Aug 7 (TM) Election Commission (EC) called on all Prez candidates and heads of public institutions to strictly adhere to the directives and guidelines issued by the EC regarding the use of public resources during the election period. EC Chairperson R.M.A.L. Rathnayake made this appeal during a media briefing held yesterday where he emphasised that the Secretaries and Assistant Secretaries to the Ministries, dept heads, and more..

Aug 7 (FT) SL electors are awaiting a change from the status quo of a sluggish and slow-moving economy towards a more seriously planned progress. With fresh memories of extreme hard time sufferings of the recent past, only palliatively handled with haphazard responses to meet emergency situations, the body politic is hopeful of a dawn of an economy progressing under a planned pursuit of a clear vision. The society is going through a period of many uncertainties with a serious inequality growing more..

Aug 7 (TM) Sometimes, a simple coffee catch-up can turn into an unexpected journey through recent history. Last week, I met two old friends at a cosy café in Colombo 7. Three of us hadn’t gathered since 5 Dec 2018. With an Americano and avocado juice, we chatted about the changes in our lives, laughing and reflecting. One common thing was that we all had gained weight and grey hair. My friends, too, have been involved in politics for years, with one starting with the JVP before the difficult 88/89 period more..

Aug 7 (AD) The SLPP today officially announced its National Organiser MP Namal Rajapaksa as the party’s candidate for the Prez Election. SLPP General Secretary, Sagara Kariyawasam announced this moments ago at the party’s headquarters in Nelum Mawatha. Former Prez Mahinda Rajapaksa, SLPP founder Basil Rajapaksa, and several other party members also attended the event. Namala Rajapaksa had been tipped to be named as the SLPP’s prez candidate after SLPP MP Dhammika Perera decided to withdraw more..

Aug 7 (DM) In a discussion with heads and representatives of media institutions, Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe said he has no competition as his focus is on advancing the country. “I have proved my capability twice," he emphasized. Prez made these remarks during a discussion with heads and representatives of media institutions a short while ago. He also said, “We cannot change any of the benchmarks of the agreements made with the IMF or creditors, if we do SL could lose the funding. more..

Aug 7 (FT) Mahinda Rajapaksa’s second presidential investiture was held two days after his 65th birthday, the twin occasions marked by grandiose displays of Rajapaksa power. The highlights of this political spectacle included a shipload of Buddhist monks voyaging from Galle to the Hambantota Rajapaksa Port, chanting the Sagara Piritha, and the cooking of world’s largest milk-rice weighting 4,000 kg by 300+ chefs (relayed live on TV). more..

Aug 7 (SLN) A special search operation conducted by the SL Navy at Thorayadi Lagoon in Kalpitiya on 6th Aug, led to the recovery of a parcel weighing 04kg and 740g of gold from the depths of the lagoon. Additionally, Navy seized a dinghy near Thorayadi beach, which is suspected to have been used for smuggling the package. Navy carries out regular search operations and patrols in the coastal and sea areas around the island, with a view to preventing an assortment of nefarious activities more..

Aug 7 (Island) Under the multi-sectoral Indian grant assistance of INR 750 million to mark 200 years of arrival of Indian-origin Tamils to Sri Lanka, announced during the visit of President Ranil Wickremesinghe to India in July 2023, a teacher training programme in STEM subjects (Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, English and Biology) is currently underway in Sri Lanka, according to a statement issued by the Indian HC here. The following is the text of the statement: more..

Aug 7 (DM) Some heads of the military were trying to stage a coup during Aragalaya in 2022 and wanted the political leaders to give way for the same, MP Madhura Withanage told Parliament. “Did these military leaders tell you to keep away during the aragalaya,” he questioned Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana. “Military leaders in SL and the defense hierarchy could not safeguard the Head of State in 2022,” he added. MP, who critisised the then Army Commander Shavendra Silva, more..

Aug 7 (DM) Some 34 development projects initiated for the last five to six years spending public funds of Rs.6.37 billion have been abandoned without putting to any use, the Parliamentary Committee revealed. Chairman of the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Sustainable Development Ajith Mannapperuma, tabling a report in Parliament said that 23 projects had been abandoned due to lack of funds while 11 projects had been abandoned due to some reasons. more..

Aug 7 (AD) Police stated that two persons were injured and hospitalized following separate shooting incidents, which are suspected to be linked, that occurred in the Makewita area of Ja-Ela and the Thammita area of Gampaha last night. Police suspect that the same gunmen had been involved in both shootings. Incident occurred in the Makewita area of Ja-Ela at around 7.40pm last night when two assailants, who had arrived on a motorcycle, opened fire at a person who was also riding a motorcycle, more..

