- President Ranil Wickremesinghe emphasized that a true leader is someone who can work effectively with any team. He criticized Sajith Premadasa, stating that despite the opposition leader talking about teamwork, he fails to take responsibility as a leader. Wickremesinghe also claimed that Sajith is currently fulfilling an agreement by supporting Anura Kumara Dissanayake.
- Sajith Premadasa has accused President Ranil Wickremesinghe and National People’s Power (NPP) leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake of forming a secret political alliance to divide power. Speaking at an election rally in Eheliyagoda, Premadasa claimed that the two leaders are engaged in a corrupt deal aimed at securing the presidency and premiership for themselves, describing it as a betrayal of the public’s trust.
- National People’s Power (NPP) presidential candidate Anura Kumara Dissanayake urged voters to unite for a common goal at a rally held at Kilinochchi. Dissanayake emphasized the need for solidarity between the North and South, saying NPP has already secured over 75%-80 support in postal votes.
- Independent presidential candidate and former minister Roshan Ranasinghe announced that his manifesto will include plans to reduce vehicle costs by at least 80% from their current prices. During a media briefing, Ranasinghe criticized other candidates’ manifestos, calling them mere documents with no feasibility.
- The United Arab Emirates (UAE) government has launched a two-month amnesty scheme starting from 01 September 2024, which provides an opportunity for individuals to correct their visa status or return to their home countries without incurring fines or facing entry bans.
- The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) has reported facts to the Colombo Magistrate’s Court, pertaining to an investigation related to the information received of a possible attack on one of the candidates contesting the upcoming presidential election.
- Deputy Postmaster General Rajitha Ranasinghe stated that the turnout for postal voting in the 2024 Presidential Election was high over the past two days. Speaking at a press conference, he said that more than 80% have cast their postal votes during the last two days. A total of 712,319 voters were eligible to use postal voting in relation to the 2024 presidential election.
- Sri Lanka’s official reserve assets have recorded a significant increase to USD 5.95 billion in August 2024, according to the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL). This is an increase by 5.3% compared to USD 5.65 billion recorded in July 2024.
- The Supreme Court has ordered that the petition of intervention filed seeking an order suspending the interim injunction issued preventing Deshabandu Tennakoon from functioning as the Inspector General of Police (IGP), to be taken up for consideration on September 13 for the clarification of facts.
- Sri Lanka Customs announced that for the first time in the history of the Customs Department, it has achieved an annual custom revenue of Rs. 1 trillion so far this year.
