Jul 5 (Island) Former Director, Administration of Parliament Lacille de Silva said that both Parliament and UNDP should reveal whether they were satisfied with the progress in the ongoing project funded by the latter to improve the parliamentary system. De Silva said that parliamentary standards had deteriorated to such an extent over the years that he was amazed by the recent reportage of UNDP funding more..

Jul 5 (FT) The German Embassy in Colombo, under its micro project scheme, signed two small-scale projects recently as part of its efforts towards community development and livelihood support. The project signed with Rajarata Janasahana Foundation aims to empower poverty-stricken communities in two villages of Mihintale, Ambathalagama and Thambuththegama Janajayagama in the A'pura District. A Grant of Rs. 3.5 million will be utilised to cultivate Turmeric as commercial cultivation more..

Jul 5 (FT) NPP MP Vijith Herath called the Govt�s calls for the submission of appeals from citizens regarding the Aswesuma social welfare program a mere deception. �Officials or others cannot be faulted for the serious mistakes made when choosing beneficiaries. It is the fault of Govt policy,� he said. Herath noted that Govt MPs and Ministers are now collecting appeals from the public themselves. �This is merely yet another deceptive tactic to suppress any dissent," more..

Jul 5 (FT) SJB urged Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe to hold an election prior to requesting the support of the party to rebuild the nation. National Organiser of the party MP Tissa Attanayake said it was imperative to obtain a fresh mandate before engaging in any collaborative effort. Attanayake was responding directly to Prez�s recent public call for Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa and the entire opposition to assist in the country�s rebuilding efforts. Attanayake was responding directly to Prez more..

Jul 5 (EN) Sri Lanka is planning to grow forests in up to 200 acres of bare land as part of a global initiative promoted by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Ministry of Wildlife and Forest Resources Conservation said. Sri Lanka is one of four countries in the world, selected by the IOC to give financial support the forest regeneration. �In order to face the future generations with various environmental impacts, forests and plantations should be created as much as possible, more..

Jul 5 (DM) Despite the govt having secured the parliamentary passage of the Domestic Debt Restructuring (DDR) programme, the opposition parties continue to make criticism and witticism about its impact, real or perceived, on contributors to the EPF and ETF. In the implementation of DDR, the govt has excluded the country�s financial sector, mainly represented by banks and non-bank financial institutions since they are already subject to more..

Jul 5 (Island) PHU MP Udaya Gammanpila said that though the govt insisted that its Domestic Debt Optimisation (DDO) programme would have no impact on the banking sector, banks could lose as much as Rs 97 bn. He said that examination of the Cabinet Memorandum on DDO, along with the Central Bank�s presentation to the Cabinet, had revealed the true situation. �According to Page 3 of the Cabinet Memorandum, dated 28.06.2023, presented by Minister of Finance more..

Jul 5 (DM) All Island Canteen Owners' Association (AICOA) urged its members to hit anyone with hot water, waste water or with their fried rice mixture pan if they refuse to pay their bills. AICOA chief Asela Sampath said so while condemning the incident where veteran singer Saman de Silva had been involved in a fight with the staff of a restaurant. Sampath urged restaurant and canteen owners to give the maximum punishment to anyone for not paying bills after having their meals. more..

Jul 5 (TM) In response to allegations that sufficient time was not allocated for Opposition Parliamentarians to speak during the debate on the domestic debt restructuring and optimisation programme on 1 July, the Parliament stated that several MPs representing the Opposition as well as the Government were not given an opportunity to speak, and that the issue was caused by the Govt's opposition to extend the time of the debate. more..

Jul 5 (Island) Addressing the 51st Session of the Human Rights Council, the UN Acting High Commissioner stated: �Thirteen years since the end of the war, tens of thousands of survivors and their families continue to seek justice and to know the truth about the fate of their loved ones. They remain in need of reparations. The Sri Lankan State has repeatedly failed to pursue an effective transnational justice process and uphold victims right to truth, justice and reparations. more..

Jul 5 (TM) Govt last week presented its Domestic Debt Optimisation (DDO) plan, a source of much concern among the public. However, the plan was not as dire as expected by many, but questions over whether the plan has sufficient provisions to overcome the debt crisis continues to be debated. On Wednesday (28), Central Bank presented the plan to the Cabinet, which was consequently approved. The DDO plan appears to provide the additional push required by SL to achieve more..

Jul 5 (ST) A few weeks ago, one of my former students sent me a text message asking a question: �Sir, my friends are withdrawing their bank deposits. They think that banks would collapse, and they would lose their money. I wonder whether I should withdraw my fixed deposits too. What do you think? Will the banks collapse?� I sent a reply to the student saying: �When all depositors are going to withdraw their money, banks will collapse!� However, this was not the only occasion that the same question more..

