Aug 1 (DM) While Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe and the SLPP govt are acting effectively to pull SL out of the debt trap and the worst economic crisis since independence, the vital public health service is on the brink of collapse�which means the poor people will die, and the rich will live. The public health service was strengthened in 1971 when PM Sirimavo Bandaranaike�s govt implemented the Senaka Bibile principles which was done by one of the world�s respected prophetic more..

Aug 1 (DM) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe's visit to India has sparked both excitement and concern among the citizens of Sri Lanka. The visit, aimed at strengthening economic ties and exploring various cooperation opportunities, has the potential to bring about much-needed development to the island nation. However, there are concerns that this visit may compromise Sri Lanka's sovereignty and economic independence, turning it into a vassal state of India. more..

Aug 1 (TM) Issues of alleged mismanagement, irregularities, and corruption in the procurement of medicine and other medical equipment have come to light following the AG�s special report on procedures taken to avoid the shortage of pharmaceuticals in Govt hospitals. It has been revealed that the lack of proper coordination between Medical Supplies Division (MSD), Ministry of Health, State Pharmaceuticals Corp (SPC), more..

Aug 1 (CT) On the larger questions raised by the arrest of Tharindu Uduwaragedara, a young journalist of very wide reputation. Tharindu Uduwaragedara who was attending a meeting on Friday (28) for the purpose of reporting on the meeting was forcibly dragged out of a three-wheeler, grabbed by his hair and roughly manhandled by a group of Police officers despite the journalist loudly explaining that he was merely present to report on the protest meeting that was taking place. more..

Aug 1 (TM) To many, the arrest of journalist Tharindu Uduwaragedara is just another act of State-backed oppression against the media and media personnel and anti-Govt forces, for which many blame the Govt and the Govt led Police force. What followed his arrest was a wave of online anti-Govt protests and dialogues, which are now the main topic in many spheres. Govt backed oppression against dissenters is not the only concern here. As videos of Uduwaragedara�s arrest, which showed him more..

Aug 1 (CT) Public indecency is a societal menace that presents a challenge to maintaining public order and the culture and values of a nation. In Sri Lanka, a country well-known for its rich cultural heritage and traditions, the question is whether the laws are taken seriously in regard to public indecency by both the Govt and the public. SSP Nihal Thalduwa, said, �There is a clear drop in the number of cases reported when more..

Aug 1 (CT) In a country like Sri Lanka it is essential to have a well-functioning and adequately staffed public sector. Unfortunately, a glaring issue has emerged with a disparity between excessive numbers of employees in some State institutions and a severe shortage of staff in critical services like the Human Rights Commission of SL (HRCSL) the SL Police and the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) and even in the Courts. As we assess the functioning of these institutions, more..

Aug 1 (GV) There is a quote attributed to Morgan Freeman, which basically states that the only way to stop racism is to stop talking about it. I am not sure where, when or why Freeman said it; this is the same actor, after all, who objected to the term Black history and argued that it was part of American history, objecting further to limiting its commemoration to a month. On the other hand, the quote makes no sense at all; isn�t not talking about something like pretending it more..

Aug 1 (Island) The QR code-based rationing mechanism introduced one year ago has helped halve the national fuel consumption, the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) has said, according to media reports. In fact, it helped bring order out of chaos and thereby saved current dispensation. Ideally, fuel should be available sans any restrictions, but the country had to ration it for want of foreign currency. Last year�s political upheavals which further weakened the economy more..

Aug 1 (Island) A couple of weeks ago, I attended the UN conference on Sustainable Development Goals at the University of Hull, in the United Kingdom. The theme of the conference was Just Transition for Sustainable Development, and the popular discussions were spearheaded by natural science scholars who proudly presented new research�funded by private companies�on innovative technology for renewable energy. During the discussions, a few social science scholars more..

Aug 1 (DM) In 2021, Wildlife and Nature Protection Society (WNPS), one of the oldest wildlife organisations in the country together with the Dept of Wildlife declared Aug 1 as SL�s National Leopard Day. This was an attempt to improve the conservation status of leopards at a time when they were being killed due to snares, poaching and other anthropogenic activities. The leopard being a top carnivore in SL�s more..

Aug 1 (FT) The 1st of August, 2023, marks the 44th anniversary of the Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB). The EDB was established in 1979 with the objective of establishing a strong govt-level institutional framework to develop and promote SL�s exports in order to integrate with the global economy consequent to the adoption of liberal economic policies in 1977, and it has been at the vanguard in terms of promoting and developing exports in SL for over four decades. more..

Aug 1 (FT) Intex, the highly anticipated International Textile Sourcing Show, is back in SL and scheduled to take place from 9 to 11 Aug, at BMICH, Colombo. Since 2015, Intex has been facilitating business collaborations, fostering innovation, and promoting trade opportunities. This year, Intex SL will present a range of exhibitors spanning the entire textile value chain including yarns, fabrics, accessories, denims, dyes and ancillary support systems comprising certifications & designing solutions and more. more..

