Aug 5 (EN) Attorney General has pledged to the Court of Appeal that the unauthorised structures at the GotaGoGama protest site in Colombo will not be removed until Aug 10 outside existing legal provisions, a lawyer said. Protestors gathered at the site were seen celebrating the news Friday (5) afternoon. The protestors were ordered by the Colombo Fort police to clear all illegal structures at the GotaGoGama (Gota Go Village) outside the presidential secretariat by 5pm Friday. more..

Aug 5 (EN) SL will not impose any power cuts on the weekend of August 06 and 07, PUCSL Chairman Janaka Rathnayka said. This is the first time since mid-April 2022 the daily power cuts have not been implemented. CEB said the reduction in power cut is due to an increase in hydro power generation thanks to the ongoing southwest monsoon. On Thursday August 04, the CEB said, 58.22% or 22.85 gigawatt hours were generated from hydropower plants while 11.27 GWh or 28.72% was generated through thermal power plants. more..

Aug 5 (AD) Another athlete of SL’s 161-strong contingent at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England is reported missing. Reports revealed that the UK police are looking for a wrestler in his 20s. On Monday, a judoka and the manager of the SL Judo team also disappeared from the Commonwealth Games village, after the athlete lost in the opening round of her contest to Wales’ Ashleigh Barnikel. BBC said the duo has since been spoken to by police, however, their teammate is yet to be traced. more..

Aug 5 (NR) The WHO today handed over a stock of test kits in preparation of monkeypox. WHO representative in SL Dr. Alaka Singh handed the stock of test kits to Minister Keheliya Rambukwella. Dr. Singh said a rise in the number of dengue cases has been observed with the monsoon rains while officials engaged in dengue eradication efforts are also facing difficulties in engaging in field observations owing to the fuel crisis. She noted that the United Nations can assist in providing fuel for this purpose. more..

Aug 5 (EN) SL’s debt advisors are looking at local debt as a re-structuring plan to negotiate with creditors is being developed as part of efforts to make the debt sustainable, Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe said. He said agreement has to be reached with official creditors to go to the London Club (of private creditors). “Second, and the more important issue is have you got to look at the local debt?,” Prez Wickremesinghe told an economic forum organized by Advocata Institute, a Colombo-based think tank. more..

Aug 5 (TM) Claiming that Ministry of Agriculture does not have any formal data regarding the loss of the paddy harvest in the last Maha cultivation season due to the shortage of fertilisers and the amount of rice that has been imported into the country so far, the United Rice Producers’ Association (URPA) stated that the importation of rice should be suspended only after obtaining such data. URPA President Kusumitha Perera said: more..

Aug 5 (TM) Following the approval received from the Cabinet for migrant workers to be provided a licence to import an electric vehicle equivalent to 50% of the remittances transmitted through legal channels, Minister Manusha Nanayakkara has waived off the requirement for the purchase or import of a solar power system to provide the electricity required to charge the vehicle for a 6-month period. “This requirement has been waived off for the first six months, as we want to assess the success of this novel initiative. more..

Aug 5 (Island) SLMC leader Rauff Hakeem has said that SL shouldn’t allow foreign powers to engage in activities inimical to the security of India within the territory or territorial waters of SL. Therefore, it is now the responsibility of the govt of SL to ensure that it takes all meaningful measures necessary to realize these objectives, the MP said. The following is the text of a statement issued by the SLMC as regards the docking-in of the Chinese vessel Yuan Wang5 in Hambantota port: more..

Aug 5 (TM) Public Utilities Commission of SL (PUCSL) will have a stakeholder meeting next week with the CEB, the Treasury, and Ministry of Power and Energy, in order to finalise the new electricity tariff hike. PUCSL Chairman Janaka Ratnayake said that following the public consultation about the proposed tariff hike, which was held last month, PUCSL hopes to hold an all stakeholder meeting with officials from the CEB, the Treasury, and the Ministry, in order to explain more..

Aug 5 (EN) A group of lawyers in SL have signed a declaration to step in and support the popular Aragalaya (Struggle) protesters who the lawyers alleged are being “hunted” on the grounds of rule of law by new Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe. At a conference held in Colombo on Thursday Aug 9 titled The Manifesto of the People’s Struggle vs the Govt’s Repressive Mechanism, a group of lawyers including a number of president’s counsels signed a declaration to appear for the victims, more..

Aug 5 (IB) Sanath Jayasuriya has been named as the brand ambassador for the tourism promotions in SL. The announcement was officially made on Thursday. Sanath urged countrymen, who are staying both in SL and abroad, to help promoting SL as a travel destination amid the ongoing economic crisis which it is facing. "Since more than 3 million Sri Lankans livelihood depends on tourism & It's probably the fastest way we can come out of the economic quagmire we are in I accepted an honorary post as tourism ambassador. more..

