Jul 7 (ST) Colombo International Container Terminals (CICT), whose controlling stake is held by China Merchants Port, has cut the investment it pledged to expand its terminal capacity from US$ 90 million to US$ 60 million. This came after the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) said it could not offer space to extend the pier or for container yard improvement. Cabinet first approved a proposal to expand CICT�s capacity at the Colombo Port with an investment of US$ 90 million in Oct 2020. more..

Jul 7 (ST) Just weeks ahead of a prez election, the contours of SL�s political landscape are fast changing. One area where it is reflected is both in the North and East. Prompting new developments is the aftermath of the death of Rajavarothiyam Sampanthan, the modern-day father figure in Tamil politics. The immediate result has been the fight for succession. A section wants to ensconce Abraham Sumanthiran, now spokesperson, more..

Jul 8 (DM) The 1940s and 1950s are often considered the Golden Era of the LSSP (Lanka Sama Samaja Party). During this period, 70-80% of the trade unions in the country adhered to LSSP politics, with the most prominent being the Govt Clerical Service Union (GCSU), which supported the political struggle of the LSSP. The general strike of 1947 and Hartal (strike) in 1953 were followed by a series of strikes from 1956 to 1964 led by Dr. N.M. Perera and his comrades. more..

Jul 8 (GV) The demise of Rajavarothayam Sampanthan, the senior-most leader who guided Tamil national politics post Mullivaikkal, has deepened the leadership vacuum in Tamil politics. Sampanthan entered the political arena through the ITAK, being inspired by the ethnic liberation politics of S.J.V. Chelvanayagam, and served as the leader of the TNA established with the blessings of LTTE leader Vellupillai Prabhakaran. A staunch believer in non-violent politics, Sampanthan adhered to more..

Jul 8 (DM) In the wake of recent announcements by Minister Kanchana Wijesekera regarding upcoming salary reforms at the State-run utility has found itself in the eye of a storm. The planned introduction of a new salary structure, performance-based incentives, and a revised promotion system has sparked strong criticism from Trade Unions (TUs) and raised serious questions about financial viability of such measures, more..

Jul 8 (ST) Borrowing one of the most enduring questions from the Bard, cynical Sri Lankans may well murmur, methinks the Prez does protest too much? when giving ear to Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe�s painstaking excuses as to why he has no intention of delaying the country�s Prez elections scheduled for later this year. Indeed, his announcement a few days ago to the Chief Prelate of the Ramanna Maha Nikaya that he had officially informed the Elections Commission to hold more..

Jul 8 (DM) Sri Lanka witnessed the passing of another iconic elephant, fondly known as Chandi on the banks of Kaduru Wewa, Galgamuwa on Friday. Villagers gathered to mourn the death of this rather mischievous yet friendly elephant who had been a frequent visitor to many households in the area. Galgamuwa is a village that has been at the receiving end of the human-elephant conflict over the past few years. Even though these remote areas have been elephant habitats, more..

Jul 8 (CT) Following the tragic incident in the heart of Colombo on Tuesday, where two teenagers, from a popular int'l school in Colombo � aged 15 years, fell to their deaths from the 67th floor of the Altair luxury apartment complex, the whole city of Colombo has been left perplexed as to what unfolded in the hours prior to their demise. The Police now suspect it to be an accident after finding several photographs on the mobile phones, more..

Jul 8 (TM) The case of model and actress Piumi Hansamali has been controversial. Many have questions about how she earned money to spend lavishly when in reality she does not seem to be engaged in a stable profession, especially during an economic crisis. She claims that she sells a certain whitening cosmetic product at a price of Rs. 35,000 per pack, and that she has already sold around 25,000 units. According to her, that is the source of her income. more..

Jul 8 (CT) Marking an end to a 14-year wait, Labour Party of the UK has won the recent General Election, unseating the incumbent Rishi Sunak and his Conservative Party. The landmark victory, which put Keir Starmer � the 61-year-old human rights lawyer -turned-politician, who has had a rapid ascent after entering the British Parliament less than a decade ago � is however, in contrast with what is happening elsewhere in Europe, politically speaking. Contrary to Labour Party win UK, in France, more..

Jul 8 (FT) National Chamber of Exporters (NCE) represented SL at the Korea Import Fair from 4 to 6 July at the COEX Exhibition Centre in Seoul. This participation marks a significant milestone, being the NCE�s inaugural involvement in the esteemed fair, and underscores efforts to bolster SL�s presence in the South Korean market. Delegation led by NCE CEO Shiham Marikar, comprised five prominent SL companies, each renowned for their excellence in various sectors. more..

Jul 8 (FT) Meiro, a leading customer data platform, has announced its strategic expansion into the SL market following a successful $ 3 million pre-Series A funding round. This round was led by Southeast Asian venture capital firm Wavemaker Partners, with significant participation from angel investors at Singapore-based Angel Central. With the newly secured funding, Meiro plans to leverage the potential of the SL market, aiming to hire skilled professionals locally to support its growth. more..

