Jun 21 (Island) 102nd National Athletics Championship starting on June 25 and the National Stage II competition on June 30 will provide final qualifying opportunities for the top-notch athletes vying to book Paris Olympic berths. With no SL athlete achieving direct qualifying standards, the top two local competitions will provide the top athletes a stage to improve their positions in the Road to Paris 24 rankings. The 800 metres specialist Tharushi Karunaratne (47) and more..

Jun 21 (DN) Sports Ministry and Sports Development Dept came forward to give financial support to build a new Indoor Stadium and Auditorium for St. Joseph Vaz College Wennappuwa. The construction work of the indoor stadium and auditorium worth Rs 100 million in Wennappuwa St. Joseph Vas College started last Wednesday under the leadership of the Minister Harin Fernando. On this occasion Minister Harin Fernando said that the work here will be more..

Jun 21 (TM) Public Utilities Commission of SL (PUCSL) stated that the expiry of its tenure on 14 July does not prevent it from studying the relevant data and approving the best possible electricity tariff revision. With the tenure of the current PUCSL ending on 14 July, Electricity Consumers' Association (ECA) alleged that the PUCSL might approve CEB's tariff revision proposal without thoroughly studying relevant data. more..

Jun 21 (DM) The Association of Veterinarians for Humane Management of Animal Population will launch a dansala for stray dogs, donkeys and monkeys living on Mannar Island today, in observance of Poson Poya. They noted that many dogs, donkeys and monkeys have been abandoned on Mannar Island without food. The event will also involve the participation of Vets for Future, One Meal, Million Lives, Bridging Lanka and Hendro Animal Rescue organizations. more..

Jun 21 (EN) Joint energy projects between India and Sri Lanka, including the Sampur solar power plant due to begin next month, took centre stage during bilateral discussions between president Ranil Wickremesinghe and visiting Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday. Wickremesinghe and Jaishankar discussed initiatives aimed at enhancing energy connectivity and developing the renewable energy sector, a statement by his media division said. more..

Jun 21 (ST) The first SL Summit of the Bali Process Govt and Business Forum (GABF) to combat human trafficking and modern slavery took place on June 13 at the Stein Studios in Ratmalana. The summit was organised by the Capital Maharaja Group (CMG) and the SL Business Lead of the Bali Process in partnership with Walk Free Foundation, in Australia. Addressing the summit were Chairman/MD of CMG Sashi Rajamahendran; Ambassador to counter modern slavery, people smuggling and more..

Jun 21 (FT) The Cabinet of Ministers on Wednesday approved a Rs. 6 billion pledge loan scheme to support small and medium-scale paddy mill owners during the Yala season 2024. The move which is aimed at boosting the agricultural sector, will be implemented through participatory banking institutions at a concessionary loan rate. The decision follows the Cabinet’s previous approval on 8 January, to launch a similar loan scheme for the Maha season 2023/24 & Yala season 2024. more..

Jun 21 (EN) SL has lost 14.3 billion rupees in taxes from car permits given to public servants, including doctors, military officers, central bankers, finance ministry and tax officials, in 2019 and 2020. Inclusive of some 2021 tax losses when imports were banned for the rest of the year, 14.4 billion rupees of foregone revenue from a waived luxury tax is shown. The list only shows waivers of a so-called luxury tax imposed on more..

Jun 21 (TM) SJB MP Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka urged the Govt to provide adequate welfare facilities to the administrative-level officials working in the courts. Speaking in the Parliament yesterday, he said that court officers serve in various capacities, including managing archives, handling case items, working as shroffs, and preparing related documents to implement court decisions. Despite fulfilling their duties and responsibilities, he said that such officers are facing numerous challenges more..

Jun 21 (AD) Former Prez Maithripala Sirisena alleges that the Archbishop of Colombo Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith has not distributed any of the funds or financial aid received to assist the victims of the Easter Sunday terror attacks. Former Prez claimed that most of the court cases against him were filed under the influence of Cardinal Ranjith. “I have set a Guinness World Record with over four hundred court cases against me. These cases were filed as instructed by the Cardinal…one case for more..

Jun 21 (DN) Minister Bandula Gunawardhana said that a special train service has been deployed from today (21) to 23 for pilgrims to travel free from Anuradhapura to Mihintale. He said that he hopes to provide the same service if the sponsors come forward on the other days as well. In addition, the minister said that a special bus service has been deployed from Anuradhapura to Sri Maha Bodhi and more than 400 buses have been deployed to travel to Anuradhapura and Mihintale. more..

Jun 21 (FT) SJB MP Dr. Harsha de Silva yesterday expressed significant concerns regarding the proposed imputed rent tax under Sri Lanka’s agreement with the IMF. He emphasised that the imputed rent tax, categorised as an income tax rather than a property tax, could disproportionately impact a wide range of income earners. In a detailed analysis, Dr. de Silva pointed out that an individual with a monthly salary of Rs. 150,000 currently pays Rs. 3,500 in taxes. more..

