Jul 9 (Island) AIA�s Group Chief Marketing Officer, Stuart A. Spencer, has been recognised as one of the 50 most influential and purposeful marketers in the region for the second year running. He was named on the Asia-Pacific Power List 2020 by Campaign Asia-Pacific, the only insurance executive to be recognised by the leading marketing publication. ​As a member of AIA Sri Lanka�s Board of Directors, Spencer has been a passionate advocate of the company�s efforts to amplify and more..

Jul 9 (TM) SL-born Dhayanie Williams, better known as Chef Dee Williams, who was on MasterChef Australia 2019 and managed to make it to the top 24 contestants, is currently back home in the island, sharing her experience in the world stage with aspiring Lankan culinary talents. She is presently a judge and mentor of Supreme Chef Season 2, which is now being telecast on local media. She is gearing up to share a lot more with the world about the beauty of Sri Lanka via the launch of more..

Jul 9 (CT) A senior Police official said they hope to obtain the assistance of Interpol to arrest the suspect who is accused of having murdered the mother, father and daughter of the same family in Qatar. The suspect is believed to be the boyfriend of the daughter and is said to have arrived back in SL. Arrangements will be made to inform officials in Qatar through the Interpol branch located at CID & Ministry of Foreign Affairs, more..

Jul 9 (CT) Ryan Peries is the latest high profile foreign-based SL player seeking to join the men�s National squad. Ryan, who is of SL descent, is currently playing for leading England club Ashford Town. He qualifies to represent SL through his grandfather and will be hoping to win a place in the squad for the forthcoming World Cup qualifiers against DPR Korea, Korea Republic and Lebanon. Ryan becomes the fifth player looking forward to be granted SL citizenship to be eligible to more..

Jul 9 (CT) Dian Gomes, President of the Boxing Association of SL (BASL), believes the country has a realistic chance of winning more Gold medals at the 22nd edition of the Commonwealth Games (CWG) to be held in 2022 in Birmingham, UK from 27 July � 7 Aug. Another important event in 2022 is the South Asian Games, which is scheduled to be held in Lahore, Pakistan. During the Covid-19 lockdown BASL focused on the long term and strategic projects, and plans to select the squad more..

Jul 9 (TM) Kusal Mendis, who was arrested by Panadura North Police on Sunday (5) morning, following a fatal road accident involving his SUV, was released on bail � two surety bails of rupees one million each� by the Panadura Magistrate�s Court on Monday (6). The prominent SL cricketer�s driving license was temporarily suspended too. The Range Rover SUV which Mendis was driving at around 5am on Sun more..

Jul 9 (TM) Andrew Fidel Fernando was awarded the 2019 Gratiaen Prize for literary excellence for his work, the travelogue titled Upon a Sleepless Isle. The Gratiaen Trust went digital for the 2019 edition of the awards and things kicked off with the live stream at 6.30 PM on July 4, streamed on the official Facebook pages of the Gratiaen Trust, John Keells Foundation, and their media partner. Amongst the shortlisted candidates were Praveen Jayamanne for his novel The Double Doorway, more..

Jul 9 (FT) Hatch launched Open House, a free mentorship program that connects mentors with start-up founders to provide guidance and insight to grow their start-ups. Since the outbreak of the pandemic, Hatch began offering its services online, one of which is the Hatch Open House mentorship program. Through Open House program, Hatch facilitates virtual sessions that connect mentors with the start-ups that need support. Each one-on-one session may go up to one or more hours more..

Jul 9 (CT) Department of Sports Development (under Ministry of Sports) is solely responsible to purchase air tickets for sports teams travelling abroad for various events, including major events such as Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and South Asian Games. The manner in which tickets were purchased and amount paid has always come into question. South Asian Games Review Committee report more..

Jul 9 (Island) It was a happening Saturday afternoon at the picturesque Asgiriya stadium in Kandy. The ground was filled with spectators, the club house was a beehive of activity and in the middle were Aravinda De Silva and Arjuna Ranatunga. The legendary pair that saw Sri Lanka home few year back on a glorious night in Lahore. Aravinda De Silva swept a leg break from Shane Warne to short fine leg. The ball went straight to the fielder who in turn threw down stumps at keeper�s end. more..

