Oct 19 (DM) Ministry of Finance has decided to suspend the purchase of vehicles for state institutions until further notice. Ministry has also decided to stop the commencement of new projects during the remaining two months of this year and also to postpone the purchase of non-essential office equipment until next year. A circular in this regard, underlining the instructions, had been issued to all ministry secretaries, provincial chief more..

Oct 19 (AD) Former Western Province Chief Minister and chairman of CEA Isura Devapirya has been removed from the posts he held in the SLFP, says SLFP General Secretary Dayasiri Jayasekara. Accordingly, his SLFP Central Committee membership has been suspended while he was removed from the Maharagama chief electoral organizer position. It is reported that this measure was taken as Devapriya had attended a public meeting of SLPP member MP Bandula more..

Oct 19 (DM) Police arrested eleven suspects including two PS members and a former PS member so far with regards to the received complaints and election law violations, SP Ruwan Gunasekera said. He said a total of ten complaints and fourteen election law violation incidents had been reported so far to the police department regarding the prez election. "One of the two PS members from Walallavita PS division who was the vice president was arrested for transporting illegal posters. more..

Oct 19 (RN) The NPM Candidate for the Presidency Anura Kumara Dissanayake is saying that rural poverty in the country is being exacerbated by increasing debt and a comprehensive plan is needed to solve this major issue. Dissanayake says that the parties that have ruled the country before this have made the country poorer by taking loans. “When they can’t pay back the money they sell the assets like the Rajapaksa regime sold the land more..

Oct 19 (FT) SLFP will sign a MoU with SLPP prez candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa to pledge support for his election campaign. MoU will assure that Rajapaksa will agree to SLFP’s terms on forming a govt if he is elected prez, SLFP has said. SLFP General Secretary Dayasiri Jayasekara earlier this week said the MoU would strengthen confidence among SLFP supporters that the party’s identity will remain unchanged. SLFP and the SLPP on 10 Oct signed a separate MoU to pledge support more..

Oct 19 (Island) Defence Secretary General (retd.) Shantha Kottegoda has cmmended Australia for the assistance extended to Sri Lanka in many areas, inclusive of legislative and law enforcement, intelligence gathering, vessels monitoring, sharing of information in the concerned areas. Gen. Kottegoda was addressing the 6th meeting of Australia-Sri Lanka Joint Working Group (JWG) on Counter People Smuggling and other Transnational Crime that concluded in Canberra. more..

Oct 19 (Island) Minister Arjuna Ranatunga has been asked to make a statement to the CID unit attached to the PCoI on 21 Oct. Ranatunga will be questioned on the alleged loss of Rs. 700 million, incurred by Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) by purchasing oil using spot tender method between 2017 and 2018. Former Chairman of the CPC Dhammika Ranatunga has also been asked to give a statement to the police unit. more..

Oct 19 (AD) The Organisation for the Protection of Muslim Rights today lodged a complaint with the Police Headquarters calling for the arrest SLMC leader and Minister Rauff Hakeem, over his alleged ties to the ringleader of Easter Sunday terror attacks Zahran Hashim. Members of the organization also handed over to police a CD containing footage and images from a discussion allegedly attended by both Hakeem and Zahran. The organization also released the controversial video to media today (18). more..

Oct 19 (EN) Cabinet of ministers has approved a five-year govt plan to phase out protective tariffs that were seen as raising the cost of living for consumers, hindering international trade and protecting inefficient domestic industries. The plan proposed by finance minister Mangala Samaraweera will phase out during 2020-2024 para-tariffs imposed to raise government revenue and protect domestic industries from imports, the state information office said in a statement. more..

Oct 19 (FT) Govt of Japan has provided a total sum of $ 1,266,825 (Rs. 219 million) to SKAVITA Humanitarian Assistance and Relief Project (SHARP) and the HALO Trust for humanitarian demining in northern Sri Lanka. The grant contracts were signed on Friday at the HALO Trust’s Muhumalai Control Point in Kilinochchi, between Japanese Ambassador Akira Sugiyama and SHARP Program Manager Sarath more..

Oct 19 (AD) Minister Daya Gamage today recorded his statement with the Presidential Commission of Inquiry over the probes into the alleged loss incurred to the govt during the paddy storage at the Mattala Int'l Airport. Minister Gamage today (18) arrived at the PCoI. Responding to the questions raised by the media persons after recording his statement with the Commission, the Minister said the prices of local paddy went down in 2015 as then-govt had largely imported paddy by the end of 2014. more..

Oct 19 (FT) Supreme Court ordered the Attorney General to ascertain whether a Gazette notification made on 6 May 2011 by the Secretary of Justice Ministry indicating the eligibility of persons to be appointed Hospital Coroners was still in force or revoked. SC made this direction to the AG after considering an application filed under Article 126 of the Constitution by City Coroners M. Ashroff Rumy and Iresha Samaraweera against nine Respondents, including National Hospital coroners more..

