Oct 20 (AD) Dutch Foreign Affairs Minister Stef Blok says many democracies in the world have commended Sri Lanka for being able to maintain the free and democratic electoral system despite challenges. Mr. Blok, who is in Sri Lanka for a two-day official visit, stated this when he called on Prez Sirisena yesterday. Lengthy discussions were held between the President and the Dutch foreign minister on the bilateral and regional affairs between Sri Lanka and the Netherlands. more..

Oct 20 (SO) Two newcomers Senura Silva and Bimandi Bandara have been selected to the SL table tennis team to take part in the forthcoming South Asian Games in Nepal in December. Senura from Ananda College and Bimandi from Hillwood College Kandy are both 14 years of age and performed well during the trials to select the team last week at the Mercantile badminton courts. Ten men and ten women took part in the trials and based on the performances after playing one another, more..

Oct 20 (SO) Independent Disciplinary Committee which is investigating the appeal made by sprinter Kalinga Kumarage has requested for explanations from the SL Anti Doping Agency (SLADA) on why the lab in India that tested his urine sample was banned. Kumarage was banned by SLADA early this year after receiving a positive report from the lab in India on the sample for allegedly using banned substances. However, the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) had banned the lab in India in Aug more..

Oct 20 (ST) Sri Lanka is very susceptible to a lot of problems without a proper legal system to outlaw questionable corporate behaviour. The latest is the high risk of financial scammers. Take the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) notices recently. In a cautionary statement, the market regulator warned the public recently on the growing number of unsolicited phone calls from firms requesting investors to buy more..

Oct 20 (ST) Akalanka Peiris was in stunning form last evening winning seven events while Ramudi Samarakoon secured five first places at the South Asian Games swimming selections trial concluded at the Sugathadasa Swimming Pool yesterday. The final selections to the South Asian Games will be finalised on Monday. Winners: Boys: Akalanka Peiris (200IM 2:14.68, 100m backstroke 57.69, 100m freestyle 51.59, 200m backstroke 2:08.88, 50m butterfly 25.11, 50m freestyle 23.74, 50m more..

Oct 20 (Island) UNP-led UNF Prez candidate Sajith Premadasa says that his main rival candidate Gotabhaya Rajapaksa was cutting a sorry figure by frequently turning for answers to his brother Mahinda and others around him, when asked questions by the media. Addressing public meetings in Wariyapola and the Colombo Business Forum on Friday, Premadasa said that a person aspiring to be President of the country, should have the ability to face the media and answers questions more..

Oct 20 (CT) National Anti Drug Front (NADF) Convener, Chathura Liyanarachchi made a startling revelation regarding drug users in the country, he said, 75% of drug users were youth and that they comprised at least 90% of Sri Lanka's labour force. The National Prevalence Survey on Drugs - 2019 has revealed that a staggering estimate of 301,989 persons over 14 years of age used cannabis. more..

Oct 20 (AD) Presidential hopeful of SLPP Gotabaya Rajapaksa says, under his administration, he would appoint the presidential commission that His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith had been requesting for, to uncover the persons responsible for the Easter Sunday terror attacks. He made these remarks addressing a public meeting held in Negombo last evening (19). Rajapaksa also vowed to restore the disrupted security measures and to make the country a safe haven again. more..

Oct 20 (EN) Election Commission (EC) urged the military to remain neutral at next month�s prez polls after army chief�s photo appeared in campaign advertisements endorsing the main opposition candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa. The EC said army commander Lt. Gen. Shavendra Silva claimed he had not authorised the use of his image or the remarks he had made a decade ago to be used in Rajapaksa�s election propaganda. �The army commander has assured that they will not more..

Oct 20 (ST) President Maithripala Sirisena has sought to hurriedly dismantle the National Economic Council (NEC) after it has failed to achieve its objectives. The main reason, he has said in a memorandum to the Cabinet, is that NEC Secretary General Lalith Samarakoon, drawing a salary of Rs 500,000 a month, was mostly away from SL. NEC was set up in 2017 to replace the Cabinet Committee on Economic Management more..

Oct 20 (SO) The 45th annual National Sports Festival will be held at the Vincent Dias stadium in Badulla from Oct 24 to 27. Medal winning athletes from the Uva Province Harjan Ratnayake and Shanika Rajapakse will light the Olympic Torch to mark the opening followed by a cultural pageant. At the completion of many other sports events Western Province leads the medals tally with a 178 medals (72 gold medals, 54 silver medals and 52 bronze medals) for men and women categories. more..

Oct 20 (CI) With the T20 World Cup less than a year away, Sri Lanka believe this month's tour of Australia - where the World Cup will be held - will prove the ideal testing ground for their crop of youngsters to prove themselves in conditions Down Under. "I'm happy [that such a young team] managed to beat the number one team [Pakistan] in the world," T20I captain Lasith Malinga said at Friday's media briefing in Colombo. "It's important to show Sri Lanka's depth of talent. more..

Oct 20 (SO) Fresh contempt of court papers have been filed against controversial BBS General Secretary Galagodaththe Gnanasara Thera, over his actions in violation of an order by the Mullaitivu Magistrate�s Court, involving a contentious burial on Hindu temple grounds. The controversial monk is facing contempt of court charges again, only four months after being freed from prison on a presidential pardon, more..

