Jun 28 (CT) The teachers� trade unions emphasised that they were not intimidated by President Ranil Wickremesinghe�s threats and accused him of deliberately trying to stir racial tensions. This statement was issued in response to the President�s warning that teaching would be declared an essential service, if teachers did not resume academic activities. The President also alleged that only Sinhala medium schools were affected by the teachers� sick note campaign. more..

Jun 28 (TM) One debacle after the other, the meeting of the Cricket Committee of the controlling body of the game was in a turbulent mood on Monday as one of the Vice Presidents, who currently holds responsibility of the international scene, had tried to put the blame of the World Cup disaster on the legendary dasher who was amongst the touring side holding major responsibility. The board should also take half of the responsibility, the dasher had argued, while the leading businessman more..

Jun 28 (DM) SL�s startup ecosystem is likely to receive a fresh boost in future as Asian Development Bank (ADB) announced that the segment is among those that have been identified for support. The initiative will be in line with ADB�s efforts to facilitate the growth of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). �Going forward, we hope to support the micro finance sector and strengthen the regulatory framework governing SME sector. more..

Jun 28 (FT) Ceylon Chamber of Commerce announced the re-election of its Board for the Year 2024/25 at the Chamber�s 185th Annual General Meeting held yesterday. The re-elected Board comprises Chairman � Ernst & Young Country Managing Partner for Sri Lanka and Maldives Duminda Hulangamuwa, Vice Chairman � John Keells Holdings PLC Chairman Krishan Balendra and Deputy Vice Chairman � Standard Chartered Bank CEO Bingumal Thewarathanthri. more..

Jun 28 (TM) Despite the Philippines stands as a top potential market in the SL Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) Monthly Tourist Arrivals Report, the Philippines Ambassador to SL Leo Tito L. Ausan has made remarks of restarting direct flights from Manila to Katunayake, which have been suspended for a long time. SLTDA Chairperson Priantha Fernando stated: �More than 12 years ago, the two countries (SL and Philippines) signed an aviation agreement, which had not yet been activated. more..

Jun 28 (ST) �I wanted to express my struggles somewhere,� said a plantation worker who testified at a workers� tribunal on exploitation in the sector. �There has been no solution for years.� The tribunal is a symbolic one, organised by Ceylon Workers Red Flag Union and presided over by three retired justices from SL, India, and Nepal. Frustrated with the lack of progress for over 200 years, tribunal aimed to collect testimonies more..

Jun 28 (FT) Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo has announced the grand relaunch of ColomBar, its premier restaurant and bar that celebrates the vibrant culture and heritage of Colombo and SL. This event marks an exciting new chapter for ColomBar, with enhanced features that promise to elevate guests� experience. Inspired by the charming ambience of a railway station in Slave Island, ColomBar is the ultimate destination where everyone can unwind, relax, and entertain themselves more..

Jun 28 (DM) Former Colombo district Parliamentarian Hirunika Premachandra, who has been jailed for 3 years by the High Court of Colombo for her involvement in the abduction of a youth using a Defender, is expected to seek bail from the Colombo High Court. President's Counsel Anura Meddegoda, appearing for Hirunika Premachandra, informed the Colombo High Court that the defense is expecting to file for bail pending appeal for the accused. more..

Jun 28 (CT) With the exodus of medical practitioners, including specialist psychiatrists, teaching hospitals find it unable to fill the vacancies for the particular specialty, Govt Medical Officers� Forum (GMOF) lamented. When contacted GMOF President, Dr. Rukshan Bellana said nearly 4,000 medical practitioners had left the country since 2021. Only three positions of General Psychiatry (GP) have been filled. Those were Homagama and Rikillagaskada Base Hospitals and more..

Jun 28 (CT) Appeal Court on Tuesday (25) ordered the Attorney General to inform in writing several respondents including the Environmental Minister, Central Environmental Authority (CEA), Director General of the Dept of Wildlife Conservation and the Welikanda Divisional Secretary to take immediate steps to stop the deforestation of the Thrikonamadu forest reserve. The order was issued in response to a writ petition filed by Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) last year more..

Jun 28 (AD) Police says a total of 137 Indian nationals who are allegedly part of a group engaged in a large-scale online financial scam operation have been arrested by the CID within yesterday from multiple locations in the country. In Negombo, 55 suspects were detained, along with the seizure of 55 mobile phones and 29 laptops. In Kochchikade, 53 suspects were apprehended, and authorities seized 31 laptops and 58 mobile phones. more..

