Jun 17 (DM) SL needs to make efforts to use the ongoing global economic slowdown as an opportunity to rethink its growth strategy, as its economy is highly vulnerable and remains at a disadvantage compared to many of its competitors and peers, asserted an int'l economist. Deloitte Consulting Specialist Leader Sheri Pitigala stressed that the island nation needs to be more proactive and understand that business as usual is no longer a viable option, if it is to remain relevant in more..

Jun 17 (DM) Air pollution has increased the risk of heart disease in SL like elsewhere in the world, a top cardiologist said. Dr. Anidu Pathirana, Consultant Cardiologist at the National Hospital of Colombo said, �Air pollution has long been considered a significant environmental concern, but its impact on human health is now coming to the forefront with new research.� �As such, air pollution has been identified as a major risk factor of developing heart disease,� he highlighted. more..

Jun 17 (FT) Minister Manusha Nanayakkara denied allegations that the Govt�s newly proposed labour law reforms were enacted or proposed by IMF or any other similar organisation. He made these claims while presenting the Ministry�s latest proposals to introduce new labour laws to SL. �Some believed were merely presenting a document prepared by a random person,� he said. Minister said IMF nor any other int'l organisation more..

Jun 17 (DM) Sri Lanka might be embodying the spirit of its 1979 team, having to qualify for this year�s Cricket World Cup, but spinner Maheesh Theekshana believes it could be the first step in emulating the heroics of the 1996 team that beat Australia to win the sport�s marquee tournament instead. SL begin their Cricket World Cup Qualifiers campaign against the UAE in Bulawayo on Monday, having missed out on directly qualifying for the tournament for the first time in 44 years. more..

Jun 17 (Island) Investors will not come to a country that does not adhere to the rule of law, SJB MP Lakshman Kiriella said. MP also warned that Sri Lanka might lose concessions from foreign donors and multilateral bodies due to the govt�s attempts at suppressing the people. �The govt representatives are travelling from one country to another asking for aid. No one has offered significant amounts of aid so far. Prez has been in power for a year now, and we have only received donations more..

Jun 17 (DM) The Ministry of Buddha Sasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs, in collaboration with the Mahanayake Theras of three Chapters, has sought to introduce an age limit for ordaining young children as monks. Minister Vidura Wickramanayake told Daily Mirror that he had held talks with the Mahanayake Theras who stressed the need to introduce an age limit after further talks with Karaka Sanga Sabha or Working Committees of the relevant Chapters. more..

Jun 17 (ANI) National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a chargesheet against 13 persons, including 3 Indian and 10 Lankan nationals, in the India-SL illegal drugs and arms trade case relating to attempts to revive the LTTE, a militant organization which once sought to create an independent Tamil state in the north and east of SL. The chargesheeted men had conspired with the accused in the Vizhinjam Arms case for exploiting the illegal drugs trade in India and SL for funding, more..

Jun 17 (FT) Jewellers are calling on the Govt to lift the ban on gold imports to ease upward pressure on prices and ensure industry�s viability. All Island Jewellers Association Treasurer R. Balasubramaniam said the urgent need for the Govt to reconsider the ban and emphasise that allowing gold imports will help reduce prices and stimulate the gold market. Colombo�s Sea Street is renowned for its gold trade, and the prices set in more..

Jun 17 (DN) Election Commission requests the public to ensure that their names are in the Electoral Register 2023. If the respective Grama Niladhari has not come to the house to count the voters this year, the public is requested to contact the area Grama Niladhari officer immediately and make sure the inclusion of the names in the electoral register. Persons who have attained 18 years and were born on or before Jan31 2005 are eligible to register as a voter in '23 at their usual residential address. more..

Jun 17 (AD) COPF has given its approval for the Bill for the establishment of Parliamentary Budget Office, pending one amendment. During the meeting chaired by MP Dr. Harsha de Silva, the COPF noted that this legislation was long overdue and would inject some much-needed independence in the analysis process. The committee scrutinized key areas of the Bill and paid special attention to: The scope of the budget office with regards to evaluations done on economic cost and more..

Jun 17 (Island) Minister Tiran Alles said that a decision hadn�t been made yet regarding the appointment of a new IGP. Incumbent IGP C.D. Wickramaratne, on 26 March, 2023, received a 3-month extension of service. The Constitutional Council (CC) approved a recommendation made by Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe in that regard. CC announced its decision following a meeting on 1 April, under chairmanship of its Chairman more..

Jun 18 (CT) In America, former President Trump is facing serious federal criminal charges and is banking on a presidential re-election campaign to overcome his legal troubles. In the UK, former PM Boris Johnson has quit parliament hoping to escape sanctions for his abhorrent behaviour, but he has been sanctioned, nonetheless. In Italy, the death of four-time former PM Silvio Berlusconi has brought to an end the Bunga Bunga era in the country�s politics and culture. more..

