Oct 17 (CT) SL Tourism Promotions Bureau, along with a contingent of 20 leading industry travel trade representatives, participated at the renowned Italian tourism fair, TTG Incontri 2019, which was held in Rimini, Italy from 9-11 Oct 2019. To increase brand awareness, Sri Lanka Tourism advertised heavily during the TTG Fair, including the mega entrance banner with country branding and two other pavilion pathway banners depicting tourism attractions appealing to Italian travellers. more..

Oct 17 (DN) Marking yet another milestone in its history thus far, Lankatiles recently launched a brand new quarterly magazine, The Fine Art of Living. A quality publication which will target architects, interior designers, design students looking for inspiration, home owners and prospective homeowners seeking to fill their living spaces with the finest products in the market, The Fine Art of Living includes articles on local and global design trends, do-it-yourself tips and feature pieces more..

Oct 17 (FT) Election Commission (EC) has written to the Secretary to the Prez as well as the Secretary to the Ministry of Defence seeking clarification on how a photograph of Army Commander Lt Gen. Shavendra Silva was used in election campaign propaganda for one of the candidates contesting the Prez Election. EC’s decision to seek clarification came after it received a complaint from the CMEV in relation to a more..

Oct 17 (FT) The Govt yesterday approved three airports, including the Jaffna International Airport (JIA), as new ports of entry and departure under the Immigration and Emigration Act, ahead of the commencement of regional commercial operations at JIA today. Minister Wajira Abeywardena made the declaration making JIA (formerly Palaly Airport), along with the Batticaloa International Airport and Colombo International Airport, Ratmalana three new ports of entry and departure. more..

Oct 17 (DN) Six individuals including Kanjipani Imran’s father and brother were released by Galle Chief Magistrate on a cash bail of Rs. 20,000 and a surety of Rs. 500,000 each when they were produced before him yesterday. Magistrate further ordered that the respective guarantors should be residents of Galle district. The group of suspects were arrested by Prison Officers on the last Prisoner Welfare Day (Sep 12) when they attempted to hand over some proscribed items to Kanjipani more..

Oct17(Island) Govt is playing Santa. It has fattened Prez Sirisena’s retirement package, which is very attractive; he will be able to occupy his official residence at Paget Road. About 5 years ago, when Prez declared, after his inauguration, that he would not move into the Prez’s House and had the Paget Road official residence converted into a presidential abode, we argued, in this space, that he was planning to stay there after retirement. more..

Oct 17 (DM) Scriptwriter and director Malaka Dewapriya has been summoned to the Police Organised Crimes Prevention Division (OCPD) tomorrow to give a statement regarding his award-winning radio drama series Kanata Paarak. Last year, the Ven. Angulugalle Siri Jinananda Thera of the Buddhist Information Center complained to the OCPD against the radio dramas, alleging that they distorted and defamed Buddhist terms. Based on the complaint, the police filed an action against more..

Oct 17 (DM) SLFP General Secretary Dayasiri Jayasekara said that the SLFP organisers who were said to have joined hands with the UNP were those who were sacked from the party. He said this in response to Minister Sajith Premadasa’s claim that more than 40 SLFPers had joined hands with his party. He said forming an organisation to protect the SLFP and allying themselves to UNP could not be called as protecting SLFP. “SLFP must be protected by its members while being in SLFP. more..

Oct 17 (AD) Prez candidate of SLPP Gotabaya Rajapaksa says he would restructure the govt’s tax framework and bring VAT to 8 percent when he comes to power. He stated this during an event with the owners of tea factories. Pay As You Earn (PAYE) tax imposed on labourers and employees who earn middle-level salary scale must be removed, Rajapaksa stressed. Meanwhile, addressing a public meeting in Ratnapura more..

Oct 17 (PTI) Sri Lanka will seek India's assistance to introduce electronic voting machines on a trial basis in the next provincial polls, the island nation's top election official said on Wednesday. Speaking to reporters, Chairman of the Election Commission Mahinda Deshapriya said, "I hope to do a trial at the next provincial election." The island nation will hold prez elections on Nov 16 and the results will be announced two days later on Nov 18. There are 35 candidates in the fray. more..

Oct 17 (TM) Election Commission (EC) has received 673 complaints pertaining to the forthcoming prez polls. The complaints have been received during the period between 8-15 Oc. The polls body noted that among the complaints were 650 instances of law violations, 06 violence-related incidents, and 17 other offences. The polls body said, yesterday it had received 85 complaints alone, all regarding election law violations. EC’s Complaint Management Unit, and its District Complaint Management Unit more..

Oct 17 (DM) Avant-Garde Maritime Services (Pvt) Ltd Chairman Nissanka Senadhipthi has been arrested by the CID on his arrival from Singapore at the Bandaranaike International Airport earlier today, sources said. He was arrested following an arrest warrant issued against him by the Galle Magistrate for violating a travel ban imposed on him. The Special High Court is to take up the case against him today. more..

