Jul 26 (FT) Court of Appeal has declined to further extend the Interim Order preventing the imposition of the PAYE (Pay As You Earn) tax on judges� salaries. The decision was reached by a majority of judges on the 5-member judge bench, presided over by the Court of Appeal�s President, Nissanka Karunaratne, during yesterday�s hearing (25). An Interim Order was initially issued by the Court of Appeal on 25 Jan, preventing Inland Revenue Department (IRD) from collecting PAYE taxes more..

Jul 26 (CI) An Abdullah Shafique double-ton and a rapid Agha Salman century were the major highlights in a day in which Pakistan ground down and extinguished any lingering hopes SL might have harboured of winning this Test. Visitors' commanding performance on day three saw 363 runs scored for the loss of just three wickets. By stumps, Pakistan had amassed 563 for 5 and a lead of 397, with the only question remaining more..

Jul 26 (MoD) �When baseless allegations were raised on the international platform, China remained a true friend, standing shoulder to shoulder with us, and providing us with the necessary understanding and backing� said the Defence Secrtary General Kamal Gunaratne speaking at a ceremony held to celebrate the 96th Anniversary of the founding of the People�s Liberation Army of China, on Monday (24). Recalling the long standing friendship between the two countries Gen. Gunaratne said that more..

Jul 26 (DM) Following a report that the perks given to ex-Presidents have to be pruned as some of them are unauthorized, a senior official from the Prez's Office said the matter has to be confirmed by an audit while the judiciary should also give a verdict on it. "It is a matter for the Audit and Courts if such a thing has happened," the official who is close to Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe said. It was reported earlier that the State had paid electricity and water bills of some ex-Presidents more..

Jul 26 (Island) Annual elephant deaths have increased fourfold by this year, compared to 1969, according to official data, environmentalists say. Sajeewa Chamikara of MONLAR has said the number of elephants killed in the 19 years from 1951 to 1969 was 1,163. This works out to about 61 elephant deaths a year. �However, 5,010 elephants have been killed in the 19 year period from 2004 to April 2023. more..

Jul 26 (DM) A Greater flamingo egg has hatched in the Birds Park in Hambantota producing a chick for the first time in Sri Lanka, an official said yesterday. Chief Curator of the Birds Park Suranga Bandara said flamingos are otherwise visible in Sri Lanka only as migratory birds. He said it is a unique bird species because chicks are fed by milk produced by both parents. Both parents regurgitate a type of liquid called crop milk into the mouths of their newborns. As for flamingos, male birds also more..

Jul 26 (TM) The SJB, claimed that certain MPs representing the ruling SLPP have unofficially informed they will abstain from voting in the No Confidence Motion (NCM) against Minister of Health Keheliya Rambukwella. On 21 July, SJB handed over a NCM against Rambukwella to Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana following a series of controversial patient fatalities in Govt hospitals and allegations regarding the importation of substandard pharmaceutical drugs. more..

Jul 26 (AD) The all-party conference called to discuss the National Reconciliation Programme commenced a short while ago, chaired by Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe. Accordingly, the meeting is being held at the Presidential Secretariat, with the primary aim of apprising party leaders representing Parliament about both, National Reconciliation Programme, and the North and East Development Plan. During the meeting, the Head of State stressed the need for inclusive discussions on more..

Jul 26 (DM) The drivers' license printing activities carried out by the SL Army at the Dept of Motor Traffic (DMT) Werahera branch will be taken over by the Dept from Sept 1, DMT Commissioner General Nishantha Anuruddha Weerasinghe said. He said the printing process of the SL drivers' licenses was taken over by the SL Army on Jan 1, 2021, through a special security system. As one way of implementing the concept of delivering an efficient service to the people through public service, more..

Jul 26 (EN) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe is keen to implement the 13th amendment to the constitution and is open to discussing devolution of police powers to the provinces, according to Jaffna district MP and former Northern Province Chief Minister C V Vigenswaran. MP said that the prez had told his party during a discussion that he is agreeable to appointing a five-member advisory committee on devolution more..

Jul 26 (EN) At least one person has died in 10 road accidents every three hours in SL since 2016. According to data, on average, eight people have died daily due to road accidents since 2016. The data showed 20,728 people have been killed in road accidents in the seven-and-half year between Jan 1, 2016 and June 30, 2023 in a total of 223,451 accidents. The govt is in the process of introducing a demerit points system for traffic offenses and it expects to implement from Jan 1, 2024, more..

Jul 26 (TM) A demonstration was staged yesterday by several trade unions (TUs) opposite the Colombo Fort Railway Station. As a result, the Galle Face entry road was blocked for traffic from the Lotus Street junction. Earlier yesterday, the Colombo Fort Magistrate�s Court had issued an order preventing several trade unions from entering certain areas and roads in Colombo Fort. Protesters were prevented from entering Presidential Secretariat, Prez�s residence, Finance Ministry, more..

