Jul 6 (FT) Sri Lanka Tourism has registered a total of 21,298 tourist arrivals in the first four days of July, pushing the year-to-date (YTD) total to 1.03 million visitors. The industry analysts opined the consistent growth in visitor numbers signals a positive outlook for the industry. From 1 to 4 July, key source markets include India (5,245), the UK (1,741), China (1,422), Australia (1,253), and Germany (878), the latest data released by SL Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) showed. more..

Jul 6 (DN) The elephant with only one tusk, popularly known as Galgamuwe Chandi, has been found dead in the Kaduru Wewa at Ehetuwewa in Kurunegala yesterday. The Wildlife officials suspect that Chandi has died from receiving fatal wounds after engaging in a fight with another tusker in the area recently. Wildlife officials stated that investigations revealed that the front right leg of the tusker has been severely wounded from the fight with the other tusker. more..

Jul 6 (DM) Police Kennels Division has acquired a pack of 35 sniffer dogs at a cost of Rs.58 million from the Netherlands. The pack of sniffer dogs had been airlifted to the BIA in the early hours of last morning. The dogs had been purchased from the private livestock farm K- 10Working Dog in the Netherlands, and they were of Belgian Malinois, German shepherd and English Spaniel, breeds. 14 of them were males and 21 females. more..

Jul 6 (Island) MP Dayasiri Jayasekara said that he would soon hold a disciplinary inquiry against Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva, who was undermining the party. Jayasekera said so after assuming duties as the General Secretary of the SLFP in front of the party headquarters, Darley Road, Colombo 10. Earlier this week, Colombo District Court issued an interim order against the decision by the SLFP to remove Jayasekara from the post of General Secretary and more..

Jul 6 (CT) Tissa Wickramasinghe, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Hambantota Port, refuted the report that he was sacked from the post due to an alleged fraud involving USD 3.2 million. Referring to a news published in Ceylon Today recently, Wickramasinghe said the report is inaccurate and causes damage to his reputation. In a letter, he said, “I am currently on the pay role until June 2024 and I’m retiring in accordance with the company’s retirement age policy. No individual has been sacked more..

Jul 6 (NW) Uma Kumaran, a British national of Sri Lankan descent, has been successful in her bid to be elected as the first MP of Stratford and Bow in the UK. Contesting from the Labour Party, she has been elected after securing 19145 votes in the UK’s general election held on July 04. In an exclusive interview with the Tamil Guardian, Uma Kumaran revealed she was born in East London, where her parents first lived when more..

Jul 7 (TM) These words, which formed the second sentence of the new British PM’s acceptance speech on Friday (5) – the first being to pay tribute to his predecessor – have a far more profound bearing on this island nation struggling to make ends meet than on the relatively better-off UK, where the Labour Party swept to office with an unprecedented majority, wiping the Conservative Party off the electoral map. Ring a bell? And what was the first reaction of his predecessor, more..

Jul 7 (SO) The revival of the tourism industry, hit by the double whammy of the Easter Sunday attacks and the Covid-19 pandemic, was one of the key factors that helped SL to emerge from bankruptcy in a short period. Some intrepid travellers did indeed arrive in the island even during the dark days of 2022, but tourism truly bounced back only after economic and political stability was achieved by around 2023. One million tourists have arrived in the country in 2024 so far, more..

Jul 7 (TM) The debate on whether Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe and his Govt have managed to provide good news – as touted in a propaganda campaign – to the country and its people through the finalisation of the debt restructuring programme with creditors continues in political circles while the general public continues to battle for survival. Despite the Prez’s address to the nation and the statement in Parliament on Tuesday (2), more..

Jul 7 (CT) On 12 May 2022, Ranil Wickremesinghe (RW) stated he was undertaking a dangerous challenge as the economy was bankrupt. After going through three episodes, Prez. RW told the nation that he had rescued the economy from bankruptcy. It is remarkable indeed. Based on this, he continuously states that it is suitable for people to walk with him only in the future. However, the bottom line is that people cannot feel that the economy is no longer bankrupt. People want to feel it, more..

Jul 7 (CT) Forty years ago, in June 1984, the democratically elected Prez of Sri Lanka was invited to the White House by US President Ronald Reagan. Welcoming President Jayewardene, he highlighted that despite being on opposite sides of the globe, the two countries shared, a common bond in the great institution of democracy. He praised Sri Lanka for its commitment to hold elections at equal regular intervals, and in what distinguishes Sri Lanka as a truly democratic country, more..

Jul 7 (ST) It seems like the SL govt has implemented some interesting tax waivers for imported vehicles recently. While the normal duty applies to imported electric vehicles, luxury tax has been waived off. In the usual process, vehicles valued at more than Rs. 3.5 million are considered a luxury and are subject to an additional tax of 100%. For example, if your vehicle exceeds the value of Rs. 3.4 million by half a million, you have to pay more..

