Jul 19 (AD) The Dept of Immigration and Emigration says that prior online registration is now required when applying for a Sri Lankan passport and the new methodology has commenced with effect from today (19). The department further stated that it is no longer possible to obtain a passport by visiting the department without first being assigned a date and time through the online registration system. Accordingly, an applicant must reserve a date and time through more..

Jul 19 (Island) Tirantha Walaliyadda, PC, has urged the govt to implement the death penalty without further delay in line with a fresh overall strategy to tackle organised crime. Walaliyadda, who had appeared for some of the notorious members of the netherworld said that the organised crime couldn�t be dealt with successfully unless the govt resumed judicial executions. Walaliyadda said that those engaged in narcotics trade and more..

Jul 19 (FT) Former Speaker Karu Jayasuriya has emphasised the duty of all stakeholders, including the Election Commission of SL (ECSL), the Govt led by the President, SL Police, and the entire Govt mechanism, in ensuring a free and fair Prez election without any violence, corruption, or acts of hate between communities. Former Speaker recalled that the 17th Amendment, championed by the country�s civil society, sought to establish a fair election culture in Sri Lanka. more..

Jul 19 (ANI) Fisherfolk along with many leaders, staged a protest at Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu on Friday to demand the immediate release of 74 fishermen who were apprehended by the SL Navy this year. Protesters also demanded the release of 170 steamboats and country boats seized by the SL Navy. They also appealed for the immediate release of the six fishermen who were arrested by SL Navy and had already been sentenced to 1 year, 2 years and 6 months of imprisonment in the SL jail. more..

Jul 19 (Adda) The annual Kataragama Esala festival is being celebrated in Sri Lanka. Devotees who started their Pada Yatra in May have reached Kataragama completing a journey of over 500 km across difficult terrain on foot from as far afield as Jaffna in SL�s northern peninsula. The festival which is celebrated across faiths is known to have deep bonds bridging India and Sri Lanka. Katharagama�s main temple of the Maha Devala is dedicated to the Hindu God of War, Skanda. more..

Jul 19 (CT) State Minister Premitha Bandara Tennakoon, who attended the first National Cadet Corps National Youth Heroes Award ceremony as the chief guest, at the NCC Headquarters in Pamankada, Colombo, on Wednesday, commended the two award winners for their remarkable acts of heroism. He noted that the NCC�s decision to present this award for the first time is particularly fitting. Tennakoon highlighted the NCC�s role in training and inspiring young school students more..

Jul 19 (AD) Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva has officially inaugurated the runway development project at the Hingurakgoda Airport today, which is set to become SL�s sixth international airport. �This ambitious project, the largest ever undertaken by the SL Air Force, demonstrates exceptional civil engineering capabilities and dedication to advancing the SL Aviation Sector� SL Air Force said. According to a govt decision, construction work to more..

Jul 19 (Island) Former Australian PM Scott Morrison visited Colombo�s Gangaramaya Temple yesterday with his family. During their visit, they met Dr. Kirinde Assaji Thera and received blessings. Joining the group were Ven. Dr. Pallegama Rathanasara Thera, Susantha Katugampala, and Vinod Arosha. Morrison, who served as the 30th PM of Australia from 2018 to 2022 and led the Liberal Party of Australia, will be among the high-profile speakers addressing SL Human Capital Summit 2024. more..

Jul 19 (NW) Leader of the NPP MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake left for a visit to Japan on Thursday, it was reported. MP Dissanayake is travelling to Japan to attend a public meeting with Sri Lankans residing in Japan, which has been organized by the NPP�s foreign affairs committee. NPP Leader is scheduled to address the public meeting with Sri Lankans in Japan at the Yatabe Citizen Hall in Tsukuba at 2.00 pm on Sunday (21). MP will thereafter, engage with business community in Japan on Monday. more..

Jul 19 (FT) Visa, the global leader in digital payments yesterday announced the re-launch of its flagship product, Visa Infinite Cards, targeting affluent and high net worth customers in Sri Lanka. The announcing the re-launch translates to the value proposition associated with the Visa�s Infinite Card. The cards are designed for individuals with assets ranging from $ 0.5 to $ 1 million and offer curated services and preferential benefits. more..

Jul 19 (TM) Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE), in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) hosted an issuer forum titled Towards a Greener Horizon: Unlocking Opportunities through Sustainability Bonds recently in Colombo. The forum was aimed at enhancing awareness and building capacity among stakeholders including representatives from Government Authorities, State-owned enterprises, potential issuers, more..

Jul 19 (TM) Parliament stated that the majority of MPs has submitted their assets-and-liabilities declarations, and that the relevant lists have been referred to the CIABOC. It was recently reported by the media that the CIABOC had written to Parliamentary Secretary General Kushani Rohanadheera and Prez's Secretary Saman Ekanayake, instructing the duo to submit a list of names of MPs, including Cabinet and State Ministers, who have submitted their more..

