Jul 17 (DM) State Fertilizer Company was advised to reduce the prices of fertilizers used for plantation crops such as cinnamon, tea and coconut. Minister gave these instructions following a discussion today at the Ministry regarding the reduction of fertilizer prices. Accordingly, State Fertilizer Company chairman, Dr. Jagath Perera said the prices of the five types of fertilizers produced by the State Fertilizer Company and used for cinnamon, tea and coconut, will be reduced by more..

Jul 17 (ICC) England, SL and Pakistan will tour New Zealand this summer, while the Kiwis' women's side will take on Australia and SL on home soil. NZ have confirmed they will host white-ball series against SL and Pakistan this summer alongside their previously announced ICC World Test Championship series against England at the end of this year. The Kiwis' men's and women's team revealed their summer schedule on Wednesday, with the sides set to host international matches from end of Nov more..

Jul 17 (CT) With seven out of 44 Computed Tomography (CT) scanners in govt hospitals down and transportation costs of patients awaiting scans exceeding Rs 12 million per month, it is apparent that the Govt would have to bear even more expenses should the entire health service be privatised, GRTA lamented. GRTA President, Chanaka Dharmawickrama, observed that although some parties were proposing the privatisation more..

Jul 17 (DM) Expulsion petition filed by former State Minister Diana Gamage challenging the SJB's decision to expel her from party membership was today withdrawn by her before the Supreme Court. Diana Gamage’s lawyers sought the court's permission to withdraw the application, citing that their client does not intend to proceed with it. Accordingly, SC permitted the petitioner to withdraw her expulsion application. SC in another application held that Diana Gamage is disqualified more..

Jul 17 (Island) Election Commission yesterday commended the Governors of the Uva, Northern, Wayamba, Sabaragamuwa and North Central Provinces for not following illegal orders in respect of appointments granted on the orders of the Secretary to the President Saman Ekanayake to those who handed over their nominations to contest the Local Govt polls. EC Chairman R.M.A.L. Rathnayake said that when they had asked the govt not to grant them appointments as members of community more..

Jul 17 (Island) Parliament has called for a comprehensive report from the Health Ministry regarding recovery of dues from doctors who have gone overseas. A subcommittee of the COPA (Committee on Public Accounts), headed by Maj. Pradeep Undugoda, MP, has taken up this issue with the Health Ministry. A statement issued by Parliament quoted Health Ministry officials as having said that action was being taken and progress being made in this regard. more..

Jul 17 (CT) Airport and Aviation Services (SL) (Pvt) Ltd (AASL) held a meeting with representatives from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to explore the possibilities of recommencing the BIA Terminal 2 construction project. The AASL stated they are ready to commence the proposed BIA Terminal 2 project. The new terminal will be able to handle 9 million passengers annually, increasing BIA’s total passenger handling capacity to over 15 million. more..

Jul 17 (FPJ) Former U19 captain Dhammika Niroshana was shot dead in front of his wife and kids at his home on Tuesday (16) night. He was 41. The shocking incident reportedly took place in Niroshana's residence in Ambalangoda. He was standing in front of his house when he was shot at. Local reports suggested that Dhammika Niroshana's wife and kids were present at home when the crime took place. more..

Jul 17 (DM) The present system of governance which is based on the Executive Presidency should be changed even if Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa emerges victorious at this year's Executive Presidency, SJB MP Eran Wickramaratne said today. MP came up with this remark in response to a question raised by journalists at a media briefing as to whether the SJB will scrap the Executive Presidency if its leader emerges victorious at this year's Presidential election. more..

Jul 17 (EN) UNP has requested SL’s Election Commission to hold the 2024 presidential as early as possible, a party official, adding that President Ranil Wickremesinghe will contest as an independent candidate. UNP General Secretary Palitha Range Bandara told reporters outside the Election Commission premises that UNP anticipates a landslide victory for Prez Wickremesinghe. “We asked the election commission to have the election in the shortest time possible,” more..

Jul 17 (EN) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe has submitted a cabinet paper proposing security measures for presidential candidates and former presidents, following the recent attack on former US Prez Donald Trump during a campaign rally in the USA. “This proposal suggests the appointment of a committee to conduct threat assessments and provide necessary security for Prez candidates as well as former Presidents,” more..

