Jun 7 (CI) Ashton Agar believes he has never bowled better in T20 cricket than the last couple of the years. The numbers back it up. Yet he knows it won't be enough to ensure a starting place for Australia. And he is okay with that. Agar was the fall guy when Australia made a last-ditch change of tactics heading into last year's T20 World Cup, swapping five specialist bowlers for four to go with a deeper batting order. It all worked out gloriously in the end as Marcus Stoinis & Matthew Wade more..

Jun 7 (Nikkei) For over a decade, Mattias Martinsson has been investing in frontier economies, including Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Now, he says, South Asia is in the eye of the storm. "The next couple of months will be painful for the South Asian markets," predicted Martinsson, chief investment officer at $220 million Swedish fund Tundra Fonder. "There is a high possibility that we will see both inflation and interest rates rising and currencies depreciating." more..

Jun 7 (CT) Gov SL’s face value money printing (FVMP) debt increased for the second consecutive market day to Thursday, increasing by 0.32% (Rs 9,004 million) to reach its fourth highest figure of Rs 2,842,398.71 million (Rs 2.8424 trillion) due to a sustained lack of revenue. This increase was however non-demand pull inflationary as it was used to meet external commitments on Thursday (2). Despite this increase in MP, GoSL’s MP borrowing costs (BCs) fell for the second consecutive more..

Jun 7 (FT) The Colombo stock market began a fresh week with a circuit breaker after the active S&P SL20 index plunged by 5% forcing an early close. The benchmark ASPI was down by 3% on a day impacted by forced selling and negative investor sentiment over the worsening economic and political situation despite efforts by the President Gotabaya Rajapaksa-PM Ranil Wickremesinghe’s interim-Govt to bring stability. Turnover was only Rs. 1.46 billion involving 73 million shares. more..

Jun 7 (Island) PM Wickremesinghe, delivering a speech at the Conference on SL’s Twin Crisis held at the SL Foundation, on Friday, said: “We based ourselves on the British Constitution. The majority has the power, the minority starts talking and shouting, that’s all. But then we changed the first-passed-the-post into a PR system. Now, you’re going to abolish the Presidency, then do you want to go back to English system, more..

Jun 7 (FT) Digital Chapter of the Federation of Information Technology Industry SL (FITIS) said whilst recent imposition of taxes by the Govt is inevitable there was an unfair treatment of foreign versus local service providers. It said that although new taxes before the current crisis may have been viewed as a deterrent to progress or even draconian, today, everyone understands the necessity for appropriate taxing because it is a means for SL to get out of the economic trap more..

Jun 7 (FT) Softlogic Holdings has signed a strategic MoU with Bangladesh’s Walton, a multinational electrical, electronics and other appliances brand, to locally manufacture a select range of consumer durables. Softlogic will initially start manufacturing operations with washing machines and subsequently expand to refrigerators, air conditioners, televisions and other selected small kitchen appliances. As per the MoU signed last week in Bangladesh, Softlogic will also explore the int'l markets more..

Jun 7 (EN) Sri Lanka has to raise taxes on the people but they will also have to be accompanied by spending cuts, opposition legislator and former State Minister for Finance Eran Wickremeratne said after value added tax and telecom fee was raised and more taxes were announced. SL raised revenues under an IMF program after 2015, though spending also went up due to large increase in state salaries under a so-called 100-day program. more..

Jun 7 (AD) Former MP Ranjan Ramanayake who is serving a prison sentence for contempt of court sat for the first-semester examination of his bachelor’s degree in Community Development and Youth, Prisons Spokesman Chandana Ekanayake said today. He said Mr. Ramanayake sat for the first-semester exam of the bachelor’s degree in community development and youth from Open University this morning. He is also expected to sit for exams on June 11 and 18 more..

Jun 7 (AD) The Russian Federal Agency for Air Transport (Rosaviatsiya) has expressed its gratitude on Monday to the Sri Lankan authorities for resolving the issue with the seized Aeroflot aircraft. On Monday, a Sri Lankan court suspended an order barring an Aeroflot plane from leaving the country. The order was suspended after the Colombo high commercial court considered a motion filed by the Attorney General. Later, Aeroflot confirmed that the plane departed from Colombo to Moscow. more..

Jun 7 (Island) CEB Engineers’ Union (CEBEU) expressed concern about the Bill gazetted on April 29, 2022, to amend the SL Electricity Act No. 20 of 2009. The CEBEU said the Bill would be tabled in Parliament on June 09, 2022. CEBEU Joint Front Representative Isuru Kasthurirathna said that they had informed PM Wickremesinghe, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, Sajith Premadasa and MPs of thier opposition to the Bill. “We have requested all stakeholders to prevent more..

