Aug 8 (NF) The nation is in mourning following the passing of Ms. Sumana Nellampitiya, SL's first television news anchor and a revered figure in the field of journalism. Nellampitiya, who had been battling illness, passed away at the age of 80. Born on May 23, 1944, in Colombo, Nellampitiya's charisma and talent were evident from her school days. She pursued her education at Nugegoda Mixed School, Sujatha Vidyalaya Nugegoda, and Gotami Balika Vidyalaya, more..

Aug 8 (AD) The Samagi Jana Sandanaya (SJS), a broad political alliance led by the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), was officially unveiled today under the leadership of SJB leader and presidential candidate Sajith Premadasa and with signing of agreements with several parties. Several political parties and alliances, including the SJB, SLFP (Dayasiri faction), Mano Ganesan’s Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA), more..

Aug 8 (FT) The Ceylon Institute of Builders (CIOB) and the Building Economics and Management Research Unit (BEMRU), Department of Building Economics, University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka (UOM) are jointly organising the 12th World Construction Symposium with the Green and Sustainability Awards Night will be held on 9 and 10 August at Taj Samudra, Colombo. The theme of the symposium is Empowering Construction Industry: Towards Sustainable Development Goals. more..

Aug 8 (Island) Japanese Ambassador to SL Mizukoshi Hideaki on Wednesday (7) attended the opening ceremony of the Kebitigollewa Solar Power Plant, the first project under the Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM). Among those present on the occasion were Dr. Sulakshana Jayawardena, Secretary to the Ministry of Power & Energy and Shibata Tatsuhiro, President of Shibata Corporation Co., Ltd and Manjula Perera, Managing Director of Windforce PLC. more..

Aug 8 (DM) Medical Amendment Bill which provides provisions for the govt to recognize over 1000 foreign medical colleges was unanimously approved by Parliament today. Minister of Health Dr. Ramesh Pathirana who referred to the Bill said it will enable Sri Lanka to recognize foreign medical colleges which enjoy slots in the global rankings. We shall be recognizing first 1000 medical colleges in the global ranking,” he said. more..

Aug 8 (NF) The Galle Literary Festival has announced a stellar cast of authors for its 12th edition, set to take place from February 6-9, 2025. The festival will feature a diverse range of international and local literary luminaries, promising a vibrant celebration of words and ideas. Among the confirmed speakers are International Booker Prize winners Jenny Erpenbeck and Michael Hofmann, alongside bestselling authors Afua Hirsch and Sathnam Sanghera. British broadcaster more..

Aug 8 (Island) The four students, Pahanma Lenora (Sanghamitta Balika Vidyalaya, Galle), Sithupa Palihawadana (Royal College, Colombo), Sreemaathuri Sinthanaichselvan (Ramanathan Hindu Ladies’ College, Colombo) and Vajra Neth Wijesooriya (Ananda College, Colombo) won four bronze medals at the 56th International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO) held from 21st to 30th July in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This is a competition organized for secondary school students more..

Aug 9 (CT) Following the extremely charged world during the Cold War era that featured a lot of nuclear weapons and military power, the new world order took a different approach to the international power struggle. This new battle was shaped by the advancement of new technology and the Internet and featured disinformation as one of their major weapons. Hence, disinformation and hate speech have been major phenomena in the world for many decades now. more..

Aug 9 (DM) Today (Aug 9) is International Day of The World’s Indigenous People. Sri Lanka can be proud of having many tribes of indigenous people. The most prominent tribe is concentrated in the wilds of Dambana, a village situated close to Mahiyangana. Dambana is dedicated to one clan of the indigenous people known as Dambana Veddas. There are Veddas living in other parts of the island and have their own identities, cultures and methods of surviving. more..

Aug 9 (TM) Despite having a price formula in place, National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) is currently restricted in its ability to enforce broader price reductions due to ongoing legal battles, according to its Chairman Dr. Ananda Wijewickrama. “We can’t do anything about the prices except for new drugs. The only thing is that there are 60 medicines for which the Maximum Retail Price (MRP) is gazetted. more..

Aug 9 (SO) They are the First People. They have usually been in a given region for centuries, even thousands of years, before the arrival of the Others. But all over the world, the Others have trampled on their rights, their lands and even their very lives. And some of them do face extinction in just a few decades, if not years. This is the story of the world’s 480 million indigenous people or First Nation people, including the Wanniyela Aththo of SL. There are various definitions for indigenous peoples, more..

Aug 9 (TM) The evolving political landscape in the lead up to the Prez Election is an interesting one, with many MPs, and local govt politicians scrambling to find shelter beneath the banners of either current Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe, Opposition leader Saijith Premadasa, or the new candidate from the Rajapaksa clan, MP Namal Rajapaksa. In contrast, up to date, it seems that the NPP has not drawn, or is not keen to draw politically homeless figures, to bolster their ranks. more..