Aug 1 (ST) Lanka can and must have more trade bridges, financial bridges, investment bridges, diplomatic bridges and cultural bridges with our Big Brother India. In fact, the more intangible but solid bridges we build with our closest neighbour, the better it will be economically and diplomatically for the two sovereign countries. But isn�t the plan to build a direct road between the massive Indian subcontinent and this small tiny island of Lanka, going a bridge too far for comfort? more..

Aug 1 (DN) Ravindu Laksiri, the reigning Open Squash Champion of SL, clinched the championship title at the Foundation Wealth Advisers PSA Satellite Open Tournament held in Hobart, Australia yesterday. Laksiri secured a commanding victory over Australia�s Nicholas Calvert in the final match, defeating him with a clean sweep of 3-0 sets. The scoreline of the championship match was recorded as 11-3, 11-4, and 11-7. In the Semi-final, he faced Japan�s Naoki Hayashi, more..

Aug 1 (FT) SL�s external trade plunged sharply in the first half of 2023 reflecting challenging times. As per data, cumulative export earnings during Jan to June 2023 registered a 10% decrease year-on-year (YoY) to $5.87 billion, whilst import expenditure during the same period saw a substantial decline of 18.6% YoY to $ 8.16 billion. It also noted the deficit in the trade account from January to June 2023 narrowed to $2.89 b, more..

Aug 1 (DN) Asian Athletic Championship medal winners felicitated by Damro Company and Sri Lanka Athletic (SLA) but the coaches were neglected at this event which was held at Marine Beach Hotel Colombo 5 yesterday. SL Athletic team got honour to the motherland recently as they received gold, silver and bronze medals. The medal wining athletes such as Tharushi Karunaratne, Nadeesha Ramanayaka, Gayanthika Abeyratne, 4�400 m men and women relay team and more..

Aug 1 (Island) Defending champions Jaffna Kings had a smooth start in the Lanka Premier League curtain-raiser beating Colombo Strikers by 21 runs at RPS in front of 15,000 fans on Sunday. Jaffna were without their two overseas signings � South Africa�s David Miller and Pakistani�s Shoaib Malik, who are yet to reach Colombo as they are still engaged in other T-20 franchise cricket. But that didn�t stop the three-time champions from making an impressive start to this year�s campaign. more..

Aug 1 (TM) NDDCB revealed that the use of tobacco in SL�s school system has recently shown a significant rise, where statistics indicated that current tobacco smoking prevalence among those aged between 18 and 69 years is at 15% with a daily smoking prevalence rate of 10.2%. NDDCB Chairman said that investigations have revealed that in many cases, tobacco-based preparations are made at home more..

Aug 1 (Island) There are less than a handful of coaches in the game of basketball, who have earned the respect and the admiration of the entire nation. Jayantha Ranawana is one such. The basketball fraternity embraces him not just for the championships he has won or the players he had produced for the national basketball team. It�s mostly due to the care and concern Jayantha has for his players. He is a legend indeed in the field of basketball. more..

Aug 1 (CT) In an inspiring display of environmental stewardship, AIESEC at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura conducted the OnBlue Beach Cleanup Project on 23 July, at the Mount Lavinia Beach Range. AIESEC which is the world�s largest youth-led organisation, engages in giving opportunities to the youth by facilitating them in cross-cultural internship and volunteering exchanges with the prime objective of developing young leaders. more..

Aug 1 (DM) Babar Azam scored a half-century before the Colombo Strikers� bowlers rallied to restrict B-Love Kandy�s batsmen in a 27-run win at the R. Premadasa Stadium today, bouncing back from their defeat on the opening day of the Lanka Premier League. B-Love Kandy�s start to the 158-run chase couldn�t have had a much worse start than it was, losing 3 wickets in the Powerplay with 40 runs on the board. Two of those wickets � Thanuka Dabare leg before wicket for 4 and more..

Aug 1 (ST) Inland Revenue Dept has cautioned professionals who derive sources of income as Independent Service Providers (ISPs) to adhere to revised tax regulations imposed on Jan 1. This follows revelations of tax evasions of unreported income under Advance Personal Income Tax (APIT) which came to effect in January. The dept clarified that a particular income should be investigated to determine whether it falls within the category of employment income or business income. more..

Aug 1 (TM) Power sharing must be done in a federal structure, consistent with the aspirations of the Tamil people expressed at every election since 1956, said TNA of the Parliamentary Opposition. Issuing a press release to clarify their position with regard to the political solution for the Tamil national ethnic question, the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, the conduct of the long-delayed Provincial Councils (PCs) Elections and more..

