Jul 22 (DM) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe’s two-day visit to India on Thursday, exactly one year after he was elected Prez by the Parliament might have kindled many hopes in many groups. While the govt and its supporters of it might have expected the visit to enhance India’s support for SL’s recovery from the current economic crisis, the Tamils, as happened during mutual visits by the leaders of both countries for the past several decades, might have expected Indian leaders more..

Jul 22 (ST) Contrary to previous claims, the Pandu Karanda (Crudia Zeylanica) tree, which was razed overnight to make way for the Central Expressway in Gampaha, was not the last of its kind in the country. While on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s red list of critically endangered species, many mature trees and hundreds of cultivated plants of the SL Legume Tree exist in Sri Lanka alone. Research has also revealed that the plant is not endemic to Sri Lanka. more..

Jul 22 (Island) Sri Lanka’s Test captain Dimuth Karunaratne early this year had told the national selection panel that to look at other options for the role of captain for the new cycle of the Test Championship. While the selectors have requested him to continue, on Thursday, after SL’s four wicket loss to Pakistan in Galle, Karunaratne reiterated that he would be happy to give up the captaincy. “After I made the request, the selectors asked me to continue as captain. more..

Jul 22 (TM) Election watchdog groups and the Opposition have condemned and filed petitions in the Supreme Court while the AG's Dept has noted that a private member’s bill in Parliament to reconvene the Local Govt (LG) authorities will require a referendum. A private member’s bill presented by ruling SLPP MP Jayantha Ketagoda to amend three acts governing LG bodies in order to give the subject minister the power to reform more..

Jul 22 (DN) Omair Yousuf scored a superb knock of 88 while right arm medium paceman Arshad Iqbal had fine figures of 5 for 47 as Pakistan ‘A’ recorded a 60 run win over Sri Lanka ‘A’ in the semi final of the ACC men’s Emerging Asia Cup cricket tournament played at P.Sara Oval yesterday. It was fine team.effort by young Pakistan side while they made challenging total of 322 all out in 50 overs. Sri Lanka ‘A’ chasing a target of 323 runs managed to get 262 all out in 45.4 overs and more..

Jul 22 (FT) Indian business tycoon Gautam Adani yesterday called on Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe who was on an official visit to New Delhi, India. The meeting along with a picture was announced by Adani via his tweet. “Great Honour to have met Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe to discuss a fascinating set of projects in SL including continued development of Colombo Port West Container Terminal, 500 MW wind project, and extending our renewal energy expertise to produce green Hydrogen,” more..

Jul 22 (ST) The food consumed by the general public contains a cocktail of chemicals including colouring, additives, mixtures of substances to enhance taste and textures to ensure sales, Public Health Inspectors investigations have revealed. The most recent incident occurred on Thursday this week as the Weerawila police detected 28,750 kilos of rice which was to be transported to Tissamaharama. The detection was made during a morning patrol more..

Jul 22 (DM) In a significant political development last week, some influential members of Tamil civil society in the northern and eastern provinces of SL took the initiative to write directly to Indian PM Narendra Modi seeking India’s help in urging the SL govt to hold Provincial Council elections as early as possible. The letter signed by a number of respected religious leaders, academics, educationists and professionals including journalists has sought the Indian PM’s assistance more..

Jul 22 (MFA) The second session of bilateral consultations between the Foreign Ministries of SL and Egypt concluded successfully in Colombo on 19 July 2023. The consultations were co-chaired by State Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tharaka Balasuriya and Assistant Minister for Asian Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Egypt, Ayman Kamel. The consultations focused on a range of areas of bilateral cooperation including economic and trade cooperation, the current economic recovery more..

Jul 22 (DM) Some 255 members of academic staff and 153 non-academic staff of the state universities have vacated their posts during the last one and a half years without tendering their resignations officially, Minster Susil Premajayantha informed Parliament today. Some 83 academic staff members and 277 non-academic staff members have officially resigned from all 17 universities during the period from January 1, 2022 to May 25, 2023 according to the minister. more..

Jul 22 (AD) A parliamentary committee on education has recommended the replacement of the Uni Grants Commission (UGC) and the Vocational Training Authority by an independent National Higher Education Commission by way of a legislative enactment. This was mentioned in the report of the Parliament Select Committee (PSC) to Make Suitable Recommendations for the Expansion of Higher Education Opportunities in SL. The dossier was presented to the parliament more..

Jul 22 (DM) It is essential for Sri Lanka to ensure it goes ahead with the current reform efforts, else it runs the risk of having to face another Domestic Debt Optimisation (DDO) exercise, the Central Bank cautioned. “If SL doesn’t continue to remain on track, there could be a second DDO. But we don’t need another DDO since the current one is strong and consistent with the expectations,” said CB Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe more..

