Aug 30 (ST) It was a casual remark by Kussi Amma Sera on Tuesday, while she brought me a mug of tea that piqued my interest. Aei kattiya neethi virodi lesa pita rata yanne rassawal hoya gena (Why do people go abroad illegally to find a job), she asked. Mokakda eke theruma (What do you mean)?� I asked. Aei goda denek aganthuka visa aragena yanne pita more..

Aug 1 (DM) Today, we begin August and for those who wish to know, this month was first called Sextilis � a Latin word for sixth, as it was the sixth month of the Roman year. When the emperor Augustus Caesar was in power, however, he wished to have a month named after himself. The Roman senate satisfied him by changing Sextilis to Augustus. For most Sri Lankans of course, the month of August this year is the month of nominations for the September 21st Presidential Elections. more..

Aug 1 (DM) At the time of writing this column, the second candidate expecting to contest at the upcoming prez elections-Sajith Premadasa- saw the required cash deposit being made in his name at the Election Commission of SL. Premadasa has been ambitious enough like any other person eyeing the presidency. There are so many lawmakers, lawyers, university lecturers, trade union representatives and social media activists already engaged in the battle for presidency and backing their preferred more..

Aug 1 (DM) SLMC Leader Rauff Hakeem, who is also the member of COPF discussed the impact of eVisa fiasco in interview with the Daily Mirror. Q: Why are you making a big fuss about the new eVisa process and calling it the Visa Fiasco? A: The visa outsourcing fiasco has garnered significant attention and controversy for several reasons. Based on this, MPs Sumanthiran and Champika Ranawaka and myself- more..

Aug 1 (CT) As Sri Lanka approaches its next presidential election in September, the political atmosphere is heating up with numerous candidates entering the race. This election is set to be a significant event, not just for the selection of the country�s next leader, but as a reflection of the public�s sentiment following years of economic hardship and political turmoil. One can anticipate a surge in both ethical and questionable marketing tactics. Political campaigns are expected to more..

Aug 1 (CT) National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) stands as a crucial institution in SL, entrusted with the vital mission of advising the Govt on child abuse prevention and safeguarding the welfare of abuse victims. However, NCPA is currently crippled by a significant leadership vacuum, with the positions of Chairperson, Deputy Chairperson and several directorships remaining vacant. This concerning development has emerged following the end of the previous office bearers� terms, more..

Aug 1 (TM) Nadeesha Dilhani Lekamge, a proud product of our island nation, who not only qualified for the ongoing 2024 Paris Olympics, but also was vested with the opportunity to proudly carry the SL flag at the opening ceremony of the biggest global spectacle, will represent Sri Lanka in the Women's Javelin Throw event on Wednesday (7), at 1.55 p.m. Having claimed the silver medal in the Javelin Throw event at the Asian Games more..

Aug 1 (ST) Subha aranchi screamed the two words in posters plastered all over Colombo and elsewhere a day or two before govt front runners walked heads held high like the heroic Nelson after the battle of Waterloo. They had kicked Sri Lanka�s accumulated debt into the long grass so that years later others not guilty of such profligacy or another generation would have to pay larger bills, allowing the present lot to continue to dip their hands into lenders� tills without much hesitation. more..

Aug 1 (Island) The 2024 presidential contest has got underway in earnest with candidates placing deposits and the Election Commission (EC) upshifting. A rapid realignment of political forces is visible, and it is bound to change the dynamics of the upcoming election. One can only hope that the EC, having asserted its authority, will square up to the sinister attempts being made in some quarters to derail the presidential election. There is said to be many a slip twixt cup and lip. more..

Aug 1 (DM) The National Peace Council of SL released the following statement pertaining to PM Dinesh Gunawardena stating that the Supreme Court cannot change approval granted by Constitutional Council to appoint current IGP. Much to the consternation of law abiding people the govt has announced its decision not to act on the Supreme Court interim order restraining Deshabandu Tennakoon from functioning as the IGP. Despite the ruling by the highest court more..

Aug 1 (TM) Yesterday the Palestinian terrorist outfit Hamas acknowledged that its political leader Ismail Haniyeh has been killed in an overnight strike in the Iranian capital Tehran. The attack, once again pushed the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region towards the brink of war. Fingers have been pointed at Israel as actors who carried out the deed. Going by the nature of the conflict between the state and non-state actors in MENA, the use of proxy forces, and power struggles by more..

Aug 1 (CI) If you're a keen follower of SL cricket, hell even an occasional one, the last couple of days have been a doozy. The go-to descriptor would be emotional rollercoaster, but that doesn't seem to quite cut it. No, this has been the emotional equivalent of being jettisoned from an aircraft only to have your parachute not work and somehow get the backup working moments before near certain death, and then be mauled by a pack of lions upon more..

