Aug 4 (TM) Although several parties have criticised the lifting of the ban imposed on five Islamic organisations following the Easter Sunday terror attacks of 2019, Govt is not ready to reconsider its decision as of now. The ban on United Thowheeth Jama�ath (UTJ), Ceylon Thowheeth Jama�ath (CTJ), SL Thowheeth Jama�ath (SLTJ), All Ceylon Thowheeth Jama�ath (ACTJ), and Jamiyathul Ansaari Sunnathul Mohomadiya (JSM) more..

Aug 4 (DM) Four people were killed and another four injured following an accident in the Tambuttegama police area this morning. They said a van travelling from Kurunegala to Anuradhapura had crashed onto a truck that was about to park on the side of the road while it was driving in the same direction. The van hit the back of the truck. Eight people in the van were admitted to the Tambuttegama hospital with injuries, and later four of them (two women (36, 43) and two men (26, 46)) died. more..

Aug 4 (TM) Claiming that he has received death threats for revealing various irregularities with regard to pharmaceutical drugs, SJB MP Dr. Kavinda Jayawardhana said that he intends to lodge a complaint with the CID and inform the relevant authorities regarding the same. He claimed that drug-related irregularities involving both the public and private sectors have been taking place in the country over the past few decades, but that many people hesitate to speak out due to their more..

Aug 4 (TM) The CEB stated that the prevailing drought situation in many parts of the country has not had a serious impact on hydro-power generation and that therefore, there is no immediate need for power cuts. Several parts of the country such as Ampara, Hambantota, Monaragala, Anuradhapura, and Kurunegala are currently experiencing extreme dry weather. When queried regarding the ongoing drought more..

Aug 4 (FT) Addressing the recent Bar Association Convention in Nuwara Eliya, Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe highlighted the need for Sri Lanka to be in readiness for the forthcoming Financial Action Task Force (FATF) assessment on the country as its ratings on the degree of compliance by the country will be crucial for it to attract investors. The FATF leads global action to tackle money laundering, terrorist and proliferation financing. The 39-member body sets int'l standards to more..

Aug 4 (FT) Sri Lanka�s economy has been facing significant challenges for a few years, making effective management of expenses for businesses an absolute necessity. In the first quarter of 2023, SL�s economy contracted by 11.5%, indicating an ongoing financial crisis. Despite the stability created in supply chains and improvement in foreign exchange reserves, SL continues to grapple with multiple economic issues, due to currency depreciation and inflationary pressures. more..

Aug 4 (EN) Shares close up high on Friday after buying interest was stimulated through senses of economic stabilization, an analyst said. The main ASPI was up 0.44% or 51.17 points to 11,633.51, this is the highest the market has been since Feb 18, while S&P SL20 was up 0.48% or 16.38 points to 3,406.05. �The economy has channeled some stability and some recovery, resulting in buying power for the banking sector, capital, food and tourism sector,� an analyst said. more..

Aug 4 (AD) Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa says Mihintale Rajamaha Viharaya�s outstanding electricity bill to the tune of Rs. 4.1 million has been settled. The leader of SJB slammed the govt for disconnecting the power supply to the sacred area of Mihintale for non-payment of electricity tariffs. It is reported that CEB disconnected the power supply to the area after prior notice. Premadasa said the main opposition managed to settle the Rs. 4.1 million in arrears more..

Aug 4 (DM) Former JVP Provincial Council member Nalin Hewage said the CEB informed him in reply to an RTI filed by him that MP Namal Rajapksa has still not paid the electricity bill due for his wedding in 2019. He said that he filed an RTI to get it confirmed whether Rajapaksa had paid the Rs. 2.6 million electricity bill due for his wedding after he learned that Namal had still not paid the bill. �I said during a TV show several months ago more..

Aug 4 (AD) The Laugfs Gas PLC has also decided not to revise the prices of domestic liquefied petroleum (LP) gas cylinders. This means that a 12.5kg domestic gas cylinder will be sold at Rs. 3,690 and a gas cylinder weighing 5kg at Rs. 1,476 in the month of August as well. Similarly, earlier today, the Litro Gas Company announced that the prices of liquefied petroleum (LP) gas cylinders will not be increased today despite the price hike in the world market. more..

Aug 4 (AD) Dr. P.A. Kiriwandeniya, the founder of Sanasa Movement, has been appointed as the Chancellor of Wayamba Uni. The appointment was made by Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe. Accordingly, Dr. Kiriwandeniya will be in office as Wayamba Uni�s chancellor for a period of five years with immediate effect. Dr. Kiriwandeniya graduated from the Uni of Sri J'pura in 1965 and was awarded a Doctorate from Uni of Ruhuna for yeoman services rendered by him to uplift cooperative movement in SL. more..

