Jul 23 (ST) When it comes to abusing or using State resources for personal or their cronies� use against the regulations, there seems to be no party differences or any conflict at all among politicians since those State properties are maintained at the expense of public taxpayers� funds contributed to by the citizens. It was evident when an audit carried out at the now-defunct Sabaragamuwa provincial council revealed recently that more..

Jul 23 (ST) Left-arm seamer Dilshan Madushanka is in contention to make his Test debut on Monday as SL has decided to bring in both Madushanka and Asitha Fernando for the must-win second Test against Pakistan. Decision comes after both Vishwa Fernando and Kasun Rajitha struggled to make an impact in the first Test which the hosts lost by four wickets. The defeat put SL in a must-win situation to square up the two-match series and put points in the new WTC cycle points table. more..

Jul 23 (ST) Former SL Test opener Lahiru Thirimanne has announced his retirement from int'l cricket. �It has been an absolute honour to represent my country for past few years. This game that has given me so much over the years. But with a lot of mixed feelings, I am here to announce my retirement from int'l cricket with an immediate effect,� read a message on his official facebook page. �It was a difficult decision to make, but I cannot mention here the many unexpected reasons more..

Jul 23 (TM) A 50 MW solar power plant proposed for Sampur, following the cancellation of the controversial coal power plant, is yet to commence construction due to the delay in finalising the energy transmission line and Power Purchasing Agreements (PPAs). It is reliably learnt that SL Sustainable Energy Authority (SLSEA) had already issued the required energy permit for the construction of the power plant and the transmission line and more..

Jul 23 (Island) Despite winning the gold medal with a record-breaking performance at last week�s Asian Athletics Championships, the Ratnayake Central Walala athlete Tharushi Karunaratne is ranked fourth in Asia in the women�s 800 metres according to the latest rankings published by World Athletics. No one in Asia has run faster than the athlete trained by Susantha Fernando this year, but then why hasn�t Tharushi�s ranking improved? Simply, the grades of competitions she has taken part in this yr more..

Jul 23 (ST) Sri Lanka men�s and women�s tennis teams will be engaged with a busy week of two international competitions � Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup, The two of the most important competitions in the annual event calendar, will see both the men�s and women�s teams competing alongside other top contenders from the region. Men�s team will be part of the Davis Cup Asia-Oceania Zone Group III Tennis Tournament that will be held July 26-30 at SLTA courts more..

Jul 23 (ST) Proving the fact of unpredictability at the 76-year-old encounter Trinity College made an impressive comeback to record an unlikely 13-10 win against traditional rivals Royal College in the first leg of the 77th Bradby Shield encounter, at Pallekele yesterday. Trinity were almost humbled by visitors Royal, who totally dominated the first half and transferred the pressure on the home side, in front of a packed Pallekele Stadium. They spent more time on the Trinity half, and were on the offensive, more..

Jul 23 (EN) Cabinet of ministers have approved a proposal to amend an agreement between SL and India so as to allocate US$ 10 million out of a 15-million-dollar grant to provide solar power facilities to Buddhist temples and piriven schools. The original MoU between the two countries was signed in March 2022 to implement projects under the grant to strengthen bilateral relations with respect to Buddhism. In Nov 2022, India�s High Commissioner to SL Gopal Bagley met with Minister more..

Jul 23 (TN) A top SL athlete who set national records in the pole vault has been working as a housemaid in Dubai to help support her family at home. For the last year Sachini Perera, 24, has put her athletics dreams on hold when SL's currency crisis and soaring medical bills made it difficult for her to look after her mother, who requires long-term care. It has been more than a year since she swapped crossbars and crashmats for more..

Jul 23 (AD) Governor of the Central Bank of SL (CBSL) has urged licensed commercial banks to take immediate measures to adequately reduce lending rates in view of the recent reduction of policy interest rates. Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe, in a letter directed to the SL Banks� Association (SLBA) chairman, said the CB would be compelled to take administrative measures in the event the banking and financial sector fails to take adequate and expeditious adjustments in this regard. more..

Jul 23 (AD) The former LTTE members, who were found guilty of the bomb attack on the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) on 31 January 1996 which killed 91 individuals, have been granted presidential pardon. Accordingly, former LTTE member Selliah Navaratnam who had been sentenced to 200 years in prison and S. Shanmugarajah who was sentenced to life in prison have been pardoned and released from prison on Tuesday (18), according to the Department of Prisons. more..

Jul 23 (DM) There is possibility of adopting the Indian rupee as a valid currency in SL, with anticipated arrangements to facilitate seamless business transactions for Indian tourists visiting our country, similar to the successful approach adopted with Singapore, said Foreign Affairs Minister Ali Sabri. This was discussed during Prez Wickremesinghe's two-day official visit to India. Minister Sabri stated this during a media conference at the Prez Media Centre this morning (22) more..

