Aug 10 (CT) For the fifth time in a row in the new century � or, is it the new millennium? � you have a Rajapaksa clan member fighting the Prez Poll. Relatively young Namal Rajapaksa, what they call the chip of the old bloc; throws his hat into the ring, almost with a suicidal tendency, but with a desire to keep his personal political future, family legacy and the SLPP afloat to fight and win another day � not necessarily in that order. Just now it is immaterial if Namal R will win or lose the Prez Poll, more..

Aug 10 (Island) The law caught up with SJB MPs Manusha Nanayakkara and Harin Fernando yesterday. Supreme Court (SC) ruled that their expulsion from the SJB was lawful. They have lost their parliamentary seats and ministerial posts, as a result. They sought to put on a bold face, but they were visibly worried. Their political masters� despicable efforts to intimidate the judiciary have been in vain. The historic SC ruling has come amidst a controversy over Prez Ranil more..

Aug 10 (DM) As Sri Lanka approaches its Prez election, the nation finds itself at a critical juncture. The economic landscape, shaped by the IMF bailout program, has seen remarkable improvements under Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe. However, the road to recovery remains fraught with challenges, and the next administration will inherit both opportunities and significant hurdles. Wickremesinghe's administration inherited an economy in disarray when he assumed office in 2022. more..

Aug 10 (Island) Against the backdrop of realignment of political parties represented in Parliament in the run-up to the prez election on Sept 21, it would be pertinent to examine the status of the electorate. Would the electorate follow their representatives in Parliament as they switched allegiance to various prez candidates? Could they be influenced by turncoat MPs whose political intentions generally depend on personal benefits? That is the ugly truth the electorate must come to terms with. more..

Aug 10 (CT) Once powerful SLPP, which is currently facing an exodus of its members to the Wickremesinghe camp, was in for another shock with the individual they were banking on as Party�s prez candidate suddenly deciding to stepdown even before the race began. Namal Rajapaksa, who is the National Organiser of the SLPP, was at a meeting in Mihinthale with Local Govt members of Anuradhapura, more..

Aug 10 (DM) Election fever is gathering momentum in the country. The office of the Commissioner of Elections has announced that 24 candidates had placed their deposits as of Aug 8. In reality however, only four of the candidates have any realistic chance of winning the battle for the presidency. Prez election this year is important in that it is being held in the midst of the economic meltdown, a huge foreign debt crisis, a rising cost of living, increasing malnutrition and rising unemployment in SL. more..

Aug 10 (DN) Ben Stokes will lead the England team for the 3-match Test series against SL, commencing on Aug 21 at Manchester. The 14-member England squad includes former skipper Joe Root, along with senior pacemen Chris Woakes and Mark Wood. However Opening batter Zak Crawley will miss the series due to a fractured right little finger sustained in the third Test victory over the West Indies. Seam bowler Dillion Pennington, who featured in the Test squad during the recent series victory over more..

Aug 10 (ST) Govt has introduced an interest subsidy for Aswesuma beneficiaries who have obtained cash advances of up to Rs 100,000 by pawning their jewellery in licensed banks before June, a circular from the Treasury said. Accordingly, the Treasury will pay an interest subsidy for pawning advances up to Rs 100,000. One customer can obtain this benefit up to a maximum cumulative pawning advance of Rs 100,000 irrespective of the number of pawning advances obtained from the same bank, more..

Aug 10 (TM) Instead of continuing to control or maintain a monopoly in sectors that the Govt has failed to protect and improve, these institutions should be given to the private sector or through public-private partnerships, and the Govt�s fruitless control on these sectors needs to be ended. Noting this, Nawa Sihala Urumaya�s prez candidate Sarath Manamendra expressed that such partnerships have proven to be effective, and that it is time to be honest about the Govt�s capabilities more..

Aug 10 (FT) Minister Tiran Alles has said the Court has been misled concerning SL�s issuance of Visas via VFS Global. Minister was asked if failing to revert to the previous Visa system could be considered contempt of court. Responding Minister said the court had been misled and the matter would need to be addressed in court once more. �The court directed us to return to the old system, but it was not informed that regulations have been more..

Aug 10 (FT) Ambewela dairy products � manufactured by Lanka Milk Foods (CWE) � is a household name synonymous with freshness and quality. Originating from SL's lushest highland pastures, each Ambewela product is the result of a meticulous process that ensures the highest quality dairy delights, from farm to family. The product range, which includes fresh milk, cheese, and yoghurt, consistently offers superior value and quality, making it one of SL�s most beloved more..

Aug 10 (FT) The first ever National Social Protection Policy for SL has been developed by the Department of National Planning of the Finance, Economic Stabilisation and National Policies Ministry. A Technical Committee has been established to provide the necessary technical guidance under the Ministry. Treasury Secretary Mahinda Siriwardena said the National Social Protection Policy has been prepared through a very participatory process with all major stakeholders and with inputs from more..

