Jul 26 (EN) Sri Lanka’s presidential election will be held on Sept 21, 2024, with nominations to be accepted on August 15, the Election Commission announced. In a gazette issued in the early hours of Friday July 26, the commission said the election will be held “not less than one month and not more than two months before the expiration of the term of office of the president in office, as stipulated in Article 31(3) of the Constitution”. more..

Jul 26 (CT) Leader of the New Sama Samaja Party, Dr Vikramabahu Karunarathne, who was an iconic figure in post-Independence Ceylon’s left-wing politics, died at the age of 81 yesterday. After completing his primary education at Ananda Shasthralaya, Mathugama and his secondary education at Ananda College, Colombo, Dr. Karunarathne graduated with first class honours in electrical engineering from the University of Ceylon. A recipient of the Commonwealth scholarship, more..

Jul 26 (AD) Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka today formally announced his candidacy for the upcoming Prez Election. Posting on ‘X’, MP had said that he will be making a key announcement with regards to the prez election. “A lot of people have asked me to contest for the prez election and I am looking forward to accepting the call of the people of SL,” he said. In a subsequent post shortly after, he then officially announced that he will be contesting the 2024 Prez Election. more..

Jul 26 (AD) Approximately 22% of household units in SL are in debt due to the recent economic crisis, according to Dept of Census and Statistics. The dept points out that the average monthly income of 60.5% of the total household units have decreased. The information has been revealed according to the 2023 report of the Household survey on Impact of Economic crisis. 54.9% of people aged between 3 and 21 years more..

Jul 26 (FT) Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) MP Namal Rajapaksa has accused President Ranil Wickremesinghe of attempting to cause a rift within the SLPP. Rajapaksa said Wickremesinghe has a habit of causing divisions within political parties and organisations. “He is attempting to dismantle our party. This is no secret. We supported him with genuine intentions. However, if his response is to try and divide our party, he needs to reconsider his approach,” Rajapaksa asserted. more..

Jul 26 (EN) An opposition legislator said he had petitioned Supreme Court against contract given without competitive tender to private consortium involving companies called IVS-GBS and VFS Global. Opposition legislator Patali Ranawaka said in an x.com (twitter) post that he had filed action in the Supreme Court with fellow parliamentarians M A Sumanthiran and Rauf Hakeem against the Minister of Public Security and the govt alleging a scam over the visa deal. more..

Jul 26 (TM) Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, officially declared his candidacy for the 2024 Prez Election, yesterday. Rajapakshe assured that despite his candidacy, he will continue to serve in his ministerial role and asserted his right to remain in the Cabinet, citing his significant contributions to the formation of the current Govt in 2020. He noted: “I will remain in the ministerial position as I have a right to be in the Cabinet as a figure who contributed to form the incumbent Govt.” more..

Jul 26 (AD) Given the upcoming Prez Election, Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe has been advised by his legal team that appointing an Acting IGP every two weeks could lead to election petitions against him. Consequently, Prez has informed the Speaker of Parliament that he will refrain from getting involved in this matter. Meanwhile, PM Dinesh Gunawardena is scheduled to officially inform Parliament of the govt’s official position on the Supreme Court decision regarding the post of the IGP, more..

Jul 26 (DM) Central Bank trimmed the policy rates by 0.25 percentage points. While the decision caught some sections of the economy off guard, others were not surprised. The financial sector regulator was not entirely satisfied with the way the banks had reacted to the earlier rate cuts and is of the view that the risks related to the price changes are currently balanced. The Central Bank cut its Standing Lending and Deposit Facility more..

Jul 26 (TM) A disciplined bowling effort from Sri Lanka, backed up by Chamari Athapaththu and Vishmi Gunaratne's unbeaten 94-run stand helped Sri Lanka beat Thailand by ten wickets and coast into the semi-final of the Women's Asia Cup 2024. Batting first, Thailand's innings never found a high gear, as they were restricted to 93 for 7 in their 20 overs. Athapaththu and Gunaratne then made light work of the target, as they romped home with 51 balls to spare. more..

Jul 26 (TM) While the Dept of Archaeology is currently facing a significant shortage of employees, with over 1,400 positions vacant, the Director General (DG) of Archaeology, Prof. Thusitha Mendis, assured that ongoing excavations remain unaffected by the staff shortfall. Prof. Mendis revealed that there is a shortage of 1,488 employees, which includes both administrative staff and minor staff such as watchmen. “Due to this, it is difficult to carry on the work in the department, more..