Jun 28 (ST) More than 30,000 kgs of rice due to be distributed among low income group families in Karuwalagaswewa in the Puttalam District has been turned down due to poor quality, officials said. The rice was due to be distributed among 7,881 families under the programme to provide 10kgs of rice to each of the families. The rice had been brought by a miller from Tissmaharamaya. Each of the rice bags had been packed into another bag, which raised doubts among officials and prompted them more..

Jun 28 (TL) A Sri Lankan woman identified as Hiruni has been murdered in the city of Vantaa in Finland, lankadeepa.lk reports. It says the woman was a mother of three and a YouTuber. Referring to the incident, dailyfinland.fi reported that one person was killed allegedly by another person inside an apartment building at Tikkurila in Vantaa late Wednesday night. The murder took place at about 8 p.m. as a sequel to a violence between the victim and the suspect. more..

Jun 28 (UAW) A delegation from Sri Lanka, during a meeting in Moscow with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko and Deputy Defence Minister Alexander Fomin, has raised the issue of compensation for SL citizens who were killed or injured while serving in the Russian army, announced the SL Embassy in Russia on Thursday, June 27. The delegation was led by Foreign Minister Tharaka Balasuriya. more..

Jun 28 (TM) The 5G spectrum auction will be held in two months� time, paving the way for the commercial rollout of 5G in Sri Lanka, according to the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of SL (TRCSL). TRCSL Director � Spectrum Management J.A.S. Gunanandana revealed that they were currently carrying out the preparatory work for the commercial rollout of 5G in Sri Lanka and expected things to be in place to hold the 5G spectrum auction within a period of two months. more..

Jun 28 (AD) Officers of SL Customs Narcotics Control Unit have seized cocaine and �Kush� cannabis estimated to be worth nearly Rs. 160 million found inside 6 parcels during inspections carried out at a courier clearance station in Seeduwa. A total of 2,030 grams of cocaine and 2,177 grams of �Kush� cannabis were found inside several whey protein powder containers packed in the parcels, which had been sent from Canada and America to addresses in C'mbo. Kadawatha. more..

Jun 29 (CT) It is anybody�s guess why every time an Indian VIP/VVIP comes calling, there is a motivated ruckus about issues of Sovereignty that does not seem to apply to any visitor from any other nation. Thus, when India�s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar risked his reputation and the prestige of his nation to visit Colombo to take forward pending pacts on energy security that had impacted the island-nation next only to food crisis at the height of the economic crisis two years back, more..

Jun 29 (DM) Sri Lanka experience of constitutional governance, in particular after 1972, is a mockery. Constitution has been perceived by the rulers as a tool of manipulation. Constitutional amendments have been brought in as political manoeuvers with devious agendas. In the past few weeks, it made the headlines that a loophole in the Constitution would lead to an extension of the term of office of the incumbent Prez and his Parliament. The purported loophole in the Constitution more..

Jun 29 (DM) Mega development projects in the N&E Provinces are raising pertinent questions about land rights and land acquisitions by different State departments and private companies, which has led to fingers being pointed at various State departments and levels of Govt for failing in their duties. Large-scale development programmes have been changing the landscape of the N&E Provinces since end of civil war more..

Jun 29 (TM) Thushanthi Ponweera is a children�s author who is taking stories of Sri Lanka and Sri Lankans to readers across the globe. Her debut verse novel I Am Kavi centres on a young Sri Lankan girl caught between a poverty-stricken village and a fancy big-city school and her debut picture book My Best Friend�s Bangles tells the story of two friends navigating jealousy and loneliness as one�s mother returns from working overseas and the other�s does not return. more..

Jun 29 (DM) Since Wednesday teachers and school principals of govt schools have called in sick -part of a nationwide strike action. Govt schools make up the largest number of schools in the country numbering 10,126. The grouse of these professionals is the failure of the govt to address ongoing salary issues in the teaching profession. According to Joseph Stalin the leader of the teachers union, the govt had failed to fully implement salary increases recommended by a special committee last yr. more..

Jun 29 (TM) Examinations Dept is considering the situation of A/L students who have allegedly disobeyed the examination rule of uncovering their ears for the entire duration they are in the exam hall. A/L exam results of 70 students from Zahira College, Trincomalee are yet to be released as they have allegedly disobeyed the rule of leaving their ears uncovered for the duration of the exam. more..

Jun 29 (CT) Last week, there was disturbing news about the remanding of eight youths accused of gang-raping a 16-year-old girl in Jalthara, Hanwella. This horrific incident, involving charges of assault, forcible detention, abduction and unlawful assembly, made headlines but, unfortunately, did not prompt any deeper discussion beyond merely reporting the incident. The details of the case are heart-wrenching. The involvement of a boy believed to be the victim�s boyfriend complicates more..

