Jun 24 (ANI) Clinching the three-match series will be in the mind of Team India when they take to the field in the second T20I against SL at Dambulla Int'l Stadium in Dambulla on Saturday. It will be important for Indian batters to find form during this crucial match. The opening duo of Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana will have to provide great and positive starts to the side. Sabbhineni Meghana will also have to replicate her heroics during the Women's T20 Challenge 2022 play more..

Jun 24 (IC) As I write this I am in a fuel line well over a kilometer long. Gas pipelines have become a common sight no matter where you are in SL. Some last for days. In fact, eight people have reportedly died while waiting in lines. This is just one example of the human cost of one of the worst economic crises currently unfolding in SL. Last month SL defaulted on its multi-million pound external debt, meaning the country lacks. more..

Jun 24 (CT) Convener of the aggrieved parties of the gas crisis, Milinda Premaratne, said they will shortly petition the International Court of Justice, demanding justice following the recent incidents suffered by consumers arising from injuries caused following explosion of gas cylinders. He said it was obvious that they will not be able to seek justice for their grievances in SL. Premaratne added that if either the Human Rights Commission of SL (HRCSL) or the Govt is unable to address more..

Jun 24 (TM) Newly appointed Litro Gas Lanka Ltd. Chairman Muditha Peiris announced yesterday that two ships carrying 7,000 metric tonnes (MT) of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) are due to arrive in Sri Lanka between 5 July and 12 July. This was after Peiris said on 15 June that no LPG shipments are scheduled to arrive beyond the consignment that was unloaded on that day. He had said: “At present, a ship with a capacity of nearly 3,900 metric tonnes (MT) of gas has been unloaded. more..

Jun 24 (EN) SL is looking at ways to trim the public sector by allowing state workers to go on leave for other jobs both locally and abroad as a worsening economic crisis compels the island nation to reduce govt expenditure. The country is going through its worst ever forex crisis and the govt is faced with the possibility of cutting down the number of employees in the state sector in order to manage a massive wage bill, even as talks begin with more..

Jun 24 (AD) WSO2, a leader in digital transformation technology, today announced that Dr. Sanjiva Weerawarana, WSO2 founder and CEO, is a recipient of the 2022 IEEE TCSVC Research Innovation Award. Each year, the IEEE Computer Society Technical Community on Services Computing (TCSVC) awards outstanding individuals and team efforts. The IEEE TCSVC Research Innovation Award recognizes individuals or collaborators whose contributions have more..

Jun 24 (TM) Expressing his displeasure at the insufficient measures taken by the Govt to ease the numerous hardships faced by the people, Colombo Uni Chancellor Ven. Muruththettuwe Ananda Thera called on Prez Rajapaksa to resign if he is unable to provide solutions. “We are paying the price for vouching to bring this Govt to power. There has never been a time where the people of this country participated in this many protests on roads and had to stay in such long queues. more..

Jun 26 (CT) Today, 21-million-Sri Lankans are facing almost two-hour-long daily power cuts, steep price hikes of goods and services, and scarcity of fuel, food, essential items, and medical facilities. The worst affected by the prevailing situation are the poor and the daily wagerers of the country who consist of most of the population as against the privileged few who are the elite. It is at a historical moment like today that the youths of the country -the future of the nation- have got themselves more..

Jun 26 (DM) With the appointment of UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe as the PM on May 12, Prez Rajapaksa seems to have been relieved of a heavy burden and a massive pressure which had nearly ousted him from power. On the other hand, Wickremesinghe’s appointment in a similar proportion has diluted the tempo of the agitations against the govt by the Opposition and other groups. Prez of Gotabaya Rajapaksa as well as his govt had come almost to brink of their collapse more..

Jun 26 (CT) In Sri Lanka, fuel queues are getting longer with each passing day, with patience levels of people rapidly wearing thin. While the number of people dying while stuck in fuel queues is increasing, the number of clashes at fuel stations are also on the rise. Bar Association of SL (BASL), in a recent statement, said it is of utmost importance that the Govt informs the public, on a regular basis, of its plans to extricate more..

Jun 26 (DM) In a time of crisis of epic proportion, the end result may be something unpredicted, and it is more so in politics. What Sri Lanka goes through currently is a period of social, political and economic turbulence with uncertainty hanging on the horizon. The economic downfall, triggered both by COVID-19 and mismanagement, led to social and political unrest. Mass protests that erupted culminated in the resignation of then PM Mahinda Rajapaksa and his Cabinet. more..

Jun 26 (GV) The young SL cricket team has done the impossible and beaten the powerful Australian cricket team several times in the shorter formats of the game, giving Sri Lankans some much needed respite and cheer. The games have been played to packed crowds, notwithstanding lingering Covid spread threats, with TV viewership also reportedly high, demonstrating that people understandably seek some avenue of relief from the misery which Rajapaksa rule has plunged our nation. more..