Jun 7 (CT) SL white ball skipper Dasun Shanaka believes his team has a good chance to open the series on a winning note when they take on Australia in the first T20 today under lights at RPS, Colombo. The two sides last met in February 2022 for 5 T20Is (in Australia) where the home team got the better of the touring side claiming the series 4-1. “As a team we are fully prepared for the Australian challenge. We had a close series against Australia earlier this year and it was in their conditions. more..

Jun 7 (TM) Acute fuel shortages are being experienced across the country once again as many fuel filling stations have not received adequate fuel supplies, resulting in students returning to school following the O/L Exam break, as well as the working population, being severely inconvenienced. School transport/bus services had reduced their operations since yesterday owing to current diesel shortage forcing students to more..

Jun 7 (FT) Minister Harin Fernando has kicked off the Sri Lanka Can campaign to boost arrivals, with the support from Bollywood actors who will speak positively on the atmosphere in destination SL. Bollywood actors Chitrangada Singh and Dino Morea have been selected to promote SL in India, where SLTPB is planning to roll out three road shows in Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore within a couple of weeks. “A big thank you to Bollywood stars, Dino Morea and Chitrangada Singh more..

Jun 7 (Island) On the 3rd of June, The Netherlands Embassy in Colombo marked World Bicycle Day by awarding the winners of the Bike to Work call for proposals for practical solutions to stimulate work-home cycling in Sri Lanka. The call was launched earlier this year during a webinar series on sustainable trade and investment between Sri Lanka and the Netherlands in the context of 70 years of bilateral diplomatic relations which are available to view on the Embassy Facebook page. more..

Jun 7 (TM) Colombo High Court (HC) Judge Manjula Thilakarathne yesterday (6) sentenced Minister Prasanna Ranatunga to two years of rigorous imprisonment (RI), suspended for 5 years, over his attempt to extort Rs. 64 million from a businessman in 2015, while Speaker of Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena stated that the said ruling would not be an impediment to Ranatunga serving as an MP and Chief Govt Whip. more..

Jun 7 (DM) SJB MP Dilip Wedaarachchi's son, former Chairman of the Tangalle Urban Council Ravindu Wedaarachchi and his wife Nethmi Harindika Silva have been arrested in connection with obstructing duties of a police officer and alleged attempt of assault. Both suspects were arrested after surrendered to the Weeraketiya Police. They would be produced in the Walasmullaa Magistrate's Court. A complaint was lodged with the Weeraketiya Police Station last week by more..

Jun 7 (EN) SL has seen a rising trend of murders in same style in the island nation’s Southern and Western provinces with Police suspect the shootings related to drug trade and trafficking. The island nation has witnessed five people aged between 23-37 years killed by unidentified gunmen came in either motorbike or three wheeler in Colombo, Aluthgama, Panadura, Ahangama, and Tangalle. “As of now, there have been no arrests and no identifiable suspects to the shootouts. more..

Jun 7 (BN) Prez Rajapaksa vowed to finish the remaining two years in his term despite monthslong street protests calling for his ouster, but won’t stand for re-election as he focuses on fixing a financial mess that tipped SL into its worst-ever economic crisis. “I can’t go as a failed president,” Rajapaksa said Monday in a wide-ranging interview at his official residence, his first with a foreign media organization since the crisis unfolded. more..

Jun 7 (FT) It was on 26 Nov 2019 the writer penned his analysis in this paper on Prez Rajapaksa’s massive election win from a marketing and management perspective under the title The Gotabaya case study. It was a critical analysis and comparative commentary on the election strategies of SJB candidate Sajith Premadasa and Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Highlighting how Rajapaksa managed to win the hearts and minds of people and winning the election with a huge 6.9 million votes. more..

Jun 7 (FT) Aragalaya demands systemic change, because the existing system with President GR as its synecdoche has allowed crooks to govern, bankrupted the economy and brought misery to people. The prevailing penurious state needed immediate repair by any means and from any source. There was one man in the parliament during the days of Mahinda Rajapaksa’s (MR) premiership, who was promising a magical panacea. He was the member who led his oldest political party more..

Jun 7 (ANI) SL Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera has sought India's help for food security and environmental protection. Indian High Commissioner to SL Gopal Baglay recently met the SL Agriculture Minister. The meeting came amid India's continuous support to SL to address the problems in the agricultural sector during the unprecedented economic crisis in the country. Due to economic and political turmoil, large-scale protests have been taking place for months, more..

Jun 7 (AD) The Supreme Court today sentenced former MP Ranjan Ramanayake to two-years rigorous imprisonment suspended for five years, after he pleaded guilty to the second contempt of court charge against him. The order was delivered by a three-judge bench comprising Justices Buwaneka Aluvihare, L.T.B. Dehideniya and Gamini Amarasekera. The Registrar of Courts had filed the complaint alleging that Ranjan Ramanayake’s remarks on a television program regarding more..

