Jul 29 (Island) Foreign Ministry announces with deep sorrow the passing away of Mr. Moragodage Christopher Walter Pinto, famously known as Mr. Chris Pinto, on 21 July, in the Hague, Netherlands. Mr. Pinto was the first Legal Advisor of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who established the Legal Division of the Ministry in 1967. Mr. Pinto was a legal scholar recognized both locally and internationally. He read law at Uni of Peradeniya, and SL Law College, and passed out as an Advocate of Supreme Court more..

Jul 29 (AD) SL hopes to conclude discussions with China soon on a $4 billion aid package, the country’s ambassador Palitha Kohona said. He said that talks were progressing. “We hope that these discussions could be concluded soon, as a positive outcome would definitely assist SL to reestablish confidence in the financial markets and recover from its unprecedented, dire financial circumstances.” more..

Jul 29 (Splash) Norwegian offshore wind service company Edda Wind has agreed with Colombo Dockyard in SL to terminate the construction and delivery contracts for two commissioning support operation vessels (CSOVs). The terms and conditions of the cancellation have not been disclosed. The hydrogen-ready CSOVs were scheduled for delivery under the Norwegian flag in Jan 2024 and July 2024. “The adverse development in SL, which has become detrimental to more..

Jul 29 (UNICEF) In response to the ongoing economic crisis in the country, the Govt of Japan today handed over the first consignment of a total donation of USD 1.5 million value of medicines being procured through UNICEF to address the severe shortage of medicines in hospitals and clinics in the country. The vital assistance will be used to provide much-needed healthcare for children, pregnant mothers, and their families, especially in some of the most vulnerable regions. more..

Jul 29 (TM) Sri Lanka Tourism is not worried about the impact of the recent uptick in Covid-19 cases, as it believes it would not severely hinder the country’s tourism sector. SLTDA Chairman Priantha Fernando said: “I do not think we have to worry, but we have to take every precaution,” explaining that he does not anticipate that the increasing number of Covid cases reported recently will develop into an outbreak. However, despite the relatively low number of cases being detected in comparison more..

Jul 29 (EN) SL stocks gained from over one-week closing low on Thursday (28) after slipping for four straight sessions as the buying sentiments returned and the index was mainly pushed by energy and plantation shares, brokers said. The main All Share Price Index (ASPI) edged up 0.69% or 52.95 points to 7,679.64 from its lowest since July 18. Analysts said the centre-left SLFP meeting with new president Ranil Wickremesinghe focusing on an all-party govt was seen as positive. more..

Jul 29 (TM) A faction of the ruling SLPP led by SLPP Chairman MP Prof. G.L. Peiris yesterday condemned the proclamation of a state of emergency, stating that the emergency law in the current environment goes against the core principles of the SLPP. “The emergency law in this current environment completely goes against the core principles of SLPP. The serious consequences of this will be that the FR of more..

Jul 29 (DM) A leading animal rights advocate has been attacked when she was filming the mistreatment of a disabled elephant using her mobile phone. Panchali Panapitiya had been taking videos of the elephant when it was taking part in an ordaining ceremony perahera in Malabe on 8th July. Panapitiya said that the elephant named Kandula was forced to take part in the event despite its disabilities. She said that when she noticed the mistreatment of the 40-year-old elephant more..

Jul 29 (Island) Russian energy company that sent representatives to SL recently had presented the govt with an MoU, NFF leader, Wimal Weerawansa said in Parliament on Wednesday. If the Wickremesinghe administration was willing to sign the MoU, Russians would supply fuel to SL on credit, Weerawansa said. “We can get crude oil from Russia about 10-15% discount below the market price. Discussions had been held with state officials, Minister of Power and Energy & CB Governor more..

Jul 29 (FT) Malwathu Chapter Senior Sangha Member Ven. Doranegama Rathanapala Nayaka Thero says a snap election is most suitable at this juncture due to the current situation in the country. “The current Parliament is a distortion. The same people have been appointed to the posts of Prez, PM and Cabinet. "There is no visible change in the system,” he said. Thero made these comments when Election Commission Chairman Nimal Punchihewa along with several officials of more..

Jul 29 (CT) President of the Lanka Private Bus Owners’ Association (LPBOA) Gemenu Wijeratne accused Transport and Highways Minister Bandula Gunawardena of plotting to systematically destroy the private bus service by not maintaining equality in fuel distribution. Wijeratne claimed that although Gunewardena has taken the decision to provide 50% of fuel from the allocated fuel stock for public transport, it is not equitable when there are 13,000 private buses and 3,000 buses with SLTB. more..

Jul 29 (TM) A discussion between Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe and SLFP representatives, led by SLFP Chairman and SLPP independent MP Maithripala Sirisena, was held yesterday at the Ministry of Finance regarding the formation of an all-party Govt. Speaking to the media after the discussion, Sirisena said: “We met Wickremesinghe to brief him on the proposals presented by SLFP regarding an all-party Govt. more..

