Jun 4 (Island) UNP General Secretary Palitha Range Bandara, who disturbed a hornets� nest last week by calling for a poll postponement, was widely expected to make an about-turn yesterday by way of damage control. But he, in his wisdom, stood by what he had said and even peddled an absurd argument that flew in the face of common sense. He only provided more ammunition to the opponents of his master, President Ranil Wickremesinghe, ahead of a crucial election. more..

Jun 4 (FT) JVP led NPP party filed a fundamental rights petition against the Economic Transformation Bill before the Supreme Court. Petition, submitted by NPP Economic Council members Sunil Handunetti and Dr. Harshana Surpiyapperuma, challenges the Bill�s implications on future governance and economic decision-making. NPP member Mahinda Jayasinghe, criticised Govt�s attempt to enact legislation to legalise Sri Lanka�s open economy policy in place since 1978. more..

Jun 4 (TM) The ruling SLPP has declared that they will not only oppose any potential proposal in the Parliament to postpone the upcoming Presidential Election, but also lead efforts to defeat any such attempts. The UNP General Secretary Palitha Range Bandara recently said that both the Presidential and Parliamentary Elections should be postponed by at least two years, and that a related proposal should be tabled in the Parliament, with a referendum called only if necessary. more..

Jun 4 (FT) The Maximum Retail Price of a 50kg bag of cement has been reduced by Rs. 150 to Rs.2,250 from 1 June. In May, the price was reduced by Rs. 50 to Rs. 2,400. The price revision aims to boost the local construction industry by passing on the cost benefit to customers. Cement production in the first quarter had grown by 26% to 866,000 tons whilst imports had declined by 8% to 262,000 tons. Total cement availability rose by 23% to 407,000 tons. Cement production in 2023 declined by 15% more..

Jun 4 (EN) SL�s budget deficit fell to 129.3 billion rupees in the first two months of 2024 down from 322.9 billion rupees last year, with tax revenues climbing 41% and interest costs also showed a downward trend. Total revenues were up 41% to 647 billion rupees in the first two months of 2024, on top of a 35% rise achieved in 2023 with a rise in tax rate also helped by recovering economic activities and currency appreciation more..

Jun 4 (Island) A new regulatory body under the purview of the power and energy ministry would be established in the near future whose duties will include the ensuring of uninterrupted fuel supplies at all the filling stations in the country, leaving no room for any more fuel queues, State Minister D.V. Chanaka said. He made this remark to the media at a ceremony where Sinopec Lanka Energy (Pvt) Ltd inaugurated its first renovated filling station at a grand re-opening ceremony more..

Jun 4 (DM) Private institutions are facing the heat as over 1,200 premises are flagged for mosquito breeding, sparking legal action and raising concerns over public health negligence. This was revealed during the National Mosquito Control Week conducted by the Epidemiology unit of the Health Ministry from May 26 to June 1. Out of 4,599 private companies inspected, a staggering 1,220 were identified as breeding grounds for mosquitoes. This negligence has sparked outrage, more..

Jun 4 (Island) Labour and Foreign Employment Ministry yesterday declared that plantation companies would have to pay Rs 1,700 as minimum daily wage promised by the govt to workers. Ministry issued a statement hours after the Court of Appeal refused to grant an interim injunction preventing the implementation of the gazette notification issued by the Minister of Labour, which stipulates a minimum daily wage for plantation workers. Order was issued when a petition filed by plantation companies more..

Jun 4 (DN) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe has discussed with PM Dinesh Gunawardena and agreed to submit an emergency Cabinet paper yesterday afternoon to address the plight of the people affected by the adverse weather, for the provision of relief measures and the construction of houses that are completely damaged, with govt assistance and the support of the Tri-Forces. Prez addressing an event at the Shangri-La Hotel in Colombo to mark the successful completion more..

Jun 4 (TF) LTTE founder leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, his wife and their three children are dead, all of them perishing in the final stages of SL�s war in 2009, Prabhakaran�s elder brother Velupillai Manoharan has declared publicly for the first time. Manoharan told the Jaffna Monitor magazine�s latest issue that he was stating this to end what he said was a huge scam perpetrated by a section of the Tamil diaspora to cheat more..

Jun 4 (DM) A foreign train passenger died this evening after being hit by a tunnel wall while hanging out of the open doorway of a compartment, SL Railways General Manager N.J. Indipolage said. The foreign passenger was travelling to Ella by train from Colombo Fort to Badulla. The accident happened at around 4 p.m. today. The foreigner died after being hit by tunnel No. 19 between the Nanuoya and Idalgashinna railway stations. Railway Dept has requested a report regarding the accident. more..

