Jul 18 (EN) Sri Lanka is seeing a slight increase in the average number of COVID-19 cases being reported, according to govt health officials, while a WHO report showed a 22 percent increase since June. “There is no significant increase, up till the recent past the average cases reported were around ten but there has been an increase in the average from 15 to 20 cases per day,” Deputy Director-General of Public Health Services Dr Hemantha Herath said on Monday July 18. more..

Jul 18 (ANI) SL's acting Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe on Monday said talks with the IMF are about to conclude amid the ongoing economic crisis that has led to civil unrest in the island nation. "Negotiations with the IMF nearing conclusion, and discussions for assistance with foreign countries also progressing," said Acting Prez's office. "Acting Prez called upon the political parties in the country to put aside their differences & not allow the country to suffer over differences over an individual. more..

Jul 18 (Island) SLPP Chairman Prof. G.L. Peiris said that he was yet to receive a clarification from General Secretary of the Party, Sagara Kariyawasam, MP, as regards the latter’s statement that the party had decided to support the candidature of Acting Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe for the Office of Prez. Pointing out that Attorney-at-Law Kariyawasam, MP, had announced the SLPP’s support for UNP leader Wickremesinghe, more..

Jul 18 (EN) SL’s National Youth Volunteer corps have volunteered to help people in rural areas register with a recently introduced online fuel ration system. “[The] Ministry of Youth with National Youth Corps and its members have volunteered to assist the National Fuel Pass initiative,” Minister Kanchana Wijesekera tweeted on Monday July 18. “The [youth corp] will assist the public to register with the platform by volunteering at the fuel stations from 21st July in rural areas” more..

Jul 18 (DM) The deadline for the general public to submit proposals for the process of finalizing the electricity tariff revision ends today at midnight, according to Public Utilities Commission of SL (PUCSL) Chairman Janaka Ratnayake. Speaking to the media, he said that 150 proposals have been received thus far, and that the PUCSL is in the process of finalizing the electricity tariff revision. Therefore, the commission has decided to conduct the public consultation in-person on July 28. more..

Jul 18 (EN) Sri Lanka needs to accelerate fiscal reforms to bring back economic stability and a stable govt to carry them out, CB Executive Officers Union has warned as monetary instability and fore shortages continue and attempts are made to appoint a new Prez. Though a new cabinet was appointed after protests in May 09, essential fiscal reforms have not happened for the past two months, the Union pointed out. more..

Jul 18 (EN) Transparency International SL (TISL) has asked SL’s presidential hopefuls to declare their assets ahead of a crucial parliamentary vote on July 20 to elect the country’s next president. “A call on all presidential hopefuls to publicly declare their assets to the citizens of Sri Lanka and display a personal commitment to transparency. Sri Lankans have delivered a clear message that they will no longer tolerate corrupt leaders,” TISL tweeted Monday July 18 afternoon. more..

Jul 18 (MFA) Secretary, Foreign Affairs Aruni Wijewardane led bilateral consultations with a senior delegation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan led by the Assistant Minister of the Southwest and Southeast Asia Affairs Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan Kano Takehiro on Friday 15 July. SL delegation included the Governor of the CB Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe, Secretary to the Treasury Mahinda Siriwardana and senior officials of Min. of Foreign Affairs, Defence & SL Navy. more..

Jul 18 (CT) The DLF will back MP Dullas Alahapperuma in the upcoming Parliamentary vote to elect a Prez. Party Leader Vasudeva Nanayakkara said the party has agreed to vote in favour of Alahapperuma. He said by electing Alahapperuma as Executive Prez, it will be possible to form an all-party Government free of traditional ties. He also noted that Alahapperuma has the capacity to quickly provide relief to people in distress as a result of neoliberal economic practices, more..

Jul 18 (CT) SLMC yesterday said they will take a final decision, within the next 48 hours, on which presidential candidate to support at the 20 July presidential election in Parliament. SLMC Leader Rauff Hakeem said the ideal nominee must have the capability to rebuild the collapsed economy of this country while ensuring the restoration of normal life of the people who have been impacted by the prevailing economic crisis. Hakeem added that he has informed his stand to the exec committee more..

Jul 18 (AD) SL’s private bus operators state that the benefit of the fuel price revision can be offered to the public by revising bus fares. Bus fares and the three-wheeler fares had also been increased with the recent increases of fuel prices. Ada Derana inquired from the two main bus operators’ associations regarding whether there will be a reduction of bus fares in view of the current situation and, President of Lanka Private Bus Owners’ more..

