Sep 10 (AD) Cabinet has granted approval for the procurement of a policy-based loan of US$ 400 million from the ADB through two sub-programmes for the implementation of SL’s financial sector stability and reform programme. First sub-programme has received US$ 200 million of the total loan amount by Dec 2023. For the second sub-programme, 12 pre-policy activities must be completed to secure the remaining US$ 200 million while most of these activities are either more..

Sep 10 (NF) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe has removed five state ministers, including Geetha Kumarasinghe, with immediate effect. Others include Shasheendra Rajapaksa, Thenuka Vidanagamage, Prasanna Ranaweera & D.V. Chanaka. The removals were made under Article 47 (3) (a) of the Constitution. Last week, Four state ministers were dismissed from their position. The ministers affected are State Minister for more..

Sep 10 (FT) I read three election manifestos by 31 August – candidate Wickremesinghe’s Puluwan Sri Lanka – Five Years of Winning the Country with Ranil launched only in Sinhala, Sajith P’s SJB manifesto “A Win for ALL”, Anura Kumara’s NPP manifesto A thriving Nation – A beautiful Country that was also not available in English. Waiting to read Namal Rajapaksa’s manifesto for whatever its worth, as a development program for the country. First three, spoken of as front runners more..

Sep 10 (DN) Cabinet has approved the proposal presented by Minister of Transport and Highways to call the proposals on a competitive basis and select suitable investors to develop other railway stations in the island under a public-private partnership. Expressions of interest have been called to identify investors who wish to develop Kolpetty, Bambalapitiya, Wallawatte, Slave Island, Dehiwala and Mount Lavinia stations, which are located close to Colombo town under a public-pvt more..

Sep 10 (NF) The upgraded railway line between Mahawa and Anuradhapura is set to open on the 12th of this month. Sri Lanka Railways announced that a test run of the route will be conducted on the 11th, with a train carrying officials. The Election Commission has granted permission for trains to operate on this route without any opening ceremonies. However, the Sri Lanka Railways has not yet made a final decision regarding the regular operation of passenger trains on this line. more..

Sep 10 (EN) Sri Lanka presidential candidate Anura Kumara Dissanayake will dissolve parliament immediately upon his election and temporarily send all crooks home until the public makes it permanent at a general election in one and a half months, the leftist leader said. “Hand the country over to the National People’s Power (NPP) on September 21. We’ll start to change things one by one,” Dissanayake said speaking at an election rally in Thambuththegama on Monday (9). more..

Sep 10 (EN) In parallel with its economic recovery, the Govt continues to take steps to heal past wounds and address residual issues affecting civilians from all communities arising from decades of conflict, Sri Lanka told the 57th Session of the UNHRC in response to the Comprehensive Report on SL by the High Commissioner for Human Rights. “These initiatives include rehabilitating ex-combatants and child soldiers, more..

Sep 10 (AD) Prez candidate of the SLPP, Namal Rajapaksa says that he always implements principled politics. He points out that his party has introduced a proper program for the nation’s progress. Namal Rajapaksa expressed these views while attending a public rally held in the Mutur area. “We are a principled political party. Back then it was Prez Mahinda Rajapaksa who provided the people of the East with the right to live. The elders were trapped by the terror of the LTTE and more..

Sep 10 (FT) People’s Bank, said yesterday it has once again demonstrated its commitment to digital excellence by surpassing 3 million customer registrations on its digital platforms. Through its innovative online banking services, mobile banking apps, and wallet solutions, People’s Bank continues to set the standard for convenient, secure, and accessible banking. “Our online banking platforms and mobile apps are designed with customer convenience, security & accessibility in mind, more..

Sep 10 (DM) Sri Lankan authorities have not received any information on the whereabouts of Officer Cadet Mohammed Aneek from the SL Army, who recently graduated from the esteemed Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in the UK after completing his training, official said. An investigation has been launched by the SL Army following Officer Cadet Aneek's disappearance in mid-August. more..

Sep 10 (CT) The third day of the 2024 Prez Debate, organised by the March 12 Movement, saw a dramatic walkout by prez candidate Roshan Ranasinghe, who alleged that the event was unjust towards him. Ranasinghe claimed that the time allocated to him was insufficient and that he was being systematically disadvantaged during the debate. Each candidate was allotted two-and-a-half minutes per question, with the order of responses determined by a random draw. more..

Sep 10 (CT) Neuro surgical services in several State hospitals in the country are in dilemma due to the inability of the Health Ministry to implement transfer orders. The situation has been exacerbated by two neuro surgeons opting for internal transfers, leaving state-run hospitals to join the Uva Wellassa University Faculty of Medicine and the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University. As a result, teaching hospitals in Badulla, Batticaloa, A'pura, Kurunegala and Ratnapura more..

