Aug 18 (TM) On Tuesday, Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe announced that the state of emergency, which was imposed on account of the tense situation that prevailed for months and is due to end at the end of this week if not extended, would not be extended. He stated that this is due to the fact that the country�s situation has returned to normalcy. In a context where the state of emergency has remained the centre of several controversial arrests made during the said period, more..

Aug 18 (ST) Nuwan was present for an interview as he had applied for a Postgraduate Degree programme, while I was there as a member of the interview panel. It�s customary to ask questions about the educational and professional background of the candidates. I asked him: �What are you doing?� He answered: �I am a Development Officer.� I asked him again: �Where are you working as a Development Officer?� He named a particular govt school in Western Prov, as his place of work. more..

Aug 18 (Island) Speculation is rife that former Prez Rajapaksa is planning to return to SL. The question, however, is not whether he is coming, but what he is doing overseas. Anti-govt protesters who engineered his ouster called upon him to go home; they did not ask him to flee the country. Interestingly, they themselves have gone back home! Gotabaya certainly helped defuse tensions by leaving the country in the aftermath of 9 July uprising, without ordering a military crackdown on protests, more..

Aug 18 (FT) ITAK Leader Mavai Senathirajah said Tamils will only invest in SL with confidence if the Govt of Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe is able to provide an acceptable political solution to the ethic problem relating to the country�s Tamil people. Commenting on the Govt�s decision to delist six organisations and 361 persons of concern from its terror list, Senathirajah said while it is commendable that the ban has been lifted, it can be assured it has done so in a bid to attract investments and more..

Aug 18 (TM) Reforming the public sector is a topic that never fails to be discussed in election manifestos, at panel discussions of eminent economists, and in occasional news columns. However, meaningful reforms remain as elusive as dollars in the market today. Reforms have long been stagnating at the discussion stage, without attempts to reach the implementation stage. But today, the process is moving forward. more..

Aug 18 (Roar) Last week � after many months of schools not being considered essential services � Govt of SL made the decision to restart schools across our crisis-hit nation, with the promise that school vans will receive priority in the fuel queues. Subsequently, Ministry of Education also decided that schools located in areas where students and teachers do not have transportation issues will be open five days a week as usual. With fuel shortages making it impossible to hold physical classes, more..

Aug 18 (Island) Scapegoat, according to the third book of the Torah and of the Old Testament � Leviticus, is the goat that was sent to the wilderness after the Jewish priest had symbolically laid all the sins of the people on it. It looks as if we had done the same to Gota, heaping the sins of his predecessors too on his back, but has it reversed our fortunes? Have we seen the green shoots of recovery of our economy with his exile? Aragalaya, which started as a peaceful protest more..

Aug 18 (FT) SJB stressed on an urgent and critical need for SL to enter into a program of structured reforms to navigate a course away from bankruptcy. SJB MP Kabir Hashim averred State sector reforms are a bitter pill to swallow, and challenged any party or person with a workable alternate plan to present such a solution. He added the SLPP has often given leadership to pseudo-leftist camps under various guises, promoting violence and racism more..

Aug 18 (Island) Wesley College opening batsman Anuga Pahansara bowed out of the ongoing Under 17 Division I Limited Overs Tournament as the highest scorer when his team were knocked out by St. Peter�s at the pre-quarter-final hurdle on Tuesday. Pahansara had an aggregate of 381 runs in seven matches when his team were eliminated just three matches behind the title. He had maintained an average above 50 runs and had provided his team with enough runs to more..

Aug 18 (FT) Ministry of Finance, Economic Stabilisation and National Policies has prepared a presentation to update SL�s creditors on the current financial situation. The report, prepared solely for information purposes, said SL authorities have decisively reacted to the unprecedented economic crisis, taking a series of challenging decisions aiming at restoring macroeconomic stability as promptly as possible. From the outset of the crisis, SL has called upon the IMF to provide more..

Aug 18 (Island) The entire govt/ public sector ran on without accountability to their spending on various development projects, despite having a huge number of govt servants, which runs into 1.5 million. That is why the country encounters a huge debt crisis that amounts to US $ 60 bil or Rs 70 tril, Prof. Lakshman R. Watawala said. �Private sector�s accountability is a key area, without accountability we cannot exist. Unfortunately, we don�t see any accountability in govt/public sector. more..

Aug 18 (FT) One of SL�s iconic and most respected cricketers Roshan Mahanama decried the move by the CID to question swimming Gold Medallist Julian Bolling over the burning of the private residence of Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe and non-violent protest by the people in early July. In a tweet, Mahanama said: �Right for speech and expression of your opinion in a peaceful way is our basic human right.� He said �in a society where people turn a blind eye for money, power and personal interest, more..

