Sep 18 (Island) NPP MP Dr. Harini Amarasuriya said the police had been impartial in enforcing election laws following the temporary removal of Deshabandu Tennakoon as IGP. Dr. Amarasuriya said the majority of voters had already decided whom to support. She pointed out that the political empowerment of Sri Lankans, especially women, was important for the NPP. In this country, women’s political empowerment was often judged by more..

Sep 18 (TM) Election Commission (EC) has instructed the relevant stakeholders to maintain public transport services as usual in the context of the Presidential Election to be held on 21 Sept. EC Chairperson R.M.A.L. Rathnayake said that the EC has already instructed the relevant stakeholders to maintain transport services without any hindrance. "We definitely look into the arrangement of transport facilities for the people. We have provided the necessary instructions to the SLTB more..

Sep 18 (FT) For the first time in SL, the public have access to a digital tool, to easily compare and evaluate the manifesto promises of the three major Prez candidates – in English, Sinhala and Tamil. Called Prez Election Manifesto Match 2024, it has extracted over 1,500 promises that are tied to actions – not aspirational claims or projections. It has a Manifesto Comparer, which allows the side-by-side comparison of manifesto promises of candidates across 15 thematic areas. more..

Sep 18 (Hindu) SL’s northern Tamil voters are torn this presidential election, between a candidate who may win, and one who will certainly lose. While some are backing one of the frontrunners among the Sinhalese candidates, others have decided to support a Tamil candidate. Every voter knows well that Tamil common candidate P Ariyanethiran — fielded jointly by some political and civil society groups based in more..

Sep 18 (FT) Sri Lankans are to elect a new President on 21 September 2024 to rule the country for the next five years. Whether it is the confirmation of the incumbent interim President Ranil Wickremesinghe in the post or the election of one of the two frontrunners to presidency, it is the economy stupid that the new President should tackle immediately. That is because the economy is not stable as claimed by the incumbent President in his election campaign. more..

Sep 18 (FT) As SL prepares for its upcoming Prez election, the stakes have never been higher. In 2022, the country faced an unprecedented economic crisis that brought the nation to a standstill, marked by fuel shortages, soaring inflation, and widespread protests. Since then, the country has taken steps toward stabilising the economy, but much remains to be done. This election is not just about choosing a leader but about securing the nation’s future and ensuring continued recovery from more..

Sep 18 (DM) The Education Ministry is ready to provide China-aided school uniform fabric for 2025 before the school vacation on January 20, Education Minister Susil Premajayantha said. Following discussions held with the Chinese Ambassador and relevant officials of the Chinese government, the Chinese government is to package and provide all the required uniforms for 4.3 million schoolchildren and robes for 825 pirivenas before the 2025 new school term as a grant. more..

Sep 18 (AD) The election campaigning activities for the 2024 Prez Election are scheduled to end at midnight today. Accordingly, the silence period will be in effect from midnight today until Saturday (21), when the election will be held. During this period, any form of election campaign activities are prohibited, and the police are authorized to arrest any parties that violate election rules and to enforce the law. Chairman of the Election Commission, R.M.A.L. Ratnayake, stated that more..

Sep 18 (CI) Kamindu Mendis continued his phenomenal start to Test cricket notching up a fourth Test ton, but a couple of late wickets at the end of play ensured that New Zealand were not completely out of it after an engrossing opening day's play in Galle. That one of those wickets was that of Kamindu will have brought the visitors particular joy, though the nature of the wicket - with it spitting out of the rough outside more..

Sep 18 (AD) Police is seeking public assistance to apprehend a female suspect who is wanted in connection with an investigation pertaining to financial fraud. Police Media Division informs that the suspect in question is wanted over a case involving an unlawful property acquisition carried out using forged documents, for a property valued at Rs. 150 million. CID is conducting investigations following a complaint lodged against the suspect. The investigation has revealed that more..

Sep 18 (DM) Ahead of the Prez election, the Election Commission has launched an online system enabling voters to access their polling cards. Accordingly, the polling cards can be viewed via On-line Registration The Commission clarified that those voters who have not yet received their official polling cards can still cast their vote at the designated polling centres using a valid identity card. Further, voters who have not yet received their polling cards by post are encouraged to . more..

Sep 18 (TM) Even though the SL Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) has found Int'l Investors for the Kalpitiya island resort projects, the delay in approval procedures are hindering the commencement of a high-end Island resorts project. SLTDA Tourism Planning, Development and Investor Relations Director Dr. Prasad Jayasuriya said that Kalpitiya is another unique property where the Authority owns 12 islands. more..

