July 11 (CT) As the country reels from the triumph and shock of the events of July 9, questions have been raised about the arson attack on PM Ranil Wickremesinghe�s Fifth Lane private residence around midnight. It was an uncharacteristic finish to a day filled with triumph and celebratory sentiment, despite brutal baton charges, relentless tear gas attacks and live ammunition the demonstrators faced as they breached the Prez Palace, Secretariat building and also PM�s official residence more..

July 11 (TM) Controversy surrounds the spot tender for Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) that was recently awarded to an Omani gas supplier, Oman Trading Int'l Ltd. (OQ Trading) by the State-owned Litro Gas Lanka for the supply of 280,000 MT of LPG to address the months-long queues to purchase domestic LPG. At last week�s meeting of the COPE that discussed the alleged irregularities during the recent LPG more..

July 11 (ST) As the spark lit by Sri Lanka�s youth flamed into incendiary nation-wide revolt on Saturday, this column is written even as citizens breach the gates of Prez Rajapaksa�s official residence in Fort, swarm within its premises and shout their now famous rallying cry, Gota, go home from its rooftops where once, not long ago, snipers guarded points of entry. A sea of troops and police using tear gas together with live ammunition could not stop thousands streaming to Colombo, more..

July 11 (ST) If the knives are out for PM, it was only to be expected. Surrounded by a predatory pack into whose lair he had willingly gone, first blood was drawn when the first stab was made on Wednesday by a political novice to the game. In other words, Ranil had asked for it. He was given his comeuppance when first time cabinet minister billionaire Dhammika Perera demanded his immediate resignation as the Finance Minister & damned him as a Minister of no plans more..

Jul 11 (Island) So, the inevitable happened on Saturday. Prez Rajapaksa has said he will resign on Wednesday. In 2019, he rode the crest of a wave of popularity to secure the coveted presidency by polling a whopping 6.9 million votes, and, together with his elder brother Mahinda, steered the SLPP to victory at the parliamentary polls in 2020. Their party obtained 145 seats and mustered a two-thirds majority by engineering crossovers. He then had all executive powers of the presidency more..

Jul 11 (Island) It cannot be gainsaid that corruption, gross mismanagement of funds and weak control systems are the root causes of most financial crises faced by nations where foreign currency has been siphoned off to tax havens around the world that welcome ill-gotten wealth. Dubious methods are used to obtain commissions or divert allocated funds from planned or on-going projects and circumvent anti-money laundering and due diligence controls to park the funds in jurisdictions more..

Jul 11 (TM) Railway Department General Manager Dhammika Jayasundara had instructed the staff of the Railway Dept to suspend train services on 9 July, on the instructions received by Ministry of Defence under Prez Rajapaksa, and Ministry of Transport. Sources in the Railway Dept said that on 8 July, Jayasundara had informed railway stations islandwide to suspend the operation of trains on 9 July based on instructions more..

Jul 11 (ST) Public protesters stormed the Galle Fort ramparts defying an arbitrary police ban to demand the resignation of SL�s Prez and PM against the backdrop of a debilitating economic crisis. Police and army patrols could not prevent the massive crowd from storming in. Hundreds of people with anti-Govt posters and banners climbed up the fortress while others shouted slogans in front of the Galle Int'l Cricket stadium joining the island-wide protest which was launched yesterday more..

Jul 11 (CT) The 9th of July 2022 will go down in history. Driven to desperation, millions of SL citizens converged in Colombo and other main cities around the country on Saturday, in a final push to send Prez Rajapaksa home. Armed with just national flags as well as an unwavering determination and an iron-clad will to see an end to the burgeoning economic crisis, which has plunged the country into deepest depths of bankruptcy, the ordinary people � of all walks of life � stormed the Prez�s House, more..

Jul 11 (ST) Investment Promotion Minister Dhammika Perera this week urged Cabinet to defer a memorandum that sought approval to issue regulations�which are already 10 years overdue�requiring casino operators to be licensed and supervised. Mr Perera, popularly deemed Sri Lanka�s biggest casino operator (although he has claimed the businesses were run by his brothers), wanted the paper delayed on the argument more..

Jul 11 (TM) The Centre for the Workers� Struggle, a multi-sectoral collection of trade unions, announced yesterday (10) that it would engage in a hartal today (11) and tomorrow (12), and that further trade union action will be taken if it is understood that Prez Rajapaksa will not resign this Wednesday (13) as promised. �We have called for a hartal tomorrow (11) and the day after (12). We will monitor his actions and if more conspiracies unfold, the sectors of banking, electricity, more..

