Aug 16 (EN) Sri Lanka could face severe implications if it reverses current IMF-backed policy reforms, a top Central Bank official said amid the island nation’s opposition politicians’ vow to amend the IMF deal. Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe’s IMF-backed economic reform policies have helped to see some stabilization in the economy from contractions for 10 successive quarters amid an unprecedented economic crisis and sovereign debt default in 2022. However, his policies are criticized by both more..

Aug 16 (AD) It has been reported that strict disciplinary action has been decided against members of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) who are supporting Ranil Wickramasinghe in the 2024 prez election. A spokesperson for the SLPP stated that letters informing of this decision will be forwarded to the relevant MPs as soon as possible. It is also mentioned that after taking disciplinary actions, the party membership of MPs who opposed the party’s decision will be cancelled. more..

Aug 16 (MFA) Foreign Minister Ali Sabry summoned the Canadian High Commissioner today, to reiterate SL’s strong objections conveyed on several occasions previously to the laying of foundation stone for the construction of a so – called Tamil Genocide Monument at the Chinguacousy Park in Brampton, Canada on 14 Aug 2024. Foreign Minister Sabry emphasized that the Govt of SL categorically rejects more..

Aug 16 (NW) The National Election Commission has issued the list containing the symbols allocated for the independent candidates contesting the 2024 Presidential Election. Among the 39 candidates cleared to contest the elections, 17 are independent candidates. According to the Election Commission, new symbols have been allocated for the independent candidates. However, those who are contesting under their political parties will contest under their party symbols. more..

Aug 16 (NW) SJB has refuted reports claiming that former Prez Maithripala Sirisena has joined the party’s Samagi Jana Sandhanaya. SJB said false information is currently being circulated on media and social media platforms related to the party. The SJB said reports claiming that former Prez Maithripala Sirisena has joined the SJB’s new alliance was one such instance. “Samagi Jana Sandhanaya has no reason to join hands with the former Prez or form an alliance with him,” more..

Aug 16 (DM) Proposals for providing tax relief to taxpayers have been submitted to the IMF. Once the IMF approves, the tax relief will be granted, Finance State Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya said. He said that people have faced significant hardships and made many sacrifices over the past two years. "The govt is focused on providing relief to these people as soon as possible," he said. As Finance Minister, Prez understands the challenges society faces. Minister Siyambalapitiya added that more..

Aug 16 (FT) The Commercial Bank of Ceylon PLC yesterday announced that it has successfully completed the largest rights issue to date by a bank in Sri Lanka, raising Rs. 22.54 billion to increase the Tier I and total capital of the bank to accommodate and facilitate future business growth. The bank offered holders of ordinary voting as well as non-voting shares an issue of one equivalent share for every five shares held, at Rs. 85 per ordinary voting share and Rs. 69 per ordinary non-voting more..

Aug 16 (DM) Justice Sobhitha Rajakaruna has been appointed as the Acting President of the Court of Appeal, President’s Media Division (PMD) said. Accordingly, Justice Rajakaruna took oath as the Acting President of the Court of Appeal before Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe at the President’s Office this morning, PMD added. This appointment has been made until the President of the Court of Appeal Justice Nissanka Bandula Karunaratne, who is currently overseas, returns to the island. more..

Aug 16 (SLN) Marking a major advancement in bolstering the Sri Lanka Coast Guard's training capabilities, Julie Chung, the U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka, officially inaugurated a Ship-in-a-Box maritime training simulator at the Advanced Training Centre Kirinda of Sri Lanka Coast Guard today (15). The ceremony, which signified the handover of the facility to the SL Coast Guard, was attended by Rear Admiral Pujitha Vithana, the Director General of the SL Coast Guard. more..

Aug 16 (NW) SLC has announced the suspension of cricketer Niroshan Dickwella following an alleged Anti-Doping Violation. SLC said cricketer Niroshan Dickwella has been suspended from participating in all forms of cricket due to an alleged anti-doping violation. The suspension is effective immediately and will remain in place until further notice. The test, which was conducted by the SL Anti-Doping Agency (SLADA) during the LPL more..

Aug 16 (DM) Former Prez Maithripala Sirisena has announced that he will not back any candidate in the upcoming 2024 Prez Election. Sirisena dismissed recent claims by the media and political figures from both the govt and opposition, labeling them as false. His statement comes in response to recent media reports suggesting that Sirisena had pledged support for Opposition Leader MP Sajith Premadasa in the upcoming election. Sirisena also addressed ongoing legal issues concerning the SLFP, more..

Aug 16 (EN) Sri Lanka’s inflation is expected to be below 3% up to the first quarter of 2025 central bank said, after maintaining inflation around the same levels in the past several months, breaching the lower level of a 5% inflation target. SL’s central bank has proposed a 5% inflation target, plus or minus 2% to Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe, who has apparently accepted it without question. The agency now projects inflation, giving baseline forecasts and probable projected inflation. more..

