Sep 27 (Island) The Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday ordered that Controller General of Emigration and Immigration Harsha Ilukpitiya be remanded for contempt of court. It noted that evidence before it indicated that Ilukpitiya had chosen not to implement its order suspending a Cabinet decision that had granted approval for a controversial online visa scheme; it was duty-bound to uphold the rule of law and maintain the dignity of the judiciary. more..

Sep 27 (Island) All’s well! What’s so well? Why the country, Stupid! The being well has many angles to it. One: The prez election worked out smoothly with very few reports of misbehaviour and no violence. Do you recall what utter consternation and fear and doubt even Ordinaries suffered at the end of the 2010 prez election held on Jan 26 when Prez MR sought a fresh mandate prior to the expiry of his six year term in 2011? He contested from the UPFA and his main opponent was Gen Sarath Fonseka, more..

Sep 27 (CI) "The senior players need to take responsibility because they have played a lot of cricket in Galle," SL batting coach Thilina Kandamby had said ahead of the second Test between SL and NZ. Three hundred and six runs later - 240 off the bats of Dimuth Karunaratne, Dinesh Chandimal and Angelo Mathews - Kandamby might be justified in feeling his words were taken to heart. Especially considering that that's just 22 runs shy of more..

Sep 27 (CI) New Zealand may have lost the toss but they responded in exemplary fashion, snuffing out Pathum Nissanka in the first over, before pouching Dimuth Karunaratne at first slip shortly after. Dinesh Chandimal looked to play positively, but NZ's positive approach - keeping in a second slip - reaped swift rewards as he became the third Lankan top-order batter to edge behind. And NZ's perfect day only continued when a Will O'Rourke no-ball off the final delivery of his over meant his next one more..

Sep 27 (FT) The European Chamber of Commerce in SL (ECCSL) has extended its congratulations to Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake on his election and inauguration as President of Sri Lanka. The recent Prez elections held on 21 September witnessed a remarkable display of democratic engagement, with high voter turnout reflecting the people’s commitment to shaping their nation’s future. The peaceful conduct of the elections underscores the resilience of SL’s democratic processes. more..

Sep 27 (FT) Jetwing acquired the Uva Ben Head Tea Estate in Welimada in 2022 with a mandate to produce premium artisanal teas while safeguarding the environment through organic farming and biodiversity conservation. The Uva Ben Head Estate, a 100-acre expanse previously reliant on inorganic farming methods, is undergoing a transformative journey under Jetwing’s guidance. The estate is now a beacon of organic farming, with Jetwing introducing mixed cropping and more..

Sep 27 (ST) SL Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) is in the news for all the wrong reasons. Almost all stakeholders, including migrant workers, foreign employment agencies, civil society activists etc are complaining that their complaints over the years haven’t been addressed by the SLBFE. “They take years to reply to complaints. We are aware that files and files of complaints are being stacked at the Bureau. When we complain to the ministers, they say that they need time to study these areas. more..

Sep 27 (FT) Govt announced that Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system was reinstated, allowing all foreigners to once again obtain hassle-free pre-arrival visas. The decision, effective from midnight yesterday comes as a welcome relief to the tourism industry, which had long lobbied for the restoration of the system with previous administration, was largely ignored. ETA system back in place visa fees will also be reduced. more..

Sep 27 (Island) After a shaky start, losing opener Pathum Nissanka in the first over, Dinesh Chandimal and Dimuth Karunaratne steadied SL’s innings with a 122-run stand. They appeared to be cruising when, against the run of play, Karunaratne was run out for 46. Karunaratne had pushed a ball to mid-wicket and called for a single, but his partner did not respond, leaving him no chance to make it back to the striker’s end. Speaking at the post-match media briefing, Chandimal expressed regret more..

Sep 27 (TM) Due to structural drawing issues with the sky ramp, the reopening of Lotus Tower Bungee Jumping, originally scheduled for May 2024 by Go Bungy, has been delayed. Colombo Lotus Tower Management Company (Pvt) Ltd. Chief Executive Officer Major General (Retd) Prasad Samarasinghe said: “The engineers have submitted the structural drawings to China. However, they wanted to do certain alterations in the structural drawing due to the weight it carries.” more..

Sep 27 (TM) PHU Party expressed concerns regarding the recent appointments made by Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake of the NPP administration. PHU Leader and former MP Udaya Gammanpila voiced his apprehensions, claiming that these decisions have eroded public confidence placed in the Govt. Gammanpila specifically pointed to the appointment of a new Secretary to the Prez more..

