Jul 29 (TM) Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) has allocated 43 hectares of land in Kappalthure, Trincomalee, for a 20-megawatt solar power project. This initiative supports the national goal of increasing the country's renewable energy to 70% by 2030. The land, leased for thirty years, is expected to generate an income of 1.75 million rupees per month. The agreement was signed between the SLPA and the Sun Scape Project Company, a subsidiary of SL firm Selex Renewables, more..

Jul 29 (CT) The National Child Protection Authority (NCPA), the key institution responsible for advising the govt on child abuse prevention and the protection and treatment of child abuse victims, is currently operating without a Chairperson, Deputy Chairperson and most of its directors. These vacancies arose as the terms of the previous office bearers concluded, and no new appointments have been made. Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe, who also serves as the Cabinet Minister for more..

Jul 29 (TM) SL Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) has warned the selected investors of the stalled investment projects in the Kalpitiya islands to commence development activities by the end of the third quarter of 2024, failing which the respective lease agreements will be cancelled. SLTDA Chairman Priantha Fernando stated that the investment development activities in the 14 islands off the shore of Kalpitiya, Puttalam more..

Jul 29 (CT) The Election Commission announced that voters can cast their votes at an alternative polling station, other than their designated one, for the forthcoming Prez Election. An extraordinary gazette notification states that any person who reasonably fears they will be unable to vote at their assigned polling station may request to vote at another location. The gazette highlighted that this provision is made under Section 119B of Presidential Elections Act, No. 15 of 1981, more..

Jul 29 (AD) The applications to cast postal votes must be handed over to District Returning Officers on or before Aug 5, Election Commission announced. Accordingly, all applications of the postal voting applicants must be forwarded to the relevant District Returning Officers through the District Election Office address. The commission announced that the application forms to be completed for availing the postal voting facility can be obtained free of charge from the places where more..

Jul 29 (CT) The political arena of Sri Lanka is a diverse and welcoming one which offers opportunities to any passionate and aspiring individuals to become public representatives. Apart from the professional and pedigree politicians, there are many instances of actors, singers, cricketers and even the clergy entering politics and succeeding in it. Since this year is considered an election year, heated political discussions on various topics are already taking place and among them, more..

Jul 29 (TM) Local gold prices have been trending downwards over the past two weeks due to the sharp decrease in world market prices, while the exchange rate of the SL Rupee against the US Dollar has remained stagnant. Cash for Gold Ltd. Owner Ramzan Haneef revealed that over the past two weeks, the price for 24 carat 8 grammes (one sovereign) had fallen by around 3.5% to around Rs. 192,000, after having reached a high of Rs. 199,000 earlier this month. more..

Jul 29 (DM) Despite dozens of Sri Lankan wanted persons out of 164 on the Interpol red notice list being located, local authorities are facing legal and logistical challenges in extraditing suspects to SL. SL authorities are negotiating with several countries to extradite individuals wanted under Interpol red notices. The police have obtained 164 red notices and nearly 100 blue notices. Red notices are issued for persons wanted for extradition more..

Jul 29 (TM) National Election Commission (NEC) explained that since the relevant legal provisions were not amended despite multiple requests, only those who were previously authorised to cast postal votes will be able to do so in the Prez Election. There has been discussion about expanding the number of sections eligible for postal voting, so that professionals such as journalists, and others who are often required to be on duty or work on election days, can cast their vote without hindrance. more..

Jul 29 (DM) The National Peace Council called on the govt to change its stance on the Supreme Court interim order restraining Deshabandu Tennakoon and abide by the Supreme Court's judgment to preserve the integrity of the country’s democracy and the rule of law. Issuing a statement, they said the govt’s refusal to implement the Supreme Court's judgment is not only reckless and irresponsible but also a direct threat to the rule of law. "Much to the consternation of law abiding people more..

Jul 29 (ICC) SL skipper was thrilled to defeat India in the final of the Asia Cup and wants some more success at this year's T20 World Cup. Victorious SL captain Chamari Athapaththu believes her side's success in the Women's Asia Cup was well deserved as the island nation turns its attention to this year's ICC Women's T20 World Cup. SL claimed their first Women's Asia Cup title on Sunday, with Athapaththu leading from the front with more..

Jul 29 (Island) Japanese Ambassador in Colombo Hideaki Mizukoshi has said SL should remain steadfastly committed to the IMF-led recovery programme regardless of the outcome of the presidential election scheduled to be conducted later this year. Ambassador emphasised that the country couldn’t, under any circumstances, deviate from the IMF path as the agreement with the Washington-based lending agency remained the foundation for the entire debt-restructuring process. more..