Jul 11 (FT) US Ambassador Julie Chung in a statement called on all political parties to ensure democratic transition of power. Full text: The US is closely following the ongoing political developments here in SL, where thousands of people of all backgrounds have taken to the streets to demand accountability, transparency, and a better future for all Sri Lankans. This is a fragile and substantial moment in SL�s history, and we urge restraint and respect from all directions to allow more..

Jul 11 (DM) Claiming that the struggle should not be given up even after the resignation of Prez and PM, JVP said today it should continue until a new govt is formed with a new mandate to reap the true benefit of the victory. JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva siad that the objective of the struggle was not only the removal of the President and the PM, but it was aimed at making a system change through a transformation of the 74-year- old failed economic, political and social system. more..

Jul 11 (FT) CID took over the investigations into the arson attack on PM Ranil Wickremesinghe�s private residence in Colombo after three suspects were taken in custody over the incident. The investigation continued as Bar Association of SL and SJB joined other groups in condemning the attack on the PM�s private residence which left the house burnt to the ground. An adjoining property belonging to a relative of Wickremesinghe too was damaged by the attackers. more..

Jul 11 (CI) SL's experienced Test batters and their newest member combined to earn them a handy lead on the third day in Galle as they aim to square the two-Test series. Dinesh Chandimal made his 13th Test hundred and Kamindu Mendis marked his debut with an innings full of classy touches, the pair joining for a fifth-wicket stand of 133, to ensure Australia endured a long day in the field. Overall, SL's batters from No.2 to No.6 more..

Jul 11 (EN) SL�s official remittances were down 42% from a year earlier US$ 274.1 million, with money being channeled to traditional gross settlement systems, with the credibility of a pegged exchange rate being lost. Sri Lanka usually gets around 500 to 600 million US dollars a month through official channels. Around May 2021 the central bank started to enforce a non-credible peg at 199.50 to the US dollar and by August 2021 parallel exchange rates started to develop in the official market. more..

Jul 11 (AD) Indian High Commission in Colombo has categorically denied speculative reports in sections of media and social media about India sending troops to SL. These reports and such views are also not in keeping with the position of the Govt of India, High Commission said in a statement. Spokesperson of Ministry of External Affairs of India clearly stated today that India stands with the people of SL as they seek to realize their aspirations for prosperity and progress through democratic more..

Jul 11 (CI) Sometimes you bat pretty much all day, and people will still say you struggled. An early trigger warning here. If you're a Dinesh Chandimal fan, you might not like the next few paragraphs. But stay with it, we will make it worth your time. Until he got past about 70, roughly 140 balls into his innings, it did not seem like Chandimal was playing well. He was scoreless for six balls, until he decided he had had enough. more..

Jul 11 (AD) Social media reports claiming that a large number of troops are heading to the Galle Face protest site are false, says Chief of Defence Staff General Shavendra Silva. He says this is a fake video which has been created by someone to achieve different motives. Meanwhile the Indian High Commission in Colombo today categorically denied speculative reports in sections of media and social media about India sending troops to SL. These reports & such views are also not in keeping more..

Jul 11 (DM) While condemning the attack on a group of journalists and the torching of the personal residence of PM Ranil Wickremesinghe, National Movement for Social Justice Chairman Karu Jayasuriya called for those responsible to be brought before the law regardless of their status or standing. He said in a statement that both these incidents are abhorrent and contemptible acts in the eyes of any civilised society. �We are deeply shocked & saddened by 2 barbaric incidents more..

Jul 11 (FT) Bar Association of SL (BASL) yesterday called for the smooth and prompt transition of power to a new Prez and Govt and requested all parties concerned not to delay the process of transition. �We call upon the present Prez, PM, leaders of all political parties and MPs to understand the gravity of this situation. They have an obligation by the people to ensure that the transition is smooth,� BASL President Saliya Pieris PC said. He said such a process is important for the stability more..

Jul 11 (Reuters) Pope Francis on Sunday told the leaders of Sri Lanka not to ignore the cry of the poor and the needs of the people, and appealed for peace in the Asian country. Frustration with the economic crisis boiled over on Saturday in SL, when a huge crowd of protesters stormed the presidential palace and forced the president to agree to resign. Speaking from St. Peter�s square for his Sunday Angelus message, the Pope expressed solidarity with the people of Sri Lanka who he said more..

Jul 11 (CI) No team is ever going to get their use of reviews perfect, but sometimes you are left feeling some errors more than others. For Australia that most famously happened in the 2019 Ashes Test against England at Headingley when they wasted their final review, only to then see Ben Stokes given not out with two needed to win when it would have been overturned. Australia have been through a variety of processes to try and find the best decision-makers when it comes to reviews, but more..

