Sep 20 (DM) Amid the prevalent fiscal promises made by various parties to uplift the economy, the Institute of Certified Management Accountants (CMA) SL asserted that the next administration should make fiscal commitments, such as salary increases only after a thorough analysis of the country�s taxation framework. CMA SL President Prof. Lakshman R. Watawala stressed that instead of salary increments, Sri Lanka needs to focus more on skill development in areas such as more..

Sep 20 (CI) First ball of spin New Zealand face in the first innings, Tom Latham presses gently onto the front foot, transfers weight smoothly back, and punches the ball through cover point for a couple. The bowler is Dhananjaya de Silva, who is far from the biggest turner of the ball in the opposition. But on a pitch on which even Glenn Phillips was ripping it on day one, less confident batters might have preferred to wait and see what the ball was doing. Occasionally, on tracks such as this, more..

Sep 20 (Island) Prof. Arjuna de Silva considers the clean record the country�s athletes have maintained at the international arena during the last decade is the proof of the high standard the SL Anti-Doping Agency (SLADA) has maintained during his tenure as the Chairman of the institution. �There had been no positive results from tests conducted on SL athletes at international competitions since 2011. more..

Sep 20 (CI) Sri Lanka have not played a Test in Galle in over a year, while one of their main spinners has not played long-format cricket for many months. Could this be why Sri Lanka's slow bowlers were inaccurate on day two of their Test against New Zealand? Spin bowling coach Craig Howard wasn't exactly trying to absolve the SL spinners, but did suggest they needed a bit of time to get back into the groove in Galle. Still, they could have done better than they did, he said. more..

Sep 20 (ST) Pelwatte Dairy Industries, one of SL�s dairy manufacturers, is aiming to go global with its new certification standards. The company has adopted ISO 45001, global standard for occupational health and safety and ISO 14001, a structured approach to managing and reducing environmental impact, enhancing sustainability across the company�s operations. Company has also adopted the Food Safety System Certification (FSSC), ensuring that all products meet global food more..

Sep 20 (BN) Sri Lankans go to the polls this weekend for the country�s first election since defaulting on piles of sovereign debt in 2022, when the nation plunged into its worst economic crisis across 70 years of independence. Off the coast of Colombo, round-the-clock construction offers a possible glimpse of the future. Backed by several hundred million dollars of American funding, a unit of India�s Adani Group conglomerate and two local more..

Sep 20 (EAF) SL�s upcoming prez election will be one of its most important post-independence elections. Yet the island�s economic crisis and need for future multilateral assistance means candidates are hamstrung in what they can pursue in the foreign policy field, with only minor differences in possible alignment with China, India, Japan and US. SL�s prez election is scheduled for 21 Sept. Ranil Wickremesinghe, whom parliament elected president when Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled more..

Sep 20 (TM) Former Bar Association of SL (BASL) President, Kaushalya Nawaratne stated that while he will pursue civil defamation action against media institutions that allegedly defamed him, he will however not be taking any action against the BASL�s Bar Council following his resignation from the post of the BASL President on account of a special Bar Council committee report. �There are several publications that have defamed my name, stating that I have misappropriated funds, more..

Sep 20 (FT) National Movement for Social Justice (NMSJ) Chairman and former Speaker of Parliament Karu Jayasuriya in a statement has called for responsible leadership in respecting the choice of the people from all candidates competing at the Presidential election on 21 September as well as party leaders. Full text of the statement: �As we approach a crucial Presidential election, the people of Sri Lanka have the opportunity to choose their Head of State for the next five years. more..

Sep 20 (DM) Kantale Base Hospital's Neonatology Ward has been forced to shut down due to a critical lack of pediatricians and neonatologists. A Neonatology Ward is a hospital unit that specializes in the care of newborn babies, especially those born prematurely or with health issues. Ministry of Health has reportedly reassigned pediatricians to universities leaving hospitals without key specialists. As a result, no new patients will be admitted until a consultant is appointed. more..

Sep 20 (FT) Transparency International SL (TISL) has filed legal action in the Supreme Court challenging the Bill issued on 6 Aug 2024 to amend the Companies Act No. 07 of 2007. Case was taken up on Wednesday and Thursday. The amendment introduced a much-needed anti-corruption tool to SL�s legal framework � a beneficial ownership register. A publicly accessible beneficial ownership register creates a legal more..

Sep 20 (TM) The Postal Department responded to the alleged non-distribution of nearly 1,000 polling cards in two Grama Niladhari (GN) Divisions in Payagala, in the Kalutara District, stating that the polling cards can be collected from the respective post offices, if voters have not received them at their homes. When contacted yesterday (19), an officer from the Payagala Post Office acknowledged that the issue stemmed from a postman retaining several polling cards. more..

