Jul 14 (ST) Lack of infrastructure to treat animals and incidents of ignoring of complaints related to animal welfare have been exposed after the repatriation of Muthu Raja (Sak Surin) last Sunday. Currently the animal is undergoing a 30-day quarantine period in Thailand, but the controversy over the events leading to its repatriation continues. The controversy shifted to another elephant, Thai Raja, donated by Thailand and more..

Jul 14 (EN) Sri Lanka Customs is looking for more informants who could provide information on undervaluations and other measures that people use to pay less customs duty in trade in a move to boost the crisis-hit nation’s revenue, as the island nation is in an attempt to reach the revenue target set by the IMF in return to a $3 billion loan. Sri Lanka’s govt revenue was just above 8% of the gross domestic product (GDP) last year, one of the lowest in the world after more..

Jul 14 (FT) A key milestone in Sri Lanka’s IT education was marked on Wednesday by the DP Education of Dhammika & Priscilla Perera Foundation (DP Foundation) and the University of Ruhuna (UoR) by signing a MoU to collaborate on the facilitation of free online program on data science, machine learning, and AI development and delivery. The objective of this project is to provide opportunities for free learning and unlimited access to IT knowledge for IT enthusiasts in SL. more..

Jul 14 (ST) The residents of Puttalam District complain that they were forced to rebuild a temporary bridge with their own effort and expenses as the Anamaduwa-Meegoda new bridge construction had been halted halfway. Residents complained that the old bridge which was in a good condition was demolished to be replaced by a new broader one following a Gama Samaga Pilisandara programme presided by then Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa. more..

Jul 14 (Island) More than a decade of hard work paid off for Nadeesha Ramanayake as the 28-year-old from Weeraketiya earned Sri Lanka its first Asian Championship 400 metres gold in 23 years on day two of the Asian Athletics Championship in Thailand on Thursday. The athlete trained by W.G.M. Thushara clocked her personal best, 52.61 seconds to beat her rivals in the women’s 400 metres final yesterday. SL’s last gold in this discipline came when Damayanthi Dharsha won both 200m & 400m more..

Jul 14 (TM) While emphasising that compliance with Supreme Court (SC) judgements is mandatory, the Bar Association of SL (BASL) has stated that the failure by the relevant respondents to settle the total compensation amounts to the victims and families of the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks could be considered contempt of court and therefore, the petitioners intend to make appropriate applications to the SC. Office for more..

Jul 14 (Island) Softlogic Life, Sri Lanka’s 2nd largest life insurer, has once again taken centre stage with the launch of an innovative campaign to raise awareness and educate individuals on preventing dengue in Sri Lanka. With the aim to curb the spread of the disease, Softlogic Life’s novel campaign harnesses the power of creative communication and engagement to reverse the tide of dengue infections, thereby hoping to protect Sri Lankans from this preventable illness. more..

Jul 14 (DM) The world’s first collaborative email service, Zapmail has been launched and is now available to the public, aiming to provide the best communication experience at your own pace. Zapmail is the world’s first collaborative email service designed and developed by SL to address inefficiencies in team communication by simplifying and streamlining communication, saving teams time and increasing productivity. Commenting on the launch, the Co-Founders of Zapmail more..

Jul 14 (AJ) Sarath Appuham, a 59-year-old fisherman, has worked at Negombo Lagoon since he was a teenager. Palpable differences in tide patterns and fish catches from climate change have complicated his work. “We used to always go at 9am, then 1pm. It’s no longer that predictable,” Sarath told Al Jazeera. They have to gauge conditions day by day now, he said. Sometimes the waves are too rough to venture out on. more..

Jul 14 (DN) A delegation of foreign representatives from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) on a visit to Sri Lanka to participate in the conference Re-awakening the Civil Aviation Industry of SL organized by the Civil Aviation Authority of SL met with the Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva, yesterday. Here, the representatives were acknowledged by the Minister on the measures taken to restore Sri Lanka’s air transportation sector, which experienced more..

Jul 14 (FT) A high-profile SL delegation, consisting of Tourism Minister Harin Fernando, SL Tourism Promotion Bureau Chairman Chalaka Gajabahu, and Sri Lanka Tourism Ambassador and former cricket captain Sanath Jayasuriya, is currently in Australia to promote Sri Lanka as a premier tourist destination. During their visit, the SL delegation conducted several important meetings aimed at fostering collaboration and expanding promotional efforts for SL’s tourism industry. more..

Jul 14 (Island) The total tax revenue collected by the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) for the first half of 2023 was 696,946 million rupees. The corresponding revenue in the first six months of 2022 was 361, 832 million rupees, the IRD said. It represents a 93% increase in tax revenue this year, the IRD said. The reasons for this increase are decisive changes in the tax policy, the gradual recovery of the economic situation of the country and the efficiency of the efforts of the IRD, more..

