Jun 22 (TM) A recent audit conducted by National Audit Office (NAO)/Auditor General�s (AG) Dept on the requirement, procurement, supply, distribution, and regulation of medicines in 2022 and 2023, has uncovered irregularities and systemic shortcomings, thrusting into stark relief the inefficiencies and lack of transparency within the system. Shocking revelations have emerged, revealing that govt incurred additional costszz0331906603548568 more..

Jun 1 (DM) Sri Lanka�s political stage was enlivened last week by the solo performance of UNP General Secretary Palitha Range Bandara. Addressing a media briefing on May 28, the policeman-turned-politician came out with a suggestion that the presidential election due this year and the Parliamentary election scheduled for next year should be postponed while the terms of office for both should be extended by two more years. The former Puttalam district and ex-state minister more..

Jun 1 (DM) Even though an election has not been officially announced by the Commissioner of Elections, election fever has hit our political parties. The Secretary of the UNP suggested a possible postponement of elections. Was he drawing a red herring to test the political waters? The ordinary man on the street though, has not been drawn into this conversation. They are looking for ways and means to keep the wolf from the door. But this does not mean they are disinterested. more..

Jun 1 (TM) When speaking of queer rights activism in Sri Lanka, few individuals have made as indelible a mark as Rosanna Flamer-Caldera. As the driving force behind Equal Ground, one of the oldest organisations championing LGBTQIA+ rights in SL, Flamer-Caldera has dedicated over 25 years to the cause. Her tireless efforts have not only put LGBTQIA+ issues on the national agenda but also garnered int'l recognition, including more..

Jun 1 (CT) Ruling (?) UNP General Secretary Palitha Range Bandara�s suggestion to hold a national Referendum for postponing the Presidential and Parliamentary Elections reads typically Ranil. The suggestion or proposal comes just in the footsteps of incumbent Ranil Wickremesinghe�s public declaration that the Presidential Polls this year � as if he did not entertain the SLPP ally�s purported demand for him to order the Parliamentary Elections first. According to Bandara, more..

Jun 1 (DM) It is undoubtedly election phobia of the UNP headed by Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe that prompted Palitha Range Bandara, General Secretary of the Party to suggest to hold a referendum to extend the term of the Prez and Parliament for two more years. �This is the best option at this moment to save the nation. Govt has reached agreements with the IMF, WB and other donors on economic reforms and it is essential to extend the terms of the Prez and Parliament more..

Jun 1 (TM) Tea estate sector workers remain in limbo with one of their key infrastructure problems � not having addresses to their houses � being unresolved, despite a court decision in Dec 2023 ordering the Plantation Ministry to grant addresses to all estate workers in temporary houses or line rooms. A Fundamental Rights (FR) petition filed in the Supreme Court by Jeevaratnam Suresh Kumar led to the court, in Dec 2023, issuing an order more..

Jun 1 (CT) SL�s prevailing economic crisis has alarmingly reminded us of the critical need for comprehensive reforms in the State-owned banking sector with partial privatisation, through the Colombo Stock Exchange listing, for better governance, transparency and capitalisation. Banks such as the Bank of Ceylon (BOC) and People�s Bank (PB) have long suffered from weak risk management, poor governance, significant capital erosion due to high exposure to State/political related activities. more..

Jun 1 (CT) The Lawyers Collective condemns the statement of UNP General Secretary Range Bandara, made on 30th May 2024, suggesting at a formal press conference, that by a public referendum the term of this Prez and this Parliament be extended for two more years in order to save the nation. This was followed by vague statements from the Prez, the leader of the UNP and members of the UNP merely dismissing such statements as the personal views of their own General Secry. more..

Jun 1 (GV) As both a developing nation and a biodiversity hotspot, SL has to tread a delicate balance between conservation and development. The recent decision to degazette portions of the Vidattaltivu Nature Reserve (VNR) has caused grave concern, further damaging this delicate equilibrium and serving neither the economy nor the environment. VNR is far more than just a strip of land; it is a vital ecosystem and a lifeline for numerous species and local communities. more..

Jun 1 (Island) Jaffna district MP Mathiaparanan Abraham Sumanthiran�s recent declaration supportive of the militarily defeated LTTE particularly captured the public attention. Then soon after, MP Sumanthiran surprised all by appearing on stage with Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe, in Jaffna, where the UNP leader bestowed land deeds on a selected group of people. With them on stage were EPDP leader Douglas Devananda, MP, and Dharmalingam Siddharthan, MP, of PLOTE/TNA more..

Jun 1 (DM) Kavindya Madushani and her husband Sajith Chathura from Kotawila, Weligama were anticipating the birth of their firstborn with much hopes and dreams. But their world came to a standstill after May 22, when the hospital staff at the New District General Hospital, Matara, popularly known as Labeema failed to show them the body of their stillborn child. Contradictions and communication gaps in mentioning more..