Jul 26 (EN) SL’s domestic banks are in talks with the govt seeking repayment of their sovereign bonds in rupees, sources said though there are concerns over the likely impact on the exchange rate from such a move. Out of US$ 12,550 million of sovereign bonds outstanding, about 1,750 million dollars of bonds are held by resident investors, the bulk of which are banks. When a dollar asset is repaid in rupees, the banks have a negative foreign exchange position against the deposit liabilities more..

Jul 26 (DN) Sri Lanka will meet Pakistan in their Asia Cup T-20 semi final today at Rangiri Dambulla Int'l Cricket Stadium commencing at 7 pm while defending champions India will meet Bangladesh in their semi final from 2 pm onwards at the same venue. Sri Lanka and India are on top in their respective groups after the league round with an unbeaten record while Pakistan led by Nida Dar lost to India and Bangladesh led by Nigar Sultana lost to SL in their league round matches more..

Jul 26 (TM) Parliamentary Opposition urged Prez and Defence Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to swiftly appoint an Acting IGP to comply with the Supreme Court's (SC) interim order barring Deshabandu Tennakoon from functioning as the IGP, amid looming uncertainty over the position and its impact on the upcoming elections. Speaking in the Parliament yesterday, Leader of the SJB Sajith Premadasa emphasised more..

Jul 26 (TM) Election Commission (EC) said that the Gazette notification regarding the announcement of the Prez Election date will be published today. Issuing a statement in this regard, the EC said that during its meeting which was convened yesterday, members of the EC had decided to publish the Extraordinary Gazette notification today, announcing the date of publishing the order for the Election of the Prez, the date and location of accepting nominations for the said Election and more..

Jul 26 (DM) No step had been initiated afresh for the appointment of the next Inspector General of Police (IGP) either in permanent or acting capacity triggering further uncertainty on how the Elections Commission will secure police protection for the conduct of the Prez election to be declared tomorrow, a top source said. The Elections Commission is, however, determined to proceed with the Presidential election, a process starting from today to be concluded in September. more..

Jul 26 (ST) IMF has extended by six months the deadline granted for SL to pass the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) so that more public feedback can be obtained. Accordingly, members of a high-level committee that had developed the POCA policy, legal framework and draft provisions had consultations with some experts who presented proposals on how the law could be improved. The POCA will be the first of its kind in SL and more..

Jul 26 (FT) With the countdown to the forthcoming abolition of the Simplified Value-Added Tax (SVAT) system ticking down to an end date of 1 April 2025, the apex body of the SL apparel industry, the Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF) yesterday urged the Govt to urgently reconsider its decision in light of growing stresses on the industry. “The apparel sector is currently grappling with significant challenges in the global market, which is already being reflected in reduced export figures. more..

Jul 26 (Island) Sri Lanka suffered a major blow ahead of the three match T-20 series against India when fast bowler Nuwan Thushara was ruled out of the three games with a fractured finger. The hosts had already lost leader of the attack Dushmantha Chameera before coming to Kandy due to illness and will head into the series against the World Champions with a depleted attack. The first T-20 International gets underway on Saturday. The second game is on Sunday followed by more..

Jul 26 (FT) The Neighbouring Countries Economic Development Cooperation Agency (NEDA) of Thailand and Sri Lanka’s Finance Ministry, Economic Stabilisation and National Policies have signed a Record of Discussion (RoD) to launch a Capacity Building Program for officials attached to forthcoming Public Debt Management Office (PDMO). This cooperation marks a significant step in strengthening the country’s fiscal framework and enhancing its capacity to manage public debt efficiently. more..

Jul 26 (FT) The report from the Cabinet Sub-Committee appointed to investigate and recommend effective utilisation of the Revenue Administration Management Information System (RAMIS) was recently presented to Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe. Prez issued Cabinet Memorandum No. 24/0696/604/079 on Revenue Administration Management Information System (RAMIS) - Obtaining Maintenance Services dated April 8, 2024. This Cabinet Sub-Committee was more..