Jul 22 (FT) The opposition handed over a no-confidence motion against Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella to Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena yesterday. The motion signed by 45 MPs in the opposition was handed over by SJB General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara. SJB MPs Nalin Bandara and Dr. Kavinda Jayawardena was also present at the event. SJB began collecting signatures for the motion on Thursday. Last week, the opposition declared its intention to more..

Jul 22 (DM) Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF) stressed the need to go beyond the current export quota in the India-SL Free Trade Agreement (ISFTA) for the apparel sector to reap any real benefits. While under the current FTA, Sri Lanka is permitted to export eight million pieces of ready-made apparel to India without applicable duties, the apex body of SL apparel is hopeful this will be expanded, as the FTAs carry the propensity to offer immense trade opportunities for both countries. more..

Jul 22 (AD) The use of two more anaesthetic drugs has been suspended, as per a statement made by the Director General of Health Services (DGHS), Dr. Asela Gunawardena. He explained that the drugs in question were withdrawn based on a report issued by the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA). He assured, however, that the two anaesthetics have been replaced with different drugs, and that measures are underway to distribute the said replacements to all hospitals. more..

Jul 22 (EN) SL govt has given an ultimatum for investors who have secured valuable state lands for investments, but delayed the start of their projects. State Minister Arundika Fernando said govt has also decided to distribute properties with commercial worth in major cities, notably Colombo to new investors in a way that will strengthen the economy. “So far, the govt has given the opportunity to investors to start projects on commercially valuable land in Colombo. more..

Jul 22 (EN) PM Narendra Modi has told visiting SL Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe that India expects SL to implement the 13th amendment to ensure a life of dignity and respect for the island nation’s Tamil community. PM Modi had informed Prez Wickremesinghe that both sides have held talks on a number of infrastructure projects that can ensure greater connectivity between the two countries and announced a development assistance more..

Jul 22 (AD) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe has returned to the island on Friday night (21) after concluding his official two-day visit to India. This was his first visit to the neighbouring country after taking office in 2022. Accompanied by a 17-member delegation, Wickremesinghe departed for New Delhi on Thursday (20) at the invitation of Indian PM Narendra Modi. Visit took place as both countries celebrate 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations this year. more..

Jul 22 (AD) SL inflation, based on National Consumer Price Index (NCPI), for June 2023 has been recorded at 10.8%, as measured by the year-on-year change. According to the latest report, this is a slight drop in comparison to the headline inflation of 22.1% recorded in May 2023. The contributions to the NCPI on a month-on-month basis (June 2023 as opposed to May 2023) were by the increases in food items of 0.44% and decreases in non-food items of 0.3% respectively. more..

Jul 22 (AD) During his inaugural visit to India after assuming office, Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe commended the neighbouring nation’s unwavering support and solidarity during SL’s recent economic crisis. He expressed his sincere gratitude to Indian PM Narendra Modi and the govt and people of India for their continued support during SL’s most difficult times in recent history. Meanwhile, Prez Wickremesinghe also praised more..

Jul 23 (SO) Just one year ago, the country’s economy had hit the nadir and the future looked very bleak. The then President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, a few weeks before his resignation, urged the two main Opposition leaders – Sajith Premadasa of the SJB and Anura Kumara Dissanayake of NPP to take over the premiership, which fell vacant following the resignation of Mahinda Rajapaksa. However, both of them declined the offer, laying down various conditions more..

Jul 23 (TM) When Friday (21) dawned, Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe was in India preparing for his long-awaited meeting with Indian PM Narendra Modi later that morning. The day was significant, for it was on this day exactly one year ago that he took his oath as the ninth Executive President of SL, having been elected to the post through a constitutional provision which enabled Parliament to elect him the previous day – 20 July 2022. As usual, in typical Wickremesinghe style, more..

Jul 23 (TM) The quality and safety of drugs imported to the country through emergency procurement processes are under the spotlight over a series of severe drug allergies, even resulting in the loss of lives, reported in the country over the past few months. The health authorities have temporarily withdrawn certain batches of imported drugs, which were suspected to have caused serious complications among patients. more..

Jul 23 (CT) It is 40 years since the 1983 anti-Tamil pogrom (Black July) in which an estimated 3,000 Tamils died, hundreds of thousands displaced, and millions worth of Tamil properties destroyed. A crime of monumental proportion to which no one was ever held responsible. During the peak of the violence, J.R. Jayewardene, the prez at that time, said, “I am not worried about the opinion of the Jaffna (Tamil) people; now we cannot think of them, not about their lives or their opinion more..

