Oct 20 (TM) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD) and his Govt – which is an Interim Govt, to be precise, with only a 3-member Cabinet – seems to have its plate full, mainly with issues related to Govt finances and the country’s recovering economy. AKD Govt is under pressure from the Opposition and public over the raising of loans after running a campaign during the Prez Election on the loans being taken by successive govts. more..

Oct 20 (CT) After an agonising 24-year wait, justice has finally been served in a long-standing homicide case in Galle. A 50-year-old man, a resident of Imaduwa, was found guilty of murder for deliberately electrocuting another individual in 2000 using an unauthorised electricity connection. On 16 Oct, the Galle High Court pronounced the death sentence, bringing a semblance of closure to a case that had been dormant for far too long. However, this closure is bittersweet, for it exposes more..

Oct 20 (SO) One of the most adverse results of the economic crisis was the abrupt stoppage of several important infrastructure projects mid-way or even before they were slated to begin. The countries which were funding these projects were rather reluctant to lend funds for the projects as Sri Lanka’s debt sustainability was in serious doubt. There was another factor at play – some Govt Ministers and officials had demanded bribes and kickbacks from the foreign Govts and/or contractors to give more..

Oct 20 (ST) Defending Asian Netball champions SL, produced a commanding performance on the second day of the competition, thrashing debutants Saudi Arabia 118-5. The game, held at the Koramangala Indoor Stadium in Bengaluru, saw SL lead 59-2 at halftime, and they continued their dominance throughout all four quarters. Sri Lanka, eyeing their third consecutive title, were in control from the start. They led 27-2 at the end of the first quarter, and with each passing minute, more..

Oct 20 (ST) A considerable number of stakeholders from the local rugby community have expressed concern over the blatant delays in establishing a duly elected administration for Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR), with the deadline set by World Rugby (WR) approaching in a few weeks. SLR is currently under the authority of Dr. Shemal Fernando, the Director General (DG) of the Dept of Sports Development, after the Ministry of Sports imposed a suspension on four affiliated sports bodies for more..

Oct 20 (CT) Elections Commission issued a circular setting out the maximum spending limits for candidates’ campaign expenditures during the 2024 General Election. These limits apply to candidates, political parties, independent groups, and National List candidates, with variations depending on the district. All future national elections will be governed by new campaign finance laws, which cap the funding that candidates, political parties more..

Oct 20 (Island) The last two weeks suggest that the NPP is moving to the centre, most probably in a bid to grapple with the challenges of a slim majority. The new govt has announced that it will oppose the upcoming UNHRC resolution on SL. This indicates that it is moving to embrace the nationalist space that was previously held by Mahinda Rajapaksa and his family, but has since bifurcated, if not trifurcated. As Harendra Dassanayake and Rajni Gamage recently observed, Sinhala Buddhist space more..

Oct 20 (Island) The Institute of Chartered Accountants deserves the highest praise for persuading three of SL’s former Presidents, Chandrika Kumaratunga, Maithripala Sirisena and Ranil Wickremesinghe, to appear on a single platform at its 45th annual conference last week. Mahinda Rajapaksa, who was also billed to appear was a no show, whether on second thoughts or on account of his increasing frailty that is often visible on television home screens. more..

Oct 20 (Island) On a balmy Thursday night in Dambulla, a sell-out crowd witnessed Sri Lanka clinch a historic first-ever series win over the West Indies. Despite the Caribbean side’s reputation as a T20 powerhouse, ranked third in the world, they were outclassed by an eighth-ranked SL team that stuck to the basics. No brute-force power hitting. Instead, they backed their strengths, smart running between the wickets, and reintroduced disciplined cricket that seemed lost not long ago. more..

Oct 20 (ST) Lyceum Int'l Wattala prodigy Dilni Rajapaksha lived up to her reputation to bag the last remaining national level meet record of her age category in the long jump at the ongoing All Island Schools Games Athletics Championship at the Sugathadasa Stadium. The 14-year-old bagged the Under 16 meet record with an effort of 5.94 metres in her first jump of the best eight competition. She was the overwhelming favourite for the title after having cleared the six metres barrier. more..

Oct 20 (TM) Skipper Charith Asalanka, who led Sri Lanka to a historic 2-1 T20I bilateral series triumph over the West Indies on Thursday in Dambulla, dismissed allegations from WI Head Coach Daren Sammy that the home team had prepared rank turners for the last two games in fear of losing on decent decks. “I think the wickets prepared for all three matches were decent, as the statistics will show,” Asalanka said, more..

Oct 20 (DM) Refuting reports that the government had increased taxes on several imported goods, the Finance Ministry said the govt had only extended the taxes imposed by the previous govt. Ministry said the Gazette notification which was issued on Oct 14, 2024 on five imported goods had only extended the Gazette notification which had been issued on Oct 14 last year. The Ministry said the gazette notification expired on Oct 13, 2024 and it was extended till Dec 31, 2024 as it is. more..

