Oct 1 (AD) Cabinet of Ministers has given its consensus to appoint the Chairman of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, Duminda Hulangamuwa and Professor Anil Fernando of Sri J'pura University as Senior Economic Advisors to the President. They will serve in an honorary capacity, according to the Cabinet Spokesman, Minister Vijitha Herath. As per powers vested by the Article 41 (1) of the Constitution, president is empowered to appoint his staff by consulting the Cabinet of Ministers. more..

Oct 1 (AD) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake has met with U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung at the Prez Secretariat in Colombo, today. Ambassador Chung extended her warm congratulations to Prez Dissanayake on his recent inauguration and emphasized the importance of fostering robust bilateral relations between US & SL. Particular focus was placed on enhancing diplomatic relations between the US and SL, along with fostering economic and social cooperation in areas of more..

Oct 1 (DM) The Inter Provincial Private Bus Association (IPPBA) has decided to reduce bus fares by four percent while bringing the minimum fare to Rs. 25. Addressing the media, IPPBA Chief Secretary said the total bus fare was reduced by Rs. 34 considering the last month and this month's fuel price revisions. Rs. 24 was reduced for a litre of auto diesel from last night, and Rs. 10 was reduced in the fuel price revision in September. more..

Oct 1 (AD) UGC says that applications have been called from the applicants who have qualified to apply for university admission based on the re-scrutinized results and the release of withheld results of the GCE A/L Exam 2023 (2024), for the academic year 2023/2024. UGC says that the relevant applications can be submitted online from Oct 1 to Oct 8, 2024. Further details on submitting applications are mentioned in the previously published newspaper advertisement on more..

Oct 1 (PMD) Levan Dzhagaryan, Ambassador of Russia, met with Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake this morning at the Presidential Secretariat. During the meeting, Ambassador Dzhagaryan extended his warm congratulations to Prez Dissanayake on his recent election and delivered a personal message from Russian Prez Vladimir Putin. Prez Putin in his message states, that he expects that the bilateral relationship between the two countries will deepen under the leadership of Prez Dissanayake. more..

Oct 1 (EN) SL’s new govt has defended its decision to retain the services of two key public officials instrumental to the IMF programme despite the ruling party’s recent criticisms of them. Responding to questions from journalists at the first ever cabinet press briefing of Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s administration, cabinet spokesman Vijitha Herath said CB Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe & Finance Ministry Secretary more..

Oct 1 (AD) Former Jaffna District MP of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), S. Shritharan, has met with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the Presidential Secretariat today (01), the President’s Media Division (PMD) said. During the meeting, former MP Shritharan congratulated President Dissanayake on his election as the ninth Executive President of Sri Lanka, reflecting the will of the people. The two also engaged in a warm and friendly conversation, the statement said. more..

Oct 1 (EN) The new govt’s mission is to free children from harmful prejudices and social effects, Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake said in a World Children’s Day message. “Our mission in this renaissance era is to free children from harmful prejudices and social effects, and the pressures of exam-focused education, which hinder their psychosocial development,” a statement by the president’s media division read. To achieve this, govt will promote economic freedom, more..

Oct 1 (DM) Channa Gunawardana was appointed today as the new chairman for Litro Gas Lanka Ltd and Litro Gas Terminal Lanka Pvt Ltd. Gunawardana’s leadership and expertise have earned him numerous accolades, including the Hall of Fame for Leadership Excellence 2022 from the Colombo Leadership Academy. He is a Fellow of both the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (UK) and the Chartered Accountants of SL, holds an MBA from the Uni of more..

Oct 1 (TM) United Trade Union Alliance (UTUA) expressed disapproval of the recent appointment of D.A. Rajakaruna as the Chairperson of the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC/CEYPETCO). The appointment, made by Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake following the resignation of former Chairperson Saliya Wickramasuriya, has been described by Union representatives as politically motivated and lacking in transparency. Convenor of UTUA, Ananda Palitha stated: more..

Oct 1 (EN) SL will begin the process of drafting a new constitution once a new govt has been elected, minister Vijitha Herath said. Speaking to reporters at the first ever cabinet press briefing of Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake Herath said the draft constitution will be presented to the public for a referendum. “It was a prez election that was held recently. A president was elected. A parliamentary election has been called to elect a govt. more..

Oct 1 (FT) Tilak de Zoysa steps down from Board after 24 year stint including 23 years as Chairman Carson Cumberbatch announced the appointment of Ravindra Dias as the new Chairman effective 25 Sept 2024. Dias, a seasoned banker by profession, succeeds Tilak de Zoysa, who stepped down after 24 years of service on the Board, which included 23 years as Chairman. During his leadership in the past two decades, the Group achieved remarkable business growth and success. more..