Jun 4 (DN) Sri Lanka has attracted over USD 1 billion Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) to the country in the first quarter of 2024, said State Minister Dilum Amunugama yesterday. �This fulfills our first quarter target and we hope to touch the USD 4 billion investment target by year end,� he said during conversations with investors who signed investment agreements with the Board of Investment in the first quarter of this year and followed up on their business progress. more..

Jun 4 (CT) State Minister Premitha Bandara Tennakoon said that within the last 48 hours, as at 6 p.m. yesterday, 16 individuals had lost their lives due to hazards across the island. Fatalities were recorded in the Ratnapura (5), Colombo (3), Matara (6) and Galle (2) Districts since 1 June. Due to hazardous conditions, 84,000 people from 23,707 families, across 261 Divisional Secretariat Offices, in 23 districts, have been affected more..

Jun 4 (FT) My previous article titled Parate execution: The last option and not the first option was published in the Daily FT on 1 Jan 2024. Considerable interest was expressed by many especially the banking community on this article since I have shared my personal experience for the benefit of all stakeholders. I am prompted to write this article as a follow-up due to the subsequent development towards the suspension of the parate action for the benefit of all. more..

Jun 4 (FT) In the realm of politics, leadership is not just about holding a title; it�s about inspiring, unifying, and driving a collective vision forward. Sajith Premadasa, the leader of the SJB, has been a prominent figure in SL politics. However, his leadership style raises significant concerns, particularly his consistent use of the pronoun I. This individual-centric approach starkly contrasts with the essential qualities of effective leadership, highlighting a critical shortfall in more..

Jun 4 (DM) The Supreme Court today issued an interim order suspending the operation of an indictment signed by the Director General of the Bribery Commission against Land Commissioner General Bandula Jayasinghe in 2023. Land Commissioner General Bandula Jayasinghe was indicted with seven others in Dec 2023 by the Director General of the Bribery Commission on a corruption charge relating to the change of a registration of a car whilst in the Dept of more..

Jun 4 (AD) Due to the prevailing adverse weather conditions, it has been decided to close schools in several districts of the island today. Ministry of Education stated that all schools in the Galle and Matara districts of the Southern Province will be given a two-day holiday today and tomorrow. All schools in Kalutara, Ratnapura and Kegalle districts have been given a holiday today. In addition, it is reported that school holiday has also been given to schools in Homagama, Gampaha & Kelaniya more..

Jun 4 (EN) Cabinet has relaxed nationalist import controls on some pulses which were maintained to keep food prices above the rest of the world, even as people skipped meals after a currency collapse. SL had removed import licenses on 53 HS codes out of 126, related to grains. A committee chaired by the Presidential Secretary, which includes the central bank governor, Treasury Secretary and senior economic advisor more..

Jun 4 (DM) Holding a copy of the Indian constitution during a news conference in New Delhi, the Congress leader says the workers of the party have taken the first step to save the constitution. �The Congress party has given a new vision, a pro-poor vision, a pro-production vision,� he said. �The people of the country have said that they do not want Narendra Modi and Amit Shah to run this country anymore,� Gandhi said, referring to Modi�s chief aide and federal home minister. more..

Jun 4 (EN) State-run Litro Gas said it was cutting liquefied gas (LP Gas) prices with effect from midnight June 5. The price of a 12.5 kg cylinder will be reduced by 150 rupees to 3,790 rupees. The price of a 5 kg cylinder has been reduced by 60 rupees to 1,522. A 2.3 kg cylinder has been reduced by 28 rupees to 712 rupees. Litro revises prices monthly. �Litro Gas Lanka Company was able to provide relief to the consumers as market management and international market studies more..

Jun 4 (AD) The SL govt has taken steps to freeze all funds, other financial assets and economic resources belonging to 15 entities and 210 individuals allegedly involved in terrorist and extremist activities. It is reported that the relevant gazette notification was issued yesterday by Secretary of Defence General (Retd.) Kamal Gunaratne, acting in terms of the powers vested in him by the UN Regulations No. 1 of 2012. more..

Jun 4 (AD) SL�s Director General of the Dept of Animal Production and Health, Dr. Hemali Kothalawala, has been appointed as the Vice President of the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) Regional Commission for Asia and the Pacific. She recently represented Sri Lanka in the 90th Annual General Session of the World Assembly of Delegates of the WOAH which recently took place in Paris, France. A delegation led by Minister Mahinda Amaraweera participated more..

Jun 4 (Island) Tamil National People�s Alliance over the weekend distributed leaflets in the Jaffna peninsula declaring that the Northern and Eastern Provinces should boycott the Prez poll scheduled to be conducted in Sept/Oct this year. The grouping said that all elections should be boycotted until the country�s unitary status was done away with to pave the way for a Federal structure. Activists said it would be futile to exercise their franchise to all candidates were committed to more..

