Jul 8 (DN) The inaugural ACC Men’s Emerging Asia Cup cricket tourney will be played from July 13 to 23 at Colombo and eight teams divided into two groups will battle during the 10 day tournament. Sri Lanka ‘A’, Bangladesh ‘A’, Afghanistan ‘A’ and Oman ‘A’ will battle from Group ‘A’ while Pakistan ‘A’, India ‘A’, Nepal and UAE ‘A’ will compete in Group ‘B ’. The tournament will commence with SL 'A’ and Bangladesh ‘A’ at SSC grounds while semi finals are on July 21 at Sara Oval and R. Premadasa more..

Jul 8 (FT) In an effort to tackle bid manipulation and ensure transparency in project tendering, the Govt has announced the scrapping of all power generation tenders that have exceeded their timelines without implementation. The move is part of broader efforts to reform the energy industry and boost efficiency and sustainability. The decision also aims to put an end to the practice of companies bidding for the lowest cost and then reselling the projects to other entities. more..

Jul 8 (FT) Main Opposition SJB MP Eran Wickramaratne yesterday charged that the Govt only brings laws to curb corruption but does not enforce them. “It is time the intelligent people of this country should think of whether such a Government which protects thieves, refrain from expropriating the stolen assets that are in the foreign jurisdictions and withdraw the cases of thieves should ever be elected again in this country,” Wickramaratne told journalists yesterday. more..

Jul 8 (FT) In a significant stride toward clean energy expansion, Minister Kanchana Wijesekera announced yesterday that productive discussions had taken place between officials of NTPC India, Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), SL Sustainable Energy Authority (SEA), and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) regarding the development of the Sampur Ground Mount Solar Power Park, boasting a capacity of 130 MW. Minister Wijesekera expressed optimism about the project, more..

Jul 8 (FT) Prez Ranil Wickre-mesinghe on Thursday expressed his confidence in the tourism industry’s potential to significantly contribute to SL’s foreign exchange earnings in the next decade. Speaking at the 67th Convention of the Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI), Prez emphasised the country’s comprehensive plans to enhance its appeal as a tourist destination, with a focus on increasing per capita income more..

Jul 8 (CT) Owing to the deactivation of the information system, that connected the Ministry of Health and hospitals islandwide, many irregularities in procuring medicines are being reported, a senior official at the Ministry said. This was revealed when queried about a recent complaint, with regard to an incident of buying an antibiotic vaccine worth Rs 500, from a pharmacy in Kandy for Rs 5,000 for the Kandy Teaching Hospital, violating the procurement process of the hospital. more..

Jul 8 (CT) A few inspection teams, from overseas, are expected to arrive in the country soon, to look into whether artefacts that had been brought down from abroad are being safeguarded properly. Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs Vidura Wickramanayake said it is a grave concern as to how the artefacts returned by other countries can be protected in SL. “Currently, there is no proper mechanism in place to safeguard artefacts that are returned from other countries. more..

Jul 8 (Island) When the next UNHRC session comes up, SL would have to present the steps it has taken to ensure the welfare of those affected by economic reforms, former head of the Human Rights Commission of SL (HRCSL) Prof. Deepika Udagama said. There was hardly any focus on economic and social rights in SL as most people and successive govts had associated rights with civil and political issues, she said. more..

Jul 9 (SO) Amid the din over the Domestic Debt Restructuring (DDR) program launched by the Govt, one other news item almost slipped under the radar, although some MPs did raise the matter in Parliament. Indeed, the doubling of the price of a lottery ticket from Rs.20 to Rs.40 has created quite a stir, at least among those sections of the population who regularly play the lotteries. Everyone is free to dream and winning the lottery, literally against all odds, is on the top of the list for many people. more..

Jul 9 (CT) Arguments within faith groups can be puzzling to those outside and sometimes even members, especially when rifts widen or rivalries become intense. The tone of a recent article, Inclusive SL Anglicans Welcome Non-Christians & Dogs, is in my view intemperate and the harshness of its criticisms of fellow-Anglicans (including me) questionable. Nevertheless it raises issues on which it is worth reflecting. Questions are sometimes raised about whether religious groups focus more..

Jul 9 (SO) UNP Assistant Leader Akila Viraj Kariyawasam said in future elections, instead of party politics, attention should be focused on the capable leader who can successfully accomplish the task carried out to rebuild the country amid emerging challenges. He said a lot of Party Leaders and politicians are willing to extend their support to Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe’s program irrespective of party differences. more..

Jul 9 (ST) The Second Reading of the Anti-Corruption Bill was passed in Parliament without a vote on Thursday (6) after the opposition protested a proposal by the govt to further postpone the bill. The Committee Stage, where amendments will be incorporated into the final draft, was postponed for July 19. Leader of the House Minister Susil Premajayantha initially proposed that approving the bill be postponed, but was met by vocal protests from the opposition. more..

