Jun 9 (ST) What was branded as the Festival of Democracy with 642 million voters peacefully electing a govt of their choice, turned out a surprise result. As one young Indian journalist nicely put it; They (the voters), gave the ruling BJP a victory that feels like a defeat; and the Opposition Alliance a defeat that feels like a victory. The final outcome was far from what the BJP aimed for – a thumping landslide. They were the single largest party, but fell short of even a simple majority. more..

Jun 9 (TM) The Ranil Wickremesinghe Govt will enter a decisive period from this coming week, especially on the economic front, which in turn will play a key role in Prez Wickremesinghe’s decision on contesting the upcoming Prez Election. IMF Executive Board is set to review Sri Lanka’s progress under the Article IV Consultation and the second review of the EFF on Wednesday. Meeting on Wednesday will play a crucial role more..

Jun 9 (CT) It is tempting to ask if Ranil Wickremesinghe can electorally survive the referendum fast one that he got his cop-turned politico Party Secretary to pull on his behalf. Will Mr. Wickremesinghe even contest? Might his effervescent mind think of another pre-election ploy? Such as a special referendum to consult the people if he should contest the next prez election for the sake of the economy? He could creatively interpret the constitution to justify such a referendum. more..

Jun 9 (Island) SJB Leader Sajith Premadasa faced two significant setbacks last week, the repercussions of which are expected to unfold in the coming days. Most notable was the backlash on social media following his failure to attend the highly anticipated debate with NPP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake. After weeks of boasting and challenges, debate was scheduled for Thursday at the ITN studio. While the JVP leader arrived promptly, Premadasa was conspicuously absent. more..

Jun 9 (ST) A Times Online investigation has revealed that many govt hotlines and non-emergency short-codes are not functional. The study of more than 65 four-digit short-codes and five other govt hotlines showed that many were not functional, with lines being cut due to No answer or lack of connection. On some lines, the waiting time was more than 10 minutes. Accordingly, 40% of the 65 hotlines went unanswered. more..

Jun 9 (TM) An old joke diplomats in the sub continent are familiar with is that if Delhi sneezes, Colombo ends up catching a cold. Jokes apart, it highlights the strong and historic socio-political connections between the South Asian neighbours and the resultant currents and undercurrents that invariably tend to inform political developments to a far greater extent in Colombo than in Delhi. Such is the impact that no sooner a new president or govt is elected in this country, more..

Jun 9 (TM) Switzerland is famous for its neutrality through both World Wars. Despite being at the centre of deadly warfare between world powers, this landlocked central European State was never invaded by belligerents. During World War II, the Nazis planned an invasion of the Swiss nation. However, Operation Tannenbaum was aborted due to the geographical complexities of this region, which have for many centuries provided the region with immense natural protection. more..

Jun 9 (Island) The week that passed was packed with newsworthy events at home and abroad led by the Indian election results. PM Narendra Modi emerged the winner but not as comfortably as widely forecast. Although his BJP with its NDA allies cleared the simple majority hurdle, the Modi party did not do so on its own and is dependent on two regional parties, Telegu Desam from Andhara Pradesh and Janata Dal from Bihar to command a parliamentary majority. more..

Jun 9 (ST) My dear Range, I thought of writing to you after I heard you saying that we should all get together for the sake of the country and, instead of having elections in a few months, give Uncle Ranil two more years on the job to finish the task he began when Gota maama fled the country around this time two years ago. Surely, Range, holding the important position of General Secretary of the Greens, you must know that the entire country is eagerly looking forward to this big election. more..

Jun 9 (CI) Nuwan Thushara's last over brought SL screaming back into the match late in the contest. He first bowled Rishad Hossain, and then nailed Taskin Ahmed in front of the stumps with a pinpoint swinging yorker. This left Bangladesh eight wickets down, with 12 runs still to get, and the game looked set to turn on its head. However, the experienced Mahmudullah was at the crease for Bangladesh, and despite some further more..

Jun 9 (ST) Sri Lanka embarked on their ongoing T20 World Cup journey with buoyant confidence, fueled by triumphant outings against Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh in their preceding series. These victories not only uplifted the spirits of selectors, team management, and players but also ignited a fervent belief that a second T20 title was well within reach for the islanders. However, the initial wave of optimism swiftly gave way to a stark reality as the tournament unfolded more..

Jun 9 (SO) Sri Lanka cricket captain Wanindu Hasaranga who extricated himself from an impending four-match ban in T20 cricket failed to lift his sunken team as underdog Bangladesh snatched a two-wicket win in their World Cup match in Dallas, USA yesterday. Hasaranga faced an automatic four-match ban by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for breaching the players’ disciplinary code by exceeding his demerit points during an ODI series against Bangladesh in March. more..

