Oct 23 (DM) According to media reports, National Elections Commission (NEC) has sent out directives to all State employees that persons attempting to influence co-workers, friends and subordinates to vote for a particular candidate at the Nov 16 prez election would be penalised. Earlier, NEC Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya said that the use of war victory by political parties to gain mileage at the prez election could not be allowed as war victory belonged to the nation and not to a particular more..

Oct 23 (DM) With all the religious, cultural and heritage values enshrined in this country, it is inconceivable that we, as a nation, could have allowed the heinous carnage of 21/4 to be perpetrated and it is precisely because these values are enshrined in us that, as a nation, we rose to help our brethren who were victims of this senseless carnage!!! It is human nature to be selfish and think only about ourselves; but since all religions the world over teach us the value of loving kindness more..

Oct 23 (Xinhua) The Tissapura Junior School in Hambantota in SL’s southern province was a picture of joy on Oct 18. Led by Principal A.H. Weerakeerthi, the kids were singing and dancing happily. The occasion was the inauguration of a two-storyed new school building that was built by the China Merchants Charity Foundation, on a free of charge basis. The inaugural ceremony was attended by SL and Chinese dignitaries like more..

Oct 23 (RN) Voice of Citizens (Purawesi handa) organisation urges the NPP and other alternative forces to unite under the umbrella of democracy and support the DNF candidate Sajith Premadasa at the Prez election to defeat the SLPP. If the DNF is defeated, Sri Lanka will face a grim future and the process of state and democratic reform will be stopped. Co-Convener of Voice of Citizens Prof Athulasiri Samarakoon said that more..

Oct 23 (ST) The Kandy Teaching Hospital has joined the exclusive ranks of National Hospitals – just the second to be declared as such in the country after the National Hospital of Colombo. A veritable lifeline to a large catchment area, the 2,500-bed newly-declared National Hospital of Kandy serves patients not only from the Central Province but also from Sabaragamuwa, Uva, North Central Province, North Western more..

Oct 23 (Island) The SL economy has been affected by five crises, says JVP leader and NPP prez candidate Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Speaking at ceremony at SL Foundation, on Monday, he said: The first is the loan crisis. The revenue received by the Treasury is not sufficient even to pay the installments of the loans taken. To pay back the due installments the country needs to borrow an additional 135 billion rupees. more..

Oct 23 (Island) Sri Lankans had to decide whether to bring the Rajapaksas back and lose GSP Plus and other facilities, PM Ranil Wickremesinghe said, on Sunday, addressing youth activists at Pita Kotte. "When we came to power a number of countries were angry with us. The international community had little faith in us. We had even lost GSP + trade concession. We have changed this situation completely. more..

Oct 23 (TM) President Maithripala Sirisena has issued a Gazette Extraordinary calling upon the armed forces to maintain public order across the country with effect from midnight yesterday. Prez is the Commander-in-chief of the SL Armed Forces and has issued the gazette by virtue of the powers vested in him by Section 12 of the Public Security Ordinance (Chapter 40). Accordingly, the Army, Navy and the Air Force have been more..

Oct 23 (AD) IGP Pujith Jayasundara and former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando have been remanded till Nov 6. The Colombo Additional Magistrate Priyantha Liyanage delivered the order when the case against the duo was taken up today. On Oct 9, the Colombo High Court dismissed the previous order issued by the Colombo Magistrate’s Court granting bail to the IGP and former Defence Secretary, more..

Oct 23 (AD) With sweeping promises to write off farmers’ debt and ensure stable prices, SLPP prez candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa yesterday said he would cut VAT to 8% under his govt. Addressing hundreds of supporters in Embilipitiya, Rajapaksa promised to uplift the living standard of farmers and ensure a stable income through stable price schemes for paddy and other crops. According to Rajapaksa, the farmers’ living standard more..