Sep 20 (AD) SL�s National Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force (NAHTTF) has issued a serious warning about a rising trend in forced criminality linked to cyber scam centers in Myanmar. Human traffickers are actively targeting young IT professionals through fraudulent job offers abroad, it said issuing a statement. Investigations reveal that traffickers are luring victims with promises of high-paying IT positions in countries like Thailand. However, unsuspecting individuals are taken to more..

Sep 20 (Island) Election Commission (EC) has confirmed that all necessary precautions have been taken to handle any potential disaster situations that may arise due to unforeseen weather conditions during the prez election. Chairman of the EC, R.M.A.L. Rathnayake said that special attention had been given to districts where there are concerns about possible disaster situations or emergencies. Starting from Friday, Commission would receive weather updates from the Met Dept more..

Sep 20 (FT) The CIABOC has initiated an investigation following a complaint by Prez candidate Janaka Ratnayake. The complaint accuses politicians and officials associated with the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CEYPETCO) of committing fraud amounting to Rs. 36 billion, which Ratnayake has called the largest fraud and corruption ever recorded by the Auditor General. Ratnayake revealed that during a COPE meeting that he disclosed a staggering Rs. 36 billion fraud, more..

Sep 20 (TM) The voting for the Presidential Poll to elect the ninth Executive President of SL is scheduled to be held tomorrow (21). The Election Commission (EC) stated that voting will take place in 13,421 polling stations from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. The election campaigning activities related to Prez Election concluded on Wednesday (18) midnight, and the period up to the time of the Prez Election has been declared as a silent period. more..

Sep 20 (CT) Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) has announced that 1,358 buses will be deployed for election duties related to the 2024 Prez Election. SLTB is working to fulfil these requests through the district election offices. In addition, Panduka Swarnahansa, Deputy General Manager of SLTB, confirmed that 175 buses will be allocated for Police duties associated with the election. To facilitate voter transportation, a special bus service has been arranged for today and tomorrow more..

Sep 20 (EEAS) Today, the European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) to SL�s presidential election deployed 32 short-term observers to all electoral districts, where they will observe the period of campaign silence, as well election day proceedings, including the opening of polling stations, voting, and counting of ballots, as well as the tabulation of results. �The short-term observers who are reinforcing our mission today will visit towns and villages in all nine provinces more..

Sep 20 (FT) Election Commission (EC) Chairman R.M.A.L. Rathnayake highlighted the importance of maintaining electoral integrity in the upcoming Prez election, calling on citizens not to treat their sovereignty as a commodity. He announced a strict ban on mobile phones within polling booths, citing instances during voting where some officials had photographed their ballot papers and shared them on social media more..

Sep 20 (FT) Now the countdown to the three-cornered prez tussle is on days, not weeks. Perhaps in another three or four days, Prez elections will be held on 21 Sept. That final result will be decided by the majority rural vote, seldom heard in major urban circles. All these months and weeks, electoral trends were created, ballooned and dominated by the vociferous Sinhala-Buddhist urban middleclass voter, counting not more than 65% from around 4.5 million urban voters across the country. more..

Sep 20 (FT) Since of late, SL Presidential elections have become a battleground with the number of candidates progressively growing. Last Presidential election held on 16 Nov 2019 fielded 36 contestants while the 2024 candidacy increased to 38 numbers but ironically due to the demise of one candidate the number came down to 37 as of today. When we look at the results of the last Presidential election in 2019, the contest was polarised between two main candidates, and the final result was: more..

Sep 20 (AD) A fundamental rights petition has been submitted before the Supreme Court requesting the court to issue an order declaring that the govt�s decision to restructure the debt associated with Sri Lanka�s international sovereign bonds has violated the basic human rights of the citizens. The petition has been filed by the former convenor of the IUSF, Wasantha Mudalige. Minister of Finance, the Secretary to the Ministry of Finance, Governor of the Central Bank of SL (CBSL) and more..

Sep 20 (DM) SLPP sacked three of its members- Pavithra Wanniarachchi, S.M. Chandrasena and Rohitha Abeygunawardane - from all their positions for defying the party�s stand at the presidential election and supporting President Ranil Wickremesinghe. SLPP General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam informed them in writing that they would be stripped of their positions in the party. The party decided to field MP Namal Rajapaksa as the presidential candidate. more..

Sep 20 (DM) Founder of the SLPP Basil Rajapaksa left for Dubai from the BIA this morning, airport Duty Manager said. He left for Dubai on Emirates Airlines (EK-649) at 03.05 a.m. He had reportedly paid USD 206 for access to this plane and had obtained the facility at the Gold Route terminal in the BIA. Basil Rajapaksa will first go to Dubai and then leave for the USA from there, and that he always uses this flight route to leave for US. more..