Oct 17 (DM) The JVP, the main constituent party of National People’s Power (NPP), approaching the TELO & PLOTE to garner support for the upcoming presidential elections makes us travel back in annals of time with interest to the late 1980s when the country was literarily and metaphorically burning at its two ends. The year was 1989 and both TELO and PLOTE cadres were employed by the Govt to carry out extrajudicial killings. These rebel cadres went on a killing spree eliminating the JVP. more..

Oct 17 (DM) Promises are cheap, plans expensive. Promises easy, plans take time to formulate and a certain basic level of intelligence to articulate. Promises don’t add up to vision, plans do. Some candidates promise, others plan. I need not elaborate. Let’s flag some issues. The economy. We have one of the worst growth rates in the region; only Afghanistan lags behind SL. For all the talk of a debt inherited by the Yahapalana Govt (of which Sajith Premadasa is a minister), more..

Oct 17 (DM) SLPP MP for the Gampaha district Prasanna Ranatunga, speaks about the presidential elections and the progress of campaigning so far. Q: How do you see the progress of your campaigning so far? A: We started our propaganda work because of the prez elections along with the conclusion of the local authorities’ election on Feb 10, 2018. At that election, we asked for a mandate from people to create more..

Oct 17 (FT) Holding a press conference together for the first time since signing their MoU the SLPP with the SLFP yesterday alleged that fair coverage was not given by State media for their prez candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa and said they would lodge a complaint with the Election Commission (EC) today to prevent such incidents in the future. Both SLFP and SLPP held a press conference jointly for the first time more..

Oct 17 (DN) The Ministry of Development Strategies and International Trade hosted the 9th EU - SL Investor Dialogue, an instrument set up in 2017 to resolve issues faced by investors from the European Union operating in Sri Lanka under the Board of Investment. The high-level meeting, which promotes bilateral cooperation between the Member States of the European Union and SL, was co-chaired by minister Malik more..

Oct 17 (ST) The record number of candidates contesting the 2019 Prez Election has resulted in the budget for the election skyrocketing way beyond initial estimates, leaving a string of other complications, including more air time on state TV and radio and additional security arrangements. This has also compelled election officials to take additional measures to ensure the smooth conduct of the polling. A total of 35 candidates are more..

Oct 17 (EN) Industrial sector activity in Sri Lanka grew 2.5% in Aug 2019 from a year earlier, with a growth in manufacture of non-metallic mineral products. Index of Industrial Production of the Census and Statistics Dept grew to 112.0 points in Aug 2019 from 109.3 points a year earlier. Industrial activity had also grown 3.6% in Aug from a month earlier. An index value over 100 means industrial activity grew compared to base year of 2015. more..

Oct 17 (RN) Elections Commission is exasperated by the behaviour of the Media during this Presidential election campaign, but prefers to change matters through persuasion and consensus, Election Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya said. He said that he was most upset with State Media organisations that are showing bias “because those newspapers, in particular, belong to the state and not a private entity.” more..

Oct 17 (CT) Demands put forward by Tamil leaders of the N&E must be revealed before the country, and no leader will be allowed to hide those agreements and fool the nation, Ven. Elle Gunawansa Thera said. The Thera told a Media briefing yesterday at the Sambuddha Jayanthi Mandiraya, Thummulla, organised by the Yuthukama Sanwada Kawaya. "These days, amid the election heat, many politicians are talking about the village. more..

Oct 17 (AD) Sri Lanka has ranked 66th out of 177 countries in the Global Hunger Index (GHI) outdoing other South Asian countries like India, Bangladesh and Pakistan. In 2018, Sri Lanka stood at the 67th place in the GHI achieving a moderate score of 17.9. However, this year, SL has successfully achieved a moderate score of 17.1 securing the 66th rank. The GHI is a tool designed to comprehensively measure and track hunger more..

Oct 17 (Island) SLMC Leader, Minister Rauff Hakeem lambasted M.L.A.M. Hizbullah, former Governor of the Eastern Province, at the party Batticaloa District Central Committee meeting held at Kattankudy over the weekend. Minister said that Hizbullah hadn’t dared speak against the communal riots in the past and had become an unscrupulous mercenary for the communal minded Alliance of the SLPP. "There cannot be better evidence than more..

Oct 17 (AD) Jaffna International Airport was declared open by Prez Sirisena in Palaly today. PM Ranil Wickresminghe, Minister Arjuna Ranatunga, High Commissioner of India to SL Taranjit Singh Sandhu, Northern Province Governor Suren Raghavan along with other dignitaries graced the inaugural event. Marking inauguration of Jaffna Int'l Airport, Alliance Air (subsidiary of Air India) launched a flight to the airport with invitees more..

Oct 17 (CT) Archbishop of Colombo Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith got his personal attorney to submit some rather voluminous documents, and attestations by the Cardinal himself, pertaining to affairs directly connected to the mass killings of Catholics in churches celebrating the Easter Sunday services in April this year, to the President's Commission now preparing to probe the killings. The immediate connotation that comes to mind is that this shows the Catholic Church is perhaps more..

Oct 17 (FT) The High Court and District Court premises in Colombo were built about 300 years ago during the Dutch period, at Hulftsdorp which is named after the Dutch General Hulft who died in 1656 by a bullet, fired by a Portuguese soldier while besieging the Portuguese held Fort of Colombo. These premises are of immense heritage value not only for its architectural history but also the legacy it carries of being the primary hub of dispensing justice in the capital city. more..

