Jul 10 (TM) Ministry of Health is awaiting approval from the Cabinet to extend the retirement age of medical specialists from 60 to 63 years in order to prevent the health sector from going into another serious crisis. Ministry is yet to make a final decision once they receive the approval of the Cabinet regarding the matter. This, despite the ministry of health having recently acknowledged before the Court of Appeal that not doing so more..

Jul 10 (AD) Two SL nationals, identified as father and son, have reportedly drowned in Trebbia, Italy. According to Italian media reports, the tragedy took place on the afternoon of 8 July, under the Donceto bridge, near Rondanera beach, in the presence of numerous bathers who crowded the banks of the river. The victims, aged 59 and 28, originally from SL and who were residing in Piacenza, have been identified as father and son; Lesly Warnakulasuriya and Dulaj Warnakulasuriya. more..

Jul 10 (FT) The unelected Govt of SL has advanced Domestic Debt Restructure (DDR) as a measure to meet the Debt Sustainability targets set by the IMF. The Govt argues that DDR is necessary to ensure the principle of burden sharing with private creditors. However, the actual DDR proposals reveal a different story. Govt is taking the lead in restructuring domestic debt when the private creditors holding over 47% of SL’s foreign debt have yet to make any substantial commitment to debt restructuring. more..

Jul 10 (FT) A contentious issue pertaining to superannuation funds that include the giant in the sector, EPF, is the tax treatment of their gross earnings. These funds are subject to a tax of 14% on their gross income minus the cost that they have incurred in producing that income. In fact, the superannuation funds had not been subject to tax till 1989. In that year, Govt which had been faced with a severe revenue shortage due to the JVP insurrection in the South and LTTE war in the North more..

Jul 10 (PTI) TN Chief Minister MK Stalin on Monday wrote to Union Minister for External Affairs, S Jaishankar, to take immediate action for the release of 15 Tamil fishermen arrested by the SL Navy. In his letter, he also asked Union Minister to take action to release fishermen and 2 boats which have been seized by SL Navy. The fishermen of Tamil Nadu were arrested by the SL navy on Nov 5. Earlier on Nov 5, SL Navy conducted a special operation in seas north of Talaimannar to more..

Jul 10 (DM) In the absence of a consensus between Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe and Public Security Minister Tiran Alles on the selection of Senior DIG Deshabandu Tennakoon as the next IGP C.D. Wickramaratne was given yet another service extension of three months to serve in the post. Prez is not in favor of the appointment of Thennakoon whereas the minister insisted on it. Two had a one-on-one meeting yesterday and more..

Jul 10 (CI) A four-wicket haul from Lea Tahuhu and a steady half-century from Suzie Bates helped New Zealand wrap up the T20I series against Sri Lanka with an eight-wicket win in the second match in Colombo on Monday. After restricting SL to 118, New Zealand got to their target in 18.4 overs, completing a comeback after a 2-1 loss in the ODI series. Bates combined with Bernadine Bezuidenhout to add 48 for the opening wicket. She was the steady partner in their partnership but more..

Jul 10 (AD) Monetary Board of the Central Bank has decided not to renew the money changing permits of 15 money changers (MCs) in the country for the year 2023. CBSL explained that the relevant decision was taken due to the non-compliance with a condition of the permits issued for the year 2022. Thus, the matter was communicated to the respective MCs on 22 June, and they are thereby no longer permitted to engage in money changing activities, with said companies will be considered more..

Jul 10 (CI) SL went to the ODI World Cup qualifier in Zimbabwe determined to win every match they play, to prove (to themselves, as well as others, you suspect) that they did not deserve to play a qualifying tournament. They achieved that goal, and lifted the trophy. But with tougher assignments ahead of them this year, what takeaways do they have from their performance in Zimbabwe? Here's a look at five of them. more..

Jul 10 (DM) Sri Lanka has agreed to fully support and work together with other countries to suppress the production and distribution of synthetic drugs, Minister Tiran Alles said. He extended these assurance during an international conference on the prevention of synthetic drugs, which was held recently through Zoom under the initiative of the United States Department of State, headed by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Ministers and diplomatic officers from countries more..

Jul 10 (AD) Police have arrested the driver of the bus which collided on the Kotaleeya Bridge at Manampitiya and toppled into the river on Sunday night (09). Accordingly, Police suspect that the accident occurred after the driver, who had been driving at a high speed, had lost control of the vehicle. Speaking further on the arrest, SSP Nihal Thalduwa revealed that the driver in question has been fined on previous occasions as well for reckless driving. more..

