Sep 13 (AD) A bus returning from an election rally of the NPP held in Monaragala this morning has reportedly been attacked by a group of unidentified individuals. The attack had targeted a group of supporters who were returning from a public meeting held at the Monaragala Pradeshiya Sabha stadium, with the participation of the NPP prez candidate, Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Four persons who were injured in the attack have been admitted to the Buttala Divisional Hospital for treatment. more..

Sep 13 (TM) Central Bank announced that the Monetary Policy Review No. 05 of 2024, originally scheduled for release on the 20 Sept, has been rescheduled. The updated release date will be Friday, 27 Sept, at 7.30 a.m. According to the Monetary Policy Review No. 04 of 2024, the CB further reduces policy interest rates. The standing deposit facility rate (SDFR) and the standing lending facility rate (SLFR) of the Central Bank were determined to be lowered by 25 basis points more..

Sep 13 (Island) The ITAK decision to support SJB prez candidate Sajith Premadasa remained unchanged, ITAK MP M.A. Sumanthiran stated in response to reports suggesting the party had withdrawn its support for Premadasa. Sumanthiran emphasised that the decision to back Premadasa had been made following proper procedures and all party members had endorsed it. He acknowledged that some ITAK MPs had called for a reconsideration of the party’s backing of the SJB candidate. more..

Sep 13 (DM) The she-elephant named Madhu belonging to the Muthiyangana Raja Maha Vihara in Badulla died yesterday after she fell into an old toilet pit in the Sewela Bokkkuwa area of ​​Hasalaka, the Hasalaka Police said. They said the elephant had been brought to the Esala Perahara festival of the Mahiyangana Rajamaha Vihara. The incident occurred while she was getting in a truck to be taken to the Esala Perahara festival. The elephat was thirty years old and was received by more..

Sep 13 (DM) Supreme Court today issued an order directing the Controller General of Immigration and Emigration to appear before the Court in person for his failure to implement the SC's order, which had suspended the Cabinet decision granting approval related to online and expat visa operations in SL. Additional Solicitor General Viveka Siriwardena, appearing for the Attorney General, informed court that the Controller General more..

Sep 13 (Island) Chairman of the Election Commission (EC), R.M.A.L. Rathnayake, expressed his concern about recent decisions taken by the Cabinet of Ministers. Rathnayake said those decisions could be perceived as clear endorsements of a particular candidate. He said the EC was no empowered to halt any decisions made by the Cabinet. “However, the Commission has communicated its concerns about the recent approvals given by the Cabinet, more..

Sep 13 (TM) GMOA stated that with the near halt of emergency purchases, corruption and irregularities in pharmaceutical drug procurement have substantially declined. However, they emphasised that to completely eradicate these issues, the entire process of medicine procurement and distribution must be fully digitised. In recent years, several incidents of large-scale corruption and irregularities have occurred in drug procurement, especially during emergency purchases made in more..

Sep 13 (MB) This past Aug 17 would have been just another ordinary day for the elephants of SL: feeding, drinking, resting and, for some, raiding nearby farms. But for the staff of Dept of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) and thousands of volunteers, it was the start of a busy weekend as they carried out the task of counting the country’s elephants — the first such count in 13 years. Equipped with rations for three days, more..

Sep 13 (FT) LOLC Group is to make a Rs. 3 billion takeover bid of Sierra Cables following the crossing of 30% stake in the latter. The move follows Browns Investments, the strategic arm of LOLC Group through former’s wholly owned subsidiary Iconic trust Ltd., purchasing 6.65 million shares of Sierra Cables at Rs. 8 each in a deal worth Rs. 53.3 million. Following the purchase Iconic Trust increased its stake in Sierra Cables to 30.42% triggering SEC’s Takeovers & Mergers Code. more..

Sep 13 (CT) On National Prisoners’ Day, observed on 12 September, Murugiah Komagan, Coordinator of the Voice of the Voiceless organisation, urged the Govt to release political prisoners, claiming it was both a moral and democratic obligation. He noted that, despite Sri Lanka celebrating its 116th National Prisoners’ Day, the country’s prisons remain severely overcrowded, with 24,000 inmates crammed into facilities meant for only 13,000. Komagan questioned the value of marking the day more..

Sep 13 (AD) President’s Counsel Kaushalya Nawaratne has resigned from his position as the President of the Bar Association of SL (BASL) with immediate effect. The Bar Council of the Bar Association of SL (BASL) on August 31 had unanimously decided to call for the resignation of BASL President Kaushalya Nawaratne. Accordingly, it was reported that the Bar Council in a meeting unanimously approved a proposal calling for the resignation of Kaushalya Nawaratne as more..

Sep 13 (AN) The new and cumbersome visa processing system, which has caused confusion among tourists, has prompted Sri Lanka’s tourist operators to file a lawsuit with the Supreme Court, seeking redress and take to the streets this week against excessive red tape. Currently, tourists have to spend about two and a half hours upon arrival at BIA in Colombo. There is no online platform that allows visitors to get a visa to enter the country and this is causing chaos and congestion. more..

