Aug 20 (TM) SJB called on the relevant authorities to expedite the necessary assessments and provide enhanced security for SJB and Opposition Leader, and the former’s Prez candidate Sajith Premadasa. SJB MP Tissa Attanayake said that the relevant authorities including Police Dept earlier stated that they would carry out a threat assessment and then provide enhanced security for Premadasa, but, such security is yet to be provided. "It is these days that he (Premadasa) attends more rallies. more..

Aug 20 (Island) March 12 Movement is planning to host a debate, for the first time in history, among six leading candidates contesting the Prez Election. Rohana Hettiarachchi, Executive Director of PAFFREL, said that the six candidates had been chosen because they had already started their campaigning and have support from MPs currently in Parliament. Hettiarachchi said March 12 Movement had already invited Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe, SJB leader Sajith Premadasa, NPP leader, more..

Aug 20 (Island) A police sergeant and two constables had been interdicted yesterday pending investigations into their alleged involvement in killing a wild elephant in Bakamuna, last week, police said. Three policemen were attached to the Bakamuna Police Station at the time of the incident. They opened fire on the elephant, killing it, while they were on patrol last week (15). The policemen were taken into custody by the area Wildlife officials in connection with the elephant’s death. more..

Aug 20 (FT) NPP leader and Prez candidate Anura Kumara Dissanayake has strongly refuted recent claims by Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe that he was invited to take control of the Govt during the 2022 political crisis when Mahinda Rajapaksa and other leaders stepped down. Dissanayake stressed that the Presidency should uphold its dignity and responsibility, especially when making such statements. more..

Aug 20 (FT) The Officer in Charge of BIA yesterday announced that the newly introduced luxury shuttle service between BIA and Colombo has been temporarily suspended with immediate effect following protests from various transportation associations. The luxury shuttle service, which began on 15 August, offered connections between BIA and key locations, including Port City, Colombo Fort Railway Station, Colombo Main Bus Stop & Makumbura Multimodal Transport Centre. more..

Aug 20 (NW) Former Ministers Harin Fernando and Manusha Nanayakkara have been appointed as Presidential advisors by Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe, with immediate effect. Harin Fernando has been appointed as advisor on sports, lands and tourism affairs while Manusha Nanayakakara has been appointed as advisor on labour and foreign employment. These appointments have been made in accordance with the powers assigned to the Prez as per Article 41(1) of the Constitution. more..

Aug 20 (CT) Election Commission (EC) has set the expenditure cap at Rs 109 per registered voter during Prez Election 2024. Consequently, a candidate can spend a maximum of Rs 1.86 billion on their campaign for the Prez Election. There are 17.1 million registered voters in SL. Gazette notification to announce the expenditure cap for the Prez Election was to be issued yesterday night. Political parties registered for the prez more..

Aug 20 (FT) There are 39 Presidential hopefuls seeking the mandate from voters to rule Sri Lanka for the next five years. Since SL is a country that had been embroiled in an unparalleled economic crisis and still struggling to recover, it is necessary to adopt a suitable policy strategy to push the economy through a high growth path to facilitate it to deliver prosperity and wellbeing to people. This requires the policymakers to give the highest priority to build an innovative or a creative economy. more..

Aug 20 (FT) There has been a sigh of relief that Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe has called for the Prez elections and the Elections Commission has declared 21 Sept as the day of reckoning for Sri Lanka. Many suspected that the Prez was trying to postpone elections and very few believed that Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe will call for the election as scheduled. He pulled out his magic wand and 85% of the lotuses chose his lake to thrive. There could be many more surprises prior to 21 Sept. more..

Aug 20 (DM) Whilst highlighting that an unnecessary fuss is being made about Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa’s failure to shake hands with incumbent Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe during the nomination day, SJB Vice Prez Sujeewa Senasinghe said that the former was not able to get up and greet the Prez as he was engaged in another matter during that time. “Some are making an unnecessary fuss about the matter. Besides, it would have been better if Wickremesinghe had greeted Premadasa by more..

Aug 20 (FT) Ceylon Chamber of Commerce announced that at its invitation, four main Prez candidates have nominated their leading economic policy experts to participate in a debate presenting each party’s economic policies and pledges ahead of the Prez election, on 29 Aug at the BMICH. Shehan Semasighe representing Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe, Dr. Harsha de Silva representing Sajith Premadasa, Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma representing Anura Kumara Dissanayake more..

Aug 20 (EN) Sri Lanka’s LTL Holdings and India’s Petronet LNG Limited (PLL) signed a MoU on Tuesday to build LNG Infrastructure Development and LNG Supply in the island nation. Both companies jointly submitted a proposal for SL's Ministry of Power and Energy and the cabinet approval has been already granted following the evaluation by a technical evaluation committee. “This MOU signing ceremony will mark more..

