Jul 25 (EN) Sri Lanka’s authorities are targeting and blaming Middle Eastern workers for not sending money through the formal banking system expanding the blame game from the usual scapegoats for forex shortages coming from contradictory money and exchange policies. Undiyal transfers take place because the central bank is creating forex shortages and dollars are not available to people who are armed with excessive rupee created by a soft-pegged central bank. more..

Jul 25 (AD) Minister Kanchana Wijesekera says that the National Fuel Pass will be implemented islandwide from Tuesday (26) in multiple locations at Ceypetco and Lanka IOC filling stations. In a twitter message, he said the system will be in place with the Last Digit of Number Plate until the 1st of August. From the 1st of August, only the QR Code system quota will be in place and the last digit of number plate system and more..

Jul 25 (Island) SL Collective Against Torture (SLACT), a group comprising of 28 civil society organisations and 12 human rights activists, says that curtailing the right to protest through violence is a grave human rights violation that also places democracy in jeopardy and creates an atmosphere of fear and authoritarianism. The SLACT has said it condemns the brutal attack of protestors at GotaGoGama, journalists, lawyers who intervened in their professional capacity, and bystanders, more..

Jul 25 (EN) The ascension to power of Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe and school-time buddy Dinesh Gunawardena is cheered and widely celebrated by an unlikely group, the distinguished old boys of Ananda College, one of the top public schools in the island. After being at the receiving end of popular public scorn over old boy Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s efficient mismanagement of the economy, old Anandians were jubilant when the honour now passes to two alumni of Royal. more..

Jul 25 (AD) Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court today imposed overseas travel bans on six activists including CTU’s Joseph Stalin, Rev. Fr. Jeewantha Peiris, IUSF’s Wasantha Mudalige, Lahiru Weerasekera and SYU’s Eranga Gunasekera. Court has issued this order in connection with an alleged incident of unlawful assembly in front of the Police Hq recently and damaging public property. Colombo Fort Magistrate Thilina Gamage has issued this order according to a request made by more..

Jul 25 (FT) CPC will reinstate its 2018 policy of paying commission to Corporation Owned (CoDo) and Dealer Owned (DoDo) dealers only on cap prices of Rs. 162 per litre on Petrol 92 with immediate effect. A senior official said stated that CPC has been paying commission of 2.75% to CoDO and 3% to DoDo on full – per litre cost, respectively, rather than just paying the commission on the fixed upper-limit cap price of Rs. 162, which was established in 2018 by then more..

Jul 25 (TM) Govt and govt approved private schools across the island reopened today for academic activities. In the wake of the fuel crisis in the country, the education authorities took steps to close schools and it was extended on several occasions, citing the ongoing fuel crisis. Schools will resume activities as normal from today, and it has been decided for schools to function only 3 days a week during normal school hours. more..

Jul 25 (ANI) Fishermen in TN's Rameswaram on Sunday staged a protest condemning the imprisonment and attacks by the SL Navy on Indian fishermen. Earlier on July 20, the SL Navy arrested six Indian fishermen and a seized their boat after they had gone fishing from Rameswaram, claiming that they had crossed the border, which had caused consternation among Indian fishermen. Following this, Rameswaram fishermen have been on a strike for the past three days, more..

Jul 25 (DM) Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) said that an airman who claimed that he did not want to be a slave to the SLAF, has left the SLAF on termination of his initial engagement of eight-years. An airman named Asanka Srimal, who served in the SLAF has posted a social media post that he left the service stating, “My choice was taken because I did not want to be a slave to Sri Lanka Air Force”. However, SLAF Spokesman Group Captain Dushan Wijesinghe said that he left the Air Force more..

Jul 25 (FT) Lawyers of the Struggle say they will file a complaint before the Human Rights Commission of SL (HRCSL) against the Police for the brutal and inhumane attack on protestors at the Gotagogama protest site during the pre-dawn raid of 22 July. Manoj Nanayakkara Attorney-at-Law said the complaint will be filed as the Police through its Spokesman SSP Nihal Thalduwa has now accepted the responsibility for the day’s events. more..

Jul 25 (AD) PM Dinesh Gunawardane assumed duties at the PM’s Office a short while ago. Gunawardena was sworn in as the new PM of SL before Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe on Friday (22). He had embarked on active politics in late 1970s and entered the parliament in 1983 representing the Maharagama electorate. He has held cabinet ministerial portfolios under various govts. Gunawardena has also served as the chairperson of three Parliament Select Committees to more..

Jul 25 (CT) Amidst the rising number of Covid patients and the rising concerns on monkeypox, GMOA has requested the Health Services Director General to convene the Covid technical committee and make it compulsory for people to wear facemasks when entering high-risk areas and to make the public aware of the possibility of another Covid wave due to the spread of the Covid-19 omicron new sub variant, BA.5, around the country. GMOA Secretary Dr. Haritha Aluthge said more..

