Rain expected today in most districts

ColomSeveral spells of showers are expected in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern and North-Western Provinces, as well as in the Kandy and Nuwara Eliya districts today, the forecasting division of the National Meteorological Centre said.

HIV/AIDS on the rise; 200+ cases, 13 deaths in first quarter

Sri Lanka faces a worrying upswing in HIV/AIDS cases, with over 200 new infections and 13 deaths reported in the first quarter alone in 2024.

Concluding debt restructuring sooner than later critical for SL: Katsuki

Japan, Sri Lanka’s biggest bilateral lender after China, yesterday stressed the island nation must speed up in its debt restructuring efforts for its own betterment.

Prabhakaran’s brother slams section of Tamil diaspora for cheating Tamils

Velupillai Manoharan, the elder brother of LTTE founder leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, has come forward to denounce a scam targeting the Tamil diaspora and revealed that a group within the diaspora has been deceiving unsuspecting individuals by falsely claiming that Prabhakaran and some family members are still alive.

SL unit trust industry crosses key milestones, gains traction

Amidst the declining interest rates and entrance of new funds, Sri Lanka’s unit trust industry has continued to gain traction this year. The number of unit trust holders surpassed 100,000 and the total net asset value (NAV) crossed Rs.500 billion at end-April this year.

SriLankan Airlines notches Rs.1.12bn profit in nine months ended Dec. 2023

National carrier SriLankan Airlines has managed to move towards the positive territory, as it recorded a profit for the nine months ended December 31, 2023.

Ali Sabry discusses remittance limits for Sri Lankan workers in Maldives

While reaffirming the strong bilateral ties between the two countries, Foreign Minister Ali Sabry on Wednesday said he held discussions with his Maldivian counterpart Moosa Zameer, to revisit the limits imposed on foreign currency remittances of Sri Lankan migrant workers in the Maldives.

India beat Ireland by eight wickets in T20 World Cup

India hammered Ireland by eight wickets in the teams’ Group A T20 World Cup opener in New York on Wednesday.

Modi Invites President Wickremesinghe to swearing-in ceremony

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has invited Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe to his swearing-in ceremony, which the President has accepted, according to the President’s Media Division.

Two underworld gangsters arrested

Two underworld gangsters operating the drug trafficking network in the country on the directions of their leaders known named ’Alagoram Jothi Ruban’ and ’Sedawatte Kasun’ currently in hiding in Dubai, were arrested today.

Extreme weather leaves over 250,000 persons affected

Some 253,581 persons from 66,906 families across thirteen districts have been affected by the adverse weather conditions, according to the Disaster Management Centre (DMC).

TNA will talk to all candidates before making final decision

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) will decide on whom to support at the next Presidential election only after discussions with all candidates, MP M.A. Sumanthiran said.

Island-wide canteens, restaurants to lower food prices tonight

The All Island Canteen and Restaurant Owners’ Association (AICROA) has decided to lower the prices of food items from tonight due to the reduction in the prices of domestic LP gas, vegetables and eggs.

Assault on 4-year-old child: ’Kukul Chaminda’ remanded

The suspect identified as Kukul Chaminda alias Bibile Chaminda, who was arrested for the assault on a 4-year-old child, was remanded until June 19.

Today’s exchange rate - 05 June 2024

The approximate exchange rates of GULF currencies based on the previous day’s market-weighted average rate for the US dollar are as follows:

SJB files petition against Economic Transformation Bill

Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara today filed a Special Determination petition before the Supreme Court challenging the constitutionality of the Economic Transformation Bill, which was tabled recently in Parliament.

Gunman attacks U.S. Embassy in Lebanon

A gunman was captured after opening fire at the U.S. Embassy in Lebanon’s capital, Beirut, on Wednesday — an attack that took place as U.S. ally Israel signaled it could soon launch an offensive in the country against Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah.

PM Modi resigns

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday tendered his resignation along with the Council of Ministers to President Droupadi Murmu.

Grade One admissions on the decline: Minister

Admissions to the Grade One are on the decline as a result of the falling birth rate, Minister of Education Susil Premajayantha told Parliament today.

Dambulla gets new owner following former owner’s arrest

Sequoia Consultants, Inc., a leading civil engineering consulting firm headquartered in Los Angeles, California, has stepped in to take over the Lanka Premier League (LPL) franchise of the Dambulla Thunders, in light of the arrest of its previous owner.

Indian couple drowns while bathing at Kirinda beach

A foreign national couple has drowned while bathing in the sea off the Kirinda beach, police said.

Man attempts to flee to Canada with forged passport arrested

A 34-year-old youth from Jaffan was arrested this morning at the Bandaranike International Airport (BIA) while attempting to flee to Canada using a forged passport.

Step-motherly treatment for Sri Lankan team in US: Sajith tells Parliament

The Sri Lankan cricket team touring the USA for the World Cup T20 series has faced step-motherly treatment by the International Cricket Council (ICC), Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa said today.

Death toll due to inclement weather rises to 30: State Minister

The death toll due to the inclement weather has gone up to 30 as of today with one death being reported this morning, State Minister of Defence Pramitha Bandara Tennakoon said.

Dates announced calling for rescrutiny of 2023 (2024) A/L exam answer scripts

The Examinations Department announced the dates for applying for rescrutiny of the 2023 (2024) Advanced Level (A/L) answer scripts from today.

Brands and celebrities hit by TikTok cyber-attack

TikTok says it is addressing a cyber-attack that targeted several brands and celebrities. The video-sharing app, which is owned by Chinese company ByteDance, told the BBC that a ’’very limited’’ number of accounts had been compromised.

Sri Lankan Parliament congratulates Modi

The Sri Lankan Parliament congratulated Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his party’s victory at the South Asian nation’s elections which concluded on Tuesday while both the government and the opposition expressed Sri Lanka’s commitment to work closely with its neighbour.

ICFS hosts multi-destination university admission day for higher education

The International Centre for Foreign Studies (ICFS) has organized a multi destination university admission day, aiming to provide Sri Lankan students with valuable opportunities for higher education across various destinations such as Australia, New Zealand, UK, Canada, Germany, and Malta.

Police officers injured as jeep driven by OIC crashes into house

Three police officers, including the Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of the Puliyankulam Police Station, sustained injuries yesterday after a police jeep veered off the road and crashed into a house in Puliyankulam.

Derailment delays train services between Maradana, Fort

Train services between Colombo Fort and Maradana were delayed due to a derailment this mornign, the Railways Department said.