Sep 27 (Island) In the wake of SL’s economic upheaval, businesses have been watching closely with a view to finding out how government initiatives are shaping the future, Tania Polonnowita Wettimuny, Group Managing Director of IAS Holdings (Pvt) Ltd, told The Island Financial Review. She was speaking on the current economic situation of the country, providing her expert insights into the new governmental policies and their impact on the local business landscape. more..

Sep 27 (FT) The Colombo stock market yesterday further sustained its newfound optimism with turnover topping Rs. 4 billion mark. The indices closed marginally up recovering after mid-day dip due to profit taking. First Capital said the Colombo Bourse experienced a highly volatile trading day amidst improved investor participation from retail investors and HNWIs. ASPI gained over 200 points in the first hour of trading and then plunged to 11,608 immediately as selling pressure emerged. more..

Sep 27 (Island) Asian Games medallist Kalinga Kumarage will be the sole SL competitor at the weekend’s World Athletics Continental tour bronze lable meet in Nigata, Japan after two leading athletes pulled out. The two day meet which will be held over the weekend will be the final overseas competition taken part by SL athletes this year. 400 metres specialist is the current SL number two in the discipline behind Olympian Aruna Dharshana, who too was earlier scheduled to conclude more..

Sep 27 (Island) All candidates who participated in the recently concluded prez election must submit their campaign expense reports to the Election Commission by 13 October, Commissioner General of Elections Saman Sri Rathnayake announced on Wednesday (25). Addressing the media in Colombo, Rathnayake said that all presidential candidates had been informed that their election campaign expense reports must be submitted within 21 days of the announcement of the election results. more..

Sep 27 (CT) Measures should be taken to prevent politicians from participating in school functions, PM Harini Amarasuriya instructed Education Ministry officials. Dr. Amarasuriya, who also holds the Education Ministerial portfolio, visited the ministry and held a meeting with officials after assuming her role as Minister of Education. PM emphasised that enhancing school education is a key objective of the current Govt, and more..

Sep 27 (DN) Sri Lanka seeks more support from China towards investment, debt restructuring and in other areas, said Minister Vijitha Herath at the the reception held to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China in Colombo on Wednesday. He also recalled that SL and China maintained close economic relationships for a long time and the China SL Rice Pact in 1952 was one of key agreements during the time and diplomatic relations were established in 1957. more..

Sep 27 (CT) President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has directed relevant officials to allocate luxury vehicles used by previous govts, exclusively for essential services, President’s Private Secretary Ananda Wijepala said yesterday. He disclosed those 59 vehicles obtained from various institutions had been distributed through the Presidential Secretariat to political allies. Despite the ongoing vehicle import ban, 16 vehicles had been brought in for the Presidential Secretariat. more..

Sep 27 (Island) Former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga stated yesterday that the appointment of Dr. Harini Amarasuriya as Prime Minister was a significant victory for Sri Lankan women. Speaking to the media following an event in Horagolla, she expressed her confidence in the new Prime Minister, describing Amarasuriya as well-educated. However, Bandaranaike declined to comment further on the new administration under President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. more..

Sep 27 (TM) The Attorney General (AG) has informed the Supreme Court (SC) that a series of guidelines have been prepared to eliminate incidents of ragging in State universities. A fundamental rights petition filed by a student affected by a ragging incident at the Uni of Sri J'pura in 2020 was taken up before a 3-judge SC bench consisting of Chief Justice (CJ) Jayantha Jayasuriya, and Justices Shiran Gooneratne and Priyantha Fernando. The petitioner stated that more..

Sep 27 (TM) Sri Lanka’s new govt expects to bring the interim budget for the first quarter of 2025 in November when the new Parliament convenes, while Budget 2025 will be passed in January next year, according to NPP Economic Council Chief Prof. Anil Jayanth Fernando. He said that the govt will bring the interim budget in November, while Budget 2025 is expected to be passed in Parliament in Jan 2025. more..

Sep 27 (CT) Commissioner General of Elections Saman Sri Ratnayake announced that the acceptance of postal voting applications for the Parliamentary Election will take place from 30 Sept to 7 Oct. He clarified that it is not necessary to resubmit postal voting applications for those whose previous applications were accepted. However, if an application for postal voting in the last Presidential Election was rejected, the applicant must resubmit it to address the rejection. more..