Aug 18 (TM) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe, addressing the Organistion of Professional Associations (OPA) annual conference and awards ceremony recently, stated that SL has to be transformed into a highly competitive export-oriented economy, stating that there is no other way out. �We are a country of 22 million people. We have to find markets outside. We have to compete with other countries. more..

Aug 18 (FT) The Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO) with One Industry One Voice yesterday welcomed the announcement by President Ranil Wickremesinghe about the likelihood of the State of Emergency being withdrawn by this week. �We are indeed happy to hear that plans are in place not to extend Emergency regulations beyond this weekend. This move will no doubt open the doors for tourism to flourish once again,� SLAITO President Nishard Wijetunga said. more..

Aug 18 (DN) Four member Sri Lanka Badminton team is scheduled to leave today (18) for the World Badminton Championship (WBC) held from August 22 to 28 in Metropolitan Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan. Sri Lankan most experienced shuttler Niluka Karunaratne who took part at Olympics three in a row once again will compete for the men's single event at the Word Championship while doubles pair Buwaneka Gunathileka and Sachin Dias for the first time will take part at the World C'ship. more..

Aug 18 (HRW) Sri Lanka�s economic crisis is driving millions of people into poverty, jeopardizing their rights to health, education, and an adequate standard of living, Human Rights Watch said. SL govt should work with relevant financial institutions and partners to establish a new social protection system and obtain debt relief, adopt measures to ensure fair taxation, and address corruption at highest levels of govt. more..

Aug 18 (Island) Minister Nalin Fernando has revealed that about 30,000 tonnes of rice, imported to meet the shortfall in the market, have been used as animal feed. The disclosure was made at the inaugural meet of the Food Security Committee, yesterday. Among those present were Secretaries to Ministries of Public Administration, Plantation Industries, Fisheries, and Agriculture and Sathosa Chairman. Minister Fernando said that instead of utilising the USD 20 mn, allocated through more..

Aug 18 (DM) The govt of France relaxed the travel advisory to SL, from recommending only essential travel to exercise caution. The update was published by the French govt a day after Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe announced that the state of emergency imposed in the country at present would not be further extended after Aug 18, 2022, as there is no major threat in the country. Given the latest development in the island nation, French govt has recommended its citizens to maintain more..

Aug 18 (TM) Ambassador of the Republic of Korea Santhush Woonjin Jeong said the newly introduced relaxed visa regulations will help to attract more Korean investors to Sri Lanka. Pointing out that Korea was the top investor in Sri Lanka in the 1980s, the Ambassador said his country desires to regain that position by increasing investments. He stated this when he called on PM Dinesh Gunawardena to felicitate him on his appointment as the Premier yesterday (17). more..

Aug 18 (FT) The IUSF will hold a protest against the current Govt in Colombo today. IUSF Convener Wasantha Mudalige said the protest will be held against the Deal Ranil-Rajapaksa Junta in a bid to oust it. �The demand was for Gotabaya Rajapaksa to go. But Ranil Wickremesinghe who is currently protecting the Rajapaksa�s must also be ousted. He must be removed from the Presidency,� Mudalige said. �Wickremesinghe should not feel pleased about the protestors packing up and leaving more..

Aug 18 (Island) The CEB General Manager has forwarded a draft agreement to the Ministry of Finance recommending that exclusive rights be granted to a Chinese company for supplying natural gas (regasified LNG) to power plants at Kerawalapitiya and Kelanitissa. The CEB invited international bids in February 2021 for the development of a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) at Kerawalapitiya on build, more..

Aug 18 (CT) An office will be established to look into the issues and aspirations of the diaspora, Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe said. �We must sort out the problems among the ethnic groups and special focus should be given to the diaspora as it is a strength and source of investment,� Wickremesinghe said. Further he spoke of the need to establish an export oriented economy to overcome the economic crisis, noting that the country should no longer be heavily reliant on imports. more..

Aug 18 (EN) Sri Lanka�s central bank said it was holding its policy rates at 15.5%, while data showed market interest rates are close to twice the rate and private credit and imports falling as a consequence. The central bank is injecting 740 billion rupees of overnight money to banks at 15.50 percent, which were originally injected mostly after dollars for imports to keep down rates (sterilized interventions), effectively engaging in monetary financing of imports. more..

Aug 18 (TM) Former SL Ambassador to Russia Udayanga Weeratunga said that if a case is filed in High Court regarding the controversial MiG aircraft deal of 2006, ousted Prez Rajapaksa would be the first respondent in the case in his capacity as the former Secretary of Defence. Weeratunga was summoned to the CID yesterday to record a statement with regard to the purchase of four MiG 27 aircrafts to SL from Ukraine in 2006, more..