Aug 8 (DM) The Education Ministry has decided to continue functioning govt and govt approved private schools for three days in a week from next week until further notice. The decision was taken to continue school studies without interruption. Accordingly, schools will function on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday next week. Also, a decision was taken to continue with online teaching practices on Friday when schools are not functioning. Due to Nikini full moon poyaday falls on next Thursday (11) more..

Aug 8 (TM) Two suspects have been arrested over the death of the elephant Bharana, whose carcass was found by the Galkiriyagama Wildlife Conservation officers in the National Namal Uyana forest reserve on early 26 July, said DWC Publicity Officer Hasini Harischandra. She said that the DWC is currently searching for another suspect, who was revealed to be a Police Constable (PC). The DWC and its regional office in Kurunegala are currently searching for this suspect as part of the investigations that more..

Aug 8 (TM) Activists of the RanilGoGama aragalaya (struggle) at the Galle Face have formed a united protestors’ front to rally against Government repression tomorrow (6) at Nugegoda. Catholic priest Fr. Amila Jeewantha Peiris who filed a fundamental rights petition with the Supreme Court seeking an order to prevent his imminent arrest, conveyed to The Morning that the said rally would be organised peacefully at Nugegoda tomorrow, at around 3 p.m. more..

Aug 6 (DM) In recent decades, the world came close to a nuclear war, which would have destroyed everyone and everything. During the Cuban Missile Crisis, the US and the Soviet Union leaders engaged in a tense, 13-day political and military standoff in October 1962 over the installation of nuclear-armed Soviet missiles on Cuba, just 90 miles from U.S. shores. In a TV address on Oct 22, 1962, President John F. Kennedy notified Americans about the presence of the missiles, more..

Aug 6 (DM) The policy statement delivered by Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe in Parliament on Wednesday was far ahead of the similar statements made by his predecessor Gotabaya Rajapaksa in progressiveness and inclusiveness. He had prepared his speech very carefully not to create resentment in any group, political party or community, except sometimes for the SLPP, the party that voted him into power. Gotabaya Rajapaksa kicked off his speeches during more..

Aug 6 (CT) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe devoted much of his time to the compilation of his Policy Statement, which he was slated to deliver in Parliament on 3 Aug, at the commencement of Third Session of the Ninth Parliament. He sought input from Secretary to Prez Saman Ekanayake, Special Assistant Sandra Perera and Director General of Prez’s Media Unit Dhanushka Ramanayake. After being sworn in as the new Prez, more..

Aug 6 (Island) The govt’s efforts to suppress the protest movement by the targeting of its leading members individually is polarizing the country more than ever before. Instead of addressing the underlying causes of the protests, the govt is targeting prominent and key members of the protest movement with flimsy charges and under conditions of Emergency Law in which the regular law and its protections can be suspended in their operation. The Fitch Rating of Sri Lanka dated July 28, 2022, more..

Aug 6 (CT) US State Department, on its website on Thursday, said State Secretary Antony J. Blinken met Foreign Minister Ali Sabry in Phnom Penh, on the sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Forum and reiterated USA’s support for the people of Sri Lanka, highlighting over $179 million in US assistance that will support SL’s most vulnerable and bolster the country’s economy in this challenging time. He also emphasised the importance of working with the IMF to put SL back on path to economic stability. more..

Aug 6 (CT) In an effort to reduce lengthy fuel lines dragging for months, the National Fuel Pass QR system has now been implemented at all filling stations in the country. The system appears to be making progress, as users applaud it for significantly reducing fuel line wait times. At the same time, ICTA, which played a key role in the system’s development, issued a warning to users not to use fraudulent means of obtaining fuel, more..

Aug 6 (ST) Fridays may no longer be a holiday for SL’s public servants. The Ministry of Public Administration is expected to propose revoking the decision related to Fridays and instead a roster would be introduced, a senior official said. Public administration has gone through many disruptions, in particular due to the fuel scarcity. The work-from-home arrangement was extended for another month. Postmaster General, Mr Ranjith Ariyaratne, said mail deliveries will be delayed by one day. more..

Aug 6 (GV) Mahatma Gandhi said that civil disobedience became a sacred duty when the state became lawless and corrupt. To the diehard protesters left at the diminished GotaGoGama, Gandhi’s words are at the heart of their people’s struggle. That the Rajapaksa regime was lawless and corrupt is not in dispute; its lawlessness and corruption brought a once emerging nation to bankruptcy for which crime no one has yet been taken to task. more..

Aug 6 (DM) Devoting the first Saturday article of each month to a film, film personality or film-related topic is a practice being followed by this column in recent times. This week’s article therefore will focus on versatile filmmaker Vasantha Obeysekera’s milestone movie Dadayama (the Hunt). I have written about the film and filmmaker before and will re-visit those earlier writings. Dadayama released in May 1983 won numerous Presidential and Sarasaviya awards for Vasantha and other more..

