Jun 13 (TM) Due to the economic crisis in the country and the inability to repay debts, it is highly unlikely an election could be held this year, says Minister Bandula Gunawardena. "We are unable to repay our debts. Without managing this situation the country cannot move at least a step forward. Due to this, it is highly unlikely that elections can be held," he said. Meanwhile, Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe tabled a proposal to draft a new Bill, titled Elections (Special Provisions) Act, more..

Jun 13 (AD) The govt has decided to draft a new Bill, titled Elections (Special Provisions) Act, containing amendments made to several elections Acts and Ordinances. Proposal tabled by Prez in this regard was approved by the Cabinet on Monday. Thereby, the new legislation will comprise the amendments to the Parliamentary Elections Act No. 01 of 1981, Local Authorities Elections Ordinance, Prez Elections (Special Provisions) Act and Provincial Councils Elections Act. more..

Jun 13 (EN) SL is mulling the lifting of a vehicle import ban to boost tax revenues, Mahindananda Aluthgamage, who heads the parliamentary committee on economic and physical plans, has said as customs revenues are below targets set in a budget for 2023. Customs officials had told the parliament�s Sectoral Committee on Economic and Physical Plans that the agency had collected only 330 bil rupees more..

Jun 13 (DM) A video going viral on social media showing a group of foreigners dancing at the Beliatta main bus stand revealed they were participating in the Beliatta temple's annual perahera. It was reported that the perahera procession was held on June 7 at the Beliatta temple. Tourists and locals were seen dancing at the perahera according to a Kawadi remix melody, dressed in decorated sarongs and with tatoos on their backs. When inquired with the Beliatta police over the incident, more..

Jun 13 (CT) The SLFP has notified its members, who recently joined the Govt and assumed Cabinet and State Ministerial positions that no disciplinary action will be taken against them. SLFP members exempt from disciplinary action are: Mahinda Amaraweera, Nimal Siripala de Silva, Jagath Pushpakumara, Lasantha Alagiyawanna, Chamara Sampath Dasanayake, Ranjith Siyambalapitiya, Suren Raghavan & Shantha Bandara. This decision was communicated to them in writing, more..

Jun 13 (AD) Minister Vidura Wickremanayake has expressed the Ministry�s plans to introduce a minimum age requirement for ordaining children as monks. Accordingly, a discussion in this regard is due to be held with the Chief Prelates on Thursday the Minister said, adding that they would be allowed to make the final decision. Wickremanayake also said that they intend on holding a discussion pertaining to more..

Jun 13 (DM) Growing dissension between Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe and the SLPP will result in a snap general election within six months, SJB MP S.M. Marikkar said today. �We have noticed that there are disagreements between the President and the SLPP. This was evident even yesterday when some of the SLPP seniors boycotted the meeting with the Prez. They said they did not participate as the invitation was not made through SLPP General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam. more..

Jun 13 (DM) The truth behind the Easter Sunday attacks will be revealed soon as some of those who are behind the attacks will betray their own, Archbishop of Colombo Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith said today. Speaking during the traditional Vespers Service at St. Anthony�s Shrine in Kochichikade, Cardinal Ranjith said divine powers will reveal the truth behind the Easter Sunday attacks soon. "Those who hide the truth can mislead us. However, they are wrong, as we will not be misled. more..

Jun 13 (FT) Epic Lanka, the premier Fintech solutions provider in SL recently commemorated its 25th anniversary, marking a significant milestone in its journey of pioneering growth, technological innovation, and transformative impact. From humble beginnings with just four dedicated individuals, Epic Lanka set out on a mission a quarter-century ago to unleash the untapped potential of the SL ICT industry and establish itself as a preeminent software brand. more..

Jun 13 (TM) Stern action has been taken by the University Disciplinary committee and the UGC for students involved in ragging, says Vavuniya University Vice Chancellor Prof. T Mangaleswaran. He made this statement while speaking to The Morning today, in response to reports of severe ragging within the university premises. "Yes, there have been multiple incidents last month of first year students who severely ragged freshmen (1st year students) who join the university. more..

Jun 13 (DM) Ven. Athuraliye Ratana Thera, former MPs Ven. Baddegama Samitha Thera, Sarath Kongahage, a Catholic priest and several others had met then Prez Maithripala Sirisena and pleaded to grant presidential pardon to Shramantha Jude Jayamaha, who was convicted for the killing of a young woman in Royal Park, it was revealed before the Supreme Court through a letter submitted by a then prez assistant secy, more..

Jun 13 (EN) Sri Lanka plans to bring in a new law to take legal actions against candidates who violate a code of conduct and news organization that go against media guidelines, Minister Bandula Gunawardana said. The cabinet had given approval on December 12,2023 to amend the Provincial council, Local Authorities Election Ordinance and Referendum act to take legal action against news organizations that violate media guidelines after and election had been declared. more..