Jul 17 (FT) Vallipuram Vasanthan alias Captain Miller the first suicide bomber of the LTTE is the focus of this two-part article. A brief description of the pioneering Black Tiger or Karumpuli and events leading to the first Black Tiger operation on 5 July 1987 was outlined in the first part published last week. Details of the LTTE attack on the military camp at the Nelliaddy MMV school premises would be related in this second and concluding part. more..

Jul 17 (AD) Aranayaka Police stated that four female suspects have been arrested in connection with an incident of inhumane assault and cruelty towards a child. A video of the incident in question recently went viral on social media and following an investigation launched into the matter, the relevant suspects were arrested. Child’s two grandmothers were arrested for assaulting the child while his mother along with another woman have been arrested on the charges of aiding and more..

Jul 17 (DM) Medical experts have noticed a notable surge in pediatric cases exhibiting wheezing symptoms following a viral infection akin to an influenza-like illness. Lady Ridgeway Hospital's Consultant Pediatrician, Dr. Deepal Perera urged parents to be vigilant on their children's respiratory health. "Wheezing can be a concerning symptom indicating narrowing of the airways, which may lead to difficulty in breathing," he noted. Furthermore, he emphasized the importance of preventive more..

Jul 17 (FT) It was during the rough and tumble of the difficult environment which prevailed in the country as a whole, I had to perform my responsibilities in a branch far away from my residence, most importantly away from my family. It was this routine and without any exaggeration to say my commitment and dedication to my responsibilities which took me to Nawalapitiya on that fateful day of Black July of Monday 25 July, 1983 which remains as Sri Lanka’s darkest era. more..

Jul 17 (Island) Chairman of the Elections Commission R.M.A.L. Rathnayake yesterday said that the EC couldn’t interfere with the right of those representing the legal profession or any other from seeking to thwart the scheduled prez elections. Rathnayake said so in response to The Island query whether the EC would seek a dialogue with those seeking to sabotage the presidential election at the behest of some individuals & political parties. more..

Jul 17 (CT) Teachers and principals have decided to launch a work-to-rule campaign for two weeks, starting next Monday (22). Until 2 August, they will focus exclusively on their core teaching duties, suspending all administrative tasks which they are engaging in during and after school hours, CTU General Secretary Joseph Stalin said. The decision to take this trade union action is driven by several concerns, including salary disparities, the practice of collecting money from parents for more..

Jul 17 (CT) Although it was reported that the verdict regarding the Fundamental Rights petition filed in 2013 concerning the inhumane assault of a suspect detained by the Mirihana Police in 2011 was based on an affidavit of a third party, it has been revealed that no such affidavit exists, Romesh de Silva, PC informed the Supreme Court on Monday. He informed the Supreme Court that the verdict issued against the current IGP, Deshabandu Tennakoon, who was the ASP in Nugegoda at the time, more..

Jul 17 (DM) Former Prez Mahinda Rajapaksa made 978 flights using Air Force helicopters under presidential privilege for domestic flights between 2005 and 2015, while former Prez Maithripala Sirisena flew 557 times during his five-year tenure, information obtained under RTI act has revealed. This data was disclosed in response to an appeal made by to the Right to Information Commission after Air Force HQ initially failed to provide more..

Jul 17 (Island) Sixty Lankan Tamil refugees, including at least 16 children, claim to have been unlawfully detained on Diego Garcia since 2021, said a report published by The Week of the UK. It said: A paradise island in the Indian Ocean has become the centre of a complex legal dispute, a battle for control – and a prison for stranded migrants. In 2021, SL Tamils fleeing persecution attempted to sail to Canada to claim asylum, when their fishing boat suffered a leak. more..

Jul 17 (EN) Sri Lanka will gradually reduce the 26,000 approved cadre in the state-run CEB through Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) and by not filling retired cadre position unless it is necessary while restructuring CEB, Minister Kanchana Wjesekera said. Wijesekera in the past has said the CEB could be managed with only 5,000 cadres instead of the current approved 26,000. “I still believe we can do with reducing the cadres by a large number,” Wjesekera told reporters more..

Jul 17 (Island) NPP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake stated that the upcoming prez polls are set to break records, as the govt is employing all possible means against opposition parties. Addressing a national summit of paramedics, he emphasised that the forthcoming polls would go down in the record books as the largest media operation in the country’s electoral history. ‘The govt is attempting to delay the elections while the people eagerly await their right to vote,’ more..