Jun 18 (SO) Sri Lanka is well-known throughout the world for its free education system, along with the free healthcare system. Govt sector education is free until university level and indeed, SL�s education indices are often on par with those of the developed world. But some worrying factors in relation to our education system have prompted the Govt and education authorities to take a second look at it. First, our education system is heavily exam-centred, beginning from the Year 5 Scholarship Exam more..

Jun 18 (SO) State Minister of Finance Ranjith Siyambalapitiya said a broad view has been created at present in society which has gone beyond the parliamentary majority. The current crisis is under control as Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe took up the challenge at that critical juncture. He said even people at grassroot level regardless of their political differences accept this. With that strength, it won�t be difficult for Prez to accomplish his tasks more..

Jun 18 (TM) The latest economic data released by the State statistics office last week point to a 11.5% contraction of SL�s Gross Domestic Product in the first quarter of this year, compared to the same period last year. While the agriculture sector has expanded by a miserly 0.8% from last year�s low base when the fertiliser issue was at its peak, the real bad news is the significant shrinking of the critically-important industry and services sectors by 24.4% and 5% respectively, more..

Jun 18 (TM) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe embarked on a tour of the UK and France this weekend and is expected to return to SL on Saturday (24). With the Paris Club members being the focus of attention as the country embarks on debt restructuring, Prez seems to have engaged the services of CB Governor, who is expected to hold discussions with creditors during the tour of Paris. It is learnt that Wickremesinghe will separately attend the Summit for a New Global Financial Pact. more..

Jun 18 (ST) Shortly after Indian PM Narendra Modi declared open India�s new parliamentary complex built at the expense of US$ 2.4 billion recently, India�s neighbours who share the land borders expressed concern over an undivided India mural installed in the new building. Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan raised serious concerns about the inclusion of their sovereign countries in the mural. Bangladesh went one step further more..

Jun 18 (ST) Just as the Govt was bailed out at least temporarily by the IMF and is exploring ways and means to meet the lending agency�s demands to qualify for the second instalment by September, its attention gets diverted to tomorrow�s sessions at the UNHRC which persists with its own demands for accountability on the human rights front. While Sri Lanka�s missions abroad keep celebrating the 75th anniversary of Independence from 450 years of foreign domination, more..

Jun 18 (Island) Although no presidential election is due till November next year, developments in the domestic political field last week brought such an election to be held in the future to public attention. While Prez Wickremesinghe has not personally announced his candidature, it is no secret that he desires an elected term with a peoples� mandate different as chalk from cheese to what he holds at present. Various persons, excluding the Rajapaksas he is widely alleged to be protecting, more..

Jun 18 (GV) SL authors have been in the limelight recently, hitting a peak with Shehan Karunatilaka�s 2022 Booker Prize for The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida. Kanya D�Almeida won the Commonwealth Short Story Prize two years ago and this year NZ based Himali McInnes has been shortlisted for the same prize. But it has been a well-trodden path with Michael Ondaatje winning the Booker Prize in 1992 for The English Patient and Romesh Gunesekera shortlisted for same prize in 1994 for Reef. more..

Jun 18 (FT) Conflicts and crises affect everyone, but do they affect everyone the same? SL�s past shows how the legacy of armed conflict imposes particular hardships for women � whether through displacement, bereavement, or vulnerability to sexual violence and exploitation. And when we look at the country�s current economic crisis, we also see a disproportionate impact on women and girls. They are the first to be burdened with meeting care needs, the first to drop out of school, and more..

Jun 18 (TM) A high-profile team from the CEB is to leave for India to discuss the technical feasibility of the proposed grid connectivity project between the two countries. It is learnt that directives have already been given by the CEB Chairman�s office to name the members of the committee and to take necessary steps to expedite the providing of technical assistance for the policy decision taken by Ministry of Power & Energy. more..

Jun 18 (SO) SL beat Hong Kong 46-32 to finish in third place at the Asian Junior Netball Championship in South Korea yesterday. The SL team thrived through a good combination of Bashi Udagedera and Dilmi Wijenayayake while skipper Sajini Ratnayake was out from the playing seven yesterday and it was a hard work-out for success according to team manager Vajira Pushpakumari. �Our coach Amalka Gunatilleka was more concerned after losing games to Singapore & Malaysia more..

Jun 18 (Island) When Singer boss Hemaka Amarasuriya headed the cricket board some 20 years ago, one of his keen interests was to build up a cricket academy at RPS like the one in Brisbane, Australia. The Queensland Academy was producing top notch cricketers at a rate and Amarasuriya had ambitious plans. A keen sports enthusiast who loved both rugby and cricket, Amarasuriya wasn�t just interested in producing fine cricketers, but giving a professional outlook on them as well. more..

