Jun 15 (TM) The Police will not initiate any action against State Minister of Plantation Industries Lohan Ratwatte until the directions of the Cabinet of Ministers are received, although such has been recommended by the one-member committee that investigated the incidents involving the State Minister who had allegedly forcibly entered the Welikada and Anuradhapura Prisons and intimidated several inmates in 2021, more..

Jun 15 (FT) In sequence, the title summarises the legal and political direction into which this country is gravitating. An analysis of each of the above terms will give an understanding as to how the country is being strategically distanced from its constitutional democracy status. Firstly, what is meant by Sovereignty? The legal authority for this is founded in Article 3 of our Constitution which states, In the Republic of Sri Lanka sovereignty is in the People and is inalienable. more..

Jun 15 (FT) COVID-19 pandemic and the worst economic crisis in SL�s post-independence history resulted in an increase in poverty rates of up to 25% in 2022, a dramatic increase from 11.3% in 2019. Although one-fourth of the country�s population has fallen into poverty, many do not receive monetary support from the Govt, largely due to the weaknesses of social welfare schemes. More than 50% of SL�s poorest population is not covered by the Govt welfare programs such as Samurdhi, more..

Jun 15 (DM) Attorney General today informed the Court of Appeal that the CID is conducting investigations against Pastor Jerome Fernando under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act apart from the charges levelled under ICCPR Act and Penal Code. Senior Counsel Shaminda Wickrema made these remarks when the writ petition filed by Pastor Jerome came before the Court of Appeal. Pastor Jerome Fernando had filed a writ petition in Court of Appeal seeking an order preventing more..

Jun 15 (NN) Days ahead of the two countries meeting in a crucial World Cup qualifying fixture, a SL great has emerged as a candidate to fill the vacant UAE head coach role. Chaminda Vaas, the World Cup-winning former left-arm seam bowler, is among those who have applied to be considered for the vacancy. UAE face SL in their opening match at the Cricket World Cup Qualifier in Bulawayo on Monday. The competition, which carries with it the final two places at the main event in India more..

Jun 15 (EN) SL�s GDP was estimated to have contracted 11.5% in the first quarter of 2023 from a year ago. The agriculture sector expanded 0.8% in the first quarter of 2023 compared to a 4.4% contraction in 2022. Industry contracted 23.4% on top of a 3.7% fall last year. Services contracted 5%, on top of a 1.8% fall last year. The first quarter 2023 real GDP estimated at 3,114 billion constant rupees was up from 2,917 billion more..

Jun 15 (AD) SJB organizer for the Horana electorate, former MP P.D. Abeyratne has been released on bail after being produced before the Horana Magistrate�s Court. Accordingly, the former MP was released on two personal sureties of Rs. 1 million each, on orders of Horana Magistrate. However, former MP was ordered to hand over his passport to the court, while an overseas travel ban was also imposed against him. Further, Magistrate ordered that the former MP�s firearm be more..

Jun 15 (EN) Sri Lanka will set the date for A/L exam by law Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe has told an expert committee tasked with coming up with an education framework. A ministerial committee and an associated expert committee are to come up with strategies to make SL a regional education hub. Children will get 13 years of schooling. The holding of the A/L exam on a set date is to be made into a legal requirement and to change the date, permission had to be sought from parliament, more..

Jun 15 (CI) The dates and venues for the 2023 Asia Cup have finally been officially confirmed, with the tournament set to take place in Pakistan and SL between Aug 31 and Sept 17. A detailed schedule, however, has not yet been released. The tournament was originally meant to be held entirely in Pakistan but a hybrid model became necessary after the BCCI said India would not travel to Pakistan. In the hybrid model approved by more..

Jun 15 (EN) Lawyers for Democracy has responded to a call for inputs into an effort to reform the island�s labour laws, saying changes, while needed, should not be done hastily. SL sees millions of workers leaving for the Middle East and working under poor conditions, due to lack investments in the country to create sufficient jobs or due to low purchasing power of existing salaries due to chronic depreciation of the currency. Labour laws are seen by some as one of several factors that more..

Jun 15 (AD) Supreme Court today refused to grant leave to proceed with two fundamental rights (FR) petitions filed against the restructuring of Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) PLC. The petitions had been filed by SL All Telecommunication Employees� Union president J.B. Gurusinghe, its secretary H.K. Hettiarachchi and the president of SLT Samagi Sewaka Sangamaya president Indika Priyadarshana. Following a lengthy trial, the Supreme Court�s three-judge bench more..

Jun 15 (DM) The case filed against former IGP Pujith Jayasundara for allegedly committing an offence of criminal intimidation against the elevator operator at the Police Headquarters in 2017, has been fixed for further trial by Colombo Fort Magistrate�s Court. When the matter came up before Colombo Fort Magistrate Thilina Gamage, two witnesses including a receptionist at the police headquarters gave evidence. The witnesses admitted the fact that the former IGP more..

