Jul 19 (TM) Tiana Sumanasekera, born on 15 Sept 2007, is an American artistic gymnast and a distinguished member of the US women's national artistic gymnastics team. She made a significant mark in the world of gymnastics by becoming the 2023 Pan American all-around and balance beam champion. Artistic gymnastics is a discipline of gymnastics where gymnasts perform short routines (ranging from approximately 30 to 90 seconds) on different apparatus, with less time for vaulting. more..

Jun 19 (Island) It was former US Prez Donald Trump’s ear that an assassin’s bullet grazed the other day, but we had the presidential candidates in Sri Lanka holding their ears and screaming, so to speak; they have claimed that they are facing threats to their lives. Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe has reportedly ordered threat assessments prior to considering their requests for enhanced security, if necessary. The need for ensuring the safety of presidential candidates cannot be overstated. more..

Jul 19 (Island) Ambagamuwa MV athlete Ayomal Akalanka hogged the limelight as he broke the National Junior hurdles record to win the gold medal of the 48th National Sports Festival at the Sugathadasa Stadium on Thursday. Akalanka who has reached entry standards for the World Junior Championships clocked a remarkable time of 51.26 seconds to win the 400 metres hurdles ahead of experienced campaigner A.I. Rathnasena. The athlete trained by veteran coach Anura more..

Jul 19 (ST) Govt is making a renewed effort to expand the taxation system by targeting high-income earners in the informal sector, four years after a failed attempt to introduce a progressive tax structure in 2018. State Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya, announced plans this week to tax 14 previously untaxed sectors, including large-scale private tuition classes, private schools, private engineering and surveying services & private medical services. more..

Jun 19 (ST) Legalising Triloka pattra (cannabis) cultivation for export as medicinal and allied products would not only violate international conventions but also be a first step to legalising its recreational use, warned the chairman of National Dangerous Drugs Control Board (NDDCB). NDDCB was not formally notified of the appointment of a committee to look into the cultivation of Triloka pattra for export as medicinal & allied more..

Jul 19 (DM) Minister Tiran Alles challenged MP Harsha de Silva who has recommended the conduct of a forensic audit of the visa process outsourcing deal which the SL govt has signed with VFS Global. Minister said that in the report submitted by COPF headed by Harsha de Silva, it has recommended the cancellation of the deal or its amendment. However, the report has been compiled without the consent of the majority of the MPs in the COPF although the report says otherwise. more..

Jun 19 (DN) Tim Seifert (62*) and Janith Liyanage (56) powered Galle Marvels to a 7-wicket victory over Jaffna Kings in the LPL Qualifier 1 at R. Premadasa Stadium yesterday. Their 92-run partnership for the third wicket helped Galle chase down the 178-run target with 11 balls to spare, securing a spot in the final. Jaffna Kings will now face the winner of the eliminator game in Qualifier 2 on Saturday to earn a place in the final against Galle on Sunday (21). more..

Jul 19 (FT) Calling for a fundamental change to usher greater prosperity Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday emphasised the need for a more vigorous human capital formation for which the pre-requisite is greater finances and sound management in the country. He made this key observation as well as the way forward at the Human Capital Summit organised by a public and private collaboration. more..

Jun 19 (DN) We are very confident to play Asia Cup T-20 Tournament which always give big boost for the forthcoming Women’s World Cup cricket tournament said SL women’s cricket captain Chamari Athapaththu at the press briefing prior to ninth edition of the Asia Cup women’s cricket tournament which will commence today at Rangiri Dambulla Int'l Cricket Stadium. Two matches scheduled to play on opening day. Nepal women’s and UAE women’s game will start at 2pm and more..

Jun 19 (FT) With the aim of revitalising micro, small, and medium-scale enterprises (MSMEs), a comprehensive package of financial facilities were introduced under the patronage of Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe at the Prez Secretariat. This package includes both investment and working capital facilities for MSMEs. 15 participatory Financial Institutions, including Licensed Commercial Banks and Licensed Specialised Banks, are offering these loans at subsidised rates. more..

Jul 19 (DN) Most Outstanding Sportsmen and Sportswomen of the Team sports of National Sports Festival (NSF) received their awards from State Minister of Sports Rohana Dissanayake at the opening ceremony of the National Sports Festival Athletics meet which commenced on Wednesday at the Sugathadasa Stadium. The best players of sports events such as Badminton, Table Tennis, Karate, Kabbadi, Football, Hockey, Netball, Basketball received their awards on more..

Jul 19 (Island) Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation – (IRCTC) together with Lanka Sportreizen, a leader in the leisure industry, recently launched the schedule of Buddhist Special Train (Mahaparinirvana Express).This special luxury train takes Buddhist travellers from across the globe to the most important places related to The Enlightened One’s life and teachings. Officials from the Indian High Commission in SL and representatives from ICTRC were at the launch more..

