- This week’s Treasury Bill auction fails miserably: out of a total of Rs.150 bn on offer, only Rs.108 bn accepted: weighted average yields increase from 26 to 51 basis points: cut-off rate for 3 month T-Bills jump to 19.2%: nevertheless, CB Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe orders Banks to reduce their lending rates.
- Catholic Bishops Conference appeal to the Govt to grant relief to the poor: Conference President Right Reverend Dr Harold Anthony Perera says many people are on the brink of starvation while there seems to be no clear vision to resolve the immediate basic needs of the people.
- Dr Janaki Vidanapathirana, Director of the National STD/AIDS Control Programme says a total of 346 HIV cases have been reported this year, marking a noticeable increase compared to the previous year: attributes the increase to the expansion of testing capacity, a lack of knowledge about sex education among the public, risky sexual behaviors, and a failure to take necessary precautions.
- Influential US Senator Chris Van Hollen arrives in SL as a part of a 3-nation (SL, Nepal and Maldives) tour: expected to “focus on ways the US can further assist efforts to overcome SL’s economic crisis and discuss the way forward on human rights and reconciliation”.
- Exports record a massive fall of 11.9% in July 2023 from a year ago to USD 1,027.2 mn with double digit falls to key export destinations: in the 7 months to July 2023, exports down 10.2% to USD 6,898 mn: exports to the US down 15.6%: exports to the UK down 22.8%, to Germany down 24.2%: to Italy down 7.6%: and to Netherlands down 10.7%.
- Minister Bandula Gunawardena says the Cabinet has given approval to import 92.1 mn eggs from India during the next 3 months: accordingly, Govt calls quotations from 3 Indian companies recommended by the Dept of Animal Production & Health.
- Cabinet clears amendment to the Value Added Tax law to abolish SVAT, a scheme given to exporters to avoid delays in VAT refunds.
- Professor Chandana Jayaratne says the full moon today is going to be an extraordinary combination of a supermoon and a blue moon: also says it will occur due to the the moon being at its closest to the Earth in its orbit: also says that consequently, the moon will be 14% bigger and 30% brighter than some of the other full moons in the past.
- Public Security Minister Tiran Alles says the CID has launched a fresh probe into the violence that erupted on 9th May 2022.
- The SL Cricket team has been delivered several blows leading to the Asia Cup that will get underway later this week, due to a series of injuries: as a result, Coach Chris Silverwood forced to field a second string bowling attack after 4 leading bowlers went down with injuries.
