- President Ranil Wickremesinghe directs that his image is not used on billboards, cut-outs, and posters: calls on all political leaders to avoid including their photos in their campaign materials: says people are scolding politicians when they see them on television and queries as to why politicians must put themselves on posters and get scolded from the people again.
- Foreign Ministry says SL is deeply concerned about the escalation of violence & the resulting loss of life in Israel & Palestine: calls for an immediate halt to violence: expresses support to a negotiated settlement in line with internationally agreed parameters of 2 states living side by side on the basis of the 1967 borders.
- SL economy suffers a massive contraction of 7.9% in the 1st half of 2023, following a decline of 7.8% in 2022: marks the deepest contraction in the country’s post-independence history.
- Disaster Management Centre says around 8,000 people (3,500 families) in Galle and more than 50,000 people (18,000 families) in Matara have been affected by the adverse weather conditions.
- SJB MP Harsha de Silva who vociferously advocated higher taxes, debt default & an IMF programme, now asks the Govt to reduce tax on professionals and compensate for the revenue loss by tackling the problem of counterfeit revenue stickers on liquor bottles: says there is now a need for a “comprehensive solution”.
- Workers’ remittances in September’23 records USD 482 mn, up from USD 359 mn in September’22: however, the September’23 figure was below the August’23 figure of USD 499 mn and well below the USD 570 mn remittances average for the month of September during the period from 2015 to 2020: cumulative remittances for January-September’23 was USD 4,345 mn, up 75% from the corresponding period last year.
- SLMC Secretary M Nizam Kariapper, PC, says the expulsion of Batticaloa
District MP Zainul Abdeen Nazeer Ahamed from Parliament for switching allegiance to the Govt in violation of a decision by the Party to vote against Budget 2022 would impact the upcoming vote on Budget 2024: previously, SC Justices P Padman Surasena, S Thurairaja PC & Mahinda Samyawardhena had unanimously endorsed the SLMC decision to expel Ahamed.
- SLPP General Secretary MP Sagara Kariyawasam says a number of SLPP MPs had breached the party discipline in recent times, with some MPs even joining the opposition: asserts the Party is considering taking action against them in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling: also says the SLPP would be able to take disciplinary action against SLPP MPs such as Dullas Alahapperuma, Dilan Perera & Anura Yapa who have acted against the Party’s stand.
- Education Minister Susil Premajayanth says intellectuals who choose to leave the country during its challenging times, despite being prime beneficiaries of the free education system and having enjoyed the associated social benefits, lack wisdom: Opposition MP Eran Wickramaratne says the high cost of living, increased taxation, & the absence of forward-thinking leadership are the causes
for the current brain-drain. - Renowned movie actor Jackson Anthony, 65, passes away this morning while receiving treatment at the Intensive Care Unit of the Colombo National Hospital after being involved in an accident in Anuradhapura, more than an year ago.