Jul 26 (VoA) Snaking lines for fuel, empty shelves in food stores, angry street protests � those were common scenes in Sri Lanka last year when the country became bankrupt. Now, the long waits outside fuel stations have gone, markets are again stacked with food and the streets of the capital Colombo are calm. A year after Sri Lanka�s economic collapse brought a new govt, the island nation is past the worst of the crisis. more..

Jul 26 (AD) Minister of Health Keheliya Rambukwella has assured the Ministry�s full support towards the efforts made regarding pandemic prevention preparedness, at a regional level. Rambukwella made these remarks during a conference hosted by the World Bank, together with the Govt of SL, themed Improving Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response through One Health Approach. Accordingly, the Minister said, �Under my leadership, my team will assure more..

Jul 26 (AD) Committee on Public Finance chaired by Harsha de Silva expressed displeasure over the absence of the officials responsible who had been summoned before the committee. The committee was of the view that where matters pertaining to the Ministry is taken up for discussions, heads of the Ministry who are responsible and answerable to Parliament should be present before the Committee in order to proceed forth. This was stated when the Mid-Year Fiscal Position Report 2023 more..

Jul 27 (TM) Minister of Education Susil Premajayantha last week stated that the Education Ministry was looking at introducing vocational training courses in schools for students awaiting O/L results. Parents and teachers have raised concerns regarding the manner in which this would be implemented. Moreover, they have questioned why the Ministry of Education was not addressing the longstanding issues in the education sector prior to working on these temporary fixes. more..

Jul 27 (CT) Since 17 July, a distressing wave of forest fires has ravaged our beautiful island, highlighting the urgent need to safeguard these vital ecosystems. The most recent incident at the Hakgala Strict Nature Reserve in Nuwara Eliya serves as a stark reminder of the importance of preserving these natural wonders. The 15-acre fire, believed to be triggered by a collapsing high-voltage power line within the reserve, has once again brought to the forefront the need for more..

Jul 27 (TM) Chairman of Jetwing Hotels group, Hiran Cooray shares an inspiring journey as an hotel industry entrepreneur in Sri Lanka. The story began in 1987 with his family in the hospitality and tourism industry. After finishing his higher studies in Marketing in the US he became involved in the family business. With perseverance and hard work, today, Jetwing owns and manages 26 hotels and about 12 villas in Sri Lanka. more..

Jul 27 (DM) With Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe and the SLPP Govt taking practical and effective measures to pull Sri Lanka out of the debt crisis and restore economic stability within a few months, it is important to give a vital place to the role of youth in the economic development strategy. They could get involved practically and effectively in major social problems such as poverty alleviation, and the battle against climate change so that we could have a green economy. more..

Jul 27 (GV) It was July 25, 1983 � that fateful day, which altered the trajectory of my life forever. Growing up in Colombo, we had come to accept the sad fact that ethnic conflicts will occur whenever politicians fanned the flame of hatred toward minorities to deflect responsibility for their corruption and poor governance. The minorities were convenient scapegoats for all the ills of the country. Since our home was located in a bucolic neighborhood of Colombo, more..

Jul 27 (SO) In 2019, during the construction of the Central Expressway (from Kadawatha to Kandy), a rare Crudia Zeylanica (Panu Karanda) tree, believed to be extinct, was discovered in Daraluwa, Gampaha. Due to its endemic nature, a group of bhikkus took steps to ordain the tree at the time. Meanwhile, some individuals and environmental organisations also advocated against the removal of Crudia Zeylanica tree more..

Jul 27 (TM) Following in the footsteps of his predecessors, i.e. former Presidents Maithripala Sirisena and Gotabaya Rajapaksa, President Ranil Wickremesinghe has entered the history books as a SL Prez that misused, or had very poor judgement regarding the use of the Executive powers to grant the Prez pardon. That is with the exercise of the Prez�s Executive powers to pardon two convicts, which occurred on 18 July, ahead of his Indian visit. He granted Prez pardons to 2 former LTTE more..

Jul 27 (Island) There have been umpteen all-party conferences (APCs) to explore ways and means of resolving Sri Lanka�s ethnic issues, and the latest one was held yesterday. The Opposition would have the public believe that Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe has undertaken to devolve more powers to the provinces in a bid to woo the Tamil votes with an eye to the next presidential election, but he is believed to be under pressure from New Delhi to implement the 13th Amendment fully. more..

Jul 27 (DM) At the Galle Literary Festival in 2008, I believe the late Sunila Abeysekera pleaded that LTTE and Tamil people not be conflated. She was pointing fingers at Sinhala nationalists. The following question was put to her: Is there no conflation when the LTTE insists it is the sole representative of the Tamil people and others either agree or remain silent? Sunila, her ideological orientation and outcome preferences notwithstanding, could always be counted on for an honest answer. more..