Jul 20 (FT) In the 16th century, Florentine diplomat Niccolo Machiavelli, in his book The Prince, outlined ruthless ways to achieve and retain political power. The events of the past two weeks lead one to wonder whether attempts are now being made to give practical effect to some of those techniques in this country. On Monday last week, the Chief Justice heading a Bench of five Judges of the Supreme Court affirmed that the Prez�s tenure is five years, as provided in Article 32(2) of more..

Jul 20 (DM) Why is the govt in such a haste to amend an Article in the Constitution which has somewhat a relevance only when the term of the Prez or the Parliament is to be extended? Does the govt want to extend the term of the Prez or the Parliament? Yet, the relevant Article is not a hurdle. It says if you want to extend the term of the Prez or the Parliament to over six years, get the relevant Bill passed in Parliament with the support of two-third of its members and approved by the people more..

Jul 20 (DM) The anti-Tamil pogrom ofJuly 1983 is an unforgettable chapter in the post-independence history of SL. The catastrophic events of that dark month drastically affected the lives of several Tamils in SL. As a SL Tamil journalist, Black July did have an effect on me in both personal and professional capacities. Furthermore, my family � like thousands of other Tamil families � was also affected and displaced during those turbulent times. more..

Jul 20 (DM) SL has been forefront in the South Asian region in the battle of technology and innovation. While protecting the privacy and data flow across online, it passed the Personal Data Protection Act No. 9 of 2022 (PDPA) in parliament, which was certified by the speaker on March 19, 2022. Act should ensure the trust, reliability and authenticity of the information flow across the digital spaces and influence the growth of electronic commerce and multinational cross border investments more..

Jul 20 (DM) Commissioner of Elections has announced presidential elections between 17 Sept and 16 Oct this year. However, many a citizen and political parties of the opposition have hinted at a possible delay or indefinite postponement of the expected election. Many of us also remember that while the Office of the Commissioner announced LG and PC elections would be held some years ago, those elections were never held. Today, only passing mention is made of these nonevents, more..

Jul 20 (DM) Social media has been abuzz these days with several posts indicating that the Dehiwela Zoological Gardens needs to be shut down. Photos of the bear and lion for instance were shared on social media with claims that the animals are in poor health and that the conditions in which they are being kept are appalling. However, during a recent visit to the zoo premises, Daily Mirror observed a situation contrary to the claims. more..

Jul 20 (CT) The old JVP was notorious for its exhibitionistic approach to politics in general and to electioneering in particular. In fact, it was not only the JVP, most of the mainstream political parties depended heavily on these mass rallies to which they transported men and women in massive numbers to their political rallies, firstly to satisfy themselves that a huge crowd attended their rallies to listen to their voices (not speeches) and secondly to challenge their opponents that more..

Jul 20 (Island) Minister of Justice and Constitutional Reforms Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe sought to quell the brouhaha over the proposed 22nd Amendment (to the Constitution) Bill. On Thursday, he assured that the Bill in question would not be gazetted until the conclusion of the upcoming presidential election. It was reported that he had instructed the Secretary to the Ministry of Constitutional Reforms not to proceed with the publication of a gazette containing the proposed Bill. more..

Jul 20 (CT) Electricity sector regulator, PUCSL, slashed the electricity tariffs for different sectors, which has been met with widespread recognition and appreciation. PUCSL directed a reduction in the industrial electricity tariff by 25.3%, the domestic customer rate by 27% and overall by 22.5% with effect from 16 July. This move will help to provide immense relief to households, industries and the religious sector, while enhancing the competitive edge of SL's industrial export sector. more..

Jul 20 (DN) SL women�s team will meet Bangladesh women�s in their opening Asia Cup T-20 game today (20) at Rangiri Dambulla Stadium, commencing at 7.00 pm. Sri Lanka in Group �B� with Bangladesh, Thailand and Malaysia and this Bangladesh game is going to be good tussle. SL women�s team skipper Chamari Athapaththu said the team is very confident after good preparation but every game is very important to go forward. Five times runners up SL it�s not an easy task and all teams have more..

Jul 20 (FT) The Govt has formally decided to explore different options to revive the SriLankan Airlines abandoning the divestiture process that originally began in October last year. �Cabinet at its meeting held on 9 July has decided to terminate the current bidding process with respect to the divestiture of Sri Lankan Airlines. Instead, the GoSL will now follow an alternate strategy, to be decided on shortly, to divest the airline based on more..

Jul 20 (Island) Cassandra�s prognosis, as given above, in her title holds good in almost all of the general life of the people of SL and more so its politicians. It has been clearly demonstrated by the politics of now and behaviour of trade unions. Let Cassandra explain. We are a bankrupt country and people are suffering immensely and will have to continue to suffer, it is prophesied and pronounced by economists, as we right ourselves. IMF lays strictures and we the people more..

