Aug 3 (ST) The first batch of 104 students, from the Faculty of Medicine (FOM) at the Uni of Moratuwa (UOM) will begin its final year of professorial clinical training in Jan 2025. Following this, they will sit for the bachelor of medicine (MBBS) exam, mandated for all local medical faculties, in mid to late 2026. The university hosts four student batches of 407 students. Dean of the Faculty of Medicine (FOM) Prof Ranil Fernando is optimistic regarding the educational achievements more..

Aug 3 (DM) Immigration & Emigration Dept securing a position to send an officer to function at the Regional Support Office (RSO) of the Bali Process to watch human smuggling and migrant trafficking is a great achievement for the country, said the Immigration Chief Harsha Illukpitiya. Controller General said since July 1 a well-trained skilled officer of the Immigration and Emigration Dept is stationed in Bangkok, Thailand engaging in the regional support work of human smuggling watch. more..

Aug 3 (FT) SJB MP S.M. Marikkar yesterday said the party was formed to put an end to the political deal culture in Sri Lanka. Marikkar said that, unlike President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Sajith Premadasa truly represents the essence of a UNP leader. �Unlike Ranil Wickremesinghe, Premadasa is not accustomed to deal-based politics. This is why we left the UNP to form the SJB, because Wickremesinghe was involved in political deals with the Rajapaksa clan,� he said. more..

Aug 3 (ST) The Asian Development Bank is financing three technology faculty buildings in Uni of Kelaniya, Rajarata Uni, and Sabaragamuwa Uni, an engineering faculty building complex in Uni of Sri J'pura, and a medical faculty building complex (dept of anatomy, physiology and biochemistry) in Un of Moratuwa. The loan agreement for the construction and equipping of the Moratuwa Uni faculty of medicine, was signed between Govt and Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Dev. on Feb 2022. more..

Aug 3 (DM) In the wake of declaration of the Presidential Elections, the main candidates, particularly Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe and SJB leader Sajith Premadasa have doubled down on their efforts to woo various parties and individuals, particularly those representing the minority communities to strengthen their bids for presidency. Political dynamics also keep changing in this context by the day in the lead up to poll as a result. more..

Aug 3 (HN) Tharushi Karunaratne of SL placed 8th in the preliminary round of the women�s 800m running event at the 2024 Paris Olympics on Aug 2, with a time of 2:07:76 seconds. Despite this result, Karunaratne will have another opportunity to advance as she competes in the repechage round scheduled for Aug 3. The repechage round, a new feature in Olympic track events, provides competitors who did not qualify directly from the preliminary heats a 2nd chance to progress. more..

Aug 3 (EN) SL will address the scarcity of safe drinking water in its north by finally starting on its long-touted River for Jaffna project, which was proposed by an engineer 70 years ago, Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe has said. Wickremesinghe was speaking at the opening of the Thalaiyady Seawater Desalination Plant this morning (2). �The establishment of this water purification plant will significantly resolve the drinking water issues in Jaffna. We also intend to commence work on more..

Aug 3 (FT) The IMF yesterday acknowledged that Sri Lanka has made commendable progress in putting debt on a path towards sustainability but urged for a swift resolution of the remaining steps to achieve debt sustainability and regain investor confidence. The observation by the IMF was following the conclusion of a visit by IMF Staff mission led by Senior Mission Chief Peter Breuer. In a statement the IMF noted more..

Aug 4 (SO) Indo-Lanka connectivity will take another giant leap forward when IndiGo, India�s biggest airline, begins daily operations to the Jaffna Int'l Airport (JAF) in Palaly in the North from Sept 1 this year. India�s only State-owned airline Alliance Air already connects the city pair using ATR 72 turboprop planes. IndiGo�s decision will immediately impart a bigger profile to Jaffna, the Northern capital and bring it even closer to Tamil Nadu, with which it shares cultural and linguistic links. more..

Aug 4 (SO) Having completed the first full week of campaigning since the official announcement of the 2024 Prez Poll by the Election Commission, the contours of the campaigns of main contenders are beginning to surface, and, for the most part, they appear to lack imagination and are predictably anchored on the issue of the country�s bankruptcy; who did what, or did not, thereafter. While the Government appears to be going all out, even disregarding Election Commission directives more..

Aug 4 (TM) This past week has seen plenty of backroom action on the political stage, with the split in the ruling SLPP, which has been in the making since the party allied with Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe in 2022, taking precedence. The SLPP-Wickremesinghe alliance resulted in Prez Wickremesinghe earning the name of Ranil Rajapaksa among his detractors. However, last week�s split of the SLPP was instantly used more..

Aug 4 (CT) Sri Lanka has become a crisis-infected country, and Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe (RW) has been their cause and source. Among many, being 75 years old, a well-educated individual with a political life spanning 50 years, opposition leader, six-time PM, and now Prez, the country and the people expect Prez RW�s response, feedback, behaviours, actions, deeds, etc. to be rational and an excellent example to others, particularly the youth, the new generation related to the Aragalaya. more..