Jun 13 (PTI) The renewable energy project to generate 500 MW in Sri Lanka's north and eastern regions undertaken by India's Adani Group will be completed by December next year, Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekara has said. Sharing the progress of the project, Wijesekara on Monday wrote on Twitter, Progress of the 500 MW Renewable Energy Project in Mannar & Pooneryn was discussed with Anil Sardana, MD & CEO of Adani Transmission & project management team. more..

Jun 13 (DM) Dusk had already set in when we reached Bogawantalawa last Friday (2). What�s unique about the Central Highlands is that by about 5pm the climate turns misty and dark. We were on our way to meet Deva Prasath (39) from Bridwell Estate, Bogawantalawa who is a survivor of a recent leopard attack. With a broken hand and a hearty smile, Prasath was greeting his neighbours when we met him. more..

Jun 13 (CT) SJB MP Harsha de Silva, pointing out the state of poverty in Sri Lanka, said a staggering seven million Sri Lankans currently live in poverty, with approximately four million individuals, accounting for around 17% of the population, having fallen into poverty since 2019. Dr. de Silva, quoting the latest findings of LIRNEasia, a Colombo-based think-tank, claimed that the people are in this situation thanks to misguided policies of the Govt led by former Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa. more..

Jun 13 (PMD) Dr. Sulakshana Jayawardena, Additional Secretary of the Presidential Secretariat, strongly denied the claims propagated in multiple media reports asserting that 7.5 million Sri Lankans were lacking adequate meals. Contrary to these reports, Crop and Food Security Assessment Mission (CFSAM) report issued by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and UN World Food Programme (WFP) indicate an improvement in food security across all provinces of SL. more..

Jun 14 (DM) In April 2022, our country defaulted repaying its foreign debt triggering a major crisis in the country. With no dollars available, all goods from fuel and oil, to basic foodstuffs ran out. Transport ground to a near halt, children�s schooling was interrupted, parents were forced to cut down on meals for families and beggars clogged street corners and pedestrian crossings. In the face of growing protests and discontent, PM resigned and the then president fled the country. more..

Jun 14 (DM) The UNHRC�s 53rd session will begin On June 19. An oral assessment of the rights situation in Sri Lanka will be made by the Human Rights High Commissioner Volker T�rkon June 21. As usual, the SL govt is going all out to present the case that it has been making sincere efforts to deliver on the promises it had made earlier. Last week, the PMD announced an Action Plan for ethnic reconciliation had been drafted at a meeting chaired by Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe. more..

Jun 14 (TM) The country�s NGO sector, which attracted attention in various ways in recent years, will soon be subjected to proper monitoring and registration-related processes. Popular notion about such plans is that the Govt is attempting to subject NGOs to unnecessarily strict surveillance. However, the true motive behind these efforts is to ensure that NGOs are responsible, lawful, accountable, and transparent, especially more..

Jun 14 (CT) Can economic expansion continue indiscriminately? Can humans plunder the resources of the planet and plunder their own ingenuity without limit to generate ever increasing wealth? Does their come a point at which humankind escapes from the realm of market-driven �necessity� into a realm of true freedom? I am not concerned with concepts like thanha because religion is of no intrinsic interest to me. In today�s essay I am making queries pertaining to the transition from more..

Jun 14 (CT) Days after being strongly criticised by the Prez during a meeting, Director General of Dept of Archaeology, Professor Anura Manatunga tendered his resignation to the Secretary of the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs. In a viral video, Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe, during a meeting between a group of politicians and bureaucrats, was seen asking Prof Manatunga, when an issue pertaining to the allocation of lands to an archaeological site came up, more..

Jun 14 (TM) A recent investigation initiated by the authorities to determine the involvement of members of the Aragalaya in a Pride march held last week has sparked concerns within the country�s LGBTQ+ community. The investigation into the Freedom Pride Parade has prompted a debate about the rights of the community and the potential impact on ongoing efforts to decriminalise homosexuality in the country. more..

Jun 14 (Island) Director General of Archaeology Dr. Anura Manatunga has tendered his resignation letter over a disagreement with the government as regards the acquisition of land for the Kurundimale archaeological site in Mullaitivu. He reportedly got under President Ranil Wickremesinghe�s skin by standing his ground at a recent meeting, where the Kurundimale land issue was taken up for discussion. Some MPs representing the Tamil political parties were also present. more..

Jun 14 (ST) Last week when reference was made to a Pohottuwa MP�s slicing denigration of our cabinet of ministers � or some of them to be accurate�this column said it would refrain from any further comment on that particular issue. To put it in perspective, Ampara MP Wimalaweera Dissanayake finally felt that he should vent his spleen on some of his colleagues now safely positioned in the cabinet and call some of them idiots. Right now there are 22 ministers�by my last account I might add� more..

