Jul 19 (DM) Granting pardon to a convict by the Executive President is an absolute power conferred on the Executive President that connote be challenged under a fundamental rights petition in the Supreme Court, said Deputy Solicitor General Nerin Pulle in SC. DSG Nerin Pulle made this assertion before the three bench judges during the inquiry into the Fundamental Rights petition filed in the SC by a women’s organization, against granting Prez Pardon to Jude Shramantha Jayamaha, more..

Jul 19 (FT) Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Eran Wickramaratne yesterday presented a Private Member’s Bill to Parliament to amend the Special Commodity Levy (SCL) Act No. 48 of 2007. Under the current SCL legislation, the Finance Minister has complete discretion to change the tax and simply announce it through a Gazette notification. The tax change comes into effect immediately on the Minister’s signature and is brought for Parliamentary approval only much later. more..

Jul 19 (DM) Galle Titans, formerly known as Galle Gladiators, T20 franchise cricket team featuring in the Lanka Premier League (LPL), is looking to participate in several other leagues overseas with the Galle Titans brand, its owner Nayana Wasalathilake revealed. Wasalathilake said he is looking forward to contributing to local cricket in the coming years. Fourth season of the LPL is all set to start on July 30 and continue till Aug 21 and Galle Titans commenced their training sessions more..

Jul 19 (DN) A momentous occasion unfolded at the Diyagama Mahinda Rajapaksa Stadium on Sunday, as 128 SL archers etched their names into the annals of history by setting a remarkable new world record. The Lankan archers achieved the breathtaking feat of shooting an astounding 30,000 arrows within a span of just one hour and forty minutes. This newly established record far surpassed the previous feat held by Indian archers, who managed to shoot 17,000 arrows more..

Jul 19 (TM) Legal action should be taken against the officials in the Ministry of Health and the members of the expert committee appointed by the then Health Minister and incumbent Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi, who advised the former Govt to cremate the dead bodies of the Muslims who died from Covid-19, said SLMC Leader Rauff Hakeem. Hakeem questioned Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella as to whether more..

Jul 19 (FT) State Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya revealed that import restrictions implemented as a measure to address the economic crisis have resulted in substantial savings of Rs. 500 billion for the Govt coffers. Presenting a Gazette announcement before Parliament, he highlighted the removal of import restrictions on 286 items and the imposition of further restrictions on only 930 items. He also mentioned plans to lift restrictions on an additional 300 items in the immediate future. more..

Jul 19 (AD) The importation of certain drugs are sometimes approved by Director Board of National Medicine Regulatory Authority (NMRA), even in the absence of such approval from the relevant expert committee, according to Senior Consultant Physician Dr. Ananda Wijewickrama. He made a shocking claim that certain unregistered drugs are also being imported to the country. When inquired as to who made these decisions, Dr. Wijewickrama stated that the said decisions are made by more..

Jul 19 (DN) I had confidence to win a medal with a new record and I did it to bring honour for my country said SL 800m gold medalist of Asian Athletic Meet Tharushi Karunaratne after she returned home on Monday night. The welcome ceremony was held at the Katunayake Airport while Sports Director General Dr. Shemal Fernando, SL Athletic Secretary Saman Kumara Gunawardena Treasurer Shantha Silva, Walala A Ratnayake Central Principal Dhammika Herath, Susantha Fernando more..

Jul 19 (AD) The Working Committee of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) has decided to expel party members Harin Fernando and Manusha Nanayakkara from the party. The decision was taken during a meeting of the SJB Working Committee held this evening (18). In May 2022, the SJB had suspended the party membership of the two parliamentarians after they had accepted ministerial portfolios in the govt while the party had vowed to take disciplinary action against them. more..

Jul 19 (PMD) During a discussion with Tamil MPs representing the North and East today (18), Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe emphasized that he has already put forth a comprehensive proposal to address the problems faced by the people in those regions and it is up to the Tamil MPs whether to take it forward or not. Responding to MP M A Sumanthiran’s statement regarding former Prez Mahinda Rajapaksa’s support for more..

Jul 19 (Island) Isolated incidents and sensational media reports have the potential to discourage the vaccination of children, Dr. Samitha Ginige, Head of the Epidemiology Unit of the Health Ministry says. Dr. Ginige said that a four-month-old infant had died, on Monday, at the Kuliyapitiya Teaching Hospital, following the administration of pentavalent vaccine at the Kuliyapitiya MOH office. He said: “We are looking into this. However, all vaccines given to our children are WHO approved. more..

Jul 19 (DM) 24-hour token strike to be launched by the GMOA starting from 8 a.m. today (19) at the OutPatient Department (OPD) of the Lady Ridgeway Hospital (LRH) will go down in history as the first strike at the hospital. According to GMOA Media Spokesman Dr. Chamil Wijesinghe, the token strike would be launched in protest over Health Ministry's failure to take necessary action against an ill-tempered consultant at the hospital. Dr. Wijesinghe said that the LRH Director and more..