Jun 1 (ST) Now there is one in the south, whereas the first was in the capital and the second was in the hills, catering to the sick of Sri Lanka. The Karapitiya Teaching Hospital this week joined the prestigious ranks of National Hospitals, the third for the whole of the country, after the National Hospital of SL (NHSL), Colombo, and the Kandy National Hospital. It is now the Galle National Hospital. �Our mission is to be among the topmost healthcare providers in the country,� said its Director Dr. Ranga more..

Jun 1 (Island) Donald Trump has become the first former US Prez to be convicted of a crime. On Thursday, he was found guilty by a New York court, on 34 counts, in a criminal felony case, where he was charged with having falsified business documents to cover up a hush money payment to a porn star. Prosecutors argued that the cover-up had helped Trump improve his chances of winning the 2016 prez election. Thursday�s historic verdict has been welcomed by many as proof that more..

Jun 1 (DN) Kaya Daluwatte, SL�s top women�s golfer, brought great honour to her country by winning the 10th Nepal Amateur Golf Championship, concluded at the Gokarna Golf Club in Kathmandu, Nepal yesterday. Daluwatte played impressively, finishing four under-par with five birdies and one eagle. She carded scores of 71, 71, and an impressive 68 on the final day, which secured her the title in stunning fashion in the third and final round. In the second round, Daluwatte extended her lead to six more..

Jun 1 (ST) Large trees and the mangroves in Anawilundawa Ramsar wetland�s ecosystem have been badly affected by human activity and are on the verge of destruction. Environmental organisations explained that the wetland usually experienced dry and wet seasons where the water levels would drop and rise, allowing the mangrove and Kumbuk trees to dry their roots and grow. But farming activity throughout the year has changed the natural cycle. The farmers keep the tank system active, more..

Jun 1 (ST) It was a function with a difference, two days before Vesak on Tuesday (21), very much in the spirit of this thrice blessed Buddhist celebration. Formalities having been dealt with earlier, the true essence of what the Colombo South Teaching Hospital (CSTH), Kalubowila, was offering came in the form of a little plant. The plants lined up on a side table in the seventh floor Dr. W.D. Gunawardena auditorium were not gifts more..

Jun 1 (DM) A total of 173,444 students have been qualified to apply for university admission this year following the 2023 (2024) GCE Advanced Level (A/L) exam. The qualified percentage was 64.33. Accordingly, a total of 269,613 applicants including 229,057 school applicants and 40,556 private applicants sat for the examinations. A total of 173,444 candidates including 151,343 school applicants and 22,101 private applicants qualified for university entrance. more..

Jun 1 (DM) Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) announced a revision of fuel prices, which will take effect from midnight today. Under the new pricing scheme, the cost of Petrol 92 Octane has been reduced by Rs. 13, bringing the price down to Rs. 355 per litre. The price of Petrol 95 Octane remains unchanged at Rs. 420 per litre. In the diesel category, Auto Diesel sees a reduction of Rs. 16, now priced at Rs. 317 per litre. The price for Super Diesel remains steady at Rs. 377 per litre. more..

Jun 1 (FT) State Minister Shehan Semasinghe on Thursday expressed optimism that Sri Lanka is on track to finalise external debt negotiations in time for the IMF to consider the next review of its economic stabilisation program. �We have a strong conviction of finalising within the timelines. We can do it,� Semasinghe stated. He disclosed that discussions are advancing on converting in-principle agreements with official creditors into MOUs. more..

Jun 1 (DM) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe is trying to open doors to economic hitmen like billionaire Elon Musk, George Soros and James Packer by introducing the Economic Transformation Bill, NPP Economic Council member Sunil Hadunnetti said. He said Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe claimed that Elon Musk is coming to SL to provide WIFI. "Ranil said in 2015 that free WIFI will be made available to all. He has now dropped the word 'free' and says WIFI will be given in 2024. more..

Jun 1 (DN) A 14 member high level business delegation from Pakistan is in SL exploring investment opportunities in several high profile manufacturing including e-batteries and e- bikes. Honorary Consul SL in Lahore who led this delegation said that today SL has made a dramatic economic turnaround after facing its worst economic crisis last year. �This transformation has opened up several investment opportunities and this along with the friendly investment climate made us visit more..

Jun 1 (BBC) Ireland lost to SL by 41 runs in Florida in their final warm-up match before the T20 World Cup opener against India on Wednesday. Josh Little and Barry McCarthy both took two wickets as SL posted 163-8 in Lauderhill, with Angelo Mathews top-scoring with an unbeaten 32. In Ireland's reply, Andrew Balbirnie and skipper Paul Stirling put on 39 for the opening wicket inside five overs but Maheesh Theekshana and Dushmantha Chameera dismissed both openers within 4 balls. more..

Jun 1 (FT) Colombo stock market�s dismal run persisted yesterday ending the week and the month with losses. In May ASPI lost 2.1% and the active S&P SL20 was down 3.3%. Yesterday induces were down by 0.5% Asia Securities said the market ended the week on a low note as the indices moved downwards throughout the session due to price losses in BIL (-1.6%), NTBN (-1.5%), LOLC (-1.4%), LOFC (-1.5%), and HELA (-3.0%). However, COCR (+3.4%) closed in green in an otherwise more..