Aug 20 (DM) Four suspects who were produced before Colombo Chief Magistrate allegedly for disseminating offensive and detrimental accounts on Facebook against MP Kavinda Jayewardene, were remanded till Aug 29. The four suspects who were arrested by the Police were produced before Colombo Chief Magistrate Thilina Gamage and it was asserted that the four suspects had consciously disseminated fabricated stories on Facebook against the MP to harm his character and more..

Aug 20 (AD) Commissioner General of Elections Saman Sri Ratnayake has stated that 736,589 applications have been received for postal voting at the 2024 Prez Election. 24,268 postal vote applications have been rejected and that a total of 712,321 applicants are eligible for postal voting. The delivery of ballot papers for postal voting will be carried out on August 26. The opportunity has been provided for the marking of postal votes for a period of three days in the first week of September. more..

Aug 20 (CI) Sanath Jayasuriya is SL's coach only in an interim capacity, as they prepare for their biggest Test series of the year. He was appointed after former coach Chris Silverwood declined to renew his contract at the end of June. Jayasuriya has tasted some success in the job so far, with SL beating India 2-0 in the ODI series earlier this month. He spoke to ESPNcricinfo about the challenges that England, and Bazball, more..

Aug 20 (CD) Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy training ship Polang will embark on an ocean-going midshipmen training voyage and visit multiple countries from mid-August to late November, a Chinese defense spokesperson announced on Friday. The countries on the ship's itinerary include Vietnam, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Singapore. It will also make a technical stop in Hong Kong, Zhang Xiaogang, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense, said more..

Aug 20 (AD) The 11 suspects, including a female suspect, who were arrested in connection with the shooting and killing of two persons including Surendra Wasantha Perera alias Club Wasantha in Athurigiriya, have been further remanded until Sept 2 by the Kaduwela Magistrate’s Court. The order was issued after the defendants were produced before the Kaduwela Magistrate’s Court today (20) when case related to the incident was taken up before the court this afternoon. more..

Aug 20 (TM) Over the last few years, the development of Badminton throughout the island has gone on pace under the current administration led by Sri Lanka Badminton President, Rohan De Silva. Coaching, technical, regional development and competitions have all been very active components with multiple programmes conducted in pre-determined schedules each year. Ceylon Masters group affiliated to the SLB has also run robust tournaments, notably Asian Masters meet more..

Aug 20 (DM) When conducting the wild elephant census across the country, the Wildlife Conservation Dept has instructed its officers to do it with the aid of moonlight without flashing electronic torches. Flashing torches always disturb herds. The nationwide elephant census took place from Aug 17 to 19, with 3,130 survey centres set up around the country. Staff from the Wildlife Dept, other govt agencies, security forces, private sector employees, students, volunteers participated in census. more..

Aug 20 (DM) Three patients who were subjected to permanent loss of sight due to the use of Prednisolone Acetatean eye drops used after cataract surgeries at a govt hospital, filed lawsuits before the Colombo District Court today claiming Rs.300 million from former Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella and ten others for the damage caused to their eyes and possible threats to their lives. Keheliya Rambukwella, Janaka more..

Aug 20 (CT) State Health Service trade unions urged the Public Service Commission to reconsider its decision of conducting a General Knowledge and IQ test to formulate a List of Merit for three batches of Allied Health Science Graduates awaiting govt appointments. Govt Radiological Technologists’ Association (GRTA) President, Chanaka Dharmawickrema, lamented that this move may affect students who obtained first class passes in the relevant Allied Health Science Degree. more..

Aug 20 (TM) JVP-led NPP alleged that the recent appointments of former Parliamentarians Harin Fernando and Manusha Nanayakkara, whose Parliamentary seats were suspended by the Supreme Court recently, as Presidential advisors, are in direct violation of the Election laws. NPP Leader and Prez candidate Anura Kumara Dissanayake stated: "These appointments are a clear violation of the Election laws, especially in light of the recent circular issued by the EC, more..

Aug 20 (EN) Sri Lanka is planning to amend a Strategic Development Act which gave discretionary tax holidays and personal income tax free to up to 30 top executives in each project is to be amended, Treasury Secretary Mahinda Siriwardana has said. The SDP Act has come under fire from the IMF in particular for long negotiated discretionary tax holidays given to projects, exposing the country to corruption vulnerabilities. more..

