Oct 24 (CT) There are various schools of thought on President Maithripala Sirisena's decision to abandon his re-election bid and his neutral stance. Many praise the decision taken by Prez Sirisena while some condemn it. However, when you look at the decision from a political viewpoint no one can deny it is one of the best decisions a President has taken in recent history. A majority of the general public does not have a favourable view of elections or the way they have been conducted in this country. more..

Oct 24 (SO) In the backdrop of the National Election Commission revealing the stupendous costs that will almost certainly be involved in the upcoming Prez election - due to the ridiculously high number of candidates running for the presidency - there are calls for serious action to revise the election laws. Among all the negative features of this election, the most outrageous will be having to spend nearly Rs.3 b more to accommodate more..

Oct 24 (DN) World Health Organization (WHO) Director General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus proclaimed on World Health Day, April 7, 2018, that the SL health service is one of the best not only in Asia but in the world. He stated that the reason behind the high-quality service of health in Sri Lanka was the free availability with clear guidance given to the health services by successive govts of the country. Speaking on this occasion, Dr. Poonam Singh, WHO Director for the Asian region, more..

Oct 24 (Island) You, as parents, get two things from your young children—insanity and IT knowledge, in equal measure. If you get stuck while experimenting with your computer or smart phone––these gadgets seem to have minds of their own––your saviour comes in the person of your child or grandchild. Help won’t come promptly, though. You have to plead with them and stomach many indignities at their hands for being such a dinosaur in the modern world. However, when it comes to choosing your more..

Oct 24 (CT) It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out the fact that Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Sajith Premadasa are leading the Presidential race, with the possibility of a candidate from any other party being elected looking nothing but a fat chance. It is the first time in history where a President, a PM or an Opposition Leader has kept themselves away from having a shot at the top seat during a Presidential Election, and perhaps that's why it has thus far been a seesaw battle more..

Oct 24 (Island) According to Chairman, Election Commission, the prez election results will be officially announced only on Nov 18. The writer is of the view that the probable outcome would be known to the people by early hours of 17th itself as there seems to be that a fairly clear mandate will be given to one of the leading prez candidates, though 35 contenders are running, thus wasting public money. The amount of time, money and energy wasted is enormous - could have been used sparingly, more..

Oct 24 (TM) Committee for Protecting Rights of Prisoners (CPRP) came out strongly today against reports that Prez Sirsiena is contemplating a presidential pardon for Shramantha Jude Jayamaha who was convicted in the infamous 2005 Royal Park murder case. CPRP Chairman Senaka Perera said that, while Prez has the right to issue presidential pardons to convicted prisoners, there are more deserving prisoners than Jayamaha more..

Oct 24 (CI) Comparing teams across different eras is a proposition that comes with umpteen caveats. How long was a side consistently good for? Did they win away? Sure, they won away, but did they win in unfamiliar conditions, outside their home continent? Can they do it on a cold Tuesday night in Stoke? And all of that is precisely what makes sporting debates engrossing and fun. India have been a force to reckon with in Test cricket for a while now, and since 2013, they've just lost one Test at home more..

Oct 24 (FT) China Southern Airlines has restored its fully-fledged services of three flights per week to and from Colombo, which was reduced to one soon after the Easter Sunday tragedy. The airline cited “The present recovery of social order and high tourist demand to SL”, as the reason for resumption of three weekly flights starting from 27 October. Flight CZ 3059/3060, Canton to Colombo arrival at 1840 and departs at 1940 towards Malé. The same aircraft arrives at 2359 from MLE and more..

Oct 24 (DN) Some of Australia’s T20 World Cup aspirants will have the chance to stake their claims for selection when the PM’s XI tackles Sri Lanka in a T20 warm-up match on Thursday. The likes of Chris Lynn and Ben Cutting will feature in the Twenty20 match at Manuka Oval, alongside co-captains Peter Siddle and Dan Christian. Lynn will be the star attraction for the clash after he was a big-name omission more..

