Aug 26 (Island) Only 100,000 people had taken the fourth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, Deputy Director-General of Health Services Dr. Hemantha Herath told journalists in Colombo. Dr. Herath said that more people had to be vaccinated to ensure that COVID would not spiral out of control. �A person who has taken the first jab must follow instructions and get the other three jabs. Most people have taken the first two jabs, but the interest in taking the boosters have been low,� he said. more..

Aug 26 (CT) SL�s foreign reserves on a gross basis were up by US$ 49.42 million (Rs 17,839 million) on Tuesday ( 23), led by the settlement of gross inflows. Conversions are based on the administered value of the benchmark spot as at Friday which was Rs 361 to the US dollar. Govt of SL�s (GoSL�s) face value money printing (FVMP) debt decreased by 0.23% (Rs 7,380 M) to Rs 3,157,862.36 million (Rs 3.1579 T) on Tuesday, thereby marginally defraying demand-pull inflationary pressure as well. more..

Aug 26 (DM) Minister Kanchana Wijesekera said that Ministry has observed that 2100 plus businesses have installed their own fuel storage tanks as consumer points, many without approval. CPC will not distribute to businesses that have no approvals and do not comply with guidelines. However, distribution to the 1250 plus fuel stations will be prioritized. Meanwhile, he said that upon evaluating consumer points, CPC will continue distribution of essential consumer points. more..

Aug 26 (Island) Dissident SLPP lawmaker Nalaka Godahewa has warned of clandestine moves to sell off profitable ventures in the state sector. He alleged that instead of restricting loss making ventures, interested parties seemed hell-bent on divesting the Treasury of cash cows. Referring to a recent declaration made by Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe, the one-time private sector top executive questioned rationale in privatising more..

Aug 26 (Island) The emigration statistics revealed that at least 32% of tourism industry experts had left the country for foreign employment, and 32 Sri Lankans left for greener pastures every hour, since early this year due to the current economic downturn, said Dr. Harsha Jayasinghe, the newly elected Chairman of Institute of Hospitality. Dr. Jayasinghe delivering his address after being elected the new Chairman of the local affiliate of the leading British based Institute of Hospitality more..

Aug 26 (FT) SJB MP Ranjan Ramanayake has apologised to the courts through an affidavit on the comments he made about the conduct of judges that led to his incarceration after being found guilty of being in contempt. Ramanayake filed the affidavit containing his apology before courts yesterday after Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe recommended his release from prison recently under a Prez pardon subject to the condition that he expressed his regret over the comments made. more..

Aug 26 (TM) While the introduction of the quick response (QR) code system at fuelling stations islandwide since the beginning of this month helped overcome the days-long fuel queues, a shortage of fuel at the Ceylon Petroleum Storage Terminals Ltd. (CPTSL) at Muthurajawela has resulted in the re-emergence of queues in some parts of the island this week. When contacted, Ceylon Petroleum Private Tanker Owners� more..

Aug 26 (Island) Wristy batsmen are a unique thing to south Indian states of Karnataka and Andhra. G.R. Viswanath, Mohammad Azharuddin and V.V.S. Laxman are a few of those players whose wrist work are legendary. Not sure of young Sri Lankan cricketer Ranuda Somaratna�s connections to south India, but his sometimes steely and sometimes silky wrists were on show in Chelmsford as SL U-19 pulled off a stunning win in the first unofficial Test on Wednesday. more..

Aug 26 (FT) TNA MP M.A. Sumanthiran says the time has come for President Ranil Wickremesinghe to deliver on his promise made five years ago to repeal the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). Sumanthiran pointed out that Sri Lanka lost the GSP+ concession due to its use of the PTA. �The Govt and the Supreme Court knew from its very inception that this law was an unconstitutional law. Even in Sri Lanka, it was acknowledged it was an unconstitutional law,� he said. more..

Aug 26 (Reuters) Japan is seeking to organise a SL creditors' conference, hoping it could help solve the South Asia nation's debt crisis, but uncertainties cloud the outlook for any talks, three people with knowledge of the planning said. Tokyo is open to hosting talks among all the creditor nations aimed at lifting Colombo from its worst debt crisis since independence, but it is not clear whether top creditor China would join more..

Aug 26 (FT) The former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa�s (GR) authoritarian route to transform Sri Lanka into a Sinhala Buddhist paradise of prosperity and splendour ended in disaster. His policies to translate that dream to reality bankrupted the treasury, pauperised the economy, angered international community, led to social and political unrest, and left no alternative but for him to vacate the presidency and run away from the country. Unlike GR who had no experience in politics, more..

Aug 26 (Island) Fish prices have increased by about Rs. 200 during the past few days owing to a shortage of kerosene, say fish traders. Secretary of the Peliyagoda Fish Market Business Association Jayantha Cooray said that usually fish prices were low in August due to good fish harvests. �People can�t go fishing without kerosene. Fishermen also complain of the ill-effects of kerosene price increases but kerosene is not available even at high prices. Cooray said that on Wednesday, more..