Jul 14 (DN) Opener Avishka Fernando stroked a superb knock of 133 as SL ‘A’ recorded 48 runs victory over Bangladesh ‘A’ in their ACC men’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup tournament cricket fixture played at SSC grounds yesterday. Bangladesh ‘A’ chasing a target of 350 fought back strongly but finally they had to be satisfied with 301 all out in 48.3 overs. Opener Tanzid Hasen (51), skipper Mohammed Saif Hasen (53), Saumya Sakar (43) and Rakibul Hasen (40) more..

Jul 14 (CI) Dilshan Madushanka, the promising left-arm quick from Sri Lanka, will be eyeing a Test debut soon after being picked in the 16-member squad to play the first of two matches against Pakistan starting July 16. The 22-year-old was not initially slated to play but has been picked as a replacement for Asitha Fernando, who was ruled after contracting dengue. Madushanka's stock though is on the rise, having already caused more..

Jul 14 (AD) The bank accounts of six individuals, identified as members of the Board of Directors of ONMAX DT, a private firm believed to be a pyramid scheme, have been frozen, on orders of the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court. Accordingly, the relevant bank accounts are believed to have deposits amounting to Rs. 790 million, while 95 accounts belonging to the said company have been suspended thus far. Investigations were launched into the firm by the FCID, more..

Jul 14 (DM) SL origin Hasith Nawarathne (34), who was gone missing since July 2 while he was travelling to Atlanta in the USA from his residence in Kennesaw, Georgia, was reportedly found dead in a car in Atlanta on Sunday (9). However, the police are yet to confirm his death. Hasith Nawarthne was first reported missing on July 7. He had reportedly intended to travel to Atlanta on July 2 and had not been heard from since then. Kennesaw police say they are currently waiting for more..

Jul 14 (EN) SL has posted a primary surplus (deficit before interest costs) of 53 billion rupees up to May 2023, compared to a deficit required under an IMF program, supported by revenue measures and strict expenditure controls, officials said. State Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya said revenues and grants grew by 38.1% up to May. SL had earned tax revenues of 1,029 billion rupees and non-tax revenues of 91 billion rupees, Director of Fiscal Policy Kapila Senanayake said. more..

Jul 14 (CT) Medical and healthcare staff in hospitals expressed deep concern regarding the spate of patient deaths that have occurred following the administering of injections, accusing the Health Ministry of attempting to shoulder the blame on them despite the fault lying elsewhere. Education Secretary of the All Ceylon Nurse’s Union (ACNU), Prabath Palipane lamented that the Ministry had blamed the ward staff and the doctor who prescribed the drug and the nurse who administered it more..

Jul 14 (FT) Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa yesterday accused the Govt of attempting to destroy SL’s free health service. “Govt has embarked on a mission to destroy the country’s free health service by using various means such as financial waste, corruption, fraud, importation of substandard medicinal drugs and equipment along with suppression, state terrorism, concealing information from the people and more..

Jul 14 (FT) Minister Kanchana Wijesekera announced yesterday that discussions were held regarding a proposal by the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) for an oil distribution pipeline that would connect Nagapattinam, Trincomalee and Colombo. “In the meeting, I requested the IOC to consider a two-way oil and gas pipeline that aligns with the Government’s development plan for the Trinco tank farm and energy hub. This proposal takes into account future refinery developments, more..

Jul 14 (Island) The IMF in 2020 told nations around the world that they should maintain a budget deficit to tackle the effects of COVID-19, however, two years later, the IMF insists that this would lead to chaos, Dr. Howard Nicholas, senior lecturer at Erasmus Uni – Rotterdam, and International Institute of Social Studies – The Hague said. “Obviously, the IMF is playing a game here. If you look at the past, it is obvious that IMF recommendations have not helped countries like SL,” more..

Jul 14 (TM) In the wake of multiple deaths being reported allegedly due to issues in the quality of the drugs used in certain hospitals, GMOA called for a detailed report from the relevant hospitals in which the incidents occurred and urged Ministry of Health and National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) to issue a clarification on the same as soon as possible. Most recently, a young woman admitted to more..

Jul 14 (FT) A year after the events of 9–13 July, there are more questions than answers to the hoary issues of our unprecedented People’s Revolution. Who – if any single individual or parties with vested interests acting in collusion – orchestrated ‘the long march’ on Colombo on 9 July 2022, which eventually ousted a sitting president through his resignation-in-exile on the 13th? A hidden hand whose intent was later writ large? An ancien régime embarrassed by a liability turned loose cannon? more..