Jun 21 (AJ) The bullying from a senior health official was bad enough. A sense of betrayal by govt authorities during COVID-19 made it worse. But the economic crisis that pummelled SL in the wake of the pandemic was the breaking point for Lahiru Gamage. The 35-year-old SL doctor left Sri Lanka in Jan 2023 to take up a job in the UK, after working in a govt hospital in the remote town of Hatton, for six years. more..

Jun 21 (TM) Bar Association of SL (BASL), while addressing recent remarks made by Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe in the Parliament regarding the Supreme Court’s (SC) ruling on the Gender Equality Bill, emphasised that the SC has executed its constitutional duty by evaluating the Bill’s alignment with supreme law of the land – the Constitution, and that while individuals have the right to agree or disagree, neither the Legislature nor the Executive should criticise the Court for more..

Jun 21 (TM) Due to the prevailing dishonesty within the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) and the deliberate delay of eight years and eight months in issuing the relevant circular to the filling station owners by the CPC’s Marketing Department, the CPC has incurred a loss of Rs. 3,416 million during 2014-2022, the COPE revealed. In such a context, the COPE was of the view that the said Department should assume responsibility for committing a large-scale fraud to the CPC. more..

Jun 21 (Island) The Core Group on SL at the UNHRC has urged Sri Lanka to ensure that transitional justice mechanisms are independent, inclusive, impartial, transparent, and that they meet the expectations of affected communities. SL Core Group statement at the UNHRC in Geneva was delivered by UK’s Human Rights Ambassador, Rita French on behalf of Canada, Malawi, Montenegro, North Macedonia, UK & US. more..

Jun 22 (CT) The people don’t want a change of personalities without a change of culture; they don’t want a change of culture without a change of govt; they don’t want a change of govt without a change of total regime. They want a change; a total and unadulterated change; an absolute change. In a universe where everything is relative, where only change is absolute, they want an absolute change. That change might not be able to be defined in mundane terms; it might not be appealing to more..

Jun 22 (GV) The recent suggestion by UNP General Secretary Range Bandara to hold a referendum to postpone elections by two years caused an outcry and was quickly denied by senior UNP members. Was he was merely expressing a personal view or was he was testing the waters on a serious idea? Either way, this tactic is unacceptable; while the Sri Lanka electorate may not understand the nuances of democracy, the concept of free and fair elections is deeply valued. more..

Jun 22 (DM) Just last week, in the aftermath of our dreadful performance at the still ongoing 2024 T-20 World Cup cricket tournament where our team was dumped at the group stage; team captain Hasaranga came out all guns blazing. He was not apologising for the weak-kneed performance. Rather the captain was accusing social media trolls of trying to turn local cricket fans against the team after their T20 World Cup exit. According to Hasaranga social media trolls were attempting to create anger more..

Jun 22 (DM) The Presidential Committee of Inquiry appointed by Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe on June 12 to look into the intelligence failures that led to the Easter Sunday bomb attacks in 2019 is the fourth such investigative mechanism in relation to those attacks put in place by the present and past Presidents. Two of them – a committee and a Presidential commission were appointed by former President Maithripala Sirisena during whose tenure the macabre crime took place. more..

Jun 22 (TM) With the opening up of the economy in 1977 and the shift to a more export-oriented development strategy, SL sought to attract Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) by offering attractive tax incentives as the country emerged from a decade of looking inward for economic development. Concessions for investors were first given under the Greater Colombo Economic Commission Law No.4 of 1978 and more..

Jun 22 (Island) Anything is possible in politics all over the world. It has been reported that the UK voters will be able to elect the world’s first AI MP (AI Steve) in the forthcoming parliamentary election. This claim, which the international media has given wide publicity, is not entirely true, for AI Steve is only a virtual proxy candidate sans independent agency, as is obvious, standing in for a 59-year-old businessman, Steve Endacott, who will enter Parliament in case his AI avatar polling more..

Jun 22 (CT) It is sad that at a time when the community needs him the most, Sri Lankan Tamil (SLT) political parties and civil society organisations have been wantonly ignoring R Sampanthan, who has withdrawn from public life for all practical purposes, owing to age-related health issues. Their internal confabulations and criticisms over the idea of fielding a Common Tamil Candidate in the Prez Poll make no real reference to Sampanthan’s periodic public statements on the subject. more..

Jun 22 (DM) Captain Blood: His Odyssey was an adventure novel written by well-known writer, Rafael Sabatini, in 1922. Sabatini had a flair for creating fictional characters set against the backdrop of true, historical events. This blend of fiction and fact was received well by readers. Captain Blood became an immensely popular novel and several films based on the book were made in different languages over the years. The block buster Tamil movie Aayirathil Oruvan (One in a Thousand), more..

Jun 22 (Island) Thehas Kiringoda made history for SL chess with an outstanding second place finish at the U-10 Boys Asian Youth Chess Championship held in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Entering the tournament as 32nd in the starting rankings, Thehas scored 7/9 points winning his last two games to clinch a spot on the podium. He lost only two games enroute to the silver medal including a loss against top seed Alimzhan Zhauynbay of Kazkhstan. Entering the last round in 4th place on 6 points, more..

