Jul 23 (TM) Amid the ongoing dry weather spell, ensuring an uninterrupted supply of drinking water has become a crucial concern, despite the heavy rainfall experienced earlier under the southwest monsoon. Showcasing the gravity of the situation, NWSDB earlier this month announced water supply interruptions in several areas as a result of the ongoing severe dry weather and urged public to use water sparingly & responsibly. more..

Jul 23 (ST) Just last week Comrade Minister Viji and his crack team of tariff busters were walking down a plush plaza of Washington Square looking to buy a reduced-price cup of tea when who walks in the opposite direction but one of the main Trump price cutters and his third assistant. “And who the hell is that?” he asks his junior tariff shaver. “That,” says Junior, drawing a deep, proud breath, having been chosen to look after a foreign delegation, “is Comrade Minister Vijitha, more..

Jul 23 (DM) A recent curious occurrence should baffle discerning Sri Lankans. Local civil society activists and religious freedom advocates, who at other times decry the Sinhala Buddhist Supremism, are now campaigning to shut down Jewish Chabad houses in the country. Chabad Houses are Jewish community centres operated by Chabad-Lubavitch movement, an orthodox Jewish sect which holds certain questionable beliefs, including their opposition to Palestinian statehood. more..

Jul 23 (DM) Bangladeshi Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan who was in Sri Lanka to attend the International Solar Alliance (ISA) summit spoke to Daily Mirror about the current status of his country, bilateral ties with SL and the way forward. He is a well-known economist, govt official and former secretary. He has worked as a consultant for various int'l organizations including more..

Jul 23 (DM) At a given point of time, ours was a country where political leaders and ordinary citizens alike, walked with heads held high. The then leadership took decisions based on the people’s needs and country’s benefit. In 1952 the country (then Ceylon) was economically challenged due to economic crises. The demand for rubber had decreased by 38% due to the US flooding the world market with synthetic rubber. Due to the global crises demand for tea & other commodities more..

Jul 23 (CT) Sri Lanka seems to have arrived at an uncomfortable truth that is no longer possible to dismiss as isolated incidents or unfortunate accidents. Almost every day now, either an elephant or a human dies. It is a statistic that no longer shocks. It passes through news headlines, public statements, and petitions with a kind of resigned inevitability. Yet it marks a deep failure of both policy and imagination, and more than anything else, it reveals how little we have learned about more..

Jul 22 (DM) The Supreme Court today stayed a ruling by the Court of Appeal that had invalidated a directive from the Attorney General to the police to name IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon as a suspect over the May 9, 2022 Galle Face attacks. The Supreme Court three-judge bench comprising Justices Janak de Silva, Sobhitha Rajakaruna and Sampath Abeykoon made this order following a leave to appeal petition filed by the Attorney General. The Court also overruled more..

Jul 22 (NW) Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne informed Parliament today that the report of the Committee of Inquiry probing allegations of gross abuse of power against suspended IGP Deshabandhu Tennakoon has found him guilty of all charges and has recommended his removal. Following is the statement made by the Speaker while presenting to Parliament the report of the investigative committee. Today, I wish to bring to the attention of this august Assembly a matter more..

Jul 22 (TM) Ministry of Energy stated that the power purchase agreement (PPA) signed between the CEB and Sahasdhanavi Ltd for a 350 megawatt dual-fuel liquefied natural gas (LNG) power plant was finalised through a proper, transparent, and competitive process, and that the cost of the project should be seen as a long-term investment, not a loss. In April of this year, a PPA was signed between Sahasdhanavi Ltd more..

Jul 22 (DM) MP Jagath Withana emotionally broke down in Parliament today while talking of his son's arrest last Sunday. "My grandchildren are asking for their father. However, I cannot heed their request," he said breaking down emotionally. "My son was arrested for using a vehicle which is alleged to have been assembled illegally. The vehicle belongs to the company which I own. I hardly knew that the vehicle was illegally assembled. I don't know whether I had to face this situation because more..

Jul 22 (CT) India have secured backing from both Sri Lanka and Afghanistan in its demand to shift the AGM of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) from Dhaka, according to reports. This issue has sparked a significant dispute between India and Pakistan, with major struggles for the upcoming Asia Cup edition. The AGM, scheduled to be chaired by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), was originally set to take place in Dhaka on July 24-25. However, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) more..