Oct 19 (FT) the IMF, this week, downgraded Sri Lanka’s economic growth in 2019 by 0.8% to 2.7% in its October update in comparison to forecast made in April. The downgrade comes midst IMF adopting a similar move for global growth as well as Asia in its World Economic Outlook October release this week. Due to trade and geopolitical tensions, the IMF lowered 2019 global GDP growth forecast to 3%, lowest in a decade and more..

Oct 19 (CT) Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) is making arrangements to re-introduce the Lanka Premier League (LPL) next June. With a view to improving the shorter version of the game, SLC decided to include the LPL, a popular version of the game to their cricketing calendar to encourage youngsters to showcase their skills and contribute to the National side. SLC tried to introduce the tournament last year but due to the appointment of an Interim Committee by then Sports Minister, more..

Oct 19 (AD) President of Lanka Private Bus Owners’ Association (LPBOA) Gemunu Wijeratne says that a majority of the members of his association have agreed to support SLPP Prez Candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Trade union leader said that he and several other members of the association met with Mr Gotabaya Rajapaksa at his residence in Mirihana this evening and informed him that he will have their support at the election. Wijeratne further said that personally he will definitely give his full more..

Oct 19 (Island) UPFA MP Thilanga Sumathipala said that abolition of the executive presidency shouldn’t be an issue at the Nov 16 presidential poll. He emphasized that abolition of the executive presidency posed a grave danger to SL’s unitary status. He said so at the regular Friday morning briefing at his Ananda Rajakaruma Mawatha residence. National List MP was flanked by attorney-at-law Keerthi Udawatte & Sumith Vijithamuni more..

Oct 19 (CT) Sri Lanka Cricket named their under 19 four-day and one day squads to their tour against Bangladesh which does not feature three of their top under 19 cricketers who are serving a one year ban on deciplinary grounds. Three cricketers are Ashain Daniel (St Joseph's College), Kamil Mishara (Royal College) and Ahan Wickramasinghe (Royal College) all were part of the Sri Lankan Under 19 team at the last Asia Cup, and the trio pleaded guilty for violating decorum after consuming alcohol more..

Oct 19 (DM) The Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) yesterday handed over its set of twenty proposals to SLPP presidential candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the Opposition Leader’s official residence in Wijerama. GMOA Assistant Secretary Dr. Naveen de Soyza told Daily Mirror that they would hand over the proposals to other presidential candidates as well and added that the proposals were based on sustainable development. Their proposals were as follows: more..

Oct 19 (DN) Sri Lanka will have to prove that their 3-0 whitewash of Pakistan in the T20I series was no flash in the pan when they embark on a three-match T20 Int'l tour to Australia today. SL’s complete dominance over Pakistan, the no. 1 ranked T20 side with an almost second string team has put them in an enviable position to beat Australia and continue the winning trend that began with their victory against NZ in third T20I more..

Oct 19 (Island) Sleuths of the Divulapitiya police raided a luxury house at Ullapola yesterday and recovered a haul of heroin with a street value of Rs 620 million. Police arrested three persons including a woman from the house suspected to be a distributing center where bulk of heroin had been packed into small sachets. Police earlier nabbed a businessman, on Thursday, while transporting a stock of heroin worth over Rs 1,200 million at the Southern Hiway entry point at Athurugiriya. more..

Oct 19 (DM) Board of Investment of SL signed a supplementary agreement with Senaka Zenn (Pvt) Ltd to set up a project to manufacture pre-stressed spun concrete electrical poles, piles and railway sleepers with improved technology, for both local and export markets. The Initial investment made by the company was US$ 10.3 million. The supplementary agreement was signed by Mangala Yapa, Chairman of BoI and Senaka Gurusinghe, Chairman of Senaka Group of Companies. more..

Oct 19 (Island) Sports Minister Harin Fernando explained the reasons of banning former Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) president Thilanga Sumathipala from holding any position at SLC yesterday. "I don’t wish to meddle with the day-to-day affairs at SLC. But, as the Sports Minister it is my responsibility to make sure nothing illegal happens in any of the sports bodies under my purview. " Sports Minister said at a press conference more..

Oct 19 (ST) The story of Anjalika Kurera has been an incredible one. Her journey started when she was 8-years-old. From that day onwards, she dreams of becoming a professional tennis player. Recently, she won the Under (U)-18 championship, beating her Indonesian opponent, Jessica Christa, in the ITF Juniors Circuit 3 tournament. After her success, she sat down for an interview, to express her thoughts on how her career started and her dream to play in the Wimbledon Juniors in the near future. more..