Aug 6 (Island) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe and SJB Leader Sajith Premadasa were scheduled to meet yesterday for talks on an all-party govt. SJB is in a dilemma. It is faced with the prospect of losing more MPs to the UNP, which is emerging stronger unexpectedly. Some SJB MPs have already broken ranks, and speculation is rife that several others are likely to follow suit soon. This is a worrisome proposition for the SJB, which is divided on the proposed power sharing arrangement, more..

Aug 6 (SO) Many ancient civilisations have had a heritage of connecting to the universe in diverse ways and in particular to the sun. Historically the sun has been worshipped in Lanka and to date the traditional new year in April (referred to under several names across South Asia) is the harvest festival that revolves around the sun. Without the benevolence of this star that takes centre stage within the solar system more..

Aug 6 (CT) Everyone is talking about a system change! What is it? Do most people know what it means? How can it be achieved? Sri Lankans have not been happy with whatever system of governance they have been through for least almost 70 years! We have been deceived with utopias and fear-mongering by most of our leaders. Why are we so naïve to expect an automatic change from often selfish, self-serving, uneducated or unprofessional leaders whose only objective is power? more..

Aug 6 (Island) There would be constant pressure on SL to distance itself from China in the future, Ramindu Perera, lecturer at the Open Uni Law faculty said, commenting on the controversy surrounding the Chinese research vessel, Yuan Wang 5. SL, thus, must figure out how to benefit from the emerging multi-polar world, while not antagonizing its powerful neighbour, Perera said. SL should also recognise that India and China reacted differently to perceived changes more..

Aug 6 (EN) Sri Lanka stocks gained for the seventh consecutive session on Friday (05) reaching a new highest in more than two months as buying interest in the market continued following signs of political stability in the country. The turnover was 3.75 billion rupees, more than this year’s average daily turnover of 3.05 billion rupees. The main All Share Price Index (ASPI) rose 1.27% or 104.23 points to 8,333.37, its highest since May 25. It has risen 9.3% in the last seven sessions. more..

Aug 6 (Island) Former PM Mahinda Rajapaksa said that former Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa had left the country for a medical checkup and had not fled. Rajapaksa said he couldn’t give a definite date about his younger brother’s return to the country but said the latter would certainly return to SL in the near future. When it was pointed out that the former Prez had fled the country after leaving for the safety of the Naval base, in Trincomalee, after the President’s House came under siege on July 9, more..

Aug 6 (CT) Yupun Abeykoon, who rewrote SL’s athletic history by winning the Bronze medal in the 100m at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham on Wednesday after 24 years, urged SL to focus on athletics. Abeykoon became the first Asian to win a medal in the 100m clocking 10.14 seconds, and believes SL has many talented athletes who can win medals in the future. “This is the result of hard work. Luckily, I went to Italy to follow my more..

Aug 6 (ST) Indian visitors and the SL diaspora will be the target segments next month to help revive tourism. SL Tourism Promotion Bureau Chairman Chalaka Gajabahu said the Nallur Kovil festival and Esala Perahera are two main events in August that would attract Indian tourists and the SL diaspora. “Of the 1.5 million visitors for the Nallur festival, we are currently targeting about 50,000 to 100,000 from the diaspora. There is more than 35,000 tentative bookings for the Dalada Perahera. more..

Aug 6 (Island) Long-distance private buses, operating from Colombo, would be provided fuel from the Bastian Mawatha Private Bus Stand, National Transport Commission (NTC) Director General Nilan Miranda said. Following an inspection visit to the Bastian Mawatha Private Bus Stand, Miranda said that police had been deployed at the bus stand and buses operating from there would be given police protection. “We have asked the IGP to provide security. more..

Aug 6 (FT) Australian Border Force Cutter (ABFC) – Ocean Shield, carrying 46 illegal immigrants from SL, arrived at the Port of Colombo on Friday. The group of illegal immigrants from SL was held by the Australian Border Force on 21 July at Australia’s maritime border, while they were attempting to illegally migrate to Australia via sea. SL Navy, partnering with other stakeholders who use the Indian Ocean Region, conducts regular more..

Aug 6 (CI) Wanindu Hasaranga has been denied a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) to play in the Hundred by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and has been forced to pull out of his £100,000 contract with Manchester Originals as a result. Ashley de Silva, SLC's chief executive, told ESPNcricinfo that the board turned down his request because they want him to be physically and mentally fresh ahead of the Asia Cup, which starts on August 27, and the T20 World Cup in Australia later this year. more..

Aug 6 (FT) Supreme Court has pointed out that there is a need to further streamline the fuel distribution through the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB). The apex court made this observation when two fundamental rights petitions filed by the Bar Association of SL (BASL) were heard yesterday. In view of the current economic crisis BASL had filed two fundamental rights petitions requesting the apex court to issue an order to the Govt to prepare long and short term programs for more..