Jul 20 (CT) If incumbent Ranil Wickremesinghe�s UNP aides, Akila Viraj Kariyawasam and Palitha Range Bandara, are to be believed, their Leader would be announcing his Presidential candidacy any time soon � say, after 25 July, according to reports quoting them. They have also reportedly claimed that Ranil would contest as an Independent and not under the UNP symbol, Elephant. If so, after 2010 and 2015, this would be the third time � with a break in 2019 � more..

Jul 20 (ST) Former Urban Development Authority (UDA) Director General Prasad Ranaweera claims he was removed from his post as he refused to sign off on releasing funds belonging to the UDA in violation of finance regulations. Ministry of Urban Development & Housing said this week that Mr Ranaweera was sacked on disciplinary grounds by subject Minister Prasanna Ranatunga using the powers vested in him under Article 13(1) of the UDA Act. A media release, quoting Ministry Secretary W S Sathyananda, more..

Jul 20 (DN) Viren, who began his journey on court at the tender age of seven, is a past pupil of St. Peter�s College Colombo. He has proved over the years through his dedication and natural talent that he is a dominant force in the badminton scene in SL. Viren�s list of international achievements is both extensive and remarkable. He became the first and only SL player to win an Int'l Challenge Medal at 18 and the first to reach a final or gain a medal at any badminton tournament in Indonesia for SL. more..

Jul 20 (ST) Election Commission�s initial proposal for the Election Expenditure Act was that a minimum suspension of seven years should be imposed for candidates violating the Act, but it has been reduced to three, Elections Commissioner General Saman Sri Ratnayake disclosed. The Commissioner General made this statement at a programme held on Monday. Under the existing laws, a candidate violating the Act could be more..

Jul 20 (FT) Leading business magazine LMD reports in its July edition that businesses are navigating challenges and opportunities amid the turbulence. LMD notes: �The latest findings (in June) from LMD Business Confidence Index (BCI) poll continue to underscore widespread apprehension about the economic landscape.� 30% of respondents to the monthly poll expressed optimism about the economy improving over the next 12 months, which aligns with the May outcome. more..

Jun 20 (DM) In what seemed to be a significant change in SJB, the party is slated to appoint national list MP Imthiaz Bakeer Markar as its new chairman in place of Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka. SJB General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara said party seniors are currently having discussions to this effect. �We are currently discussing the matter at the moment. It is obvious that we have to appoint a new chairman as Sarath Fonseka who held the post since 2020 is no longer with us more..

Jul 20 (ST) Indian PM Narendra Modi this week secured a pledge from Russian Prez Vladimir Putin that Indians recruited to the Russian military to fight against Ukraine will be granted an early release. But while the matter (which was highlighted for weeks in Indian media) has now been addressed at the highest levels between New Delhi and Moscow, the relatives of hundreds of Sri Lankans enlisted as mercenaries in the Russian military have more..

Jul 20 (DM) The significant Esala Maha Poya falls in the month of July. Beginning from the month of January, 12 monthly full moon days are named as: Duruthu, Nawam, Medin, Bak, Vesak, Poson, Esala, Nikini, Binara, Vap, Ile, and Unduwap respectively. Buddhist devotees signify Esala Maha Poya, almost in per Vesak and Poson due to its multifaceted values. Firstly, on an Esala Poya upon the pleading of Maha Brahmma and the host of Thusita world deities, The Buddha was conceived more..

Jul 20 (FT) Colombo stock market saw yet another dismal week amidst lacklustre local investor sentiment though foreigners remained bullish. During the week, ASPI declined by 117 points or 1% and the active S&P SL20 by 26 points or 0.7%. In the previous week ASPI dipped by 0.9% and the S&P SL20 by 1.5%. Average daily turnover for the week however was higher at Rs. 1.15 billion as against Rs. 627 million in the previous week. Net foreign inflow reached Rs. 1.7 billion due to more..

Jul 20 (DN) Sri Lanka should seriously consider producing bran oil from paddy seed/husk shells as done by India said Dr. B.V. Mehta who is connected to the Indian Vegetable Oil Industry for four decades. Having an in-depth knowledge of the Indian oil-seed sector and vegetable oil industry he said that it was unfortunate to see that SL is virtually throwing this substance away without putting it to productive use. He opined this yesterday at a workshop on advantages of using vegetable oils more..

Jul 20 (ST) Kalpitiya, one of SL�s top tourist destinations, is experiencing an infestation of flies to the point where it has become a nuisance. House flies, so common in SL, are carriers of diseases such as gastroenteritis and tuberculosis. They thrive on animal droppings, manure, and garbage. Homes, restaurants, tourist hotels, hospitals, schools, and kindergartens are badly impacted. It is believed that farmers have been using poultry faeces as fertiliser for commercial crops, and more..