Jul 5 (TM) Responding to a query by SJB MP Nalin Bandara about the whereabouts of Prez Rajapaksa and his health condition, SLPP MP Prasanna Ranatunga told Parliament that Prez resides at the Prez�s House in Fort, and also travels outside Prez�s House. �Prez is fulfilling his duties very well and efficiently from inside Prez�s House, and he also travels outside the Prez�s House. Due to the security situation in the country certain security measures have been advised by the security forces more..

Jul 5 (BBC) The smell hits you first - freshly cooked rice, lentils and spinach, served in ladles from steaming pots. Dozens of families - including mothers with babies - are lined up with plates to get a serving of what will likely be their only meal for the day. "We are here because we are hungry," says Chandrika Manel, a mother of four. As she kneads a ball of rice with her hands, mixing it with the lentils and spinach before feeding it more..

Jul 5 (FT) A number of Parliamentary committees including the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) and the Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) are scheduled to meet this week. Litro Gas Lanka, and Litro Gas Terminal Lanka Ltd., have been summoned before the COPE which is scheduled to meet today. COPE will meet under the chairmanship of MP Prof Charita Herath. Ministry of Transport and Highways has been called to the COPA which will meet on the same day more..

Jul 5 (DM) PM Ranil Wickremesinghe will make a special statement in Parliament today where he will clarify the outcome of the discussions held with the IMF, Minister Bandula Gunawardena said. He revealed this in response to a query made by MP Lakshman Kiriella who questioned whether the negotiations with the IMF had failed. �Foreign media practically in USA had reported that the negotiations with the IMF had failed. We would like to know the real situation. more..

Jul 5 (TM) Commenting on the letter sent by the IGP to the Defence Secretary regarding a purported planned terrorist attack today and tomorrow, JVP Leader MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake voiced his suspicions as to whether the Govt was spreading false information while the FSP labelled the letter a script. Dissanayake, who presented the letter addressed to Defence Ministry Secretary Gen. Kamal Gunaratne by more..

Jul 5 (TM) SL Hadabima Authority (SLHA) has planned to launch a joint home gardening programme with the support of farmers islandwide to ensure national food security ovet the next six months. An official of the Agriculture Ministry said that Minister of Agriculture Mahinda Amaraweera has instructed SLHA Chairman Sarath Withana, to prepare programmes to expand the country�s food production process by utilising the resources of the SLHA, which have been in a somewhat more..

Jul 5 (DM) Defence Ministry requests the public not to panic about the intelligence information of a purported terrorist attack which is currently circulating in the social media. While issuing a statement defence ministry said a letter sent by IGP to the Defence Secretary regarding the disclosure of a purported terrorist attack that may be carried out on July 5 and 6, evoking Black July, was taken up into consideration based on unconfirmed information received through intelligence sources. more..

Jul 5 (TM) Following a letter addressed to Defence Ministry Secretary Gen. Kamal Gunaratne by IGP C.D. Wickramaratne, pertaining to reports of a planned attack today and tomorrow, Commanders of the Tri-Forces have been asked to take precautions and measures to ensure the safety of the public. The letter, dated 27 June 2022, states that a foreign intelligence service has planned to launch an attack in North, South, or East more..

Jul 5 (FT) While we wax eloquent about how this govt or that govt caused the economic meltdown that we are faced with today, the hard truth that the great majority of the people in the country as a whole fail to or refuse to accept is that we, the people, too are directly complicit in and therefore culpable for where we have ended up today. We are people of a representative democracy. According to our Constitution, sovereignty lies with its people. We voted for and welcomed with open arms more..

Jul 5 (FT) Tourism is an essential contributor for the success of many economies around the world. Tourism plays an extremely important role in the SL economy. There are numerous benefits of tourism on host destinations. Tourism boosts the revenue of the economy, creates thousands of jobs, develops the infrastructures of a country, and plants a sense of cultural exchange between foreigners and citizens. In 2018 Sri Lanka Tourism generated receipts worth of $ 4.5 billion. more..

Jul 5 (AD) Commander of Army, Lt General Vikum Liyanage has relieved the officer involved in the incident at Yakgahapitiya Petrol Station of all his duties with immediate effect until the 5-member Court of Inquiry�s recommendations are received. A parallel military investigation of the SL Army Corps of Military Police (SLACMP) with regard to the incident is also underway recording statements, SL Army said. The Security Force Headquarters - West on Monday appointed a 5-member Court of more..

Jul 5 (DM) Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapaksa requested the Speaker to take steps to summon Chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of SL (PUCSL) before COPE tomorrow to clarify his claim that a litre of fuel could be sold at Rs. 250. He told Parliament that they got to know that the PUCSL Chairman had made a statement that a litre of fuel could be sold at Rs. 250 and said he should be summoned before the COPE to know the methodology of doing so. more..

