Jul 8 (AD) The car used in the Athurugiriya shooting incident, which resulted in the deaths of two individuals including Surendra Wasantha Perera also known as Club Wasantha, has been found in the Koratota area in Kaduwela by the police. The shooting had occurred during the opening ceremony of a beauty salon near the Clock Tower in Athurugiriya. Six persons were rushed to hospital following the shooting. However, police later confirmed that well-known businessman more..

Jul 8 (EN) SL’s collective of paediatricians point out that responsible media coverage should safeguard fundamental rights and privacy of children in the country. SL College of Paediatricians issued a statement underscoring the importance of protecting the rights, dignity, and privacy of children in the country, after the tragic deaths of two 15-year-olds. Ensuing media coverage of the incident included CCTV footage, photos and unsubstantiated stories about the two teens broadcasted. more..

Jul 8 (AD) The car used in the Athurugiriya shooting incident, which resulted in the deaths of two individuals including Surendra Wasantha Perera also known as Club Wasantha, has been found in the Koratota area in Kaduwela by the police. The shooting had occurred during the opening ceremony of a beauty salon near the Clock Tower in Athurugiriya. Six persons were rushed to hospital following the shooting. more..

Jul 8 (AD) The two patients who were transferred to the Colombo National Hospital after being injured in the shooting at Athurugiriya are currently receiving treatment in the hospital’s ICU. A woman and a man were admitted to the Emergency Treatment Unit and both of them had sustained injuries from the waist down. Although the wound on the woman’s leg is quite serious, her condition is now in a stable level. She was subjected to a three-hour-long surgery and is currently in the iCU more..

Jul 8 (DM) Binura Fernando of the Colombo Strikers has been fined 20 percent of his match fee and handed over a demerit point for breaching the player's code of conduct during a game between the Colombo Strikers and the Kandy Falcons held on July 2. Fernando was reported for disobeying the umpires' instructions, which is a breach of Article 2.4 of the LPL Code of Conduct. The player admitted to the offense during the inquiry. He was also charged 25% of his match fee for violating more..

Jul 8 (PMD) Secretary to the Treasury Mahinda Siriwardana stated that granting the salary increase demanded by striking public servants would necessitate raising the current VAT from 18% to between 20% and 21%. He emphasized that the govt cannot impose such a burden on the public. Mr. Siriwardana made these remarks during a discussion held today at the Presidential Secretariat, chaired by Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe, more..

Jul 8 (AD) State Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya stated that the govt intends to collect taxes from 14 previously untaxed sectors that have been overlooked until now and to ensure tax compliance from them. He stated that further inquiries have been commenced in this regard. State Minister said that no one has been given an opportunity to evade tax payments and that there has previously never been such a time when such special attention was paid to the paying of taxes. more..

Jul 8 (Island) Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE) has written to the Election Commission (EC), demanding an end to what it calls unlawful appointments made by the Governors of the Southern, Central and Northern provinces. CaFFE has said the provincial Governors are appointing former heads of local councils as coordinators to the Presidential Secretariat, thus enabling them to misuse state resources.CaFFE has said that the nominations for 2023 local council elections more..

Jul 8 (DM) Two SJB MPs will leave the party shortly after accepting rewards in dollars, SJB MP Harshana Rajakaruna said. He said that one SJB MP from the Gampaha District and another from the Kalutara District will cross over to the govt shortly. "These political prostitutes have fallen for perks including monitary rewards in US dollars," MP said. "We are going to lose only a handful of MPs but there are many others who are willing to give up their positions and crossover to the Opposition," more..

Jul 8 (CT) A serval cat, a wild feline native to Africa, was smuggled into the air cargo terminal at the BIA from Moscow, on Friday morning, airport authorities said. Designated as a protected animal under the CITES convention, this serval cat bears similarities to the Sri Lankan leopard. Customs officials are currently conducting investigations into the matter. These wild felines are commonly kept as pets in Europe and the Middle East, leading to high international demand. more..

Jul 8 (AD) The fundamental rights (FR) petition filed by businessman C.D. Lenawa seeking an order preventing the calling of a Prez Election until the Supreme Court delivers its interpretation on the date of the prez poll, has been dismissed by a 5-member Supreme Court judge bench headed by the Chief Justice. Earlier today, SC concluded the hearing of the FR petition and the intervening petitions while the verdict more..

Jul 8 (TM) Electricity Consumers' Association (ECA) alleged that the recent revision of tariff rates for new rooftop solar and renewable energy projects was made without consulting Public Utilities Commission of SL (PUCSL), and that has discouraged local entrepreneurs who invested in these projects. A proposal presented by Minister Kanchana Wijesekera for the revision of the tariff rates paid for the said projects through the feeding tariff had been approved by the Cabinet last week. more..