Jun 1 (FT) Hotels Association of SL (THASL) and Colombo City Restaurants Collective (CCRC) have strongly opposed a new directive from the National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol (NATA), which prohibits hotels from offering any discounts on alcohol purchases, deeming it a punishable offense. �We have already submitted written objections to Tourism Minister Harin Fernando, State Minister of Finance more..

Jun 1 (FT) Charg� d�Affairs of the Embassy of Iraq in SL Mohammed Obaid Jabur Al-Masoudi encouraged the re-establishment of a SL embassy in Iraq, to strengthen diplomatic and economic engagement between the two countries. He said the move is seen as a crucial step in addressing visa issues and smoother trade relations. Al-Masoudi made these remarks during a meeting with Minister Nalin Fernando to discuss conducting the 9th session of Iraq-SL for Economic & Technical more..

Jun 1 (FT) Following a period of sig-nificant innovations using artificial intelligence (AI) and growth under his leadership, Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC) Chairman Dr. Prasad Samarasinghe has resigned citing personal reasons. Samarasinghe stated that the reason for his resignation was unrelated to any current political events. After spearheading a turnaround at SLRC last year through innovative programs and changes to its TV channels, Samarasinghe resigned more..

June 1 (DM) Examinations Dept has announced the top island rankings for various streams. Leading the list of achievers are: Chirath Nirodha of Ananda College, Colombo, who excelled in the Physical Science (Mathematics) stream. Shehani Navodya of Ginigathhena Central College, who topped the Engineering Technology stream. Upani Lenora of Sanghamitta Balika Vidyalaya in Galle, who achieved the highest rank in the Science stream. Thasun Rithmika of Richmond College, Galle, more..

June 1 (DM) SJB demanded Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe to hand over the UNP headquarters Sirikotha to the SJB. The party�s election manager Sujeewa Senasinghe said that SJB has a right to claim Sirikotha. �We have a right to claim Sirikotha as we are former UNPers,� he said. Expressing concerns about UNP�s current plight, Senasinghe also said �We hope that UNP leader will work according to his conscience and handover the Sirikotha to us. more..

June 1 (DM) The Court of Appeal today issued a Writ of Mandamus directing the Director General of Wildlife Conservation, CID, IGP and the Attorney General to take necessary steps to prosecute all individuals who illegally kept the elephants referred to the Colombo Chief Magistrate�s Court and Matale Magistrate�s Court, who have not been lawfully registered in terms of the law. Court of Appeal Justices Sobhitha Rajakaruna and more..

June 1 (FT) Colombo Additional Magistrate�s Court is expected to reveal the cause of death of prominent businessman Lalith Kothalawala on 11 June. Colombo Additional Magistrate Pasan Amarasinghe made this announcement yesterday. The post-mortem report regarding Kotelawala�s death was submitted to the court on 22 May. Initially scheduled for announcement on 28 May, the court�s decision was later postponed to 11 June. Renowned SL entrepreneur Lalith Kotelawala passed away more..

June 1 (DM) The CID arrested a wanted suspect, Gerard Pushparaja Osman Gerard, suspected to be the person who co-ordinated the sending of the four alleged ISIS terrorists from SL to India and who were arrested in India. Earlier, CID announced a reward of Rs. 2 million for information leading to the arrest of the suspect. The suspect was arrested in a joint operaion conducted by the police in Colombo. SL security forces suspect that the 46-year-old suspect acted as a handler more..

June 1 (DN) Colombo Chief Magistrate Thilina Gamage ordered the Intelligence Investigation Unit of the CIABOC Colombo to immediately arrest all officials of the Motor Traffic Department (formerly RMV) and those others who were involved in the illegal import of vehicles depriving the Govt of over Rs.10 billion in tax money. The Court ordered the arrest of all the officials who illegally entered data into the information system of the RMV, more..

Jun 2 (CT) The rise of NPP from the ashes of Aragalaya and led by a new generation of JVP leadership, which has distanced itself from that party�s insurrectionary past, and NPP�s tireless campaign to convince the voting public that SL�s economic malaise is not an isolated phenomenon, but part of an overall systemic paralysis that had been sapping for decades the vitality of a once peaceful and prosperous nation, and that it cannot be rectified unless there is a radical more..

Jun 2 (CT) General Secretary of UNP, Palitha Range Bandara, kicked the political hornets� nest last Tuesday with his controversial proposal to postpone the presidential election and the general election by at least two years via a parliamentary majority followed by a referendum. Backing his statement which allows Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe to be at the helm for additional two years, if passed, Range Bandara said the current economic crisis necessitates stability, continuity in leadership. more..

Jun 2 (CT) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe while participating in the What�s New dialogue, on legal reforms, with young legal professionals, at a workshop held at the Presidential Secretariat on Tuesday, emphasised that none of the candidates aspiring to run in the Prez Election have announced their intention to abolish the executive powers associated with the position. Addressing a forum of legal professionals, Prez stressed that more..