Jul 23 (ST) In a move towards accomplishing state economic policy reforms and for the proper corporate governance of the majority Treasury-owned Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT), its chairman Rohan Fernando has been removed by a board resolution approved on Thursday, informed official sources said. But Mr Fernando told a hurriedly arranged media conference in Colombo later on Thursday that he was removed as SLT Chairman in a boardroom coup. more..

Jul 23 (ST) Health Ministry this week withheld until further testing a batch of propofol anaesthetic that was recently bought from an Indian company and for which the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) had waived registration, thereby allowing the drug to bypass domestic quality, safety and efficacy checks. The Sunday Times reported earlier this month that the propofol brand Anesthefol from more..

Jul 23 (TM) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe has informed senior members of the Indian Govt that the SL Parliament, following recommendations from a special Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC), will decide on the proposal to build a land bridge connecting India and SL. India�s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, during a meeting with Prez Wickremesinghe on Thursday (20) in New Delhi, had underscored the importance of developing connectivity between the two countries. more..

Jul 23 (AD) Health professionals have taken issue with the circular issued by the Secretary to the Health Ministry restricting the freedom of speech and expression of health workers. In a letter addressed to Health Secretary, Joint Council for Professionals of Supplementary Medicine said the communiqu� in question has not clearly mentioned the provisions of Establishments Code which concern the representatives of trade unions or health professionals� associations. more..

Jul 23 (ST) In a year and three days, Ranil Wickremesinghe has remained Prez, there is no gainsaying, much has been done to ease the hardships to people from the bankruptcy his predecessor Gotabaya Rajapaksa caused. Lengthy queues are no longer for fuel, cooking gas and what have you. However, journey towards fuller economic recovery remains. Other than accelerating efforts, the difficult task is the inability to place more..

Jul 24 (DM) Today July 24, we remember with sadness one of the most shameful days in our more recent history. A day when the lawfully elected govt of the country permitted hooligans and thugs carrying address lists of Tamil citizens living in Colombo to kill, burn homes, loot and destroy Tamil-owned places of business. The murder and arson followed the ambush of thirteen soldiers by the LTTE. The forces of law and order standing idly by, while mayhem was wrought, points to more..

Jul 24 (DM) Some funeral directors operating in hospital environs, pay bribes to hospital minor staff, including mortuary workers. These undertakers are non-professionals who provide services to poor families during times of loss and mourning. They work closely with hospitals minor staff. Their agent�s primary role is to ensure the body of the deceased is brought to his benefactor�s parlour. These agents hang around in hospital corridors, near ICUs, and mortuaries to approach more..

Jul 24 (TM) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe undertook his maiden visit to India this past week as he celebrated one year since assuming office on Friday (21). Interestingly, Wickremesinghe�s meeting with Indian PM Narendra Modi took place on Friday as well. While the focus of the visit has been the promotion of connectivity between the two countries, as outlined by the policy vision jointly released by the two leaders, more..

Jul 24 (DM) Domestic Debt Optimization (DDO) has been cannibalizing the commentary in recent weeks but I invite the reader to zoom out of this specific aspect of the recovery to focus on the big picture. The current policy trajectory will enable Sri Lanka to post modest GDP growth after the next few years IF EVERYTHING goes to plan, i.e. Sri Lanka meets IMF targets and there is no significant global recession. This article intends to critique the lack of policy focus on SL�s main more..

Jul 24 (ST) It is only in singularly paradoxical Sri Lanka that Parliament can proudly announce its unanimous passing of the country�s newest anti-corruption law while blithely counting in its ranks, a gold-smuggling MP and others on both sides of the political divide in regard to whom multiple allegations of gross corruption have vanished miraculously into thin air. Citizens cannot be blamed for looking a tad askance at this IMF driven anti-corruption effort as the media bluntly puts it. more..

Jul 24 (TM) SL needs to do three things to have a sporting chance of exiting the economic crisis in a few years, according to Dr. Ganeshan Wignaraja � stay the course on the IMF programme until 2026; increase non-debt raising sources of foreign exchange such as exports, FDI, tourism, and worker remittances; and ensure political consensus on the IMF programme and reforms to boost non-debt foreign exchange and create more..

Jul 24 (TM) Indo-SL ties go back thousands of years with a strong relationship forged through cultural, economic and political links. A lot has been said about how India has come to our aid since the early stages of civilisation in SL. Today, a thankful SL looks to the future as our govt talks about how India and SL can collaborate and forge a better future. Prez�s visit and statements in New Delhi, amount to a national policy stance, which when expressed overseas has a significant impact more..