Jul 9 (TM) SL�s merchandise export earnings for June were $ 953 million according to EDB provisional figures, EDB Chairman Prabhash Subasinghe said. This completes what is referred to as a V-shaped recovery for the export sector as it is on par with pre-Covid monthly merchandise export earnings figures. For example, it is close to the US$ 988 million earned through merchandise exports in Feb 2020, the last full calendar month before the Covid-19 outbreak in SL. more..

Jul 9 (FT) The economy will be the top priority of the Govt after the Parliamentary Elections, SLPP National Organiser Basil Rajapaksa assured, expressing hope that the country will experience a V-shaped COVID-19 recovery, after June exports recorded a major rebound. Speaking to reporters for the first time since the Parliamentary Election was announced, Rajapaksa was extremely confident of the party�s prospects at the upcoming vote, more..

Jul 9 (CT) According to the Extraordinary Gazette No 2182/10 of June 2020, the import controls imposed by the earlier gazette Number 2176/19 of 22 May 2020 have been extended for another six months, commencing from 02 July 2020. The SL economy, battered by the impact of the curfew and global recessionary patterns is in dire need of liquidity and access to credit. Downward pressure on the currency worsened the SL Rupee�s position in the foreign exchange market, more..

Jul 9 (PMD) The commemoration ceremony of founder Theros of Amarapura Maha Nikaya was held under the patronage of Prez Rajapaksa at the BMICH, today (8). The Amarapura Maha Nikaya was established in 1802 following countless efforts by the Most Ven. Welitara Mahakarawe Gnanawimala Tissa Thero. The Maha Nayaka Theros such as Most Venerable Madihe Pannasiha Maha Nayaka Thero, Most Venerable Aggamahapandita Balangoda Ananda Maitreya Thero and more..

Jul 9 (CT) While there may be various institutions and individuals involved, the sole responsibility of safeguarding National Security lies in the hands of the Executive President, former Chief of National Intelligence, Retired Major General Kapila Hendawitharana said yesterday appearing before the PCoI. He also said while the President stands responsible for National Security it is the Secretary to the Ministry of Defence more..

Jul 9 (WB) The COVID-19 pandemic is prompting a fresh look at options to ensure reliable power for health facilities, including the Vavuniya General Hospital in SL�s Northern Province. In line with an overall push to boost the share of renewables, the govt of SL is pursuing new power solutions for Vavuniya and about 20 other hospitals across the nation. The World Bank is assisting as part of a multi-sectoral pandemic response in SL. Similar initiatives are underway in other countries more..

Jul 9 (FT) Once Parliament is convened in August, the Govt is likely to bring a Vote on Account (VoA) to cover public finances for the rest of 2020, its third for the year, and then present a Budget for 2021 in November, the SLPP said. National Organiser Basil Rajapaksa said that they were planning to present a VoA for this year, which will be done once Parliament is convened in August. This will be the Govt�s third VoA, and will likely cover public finances till December. more..

Jul 9 (AD) Despite the repatriation of SL workers from abroad in the wake of COVID-19 spread made a considerable change to our overall employment profile, Sri Lanka�s aim was to secure the lives of our workforce, Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa said. �SL has a considerable workforce that is employed outside the country. Even during the period when restrictions for air travel were in force, we have repatriated nearly 15,000 Lankans more..

Jul 9 (DM) 60% of the total vehicles registered at the Dept of Motor Traffic (DMT) is not in good running condition, DMT Assistant Commissioner J.A.S. Jayaweera said. Speaking at the media briefing during the Fifth National Accident Prevention Week Mr Jayaweera said 8.1 million vehicles were registered with the Dept. �4.6 million Motorcycles and 1.1 million three-wheelers were registered at the Department. 80% of the total registrations were personal vehicles,� he said. more..