Oct 19 (ST) A strong set of 400 junior squash players will fight for a place in the national squash honours at the Air Force Squash Courts Complex Ratmalana, commenced yesterday and the curtain to come down on October 16 with the prize distribution. The tournament is organised by Sri Lanka Squash to coincide with World Squash day on October 12 and the tournament kick off been scheduled with a series of events. The event will begin with a series of exhibition matches more..

Oct 19 (Island) As the polls campaign gets under way there is a growing similarity between the two lead players in what they offer to the people, and what they don’t. Green and Purple offers have strong links to one’s family. Sajith keeps reminding us of what his father did or promised - like preparing a title deed to the people on the political assets of one’s father. Gota sees no way of moving away from what his elder brother and former prez did, more..

Oct 19 (Island) All the presidential candidates are very promising, for they are making a lot of promises. It looks as if they were taking part in a promise-making contest. The promising messiahs are falling over themselves to take Citizen Perera to the Promised Land, come Nov. 16. The only thing they expect in return for the promised journey is his vote! One of the candidates has even pledged to travel in disguise, at night, in case of being elected Prez, to see how the ordinary people live. more..

Oct 19 (Island) A scientific study has unearthed a wealth of information from proposed Morapitiya-Runakanda Nature Reserve. According to the outcome of the study, when considering the amphibian diversity of this forest, there had been records of 39 species belongs to 15 Genera within six families such as, Bufonidae, Dicroglossidae, Microhylidae, Ranidae, Rhachophoridae and Icthyophiidae, while 29 of them are endemic to SL. Out of 15 genera, Adenomus, Lankanectes, more..

Oct 19 (ST) Multi-coloured mermaid tails, with gold detailing and cookies influenced by just anything and everything – TV shows, movies and books. Lotsa Dough’s custom cookies have something for everyone, although you might feel eating them is a shame since they look so beautiful. Simply not just cookies, Lotsa Dough creates edible art. Lotsa Dough started seven years ago when aunt and niece duo, Ruvi Johnpillai-Forbes and Vihanga Mendis pooled their creative talents. more..

Oct 19 (CT) Thursday (17), this newspaper quoting two UN adjuncts, the WFP and the FAO, said that 45% of women of reproductive age (15-49 years) in SL were either overweight or obese. Paradoxically, the WFP/FAO also said that the island was facing the dual burden of malnutrition with stagnant rates of under nutrition as well. With reference to overweight and obesity, the UN agencies said that in recent decades people have dramatically changed their diets and eating patterns more..

Oct 19 (Roar) As a young physics major at the Uni of Southampton in the UK, Mahesh Herath (27) had little interest in astronomy. “I stumbled into it while helping a friend with his project,” he told Roar Media, recalling a class field trip to an observatory in Tenerife, in the Canary Islands. “My friend wanted to observe the crossing of an exoplanet. I had nothing better to do, so I said I would help him.” more..

Oct 19 (DM) As SL prepares for the crucial prez election on Nov 16, the major crisis is clearly political corruption with the abuse of power and the failure to take effective legal action. Since independence, few if any leading politicians have been jailed for corruption including bribery and fraud. Furthermore little or nothing has been recovered from the hundreds of millions of rupees if not billions they plundered from public funds which means the people’s money including the poor people. more..

Oct 19 (CT) Nominations have been filed and Sri Lanka will go to the polls on 16th November to elect a President. The Constitution demands so and this will be a crucial election to all Sri Lankans and especially so to the young first time voter. Though over 30 nominations have been presented only two serious contenders have emerged. This has been the pattern and not much has changed in our history since Independence. We Sinhalese have governed since Independence and therefore must take more..

Oct 19 (CT) SLPP Prez candidate, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, says his vision is to set up an environment where all citizens can live in peace and dignity. He asserted that all promises given by him to the electorate, ahead of Prez Poll, are not hollow rhetoric, merely to attract voters. The former Defence Secretary said all promises and assurances are given by him, having considered the future of the Nation, and all programmes aimed at more..

Oct 19 (CT) At this juncture, there is much discussion and reflection about the way politicians, particularly those affiliated with main parties, are campaigning to gain power at the forthcoming election in order to elect a President. Some references are also made about the way power was exercised by those who held it during the last ten years or so. Such discussions are aimed at garnering support for one’s party or criticising the opponents. more..

Oct 19 (ST) Even as a seven-year-old I regarded the KonTiki expedition of the Norwegian anthropologist-historian Thor Heyerdahl and his crew sailing in 1947 from the South American coast to an island near Tahiti as an inspirational event as did so many of my generation. Scrutinising the original raft at the Maritime Kon Tiki Museum, in Oslo, Norway in 1967, 20 years after the event, I was astonished that such a tiny, fragile craft could overcome the Pacific ocean’s mighty waves. more..