Aug 10 (Island) Election Commission (EC) announced on Friday that it had already received 158 complaints of election law violations and 20 of these complaints had been filed within the 24 hours that ended at 9 am yesterday. According to PAFFREL, 99% of these complaints are against the misuse of state power and resources. Executive Director of PAFFREL, revealed that the govt was in the process of recruiting 150 labourers more..

Aug 10 (CI) India have just lost an ODI series in what can objectively be termed pretty extreme conditions. In no bilateral ODI series of three matches or fewer have so many wickets fallen to spin: 43 out of 54, which also includes three run-outs, leaving just eight for the quicks. Only once has more spin been employed in a three-match ODI series, back in 1997-98 when Zimbabwe toured Sri Lanka. Having not won an ODI series against India since 1997, having lost the T20Is 3-0, more..

Aug 10 (DM) The upcoming 2024 Prez election in SL is poised to be a unique and unpredictable multi-cornered contest because of the socio-economic and political context in which it is conducted and the presence of half a dozen of high profile candidates. At previous Prez races, numerous candidates were present, but it naturally boiled down to a dual between two primary contenders, with the winner securing more than 50% of the vote. As such, the winner was declared in the first round itself. more..

Aug 10 (FT) The Colombo stock market yesterday ended on the up amidst low turnover whilst finishing the week with losses. Both indices gained by 0.4%. During the week, ASPI and S&P SL20 lost 1.2% and 2.0% respectively. Turnover yesterday was Rs. 403.3 million involving 17 million shares. For the week turnover averaged Rs. 560 million. The bourse experienced a day of positive sentiment rebounding from the losses recorded during the past few trading days. The ASPI closed at 11,303, more..

Aug 10 (ST) Moving away from the usual academic sessions of exclusive lectures and discussions, SL College of Cardiology (SLCC) proved that people�s hearts do matter through hands-on training. Skill enhancement in interventional cardiology through live workshops beamed from a private hospital to participants at the session venue was one high point, while another was garnering the support of Physicians in the battle against heart disease. SLCC�s 24th Annual Academic Sessions more..

Aug 10 (Island) JVP-led NPP will unveil its election manifesto in the third week of August, likely on 20 or 21 Aug, according to NPP MP Dr. Harini Amarasuriya. NPP has already introduced several policy frameworks focusing on various sectors, including the Science and Technology policy framework and Engineering Policy Concept Papers. Dr. Amarasuriya mentioned that over the past 3 years, the NPP has actively engaged with more..

Aug 10 (FT) National People�s Power (NPP) leader and Presidential candidate Anura Kumara Dissanayake has called for an end to the practice of political crossovers. Speaking at a meeting in Malwana on Thursday, Dissanayake criticised the frequent party-switching in Sri Lankan politics, describing it as a blight on the political landscape. �In the afternoon, they belong to one party, by nightfall they�re with another, and by morning they�ve joined yet another group,� he remarked. more..

Aug 10 (DB) City of Angels on Friday (9), celebrated the history and culture of the Sri Lankan, Korean and Ecuadorian communities in Los Angeles. The Los Angeles City Council meeting kicked off with a special presentation � which featured a traditional drum performance � in recognition of the 79th anniversary of Korean Independence Day, which is formally observed on Aug. 15. Members of the Korean and Korean American community who spoke noted that L.A. is home to the biggest more..

Aug 10 (ST) The grandeur of the Kandy ritual known as the Kandy Esala Maha Perahera may soon fade away, said the Diyawadana Nilame Pradeep Nilanga Dela, at the final briefing for the 2024 pageant held at the Kandy Maligawa Complex. Outlining the scarcity of elephants as the President of the Domesticated Elephants Association, and the authority of the pageant, he said that there are only 96 domesticated elephants including tuskers in the country and when there are two peraheras more..

Aug 10 (FT) SJB Deputy General Secretary Mujibur Rahman has lauded the Supreme Court decision upholding the SJB Working Committee�s decision to expel party MPs Harin Fernando and Manusha Nanayakkara. Rahman speaking to the media outside the courts yesterday said it was a historic decision. �As the SJB, we have long been committed to ending this corrupt political system. The corrupt political culture in this country must be completely eradicated,� he stated. more..

Aug 10 (FT) Manusha Nanayakkara says duo have no regrets in decision to join Govt. while highlighting their efforts to bring in foreign exchange Former Ministers Harin Fernando and Manusha Nanayakakara stepped down from their Minister positions after SC declared that the decision taken by the SJB to suspend their party memberships was lawful. They will also lose their Parliamentary seats as a result of the judgement. more..