Sep 10 (PMD) Reports claiming that the Cabinet has not yet approved the salary increase for public sector employees set to be implemented in 2025 are false and the necessary approval has already been granted. On May 27, 2024, under Cabinet Decision No. 24/Misc. (020), a study was initiated to address salary disparities among different public sector groups. A special committee was appointed to analyse salaries, wages, and other allowances across all public sector divisions to make more..

Sep 10 (DM) The Election Commission has lodged a complaint against a teacher in Mullaitivu for circulating a marked picture of a ballot paper on Facebook, an official said. Commissioner General of Elections Saman Sri Ratnayake told the Daily Mirror that he is now facing legal action. The postal voting for elections which took place on Sept 4, 5 and 6 had a high turnout of more than 80% of postal voters casting their ballots, according to Deputy Postmaster General Rajitha Ranasinghe. more..

Sep 10 (AD) As Sri Lanka approaches presidential and parliamentary elections later this year, the newly elected administration must commit to the concrete transformational changes needed to ensure accountability, justice and reconciliation, says the UN Human Rights chief. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Volker Türk, delivered remarks at the Interactive Dialogue on the OHCHR report on SL more..

Sep 10 (AN) The nation needs a wise and courageous leader to bring those long-awaited changes to the system to eradicate corruption and its related evils. This is what the Bishops' Conference of SL (CBSSL) said in a note, calling on the population to go to the polls ahead of the prez elections. An appeal shared and relaunched by the National Christian Council in SL (NCCSL), according to which going to the polls is a civic duty to be exercised responsibly. more..

Sep 10 (AD) During the 57th session of the Human Rights Council’s interactive dialogue on the OHCHR report on Sri Lanka, the European Union (EU) delivered a statement welcoming the report on the human rights situation in the country. “The EU recognizes the challenges the country has addressed over these past two years, especially with regard to the financial crisis of 2022. We welcome the efforts underway to prepare for fair and democratic prez elections on Sept 21st, more..

Sep 10 (TM) Sri Lanka expects to commence data collection for the SL Unique Digital Identification (SL-UDI) from October onwards as the authorities try to move away from cash, Treasury Secretary Mahinda Siriwardena said. He said that the SL-UDI is now in the advanced stages of implementation as the bio-metric system procurement is being finalised, while the govt expects to publish the Gazette to more..

Sep 10 (FT) President Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday toured the ‘DP Education’ institute, operated by business tycoon and MP Dhammika Perera, located at Gatabaruwa Raja Maha Viharaya, Matara. President made the visit following a rally held in Deniaya, Matara. At the institute, the President engaged in a friendly discussion with students participating in educational activities and had a productive conversation with the institution’s administrative team. more..

Sep 10 (AD) Sajith Premadasa, prez candidate of the SJB, says that the current people of this country will not be deceived by political deals. He alleged that the candidates running for the prez election are engaging in various conspiracies to mislead the people. He predicted that his party would secure victory in the first round of vote counting and not requiring to go for a second count. “There is no use of second preference. SJB will definitely win in the first round itself,” said Premadasa. more..

Sep 11 (CT) In the heat of SL’s Prez Election, the politicians’ favourite F-word has once again resurfaced for the umpteenth time. The F-word in question, of course, is federalism. During a courtesy meeting between ITAK leader Mavai Senathirajah and incumbent Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe. It was reported that during the discussion, Senathirajah proposed that introducing a federal system in SL would address the deep-rooted political and other issues affecting the Tamil people,. more..

Sep 11 (TM) The growing unease about policy continuance and political stability post-elections are causing SL dollar bondholders to sell off as a risk reduction measure, with some investors aiming to reduce their country exposure over rising political uncertainties before Elections later this month, Bloomberg reported. This, as concerns grow domestically about political stability and the impact a possible new govt may have on SL’s IMF bailout agreement, hard fought external debt more..

Sep 11 (FT) The UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) has been operating in SL since 1 Sept 2014, marking a decade of service dedicated to advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment. In an interview, UN Women SL Head of Office Ramaaya Salgado highlights the continued need to advance gender equality in the country. Q: How did the launch of UN Women come about? more..

Sep 11 (DM) After ten long years, just yesterday SL’s men’s Test cricket team defeated the England Test XI. After successive defeats in the two earlier test matches the team came good. Despite the victory there are still several weak links in the team that need straightening out. The middle order is weak. The opening pair has not been consistent. Three of our veterans are past their prime and replacements need to be found. The find of the tour was Pathum Nissanka, who has been around for some more..