Jul 26 (FT) Prez Ranil Wickremasinghe yesterday called on the plantation industry to abandon the traditional ways and shift to a thriving agro business model to maximise earnings. Delivering the keynote address at the inaugural session of the Colombo International Tea Convention 2024, themed Tea, a lifestyle and a livelihood, he outlined the critical role of the tea industry in economic transformation and more..

Jul 26 (Island) A four-member delegation of seemingly frustrated Buddhist monk activists led by Ven. Itthekande Saddhatissa Thera, General Secretary of the Ravana Balaya Organization, called on the two Most Venerable Mahanayaka Theras of the Siyam Nikaya in Kandy in their respective viharas (monasteries), as reported on a Colombo Today YouTube video dated June 30, 2024. The monk delegates were doing so to draw the attention of the two Mahanayakas to what they thought more..

Jul 26 (ST) Election fever hit a new high on Wednesday as sole electoral jurisdiction passed on to the Election Commission to conduct a fair and free presidential election before the scheduled date. Simultaneously the President was constitutionally charged with the duty of ensuring the environs necessary to hold such a fair and free poll. The Election Commission held a press conference on Tuesday to announce the assumption of electoral jurisdiction on the following day. more..

Jul 26 (Island) The arrogance of power is the undoing of any govt. It blinds rulers to reality and drives them to self-destruction, as evident from the manner in which the SLPP-UNP govt is behaving. Intoxicated with power, its Cabinet of ministers seems to think it is above the law. Cabinet has reportedly decided to defer the implementation of Wednesday’s Supreme Court (SC) directive that an acting IGP be appointed on account of its interim order that has prevented incumbent IGP more..

Jul 26 (DM) In SL or anywhere in the world, history has been mostly penned about winners and not losers. The same can be said in the field of politics. Yesterday the death of leftist politician Vickramabahu Karunaratne was announced. Karunaratne was 81 years old (1943-2024) at the time of his demise. He was one lawmaker who gave his time to speak in Parliament for the welfare of the people. If people asked the late Karunaratne what he had personally gained by spending time in politics, more..

Jul 26 (DM) Earlier this year, when India submitted an application to the Int'l Seabed Authority (ISBA) to explore the cobalt-rich ferromanganese crusts located at the Afanasy Nikitin Seamount in the central Indian Ocean, it once again diverted global attention towards India and SL. India made this move while the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (UNCLCS) is yet to submit its recommendations on SL’s more..

Jul 26 (DM) There are two complaints that are frequently heard in SL about its education system. One is that it’s quite outdated, fossilised in a bygone era; the other is that it fails to inculcate creative and analytical thinking in students. The first complaint is hardly surprising, as the present education system is structurally rooted in a framework that was meant to educate only a minority of the local population for the purpose of serving the colonial administration. The second complaint might stem from more..

Jul 26 (CT) It has become a common feature for much of the substance elicited during deliberations at the COPE committees to disappear into oblivion, in sublimation. While they appear to be highly explosive at the first hearing, they become part of the history soon to be buried for good. The power of COPE to deal with serious lapses, fraudulent operations and non-compliances brought up at this forum has become a questionable issue and many refer to COPE as a body without teeth to bite. more..

Jul 26 (TM) The 2024 Olympics is just 3 days away. 10,714 athletes representing 206 nations and territories will be competing in 329 events in 32 sports from 26 July to 11 Aug. Two female athletes have now qualified to represent Sri Lanka in the athletics events of this year's 2024 Paris Summer Olympic Games. 19-year-old Tharushi Dilsara Karunarathna, will participate in the Olympics as the youngest athlete from Sri Lanka. more..

Jul 26 (CT) If asked what the most disastrous invention humans ever made, most probably anyone would instantly respond nuclear bomb and of course, the destruction it has caused and can cause to lives and property is enormous. However, there is another invention which is equal to if not worse than the nuclear bomb, in terms of its disastrous nature. It is the invention of plastic, which, notwithstanding its multiple usages, has become a silent killer of not just humans or animals but, the whole planet. more..

Jul 26 (TM) A video which shows a group of youths confronting several Police officers who have allegedly planted drugs in the former’s vehicle is going viral on social media platforms, reigniting concerns about Police officers abusing power for personal gain. It is alleged that the Police officers have done so in an attempt to extort money from those who were travelling in the vehicle, and the Police are taking steps to launch a formal investigation into the incident. more..