Aug 16 (DM) A request made by former Prez Maithripala Sirisena to support Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe at the Presidential election was rejected by the Prez. Former Prez Maithripala Sirisena made his request to the Prez through an intermediary. Addressing a meeting as a representative of the SLFP's election committee in the Beliatta area, Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said that by now the Maithri-Wijeyadasa cohabitation is over. more..

Aug 16 (NW) The passenger ferry service between Kankesanthurai (KKS), Jaffna and Nagapattinam, India resumed operations today (16) with its maiden journey being completed in four hours. Launched in October 2023, the ferry service has resumed today after the it was suspended due to several operational issues. The ferry Sivagangai run by a private operator, IndSri Ferry Services, completed its maiden journey, between Nagapattinam and KKS with around 50 passengers onboard. more..

Aug 16 (CT) Teenager Vishmi Gunarathne (18) brought up her maiden century as Sri Lanka Women posted 260 for 8 against Ireland Women in the first WODI played in Belfast today. Chamari Athapaththu, who missed the T20I series due to her duties at The Hundred in the UK, returned to the ODIs but lasted only one delivery, getting out for a golden duck. Soon, in-form batter Harshitha Samarawickrama followed, bowled around the wicket by Alana Dalzell, leaving SL in trouble at 2 for 35 in 8th over. more..

Aug 16 (DM) With the 2024 Prez Election on the horizon, SL political landscape is once again seeing a wave of crossovers as politicians jump ship in a desperate bid to stay afloat. At present, there are five main candidates for the presidential election namely Ranil Wickremesinghe as an independent candidate, Anura Kumara Dissanayake from NPP, Namal Rajapaksa from SLPP, Sajith Premadasa from SJB and Dilith Jayaweera from more..

Aug 16 (EN) Sri Lanka’s recent rupee appreciation is due to higher foreign currency inflows compared to the outflows, but there is a possibility for depreciation in the latter part of this year, central bank officials said. The rupee currency has seen an appreciation in the recent months and traded around 300 rupees per U.S. dollar this week compared to 320 rupee in January this year. President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who is also the island nation’s Finance Minister, more..

Aug 16 (DM) The Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute of International Relations and Strategic Studies (LKI) held an almsgiving on Aug 12 at its institute to invoke merit to the late Lakshman Kadirgamar, PC, former Minister of Foreign Affairs on the occasion of marking his 19th death anniversary. A sermon (anusasana) was made by the Chief Incumbent of the Sri Sambodhi Viharaya, Colombo. Boralande Vajiraggnana Thera paid tribute to the life and legacy of the Late Kadirgamar more..

Aug 16 (Island) Expenditure incurred by the Elections Commission increases exponentially if the length of the ballot paper exceeds 27 inches, Saman Sri Rathnayake, Commissioner General of Elections has said. “In 1982, there were only six candidates. The ballot paper was about five inches. We could stuff about 900 ballot papers into one ballot box. In 2019, there were 35 candidates and the ballot paper was about 26 inches long. more..

Aug 16 (DM) The International Forum on Diaspora and SL Malays which was organised by the SL Malay Association in collaboration with the World Malay-Polynesian Organization was held on August 3. The topic at the forum for discussion was on the concept of the Malay World and the diaspora. The symposium comprised a keynote session chaired by Dato Dr. Ahmed Murad Merican, Professor of Social and Intellectual history. The keynote speakers were Prof. Emeritus Dato Dr. Wan Hashim, more..

Aug 16 (NW) 34 Sri Lankans who have been victims of human trafficking remain to be rescued from Myanmar, State Minister of Foreign Affairs Tharaka Balasuriya said. He revealed this during a media briefing held today on the recent release of 20 Sri Lankans from illegal camps in Myanmar, who are currently in Thailand. “The rescued students are in good health condition, although they will have to be sent for counselling,” Balasuriya said, adding that he has spoken to them over a video call. more..

Aug 17 (FT) There has been a sigh of relief that Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe has called for the Prez elections and the Elections Commission has declared 21 Sept as the day of reckoning for SL. Many suspected that the Prez was trying to postpone elections and very few believed that Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe will call for the election as scheduled. He pulled out his magic wand and 85% of the lotuses chose his lake to thrive. There could be many more surprises prior to 21 Sept. more..

Aug 17 (DM) The candidates for the Sept 21 Prez election, especially the main candidates have given prominence to creating a media hype rather than explaining their policies and programmes to resolve the socioeconomic issues faced by the people. Accordingly, a plethora of political somersaults and media shows have drawn the media attention these days. Also, some bizarre political developments are unfolding, possibly perplexing the ordinary voter, whether the politicians involved in more..

