South Asian student organisations say ‘We stand in solidarity with Palestinian people’

Student unions from several South Asian countries yesterday demanded Israel to declare immediate ceasefire and said that they will stand in solidarity with the people of Palestine recognising their right to resist, return home and to be free. A host of student unions representing India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka signing a joint statement said the student community stands in solidarity with the people of Palestine. The Inter

Editors’ Guild mourns Gamini Weerakoon’s passing away

The Editors’ Guild of Sri Lanka expresses its profound sorrows at the passing away of a founder member of The Guild, Mr. Gamini Weerakoon. Mr. Weerakoon was the former Editor of The daily Island and Sunday Island. He joined Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd., as a parliamentary reporter in 1966 after abandoning his under graduate studies at the Science and later Law Faculty of the University of Ceylon (Colombo).

Minor tremor reported in Trinco

A minor tremor with a magnitude of 3.4 has been reported in the Morawewa area of Trincomalee District yesterday, Geological Survey and Mines Bureau confirmed. The bureau stated that the tremor with a magnitude of 3.4 on the Richter scale had been felt at around 01.15 p.m. last afternoon. Sri Lanka has been experiencing minor tremors both inland and sea throughout this year. Many of them have been reported from the South and in the Moneragala Di

Amidst severe Doctor shortage Anuradhapura Hospitals face closure

Several hospitals in the Anuradhapura District have been on the verge of closure due to the dearth of doctors, much to the anxiety of the Government Medical Officer’s Association Deputy Secretary of the GMOA Dr. Ajantha Rajakaruna said. Anuradhapura Base Hospital and Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital were facing a shortage of medical specialists. He pointed out that 25 medical specialists and 30 doctors of Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital and 30 doct

More than half a million people forced into darkness this year

The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) disconnected a total of 544,488 electricity connections during the first 10 months of 2023. The details were announced in a report issued by the Power and Energy Ministry recently. Besides, 94,201 electricity connections were reported to have disconnected at the end of 2021, and 247,250 connections were severed at the end of 2022. Altogether, more than 8% of Sri Lankans were already forced into darkness b

Sri Lanka’s weather set to deteriorate further

Sri Lanka‘s weather is to deteriorate once again as a result of a low-level atmospheric disturbance that has set in. Heavy showers above 100 mm were forecast in some places in Western, Central, Sabaragamuwa, Southern and Eastern Provinces and in Kurunegala and Polonnaruwa Districts during the coming days. Showers or thundershowers will occur at times in Northern, North-central, Central and Eastern Provinces. Showers may also occur in the coastal

Executive and legislature should resolve cricket crisis: Mayantha

Both the President and Parliament should resolve the cricket crisis, Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Mayantha Dissanayake said yesterday. MP Dissanayake who is the son of former Minister Gamini Dissanayake who at one time headed Sri Lanka Cricket said an emergency Bill should be brought in to introduce new laws pertaining to cricket and other sports. “One cannot afford to delay this endeavour,” the MP told a media briefing.

China’s support expected to further strengthen digital education: Minister

Following a special meeting with People’s Republic of China’s Education Minister, Huai Jinpeng, Education Minister Susil Premajayantha said that China’s support is expected to further strengthen digital education powered by education reforms. During the meeting, the progress of the educational reform measures and educational development programmes implemented in the education sector of Sri Lanka were discussed. Minister Premajayantha met

Mahela blames poor player fitness levels for disappointing World Cup Campaign

As the postmortem begins into Sri Lanka’s disappointing Cricket World Cup campaign, Consultant Coach Mahela Jayawardene blamed the poor fitness levels of the players as a key reason for the team’s performances during the tournament. The team returned to the island on Friday, having finished ninth out of ten teams in the Group Stage, which meant they did not qualify for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan, the first time that Sri Lanka

Budget : Govt hard pressed between IMF and demand for public relief

The government is expected to present the annual budget for 2024 today in Parliament, prepared amidst much struggling to strike a balance between the conditions stipulated by the International Monetary Fund ( IMF) and the need to give concessions to people ahead of the national elections expected later next year . In accordance with the IMF programme, the government is mainly required to meet its revenue targets at the end of the year while cu