Jul 14 (FT) SL’s attempt to come out of its worst economic crisis since independence with reforms under the four-year Extended Fund Faculty (EFF) program has entered a new phase with the announcement on 29 June of the domestic debt-restricting plan. SL entered the EFF program with a stock of public debt of $ 82 billion (128% of GDP), with domestic and foreign debt accounting for approximately equal shares. At the time, the Govt’s annual interest payments on debt more..

Jul 14 (AD) The body of a 32-year-old Danish tourist woman who went to climb a mountain in the Kadugannawa area and was reported missing since 10 July has been found. The Kandy Tourism Police started investigations into the incident. Accordingly, the body of the concerned foreign woman, identified as Karb Munk Ebssen, was found from the Alagalla mountain range today (14) by a group of SL Army personnel. Police say further investigations are underway to find out the cause of death. more..

Jul 14 (DM) Sinopec Energy Lanka (Pvt) Ltd and the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka (BOI) signed an agreement today to operate and set up fuel stations for distribution in Sri Lanka. Sinopec has invested USD 100 million in the project, which includes the import, storage and sale of fuel, the BOI said. The project will involve 150 privately-owned fuel outlets currently operated by the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC). Additionally, 50 new fuel stations will be established. more..

Jul 14 (DM) Referring to the tragic and untimely death of a 21-year-old woman who died after being administered a drug via cannula while receiving treatment at the Peradeniya Teaching Hospital on Wednesday, Hospital Director Arjuna Thilakarathna denied any medical negligence involving the incident. He said, “She has developed complications after she was administered an antibiotic called Ceftriaxone via a cannula. more..

Jul 14 (EN) The first phase of an India-backed digital identity project for SL citizens will focus only on software development while data gathering in the second phase will be carried out by Sri Lankan agencies with data protection measures underway, an official said. Govt of India is overseeing the software development for the Sri Lanka Unique Digital Identity (SL-UDI) project, following an agreement by India to contribute 300 million Indian rupees, more..

Jul 14 (AD) A 37-year-old was reportedly beaten to death in the Galbokka area in Tangalle on Thursday (13), Police said. Accordingly, the deceased is believed to have gotten involved in a heated argument with the suspect over a money-related issue. Investigations have revealed that the deceased had asked the suspect for Rs. 2 million to invest in a pyramid scheme. The duo had gotten involved in an argument when he visited the suspect’s house to inquire about the funds. more..

Jul 14 (EN) SL’s main tax collection body is considering action against those who do not pay their tax dues despite being eligible after the latest tax reforms. Ranjith Hapuarachchi, Commissioner General of Inland Revenue Department (IRD) said the number of tax files have not increased in line with the latest tax reforms. “Threshold level for tax has been reduced from 3 million rupees to 1.2 million or 100,000 per month. more..

Jul 14 (DM) The govt has decided to impose an excise tax of Rs. 10 per liter when tapping toddy to prevent illegal toddy production, State Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya said today. Total of 150,000 liters of toddy are being produced daily, of which 50,000 liters are produced legally. A proposal in this regard was handed over to the Prez yesterday. This proposal was made with the aim of increasing govt revenue. Due to the illegal production, govt and the producers lose profits. more..

Jul 14 (PMD) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe emphasized the importance of ensuring timely access to drugs and promoting transparency in the pharmaceutical sector during a meeting with the Health Minister, health officials, and finance officials today. Prez proposed the establishment of websites managed by the Health Ministry to provide up-to-date information on the availability of drugs in SL, including specific quantities in each hospital, which will be updated daily. more..

Jul 14 (AD) A patient of the Panadura Base Hospital has died following a bacterial infection believed to have entered via the patient’s cannula. Accordingly, the patient, identified as a management assistant of National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA), had initially received treatment at a hospital in Galle almost two weeks ago, as he had been suffering from high fever. A cannula was then inserted into his veins, through which he is believed to have developed a bacterial infection. more..

Jul 14 (TM) Colombo High Court sentenced Garnia Bannister Francis, a local employee of the Swiss Embassy in Colombo who was allegedly abducted in 2019, to two years of rigorous imprisonment. Accordingly, Francis was fined Rs. 5,000 and sentenced to two years of rigorous imprisonment on orders of Colombo High Court Judge Namal Balalle. He ordered, however, that the prison sentence be suspended for a period of five years. On 16 Dec 2019, Francis was arrested by the CID and more..

Jul 14 (AD) The SJB has decided to lodge a complaint with the WHO seeking action against those responsible for weakening the country’s healthcare sector. Speaking on the matter, SJB MP Kavinda Jayawardena said the SJB is also mulling moving a no-confidence motion against Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella. MP mentioned this speaking to the media following a meeting with Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa. more..