Category: Featured Headlines

Santosh Jha, the High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka, reaffirmed India’s commitment to respecting the choices of the Sri Lankan people and maintaining strong bilateral relations, regardless of the governing bodies in either country.

He made these comments following a meeting with the Mahanayake Thero’s in Kandy.

“It is Sri Lankan people’s choice and Sri Lanka will decide, and we will respect whatever the Sri Lankan people decide. So we work with the government, which is chosen by the Sri Lankan people. Our friendship is primarily with all of Sri Lanka, for all of Sri Lankan people,” Jha stated.

Addressing the ambitious project of building a bridge connecting India and Sri Lanka, Jha clarified the timeline and expectations.

“This is something that will take time. It’s a long gestation period. It’s a very big project. So it’s not a matter of one or two years. I didn’t say two years. I can’t even say how long it will take. It may take five years, six years, whatever. It depends on both sides working together. It will be done purely with mutual agreement and understanding. So there is no question of this moving faster or, you know, it will go at its own speed,” he explained.

US Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans, International Environmental and Scientific Affairs Jennifer Littlejohn is on a visit to Sri Lanka from August 19 to 21.

“During her visit, she will engage with officials and partners, explore US-supported wildlife protection projects, and discuss opportunities to connect Sri Lankan and US experts in hydrography, climate change, and biodiversity,” US Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung said on X (twitter).

She will discuss nature and marine conservation, plastic and air pollution, the climate crisis, deforestation, nature crimes, civil and commercial space activities, promoting women and girls in STEM, and the sustainable blue economy, a statement by the embassy said.

After Colombo Littlejohn will travel to India and Maldives.

Over 24,000 postal vote applications for the upcoming Presidential election have been rejected, the Elections Commission said.

The Commissioner General of Elections, Saman Sri Ratnayake said that 736,589 applications were received for postal voting during the 2024 Presidential election.

He said that of the 736,589 applications 24,268 postal vote applications were rejected.

Sri Lankan will elect a new President on 21st September 2024.

Postal voting for the election will be held on September 04, 05 and 06.

Seventeen former Kurunegala Pradeshiya Sabha members of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) have extended their support to President Ranil Wickremesinghe in the upcoming presidential election.

This decision follows a meeting with the UNP Assistant Leader, Akila Viraj Kariyawasam.

During the said meeting, they have assured their commitment to work towards President Wickremesinghe’s victory in election.

Meanwhile, the appointment letters were presented yesterday (19) to the newly appointed District Organizers of the UNP at the party’s headquarters – Sirikotha, under the patronage of President Ranil Wickremesinghe.

MP Ishak Rahuman, and former MPs P. Harrison, and W. B. Ekanayake were appointed as District Organizers for Anuradhapura while Nishantha Sri Warnasinghe, a former member of the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), was appointed as a Colombo District UNP Organizer.

Additionally, former Deputy Minister Nishantha Muthuhettigamage, was appointed as a Galle District UNP Organizer.

Furthermore, a total of 295 persons were also appointed as District and Electoral Organizers.

The Office for Missing Persons gets accused of trying to conceal the truth while failing in its duty to account for a single victim of enforced disappearances.

The OMP threatens Tamil women who seek justice for their missing loved ones and forces death certificates on them, and also closed down the mass grave in Mullaitivu, said Mariyasuresh Eswari, head of the district’s association of relatives of missing persons.

Despite our repeated calls for an international probe and mechanism, the government insists on a domestic one to strengthen the OMP, while telling the world community it does much for the aggrieved families, she charged.

Speaking to the media on 18 August, Eswari said even three days earlier, women were told to be present at an inquiry and to give their signatures in return for a Rs. 200,000 compensation and death certificates.

They have been rejecting these offers all along.

Eswari claimed more skeletal remains were surfacing in many areas, and demanded the resumption of excavations at the Kokkutuduvai gravesite too.

The Mahanayake of the Malwatta Chapter Thibbotuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala Thera has raised concerns regarding the security aspect of the proposed link road between Sri Lanka and India was when constructed.

The Thera raised this concern during a meeting with the Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha yesterday at the Malwatta temple.

Ven.Sumangala Thera pointed out that Sri Lanka did not have any produce to be exported to India through the proposed road but Sri Lanka would face the threat of large consignments of Kerala Ganja and narcotics being smuggled into the country.

However, the High Commissioner explained that the project would not be implemented in the near future and that the planning of the project and talks regarding its implementation would take at least two years.

He refuted the misconception that the project was unfavourable to Sri Lanka and that it would be beneficial to the two countries. In reply to the Ven. Thera’s query whether an agreement had been signed between the two countries to implement the project, the Indian High Commissioner pointed out that it was subject to talks.

He said the individuals engaging in contraband trades would not use the main entrance but use secret accesses.

The High Commissioner further said that Indian Prime Minister had implemted several projects to uplift Buddhist places of worship and to reduced the expenditure on power and energy.

In reply to a query from the media he said the Indian government was prepared to extend its cooperation to any President or government in power.

Asst. High Commissioner in Kandy Athira S was present at the occasion.