Jul 19 (TM) Claiming that the serious problematic situation that has arisen in the health sector cannot be limited to the term allergies, College of Medical Laboratory Science (CMLS) stated it is not possible to find solutions for it by appointing committees from time to time. While the country has seen several deaths due to the alleged use of substandard pharmaceutical drugs and vaccines that are said to have been imported without following the due quality more..

Jul 19 (EN) Stocks closed up on Wednesday after domestic bond restructuring assurances and fears on investing in the banking sector diminished, sparking interest in the banking counters due to undervalued share price, an analyst said. ASPI edged up 1.11% or 131.22 points to 10,927.07, this is the highest the market has been since March 4, while the most liquid index S&P SL20 was up 0.87% or 127.62 points to 3,190.28, according to exchange provisional data. more..

Jul 19 (FT) By looking at the sequence of events in relation to the quality issues of the medicines in Sri Lanka in recent past, the patients and health workers are confused how long they will have to manage the current situation and how fast Sri Lanka as a country will be able to correct this situation and have a fool proof system of having safe, reliable and effective medicines in the public and private healthcare setup in the country. An effective quality assurance mechanism more..

Jul 19 (FT) The first part of this article published last week titled Black July: Anatomy of an Anti-Tamil Pogrom was a brief overview of the horrific anti-Tamil violence that engulfed the Sri Lankan nation in July 1983. The second part of this article being published this week will focus primarily on how Black July began in 1983. This detailed article is written with the aid of earlier writings to denote the 40th anniversary of the 1983 July anti-Tamil violence. As stated earlier the anti-Tamil violence more..

Jul 19 (DM) A public interest litigation filed challenging alleged violation of Fundamental Rights on May 9, last year following the attack on Galle Face protesters was today dismissed by the Supreme Court. Executive Director of the Right to Life Human Rights Centre, Phillip Dissanayake and another individual had filed this Fundamental Rights petition against alleged violations of Fundamental Rights on May 9, 2022 by the authorities. Petitioners alleged that the Police had not taken more..

Jul 19 (EN) At least 238 elephants have been killed up to July 14 this year in Sri Lanka led by unidentified reasons followed by gun shots and electrocution have been the key cause of death while highest number of tuskers have been killed in Anuradhapura district. Data showed 74 elephants have died due to unidentified reasons, while 49 elephants have died after being shot and 36 after electrocution. more..

Jul 19 (DM) A billionaire businessman was taken into custody by the Police Children and Women Bureau on suspicion of the alleged rape of a female employee at a five-star hotel in Colombo. Police said the businessman was the owner of an agency sending young men and women to European counties for higher education and that the victim was one of his employees. Investigations revealed that the suspect had informed her to attend a meeting organized by his institution at the hotel and more..

Jul 19 (FT) C.W. Mackie PLC, one of SL’s leading and longest-standing diversified conglomerates, published its integrated annual report for the 22/23 financial year, highlighting the company’s resilience during a period defined by unprecedented challenges to register its best financial results in over a century of operation. C.W. Mackie newly appointed CEO Hemaka Amarasuriya said: “In what has become a benchmark year of financial and non-financial performance for C.W. Mackie, more..

Jul 19 (AD) The Anti-Corruption Bill was passed in Parliament with amendments. The Bill which was presented before the House on 06 July, was passed in Parliament this morning without a vote. The Bill was presented before the Parliament, with amendments, today, for the Committee Stage. Amendments proposed by the Minister and certain amendments proposed the opposition incorporated during more..

Jul 19 (AD) Staffers of the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Katunayake have reportedly launched a protest outside the premises of the airport, based on several demands. Accordingly, nearly 3,000 employees representing the SL Inter Company Employees’ Union, SL Independent Employees’ Union, Progressive Workers’ Union, National Employees’ Union and the Samagi Sewaka Sangamaya joined the protest. The protest was reportedly launched this morning more..

Jul 19 (TM) English language tutor Sakvithi Ranasinghe and his wife, who were accused of operating an unauthorized financial institution and misusing its deposits worth over Rs. 164 million obtained from the public, have pleaded guilty to the financial fraud charges. The revised charge sheet submitted by the Attorney General was read out when the couple was produced before Colombo HC Judge Aditya Patabendi this morning. Accused pleaded guilty to the revised fraud charges more..

Jul 19 (DM) Refuting claims that nuts and bolts worth millions of rupees had been removed and stolen from the New Kelani Bridge, Transport Minister Bandula Gunawardane said these nuts and bolts cannot be removed so easily as special tools are needed to do so. The Minister told Parliament that no nuts and bolts had been removed from the bridge and that only the relevant engineering companies were in possession of the special tools required to remove them. more..