Jul 10 (DM) Claiming that Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe and Basil Rajapaksa are behind the Private Member's Bill moved by SLPP MP Jayantha Ketagoda proposing to reinstate former members of the expired Local Bodies, NPP said today they would file a petition in the Supreme Court against the Bill. Attorney-at-Law Sunil Watagala told a news conference that Basil Rajapaksa wanted to reinstate expired LG Bodies as he thinks SLPP’s power is in Local Bodies. more..

Jul 10 (FT) Shareholders of Galadari Hotels (Lanka) PLC last week approved the Company’s decision to pursue the deal to be managed by and renamed as Radisson Blu Hotel Galadari Colombo. The move presented as a Special Resolution was approved at an Extraordinary General Meeting. The Agreements entered into by the Company with multinational hospitality company, Radisson Hotels Asia Pacific Investments Ltd (Radisson) was a major transaction. The Agreements comprise more..

Jul 10 (TM) After a rejuvenating nap or a long day’s work, Sri Lankans crave a comforting cup of tea. But while Ceylon Tea has been plentiful and easily affordable, the same cannot be said for its companion ingredient, milk. The nation’s milk self-sufficiency has remained a puzzle, with heavy reliance on imports to meet the demand. Why Sri Lanka is yet to become self-sufficient in milk remains a question. more..

Jul 10 (DM) While reporting the third bus accident in two days, another bus carrying a group on a picnic overturned on the Nuwara Eliya-Kandywara road at Helboda, Katukitula area, injuring eight persons. Pussellawa police said the injured have been admitted to the Kothmale and Pussellawa regional hospitals for treatment. Their conditions were not serious. A group of 22 persons from the Puttalam area met with this accident while they were on their way to Nuwara Eliya on a picnic. more..

Jul 10 (DM) Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) today launched a mobile and web-based application to make it easy for passengers to find out the timetables for long-distance buses. The application 'sltb.eseat.lk' was launched by Minister Bandula Gunawardana. While launching the application, the minister said this was SL’s largest online bus/coach reservation platform ever, which will transform the way millions of Sri Lankans travel and reserve seats to travel across the country. more..

Jul 10 (TM) The SJB is to commence an internal inquiry to look into the allegations made by several backbenchers that some of their members in parliament are secretly supporting the agenda of the Govt. The move comes following a statement by SJB MP Hirunika Premachandra recently. Premachandra recently charged that some of the SJB MPs are currently supporting the incumbent Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe while more..

Jul 10 (DM) SL's Pathum Nissanka, Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana were included in the Team of the Tournament for the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier which ended on Sunday. SL defeated the Netherlands by 128 runs in the final of the tournament, though both teams had already booked their places at the Cricket World Cup in October by virtue of having qualified for the final. Opener Nissanka scored 417 runs at an average of 69, hitting 2 half-centuries and 2 centuries. more..

Jul 10 (Island) Chairman of Sectoral Oversight Committee (SOC) National Security, Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekera, MP, has asked the top management of Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) to take a clear stand on the proposed privatisation of the national telecommunications provider. MP Weerasekera has, in a letter dated 07 July, addressed to CEO Janaka Abeysinghe, stressed the responsibility on their part to take the public into confidence and reveal their position. more..

Jul 10 (Island) Dissident SLPP MP Prof. Charitha Herath says that Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe has interfered with the functioning of parliamentary committees in violation of Standing Order No 111. The former Chairman of the COPE warns of dire consequences of what he called the Prez’s high-handed action. The unprecedented intervention made by the executive in the legislature should be examined against the backdrop of Prez more..

Jul 10 (TM) Refuting the allegations made by the Opposition political parties that he has acted in support of the ruling party during Parliamentary sessions, Speaker of Parliament, Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena said that he has only fulfilled his duties in accordance with the Order Book (Parliamentary Business). SJB and several other opposition groups had, by way of a letter, urged the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) to act more..

Jul 10 (DM) Transport Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said that he is willing to accept receiving LTTE ships from Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu as long as India permits. He said Sri Lanka is ready to start the ferry service between South India (Pondicherry) and Kankesanthurai (KKS) at any time, but the reason for the delay in starting the service is due to India not granting permission. He said there is a joint committee according to the MoU that was signed between the two countries in 2011. more..

Jul 10 (TM) Sri Lanka Thriposha Limited, state supplier for nutrition supplement for infants will resume production of Thriposha for infants and children between the age of six months to three years, with adequate stocks of maize secured for the next three to four months, the producer informed yesterday (9). The producer is also to enact necessary measures to streamline distribution aimed at addressing the ongoing shortage of the supplements in the coming days, it is learnt. more..

Jul 10 (EN) Stocks closed up on mixed sentiments on Monday after domestic bond restructuring assurances, policy rates were cut and inflationary pressure is likely to reduce, driving investor sentiment, brokers said. The All Share Price Index edged up 0.09% or 9.29 points to 10,311.25, this is the highest the market has been since 25 March 2022, the most liquid index S&P SL20 was down 0.66% or 20.59 points to 3,001.79. The market generated a turnover of 2.1 billion rupees, more..

