Oct 5 (TM) SL sits very close to one of the largest economies in the world, and besides India having been quite an influence on SL from ancient times, the island nation is also vulnerable to any geopolitical decisions taken by India. When Indian PM Narendra Modi rolled out his 3.0 strategy, SL may not have focused too much on the implications of that plan on SL – but, maybe we should. Returning to Kaleidoscope this week is the Executive Director of the Centre for Law more..

Oct 5 (DN) Sri Lanka Women’s Cricket team will meet defending champions Australia today in their T20 World Cup fixture at Sharjah Stadium at 3:30 PM (Sri Lanka time). After a disappointing loss to Pakistan in their first game, Sri Lanka’s batters are under pressure to deliver a stronger performance against a powerful Australian side. Skipper Chamari Athapaththu and her team must regroup and play fearlessly, as Australia remain favourites to win the title for the seventh time. more..

Oct 5 (ST) The Sept 21 election was one for history books vis a vis SL presidential election for several reasons but mainly for going to a second preference count, something that has not happened since the first election to elect a prez was held in 1982. In the lead up to the poll, Election Dept officials anticipating that no candidate would secure 50%+ 1 to win the election in the first count urged voters to mark a second preference. more..

Oct 5 (FT) Qatar-SL Business Council (QSBC) signed a MoU with the National Chamber of Exporters (NCE) of SL with the aim of fostering stronger business ties and enhancing trade and investment opportunities between Qatar and SL. At the launching ceremony of the QSBC, SL Ambassador to Qatar Mohamed Mafaz Mohideen emphasised the importance of signing MoUs and fostering mutual agreements between business chambers and associations in both more..

Oct 5 (FT) Colombo stock market closed the week on the up with the benchmark ASPI crossing the 12,000 points-mark as investors reverted to buying mode. After two days of dips due to profit taking, ASPI gained by 1% or 123.50 points to close at 12,053 and the active S&P SL20 gained by 1.7%. During the week, ASPI and S&P SL 20 gained 2.4% and 3.9% respectively. Turnover yesterday was Rs. 2.8 billion involving 71.4 million shares, whilst the daily average for the week was Rs. 2.52 b. more..

Oct 5 (TM) A group representing the political sector and civil organisations yesterday (3) engaged in a peaceful protest in front of the PM's office in Colombo, urging PM and Minister of Women, Child, and Youth Affairs, Dr. Harini Amarasuriya to investigate and initiate legal action against the defamatory campaigns allegedly being carried out through social media platforms against female politicians including former Prez more..

Oct 5 (DN) Himsara Navodya from the Navy excelled with a spectacular second-round knockout against Army’s N.B.A.S.N. Kumara in the Featherweight (57kg) category in the quarter-finals of the 82nd Layton Cup Boxing Championship, organized by the Boxing Association of Sri Lanka (BASL), held at the Royal MAS Arena. Navodya had narrowly missed victory at the Intermediates meet in July, but this time he made no mistakes. After losing the first round, he fired back with more..

Oct 5 (NW) The road adjoining Temple Trees, extending from Kollupitiya Mosque to the Rotunda Roundabout has been reopened to the public today (04) after a prolonged closure due to security concerns. The road, which had been inaccessible for an extended period, was reopened following a review of the current security situation by the new Govt. This decision is expected to ease traffic flow in the surrounding areas and provide greater convenience to the public. more..

Oct 5 (DM) The tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka surpassed the total for all of 2023 in the first week of October, a positive sign for the country’s recovering tourism sector. The provisional data from the SL Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) showed that by Sept 30, 2024, the arrivals had reached 1,484,808 visitors, close to surpassing last year’s total of 1,487,303. SL Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) attributed the achievement of surpassing the 2023 levels to strategic initiatives, more..

Oct 5 (SO) Senior journalist Sunanda Deshapriya said that it is hoped that prompt investigations will begin under Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake regarding the killings and disappearances of journalists, which had been the subject of much controversy in SL. He said the current Govt had made promises in this regard before taking office. Deshapriya said that the disappearance of Prageeth Ekneligoda, the murder of Lasantha Wickramatunga, the mysterious death of Wasim Thajudeen more..

Oct 5 (Reuters) SL's $12.5 billion bondholder debt rework has received support from bilateral creditors and the IMF, finance ministry said on Friday, a huge boost to the island nation's fragile economy. SL defaulted on its foreign debt for the first time ever in May 2022, engulfed in a severe crisis and buckling under its high debt burden and dwindling foreign exchange reserves. Last month, it reached a draft deal with creditors to more..

Oct 5 (ST) Funding for the upcoming parliamentary elections is not an issue and the Election Commission (EC) is already engaged in initial preparations for the poll, a senior election official said. Funding is only one aspect of the large election process, Election Commissioner General Saman Sri Ratnayake said. Preparations for the handing over of nominations for the elections scheduled for November 14 are already underway, he said. “It is the Treasury that controls release of funds. more..