Aug 4 (EN) Over a period of five years, SL spent less than 1% of its import bill on the 327 goods on which import restrictions were recently lifted. State Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya said that a further 300 items will see their import restrictions lifted in September. �We�re always talking about negative growth. For economic growth to be positive, for the economy to expand, a country needs free trade, particular free int'l trade,� more..

Aug 4 (PMD) The govt intends to re cultivate 11,000 acres of abandoned paddy lands before the end of this year in order to prepare for a potential food crisis, State Minister of Agriculture Mohan Priyadarshana De Silva said. The State Minister pointed out that the program for harvesting abandoned paddy lands is being implemented through the Dept of Agrarian Development, and the govt has allocated Rs.420 million for this purpose. He expressed these views today (03) during more..

Aug 4 (PMD) Indo-SL Joint Project Monitoring Committee has taken a decisive step towards the implementation of the SL Unique Digital Identity (SL-UDI) � a crucial milestone in the country�s digitization drive. During a meeting at the Presidential Secretariat today (04), key stakeholders, including Chief of Presidential Staff, Sagala Ratnayaka, State Minister of Technology, Kanaka Herath, Indian High Commissioner, Gopal Bagle, and First Secretary of Indian HC, more..

Aug 4 (ST) It has been hard not to feel sorry for Indian PMs and SL Prezs ahead of bilateral meetings over the past 10 years or so. The last item on every agenda has almost certainly been the fisheries issue and how to solve it? Illegal fishing by Tamil Nadu trawlers in SL waters remains the only issue between the two states that stubbornly refuses to go away. The central reason this fisheries issue persists is that a direct solution to the problem lies outside the purview of Indian PMs more..

Aug 4 (EN) SL�s authorities will commence accepting applications for the country�s new consolidated welfare scheme Aswesuma for 2024 as soon as appeals and objections are reviewed, State Minister of Finance Shehan Semasinghe said. Semasinghe said that preliminary work is being done on the appeals and objections received by Divisional Secretaries. A statement from PMD said that 1,280,000 families receiving benefits from the existing Samurdhi welfare more..

Aug 4 (CT) Leader of TPA, MP Mano Ganesan, claimed that Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe is skillfully creating divisions within the SLPP and he anticipates some colourful events in the coming months. Ganesan said, they will support the govt that backs their policies despite showing allegiance to SJB. He stated that they observed the SLPP gradually resurfacing after a period of seclusion last year during more..

Aug 4 (Island) Govt had increased the price of fuel to enable Sinopec, China�s leading int'l petroleum company to maximise profit, Convenor of the SJB trade union wing, Samagi Joint Trade Union Alliance, Ananda Palitha, alleged. Palitha said that the first consignment of fuel was brought in by Sinopec on 30 July. This had 95 octane petrol and super diesel, he said. The second consignment contained 92 octane petrol. �On 30 July, we raised the price of 92 Octane petrol by Rs 20 to Rs 348. more..

Aug 4 (TM) Bureau of Rehabilitation stated that it is regularly monitoring the social environments of nearly 20,000 individuals including more than 12,000 former LTTE fighters and 8,000 drug addicts, who have undergone rehabilitation from the post-war period to date. Commissioner General of Rehabilitation Maj. Gen. (Rtd.) Darshana Hettiarachchi said that the bureau had rehabilitated and socialised more than 12,000 former LTTE fighters during the post-war period. more..

Aug 4 (DM) While Sri Lanka has secured the bid to host a prestigious travel awards show in Colombo, the officials visiting Sri Lanka to discuss the event had been greeted by unmanned service counters at the BIA. This was revealed by State Tourism Minister Diana Gamage who welcomed the officials representing the World Travel Awards, who are here to discuss hosting the grand finale in Colombo in December. more..

Aug 4 (TM) Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) appointed to investigate the causes of economic bankruptcy in the country and make appropriate recommendations has requested uni teachers in the field of economics to determine the factors they believe affected the economic downturn and propose appropriate methods of obtaining the relevant information in this regard. PSC Chairman and Govt MP Sagara Kariyawasam said that the PSC had a fruitful discussion with a group more..

Aug 4 (FT) SL�s recent decision to either temporarily ban or restrict palm oil cultivation has attracted significant attention both domestically and internationally. As a result, Asian Palm Oil Association (APOA), a multilateral body representing the industry across India, Bangladesh, Nepal, SL & Pakistan, has expressed concerns about the significant negative impact of these policy decisions for SL. These concerns were raised formally by the APOA with Prez Wickremesinghe, recently. more..

Aug 4 (DM) Former Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne said there are guidelines to be followed when unapproved drugs are being imported. "Earlier, this was not done in an ad-hoc manner, on the whims of the Minister and the CEO. We followed a guideline, which was followed until 2021," he said. "In 2020 there were 414 requests for Waivers of Registration, out of which 185 were approved and 183 were rejected by an expert committee," he added. The same procedure was followed more..

