Oct 11 (DM) 13th Amendment passed in July 1987 still remains as part of the Constitution, without being implemented fully in letter and spirit. Presently the Provincial Councils set up under this Act are themselves in abeyance as elections to these councils have not been held for the last 6 years. This institution is the only tangible gain that the Tamil people have got in the years since independence, with Indian assistance and pursuant to the Indo - SL Peace Accord of July 1987. more..

Oct 11 (DM) India knows the beauty of SL. This is why we see so many tourists from our closest neighbour arriving here annually to get a glimpse of the island�s most picturesque places. Right now an Indian film company has �high jacked� one of our railway tracks for a film project. The filming is taking place on the rail track near the Nine Arch Bridge between Ella and Demodara. We were always interested in the female versions of India�s most beautiful things; one example is SL kings more..

Oct 11 (DM) A senior legal practitioner with a wide range of experiences serving national and int'l judiciary, President�s Counsel Anura Meddegoda was recently appointed as the President of the Bar Association of SL. With over 40 years of experience in the legal field, out of which half of it was served at the Attorney General�s Dept as a State attorney, Meddegoda has served as a Legal Advisor to Hague�s UN Int'l Criminal more..

Oct 11 (DM) Sept 21 was a day of many firsts in Sri Lanka. Millions of people went to the polls to vote in the first prez elections since mass protests forced the country�s last elected president, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, from office in 2022. It also marked the first time in SL�s history that a second round of counting had to take place after none of the candidates secured the 50% margin required for victory. A count of the second-choice votes revealed the biggest shock in decades. more..

Oct 11 (TM) The recent tragic incidents where three teenagers from the same school took their own lives, in two separate incidents that were similar as far as the nature of the deaths are concerned, has sent shockwaves through the country. Although mental health issues or suicides are not a new topic in SL, following these two incidents, people are questioning as to how easily mental health issues can lead to bigger disasters. This is despite the long-standing culture in SL of not acknowledging more..

Oct 11 (TM) Central Bank of SL (CBSL) bond scam, which erupted in 2015, remains a dominant issue in SL�s political and financial discourse. This scandal, marked by accusations of financial mismanagement and corruption, centres around former Governor of the CBSL Arjuna Mahendran and his son-in-law Arjun Aloysius. Despite various efforts by SL authorities, including an extradition request to Singapore, the long-awaited conclusion to more..

Oct 11 (GV) The year 2024 marks a watershed moment in Sri Lanka�s political history. The NPP party, led by Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD), has ascended to power on a platform that promises not just the broadest reform agenda of any govt in independent SL, but a comprehensive national renaissance. In the previous analysis, I argued why I believe this victory, while surprising to some, is the culmination of a decade-long strategy that reshaped Sri Lanka�s political discourse. more..

Oct 11 (CT) It�s another day, and yet another fraudulent scheme has come to light. A 31-year-old man has been arrested for defrauding several individuals of over Rs 1.3 million under the false pretence of offering jobs in Japan. The scale of the scam is shocking, with the man linked to previous complaints totalling nearly Rs 4 million, and more victims emerging after his arrest. The very fact that such cases continue to resurface�this being one among many�is deeply concerning. more..

Oct 11 (ST) A source of embarrassment: We should hide our heads in shame! This is after Mizokoshi Hideaki, Ambassador of Japan, the country on which SL relies heavily on for financial support and investments, this week chose to decry the corruption in SL. This had led to the suspension of 11 Japanese projects including the expansion of the BIA and the Light Rail Transport development with Japanese aid. With the advent of the new Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake, however, the Japanese govt more..

Oct 11 (Island) Daisy Achchi�s bag of gems or menik malla has been catapulted to the centre of public discussion again due to a war of words between NPP trade union heavyweight Wasantha Samarasinghe and SLPP National Organiser Namal Rajapaksa. For the benefit of the uninitiated, Daisy Achchi has become a household word following an absurd claim the Rajapaksas made in a bid to justify the acquisition of their wealth, Daisy being the grandmother of young members of the clan. more..

Oct 11 (ST) The Election Commission has faced a snag in securing polling centers, particularly because of the Vas ceremonies taking place at Buddhist temples during the election month. The General election is set for Nov 14, a day ahead of poya day. Out of the 12,985 polling stations used in the previous prez election, 2,165 were religious sites, including Buddhist temples. Some of these temples may be unavailable this time more..

Oct 11 (DN) Losing three matches in a row was not what we expected in this T-20 World Cup,� said Sri Lanka Women�s cricket coach Rumesh Ratnayake after an 82 runs defeat from India at Dubai International Cricket Stadium. He further said I think there are a few places where we have made mistakes. Not just once; I think our skills are no longer where they were two months ago. It�s not there anymore. It�s not there where we wanted it. We came to this T-20 World Cup to win. more..