Jul 9 (ST) The Anti-Corruption Act straining to seek passage through Parliament this week has now been put off for later in the month due to delays in making last-minute changes to it while accommodating Opposition requests. And yet, questions linger if this is just old wine in a new bottle – for if there is no political will (as opposed to political interference) to implement the new law with all the force needed for its success, it will be a mere scrap of paper. more..

Jul 9 (ST) The diplomatic community has weighed in to a seemingly nonsensical tweet by a foreign tourist who was critical of Sri Lankan cuisine. This has ignited the local Twitter community that rushed to the defence of SL dishes. Dan Qayyum, a tourist visiting Sri Lanka, posted a lengthy tweet on Friday complaining about the lack of notable dishes in SL cuisine and general disinterest Sri Lankans have for food or flavour. more..

Jul 9 (TM) This is the sort of feeling that most people had when it was announced last week that the General Secretary of the ruling SLPP is to chair a Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) that also includes nine SLPP members out of a proposed 14-member committee to inquire into the reasons that led to SL’s bankruptcy. It is these absurdities that occur at regular intervals that continue to defy the odds in accelerating this nation’s descent from the sublime to the ridiculous. more..

Jul 9 (Island) When the five days long stretch of holidays ended last week and the Colombo bourse reopened for trading on Tuesday, the market surged 6.71% (633.69 points up) on the broad All Share Price Index (ASPI) while the Standard and Poor SL 20 index covering the 20 largest and more liquid companies quoted on the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) leaped 10.29% (279.57 points). The ASPI surge was the second highest single day gain since the civil war ended in 2009. more..

Jul 9 (ST) My dear citizens of Paradise, I thought of writing to you today to remind you that it is exactly one year ago that you took power into your own hands and forced someone who you yourselves elected with an overwhelming majority, to resign. Some will argue about the way it was done but others will say the end justifies the means. One year has passed, and there have been a few changes since then, but it is a good time to look back at what happened at Galle Face and Prez’s House more..

Jul 9 (Island) The political posturing over debt optimization is just that. Posturing! Those who were waiting in anticipation for the Prez to order a crewcut to the local banks, are now howling that the banks have been let off with ponytails of profits while the working classes were not given the same concession by leaving their hard earned EPF contributions similarly untouched. A loss of depositor confidence in the banks, which any haircut could have triggered, would have been a far worse more..

Jul 9 (Island) When the last Asian Athletics Championships was held in Doha four years ago SL won a bronze in the women’s triple jump. Four years after that solitary medal achievement the country will be aiming for medals of different colour as it fields a 13 strong contingent including a couple of top ranked Asian athletes for the premier regional track and field event starting in Bangkok, Thailand on July 12. The five-day event will feature more..

Jul 9 (ST) Angelo Mathews and Akila Dhananjaya shone for Colts against Panadura SC in the Major Club Cricket Tournament encounter played at the Colts ground. Mathews, following his 124 and 172 in the first two matches, cracked 164–his third consecutive ton while spinner Akila Dhananjaya bagged his fifth five wicket haul against Panadura SC. Mathews’ knock which came off 284 balls included 22 boundaries. He shared two valuable partnerships–82 runs for the third wicket more..

Jul 9 (ST) Sri Lanka can count on some of the leading batters and bowlers at the Cricket World Cup Qualifier, while Netherlands will turn to their proven match-winners when the India-bound teams meet in the tournament final. The undefeated SL have surged into the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 in India with a barnstorming run through the Qualifier tournament as their spin twins and opening pair drive their domination. 1996 WC champions have been able to turn to spin wizards more..

Jul 9 (CI) New Zealand's spinners Eden Carson, Amelia Kerr and Leigh Kasperek combined to take six wickets and restrict SL to 106 for 9 to set up a 5-wicket win in the opening T20I of the three-match series in Colombo. Opener Suzie Bates and No. 3 Kerr then knocked off 78 runs between them from the 107-run target to ensure NZ had scored enough before a middle-order stutter to win with seven balls to spare. NZ cashed in on their decision to bowl by getting big fish Chamari Athapaththu first ball more..

Jul 9 (SO) Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe, who is alien to the job like most of his predecessors, indulged in yet another media act playing his favourite game talking a load of hollow-swallow since he was installed in a Post that has become one of the most degraded portfolios in the country. On Wednesday his media assistant emailed invitations to sports editors and followed it up with personal telephone calls to ensure reporters graced the occasion as if more..