Sep 13 (AJ) It was an unlikely invitation from the Indian govt. In early February, Anura Kumara Dissanayake visited New Delhi to meet SL’s foreign minister, national security adviser and senior diplomats. The 55-year-old SL politician is not in govt. NPP, the political alliance he leads, isn’t even the principal opposition. It has only three seats in the country’s 225-member parliament, where it’s the fourth-largest force. more..

Sep 13 (Island) The only people who should vote for Ranil Wickremesinghe in the prez election are those who wish to endure needless suffering for another five years, SJB MP Prof. G.L. Peiris has said. He said that under Wickremesinghe’s leadership, Sri Lankans had suffered immensely and that he had done nothing to build a resilient, strong economy capable of facing future challenges. “He speaks of continuity, but the only continuity you experience is continued suffering. more..

Sep 13 (DM) Asserting that China is displeased over the bar on its research vessels in carrying out joint research activities in SL waters, a top Chinese diplomat said that some countries consider it a diplomatic victory for them whereas it is not. During an interactive dialogue with a group of journalists in the exhibition centre of Colombo Port City, Deputy Chief of Mission of the Chinese embassy Yanwei Zhu said there is wide concern raised by people on social media in China as to why SL, more..

Sep 13 (Reuters) SL's economy grew 4.7% year-on-year from April to June this year, as the island nation made progress in emerging from its worst financial crisis in decades. SL's agriculture sector grew 1.7% from a year earlier, industrial output expanded by 10.9%, and services grew by 2.5%. Lower power and fuel prices, reduced import restrictions, improved tourism and remittances earnings all contributed to more..

Sep 13 (CT) SL Army said the Director of Military Intelligence has filed a complaint with the CID against a YouTuber for allegedly engaging in hate speech, claiming that there is a plan to create unrest in the country before the upcoming Prez Election. The video, reportedly created by Ajith Dharmapala, an individual living overseas, alleged that a disturbance would be orchestrated in the country after 12 Sept by deploying 200 officers from the Military Intelligence Corps, the Army said. more..

Sep 13 (Island) In the early 1990s, SL had signed an international agreement undertaking to allocate six percent of its GDP for education, at a time when state revenue accounted for around 23% of GDP, Education Secretary of the FSP Pubudu Jayagoda said. Jayagoda told The Island that in the 1970s, state revenue made up over 50% of the country’s GDP. “Now, revenue has plummeted to around 12%, and a few years ago, it dropped to below 10%. The same individuals responsible for this decline more..

Sep 14 (DM) SL’s ninth prez election will take place one week from now on 21 Sept. Among the 38 contestants, three are regarded as the top contenders. They are Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe, Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa and JVP/NPP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Three others namely Hambantota District MP Namal Rajapaksa, Ex-Batticaloa MP Packiyaselvam Ariyanethiran and Entrepreneur cum media mogul Dilith Jayaweera are likely to poll a sizeable more..

Sep 14 (DM) It is exactly a week left for the 9th Prez election in SL which is scheduled for Sept 21. Of the 38 candidates only a few are campaigning for their candidacy. Election observers have found that several candidates are untraceable while some others have totally ignored campaigning. Despite several candidates having published their manifestoes and conducting public meetings, manifestoes of only for candidates who are considered by the people and the media more..

Sep 14 (CT) Last week, a tragic incident unfolded when Anura, a container truck driver, was found dead in his vehicle after waiting for three days to clear his cargo. Media reports have shed light on the dire conditions at a private cargo clearing site, many times where delays and inadequate facilities have now led to a fatality. Meanwhile, the ADB-funded container-clearing yard in Kerawalapitiya, a State entity intended for more..

Sep 14 (GV) As Sri Lankans head to the polls, most voters want the govt to increase spending on health and education according to the latest findings from the Sri Lanka Opinion Tracker Survey (SLOTS). Since September 2022, as the economic crisis forced the govt to rethink budget priorities, SLOTS has regularly asked survey respondents to identify their top two priorities for increasing govt spending and their top two priorities for cutting govt spending. During 2024, the top priorities more..

Sep 14 (CT) Decisions by the Cabinet on a host of issues, covering upcountry uplift to fisheries, internet connectivity up in the sky on failed SriLankan flights – the way the incumbent Ranil Wickremesinghe Govt is going about it, in the fast-closing run-up to the Prez poll on 21 Sept calls for questions and suggestions. EC, which is no longer a govt dept but is a constitutional entity with an independent existence, should exercise its hidden powers, where none seemingly exists otherwise. more..

