Oct 20 (ST) Many months before the 2019 prez election, a twosome from the top rungs of the JVP met a duo of their equivalent ranks in the UNP in what seemed an ongoing dialogue. The camaraderie from their association with each other during the days of so-called yahapalana or good governance govt was still alive, though the close friendliness had largely evaporated. Yet, each needed to talk, at least occasionally, to the other for varied reasons.
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Govt spending, revenue on the rise in 2024
Oct 20 (TM) Govt spending has increased by 5.4% to Rs. 3,476.9 billion in the first eight months of 2024 compared to Rs. 3,297.3 billion during the same period last year. This amount represents nearly half of the projected annual expenditure of Rs. 6,977.8 billion. Recurrent expenses, which include salaries, interest payments, goods, and subsidies, saw a 3.4% rise, reaching Rs. 3,041.6 billion. Salaries and wages climbed by 6.7%, while spending on goods and services grew by 8.2%.
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EC quashes presidential directive to resume development projects
Oct 20 (ST) Election Commission (EC) has shot down a prez directive to go ahead with development projects overseen by District Coordinating Committees (DCCs) under the supervision of provincial governors. This is on the grounds that such a move would be in violation of election laws given the governors are political appointees. Prez Secretary N.S. Kumanayake had earlier written to Public Admin Ministry Secretary, advising him to instruct district secretaries to devise
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Central Expressway Section I: Construction resumption awaits Cabinet greenlight
Oct 20 (TM) The resumption of the Central Expressway’s Section I from Kadawatha to Mirigama remains in limbo as the Ministry of Transport and Highways awaits Cabinet approval for the necessary funding. Ministry Secretary K.D.S. Ruwanchandra confirmed that a proposal requesting Rs. 7.5 billion had been submitted and the project would move forward once the Cabinet gave the green light. “It has to be approved by Cabinet.
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Indian Navy ship Kalpeni visits Colombo
Oct 20 (AD) Indian Navy’s ship, INS Kalpeni, arrived in Colombo today (19), according to a statement issued by the HC of India. High Commission noted that the ship was warmly welcomed by the Sri Lanka Navy in accordance with naval traditions. Commanding Officer, Commander Sunil Kulhari will call on Commander, Western Naval Area, Rear Admiral Chinthaka Kumarasinghe during the stay. INS Kalpeni is a Car Nicobar class Waterjet FAC of Indian Navy commissioned on 14 Oct 2010.
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Fresh twist in Easter attack probe
Oct 20 (DM) The debate over the alleged concealment of the reports on the series of deadly blasts that rocked Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday, 2019 took a new turn yesterday with PHU leader Udaya Gammanpila seeking an appointment in writing with Public Security Minister Vijitha Herath to hand over what he said all defence sensitive materials to him. Earlier, Mr. Gammanpila challenged the govt to publish these reports, sparking a debate why people are kept in the dark.
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පත්තරේ විස්තරේ
Former Presidents holding on to 19 official vehicles
Oct 20 (TM) Former Presidents Ranil Wickremesinghe and Mahinda Rajapaksa currently retain a total of 19 official vehicles, despite recent efforts by the Govt to reclaim the excess. 11 vehicles remain under the custody of Wickremesinghe, while Rajapaksa retains eight out of the 16 he had initially been provided. The Govt has formally requested both former leaders to return the additional vehicles in their possession. The request was made under the Presidents’ Entitlements Act No.4 of 1986,
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India doubles grant to upgrade nine plantation schools
Oct 20 (SO) Govt of India (GOI) will double its grant support to upgrade nine schools in the plantation regions of SL. GOI’s total commitment to the project now stands at Rs. 600 million with the additional funds infused at the request of the Govt. The High Commissioner of India to SL, Santosh Jha and the Secretary, Ministry of Education and Science and Technology, Mrs. Thilaka Jayasundara signed and exchanged diplomatic letters on Friday to formalise modalities regarding the project.
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Govt abandons imputed rental income tax proposal
Oct 20 (TM) Govt under Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake will not be going ahead with the proposal made by the previous Govt to introduce an imputed rental income tax, the Ministry of Finance reveals. Instead, the Govt is currently formulating several alternative proposals that will be presented to the IMF at the next review of the IMF programme. Treasury Deputy Secretary R.M.P. Rathnayake revealed that Treasury officials were
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Dilni continues record breaking spree
Oct 20 (Island) Lyceum International Wattala prodigy Dilni Rajapaksha lived up to her reputation to bag the last remaining national level meet record of her age category in the long jump at the ongoing All Island Schools Games Athletics Championship at the Sugathadasa Stadium. The 14-year-old bagged the Under 16 meet record with an effort of 5.94 metres in her first jump of the best eight competition. She was the overwhelming favourite for the title after having cleared the six metres barrier
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Tharushi shatters four-decade old record
Oct 20 (ST) Tharushi Abhisheka of Wickramabahu National College, Gampola made history, shattering a four-decade long U-18 1500m record on second day of the All-Island School Games at the Sugathadasa Stadium yesterday. Abhisheka clocked 4:29.97 in the Girls’ U-18 1500m event. Her impressive performance shattered a 39-year-old SL Youth (U-18) record of 4:35.7, set by Olympian Dammika Manike in 1985. The 16-year-old athlete also broke SL Junior (U-20) record of 4:33.40
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Anura Kumara Dissanayake
President says he rejected Ranil’s request to have 16 chefs, 163 guards
Oct 20 (DM) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake said he has denied a request from former Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe for extensive privileges, which included 16 chefs, 163 security personnel, 30 umbrellas and over 20 vehicles. Prez said at a public rally that moving forward, Wickremesinghe will be entitled to only three vehicles, in line with current govt regulations. He said the govt will introduce new legislation to prevent former Presidents from being supported through public funds.
