Aug 4 (FT) The Colombo stock market sustained its new found bullish sentiment with both indices up sharply on higher turnover reflecting early signs of a turnaround after having languished 40% down year to date last month. The active S&P SL20 gained by 3.37% and the benchmark ASPI by 2.18%. Turnover amounted to Rs. 2.67 billion involving 123.5 million shares. In the first three days of August, the value of the market has risen by nearly Rs. 190 billion to Rs. 3.507 trillion. more..

Aug 4 (Island) A police constable has been identified as the chief suspect over the killing of the majestic tusker, Barana, in the Kalawewa Forest Reserve, on Sunday. Galkiriyagama Wildlife Office confirmed that the main suspect involved in the killing of the tusker was a police constable. Wildlife Dept said it had sought approval of the Galkiriyagama police station to arrest the suspect. Galkiriyagama Wildlife Office said that the suspect PC had run away when they went to his house to arrest him. more..

Aug 4 (TM) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe said that he will establish a bureau to support peaceful protestors which would include a 24-hour hotline for protestors to use to register their complaints. “Some groups are trying to spread a lot of propaganda through social media that I am hunting down the protestors, but it is not true. I will not allow any kind of prejudice to the peaceful activists. I will establish an office to more..

Aug 4 (TM) Ministry of Agriculture is to launch a comprehensive cultivation programme in the coming months, with the Ministry currently considering the removal of the ban on Glyphosate, which is a widely used herbicide/weedicide that controls broadleaf weeds and grasses, in order to make the said programme a success. Minister Mahinda Amaraweera has instructed the relevant parties to make the arrangements for a comprehensive cultivation programme in the coming months. more..

Aug 4 (AD) Issuing a Gazette Extraordinary, Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe has declared all services connected to the supply of electricity, distribution of fuel and health related services as Essential Public Services. Prez has issued the order by virtue of the powers vested in him in terms of Section 2 of the Essential Public Services Act, No. 61 of 1979. It declares all services connected to the supply of electricity, supply or distribution of petroleum products/fuel, and all service, work or labour, more..

Aug 4 (TM) SJB Leader Sajith Premadasa said the SJB would support the realisation of the policies articulated in Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe’s speech yesterday without accepting Ministerial portfolios, while NPP Leader MP Anura Kumara Dissanayaka said that the NPP will not accept the President’s invitation to form an all-party Govt, as they believe that what the Prez is proposing is merely for all parties to support more..

Aug 4 (FT) Someday, 9 July will be declared a national holiday by a grateful SL. 9 July 2022 will be in history textbooks and taught to schoolchildren. Aragalaya spirit will be celebrated and the Aragalaya generation upheld as a role model for young people. Those who participated will be able to recount their experience with pride to their grandchildren. Those of us who lived through it, will be grateful we did. Aragalaya was an archetype of a successful struggle against autocracy and for democracy. more..

Aug 4 (LP) Asia Council’s Forum for Economic Cooperation comprising regional leaders from the continent has urged Japan and South Korea to help SL tide over the ongoing economic crisis. The island nation of 22 million people is facing an unprecedented economic meltdown with inflation in July hitting a record 60.8% and the country still facing a severe shortage of food, fuel and medicines amid depleted foreign exchange reserves. Since late last year, the country has run out of more..

Aug 4 (FT) SL’s pre-emptive foreign debt default in mid-April 2022 and Prez Rajapaksa’s resignation on 14 July provides India with an opportunity to match China in the foreign aid game. The Indian govt held an all-party meeting on the SL crisis on 19 July and Parliament elected Ranil Wickremesinghe as the new Prez from among MPs on 20 July. The debt default and a shortage of US dollars in Sri Lanka has caused stagflation — high unemployment and little growth — in its economy. more..

Aug 4 (AD) Social media activist Pathum Kerner was granted bail by Colombo Additional Magistrate Harshana Kekunawala today. When the case was taken up earlier today, Prez’s Counsel Rienzi Arsecularatne, appearing on behalf of Kerner, pointed out that there is no legal basis for holding an identification parade as pictures of his client have been published in newspapers and electronic media. However, the additional magistrate, rejecting the objection, ordered the accused to be referred more..

Aug 4 (FT) Sovereign defaults have a long history. Imperial Spain, imperial Britain, revolutionary Russia, republican Spain, they all did it. In 2020 seven countries defaulted, Argentina for the ninth time. But the Rajapaksa-sovereign default is in a class of its own. Generally countries do not wait till foreign reserves hit rock bottom before defaulting. We did. Lebanon, which defaulted for the first time in 2020; has a foreign reserve of $ 11 billion. more..

Aug 4 (AD) Three writ applications have been filed before the Court of Appeal seeking an interim order suspending the police order directing people to vacate the Galle Face protest site. The Colombo Fort Police yesterday informed those occupying tents and temporary shelters at the Galle Face protest site to vacate the premises by 5 p.m. on Friday (5). The law enforcement authorities stressed that legal action would be sought against those who fail to comply with the instructions. more..