Aug 26 (AD) Colombo Fort Magistrate�s Court granted bail to 07 remanded suspects including Dhaniz Ali who were in remand custody over the forcible entry to the Presidential residence. The order was issued by the Colombo Fort Magistrate Thilina Gamage. In addition, two more suspects including Lahiru Weerasekara who were named as the suspects in the case were also granted bail today. They were released on surety bail of Rs. 500,000 each. more..

Aug 26 (Island) NFF Leader Wimal Weerawansa urged the Finance Minister and Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe to expedite the enrollment of students selected to enter non-state/private universities under the student loan scheme initiated by the Yahapalana govt in 2017. �As you are well aware, due to the limited capacity of enrolling students to state universities, not all students who are eligible for university entrance in SL get the opportunity. Against this backdrop, more..

Aug 26 (AD) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe today signed the document to grant a conditional pardon to the incarcerated former MP Ranjan Ramanayake, the PMD says. The Head of State has granted a presidential pardon to the former MP on the condition that he would refrain from making any comments in contempt of the judiciary in the future. The Secretary to the Ministry of Justice has been tasked with making more..

Aug 26 (Island) The govt must do something to help 60% of Sri Lankans badly affected by high inflation, dissident SLPP MP Vasudeva Nanayakkara said. He said that several int'l agencies had claimed that 60% of Sri Lankans were skipping meals. �The food inflation is around 90%. People are losing jobs and small and medium enterprises are warning that millions will lose jobs. Out of the people who can�t make ends meet due to the rising cost of living, only a small number of people get Samurdhi relief. more..

Aug 26 (TM) Senior Professor Niranjan Gunawardena has replaced Jayantha De Silva as the new Secretary to the Ministry of Technology, led by Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe. Prof. Gunawardena currently serves as the Vice Chancellor at the University of Moratuwa. Jayantha de Silva was appointed as the Secretary to the Ministry of Technology on 30 June 2022. The former CEO and President of IFS SL had previously served as Chairman of the ICTA, more..

Aug 26 (USE) Today, the United States, through the U.S. Dept of Agriculture (USDA) and in partnership with Save the Children, received 320 metric tons of split yellow peas to nourish school children across SL. The donation is part of a larger one of 3,000 metric tons of food. U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung, Susil Premajayantha, Minister of Education, and representatives from the Ministry of Health, National Planning Dept, more..

Aug 26 (AD) A fundamental rights (FR) petition has been filed against the decision taken by the Cabinet of Ministers to open up importing, distributing and selling petroleum products to selected foreign companies in from oil-producing nations. The application was filed by a group of individuals including SL Podujana Progressive Employees� Union. PM Dinesh Gunawardena, Minister Kanchana Wijesekera and other Cabinet Ministers, CPC, AG Sanjay Rajaratnam and more..

Aug 26 (EN) Several European countries have relaxed travel advisories issued for Sri Lanka effective Friday August 26, Tourism Minister Harin Fernando said. France, Switzerland, Norway and the UK have relaxed the advisories issued to their tourists allowing more tourists to come to Sri Lanka, Fernando tweeted Friday morning. �Happy to announce France, Switzerland, Norway and the UK relaxing travel restrictions for their citizens to travel to Sri Lanka,� Fernando said. more..

Aug 26 (FT) Enhancing bilateral trade and promoting Sri Lanka as a dynamic base for UK-based businesses will be among the main areas the Ceylon Chamber�s Council for Business with Britain (CBB) will focus on over the next year, stated CBB President Tania Wettimuny at the Council�s AGM recently. Taking on the mantle of leadership for the year 2022/23, Wettimuny stressed the importance of creating long-term sustainable economic reforms and the role that organisations such as more..

Aug 26 (TM) SJB Leader Sajith Premadasa criticised the proposed all-party Govt system, claiming it to be part of a destructive political agenda and therefore urged all citizens to come together to materialise and bring triumph to the aspirations of the general public. �Especially, at this moment of dire necessity, we all should realise that what is needed is an all-party, integrated, joint system. Govt suggests an all-party system, but what they really suggest is not an all-party system more..

Aug 26 (AD) China has always been supporting Sri Lanka in the international fora for protecting its sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, Ambassador of China to SL Qi Zhenhong says. In an article titled, From One-China Principle to Yuan Wang 5: Let�s Join Hands and Resolutely Safeguard Our Sovereignty, Independence and Territorial Integrity, he reiterated China�s continued commitment to support SL. more..

Aug 26 (TM) Paddy farmers in Uva Paranagama have, owing to the fertiliser issue and the economic crisis, shifted to alternative farming solutions including farming vegetables and in other cases, farming only for private, household use, and not commercial sale. Several paddy farmers said that they are not continuing paddy farming due to the economic and fertiliser crises. �Everything is about money now. We have to spend Rs. 30,000 to buy urea fertiliser, another Rs. 30,000 for more..