Jul 7 (ST) The passing away of the father figure and leader of the TNA, Rajavarothiam Sampanthan, last Sunday was the passing of an era in the politics of the North. The nonagenarian was a professional, a lawyer like all of his predecessors who held sway in the politics of the North, viz., G.G. Ponnambalam, S.J.V. Chelvanayakam, Appapillai Amirthalingum, and the like. None of the national secular political parties, the UNP, SLFP, LSSP or Communist Parties, were able to get a proper foothold more..

Jul 7 (ST) Your Lordships, It is very rarely that we write to you. We do so because we feel we must, as you have been called upon to decide the future of the nation at a crucial time. We are also not certain why the events that have occurred have happened this way but, as they say, it is becoming curiouser and curiouser. Tomorrow, Your Lordships will sit to decide whether there should be an election to elect who runs this country. That is because someone feels that it is still unclear whether more..

Jul 7 (SO) Schoolboys from as many as 83 rugby playing schools have been held to ransom by striking referees following an assault on one of their members making a mockery of sports promotion in the country where strikes and trade union actions are despised and frowned upon. In an age when rogue conduct and rampant corruption among so-called caretakers of sports in the country rule the roost, schoolboys have been made pawns, their keepers become showcase puppets and more..

Jul 7 (ST) Zubin Bharucha, the high-performance director for IPL franchise Rajasthan Royals, will soon arrive to conduct a batting master class for a group of national cricketers ahead of their white-ball series against India. The sessions will take place from July 18 to 26 at the Khettarama High Performance Centre (HPC). Bharucha was recommended by former Sri Lankan cricketer Kumar Sangakkara, who currently serves as the director of cricket and head coach of Rajasthan Royals, following more..

Jul 7 (ST) While Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) continues their search for Chris Silverwood’s replacement, Sanath Jayasuriya will take over the job in the interim for the home series against India and the Test tour to England. SLC’s full-time cricket consultant for a year last December where he oversees both players and coaches working at SLC’s High Performance Centre in Khettarama. more..

Jul 7 (Island) Seniors’ ragging of freshers was rampant on the Peradeniya campus. Marcus Fernando Hall, where I was a fresher, was notorious for ragging. A gang of nasty seniors woke us up at 4 am and forced us to crawl naked around the hall pond, pretending to be reptiles looking for water. Some seniors were lenient and wanted to have a good time with freshers. They asked us to sing, dance, or write letters promising to marry off sisters to their lordships – seniors. more..

Jul 7 (Island) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe was quick to dissociate himself from the Fundamental Rights action on the forthcoming election filed in the Supreme Court last week by an unknown private citizen whose name, Chamindra Dayan Lenawa, was published in all the newspapers and electronic media bulletins that ran the story. No doubt the president was well aware of a suspicion in the public mind that he was behind the court action which sought a SC order that no election be held more..

Jul 7 (EN) Sri Lanka’s foreign exchange revenue from tourism rose to $1.56 billion in the first six months of 2024 with a 77.9% jump from the same period last year while the arrivals also gained 61.7%, the central bank said quoting tourism promotion authorities. Sri Lanka’s tourist arrivals rose to more than 1.01 million visitors in the first half of 2024. June arrivals were up 13.1% to 113,470. Tourism accounted for nearly 5 % of SL’s economy when the sector was at its peak in 2018. more..

Jul 7 (EN) Sri Lanka cannot safeguard its economy if it does not protect its banking system, the country’s president told bankers. “If we do not protect our banking system, we cannot safeguard our economy. A collapse in the banking system would lead to an economic collapse,” Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe said. “We need to progress from this point forward, and the banking system plays a crucial role here. How do we secure funding? Foreign investment is essential for the banks to thrive,” more..

Jul 7 (TM) SL authorities have granted approval for two international casino operators from Macau and India to commence operations in SL. A high-ranking source at the BOI revealed that the Board of Investment (BOI) had facilitated discussions between the SL authorities and two casino operators from Macau and India to enter SL. Subsequently, approval has been granted for the casino operators to commence operations more..

Jul 7 (AD) Eleven Sri Lankans deported from the UAE for engaging in cybercrimes have arrived in the island this morning (6). On July 1, Khaleej Times reported that thousands of individuals, including many South Asians and Africans were entrapped during a crackdown conducted across locations in Dubai recently, with the largest raid at Rahaba Residences in Dubailand. The UAE authorities also dismantled major cybercrime syndicates in an all-night operation across the UAE, more..

Jul 7 (EN) SL’s remittances coming through official channels gained 11.4% to $3.14 billion in the first six months of 2024 compared to the same period last year, helped by more expatriates using the official banking channels. The remittances in June were $519.6 million, 9.2% up from the same month last year, the official data showed. The remittances have risen continuously after the central bank gave up a parallel exchange rate regime, which compelled most expatriates to switch informal Undiyal more..