Oct 23 (AD) Hambantota Mayor Eraj Fernando who is currently serving a 5-year prison sentence has been granted bail. Bail was granted to the Mayor, today, following an appeal to his 5-year imprisonment sentence over a case of threatening several UNP MPs with a pistol during their visit to the Hambantota Harbour on April 17, 2014. Five suspects including the Mayor were charged over the incident, more..

Oct 23 (AD) Hearing of the case former DIG Anura Senanayake for concealing evidence on the murder of SL rugby player Waseem Thajudeen, has been postponed until Nov 7. The case was taken up before Colombo High Court Judge Wikum Kaluarachchi today. It is reported that the defendant has not appeared before the court for today’s hearing. The attorney-at-law representing Senanayake has told the court that his client more..

Oct 23 (CT) SLPP Prez candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa has made the point on more than one occasion since being appointed as candidate, that if elected to power he would most certainly set up a special PCoI to probe Easter Sunday carnage. Ceylon Today has, from the very day of that carnage made the emphatic point that the Govt in charge, and that includes the UNP Govt and President Sirisena, must put national security at the uppermost point of importance and ensure a cooperated more..

Oct 23 (FT) GOALS: Increase runway movement from 11 to 17 departures per hour at BIA. Facilitate an optimum structure to ensure a strong network of airports. ACTION PLAN Technology: 1. Convert a section of the Lotus Tower retail area into an express international flight check-in zone, with luggage drop-in services. 2. Introduce facial and fingerprint biometrics for fast check-in at immigration counters. 3. Implement BIA app to have real-time flight details, terminal maps, taxi details and booking, more..

Oct 23 (EN) Sri Lanka’s economic growth for 2019 has been cut to 2.7% by the IMF, down 0.8% from a earlier projection in April, while India’s growth has been cut by 1.2% to 6.1%. Growth for Bhutan and Nepal, countries which do not have central banks that print money for active monetary policy have been upgraded, from the April projection. The IMF painted a gloomy external picture for Asian economies amid a US-China trade war. “A marked deceleration in merchandise trade and more..

Oct 23 (AD) A youth has been assaulted to death at Depanama, Pannipitiya in Mahragama early this morning, stated the Police. The assault had, reportedly, taken place near a private educational institute at around 12.20 am today. The youth injured in the assault has been admitted to the Homagama hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. The deceased youth is an 18-year-old male residing in Depanama, Pannipitiya. Upon receiving information on the death from Homagama Hospital Police more..

Oct 23 (DM) State Minister Wasantha Senanayake questioned prez candidate Sajith Premadasa on his stance on giving posts to PM Ranil Wickremesinghe, Ravi Karunanayake and Rishad Bathiudeen in a Premadasa Cabinet. In a letter to Minister Premadasa, State Minister said he needed further clarification from the former on the role of Minister Rauff Hakeem in a future Premadasa Govt. “If your answers to these questions are not more..

Oct 23 (AD) A petition has been filed with the Supreme Court seeking a ruling that prohibits the display of digital nameboards at movie theatres and public places for the election campaigns of the prez candidates. The petition was lodged by a private company citing the Election Commission’s chairman and other members as its respondents. The petitioners claim that a series of guidelines pertaining to the conduct of campaigns for Prez Election was issued on the 12th of Sept. more..

Oct 23 (FT) Ambassador of Japan to SL Akira Sugiyama handed over a 92 book donation from the Nippon Foundation to the Jaffna Public Library, to Jaffna Municipal Council Mayor Emmanuel Arnold at the ceremony organized at the Jaffna Public Library last week. The Nippon Foundation is the foremost public welfare and philanthropical organization in Japan, and has been playing the leading role in Sri Lanka in promoting the Japanese language and culture at Sasakawa Center in Colombo, more..

Oct 23 (TM) The sister of Swedish national Yvonne Johnson, who was brutally murdered at the Royal Park Condominium in 2005, in a public statement on Facebook condemned President Maithripala Sirisena’s decision to consider granting a presidential pardon to her sister’s murderer, Shramantha Anthony Jayamaha. Prez Sirisena addressing an event held last Saturday said he was considering a presidential pardon for more..