Aug 4 (AD) General Secretary of the CTU Joseph Stalin, who was arrested for violating a court order, is slated to be produced before the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court today. He was taken into custody at the CTU head office on last evening. According to the police, Stalin has violated a court order during a protest march at the Bank of Ceylon Mawatha on May 28. Attorney-at-Law Jayantha Dehiattage said statements are being recorded from the accused, who is currently detained at Fort police. more..

Aug 4 (EN) National Transportation Commission (NTC) has reduced bus fares by 11.14%, bridging the minimum fare down to 34 rupees. %he new fares will be effective from August 04 midnight and will only be applicable to provincial and inter-provincial normal/non-luxury buses. This is the fourth time bus fares were amended in 2022, with the last reform imposed on July 19 with a reduction of 2.23% for all bus types, more..

Aug 4 (EN) Trade unions protested on Thursday against unlawful arrests of one of their leaders Joseph Stalin and other protesters by the govt, the Trade Union Alliance said. Stalin, the Secretary of the Teachers and Principals Trade Union was arrested late on Wednesday at his Trade Union office in Colombo by the Police over breaching a court order and participating in a May 28 protest against the former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and the current Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe. more..

Aug 4 (NW) UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders Mary Lawlor has questioned the arrest of General Secretary of the SL Teachers’ Union Joseph Stalin. Stalin was arrested yesterday on charges of conducting an anti-govt protest, violating a court order. “I’m hearing disturbing reports from SL that prominent Human Rights Defender, Joseph Stalin, was arrested at 6 pm this evening,” she said in a Twitter message yesterday. Mary Lawlor further said the work of more..

Aug 4 (TM) During the 30th week of the year in August, 2,198 suspected dengue cases were reported in 23 districts in comparison to 2,560 cases in 24 districts during the previous week. There is a 14.1% decrease in week 30, compared to the previous week. Of all the reported cases, 49.4% were from the Western Province, 4.6% from the Colombo Municipality area, 17.5% from the rest of the Colombo District, 19.7% from the Gampaha District and 7.6% from the Kalutara District. more..

Aug 4 (AD) Minister Bandula Gunawardena has appointed new heads to two leading public sector institutions. Accordingly, W.A.D.S. Gunasinghe, an experienced Special Grade officer in SL Planning Service (SLPS), has been appointed as the new General Manager of Railways. Meanwhile, Special Grade officer in SL Administrative Service (SLAS) Nishantha Anuruddha has been appointed as the new Commissioner General of the Department of Motor Traffic. more..

Aug 4 (Island) Attorney-at-Law Senaka Perera has alleged that the re-appointment of Nimal Siripala de Silva as the Minister of Ports, Shipping and Aviation proved that the same system is in place, in spite of Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s ouster. How can the SLFPer clear himself of serious bribery allegations so fast, the civil society activist asked, referring to bribery accusations made, both in and outside Parliament, relating to Taisei Corp. more..

Aug 4 (DM) The Bar Association of SL (BASL) has requested IGP C.D. Wickramaratne to immediately conduct a fully-fledged investigation into the spate of shooting incidents and the dead bodies found on the Galle Face beach, the sources said yesterday. The BASL reportedly drew the attention of the IGP regarding the recent shooting incidents which have been reported from various parts of the country over several days, resulting in the deaths of several individuals. more..

Aug 4 (TM) Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court ordered five suspects including SLPP MPs Sanath Nishantha and Milan Jayathilake, and Moratuwa Mayor Saman Lal Fernando, to hand over their mobiles phones to the CID, for further investigation into the incident of two public protest sites being attacked in Colombo on 9 May. When the case was taken up before Colombo Fort Chief Magistrate Thilina Gamage yesterday, CID requested the court that the relevant CID officials who are more..

Aug 4 (EN) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe emphasized the United Nations charter principles on sovereignty and territorial integrity at a meeting with Chinese Ambassador to Colombo amid an intensifying cold war between Beijing and Delhi with India raising fresh security concerns over a military ship calling the island nation’s port. Chinese research and survey vessel Yuan Wang 5, a military vessel, is en route to SL’s Chinese-built more..

Aug 4 (DM) Activist Dhaniz Ali who is in remanded custody for forcibly entering the SL Rupavahini Corporation and disrupting the broadcast, was found in a possession of a mobile phone in the new Magazine Prison. Prisons Spokesman said the accused was produced before the Prison Tribunal over possession of prohibited substance inside the cell. The spokesman said the suspect pleaded guilty to the charge before the Colombo Additional District Judge and was sentenced to 14 days more..

Aug 4 (EN) The arrest of trade union leader Joseph Stalin is part of a campaign of suppression launched by Prez Ranil Wickremasinghe’s govt against free expression and other fundamental rights, Free Media Movement said. Stalin, who is general secretary of Ceylon Teachers’ Union, was arrested by a police team that arrived in several jeeps, reportedly for holding a protest on May 28 in violation of a court order. FMM condemned the arrest, calling for Stalin’s immediate release. more..