Jul 19 (AD) Token strike at the outpatient department of Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children (LRH) in Colombo has been called off, says Dr. Chamil Wijesinghe, spokesperson of GMOA. Medical officers at the LRH launched a 24-hour strike at 8 a.m. this morning in protest of the conduct of a female specialist doctor at the hospital. Deeming the conduct of the specialist doctor unprofessional and unacceptable, GMOA sought immediate solutions for the longstanding issue. more..

Jul 19 (Island) Former Army Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Jagath Dias and two other retired officers, Brigadier Athula Hemachandra de Silva and Lt. Col. Anil Amarasekera have petitioned the Court of Appeal against the govt’s decision to release state land around the historical Kurundi temple in the former LTTE bastion, Mullaitivu District. Dias served as the General Officer Commanding 57 Division, deployed on the Vanni West front more..

Jul 19 (AD) Attorney General filed a preliminary objection before the Supreme Court, seeking the dismissal of the FR petitions filed by a group of persons including the former Chairman of PUCSL, Janaka Ratnayake. Petitions in question were filed challenging the electrify tariff hike which took place in February. The case was heard before a three-judge bench of the SC this morning, comprising of Justices Preethi Padman Surasena, Janak de Silva and Mahinda Samayawardena. more..

Jul 19 (DM) Attorney General filed a preliminary objection before the Supreme Court, seeking the dismissal of the FR petitions filed by a group of persons including the former Chairman of PUCSL, Janaka Ratnayake. Petitions in question were filed challenging the electrify tariff hike which took place in February. The case was heard before a three-judge bench of the SC this morning, comprising of Justices Preethi Padman Surasena, Janak de Silva and Mahinda Samayawardena. more..

Jul 19 (CI) A stirring fightback from SL left the home side in with a sniff of stealing a sensational win in the first Test against Pakistan in Galle. On a day where Pakistan looked like shutting the door on SL's chances, their bowlers prised that door back open in a frenetic final hour during which Pakistan stumbled to 48 for 3 in pursuit of 131. Pakistan's batting approach through much of their first innings suggested they might attempt more..

Jul 19 (FT) Cabinet approved the signing of a grant agreement with the European Union to swiftly implement the € 15 million grant extended to boost the circular economy in the country’s food sector. Proposal presented by Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe in his capacity as the Finance, Economic Stabilisation and National Polices Minister was approved by the Cabinet at its meeting on Monday. Under the Multi-annual Indicative Program for SL 2021-2027 published as part of EU more..

Jul 19 (CT) Kankesanturai-Karaikkal (KKS-KKL) ferry services have been put on hold indefinitely and the ferry service from KKS is now diverted to the Port of Nagapattinam, a natural port located on the shores of the Bay of Bengal in TN, India, mainly due to absence of a comprehensive policy framework outlining safety measures and clear standards for the ferry service, including provisions for a place of refuge in case of distress. While SL has given its approval for the operation more..

Jul 19 (TM) Chief Incumbent of the Mihintale Temple Ven. Walawahangunawawe Dhammarathana Thera has expressed objection to the actions of Diyawadana Nilame (the lay guardian) of the Temple of the Tooth Relic Pradeep Nilanga Dela with regard to an alleged statement made by the latter suggesting that media coverage is unnecessary for this year’s annual Esala Perahera (Dalada Perahera). Dhammarathana Thera claimed that Dela had been appointed more..

Jul 19 (CI) If not for Sri Lanka's shoddy fielding, made to look even worse by Pakistan's outstanding catching performance, the hosts might be on top in this match. This is how Sri Lanka's assistant coach Naveed Nawaz felt at the end of day four, by which time Pakistan required only 83 more runs to win with seven wickets in hand. Sri Lanka still have an exceedingly slim chance of winning the game, thanks to a surface that seems likely to take significant turn on Thursday morning. more..

Jul 19 (AD) The European Commission has suggested that the current GSP+ scheme be extended by 4 years, amidst the ongoing negotiations for the EU’s new GSP+ arrangement. Delegation of European Union (EU) to SL has mentioned that as one of SL’s largest trading partners with nearly EUR 3.2 billion worth of SL exports to the EU in 2022 alone, it recognises the importance of GSP+ for SL exporters. more..

Jul 19 (PMD) In a pivotal meeting held at the Presidential Secretariat, a momentous decision was made under the leadership of Minister Manusha Nanayakkara, and President’s Secretary, Mr. Saman Ekanayake. An action committee comprising key secretaries from various ministries, including Education, Finance, Tourism, Fisheries, Transport, Plantation and Industry, has been appointed to swiftly implement strategies aimed at re-employing individuals impacted by the economic crisis. more..