Oct 23 (YP) TWO vibrant pink tuk tuks are helping to transform the lives of single mums and girls in Sri Lanka thanks to the support of women dental practitioners. Dr Catherine Hendron and Dr Martina Hodgson were motivated to donate the tuk tuks by a presentation from the Rosie May Foundation to Inspiring Women in Dentistry, which aims to encourage more women to achieve their full potential within dentistry in the UK. The tuk tuks are just part of the work being done by more..

Oct 23 (NR) Minister Ajith P Perera says a public debate between Prez candidate of NDF Sajith Premadasa and Prez candidate of the SLPP Gotabaya Rajapaksa, will provide the public an opportunity to evaluate the Prez hopefuls’ credibility to hold public office. He said the public should be given ample opportunities to evaluate the candidates ahead of the Nov 16 Polls. The Minister noted Minister Sajith Premadasa had invited Gotabaya Rajapaksa for an open debate. more..

Oct 23 (EN) Sri Lanka’s state salaries has been raised in recent years and will go up further in 2020, especially in executive grades, finance minister Mangala Samaraweera has said. Sri Lanka’s taxes have been raised sharply under so-called revenue based fiscal consolidation but spending has also gone up. Sri Lanka has raised the pensionable salaries of state workers in recent years. On some executive grades salaries more..

Oct 23 (Island) Former Minister and founder of the Pathfinder Foundation Milinda Moragoda says that prez candidates should reveal who their friends are to the electorate. In a statement issued Moragoda said: "Those associates within their inner coteries include their political allies, advisors, business persons aspiring to be oligarchs and of course, family members. If prez candidates do not set an example and control their surrogates and associates before they are elected into office, more..

Oct 23 (Island) Hambantota Int'l Port Group (HIPG) has signed a terminal service agreement (TSA) with Japanese shipping firm Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK) to provide vehicle transhipment via the port. The agreement is the first roll-on / roll-off (RORO)-specific TSA signed by NYK and a port in SL. NYK will provide RORO, machinery and equipment cargo to the SL port. Then, the vehicles will be transhipped to different regions. Japanese company did not deliver any transhipment cargo to SL for more..

Oct 23 (TM) The Central Bank announced today (23) that it has cancelled the license issued to The Finance Company PLC (TFC) with effect from today following several regulatory actions. The regulatory measures taken with effect from 15th Feb 2019 included suspension of accepting new deposits, withdrawal of deposits and disbursement of loans and advances to facilitate the restructuring process of TFC. more..

Oct 23 (AD) Dept of Irrigation has announced that the flood situation near Kelani River and Attanagalu Oya is gradually subsiding. However, Dunamale water gauging station is still under observation, and water levels of Attanagalu Oya at Dunamale area are also expected to go down. As there had not been heavy rainfall during the past 24 hours, the water levels of these two rivers are not expected to rise again. The water levels of Kelani River and Attanagalu Oya as indicated by more..

Oct 23 (EN) Asian Development Bank (ADB) plans to allocate more money for Sri Lanka’s tea industry in its 2020 lending program, having dropped an initiative for regional plantations companies to raise funds through tea bonds. The funding strategy had shifted from bond issuance to an overall financing strategy for the industry, the ADB said in a report. The lending agency had earlier proposed that Regional Plantations Companies (RPCs), hit hard by the long slump in tea prices and heavy debts, more..

Oct 23 (RN) SLMC leader Minister Rauff Hakeem says the video clip showing him with terrorist Zaharan Hashim has been removed after viewers spotted the current Podujana Peramuna organiser in Kattankudy in the same video. The video clip apparently shot shortly after the 2015 elections, showed Hakeem meeting Zaharan and others, which led to the SLPP calling on Hakeem to recuse himself from more..