Jul 23 (Island) Upper Elahera Canal (UEC) was conceived with the objective of transferring water from the Moragakanda Reservoir in the Central Province to existing reservoirs in the North Central Province and eventually to water deficit areas in the North via a 92-km canal that includes a 27.7-km tunnel. The UEC is designed to convey 974 MCM (Million Cubic Meters) of water annually. This design capacity is based on the premise that 772 MCM of water would be transferred north starting more..

Jul 23 (SO) State Minister Shehan Semasinghe said this is not the time to practise politics but a time to stabilise the economy and ensure that the basic requirements of the people are being fulfilled. He said this is not the ideal stabilisation and we have a long way to go. We will face the challenge and ensure that we don’t go into an economic distress the way we are now. Commenting on the SJB sponsored NCM more..

Jul 23 (Island) Some more deaths in govt hospitals allegedly due to the administration of substandard drugs have been reported while the SJB is drumming up support for its motion of no confidence against Minister Keheliya Rambukwella. Health Ministry has sought to pooh-pooh the reports that the hurriedly-imported low-quality drugs are causing deaths, but the health sector trade unions are convinced otherwise; they insist that substandard drugs and equipment are procured as more..

Jul 23 (Island) SL’s heart-wrenching four wicket loss in Galle on Thursday has highlighted some flaws in the team. Catching of the two teams made a huge difference in the end result. While Pakistan pulled off some stunners, SL were sloppy dropping two catches off double centurion Saud Shakeel while a stumping chance of Naseem Shah during his 94-run stand with Shakeel for the ninth wicket went begging. Another player who has come under the scanner is off-spinner Ramesh Mendis. more..

Jul 23 (CT) For those upset with the year -long delay in Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe’s customary Indian visit, he has grown a few inches taller in those 12 months. Today, he is the nation’s crisis man, which title none would have attributed to him a year earlier. He may not have revived the sinking economy wholesale, but he definitely has arrested the downslide. A past master in political manoeuvring, he has also ensured political stability, by cooping the majority SLPP in Parliament and more..

Jul 23 (TM) Steps are being taken to split the life and general insurance businesses of SL Insurance Corporation (SLIC) into two separate entities prior to the divestment of the Govt’s controlling stake in SLIC, State-Owned Enterprise Restructuring Unit (SOERU) of the Ministry of Finance reveals. SOERU Head Suresh Shah stated that in accordance with the law, the SLIC would have to separate its life and general insurance businesses before the SOERU went ahead with privatisation plans. more..

Jul 23 (TM) Public trust in the State health sector is deteriorating following a string of incidents suspected to be linked to the quality control of medicines and those involving the accountability of health officials. Many health professionals have called for the ongoing investigations into such incidents to be expedited and done transparently, in order to help rebuild waning public confidence in the health system. more..

Jul 23 (SO) Jaffna International Airport (JIA) receives daily international flights since June 16 via Alliance Air from Chennai creating aviation history by becoming the second International Airport in Sri Lanka to have daily int'l flights after the Bandaranaike Int'l Airport. Mattala Rajapaksa Int'l airport has three flights per week from Red Wings Russia while Sri Lanka’s first international airport Ratmalana airport does not operate scheduled international flights. more..

Jul 23 (ST) If US Prez Franklin Roosevelt referred to the day Pearl Harbour was attacked as a date that will live in infamy, July 24, 1983, would also be considered the same way by many Sri Lankans of recent vintage. That day, 40 years ago, tomorrow, was a watershed moment in the contemporary history of this country; just 35 years after Independence. Anti-minority Tamil riots that erupted changed the course of modern SL in many ways. Thousands of innocent citizens were targeted more..

Jul 23 (ST) My dear Keheliya, I thought I must write to you this week because you are, as they say, the man of the moment. It maybe that Uncle Ranil is celebrating one year of being in office but there is hardly any mention of that in the media. Instead, you are in the news and hogging the headlines day in, day out! Of course, it is not for the right reasons that everyone is talking about you. Every day, we hear horror stories of how the health sector is in crisis, of doctors leaving the country by the dozens, more..

Jul 23 (ST) A beleaguered Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella faced growing calls to resign from opposition MPs this week over the worsening crisis in the state health sector. On Friday, SJB handed over a motion signed by 45 MPs to the Speaker, expressing their no-confidence in the minister. The motion is being moved over the importation of allegedly substandard medicines and surgical equipment. Opposition claimed this had weakened the health sector and led to deaths. more..