Aug 10 (DN) Dept of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) will conduct an countrywide census on wild elephants on Aug 17, 18 and 19. Wildlife Conservation Dept Director General Chandana Suriyabandara said that arrangements have been made to monitor these elephants at 3,130 survey centers established across the country. In this survey, service of the staff of the DWC, the staff of other govt agencies, members of the security forces, employees of various institutions more..

Aug 10 (ST) A lazy Sunday morning on July 28 � but intense and interactive discussions within the charming auditorium of the Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA) down Wijerama Mawatha, Colombo 7. Up goes a case study on the screen and every aspect of treatment and management is analysed and discussed under the guidance of Senior Consultant Dr. Ananda Wijewickrama who is also current SLMA President. It was all about Dengue Fever, Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever more..

Aug 10 (Island) ACMC leader Rishad Bathiudeen, MP, yesterday said that he would consult supporters at district level before announcing their stand on the forthcoming prez election. The former Trade and Commerce Minister and Vanni District lawmaker said so when The Island asked him whether the ACMC quit the main Opposition SJB-led Samagi Jana Sandanaya, formed to back Sajith Premadasa�s candidature at the prez election. more..

Aug 11 (CT) Now that the election is set for 21 Sept and everyone is gearing up for it, the atmosphere in the country is heavily charged with political tension. Over 20 candidates, including those from 11 recognised political parties, have submitted nominations by paying the required bonds. This is a notably high number compared to the number of presidential candidates who have contested in other countries in the region in recent decades. Nominations will close on 14 Aug, more..

Aug 11 (SO) Just two years ago, the country�s economy was so dire that even many respected local and foreign economists said Sri Lanka would not emerge from bankruptcy at least for several decades. In fact, when former Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa offered the post of PM to the main Opposition leaders, they literally ran away, knowing the magnitude of the problem. At that crucial juncture, only the sole MP from the UNP, Ranil Wickremesinghe, accepted that challenge. more..

Aug 11 (TM) 2024 Prez Election, while being a decisive one, has also become an intense battle between the key contenders � Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe, SJB Leader Sajith Premadasa, and NPP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake. However, the ongoing battle has now been made interesting with the newest entrant to the fray � SLPP candidate Namal Rajapaksa. Although Namal�s chances of victory at polls are slim, more..

Aug 11 (Island) Hingula is a small bazaar 60 miles from Colombo on the Colombo-Kandy Road. A narrow, tarred road starts from there, and a signboard says, To Aluth Nuwara Devalayala. The logo of the Archaeological Department on the signboard indicates the devalaya (temple) is a state-protected archaeological site. The temple is about two miles from the bazaar. The road winds through a breathtaking vista of green rice terraces cascading from low hills to narrow lowlands. more..

Aug 11 (CT) �Nature builds no machines,� wrote Marx in a famous passage in the Grundrisse. They are �products of human industry; natural material transformed into organs of the human will over nature, or of human participation in nature.� Fundamentally, Marxism is the (socialist) theory and practice of industrial societies. Marx�s insights on the logic of automation is now drawing the attention of technology watchers who are both excited and concerned by the current phenomenon of AI. more..

Aug 11 (ST) It is with wry amusement that we find the SL Parliament has been told that the Govt�s social media laws (Online Safety Bill) will be reintroduced after softening some of its provisions, when at the same time in London, British PM announced that he will review its own social media laws in a bid to strengthen them. SL govt came in for strong criticism from the West, including Britain, for its draft Online Safety Bill. more..

Aug 11 (ST) The northern polity is keen to take advantage of every election, this time the presidential election, to strike when the iron is hot and make demands from the competing parties in the South. One of their demands is to hold elections to the nine defunct provincial councils after the presidential polls. As candidates eye the northern vote that can tilt the balance of power in the South and especially in a three-cornered presidential contest, they are parrying the demand. more..

Aug 11 (ST) My dear Namal baby, I thought I must write to you to congratulate you since you have now been chosen as the candidate of the pohottuwa party for the big election. Those in your party now say you are the best man for the job, but we all know that in reality, you were the third option and never expected to play this role. Let�s be honest, Namal, the original plan was to have Uncle Ranil run the race with the support of the pohottuwa party. His chances aren�t the best but, more..

Aug 11 (SO) Former World Cup champions of the SL team Chaminda Vaas and Hashan Tillekeratne have become the latest crusaders calling for a purge of abuse and corruption at SLC just days after the Cabinet of Ministers approved both an Investigative Report and a Recommendation submitted by SC Judge KT Chitrasiri for major changes in the governance of the sport. Of the two veterans, Vaas was initially at the receiving end of sub-standard treatment when he was appointed as bowling more..