Jul 24 (ST) When it was announced that Prez-elect Ranil Wickremesinghe will swear-in inside the Parliament complex on Thursday, there were many speculations about the location. Some indicated it would be at the Speaker’s Office but ultimately it was selected to be a Parliament hallway where the official portraits of former govt leaders are hung on the wall. The place was selected and the table was placed in the middle in a way more..

Jul 24 (Island) Insofar as they were directed against Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the protests at Galle Face cut through political parties and other differences, and unified people. At Gotagogama I came across not just his critics, but his former supporters as well. Representing a respectably wide section of the country, the #GoHomeGota movement gained a resonance and a relevance that has never been seen or matched before. It also provided an opening for groups, which had until then lurked in more..

Jul 24 (ST) After procuring 100,000 metric tonnes (MT) of LP gas at a high price of US$129 per MT by rejecting the lowest bid of $96 in the tender for 280,000 MT, Litro Gas Lanka is now planning to procure empty cylinders in small quantities cancelling the previous tender for 735,540 such cylinders floated early this year. The aim is to meet the shortage of new empty cylinders in the local market at present as most people want to keep a back up in the event of another severe more..

Jul 24 (ST) SL’s recent run in Test cricket has been somewhat decent, with two series wins – against West Indies and Bangladesh, a 0-2 loss to India and an exciting 1-1 series tie against Australia earlier this month. Against Australia, SL lost the first game by 10 wickets but bounced back with an inning and 39-run win in the second game. Against Pakistan too, the first match a total giveaway, while today’s second and final Test more..

Jul 24 (Island) Cricket’s finest writer Christopher Martin-Jenkins went onto become the Prez of MCC. It was he who invited Kumar Sangakkara to deliver the Cowdrey Lecture at Lord’s and it remains the best annual Home of Cricket speech ever. CMJ had a superb sense of humour to drive home some harsh truths about the sport. His take on umpires was interesting. He once wrote, I never questioned the integrity of an umpire. Their eyesight, yes. There’s nothing wrong with Kumar more..

Jul 24 (SO) SL’s solitary para athlete at the XXII Commonwealth Games Palitha Bandara is poised to create history in Birmingham when he competes in the F42 discus throw event on Aug 3. Paralympian Bandara’s pet event is the shot put having won a silver medal at the 2018 Asian Para Games in Indonesia and is ranked number 5 in the world after throwing a distance of 13.40 metres in the F63 final at the Tokyo Games last year. He has also won a bronze medal at the 2021 Fazza World more..

Jul 24 (Island) The on-going economic crisis in the country has left many Sri Lankans struggling to make ends meet. Together for a Better Tomorrow the Keells community outreach program started in May 2022 and has thus far provided essential packs to over 5,000 individuals spread across the country such as Gampola, Matara, Monaragala, Jaffna, Kalutara, Hambanthota, Ampara, Colombo and suburbs. Keells has made available the Keells Donation card priced at Rs.1500 to potential more..

Jul 24 (ST) Kusal Janith Perera’s proposed travel to Britain for shoulder surgery has been further delayed after Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) turned down the batter’s request for it to foot the full bill. SLC has asked the player to bear a substantial portion of the cost which is not covered by the insurer. Accordingly, the opener appealed to his employer to consider meeting the full cost, only to be met with a blunt refusal. SLC also did not offer an alternative. This means Perera could miss out on this year’s more..

Jul 24 (TM) The action instituted in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York against SL by Int'l Sovereign Bond (ISB) holder Hamilton Reserve Bank (HRB) has been fixed for pre-trial conference on 26 Aug. According to public records published by US District Court for the Southern District of New York, initial pre-trial conference in case no. 1:22-cv-05199 between Hamilton Reserve Bank Ltd. and more..

Jul 24 (Island) Crowning 30 new ambitious chefs, who are ready take their first step as professionals in the hospitality industry, the certificate awarding ceremony of the ninth the Batch of West and the fourth Batch of East – Empower Culinary and Hospitality School (ECHS) of Dilmah’s MJF Charitable Foundation was successfully held recently, Dilmah announced. Among its other initiatives the MJF Charitable Foundation, funded by the earnings from Dilmah Tea, more..

Jul 24 (ST) The stage is set next month to present the interim budget 2022 of the present administration headed by President Ranil Wickremasinghe in parliament as the initial step of resetting the governing system, Finance Ministry sources confirmed. The Legal Draftsman is now drafting an amendment bill to the Appropriation Act 2022 using the inputs of the Ministry of Finance. Based on the current crisis of food shortages and rising living costs, the Finance Ministry more..

Jul 24 (TM) The Kelanitissa Combined Cycle Power Station stopped operations on Friday (22) night, having run out of naphtha fuel stocks. A timeline for the Kelanitissa station to come back online is unknown, as there are no naphtha fuel stocks in the country due to the Sapugaskanda Refinery being unoperational. “The CPC will have to provide us with either naphtha or diesel to get the plant back to generating electricity,” more..