Jun 19 (EN) Sri Lanka is targeting a 40% tax collection directly through income, wealth, and property taxes by 2025 from the current 30 percent with expanding tax nets and legal actions against tax dodgers, State Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya said. Direct taxes are collected through individual can afford to pay taxes due to their higher income along with asset and property ownership. Since SL faced an unprecedented economic crisis with more..

Jul 19 (TM) CB Director of the Payments and Settlements Department Vasantha Alwis, warns the public about social media scams involving helicopter tour registrations. Alwis highlighted that messages urging registration for such tours could be part of fraudulent schemes designed to steal personal information. Alwis emphasised the importance of vigilance following a similar scam that previously circulated on social media. The earlier scam involved a fraudulent advertisement for a lawn mower, more..

Jun 19 (GV) In the Institute for Health Policy (IHP) SLOTS polling in June, net favourability rating of SJB leader Sajith Premadasa improved to -39 in June (up 27 points) compared to the previous month. NPP/JVP leader A.K. Dissanayake remained the least unpopular major party leader, with his favourability at -20 (down 18 points) and Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe’s favourability improved from -76 to -66. Negative scores, i.e., a net favourability rating of less than zero, means that more..

Jul 19 (FT) Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe has instructed the Justice Ministry secretary to withhold the publication of the gazette notification on the 22nd Amendment until after the Prez Election is conducted. Justice Minister has justified this decision by stating that it aims to remove uncertainty surrounding the timing of the Prez election. Constitutional experts have pointed out that if this amendment is passed in Parliament, it will potentially enable Prez to propose calling a referendum. more..

Jul 19 (FT) Over 500 micro, small and medium scale entrepreneurs will meet President Ranil Wickremesinghe today at 4 p.m. at the BMICH under an initiative by the Ceylon Federation of MSMEs. This historical meeting’s purpose is to prepare the necessary background for these entrepreneurs to present the current problems directly to the President and the relevant Govt officials and get solutions to them. The Ceylon Federation of MSMEs President Sashika De Silva said: more..

Jul 19 (FT) Public Security Minister Tiran Alles accused the legal counsels representing organised crime bosses Najim Mohamed Imran, known as Kanjipani Imran, and Sanjeewa Kumara, also known as Ganemulla Sanjeewa, of aiding their escape from Sri Lanka. Minister revealed the police have obtained statements from the accused counsels admitting that they did help the underworld figures to flee the country. more..

Jun 19 (DM) Sri Lanka’s economy outperformed expectations in the first quarter, but the outlook for the rest of the year and beyond remains uncertain, according to the Asian Development Bank (ADB). Despite surpassing the April forecast, the ADB cautioned that projections for 2024 and 2025 are clouded by the upcoming election cycle. Economists and analysts have raised policy reforms and continuity as some of the key concerns as the island nation gears up for elections this year. more..

Jul 19 (TM) Senior DIG and former State Intelligence Service (SIS) Chief Nilantha Jayawardena has been sent on compulsory leave with immediate effect. This is, until such time that the disciplinary investigation against him pertaining to the Easter Sunday terror attacks is concluded, the National Police Commission (NPC) said. The NPC had observed that given Jayawardena’s role as the incumbent SDIG in charge of Administration of the Police Dept, there might be a risk of him influencing more..

Jul 19 (Island) Former SLPP Chairman Prof. G. L. Peiris has urged his former party not to back what he called a constitutional misadventure hugely detrimental to the electoral process. Top Opposition Spokesman Prof. Peiris emphasised that the ruling party with the largest single group of MPs could quite easily thwart Prez Wickremesinghe contentious move to amend Article 83(b) with an ulterior bid to pave the way more..

Jun 19 (FT) Everybody is enthusiastic about the forthcoming elections in Sri Lanka, almost forgetting the priorities of the ongoing economic crisis, sustainability of businesses and livelihood of people. However, generally, people think that electing a new govt may resolve all problems in order to achieve their aspirations. This article attempts to evaluate the risks in the contexts of holding elections, continuing the present govt at least for a brief period – allowing the economy to stabilise more..

Jun 19 (FT) A taxpayer is required to file, a return of income, VAT return or SSCL return as the case may be on or before the due date. If the Inland Revenue officers are not in agreement with the return filed, they have a statutory right to raise an appropriate assessment on or before the expiry of the relevant time bar provided in the relevant statute. Generally, within a 30-day period a taxpayer of receipt of assessment has to appeal/request for administrative review against such to CGIR, more..

