In a significant development aimed at enhancing transportation infrastructure, the Indian government has approved the allocation of over Rs. 4,500 million (US$ 15 million) for the modernization of the signal system on the Northern Railway Line between Colombo and Kankesanthurai. The funding will be provided under the Indian Credit Line, strengthening the long-standing cooperation between India and Sri Lanka.

The decision to allocate the funds was made following a productive discussion between Dr. Bandula Gunawardhana, Sri Lanka’s Minister of Transport, Highways, and Mass Media, and Gopal Baglay, the Indian High Commissioner in Colombo. This investment is expected to significantly improve the efficiency and reliability of the railway system along the Northern Railway Line.

One of the primary benefits of this modernization project is the anticipated reduction in travel time between Colombo and Kankesanthurai. Once the modernization is completed, the journey duration is expected to be shortened by one hour and 30 minutes. This improved connectivity will not only enhance convenience for commuters but also contribute to the economic development of the region.

In addition to the signal system modernization, Minister Dr. Bandula Gunawardhana highlighted another ongoing railway project. The railway line between Anuradhapura and Maho is currently undergoing reconstruction, and it is expected to be completed within the next two months. This project holds the potential to further enhance the railway network and connectivity in Sri Lanka.

President Wickremesinghe celebrating Niranjan Deva Aditya former UK MEP and MP now Presidential Envoy’s birthday at the Carlton Club with Rt Hon Patricia Scotland Sec Gen of the Commonwealth, Rt Hon Chris Heaton Harris MP Sec of State for Northern Ireland – author of ground breaking Windsor Agreement on EU trade, with Rt Hon Priti Patel MP former Home Secretary and the Rt Hon Lord Selkirk of Douglas who was the brother of the Duke of Hamilton and Brandon, premier Duke of Scotland sitting next to HE Saroja Sirisena High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to the Court of St James.

In a recent development, MP Wimal Weerawansa attended the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday morning (June 21), just two days after an arrest warrant was issued against him for his failure to appear in court.

The arrest warrant had been issued by Colombo Chief Magistrate Prasanna de Alwis on June 19, following Weerawansa’s absence during the court hearing regarding the case filed against his 2016 protest in front of the United Nations (UN) office in Colombo.

The charges against Weerawansa stem from allegations of causing public inconvenience by obstructing the roads surrounding the UN Office in Thummulla, Colombo, during the visit of then UN Human Rights Commissioner Prince Zeid Al Hussain to Sri Lanka in 2016.

Weerawansa’s appearance in court marks a significant development in the ongoing legal proceedings related to the aforementioned protest, and it signals a step forward in addressing the charges against him. The court will now proceed with further proceedings in the case.

Today (21), the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus (WPC) has presented a series of proposals aimed at amending the Anti-Corruption Bill, which is set to be deliberated and passed in Parliament. These recommendations were submitted to the Speaker on behalf of the WPC and the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Children, Women, and Gender, as stated in a Parliament statement.

MP Dr. Sudarshini Fernandopulle, the chairperson of the Caucus, expressed satisfaction with the inclusion of provisions addressing sexual bribery within the current draft of the Anti-Corruption Bill. However, Dr. Fernandopulle highlighted two significant concerns that require immediate amendment before the scheduled debate on June 21, 2023.

Firstly, the Caucus advocates for a revision in the terminology related to the offense of ‘sexual favor.’ They argue that the term “sexual favor” diminishes the severity of the offense, proposing instead that it be replaced with the term “sexual bribery” to ensure that the gravity of the offense is appropriately reflected in the legislation.

Secondly, Dr. Fernandopulle raised concerns about Section 162, Sub-section (f) of the draft bill, which suggests that both the giver and taker of a bribe could be held accountable for the offense of corruption. The Caucus contends that this provision may unfairly treat the person offering the bribe. They request the inclusion of an exception specifically pertaining to sexual bribery, where the giver or offeror of the bribe is not deemed guilty.

By submitting these proposals, the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus aims to contribute to the ongoing discourse on combating corruption and address potential loopholes in the Anti-Corruption Bill, particularly concerning matters of sexual bribery and fairness in the application of the law.

In an update on the currency exchange rates, the Sri Lankan Rupee has maintained a largely stable position in comparison to the US Dollar at commercial banks across Sri Lanka today (21), following yesterday’s trends.

At People’s Bank, the buying rate of the US Dollar has experienced a slight increase from Rs. 298.77 to Rs. 300.71, while the selling rate has risen from Rs. 316.44 to Rs. 318.51.

Meanwhile, according to Commercial Bank, the buying and selling rates for the US Dollar have remained unchanged at Rs. 295.70 and Rs. 318, respectively.

Similarly, Sampath Bank has reported that the buying and selling rates of the US Dollar remain consistent at Rs. 298 and Rs. 315, respectively.

Despite minor fluctuations at People’s Bank, overall stability persists in the Sri Lankan Rupee’s exchange rate against the US Dollar, offering a sense of reassurance to the local market participants.

In a scathing critique, the Minister of Labour and Foreign Employment, Manusha Nanayakkara, expressed his strong dissatisfaction with the persistent delays in SriLankan Airlines flights. He argued that these delays have had a detrimental impact on the dispatch process of Sri Lankan migrant workers to South Korea.