Jul 24 (TM) Agriculture Ministry has begun a consultation process with farmers and growers to explore the possibility of a change to the fertiliser supply system in preparation for the upcoming Maha cultivation season. Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said that the consultation process was aimed at gauging the farmers’ views on the possibility of them buying the fertiliser required for their cultivations from the private sector by utilising a Govt subsidy system, which may involve a voucher or more..

Jul 24 (SO) The Chamber of Commerce and Industries of Jaffna is in a constant battle with the authorities to secure fuel for the agriculture and fisheries sectors and essential commodities for people hit by the economic crisis, the Jaffna Chamber Chairman Vignesh Kularatnam said last week. We have been having discussions with the Governor of the Northern Province and the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation and the LIOC to set up consumer points for fuel distribution, he said. more..

Jul 24 (ST) Presidential Secretariat will be fully operational from tomorrow after more than three months, a senior official said. Cleaning up and repairs were being carried out to doors and windows damaged during the occupation by protesters in parts of the building. Meanwhile, a specialised squad of crime scene and fingerprint officers has been established under the direction of the SSP Colombo Central to gather evidence of any crimes committed at the Prez Secretariat premises, more..

Jul 24 (TM) A large number of priceless artefacts and historic artwork which were at the President’s House, the Presidential Secretariat, and the PM’s residence at Temple Trees have been stolen or vandalised. According to Minister Tiran Alles, the Police and the Archaeological Dept are currently assessing the inventory and once the investigation is concluded, a clear assessment of the missing and damaged items will be made. “After the report has been submitted, we will do the valuation. more..

Jul 24 (ST) India’s concerns over the Colombo Port City Project discouraging its business community from investing here is likely due to geopolitical issues and a lack of awareness of the regulations that are still being finalised, SL authorities state. A recent report in the Indian media said there are concerns expressed over the Colombo Port City Project citing it’s a possible hub for money laundering & extra- legal activities, more..

Jul 24 (ST) The number of COVID-19 cases are on the rise with at least eight deaths during the week, Health Ministry said yesterday. The death toll this month has risen to 13. COVID cases have increased with about 60 people being tested positive daily. Majority of those who died are above the age of 60, according to the Ministry. This year so far 16,535 cases have been reported. 68 people were tested positive on July 22. Meanwhile, Public Health Inspectors Union Chief Upul Rohana said more..

Jul 24 (AD) A railway security officer died earlier today (23) after a drunk passenger pushed him out of a moving train. Incident happened inside a Jaffna-bound intercity train as it was passing through Wandurawa area in Veyangoda. Security officers of the train received a complaint from the passengers about two people who were consuming alcohol inside the train. Upon arriving at the compartment where the two men in question were, two security officers reproached them, advising them more..

Jul 24 (TM) Public Utilities Commission of SL (PUCSL) has raised concerns over the steps taken by Lanka Coal Company (LCC) to seek coal supplies on a long-term credit basis for the country’s only coal power plant in Norochcholai. The utilities regulator claimed that it was uncertain whether any supplier would come forward to help the country on long-term credit, given the current economic situation in SL. more..

Jul 24 (ST) Jaliya Wickramasuriya, SL’s former Ambassador in Washington, DC, got off lightly this week for defrauding SL Govt in the purchase of a new embassy building on account of having taken a plea bargain in April this year. Plea bargains are agreements between defendants and prosecutors in which defendants agree to plead guilty to some or all of the charges against them in exchange for concessions from the prosecutors. On Wednesday, Mr. Wickramasuriya was sentenced at more..

Jul 24 (ST) SL businesses are bracing for a record number of failed businesses, shrinking margins and job losses amidst the economy contracting by 6%. Mahendra Jayasekara Managing Director Lanka Tiles said that the company has witnessed a clear reduction in customer footfall. “It has fallen drastically by nearly 60%. The ability to sell our products is tested in this current context which is impacting our margins. We will face a big disconnect between cost escalation and passing more..

Jul 24 (ST) Last Wednesday, Ranil Wickremesinghe, was completing his 45th year as a MP when fortune smiled on him. He was first elected to Parliament on July 21, 1977, from the Biyagama electorate. Sri Lankans and those around the world watched Wickremesinghe’s phenomenal rise to presidency inside the well of Parliament. All this was within hours than days during a rigorous polls campaign. more..

Jul 25 (DM) Our country has a new Prez. On July 20, Acting Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe was elected the eighth Executive Prez of the country. Though Wickremesinghe is not a popularly elected president, the country has shown that its trappings of democracy and constitutionality are in tact. The people used their democratic right - the freedom of speech, expression and freedom of assembly to change a president without bloodshed etc. Prez Gotabaya on his part, bowed to popular more..