Aug 1 (FT) SL Purchasing Managers� Index for Construction (PMI � Construction) indicates an expansion in construction activities in June 2024, as reflected by the total activity index which recorded an index value of 59.5. The Central Bank said this was its highest index value in 30 consecutive survey rounds. Many respondents highlighted that the industry is mainly driven by projects funded by multilateral agencies, particularly related to road rehabilitation and water distribution. more..

Aug 1 (FT) Free Trade Zone Manufacturers Association (FTZMA) expressed concerns of BOI enterprises over the undue delays and inadequacies in shipping and customers operations. The fresh concern is despite the FTMZA having had discussions on the same issue with Customs Additional Director General � Revenue and Services Seevali Arukgoda. �We are yet to observe customs-related delays on top of the challenges currently being faced by our enterprises due to more..

Aug 1 (ST) Public Service Commission (PSC) has issued fresh guidelines on the absorption of provincial administrative service officers into parallel posts in the national service. The new circular containing the guidelines replaces previous circulars issued on Jan 30, 2020 and Feb 27, 2024. According to the guidelines, those serving in provincial public services such as teaching, nursing, supplementary medicine service, and paramedical service can be absorbed into parallel posts more..

Aug 1 (DN) After Sri Lanka�s defeat against India in the third T20I match of the series, SL skipper Charith Asalanka said he was disappointed with their batting. All three matches Sri Lanka openers laid good foundation but others repeated same mistakes and middle order collapsed and Indians dominated all three games to make clean sweep with good all round performance. Speaking after the match, Asalanka said he was not happy with the middle-order and late middle-order�s performance. more..

Aug 1 (FT) The SJB yesterday said it is against the Govt legislating tax-based actions to stabilise the economy over the short-term. Addressing the media, SJB MP Dr. Harsha de Silva said the Govt has agreed to several draconian tax measures together with the IMF over the short-term, and this has caused immense hardships to the public. The SJB said it will present a roadmap to alleviate their suffering soon after the Presidential election. more..

Aug 1 (Island) Everyone following SL cricket are still trying to come to terms with what happened on Tuesday night. Sri Lanka needed nine runs in 12 balls with six wickets in hand and this should have been match over with an over to spare. This is less than what South Africa had to chase in the T-20 World Cup final in Barbados against India. South Africa choked. So did Sri Lanka. Our team probably are the new chokers of cricket. You barely could believe what you were seeing at Pallekele. more..

Aug 1 (FT) The enterprising yet low profile Page family has inducted their third generation into the Board of Cargills (Ceylon) PLC. The Company announced the appointment of Chairman Louis Page�s daughter Tara Lucy Manonmani Page as a Non-Executive, Non-Independent Director on the Company�s Board. Tara Page holds an MA in Politics and Education from Columbia Uni, NY. She is an experienced public school educator having served as an English teacher, Literacy coach more..

Aug 1 (DM) Inflation in the Colombo district came in at 2.4% in July from a year ago, slightly higher from June�s 1.7%, as the favourable base effects are dissipating. However, the prices measured on a monthly basis declined 0.5% in July from the June levels, as the food prices softened while the non-food prices declined, on the back of the somewhat sharp downward revision to power tariff, followed by fuel prices earlier in the mo. more..

Aug 1 (FT) Hemas Holdings PLC yesterday announced that it demonstrated resilience in 1Q of FY25 in a challenging economic environment. The Group�s consolidated revenue was Rs. 25.5 billion alongside operating profits of Rs. 1.9 billion and earnings of Rs. 0.9 billion. The revenue decrease compared to the previous year was largely due to downward price adjustments and subdued consumer spending, exacerbated by extended holidays in the first two months of the quarter. more..

Aug 1 (FT) Seylan Bank said it recorded a robust performance with Profit After Tax (PAT) of Rs. 4,558 million for the six months (H1) ending 30 June 2024, reflecting a remarkable 77% growth from the Rs. 2,575 million recorded in the same period in 2023. The Profit Before Tax (PBT) reached Rs. 7,331 million, showing a 76% increase over the previous year, despite challenging market conditions. Bank�s Net Interest Income decreased by 9.18% from Rs. 20,468 million to Rs. 18,590 million, more..

Aug 1 (DN) For the first time in more than 100 years of Olympic history, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has made arrangements to introduce another round of competition for athletes who are eliminated in the preliminary round in all individual events from 200m to 1,500m to advance to the semi-finals. That particular round is known as Repechage Round, which provides opportunities for the losers of the preliminary round to rise again. more..