Jun 9 (Island) With just three weeks remaining for the qualification period for the Paris Olympics to close country’s top athletes will be eager to improve their rankings fast to secure elusive Olympic berths. Here is a look at the current positions of SL’s top athletes in the fray for an Olympic berth. Thrower Dilhani Lekamge is the only Sri Lankan track and field athlete remaining within the required rankings to secure a ticket to the quadrennial games. The athlete trained by reputed throwing coach more..

Jun 9 (FT) As the deadline is set for 31 December, Sri Lankan rubber exporters will have to adopt strict EU guidelines to ensure continued EU market access for specified products including rubber and all rubber-based commodities. In order to ensure that products exported to the EU will have EUDR certificate, the implementation process should start now Ch17 Digital has announced the development of an innovative program designed to ensure seamless EUDR compliance for exporters. more..

Jun 9 (TM) Power and Energy Ministry has formally requested RM Parks, a US-based company entering the nation’s fuel market, to disclose the specifics of its financial sources. The letter, written by Power and Energy Ministry Secretary Dr. Sulakshana Jayawardena, was dispatched to RM Parks’ SL office last week. The ministry anticipates a response from RM Parks this week, it is learnt. Against this backdrop, questions have surrounded more..

Jun 9 (ST) SL has been grappling with logistical challenges that have adversely affected the team’s performance in the ongoing World Cup in the USA and the West Indies. Players have highlighted that they are one of only two teams among the 20 competing to endure a gruelling schedule in their quest to qualify for the Super Eight round, which now seems impossible following Saturday’s loss to Bangladesh–their second. According to media reports, on the day SL played South Africa, more..

Jun 9 (ST) In the state-owned Litro Gas restructuring, eight bidders have been selected by the State-Owned Enterprises Restructuring Unit (SRU), from the 14 who had submitted proposals, informed sources said. Epdesa Pte Ltd (Singapore), Bharat Petroleum Cop. Ltd (India), Ayaz Anonim Sirketi (Türkiye), SiamGas and Petrochemicals Public Company Limited (Thailand), BGN Int DMCC (UAE), Confidence Petroleum India Limited (India), OQ Trading Limited (UAE), more..

Jun 9 (TM) SL Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) aims to transition informal sector luxury boutique hotels into the formal sector to meet the increasing influx of high-end tourists, in addition to seeking to attract local and foreign investors for new hotel projects or expansions to address the growing demand. SLTDA Chairman Priantha Fernando stated: “If markets such as China open up, the tourist inflow will be much greater, more..

Jun 9 (EN) Two-time PM Narendra Modi’s less-than-expected win at the India’s parliamentary election may not change its foreign policy towards SL, but aggressive push for connectivity and infrastructure projects in the island nation could be slowed, analysts say. Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lost its outright majority in the election and found itself reliant on support from regional parties. Broader coalition NDA led by Modi’s BJP won 293 seats in the 543-member lower house more..

Jun 9 (Island) Ceylon tea industry, a vital component of the national economy, is under immense pressure from the proposed 700 Rupee wage increase for tea estate workers. While it is said that the intention behind the wage hike is to improve worker livelihoods, industry experts refer this as a pure political move aimed at gaining the estate worker’s vote and does next to nothing to address the real issues at hand. The potential repercussions could be catastrophic for the industry more..

Jun 9 (UN) Sri Lanka has been elected by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) at the elections held in New York, on 07 June 2024, for a 3-year term commencing on 1 Jan 2025. Sri Lanka obtained 182 votes, of the 189 member states present and voting, securing the 2nd highest vote count from the region, and the 7th highest number overall. Sri Lanka was previously elected to the ECOSOC from 1985 – 1989 and from 2006 – 2008. more..

Jun 9 (CT) Govt has decided to pay off Ceylon Petroleum Corporation’s (CPC) debts, owed to the People’s Bank and the Bank of Ceylon. As per data, the total payable sum to these two State Banks by the CPC is nearly USD 450 million. This decision to pay the CPC’s debts from State coffers was reached at a meeting presided by President’s Chief of Staff, Sagala Ratnayake. Even though the debt burden of the CPC was on the rise even before the fuel crisis in the country, it surged rapidly. more..

Jun 9 (TM) Power Sector Reform Secretariat (PSRS) has started addressing the prerequisites that should be fulfilled in order for the newly-passed SL Electricity Act to fully come into operation. PSRS Head Dr. Pradeep Perera said that the new law provided a 12-month period for the prerequisites to be fulfilled. “We have already started most of it,” said Dr. Perera. Following a contested & criticised path, SL Electricity Bill was passed more..

Jun 9 (AD) Saudi Arabian Govt has offered Muslim members of the SL Tri-Forces sponsored opportunity to perform the annual Hajj Pilgrimage this year (2024), for the first time in history. This comes after a request made by the State Minister Premitha Bandara Tennakoon from the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia Khalid Hamoud Alkahtani. In response to the State Minister’s request, the Saudi Ambassador had made necessary arrangements to obtain five special quotas from the Saudi govt, more..