Jul 17 (DN) With the greater relaxation of import restrictions in October, we have witnessed a resurgence of positive sentiments in trade and economic activities. This has brought a much-needed boost to our industry.This was opined by new Chairman of Import Section of Ceylon Chamber of commerce, Thulitha Mendis at their 89th annual general meeting last week. “However, high tariffs and the imposition of VAT on previously exempted products have placed a significant burden more..

Jul 17 (ST) Scheme to grant permits for the import of electric vehicles by Lankans employed abroad launched in 2022 is riddled with irregularities and suspiciously favoured two importers. A total of 913 permits had been issued to eligible individuals after the scheme began in Sept 2022. Of this 68% of permits issued had been facilitated by 2 importers, while 30 other importers, who are also registered to import electric vehicles, got only 30% more..

Jul 17 (CT) Central Bank of SL (CBSL) plans to request global rating agencies to upgrade the SL’s current Default grade rating status based on the current progress of the debt restructuring process, CBSL sources said. “We are about to concluded the entire debt restructuring process, and we hope it can be officially finalised within the coming days. Therefore, depending on the current progress, we are considering requesting global rating agencies to upgrade the current default rating,” they said. more..

Jul 17 (FT) Despite challenges with shipping, SL’s tea exports in the first half of this year have risen by 6% to 119.1 million kilos in comparison to the corresponding period of 2023. The growth is despite exports in June being marginally down by 2% to 20.9 million kilos, Asia Siyaka Commodities Plc said. The country has earned $ 687 million in the first half of 2024 as against $ 637 million a year ago. The approximate FOB price per kilogramme is $ 5.77 compared with $ 5.68 last year. more..

Jul 17 (FT) 5th Sri Lanka – USA Partnership Dialogue concluded on 12 July 2024 in Washington, D.C. The Sri Lanka delegation was led by Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Aruni Wijewardane and the USA side was led by Acting Under Secretary for Political Affairs of the US Department of State John Bass. Sri Lanka delegation included Ambassador Mahinda Samarasinghe as well as senior officials of the SL Embassy, Washington D.C. and Ministry of Foreign Affairs. more..

Jul 17 (DN) In a spirited performance, Dambulla Sixes defeated Colombo Strikers by 28 runs in their LPL game at R. Premadasa Cricket Stadium yesterday. Despite their victory, Dambulla Sixes were eliminated from the tournament. It was a low-scoring match, with Dambulla Sixes being bowled out for 123. Colombo Strikers struggled in their chase, managing only 95 runs in 18.1 overs. Skipper Thisara Perera fought valiantly, scoring 30 runs off 31 balls with a four and three sixes, more..

Jul 17 (TM) The third phase of the excavations at the Kokkuthuduvai mass grave in Mullaitivu has concluded, revealing 12 additional human body parts, said the JMO of Mullaitivu, Dr. Kanagasabapathy Vasudeva. He confirmed that the total number of skeletal remains excavated from the site now stands at 52, adding that these remains have been securely stored at the Mullaitivu District General Hospital following orders from more..

Jul 17 (Island) With no half-centuries in the league stages of the LPL, Kusal Mendis is facing the axe from the Jaffna Kings side for the playoffs. In fact, the opening batter has 30 runs as the highest score after 8 innings in the LPL. It will be a comedy of errors if Jaffna drop him but Mendis still goes on to open batting for SL next week in the three match T-20 series against India at Pallekele. Sadeera Samarawickrama and Dhananjaya de Silva have been both axed for India series; so is Angleo more..

Jul 17 (FT) SJB MP S.M. Marikkar asserted that SJB leader Sajith Premadasa is leading all public opinion polls for the Prez election, making him the clear choice of the people. He said that Premadasa is poised to be the candidate with the highest public support in the upcoming election. Marikkar stated that survey reports indicate a decline in the popularity of Anura Kumara Dissanayaka, while the support for Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe and the Podujana Peramuna remains stagnant. more..

Jul 17 (TM) Sri Lanka’s ODI captain Kusal Mendis who is currently experiencing a lean patch with the bat is set to be rested, while two stars who were overlooked for the concluded ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in the US and the West Indies Dinesh Chandimal and Kusal Janith Perera, are set to be recalled by the selectors, ahead of the upcoming home white-ball series against India, informed sources said. more..