Jul 29 (NW) Election monitoring bodies have raised concerns over the National All Ceylon Nursing Conference held under the patronage of NPP Leader MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake in Maharagama on Sunday. In a letter to the Election Commission, Campaign for Free & Fair Election (CAFFE) pointed out the attendance of govt nursing staff in uniform at the conference. CAFFE pointed out that using uniforms provided via state funds for election propaganda was unethical & unlawful under more..

Jul 10 (CT) If ever SL has produced the most fake democrat, it has to be our back-door Prez Ranil Wickramesinghe. While he altered our constitution and laws by 19th Amendment, claiming to strengthen what little left of our apparent democracy, he is denying the most fundamental component of any democracy; the right to vote! At least Trump did not pretend to be a great Democrat! But RW did! RW made SL one up over America! He denied the local elections over a year ago bogusly claiming more..

Jul 10 (GV) With the Presidential election slated for Sept 21, three leading candidates stand out: the incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe (RW), the leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa (SP) and the leader of the National People’s Power party, Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD). Political communications in general and election campaigns more specifically focus on the construction of narratives that focus on individuals, issues, and sometimes, institutions. more..

Jul 10 (TM) Sri Lanka will vote for its ninth executive president on 21 Sept after two-and-a-half years of political turmoil and economic crisis, but given that the country is in agreement with the IMF for an EFF, uncertainty prevails over the future of the programme under a new govt. A team from the IMF will be visiting SL next week in relation to economic progress and to meet the various stakeholders in the economic engine of the country. more..

Jul 10 (TM) SL women’s Cricket team yesterday won their maiden Women's Asia Cup 2024, reviving dwindling interest in the sport after a prolonged period of abysmal performance by the men’s team. The landmark victory came by beating India Women by eight wickets at the Rangiri Dambulla Stadium as they chased down a 166-run target with eight wickets and eight balls to spare. The atmosphere at the stadium and around the island was one of absolute elation! more..

Jul 10 (CT) Call it insulation or isolation, the MoU signed by seven Tamil political parties in the North, with presence in the East and also the newly-formed Tamil People’s Council, to field a common candidate in the upcoming Presidential Poll, has revived self-determination as a political goal for them all to achieve together. Popular Tamil support for a common candidate, when fielded, alone would determine if the alliance has chances for future survival and growth. more..

Jul 10 (CT) They take up to five times more carbon out of the atmosphere than forests on land and are an important tool in the fight against climate change. While climate change is a much talked about topic these days mangroves have become a vital factor in combatting climate change in all parts of the world. In the right environmental conditions, mangroves can store the carbon they took from the atmosphere for decades, more..

Jul 10 (ST) In a statement that will reverberate throughout the country as it prepares for a prez election, PM Dinesh Gunawardena informed Parliament on Friday of the govt’s refusal to accept Supreme Court’s interim order preventing the IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon from functioning in his post. PM strongly criticised the court’s interim order, adding that the legal procedure to remove the IGP should be by submitting a proposal to Parliament to remove him from his position with more..

Jul 10 (TM) A country embroiled in conflict among the Legislature, Executive, and Judiciary inevitably descends into complete anarchy. To prevent such a scenario, these three branches must act with mutual understanding. This understanding should aim to maintain the current social system while implementing necessary transformations. A revolutionary coup is a different matter; it involves the executive overpowering the other branches, leading to an autocratic regime. more..

Jul 30 (Island) IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon finds himself at the centre of a controversy that goes to the heart of SL’s democracy. Supreme Court has directed that he should be restrained from acting in the position of head of police until the court has fully considered all the petitions submitted against his appointment. Much to the consternation of law-abiding people govt has announced its decision not to act on SC interim order restraining Deshabandu Tennakoon from functioning as IGP. more..

Jul 30 (ST) Court of Appeal has issued an interim order preventing Election Committee of SL Automobile Sports (SLAS) from conducting its 2024 elections, citing violations of the SLAS Constitution and the Sports Law No. 25 of 1973. Legal action was initiated by SL Association of Racing Drivers and Riders (SLARDAR), a pioneering motorsports club in the country. SLARDAR, led by its Prez Shameera Abeynayake and Secretary Dilan Bandara, has taken a stand against more..

Jul 30 (ST) Election Commission has warned that state officials will face legal action if they take part in the govt’s vote-catching programmes during the election period. Elections Commissioner General Saman Ratnayake said that the warnings would be coming in circulars to be issued in the next few days. There would be warnings against the misuse of state vehicles and offering incentives to voters. Activists say that over the past few weeks, more..