Jul 7 (TM) The decision to hand over the management of the Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA) to a Joint Venture (JV) between Indian and Russian firms has sparked controversy with the emergence of allegations of a rogue deal and concerns about transparency in the selection process, raising questions about the airport’s future. Last year, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Aviation, on behalf of AASL, more..

Jul 7 (ST) It was near but yet so far for Kandy Falcons as Angelo Mathews with his vast experience almost took them to the winning post with the team needing 20 runs in the last over. He hit the daylights out of skipper Thisara Perera, who bowled final over whilst slamming 18 runs but with two balls left a dot ball in the final delivery and the run out of Mathews sealed a thrilling 2-run win for Colombo Strikers in the seventh match of the fifth LPL played at the Rangiri Dambulla yesterday. more..

Jul 7 (AD) Leader of the NPP, Anura Kumara Dissanayake claims that the govt burdened Sri Lankans immensely while implementing the IMF program and restructuring Sri Lanka’s debt. While commending the govt on getting Sri Lanka’s debt repayments postponed, the NPP leader went on to highlight however, that the govt celebrated a temporary treatment to self-inflicted problems. He made these remarks while addressing a meeting of medical professionals in Kurunegala district, more..

Jul 7 (ST) Govt is planning to free up 52 state owned land and 26 play grounds coming under the purview of Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) for the restructuring and revamping of such unutilised or underutilised property as revenue generation ventures. These lands and grounds have already been identified for revamping on a 99-year lease basis in accordance with the plan of transforming Colombo City as a commercial more..

Jul 7 (DM) Health Ministry has launched a special inquiry into the incident where a two-month-old baby, who was suffering after choking on milk, was refused treatment at the new hospital in Kamburugamuwa, Matara District, resulting in her death. The probe has been initiated under the directive of Health Ministry Secretary Dr. Palitha Mahipala. Furthermore, a hospital level investigation is also underway. Tragic event occurred on July 3, when the infant was denied entry to the Kamburugamuwa more..

Jul 7 (ST) National carrier, SriLankan Airlines will be getting its full fleet activated by the end of this year, the airline said on Friday with plans for the future to be rolled out soon. Currently there are three Airbus A320neo aircraft grounded due to the unavailability of engines, the carrier said. “Most of the engines are undergoing repairs, and we expect to activate the fleet by the end of the year,” it was stated. With 3 more aircraft expected the airline has a plan to grow its fleet to 27 aircraft by the end of next year. more..

Jul 7 (DM) The Inland Revenue Department (IRD) is reported to have upped the ante on parliamentarians over possible involvement in tax frauds. SL’s new anti-corruption law provides for the declaration of assets by MPs. An informed source said that the IRD, in its attempt, to widen the tax net, has targeted parliamentarians for possible frauds. Sri Lanka recently took a host of measures for the increase of state revenue as stipulated in the programme with the IMF. more..

Jul 7 (DM) The Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) has seized a luxury BMW registered on model Piyumi Hansamali"s name from a garage in Nawala. The car was found at a two-storied house belonging to a businessman arrested for importing kush and cocaine worth over Rs. 60 million via airmail. Police said the businessman had imported 5 kilos of kush and 500 grams of cocaine through courier earlier this year. Police investigations began after another person attempted to collect the parcel. more..

Jul 7 (BBC) Reformist Masoud Pezeshkian has been elected as Iran's new President, beating his hardline conservative rival Saeed Jalili. The vote was declared in Dr Pezeshkian's favour after he secured 53.3% of the more than 30 million votes counted. Mr Jalili polled at 44.3%. The run-off came after no candidate secured a majority in the first round of the election on 28 June, which saw a historically low voter turnout of 40%. The election was called after Iran’s previous president more..

Jul 7 (TM) Significant discrepancies in tax assessments and compliance practices at the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) have been uncovered by the National Audit Office (NAO), sparking a contentious debate over interpretations of key tax laws, as per the latest audit report on the SLPA. The audit report has scrutinised the SLPA’s handling of taxable income under the Social Security Contribution Levy Act. It has highlighted that the SLPA had excluded royalty income from more..

Jul 7 (ST) Finance Ministry has urged Highways Ministry to get the concurrence of lending agencies that had funded road construction before devising plans to transfer the management and assets of SL’s expressways from the RDA to the new State-owned company named Sahasya Investments Ltd (SIL). The letter indicates that this has still not been done. The 3 main lending agencies are ADB, Exim Bank of China & JICA. more..

Jul 7 (DM) Sri Lanka and India are now poised to form a joint venture to execute the power grid connectivity project. SL and India are working on an undersea transmission line that will link the power grid with that of India. The proposal is to link Anuradhapura in SL and Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu state in India through a direct power line. After a 130 km overland transmission line in India, an undersea line (via a submarine cable) will emerge at Thiruketheeswaram in Mannar in northeast more..