Jul 8 (DM) She had already sold her vehicle a year ago, so she doesn't understand this, model Piumi Hansamali said in a message on her official Facebook page. "The people who bought the vehicle gave me only half of the full amount, and the vehicle is still registered under my name. I have not transported drugs using my vehicle, and it was not involved in any drug raids. I can confidently say that I am 1000% correct," said model Piumi Hansamali. "Oh god, it was a great relief to sell the more..

Jul 8 (TM) The Power and Energy Ministry is to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Indian Govt relating to the planned Indo-Lanka cross-strait power grid connectivity, within a few months, it is learnt. This, in the wake of reports that Sri Lanka and India are working to establish a joint venture for grid connectivity project, which will likely involve an undersea transmission line linking the power grids of both countries. more..

Jul 8 (CT) The proposal to form an alliance with Sarvajana Balaya presented to the Politburo of the Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP) has been rejected. Arguments against the proposal emphasised the need to strengthen the Party internally amidst internal crises rather than forming political alliances at this time. As a result, it has been decided to develop the upcoming political programme with a focus on strengthening the LSSP itself. Proponents of the proposal cited more..

Jul 8 (DM) Hangzhou Asian Games women’s javelin throw silver medalist Dilhani Lekamge of Army SC has been named as the captain of the SL Athletic Team for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, which will be held from July 26 to Augt 11 in France. The 37-year-old athlete, a past student of Mahinda College, Eheliyagoda, is the most senior member of the Sri Lanka Athletic contingent for the Paris Olympic Games. Dilhani made it to the national athletic squad following some outstanding performances more..

Jul 8 (Island) Deputy Speaker Ajith Rajapaksa yesterday said that a debate on the implementation of external debt restructuring agreements could be held if a fresh request was made to that effect. Rajapaksa said so when asked him whether the hotly disputed external debt restructuring agreements would be debated soon. A vote on a resolution related to debt restructuring was to take place on July 03 following a two-day debate. Deputy Speaker Rajapaksa said that the vote on more..

Jul 8 (Reuters) Vitol Asia and Bharat Petroleum are among eight bidders for Sri Lanka's state-run LPG company and terminal as the island nation looks to reduce losses incurred by government-owned enterprises under a $2.9 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme. The eight bidders can now submit proposals to the SL govt for the acquisition of shares in Litro Gas Lanka Limited and Litro Terminals (Private) Limited, a statement released by SL's finance ministry said. more..

Jul 8 (DM) Sri Lanka has decided to lift from next year a ban on the visit of foreign research ships imposed after strong security concerns raised by India and the US following frequent docking requests from hi-tech Chinese surveillance vessels. The change in position was conveyed by visiting SL Foreign Minister Ali Sabry to the NHK World Japan. Sabry said his govt cannot have different rules for different countries and only block China. more..

Jul 8 (DM) Highlighting that today, drug trafficking poses a greater threat to the nation than terrorism, Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe said that some human rights lawyers also represent drug-related criminals after their arrest. He emphasised the crucial need for collective support to safeguard the country from this menace, especially as it recovers from economic challenges. He stressed that failing to protect future generations from drug abuse could undermine all govt efforts to advance the nation. more..

Jul 8 (FT) Ports, Shipping, and Aviation Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva last week announced that SriLankan Airlines will be restructured rather than sold. de Silva emphasised that current regulations limit the transfer of the airline’s shares to 49% to another entity. Despite this provision, no suitable investors have expressed interest in acquiring a stake. “Our strategy focuses on restructuring SriLankan Airlines rather than selling it outright,” de Silva stated. more..

Jul 8 (TM) Governor of the CB Nandalal Weerasinghe addressed misconceptions regarding SL’s total debt, clarifying that the increase from $ 96 billion in Dec 2023 to a projected $ 100 billion by March 2024 is largely due to exchange rate fluctuations rather than new borrowing. CBSL Governor said that despite a detailed explanation of this made by Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe in Parliament recently, some have mistakenly more..

Jul 8 (EN) Cabinet of Ministers has approved a revised India-funded Unique Identity Card project after several months of scrutiny and a proposal has been sent to Indian High Commission, State Minister Kanaka Herath said. Technology Ministry which is handling the project has been long waiting for clearance from Public Security Ministry and the Cabinet to go ahead with the dragged India-funded Unique ID card project. “There were some issues for the past five months and more..