Jul 30 (DM) Two years ago, the last ten days of July saw a brutal crackdown of a public uprising that craved a system change following an unprecedented economic meltdown that irreparably ruined the life of over half of the populace while turning that of another huge segment of the society upside down. The weeks-long and miles-long queues which were a common sight then were not the real crisis, as some politicians attempt to portray, it was only the tip of the iceberg. more..

Jul 30 (Island) The govt has made it clear that it will not abide by the Supreme Court (SC) order that IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon be suspended and an Acting IGP appointed. Obviously, it manipulated the Constitutional Council (CC) process to elevate Tennakoon as the IGP for a purpose; it apparently cannot think of any other top cop to help further its interests better during a crucial election, which it cannot afford to lose. Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe pretends that he has nothing to do with more..

Jul 30 (DN) Our players are always tireless and confident and they are not worried at failures and always adopt a positive approach and this is the success of SL women’s team said head coach Rumesh Ratnayake after maiden Asia Cup victory at Dambulla Stadium. Their positive approach always brought success. The Asia cup victory gives them confidence. But no guarantee. We have to work hard. If this win can help to gain the world cup its no way. We have to take match by match. more..

Jul 30 (CI) In the first T20I, Sri Lanka lost nine wickets for 30 runs. In the second, they lost seven for 32. This has been the theme for the hosts so far in Charith Asalanka's first series as Sri Lanka's full-time T20I captain. Asalanka himself managed just scores of 0 and 14 in the two games. The top three have fired in both matches, with Sri Lanka getting to scores of 140 and 80 at the fall of the second wicket. Pathum Nissanka is the leading run-scorer in the series. more..

Jul 30 (CI) You're watching a spaceship launch, and you can sense everyone is a little tense. Huge resources have been poured into this operation. Numbers have been crunched, models have been run, variables have been accounted for, or so you hope. But, generally speaking, the last few spaceship launches have not gone well. This could be another disaster. But wow! Okay. Maybe this time it's different. more..

Jul 30 (DN) Ganga Senaviratne, who entered the preliminary round of the 100m backstroke at the Paris Olympics, finished first with a time of 1:04.26 minutes in the preliminary round, but did not make it to the last 16. But 21-year-old Ganga Senaviratne managed to record her best time in this season. This was her best progress after recording a time of 1:04.92 minutes at the World Aquatics Championships held in Doha this year. She entered sport of swimming from Visakha Vidyalaya more..

Jul 30 (DN) Veteran swimmer Matthew Abeysinghe and rising star MF Muhammad both claimed five gold medals each at the Long Course National Swimming Championship, which was organized by the SL Aquatic Sports Union and concluded at the Sugathadasa Stadium Swimming Pool on Sunday. 28-year-old Matthew Abeysinghe of Killer Whale Aquatics competed in his last event in SL. Despite his imminent retirement, he displayed his enduring skill by winning gold in all 5 of his events. more..

Jul 30 (FT) Spices & Allied Products Producers’ and Traders’ Association (SAPPTA) called on the Govt to reconsider its decision to import spices for re-export, warning of potentially detrimental consequences for the local industry and economy. “The move could undermine the local spice industry, impacting numerous farmers, exporters, and stakeholders in the value chain,” SAPPTA Prez Christopher Fernando said. more..

Jul 30 (FT) ALFT Packaging, a prominent player in the flexible packaging industry, showcased the potential of Modern Flexo recently at Drupa 2024 held in Germany, the world’s largest trade fair for printing and packaging industry and its technologies. Drupa Germany has been taking place every four years and reputed as a premier industry event all around the world. Recognised as Miraclon’s Champion of Modern Flexo, ALFT Packaging was featured prominently at the trade fair for more..

Jul 30 (CT) On a directive by the Right to Information Commission, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs released all information relating to the food and accommodation costs of Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe during travels to London, Singapore, Japan (Tokyo), Cuba (Havana), America (New York), Germany (Berlin) and China (Beijing) in 2023. RTI Commission order came following an RTI request filed by a journalist based in the North, Dileep Amuthan who appealed to the Commission more..

Jul 30 (FT) President Ranil Wickremesinghe issued a renewed invitation for more MPs to join him, following the announcement by a group of SLPP MPs that they will defy their party and support him in the upcoming Presidential Election. The group’s support for Wickremesinghe came despite the SLPP’s announcement earlier in the day that it would nominate its own candidate for the election and take disciplinary action against any members who support alternative candidates. more..