Sep 11 (ST) He did not present his manifesto in the manner other candidates did in hotel halls to Buddhist monks. He presented his litany of promises—his hallowed covenant with the people—at the feet of the Buddha’s sacred Tooth, enshrined in the Sri Dalada Maligawa. In that split second he struck a moving chord, instantly identifying his religious sentiments with the Buddhists of the land, who take their newborn child first to the Sri Dalada to receive the blessings of the Nobel Triple Gem; more..

Sep 11 (CT) The respondents, who were ordered to pay compensation in connection with the Easter Sunday terrorist attacks, initially told the Court that they lacked the assets and income to meet these payments. However, after the Court warned that those failing to complete their payments would be charged with Contempt of Court, the outstanding compensation was subsequently paid as ordered. more..

Sep 11 (DM) When political pundits call the Prez election of 2024 the most unpredictable of recent times, they are right. But then they attribute the uncertainty to the popular public anger at the traditional political establishment in the backdrop of the economic crisis. That is not without a grain of truth. However, it is over-simplifying and self-serving. It is oversimplifying because they often rely on chattering classes of the most vocal and closeted party activists to gauge public anger. more..

Sep 11 (DM) Anti-corruption rhetoric has become the order of the day in politics these days. The main prez candidates- Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe, SJB Leader Sajith Premadasa, NPP candidate Anura Kumara Dissanayake and SLPP candidate Namal Rajapaksa- repeatedly utter what they intend to do to root out corruption. Topic has gained electoral significance by volumes this time because public perception is all time high that corruption and frauds led to the current economic predicament more..

Sep 11 (Island) NPP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake has made a revelation. He has said, at a political rally, that the JVP had posters printed for Mahinda Rajapaksa’s 2005 prez election campaign, but Basil Rajapaksa did not reimburse it.JVP not only had posters printed for Mahinda but also put them up in 2005. In fact, it was instrumental in ensuring his victory in the 2005 prez race despite the then Prez Chandrika Kumaratunga’s all-out efforts to queer the pitch for him. more..

Sep 11 (FT) In a significant development, wage negotiations culminated in an agreement to provide a daily minimum wage of Rs. 1,350 for the estate sector workers. The decision was made during a meeting with the Estate Sector Wage Control Council at the Labour Department yesterday, after many rounds of disagreements between companies and trade unions. The stakeholders have now agreed to a basic salary of Rs. 1,350 with an additional Rs.50 based on productivity model. more..

Sep 11 (CT) Information obtained through the Right to Information Act has revealed that Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe, who assumed office amidst SL’s economic crisis, has spent approximately Rs 178 million on travel to 12 countries during his tenure so far. This expenditure has raised concerns, given the financial struggles the country has been facing. Dileep Amuthan, a journalist based in Jaffna, acquired the info more..

Sep 11 (FT) Cabinet of Ministers on Monday approved the establishment of a Financial Stability Fund aimed at boosting the country’s bank resolution framework under the financial crisis management program led by the Central Bank of SL (CBSL). To kick start the Financial Stability Fund, an initial nominal amount of Rs. 1 billion will be allocated by the Finance, Economic Stabilisation, and National Policies Ministry. “The fund will be gradually built up through annual budgetary allocations, more..

Sep 11 (BN) A selloff in SL dollar bonds intensified on Monday as investors reduced their country exposure over rising political uncertainties before elections later this month. SL’s dollar bonds due in 2030 fell 3 cents on the dollar to 49.9 cents, the lowest level since February, extending their decline from their peak this year to about 15%. Notes due in 2027 dropped more than 1 cent to 49.6 cents. Market pressure has intensified before elections on 21 Sept as investors worry that more..

Sep 11 (FT) The highly anticipated grand finale of the 2024 edition of the SPARK Skilled Youth Entrepreneurship Competition was celebrated on 5 Sept. This national platform for SL’s next generation of entrepreneurs empowered five finalists from both the school and open categories to showcase their innovative business ideas. The event culminated in the crowning of this year’s winners. The annual SPARK Skilled Youth Entrepreneurship Competition is organised by The CCC more..

Sep 11 (DN) Sri Lanka secured a thrilling 4-2 victory against Cambodia in a dramatic penalty shootout during the second leg of the AFC Asian Cup Qualifier 2027 at the National Olympic Stadium in Phnom Penh, Cambodia last night. The match was a rollercoaster of emotions. SL led 1-0 at halftime, with Oliver Kelaart scoring the lone goal in the 38th minute from a pass by Rajmohan. However, Cambodia equalised in the 51st minute with a left-foot shot that beat Lankan goalkeeper more..