Oct 24 (TM) Havelock City has announced that it is ready to handover its Phase 3 Residential Apartments having obtained the Certificate of Conformity (COC) from the UDA. The announcement follows the successful, on-schedule completion of Phase 3 construction in August 2019. Located at the heart of mega-project Havelock City, the two luxury residential towers of Phase 3 -named Stratford and Melford- comprise of 304 apartments over 28 floors, offering garden and sea views. more..

Oct 24 (ST) Talented young footballers from across Asia came together this week for Allianz’s regional football camp, an initiative created to champion the new generation of leaders and develop their skills. The Allianz Explorer Camp Football Edition Asia 2019, hosted at The Arena in Singapore over four days, brought together 43 talented teenagers from the region to train under the tutelage of FC Bayern ambassador and former Croatian international Ivica Olic. more..

Oct 24 (CT) Olympian Manjula Kumara Wijesekara, High Jump champion of SL throughout the past two decades, wanted his swansong to be at the National Sports Festival (NSF) in Badulla. But, a new ruling introduced by Dept of Sports Development has denied this opportunity for the 11-time NSF champion, despite an appeal made by Southern Province to include him in their team. Wijesekara has personally appealed to more..

Oct 24 (Hindu) In less than a month, over 15 million voters in Sri Lanka will have a say in the country’s prez election. A total of 35 candidates are in the fray, but the principal contest is between Gotabaya Rajapaksa of SLPP and Sajith Premadasa of UNP. Two other prominent candidates — JVP’s Anura Kumara Dissanayake and civil society group-backed former Army commander General Mahesh Senanayake — are pitching themselves as an alternative to the mainstream parties. more..

Oct 24 (Hindu) Deputy High Commissioner of SL in Southern India V. Krishnamoorthy said there is a growing interest among Indian and SL companies to invest in each other’s market. “However, more needs to be done to create an optimal supportive framework in this regard,” he said, addressing members of the Federation of Telangana Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FTCCI) here. Underscoring the need for concerted efforts in moving the bilateral trade to a higher level more..

Oct 24 (AD) The final report of the special Parliamentary Select Committee, tabled at the Parliament today (23), accused that the greatest responsibility in failing to prevent the Easter Sunday bombings lies with the State Intelligence Service. Committee report charges that Prez Sirisena actively undermined national security. The cross-party committee that probed alleged intelligence lapses related to the suicide bombings said more..

Oct 24 (DN) Sri Lanka hopes, junior and cadet table tennis teams left on Wednesday for Oman to take part in the ITTF World junior circuit, Oman junior and cadet open table tennis championship 2019. The championship will be held 24-28 Oct at Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex, Muscat with the participation of 17 countries. Former national player Buddhasiri Withanachchi functions as the manager cum coach and Ms. Siriyalatha functions as the lady chaperon for the team respectively. more..

Oct 24 (FT) Sri Lanka Tea Board yesterday kicked-off the second leg of the Ceylon Tea global promotion campaign in Kyiv, Ukraine. SL delegation was led by Tea Bard Chairman Lucille Wijewardena along with Sri Lanka Tea Board Promotions team. The three-day WorldFood Ukraine 2019 is a major exhibition of food products and beverages, which generates cash flow for the food industry, retailers and restaurant business. Sri Lanka Tea Board launched its global campaign in Moscow more..

Oct 24 (DM) The CEB has purchased power at their own discretion without any transparency for the last five years, the COPE said. The COPE report which was submitted to Parliament by its Chairman JVP MP Sunil Handunetti said. Purchases of power at rates ranging from Rs. 100 to Rs. 1000 million has been made per day from 70 generating points without determining prices in a proper manner. more..