Aug 20 (EN) Sri Lanka could face below average rainfall from October if La Niña conditions develop in the Southern Pacific Ocean, leading to a reduced Maha season rice crop in 2025, weather forecasters have warned. While El Niño conditions, linked to a warming of the Southern Pacific Ocean has been associated with disruptions of rainfall in the early part of a year, it also tends to give strong rainfall in the ensuing inter monsoon season, filling up reservoirs. more..

Aug 20 (CT) Election Commissioner General Saman Sri Ratnayake called on political parties to cease using national and religious symbols in their election campaigns. He emphasised the importance of moral ethics and responsibilities for candidates running for leadership positions. “Candidates should refrain from using national symbols like the national flag or the national anthem for their campaigns,” said Ratnayake. “It is equally unethical to use religious symbols such as the dhammachakra, more..

Aug 20 (CT) Prez Candidate of Samagi Jana Sandhanaya (SJS), Sajith Premadasa pledged to negotiate a new agreement with the IMF, asserting that a govt led by the SJS would secure a more humanitarian-focused deal. “They claim that a new govt cannot amend the current IMF agreement. While we must continue working with the IMF, we will seek a new agreement based on humanitarian principles,” Premadasa said. He said if sacrifices are to be made, everyone should be prepared to more..

Aug 20 (TM) Noting that governmental authorities are responsible for decisions related to development projects even during an election period, the Election Commission (EC) stated that they only monitor whether such decisions impact the electoral process and initiate necessary actions accordingly. Following the suspension of ongoing development projects worth more than Rs. 200 million secured by him due to directives issued by the Presidential Secretariat, ACMC Leader and MP Rishad Bathiudeen more..

Aug 20 (TM) The need of hour is for the Prez candidates to have a robust discussion on strategies and policies which can help move Sri Lanka towards recovery and growth, not the usual political rhetoric or populist ideas which have been used to mislead the public in the past, Sarvajana Balaya Prez candidate entrepreneur Dilith Jayaweera said last Sunday. “What is is expected from all the Presidential candidates is to more..

Aug 20 (NW) TPA MPs Palani Digambaram and Velu Kumar have been caught on camera engaging in a brawl while participating in a debate on local television. Video footage of the incident shows the two MPs speaking to each other in a derogatory manner leading to a physical brawl. The MPs were later separated by the television staff in an attempt to contain the situation. TPA MP Velu Kumar had recently pledged support for President Ranil Wickremesinghe in the Prez Election. more..

Aug 20 (CT) There should be at least 5,000 patients with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) in the island according to the percentage of patients detected and undetected, the Medical and Civil Rights Professional Association of Doctors (MCPA) observed. MCPA President, Dr Chamal Sanjeeva said yesterday, according to data given by the STD/AIDS Control Programme there were a significant number of patients scattered all over the island who have not attended a single clinic. more..

Aug 20 (EN) Election Commission (EC) has asked all the political parties contesting in the upcoming presidential election to compile the tax payment details of individuals and companies funding presidential candidates under the new Election Expenditure Act. EC has asked the parties to provide details of name, address, national identity card number (NIC), Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) at the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) more..

Aug 20 (DM) The NPP is to file a law suit against SJB MP Tissa Attanayake for making a false statement at a political rally in Mawanella, NPP politburo member Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said. He said Attanayake had told a political rally that NPP MP Harini Amarauriya had claimed that the Dalada Perahera will be stopped under an NPP govt. Dr. Jayatissa said it was a false statement made deliberately to create a wrong image of the NPP among the Buddhist people, and added that more..

Aug 20 (ICC) History was created at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup Sub Regional East Asia-Pacific Qualifier A event on Tuesday as Darius Visser helped break the record for most runs from one over of a men's T20I contest. Visser smashed six sixes and was helped with three no balls from Vanuatu seamer Nalin Nipiko at Garden Oval No.2 in Apia, Samoa, as a total of 39 runs were scored from the 15th over of the contest. The 39 runs conceded from the over was the most in the history of more..

Aug 21 (DM) In Europe Russia and Ukraine have been at war since February 24, 2022. Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) verified a total of 35,160 civilian casualties as of 31 July 2024. Of them, 23,640 people were reported to have been injured. However, OHCHR specified that the real numbers could be higher. The US and the West who back Ukraine are pouring more and more armaments and finances into Ukraine to prolong the conflict rather than to bring an end to it. more..

Aug 21 (DM) Presidential race kicked off last Saturday by four main candidates- Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe, SJB leader Sajith Premadasa, NPP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake and SLPP Namal Rajapaksa– stoking voter enthusiasm to participate in the prez poll to be conducted on Sept 21 to elect the next executive president of Sri Lanka. As usual, election pledges garbed in rhetorical languages are made this time too, primarily aimed at attracting voters. more..