Aug 9 (CT) As SL approaches the 2024 Prez Election, understanding the viewpoints of the younger generation has become increasingly crucial. Our recent efforts to gauge the opinions of young voters reveal a complex landscape of aspirations, concerns and expectations. The insights gathered indicate a significant number of youths are eager to exercise their right to vote, driven by a desire for transformative leadership and more..

Aug 9 (Island) What happened in Sri Lanka on 09 July 2022 has happened in Bangladesh: the hurried escape of the Head of Govt – PM Sheikh Hasina. The Sri Lanka PM of then, Mahinda Rajapaksa, had been made to resign his premiership and escape post haste from Temple Trees, earlier. This was a couple of days after his acolytes incited rioters who were fed and drunk at Temple Trees to attack the Aragalaya protestors on Galle Face Green (GFG), or more tellingly then – GotaGoGama. more..

Aug 9 (Island) SLPP founder Basil Rajapaksa once said in a television interview that the blame for the wrongs the SLPP was alleged to have committed should be apportioned to the people who had voted for the incumbent govt. He came under an avalanche of criticism for saying so, but his argument is not without some merit. What reminded us of Basil’s aforesaid claim was a remark made by Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe, at a meeting with media heads and news editors/directors, more..

Aug 9 (DM) The scenes in the streets of Dhaka on Monday were eerily similar to those in Colombo two years ago. As the demonstrators stormed her official residence, PM Sheikh Hasina fled the country in a helicopter, bringing an end to an authoritarian rule that had grown bloodier in its dying throes. Scenes that followed were a replica of what happened inside the President House in Colombo hastily vacated by Gotabaya Rajapaksa: Protesters holding mock meetings in the meeting rooms, more..

Aug 9 (CT) This was the Annual Convention of the Govt Teachers and Principals Association, which was held at the P.D. Sirisena Stadium, Maligawatta in Colombo. It was a massive gathering of over 15,000 teachers from across the island, making it probably the largest crowd in Sri Lankan history. Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s exceptional delivery during the 2024 Prez Election emphasized many vital issues related to the country’s development, particularly focusing on the importance of more..

Aug 9 (ST) As nominations day for the presidential election approaches, the political landscape is witnessing an increased interest in the contest. Among them are candidates who have contested on several previous occasions, and who have been able to draw only a few thousand votes. Fourteen contenders have deposited a bond with the Election Commission thus far, with several more making their intentions known to contest prez election. more..

Aug 9 (FT) National Digitisation policy of the future SJB Govt was unveiled by the Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa accompanied by MPs Eran Wickramaratne and G.L. Peiris with the participation of host of academia in the relevant sphere of Information Technology and Artificial Intelligence. The launching of digital policy for SL by the future SJB Govt was launched at the Lakshman Kadirgamar institute in Colombo on Wednesday under the leadership of Sajith Premadasa. more..

Aug 9 (FT) Sampath Bank said it registered a profit before tax (PBT) of Rs. 18.5 billion and a profit after tax (PAT) of Rs. 11.1 billion for 1H 2024 reflecting growth rates of 40% and 45% respectively compared to the corresponding period of the previous year. Sampath Group also reported PBT and PAT figures of Rs. 19.7 b and Rs. 11.9 b respectively, reflecting growth rates of 47% and 55%. Decrease in net fee and commission income by 10.9% due to a decline in income from trade- related operations. more..

Aug 9 (FT) With the outlook for Sri Lanka looking more hopeful than it had in the past few recent years, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka (CA Sri Lanka) will once again engage professionals, including young business leaders, at the 45th National Conference of Chartered Accountants to play a critical role in helping the country seize new opportunities in its march towards a robust economy. In the wake of the worst ever economic crisis faced by the country and more..

Aug 9 (FT) Golden Island Hospitality Ltd, said it has entered into an agreement with the renowned Majestic Group Hotels and Casinos, a leading gaming group from India, to establish the Majestic Pride Casino, SL. The casino will be housed in the prestigious Lotus Tower located in Colombo 10, promising a world-class gaming experience. Finance, Economic Stabilisation and National Policies Ministry of SL has granted a Casino Business License under more..

Aug 9 (TM) In a context where Indian fishermen continue to violate int'l maritime boundaries between India and SL and several fatalities have also been reported on both sides due to incidents pertaining to such violations, the authorities have paid attention to resuming talks between the two countries. This was noted by the Fisheries Ministry Secretary M.P.N.M. Wickramasinghe, who explained that although discussions were earlier more..

Aug 9 (Island) India skipper Rohit Sharma admitted that Sri Lanka outplayed his side in the three match ODI series that ended on Wednesday ending Sri Lanka’s 27 year drought without a bilateral series win in ODIs against India. India, world’s number one ranked team were the overwhelming favourites to win the series against seventh ranked Sri Lanka. The tourists were at full strength as well whereas Sri Lanka missed half a dozen of their leading bowlers due to injury and illness. more..