Jul 9 (TM) In the wake of the terror threats in India, SL law enforcement authorities assured that the country is on high alert since last year�s Easter Sunday terror attacks and that all necessary security measures have already been put in place countrywide to prevent any similar attack in the future. Police Media Spokesman SSP Jaliya Senaratne said that all necessary security measures have been taken by law enforcement authorities not specifically because of terror threats in India, more..

Jul 9 (Island) Senior police officers may have been involved in covering up the true story of the fatal accident caused by Test cricketer Kusal Mendis, informed sources said. Mendis� Rs. 44 million Range Rover knocked a 64-year-old man on his way to work in a bicycle in Panadura. In fatal accidents, usually the accused is remanded for 14 days but there has been a growing trend followed by Police to let politicians, their sons, more..

Jul 9 (FT) In Serendib here, I plead once more with our leaders and policymakers to continue to follow the current wise course of focusing on targeted, focused, non-panic driven attention to COVID-19, realising it is not the ultimate version of the Grim Reaper in terms of any objective global statistics, neither where locked down or not. And we need a functioning economy and society to have a functioning healthcare system, so compassion for our people mandates we continue to more..

Jul 9 (FT) Democracy may be a word familiar to most, but it is a concept still misunderstood and misused at a time when dictators, single-party regimes, and military coup leaders alike have asserted popular support by claiming the mantle of democracy. Late Robert Mugabe comes to mind. Some may say Donald Trump is not far off if one considers his governance style! Amongst much touted developed countries, Singapore is a good example of a country which claimed to be more..

Jul 9 (Island) Former TNA MP S. Sritharan said the ITAK-led grouping needed at least 20 seats in the next Parliament to represent the Tamil community in a meaningful way. The TNA contests Northern and Eastern electoral districts. The ex-lawmaker was addressing a public gathering in Kilinochchi. The TNA parliamentary group in the last parliament had 16 members; two of them later distanced themselves from the group. Denying allegations that the TNA hadn�t served the northern masses, more..

Jul 9 (DM) PM Mahinda Rajapaksa said he ruled out the possibility of leasing out the Mattala International Airport to India when he visited Indian PM Narendra Modi earlier. He said this while addressing a recent election rally. �The Mattala Airport is located in my home district. I cannot lease it out. I told this to the Indian PM when I met him,� he said. The airport was constructed during the 2010/2015 govt, led by Mr. Rajapaksa when he was the Prez, with US$ 210 million Chinese loan. more..

Jul 9 (EN) Sri Lanka has slashed policy rate 100 basis points bringing the rate at which money is injected to the banking system at 5.5% and the rate at which excess money is withdrawn to 4.5%. �The spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted near term growth prospects globally, while available indicators for SL also suggest that economic growth is likely to have been severely affected during 2nd quarter of 2020,� more..

Jul 9 (CT) The Central Bank should appoint an Ombudsman to hear and address the issues of entrepreneurs who have suffered due to the COVID-19 pandemic and provide a facility to get the working capital loans at four per cent concessionary interest rates, said Minister Wimal Weerawansa. The Central Bank has allocated Rs 150 billion to provide the loans. He was speaking at the launch of a report on the impact of COVID-19 on small and medium-sized businesses in Colombo recently. more..

Jul 9 (AD) 298 Sri Lankans who were stranded in the United Arab Emirates due to COVID-19 induced travel restrictions have been repatriated. The group were flown back to Sri Lanka from Dubai on a special SriLankan Airlines flight, which landed at the Mattala International Airport this morning. The group included 13 young children. The Lankans had been employed in the UAE. All passengers were subjected to PCR tests upon their arrival at the airport. more..

Jul 9 (DN) The 12 officers of the Police Narcotic Bureau (PNB), who were arrested on drug trafficking charges, were ordered to be remanded till July 21 by Colombo Chief Magistrate Lanka Jayarathne. When the case was taken up before the court, Deputy Solicitor General Dileepa Peiris appearing on behalf of the AG�s Dept informed the Magistrate that another five PNB officers and three civilians have been held by the CID more..