Jul 25 (ST) Extraordinary foresight is scarcely needed to have predicted the State’s attack on SL’s globally feted protest site at the Galle Face Green in the wee hours of Friday morning, July 22nd 2022. As formidable contingents of baton wielding masked military and the police took control of the site, they set about systematically dismantling protest structures, including the library and the medical tent, badly beating up unarmed lawyers, priests, journalists, dragging away and more..

Jul 25 (TM) Unwarranted use of force by Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe does not bode well for reaching the political stability needed to recover from the unprecedented economic crisis SL is facing, TNA MP, M.A. Sumanthiran said. Sri Lanka needs a consensus govt to move forward, not one stands on the false majority of the SLPP, the veteran politician stressed, adding that by using disproportionate force to evict protesters more..

Jul 25 (GV) The political leadership of SL has yet again demonstrated that even in the midst of the worst socio economic and political crisis the country has faced since independence, they do not wish to follow a path of honesty and fairness to end the suffering of the people who put them in power. The leaders who were previously acting like political foes have come together once more in solidarity to safeguard their interests and privileges, rather than working in unison in the interest of the nation. more..

Jul 25 (DM) After the flight of Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa from Sri Lanka, gave the opportunity to parliament to elect Ranil Wickremesinghe as the SL President. The chances of the 19th Constitutional Amendment (19A) being restored have brightened. Even if an opposition leader is elected President on July 20, he is unlikely to shelve the long-standing project of all parties to reduce the powers of the Executive President and enhance the powers of parliament, which is what 19A aims at. more..

Jul 25 (GV) A walking path bordered by the sea and a bit of lawn with few struggling saplings; a marina sans yacht or boat (like that airport with no planes). Port City Marina Promenade, inaugurated in Jan 2022 by Prez Gotabaya, PM Mahinda and Chinese foreign minister, became an instant wonder. Almost 90,000 people visited it one week. In Jan 2022, as masses thronged a sea-path masquerading as a marina, more..

Jul 25 (CT) Today marks the 75th full day since UNP leader Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe created a record by joining the SLPP Govt of Mahinda Rajapaksa, first as the country’s Premier on 12 May and subsequently as its Prez, since Wednesday (20) to date. SLPP leader Rajapaksa’s party commands 145 seats in the 225-member House. A hallmark of the Rajapaksa-Wickremesinghe regime, which enters its fifth full day since Wickremesinghe’s election as Prez, by the House and more..

Jul 25 (TM) SL has on many occasions discussed how July 1983 marked a disgraceful period of the country’s history, and stressed on the importance of the country – especially its leaders and authorities – learning from what happened. Leaders say that they do not want to see such tragedies again. However, yesterday, on the 39th anniversary of that July, known as Black July, the country was again discussing State-backed oppression and alleged plots hatched by those in power to more..

Jul 25 (ST) When the UNP was all but wiped out at the 2020 parliamentary elections, many were quick to write off the party and its leader Ranil Wickremesinghe as a spent force in politics. It took almost a year of squabbles within the party for Mr Wickremesinghe to even be appointed to the UNP’s sole national list seat. He took oath as an MP on June 23 last year. Just 13 months later, last Wednesday, he cemented one of the all-time great comebacks in politics when more..

Jul 25 (ST) SL’s women’s captain for the 3×3 basketball team – Chalani Perera – at next week’s Commonwealth Games (CWG) is all set and are all-out to give a run for their money. Coincidentally, the 2022 edition would also be the first time, 3×3, one of the two formats in the fast-paced game, will be introduced in the history of the games. The format is only one quarter of ten-minutes long. The first team to reach 21, or the team leading at the end of the quarter, would be declared winners. more..

Jul 25 (TM) That there’s never a dull moment in Sri Lanka is fast becoming an understatement looking at the events that unfolded during the past few months, which have resulted in the country witnessing, for the first time, a Parliament-appointed President in the form of Ranil Wickremesinghe. While the month of July has great significance following the 24 July 1983 pogrom targeting the Tamil community in the country, more..

Jul 25 (SO) There is no victory without a crisis which enables to look for alternatives. Overcoming crises is not an uphill task with technological advances and talented youth. Vehicles in long queues and people selling fuel at high prices in the black market has become the order of the day. Three-wheelers without engines are at fuel queues but none is available for hire. This has been turned into a business. All these unlawful moves must be stopped forthwith. Research has been done on addressing more..

Jul 25 (Island) The much-awaited fuel dispensation scheme has not yielded the desired result although the govt considers it a success. The proof of the pudding is said to be in the eating. The new scheme based on the last digits of vehicle registration numbers plus a QR code was introduced to streamline fuel dispensation and keep hoarders at bay. But there are still long lines of vehicles near filling stations in all parts of the country, and many consumers return home disappointed after more..

Jul 25 (CI) Angelo Mathews made it clear he was on the cusp of something special, when on the last day of the year before his year, he hit 91 off 127 balls. It was the first innings of a Test match in Abu Dhabi. Around him, a batting order still carrying the likes of Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, had buckled. Mathews struck boundaries in the company of the tail and dragged his team, kicking & screaming, just past 200. more..