Jul 8 (DM) Animal lovers across the country are eagerly anticipating the passage of the Animal Welfare Bill in Parliament, Veterinarians for Humane Management of Animal Population Association said. The association's advisor, Dr. Chamith Nanayakkara, told the Daily Mirror that animal lovers and supporters of the Animal Welfare Bill have been advocating for it since 2000. He explained that the bill is balanced and addresses issues raised by the meat and dairy industries. more..

Jul 9 (DM) Whatever the ruling of the Supreme Court over the petition filed by the businessman from Moratuwa, C.D. Lenawa seeking an opinion of the court on the Presidential term could have been, the next Prez election would be a make-or-break decision for the people of this country, especially given the on-going economic crisis. It is a well-known fact that the people of this country have always made decisions at elections without being adequately informed and thereby without more..

Jul 9 (CT) There is a well-known saying that the language of judicial decisions is predominantly the language of logic. The Court is not a living entity composed of skin, flesh, blood, bones and veins; it is, however, operated by people. Using logic as the foundation for judicial decisions is a reasonable approach in a world fraught with human flaws. Nonetheless, there are instances where this approach is exploited by various individuals and institutions for their own selfish interests. more..

Jul 9 (DM) Even though plans were afoot to implement this service, all these efforts proved futile. However, since 2023, fresh plans were underway to design the e-passport. As of today, the procurement process has been completed and a request has been made to obtain five million e-passports. While an international body is overseeing this process, Sri Lanka will start using e-passports from November on wards, according to Ilukpitiya. more..

Jul 9 (CT) Newspapers report that the Managing Director of Adani Power and Adani Energy Solutions had, at a meeting with Sri Lankan Journalists at the Adani Group’s global corporate headquarters, made a statement that the tariff Adani has offered to Sri Lanka is fixed for the entire duration of the contract spanning 20 years and had also emphasized the need for transparency in tariffs, pointing out that other power companies initially quoted lower prices but increased rates later, more..

Jul 9 (ST) Ahead of Prez Wickremesinghe’s announcement of the good news to Parliament this week on the finalising of bilateral debt restructuring agreements with creditors, there was sad news for the country and the Legislature in particular, as SL lost one of its most senior MPs, ITAK Trincomalee MP Rajavarothiam Sampanthan, who tirelessly fought for the equal rights of the Tamil people. He passed away on Sunday at the age of 91, having served as a MP for close to five decades. more..

Jul 9 (TM) In recent developments surrounding the upcoming Prez Election, the filing of the Fundamental Rights (FR) petition by businessman C.D. Lenawa, seeking an order preventing the calling of the Election until the Supreme Court (SC) delivers its interpretation on the Poll date, sparked significant debate. The move had drawn criticism from various quarters, with accusations that such moves are strategically more..

Jul 9 (TM) Sri Lankans love drama and a good show. We are good storytellers and builders of narratives, and we have a history to prove it. What we are not good at is seeing through smoke and mirrors of various narratives which are pushed to keep the citizenry at ease, under the illusion that all is well. Over the last six months, the Govt and the Police have been at pains to highlight that there is an ongoing crackdown on organised crime, particularly on narco crime. more..

Jul 9 (Island) The Supreme Court (SC) has dismissed the much-discussed fundamental rights (FR) petition someone filed, last week, seeking to delay the upcoming presidential election. Nobody expected that deplorable attempt to reach fruition, but it created quite a stir and became grist for the Opposition’s mill. Nothing can now prevent the Election Commission from going ahead with declaring the next presidential election, which has to be held in Sept or Oct 2024. more..

Jul 9 (GV) A film can ignite the flame of wisdom within the viewer. Emerging from the shadowed theatre, they may step into the brilliance of newfound understanding. This light, a metaphor for the newly acquired wisdom casts brighter hue on the world around them. Anyone who leaves the screening of Paradise by Prasanna Vithanage will surely gaze upon the world with fresh, enlightened eyes. With Paradise, Vithanage has transcended the boundaries of national cinema, more..

Jul 9 (ST) Among the 22 Indian fishermen who were taken into custody recently for engaging in illegal fishing in northern waters, two SL-origin individuals are facing separate legal charges. When the case came up before the Kayts Magistrate on Friday, the Court was told that the two SL nationals left the country during the height of the war in 1997 and have been sheltered at the Mandapam refugee camp in Rameshwaram, Tamil Nadu. Two Sri Lankans were on board an Indian more..

Jul 9 (FT) KPMG Principal Tax and Regulatory Suresh Perera last week critiqued the complexity of the proposed Imputed Rental Income Tax and suggested the revival of the Mansion Tax as a more straightforward solution for taxing luxury living and high-net-worth individuals. His analysis was presented at a webinar titled Tax reforms in the IMF report, where he shed light on several tax measures agreed and included more..