Jul 8 (DM) SL School of Agriculture, located in Pelwehera, Dambulla, started around 1980. This school of agriculture has made significant contributions to the advancement of the agricultural sector in the country. Established under the Dept of Agriculture, the school had its first intake of students (numbering 50) for a residential course in the year1980. There are concerns that this academic institute will be sold to a private company, more..

Jul 8 (Island) Sprinter Aruna Dharshana�s qualification for Paris Olympics has ended two decades of wait for a SL sprinter in the 400 metres at the world�s biggest sports event. The 400 metres is arguably the most productive track and field event for SL at the international stage. The 400 metres sprinters have won more international medals for the country than athletes in other disciplines. Yet the country had not witnessed a sprinter run the one lap race at the quadrennial event more..

Jul 8 (ST) There is a demand for SL talent in ports across West Asia and Africa, top officials say. Many former Sri Lankan Ports Authority and shipping line staff were now working in ports all around the world and especially in the aforementioned areas, Rohan Masakorala, CEO of Shippers Academy said. He mentioned that amongst the myriad of issues, the Colombo port is facing, such as global freight cost increases, the Red Sea issue and the latest customs strike, political red tape has also resulted in more..

Jul 8 (CT) Interactions between humans is the core of human mankind and when humans engage above interactions they interfere with some limitations and they always seek for security and stability. Human security was an important theme in the int'l context in the 1990s. It contains mainly seven components and food security is a main component among them, (World Food Summit, 1996.) states that �Food security is defined when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access more..

Jul 8 (Island) Jurisprudence, as a layman like myself would understand, refers to the knowledge of the law � the norms and rules that govern our lives. In legal parlance, it is defined as the branch of philosophy concerned with the law and the principles that guide the judiciary to make the decisions it does. Earth Jurisprudence is an emerging branch of legal philosophy that critiques law from an Earth-centred perspective and proposes new approaches to law, economics, and governance. more..

Jul 8 (TM) Sri Lankan efforts to repatriate around a thousand SL ex-armed forces personnel who have joined the ranks of the Russian Armed forces, has faced a new challenge due to a number of them obtaining Russian citizenship, as per their contracts. A senior govt official close to the ongoing negotiations between Colombo and Moscow to repatriate a number of Sri Lankans engaged in combat in the Ukrainian front, more..

Jul 8 (CT) Leader of the NPP, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, criticised the Govt for imposing heavy burdens on Sri Lankans during the implementation of the IMF programme and restructuring the country�s debt. While acknowledging the Govt�s success in securing postponement of SL�s debt repayments, Dissanayake emphasised that these celebrations masked what he termed as temporary solutions to self-created problems. Speaking at a meeting of medical professionals more..

Jul 8 (Island) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe has put his finger on some factors that have rendered the task of ridding the country of the scourge of narcotics frustratingly difficult. Addressing a group of community police members in Wellawaya, on Saturday, he expressed serious concern about the practice of human rights activists and lawyers rising in defence of drug lords taken into custody. Opinion may be divided on this score, but Prez�s concern undoubtedly resonates with the public, more..

Jul 8 (DM) SL�s bid for the extension of its continental shelf beyond its Exclusive Economic Zone has hit a snag since India has also made overlapping claims prompting both the countries to seek bilateral engagement for the resolution of it, a top source said. SL submitted in May 2009 technical and scientific data and other information to the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf for the establishment of more..

Jul 8 (DN) Dambulla Sixes recorded their first win of the tournament, defeating Colombo Strikers by 8 wickets with 13 balls to spare in their LPL match at Dambulla yesterday. Openers Kusal Janith Perera and Reza Hendrikas set the stage ablaze with a brilliant 154-run partnership, chasing down a target of 186. Kusal blazed his way to 80 runs off just 50 balls, smashing 8 fours and 3 sixes, while Hendrikas played a crucial knock of 54 runs off 39 balls, including 4 fours and 3 sixes. more..

Jul 8 (FT) President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Saturday indicated he has widespread support by claiming he can speak at political platforms across major parties, including UNP, SLPP, and even the main opposition party, SJB. Speaking at an event in Kalutara yesterday, which marked SLPP MP Rohitha Abeygunawardena�s 27th year in politics, Wickremesinghe stated that he can address the gatherings of these 3 parties without opposition. �I can speak at the gatherings of UNP & SLPP. more..

Jun 8 (DN) Tim Seifert scored an unbeaten 82, while all-rounder Isuru Udana took 3 for 30 as Galle Marvels recorded a six-wicket win with 17 balls to spare against Kandy Falcons in their LPL match at Dambulla International Stadium. Seifert, who had scored a century in an earlier game, continued his fine form. Galle Marvels, led by Niroshan Dickwella, chased a target of 176. They made a quick start, achieving the highest Powerplay score ever in LPL history, 89 for 1 in 6 overs. more..