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Indian flight lands at BIA due to bombs scare; AASL says no threat
Oct 20 (AD) An Indian passenger flight arriving from Mumbai has made an emergency landing at the BIA due to a bomb scare. All 96 passengers and 08 crew members of the flight have been evacuated and a special search operation is being carried out in the aircraft at the BIA, DIG Nihal Thalduwa said. Meanwhile, the AASL has issued a statement regarding the matter confirming that there is no threat over the reported bomb scare on the Vistara flight UK 131 from Mumbai to Colombo.
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Oct 20 (TM) Two years after the first complaint was lodged with the CID regarding an alleged sugar tax fraud, CID Director SSP Mangala Dehideniya has requested the handing over of personal mobile phone and official permanent phone numbers of the Prez’s secretaries up to 13 Oct 2022. Accordingly, CID has requested that the mobile numbers be handed over to the FCID as the dept seeks to gather more evidence and
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FDIs should grow to USD 4 to 5 b in the next decade: Finance Ministry
Oct 20 (SO) With new policies in place, a system where there is consistency in policy and unchanging laws, regulations and taxes, Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) should grow to USD 4 to 5 billion in the next decade, a Finance Ministry official said. The new Govt following the ascension of NPP Prez candidate, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, has promised a corrupt-free Govt and an administration bereft of the usual practice of mismatched policies and the rule of law, which to a larger extent
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No new import levies imposed on five goods as reported: Finance Ministry
Oct 20 (DM) Refuting reports that the government had increased taxes on several imported goods, the Finance Ministry said the govt had only extended the taxes imposed by the previous govt. Ministry said the Gazette notification which was issued on Oct 14, 2024 on five imported goods had only extended the Gazette notification which had been issued on Oct 14 last year. The Ministry said the gazette notification expired on Oct 13, 2024 and it was extended till Dec 31, 2024 as it is.
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Windies’ rank turners claim sour grapes: Asalanka
Oct 20 (TM) Skipper Charith Asalanka, who led Sri Lanka to a historic 2-1 T20I bilateral series triumph over the West Indies on Thursday in Dambulla, dismissed allegations from WI Head Coach Daren Sammy that the home team had prepared rank turners for the last two games in fear of losing on decent decks. “I think the wickets prepared for all three matches were decent, as the statistics will show,” Asalanka said,
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Consistency key as Sri Lanka and West Indies battle for ODI redemption
Oct 20 (ST) Lyceum Int'l Wattala prodigy Dilni Rajapaksha lived up to her reputation to bag the last remaining national level meet record of her age category in the long jump at the ongoing All Island Schools Games Athletics Championship at the Sugathadasa Stadium. The 14-year-old bagged the Under 16 meet record with an effort of 5.94 metres in her first jump of the best eight competition. She was the overwhelming favourite for the title after having cleared the six metres barrier.
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How Jayasuriya transformed Sri Lanka into a winning machine
Oct 20 (Island) On a balmy Thursday night in Dambulla, a sell-out crowd witnessed Sri Lanka clinch a historic first-ever series win over the West Indies. Despite the Caribbean side’s reputation as a T20 powerhouse, ranked third in the world, they were outclassed by an eighth-ranked SL team that stuck to the basics. No brute-force power hitting. Instead, they backed their strengths, smart running between the wickets, and reintroduced disciplined cricket that seemed lost not long ago.
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රටට කෙලපු තවත් එකෙක්...!
Editorial: Were the right questions asked?
Oct 20 (Island) The Institute of Chartered Accountants deserves the highest praise for persuading three of SL’s former Presidents, Chandrika Kumaratunga, Maithripala Sirisena and Ranil Wickremesinghe, to appear on a single platform at its 45th annual conference last week. Mahinda Rajapaksa, who was also billed to appear was a no show, whether on second thoughts or on account of his increasing frailty that is often visible on television home screens.