Jun 22 (CT) Speaker Anura Banadaranaike, on 20 June 2001 delivered a historic ruling on the issue of two orders by the Supreme Court seeking to restrain him, as Speaker, from appointing a Select Committee of Parliament under and in terms of Standing Order 78A of the Standing Orders of Parliament. A 3-Judge Bench of the SC issued a Stay Order restraining the Speaker from appointing a Select Committee, to inquire into more..

Jun 22 (CT) As the COPE recently revealed, after examining the AG’s report for the year 2022 and the current status of Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC), customers are still paying an extra Rs 5.85 per litre of 92 Octane Petrol, Rs 7.50 per litre of 95 Octane Petrol, Rs 5.88 per litre of Lanka Energy Diesel (LED) and Rs 6.96 per litre of Lanka Super Diesel (LSD) – based on current calculations. Reason being; CPC having to pay an additional Rs 31 b as commission to distributors in 2022. more..

Jun 22 (Island) While one can only imagine the atmosphere at the discussions with the IMF, what transpires from these meetings, one can presume that there was no resistance or contention to whatever the IMF proposes. The IMF appears to be pretty much dictating the fiscal policies for Sri Lanka to follow. The proposed Imputed Rental Income Tax (IRIT) is a good example how helpless or defenceless SL has become to get a bit of money that some oligarchs spend on their yachts. more..

Jun 22 (DN) Dialog ‘A’ Division School Rugby League season is in full swing with four exciting matches played in Colombo today. At Havelock Park, Trinity College, fresh from an impressive 31-1 victory over Thomians in Pallekele, faced DS Senanayake College. DS Senanayake also had a strong start, winning 44-12 against Dharmaraja in their first match. Trinity, led by centre Anuhas Kodithuwakku, boasted a strong lineup including winger Sachindu Wanasekara, scrum half Rushen more..

Jun 22 (ST) Despite estate workers paying subscriptions to trade unions on a monthly basis, the benefits to contributors are low, the Sunday Times investigation revealed. All major trade unions receive a monthly subscription varying from Rs100-350 from each employee. Trade union representatives say they spend the subscription money for their functions, May Day rallies, to maintain offices, pay their office employees, and appear for labour tribunal cases, transportation costs, welfare activities. more..

Jun 22 (CI) Chamari Athapaththu, Nilakshika Silva and Anushka Sanjeewani led the way with half-centuries before Sachini Nisansala grabbed a maiden five-for to set up a comprehensive 161-run win over the West Indies in the third ODI in Hambantota. The hosts took the series 3-0, securing their second series whitewash against the West Indies. Chasing SL's score of 275 for 6 - their third-highest total in ODIs - West Indies struggled more..

Jun 22 (DN) The Galle Marvels, a prominent franchise in the Lanka Premier League (LPL), have appointed wicketkeeper-batsman Niroshan Dickwella as their captain for the upcoming season. Known for his acrobatic skills behind the stumps and aggressive batting approach, Dickwella is a stalwart of SL cricket. His leadership qualities and on-field brilliance make him the ideal candidate to lead the Galle Marvels to new heights. “Dickwella’s reputation precedes him,” said a team spokesperson. more..

Jun 22 (DM) The university's non-academic employees have claimed they have not received their June salaries due to the ongoing strike, the Uni Trade Union Joint Committee (UTUJC) said. They said, no staff members are available in the departments to process salaries. Once the 15% salary cut is rectified, the due salaries will be paid for the missed months. Accordingly the UTUJC announced that the strike has reached its 51st day today (21). more..

Jun 22 (ST) The majority of women being silent in the face of harassment of any kind, is fuelling the normalisation of abuse on public transport, according to police. A campaign has been launched to arrest suspects who mistreat women and children on buses and trains. Chief of Police in charge of the Child and Women Abuse Prevention Division DIG Renuka Jayasundara said that from February to June, 34 suspects have been more..

Jun 22 (EN) Sri Lanka’s central bank has repaid 225 million US dollars to the Reserve Bank of India in the first quarter of 2024, on top of earlier repayments, official data shows. In October 2023 the Sri Lanka gave a Treasury guarantee to cover a 2,601.43 million dollar credit from RBI to Sri Lanka’s central bank. Sri Lanka’s got deferred payments due to India via the Asian Clearing Union during the worst currency crisis triggered by rate cuts since the creation of the central bank. more..

Jun 22 (EN) SL’s female employment lags Asian peers and clearing barriers to their work could be an important economic driver in the context of an ageing population and migration, Deputy Treasury Secretary R M P Rathnayake said. SL’s female labor force participation was estimated at 29.4%, according to the latest survey, compared to men’s participation which is at 67.4%. However, many women also go abroad to countries with better monetary regimes & send back remittances. more..