Jun 18 (ST) Wednesday�s player auction of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) was nothing short of a captivating blend of nervous tension, frantic bidding wars and emotional rollercoasters. It did not have the big money that the IPL throws into stacking their teams with the world�s best talent, but the atmosphere was electric. Having selected players through a draft in the first three editions, LPL decided to follow the footsteps of mother of more..

Jun 18 (SO) Despite qualifying for the World Junior Netball tournament, Sri Lanka�s budding players have come under fire from former coach Hyacinth Wijesinghe who described the current team as ordinary not fit for a global event. Wijesinghe lashed out at the junior team after they lost heavily in the run-up matches of the Asian championship which ended in South Korea yesterday although Sri Lanka finished third beating Hong Kong 46-32 in the play-off match. more..

Jun 18 (TM) Denying recent reports, Inland Revenue Department (IRD) has clarified that there has been no widespread abuse of temporary Value-Added Tax (VAT) certificates and that only a few isolated incidents have been identified, which are currently under investigation. The IRD has assured that appropriate measures would be taken to address and prevent such abuses in future. During the previous week, officials from SL Customs attending the Sectoral Oversight Committee on more..

Jun 18 (SO) Sri Lanka needs quality investments that create employment with dignity, said Resident Representative, UNDP in SL, Azusa Kubota. �Any investment will bring resources to the country, but we want them to be SDG-aligned to ensure sustainable, inclusive, and green growth for Sri Lanka,� she said. Kubota was speaking at the launch of the �Sector insights, challenges and opportunities for mobilising private capital towards SDG aligned investment opportunity areas� recently. more..

Jun 18 (SO) St. Peter�s College withstood a powerful second half rally from Royal College to run out deserving 11-5 winners in a closely contested Schools Rugby League match at Bambalapitiya yesterday. Final scoreline failed to reflect the dominant performance of St. Peter�s who enjoyed a wafer-thin 3-0 lead in the first half. They virtually pinned Royal in their half with the kick-off setting the tempo of the match with their three-quarters running with the ball at every given opportunity. more..

Jun 18 (TM) SL Chamber of the Pharmaceutical Industry (SLCPI) has urged govt to review pharmaceutical prices in a month, taking into consideration the unexpected exchange rate fluctuations in the market at present. SLCPI President Sanjiva Wijesekera said the industry was operating at a loss and the sudden increase of the exchange rate and the reduction of prices by 16% would aggravate issues faced by industry. more..

Jun 18 (EN) SL citizens aged more than 18 years will have to open tax files because they chose the country�s leaders by voting, which influence country�s policies, State Minister of Higher Education Minister Suren Raghavan said. After the sovereign debt crisis hit island nation signed a $3 billion deal with the IMF, President Ranil Wickremesinghe in his capacity as the Finance Minister has asked all above 18-year citizens to open tax files. �If citizens at the age of 18 years can vote for the Prez, more..

Jun 18 (AD) Sectoral Oversight Committee (SOC) on National Security has urged the Foreign Ministry to intervene to dispute the international travel bans imposed on military personnel. At a recent meeting chaired by Sarath Weerasekera, parliamentary committee noted that these travel bans affects the moral of the respective military personnel. In response to the concern, Foreign Secretary explained that through the ambassadors and at high-level discussions, Foreign Ministry has more..

Jun 18 (AD) A former Pradeshiya Sabha (PS) member suffered life-threatening injuries after being gunned down near the Seenigama Devalaya in Meetiyagoda police division on Saturday (17). The critically injured local govt politician is currently receiving treatment at the Teaching Hospital in Karapitiya. The former PS member had been travelling in his vehicle when two gunmen who arrived in a motorcycle fired several gunshots at him near the Seenigama Devalaya. more..

Jun 18 (DM) National Movement for Consumer Rights Protection (NMCRP) today claimed that a group of people who claim to be traditional coconut oil producers are paving the way to increase the price of coconut oil in the local market. NMCRP president Ranjith Withanage said currently a coconut is sold at a high price such as Rs.120 and Rs.130 in the market. "Due to various reasons, the price of coconut is increasing in the market. Despite the rise in coconut prices, more..

Jun 18 (TM) Human Rights Commission of SL (HRCSL) is preparing its recommendations on the alleged violation of human rights of Sri Lankans due to the Singaporean-flagged MV X-Press Pearl vessel disaster in the first week of next month. The commission said that it had already completed the primary investigation on the matter and had recorded statements from all parties concerned over the allegation. more..