Jul 9 (EN) Sri Lanka will call for international bids to buy four used helicopters for the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) to train pilots for Peacekeeping Missions. Co-Cabinet spokesman Romesh Pathirana said, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on behalf of the Ministry of Defense had sought Cabinet approval to make the purchase. Currently the SLAF uses two 1981 helicopters to train Pilot Officers. �SL Air Force units are currently on peacekeeping missions in Sudan and Central Africa. more..

Jul 9 (AD) It has been proposed to the Cabinet of Ministers to provide a reduction of 25% on the electricity bills of consumers for the months of March, April, and May. However, this relief will only be applicable for bills that have used between 0 to 90 units per month. In addition, a grace period of 3 months will also be provided to pay off the discounted bill. Minister Bandula Gunawardena stated that the aforementioned proposal was submitted to the recent Cabinet meeting. more..

Jul 9 (AD) 56 persons from the Kandakadu Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre and a female counselor employed at the center have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, COVID-19. Prior to being transferred to the Welikada Prison, the recently COVID-19 infected inmate had been detained at the Kandakadu Rehabilitation Centre for 3 months. Accordingly, 450 inmates and staff at the Rehabilitation Center had been more..

Jul 9 (EN) SL�s forex reserves have recovered to US$ 6.7 billion in June from US$ 6.49 billion in May helped with purchases in the market and rupee-dollar swaps amid import restrictions. SL�s rupee collapsed to close to 200 to the US dollar after a spike in private credit in March fired by liquidity injections and a panic-inducing flexible exchange rate where interventions are minimized after printing money allowing the peg to fall and panic importers into an early covering of bills. more..

Jul 9 (AD) Election Commission says only the vehicles carrying candidates are permitted to display promotional slogans, signs, stickers with photographs and flags. Accordingly, promotional materials of election candidates displayed on other private vehicles including private buses and three-wheelers will be removed forthwith, Chairman of the EC Mahinda Deshapriya said. Police have been instructed to conduct random search patrols covering all police areas in this regard. more..

Jul 9 (MFA) Sri Lanka says the United Nations must fully respect the principle of sovereign equality in its interactions with member states. In a written Statement to the United Nations Security Council Open Debate on Peace Operations and Human Rights, the Sri Lankan delegation said UN as the largest global body that is committed to ensure the rights of every human being should always remain impartial. more..

Jul 9 (AD) Cabinet has granted its approval to upgrade Gampaha Wickramarachchi Ayurvedic Institute as a fully-fledged university. The relevant proposal was tabled by the Minister of Higher Education, Technology and Innovations during the recent meeting of Cabinet ministers. Gampaha Wickramarachchi Ayurvedic Institute, which is currently affiliated to the University of Kelaniya under the UGC, offers undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in Ayurveda and allied sciences. more..

Jul 9 (DN) The SLFP, which was once one of the most powerful political parties in the country, has now suffered a serious setback due to weak leadership, Matale District SLFP Organiser Kusumsiri Ariyarathna said. He was speaking at a media briefing. �The SLPP was able to claim a landslide victory at last year�s Prez Election because we all worked together. But, at present, ministers and other members of the SLPP are relentlessly criticising us SLFPers,� he said. more..

Jul 9 (DM) Twelve more SL migrant workers in Middle Eastern countries have died due to COVID-19 during last three weeks, increasing the death toll to 35. By June 19, there were twenty three COVID-19 deaths of Sri Lankans who were working in Middle Eastern countries. According to the Spokesperson of the SLFEB, the deaths have been reported from UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and Lebanon. more..

Jul 9 (DN) A new development programme has been prepared to be implemented soon after the General Election to create more job opportunities for unemployed youth, PM Mahinda Rajapaksa said. Speaking at a public meeting in Kurunegala on Tuesday, he said massive development projects will be launched to expand irrigation facilities for farmers countrywide. The PM said well-equipped tourist zones will be set up in Kurunegala and Dambulla areas to develop the Tourism industry. more..