Jun 26 (CT) SL’s free health service has suffered thrust after thrust from the cutting edge of the economic crisis, till it was brought to its knees by the end of last week. Apeksha Hospital for cancer patients mourned in pain as the fuel crisis affected the service providers and the patients coming in for treatment. Hospital which steadfastly functioned, no matter what trade union action was taken by doctors, nurses & its other service categories, more..

Jun 25 (Island) People continue to drop dead in fuel queues, which are getting longer by the day. The number of hours people spend in long lines to obtain fuel averages 48, we are told, and there have been reports of people spending four to five days at a stretch near some filling stations. The only thing Prez Rajapaksa, PM Wickremesinghe and Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera are apparently capable of doing efficiently is jacking up fuel prices besides issuing grim warnings. more..

Jun 26 (TM) Pro-lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and queer/questioning (LGBTIQ) social changes that SL has achieved through the years were shown through the responses of the general public to the marriage between SL lawyer Aritha Wickramasinghe and another man, which took place last week. Those who had commented on this marriage, especially on social media platforms, showed how much the SL society has changed to accept those identifying as LGBTIQ and more..

Jun 26 (DM) The current economic crisis is known to be the worst economic crisis the country has seen since independence. Many experts have pointed out that one of the reasons for this is the tax cuts introduced in 2019. “Coupled with the economic mismanagement in the country, the 2019 tax cuts further downgraded SL’s credit rating,” shared Umesh Moramudali, lecturer at the Dept of Economics, Uni of Colombo. He shared these views during a session on The Economic Crisis, more..

Jun 25 (Island) One of the main strategies to resolve the current Foreign Exchange crisis would be to increase export earnings and reduce expenditure on imports. Most of the activities involved are short-term while the others are medium/long term. Increasing exports is of paramount importance to improve the present FE crisis. A major source of FE is the plantation sector. Around 800,000 ha are cultivated with crops such as tea, rubber, coconut, etc., and this sector has in the last few years more..

Jun 25 (CI) A depleted spin attack led by 19-year-old Dunith Wellalage made a fist of defending a small chase. But ultimately, SL's calamitous early collapse, in which they'd sunk to 85 for 8, proved the defining period of the match. Australia had themselves been in trouble at 19 for 3, then 101 for 5, but Alex Carey's measured 45, which featured just one boundary, saw them to a target of 161 with 4 wts and 10 overs to spare. more..

Jun 25 (Island) Committee on Public Finance (COPF), inquiring into financial meltdown recently, called several former and serving officials to ascertain their culpability as well as that of the institutions they served for the developing crisis. Among them were former Governors of the Central Bank Prof. W.D. Lakshman (Dec 2019- Sept 2021), and Ajith Nivard Cabraal (Sept 2021-March 2022), Secretary to the Prez Dr. P.B. Jayasundera (Nov 2019-Dec 2021) and Treasury Secretary more..

Jun 25 (CI) Glenn Maxwell has been added to Australia's Test squad ahead of the opening match against SL in Galle after Travis Head joined a lengthy injury list with a hamstring strain which has ruled him out of the final ODI. It means the prospect of Maxwell playing his first Test since 2017, against Bangladesh in Chattogram, and his first first-class match since 2019 if he is included for the game next Wednesday. All seven of his Tests have come on the subcontinent with a top score of 104 more..

Jun 25 (CT) Two Cabinet approved Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Power Plants at Kerawalapitiya, one of which is already nearing construction, would most likely be powered by diesel, which is expensive and the main cause of the present fuel crisis. According to CEB officials, due to paucity in the supply of LNG, the LNG power plants would operate on diesel till supplies arrive. Country is currently witnessing its worst fuel crisis, more..

Jun 25 (CA) Centuries to both Henry Hunt and Jimmy Peirson have guided Australia A to an improbable victory on the final day of their tour match against Sri Lanka A in Hambantota. Needing a massive 367 to win on a turning wicket, the two right handers handled the trying conditions with aplomb as the visitors got to their target with five wickets in hand. The duo combined for a vital 151-run partnership that changed Australia A's mindset from saving the game to potentially winning it. more..

Jun 25 (FT) Dept of Immigration and Emigration has issued the first-ever Golden Paradise Visa to Chai Yin Man from China for five years. Man, is the Director of Baili Investments Lanka Ltd, a BOI approved Chinese company working on a 1,200-unit luxury apartment complex project in Rajagiriya with an investment of $ 60 m (over Rs. 22 b). The long-term residence visa issuance initiative was introduced last month in a bid to attract foreign inflows and boost FDIs. more..

Jun 25 (ST) Every dark cloud has a silver lining may come as the most appropriate phrase to describe champion swimmer Akalanka Peiris’ journey after being excluded from the Tokyo Olympics last year. Tokyo Olympic snub was a bitter pill to swallow for the 22-year-old youngster, as his great dream was shattered momentarily. Knowing his ability to overcome challenges, the swimming fraternity of the country knew that it was just another challenging period in his glittering career that has brought more..