Jul 25 (EN) SL’s fuel import will have to be limited for the next 12 months due to dollar shortage and a systematic fuel rationing system with a QR-code is being rolled out nationwide, Minister Kanchana Wijesekera said. The QR system that is to be implemented island-wide on Tuesday 26 as a measure to supply fuel as the govt cannot fulfill the daily demand, the minister said in his twitter feed. “Due to Forex issues, fuel imports more..

Jul 25 (DM) Lt General Daniel Sidiki Traoré, the Forces Commander of the Multi-dimensional Integrated UN Stabilization Mission in CAR (MINUSCA) has commended the SL Air Force (SLAF) Aviation contingent at MINUSCA under the United Nations for the act of bravery during a recent mission. On June 17, 2022, a heavily armed rebel group called CPC (Coalition of Patriots for Change) made a surprise attack against a position held by a company of the Armed Forces of more..

Jul 25 (ANI) Calling the actions of SL authorities against the peaceful protesters at Galle Face as brutal and torture, the agitators condemned the act and said that they will continue the protests, even if they are attacked. Addressing a press conference, one of the protesters said, "We just want to condemn this brutal attack on the very peaceful creative protesters. We have been protesting for more than 105 days." The statement came after a large military group, along with the police, more..

Jul 26 (DM) On Wednesday (20), Ranil Wickremesinghe was elected as the 8th executive president of Sri Lanka in a Parliamentary vote that vindicated, if anything, the disjuncture of the current Parliament and the public opinion. He won 134 votes against 82 of his closest rival, SJB-backed Dullas Alahapperuma. Down but not out and after being turned back at the airport from his self-exile Basil Rajapaksa, SLPP strategist, called on his MPs to vote for Mr. Wickremesinghe. more..

Jul 26 (DM) Since the July 22 crackdown on the protestors who had occupied the Presidential Secretariat, there seems to be a relative quietness in the political front. The fright instilled in the minds of the people by the crackdown, the images and footages of which went viral on social media could be attributed to this calmness. The fright is well manifested by the fast diminishing number of social media posts by the supporters of the protests or the Aragalaya, since the crackdown. more..

Jul 26 (DM) Having achieved its primary objective of ousting an Executive President- who couldn’t deliver his promises- the protesters at the Galle Face Green decided to withdraw from the Presidential Secretariat and Gate Zero on July 22. However during the early hours of July 22, the security forces surrounded the GotaGoGama protest site and forcibly took over the Prez Secretariat; while mercilessly assaulting peaceful protesters more..

Jul 26 (CT) Those who elected Gota got their biggest punishment: Ranil became their president. Both God and karma work in a very mysterious way. God gave Gota a chance to atone and become a great leader; Gota was incapable of greatness because greatness is anathema to Rajapaksas. Ranil is not a king but a political pimp who pimps for Rajapaksas. Those who pimp for Ranil—both men and women, who called themselves lions and lionesses of SL—are fanatical ponces more..

Jul 26 (TM) The media reported yesterday that Russian President Vladimir Putin has written to Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe, congratulating the latter on becoming the Prez of SL, and emphasising that he counts on the latter’s contribution to strengthen the ties between the two countries. Wickremesinghe, over his many years in the profession, has gained a reputation as a politician who has strong int'l connections and someone who can deal with foreign countries diplomatically. more..

Jul 26 (FT) Innovative thinking and the continuous pursuit of learning stand out in the modern times of striving for a brighter future. Having practiced these values since the beginning of his career, Nuwan Gamage, the 44th Prez of the SL Institute of Marketing (SLIM), continues his efforts to make an impact by taking the study of marketing to levels beyond the ordinary. With 20 years of experience under his belt in diverse fields such as more..

Jul 26 (CT) Seventy years ago, in 1952 when Ceylon, as SL was then known, had no foreign exchange (FX) to import rice, with starvation staring in its face, then Premier Dudley Senanayake sent his first cousin R.G. Senanayake to London, to successfully negotiate the Rubber-Rice Pact with China. At that time China had no embassy let alone a consulate in SL. Therefore, negotiations were conducted at the Chinese Embassy in London under the auspices of SL’s then HC to London more..

Jul 26 (GV) The current economic downfall did not happen due to a natural disaster or by accident; it was caused by a combination of bad policies, wrong economic direction, mismanagement, corruption, inability to deliver public services, oppression and social division that have percolated for many decades. Prez J.R. Jayewardene is blamed for establishing the wrong foundation to emerge from closed economic policies. He poisoned social norms by appointing himself above the law, more..

Jul 26 (CI) There was surprising candour to Mohammad Nawaz's admission after the first day that Pakistan's bowling plans to Sri Lanka might have constituted a form of strategic naivety. He lamented the number of easy runs Pakistan had given away as they went chasing after the wickets - Sri Lanka had racked up over 300 by stumps - meaning the impact of the steady fall of wickets was undermined by the equally unceasing trickle of runs. Had Pakistan, he mused, focused on bogging more..