Jun 14 (TM) Although the Dept of Archaeology is not an institution that is very close to the majority of the public, the resignation of the Dept�s Director General Prof. Anura Manatunga has attracted wide public attention due to a video that went viral following his resignation. The video was of a meeting between Prez and National Policies Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, Prof. Manatunga and several N&E based Tamil politicians, where the three parties engaged in a debate over land related issues more..

Jun 14 (Island) The arrest of MP and leader of TNPF Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam highlights two areas of particular concern. First is the high level of surveillance that continues in the former war zones of the north and east. The visitors to those parts of the country would not fail to see the large presence of uniformed personnel in these two provinces, even at tourist sites. They remain as a visible reminder of the unsettled and violent conditions that prevailed since the late 1970s more..

Jun 14 (FT) World famous networking guru Dr. Ivan Misner yesterday urged local businesses and entrepreneurs to have the right mindset to successfully navigate economically tough times. In Colombo for the first time, the founder and visionary of 38 years old Business Network Int'l (BNI), the world�s largest business networking organisation, Dr. Misner in an exclusive interview shared his proven mantra for business success. more..

Jun 14 (FT) Hemas Holdings announced the acquisition of a 24.9% stake of Atlas Axillia Company, for Rs. 3.4 billion. With this strategic move, the Group now owns 100% of Atlas Axillia Company Ltd, expanding its market presence and reinforcing its position as a key player in the Consumer Brands Sector. The stake was held by Nirmal Madanayake and the acquisition was done yesterday. �Atlas is a market leader in the learning segment, this acquisition aligns with our more..

Jun 14 (ST) SL is now importing electric vehicles for migrant workers following the govt�s approval to further extend the time line issued for importation till Sept 15, 2023 which are violating global manufacturers� recommendations, motor traders alleged. This was the third time the Govt decided to extend the timeline of the electric vehicles import scheme for migrant workers to encourage their remittances with good intention but it has turned to a racket by a set of unscrupulous more..

Jun 14 (CT) Lakshitha Manasinghe completed a fifer to help Sri Lanka �A� restrict South Africa �A� for 131 runs and take major honours at stumps on day two of the first Unofficial Test being played at Pallekelle Int'l Stadium. The Lankans dominated the morning session as they ripped through the South Africa batting line up and pushed them on the back foot. Having taken a healthy 194-run lead by virtue of their first innings total of 325 runs, the hosts were all over the South African lads more..

Jun 14 (FT) Colombo stock market experienced a choppy day of sentiments yesterday but managed to close on the up whilst foreigners persisted in their selling mode. Active S&P SL20 gained by 0.8% and ASPI by 0.6%. Earlier on the mid-day gains were higher. Turnover was Rs. 1.6 billion involving 116.8 million shares. Net foreign selling amounted to Rs. 178.6 million increasing the month to date outflow to Rs. 860.6 million. Asia Securities said the indices continued their upward momentum more..

Jun 14 (EN) The historicity of Tamil Buddhism in SL has not been a subject that has captured the public imagination to the extent that it perhaps deserves, at least in the south, though Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe�s recent remarks on the matter may have sparked fresh interest. According to Prof G P V Somaratne, former Head of the Dept of History and Political Science at Uni of Colombo, the ancient history of Buddhism among Tamils more..

Jun 14 (Island) St. Anthony�s led by fly-half Sahan Keerthisiri will be put to the test against the promising St. Joseph�s College rugby team in the curtain raiser to the interschool 15-a-side league rugby tournament for 2023 which is scheduled to take place at the Bogambara Stadium this evening. The Anthonians have a strong side this year on paper, but the stakes are high in school rugby as of now and no team can be taken lightly; even when one enjoys the home advantage. more..

Jun 14 (FT) Sri Lanka Institute of Nanotechnology (SLINTEC) located at the Nanotechnology and Science Park in Pitipana, Homagama, has developed a cinnamon tablet which is envisaged to be a value-addition to the management of diabetes. The sugar-controlling nutraceutical which has been formulated using cinnamon extracted from Ceylon Cinnamon bark is the first of its kind to be developed and is now awaiting clinical trials at the Department of Ayurveda. more..

Jun 14 (ST) After raising a breach of Parliamentary privilege in the House this week, Jaffna district MP Gejendrakumar Ponnamablam is awaiting three separate bodies to conclude their probes into an incident involving two police officers in civvies, before he considers further legal action against his arrest which he claims is illegal and arbitrary. A Magisterial inquiry, a probe by the Parliamentary Privileges Committee and more..