Jun 29 (ST) Tax is a sensitive subject in SL. The moment a govt talks of a new tax, the public goes into overdrive to condemn it, the people get agitated and criticism flows across the public domain. Don�t get me wrong. Taxing people and services is a right in any democracy to run an administration, as taxes are needed as revenue to provide important services like road-works, infrastructure, water, education, health and social welfare. But for decades taxes have been abused by more..

Jun 29 (ST) This week I had the opportunity to communicate with a friend of mine living in the UK. During our conversation, I remembered to ask him about his property tax payment. I knew that there were property taxes in the UK and other European countries. He answered: �Here, it is called Council Tax. We live in Kent � an expensive area in London so that our Council Tax is also higher than that in most of the other areas of England. Our home is a semi-detached, 3-bed room average house more..

Jun 29 (DM) The address to the nation by Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe after a huge poster campaign costing millions of rupees across the country with the message Aranchiya Subai (Good news) is an indication of declaration of his candidature for the forthcoming presidential election. During his speech, he posed a question to the people. �Will you move forward with me, who comprehended the problem from its inception, offered practical solutions & delivered results? more..

Jun 29 (ST) From the word go, the intention was to show that it was all about healthy diets. The breakfast was a lavariya, manioc cutlet and banana served on a kenda-kola wattiya and plain tea in a coconut shell with kitul jiggery! It set the tone for the Healthy Canteen Project launched in early June by the Health Ministry at the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) auditorium. Under this pilot project, 10 canteens have been chosen to develop more..

Jun 29 (Island) The simple and static societies of the past becoming complex and dynamic over time, has brought about a paradigm shift in the role of the teacher. The purpose of this article is to make the readers aware on how the transmission role of the teacher that was there at the beginning changed over to transaction after World War II, to cater to the rapid developments of an industrial era, and later to transformation to meet the new needs of the post-industrial era. more..

Jun 29 (DM) Inflation in the Colombo district accelerated in June as widely expected, mainly due to the higher food prices, but the prices still remain largely below CB�s medium term target of 5%. The inflation measured by the Colombo Consumer Price Index reported at 1.7% for June from a year ago, accelerating from 0.9% through May. The food prices, especially the vegetable prices started rising substantially from around the end of May due to the rains, causing the June bump in prices of more..

Jun 29 (Island) Badminton player Viren Nettasinghe, is set to compete in two key tournaments in the Northern Mariana Islands ahead of his participation in the Paris Olympics. Nettasinghe, SL�s top ranked shuttler who is currently placed 75th in the world, will take part in the Northern Marianas Open from July 2-7 and then the Saipan Int'l Open Badminton Tournament 2024 from July 9-13. Both tournaments will be held in the picturesque town of Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands. more..

Jun 29 (FT) Sri Lanka is poised to welcome its one millionth tourist today (29), a milestone signalling a significant recovery for the tourism sector after facing multiple challenges in the past four years. Sri Lanka Tourism was on track to surpass one million visitor arrivals by the end of June and reaching the milestone is a positive indicator of recovery and growth in the industry. To mark this significant occasion, Sri Lanka Tourism has organised a special welcoming ceremony at BIA, more..

Jun 29 (ST) The govt has ruled out a salary increase for university non-academic staff, but the union has vowed to continue to press for their demands. The strike has gone on for more than 50 days, with union members resorting to protests and even a Satyagraha. �They seek a 25% salary increase, which the Treasury cannot afford, so we came down to a 12% kind of agreement this year, but fact is that if we grant them a salary hike more..

Jun 29 (Island) SL�s Head Coach Chris Silverwood has resigned following the team�s first round exit from the ongoing ICC T-20 World Cup. The SL team failed to make it to the Super Eight stage as Bangladesh and South Africa went through from Group �D�. The former champions lost to both teams and won just one game against Netherlands while their game against Nepal was washed out. Silverwood took over SL job in April 2022. His contract with SLC ended after last yr�s WC more..

Jun 29 (Island) Bolivia, on Wednesday, was shaken by what looked like the onset of a military coup. A large number of soldiers rushed in armoured vehicles and stormed the Murillo Square in the capital, La Paz, where key govt institutions are located. Acting under the command of the head of the armed forces General Juan Jos� Z��iga, they attempted to force themselves into the Prez�s House by smashing down a wall. In a dramatic turn of events, the beleaguered President Louis Arce more..

Jun 29 (FT) SJB MP Kabir Hashim emphasised the importance of verifying the correct cost for one wind power unit, warning that failure to do so could have negative consequences for both the power and energy sector and the country as a whole. Hashim said SJB has been a proponent of wind power stations. �Restructuring of the power sector is an important matter to recover the country�s economy. Wind Power is important. more..