Aug 4 (DM) Leader of Opposition Sajith Premadasa today said he would give up politics if undue influence is inflicted on SJB MPs to join a multi-party govt. He made this remark while speaking to journalists after visiting trade unionist Joseph Stalin in police custody. "The govt is currently hunting down trade unionists and others who are engaged in protests. They send messages to our MPs influencing them to join a multi-party govt. I will have to quit politics if such nagging continues" more..

Aug 4 (Island) TNA Vanni District MP and TELO leader Selvam Addaikalanathan has sought an explanation from the govt over former controversial Minister Ravi Karunanayake’s sudden visit to Mannar on Tuesday. Alleging that the former UNP MP had been accompanied by a group of senior representatives of a sea food company, lawmaker Addaikalanathan said that Fisheries Minister Douglas Devananda owed an explanation. The MP said that projects shouldn’t be implemented more..

Aug 4 (EN) Prison Commissioner has prevented main opposition legislator Harsha De Silva from visiting activists from the GotaGoGama protest site who are being held under arrest. “It’s now five days since Prisons Commissioner stopped me from visiting Gota Go Home activist Pathum Kerner violating my right as an MP to check on the well-being of any prisoner in #SriLanka, de Silva tweeted. more..

Aug 4 (CI) South Africa ended an eight-match losing streak, and five in the T20I format, with an emphatic win in their last outing of a long England tour. They finished third in Group B at the Commonwealth Games, and will not feature in the medal matches. SL have been left at the bottom of the points table, with losses in all three of their group games and much work to do ahead of qualifiers for next year's T20 World Cup, specifically in their batting. In this match, SL were bowled out for their lowest more..

Aug 4 (AD) Sri Lanka is in a moment of challenge and crisis but has an opportunity to create a more democratic and inclusive govt, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday. Blinken made the remarks in Cambodia at the start of a meeting with his Sri Lankan counterpart Ali Sabry, who said his country appreciates the U.S. role in securing support from the IMF, Reuters reported. The two were meeting on the sidelines of a regional gathering in Cambodia. more..

Aug 4 (Mirror) TUI has announced further cancellations for holidays to Sri Lanka, due to ongoing civil unrest in the popular hotspot. Last month Sri Lanka declared a state of emergency as the country faces a crippling economic crisis with shortages including food, medicine, fuel and power. As a result there have been protests across the nation, including protestors who have stormed govt buildings. more..

Aug 4 (ANI) External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held his first meeting with newly-appointed SL Foreign Minister Ali Sabry and reaffirmed India's commitment as a dependable friend and reliable partner to the economic recovery of the island nation. Jaishankar is in Phnom Penh to attend the ASEAN-India Ministerial Meeting, an annual event that takes stock of the ASEAN-India partnership. "A warm first meeting with FM Ali Sabry of SL. Congratulated him on his new responsibility. more..

Aug 4 (TM) The Norwegian Government is providing NOK 13 million (approx. Rs. 490 mn) to the World Food Programme (WFP), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) in Sri Lanka to address food, nutrition and protection needs of the most vulnerable children and women. This was made known via a media release by the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Colombo today (04). “I am concerned about the food and nutrition crisis we are now witnessing in Sri Lanka. more..

Aug 5 (CT) It is dismaying to watch Opposition politicians and parties unwittingly normalizing the new abnormal, discussing –or even entertaining the possibility of –a common agenda with an unelected, illegitimate ruler who has just embarked on a campaign of ruthless repression against the Aragalaya. Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the leader of the JVP-NPP, deserves our thanks and praise for the stand he took in his media briefing on the evening that unelected Prez Ranil more..

Aug 5 (DM) China’s foreign and defence ministry mandarins must be extremely busy and unceasingly diligent these days, in view of matters relating to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s daring visit to Taiwan this Tuesday in defiance of threats China held out. Some may say the drubbing the Pelosi visit delivered has reduced China to a mere paper dragon and rendered ineffective China’s aggressive and assertive diplomacy over matters it considers non-negotiable and too close to its soul. more..

Aug 5 (TM) At a time when the country is discussing the 21st and 22nd Amendments to the Constitution, this week, the draft of the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution Bill was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers, with a number of changes to the existing Constitution, especially those pertaining to appointments to and functions of commissions and various public offices. It had also paid attention to re-establishing a Constitutional Council. more..

Aug 5 (DM) There is a sense of lawlessness in the country. Even the new president of the country has affirmed that there should be one law for all. But some people, especially the underworld and those disregarding the consequences of the law, are causing great harm to the society and proving to be a menace; something that needs to be got rid of once and for all. If one browses through statistics since January this year we’ve seen enough murders, dead bodies on beaches, rape of women and more..