Jun 19 (AD) Commissioner General of Elections, Saman Sri Ratnayake says that there are no impediments to declaring the Prez Election by the gazetting of the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution. Furthermore, the Elections Commissioner General stated that the commission has the power to fairly hold the upcoming elections despite any incoming influence. Earlier today, the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution was published in the Govt Gazette by order of Prez more..

Jun 19 (CT) The Special Investigation Unit of the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) yesterday (18) arrested an individual in connection with a foreign employment scam. The suspect allegedly defrauded millions of rupees by promising employment opportunities in the United Kingdom (UK). Investigations revealed that the institution operating in Colombo 02 was an unlicensed foreign employment agency, lacking the necessary authorisation from the SLBFE. more..

Jun 19 (DM) The bill titled the Twenty-second Amendment to the Constitution was published in a gazette notification, as ordered by the Prez. The relevant gazette notification was issued on July 18, 2024 to amend Article 83 (b) of the Constitution. According to Clause 2 of the Bill, Article 83 (b) of the Constitution is amended by the substitution for the words to over six years, to the words to over five years. more..

Jun 19 (DM) The NPP today alleged that state funds, vehicles and resources are being used to boost the image of the President ahead of the Presidential election and urged the Elections Commission to look into the matter. NPP politburo member Sunil Hadunnetti said that the misuse of state funds for election campaigns have been taking place over the years and that the Aragalaya emerged against such practices. He said Community Police Committees are being used for political campaigns, more..

Jun 19 (Island) Dr. IZUMI Hiroto, the head of the Japanese delegation visiting SL, lauded the successful completion of the country’s debt restructuring process, noting that it has paved the way for the resumption of Japanese Official Development Assistance (ODA) projects. These projects, which include several initiatives that were suspended last period, are now poised to restart, signaling a renewed phase of cooperation and development. Dr. Hiroto highlighted that more..

Jun 19 (AD) SL has scrapped plans to sell off its indebted national airline despite shortlisting three potential buyers, the govt’s privatisation agency said. Colombo called for bids in September to sell SriLankan Airlines, a key IMF demand when granting a bailout loan to the country last year. Six firms had initially expressed interest in taking a stake in the airline, which owed more than $2.0 billion at the end of 2022/2023 financial year. more..

Jun 19 (EN) SriLankan Airlines said its internet booking system is back to normal after being hit by a global technology outage. “SriLankan Airlines would like to inform passengers that its internet booking services have been fully restored as of 08:30 GMT (14:00 local time), following a global outage of third-party service providers that affected the airline’s online booking services,” the airline said. “We understand that this may have impacted the experience of some of our passengers, and more..

Jun 19 (APP) SL High Commissioner Admiral (Retd) Ravindra Chandra Srivijay Gunaratne on Friday met Minister of Interior and Narcotics Control, Mohsin Naqvi and discussed issues of mutual interest including the release of Pakistani nationals imprisoned in SL. Both sides agreed to expedite the necessary steps for the release of Pakistani nationals imprisoned in SL jails within 7 days. SL’s High Commissioner, Ravindra Wijegunaratne assured all possible support in this regard. more..

Jul 19 (CI) England completed a comprehensive win on the final day of the second Youth Men's Test at Cheltenham, beating SL by an innings and 53 runs. Resuming their second innings on 246 for 7 and facing an impossible task in terms of saving the game, the tourists required a further 78 runs just to make their opponents bat again. Needing to take a further 3 wickets to wrap up victory in the match and the series, the Young Lions needed only 10.5 overs to finish the job at the College Ground. more..

Jul 19 (CT) Chairman of the Committee for Protecting Prisoners’ Rights (CPPR), Sudesh Silva, has filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court, urging the Electiaon Commission (EC) to issue necessary guidelines enabling voting for prisoners in remand. The petition specifically requests guidelines for participation in all elections, including prez and parliamentary. The petitioner, is a former prisoner who himself was unable to vote due to the absence of voting procedures for inmates. more..

Jul 19 (EN) SL’s govt will be compelled to bring back price controls on some essential commodities as most traders have failed to slash their prices in line with the govt’s cost reduction of fuel, energy, gas, and transport, Trade Minister Nalin Fernando said. The plan is now considered days after the island nation slashed the electricity cost by an average of 22.5% while gradually reducing the prices of cooking gas and fuel in more..

Jul 19 (CT) Academic activities at Telijjawila Central College, where a devastating landslide struck in the early hours of 4 Oct 2023, have been severely hampered due to the authorities’ failure to reconstruct the affected classrooms. Landslide demolished three ground-floor classrooms behind the main building, which houses 5 classrooms, the library and two computer rooms. Plans to reconstruct the building with a Rs 12 million budget have stalled, leaving hundreds of students displaced from more..