Jul 8 (FT) SLPP founder Basil Rajapaksa has pledged his party�s continued support to Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe. At a ceremony to mark 27 years in politics by SLPP MP Rohitha Abeygunawardena at the Kalutara Public Ground on Saturday, Rajapaksa expressed the party�s support for Prez Wickremesinghe in the best interest of the country. Abeygunawardena is the National Conevenor of SLPP and the event was attended by prominent figures including Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe, more..

Jun 8 (TM) The law regarding cosmetic registrations is not optimal, according to National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA). NMRA Chairman Dr. Ananda Wijewickrama said the law regarding cosmetics was not very sound at the moment. �This is why there are a lot of unregistered products in the market,� he added. According to Dr. Wijewickrama, cosmetic products were previously regulated by the Cosmetics, Devices & Drugs Act (CDDA), more..

Jun 8 (EN) Sri Lanka is engaging with local banks on their sovereign bond holdings, State Minister Shehan Semasinghe said after a deal was struck with foreign investors to restructure bonds. SL has now reached final or in-principle deals with most of the debt with domestic rupee debt completed, bilateral debt also final agreements also being reached as well as the latest deal with foreign investors holding sovereign bonds. However about 15% of the sovereign bonds outstanding more..

Jun 8 (FT) Immigration and Emigration Dept Controller General Harsha Ilukpitiya confirmed that the validity of expired passports cannot be extended by a year following a query to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). �Dept sought clarification from the ICAO regarding the possibility of extending the validity of already expired or nearly expired passports. The ICAO responded, indicating that such extensions could pose problems for individuals at border entry points more..

Jun 8 (TM) Ministry of Education is pursuing the implementation of a programme to offer interest-free loans to students who passed the 2022 GCE A/L Exam. This initiative, which aligns with the 2017 budget proposals, aims to support students who did not qualify for admission to State universities, in order to follow alternative courses of study in private higher education institutions. Under the proposed scheme eligible students may benefit from interest-free loans up to a maximum of Rs. 800,000. more..

Jul 8 (Island) United Front Leader MP Patali Champika Ranawaka yesterday said that there was a political underworld, which suppressed democratic dissent in every conceivable manner. Speaking to journalists soon after visiting former MP Hirunika Premachandra at Welikada Prison, Ranawaka said Hirunika had raised her voice against the govt and become one of the victims of political underworld�s coercion. �We do not criticise the court process that ended with Hirunika being sentenced to jail. more..

Jul 8 (TM) The Acting Attorney General (AG) is to represent the Election Commission (EC) during the hearing of the Fundamental Rights (FR) petition filed by businessman Chamindra Dayan Lenawa, seeking to delay the announcement of the upcoming Presidential Election until the Supreme Court (SC) clarifies the poll date. A five-judge Bench of the SC, headed by the Chief Justice (CJ), Jayantha Jayasuriya, is set to hear more..

Jul 8 (FT) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe and Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha on Saturday handed over digital equipment to several schools in the Southern Province at an event in Galle. Various dignitaries including Ministers Susil Premajayantha and Ramesh Pathirana were also present. These digital equipment were distributed under a grant assistance project by the Government of India (GoI) for the establishment of 200 smart classrooms in the Southern Province. more..

Jul 8 (FT) Standard Chartered Bank�s global research in its latest credit alert, says that Sri Lanka finally sees light at the end of the tunnel following last week�s breakthrough with commercial creditors. It said SL�s authorities and the steering committee, comprising 10 major bondholders, reached an agreement on the core financial terms of the restructuring of Int'l Sovereign Bonds (ISBs). The terms broadly follow the bondholders� April proposal, with key differences including more..

Jul 8 (CT) Over 200 trade unions, representing a large number of services within the State, semi-State, and provincial sectors, have initiated a sick note campaign today (8) and tomorrow (9). These trade unions include the All-Ceylon Public Management Assistant Officers� Association, Development Officers� Service Association, Samurdhi Development Officers� Union, Sri Lanka Grama Niladhari Association and more..

Jul 8 (FT) Aseni, the whiz kid has been alive to the debate over the debt situation of Sri Lanka. Despite her familiarity of the subject as a student of economics and finance, she says that she has not been able to comprehend many arguments presented by those who are pro or against the restructuring of the country�s debt. She turned to her Grandpa, Sarath Mahatthaya, a retired official of the Ministry of Finance, for help. The following is the interaction between the two on the issue. more..

Jul 8 (FT) It was one of my learning partners who gave me a gift after his successful completion of the MBA at the Postgraduate Institute of Management (PIM). That is how I came across the Hidden Potential, a best-selling book by one of my favourite management authors, Prof. Adam Grant. It resonates well with the solutions we seek to untap the potential of SL student community through proposed education reforms. Today�s column reflects on the essence of Hidden Potential. more..