Category: Featured

Pro-’Aragalaya’ Scottish woman being probed, passport confiscated

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Pro-’Aragalaya’ Scottish woman being probed, passport confiscated Accused of defaming SL internationally Aragalaya priest Fr. Jeewantha files FR YouTuber Ratta granted bail IUSF alleges ‘white van’ abduction First man to storm Secretariat remanded (BY Ruwani Fonseka and Dinitha Rathnayake – The Morning) The Sri Lanka Police has launched an investigation into a Scottish woman who was residing in Sri Lanka, named Kayleigh Fraser and better known by her social media name Kayz Fraser, for being actively involved in the “aragalaya” movement centred around Galle Face, through which she has allegedly brought disrepute…

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Constitutional reform and economic downturn

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Constitutional reform and economic downturn Media reports say that the draft 22nd Amendment (21st Amendment if enacted) is to be debated in the Cabinet today. They also claim that the current draft is different from the 22nd Amendment prepared under the instructions of former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Interestingly, both drafts were prepared by the same Justice Minister and he who justified the earlier draft will also explain the basis for the new draft as well. It is ironic that the Gotabaya Rajapaksa government that enacted the 20th Amendment in October…

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Sri Lanka private credit negative in June 2022, Rs 189 bn printed

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Sri Lanka private credit negative in June 2022, Rs 189bn printed ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka’s credit from commercial banks to private borrowers fell 21 billion rupees in June 2022 with dollar denominated loans falling, while 189 billion rupees had been printed by the central bank official data showed, as forex shortages continued to persist. Credit to private sector from rupee banking units went by 16 billion rupees to 6,959 billion rupees, while dollar denominated loans fell from 794.6 billion rupees to 738.1 billion rupees. Sri Lanka is facing steep inflation…

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Opinion: Remembering the India-Sri Lanka accord and how it was derailed

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Opinion: Remembering the India-Sri Lanka accord and how it was derailed MR Narayan Swamy (News Minute) It has been thirty-five long years since an experiment failed to herald peace to Sri Lanka. One wonders what the island nation could have achieved if the key players had not scuttled the India-Sri Lanka agreement of July 29, 1987.  When the pact was signed by Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and Sri Lankan President Junius Jayewardene, two Indian ministers shared with Gandhi their insight of the situation. External Affairs Minister PV Narasimha Rao…

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SPORTSCommonwealth Games 2022

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Commonwealth Games 2022 Sri Lanka to commence beach volleyball campaign against tough opponents Sri Lanka is set to commence the beach volleyball campaign in the Birmingham Commonwealth Games when the men’s and women’s teams meet Canada and Australia respectively at the Smith Field on July 31. In their first encounter, Malintha Yapa and Ashen Rashmika will encounter Canada. The women’s team of Deepika Bandara and Chathurika Madhushani will meet Australia. Sri Lanka’s opponents are the silver medallists from the last edition. Of the 54 Commonwealth nations, 24 teams (12 women’s…

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No new financing to Sri Lanka until macroeconomic policy framework is ready – WB

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No new financing to Sri Lanka until macroeconomic policy framework is ready – WB The World Bank Group says it is deeply concerned about the dire economic situation and its impact on the people of Sri Lanka. In a statement, the global financial institution said it is repurposing resources under existing loans in our portfolio to help alleviate severe shortages of essential items such as medicines, cooking gas, fertilizer, meals for school children and cash transfers for poor and vulnerable households. “To date, about US$160 million of these funds has been…

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Election only after a new Constitution – IUSF Interview with IUSF Convener Wasantha Mudalige

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  Election only after a new Constitution – IUSF Interview with IUSF Convener Wasantha Mudalige Dinuli Francisco (Daily Mirror) For the first time in the history, Inter-university Student Federation (IUSF) appears in a different light in the eyes of most of the masses. The prime reason behind this is the contribution rendered by the IUSF to make the “Aragalaya” a success.    Sri Lankans, irrespective of race, religion, or social class, collectively protested against the worst economic crisis exacerbated by the Rajapaksa regime. Citizens deprived of basic necessities – including…

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Long-term investments in Sri Lanka are India’s plan to fix economic crisis, envoy Baglay says

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Long-term investments in Sri Lanka are India’s plan to fix economic crisis, envoy Baglay says. (NAYANIMA BASU 25 July, 2022 08:19 am IST (The Print)) High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka Gopal Baglay added that New Delhi will also work with the island nation’s new govt to facilitate talks for a bailout package from the IMF. New Delhi: After helping Sri Lanka with an unprecedented assistance of around $4 billion since January as the country plunged into a deep economic crisis, India is now planning to invest heavily in newer…

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Ranil: Not the man to lead Sri Lanka out of the crisis

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Sri Lanka’s Ranil Wickremesinghe is a schemer and the West’s stooge. Not the man to lead it out of crisis Asian Angle by Kalinga Seneviratne (South China Post) Ranil Wickremesinghe, a five-time PM who has never completed a full term in office, only gained the presidency via horse-trading and with Western help He claims he can schmooze the IMF, but Sri Lanka would be better served if India and China stepped up and worked with Russia to craft a BRICS bailout Sri Lanka’s newly elected president Ranil Wickremesinghe addresses the media in…

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Political and economic stability: President defying the people’s will: M.A. Sumanthiran

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Abolish Executive Presidency and go for General Elections System change can’t be done by tinkering with current Constitution  SLPP’s false majority in Parliament is not the people’s sentiment Unwarranted use of force does not bode well for political stability  Country needs a consensus government to move forward Going by current trend of governance, difficult to think of support But will support positive measures of new Govt. to ensure stability  By Asiri Fernando Unwarranted use of force by President Ranil Wickremesinghe does not bode well for reaching the political stability needed…

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