Jul 24 (Island) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe has returned from New Delhi with a to-do list given by the Modi govt. He will have Big Brother breathing down his neck hereafter. It has been reported that the SLPP-UNP govt is planning to hold an all-party conference on the ethnic issue. Some of India�s dictates have not been to the liking of the SLPP stalwarts as evident from their whimpers of protest. Prez Wickremesinghe had a discussion with the Tamil political parties in Colombo, more..

Jul 24 (CT) At times when emotions are running high, misinformation is being circulated on social media, and panic is clouding the thinking process of the public, govts might have to take some stern decisions to maintain order in society and let Government policies and actions continue. One such stern decision was taken by the Health Ministry of SL recently as a measure of maintaining order in society. Secretary of the Health Ministry Janaka Sri Chandragupta, via a gag order more..

Jul 24 (Island) Between 2020 and 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) granted Malaria-free status to 12 countries, recognising their successful efforts in combating the disease. The nations awarded this prestigious certification include the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Turkmenistan, Armenia, Argentina, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Paraguay, Algeria, China, El Salvador, and Sri Lanka. The WHO officially acknowledges these countries as Malaria-free. more..

Jul 24 (ST) The Cabinet has granted approval for SL�s expressways to be shifted from the RDA to a state-owned company called Sahasya Investments Ltd (SIL) set up in October 2020. The objective is to operate the network in a more commercial manner, documents seen by the Sunday Times state. The possibility of implementing a public-private partnership (PPP) through SIL to manage the expressways is also under consideration. more..

Jul 24 (ST) European Union will make its final decision on the continuation of the GSP+ concessions for SL when their review for this year concludes. Until a final announcement from the EU is made the bloc has allowed for the existing concessions to be continued temporarily for another four years. Once the final decision of the EU is announced that some analysts believe could happen any time closer to the end of this year or even in Jan 2024, existing concessions will cease and more..

Jul 24 (Island) At times you wonder whether the reason for our cricket to suffer setbacks is lack of talent or poor man management. Take the case of Pathum Nissanka. He scores a Test hundred on debut, that too overseas and has notched up five more half-centuries in nine Tests and then was sidelined fearing a back injury might flare up. Even when he has regained full fitness, he has failed to find a place in the side. When Mahela Jayawardene was captain, he had an interesting theory. more..

Jul 24 (CI) In the days since their loss in Galle, Sri Lanka have been through an honest appraisal through their many flaws in the first Test. This is according to their coach Chris Silverwood, who highlighted fielding and bowling as particular areas for improvement. But they need to improve in all three departments, he said. After the loss in Galle, captain Dimuth Karunaratne had also highlighted the twin failures of Sri Lanka's top order, after they had been 54 for 4 in the first innings, more..

Jul 24 (ST) Now that SL has cleared the first hurdle and booked its flight to India, where the game�s biggest spectacle will take place in October, Dasun Shanaka faces a daunting task in leading his charges. On paper, SL looks like a team at the peak of its power after winning the qualifiers in Zimbabwe. In reality, the prospects of SL dominating the World Cup are slim. Yes, SL were the undefeated champions of the 10-team tournament and held all the aces to beat their weak oppositions but more..

Jul 24 (EN) SL�s politicians and economists have given contradictory impossible trinity style orders to SL�s central bank in the run up to the worst currency crises created by the agency, according to revelations made in parliament. On March 20, 2023, then Secretary to the President, an economist and former central banker, had written to Central Bank Governor W D Lakshman, opposition legislator Harsha de Silva told parliament. more..

Jul 24 (CI) Yup, sorry folks, even this - a preview of a SL-Pakistan Test - is no safe haven from utterances of Bazball. Though, in my defence, this is far from a pained reference. Bazball's slightly less exciting cousin, Pakball (or officially, the Pakistan Way), is very real, and we have to talk about it. To briefly recap, Pakistan had not won a Test match in 12 months, a period in which they were engulfed by a brand of cricket that can only be described as� woah, sorry dozed off for a minute there more..

Jul 24 (FT) In a significant development for renewable energy in Sri Lanka, Indian business tycoon, Gautam Adani has pledged to complete the 500 MW solar and wind power project in Mannar and Pooneryn by Jan 2025. The commitment from Gautam Adani to complete the 500 MW Solar and Wind project by Jan 2025 is expected to have a transformative impact on Sri Lanka�s renewable energy landscape. Once operational, this sizeable project will contribute significantly to more..

Jul 24 (TM) JVP-led NPP will not participate the in the planned all-party conference this week (26) to discuss the 13th Amendment, party said, claiming that the efforts taken by the incumbent Govt will not bear fruit as it is a move to deceive people. The all-party conference is to be convened by Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe following his visit to India, where Indian PM Modi expressed his expectations about solving issues of the Tamil community in SL. more..