Jul 5 (DM) First round of discussions with the IMF has been a success but the assistance depends on the debt restructuring program which SL has to come up with, PM Ranil Wickremesinghe told Parliament. He said SL will hand over a debt restructuring program report to IMF in August this year. �The expert companies which we have hired are in the process of preparing a debt restructuring program and we will hand over more..

Jul 5 (DM) PM Ranil Wickremesinghe said today he was ready to step down as the PM if JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake could revive the economy within six months as he claims. PM making a special statement in Parliament on the progress of the IMF talks, said the economy which was bankrupt, cannot not be revived overnight and it would take several years to do so. He said if MP Dissanayake is in possession of an action plan to develop the economy as he often says, more..

Jul 5 (EN) India has become the top lender to SL in early 2022, official data showed as the neigbhour stepped in with emergency financing as the island was gripped by the worst currency crisis in the history of its 72 year old intermediate regime central bank. Up to April 2022, India had disbursed US$ 376.9 million, mostly a credit line for petroleum imports up from US$ 13 million last year. SL had signed up US$ 1,550.4 million in new loans up to April 2022, with 1.5 billion coming from India, more..

Jul 5 (EN) NPP MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake said his party will support a short term economic recovery plan by the govt before going for an election, if the govt refuses to resign and give power to the NPP. Responding to PM Ranil Wickremesinghe�s speech in parliament on Tuesday July 05 morning, Dissanayake said the NPP never intended to solve the economic crisis in the country within 6 months as claimed by PM. more..

Jul 5 (AD) The husband of the slain administrative officer of the Polonnaruwa, Lankapura Divisional Secretariat has been arrested on suspicion over her murder, police said today. The 42-year-old woman had been attacked with a sharp object at her home at around 2.45 a.m. yesterday while she had succumbed to injuries on admission to hospital. The victim, Yamuna Padmini, is a mother of two and had served as the administrative officer of the Lankapura Divisional Secretariat. more..

Jul 5 (NR) Ministry of Labour and Foreign Employment has decided to amend the registration process of an individual leaving for employment overseas for a second time. Subject Minister Manusha Nanayakkara said steps will be taken to assess the foreign remittances of the individual through legal means during the initial employment period overseas and if a sufficient sum of dollars has been remitted, overseas travel for employment again will be approved. more..

Jul 5 (EN) Prez Rajapaksa was in for a rude shock when he made an appearance in parliament where he was greeted by opposition MPs who loudly protested his presence, a day after they asked where he was hiding. Prez was seen walking out as opposition MPs heckled PM Wickreemesinghe during a speech. Wickremesinghe, who was explaining a roadmap for a way out of SL�s ongoing economic crisis, said he was ready to step down if opposition NPP) leader Anura Kumara more..

Jul 5 (DM) A Turkish Airlines cargo A-330-300 Airbus type aircraft suffered damages at the Katunayake Int'l Airport last Sunday night (3) while taking off, airport sources said. This aircraft landed at the airport at around 9.00 pm on Sunday with a cargo of goods from Istanbul, Turkey. Later, the aircraft was preparing to take off from Katunayake Airport to Istanbul at around 11.30 pm on the same day carrying a cargo of garments weighing 45 MT. Because of the strong windy conditions more..

Jul 5 (DM) Archbishop of Colombo Cardinal Malclom Ranjith today called for the resignation of the President and the govt and to form a new multiparty interim administration to resolve the crisis in the nation and to bring in a total system change. Also the Cardinal proposed holding an election once some kind of stability is achieved. �On behalf of the suffering people, what I am earnestly requesting from the Prez and the govt of SL, more..

Jul 5 (AD) The Cabinet has approved a proposal to waive off unpaid loans obtained from state banks by paddy farmers who have less than two hectares. PM Ranil Wickremesinghe as the Minister of Finance has submitted the relevant proposal to the Cabinet. Accordingly, the cabinet has given approval to waive off the initial loan amount which have been obtained from state banks for paddy cultivation on lands of two hectares or less and which farmers are facing difficulties in paying back. more..

Jul 5 (EN) SL is discussing the possibility of utilising prisoners and detainees in drug rehabilitation centres for agriculture, as the country faces a possible food shortage thanks to an overnight ban on chemical fertiliser. The programme aims to convert prisoners into a valuable human resource for the country, a Cabinet statement released on Tuesday July 05 said, with no elaboration on whether they will be compensated for their labour. Under the program, inmates in open camps more..

Jul 5 (EN) SL will supply fertilizer at 10,000 rupees per 50 kg bag for paddy cultivation, 25% of the original cost of 40,000 rupees as the crisis hit nation is trying to boost its rice production amid a looming food shortage after an ill-sighter fertilizer policy. SL�s rice production has dropped sharply since Prez Rajapaksa banned chemical fertilizers in April last year. The rice production has fallen up to 40% in the last Maha cultivation more..

