Sep 3 (DM) SLFP was established on Sept 2, 1951. S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike left the UNP, following his resignation from both his Cabinet portfolio and the UNP’s unofficial deputy leadership in July 1951, to form the new party. From its inception, the party forged a close association with nationalist and chauvinist Sinhala groups, building its foundation on a Sinhala-Buddhist identity and cultural traditions. This strategy proved successful, leading to the defeat of the UNP in the 1956 elections. more..

Sep 3 (CT) Education Minister Susil Premajayantha, while elaborating on steps taken to stabilise and develop the education sector in the past two years, also explained the majority of teachers not being equipped with proper training in Child Psychology is a key challenge. He also expressed concerns about continuing progressive reforms under a new administration, in a scenario where the incumbent Prez wasn’t reelected. more..

Sep 3 (CT) Mr. Murtaza Jafferjee, Chairman of the Advocata Institute has analyzed the NPP manifesto from the point of view of a neo-liberal economist and has found it to be good, bad and ugly. This is not surprising as Mr. Jafferjee is Chairman of the Advocata Institute, an NGO committed to the free market and limited government interference in the economy, a former Director of the Colombo Stock Exchange and the CEO of a Securities company and Portfolio Manager of an investment company, more..

Sep 3 (CT) Every nation carries a heritage; a living memory of the past that shapes its present and guides its future. This heritage, be it cultural, or natural, is the soul of a country, telling the story of its people and their journey through time. But what happens when the legal framework meant to safeguard these treasures is weak or, worse, non-existent or out-dated? In SL, this is the reality we face today. SL is a land that is rich in history, culture and archaeological wonders more..

Aug 30 (CT) SL’s journey toward economic recovery has been nothing but remarkable. Under the strict supervision and guidance of CB Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe and Finance Ministry Secretary Mahinda Siriwardena, it recovered from its worst-ever economic crisis since independence in one piece. While the speed of this resurgence is commendable, it cannot overshadow a much-needed deeper analysis in other areas to find and resolve long-standing dilemmas that still more..

Aug 30 (CT) Historically, the Muslim community of SL has been noted for its late entry to modernity. The dominant influence religious orthodoxy held over Muslim mindset and consequently the community’s narrow material outlook circumscribed by the demands of commerce, family and worship contributed to this lateness most. That lateness was reflected in political affairs too. After independence when parliamentary democracy and party politics were introduced, Muslim community more..

Sep 3 (DM) Colombo High Court on Aug 27 sentenced former Minister A.H.M. Fowzie for two years of rigorous imprisonment and suspended it for 10 years after he pleOn the one hand, Sri Lanka is yet to properly study and analyse the needs of this sector. On the other hand, this sector is vast and is extremely diverse, and the process of introducing laws and policies therefore is a time-consuming and complex endeavour. more..

Aug 30 (DM) Prez candidates identified by the media as frontrunners fight shy of a public debate, and their cowardice undermines democracy rather than strengthens it. Why are they running away from the questions the people want them to answer? Probably, they do not have answers. Shouldn’t they know that what is at stake is the future of the country and its people? The national economy is far from being sound and healthy, yet the main candidates are overgenerous with their promises. more..

Aug 30 (CT) The recent fistfight between two MPs from SL’s upcountry region is not just a mockery but a serious setback for the nation’s politics. This incident represents a new low in party politics, surpassing debates seen in Northern and Southern politics. Despite the long-standing tradition of fistfights and violence during elections, this incident sets a troubling precedent, reminding us that the public is far from indifferent, having witnessed more..

Aug 30 (DM) When the civil war concluded in 2009 there were makers of short films who captured footage of celebrations on the street. These footages were preserved for posterity. We are made to believe that some of them were used in the short film thanha, rathi ranga-a cinematographic production directed by Nilendra Deshapriya-in later years. When difficult times end and hope arrives, like the first rays of the sun after winter, there is a tendency to write the story of a new beginning. more..

Aug 30 (CT) In a recent address at the Pacific Island Forum Leaders Meeting in Tonga, UN Secretary-General António Guterres issued a stark warning to the world’s major polluters, urging them to take immediate and decisive action to curb emissions or face catastrophic consequences. His message was clear: the time for urgent action is now. But, while the focus was on global giants, this call to action resonates strongly with smaller nations like SL, which, despite contributing minimally to more..