Jul 5 (EN) Ministry of Finance in an official policy announcement on the country�s domestic debt optimisation (DDO) progamme has invited any questions to be directed to the Superintendent of Public Debt via email. Questions can be directed to the Superintendent of Public Debt via email in relation to the Exchange Memorandum for Treasury Bonds at [email protected] and the Exchange Memorandum for SL Development Bonds at [email protected], a statement said. more..

Jul 5 (AD) Stand-up comedian Nathasha Edirisooriya, who was arrested for her controversial statements on Buddhism, was granted bail by the Colombo High Court. Petition filed on behalf of Edirisooriya was taken up before Colombo HC Judge Aditya Patabendi this afternoon. After Deputy Solicitor General Dileepa Peiris, who appeared on behalf of the Attorney General, raised no objections against granting bail to Edirisooriya, stand-up comedian was ordered to be released more..

Jul 5 (FT) The question was simple: how the candidate was going to fund the many and extravagant election promises, considering the already high debt burden. Gotabaya Rajapaksa seemed to be listening intently. He nodded, turned his head to the right then to the left, played with a pen, leaned back and leaned forward. Behind the spectacles, his eyes regarded the world with bemusement. more..

Jul 5 (DM) Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe revealed that 33% of the total lawsuits in Magistrate's Courts in SL are child abuses and rape cases which was a situation to be ashamed of as a nation. He told Parliament that there were 29,723 lawsuits before Magistrates' Courts out of which 5,550 are child abuses while 4,312 are rape cases. "A total of 9,662 lawsuits out of 29,723 total cases before Magistrates' Courts are child abuses and rape cases which is 33%. more..

Jul 5 (AD) The Ministry of Agriculture says that measures will be taken to provide a sum of Rs. 20,000 per acre for the farmers who are cultivating maize in the next Maha season, for the preparation of their cultivable land. The ministry further mentioned that the funds will be provided as a non-refundable amount which is not required to be repaid, to the farmers growing maize in Hambantota, Monaragala, Anuradhapura, Ampara and Badulla districts. more..

Jul 5 (DM) Leader of the Opposition can summon state officials and seek clarifications on any matter at any time, but he cannot attend commitee meetings and question them, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena told Parliament. Speaker who gave the ruling on Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa attending the meeting of the COPF on June 30 when the domestic debt restructuring programme was taken for discussions, more..

Jul 5 (AD) Son of a prominent politician has been robbed at knifepoint in Bambalapitiya on Tuesday evening. The police have identified the suspect as a drug addict residing in Wellawatte, who goes by the alias Roxy Watte Ranji. The youth in question � reportedly the son of the secretary of a leading political party in the country � has been robbed of cash and a gold necklace while he was hanging out with a female friend on a byroad in Bambalapitiya after parking the car on the roadside. more..

Jul 5 (DM) Soaring prices in chicken meat at present is due to the drop in the fish harvest as a result of adverse weather conditions, Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said today. The Minister told Parliament that a kilo of fish has gone up to Rs. 3,000 due to the prevailing adverse weather conditions. Responding to a question by MP Samanpriya Herath, he said prices of chicken meat have been increased due to the high demand as a result of the drop in the fish harvest. more..

Jul 5 (DM) The Mirihana Crimes Investigation Special Unit has launched an investigation to arrest the owner of a private company, who had allegedly defrauded over Rs 19.2 million promising to construct houses. Police said at least 14 individuals had lodged complaints with the Mirihana Special Investigations Unit against the suspect claiming that the suspect defrauded Rs 19,215,000 from them agreeing that they would be given houses under credit facilities and to construct houses. more..

Jul 5 (TM) SL's national rugby football players will remain patient over whether they will be representing the country under its national flag or competing yet again under the National Olympic Committee of SL (NOCSL) flag when the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou gets underway in Sept 2023. The answer to this all-important question lies in the hands of the current Minister of Sports Roshan Ranasinghe, as his continued suspension of Sri Lanka Rugby will be the deciding factor more..

Jul 5 (EN) Cabinet of ministers approved a proposal to commence a diplomatic dialogue with Japan on a light rail transit (LRT) project that Colombo had unilaterally and controversially cancelled in 2020. A statement from the Govt said the cabinet had greenlit a proposal made by Prez Wickremesinghe to prepare an �appropriate time frame for entering into the agreement applicable activating the discussions with more..

Jul 5 (AD) It is out of question that Muthu Raja (Sak Surin) will have to return to SL as he is now under the patronage of HM the King, said Thailand�s Natural Resources and Environment Minister Varawut Silpa-archa. Muthu Raja, who arrived in Thailand on Sunday, quickly became familiar with his new environment, despite the fact that he had lived in SL for 22 years. Commenting on a call from a senior monk in SL for Bangkok to return the elephant once he fully recovers, more..