Jul 5 (DM) Colombo Commercial High Court today fixed for July 15 to deliver its order regarding the Attorney General's request to dismiss the case filed against the Russian Aeroflot flight. Although this case was initially heard before Colombo Commercial High Court Judge Harsha Setunga, it was called before High Court Judge Sumith Perera. Additional Solicitor General Sumathi Dharmawardena PC appearing for the Airport and Aviation Services Ltd (second defendant) moved court to reject more..

Jul 5 (NR) Two engineers of the CEB have been suspended for imposing power cuts on the 9th of June without prior approval and for operating diesel power plants to generate electricity instead of hydro power plants. The duo had arbitrarily imposed power cuts as a mark of protest as the govt presented the SL Electricity Amendment Bill in Parliament on the 9th of June. CEB employee unions also staged a protest against the presentation of the Bill. Minister of Energy Kanchana Wijesekera said more..

Jul 5 (Island) SL born Dr Hareen de Silva has been honoured with a British Empire Medal at the Queen�s Birthday Honours for his work as a Nightingale doctor on the frontline of the coronavirus response. A report published by the Ford Recorder, quoted Dr. De Silva, a General Practitioner (GP), who was at the frontline of the coronavirus pandemic, as an NHS Nightingale doctor as being surprised and humbled to be awarded a British Empire Medal. Dr Hareen De Silva, who lives in Barkingside, more..

Jul 5 (DM) National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS) has sent a request to all well wishers and volunteers to come forward and donate surgical equipment as the service is facing a severe shortage of consumables and reagents. Publishing an appeal through the Health Ministry, the NBTS Director requested all well wishers and volunteers to be generous to take this mission ahead. Accordingly, the director requested donations of surgical spirit, cotton wool, wadding, and gauze more..

Jul 5 (CI) SL have called up spinners Maheesh Theekshana, Dunith Wellalage & Lakshitha Manasinghe for the second Test against Australia in Galle. All three are uncapped at Test level and at least one is set to play on Friday after Lasith Embuldeniya was dropped from the squad and fellow left-arm spinner Praveen Jayawickrama was ruled out with Covid-19. 19-year-old Wellalage, who is also a left-arm spinner, more..

Jul 5 (CI) Trinbago Knight Riders have signed up the New Zealand pair of Colin Munro and Tim Seifert, and also SL's Maheesh Theekshana and Seekkuge Prasanna as part of their overseas draft for the upcoming CPL season starting August 31. They will be joined by USA's Ali Khan, who will spend another year with Knight Riders, having first joined them in 2017. "We are very happy with our overseas signings this year. The idea was to maintain the core of the team, while adding a few new more..

Jul 5 (AD) Education Minister Susil Premajayantha today announced the dates for the 2022 G.C.E. A/L examination, the G.C.E. O/L examination and the Grade 05 Scholarship exam. Accordingly, he said that the G.C.E. A/L examination will be held from November 28 to December 23, 2022 while the Grade 5 Scholarship exam is to be held on November 27. Meanwhile the G.C.E. O/L examination is expected to be held between April and May next year, Minister said. more..

Jul 5 (FT) Tea factory owners are fearing total closure owing to the worsening fuel crisis and other shocks putting much needed foreign exchange earnings at risk. �There is a serious risk of all the tea factories in seven districts across the country coming to a standstill if sufficient fuel stocks are not received in the next few days. Right now, the factories are working three to four days per week as the rest of the days the employees are more..

Jul 5 (FT) Addressing the Maritime Silk Road International Tea Culture Forum 2022, SL�s Ambassador to China, Dr. Palitha Kohona observed that SL tea, the world-renowned Ceylon Cha, probably originated in Fujian, China, which already boasted a tea culture exceeding 2,500 years. Like SL, Fujian also produced black tea but since the introduction of the tea plant to SL 160 years ago it has evolved acclimatising to local conditions producing a delicious brew loved world over. more..

Jul 5 (CT) A 37-year-old father of two staged a protest displaying posters on the main road of Hemmathagama town on the afternoon of 3 July claiming that he has no means of supporting his family and is unable to sustain them due to the steep rise in prices of essentials. He wept in public exhibiting his grievance in public before the officers from the Hemmathagama Police Station intervened to help him. Police in conjunction with a group of businessmen of the Hemmathagama town more..

Jul 5 (EN) SL is considering monetary incentives for migrant workers to discourage informal money transaction such as undiyal as many SL expatriates are still not ready to use formal banking channels. SL�s foreign remittances have fallen 53.1% in the first five month of this year compared to the same period in 2021 to US$ 1.34 billion as many expatriates are either keeping their foreign earnings with them in foreign currency or send via undiyal due to higher rate compared to official bank rate. more..

Jul 5 (BBC) UK govt has reinstated advice against all but essential travel to SL as a severe economic crisis has sparked civil unrest. A shortage of basic necessities including medicines, cooking gas, fuel and food has sparked protests and violence in the Asian country. SL's govt said it only had enough petrol to last one day as it faces its worst crisis in 70 years. Travel warning was previously in place from 13 May to 10 June. The popular tourist destination ended a state of emergency prompted by more..