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The possible future of foreign policy in SL
Oct 20 (Island) The last two weeks suggest that the NPP is moving to the centre, most probably in a bid to grapple with the challenges of a slim majority. The new govt has announced that it will oppose the upcoming UNHRC resolution on SL. This indicates that it is moving to embrace the nationalist space that was previously held by Mahinda Rajapaksa and his family, but has since bifurcated, if not trifurcated. As Harendra Dassanayake and Rajni Gamage recently observed, Sinhala Buddhist space
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CBK, RW clash over a Dubai bank account of a politico’s son
Oct 20 (CT) Elections Commission issued a circular setting out the maximum spending limits for candidates’ campaign expenditures during the 2024 General Election. These limits apply to candidates, political parties, independent groups, and National List candidates, with variations depending on the district. All future national elections will be governed by new campaign finance laws, which cap the funding that candidates, political parties
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Stakeholders alarmed as delays threaten Sri Lanka Rugby’s future
Oct 20 (ST) A considerable number of stakeholders from the local rugby community have expressed concern over the blatant delays in establishing a duly elected administration for Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR), with the deadline set by World Rugby (WR) approaching in a few weeks. SLR is currently under the authority of Dr. Shemal Fernando, the Director General (DG) of the Dept of Sports Development, after the Ministry of Sports imposed a suspension on four affiliated sports bodies for
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Netball: Asian champs Sri Lanka thrash debutants Saudi Arabia 118-5
Oct 20 (ST) Defending Asian Netball champions SL, produced a commanding performance on the second day of the competition, thrashing debutants Saudi Arabia 118-5. The game, held at the Koramangala Indoor Stadium in Bengaluru, saw SL lead 59-2 at halftime, and they continued their dominance throughout all four quarters. Sri Lanka, eyeing their third consecutive title, were in control from the start. They led 27-2 at the end of the first quarter, and with each passing minute,
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අනුර ඇවිත්
A welcome revival
Oct 20 (SO) One of the most adverse results of the economic crisis was the abrupt stoppage of several important infrastructure projects mid-way or even before they were slated to begin. The countries which were funding these projects were rather reluctant to lend funds for the projects as Sri Lanka’s debt sustainability was in serious doubt. There was another factor at play – some Govt Ministers and officials had demanded bribes and kickbacks from the foreign Govts and/or contractors to give
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A verdict 24 years too late
Oct 20 (CT) After an agonising 24-year wait, justice has finally been served in a long-standing homicide case in Galle. A 50-year-old man, a resident of Imaduwa, was found guilty of murder for deliberately electrocuting another individual in 2000 using an unauthorised electricity connection. On 16 Oct, the Galle High Court pronounced the death sentence, bringing a semblance of closure to a case that had been dormant for far too long. However, this closure is bittersweet, for it exposes
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AKD Govt to start talks with IMF this week while trying to secure $ 760 m from WB/ADB
Oct 20 (TM) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD) and his Govt – which is an Interim Govt, to be precise, with only a 3-member Cabinet – seems to have its plate full, mainly with issues related to Govt finances and the country’s recovering economy. AKD Govt is under pressure from the Opposition and public over the raising of loans after running a campaign during the Prez Election on the loans being taken by successive govts.
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Where to, from here?
Oct 20 (TM) Even though SL’s political landscape underwent a dramatic change on 21 Sept with the election of Anura Kumara Dissanayake as Prez and the unceremonious exit of the old guard thereafter, there are increasing signs of the envisaged change being diluted at the upcoming General Elections next month. It is no secret that the majority of the population heaved a collective sigh of relief when the old guard, primarily represented by Mahinda Rajapaksa on one flank and Ranil
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Does President AKD borrow money like Ex-Prez Ranil?
Oct 20 (ST) Some opposition ex-MPs bitterly criticize Prez AKD (Minister of Finance as well) for borrowing funds like ex-Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe (RW), so there is no difference between them. It is basically for mud-slinging aiming at the general election on the one hand and their ignorance of the subject matter on the other hand. Indeed, ignorance needs to be cured. It is customary that any govt in power borrows funds to meet govt expenditures based on Treasury Bills (T-Bills) and
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SJB accuses NPP of fielding Goni Billas for general elections
Oct 20 (ST) During its campaign, the NPP has been stressing the need to send new blood to Parliament, arguing that many of the former MPs who have been in politics for decades are corrupt and inefficient. NPP’s candidate lists are mostly comprised of relatively newcomers to politics. This has also provided ammunition to its opponents to attack the NPP. SJB Kurunegala district candidate and former MP Thushara Indunil likened
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A prince’s gambit
Oct 20 (ST) My dear Namal baby, I thought of writing to you because we hear you commenting on various issues these days when campaigning for the pohottuwa for the general election. This is while you are desperately trying to salvage some pride after receiving a rude message from the voters at the presidential election. Politics is a funny sport, isn’t it, Namal baby? After all those years of taunting the maalimaawa chaps and calling them seeyata thunai or 3 per cent,
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Focus on disaster mitigation
Oct 20 (ST) When the heavens open up, bringing torrential rains, floods, and misery to people, it is also a heaven-sent opportunity for politicians, especially aspiring Members of Parliament, to rise to the occasion by taking dry rations, drinking water, and other relief to the affected. The inclement weather came at no better time for most of them with less than a month to go for parliamentary elections. It’s not just floods across this country; there is freak weather around the world.
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