Oct 20 (SO) With new policies in place, a system where there is consistency in policy and unchanging laws, regulations and taxes, Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) should grow to USD 4 to 5 billion in the next decade, a Finance Ministry official said. The new Govt following the ascension of NPP Prez candidate, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, has promised a corrupt-free Govt and an administration bereft of the usual practice of mismatched policies and the rule of law, which to a larger extent more..

Oct 20 (TM) Two years after the first complaint was lodged with the CID regarding an alleged sugar tax fraud, CID Director SSP Mangala Dehideniya has requested the handing over of personal mobile phone and official permanent phone numbers of the Prez’s secretaries up to 13 Oct 2022. Accordingly, CID has requested that the mobile numbers be handed over to the FCID as the dept seeks to gather more evidence and more..

Oct 20 (AD) An Indian passenger flight arriving from Mumbai has made an emergency landing at the BIA due to a bomb scare. All 96 passengers and 08 crew members of the flight have been evacuated and a special search operation is being carried out in the aircraft at the BIA, DIG Nihal Thalduwa said. Meanwhile, the AASL has issued a statement regarding the matter confirming that there is no threat over the reported bomb scare on the Vistara flight UK 131 from Mumbai to Colombo. more..

Oct 20 (DM) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake said he has denied a request from former Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe for extensive privileges, which included 16 chefs, 163 security personnel, 30 umbrellas and over 20 vehicles. Prez said at a public rally that moving forward, Wickremesinghe will be entitled to only three vehicles, in line with current govt regulations. He said the govt will introduce new legislation to prevent former Presidents from being supported through public funds. more..

Oct 20 (ST) Tharushi Abhisheka of Wickramabahu National College, Gampola made history, shattering a four-decade long U-18 1500m record on second day of the All-Island School Games at the Sugathadasa Stadium yesterday. Abhisheka clocked 4:29.97 in the Girls’ U-18 1500m event. Her impressive performance shattered a 39-year-old SL Youth (U-18) record of 4:35.7, set by Olympian Dammika Manike in 1985. The 16-year-old athlete also broke SL Junior (U-20) record of 4:33.40 more..

Oct 20 (Island) Lyceum International Wattala prodigy Dilni Rajapaksha lived up to her reputation to bag the last remaining national level meet record of her age category in the long jump at the ongoing All Island Schools Games Athletics Championship at the Sugathadasa Stadium. The 14-year-old bagged the Under 16 meet record with an effort of 5.94 metres in her first jump of the best eight competition. She was the overwhelming favourite for the title after having cleared the six metres barrier more..

Oct 20 (TM) Govt under Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake will not be going ahead with the proposal made by the previous Govt to introduce an imputed rental income tax, the Ministry of Finance reveals. Instead, the Govt is currently formulating several alternative proposals that will be presented to the IMF at the next review of the IMF programme. Treasury Deputy Secretary R.M.P. Rathnayake revealed that Treasury officials were more..

Oct 20 (SO) Govt of India (GOI) will double its grant support to upgrade nine schools in the plantation regions of SL. GOI’s total commitment to the project now stands at Rs. 600 million with the additional funds infused at the request of the Govt. The High Commissioner of India to SL, Santosh Jha and the Secretary, Ministry of Education and Science and Technology, Mrs. Thilaka Jayasundara signed and exchanged diplomatic letters on Friday to formalise modalities regarding the project. more..

Oct 20 (TM) Former Presidents Ranil Wickremesinghe and Mahinda Rajapaksa currently retain a total of 19 official vehicles, despite recent efforts by the Govt to reclaim the excess. 11 vehicles remain under the custody of Wickremesinghe, while Rajapaksa retains eight out of the 16 he had initially been provided. The Govt has formally requested both former leaders to return the additional vehicles in their possession. The request was made under the Presidents’ Entitlements Act No.4 of 1986, more..

Oct 20 (DM) The debate over the alleged concealment of the reports on the series of deadly blasts that rocked Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday, 2019 took a new turn yesterday with PHU leader Udaya Gammanpila seeking an appointment in writing with Public Security Minister Vijitha Herath to hand over what he said all defence sensitive materials to him. Earlier, Mr. Gammanpila challenged the govt to publish these reports, sparking a debate why people are kept in the dark. more..

Oct 20 (AD) Indian Navy’s ship, INS Kalpeni, arrived in Colombo today (19), according to a statement issued by the HC of India. High Commission noted that the ship was warmly welcomed by the Sri Lanka Navy in accordance with naval traditions. Commanding Officer, Commander Sunil Kulhari will call on Commander, Western Naval Area, Rear Admiral Chinthaka Kumarasinghe during the stay. INS Kalpeni is a Car Nicobar class Waterjet FAC of Indian Navy commissioned on 14 Oct 2010. more..

