News

SJB MP Rohini Kavirathna has called on the government to immediately establish a Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) to investigate the emerging controversy surrounding the retirement date of Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena.

Addressing Parliament, Kaviratne alleged that the government is attempting to retain the Chief Justice in office for an additional two years in order to keep a puppet at the helm of the judiciary who can be manipulated at will.

She pointed out that according to an official document issued during the tenure of former Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya—which is currently circulating on social media—Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena was scheduled to retire on 12 January 2026.

She noted that while all other judges mentioned in that document have retired on their due dates, this issue has arisen solely with respect to the Chief Justice.

"Eight vacancies in the higher courts have remained unfilled for seven months. However, by failing to appoint qualified judges, the government is operating on the premise that the law is merely the ruler's will. If this document is false, an immediate investigation must be conducted to reveal the truth to the country," she said.

Meanwhile, NPP MP Nilanthi Kottahachchi raised a strong objection to Rohini Kavirathna’s statement.

She pointed out that under Parliamentary Standing Orders, the conduct, personal affairs, or tenure of judges cannot be debated in Parliament without a formal motion.

Litro Gas Lanka Limited has confirmed that the prices of its domestic LP gas cylinders will remain unchanged throughout August 2026.

The company said it had opted against increasing prices despite pressures from higher international gas prices and ongoing exchange rate challenges, with the decision aimed at easing the burden on consumers.

As a result, customers will continue to pay the current rates during the month.

The price of a 12.5 kg domestic cylinder will remain at Rs. 4,465, while the 5 kg cylinder will continue to be sold at Rs. 1,792. The price of the 2.3 kg cylinder will also stay unchanged at Rs. 835.

Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has alleged serious irregularities in the recruitment process for Sri Lankan youth seeking employment in Israel, claiming that job seekers are being overcharged through private agencies while official channels remain underused.

He raised the issue yesterday (06) during a meeting with a group of youth staging a peaceful protest at Polduwa Junction over delays and costs linked to overseas job placements.

Addressing the media at the protest, Premadasa said thousands of young Sri Lankans aspired to secure employment abroad in order to earn a stable income and support their families, noting that migrant workers made a significant contribution to the country's foreign exchange earnings an economy.

He referred to the bilateral labour agreement signed between Sri Lanka and Israel in 2023, which had been designed to facilitate 14,000 employment opportunities, and alleged that the recruitment mechanism originally agreed upon had since been altered.

According to Opposition Leader, the original arrangement had envisaged 70 percent of workers being recruited through government channels and 30 percent through private agencies, but claimed that this ratio had been reversed in 2025 and 2026.

Describing the development as a serious fraud, he alleged that applicants recruited through government channels paid around Rs. 400,000, whereas those who went through private foreign employment agencies were charged approximately Rs. 4.5 million, with private agencies said to be earning around US 5,000 dollars for every worker they recruited.

Premadasa said approximately 3,500 qualified applicants were currently awaiting deployment to Israel and pledged to raise the matter in Parliament.

He called on the government to restore the original recruitment ratio of 70 percent through official channels and 30 percent through private agencies, arguing that doing so would ensure greater fairness and ease the financial burden on workers.

He also urged the government to negotiate with Israeli authorities to expand official recruitment channels, enabling more Sri Lankans to access employment opportunities at significantly lower cost, adding that applicants ought to be able to secure such placements by paying Rs. 400,000 rather than Rs. 4.5 million.

A total of 21 people have died from heat-related illnesses in South Korea so far this year as the country grapples with intense heat, health authorities said Wednesday.

A total of 2,441 patients have visited emergency rooms for heat-related conditions as of Tuesday since mid-May, when authorities launched the heat-related illness surveillance system, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.

Although fewer people suffered heat-related illnesses this year than during the same period last year, more people died this year, with the death toll surpassing last year's total of 20.

One of the latest fatalities was a 60-year-old man, who was working outside on a farm in the county of Eumseong, North Chungcheong Province, on Tuesday.

Among the patients reported this year, heat exhaustion accounted for 61.7 percent, followed by heat stroke at 16.8 percent and heat cramps at 11.5 percent.

The state weather agency issued additional serious heat wave warnings for the greater Seoul area earlier in the day, placing 43 percent of the region under the highest alert level.

Temperatures in Seoul are expected to reach up to 39 C on Thursday, according to the agency.

A claim that the monthly salary of Members of Parliament has been increased by Rs. 60,000 sparked a heated exchange in Parliament.

Ramanathan Archchuna told the House that an MP's monthly salary now stands at Rs. 484,000. Holding up what he said was his payslip, he criticised the salary increase, questioning why lawmakers' pay could be raised while lower-income public sector employees had not received similar increases.

The remarks prompted an intervention from government MP Upul Kithsiri, who called on Archchuna to confine his speech to the matter under discussion.

In response, Archchuna alleged that he was being treated differently from other members, claiming that others were allowed to speak more freely while he was repeatedly interrupted.

Presiding over the sitting, MP Kithsiri subsequently announced that any statements made by Archchuna in violation of the Standing Orders would be removed from the official parliamentary record.

Archchuna responded by stating that he believed government members would one day be held legally accountable.

A second-year student of the North Western University was fined Rs.410,000 by Kuliyapitiya Magistrate Mihil Chiranthana Satharasinghe after pleading guilty to charges related to possessing and selling hashish and smuggled cigarettes.

The suspect, a resident of Balangoda, was charged with possessing 254 grams of hashish and 500 foreign cigarettes smuggled into the country, and selling them in violation of the Tobacco Tax Ordinance.

Police informed the court that the illegal items were recovered during a search of the university hostels conducted by a marshal. During subsequent investigations into the incident, the suspect was arrested and was found to have allegedly been involved in the activity for some time.

Investigations were carried out by Kuliyapitiya Police Headquarters Inspector Chief Inspector Kamal Ratnayaka and Sub Inspector Ekanayaka, who arrested the suspect.

India has urged Sri Lanka to hold its long overdue Provincial Council elections without further delay, the Ministry of External Affairs of India said.

The request was made by Indian Secretary to the Ministry of External Affairs Vikram Misri during a meeting with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake yesterday (5), as part of a one day official visit to Colombo.

Alongside his meeting with the President, Misri held discussions with Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa, and representatives of Tamil political parties.

Bilateral cooperation featured prominently in the talks. India's support for Sri Lanka's recovery following Cyclone Ditwah was discussed alongside a broader range of ongoing initiatives, including energy cooperation, the modernisation of the Kankesanthurai Port, development of Trincomalee as a regional energy hub, and progress on the digital identity project.

The two sides also touched on updating the existing bilateral trade agreement, reflecting efforts to deepen economic ties between the two countries.

Misri concluded his official visit and departed for New Delhi yesterday evening.