Jul 29 (Island) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe and the govt were planning to impose the most draconian Emergency regulations in the post-independence history and they would further diminish the country’s chances of receiving assistance from the international community, Education Secretary of the FSP Pubudu Jagoda, said yesterday. Jagoda said the Emergency passed in Parliament would have serious consequences for the public and would fuel anger and dissatisfaction among the people. more..

Jul 29 (AD) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe has prorogued parliament with effect from midnight today (28), via an extraordinary gazette. Accordingly, the next session of Parliament will commence at 10.30 am on 03 Aug 2022, according to the gazette notification. The President has prorogued by virtue of the powers vested in him by Article 70 of the Constitution of Sri Lanka. With the signing of the gazette notification, the current session of the 9th Parliament marked its closure. more..

Jul 29 (TM) The authorities who arrested one of the founders of the GotaGoGama, Pathum Kerner yesterday, have also stepped up efforts to arrest key figures of the aragalaya (struggle) that is calling for the resignation of Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe and Govt, including searching several church premises to nab Catholic priest and activist Fr. Amila Jeewantha Peiris, and the questioning of the media & journalists. more..

Jul 29 (FT) Evidently, the Aragalaya (struggle) did not have a clear idea about ​​the goals it hoped to achieve. Also, it did not have a clear idea about the limitations of its strength. The developments of the Aragalaya, especially the fact that Prez Gotabaya relinquishing the presidency and fleeing away can be considered as a special situation caused by the weak and foolish manner in which Prez Rajapaksa faced the challenge posed by the Aragalaya rather than an outcome of the strength or wisdom of more..

Jul 29 (FT) The Prez’s office announced an interim cabinet of 21 with the promise of replacing it with an all-party cabinet soon. An all-party cabinet sounds good in theory, but it is not going to help if all-party means a bloated cabinet with fragmentation and misalignments that typically manifest in such. Officially, we have 15 parties in Parliament distributed as SLPP (145), SJB (54), TNA (10) and JVP (3), EPDP and AITC with two members each, and nine parties with one member each. more..

Jul 29 (DM) While calling for an all party or multi party govt, SJB MP Dr. Harsha de Silva today said Sri Lanka' will slide further as a nation. "I have urged from day one that we must establish an all or multi party govt. My reasoning has always been that without broad support we will NOT be able to undertake the deep and comprehensive structural economic reforms needed to get us out of this mess. Today even the World Bank had said without such reform no money will come. That is true. more..

Jul 29 (AD) School holidays will not be given this August, Minister of Education Susil Premajayantha says. Accordingly, schools will continue delivering lessons until the end of November to make up for the missed academic activities. Meanwhile, the delayed Grade 5 Scholarship examination is scheduled to be held on 27th of November while the G.C.E. A/L exam is set to be held from 28th of Nov to 23rd of Dec. At the same time, seminars will be organized by the state universities more..

Jul 29 (Reuters) The World Bank does not plan to offer new financing to SL, which is battling its worst economic crisis in decades, until the Indian Ocean nation has an adequate macroeconomic policy framework in place, the lender said on Thursday. World Bank said SL needed to adopt structural reforms that focus on economic stabilisation and tackle the root causes of its crisis, which has starved it of foreign more..

Jul 29 (DM) SJB has not made any decision to participate in a protest which is claimed to be the final battle against the corrupt politicians on Aug 9 although party Chairman Sarath Fonseka had claimed he and others will participate in it, SJB MP Mujibur Rahman said. He said that the party had not made any official decision to participate in any decision to participate in any protest on Aug 9th. “One has to ask Field Marshal Fonseka as to what made him come out with such a remark,” more..

Jul 29 (Island) The economic and political crisis caused by four decades of neoliberalism could only be overcome by bringing an alternative economic program to power, General Secretary of the Communist Party of SL (CPSL) Dr. G. Weerasinghe said issuing a statement yesterday. Dr. Weerasinghe said that as soon as satisfactory solutions for the pressing needs of the people were found, parliamentary elections should be held so that the people’s will; sovereignty could be expressed more..

Jul 29 (EN) Sri Lanka has resumed discussion with the IMF on final policy issues and debt advisors are continuing analytical work needed for re-structuring, the Finance Ministry said. Sri Lanka has a stable govt to continue negotiations with the IMF, Prez’s media office said. Sri Lanka expects to successfully conclude negotiations, the statement said. Finance Ministry said protests and changes in administration delayed process. more..