Jul 26 (Island) The BASL is reported to have stated: “Respect for the Rule of Law and to Constitutionalism is essential to protect the rights of the people of SL and their livelihoods…. BASL unequivocally states that at this decisive time, in our country, it is absolutely necessary that all citizens respect Rule of Law & Constitutional Governance. It is not in the interest of the country, or its people, to ignore provisions of the Constitution, which is the framework under which SL is governed” more..

Jul 26 (DN) Computer Literacy Statistics 2021 survey results show an increase of 3.5% points from 2019 to 2021 in Computer Literacy. Urban sector shows the highest computer literacy rate (49.0%) among residential sectors. Computer literacy rate for rural and estate sectors are 32.3 % and 13.9 % respectively. Among the provinces the highest level of computer literacy is reported from the Western province (45.9%). more..

Jul 26 (ST) As young students we used to be fascinated with the 14th century tale of Robert the Bruce, King of Scotland, and the spider. Apocryphal or not, it conveyed a valuable lesson. King Robert who fought the King of England and was defeated on the battlefield six times, was hiding in a cave and contemplating the future when he espied a spider trying to weave a web with the silken thread it spun. But try as it would the threads would give way and the spider would fall. Still, each time it fell, more..

Jul 26 (Island) The JVP is notorious for miscalculations, which are legion, but it seems to have got its maths right for once anent the outcome of the recent vote in Parliament. Leader of the JVP-led NPP Anura Kumara Dissanayake has sought to bolster his claim that some Opposition MPs had their palms greased to back Ranil Wickremesinghe at the 20 July vote in the House to elect the eighth Executive President. Wickremesinghe polled 134, Dullas Alahapperuma 82 & Dissanayake 3. more..

Jul 26 (ST) Right to Information Commission (RTIC) has issued an interim order instructing the Police Department to release withheld information related to teargas purchases between Jan 1 and May 24 this year. The Police Department had refused a request filed in May by the Centre for Society and Religion (CSR) under the Right to Information (RTI) Act asking to know how much teargas was imported to SL within the specified period and how many times, how much each consignment had cost, more..

Jul 26 (Island) Paceman Kevin Samuel ripped through the Thurstan batting line up with a six-wicket haul but a fighting tenth wicket stand ensured that the latter post 202 runs on day one of the 59th Battle of the Brothers Big Match at the SSC on Monday. After producing a dominant performance in the field, Isipatana were 31 for one wicket when bad light halted play. In their essay, Isipatana lost their first wicket for nine runs as Nipun Premaratne had Naveen Kanishka bowled for two runs. more..

Jul 26 (ST) Sri Lankans working overseas have been the biggest contributors of foreign exchange to the country. But their remittances have been declining since 2021. Data from the CBSL show that remittances from Sri Lankans overseas reached its peak in 2016 at US$7.241 billion. From that year up to 2020, Sri Lankans remitted more than US$7 billion a year, except in 2019 when remittances were US$ 6.712 b. more..

Jul 26 (FT) JVP led NPP Party Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayaka is calling for the dissolution of Parliament and the holding of a snap poll immediately. According to Dissanayaka, the current Parliament is a distorted reflection of the people’s will. “The current Parliament is alienated from the people; therefore, a Parliament representing the true will and wishes of the people must now be elected,” he said. Dissanayaka made these comments at a seminar titled From a deviant governance more..

Jul 26 (ST) SriLankan Airlines has been compelled to cancel a few flights to London’s Heathrow airport in the wake of a labour shortage there. Two flights from Colombo to London and two flights – London to Colombo have been cancelled since the last three weeks, SriLankan Airlines Corporate Communications Manager said. The airline normally operates one daily flight from Colombo to London. As a result of these cancellations, he noted that they would be refunding the passengers for more..

Jul 26 (TM) Ministry of Labour and Foreign Employment is engaged in seeking job placements for State sector workers in the private sector, following a proposal submitted by exporters expressing their willingness to absorb State workers into the export industry. Ministry Media Secretary Sanjaya Nallaperuma stated: “We are currently looking for job vacancies to employ the State workers into the private sector. more..

Jul 26 (Island) Nelushi Vithanachchi of Visakha Vidyalaya, Colombo won a silver medal while 3 other team members namely; Benuljith Karunarathne of Royal College, Colombo, Vasanthamohan Sasangan of St. Michael’s College, Batticaloa and Kavinda Chathuranga of Nalanda College, Colombo 10 won bronze medal each at the 54th Int'l Chemistry Olympiad (IChO) competition 2022 hosted by China. In addition, all 4 team members won the Golden Monkey Award for their outstanding more..

Jul 26 (CT) Three-time Olympian Niluka Karunaratne, will lead the nation’s hopes in badminton competitions at the 22nd Commonwealth Games which will take place in Birmingham, UK, from 29 July to 8 August. The multiple-time national singles champion and the country’s most experienced shuttler, Karunaratne has appeared at every Commonwealth Games since his debut as a teenager at Manchester in 2002 and this year’s edition of the 72-nation event will be his sixth. more..