Jul 22 (HT) Sri Lanka is set to end tax breaks for the Port City Colombo project being implemented by a Chinese state-run firm as part of commitments under an IMF bailout package, a move expected to hit the viability of the $1.4-billion venture. Following the fourth and latest review for SL’s extended fund facility from the IMF to help overcome the island nation’s worst economic crisis, govt in Colombo has committed to amend more..

Jul 22 (AD) Cabinet of Minister has granted approval to the proposal to gazette and present in Parliament the draft bill formulated to amend the Presidents Entitlements Act (No. 4 of 1986) and reduce special privileges extended to former Presidents, their families, and retired MPs. Last month, the Cabinet granted approval to draft legislation aimed at repealing the Presidents’ Entitlements Act No. 4 of 1986 and the Parliamentary Pensions Law No. 1 of 1977, effectively ending special privileges more..

Jul 22 (CI) Darwin-born Jake Weatherald sealed a happy homecoming and put his name in the conversation surrounding Australia's opening batter conundrum for the Ashes with an imperious century for Australia A against SL A. Starting day three of the second four-day game on 45, Tasmania's Weatherald powered to 183 in a magnificent 275-ball innings punctuated by 16 fours and two sixes. Australia A captain Jason Sangha made an unbeaten 121, his third first-class century more..

Jul 22 (EN) President Anura Disanayake has submitted the name of Preethi Padman Surasena for chief justice to the Constitutional Council, minister Nalinda Jayatissa said. “Yes, the president has submitted Preethi Padman Surasena’s name to the constitutional council as chief justice,” Jayatissa said in response to a journalist’s question. Jayatissa said Surasena was a senior judge of the Supreme Court and someone who had worked in the justice system a long time, and more..

Jul 22 (NW) Deputy Minister Janitha Kodithuwakku told Parliament that six airlines, including SriLankan Airlines, have defaulted on embarkation levy payments totalling Rs. 27.6 billion to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). SriLankan Airlines accounts for Rs. 24.6 billion of the total. The remaining defaulters are AirAsia Berhad (Rs. 88 million), Aeroflot Russia (Rs. 508 million), Air India (Rs. 57 mil), Thai Air Asia (Rs. 221 mil), and Fits Aviation (Rs. 2,126 mil), he revealed. more..

Jul 22 (Island) S.C. Mayadunne, retired Auditor General and former Senior Consultant to CoPE and CoPA, has said accountability of public officials may be examined by Parliamentary Committees. Mayadunne said so at a special workshop held at the parliament complex on 15 July to raise public officials’ awareness of the contribution of the Executive to the functions of the CoPE and Committee on Public Accounts (CoPA). more..

Jul 22 (TM) SL will only have a short to medium-term advantage over Indian ports due to the anticipated 20% growth in container volumes, with India expected to become an $ 8 trillion economy in the next decade, according to Advantis Bunkering CEO Kushan De Silva. He said that with India planning to grow its economy at 7.5% in the next decade to convert its GDP to a $ 8 trillion economy, India expects a 20% growth in container volumes from a base of 20 m TEUs (20-foot equivalent units). more..

Jul 22 (DM) A 17-year-old girl has been allegedly raped by her elder sister’s lover when she was alone at home. 25-year-old suspect from Walahanduwa in Akmeemana had been in love with her elder sister employed at a private establishment and a fellow worker of the suspect. He had been a visitor to the victim’s home. On the day of the incident he had visited her home and left with her elder sister, had returned in short while after under the pretext of having forgotten his mobile phone charger. more..

Jul 22 (CT) Chairman of the SL Sustainable Energy Authority (SLSEA), Prof. Wijendra Bandara, said that he has sought legal advice from the SLSEA Board and the Attorney General’s Dept on whether Adani Green Energy should be’ reimbursed or not’, following the cancellation of their wind power projects in Sampur and Pooneryn. He said, he has not seen a formal letter from Adani Green Energy regarding a reimbursement more..

Jul 22 (NW) An associate of former Minister Manusha Nanayakkara who was arrested in connection with a corruption investigation earlier today, has been granted bail by the Colombo Magistrate’s Court. The suspect, Shan Yahampath, was arrested by officials of the CIABOC this morning. Gunarathne, who served as the minister’s private secretary, is accused of soliciting Rs. 4.3 million from an institution applying to conduct external training programs for officials of more..