Jul 29 (AD) The man who stole the Prez’s flag on the 09th of July and used it as a bed sheet has been arrested by the police. He was taken into custody after he surrendered to the Wellaweediya Police this morning. On the 09th of July, people in large numbers thronged Colombo to take part in the mass demonstrations against the govt over economic mismanagement and corruption. As the demonstrations made strides, the protesters stormed the Prez’s House in Colombo more..

Jul 29 (TM) We, the undersigned individuals and organizations strongly condemn the ongoing attacks including violence, false labeling and legal reprisals against unarmed peaceful protesters by the SL govt. We call for an immediate end to reprisals against those exercising their constitutionally protected rights to advocate for change. We are extremely concerned by disturbing developments of abduction, arrest, intimidation, and reprisals against protesters that have been ongoing and increased over more..

Jul 29 (DM) The cases which were filed against former Prez Rajapaksa should resume soon after he returned to the country as his presidential immunity is no longer intact, JVP MP Vijitha Herath said today. He said that Gotabaya Rajapaksa has the right to come to the country as a civilian because he is a SL citizen. "However, he is no longer the Prez of the country neither has the presidential immunity. Cases against him should be heard and law should be implemented against him," he said. more..

Jul 29 (Island) Anti-govt protests will not shift to Viharamaha Devi Park, Convener of the IUSF Wasantha Mudalige said yesterday. “We will protest where we want. It is our constitutional right,” he said. The govt has said that it will allocate Viharamaha Devi Park, etc, for protesters. Mudalige added that they would continue to protest until Ranil Wickremesinghe stepped down. “Wickremesinghe and his allies are not capable of finding solutions to the economic woes of the country. more..

Jul 29 (TM) Japan has suspended all its projects in SL due to the non-payment of loans, while SL’s debt unsustainability has led the countries to wait on a programme by IMF to offer any financial assistance, CCC Vice Chairman Duminda Hulangamuwa said. He said that when the Chamber met with representatives of Japan, the US, and India in Colombo, they had indicated that they could not provide any considerable amount more..

Jul 29 (NR) OIC of the Colombo Fort Police Station has handed over the Rs.17.8 million found by protesters inside the Prez’s House on 9th July, to the Colombo Magistrate’s Court. The money was handed over to Colombo Magistrate Thilina Gamage this afternoon. Meanwhile, the Magistrate instructed the IGP to conduct an inquiry into the delay in submitting the money to Court. It was revealed in Court yesterday that the Rs.17.8 million was not produced in Court despite a lapse of 2 wks. more..

Jul 29 (CT) A 30-year-old person had been killed in a shooting, inside a house at Silva Mawatha in Ratmalana, on Wednesday night (27). This was the fourth death caused by shooting on Wednesday (27). According to the Police, two unidentified men, who entered the victim’s home, had opened fire at him. The victim who suffered critical gunshot wounds succumbed to injuries on admission to the Colombo South Teaching Hospital in Kalubowila. He was a three-wheeler driver by profession. more..

Jul 29 (CGTN) Three in 10 families in Sri Lanka are facing food insecurity amid the country's worst economic crisis since independence in 1948. Skyrocketing food and fuel prices, inflation and widespread shortages of all essentials have pushed adequate and nutritious diet out of reach for more and more families. For nine years, Munivara Fathima Hameed operated a small catering business, supplying meals for students more..

Jul 29 (CT) Ministry of Health has decided to temporarily suspend the mandatory foreign training for postgraduate trainees due to the limited foreign currency in the country. Director General of Health Services, Dr. Asela Gunawardena instructed the Director of the Post Graduate Institute of Medicine (PGIM) to temporarily suspend offering further recommendations for foreign training, especially for those who were planning to be completely dependent on monthly living allowance more..

Jul 29 (DM) The organization called Liberal Fellowship said they have decided to withdraw from Galle Face protests as the common goal of the protests has been blurred by the use of the Galle Face protests by a few groups and individuals to popularize their personal political ideologies. They said in a statement that the peaceful protests people undertook against former Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa and the entire Rajapaksa regime at the beginning of March soon spread to the rest of the island. more..

Jul 29 (DM) In Palawela Udaniriella, an 8-year-old girl became the victim of Grave Sexual Abuse committed by no stranger, but by her grandfather’s brother, a 62-year-old man. One day, she was called to his house when he was alone saying that he wanted to send her to the boutique, and was escorted to the kitchen where he abused her. The victim was left with mental trauma that was seen in the tears she shed before the trial judge 9 years later. Offence was initially alleged as rape, more..

Jul 29 (AD) Ambassador of US Julie Chung, calling on PM Dinesh Gunawardena, has discussed the ways the U.S. can support the people of the island nation during this challenging period. Meeting took place at the Office of the PM last evening. The focus of the discussion also fell on stabilizing and rebuilding the economy, including the negotiations with the IMF. U.S. envoy stressed that it is essential that leaders uphold due process, access to justice and the rule of law as they work to bring more..