Aug 29 (TM) Following the Cabinet of Ministers allocating via the Treasury, Rs. 500 million to the Paddy Marketing Board (PMB) under the first phase of a programme to purchase paddy from the Yala cultivation season, both farmers and rice mill owners criticised the move, claiming that the prices set by the Govt are insufficient. SL Small and Middle Scale Rice Mill Owners' Association Chairperson U.K. Semasinghe, expressed his concerns, alleging that Govt's decision is part of an Election more..

Aug 29 (FT) COMPLAST & RUBEXPO 2024, one of the biggest industrial exhibitions held in SL, is set to be hosted at the iconic BMICH, from 30 Aug to 1 Sept. Entry is free to the public from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. COMPLAST & RUBEXPO 2024 is organised by SMART Expos & Fairs India Ltd. and co-organised by the Plastics and Rubber Institute of SL (PRISL), with support from the Industrial Development Board (IDB), and is sponsored by leading industry players, including Shibaura Machine India, more..

Aug 29 (EN) SL leftist leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake had a 1% edge on opposition leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake, a poll for July showed, with a continuing upward trend for Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe also evident. Institute for Health Policy (IHP)’s SL Opinion Tracker Survey (SLOTS) Multilevel Regression and Poststratification (MRP) provisional estimates of prez election voting intent for July 2024 showed that more..

Aug 29 (AD) Former Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella and 3 other suspects, implicated in the alleged importation of substandard human immunoglobulin vials, have been further remanded until Sept 11. The order was issued after the defendants were produced before the Maligakanda Magistrate’s Court today. Meanwhile, the Maligakanda Magistrate has also ordered the first suspect of the case to be referred to psychiatric inspection. more..

Aug 29 (DM) Following is a response sent by Secretary to the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Aviation, K.D.S. Ruwanchandra, to the expose article carried in the Daily Mirror and published on July 11, under the headline Airport and Aviation Services Ltd rocked by alleged tender fraud and written by Nirmala Kannangara. The reply: “I vehemently condemn the allegations mentioned in the article and there are a lot of erroneous facts. Those should be corrected as per this letter more..

Aug 29 (AD) Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Sabry assured that Sri Lanka will not accept any resolutions brought forward by the UNHRC regarding alleged human rights violations during the civil conflict that ended in 2009. Speaking at a press briefing on Wednesday, he said that Western countries should not base their foreign policies towards Sri Lanka on vote-bank politics, aimed at securing the votes of the SL diaspora more..

Aug 29 (EN) Sri Lanka is expecting 1,363 million US dollars under an IMF program which is also backed by the Asian Development Bank in 2025, Minister Bandula Gunawardana said. From the IMF 663 million dollars is expected, he said at a post cabinet briefing Tuesday. Typically there are two reviews in each year under the program. Another 400 million dollars is expected from World Bank for the budget in 2025 and 300 million dollars from the Asian Development Bank, he said. more..

Aug 29 (AD) Sri Lanka Police says that more than 95% of the investigation activities into the recent killing of two persons including businessman Surendra Wasantha Perera, also known as Club Wasantha, have been completed thus far. DIG Nihal Thalduwa stated that accordingly 17 individuals including a woman have been arrested so far, in connection with the shooting incident, which killed 2 persons, while injuring four others in the Athurugiriya area on July 08. more..

Aug 29 (CT) TVS Motor Company (TVSM) – a leading global automaker that also controls more than 40 % of two-wheeler segments in SL, on Monday (26) said they were showing signs of recovery in SL’s automobile market. Speaking to Finance Today on the sidelines of the launch ceremony of its feature-rich latest sporty motorcycle TVS Raider 125, Vice President of the (International Business) TVS Motor Company, India, Rahul Nayak said the declining interest rate scenario and more..

Aug 29 (NW) MP Wimal Weerawansa accused Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe of conspiring to remain in office through political manoeuvring, warning that it could lead to violence similar to the events of May 9, 2022. The MP addressing a media briefing said that the UN along with its Ambassador in SL was constantly engaged in efforts to unite Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe and Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa. “For some reason, Sajith Premadasa did not agree to this. more..

Aug 29 (NW) A stock of 12 kilos of heroin worth Rs. 240 million that was kept in the case materials room at the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court, has been reported missing. The stock of heroin was kept at the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court’s case materials room concerning a case being deliberated at the Colombo High Court. It was found that an individual posing as a state intelligence service official had taken the stock of heroin more..