Aug 7 (AD) All Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMC) led by Rishad Bathiudeen has decided to announce the candidate it will support in the upcoming pre election on Aug 14. The leader of the ACMC, MP Rishad Bathiudeen, stated that this decision was taken during the party’s Supreme Council meeting last night. “Supreme Council of our party held an extensive discussion regarding who we should support in the prez election. Accordingly, we have decided to reach a final decision at 10 a.m. on the 14th.” more..

Aug 7 (Island) Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) believed nominating a common Tamil prez candidate was a bad idea and one destined to fail, TNA MP, M.A. Sumanthiran said in a recent televised interview. “We think we must talk to the main candidate. We have already spoken to two candidates and we will continue with that. We will decide at the end who we will support,” he said. The common Tamil candidate idea is a very bad one, because it will make the Tamil cause weak, Sumanthiran said. more..

Aug 7 (CI) Ranjan Madugalle has become the first match referee to officiate 400 ODIs, with his taking charge of the third ODI between India and SL at Khettarama. Madugalle has been a match referee since 1993 and in that time has also officiated more than 200 Tests, also a record. He had, in addition, served as the ICC's chief match referee until that position was removed. Simon Taufel, former elite-panel umpire paid tribute to Madugalle. more..

Aug 7 (EN) Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekera said he had discussed salary structures and a voluntary retirement scheme policy with state-run power utility management and trade unions. Wijesekera met CEB management and trade unions on Monday. “Progress and current status of CEB reforms, appointments to key new institutes, human resource management policy, proposed new salary structures, performance based incentive systems and the VRS policy was discussed,” the minister said. more..

Aug 7 (Island) Ministers’ promises in response to the question raised by Opposition MPs were not implemented, Opposition and SJB leader Sajith Premadasa told Parliament yesterday. Premadasa said that the government ministers made various promises. “However, these promises are not fulfilled.” Premadasa pointed out that the government had pledged to increase the interest rate on the senior citizens’ fixed deposits in response to many questions raised by Opposition MPs and himself. more..

Aug 7 (TM) Amidst the rubber industry showing a marginal improvement in exports by 12% for the first six months of 2024 – $ 488 million when compared with 2023 export earnings of $ 433 million – industry experts foresee a decline in order volumes, and they anticipate that the next three months are going to be challenging. SL Association of Manufacturers and Exporters of Rubber Products (SLAMERP) Director General Sisira Ranatunga said more..

Aug 7 (EN) SJB has entered an alliance with the faction of the crisis-riddle SLFP led by MP Dayasiri Jayasekara. An agreement was signed between the two parties at a ceremony held in Colombo. In attendance at the event was MP Thilanga Sumathipala, who is the general secretary of the SLFP-led UPFA. The faction of the SLFP led by Aviation Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva, however, have declared their support for President Ranil Wickremesinghe at the 2024 presidential election. more..

Aug 7 (CT) The number of dengue cases in the country topped 33,000 with the heavy but sporadic showers being experienced in the country during this period. According to the NaDSys surveillance system of the National Dengue Control Unit (NDCU), by midnight on Monday (5), the number of dengue cases in the country had reached 33,392 while the dengue death toll was 14. A total of 4,506 dengue cases were recorded in July. Unit noted that a total of 647 dengue cases had been recorded from 1 to 5 Aug 2024. more..

Aug 8 (CT) Sri Lanka people will be voting to elect their next President on Sept 21. The Election Commission’s announcement on the election sets to rest all the speculation about political moves to postpone it. The month ended with six presidential aspirants in the fray. According to the Election Commission six candidates who deposited the money required to contest the presidential election included two independents and four representing political parties or formations. more..

Aug 8 (DM) The race for the Sept 21 Prez Election took a dramatic turn yesterday when the SLPP - the majority in Parliament – decided to nominate former Prez Mahinda Rajapaksa’s son, Namal Rajapaksa, as the SLPP candidate for the elections. The SLPP’s Founder Basil Rajapaksa confirmed that at the last politburo meeting that the 38-year Old National Organiser Namal Rajapaksa would be nominated as the SLPP’S Presidential Candidate and his campaign will start immediately. more..

Aug 8 (DM) When *Dilshani’s husband *Priyankara, an executive officer with over eight years of experience in the IT sector, was looking for overseas employment, he was convinced to take up a job opportunity as a data entry operator in Thailand. With promises of a safe and luxurious working environment and an attractive salary, Priyankara thought that his dream to go in search of greener pastures was finally becoming a reality. more..

Aug 8 (DM) The Economic Transformation Bill (ETB), which passed through the SL Parliament on July 25, sets ambitious targets for investment and export growth, aiming to address numerous economic issues through a single piece of legislation. This article focuses on provisions for zone management in the ETB. By including zone management within a Bill that aims to fix many problems, SL has taken a divergent path compared to other developing countries in the region. more..

