In a significant development, President Ranil Wickremesinghe has expressed his sincere appreciation to the United States for its assistance in Sri Lanka’s debt relief measures and increased financial support for sustainable development. The President conveyed his gratitude during a meeting with US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on the sidelines of the Paris Summit for a New Global Financing Pact.

President Wickremesinghe commended Secretary Yellen’s leadership in facilitating this support, acknowledging the United States’ backing for Sri Lanka’s reform agenda. Secretary Yellen, in turn, reaffirmed the US government’s commitment to assisting Sri Lanka and sought an update on the country’s progress with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) procedures.

During the meeting, President Wickremesinghe provided an overview of the current situation and highlighted the challenges faced in the debt restructuring process. However, he emphasized that Sri Lanka has chosen to take control of the situation and move forward with determination. The President also shared updates on ongoing discussions with bilateral creditors and briefed Secretary Yellen on the government’s economic objectives and climate prosperity plan. Notably, he emphasized Sri Lanka’s intention to involve the private sector in this process.

The US delegation was also informed about the upcoming visit and engagement between the two countries. In a gesture of goodwill, President Wickremesinghe extended an invitation to Secretary Yellen to visit Sri Lanka.

The President’s Media Division added that the meeting was productive, underscoring the mutual commitment to strengthening cooperation between Sri Lanka and the United States. President Wickremesinghe’s expression of gratitude reflects the importance of international support in Sri Lanka’s efforts towards sustainable development and economic stability.

Jay Jayasinghe, a resident of Windsor and originally from Sri Lanka, has struck gold by claiming the top prize of $35 million from the June 6 draw of the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation’s (OLG) Lotto Max. Jayasinghe, who expressed his long-held hope for such an opportunity, plans to enjoy his winnings by purchasing a new Dodge Charger Hellcat and embarking on a cross-country trip across Canada.

Jayasinghe’s stroke of luck came just a week after his daughter’s graduation from university, making the victory feel doubly significant for him. Initially, he and his wife discovered that the winning ticket was sold in Windsor, igniting a glimmer of hope. However, Jayasinghe admitted that he didn’t truly expect to win and put the idea out of his mind.

When he finally checked his ticket and saw the staggering prize amount displayed on the screen, he couldn’t believe his eyes. Overwhelmed with emotions, he scanned the ticket multiple times to confirm the number of zeros in his winnings. The reality of the situation began to sink in, leaving him in a state of disbelief and recounting the following days as a blur.

Jayasinghe immediately called his wife to share the extraordinary news and then rushed to pick her up, bringing her to the store where they validated the ticket together. In that moment, the world seemed to fade away as they embraced each other, oblivious to their surroundings.

With plans for his newfound fortune, Jayasinghe intends to provide his family with a new home and support his daughter’s education. He also has a strong desire to explore Canada’s natural beauty and take a road trip across the country, particularly to see the Rockies. Additionally, Jayasinghe wants to visit family and allocate a portion of his winnings to charitable causes that hold a special place in his heart.

As a lifelong car enthusiast, Jayasinghe will finally fulfill his dream of owning a muscle car. Reflecting on his childhood, he mentioned his father’s habit of saving automotive catalogs for him, a reminder of his deep-rooted passion. He shared with his wife that if he ever won the Lotto Max, he would treat himself to a Dodge Charger Hellcat.

Jayasinghe purchased the winning ticket from a Mac’s convenience store on Tecumseh Road. Overwhelmed by excitement, he admitted that this incredible blessing has overshadowed everything else. Memories of the sacrifices he and his family made for their future continue to replay in his mind, emphasizing the profound impact of this stroke of good fortune. Grateful for the opportunity to build a better life in Canada, Jayasinghe sees no limitations on their dreams now.

The Tourism industry is acrucial industry for the Sri Lankan economy. During the two years of Covid Sri Lanka lost out on tourism and the results were that we lost USD 6 billion dollars in revenue . This had a Massive impact and eventually there was no electricity , gas , and fuel for the citizens due to the lack of dollars in the country .

Today we see that tourism has somewhat rebounded and assisting Sri Lanka to come out of its mess. This is seen by some vultures as an opportunity to make money by killing the goose that lays the golden egg . For sometime now there has been an attempt to add an insurance premium to each and every tourist where they have to pay for compulsory insurance . This is ridiculous. We have to make our costs less not more and it will no doubt kill the industry . Why would any foreigner require our insurance ? They have their own insurance . We can certainly tell them to compulsory have insurance like some countries do .

This deal is being done in the guise of saving the tourism industry .
This grand robbery of a compulsory insurance .

Will the major tour operators agree ?Like TUI ? Presently a tourist pays USD 60 dollars airport tax , visa fee usd 30Dollars that’s 90 dollars in total at present with this new insurance scheme another usd 35 dollars on top is crazy !

WHERE IN THE WORLD DO THEY CHARGE COMPULSARY INSURANCE FOR TOURIST ? ONCE AGAIN A FIRST FROM SRI LANKA.

We have had only 500,000 tourist thus far ; look at the positive economic turn around that has done .Somebody is trying to kill the industry dreaming of dollar commissions .

We are made to understand that each tourist will have to pay compulsory atleast usd 35per passenger if this insurance scheme is done !What a shame ! We are going to no doubt loose out on tourism . This is a disaster . We must keep fees at the same amounts until we surpass 2 million tourist atleast .

In the coming weeks we will expose more information about this deal and the players behind it .

In a recent parliamentary session, Samagi Jana Balwegaya MP Imthiaz Bakeer Markar brought to light a distressing issue plaguing the University of Peradeniya. Five incidents of suicide have been reported within the institution this year, prompting concerns about the well-being of its students. MP Markar disclosed that two students, who had made suicide attempts, are presently undergoing counseling.