Oct 5 (DM) Claiming that the NPP is finalising its nomination lists at district level for the upcoming General Election, NPP General Secretary Dr. Nihal Abeysinghe said NPP is preparing a mechanism to avoid competition for preferential votes among the NPP contenders. He said that however, the NPP will not intervene in any way in the elected members to Parliament and that NPP will make sure that all members elected by the people through preferential votes will enter Parliament. more..

Oct 5 (Island) Govt should be permitted to provide a fertiliser subsidy to farmers until the conclusion of the nomination period, on 11 Oct, for the general election, Rohana Hettiarachchi, Executive Director of the PAFFREL said. He warned that delaying the fertiliser subsidy could have a detrimental effect on agriculture, which would, in turn, harm the country’s economy. “We must ensure the wellbeing of the agricultural sector. A setback in one agricultural season could have knock-on effects,” more..

Oct 5 (DM) There is a positive response from the government regarding the import of vehicles from January. Vehicle Importers Association (VIAL) President Indika Sampath Merinchige said that a decision had been taken by the govt to import vehicles. While commenting on rumours about increasing taxes when importing vehicles, he said that there is no truth of increasing import tax on higher margins. Rumours were spread claiming that a 600% tax will be imposed when importing more..

Oct 5 (FT) The appointment of Superintendent of Police (SP) Ajantha Rodrigo as Acting Director of the Public Order Management Division has been cancelled following a wave of public outrage. Acting IGP Priyantha Weerasooriya initially announced the appointment via RTM 66, but the decision was reversed the same day after significant backlash from the public and human rights activists. Rodrigo, notorious for more..

Oct 5 (Island) Election officials yesterday began accepting nominations for the upcoming parliamentary election, scheduled for 14 Nov. 2024, according to Commissioner General of Elections Saman Sri Ratnayake. Ratnayake said that nominations would be accepted at the District Secretaries’ offices in 22 electoral districts until noon on 11 October. Registered political parties were not required to place deposits for contesting general elections, Ratnayake said. more..

Oct 5 (Island) Not a single presidential candidate has handed over his expenses report for election propaganda to the Election Commission (EC) by 4 October 2024, according to sources. Presidential candidates have time till 12 October to hand over their election campaign expense reports to the EC. According to campaign finance laws each presidential candidate must submit election campaign expense reports to the EC within 21 days of the announcement of the election results. more..

Oct 5 (FT) India reaffirmed its support for Sri Lanka with the two countries expressing commitment to further strengthen ties. The development follows Indian External Affairs Minister (EAM) Dr. S. Jaishankar, calling on Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake during the former’s one day visit to SL. A statement from PMD said at the outset, the visiting External Affairs Minister congratulated Prez Dissanayake on his election and more..

Oct 6 (TM) The last thing comrade Anura Kumara Dissanayake, SL’s brand-new Executive President and his party, the NPP, would wish to be associated with at this juncture, or at any point during his tenure for that matter, is the general assertion that those who came to change the system ended up falling victim to that same system, or that the system is changing them. While social media is abuzz with such claims, fuelled by some less-than-desirable new appointments, it is up to new leadership more..

Oct 6 (SO) Recent controversy over official vehicles given to certain advisors and functionaries of the previous Govt has again ignited the debate on whether a country such as SL, emerging from an unprecedented economic crisis, can maintain such a large fleet of Govt vehicles. Worse, it has been revealed that despite the former Prez’s Wel Paalama (vine bridge) mantra, some of his advisors have deemed it fit to cross that bridge by using BMWs, Porsches, Toyota Landcruiser V8s, more..

Oct 6 (CT) Ninth Parliament of SL, which convened on 20 Aug 2020 and was dissolved at midnight on 24 Sep 2024, saw 16 parliamentary vacancies filled during its term. In total, 16 new members were appointed on 18 occasions, representing the full 241 MPs who had served during this period. Several key resignations and subsequent appointments defined the changes in membership. Jayantha Ketagoda, who was elected to Parliament from more..

Oct 6 (CT) As everyone else is scrambling to prepare for the parliamentary election, Prez Dissanayake and his NPP must be sitting pretty, savouring their prospects for November after their success in September. The quick dissolution of parliament and a virtually snap election favours the NPP more than others. They have the momentum and the machinery of victory behind them. And they have little time to seriously shoot themselves in the foot. The necessary economic condition and more..

Oct 6 (CT) As the General Election 2024 campaign gears up, SL stands on the brink of significant political movement. With nominations being accepted from 4 to 11 Oct, the coming days will reveal alliances, crossovers and even unexpected shifts in political landscapes. There is no doubt that this election will capture the attention of the entire nation, as the choices made now will determine the future direction of the country. However, amidst the excitement and anticipation, more..