Oct 24 (DM) A fight between two groups of Sri Lankan migrant workers in South Korea left one dead and two injured on Tuesday night (22) in Sacheon-si, Gyeongsangnam-do, the Sri Lankan mission in South Korea confirmed. The brawl which led to the stabbing took place between two groups of Sri Lankan workers, believed to have been under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident. Sources said that the fight was in retaliation to another fight which took place on Oct 19. more..

Oct 24 (FT) The political coalition to back SLPP prez candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa will be formed on 31 Oct, SLPP spokesman MP Dullas Alahapperuma said. Ceremony to form the coalition will be held at the SL Foundation Institute at 9.30 am. The coalition will be named the SL Nidahas Podujana Peramuna (SLNPP). Political parties backing the SLFP and SLPP will also join the coalition to pledge support to Rajapaksa. Alahapperuma said the coalition will strengthen Rajapaksa’s election campaign. more..

Oct 24 (DM) The FR application filed by Senior Attorney-at-Law Upul Kumarapperuma, against the criteria that had been followed on the appointment of President’s Counsels will be taken up tomorrow before CJ Jayantha Jayasuriya and Justices Gamini Amarasekera and S. Thurairajah. According to the petition, at present, there is no specific and transparent criteria or procedure that is available more..

Oct 24 (CT) JVP MP Bimal Rathnayake yesterday queried in Parliament as to how ethical it was to appoint UPFA MP Thilanga Sumathipala, who is the Former Chairman of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), to the COPE, when COPE was conducting an inquiry into SLC's conduct. Rathnayake made this query when Dy Speaker, Ananda Kumarasiri announced that Sumathipala has been appointed as a member of COPE according to Standing Orders. This appointment was made to fill the vacancy more..

Oct 24 (CP) Quebec Court of Appeal has ruled that a Sri Lankan national who saw a murder charge against him stayed due to trial delays - and who has since been deported from Canada - will not stand trial. In 2017, Sivaloganathan Thanabalasingham avoided trial for the killing of his wife Anuja Baskaran when a Quebec Superior Court judge ruled that the nearly 60-month delay between his 2012 arrest and the start of his trial was excessive. The Jordan decision, a 2016 Supreme Court ruling, more..

Oct 24 (Island) The JVP criticised the govt for presenting to parliament a vote on account instead of bringing in a budget for the next financial year. The govt, yesterday, presented a vote on account amounting to Rs. 1474 bn to cover govt expenses for the first quarter of next year. The parliament approved it following a debate. JVP requested the Speaker to record their objection to the vote on account presented by the govt. more..

Oct 24 (Island) United Left Front (ULF) decided to back the NDF candidate Sajith Premadasa contesting the prez election under the Swan symbol. Political sources said that 30 members of ULF Central Committee backed the decision whereas 24 opposed it. Two CC members abstained. Their original decision was to back JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake backed by the NPP movement. In the wake of the ULF changing its stance, its Secretary Lal Wijenayake quit. more..

Oct 24 (FT) ACMC threw its support behind Rauff Hakeem, Leader of SLMC on 20 Oct. Recent allegations against SLMC Leader Hakeem are baseless, insisted ACMC. “We vehemently condemn such false allegations. We will not allow Hakeem to be falsely accused in this way,” announced ACMC Leader, Vanni District MP and Minister Rishad Bathiudeen on 20 Oct. Addressing an election campaign rally in Sammanthurai in support of prez candidate Sajith Premadasa, and defending more..

Oct 24 (Island) PM Ranil Wickremesinghe, appearing before the PCoI investigating alleged corruption of the current administration, rejected allegations that the govt had damaged the reputation of the Mattala Mahinda Rajapaksa Int'l Airport (MRIA) by storing paddy in some of its storage buildings in 2015. "What reputation? It has no prestige. It’s called the world’s emptiest airport. more..

Oct 24 (FT) Prez Sirisena has conferred additional powers on the Commission of Inquiry (COI) he appointed in September to investigate and inquire into the suicide bomb attacks that took place on Easter Sunday. Additional powers will enable the Commission to call upon any bank in SL to produce any book or document of the bank containing entries relating to the account of any person whose conduct is being inquired into by the Commission or of the spouse or child of that person. more..

