- President Ranil Wickremesinghe proposes replacing the suspended Parate law with a new bill for restructuring loans of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs): The bill includes creating “Enterprise Sri Lanka” to support MSME entrepreneurs.
- SJB Secretary General MP Ranjith Madduma Bandara says the SJB-led ‘Samagi Jana Sandhanaya’ will be launched in the first week of August this year: asserts the Alliance is prepared to contest the upcoming elections, including the Presidential Polls and the General Election: adds the discussions with other parties in this regard are at their final stage.
- Ruling Party MP S.B. Dissanayake says the government has no chance at all for extending the President’s term, nor the dissolution of Parliament: asserts the 22A is being brought in only for the purpose of amending a mistake committed by Jayampathi Wickramaratne in the drafting of the 19th Amendment.
- Finance State Minister Shehan Semasinghe announces the government is managing the budget deficit effectively, aided by the new Central Bank Act: In the 1H24’, the government repaid Rs 4,981 bn, exceeding Rs 4,852 bn borrowed: This marks a shift from reliance on central bank financing, which previously caused high inflation rates.
- The Ministry of Agriculture and Plantation Industries launches a green gram cultivation initiative in Ipanella following the 2024 Yala season: Farmers will receive 25 kg of seeds per hectare for free and Rs. 25,000 each: The plan targets 63,750 acres, aiming to boost local production to achieve self-sufficiency: Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera is confident the initiative will meet domestic demand and reduce imports.
- The Election Commission says Sri Lanka’s upcoming Presidential Election is expected to cost Rs. 10 bn, with Rs. 8 bn allocated for printing expenses: The surged cost is attributed to increased prices: This election will be governed by the Election Expenditure Regulation Act No. 3 of 2023, capping campaign spending and ensuring transparency: Candidates must report expenditures, and violations can be reported and investigated: Social media self-promotion will also be monitored.
- Former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison lauds Sri Lanka’s tourism sector and cuisine: prepares mud crab and chicken curry using Sri Lankan spices, showcasing his admiration for local dishes: He arrived in Sri Lanka on 17 July for a vacation and attended the Sri Lanka Human Capital Summit 2024 as Guest of Honour on 18 July.
- Sri Lanka will witness a rare astronomical event, the Lunar Occultation of Saturn, just after midnight on 24th July 2024: Starting at around 00:50 a.m. on 25th July, the Moon will obscure Saturn for about one hour and twenty minutes: The event can be viewed with the naked eye, though a telescope or binoculars will provide a clearer view: The next occurrence visible from Sri Lanka will be on 24th April 2037.
- Asanka Abeygunasekara, the former Director General of the Institute of National Strategic Studies of Sri Lanka (INSSSL), was arrested at Bandaranaike International Airport: His arrest follows an outstanding warrant issued by the Inland Revenue Department (IRD): He was taken into custody by the police this morning.
- In their opening Women’s Asia Cup match at Dambulla, Sri Lanka’s Udeshika Prabodhani narrowly missed a hat-trick in her first over, but Sri Lanka still restricted Bangladesh to 111 for 8 in 20 overs: Sri Lanka then won the match by seven wickets.