Oct 23 (EN) Sri Lanka’s parliament passed a vote on account, giving authority for the govt to spend and raise debt up to April 2020 in place a of a full year budget. Parliament passed the vote on account without a vote being taken. But the Marxist JVP, registered a token protest without calling for a division. Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera proposed a vote on account for four months, leaving room for any president elected in November to craft his own budget. more..

Oct 23 (AD) PM Ranil Wickremesinghe has left the PCoI probing the allegations of corruption and fraud in state institutions after recording his statement. PM arrived at the PCoI at around 10.30 this morning. Commission has recorded a statement from the PM with regard to the paddy storage at the Mattala Int'l Airport. On Oct 18, PM, who was set to appear before the PCoI probing allegations of had informed that he is unable to do so since he was slate to attend several prescheduled events in Jaffna. more..

Oct 23 (DM) The Gota-Baya (fear of Gota) among all wrongdoers, murderers, bribe-takers and drug dealers was understandable because he was to launch a special campaign against those criminals on assuming Presidency after Nov 16, Spokesman of the SLPP, Dulles Alahapperuma said today. Responding to Daily Mirror at the first-ever SLFP – SLPP joint Press briefing held at Rajagiriya last morning, former Minister Alahapperuma more..

Oct 23 (DM) Victory for the SLPP at next month’s presidential election would result to the dissolution of the SLFP founded by late PM S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike, SLFP Kalutara District MP Kumara Welgama said. He said it was the utmost duty of the SLFP members to protect the party without it being destroyed, adding that he would neither support Gotabaya Rajapaksa nor Sajith Premadasa. “The decision to support the SLPP itself is a betrayal of the SLFP,” MP Welgama said. more..

Oct 23 (AD) Ministry of Education announced that the Principal and the entire staff of the school are fully responsible for the custody and security of all students in a school. Accordingly, the Ministry of Education has already issued instructions to the Heads of Schools regarding the measures to be taken to ensure the safety of the school premises. Ministry of Education stated this issuing a statement on the incident reported on principals in Provincial Council Schools in Matara District more..

Oct 23 (RN) Director of the State Intelligence Service, Nilantha Jayawardena, bears the greatest responsibility in the failure to prevent or mitigate the effects of the Easter Sunday attacks on Churches and Hotels, a Parliamentary investigation has found. The final report of the Parliamentary Select Committee that probed the attack released its final report today, just over 6 months after the Islamic extremists from more..

Oct 23 (CT) With the election campaigns for the presidential election in full swing, the candidates are making a wide range of promises to an electorate that has not become cynical enough not to hope again that these might be kept. The promises are mostly with regard to the economic benefits that people can reasonably expect from a govt that has their interests at heart, and include economic development, employment opportunities and subsidies. more..

Oct 24 (CT) Monday Oct 21 marked sixth month since the senseless Easter Sunday bombings of churches and hotels slaughtering innocent men, women and children. Up to date the country remains clueless as to who the real perpetrators were. All what has happened was a Muslim religious lunatic Zahran and his associates who were funded and protected by the previous and the present govts of being responsible. This tragedy could have been averted if the govt had acted promptly when more..

Oct 24 (SO) As sons of the Southern soil contest shoulder to shoulder as the main contenders of the upcoming presidential election, the voters of the Southern Province are in a dilemma as to which one would be a better leader. While they discounted efforts of other contestants as foolish endeavours to grab votes from the two true competitors, their racial and religious sentiments seemed to play a vital role in the decision of selecting the future prez. more..

Oct 24 (ST) For a few weeks now, we have been discussing an important issue: How long it would take for SL to become a rich country? To be more specific, the question implies that how long would it take for SL to become a high-income country with over US$12,000 per capita GDP from its present level of $4,000. There are countries in Asia which have done it within a period as short as 10 years. We began with the agriculture sector, which is traditionally the dominant economic activity more..