Aug 17 (FT) Nambukara Helambage Rajitha Harischandra Senaratne known as Rajitha Senaratne is the latest among well-known politicians to throw in their lot with incumbent Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe. SJB MP for Kalutara district met with the Prez at the Gangaramaya temple on 13 Aug and signed a MoU pledging unconditional support to Wickremesinghe in the forthcoming Prez election. Dr. Senaratne is a dentist turned politician more..

Aug 17 (DM) By Resolution 46/1 on Promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka, UNHRC tasked the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) “to collect, consolidate, analyse and preserve information and evidence and to develop possible strategies for future accountability processes for gross violations of human rights or serious violations of international humanitarian law in SL. The US co-sponsored a resolution led by the UK more..

Aug 17 (CT) For many, particularly the youth born after the 1994 Elections, hardy knows the various forms of utter destruction and massive misery caused by Ranil Wickremesinghe (RW), who entered the parliament in 1977. Since 1997, he has often called publicly and addressed the nation via electronic media, expressing his love for the country, its people, and their well-being. Given the above, if observed and analyzed carefully, he usually got the people and govt for rides to secure more..

Aug 17 (DM) Johann Peries is a name familiar to Sri Lankans. As the second Sri Lankan to have sumitted Mount Everest, Johann’s journey is a testament to his unyielding spirit, passion and dedication. He is now on a quest to conquer the Seven Summits challenge—summiting the highest mountains on each of the seven continents. Johann shared his experiences, insights and the spiritual connection he has with the mountains, more..

Aug 17 (ST) As we had to spend a couple of hours travelling from Colombo to Kandy on Wednesday, we had enough time for chatting. We, in collaboration with Advocata, were travelling to attend a business forum with the members of the Kandy Chamber of Commerce, held at Queen’s Hotel. As SL is getting heated with election preparations, it is not unusual that any informal chats among peer groups turn to be more political than anything else. A typical question that demands everyone’s more..

Aug 17 (CT) Election Commission on Thursday, accepted nomination papers of 39 candidates for the 2024 Prez Election, scheduled to take place on 21 Sept, making it one of the most highly anticipated, hotly contested and most unpredictable elections in SL’s long history of elections. The pool of candidates this year is as diverse as the political ideologies they represent. Among the 22 candidates from recognised political parties, one from a minor party and 16 running as independents, more..

Aug 17 (FT) Pelwatte Dairy Industries Ltd, has launched an innovative project titled Inclusion of women in the formal dairy supply chain for economic empowerment of women farmers. This initiative, which commenced in Oct 2022, aims to empower women farmers, enhance the local dairy industry’s capabilities, and promote sustainable agricultural practices. The project is supported by Solidaridad Asia Network and funded by the Canadian Govt, demonstrating a robust int'l partnership more..

Aug 17 (CI) Nishan Madushka, Angelo Mathews and captain Dhananjaya de Silva found form with half-centuries but SL are facing a defeat to an inexperienced England Lions team at New Road. Trailing by 185 runs on first innings, SL were bowled out in 87.1 overs on the third day of their tour match in Worcester. After Dimuth Karunaratne top-scored with just 26 on the opening day, Madushka, Mathews and Dhananjaya registered SL's first three half-centuries of the tour as they racked up 306. more..

Aug 17 (CT) Nomination papers of 39 candidates were accepted by the Election Commission on Thursday for the 2024 Presidential Election, scheduled for Saturday, 21 Sept. Commission noted that while 40 candidates had placed deposits to contest the election, only 39 completed the nomination process. Consequently, all 39 nominations were approved, allowing these candidates to participate in the Prez Polls. more..

Aug 17 (CI) Orla Prendergast pulled off a stunning heist, picking up 3 for 25 and following it up with an unbeaten 122 off 107 balls as Ireland beat Sri Lanka by three wickets in the first ODI in Dublin. Sent in, Sri Lanka rode on Vishmi Gunaratne's maiden ODI century to rack up 260 for 8. In reply, Prendergast scored a maiden ODI century of her own to help Ireland record their first successful chase of over 200 in ODIs. This was also Ireland's first ODI win over Sri Lanka in five attempts. more..

Aug 17 (Island) Any organization, be it professional, social or in sport, has to be led. The leader steers the organization on a charted path to achieve it’s goals and aspirations. He has a paramount role to guide humans within the organization towards identified goals and targets. The leader steers it with a mix of inspiration, discipline, delegation of authority, supervision and monitoring. Leadership has much to do with an organization’s successes or failures. more..

Aug 17 (ST) Supreme Court dismissed four fundamental rights applications filed by those who protested outside the private residence of former Prez Gotabhaya Rajapakse at Pangiriwatte in Mirihana in 2022, while it granted Leave to Proceed for four similar petitions. Eleven FR petitions were filed following the protests, which started peacefully as a candlelit vigil at the Jubilee Post junction on March 31, 2022. Four of them were dismissed last Thursday and three were dismissed earlier. more..