Oct 20 (TM) The resumption of the Central Expressway’s Section I from Kadawatha to Mirigama remains in limbo as the Ministry of Transport and Highways awaits Cabinet approval for the necessary funding. Ministry Secretary K.D.S. Ruwanchandra confirmed that a proposal requesting Rs. 7.5 billion had been submitted and the project would move forward once the Cabinet gave the green light. “It has to be approved by Cabinet. more..

Oct 20 (ST) Election Commission (EC) has shot down a prez directive to go ahead with development projects overseen by District Coordinating Committees (DCCs) under the supervision of provincial governors. This is on the grounds that such a move would be in violation of election laws given the governors are political appointees. Prez Secretary N.S. Kumanayake had earlier written to Public Admin Ministry Secretary, advising him to instruct district secretaries to devise more..

Oct 20 (TM) Govt spending has increased by 5.4% to Rs. 3,476.9 billion in the first eight months of 2024 compared to Rs. 3,297.3 billion during the same period last year. This amount represents nearly half of the projected annual expenditure of Rs. 6,977.8 billion. Recurrent expenses, which include salaries, interest payments, goods, and subsidies, saw a 3.4% rise, reaching Rs. 3,041.6 billion. Salaries and wages climbed by 6.7%, while spending on goods and services grew by 8.2%. more..

Oct 20 (ST) Many months before the 2019 prez election, a twosome from the top rungs of the JVP met a duo of their equivalent ranks in the UNP in what seemed an ongoing dialogue. The camaraderie from their association with each other during the days of so-called yahapalana or good governance govt was still alive, though the close friendliness had largely evaporated. Yet, each needed to talk, at least occasionally, to the other for varied reasons. more..

Oct 21 (DM) The Western establishment has many ways to corner developing countries like Sri Lanka and set their economic trajectory in the interests of global capital. I have written extensively about the role of the IMF in trapping SL with financialised commercial borrowing and austerity measures. In this column, I address the other powerful twin from Washington, the World Bank, and its economic policy-making role in SL. The World Bank’s SL Development Update Oct 2024, more..

Oct 21 (DM) The Sri Lanka Army, a key institution of the State, is in a period of transition as it turns 75 years this month. The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) is at present undergoing an evolution, with the aim of transforming into an effective force that is both a deterrent and able to address a range of dynamic threats which Sri Lanka may face in the future. In many countries, such transitions take place following large-scale conflicts or when constitutional changes occur. more..

Oct 21 (DM) Saudi Ambassador Khalid Alkahtani shared his views on bilateral ties as the two countries mark 50 years of bilateral relations. Q: How have bilateral ties evolved over the years? A: Diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and SL were established in 1974. SL opened its Embassy in Jeddah in 1983 and later relocated to Riyadh in 1985. From 1977 to 1995, Kingdom’s Embassy in New Delhi oversaw bilateral relations more..

Oct 21 (DM) Sri Lanka has always backed the cause of the State of Palestine and the Palestinian people. Whichever govt was in power, unlike India which more recently has refrained from condemning Israel’s genocide in Palestine, SL has been consistent in its support of Palestinian rights. Therefore Lankans were shaken to the core, when a particular news media on 18 October announced SL had opted not to back the condemning of Israel for its travel ban on UN Secretary-General. more..

Oct 21 (Island) The front page of the Daily FT (Oct 9) carries a front page report, titled “Sri Lanka reaffirms neutral diplomacy.” The report states: “The Cabinet Spokesman and Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath yesterday had assured that Sri Lanka maintains balanced diplomatic relations with all countries, reaffirming its policy of friends of all and enemy of none”. Quoting the Foreign Minister, the report states: “There is no favouritism. We do not consider any country to be special. more..

Oct 21 (GV) The point had been made often enough. Without a Gotabaya Rajapaksa presidency, there wouldn’t have been an Anura Kumara Dissanayake presidency. For the NPP/JVP to go from 3% to 42% in four plus years, the system had to be broken from within by the very leaders entrusted with its care by a majority of voters. Gotabaya Rajapaksa achieved that feat in ways inconceivable even by his most stringent more..

Oct 21 (CT) Robin Hood was a legend in the middle ages, who took away wealth from the Sheriff and the rich, to give the poor. In many of the stories about him, he was depicted as a heroic outlaw and rebel against tyranny. He was living in the Sherwood forest in England, with his loyal comrades fighting for justice, while facing tremendous hardships. The astonishing victory of the JVP/NPP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake, in the presidential election has invoked my beliefs in the power of more..

Oct 21 (CT) WHO has issued a stark warning: by 2050, over 35 million new cancer cases are expected globally, a significant increase from the 20 million cases recorded in 2022. While this prediction alarms many nations, it is the low and middle-income countries, including SL, that are predicted to face the steepest rise in cancer rates. In Sri Lanka, this growing cancer burden calls for urgent attention to the factors contributing to this health crisis, particularly lifestyle-related causes. more..