Motion to be brought to expel SJB MP Chaminda Wijesiri

A motion is to be brought in to expel Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Chaminda Wijesiri for misbehaving in Parliament, State Minister of J

Two jumbos drown in causeway

The causeway had been built by a businessman to reach a sand mining site

CCTV cameras to be made mandatory in passenger buses

Officials instructed to initiate an efficient method to pay tolls using a QR code

120 Artistes awarded with Justice of Peace title

Title was awarded to veteran artistes in the fields of cinema, stage, television, tele-drama, music, singing, songwriting, etc

Assassination attempt of former Pakistan High Commissioner: Three LTTE suspects acquitted

The three accused had been charged under the PTA

Reservoirs swell and spill over

Castlereagh and Maussakelle reservoirs had reached spillover level

Overseas demand results in 25% reduction of SriLankan Airlines aircraft engineers: ALAE

The Association of SriLankan Airlines Licensed Aircraft Engineers (ALAE) revealed that an unprecedented demand for skilled

Cricket associations over 20 years will be dissolved: Minister

Says SLC has withdrawn 2Mn dollars and transferred it to another bank account

CEA Chairman nabbed by Bribery Commission for soliciting Rs.10Mn bribe

Preliminary inquiries revealed that the suspect had demanded the sum to facilitate a person with a forged document related to the environmental authority

131 Girls sexually abused in October: Police

10 of the victims are currently pregnant

Main SLPP queries if moves are underway to postpone elections next year

A Cabinet subcommittee has been appointed to work out recommendations to introduce a mixed system

I have never met Shammi: AKD

National People’s Party (NPP) leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Chief Government Whip Prasanna Ranatunga engaged in a verbal battle in Parliament, with allegations being hurled at each other. The battle started when Minister Ranatunga reacted to an allegation by Dissanayake that he had been engaged in extortion.

SL Parliament- Burning issues out, cricket in

Despite the country facing burning issues which hits the common man’s wallet, such as the heavy cost of living, a very concerning online safety bill which is yet to be passed, an upcoming budget and what it holds, taxes and much more, our 225 MPs decided it fit to dedicate an entire day to debate cricket yesterday and pass allegations on Sri Lanka Cricket. Following an entire day’s debate, at the end of the day no vote was taken as initially plan

Sufficient fuel stocks not maintained at CPC for emergency use; COPE reveals

COPE committee summons Power and Energy Ministry Secretary, CPC Chairman and several other officials

SLC funded JVP? Prasanna raises doubts

The doubt that the SLC had funded the JVP have been further proved when NPP MP Vijitha Herath was trying to create a different opinion claiming that the President and his staff were against the moves taken by the Sports Minister regarding the SLC, Chief Government Whip Prasanna Ranatunge said today. He told Parliament that it was the President who said it was pointless talking about issues of the SLC without amending the Sports Act. “It is th

Parliament unanimously approve SLC removal

The joint resolution to remove Sri Lanka Cricket Commitee was unanimously passed by Parliament yesterday amidst a tensed situation. A tensed situation popped up when the opposition wanted a vote while the ruling party argued that there is no necessity as the opposition moved it while it was seconded by the government. Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena put the question before the House and inquired whether it agrees with the resolution. Chief Gov

Dramas in the House during debate on Cricket

President Wickremesinghe was seen telling the group that he will not side with any one when dealing with issues pertaining to cricket

No tax concessions for casino owners Collect 70% tax from their income

Rs. 500 million to be charged as registration fees for 5 years when starting a casino business

Transferring funds from USD to LKR accounts a longstanding practice: SLC

As the governing entity for cricket in Sri Lanka, SLC receives funds and sponsorship income in USD, intentionally kept in USD accounts to leverage exchange rate fluctuations

Parliamentary privileges Statements with reference to judges, a threat to independence of judiciary : BASL

BASL is of the view that independent and impartial persons should be appointed to probe into the truth of allegations made