Jun 25 (FT) Given the worsening economic crisis, the National Chamber of Exporters (NCE) has submitted a far-reaching proposal to absorb State sector workers into private sector to relieve the burden on wages and related costs of the Govt. The NCE submitted a three-point proposal to PM Ranil Wickremesinghe, who is also the Finance, Economic Stabilisation, and National Policies Minister, earlier this week. The three key proposals include; 1) any Govt employee in the permanent cadre more..

Jun 25 (FT) Sri Lanka must consider the European Union as a friend, the Ambassadors from the region yesterday emphasised to the Govt whilst assuring support to come out of the crisis. This pledge was shared by Ambassadors of European countries when they called on Prez Rajapaksa. The EU delegation members pointed out that a firm message about the future plans of building the country’s economy will certainly more..

Jun 25 (FT) Colombo stock market this week succeeded to close on the up reversing the losing streak suffered in the previous three weeks. The All Share Price Index finished the week up 178.80 points (2.39%) and the S&P SL20 gained 101.54 points (4.29%). Turnover averaged Rs. 900 million almost same as last week. Yesterday, the CSE sustained the new found optimism on the part of investors. The S&P SL20 gained by 1.6% and the ASPI by 1.26%. more..

Jun 25 (DM) The brother of the late Australian cricketing great Shane Warne said that SL held a special place in his brother’s heart, being involved in relief efforts soon after the 2004 tsunami that hit the country. Jason Warne, and his wife Shay, are scheduled to be at the first Test SL-Australia Test next week, which is being dedicated to the former Australia leg-spinner who died following a heart attack in March. Sri Lanka Tourism has planned a special event during the first Test match more..

Jun 25 (ST) Large pots filled with boiled vegetables and steaming rice are a common sight in some areas in and around Colombo. These are the community kitchens providing some kind of nourishing meal to the needy as the country’s economic woes worsen. However, even these community kitchens are affected by the severe shortage of fuel and cooking gas. The kitchen in Rajagiriya run by more..

Jun 25 (DM) The Police Headquarters has instructed all police officers not to interfere in opening of underground fuel storage tanks at fuel stations at the request of the public. Police said it has been observed that people waiting in queues have been asking the policemen who provide security to the sheds to open the underground fuel storage tanks once the fuel has been ceased. It was also monitored that policemen have intervened to open the underground fuel storage tanks. more..

Jun 25 (DN) Bell Geospace, the world leaders in gravity gradiometry, has in Q4 of 2021, conducted the first aerial mapping of petroleum resources and will be presenting these insights – together with Winter moon Geophysics-at the prestigious SEAPEX (South East Asia Petroleum Exploration Society) Asia Pacific Conference in London on Thursday June 30. The mapping project was conducted during the last quarter of 2021 as part of collaboration between Bell Geospace and more..

Jun 25 (DN) Institute of Chartered Accountants of SL (CA) has launched the Non-Financial Reporting Guideline. The guideline is envisioned to be the precursor to a formal standard that governs non-financial statements in Annual Reports. The guidelines though currently voluntary are expected over due course to be standardized by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Taskforce to Develop Non-Financial Reporting Practices in SL Chairman Nuwan Withanage noted that more..

Jun 25 (CT) Colombo HC Judge Damith Thotawatta, ordered the case against four former Customs Directors, who were charged with soliciting a bribe of Rs 125 million, to be convened before High Court Judge Namal Balalle. The case had previously been taken up before Judge Amal Ranaraja, but the fourth accused had raised objections at the previous hearing, saying that he has no confidence of justice being meted out to him, by allowing the case to be convened before the said Judge. more..

Jun 25 (CT) Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva while regretting the cancellation of Japanese projects, urged Japanese Ambassador to SL, Mizukoshi Hideaki, to invite investors to establish the proposed Trincomalee Industrial Zone. Minister met Ambassador Hideaki last week and regretted the cancellation of important development projects signed between Japan and SL due to previous political decisions and mentioned that Japan more..

Jun 25 (Island) Those who stayed in fuel and gas queues for over 12 hours faced a high probability of showing physical symptoms of depression, Dr. Rumi Ruban, Consultant Psychiatrist, Teaching Hospital, Karapitiya, said. “No one is in these queues because they want to. Everyone is unhappy and angry and this can lead to many physical and mental issues,” he said. Dr. Ruban said that those in kerosene and gas queues were exposed to the sun. “We only hear about people dying but more..

Jun 25 (FT) Dept of Immigration and Emigration has requested the Public Adm Home Affairs, PCs, and LG Ministry to extend more manpower to meet the pent-up demand. The new request was made despite the recently introduced two separate work shifts in place. Department staff begins the first shift from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. and the second shift from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. Overcapacity has exhausted the staff, as the Dept has stepped up its daily issuance of passports from 2,000 to 3,500 at present. more..