Jun 15 (BN) Sri Lanka�s economy shrank at a slower pace last quarter as the farm sector remained a bright spot in the nation grappling with elevated borrowing costs and higher taxes. GDP fell 11.5% in the three months to March from a year ago, according to data released by the statistics dept. That compares with the median estimate of 8.9% decline in a Bloomberg survey, but is lower than a 12.4% contraction in Oct-Dec. Imports of fuel & fertilizer have rebounded more..

Jun 15 (CI) Lanka Premier League held its inaugural auction on Wednesday, with Dilshan Madushanka coming away as the tournament's most expensive signing, when he was bought by Jaffna Kings for US$ 92,000. While the 22-year-old might not have been the pre-auction pick to land such a lucrative contract, it made sense in the end owing to the unique set of characteristics he provides; left-arm seamers that swing the ball more..

Jun 15 (AD) Secretary to the President, Saman Ekanayake has informed archaeological expert Ven. Dr. Ellawala Medhananda Thero that the land belonging to the historical Kurundi Viharaya in Mullaitivu is a govt land and that no decision has been taken to distribute it to anyone. Meanwhile, President Ranil Wickremesinghe today refuted the media reports claiming that he is going to settle a group of Tamil people within the land belonging to the Kurundi Viharaya in Mullaitivu. more..

Jun 15 (EN) Shares gained to a near two month high on Thursday, as investor sentiment improves after the Central Bank�s policy rate cuts stimulated interest in banking counters and financial sectors. ASPI was up 0.68% or 62.79 points to 9,279.28, the highest since April 20, while the most liquid index S&P SL20 was up 0.29% or 7.61 points to 2,642.42. The market gained due to lowered policy rates and low inflation stimulating buying interest and driving the sentiment up. more..

Jun 15 (DM) Health authorities have set alarm bells ringing over the threat of Malaria again due to the presence of a major malaria vector called Anopheles stephensi mosquito in six MOH areas in the Northern and Eastern Provinces. According to informed sources, the six MOH areas include Jaffna MOH area, Point Pedro MOH area, Akkaraipattu MOH area, Thirukkovil MOH area, Alayadivembu and Addalaichenai MOH areas in Ampara more..

Jun 15 (CT) A top official of Dept of Railways said applications from prospective investors to lease around 14,000 acres of land belonging to the Dept have been called and said it will be in effect till 24 June. He said Railway Department lands will be leased out to the private sector for tourism promotion and related activities but said some Railway trade unions had opposed the move. But, he added that despite objections they will go ahead with the project as the Govt had already given more..

Jun 15 (CT) Minister Jeevan Thondaman, urged his fellow politicians to prioritise inclusive and secular policies that value human dignity and promote unity over division. Minister Thondaman, as the Chief Guest at an event organised by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation on Deepening Friendships and Cultural Exchange between Europe and Asia, spoke at length about the significance of cultural exchange in fostering open-mindedness and promoting understanding among different more..

Jun 15 (DM) Power and Energy Ministry has introduced a 20-year variable feeding tariff scheme from June 13 for new renewable energy developments up to 10 MW. Minister Kanchana Wijesekara said in a Twitter post that the new tariffs are only applicable to new power purchasing agreements (PPA). "Developers will have the option to pick either the fixed tariff or the variable tariff at the signing of the PPA and will not be able to switch after signing," he said. more..

Jun 15 (AD) State Minister of Finance Ranjith Siyambalapitiya has attributed the further depreciation of the SL Rupee to the relaxation of import restrictions. Urging people not to panic over the matter, the State Minister assured that the Central Bank of SL (CBSL) will work to manage the situation. With the SL Rupee further depreciating against the US Dollar today (15), the official buying rate was reported at Rs. 311.60, while the selling rate stood at Rs. 328.92. more..

Jun 15 (DN) Guinness World Records that created history for the SL Army Medical Corps (SLAMC) for removal of the world�s largest and heaviest kidney stone (calculus) at the Colombo Army Hospital several days ago was further recognized and held in high esteem by none other than the Commander of Army, Lt General Vikum Liyanage and all Principal Staff Officers of the Army after inviting head of medical team, more..

Jun 15 (DM) At least 3.9 million people or 17% of the population in SL is in moderate acute food insecurity, according to a latest report issued by FAO/WFP Crop and Food Security Assessment Mission. Report states that this is nearly a 40% decrease from June/July last year. �An estimated 17% of the population is in moderate acute food insecurity in SL, especially in the Northern, Eastern and Central Provinces, indicating an improvement compared to 2022,� the report mentioned. more..