Aug 4 (ST) My dear Chamari and the women�s cricket team, I�m writing to your team � instead of writing to Namal baby who lost half of his team or to Uncle Ranil who stole that half of the team � because what you did last week inspired a nation that has few victories to celebrate. It is also better than calling to congratulate you and then having a video of that circulated! You performed well at the highest level so consistently in recent times that it has been suggested that we will be better off more..

Aug 4 (ST) ITAK frontliner and Jaffna district MP M.A. Sumanthiran was at the Presidential Secretariat on Thursday for a private meeting with Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe. As he walked in, he noticed Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena was leaving the office following a meeting. Among the critical issues the Jaffna politician discussed with Prez Wickremesinghe was the ongoing controversy and potential constitutional crisis looming more..

Aug 4 (ST) The main opposition party complained to the Elections Commission (EC), asking them to ensure a level playing field in respect of implementing the laws at the forthcoming prez election. The grouse was that the EC was serving the Prez, who is a candidate at the election, and them with different spoons, as the former�s office was allowed to go ahead with its programmes while the latter was being told not to. It is not that the EC has not asked the Prez�s Office to stop more..

Aug 4 (FT) Prisoner Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera, a social miscreant and public provocateur in saffron robes, who was condemned by a Colombo High Court Magistrate to four years rigorous imprisonment with an additional fine of Rs. 100,000, had been released on bail after intense pressure from Buddhist prelates and the Sinhala Buddhist supremacist organisation Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) whose Secretary General happens to be this notorious prisoner. more..

Aug 4 (ANI) Star spinner Wanindu Hasaranga has been ruled out of the remaining two ODIs against India after sustaining an injury to his left hamstring. SLC released an official statement to confirm Hasaranga being ruled out of the remainder of the series and named spinner Jeffrey Vandersay as his replacement. "Wanindu Hasaranga will miss the remainder of the ODI series, as the player has suffered an injury to his left hamstring. He experienced pain in his left hamstring while more..

Aug 4 (Island) Of all the presidential contenders for the Sept 21 election, Ranil Wickremesinghe might be the only one who would have seen and possibly remember the 1961 movie Come September, a popular lighthearted comedy that starred Rock Hudson and Gina Lollobrigida. Come September � it will be for SL voters as it is now confirmed that they will have their chance to vote and elect their next president on Saturday, Sept 21. A countdown of 49 days starting on Sunday, August 4. more..

Aug 4 (CT) SLPP appears to be heading towards a split over its stance on the candidate for the 2024 Prez Election, scheduled for 21 Sept. Two factions have emerged within the party: one supporting incumbent Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe and another backing a separate candidate introduced by the SLPP. Several key party members, including those holding significant ministerial positions and prominent MPs support Ranil more..

Aug 4 (ST) Sri Lankan sprinter Tharushi Karunaratne ended her quest to advance further in the Women�s 800m event after placing seventh in Heat 4 of the Repechage Round at Stade de France yesterday, where the track and field events of the Paris Olympics 2024 are being held. Karunaratne completed her second and final opportunity to qualify for the semi-finals with an unimpressive time of 2:06.66, placing seventh, ahead of only Amal Al Roumi of Kuwait, who clocked 2:12.13 more..

Aug 4 (Island) The countdown to the Aug 15 Nomination Day for the forthcoming prez election has begun and as of Thursday 10 deposits have been paid. Other candidatures too have announced themselves with the SLPP promising to toss its hat into the ring this week. but with more time to go, pre-nomination formalities have not yet been concluded. The Elections Commission would, of course, prefer runners to pay their deposits any time now instead of waiting for the last minute, has said as much. more..

Aug 4 (CI) Where do ODIs sit on world cricket's priority list? The answer sits right there in India's schedule: they only have one more ODI series lined up between their current tour of SL and the Champions Trophy in February-March 2025. It's a weird time for bilateral ODIs, then, and weirder still for a series involving SL, who haven't even qualified for the Champions Trophy. How appropriate, then, that Friday produced an absolute classic of the format, a twisty, slow-burning tie that showed more..

Aug 4 (TM) Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) has revealed plans to hold the largest Initial Public Offering (IPO) in the history of the CSE in September. CSE Chairman Dilshan Wirasekara revealed that a formal application had been received from a prospective issuer to hold an IPO, which, if listed, would be the largest in the history of the CSE. However, he refused to divulge the identity of the prospective issuer. Elaborating further, he stated that the CSE was currently processing the IPO more..

Aug 4 (ST) Known for producing cricket legends, in the likes Arjuna Ranatunga, Aravinda de Silva, Sanath Jayasuriya, Muttiah Muralitharan, Chaminda Vaas, Kumar Sangakkara, and Mahela Jayawardena, SL�s women�s game has often been overshadowed by the men�s remarkable achievements. Last 2 years, though, have seen a quiet but certain revolution. What was essentially a modest SL women�s cricket team more..