In an official statement, Minister Nanayakkara highlighted that the SriLankan Airlines flight UL 470 was delayed by approximately 12 hours, subsequently disrupting the departure of a group of Sri Lankan migrant workers bound for South Korea.

The Minister emphasized that the recurrent flight delays have severely affected the scheduled dispatch of Sri Lankan migrant workers to South Korea. The affected group, which comprised 52 workers bound for employment in the fishing sector, was the 800th group of Sri Lankan migrant workers being dispatched. The Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) had meticulously arranged all the necessary preparations for their departure.

Regrettably, due to the prolonged delay in the SriLankan Airlines flight, the group was unable to travel as planned, a fact relayed to the SLBFE by the South Korean Human Resources Department based in Sri Lanka.

Minister Nanayakkara further disclosed that a similar delay caused by SriLankan Airlines on May 23 had led the South Korean authorities to reject a group of Sri Lankan migrant workers. Only through the intervention of the SLBFE were they able to travel to South Korea on June 04, albeit with a two-hour delay in the rescheduled SriLankan Airlines flight.

The Minister underscored the gravity of the ongoing delays by SriLankan Airlines, emphasizing their significant impact on the dispatching process of Sri Lankan migrant workers to South Korea. He stated that urgent and decisive measures needed to be taken to address this matter effectively.

Minister Manusha Nanayakkara concluded by affirming that special attention would be given to this issue, as crucial decisions would be required to rectify the continuous delays caused by SriLankan Airlines. It is imperative to ensure the smooth dispatch of Sri Lankan migrant workers and maintain the integrity of the process.

1. Foreign Minister M Ali Sabry reconfirms he takes responsibility for the “debt default” of 12 April 2022 as the then Finance Minister: also says the decision to default was a “collective decision” suggested by the Monetary Board: further says CB Governor & Treasury Secretary had briefed him on the matter, and he had a specialist team comprised of Dr. Indrajith Coomaraswamy, Shantha Devarajan & Ms Shamini Coorey: claims the debt default decision made the country to gain economic recovery.
2. President Ranil Wickremesinghe meets Commonwealth Secretary-General, Patricia Scotland: discusses digitization programs and shares strategies for addressing climate change.
3. Bakery Owners’ Association says the price of a 450g loaf of bread & other bakery products will be reduced by Rs.10 each.
4. “Link Samahan”, the flagship brand of Link Natural receives a landmark listing on the “online market-place” of Walmart and Amazon.
5. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk encourages Sri Lanka authorities to implement own recommendations: says the Govt has engaged with the UNHRC on the ground, although it has rejected aspects of the Council’s resolutions related to accountability: during this year’s UNHRC sessions, final outcomes of the Universal Periodic Review of 13 States, including Sri Lanka to be considered.
6. State Finance Minister Shehan Semasinghe says the govt is confident that debt restructuring with all bilateral creditors will be concluded by the 1st review of th IMF: it is now over 14 months since the govt has tried to restructure it’s debt, without success: also says the govt relaxed some import restrictions after consulting with stakeholders and that the govt can’t ask for relief from friendly nations while imposing import restrictions.
7. Qatar Airways introduces its 5th daily flight to/from Colombo from 22nd June: Air Seychelles to launch direct flights between Seychelles and Colombo from today: Colombo to Seychelles on Wednesdays and Sundays: Seychelles to Colombo on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
8. State Finance Minister Shehan Semasinghe says Sri Lanka is expecting to give welfare benefits up to Rs.15,000 to about 2.3 mn persons under a World Bank backed program: also says about 3.7 mn persons had applied for the scheme.
9. “Yoga exercises” being performed by several Ministers including Transport Minister Dr Bandula Gunawardene, Education Minister Dr Susil Premajayanth and Foreign Minister Ali Sabry, under the shelter of umbrellas held by security personnel, go viral in social media.
10. Pakistan Cricket Team to arrive in Sri Lanka on July 9 to play a 2-match test series against Sri Lanka as part of the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 cycle: 1st Test from July 16-20 in Galle: 2nd Test from July 24-28 at SSC, Colombo.

In a tragic incident that unfolded in the Iddaruwa area of Kosgoda, a 42-year-old individual identified as Vijith, commonly known as “Ran Mahaththaya,” was shot and killed early this morning (June 21).

According to the police, two unidentified gunmen arrived on a motorcycle and carried out the fatal shooting in front of the victim’s residence at approximately 6:00 a.m.

In a shocking turn of events, two fatal shootings have rocked the communities of Hiddaruwa in Kosgoda and Niyandagala in Homagama. A 52-year-old man was shot dead in Hiddaruwa during the early hours of Wednesday (21) morning, while a 46-year-old man lost his life in Niyandagala.

According to the police, the incident in Hiddaruwa unfolded when an unidentified group entered the victim’s home on Tuesday (20) night and opened fire. The assailants swiftly fled the scene, leaving the 52-year-old man with severe gunshot wounds. He was immediately rushed to Homagama Hospital, but tragically succumbed to his injuries upon admission.

Similarly, in Niyandagala, the 46-year-old man fell victim to a fatal shooting. The circumstances surrounding this incident are yet to be disclosed by the authorities.

These incidents have sent shockwaves through the communities of Hiddaruwa and Niyandagala, leaving residents concerned about their safety and the rising incidence of violence. Authorities have assured the public that every effort will be made to identify and apprehend the suspects swiftly.