Jun 15 (DM) Sri Lanka has reached a deal with Russian nuclear giant Rosatom to build a nuclear power plant that may run two reactors and generate 300 megawatts of energy, the SL ambassador in Russia said Wednesday. "We will go for a nuclear power plant � There are options actually � two sources, 300 megawatts," Janitha Liyanage told Sputnik on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg Int'l Economic Forum. The ambassador said that having its own power plant would allow SL more..

Jun 15 (EN) Opposition parties must rally behind a leader they can all agree to support at a future prez election with the next favourite agreeing to be prime minister in a common workable arrangement, FPC MP said. Dilan Perera of FPC, a makeshift party split from the SLPP after the 2022 crisis and now sits in the opposition benches, said that opposition parties must either back a Premadasa-Dissanayake ticket or vice versa more..

Jun 15 (TM) Computer Crimes Investigation Division (CCID) of SL Police has arrested six young males over the charges of promoting liquor by uploading a video clip on the social media platform TikTok allegedly showing an alcohol Dansala which had been conducted on Poson Poya day. As the video clip was being circulated on social media, the IGP has handed over investigations regarding the matter to the CCID. Accordingly, six individuals who are aged between 20 and 25 years more..

Jun 15 (TM) The anti-corruption watchdog, Transparency International SL (TISL) filed a petition in the Supreme Court on Monday, seeking to intervene in the ongoing fundamental rights (FR) case highlighting the serious allegations of bribery and corruption surrounding the MV X-Press Pearl maritime disaster. The FR petition had been filed by the Centre for Environmental Justice and 3 more petitioners. The TISL said that the petition for intervention refers to serious allegations of more..

Jun 16 (TM) The protection of child rights in Sri Lanka is a core issue that should be discussed in the present context. Schools are obliged to educate and maintain the discipline of the children. Thus, corporal punishment has been utilised to maintain discipline at schools. But, the fact is that the children are physically and mentally exhausted due to this method. Even though the laws and the community understand its gravity, this method is still followed in schools. more..

Jun 16 (CT) At one time, Siddhartha, the founder of Buddhism, was travelling on the highway between Rajagaha and Nalanda, two cities in India, in the company of a large number of monks with a character called Suppiya, a wanderer, following closely behind with his student Brahmadatta. While on the way, the former was heard to speak against the three jewels, viz., the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sanga, while the latter was heard to speak in praise of the same. more..

Jun 16 (TM) The use of palm oil and the cultivation of oil palm have remained a controversial topic for years, with back and forth debates as to whether the potential harms of palm oil or oil palm cultivation outweigh their potential benefits. In a context where various researches in this regard have presented mixed findings and environmental issues are common to any agricultural land use, the decisions that SL is to take more..

Jun 16 (ST) It was that time of the day when Aldoris, the choon-paan karaya, invaded the neighbourhood in his music-blaring tuk-tuk. The trio was waiting for him in anticipation of another long conversation while munching maalu-paan. �Mama giya sumane honda ayojanayak kara (I made a good investment last week),� he said, while doling out maalu-paans. �Eh mokakda (What is it)?� asked Kussi Amma Sera. �Den mata soukya rakshana oppuvak thiyenawa. Mage pavule kata hari asaneepa vunoth, more..

Jun 16 (CT) The issue of overcrowding in SL prisons has been a longstanding concern. Over the years, the prison population has increased significantly, leading to overcrowded conditions in many facilities across the country. This overcrowding poses several challenges and risks to the well-being and rehabilitation of inmates. The reasons behind prison overcrowding in Sri Lanka are multifaceted. Factors such as high crime rates, lengthy pre-trial detention periods, delays in judicial process, more..

Jun 16 (TM) Govt�s Broadcasting Authority Bill�s alleged attempts to constrain media freedom have drawn criticism from stakeholders, who have advocated for self-regulation, while some experts have mooted the possibility of adopting co-regulation to streamline certain areas of concern in the country�s electronic media sphere. There have been attempts by successive govts over the years to regulate the media, which the print media more..

Jun 16 (DM) SL was a country where its kings had a specific role in food production and that was to build tanks and ensure there was enough water for farmers to engage in agriculture. The kings extracted taxes from the people and that was the price citizens paid for the security provided for them by the king. SL being an island was an easy target for invaders and the ancient history books and literature produced by historians suggest that the king�s duty was to protect the country & ensure security. more..

Jun 16 (SO) �LECO usually issues electricity bills to consumers every month. They are given various bill payment options and mechanisms at their convenience. The process of printing and sending bills takes Rs.17 for each bill. The paper for each bill costs Rs. 5 and the printing cost is Rs.12. Thus it costs Rs.17 for one bill not only to distribute it but also to print it. Yet if we send four SMS messages along with a reminder it will only cost 80% at 20% for a single text. The difference is unbelievable. more..