Aug 4 (AM) In a recent incident, a Sri Lankan lady living in the UK encountered a distressing situation while attempting to extend her Sri Lankan tourist visa. The process at the Department of Immigration had been smooth and efficient until she reached the payment counter. According to the lady's tweet, the officer at the payment counter began behaving inappropriately, repeatedly asking for her number and insisting on chatting through WhatsApp. The situation escalated when he inquired more..

Aug 4 (Reuters) Sri Lanka�s inflation rate, which dropped to single digits for the first time in months in July, may still face headwinds from rising water, food and energy prices, analysts say, in a challenge for a crisis-hit country seeking to foster growth. Inflation has dropped sharply in recent months from the 69% hit last September, partly due to the statistical base effect, but also due to a stronger currency and better harvests. more..

Aug 4 (CT) Colombo HC Judge Adithya Patabendige deferred to 10 Nov further hearing of the case, filed against Ven. Galagodaatte Gnanasara Thera, who has been charged with making remarks aimed at heightening racial tensions among different ethnic communities in the country. When the case was called, the accused Buddhist monk was present in Court, while a former News Director of a media institution and a photographer provided evidence on behalf of the Prosecution. more..

Aug 4 (CT) With only four persons, including a Prison guard and three prisoners affected with measles, the Vavuniya Prison would be reopened by around next week, health sources in the Vavuniya District said. Sources said, when contacted for comment, that Medical Officer of Health (MOH) had taken immediate action to vaccinate all prisoners above 21 years with Measles Mumps and Rubella Vaccine (MMR) vaccine as soon as a Prison officer who had been suffering from fever and more..

Aug 4 (Island) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe can start the process of seeking a new mandate only by the end of July 2024, FPC member and MP Prof. G.L Peiris says. He said that a prez who was elected by the people could seek a fresh mandate four years after his or her election, but a president elected by Parliament was without that right. Wickremesinghe had been elected by parliament, and therefore he had to more..

Aug 4 (DM) The govt continued to maintain the public service despite suggestions to make a reduction in the cadre of the public sector, PM Dinesh Gunawardena said while speaking at the National Integration Participatory Development Programme, Aluth Gamak- Aluth Ratak held at the Moneragala District Secretariat. "There were various proposals to reduce the number of public servants. But, we didn't do that. We need to get the country out of this difficult situation. more..

Aug 4 (EN) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe has said debt restructuring is matter involving public finances coming under parliament and not courts, and has called opposition groups not to disrupt the process through legal action, a statement said. �Public finance belongs to parliament,� Prez Wickremesinghe was quoted as saying at a forum of coconut farmers on Friday. �This plan has already been approved by parliament. This process will only be halted on the instructions of parliament. more..

Aug 5 (DM) During bilateral discussions between Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe and Indian PM Narendra Modi on July 21, the two sides had agreed to conduct a feasibility study to establish land connectivity between the two countries for developing access to the ports of Trincomalee and Colombo, apart from connectivity in air, maritime, trade and energy domains. The joint statement published on the website of the Indian External Affairs Ministry on the same day did not more..

Aug 5 (DM) A journalistic colleague once said, �In politics, nothing ever happens by chance. It�s the art of distraction.� This was brought forcefully to mind a few days ago. First, we were informed that the price of 92 octane petrol, the type of fuel used by the poorer sections of society, like three-wheel cabs and users of non-luxury vehicles, was being raised by Rs. 20/-. Immediately following this, during the last couple of days, we were regaled by pseudo-patriotic politicians raising a ruckus more..

Aug 5 (TM) Jagath Wellawatte is the current Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Italy. He has faced criticism after he was previously nominated as the High Commissioner of SL to Australia and also when he was appointed as the Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Italy. In an interview with The Daily Morning from Italy, he speaks about the latest allegations of corruption, the officers who were involved, and their ties with Italy. more..

Aug 5 (TM) On 28 July this year (2023), the publication of SL: The Easter Sunday Massacre by Prof. Rohan Gunaratna sent shockwaves throughout the nation and beyond. As an internationally renowned expert who played a pivotal role in the investigations into the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks, his book was eagerly anticipated. However, even before its release, the book was mired in controversy, with admirers praising his contributions while critics scrutinised his every move. more..

Aug 5 (TM) French Prez Emmanuel Macron, who visited Sri Lanka for few hours, held extensive discussions with Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe. During the discussion, it is said, Prez Wickremesinghe expressed admiration for France�s significant role in global affairs, particularly in areas such as climate mitigation, global debt restructuring, and matters related to the Indo-Pacific region. In a Tweet following the discussions, Prez Macron said, more..

Aug 5 (CT) Prof Rohan Gunaratna, self declared authority on terrorism who remains blind to global US-European � Israeli � Hindutva terrorism against Muslims, made a mockery of himself when he warned of ANOTHER Easter Sunday type attack unless there is a programme to rehabilitate those who are linked to the Easter Sunday terror attacks of 2019. He made this observation while launching his book titled SL�s Easter Sunday Massacre: Lessons for the International Community, more..