Jul 11 (AD) The ship carrying 3,700 metric tonnes of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) has arrived in the island this afternoon. Presidential Secretariat had earlier said the shipment will arrive this afternoon and unloading will start immediately. Issuing a statement, it had said that a second shipment of 3,740 metric tonnes of LP Gas is scheduled to arrive in the country today. Prez Rajapaksa has instructed officials to expedite unloading and distribution of gas after the first ship reaches Kerawalapitiya more..

Jul 11 (FT) Dumbfounding constitutional pundits, the largely peaceful protestors in hundreds of thousands inspired by the three-month old Aragalaya on Saturday forced Prez Rajapaksa and PM Wickremesinghe to announce their resignations. Defying shortage of fuel and public transport, anti-Rajapaksa people countrywide took to the street on Saturday and converged at GotaGoGama at Galle Face and Fort area more..

Jul 11 (TM) Speaker of Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena has convened another party leaders� meeting to be held this afternoon (11), even as five Cabinet Ministers have already announced their resignations following the massive people�s demonstrations last Saturday (9). The Speaker�s office confirmed yesterday (10) that an all party leaders� meeting is scheduled for this afternoon. An emergency meeting was convened last Saturday evening, which included PM Ranil more..

Jul 11 (EN) Prez Rajapaksa has officially informed PM Wickremesinghe that he will resign as previously announced, PM�s office said. Previously, Speaker of Parliament said that Prez Rajapaksa had informed him that he would be stepping down on Wednesday July 13. Saturday July 09 saw protestors storm Rajapaksa�s official residence demanding his resignation. Speaker said in a statement that evening that he had informed Rajapaksa of a decision reached at a party leaders� meeting more..

Jul 11 (DM) In the aftermath of the struggle, the political parties - the ten-party alliance, SJB, SLFP and the independent group of SLPP- met yesterday and decided to push for the nomination of MP Dullas Alahapperuma and Opposition Leader as Prez and PM of the proposed all-party govt. The representatives of these parties met at the residence of SJB MP Thalata Athukorale in Colombo. SJB, as the main opposition, was represented by more..

Jul 11 (DM) The 1990 Suwa Seriya Ambulance Service announced that they have suspended the emergency ambulance service in 14 districts due to the current fuel shortage. While publishing a notice, they said the service was suspended from 4.00 pm yesterday. Therefore, the Suwa Seriya Ambulance Service announced that their service will not be available in the areas in the following districts due to the fuel shortage. They appealed to the public to refrain from calling 1990 and request more..

Jul 11 (EN) SL has paid for two fuel ships which are scheduled to arrive in a few days and part payments have been made for another, Minister Kanchana Wijesekera. A shipment that was scheduled to arrive on July 09th had been delayed due to bad weather conditions and is set to arrive on July 15, the minister said in a Tweet. �Cargo scheduled to arrive on the 9th was delayed due to weather conditions & could not be loaded on time & the supplier has communicated the departure from India more..

Jul 11 (FT) Saturday (9), was a moment of truth for our people. In coming together to Colombo in an unmistakable show of force, Sri Lankans brought to life the words of Albert Einstein that in the midst of every crisis lies great opportunity. SL has never faced a crisis of this magnitude, but I have no doubt that if our people can unite and remain singularly focused on the goal of saving our country, together, we will prevail. The whole country just came together to make clear that enough is enough. more..

Jul 11 (FT) Two weeks ago, PM and Finance Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe told Parliament and the country that SL�s economy had collapsed. This was widely quoted in local as well as foreign media. Probably, he had been asking for forgiveness for his failure because he was not able to deliver anything that he had promised, or his close supporters had expected of him. But he had valid economic reasons to make that assertion which had started long before he assumed the Premiership. more..

Jul 11 (AD) Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa says that the mandate of the SLPP govt including the Prez and PM is now over and that they are prepared to give leadership to the country. He said that the opposition is ready to stabilize the country and to build the country�s economy. �They got together and finished destroying this beautiful motherland. We in the opposition are ready to stabilize the country more..

Jul 11 (AD) A fuel bowser has reportedly toppled in the Panketiya area on the Badulla-Colombo main road. Police stated that the accident had occurred this morning (11) while it is also reported that it has caused a fuel leak in the bowser. A large quantity of fuel had leaked out of the bowser. Also, the driver of the bowser who was injured in the accident has been admitted to Panketiya Hospital. Haputale Police is conducting further investigations regarding the incident. more..

Jul 11 (CI) SL have been hit with another Covid-19 case after opener Pathum Nissanka tested positive, taking the number of players since the start of the Australia series to six. "He was found to be positive during an Antigen test conducted on the player yesterday morning, following the player complaining of feeling unwell," an SLC said. "A PCR test carried out later in the day confirmed the result. Nissanaka was immediately isolated in a different hotel upon identification; will undergo covid protocols." more..