Jul 18 (AD) Dept of Communication of the Parliament has explained the procedure to be followed on Tuesday and Wednesday as the legislature elects a new President through a poll for the first time in the country’s history. Although there was one previous experience of electing a president by parliament in SL, this time is special. In 1993, given the demise of the former Prez R Premadasa, D.B. Wijetunga was elected for the remainder of the term of Prez unanimously, without a poll more..

Jul 18 (EN) Stocks gained on Monday for the second session to more than three-week closing high amid foreign buying on hopes of an all-party government after the election of a new Prez may end months-long protests and political crisis, brokers said. Foreigners bought a net of 123 million rupees. The total foreign outflow so far this year is 808 million rupees. The parliament vote for a new Prez is scheduled for Wednesday with the nomination will be finalized in the parliament by Tuesday. more..

Jul 19 (DM) Tomorrow, the country is going to see a new Prez. Parliament is scheduled to accept nominations today from the members of it for the Parliamentary election for the Presidency that has fallen vacant following the resignation of former Prez Rajapaksa on July 14. The election for the Presidency is to be held tomorrow. The new Prez, who is going to be elected tomorrow, first of all, should not forget the circumstances that catapulted him to the highest position in the country. more..

Jul 19 (TM) Ahead of the election of an interim President to run the country under an interim Government, Acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe declared a state of emergency for the second time in his tenure as Acting Prez, a position in which he just completed one week. The relevant Gazette Extraordinary, which stated that the state of emergency came into effect from yesterday (18), said that it was declared in the interests of public security, the protection of public order more..

Jul 19 (TM) Although there was one previous experience of electing a President by the Parliament in Sri Lanka, this time is special. In 1993, given the demise of former President Ranasinghe Premadasa, D.B. Wijetunga was elected for the remainder of the term of President unanimously, without a poll, as the successor President. But this time, it has already been said that several candidates will come forward, more..

Jul 19 (CT) New Zealand High Commission in SL, in a tweet on Thursday (14 July), coinciding with the day Prez Rajapaksa (SLPP) sent his resignation letter to Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana said, “New Zealand is watching the political transition and economic crisis in SL closely. With international partners, we urge all leaders to work together to select a new Prez and PM in line with Constitutional processes and the will of the SL people. “Violence should play no role in the days ahead.” more..

Jul 19 (CT) Never was there such a high-stake political game. Never was there a situation in the country where the opposing political imposters, pretending to be serious-minded political thinkers, eyeing for the top job in the country. Never was there such a dearth of talent, wisdom, skill and intelligence in the arena at the highest echelons. Never was there a set of incompetent and corrupt political leaders vying for national leadership as patriots who have already been prejudged by electorate more..

Jul 19 (TM) SL’s history of safeguarding human and fundamental rights is debatable, and both local and int'l bodies have raised concerns about it. On the one hand, there are countless rights’ violations-related allegations against the country and its rulers, while on the other hand, the country has not adequately fulfilled its int'l commitments pertaining to human rights. In addition to the three-decade war between Govt-led more..

Jul 19 (ST) Quoted above are Mark Antony’s words to the citizens of Rome at the fall of the mighty Caesar. And the citizenry shed copious tears. If the citizens of SL, particularly those who joined the Aragalaya protesters islandwide and stood in queues to obtain their essentials, shed copious tears at the fall of their pocket Caesar, they were mostly tears of joy than of sadness. How a person who was adulated by vast numbers of Sri Lankans as the architect of SL’s military victory more..

Jul 19 (FT) The Daily FT of Saturday 16 July condensed an epic political story into a single expressive headline – RW takes Presidential Baton from Gotabaya. RW got his baton from GR. Some actions are immoral, but perfectly legal. There are yet other measures that may be illegal, but not necessarily immoral. The Aragalaya that demonstrated the power of the powerless falls in to the second category. German Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche in his collection of notes more..

Jul 19 (GV) SL citizens have successfully done what was unimaginable two years ago – ousted the Rajapaksa brothers from power well before any scheduled elections. The public found themselves victims of the Rajapaksa government’s woefully inadequate economic policies that have cut off essential imports and left the country at the mercy of aid and goodwill of friendly nations. Former Prez Rajapaksa seemed to express remorse of his stewardship in his resignation letter but more..

Jul 19 (DN) Shenal Botheju of St Peter's made a fine knock of 81 in 136 balls with 10 fours and six while St Joseph's skipper Shevon Daniel made 71 in 93 balls with 7 fours and 4 sixes on the day on of the 88th' Battle of the Saints cricket encounter played at P Sara Oval grounds yesterday. St Peter's made 251 for 8 wickets in their first innings while Josephians were bowled out for 163 and once again Peterites were 35 for 2 wickets at close. Peterites led by Wanuja Sahan having 140 runs lead more..

