Presidential candidate Ilyas passes away

Dr. Mohammad Ilyas, (78) who is a candidate of this year’s presidential election, passed away last night (22) at the Puttalam Hospital due to a sudden heart attack.

President says he doesn’t regret decision

While acknowledging that postponing the Local Government elections last year is a violation of the citizens’ basic rights, as the Supreme Court has ruled, President Ranil Wickremesinghe said he does not regret this decision.

Failure to hold LG Polls: SC determines President and Election Commission violated fundamental rights

In another landmark judgement, the Supreme Court held that the actions and omissions of President Ranil Wickremesinghe as the Minister of Finance, along with the Election Commission and the Attorney General, violated the fundamental rights guaranteed under the constitution due to their arbitrary and unlawful conduct, which led to the non-holding of the 2023 Local Government Elections.

City decorations for Presidential Polls 2024: Do not touch Colombo without our permission – CMC warns candidates, parties

Colombo Municipal Council yesterday warned legal action against any candidate or political party that would decorate city roads, streets or public places for any election related propaganda without their permission or paying due charges.

Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe accepts Daily Mirror invitation for a live debate

National Democratic Front (NDF) presidential candidate Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe became the second to accept the Daily Mirror invitation for a debate among the presidential candidates.

RW’s rallies to showcase multicoloured backdrop, highlighting political parties backing him

UNP Leader and Independent candidate Ranil Wickremesinghe’s rallies will include a multi coloured backdrop on stage during the campaign season as these colours represent all the parties that are supporting him in the upcoming Presidential Election, the Daily Mirror learns.

Namal pledges fresh probe on Easter Sunday attacks

SLPP Presidential candidate Namal Rajapaksa pledged to conduct a fresh probe on Easter Sunday attacks if elected to power next month.

Anura promises to reduce electricity tariff , fuel prices

National People’s Power (NPP) government will take over the country with a plan to eliminate poverty while stopping waste, looting and corruption, NPP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake said yesterday.

Sajith promises a government system with effective separation of power

Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa yesterday pledged to introduce a new governing system with effective separation of power among the three pillars of governance.

Driving licenses with no expiration date will be cancelled by end of this year

The driving licenses including heavy vehicle that do not have an expiry date will be cancelled by the end of this year and those license holders will be provided with a reasonable time to obtain their new licenses, Department of Motor Traffic (DMT) Commissioner General Nishantha Anuruddha Weerasinghe said.

ITAK cracks down on common Tamil presidential candidate for breaching party line

Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK), the dominant Tamil party based in the north and the east, decided to institute disciplinary action against its member P. Ariyanethran who is running for presidency as the common Tamil candidate with the backing of a few other parties, a party official said.

Namal Rajapaksa accepts the Daily Mirror, Lankadeepa presidential debate

SLPP Presidential candidate Namal Rajapaksa has officially accepted the invitation extended by the Daily Mirror and Lankadeepa for a live presidential debate with the main contenders ahead of the Presidential Election on September 21.

Final Randoli Perahera

The final Randoli Perahera of the historic Sri Dalada Maligawa in Kandy paraded the streets last night. The picture shows the Tusker Indi Raja carrying the sacred relics casket.

Southwest monsoon active again

Southwest monsoon which has become active once again had brought about minor floods in Kalutara, Ratnapura and Gampaha Districts affecting 2,872 people belonging to 778 families.

A Presidential candidate can spend only Rs.109 per voter – EC decides

A candidate running for the 2024 Presidential Election is lawfully entitled to spend up to Rs.109 per each and every registered voter in the country as decided by the Election Commission of Sri Lanka, which was to be officially announced midnight yesterday, the Daily Mirror learns.

Election monitors slam govt. over misuse of state resources

With the Presidential Election around the corner, the government has come under fire over the misuse of public funds, including the use of government properties for election campaigns.

Sri Lanka on alert amid global rise in Monkeypox cases: Allays immediate threat

In the wake of the recent global upsurge in monkeypox cases, Sri Lanka has ramped up its vigilance, according to local health authorities.

Migration, low fertility, ageing population- poses demographic challenges to Sri Lanka

Migration - along with low fertility rate and ageing population - adds another layer of complexity to Sri Lanka’s demographic crisis,an expert said.

Sri Lanka hit by atmospheric disturbance: Bad weather likely to affect election campaigning during the first week

The first week of campaigning of the Presidential Election is likely to be affected by adverse weather conditions as heavy showers are expected during the coming days due to atmospheric disturbances developing in the vicinity of Sri Lanka.

Don’t use National and Buddhist flags for Election propaganda –Polls Chief and Election Monitors

Commissioner of Elections Saman Sri Ratnayake urged political parties and the public not to disrespect the national flag by using it for election campaigns.

Sri Lanka responds to Australian court’s verdict on diplomat’s domestic worker case

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Sri Lanka said that its attention has been drawn to the recent media reports regarding a judgement given by the Australian Federal Court in a case against the former Deputy High Commissioner of Sri Lanka in Canberra.

The Elephant still rules!

The Elephant may have been replaced by the Gas Cylinder in politics, but in real life the majestic Elephant still attracts the crowds.

Live births decline 20 per cent between pre-and post-pandemic era, deaths increase

The number of live births has dropped by 20 per cent between the pre-pandemic and post-pandemic period and the deaths increased by 30 per cent, an expert said

Vote on account before presidential poll or fully-fledged budget after- Govt. weighs options

The government weighs whether to move a vote an account to seek parliamentary approval to seek allocations to cover expenditure during the remainder of this year or to present a fully-fledged budget after, State Finance Minister Shehan Semasinghe said yesterday.

Sweet Deception: White sugar made brown

2,500 empty bags, stock of colouring, equipment and tools seized

Maithri abandons Wijeyadasa, says won’t support any candidate

Former President Maithripala Sirisena has withdrawn his support for presidential candidate Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe as he announced yesterday that he will not stand for any candidate.

Peaceful wild elephant shot dead by police, sparking outrage

A tense atmosphere prevailed at Dampura in Damanayaya in Bakamuna on Thursday night (15) when the police shot dead a wild elephant, blind in one eye, frequenting the area and loved by the people since it had not hurt anyone. Wildlife officers said the jumbo had been shot dead with a T56 rifle.

Contract killing gone wrong Innocent farmer shot dead in mistaken identity

A case of mistaken identity has led to the death of an innocent young man in Kawantissapura, Sri Pura, in the Anuradhapura District, the police said. The victim, K.D. Chandana, a 26-year-old paddy farmer, was shot dead by hired gunmen who were mistakenly targeting him instead of their intended victim.

PAFFREL complains to EC over Rs.25,000 pay hike for public servants

The latest decision by the Cabinet to increase the salary of public sector employees by Rs.25, 000 from 2025 could have a serious influence on the free vote of the government workers in the Presidential Election, the independent observers have complained to the Election Commission.

Wide disparities in election spending limits Key candidates seek to spend Rs.1,000 a voter, lesser-known 50 cents

A few key candidates, in their meetings with the Election Commission to decide on a ceiling on campaign financing, have sought to spend as much as Rs.1,000 for a voter according to the new law whereas some others have quoted as low as 50 cents, a source said.