Oct 11 (CT) What Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD) received as Prez candidate may not have been a mandate. 43% of the total, in fact, is not a so-called majority of a 100%. Therefore, all those pundits and mathematical scholars would interpret that plurality is not a majority. But it�s sheer semantics rather than a realistic interpretation of the ground situation. However, the euphoric celebrations that followed the last two Prez Elections, victories of Maithripala Sirisena in 2015 & Gotabhaya in 2019, more..

Oct 11 (Island) Things are moving forward in the right direction under the interim triumvirate Cabinet of Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake, PM Amarasuriya and Minister of several ministries � Vijitha Herath. A new system is obviously set in place and we are hopeful for the future of SL. Officials of the govt have successfully negotiated with the IMF so we are safely assured of financial help. These are further loans, but we do not shiver as we did under previous regimes because repayment more..

Oct 11 (Island) For most of us, there�s no greater pleasure than watching Sri Lanka triumph. But, when our lads aren�t in the fray, it�s the West Indies that steal our hearts. It�s no accident that so many of us have a soft spot for the men in maroon � perhaps it�s their thrilling domination in the 1970s and 80s, a golden era that swept fans off their feet and turned cricket into a carnival. The spirit and swagger with which they played captured the world�s admiration, making them everyone�s second team. more..

Oct 11 (FT) Mavai Senathiraja, who has served as the leader of the ITAK for nearly a decade, officially announced his resignation this week. In a letter addressed to Former Jaffna District MP S. Shritharan on 7 Oct, Senathiraja confirmed that he would be stepping down from the leadership role and urged Shritharan to take over as the party�s leader. Senathiraja acknowledged that Shritharan had already been elected as party leader more..

Oct 11 (FT) SJB former MP S.M. Marikkar said the party�s main responsibility will be to ensure Prez Anura Dissanayake delivers on the promises he made on the campaign trail. Marikkar said the SJS led by the SJB is committed to ensuring the newly elected Prez is accountable for fulfilling his promises to the people. During the press conference, Marikkar also stressed the pressing need for economic relief, emphasising that the expectations of citizens must be met following the recent prez election. more..

Oct 11 (DN) SL suffered a disappointing defeat against Myanmar, losing 2-0 in the first leg of their two-match FIFA International series at Thuwunna Stadium in Yangon yesterday. The match marked the first meeting between the two teams in 14 years, with SL ranked 200th in the FIFA World Rankings, while Myanmar sits at 157th. The home team got off to a strong start, with Lwin Moe Aung scoring the opening goal in the 16th minute. Just four minutes later, SL had a golden opportunity to equalize more..

Oct 11 (TM) Police stated that eliminating various scams committed by foreigners in SL is not something that the relevant institutions, including the Police, alone can handle, emphasising that it is therefore important that the public, particularly those renting out properties, be vigilant and guard against such scammers. As a result of investigations carried out by the CID, several foreign nationals suspected of committing various types of scams through more..

Oct 11 (FT) Ambassador of SL to Sweden Kapila Fonseka successfully concluded a two-day official visit to Gothenburg, the second largest city of Sweden, last week. The purpose of the visit was to engage with key stakeholders including Swedish Govt officials and business leaders to strengthen economic and trade relations between Sri Lanka and Gothenburg, and to meet with the members of the SL community in Sweden. Ambassador�s agenda included high-level meetings with more..

Oct 11 (EN) The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce and the Sri Lanka Banks� Association (SLBA) have signed a memorandum of understanding to promote sustainable finance and financial inclusion for the private sector. �A key outcome aimed for through the MoU is to enable greater access for financing for Sri Lanka�s private sector, especially the export-oriented value chains and SME sector, to enable their sustainability transitions,� the chamber said in a statement. more..

Oct 11 (AD) Dept of Meteorology has issued a Color: Red warning for heavy rainfall in the Western, Sabaragamuwa and North-western provinces and in Galle and Matara districts, in the next 24 hours. Showery conditions are expected to enhance to some extent in the south-western part of the Island in the next few days starting from today (10), due to the development of atmospheric disturbance in the vicinity of SL. Showers or thundershowers will occur at times in Western, Sabaragamuwa, more..

Oct 11 (DM) Colombo Excise Station busted a major illicit liquor manufacturing distillery carried out in the depths of Muthurajawela swamp and seized a large quantity of Kasippu worth over Rs.7.5 million yesterday. The officials from the Colombo Excise Station following a lengthy probe conducted the raid in an interior marsh in a thick mangrove grove in Muthurajawela in Uswetakeiyawa and seized over 75 barrels of Goda (semi brewed liquor) and over 5, 000 bottles of distilled spirits. more..