Aug 1 (DN) SL shuttlers have shown their credibility while they got a tally of 61 medals at the highly acclaimed Ceylon Masters Badminton Championship which was recently concluded in Colombo. Out of the entire tally, SL shuttlers claimed 21 gold, 16 silver and 24 bronze medals, out of 60 different age categories. The event made good platform to showcase masters badminton skills and organised by Ceylon Masters Badminton Association headed by Rohan de Silva who also Prez more..

Aug 1 (EN) On Monday (29), ruling SLPP voted against backing Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe at the 2024 prez election, opting instead to field its own candidate. The calculations that went into this decision are likely more complex than meets the eye and, given what is at stake, are worth discussing. At the outset, it must be noted that in the absence of closely guarded inside information and scientifically sound polling data, more..

Aug 1 (EN) SL will expand price regulation which is currently limited to buses into trishaws, school vans and office buses, Transport Minister Bandula Gunawardana said. The cabinet this week has approved changes to the governing law of the National Transport Commission, to allow it to regulate prices of three wheelers, office vans and school vans, he said. Public outcry to control prices of three wheelers and school vans went up after the central bank denied monetary stability more..

Aug 1 (DM) A drama was witnessed when SJB MP Thalatha Athukorala came out of Waters Edge in Battaramula where there was a workshop for the Provincial Council members who support Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe. Ms. Athukorala was surrounded by media personnel who fired questions at her and inquired whether she was to support Wickremesinghe. �I came to another programme and was never with the crowd who were to support Prez Wickremeisnghe. Don�t act cheaply, more..

Aug 1 (TM) New Independent Front Leader and Presidential candidate Oshala Herath has urged the Election Commission (EC) to take action against the alleged misuse of public property by incumbent President and independent Prez candidate Ranil Wickremesinghe, including the Presidential Secretariat, public servants, and the Prez's Media Division (PMD) for his (Wickremesinghe) Election campaign activities. The PMD announced on Tuesday that a total of 92 MPs met more..

Aug 1 (Island) Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) has announced plans to introduce a new parking management system within Colombo city limits. CMC Deputy Director Manjula Kularathna, explained that the new system will involve assigning a single contractor to each designated zone, as opposed to the current model where each road has its own contractor and administrator. This new approach is set to be implemented within three months and aims to enhance convenience for drivers by more..

Aug 1 (TM) The ruling SLPP MP Namal Rajapaksa said that now that the Rajapaksas (a reference to the family of former Prezs Mahinda Rajapaksa and Gotabaya Rajapaksa) are no longer aligned with President and independent Prez candidate Ranil Wickremesinghe, the latter would be able to secure the support of Tamil and Muslim community-based political parties. He said that there were previous allegations that certain MPs more..

Aug 1 (DM) When asked about the issue, Minister Tiran Alles told the Daily Mirror that passport issuance has been limited for the next two months in preparation for the country's first issuance of e-passports. He said that there are numerous technical and logistical issues to address before the e-passports arrive in mid-October. Until then, the dept must manage the existing stock. However, the immigration dept is issuing passports to individuals with urgent travel needs, he said. more..

Aug 1 (FT) Colombo Dockyard celebrates its 50th anniversary today, and CEO Thimira Godakumbura emphasised that the company has stood as a shining example of resilience, innovation, and excellence in maritime industry. Looking upon and reflecting on the Colombo Dockyard odyssey, Godakumbura said over the last five decades, Colombo Dockyard has stood as a shining example of resilience, innovation, and excellence in maritime industry, not just in SL, but on global stage more..

Aug 1 (DM) Issuance of passports is likely to come to a standstill after October due to a failure to procure passports, as authorities are preparing to switch to the new e-passport system, which is reportedly facing delays. The Department officially announced last week that the e-passport system will begin on Jan 1, 2025. They have also introduced a new application process, requiring prior registration starting July 16, 2024. more..

Aug 1 (FT) Given the global trend as summed-up by Ian Bremmer, one of the world�s best-known think-tank gurus, a win for incumbent Wickremesinghe is virtually unthinkable. Given the decision by Mahinda Rajapaksa�s SLPP to fend-off Wickremesinghe�s political piracy and field a candidate under the party banner, a Ranil win is logically impossible. As PM in 2001-3, Ranil overstepped the mark and encroached on Prez Kumaratunga�s terrain. She tossed him out. As PM in 2015-2019, he did the same more..

Aug 1 (FT) Of all the charismatic animals seen in Sri Lanka, there is none that has created so much interest and popularity, than the Sri Lankan leopard. And today it has become arguably one of the most sought-after tourist attractions in the country. But is the leopard�s own popularity leading to its own destruction? 1 Aug is Sri Lanka Leopard Day, a day proposed by the Wildlife and Nature Protection Society of SL in 2020 to celebrate our very own leopard sub species. more..