Aug 26 (CT) The lawyer appearing on behalf of a suspect, who had been released on bail after being charged with publishing an anti-Govt post Parlimenthuwa Watalamu � 225 Pannamu (Lay siege to Parliament � Chase away 225 MPs), told Colombo Chief Magistrate Nandana Amerasinghe, that controversial posts are still being shared through the suspect�s mobile phone, which is in the custody of Police. This submission was made by lawyer Mohammad Azver, via a motion filed more..

Aug 26 (EN) SL athletes who went missing after going to the UK to attend Commonwealth Games have been located but British authorities have not disclosed the locations. SL has seen a spike in boat people amid the worst currency crisis in the history of the central bank with the rupee falling from 182 to 370 to the US dollar over two years. During the Commonwealth games 2022, which held in Birmingham, UK more..

Aug 26 (TM) SLT-Mobitel recently held an event at its One Galle Face branch, providing customers with the opportunity to experience the best of 5G. The event showcased a range of 5G technology demonstrations to the public, including virtual reality (VR), 5G gaming, remote vehicle control, HD video streaming, and many more. With 5G becoming a reality, SLT-Mobitel has further expanded its 5G pre-commercial trial network across main cities including Colombo, Kandy, A'pura, Galle, and Jaffna, more..

Aug 26 (Island) JVP stalwart, Bimal Rathnayaka warned that SL would be in serious trouble if it implements IMF recommendations. Rathnayaka said that the SL was undergoing a serious economic crisis and shortage of dollars. �IMF is very attractive to leaders that are not too bright. But can anyone name a single country that has come out of its economic woes by implementing IMF recommendations?� he asked. Ratnayake said that SL would receive some funds from the IMF, more..

Aug 26 (TM) The Govt has taken measures to make the process to procure medicinal drugs more efficient, stated Minister of Health Keheliya Rambukwella. According to the lawmaker, Govt has managed to reduce the procurement period, which used to take 9-11 months previously, to three to four months. The main goal of these efforts is to provide medicines to patients in a transparent manner without any shortage, Minister said during a meeting with representatives of UNICEF. more..

Aug 26 (HL) TUI has extended its suspension of holidays to SL - even though the UK Govt has lifted its advice against travel to the country. The Foreign Office change came just 24 hours after the UK's biggest tour operator confirmed it was cancelling holidays to the destination until Sept 11 at the earliest. The TUI bulletin stated: Due to the ongoing political and economic instability in SL, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) have advised against all but essential travel. more..

Aug 26 (CI) You have a supremely-talented batter who isn't the modern-day definition of fit - so what do you do as coach? It's possible that Chris Silverwood has pondered the Bhanuka Rajapaksa question a few times. But four months since becoming SL's coach, Silverwood doesn't have to worry about the issue anymore, and for that Rajapaksa deserves some credit. A concerted effort to improve his fitness - with weight loss being more..

Aug 26 (Island) Law enforcement authorities are engaged in a farcical attempt to find the people who entered the Prez�s House the Presidential Secretariat, and Temple Trees and used the swimming pool and consumed the food items there, Communist Party of SL (CPSL) says. �Tens of thousands of people participated in these incidents, and efforts are being made to arrest selected persons. Meanwhile, the student leaders who participated in a demonstration and more..

Aug 26 (FT) The acid test of a National Security Act is that it must make the nation more secure. It is the same with a Prevention of Terrorism Act, in that it must go more than some distance towards preventing acts and incidences of terrorism. And more so in the case of Sri Lanka�s Prevention of Terrorism (Provisional) Act of 1979, which preceded all such eventualities, from a 26-year war to insurgencies around the island that reached an apex in the 1987-9 era. more..

Aug 26 (UN) The alert from the UN Children�s Fund, comes as Sri Lanka continues to suffer its worst financial slump since independence in 1948. Mr. Laryea-Adjei reports that, �families are skipping regular meals as staple foods become unaffordable. Children are going to bed hungry, unsure of where their next meal will come from.� Mass food insecurity will only further promote malnutrition, poverty, disease and more..

Aug 26 (PTI) Indian golfer Manu Gandas registered a convincing four-shot victory with a dazzling final day score of five-under 67 at the Chennai Open here on Friday. The Haryana golfer beat Sri Lanka's N Thangaraja (66-67-67-72), who took the second place at 16-under 272 following his final round effort of 72. The 26-year-old Gandas (68-65-68-67), lying overnight second, one shot off the lead, began the final day in an ideal fashion with a chip-in birdie on the first hole. more..

Aug 26 (FP) After the qualifiers, the Asia Cup 2022 is now in its most exciting phase. Six teams will fight for the crown of the best continental team. SL will start their campaign with the opening encounter against Afghanistan on 27 August at the Dubai Int'l Stadium at 7:30 PM IST. Both teams will aim to erase the losses in their previous T20I series. SL lost their last T20I clash against Australia 2-1 on home soil. Afghanistan also concluded their Ireland visit with a 3-2 defeat after a closely fought more..