Oct 1 (AD) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake has instructed to suspend the evaluation of answer sheets of the Grade 05 Scholarship Exam for two weeks. A meeting took place yesterday afternoon at the Presidential Secretariat between Prez and a group of parents who had protested regarding the recent Grade 5 Scholarship Exam question paper issue. Following the discussion, Prez directed the relevant officials to suspend the evaluation of the Grade 5 Scholarship Exam answer sheets more..

Oct 1 (EN) SL’s new govt will proceed with the legal case on 2015 bond scam in which former leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and his close ally are being accused of being involved in the scam. A presidential commission of inquiry found that Arjuna Mahendran, handpicked for CB Governor post in 2015 had interfered in a bond auction and has leaked inside information to help Perpetual Treasuries, owned by his son in law, more..

Oct 1 (AD) Additional Secretary of Public Security Ministry, Nilusha Balasuriya, has been appointed as the Acting Controller General of Immigration and Emigration, said Minister Vijitha Herath. This decision follows the recent remand of the former Controller General of Immigration and Emigration I.S.H.J. Illukpitiya, who has been ordered remanded from Sept 25 by the Supreme Court over contempt charges. Since Mr. Illukpitiya, who served as a Controller General of Immigration & more..

Oct 1 (NW) Fuel prices were revised based on an estimation by the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) and not per the fuel price formula, Minister Vijitha Herath said. Cabinet Spokesman assured that fuel prices will be systematically reduced, adding that the govt cannot immediately implement a Rs. 100 or Rs. 200 reduction. He further said that if fuel prices are immediately dropped by Rs. 100 or more suddenly, it would have a drastic impact on the economy. more..

Oct 1 (CT) A number of schools across the island have informed parents that they will not be able to continue providing the mid-day meal for students in the Primary Grades, starting from 1 Oct. A senior official explained that this decision has been taken by the schools due to financial reasons, as the suppliers who provided the meals have not received the relevant payments. The official further noted that the programme has been underfunded since mid-last year due to budget allocations, more..

Oct 1 (AD) Cabinet of Ministers has approved the appointment of a committee chaired by retired Supreme Court Judge K.T. Chithrasiri, to assess and review the limitation of claims, allowances and privileges granted to MPs, Ministers, and former Presidents. The committee is tasked with submitting a detailed report within two months, offering suitable recommendations or suggesting other alternative methods to assess and review the limitation of claims, allowances and privileges. more..

Oct 1 (Reuters) Sri Lanka will have detailed talks with the IMF on the framework of a $2.9 billion bailout programme on the sidelines of the lender's annual meetings in Washington later this month, the country's cabinet spokesperson said. The delegation to the meetings in Washington will be led by the country's central bank governor, treasury secretary and financial advisers to new president Anura Kumara Dissanayake, more..

Oct 1 (PMD) The vehicles that had been brought to the Presidential Secretariat from various govt institutions, including Ministries and Departments, were returned to their respective agencies today, at the parking area near the secretariat. Today, 19 vehicles were released, with approximately 15 being collected by officials from the relevant agencies who arrived on prior notice. A total of 15 vehicles were returned to their respective institutions today, including 8 from the RDA, more..

Oct 1 (DM) The govt has taken steps to recall Ambassadors and High Commissioners who were appointed on political allegiances. Addressing the media to announce Cabinet decisions, Minister Vijitha Herath said a report is being prepared on the matter. He said political appointees will be recalled based on this report. “Many sons and daughters of MPs have been given diplomatic appointments,” he said. However, minister said that no SL diplomat will be recalled immediately. more..

Oct 1 (IE) The new president has a historic opportunity to bring SL out of the crisis, and enable a compassionate and efficient transformation of the country. His administration should be given time and the benefit of the doubt to implement its programme. The bad news is that SL still faces triple economic challenges related to the crisis. Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who became the new President of SL on Sept 23, more..

Oct 1 (DM) The second phase of the BIA Development Project has recommenced with the support of the JICA. This was confirmed during a meeting between JICA's Chief Representative, Yamada Tetsuya, and the Secretary to the Prez, Dr. Nandika Kumanayake, this afternoon at the Presidential Secretariat. The discussion also covered the immediate launch of the Terrestrial Television Broadcast Digitization Project, another initiative backed by JICA. more..

Oct 1 (DN) SLPP Central Working Committee has decided to give nominations to educated and talented and active youngsters this time for them to represent the SLPP during the forthcoming General Election which is planned to be held by the Elections Commission (EC) on Nov 14, this year, said National Organiser of the SLPP Namal Rajapaksa. More opportunities to represent the SLPP at the next General Election would be allocated for former representatives of Pradeshiya Sabhas, more..