Jun 9 (CT) Supreme Court has ruled that the introduction of the Gender Equality Bill is incompatible with Article 12 of the Constitution, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana informed Parliament on Friday. The Court further decreed that the Bill, in its entirety, cannot be passed into law unless it adheres to the prescribed procedures outlined in Articles 83 and/or Article 84, in conjunction with Article 80 of the Constitution. These procedures mandate that the number of more..

Jun 9 (TM) The strike action initiated by the Locomotive Operating Engineers’ Union of Sri Lanka Railways is set to continue today (9) for the third consecutive day as no favourable response had been received from railway officials by yesterday (8) evening, The Sunday Morning learns. The strike, which began at midnight on Thursday (6), entered its second day yesterday, leading to the cancellation of nearly 100 trains by noon, causing severe disruptions for commuters. more..

Jun 9 (SO) The biggest private sector development project in Jaffna, the Rs. 2.5 billion international university complex is on track and would be opened early next year, said Chairman UDA, Nimesh Hearth. All approvals for the project have been obtained and the Canadian investor MagickWoods Group of Canada and SL Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT) are now moving ahead. According to the investment proposal submitted by the investor, total investment is USD 50 million more..

Jun 9 (ST) SL’s debt pile has ballooned to US$ 100.18 billion, amid marginal improvement in some macroeconomic barometers, while unpaid principal and interest on selected debt exceed US$ 6.4 billion. More than US$ 12 billion of International Sovereign Bond (ISB) debt remains unpaid; a US$ 500 million ISB is due for payment later this month, and SL now owes US$ 10.5 b to Asian Development Bank (US$ 6.2b) & World Bank (US$ 4.3b). more..

Jun 9 (TM) The recent torrential rains and floods have devastated over 15,000 acres of paddy fields, according to the Ministry of Agriculture. While the bulk of the damage has been sustained by paddy fields, the ministry reported that since these cultivations were in their early stages, the overall impact had been somewhat mitigated. Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera confirmed that upcountry vegetable cultivations had largely escaped the worst effects of the rains. more..

Jun 9 (ST) CIABOC has decided to refile indictments against former CB Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal on charges of causing a loss of Rs. 1.84 billion to the government by investing in Greek bonds during Greece’s severe economic crisis, Commission sources said. Mr. Cabraal was released from the case on a technicality after the Colombo High Court upheld a preliminary objection raised by his lawyers regarding the appointment of the CIABOC’s Director General at the time indictments were filed. more..

Jun 9 (ST) Believe it or not, it’s true. Some sections of the country’s political spectrum do not believe even now that Ranil Wickremesinghe will be a candidate in the upcoming prez elections. One such personality is Champika Ranawaka, a former Cabinet minister and now leader of the newly formed URF. Barely 48 hours after holding his party’s first annual convention at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium, he appealed to SLPP to accept him more..

Jun 10 (DM) Not many decades ago, our country was held up worldwide for its welfare state policies. Today, unfortunately, such praises are but a distant dream. Poverty rules the day-to-day life for a large number of our citizens. Yet none of the political parties who are now canvassing for our vote, have come out with a single concrete proposal of how they intend to get this country out of its present dilemma. In these columns, we have highlighted times out of number, the huge difference more..

Jun 10 (DM) Following the articles Sajith-Anura debate, that never happened and Mahinda-Ranil 2005: That never was, let us revisit the Ranil-Chandrika 1999 debate. The lead up to the 1999 Prez Election was marked by significant political turmoil and dramatic events. In the early 1990s, internal strife within the UNP ended in a motion to impeach Prez Ranasinghe Premadasa. This led to the abrupt expulsion of Lalith Athulathmudali and Gamini Dissanayake, two prominent more..

Jun 10 (TM) Given the ongoing positive economic growth, the clear priority going forward is to accelerate economic growth and make it inclusive, asserted Prof. Shanta Devarajan. Listing key steps towards this end, he called for relaxing barriers to trade, increasing tax revenues by taxing the rich, reforming the SOEs that are bleeding the Treasury and threatening the banking system, and ensuring that Aswesuma targets the poor more..

Jun 10 (ST) No man has done it thrice, except India’s freedom-winning first PM Jawaharlal Nehru. Today, as Narendra Modi stands poised to step into Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s great-grandfather’s chappals and enter the Hall of Fame, gone will be his charismatic self-confidence which he suavely wore as his shawl around his neck. Gone, too, will be his 400 seat dream of becoming the undisputed ruler of all India. He may have won the election battle but had failed to realise his elusive more..

Jun 10 (ST) The SL Electricity Bill, which paves the way for wide-ranging reforms in the country’s power generation sector, was passed in Parliament on Thursday by a majority of 44 votes. The bill received 103 votes in favour and 59 against in the vote on the Second Reading. The bill was passed with amendments after a day-long debate. Earlier, the Supreme Court had determined that certain clauses in the bill were inconsistent with the Constitution and that the bill would require more..