Jul 5 (DM) In the wake of the appointment of a new IGP being in the spotlight, the Bar Association of SL (BASL) urged President Ranil Wickremesinghe to appoint an exemplary and unblemished officer as the next IGP. In a letter addressed to the President, the BASL highlighted that the new IGP should have the potential to restore public confidence in the Sri Lanka Police. �In recent times, we have witnessed a serious erosion of the public confidence in the Police. more..

Jul 5 (Reuters) A year after angry Sri Lankans stormed the president�s residence and forced his ouster during a meltdown of the economy, island�s streets are quiet, there are no serpentine queues at fuel stations and hours-long power cuts have ended. Central Bank expects the economy to resume growth this quarter after six quarters of contraction � faster than expected by many economists � while overseas remittances more..

Jul 5 (EN) Stocks closed up with banks leading the charge after domestic bond restructuring was restricted to pension funds. ASPI closed up 0.99% or 99.49 points to 10,176.13, this is the highest the index has been since 28 March 2022. The S&P SL 20 Index more liquid stocks closed up at 1.35% or 40.25 points to3,013.37. The market generated a turnover of 4.9 billion rupees, majority of the revenue had come from the banking sector bringing 1.3 billion rupees more..

Jul 5 (CT) State Minister Diana Gamage, announced that the pilot project for cannabis cultivation, within the BOI Zone in Katunayake, will be launched next month. She revealed that 11 investors have expressed interest in participating in the project. Gamage claimed that this initiative has the potential to generate revenue of Rs 4 to 5 billion within the next two to three years. Gamage confidently said that the experts� committee, appointed to study the matter, has given the green light more..

Jul 5 (DM) A gazette notification which was issued on June 26 to reconvene dissolved local govt bodies was presented to Parliament for its approval amidst cries from the opposition. As per the gazette notification all Pradeshiya Sabhas, Urban Councils and Municipal Councils that have been dissolved could be reconvened by the Minister in charge of Local Govt and Provincial Councils for a period as decided upon at the subject Minister's discretion, notwithstanding the lapse of 12 months more..

Jul 5 (TM) Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) has published the 2023 Global Peace Index (GPI), compiling the annual ranking of the most peaceful countries in the world. This is the Sydney-based global think tank�s 17th edition of the GPI which ranks 163 independent states and territories in total, according to their level of peacefulness. GPI covers 163 countries comprising 99.7% of the world�s population, using 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators and measures the state of peace more..

Jul 5 (Reuters) SL's central bank is widely expected to loosen monetary policy further on Thursday, following a massive 250-basis-point interest rate cut in June, as it looks to revive growth amid a rapid fall in inflation. SL's economy nosedived last year after its foreign exchange reserves fell to record lows, pushing the island into its worst financial crisis in more than seven decades. However, since it secured a $2.9 bil bailout from IMF in March, more..

Jul 5 (CT) Nugegoda Chief Magistrate, yesterday further remanded, till 18 July, two fiscal officers of the Court, who have been charged over the disappearance of two folders, containing illegal drugs, from the dangerous drugs court production room of the Colombo High Court. The two suspects were identified as Rajitha Weerasekera and Sampath Jayakody, both residents of Pannipitiya. They had been arrested by the Keselwatta Police and produced in Court, in connection more..

Jul 5 (NR) Minister Bandula Gunawardena says he is hopeful that a large number of projects that are suspended at present will resume in September. He said all foreign funding was suspended after SL declared bankruptcy last year. He said that resulted in the suspension of projects in various sectors. Minister noted that with the implementation of the programme initiated by the Prez and the govt, economy is gradually stabilizing. He said discussions with IMF were also successful more..

Jul 5 (DM) The approval rating of the govt doubled to 21% in June 2023 from the 10% that was recorded in both Feb 2023 and Oct 2022, according to the latest round of the Gallup style Mood of the Nation poll of Verit� Research. The survey showed satisfaction with the state of the nation increased, although only to 12% in June. Economic confidence also improved from the (-) 78 recorded in both February and October but more..

Jul 5 (EN) China�s state-run energy firm Sinopec is expected to bring its first fuel cargo to Sri Lanka by end of July and operations are expected to start first under the island nation�s state-run Ceypetco brand, Minister Kanchana Wijesekera said. A contract agreement was signed with Sinopec in May to distribute fuel locally through 150 filling station first to ensure a steady and uninterrupted fuel supply in Sri Lanka. �The first fuel shipment is expected by end July,� Wijesekera told a media. more..

Jul 5 (DM) Officials from FIFA and Asian Football Confederation (AFC) are expected to meet Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe and top level officials from the ministry via zoom on July 10, in order to discuss the lifting of the international ban currently imposed on Football Sri Lanka (FSL). The minister and several other officials travelled to FIFA�s Switzerland headquarters last week to request a meeting with officials from the sport�s world governing body in order to more..