Oct 2 (CT) Dear Tamil Political Leaders, With the presidential election behind us and the parliamentary elections on the horizon, it is time for us, as representatives of the Tamil community, to act with clarity and purpose. Our people have endured decades of hardship, their basic rights eroded, and it is now our responsibility to ensure that these rights are restored. To achieve this, we must speak with one voice, unified under a common goal, to represent the needs and aspirations of Tamil more..

>Oct 2 (ST) When Anura Kumara Dissanayaka woke up on Monday morning, he may have thought he had dreamt of being elected Prez of SL. Perhaps, he couldn’t himself believe how a dismal low toll of some 300,000 odd votes five years ago had, in a single inexplicable quantum leap had won him over 5 million votes to land him in the prez’s office in 2024. Destiny’s star had shone brightest on him to defy all the odds to make the rank outsider in 2019, pip the post past 39 challenges 5 years later. more..

Oct 2 (TM) SL’s ninth Executive President was sworn in last week. Termed as one of the most peaceful elections this country has ever had, for the first time in history, the second preference votes were counted to declare the winner – Anura Kumara Dissanayake of the NPP Party. Prez Dissanayake now takes over a nation that has had unprecedented economic and social woes. His plate is full with lots to do, but he will have to prioritise his focus. more..

Oct 2 (DM) The prez election’s outcome has been described in flowery language: A vote for system change, the rejection of the old regime, a clarion call against corruption and cronyism, a vote against the sale of national assets, and so on. All that is true to a certain degree, but they still miss the wood for the trees. The risk of these feel-good assessments is that they could also delude the election winner. To explore the danger of misreading an election mandate, look no further than more..

Oct 2 (DM) The people have spoken, is a common phrase used to announce and often accept the results of an election. Though the people have spoken in the past they have never quite been heard in terms of their political aspirations of addressing issue of bribery, corruption, cronyism, poor governance, abuse of power, more equitable distribution of wealth, undermining the rule of law, undermining parliamentary and judicial systems and violations of the constitution of Sri Lanka. more..

Oct 2 (SO) SL traditional dance exponent Vajira Chitrasena passed away at the age of 92 on Sept 23. She was one of the country’s prominent figures in traditional dance, playing the roles of a Kandyan dancer, choreographer and teacher. Together with her husband, legendary Chitrasena, Vajira spearheaded the traditional dance scene in SL. Here we pay tribute to this fine performer who is known as SL’s first prima ballerina more..

Oct 2 (TM) Prez Election held last month is a likely signal of the continued downfall of the two party system which has governed SL since gaining independence in 1948. The election of Anura Kumara Dissanayake from the legacy leftist JVP’s new avatar the NPP is a significant milestone in SL political history. There was a clear popular sentiment amongst the public psyche in the lead up to the election that a protest vote was forming against the established power structures, party politics more..

Oct 2 (DM) The prez election which had us all agog, is now over. Prez Dissanayake -the young leader of the NPP, who campaigned on a platform of anti-corruption and against waste, has been voted into power. The people who for the past five years have suffered all manner of deprivation look forward to a new era where their burdens will be eased. Prez Dissanayake’s first seven days in power has raised expectations within the Lankan community. One of his first acts was to dissolve Parliament more..

Oct 2 (Island) The monthly petroleum price revision has been effected, and the prices of petrol, diesel and kerosene have been reduced. The price of a litre of 92 Octane petrol has been reduced by Rs. 21 to Rs. 311. The prices of auto diesel and super diesel have been decreased by Rs. 24 and Rs. 33 per litre to Rs. 283 and 319, respectively. The price of a litre of kerosene has been reduced by Rs. 19 to Rs. 183. The price of 95 Octane petrol remains unchanged. These price reductions may be larger than more..

Oct 2 (Island) Sri Lankans voted for a new direction in leadership on Sept 22, electing a leftist anti-poverty campaigner as Prez of the South Asian nation. The ascent of Anura Kumara Dissanayake marks a break with the past and from the establishment parties and politicians blamed for taking the country to the brink of economic collapse in 2022. Dissanayake characterized the victory as a fresh start for SL – but he will nonetheless need to address the economic baggage left by more..

Oct 2 (ST) Kaladugoda Kankanamge Piyadasa, or K.K. Piyadasa, a former MP and businessman who contested prez election as an independent candidate, has had the good fortune of coming seventh in a contest with 37 other candidates, ahead of some high-profile ones. He won 47,543 votes (0.36%) of votes polled with no televised speeches, election meetings, cutouts or pamphlets but beat several established politicians, more..

Oct 2 (ST) A proposal approved by the previous Cabinet headed by Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe to grant free visas to tourists of 35 countries by October 1 this year will not go ahead as it was not sanctioned before parliament was dissolved this week. Authorities are now looking at whether Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake has the powers to issue a directive to give effect to the Cabinet decision, SL Tourism Development Authority Chairman Priyantha Fernando said yesterday. more..