Jul 22 (AD) The Cabinet of Ministers has granted approval for the establishment of a Cyber Threat and Malware Analysis Research Unit within the Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team (CERT). Accordingly, a research unit is planned to be established within the Sri Lanka CERT with the objective of identifying cyber threats, enhancing the capability to combat such threats, and promoting the capacity for analyzing malware and developing human resources. more..

Jul 22 (DM) The govt has granted approval for a proposed MoU between the Digital Economy Ministry and the National Uni of Singapore, aimed at fostering collaboration in the development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies in SL. The initiative is part of a broader effort to align with the country’s strategic objectives in digital transformation and innovation. The partnership will be formalized through discussions held with AI Singapore, a national program hosted at National Uni more..

Jul 22 (AD) Court was informed today that there is no necessity at this time to arrest former Director of the CID retired DIG Rohan Premaratne, by the CIABOC, in connection with on-going investigation. This was conveyed to the Colombo Magistrate’s Court by an official representing the Bribery Commission during the hearing of a bail application filed by Rohan Premaratne, requesting release on anticipatory bail in the event of an impending arrest. Accordingly, Magistrate informed more..

Jul 22 (AD) The govt is responsible not only for the safety of former presidents but also for the general public, Minister Nalinda Jayatissa has emphasized in response to questions raised in relation to the move by the present administration to remove the entitlements of former Presidents and their family members. Responding to an inquiry on whether the govt would continue to ensure the security of former Prez Mahinda Rajapaksa, more..

Jul 22 (AD) Cabinet of Ministers has granted approval to implement a pilot project to send Sri Lankans under the E–8 Visa category (seasonal employees) for employment in the Republic of Korea and to conduct discussions with local govt institutions in South Korea to seek employment opportunities. Accordingly, following discussions held with the Boseong local govt institution in Korea, an agreement has been reached to enter into a MoU to recruit SL seasonal workers. more..

Jul 22 (DM) The Instagram Parental Supervision App, designed to help parents monitor and guide the online activity of children aged 13 to 16, was officially launched in Sri Lanka today, Digital Economy Deputy Minister Eranga Weeraratne said. In a statement shared on his official Facebook page, Deputy Minister said discussions had been held with tech giant Meta ahead of the launch, focusing on critical areas such as youth safety, data protection, and regulatory alignment. more..

Jul 22 (AD) The carcasses of three wild elephants including a tusker—whose tusks had been removed and is believed to have died about a month ago—were discovered within the Digampathaha area of the Inamaluwa Forest Reserve. Residents of the area claim that the remains of a total of five wild elephants and a tusker, believed to have died around a month ago, have been found in the Inamaluwa Forest Reserve more..

Jul 22 (EN) Govt hopes the island nation’s capital investment projects will take off soon with the delays being addressed, Minister Nalinda Jayatissa said. Govt in its maiden budget allocated a record Rs.1,315 billion for 2025. However, only over Rs. 200 billion worth projects or 15% of the total allocated capital investments have been approved and the related procurements are being processed, govt officials have said. “There was a delay in procurement process & lack of technical more..

Jul 22 (FT) Much is being spoken about the inability of the current Govt to deliver what they promised. Walk the talk where primarily they spoke a focused different journey towards economic recovery, crime busting within two weeks and a clean Sri Lanka with discipline, justice, fair play and eco-friendly practices resulting in a breath of fresh air and hope for all. None of the above promise seems to be worked on in a strategic manner resulting in increasing criticism that the Govt consists of talkers only more..

Jul 22 (NW) Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa told Parliament that wages for plantation workers must be increased alongside the general minimum wage hike. While supporting the proposal to raise the national minimum monthly wage from Rs. 21,000 to Rs. 27,000 in December and Rs. 30,000 in January, he criticized the govt for failing to deliver its promise of a Rs. 1,700 daily wage for plantation workers—pledge No. 41 in its election manifesto. Citing provisions from Wages Boards more..

Jul 22 (FT) For the first time in history of Rotary in Sri Lanka, the foremost service organisation in the world was invited to ring the traditional bell to announce the partnership between Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) and Rotary for the SME Growth in Sri Lanka. Rotary was tasked to find promising SMEs in the country to be included to the listing agenda of the Stock Market. The announcement spruced the days ASPI a to a record 18,838.39 points gaining 297.13 points (+1.60%) more..