Oct 17 (EN) Sri Lanka has to reform to push up flagging growth, make use of emerging technologies and fix the public sector and state enterprises, a think tank has said. Years of protection had made SL’s businesses turn inwards (non-tradables), while reforms to unlock growth has stalled. “Under such circumstances, to keep growth buoyant through a phase of macro policy reforms require supportive micro reform measures – the so-called structural reforms to lift constraints on growth,” more..

Oct 17 (DM) Four foreigners had been arrested in Mirissa for attempting to steal data from ATM machines, police said. They said an investigation was launched after a complaint was lodged with the Kotavila Police Station claiming that a foreigner had attempted to steal data from an ATM machine using a skimming device at a private bank in Mirissa. The foreigners, two Polish nationals, a Bulgarian and an Estonian national were arrested on Wednesday following the investigations. more..

Oct 17 (FT) When Rathinam Jenaka first began working at YARLCO, she was only allowed to boil the milk. As she stood stirring the pot, she would glance over to the other women on the factory floor. “Some girls were doing skilled work, and people would come and praise them for how tasty the products they made were. That become my motivation to improve my own skills.” Ten years later, Jenaka is one of YARLCO’s most more..

Oct 17 (DM) SLPP prez candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa said a secured country could not be expected from a Cabinet that did not have any knowledge on security. However, he assured a peaceful and secure nation under his leadership. He said people continually demanded for a country in which they could live without fear. “When I went to Balangoda and Pelmadulla rallies, people asked for security to be restored. We had in place a clear defence programme and proper intelligence more..

Oct 17 (AD) UNP Puttalam District MP Shantha Abeysekara has been further remanded until November 05 by the Chilaw High Court for violating bail conditions. Chilaw High Court Judge M. I. Fernando issued this court order when the parliamentarian was produced at the court today (17). Lawyers appearing on behalf of the suspect requested the High Court judge to grant bail to the suspect. Rejecting this request the Judge further remanded him until the 05th of November. more..

Oct 17 (AD) CaFFE has requested the National Elections Commission (NEC) and security forces to investigate if an organized group is behind the rumors on incidents that are related to national security. This might be done to obtain an advantage at the Prez election, stated the organization. Police spokesman, SP Ruwan Gunasekera stated that nearly 5000 rumors that disrupt national security have been in circulation. more..

Oct 17 (EN) Hambantota International Port Group (HIPG) said it recently entered into an agreement with Japanese shipping conglomerate Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK), for vehicle transhipment through its port on the south coast. It said it was able to attract Japan’s largest shipping company and the world’s number one RoRo (roll on-roll off) fleet operator with the latest in equipment, increase in productivity and zero accident policy, combined with benefits and concessions offered by the port. more..

Oct 17 (CT) JO MP, Dullas Alahapperuma said PM Ranil Wickremesinghe should resign if SLPP Prez candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa is elected President at the forthcoming Prez Election. Claiming that Parliament could not be dissolved till 3 March 2020, Alahapperuma said Wickremesinghe would never support Rajapaksa's policies as the Prez. "Therefore, it is difficult for Rajapaksa to fulfil the responsibilities of the Presidency while Wickremesinghe is Premier. more..

Oct 17 (DM) Land sales of the Colombo Port City is set to begin within the first half of next year with both government and the project company preparing to float the tenders for land plots, Mirror Business learns. CHEC Port City, a subsidiary of China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC), expects around US$ 2 billion worth investments for the two building complexes at Colombo Int'l Financial City (CIFC) next year, more..

Oct 17 (AD) A petition has been filed with the Court of Appeal requesting an injunction order that prevents the display of posters, banners and cut-outs related to the forthcoming Prez Election at public places. Centre for Environmental Justice had lodged the petition today. Central Environmental Authority (CEA), the IGP and the AG have been cited as the respondents of the petition. The petitioners allege that the posters, banners and cut-outs of presidential candidates can only be more..

Oct 17 (DN) Colombo Mayor Rosy Senanayake yesterday said that the Aruwakkalu solid waste management facility will receive garbage collected from the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) as usual. Colombo Municipal Commissioner Palitha Nanayakkara recently told the media that they had received a fax from the Secretary to the Ministry of Megapolis and Western Development stating that the Aruwakkalu facility will not receive the CMC’s garbage disposals. more..

Oct 17 (DM) UNF led alliance prez candidate Sajith Premadasa does not have deals with the opposition as some others in the govt do, UNP MP Hirunika Premachandra said. she said that it is such deals with some of the govt members had with the opposition which prevented some in the opposition to become prez candidates today. “Some who should be in jail are contesting the prez election today because of the weakness of our govt. more..

Oct 17 (DN) A solid national security policy is a top priority for SL, Minister Champika Ranawaka said. He made this observation participating in a Mega Minds programme held at Kurunegala recently. “Our educated voters are focused on four main components, which are, national security, economy, society and environment,” Ranawaka observed. “There are two main important features when we talk about national security. The first one is security operations and the other is policies and more..