Jun 4 (AD) Total number of fatalities reported due to the prevailing adverse weather conditions across the island has increased to 26. Meanwhile, 41 persons have been injured due to various incidents caused by the extreme weather. Total of 130,021 persons from 33,422 families within 262 DS divisions of 23 districts in the island have been affected by the prevailing disaster situation. 9,248 people belonging to 2,368 families have been moved to 116 regional relief centres more..

Jun 4 (CT) Due to the prevailing weather conditions in the Nuwara-Eliya District, vegetable production has dropped, leading to a price hike in certain high-quality vegetables used in tourist hotels, said officials from the Nuwara-Eliya Dedicated Economic Centre. They noted that, according to the price list of the economic centre, prices of coriander leaves, iceberg lettuce, salad leaves, broccoli, and cauliflower have increased significantly, making them unaffordable for the average customer. more..

Jun 4 (DM) Sri Lanka's embarrassing defeat to South Africa in their opening match of the T20 World Cup 2024 in USA and West Indies exposed their lack of preparation ahead of the tournament. Most of the players had left to the USA weeks before the tournament in an attempt to get used to the conditions, but their batting display on Monday against South Africa clearly shows that they are well short of proper preparation. more..

Jun 4 (SLN) In the face of harsh weather, SL Navy dispatched relief teams to assist communities affected by floods in the Western, Southern, and Sabaragamuwa provinces. These teams have rescued 165 individuals in districts such as Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara, Rathnapura, Galle & Matara as of this morning. Furthermore, Navy has provided boat transportation for around 1,650 people to access essential services. A total of 50 Navy teams are actively engaged in relief efforts more..

Jun 4 (DM) NPP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake raised concerns in Parliament saying that Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa had raised the same question he was to raise in Parliament over the Uni non-academic staff, calling it a childish act by the Opposition Leader. MP Dissanayake inquired from the Speaker as to how the same question he had submitted to Opposition Leader's Office to be raised in parliament under Standing Order 27/2 was raised before him by Opposition Leader. more..

Jun 4 (TM) Opposition MP Prof. G.L. Peiris has voiced concerns over what he describes as the unprecedented centralisation of power under incumbent Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe. He claimed that Prez Wickremesinghe has assumed powers that no previous Prez, even those with large direct mandates from the people, had ever taken. �There were seven Presidents before the current Prez. One of them received 6.9 million votes, more..

Jun 4 (CT) Close to 100 MT of rubbish was collected from the reserve along the Nallathanniya-Sri Pada trek. Following the end of the annual six-month pilgrimage season to the peak, the Maskeliya Pradeshiya Sabha has collected over 60,000 kg of biodegradable waste, 36,000 kilograms of non-biodegradable waste and 3,000 kg of plastic bottles. The collected waste has been taken to the Nallathanniya garbage recycling centre, which will then be sold to the private sector. more..

Jun 4 (AD) The general public has been cautioned over the increased spread of infectious diseases across the island due to prevailing inclement weather conditions. Dr. Deepal Perera warns that there is a greater risk of diseases such as diarrhea, dysentery, Typhoid fever and influenza spreading during such periods. He emphasized that diarrhea, dysentery, influenza and Typhoid fever have a greater chance of spreading mainly due to contaminated water and food. more..

Jun 4 (EN) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe has instructed officials to halt illegal landfills in flood-prone areas and to relocate the Mulleriyawa and IDH hospitals to alternative locations. �Officials have been directed to be vigilant about illegal landfills and any new construction in the Kelani River valley that could contribute to increased flooding risks,� Wickremesinghe said on X. �I ordered the relocation of the Mulleriyawa and IDH hospitals to alternative locations.� more..

Jun 4 (DM) A police investigation was launched over a video circulating on social media of a man brutally assaulting a 4-year-old child while he was eating at home. The suspect, identified as Kukul Chaminda alias Bibile Chaminda, is a resident of Sampathanuwara in Padaviya. A neighbour had recorded a video which was released on social media, of the particular suspect brutally assaulting the child while he was eating at his home. The suspect had assaulted this child on several more..

Jun 4 (AD) Supreme Court has informed that several clauses of the proposed SL Electricity Bill are inconsistent with the Constitution of SL. Supreme Court determination states that these clauses shall only be passed by a special majority of Parliament, and that one clause requires approval through a referendum, Speaker informed the House. However, the country�s apex court has stated that these clauses could be passed with more..

Jun 4 (Island) The findings made by Indian and SL security and intelligence authorities about the recent arrest of four Sri Lankans on the suspicion of being religious extremists are contradictory. While Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad declared that the suspects had been involved with the Islamic State terror group, investigations conducted by Sri Lankan authorities claimed they weren�t linked to Islamic State or any other extremist group. Even in the Easter Sunday carnage case it was India that more..