Oct 24 (DM) If it is proven that anyone from our camp had been with the mastermind behind the Easter Sunday bomb attack Zahran, we will take action against him, said PM Ranil Wickremesinghe. PM said, the parliamentary select committee looking into the Easter bomb attacks had recommended a probe to determine whether any politician had associated with Zahran and if UNF was condoning it. “The select committee recommendation was welcome and we will take action against more..

Oct 24 (FT) Bungling by the country’s intelligence agencies and failings by the country’s top political leaders resulted in their inability to prevent or mitigate the Easter Sunday terror attacks, which left hundreds dead and scores injured, the Parliament Select Committee (PSC) which probed the attacks said in its final report yesterday. The PSC apportioned the greatest responsibility for failure to prevent the attacks on more..

Oct 24(DM) Despite the on-going war against narcotic drugs and the hangman’s noose hanging over the necks of repeat drug-offenders, there are also reports of drug trafficking making inroads into SL with the proliferation of various kinds of drugs such as heroin, hashish, cannabis, methamphetamine, cocaine and psychotropic substances. In the wake of the foregoing, there have also been several instances of large quantities of narcotics being detected, seized and more..

Oct 24 (DM) The minds of the average voters in Sri Lanka are filled with frustration more than hope. They’d choose to vote for either Gotabaya Rajapaksa or Sajith Premadasa out of the frustration they have to find the country’s next leader. And if people turn the pages of time and analyse the past two presidential elections they would see that there was the same frustration. Another thing associated with the frustration is the gambling mentality in voters. Their thinking or believing that more..

Oct 24 (DM) Dr. Ajantha Perera, the only female candidate to contest in the upcoming Prez Polls is determined to bring about a total transformation in the existing political culture. Contesting from the Socialist Party of SL, Dr. Perera is a recognised environmental scientist in Sri Lanka and many other parts of the world. In a candid interview She explained her vision for the country and why it’s time to bring about a change in the routine more..

Oct 24 (TM) The universities came to a standstill during the long islandwide strike by non-academic staff. Fifteen universities, three campuses, and nine institutes in Sri Lanka went on a unanimous strike. What happened, why did it happen, and what is the untold story behind it? Who are non-academic staff? Every staff member who does not lecture in the university system is known as non-academic staff. more..

Oct 24 (Island) Western Province Governor A.J.M. Muzammil says the UNP never recovered from treasury bond scams perpetrated in Feb 2015 and March 2016. Having regained power in 2015, the UNP allowed now disgraced primary dealer Perpetual Treasuries and the then Governor of the Central Bank to exploit the national economy, he alleged. Muzammil asserted that in addition to the treasury bond scams, more..

Oct 24 (FT) The aim of Universal Health Coverage, is to ensure that all people and communities receive the healthcare they need, without experiencing financial hardship. In Sri Lanka, with Govt investing less than 2% of the National GDP on health, our country’s health financing model relies heavily on out-of-pocket expenditure by households comprising almost 50% of total health expenditure. Spending on medicines is the dominant more..

Oct 24 (CT) Mystery surrounds the death of a mother of four, whose body arrived from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), because the KSA death certificate stated that the housemaid had died due to cardiac arrest, while the Negombo Judicial Medical Officer's (JMO) certificate stated that she had died due to suffocation by hanging. Hailing from Saami Malai, Hatton, she has left behind husband, Sasikumar and 4 children. more..

Oct 24 (ST) The National Election Commission has threatened presidential candidates and their supporters with legal action if they use social media in the 48 hours before election day on Nov 16. Election Commissioner-General Saman Sri Ratnayake said the commission would either directly take legal action against an offender or support another candidate or group wishing to file a case against a protagonist trying to influence more..