Sep 18 (CT) Police Spokesperson DIG Nihal Thalduwa said that 627,319 posters, of various presidential candidates, have been removed so far. These activities took place over a month, from 17 August to 16 September. During this period, 240,923 additional election posters were confiscated by the Police. He said 1,507 election banners have been removed, with 1,094 being taken into Police custody. Additionally, 1,552 election cutouts were removed and 1,599 cutouts were seized. more..

Sep 18 (NW) SJB MP Rajitha Senaratne has revealed a possible alliance between SJB presidential candidate Sajith Premadasa and SLPP prez candidate Namal Rajapaksa. According to MP Senaratne, SJB Leader Sajith Premadasa has allegedly assured Namal Rajapaksa of the position of Opposition Leader in exchange for support in the presidential election. “The alliance between the Rajapaksas and Sajith is seen as opportunistic and aimed at securing Sajith’s victory in more..

Sep 18 (AD) Supreme Court today dismissed the petition of intervention filed seeking an order suspending the interim injunction issued preventing Deshabandu Tennakoon from functioning as the IGP. Ven. Dr. Bellanwila Dhammaratana Thero, Ven. Prof Agalakada Sirisumana Thero and Ven. Prof. Kotapitiye Rahula had filed the intervening petition. The petition of intervention was taken up today before a 3-judge SC bench consisting of Justices Yasantha Kodagoda, Achala Wengappuli more..

Sep 18 (ICC) ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 will be the first ICC event where women will receive the same prize money as their male counterparts, marking a significant milestone in the sport’s history. The decision was taken at the ICC Annual Conference in July 2023, when the ICC Board took the step of reaching its prize money equity target seven years ahead of its schedule of 2030, making cricket the only major team sport to have equal prize money for its men’s & women’s WC events. more..

Sep 18 (VoA) Whoever Sri Lanka's next president is, Muthuthevarkittan Manohari isn't expecting much to change in her daily struggle to feed the four children and elderly mother with whom she lives in a dilapidated room in a tea plantation. Both leading candidates in Saturday's prez election are promising to give land to the country's hundreds of thousands of plantation workers, but Manohari says she's heard it all before. more..

Sep 18 (AD) Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) presidential candidate, MP Namal Rajapaksa stated that he is prepared to prove the innocence of the Rajapaksa government. He made these comments while addressing a public rally held in the Kotikawatta area yesterday (17). “We didn’t carelessly build roads or housing apartments. We also didn’t bring in investors carelessly. We had a plan and a vision to develop this nation. We accountable for every investment made” more..

Sep 18 (DM) Prez candidate of the SJB, Sajith Premadasa vowed that he would take legal action against anyone responsible for major scams in the recent past and would not hesitate to take action against the incumbent Prez if he too is found to be responsible for aiding and abetting to crimes. When asked whether in case former leaders of the country even someone like Ranil Wickremesinghe is found to have allegedly aided and abetted to some of these allegations of corruption, more..

Sep 18 (CT) The general public must exercise extreme vigilance in the coming days, as Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe and Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa are reportedly conducting a massive disinformation campaign against the National People’s Power (NPP), labelling the party as a violent organisation, NPP Executive Committee member Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said. Dr. Jayatissa made these comments during a media conference held at the NPP hq in Colombo yesterday. more..

Sep 18 (TM) Police arrested the SJB Nawalapitiya organiser in relation to threatening and assaulting an individual in Nawalapitiya. “The Police has taken action and arrested the said organiser,” DIG Nihal Thalduwa said yesterday in response to a query on Police action on the matter. “However, the complainant has agreed to settle it out of court as they are friends.” These comments follow an incident that took place on 15 September when an individual was threatened and assaulted by an SJB more..

Sep 18 (FT) Planters’ Association of Ceylon (PA) Incoming Chairman Sunil Poholiyadde on Saturday outlined the need for modernisation to sustain the industry, which has lost 50% of its workforce since 1992. Speaking at the 170th AGM, he said with global competition rising and labour shortages affecting production. “Since 1992, we have lost 50% of our workforce, which is evident in our production figures. more..

Sep 18 (AD) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe assured that English language proficiency would be made accessible to every child through the implementation of the English for All program within the next decade. “In the first two years, we will focus on training teachers and then extend training to others. We will also provide opportunities for private institutions to register and teach English. Within 10 years, we can significantly improve English proficiency across the country,” he said. more..