Aug 18 (FT) The Govt has kicked off the search for reputed and competent local firms to operate core duty-free shops at Jaffna Int'l Airport (JIA), to revamp its facilities before scheduled flights resume operations. Airport and Aviation Services (SL) Ltd. has called for proposals under national competitive bidding from reputed retail business entities, registered companies, establishments, and proprietorships with experience in the core category of retail operations at airports and ports more..

Aug 18 (DM) The appointment of the new Cabinet will be delayed for another one week due to closed door discussions being underway with the parties on the formation of it. Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa is adamant that his SJB should not team up with the govt. However, some of its MPs insist on the need to take up Cabinet responsibilities. These MPs want to hold ministerial responsibilities instead of heading parliamentary committees proposed to be set up as an initiative by Prez Ranil more..

Aug 18 (DM) Former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa who fled the country last month amidst public protests calling for his resignation, is awaiting to obtain a US Green Card to return back to the United States and settle there with his wife and son. Highly placed sources said that Rajapaksa's lawyers in the United States had already begun the procedure last month for his application to obtain the Green Card as more..

Aug 18 (FT) It was on 31 Aug 2014, on the fortnightly TV show Sithijaya on which I was the talking head for 5 years, that I was the first to publicly urge Anura Kumara Dissanayake to run for Prez. I also argued that the best thing from the perspective of economic development would be for Sajith Premadasa to be UNP leader, candidate and Prez. There was no contradiction. I didn�t expect AKD to win at the imminent election (2015) but urged a strong left alternative and more..

Aug 18 (FT) Advocata Institute�s recently concluded Reset Sri Lanka conference covered numerous areas of necessary reforms across our social and economic landscape. They ranged from reforms in the tax regime to better targeting social safety nets to privatisation and/or restructuring of State-Owned Enterprises. Listening to each of the excellent presentations and panel discussions, there seemed to be one recurrent, underlying thematic root cause across many of these topics. more..

Aug 18 (SLN) SL Navy apprehend 10 individuals, suspected to be on an illegal migration attempt to a foreign country via sea, during a special operation conducted in seas off Kurusapadu, Talaimannar on the night of 16th Aug. SL Navy has been conducting regular operations and patrols covering the sea and coastal areas around the island with the aim of suppressing illegal migration and other forms of illegal activities. In a similar operation, the Inshore Patrol Craft P 175 of SLNS Buwaneka more..

Aug 18 (AD) Five protesters including IUSF convenor Wasantha Mudalige, against whom an arrest warrant was pending, have been arrested during the protest march at Union Place in Colombo. Actor Jehan Appuhami is also among the persons arrested during the protest. The arrests were made after police used water cannons and tear gas to disperse protesting university students who were marching through Town Hall and towards Union Place despite police blockades. more..

Aug 18 (EN) CID has arrested former minister Mervyn Silva for storming the headquarters of the state-owned national television network Rupavahini Corporation in 2007. Police said Silva was arrested at his residence in Pelawatte, Colombo, today. The arrest was made following a directive by the Attorney General, police said. The incident occurred in the first term of then Prez Mahinda Rajapaksa. Silva, more..

Aug 18 (AD) Ministry of Power & Energy states that the imported crude oil shipment is currently in the process of being unloaded. The ship carrying 100,000 metric tonnes of crude oil reached the island on the 13th of Aug. Process of unloading the shipment was scheduled to commence today following the quality sampling. Accordingly, Ministry stated that the Sapugaskanda oil refinery will resume operations this week, after being temporarily closed down due to the crude oil shortage. more..

Aug 18 (DM) SJB General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara today denied reports that he was to cross over to the govt together with a large group of SJB MPs. "I don't intend to shift sides as that kind of thing is not in my book. There was a time when my own party leaders told people not to vote for me and still I did not crossover. I was offered a ministerial portfolio in 2006 yet I declined it," he recalled. "However there is a sinister move to divide the SJB by interested groups. more..

Aug 18 (FT) The people�s protest mass movement known as the Aragalaya or struggle has concluded after 124 days. Gota Go Home protest launched at Galle Face Green on 9 April 2022 came to an end on 11 Aug 2022. The Aragalaya that captured huge media attention during its peak did succeed in its original objective of compelling Prez Rajapaksa to quit. Gota who resigned as president, has been shuttling more..

Aug 18 (DM) With the uncontrollable increase in three-wheeler fares, the All-Island Three-Wheeler Drivers' Union (AITWDU) has increased the three-wheeler fare with immediate effect. AITWDU President Lalith Dharmasekera said fares for the first and 2nd km in a three-wheeler have been increased to Rs. 120 and Rs. 100 from today. Three-wheeler drivers who currently operate through mobile apps and those who do not operate through apps or metres are charging Rs. 250 for their first km. more..