- President Ranil Wickremesinghe initiates a groundbreaking initiative to grant land rights to residents of line rooms by reclaiming plantation land from companies: Announced at a Nuwara Eliya business meeting, the plan includes housing development, public amenities, and support for local businesses: also pledges to address social justice issues for Tamil communities and plans a conference early next year.
- Former MP Dr. Jayampathi Wickranaratne PC, together with his party the United Leftist Front will back Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Leader Sajith Premadasa in the upcoming Presidential Polls: Wickranaratne had been a strong advocate for the adaptation of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, which enforced restrictions to the powers of executive presidency, during the 2015-2019 Good Governance regime.
- NPP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake formalises his candidacy for the upcoming Presidential Election: The nomination papers were signed today (11) at the JVP headquarters, witnessed by key NPP figures, including General Secretaries Nihal Abeysinghe (NPP) and Tylvin Silva (JVP): The Presidential Election is scheduled for 21 September.
- Finance State Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya says pensioners will receive an additional Rs. 6,000 with their October payments, comprising a Rs. 3,000 interim allowance for October and Rs. 3,000 in arrears from September: This follows a Cabinet-approved proposal presented by the President: The Rs. 3,000 interim allowance will continue monthly until salary anomalies are addressed, adding to the Rs. 2,500 extra payment already provided in April: The Finance Ministry has granted formal approval, and the Public Administration Ministry is expected to issue a circular to facilitate the disbursement, but the Election Commission objected to the allowance being distributed in September due to the election announcement.
- The Committee on Public Accounts (CoPA) expresses concerns over a Rs. 254 million increase in the Basnagoda Reservoir project’s bid, now totalling Rs. 2,347 million, questioning the Irrigation Department’s adherence to financial regulations: also scrutinises irregularities involving Rs. 352.4 million in cheques and discussed issues with the Ging Nilwala project: Officials acknowledges errors and promised corrective measures.
- Minister Ali Sabry has been appointed as the new Minister of Justice, Prison Affairs, and Constitutional Reforms, officially taking oaths before President Ranil Wickremesinghe: The appointment adds to his current role as Foreign Minister: Sabry assumes these responsibilities following the resignation of Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, who stepped down from his positions to participate in the forthcoming Presidential Election.
- The Election Commission reports a significant influx of complaints related to the upcoming Presidential Polls: reveals between 31 July and 11 August, a total of 337 complaints were lodged, encompassing various violations of election laws, including one instance of violence and seven other types of infractions: The National Centre for Election Complaint Management received 220 of these complaints, while 117 were recorded by the District Centres for Election Complaint Management.
- Sri Lanka’s remittances rose to $566.8 million in July 2024, contributing to a total of $3.71 billion for the year-to-date, a 10.3% increase from last year: This trend highlights the role of remittances in stabilising the economy, alongside recovering tourism and eased commodity prices: The Central Bank’s currency float in March 2022 has also boosted remittance inflows.
- Sri Lanka to formally adopt the Sinhala and Tamil translations of the Geneva Conventions, marking their 75th anniversary: The move aims to enhance awareness of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) within the island nation: expected to reflect Sri Lanka’s commitment to disseminating the principles of the conventions, which uphold human dignity during conflicts: A commemorative event themed “75 Years of the Geneva Conventions: Global and Sri Lankan Perspectives” will be held on 14 August in Colombo, featuring a panel discussion and a public photo exhibition at BMICH.
- Sri Lanka’s Chamari Athapaththu wins the ICC Women’s Player of the Month award for July 2024, besting India’s Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma: Her outstanding performance led Sri Lanka to their first Women’s Asia Cup title: Athapaththu, now a three-time winner of the award, played a crucial role with notable innings and key wickets, inspiring future female cricketers.