Aug 29 (TM) SL’s banking sector outlook is stable as the prevention of repatriating dividends by the Central Bank helps the banking sector to come out of the crisis while Sri Lanka can expect a sovereign rating upgrade soon after the completion of debt restructuring, Fitch Ratings Lanka Ltd. CEO Maninda Wickramasinghe said. He said that they did put the entire banking sector on a negative outlook during the crisis period as a signal to the market that the entire sector was under stress. more..

Aug 29 (PL) In a meeting in Colombo with Dayani Mendis, director general of the UN and human rights of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of SL, González also highlighted that Sri Lanka is part of the group of 123 nations that signed a declaration before the UNHRC, demanding the exclusion of Caribbean Cuba from the list of State sponsors of terrorism created by Washington. González and Mendis also talked about reciprocal support in international forums and organizations of the UN. more..

Aug 29 (BN) A candidate with roots in Marxist socialist policy in SL is gaining momentum in next month’s presidential election with a strong message to combat corruption and scrutinize investment deals with China to avoid another debt trap. Anura Kumara Dissanayake, popularly known as AKD, leads the NPP, a coalition of leftist political parties and groups backed by protesters who ousted the powerful Rajapaksa govt in 2022. more..

Aug 29 (Hindu) Indian National Security Advisor Ajit K. Doval arrived in Colombo on Thursday, to follow up on the ongoing Colombo Security Conclave initiative. He is also scheduled to meet with political leaders in Colombo. There is no official statement so far on Doval’s visit, taking place about three weeks before SL’s Prez elections scheduled on Sept 21. Colombo-based political sources, from different political parties, confirmed they were invited for meetings with the top Indian official. more..

Aug 29 (NW) The NPP will introduce a new Constitution under its government that will protect the rights of all citizens, former MP Nalinda Jayatissa said. He stressed that the Constitution-making process will not be rushed. “We will bring a new Constitution that safeguards the rights of all citizens. While we won’t commit to a definitive timeline, we will ensure that it is formulated after thorough deliberations and discussions with the people of this country,” he said. more..

Aug 29 (AD) The first payment towards implementation of Hybrid Power Projects in Three Islands off Jaffna has been handed over by the High Commission of India to Sri Lanka Santosh Jha to the Secretary of Minister of Power and Energy, Dr. Sulakshana Jayawardena and Chairman of Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority (SLSEA) Mr. Ranjith Sepala. The handing over of the funding was carried out at a ceremony held at the Indian High Commission in Colombo on 28 August 2024. more..

Aug 29 (DM) Sri Lanka have received a massive boost ahead of this year's ICC Women's T20 World Cup with a group of their best white-ball players achieving career-best ratings on the latest ICC Women's ODI Player Rankings. The rankings rise comes on the back of an emphatic performance by SL during the third match of their recent ODI series against Ireland, a contest that saw the island nation register a comprehensive eight-wicket triumph in Belfast. It was inspirational Skipper more..

Aug 29 (TM) Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) is yet to finalise a permanent head coach for the national team with incumbent interim coach Sanath Jayasuriya due to end his temporary assignment at the conclusion of the ongoing three-match Test series against England. Sri Lanka currently trails England 1-0 heading to the second Test against the hosts starting today at Lord’s, following their five-wicket loss in the first Test at Old Trafford last week. more..

Aug 29 (AD) A former Western Provincial Councillor has been arrested for allegedly aiding and providing lodging to the second gunman and the car driver involved in the killing of two persons including businessman Surendra Wasantha Perera, also known as Club Wasantha. Meanwhile, the second gunman and the car driver wanted in connection with the recent killing of two persons including businessman Club Wasantha, were arrested yesterday by the Panadura Police more..

Aug 29 (EN) Samagi Jana Balawegaya stands for a lower income tax rates for middle class wage earners but the top rate of 36% would stay, legislator Harsha de Silva said. The current threshold is 100,000 rupees a month or about 300 dollars after macroeconomists busted the currency from 200 to 300 to the US dollar after the last crisis triggered by inflationary rate cuts. “The tax free threshold will remain, however, from there to close to half a million rupees, you will pay at the maximum marg more..

Aug 29 (NW) Opposition Leader and Presidential candidate of the Samagi Jana Sandhanaya MP Sajith Premadasa’s election manifesto was launched in Kandy today. MP Premadasa’s election manifesto, titled A win for all, was presented to the Chief Prelates of the Malwatte and Asgiriya Chapters. MP Premadasa’s election manifesto is expected to be released to the business community and the public on 4 Sept 2024. more..