- TNA MP M.A. Sumanthiran stresses that the on-going debate on the Online Safety Bill was illegal and in violation of the Standing Orders of Parliament: Parliament nevertheless proceeds with the debate following a majority vote in favour of considering the contentious Bill for discussion.
- Ceylon Motor Traders’ Assn warn the new 18% VAT on used vehicles creates a black market in the industry & increases the market prices of used vehicles: stresses this is hurting the common man: laments it places a hurdle on legitimate companies as vehicle prices surge by an additional 18% due to the new VAT.
- President Ranil Wickremesinghe returns to the island after a 11-day overseas visit: he first participated at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland: thereafter, he participated at the 19th Summit of Heads of State of the Non-Aligned Nations and the 3rd Summit of the G77 & China, in Uganda.
- Ven Athuraliye Rathana Thera, MP from the “Apey Janabala Party” whose Leader/President Saman Perera was murdered in Beliatte, says he will refrain from commenting on the murder.
- Government Medical Officers Association says the doctors will commence an indefinite strike from 8.00 am today as the Govt has temporarily suspended the payment of the “Disturbance, Availability & Transport” allowance: latest reports however indicate that the strike has been called off.
- CB Monetary Policy Board maintains the Standing Deposit Facility Rate and the Standing Lending Facility Rate of the Central Bank at the current levels of 9.0% & 10.0%.
- Supreme Court sets 30th October’24 as the date to consider the Fundamental Rights Petitions which have claimed that the rights of members of EPF & ETF have been violated as a result of the Govt’s Domestic Debt Re-structuring: the 3-member Judge Bench comprises of Justices S Thurairaja, Shiran Gooneratne & Mahinda Samayawardhena.
- Likely Presidential Candidate from the Mawbima Janatha Party Dilith Jayaweera says the current economic pressure and the country’s situation is nothing like what was faced 20 years ago when there was a JVP insurrection & LTTE terror: reminisces that during such period, he was selected to the university but had to wait 3 years since the universities were closed.
- A 45-year-old Buddhist monk, Ven Kalapaluwawe Dhammarathana Thera shot dead inside a temple in the Malwathuhiripitiya area of Gampaha: Police say the shooting carried out with a T-56 assault rifle: 4 unidentified individuals had arrived in a car, carried out the shooting and fled the scene.
- Siblings Matheesha Marambe from Royal College and Kithmi Marambe from Bishop’s College lead the 9-member SL Diving team at the upcoming BIMSTEC Youth Aquatic Meet in New Delhi: SL diving team to consist of 5 boys and 4 girls: notably, all 5 male divers hail from Royal College.