Sep 20 (AD) Attorney General informed the Supreme Court today that no decision has been made to arrest former Director of the CID Shani Abeysekera, and former Senior DIG in charge of the CID Ravi Seneviratne, in connection with the investigations into the Easter Sunday attacks. This was stated during the hearing of fundamental rights petitions filed by Ravi Seneviratne and Shani Abeysekera, seeking an order preventing them from being arrested in connection with more..

Sep 20 (TM) A high-level delegation from Mirai Consulting Group, Japan, recently visited Sri Lanka to explore potential investment opportunities in various sectors. The delegation, led by Mirai Consulting Group COO Okada Atsushi, met with the EDB Chairperson at the EDB headquarters. The purpose of the visit was to identify industries that aligned with the investment interests of Japanese companies and to explore the potential for collaboration and partnerships in Sri Lanka. more..

Sep 20 (CI) Fifties from Dimuth Karunaratne and Dinesh Chandimal were followed by steadying knocks from Angelo Mathews and Dhananjaya de Silva and Sri Lanka stretched their lead to 202 by the close of play on day three in Galle. The latter pair had put together an unbeaten fifth wicket stand of 59 when an extended final session came to a close, as Sri Lanka inched forward their hard-fought advantage more..

Sep 20 (AD) The 45-year-old man, who was shot by an unidentified gunman at Kadawatha Road in Dehiwala, has succumbed to his injuries after being admitted to the Kalubowila Hospital. The shooting had occurred at around 6.40 a.m. this morning near the Nedimala Cricket Ground in Dehiwala police division. The investigations have commenced with information received by Dehiwala Police that two unidentified gunmen, who had arrived on a motorcycle, opened fire at a person who more..

Sep 20 (EN) Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) has called for a prequalified expression of interest to develop Talaimannar- North Pier at the North Western Port of Mannar on build, operate and transfer (BOT) basis. The new move comes as India�s Adani Group�s plan to build two wind power projects of 250 MW in Mannar and 234 MW in the Northern Pooneryn area. The proposed project site in Mannar spans across 250 acres of an environmentally sensitive location amid more..

Sep 20 (CI) The first Test between SL and NZ will, for the first time in 16 years, feature a rest day, on what would have been the fourth day of the Test. Why is this happening? We're here to explain. In an era in which even four-day Tests feel like a hard-sell, it does seem weird to have a match that stretches across six days. But no, the reason is that SL is holding its presidential election on Saturday. These are the first major polls since the country overthrew its last prez in 2022, and so kind of a big deal. more..

Sep 20 (NW) SLPP has confirmed party founder Basil Rajapaksa�s departure from the country prior to the 2024 Prez Election. Confirming that Rajapaksa had left the island early this morning, SLPP said he would return soon to lead the party�s general election activities. SLPP General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam said that the former minister was scheduled for a medical checkup a few weeks ago, but had delayed it due to the election campaign activities of SLPP Prez candidate Namal more..

Sep 20 (DM) The scrutiny of answer scripts for the 2024 Grade 5 Scholarship Examination has been suspended due to the ongoing investigations into the leak of the first paper in Anuradhapura, Education Ministry Secretary Thilaka Jayasundara said. Addressing the media she said the President and the Education Minister have ordered a re-examination of the Grade 5 Scholarship, following a report from more..

Sep 20 (Island) Nine govt officers who promoted prez candidates in violation of the Establishment Code have been removed from election duties, according to Hambantota District Returning Officer, H.P. Sumanasiri. He said they were part of a group of 19 officers currently under investigation for the same offence. Among the errant officials were three doctors, one public health inspector, nine principals, a vice principal, four teachers, and a manager of a Samurdhi Bank, Sumanasiri said. more..

Sep 20 (EN) SL�s ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to Romania Madurika Joseph Weninger presented letters of credence to President Klaus-Werner Iohannis at the historic Cotroceni Palace in Bucharest. President Iohannis expressed optimism for future collaborations, the Embassy of SL in Bucharest said in a statement. In a discussion afterwards Ambassador Weninger recalled the long-standing friendship with Romania since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1957, more..

Sep 20 (AP) Two years ago, tens of thousands of Sri Lankans rose up against their president and forced him to flee the country. As the country prepares for its first election since then, many say they�re still waiting for change. As SL sank into economic collapse in 2022, people from various walks of life rallied to change a long-entrenched govt they saw as responsible. The unprecedented island-wide public uprising they led was a moment more..

Sep 20 (TM) State Trading Corporation (STC) announced that there is no immediate need to proceed with the planned importation of eggs from India, as local producers have significantly reduced their prices following the Govt's earlier decision to import eggs. STC Chairperson Asiri Walisundara confirmed that the decision to import approximately 30 million eggs from India has been temporarily halted. �The importation of eggs from India was a measure to address the sharp rise in more..