MP Markar emphasized the deteriorating state of university students, stating that university authorities have reported cases of malnourishment and financial constraints preventing regular meals. “Some students survive on just one meal per day, as their parents are unable to provide financial support. This dire situation hinders their ability to focus during lectures, with some even fainting in class,” he expressed.

Highlighting the exacerbating circumstances, MP Markar noted that delays in receiving the Mahapola allowance have further contributed to the students’ plight. He stressed the need for immediate action, as the youth represent the nation’s future, and requested the relevant authorities to take necessary measures to assist the struggling university students.

Responding to MP Markar’s concerns, Education Minister Susil Premajayantha acknowledged that the majority of students have received their Mahapola Scholarship allowance. However, he acknowledged that delays had occurred for some due to issues related to incorrect information, which are being rectified. Minister Premajayantha also assured that efforts were underway to secure funds from the Treasury, ensuring that the Mahapola Scholarship allowance would be provided promptly and without delays.

In a dramatic turn of events, a wanted gunman met his demise in a fierce shootout with personnel from the Police Special Task Force (STF) during a raid in the Welikadayaya area of Embilipitiya. The encounter unfolded in the early hours of the morning (June 24) as the STF attempted to apprehend the suspect.

In a desperate attempt to evade arrest, the 22-year-old suspect opened fire on the STF personnel, who swiftly retaliated with gunfire of their own. Tragically, the shootout resulted in the death of the wanted individual, who had been sought by the police in connection with multiple incidents of gun violence.

Reports suggest that the deceased was a former army soldier and had been implicated in two recent shootings in Minuwangoda and Ambalangoda, which left three individuals injured, including a deputy school principal.

The Embilipitiya Police have initiated further investigations into the incident to gather more details surrounding the encounter. This development serves as a testament to the dedication and bravery displayed by the Police Special Task Force in their ongoing efforts to maintain law and order and protect the public from individuals involved in criminal activities.

In a significant diplomatic encounter, President Ranil Wickremesinghe had a productive meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron during the Head of State session on the second day of the Conference for a New Global Financial Agreement in Paris. The two leaders engaged in a cordial conversation, discussing matters of mutual interest and reinforcing bilateral relations.

President Wickremesinghe’s presence at the conference is in response to an invitation extended by President Macron himself, highlighting the importance of Sri Lanka’s participation in shaping global financial agreements.

In a significant development, the National Constitutional Council has given its approval to the appointment of Professor Manjula Fernando as the Chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL). Taking over from former Chairman Janaka Ratanayake, Professor Fernando assumed his new role on June 23.

The decision to replace Janaka Ratanayake was made following a parliamentary motion that was debated and passed in May, in accordance with Section 7 of the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka Act. The motion was prompted by several disagreements between Ratanayake and the Minister of Power and Energy, Kanchana Wijesekera. These disagreements spanned various issues, including revisions to electricity tariffs and the duration of power cuts.

Several spells of showers will occur in Western and Sabaragamuwa provinces and in Kandy, Nuwara-Eliya, Galle and Matara districts.

Showers or thundershowers may occur at a few places in Uva province and in Ampara and Batticaloa districts during the evening or night.

Fairly strong winds about (40-45) kmph can be expected at times in Western slopes of the central hills, North-central province and in Puttalam, Hambantota and Trincomalee districts.

General public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershower.

1. Secretary of the U.S. Treasury Janet Yellen says Sri Lanka’s creditors should deliver on debt restructuring in a timely manner. Her remarks came during a meeting with Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Thursday (June 22), which took place on the sidelines of the Summit in Paris for a New Global Financial Pact.
2. Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera says the government’s plans to purchase paddy at a favorable rate of Rs. 90 to 95 per kilo during the upcoming Yala season: confirmed that the Treasury has already assured the availability of funds to facilitate the paddy purchasing program.
3. Date fixed for X-Press Pearl petition hearing. A petition filed seeking compensation for the affected parties of the X-Press Pearl disaster, which took place in May 2021, is due to be heard on 26 July. Order was issued by the Commercial High Court in Colombo on Friday (23 June), when the petition filed by the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) and other parties was taken up.
4. The latest data on tea exports reveals a positive trend for the month of May 2023. Total tea exports reached 20.55 million kilograms (M/Kgs), indicating a gain of 0.83 M/Kgs compared to May 2022’s figure of 19.72 M/Kgs.
5. President calls for urgent debt restructuring, comprehensive approach to support middle-income nations. He was attending a high-level panel discussion at the Global Leaders’ Summit for a New Global Financing Pact, in Paris. Added that Sri Lanka faced limited access to financing and took ownership of its debt and economic restructuring program.

6. Prof. Manjula Fernando has been appointed the new chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL).
7. United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres has assured the UN’s strong commitment to assisting Sri Lanka in its economic recovery and debt sustainability endeavours.
8. President Ranil Wickramasinghe meets French President Emmanuel Macron. The meeting took place during the Head of State session on the second day of the Conference for a New Global Financial Agreement underway in Paris, where the two heads of state engaged in a cordial conversation.
9. The Central Bank of Sri Lanka says that Treasury Bill auctions are conducted according to a transparent and well-established procedure. It said that any postponement of raising funds for the government, in anticipation of any change in policy interest rates, is not feasible given the large cashflow requirement of the government and its commitment to phasing out monetary financing by the Central Bank.
10. Wanindu Hasaranga made it two five-wicket hauls in as many matches as Sri Lanka claimed their second win of the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2023, with Scotland matching them. The leg-spinner took six wickets in the opening win over the United Arab Emirates, and was at it again with five for 13 in a ten-wicket success against Oman.