Sep 25 (TM) The Colombo High Court yesterday ordered NPP MP Vijitha Herath to appear before Court on 29 November to testify in connection with a bribery case filed during the tenure of the previous United National Front for Good Governance Govt. When the case which had been filed by the CIABOC against the former Chairperson of the Development Lotteries Board, Chandrawansa Pathiraja, was taken up in Court yesterday, the plaintiff, Herath was scheduled to testify. more..

Sep 25 (DN) Former Prez Mahinda Rajapaksa, the leader of the SLPP yesterday said his party will contest the upcoming General Election, but it will not join a proposed alliance by the UNP. Rajapaksa emphasised that his party is fully prepared for the upcoming election. He was addressing the media at SLPP head office in Battaramulla following a meeting of the SLPP political commitee. Rajapaksa said the SLPP political committee discussed the results of the last election more..

Sep 25 (TM) Police is awaiting new orders to restart the Yukthiya (Justice) anti-drug and anti-organised crime operation after its halt due to preparations for the Prez Election. “Due to the election, several of our officers were moved and were assigned to election duties,” DIG Nihal Thalduwa said. “Now, with the new Govt being formed, we are waiting for orders for the program to restart.” Thalduwa said that the Police remains more..

Sep 25 (Island) NPP govt to enhance Foreign Direct Investment inflows, must continue to implement robust structural reforms, maintain macroeconomic stability and address vulnerabilities in the financial sector, senior Chartered Accountant Heshana Kuruppu said. Kuruppu, who is the President of CA SL and President of the South Asian Federation of Accountants, stressed that consistent and transparent policies, along with efforts to improve infrastructure & reduce bureaucratic hurdles, more..

Sep 25 (CT) Human Rights Commission of SL (HRCSL) announced an inquiry into the concerns surrounding the Grade 5 Scholarship Exam for 2024. The inquiry is scheduled for 26 September 2024 at 10:30 a.m. at the HRCSL Head Office. Commissioner General of Examinations and the Secretary of the Ministry of Education have been summoned to provide testimony. This action follows multiple complaints received regarding the examination process and the HRCSL’s own more..

Sep 25 (FT) Global rating agency Moody’s said political change in Sri Lanka with the election of Anura Kumara Dissanayake as the new Prez are unlikely to derail reform trajectory but underscored fiscal consolidation challenges. “While Dissanayake’s election constitutes a major shift in SL’s political landscape, we believe the broad appetite for reforms will remain intact. We do not expect significant disruption to the country’s more..

Sep 25 (IT) SL's new Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake has outlined the broad contours of his government's new foreign policy, stating that he doesn't want to be caught between India and China. In an interview with The Monocle, Dissanayake said, "We don’t want to be sandwiched, especially between China and India. Both countries are valued friends and, under an NPP govt, we expect them to become close partners." "We also want to maintain relations with the EU, Middle East & Africa," more..

Sep 25 (TM) Citing speculation regarding the lack of ethnic minority support for the newly elected NPP administration, led by the JVP, the Lanka Janatha Pakshaya (LJP) expressed opposition to any possible federal solution, claiming that it lacks a mandate to address ethnic minority issues in this manner. LJP General Secretary Madubhashana Ranahansa, emphasised that the new Prez and the administration's mandate predominantly reflects the Sinhala-Buddhist majority of the country. more..

Sep 25 (DN) SL skipper Dhananjaya de Silva said, “Our second-innings batting set the foundation for our win against NZ in the first Test.” “After our previous win against England at The Oval, our team gained good morale heading into this Test. However, we need to address a few errors and prepare for the second Test,” Dhananjaya added. “The key turning point for us was our approach to batting. The performances of experienced players like Dimuth Karunaratne, Dinesh Chandimal, and more..

Sep 25 (CT) Airport & Aviation Services (SL) (Pvt) Limited (AASL) has announced the tender for the BIA Development Project Phase 2 (BIA Project). The project aims to complete its full scope, funded by a JICA ODA loan by the end of 2027 to meet the increasing passenger demand in SL. According to the memorandum between SL and JICA, the phase II construction project has to be completed by the Japanese constructors. Following the signing of the MoU on debt restructuring more..

Sep 25 (Island) For the first time since the introduction of duty-free vehicle permit scheme for parliamentarians by the country’s first executive President J.R. Jayewardene, following the 1977 general election, current MPs would not be entitled to that privilege, political sources said. They said so when The Island sought a clarification regarding last minute issuance of duty-free permits before the dissolution of Parliament. more..