Sep 14 (TM) With Prez Election on the horizon, understanding the perspectives of the country’s younger generation becomes crucial for shaping a fairer and more progressive society, since considering the views of those who will be most impacted by future policies is essential. The Sunday Morning spoke to several youth to gain insights into what they believe should be the priorities for the incoming prez, irrespective of who comes more..

Sep 14 (Island) Cabinet of Ministers is playing Santa these days in a bid to shore up Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe’s chances in the ongoing presidential race. Its latest gimmick is the announcement of substantial PAYE tax reductions, which are to take effect from April 2025. The Cabinet has said the proposal to grant tax relief has the blessings of the IMF, which, we thought, was against tax cuts. The Cabinet, headed by Prez Wickremesinghe, is in overdrive to announce more..

Sep 14 (FT) Of all the extra-parliamentary convulsions that have happened all too regularly in this country since independence, the mass protest movement which occurred two years ago, commonly referred to as the Aragalaya (struggle), is certainly unique. Aragalaya was primarily against a popularly elected Prez, who was relatively new in office then. That fact alone is not exceptional in this troubled country, in our recent history there have been several large scale uprisings against elected more..

Sep 14 (DM) The prez election campaign is in full swing. Many of the contestants are virtually unknown. For several years, the main candidates were able to milk a particular milch cow -the ethnic war- to gain public sympathy. This time around, voters have shown their disinterest in these political diversions. A case in point is that of a rather loud-mouthed presidential candidate who carried his shrapnel-riddled car to a particular electorate to boast of his exploits during the civil war. more..

Sep 14 (TM) The burning issue of the upcoming Prez Election has been the economy and how the different candidates plan to grow the economy in the next five years. In order to do that, however, all should stay within the EFF of the IIMF, since any deviation from the programme would be impossible due to the debt restructuring process not being complete. However, talks of changing the Debt Sustainability Analysis (DSA) of the IMF have taken centre stage as everyone appears uncertain more..

Sep 14 (VoA) When an uprising ousted SL's president, many saw it as the end of his powerful family's hold on the island nation after more than 12 years of rule. Now, as SL prepares to elect a new leader, Namal Rajapaksa is running for president. The 38-year-old is the son of former Prez Mahinda Rajapaksa and the nephew of the ousted Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Namal Rajapaksa is presenting himself as an agent of change, more..

Sep 14 (FT) Colombo stock market managed to close the week on a positive note ahead of long holidays with improved investor sentiment. The active S&P SL20 gained by 1.86% and the benchmark ASPI by 1.1%. However, for the week, ASPI & S&P SL 20 lost 0.9% and 1.1% respectively. Turnover yesterday was Rs. 1.2 billion involving 50.13 million shares. The average turnover for the week was Rs. 1.17 billion. First Capital said since the beginning of trading session yesterday, more..

Sep 14 (Island) SL’s search for a seam bowling all-rounder is legendary. They have been doing it for decades now but with little success. However, the impact that Milan Ratnayake had in England make people believe that finally they have broken through. The presence of a seam bowling all-rounder is vital for any team particularly when you travel overseas. We have cases in point in Ben Stokes with England and Cameron Green with Australia. In the good old days, India had Manoj Prabhakar while more..

Sep 14 (DN) Sri Lanka opener Pathum Nissanka scripted history at Kensington Oval, London. On September 9, Nissanka scored an unbeaten 127 to get Sri Lanka over the line in the run chase of 219. The 26-year-old not only became the first Sri Lankan to score a century against England in the fourth innings, but he also entered an elite list of cricketing legends. Nissanka is only the 10th batter to score a Test century in the fourth innings against England in a winning cause. more..

Sep 14 (DN) Shathi Rani’s impressive 50 runs off 40 balls (7 fours) and Rabeya Khan’s superb bowling figures of 4 for 4, led the Bangladesh Women’s ‘A’ team to a commanding 104-run victory over SL Women’s ‘A’ in their second T20 match of the five-match series at P. Sara Oval Stadium yesterday. Bangladesh women’s challenging total of 164 for 6 wickets was led by Shathi Rani’s brisk half-century. In response, the SL Women’s ‘A’ team struggled and were all out for just 60 runs in 16.4 overs, more..

Sep 14 (FT) Following the negotiations with the IMF, the Cabinet at a special meeting yesterday approved the amendment of the personal income tax structures. The proposed structure effective 1 April next year is; i. Tax free threshold remains as it is at Rs. 1.2 million per annum. ii. Tax bands increase from Rs. 500,000 to Rs. 720,000. iii. Marginal tax rate at each band remains at 6% with the top tax rate remaining at 36%. more..

Sep 14 (ST) In the Uva Province consisting of the Badulla and Moneragala Districts, where candidates and their supporters have been campaigning enthusiastically, most voters say they are undecided as yet and will wait until polling date. Both Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe and SJB leader Sajith Premadasa are being backed by some stalwarts from the two districts in the Uva province, while the NPP too, has made inroads. Political heavyweights such as minister Nimal Siripala De Silva and more..