Aug 8 (CT) Election Commission (EC) yesterday (6), summoned the top bureaucrats to the commission to provide explicit instructions on the appropriate use of public resources during the Prez Election period. This meeting was to highlight the persistent problem of politicians improperly using public property and the essential role of State institutions heads in upholding Prez Election Act. This meeting comes in a backdrop of the alarming reports that some politicians’ were misusing public property, more..

Aug 8 (TM) The recent death of a Police Constable (PC) attached to the Karandugala Police Station in Monaragala, who took his own life after murdering a fellow officer and two other females, allegedly using his service weapon, has cast a stark spotlight on the mental wellbeing of Police officers. This incident, along with other recent cases of Police officers ending their own lives using their service weapons, and elsewhere, more..

Aug 8 (TM) The likely escalation in the conflict linking Israel, Lebanon, Iran and other parts of the Middle East following the assassination of the Hamas leader, and the unfolding situation in the United Kingdom and the turmoil in Bangladesh has once again swung the spotlight back on safety and security of SL travellers, migrant workers, students and our citizens who are residents overseas. With reports coming out of the UK about riots which have erupted following anti-immigration protests more..

Aug 8 (ST) Sunday Times Business, it appears, was the first off the blocks to notice the public of a possible corrupt deal when it questioned in a May 5, 2024 story headlined VFS charges $25 while local company charges only $1 as to why the govt had brought in global visa facilitation agency VFS Global at a fee of $25.77 per visitor entry into the country when Mobitel had been charging only $1 per applicant in a scheme that was efficient and competent for Immigration & Emigration Dept! more..

Aug 8 (Island) The dust is said to be settling in Bangladesh. No sooner had the Sheikh Hasina regime been toppled in Dhaka than JVP/NPP stalwart, K.D. Lal Kantha, created quite a stir in Colombo by making a boastful claim, which blew up in his face. Addressing a group of tax professionals on Tuesday, Lal Kantha said the JVP had engineered the abortive bid to capture the parliamentary complex in 2022. Claiming that the JVP had been able to direct Galle Face more..

Aug 8 (Island) A few weeks ago, Sri Lankans were not certain if there would be a prez election in 2024 with an alleged lack of clarity regarding the term of the president and a govt drama of a Bill to amend the prez’s term. However, Election Commission was very clear and firm, and now we do have a presidential election gazetted and scheduled to be held on 21 Sept. Sri Lankans will be afforded their first real chance to decide their own future or at least elect the leaders who would fashion and more..

Aug 8 (DM) The newly proposed National Education Policy Framework (NEPF) for the period of 2023-2033 is unusually exceptional for several critical reasons. It blatantly disregards the country’s Constitution with clauses that directly violate its provisions. It advocates for the establishment of autonomous Provincial Boards of Education, which, according to the Constitution, should only have an advisory role. more..

Aug 8 (ST) Against the backdrop of a declining consumer spending in both the US and Europe markets SL is receiving apparel orders to refill their old stocks with drop in orders experienced compared to last year upto June. The expectations are that buyers will start issuing new orders in the latter part of the year, JAAF Deputy Chairman Felix Fernando said. Cumulative data for the first six months of 2024 indicated a drop of 1.18% of total export income to US$2258 million from $3084 million last year. more..

Aug 8 (ST) The Attorney General has objected to a plea by a businessman convicted for a fraud of value added tax (VAT) to appoint a five judge bench to re-hear his appeal in the Court of Appeal. The request has come despite an appeal already pending with the Supreme Court. Businessman Mohamed Kamil Kuthubdeen was found guilty for the fraud in 2014. He was not arrested. A red notice has been issued for his arrest and he is believed to be either in Dubai or Malaysia. more..

Aug 8 (CB) SL have announced an 18-member squad, led by Dhananjaya de Silva, for the three-match Test series against England. Nisala Tharaka and Milan Rathnayake are the two uncapped players in the squad which also sees the return of Jeffrey Vandersay to the longest format. Vandersay, who played a lone Test in 2022 and recently picked a six-wicket haul against India in the second ODI, has been included in the squad and could be handy with his legbreaks in English conditions. more..

Aug 8 (FT) Since its establishment in 2005, Novacura has strategically expanded across 10 countries, developing an impressive customer portfolio. This growth has been driven under the leadership of CEO Johan Melander. Director of Customer Success Andreas Foung arrived in SL to attend the opening event to commemorate and celebrate collaboration with stakeholders alongside the Novacura Lanka team. Novacura Lanka has a local customer base in the automobile, more..

Aug 8 (CI) Sri Lanka's top-order batters were good, and their spinners were even better. This was captain Charith Asalanka's take on what had enabled his team to overcome India, a side which they had lost to 16 times since 2015, but beaten only on three occasions in ODIs. In this series, played on raging turners, SL tied the first match, won the second game comfortably, and then trounced India in the third match by 110 runs. more..