Sep 25 (EN) SL’s newly elected Prez Anura Dissanayake had met Central Bank Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe and Treasury Secretary Mahinda Siriwardana. Mahinda Siriwardana was re-appointed as Treasury Secretary earlier on Tuesday. The current status of the economy, measures to stabilize the economy was discussed at length, the statement said. SL is emerging from sovereign default, achieved without a war, after four back to back currency crises coming in the wake more..

Sep 25 (AD) President Anura Kumara Dissanayake is expected to make a special statement while addressing the nation at 7.30 pm today, according to the Department of Government Information. Dissanayake, leader of the JVP and the NPP alliance, won a landslide victory over the weekend by beating 38 other candidates and garnering over 5.6 million or 42.3% of the votes. He was sworn into office on Monday after a landslide win in weekend presidential polls. more..

Sep 25 (AD) The Extraordinary Gazette notification issued by Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake dissolving the Parliament effective from midnight today (24), has been published by the Department of Govt Printing. The proclamation dissolves Parliament with effect from midnight today and summons the new Parliament to meet on the Nov 21, 2024. It has also fixed Nov 14, 2024 as the date for the election of the new MP. more..

Sep 25 (NW) Former Minister S.B. Dissanayake has expressed confidence that President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and his govt are likely to emerge victorious in the upcoming general elections. “Based on Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s conduct after the presidential election and his statements, I believe this govt has the strength to fulfill the hopes of the people,” Dissanayake said. Dissanayake said that he believes that the progress of the current govt should not be hindered, more..

Sep 25 (FT) A spark of protest emerged in July 2021. It has grown into an island-wide mass protest (Aragalaya) involving people of all walks of life. They gathered at Galle Face Green and delivered a message: The country is bankrupt. The messenger was taken to task. Central Bank is located within sight of the Galle Face Green. Newly appointed Governor of the Central Bank delivered a message. Sri Lanka is bankrupt and is unable to settle its mountain of debts. more..

Sep 25 (EN) Fitch Ratings has confirmed a restricted default (RD) rating of Sri Lanka after its sovereign default and said policy uncertainty after a election. “Sri Lanka’s September 2024 Presidential election was won by one of the opposition leaders,” Fitch said. “Fitch believes the result add uncertainty to the country’s policy direction and could lead to a delay in the completion of the foreign-currency debt restructuring or renegotiation of the IMF programme. “The upcoming 2025 budget, more..

Sep 25 (FT) Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD) has been elected as the ninth Executive President of Sri Lanka. The election dust has settled, and it is time for all the competing candidates and their supporters to unite wherever, whenever, and however possible in the best interest of our motherland. In their campaigns, the candidates spoke little on the important aspect of improving national productivity. Now that he is in power, I hope that AKD will give it his highest priority. more..

Sep 25 (AD) Controller General of Immigration and Emigration, Harsha Illukpitiya has been remanded by the Supreme Court on contempt of court charges for failing to implement the interim order on the implementation of the electronic visa process. The court issued this order after reading out the relevant charge sheets against the Controller General of Immigration and Emigration. more..

Sep 25 (DM) The water supply in several areas of Kandy will be suspended for 65 hours due to essential maintenance of the Polgolla diversion dam, starting from Saturday (28), the National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) said. The water cut will begin at 1 a.m. on Saturday (28) and will be restored by 6 a.m. on Monday (30). Affected areas include: Kandy Municipal area, Harispattuwa, Pujapitiya, Pathadumbara, and areas under the Akurana water supply system. more..

Sep 25 (DM) IMF Chief Kristalina Georgieva in a congratulatory letter to Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake, reiterated the IMF's readiness to assist the country through its future development and reform goals. Dissanayake took oaths on Monday to become the country’s ninth Executive President and has previously stated that he would revisit some of the conditions of the IMF deal under his Presidency. “We at the IMF greatly value the excellent engagement that we have had with SL more..

Sep 25 (EN) SL’s newly appointed Public Security Minister Vijitha Herath has requested the police to help usher in a new political culture where the police is able to establish law and order without being subject to political interference. Speaking to ministry officials and senior police officers on Tuesday, Minister Herath said there has been a breakdown in public trust of the police. “I, as the minister, the secretary and all of you more..

Sep 25 (DM) The PAFFREL urged the public to maintain peace both before and after the general elections, just as they did during the Presidential election. Executive Director Rohana Hettiarachchi stated that no special preparations are required for the upcoming general elections, but the monitoring process will continue as usual. "All arrangements have been made for monitoring the general elections. We had a clear understanding that the general elections would be held regardless of more..