Jul 9 (TM) Medical equipment including CT scanners and MRI scanners have been lying idle in State hospitals due to the Health Ministry’s inability to renew the service contracts with the respective suppliers by paying pending bills, Trade Unions (TUs) attached to the health sector have alleged. TUs allege that the ministry has failed to take any positive steps to expedite the repair of the medical equipment. more..

Jul 9 (AD) A total of 26 people have been arrested for their involvement in a brawl between two groups over the ownership of a house located at Barnes Place in Colombo 07. The two groups had previously clashed on several occasions to claim ownership of the house but it belongs to neither of the groups. Cinnamon Garden police officers had reported to the house at Barnes Place after receiving a report on a gunfire incident. Police officers had then intervened to take the tense situation more..

Jul 9 (DM) The deadline to former Prez Maithripala Sirisena and other accused individuals to pay compensation for failing to avert the Easter Sunday bomb attacks will come to an end on Wednesday (12). In a verdict on January 12, the Supreme Court ordered former President Sirisena to pay a sum of Rs. 100 million while former IGP Pujith Jayasundara and former SIS director Nilantha Jayawardhane were ordered to pay Rs. 75 million each as compensation, former Defence Secretary more..

Jul 9 (TM) Access Engineering has been selected as the contractor for the ongoing construction of certain selected works in the BIA Terminal II project, with a budgeted cost of Rs. 500 million. AASL Chairman stated that the construction work on the superstructure of the BIA Terminal II project would continue to remain suspended until JICA initiated the release of funds following the completion of the debt restructuring process. more..

Jul 9 (DM) President Ranil Wickremesinghe has informed Public Security Minister Tiran Alles to take the final decision on the appointment of the new IGP, informed sources said. Accordingly, the Minister has been instructed to decide whether to appoint an acting IGP or to grant another extension for former IGP C.D. Wickramaratne. Sources further noted that a special meeting has been convened by President Wickremesinghe with the subject Minister tomorrow (09). more..

Jul 9 (AD) A group of eight persons have been arrested in connection with the assault on two females and a Buddhist monk, as seen in a recently widespread video. Accordingly, one suspect was arrested on Friday night (7), while the other suspects were arrested this morning (8), after they surrendered to the Nawagamuwa Police, SSP Nihal Thalduwa said, adding that they are due to be produced before the court. Moreover, he added that investigations are underway to identify more..

Jul 9 (DM) There is an increase in the receiving of containers at the Colombo port after the recent five-day long weekend, Customs Deputy Director (Legal) and media spokesman Sudatta Silva said. He said that after the long weekend, a total of 1,289 containers were received at the Colombo port on July 4 and a total of 1,498 containers on July 5. The arrival of these containers at the inspection yards have been since yesterday, and it exceeds the capacity of the container yards. more..

Jul 9 (BP) Their Majesties the King and Queen presented a gift to a SL mahout who took care of the ailing Thai elephant Sak Surin, now in 30-day quarantine in Lampang province, after being flown from SL on July 2. Air Marshal Pakdee Saengchuto, deputy private secretary to the King, represented the monarch on Thursday to provide the gift to Don Upul Jayarathna, the mahout from Dehiwala Zoo in SL, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment's Facebook page on Friday. more..

Jul 9 (TM) Senior Govt officials are not confident that they can recover the $ 6.9 million which the former Govt had paid to settle a controversial organic fertiliser purchase from a Chinese company in 2021, This, as highly-placed sources point out that the Chinese fertiliser manufacturer continues to refuse SL’s request, in a move to protect the company’s trade reputation. It is learnt that the Chinese manufacturer more..

Jul 9 (ST) SL’s banking sector is now saddled with additional pressure from the ever increasing non-performing loans (NPLs) given to COVID-19 hit businesses and individuals under govt’s relief scheme, Finance Ministry data showed. According to the data, a massive sum of Rs. 1.6 trillion with accumulated interest as at March 31 2023 has to be repaid to the local banking sector by business enterprises, SMEs and individuals, hit by COVID-19 and subsequent economic crisis. more..

Jul 9 (DM) SL govt finds itself in a precarious position, unable to recoup a staggering $6.9 million paid as compensation to a Chinese company over the controversial purchase of a stock bio-fertilizer because the Sri Lankan authorities failed to keep the letters of credit and the performance bond related to the transaction valid without expiration during the time of the Gotabaya Rajapaksa govt, Auditor General observes. The Auditor General, in his report, there is a dereliction of duty more..

Jul 9 (AD) COPA has slammed the officials of Dept of National Zoological Gardens for spending outrageously high amounts of money to purchase certain species of birds. During its meeting on Wednesday, COPA revealed that the Zoological Gardens Dept, between 2018 and 2020, had purchased some species of birds for approximately Rs. 1.5 million despite the estimated amount being Rs. 50,000. The difference between the estimated amount and the purchased amount was more..