Jul 10 (EN) Foreign airlines are rapidly increasing frequencies to Sri Lanka and airlines which pulled out during a Coronavirus pandemic and a currency crisis are coming back to the island, Aviation Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said. Emirates increased the flights from 14 flights to 28, and Qatar from 21 to 35. Etihad had increased frequencies from 4 to 6 and China Eastern Airlines have increased flights from 01 flight a week to 05 flights a week. more..

Jul 10 (FT) In an action that came up before Colombo District Court Residential Towers Ltd, (TRI-ZEN) at No. 17, Sir Chittampalam A. Gardiner Mawatha, Colombo 02 was restrained from building and or painting the North-West side of their condominium building at No. 5, Baybrooke Place, Colombo 02. The Empire Management Corporation filed this action against Residential Towers (TRI-ZEN) and the matter was supported by Senior Counsel Ian Fernando with more..

Jul 10 (PMD) The country’s education system will undergo an educational transformation and essential measures will be taken to produce students who are prepared for the twenty-first century, Education Minister Dr. Susil Premajayantha said. According to the Education Minister, human resources will be managed for that purpose and education will be reformatted in accordance with worldwide standards in order to produce a sustainable and high-quality education. more..

Jul 11 (DM) A year ago, on July 9th, hundreds of thousands of Sri Lankans, dispossessed by the economic destruction unleashed by a govt they elected not long ago, descended on the Capital, Colombo. They stormed the President’s House while President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was hurriedly evacuated to a waiting naval ship. Three days later, Rajapaksa resigned, leading to the appointment of his PM Ranil Wickremesinghe as the stopgap president. more..

Jul 11 (DM) Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena on Thursday named a 14-member Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) under the Chairmanship of MP Sagara Kariyawasam, the General Secretary of the ruling SLPP, to probe the country’s financial bankruptcy. The other members of the PSC are Pavithra Wanniaratchchi, D.V. Chanaka, Vijitha Herath, Mahindananda Aluthgamage, Eran Wickremeratne, Jayantha Ketagoda, Harshana Rajakaruna, Pradeep Udugoda, Sanjiva more..

Jul 11 (CT) Colombo HC Judge Adithya Patabendige, earlier this week, queried how unscientific reasoning in certain faiths could fall under the Provisions contained in Sections of the ICCPR Act when the Buddha himself had proclaimed to the world that his teachings should not be taken at face value or just because it had been uttered by him, and only after thorough inquiries. HC Judge said this while enlarging on bail stand-up comedian more..

Jul 11 (CT) It was revealed at a recent Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) meeting that the National Zoological Gardens had, between 2018 and 2020, purchased species of birds for a whopping Rs 1.5 million despite the actual value in total amounting to Rs 50,000. Meaning, the discrepancy in the actual cost and the cost of purchase is nearly 3000 per cent! Let that sink in. Now, we know the drill. The committee will probe the matter. Comprehensive reports will be requested. more..

Jul 11 (GV) The much awaited Anti Corruption Bill is out and passed by parliament subject to introducing amendments according to the determination of the Supreme Court. It is “An Act to give effect to certain provisions of the United Nations Convention against Corruption and other Internationally recognized norms, standards, and best practices; to provide for the establishment of an Independent Commission to detect and investigate allegations of Bribery, Corruption and more..

Jul 11 (TM) May 2009, was when the civil war that ravaged Sri Lanka for nearly 30 years ended. It has been 14 years. Looking back, what has changed? Were the root causes addressed? Have we embarked on peacebuilding and reconciliation? Researcher and author Sarah Kabir was on Kaleidoscope this week, delving into some complex cultural contexts that have made the great divide in this country even wider. more..

Jul 11 (TM) The Manampitiya bus accident, which, as per the latest reports, has claimed 10 lives with around 42 persons sustaining injuries, grabbed national headlines as one of the most devastating accidents the country has witnessed in the recent past. Reports claim that when the accident occurred, there were around 50 passengers in the bus, while certain uncorroborated reports place this number as high as 70. The bus in question was travelling from Polonnaruwa to Kattankudy when more..

Jul 11 (Island) The new Anti-Corruption Act is being flaunted in some quarters as a miraculous fix. It could be considered something progressive, but there is no silver bullet that will help tackle bribery and corruption in this country, or elsewhere for that matter. Former Director General of CIABOC Sarath Jayamanne, PC, has been quoted by the PMD as saying that the new anti-corruption laws will pave the way for the establishment of a truly independent institution to combat bribery and corruption. more..