Sep 25 (AD) Nine new provincial Governors have been appointed by Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake. They were sworn in before the President at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo, a short while ago. The newly appointed Governors are as follows: Central Province - Prof. Sarath Abeykoon (former Vice Chancellor, Uni of Peradeniya) ; Southern Province - Bandula Harischandra (former Senior Administrative Officer); Northern Province - Nagalingam more..

Sep 25 (AD) A discussion has taken place between President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and the Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL), Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe. Department of Govt Information reported that the Secretary to the Ministry of Finance, Mahinda Siriwardene, also participated in the discussion. The current economic situation of the country was discussed at length during the meeting, which was held last evening at the Prez Secretariat, the statement said. more..

Sep 25 (NW) India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said that there was no political conditionality which accompanied the assistance extended to SL during the economic crisis. Speaking at a forum in New York, Jaishankar said, “We stepped forward when Sri Lanka was facing a very deep economic crisis, and frankly, when no one else did. I’m very glad we did it, and we did it in a timely and substantial manner. We provided US$ 4.5 billion in effective support.” more..

Sep 25 (TM) SJB led Samagi Jana Sandhanaya (SJS) and Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa said that he was unanimously chosen as the Prime Ministerial candidate of the SJS for the upcoming General Election. Furthermore, he stated that there will be no collaboration between UNP Leader and former Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe and him. SJB will not enter into any election-related alliances unless it is the leading force of more..

Sep 25 (DH) Requesting newly elected president of SL, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, to make a fresh beginning by using his sovereign Presidential powers and order the release of all Indian fishermen languishing in SL jails as a token of goodwill and love, Congress MP, R Sudha, who was recently elected from Mayiladuthurai constituency, said such a gesture will add a lot of muscle to your avowed objective of giving SL a new direction. In open-hearted and open minded letter to Dissanayake, more..

Sep 25 (NW) All candidates who contested the recent Prez election are required to submit their campaign expense reports to the Election Commission by Oct 13, Election Commissioner General Saman Sri Ratnayake said. The 38 candidates have been informed that the report must be submitted within 21 days of the election results being announced. Once these reports are received, they will be made available for public viewing. If any discrepancies are found in the expense more..

Sep 25 (AJ) For Dilshan Jayasanka, the victory of Anura Kumara Dissanayake as Sri Lanka’s first Marxist-leaning president is the beginning of a radical new path for the crisis-hit island nation. Just more than two years ago, the 29-year-old former floor manager at a restaurant in Colombo was a regular visitor to Gota Go Gama, the tent city erected by tens of thousands of protesters in the city’s picturesque Galle Face area. more..

Sep 25 (AD) SL Customs says it has received information that certain individuals are engaged in a racket while announcing that they will conduct practice interviews for the recruitment of Assistant Superintendents of Customs. Customs spokesperson Seevali Arukgoda, stated that no official workshop has been organized for such interviews. “Open Competitive Examination for recruitment to the post of Assistant Superintendent of Customs was held recently. more..

Sep 25 (NW) Gamini Warushamana officially assumed duties today as the new Chairman of Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited (Lake House). A graduate of the University of Kelaniya, Warushamana began his career as a journalist with the Sunday Observer. He holds a Master’s degree in Mass Communication from the Uni of Kelaniya and a Master’s in Economics from the Uni of Colombo. Warushamana has extensive administrative and research experience, having worked in more..

Sep 25 (FT) In an effort to connect domestic manufacturers with global value chains and provide opportunities for Sri Lanka exporters to engage in international trade, the Consulate General of SL to Dubai and the Northern Emirates, in collaboration with the Industrial Development Board (IDB) and the Department of Commerce as well as with the well support of the Sri Lanka Business Council in UAE, has organised SL’s participation in the inaugural edition of Gulfood Green. more..

Sep 25 (TM) The Frontline Socialist Party (FSP) called on new President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to prioritise other issues ahead of tackling corruption. “This Prez Election was won mainly on the promise of tackling corruption,” FSP Secretary Premakumar Gunaratnam said yesterday. “However, while that should be done, the new President and the National People’s Power (NPP) should also focus on issues such as the economic crisis, the IMF, and geopolitics.” more..

Sep 25 (EN) The US supported the people of SL in their pursuit of an inclusive, just, democratic, and economically sustainable future, Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ben Cardin has said. Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake head of the NPP coalition backed by the JVP came to power after a most severe currency collapse triggered by the central bank in its history, after printing money to target potential more..