Jul 19 (CI) It's all there, right now. The Dinesh Chandimal that was promised. Not merely the Chandimal of the manic 162*, sweeping and reverse-slapping Sri Lanka out of a third-innings hole, turning an unturnable match against India in 2015. Not just the slow-burn Chandimal - the one who hit 155 off 372 in Abu Dhabi once, or the 132 off 356 in Colombo. Not only the Chandimal of the momentum-shifting fifties in which the onus falls on more..

Jul 19 (Island) A couple of ships have arrived, carrying much-needed fuel, and the distribution of cooking gas has also resumed, after a lapse of several weeks, much to the relief of the public. Fuel prices have also been reduced! It looks as if the fuel tankers had been waiting for Prez Rajapaksa’s resignation to reach Colombo. Why has the govt become so concerned about the public, all of a sudden, and is going hell for leather to supply fuel at lower prices? It is trying to pacify the resentful more..

Jul 19 (CT) A senior govt spokesperson said although SL has taken steps to expedite the free trade agreement (FTA) with China, there has been no positive response from China for the proposed debt restructuring programme. “China is still trying to provide refinancing facilities equal to another billion dollars for the maturing China Development Bank loan. But SL has refused to receive the refinancing facility because all debtors are treated equally under the debt restructuring programme,” more..

Jul 19 (TM) SL youth between the ages of 20 and 30 are leaving the country due to the economic crisis and the resultant lack of a proper goal or an objective to study, work, or live, with around 2,000 people waiting outside the Immigration and Emigration Dept office in Battaramulla on a daily basis in order to obtain their passports. 22-year-old Thisara Randam said: ”There is a difference between the food we used to eat before and more..

Jul 19 (DM) SL encountered several turning points in the last four decades that could have produced sustainable development as an island nation. The first instance was the 1977 political change which gave a 5/6 majority. The second instance was the end of a political uprising in 1999, which was led by the JVPers. Third instance was the tsunami impact in 2004. The fourth instance was the end of ethnic terrorism in 2009 which was 30 years of escalated guerrilla war in North, East, and economically, more..

Jul 19 (EN) SL’s Police on Monday said its CID is investigating reports that three anti-govt protest activists including a popular YouTuber withdrawing 45 million rupees received from overseas. The activists have denied the allegation. Media reports claimed that YouTuber Rathidu Senarathna also known as Ratta and two other activists had opened a new account at a state-owned bank early in July and that the accounts had received a total of 45 million rupees from abroad. more..

Jul 19 (FT) Tea production in June hit a 23-year low of 20.1 million kilos, Asia Siyaka Commodities revealed. The lowest crop for the month of June was 19.3 million kilos recorded in 1999. The June 2022 crop is also down 22% YoY from 2021 quantity of 26 million kilos. High grown tea production of 4.05 million kilos in June was lowest ever on record, with closest to this figure was 4.5 million kilos in 2004. Low Grown tea production amounted to 13.1 million kilos down 16% from a year ago. more..

Jul 19 (CT) The Supreme Court will announce its decision on whether or not interim relief will be granted in regard to the Fundamental Rights (FR) petition filed seeking to suspend the appointment of Acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe as a UNP National List MP today. The decision was taken when the Petition filed by General Secretary of Vinivida Foundation, Nagananda Kodituwakku was taken up before Supreme Court Justices Gamini Amarasekara, Shiran Goonaratne and more..

Jul 19 (TM) Certain groups representing the aragalaya (struggle) at the GotaGoGama protest site at the Galle Face Green yesterday (18) met with SJB Leader Sajith Premadasa, where they reiterated that Acting Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe should not get the Parliamentary vote to become the Prez. “Wickremesinghe is the common enemy. One aim of our struggle was to send former Prez Rajapaksa and more..

Jul 19 (TM) Colombo HC Judge Navaratne Marasinghe ordered to call the case against MP Wimal Weerawansa – for allegedly illegally earning more than Rs. 75 million in assets and money beyond his legal income while serving as a Minister – on 13 September for a pre-trial conference. When the case was called before the court on an earlier occasion, the accused declared himself innocent of all charges after the prosecution read out the indictment to the accused. more..

Jul 19 (Island) The National Peace Council has said that it was the duty and responsibility of the leaders of the political parties, in Parliament, to decide on the new President by consensus until such time as national elections are called and a new mandate is obtained directly from the people. Acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe, SJB leader Sajith Premadasa, SLPP representative Dullas Alahapperuma and JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake are in fray at July 20 election. more..