Sep 27 (Island) Sri Lanka has called on Saudi Arabia to invest in the Dedicated Pharmaceutical Zone in Hambantota, IT Parks, Fabric Park in Batticaloa, Colombo Port City, and Hambantota Port. Speaking at the National Day celebrations of Saudi Arabia, in Colombo on Wednesday, Minister Vijitha Herath, expressed his appreciation for Saudi Arabia’s ongoing support for SL at the UNHRC. “Reflecting on the strong bilateral relations, he said I am pleased to note that Govt of Saudi Arabia more..

Sep 27 (DM) Court of Appeal today issued an interim order suspending the operation of the Cabinet decision granting approval to purchase 750,000 N-Series passports from two companies as part of the initial procurement for the supply of five million e-Passports. Court of Appeal Justice Mohammed Laffar made this order pursuant to a writ petition filed by Epic Lanka (Pvt) Ltd and its Executive Chairman alleging that it is a corrupt deal that violates more..

Sep 27 (FT) Sri Lanka’s newly elected President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has appointed Dr. Harini Amarasuriya as his PM. The academic turned politico is SL’s third woman PM. The first woman PM of the island nation was Sirimavo Bandaranaike. Sirimavo shattered a global glass ceiling in 1960 by becoming the world’s first woman Prime Minister. Her daughter Chandrika Kumaratunga became the second woman PM in 1994. Subsequently she too made history as SL’s first woman President. more..

Sep 27 (FT) The 2024 SL Presidential election results have displayed a significant change in the decades-long distribution of political party alignment among the Sri Lankan people. This transformation showcases the desperation of Sri Lankans to choose a leader free from crimes and corruption. Anura Kumara Dissanayake, a veteran politician and the leader of the National People’s Power (NPP), has won the election, dominating the majority of votes in 14 out of 22 districts. more..

Sep 27 (PMD) The Japanese Ambassador to SL, MIZUKOSHI Hideaki, affirmed that the Japanese government is committed to fully supporting efforts to combat corruption and irregularities, a key priority of Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s administration. He expressed readiness to continue close collaboration with SL. Ambassador Mizukoshi made these remarks during a meeting with the Secretary to the President, Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday (26). more..

Sep 27 (CI) 2 - Players to complete 1000 Test runs quicker than Kamindu Mendis, who got there in 13 innings. Both Everton Weekes and Herbert Sutcliffe needed 12 Test innings to reach 1000 runs, while Don Bradman got there in 13 innings. The Sri Lankan record was previously held by Roy Dias, Michael Vandort and Dhananjaya de Silva, all in 23 innings. 1 - Kamindu became the first player with a fifty-plus score in each of his first eight Test matches. Previous longest streak of fifty-plus scores more..

Sep 27 (CI) For SL, it was a day of big numbers. Kamindu Mendis became the fastest man to 1000 Test runs in 75 years when he struck 182 not out. He equalled Don Bradman's pace to the milestone, and sits third-equal alongside the greatest batter cricket has ever seen. Kusal Mendis made a hundred too - the tenth in his career - as he and Kamindu put on an unbeaten stand of 200 for the sixth wicket. All up, SL got to 602 for 5 more..

Sep 27 (EN) SL’s 2024 economic growth will be stronger than the expected 4 percent due to increased economic activities, Central Bank Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe said. The CB had originally projected 3 percent growth for this year against the International Monetary Fund’s expected expansion of 1.2%. The World Bank has projected Sri Lanka’s growth at 2,2% for this year, while the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has estimated at 2.6%. “We see more than expected growth more..

Sep 27 (PMD) The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) has pledged its full support for the transparency initiative of the current government. This commitment was made by a delegation of high-ranking KOICA officials during a meeting with Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake at the Presidential Secretariat today (27). KOICA has also agreed to offer loan assistance for projects aimed at preventing fraud and corruption in Sri Lanka. more..

Sep 27 (PMD) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake has appointed Senior DIG Priyantha Weerasooriya as the Acting IGP. This decision was made under the constitutional powers vested in the Prez. The official appointment letter was handed to him by Secretary to the Prez Dr. Nandika Kumanayake at the Presidential Secretariat today. Notably, SDIG Priyantha Weerasooriya is the first officer in the 158-year history of the police service to rise more..

Sep 27 (EN) A significant 35 percent of women of reproductive age in Sri Lanka have no access to any form of contraception, the UNFPA has said, despite the commendable progress made. “35% of women of reproductive age in SL have no access to any form of contraception. 45% lack access to modern contraceptive methods. Despite the commendable progress made, the unmet need is significant,” UNFPA Representative in SL Kunle Adeniyi said. In a World Contraception Day (26) message more..

Sep 27 (NF) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake has ordered the reopening of more..