Jun 7 (EN) Blaming poor foreign policy on the country’s international marginalisation, PM Ranil Wickremesinghe on Monday criticised the unilateral cancellation of projects funded by friendly nations like Japan and India. “Japan is our long time friend; a nation that has helped our country greatly. But they are now unhappy with us due to the unfortunate events of the past. Our country had failed to formally notify more..

Jun 7 (SLA) Major General Jagath Kodithuwakku, the present Deputy Chief of Staff of the SL Army has been appointed the new Chief of Staff of the Army, effective from Wednesday. Major General Jagath Kodithuwakku this afternoon received the letter of appointment as 60th Chief of Staff of the Army from Lt General Vikum Liyanage, Commander of the Army at the Commander's office. He, who has served as the Commander Security Forces Jaffna before he took office as the Deputy Chief of more..

Jun 7 (SLA) A delegation of undergraduates studying at the Pakistan National Defence Uni (NDU) currently in SL on a five-day long familiarization tour as part of their curriculum made a courtesy visit to the Army HQ on Tuesday. The 17-member delegation, headed by Air Commodore Akhtar Imran Saddoza was warmly welcomed to the Army HQ by Colonel Sudesh Rathnayake, Colonel Training Foreign in the Directorate of Training at the entrance to the main building before more..

Jun 7 (Island) Bangladeshi PM Sheikh Hasina urged the South Asian countries to work together in the fight against poverty, describing it as the main enemy in the region. “We, the countries in this region, should cooperate with each other. Many problems can be solved bilaterally,” she said. PM made this remark when Secretary General of SAARC Esala Ruwan Weerakoon paid a courtesy call on her at Ganabhaban. He was accompanied by his wife. more..

Jun 7 (FT) There are constant dire warnings of impending food shortages citing many causes and blames on past actions. While it is useful and wise to be forewarned, the warnings alone will not avert the possible shortages. What is required is for those able and willing to engage in cultivation and other relevant activities, as best as possible using available and deployable resources, instead of just lamenting and demanding inputs that may never come. In this regard, we wish to emphasize more..

Jun 7 (EN) SL is considering to grant tax relief and other benefits like housing loans for expatriate workers who sends their earnings through the official bank network Minister of Labour and Foreign Employment said. Money is moving to unofficial channels such as Undiyal at higher premiums because the central bank is printing money creating forex shortages in the official banking system and exchange controls more..

Jun 7 (TM) The production of thriposha – which means triple nutrients, a locally produced supplementary food product that is provided free of charge to children below five years of age who are underweight or with a slow rate of weight gain, and pregnant and lactating women with a low body mass index (BMI), through the public health system – is to be resumed next week. SL Thriposha Ltd. Chairman Deepthi Kularathna said that the company would receive soya and more..

Jun 7 (AD) Colombo Magistrate’s Court today granted bail to the former CB Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal. He was released on a personal bail of Rs. 10 million when a personal complaint filed by Ven. Thiniyawala Palitha Thero, accusing Cabraal of misappropriating state funds while serving as the CB Governor, was taken up this morning. The complaint alleges that during his tenure as the CB governor from 2006 to 2015, Cabraal had paid a sum of USD 6.5 million to an American national more..

Jun 7 (FT) Department of Immigration and Emigration said the demand for passports have increased significantly over the past two months, as a result of the multiple crises faced by the public. Over 50,000 passports were issued monthly during the first five months of the year. The highest number 74,890 passports were issued in March, whilst in Jan 52,278, Feb 55,381, April 53,151 & May 52,945 passports were issued. more..

Jun 7 (DM) Claiming that fuel can be purchased from Russia 35% lesser than the normal global market price, MP Vasudeva Nanayakkara today urged the govt to take steps to get down fuel from Russia. He told Parliament that India, Singapore and Thailand are buying fuel from Russia. MP Nanayakkara said the Russian Envoy to SL has also spoke to the Energy Ministry that they were ready to discuss about a program on purchasing fuel and added that the Ministry has not responded more..

Jun 7 (EN) Sri Lanka has decided to give special 40-year tax relief for Chinese-built Port City to attract potential investors after the island nation’s largest foreign direct investment failed to attract investments after opened for nearly one year, cabinet spokesperson said. “We have taken this decision because other countries have offered more competitive tax relief than us in order to attract investors,” Cabinet spokesperson Bandula Gunawardana told a weekly cabinet briefing more..

Jun 7 (Island) The US, in coordination with SL Navy, SL Coast Guard and 12 other Lankan agencies responsible for environmental conservation and disaster response, launched a U.S.-funded Oil Spill Response Workshop and Exercise yesterday. This 5-day workshop aims to strengthen SL’s ability to respond to oil spills and other maritime accidents. It will include training on how to respond to disasters at sea quickly and effectively, how to measure and minimize environmental damage resulting more..