Jul 27 (DM) Women and Media Collective (WMC) releasing a press statement has condemned the demands made by the Muslim MPs seeking to block crucial reforms proposed to the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act (MMDA) of SL. These demands have been made through a letter dated 8th June 2023 and addressed to the Minister of Justice. The letter, signed by 17 Muslim MPs, endorses discriminatory and harmful practices, which Muslim women have long sought redress for. more..

Jul 27 (Island) Punching their tickets to the World Championships will be the main target of the country�s leading track and field athletes and their foreign counterparts when the 101st National Athletics Championship commences at the Sugathadasa Stadium on Friday. Buoyed by the historic achievements at the recently held Asian Athletics Championships, Sri Lanka Athletics is aiming to field a strong team for the track and field�s flagship more..

Jul 27 (ST) Immediately after leaving university at Peradeniya in 1962, I joined the Observer newspaper published by Lake House, the premier publishing house of the day. It was at the invitation of the then editor of the Observer Denzil Peiris who had been on a head-hunting visit to the Peradeniya campus. The Observer, the oldest English language newspaper in the country founded in 1834, had, at the time I joined it, two daily editions-one on the streets around 9.30 in the morning more..

Jul 27 (ST) A part of a tourist hotel in Kuchchaveli, Trincomalee has been set on fire on July 16 at night following a long-running dispute. Suspects are said to be fishermen. Hotelier claims that the police had failed to act, so far. �This hotel was to be opened by the end of this month, and suddenly this happened, costing me around three million rupees,� said A.F.M. Sadhath, owner of the hotel. Hotel was being built near the Kumurupiddi beach area, 20 km north of the Kuchchaveli Police area more..

Jul 27 (DN) SL cricket team has to get services from Psychologist and it is timely after struggling at ongoing test series said Professor Arjuna de Silva who is the chairman of the medical committee. Sri Lanka cricket has very busy schedule ahead while they have to play LPL, Asia Cup, ODI World Cup as well as domestic tournaments and players have to keep physically and mentally strong. SL batting specialist coach Naveed Nawaz said that there is no Psychologist with the test team more..

Jul 27 (FT) Eight SL business conglomerates have signed agreements to pursue commercial mediation to settle disputes as opposed to always using litigation, a move that will help make the SL judicial system more efficient and effective by reducing case backlogs. United States Agency for International Development (USAID) assisted with development of a memorandum of understanding the eight companies individually signed on 18 July, with USAID�s Effective & Efficient Justice activity. more..

Jul 27 (FT) Producers and consumers alike are optimistic about the potential decrease in egg prices below Rs. 50 allowing the market to find a balance based on supply and demand dynamics, following the removal of the Maximum Retail Price (MRP). As the industry gears up for the upcoming week, stakeholders eagerly await the anticipated price adjustment, providing some relief to consumers and an opportunity for more..

Jul 27 (DN) SL National Chess Champion, International Master Susal De Silva, is all set to make his mark at the upcoming FIDE World Cup 2023, where he will compete alongside the world�s top chess players. The prestigious event, celebrating its 10th edition, will take place in Baku, Azerbaijan, from July 30th to Aug 24th, with a massive combined prize pool of USD 2.5 million, the FIDE World Cup has drawn 206 players in the open section and 103 in the Women�s competition. more..

Jul 27 (FT) SL�s real estate expert Research Intelligence Unit says that since the beginning of 2023, the apartment selling price rupees per SqFt has remained steady and in the four months ending June 2023, the suburban apartment selling prices dollars per SqFt have shown a consistent increase. During the eight years ending 2023, RIUNIT says the Mount Lavinia area has witnessed a consistent upward trajectory in the cumulative supply of apartments, and is expected to continue more..

Jul 27 (FT) SJB, yesterday called for a mind-set change to unleash a wave of growth for Sri Lanka to become a developed nation by 2048. SL could never achieve this target with its current growth rate and regulations, with 2023 still projected to deliver a negative rate of 3%, the party lamented. The country must put aside bankrupt policies espoused in the past and charter a new course, the SJB economic council said. more..

Jul 27 (FT) First publication of the recently concluded migrant worker research study entitled, Skills, Aspirations and Reintegration Challenges of Returned Migrant Workers: Evidence from Selected Districts in SL, was presented to Labour & Foreign Employment Ministry Secretary R.P.A. Wimalaweera by the Skilled and Resilient Migrant Workers (SRMW) project. SRMW project is funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), within USAID YouLead initiative. more..

Jul 27 (ICC) SL fast bowler Asitha Fernando has been reprimanded for breaching Level 1 of ICC Code of Conduct during the third day of the 2nd Test against Pakistan on Wednesday. Fernando was found to have breached Article 2.5 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to �using language, actions or gestures which disparage or which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batter upon his/her dismissal during an Int'l Match.� more..