Aug 1 (Island) Mihini Dassanayake of Girls� High School Kandy and Nimesh Abeykoon of Kingswood College Kandy emerged as the best players in the girls� and boys� categories respectively at the 24th Sri Lanka Schools Judo Championship held on July 26 and 27 at the Jayathillake Indoor Stadium, Nawalapitiya. Mihini is trained by veteran coach and former international, Namal Rajasinghe, while former Navy stalwart Chandana Vipulaweera coaches Nimesh. Jinaraja Balika Vidyalaya, Gampola, more..

Aug 1 (AD) At least 18 people were injured after a bus veered off the road and fell down a precipice on the Colombo-Hatton main road early this morning. The accident has taken place at around 4.30 a.m. near the Watawala Sinhala Vidyalaya. A passenger bus belonging to Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB), plying from Colombo to Nuwara Eliya, had skidded off the road while trying to make way for a bus coming from the opposite direction. The injured passengers were rushed to more..

Aug 1 (Island) Western Province South Crime Division police nabbed two drug addicts who had stolen copper wires from the AG�s office building in Battaramulla. The investigation was conducted in response to a complaint received by the Thalangama Police regarding the theft of copper parts from a lightning conductor and the wires of the electrical circuit on the outer periphery of the AG�s Dept building. According to the complaint, value of the stolen wires is Rs 2.1 million. more..

Aug 1 (FT) Colombo stock market ended July with a significant 20% gain reinforced by bullish investor sentiment following the finalisation of Domestic Debt Optimisation framework and other positives. In July, the benchmark ASPI gained by 1,943.77 points or 20.58% and the active S&P SL20 by 595.95 points or 22%. In June, the ASPI gained by 10.4% and S&P S SL20 by 12%. Daily average turnover in July was Rs. 3.65 billion. Yesterday both indices enjoyed gains ASPI by 0.6% and S&PS L20 by 1%. more..

Aug 1 (Island) Rebel SLPP group issued a dire warning over govt plans to repeal or significantly amend 12 Acts which dealt with both public and private sector workers. SLPP MP G.L. Peiris explained how new labour laws could throw both public and private sectors into a turmoil. He said that repealing or making significant amendments to what he called crucial protective legislation -Termination of Employees Act more..

Aug 1 (ST) Indian business tycoon Gautham Adani and his team and officials from Sinopec were in town this week to discuss energy projects in SL, top officials said. During Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe�s visit to India recently, the Adani Group had given a commitment to complete work on the 500 MW Solar and Wind project in Mannar and Pooneryn by January 2025. �India-SL grid connectivity, Green Hydrogen, Oil pipeline connectivity, and energy sector investments were discussed during more..

Aug 1 (AD) CEYPETCO has revised fuel prices with effect from midnight today (31). Accordingly, price of 92 Octane Petrol is to increase by Rs. 20 per litre, while the price of 95 Octane Petrol will be increased Rs. 10 per litre. Price of Super Diesel has also been increased by Rs. 12, bringing the new price to Rs. 358. However, the price of Auto Diesel has been reduced by Rs. 2, bringing down the price to Rs. 308 per litre. Meanwhile, the price of Kerosene has been reduced by Rs. 10 per litre. more..

Aug 1 (TM) Ministry of Urban Development and Housing stated that most Govt construction projects that were halted in the recent past due to the economic crisis have now resumed. Several institutions, such as State Engineering Corporation (SEC), Urban Development Authority (UDA), and National Housing Development Authority (NHDA), are carrying out construction projects for Govt and semi-Govt institutions, more..

Aug 3 (CT) The recent news reports that President Ranil Wickremesinghe has agreed to provide a substantial salary increase to doctors, in the upcoming Budget, is a much-needed and timely step towards recognising the vital role of professionals in the country�s development. Ceylon Today reported on Monday (31), that during a meeting between the President and the GMOA, Prez agreed to increase the salaries of the doctors by a significant percentage in the upcoming budget. more..

Aug 3 (GV) �� since the Prophet was a human being who, unlike God, is subject to mundane historical processes, his legacy cannot exist outside the context of human mediation and human authorial process. The authenticity and genuineness of the Prophet, from the point of view of Islamic theology, is exactly his humanness. Prophet does not interact with history as a God, but as a part of the normal human dynamics. This necessarily means that the Prophet�s moral & normative presence exists more..

Aug 3 (IPS) When this Indian Ocean-island gained independence from Britain in 1948 after some 450 years of colonial rule under three western powers, it was simply named the Dominion of Ceylon. This country which was granted universal franchise nearly two decades before independence was seen as one of Asia�s first democracies-if not the first. Sadly, that reputation has fast faded. Today, that right to vote is being denied with even more..

Aug 3 (ST) Now that�s a hell of a thing to say, if you will pardon the language. That Minister Keheliya Rambukwella might think it is a parlour game to play around with medicinal drugs and quibbles with words as he would do on a Scrabble board. They are certainly not the kind of drug that abrasive State Minister Diana Gamage has been promoting for over one year in the hope the dollars will flow in while the Ganja flows out and we can all get together and say bye-bye to the IMF more..