Aug 4 (CI) The legbreaks dance. The topspinners fizz. There's chatter around the batter. A slip is in. The run rate is fine, and there are wickets to burn. But you're still not sure the chasing team will win. Hello. You're in it now. This is a classic of the ODI genre. Keep your eyes on this thing. We've got a low-scoring-dogfight here. Squint and watch the puffs of dust that come off the surface, listen to the pleading lbw appeals, and then hear them turn into a drawn-out chorus. more..

Aug 4 (SO) Corruption-tainted Sri Lanka Cricket has been served notice with time running out and absolutely nothing to hide behind or favour its continuous existence as the team also fell to its lowest depths this time on home soil losing to a new-look Indian team 3-0 hot on the heels of the T20 World Cup disaster a month ago. Crusaders for change at Sri Lanka Cricket, most of whom are past players of high calibre track record together with men of integrity who served in its ranks, more..

Aug 4 (TM) The CEB said that the mega-scale floating solar power project proposed for establishment on the Poonakary Tank by the Australian investor United Solar Energy SL Ltd. (United Solar) would be scrapped as per the conditions laid down in the Letter of Intent (LOI) issued by the SL Sustainable Energy Authority (SEA). A senior official at the CEB who wished to remain anonymous noted that the investor more..

Aug 4 (CI) Dunith Wellalage, all of 21, produced an exemplary all-round performance on a tough pitch at Khettarama. Batting at No. 7, he played SL's best innings, hitting 67 not out off 65, in a total of 230 for 8 in the first ODI. When defending, the left-arm spinner took 2 for 39 off nine overs, taking the crucial wicket of Rohit Sharma, who was India's best batter on the evening, and SL went on to tie the game. On the batting front, Wellalage had started watchfully after coming in at 101 for 5 in the 27th over, more..

Aug 4 (AD) The SLPP has reportedly made changes in several district-level leadership positions within the party. A senior member of the SLPP revealed that accordingly, State Minister Indika Anuruddha has been temporarily appointed as the Gampaha district leader, replacing Minister Prasanna Ranatunga. National Organizer of the party Namal Rajapaksa has been temporarily appointed as the Anuradhapura district leader, ousting MP S. M. Chandrasena from the position. more..

Aug 4 (NW) Kuwaiti Crime Dept arrested 26 Sri Lankans yesterday for organizing a community event called Sri Lanka Day without obtaining prior permission from the Kuwait Ministry of Interior. The event was reportedly organized by members of the Ethara Api organization Kuwait branch. SL Embassy in Kuwait stated that embassy officials visited the Crime Dept and requested a pardon for the arrested individuals, which included musicians who had traveled from Colombo for the event. more..

Aug 4 (EN) SL has shut a electronic visa application site run by consortium involving companies called VFS Global, IVS and GBS, after a court order suspended the the contract awarded without competitive tender. �We have been notified of certain interim orders issued by the Supreme Court today pertaining to the agreement under which this platform is operated,� a statement on front page of the website said. �In view of these orders, the website is suspended effective 2 Aug at 5pm more..

Aug 4 (ST) Sri Lanka is losing significant tax revenue due to the rapid growth of the online casino market, as many youths access various internationally regulated betting sites, according to sources from the Ministry of Finance. At least 10 internationally licensed gambling platforms, including rupee-based online casinos, attract both local and foreign visitors. The legal framework in Sri Lanka allows for land-based casinos, and more..

Aug 4 (SO) Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved a $100 million policy-based loan on July 11 to support and facilitate reforms aimed at enhancing the financial sustainability of the power sector in SL and this agreement is expected to be signed next week, Takafumi Kadono, ADB Country Director for SL, said. He said soon after the agreement is inked they would start disbursing it for power sector development. ADB has also completed the disbursement of Small & Medium-Sized more..

Aug 4 (DM) COPA has highlighted the need to promote the cultivation of Wallapatta plants claiming that it is a plant that has a high potential to bring foreign exchange to Sri Lanka. Committee discussed this matter when the Dept of Forest Conservation was called before the Committee recently. Committee Chair Lasantha Alagiyawanna gave instructions to pay more attention to the plant named Wallapatta as it is a plant that has a high potential to bring foreign exchange to Sri Lanka. more..

Aug 4 (ST) A student of a private university was killed and two other passengers were seriously injured when a car driven by a 19-year-old youth veered off the road, collided with a van and hit a tree close to the Parliament complex in Battaramulla yesterday. Police said the driver was speeding and appeared to have lost control of the vehicle. They said the condition of the two injured passengers in the car was reported to be serious, while the van driver and a passenger in his vehicle suffered more..