Aug 9 (DN) The 37-year-old Dilhani, who entered history as the oldest athlete from SL to take part in the Olympics, said that she will continue to compete until next year. Dilhani Lekamge said that age is not a problem for sports and she believes that she can compete for two or three more years by maintaining good physical fitness and mentality. Javelin thrower champion Dilhani finished 32nd at the Paris Olympics with 53.66m and 10 months ago won an Asian silver medal with a new SL record of more..

Aug 9 (TM) Sri Lanka needs a leader that respects and listens to women and does not fear women’s leadership, and the upcoming Prez Election is an opportunity for women to elect such a leader, NPP's women’s group member, Opposition MP Dr. Harini Amarasuriya said. She added that in order to gather women seeking better leadership, a national women’s summit will be held in Colombo on 25 Aug. As a community that constitutes more..

Aug 9 (FT) Strategic responses to challenges facing the textile manufacturing industry have generated a positive start to 2024-25 for Teejay Lanka, Sri Lanka’s first multinational textile manufacturer. The Group has reported profit before tax of Rs 273.7 million for the three months ending 30 June 2024, reversing a loss of Rs. 701 million in the first quarter of the preceding year. Revenue for the three months, at Rs. 15.4 billion, reflected an improvement of 10% over the corresponding quarter more..

Aug 9 (DN) Since the start of the open economy in 1977 which is 46 years ago SL exports have not made a significant progress averaging around USD 12 billion per annum, Prof. Sirimal Abeyratne told the Business Dialogue event. “However in contrast, countries that opened their economy after SL have progressed in leaps and bounds.” For example, Singapore, which is a smaller country than SL, annually nets around USD 515 b even surpassing Indian exports which is around USD 340 b.” more..

Aug 9 (FT) In the latest series of the RIUNIT podcast hosted by Roshan Madawela, distinguished economists Prof. Howard Nicholas and Prof. Jayati Ghosh, delve deeply into the rapidly changing economic and geopolitical environment, examining both local and global economic orders. By questioning popular narratives, they provide insightful analysis and perspectives on the complex forces shaping our world today. “If the top ten billionaires sat on top of their more..

Aug 9 (DN) Laying of the foundation stone for the workshop complex in Ratmalana for repairing and upgrading new diesel power sets under the Railway Efficiency Improvement Project of the Railways Dept, operative under the Transport and Highways Ministry, was carried out by Transport and Highways Ministry Secretary Ranjith Rubasinghe. The main objective of this is to develop the existing facilities for carrying out other repairs of engines and coaches, focusing on new engines and carriages more..

Aug 9 (DM) As Bangladesh, a major player in the global apparel market, grapples with a severe crisis, Sri Lanka is poised to benefit from some apparel orders in the short term, according to the Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF). The crisis in Bangladesh may prompt buyers to seek alternative sources to maintain their supply chains and meet critical deadlines. JAAF Secretary General Yohan Lawrence highlighted SL’s agility more..

Aug 9 (AD) The passenger of a car has died while a police officer has sustained injuries after the former had tried to grab the policeman’s service firearm during a search at a checkpoint in Kotugoda, causing the weapon to accidentally discharge. Police said that a team of officers from the Seeduwa Police Station had stopped and attempted to search a car which had arrived from Seeduwa at the Kotugoda checkpoint. However, during the search the person who was in the left side passenger seat more..

Aug 9 (DM) It is high time the Customs officers practice integrity and to build up a work environment free of bribery and corruption as opined by President’s Counsel Sarath Jayamanne, who spoke at the launch of new Customs Internal Affairs Unit to receive public complaints. PC Jayamanne who emphasized the importance of creating a state sector free of corruption to render a clean and better service said soliciting a bribe to perform one’s duty is like selling his own soul. more..

Aug 9 (DN) Election Commission Chairman R.M.A.L. Ratnayake has informed Public Administration, Home Affairs, LG and PC Ministry Secretary Pradeep Yasaratne, to provide an explanation as to why a circular has been issued to all secretaries of ministries to pay state pensioners Rs.3,000 as an interim allowance from September, creating a wrong precedent, in spite of the order issued by the Election Commission. In a letter sent yesterday, the EC said that since it is inappropriate to pay more..

Aug 9 (Island) SLPP MP and one-time staunch Rajapaksa loyalist Pavithra Wanniarachchi, yesterday, pledged her support to Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe, a day after SLPP prez candidate Namal Rajapaksa urged the SLPP MPs who had defected to return to the party’s fold. Over 100, out of the 145 MPs who were elected to parliament from SLPP in 2020, have either joined Wickremesinghe or the SJB. UNP sources said that more SLPP MPs would pledge support to Prez more..