Oct 6 (TM) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD) and his Govt were no doubt awakened to the ground realities in governance as well as the country’s precarious economic situation following the many meetings held by the new Prez last week with India’s External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar, members of the IMF, and envoys representing several key foreign nations. The one thing that all these meetings highlighted was that SL was more..

Oct 6 (ST) Hardly has one major election concluded and world leaders keep sending congratulatory messages to a new Executive Prez, the country is preparing for another election – arguably even more significant than the Sept 21 Prez election. No doubt last month’s election was to pick the Head of State and the Head of Govt, but next month’s election is crucial for the newly elected Executive Prez, as he will be a lame duck, not the all-powerful leader that office is reputed to be, more..

Oct 6 (ST) My dear Harini, I can see that you are a very busy lady these days, burdened as you are with the duties of your many ministries and, of course, being PM. I thought I must still write to you to congratulate you. After all, it is only about once in every 30 years or so that we choose a female PM! We did start the trend with the first female PM in the world with Sirima but I would still say you deserve a special mention. Not to take anything away from what your 2 female predecessors have done, more..

Oct 6 (Island) Even before the indelible ink marks placed on the left little fingernails of those who voted at the Sept 21 prez election had faded or washed off, the concerned authorities last Friday began receiving nomination for the Nov 14 parliamentary election that follows. This process will continue till October 11 when the picture will become clearer. Questions already in the minds of voters, apart from the vital one of which party and what candidates they will choose, more..

Oct 6 (Island) Having congratulated Anura Kumara Dissanayake, Chinese leader Xi Jinping declared that the former’s triumph at the Prez Election marked a new chapter in China-SL bilateral relations. The Chinese President called for deeper friendship and cooperation while proposing, what he called, a journey of mutual progress and prosperity. Indian Premier Narendra Modi emphasized the importance of Indo-Lanka relations in the context of India’s Neighbourhood First policy and more..

Oct 6 (CI) Australia began their T20 World Cup defence with a six-wicket win over SL, who slumped to a second defeat in less than 48 hours to leave their semi-final hopes hanging by a thread. Australia kept SL to under 100, and knocked off the runs inside 15 overs. But their speed of run-scoring was not enough to put Australia on top of the group ahead of NZ on NRR, which could prove crucial in a pool where they have already been 2 upsets. more..

Oct 6 (Island) World Athletics lists 5.93 metres as the best recorded performance of current Olympic long jump champion Tara Davis when she was 15 years old in 2014. A year later in 2015 the American won the long jump gold medal at the World Youth Championships in Cali, Colombia. Her gold winning performance as a 16-year-old at the now defunct championship was 6.41 metres. Sweden’s Kaiza Karlen won the silver medal of this Under 18 event for a feat of 6.24 metres. more..

Oct 6 (Island) Fame and popularity often have a way of inflating egos, turning the humble into the arrogant. Cricketers are no exception to this rule. In fact, school cricket can be a crystal ball for spotting future stars, and some of them, as they rise through the ranks, become like distant planets—hard to reach, encased in layers of agents, protocols, and red tape. But SL players, to their credit, have largely kept their feet on the ground. They haven’t let stardom sweep them off course. more..

Oct 6 (ST) Musaeus College defeated traditional rivals Ladies’ College with a score of 37-15 to win the Marie Musaeus Higgins Trophy in the annual rowing encounter at the 19th LC-MC Regatta, held at Beira Lake in Colombo yesterday. The prestigious Boat Race was the highlight of the event, where Musaeus excelled, earning a total of 12 points. Their victories included the ‘B’ Four (8 points), ‘B’ Pair (4 points), ‘A’ Double Scull (7 points), and ‘A’ Scull (6 points). more..

Oct 6 (TM) The national selectors are expected to give much-needed exposure to Chamindu Wickramasinghe and Bhanuka Rajapaksa, as Sri Lanka look to sustain their recent resurgence in international cricket, when the three-match T20I series against the West Indies starts on 13 October in Dambulla. Since being blanked 3-0 by world champions India at home in August, the Lankans have turned a corner. Following a 2-0 defeat of India in the ensuing three-match ODI series more..

Oct 6 (ST) The ICC this week suspended SL cricketer Praveen Jayawickrama for one year, of which last six months were suspended, for breaching its Anti-Corruption Code. The decision follows allegations that Jayawickrama failed to report attempts made by a friend to involve him and another player in match-fixing activities during the LPL in 2021. Jayawickrama’s case emerged from a series of troubling interactions with an acquaintance, more..

Oct 6 (Island) Teejay Lanka, in collaboration with the Wildlife and Nature Protection Society (WNPS) through its PLANT initiative, continues to drive a significant ecological restoration project along the Maskeli Oya in SL. This effort, part of Teejay’s Abhivarah 2030 sustainability road map, focuses on reforesting degraded areas to create a 9km forest corridor, restoring the riparian ecosystem and enhancing biodiversity. With 2,650 native trees already planted, the project also generates more..