Oct 11 (FT) Seasoned investigator SSP Shani Abeysekara has been rehired on a contract basis as the Director of the Criminal Intelligence Analysis and Prevention Division in the SL Police. The appoint has been approved by the National Police Commission an inside source said. His return to the force marks a significant development following his retirement in June 2021 and the controversial period he faced afterward. more..

Oct 11 (EN) A Riyad-bound Sri Lankan Airlines flight returned to Colombo after it encountered a technical issue after taking off, the state-owned carrier said. �SriLankan Airlines confirms that Flight UL 265 from Colombo to Riyadh safely returned to Colombo as a precautionary measure after encountering a technical issue mid-flight,� SriLankan Airlines said. �Aircraft landed without incident at approx 19:00 hrs SL time this evening (10). All passengers have been provided with hotel accommodation more..

Oct 11 (DM) In the wake of the tragic incident where a 16-year-old girl fell to her death from the Lotus Tower, mental health experts are urging parents to be more attentive to the emotional well-being of their children. Consultant Psychiatrist Dr. Saman Weerawardana emphasized the importance of recognizing signs of depression early as many adolescents struggle in silence. �One of the critical tips is that parents getting aware of changes in their child's behavior, such as deviating from more..

Oct 11 (CT) Fort Chief Magistrate Tanuja Lakmali issued a travel ban order yesterday on former Minister Johnston Fernando for allegedly possessing an illegally assembled luxury vehicle. The investigation was initiated after the CID alerted authorities to an unregistered BMW parked in the lot of the Hilton Hotel. The Magistrate issued the travel ban following the submission of an investigation report to Court by the CID�s gang robberies investigation unit, which was based on info more..

Oct 11 (DN) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake has directed officials to allocate 11,000 acres of land, owned by the Kantale Sugar Company, to farmers for short-term crop cultivation. These lands will be provided in plots not exceeding five acres each, and the Prez also instructed that a proper mechanism be developed for this process. Prez issued these directives today (10) during a meeting with officials from the Ministries of Agriculture, Lands, Livestock, Irrigation, Fisheries, and Aquatic Resources more..

Oct 11 (FT) The World Bank announced that SL�s economy has shown signs of stabilisation, projecting growth to surpass the earlier estimate of 2.2% now expected to reach 4.4% in 2024. This positive outlook follows four consecutive quarters of growth, primarily driven by the industrial and tourism sectors. The findings were part of the multilateral donor�s bi-annual report, SL Dev. Update: Opening up to the Future more..

Oct 11 (Island) Election Commission (EC) is not empowered to reject the nominations of candidates with past or present court verdicts against them, Chairman of the Election Commission, R.M.A.L. Rathnayake has said. He noted that the EC could not reject the nomination of actor and politician Ranjan Ramanayake if he submitted it. �If anyone wishes to challenge Ramanayake�s participation in the election, he or she will have to seek a court order against him,� Ratnayake said. more..

Oct 11 (Island) Leader of the NFF Wimal Weerawansa, said that his party would not contest the upcoming general election. He said his party was doing so to ensure that Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake would secure a majority in Parliament so that he could govern the country. Weerawansa warned that both India and US would exert immense pressure on the Prez to implement agreements detrimental to national interest, such as 13th Amd & Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA). more..

Oct 11 (EN) Several prominent SL politicians who previously held senior ministerial positions have announced they will not be contesting in the upcoming parliamentary elections, citing limited political opportunities. Among those stepping down are Bandula Gunawardena, Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, Shehan Semasinghe, Gamini Lokuge, Champika Ranawaka, Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, Lakshman Kiriella and Wimal Weerawansa, more..

Oct 11 (FT) SL has a new Prez, and a fresh general election will be held on 14 Nov to elect members to its Parliament and for a new Govt to be formed thereafter. The choice before the voters will be whether the NPP should be given a Parliamentary majority for them to form the next Govt or those opposed to the NPP should be given a majority for them to form the next Govt. This article will not analyse and discuss this issue as it is a topic that is already being widely discussed. more..

Oct 11 (FT) Given the recent political changes the country has experienced, the writer senses a need to reproduce this article (which was published previously). At a time when the track record and performance of the country�s intelligence services and law enforcement agencies have been debated in the public sphere, and with the appointment of a new Chief of State Intelligence, the writer feels it is pertinent to re-examine this interesting, albeit somewhat murky, subject. more..