Sep 18 (FT) Court of Appeal, on 11 Sept, ordered former MP Hirunika Premachandra, to appear in person at inquiry into a Contempt of Court petition filed against her by young business leader Hardy Jamaldeen. The petition claims that she had committed the offence of Contempt of Court by criticising an order issued by the Mount Lavinia Magistrate during a press conference held on International Women’s Day. The order was delivered by the Court of Appeal Bench comprising more..

Sep 18 (CT) SLPP Prez Candidate Namal Rajapaksa indicated that defectors from the SLPP will not be permitted to rejoin the party in the future. He made this statement during an election rally held in Ratnapura yesterday (17). Reflecting on former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s presidential campaign in 2005, MP Namal Rajapaksa noted that several prominent political figures had switched their allegiance, and asserted that the saloon doors are now firmly closed. more..

Sep 18 (DM) Another suspect who was taken into custody in connection with the double murder at a tattoo centre in Athurugiriya was produced before Kaduwela Acting Magistrate D.G.P. Karunaratne and detained for 48 hours for further questioning. A businessman Wasantha Perera alias Club Wasantha and another had been shot dead during the opening ceremony of the tattoo centre. 24 year old suspect from Dharga town in Aluthgama had been arrested by Western Province Crime more..

Sep 18 (EN) NPP is keen to implement the corruption requirements of an IMF program, and will negotiate on ways achieve targets, head of its economic council, Anil Jayantha said. NPP wanted an alternative debt sustainability analysis for future discussions with the IMF, Jayantha, a professor at J'pura uni said. “Actually, we do not want to replace forcefully with the alternative DSA but it is to get good input more..

Sep 18 (CT) ITAK Batticaloa District MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam stated that the SJB prez candidate Sajith Premadasa, pledged to bring all those responsible for the Easter Sunday terror attacks to justice once elected, in the upcoming 2024 Prez Election. This statement followed a discussion between ITAK political figures from the Batticaloa District, led by MP Rasamanickam and Premadasa at his office in Kaluwanchikudy on 15 Sept, during Premadasa’s campaign visit to the East. more..

Sep 18 (EN) The Lawyers’ Collective of Sri Lanka has called on voters to exercise their vote to strengthen democratic governance, the rule of law, and the independence of the judiciary. The collective in a statement said all voters have a right to cast their vote for the particular candidate of their choice as president. Voters may mark “X” or “1” against the name of their choice. If a voter marks “X”, no second or third preferences can be marked, the statement said. more..

Sep 18 (EN) United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is partnering with the Ministry of Crab restaurant in a mangrove restoration program in Mannar, home to Sri Lanka’s iconic mud crabs. The 18-month project, part of the Global Environment Facility funded Small Grants Programme (SGP), will help communities in mangrove propagation, reforestation, and protection. Ministry of Crab Founder Chef Dharshan Munidasa and UNDP in SL Resident Representative more..

Sep 18 (EN) Presidential candidate Anura Kumara Dissanayake has blamed SL’s 2022 financial crisis on incumbent president Ranil Wickremesinghe, largely absolving former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa whose policy missteps Dissanayake attributed to ignorance. Speaking at an election rally, Dissanayake claimed that Wickremesinghe was the author of the crisis while Rajapaksa had made a few mistakes out of sheer ignorance. Dissanayake also claimed pity for Rajapaksa. more..

Sep 18 (AD) A group of parents of students who recently sat for the Grade 5 Scholarship exam staged a protest in front of the Dept of Examinations this morning over the proposed decision to disregard three questions in the exam’s first paper during the paper marking process. The protesters are demanding that the entire Grade 5 Scholarship exam, which was held on Sept 15, be cancelled instead. more..

Sep 18 (EN) There is substantially more support for the ruling SLPP and Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe’s UNP than there is for either party’s presidential candidate, the Institute for Health Policy (IHP)’s monthly poll has found. IHP’s SL Opinion Tracker Survey (SLOTS) polling director Dr Ravi Rannan-Eliya was quoted as saying in a statement from the institute that its parliamentary election voting intent survey has revealed “substantially more support for the SLPP in a general election than more..

Sep 18 (AD) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe announced that a crucial discussion between the Govt of SL and international sovereign bondholders will take place tomorrow. Following this meeting, Sri Lanka is expected to receive international support once the country’s bankruptcy is fully resolved, he said. Prez also expressed his satisfaction, stating that he was entrusted with a task and he is pleased to report that the work entrusted to him has been successfully completed by Sept 21. more..