

Jun 14 (CT) Three-wheelers made its debut in SL in 1978. Historical records indicate that it swiftly gained popularity, supplanting the Morris Minor taxis, which were prevalent in the country but were hindered by their high prices and inability to meet the growing demand. These three-wheeled vehicles emerged as the primary mode of transportation, particularly following the restructuring of rural towns after the revolution of 1956 more..

Jun 14 (DM) Observers and Opposition party activists in India heaved a sigh of relief that the election had finally saved democracy and pluralism in the world�s largest democracy. The biggest casualties, though, other than PM Modi�s hubris, are India�s pollsters whose predictions of a gargantuan Modi sweep fell way short of actual results; this wiped out US$ 400 billion in the stock market when the reality hit. Indomitable Narendra Modi won and was sworn in last week for 3rd consecutive more..

Jun 14 (CT) In a significant development, which otherwise does not find any detailed mention in the newspapers and TV media in both nations, Sri Lankan leaders have congratulated Indian PM Narendra Modi on his BJP-led NDA combine winning elections to the all-important Lower House of the nation�s bicameral Parliament. The fact that SL leaders seemingly wanted to jump the gun on the matter and Modi too took time away from his busy day to respond to them in kind on more..

Jun 14 (FT) UNDP in SL, in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance, Inland Revenue Dept, Uni of Moratuwa, and National Innovation Agency of SL yesterday co-convened the first-ever National Tax Dialogue to address contemporary issues surrounding taxation and fiscal policies. In light of the ongoing economic reforms and the need to bring in citizens� perspectives, National Dialogue drew attention to tax morale, social/fiscal contract, fairness in taxation, transparency and more..

Jun 14 (FT) Cabinet of Ministers on Tuesday approved establishing 25 �District Industry Promotion Councils� across the country, to address the challenges faced by locally established micro, small & medium-scale enterprises (MSMEs). �A steering committee, comprising representatives from the public sector, private sector and other relevant institutions, will be appointed to determine the structure, role and responsibilities of these councils and to oversee the entire process,� more..

Jun 14 (TM) While Sri Lanka is actively seeking international assistance to develop its nuclear power sector by opening investment opportunities to interested countries, the SL Atomic Energy Board (SLAEB) stated that it would not favour any country in the process of establishing nuclear power plants. SL's interest in nuclear energy development is driven by the need to diversify its energy sources & enhance energy security. more..

Jun 14 (Island) US presidential race has taken another dramatic turn with a federal jury finding Prez Joe Biden�s son, Hunter, guilty of having illegally purchased and possessed a gun while being addicted to crack cocaine. A sentencing date has not yet been set. The offence carries a prison term. Hunter is reportedly considering an appeal. A life of debauchery is dogging him. No sooner had Hunter�s guilty verdict been announced than President Biden declared that he accepted the outcome of more..

Jun 14 (DN) SL women�s cricket team is ready to take up the challenge against West Indies in their three match ODI series which will commence tomorrow) at Mahinda Rajapaksa Stadium in Hambantota commencing at 10 a.m. SL Cricket women�s Selection Committee headed by Hemantha Devapriya selected the 16-member SL squad to play the ODI series against the West Indies. The second and third ODIs between the two teams will be held on June 18 and 21 at the same venue. more..

Jun 14 (ST) The stage was set for a display of chess brilliance at the Sri Lanka Open and Women�s National Premier Division Chess Championships 2024, held at the Sanhinda Leisure Centre in Nugegoda. Organised by the Chess Federation of Sri Lanka, this prestigious event boasted a generous cash prize, along with certificates, medals, and trophies awaiting the deserving victors. Serving as the final selection event before SL Nationals, both championships unfolded over 11 rounds, more..

Jun 14 (ST) A Sri Lankan UN Peacekeeper was among 61 peacekeepers posthumously honoured with the Dag Hammarskj�ld medal at a recent event held at the UN Headquarters in New York. Lance Corporal M G L Deshapriya, 42, of the SL Army Service Corps who passed away in February 2023 following a sudden cardiac arrest while serving in Mali on a peacekeeping mission was among 61 peacekeepers from 33 countries honoured. UN recently observed the International Day of more..

Jun 14 (FT) State Minister of Finance Shehan Semasinghe tantamount SJB MP Dr. Harsha de Silva and independent think tank Verit� Research to what he termed as an act of economic terrorism. He alleged that both parties were sharing sensitive information and criticising market-sensitive topics currently under discussion with external stakeholders. �It seems like they want to talk about matters which are market sensitive to break more..

Jun 14 (FT) Tea production in May saw an uptick, but the first five months� crop sustained an overall decline, highlighting ongoing challenges within the industry, including weather variability and other factors on cultivation. Tea production in May increased to 24.54 million kilos, up 14% compared to April 2024. However, despite this monthly rise, the overall production for May 2024 declined by 8.5% compared to the same period last year, indicating a broader trend of reduced tea yields. more..

Jun 14 (Island) SL�s chances to qualify for the second round of the T-20 World Cup faded away when they suffered a second loss in the Group D fixture against Bangladesh in Dallas. They flew into Miami for their next encounter. Between those games is the epic India � Pakistan clash in New York that one wouldn�t want to miss out. Everything in US is money. You can buy an air ticket, but that doesn�t include your checked-in luggage. For that you have to pay separately at the check-in counters. more..

Jun 14 (TM) Even though one key aspect of the proper management of the provision of medicines in SL is monitoring and imposing appropriate restrictions on medicines manufacturers that have a questionable track record, SL is yet to proactively pay attention to the matter. Noting this, Deputy Director of National Hospital of SL (NHSL) in Colombo, Dr. Rukshan Bellana emphasised that without addressing that concern, more..