Oct 20 (SO) Responding to the video released on Friday depicting SLMC leader and Minister Rauff Hakeem speaking to the Easter Sunday attacks ringleader Zahran Hashim, the former said it was an attempt to �sling mud at him to get cheap electoral advantage from the innocent Sinhala Buddhist rural voters�. The controversial video, allegedly taken in Kattankudy following the 2015 General Elections, was released to the media by the Organisation for the Protection of Muslim Rights. more..

Oct 20 (SO) SLPP Prez hopeful is not qualified to make statements on national security even though he talks so much about it, Field Marshall Sarath Fonseka said. Army chief who led land troops in the final war against the LTTE said he never received any advice from Gotabaya Rajapaksa with regard to the war in his capacity as Defence Secretary. �In Jan 2008, I deployed a battalion from Welioya to go towards Mullaitivu. At that time Gotabaya asked me about the possibility of deploying more..

Oct 20 (ST) Sri Lanka Land Reclamation and Development Corporation (SLLRDC) is to sink billions of rupees into buying a trailing suction hopper dredger (TSHD)�the same type of vessel that was used by the builders of Colombo Port City�to dredge sea sand for the local construction industry. The TSHD is expected to cost around Rs 6.5bn, according to SLLRDC Chairman Roshan Gunawardena. more..

Oct 20 (MFA) The retrial in the case of Majuran Sathananthan vs. Brigadier Priyanka Fernando commenced at the Westminster Magistrates� Court on 18 Oct 2019. During the proceedings, the Court heard the private prosecution�s case with prosecution witnesses giving evidence. At the end of the days hearing, the Chief Magistrate adjourned Court until 19 Nov 2019, when the defence case would be further heard by the Court. Regarding this issue, on 1st Feb 2019, more..

Oct 20 (DM) NDF prez candidate Sajith Premadasa said his policy was to give prominence to Buddhism and to protect the unitary status of the country. Speaking at JHU special convention held at the Campbell Park he said there were no major differences in the policies of JHU and UNP. �Policies of the JHU are to give prominence to Buddhism and to protect the unitary status of the country. My policies are the same. I don�t think there is much difference in the policies of JHU & UNP,� more..

Oct 20 (ST) President Maitripala Sirisena, who vowed to remain neutral at the prez election and wrapped up an attractive severance package for himself this week, leaves tonight for Japan. He and his wife Jayanthi Pushpa Kumari will attend the enthronement ceremony of Emperor Naruhito. He is succeeding his father Akhito, who became the first monarch to abdicate in two centuries. On Tuesday (22), a national holiday in Japan, more..

Oct 21 (Island) Thanks to elections, rural debt problem has resurfaced as a prominent issue in the public domain. While some candidates have vowed to cancel the rural debt, others have pledged to find solutions to the problem and the agrarian crisis. Such accentuated attention from the people who seek power to assume the highest political office is a positive development though should be read with care. Recognising the problem is the first step to address it. more..

Oct 21 (TM) With around two months to go for Christmas, this is the time that children are encouraged to write to Santa Claus with their wish list. We in Sri Lanka, children included, have no necessity to write to Santa Claus because an election is upon us and every conceivable concession is being promised by the candidates in the fray. From free midday meals to schoolchildren to free uniforms to tablet computers, WiFi, and the works are being promised. more..

Oct 21 (TM) Prez candidate of NPP and Leader of the JVP Anura Kumara Dissanayake said it was clear by the remarks made by SLPP prez candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa that the latter does not intend to follow democratic principles. �He has continuously behaved as if the law does not apply to him,� he said, adding that the best way to rectify many of the issues faced by the country was to establish a healthy and vibrant democracy. more..

Oct 21 (CT) He entered the contest as a man with a plan. Smartass detractors were nasty. �He is a man with a plan and a van� they chuckled. Now, in the current crowded contest, Gotabaya Rajapaksa has eminently succeeded in rising above his competition. At his maiden press conference, he infused a clarity of vision typical of the man. Forget the painful past. Look to the exciting future. A leopard never changes its spots. It is impossible for opinionated people to change their character, more..

Oct 21 (CT) The Sunday Times editorial of 13 Oct titled NEC�s impractical guidelines mentioned that �if any media outlet wishes to support any one particular candidate it should be at liberty to do so� and went on to say that �In democracies in the West media endorse candidates�. It is absolutely correct that there is no justification preventing any print media publicly supporting a particular candidate, provided that they do it openly after making a public declaration to their readers. more..

Oct 21 (TM) While noting that successive governments had failed to safeguard the interests of the armed forces, NPM presidential candidate General (Rtd.) Mahesh Senanayake pointed out that national security was only one aspect of a president�s responsibilities. �This is not only about national security. As the president of the country, there are so many areas that have to be given priority,� he said, adding that more..

Oct 21 (TM) With less than a month to go before the 2019 presidential election, campaigning by the main contenders is at full swing albeit rife with chaos and disconnections. It is undoubtedly chaotic in the campaigns of the two main frontrunners � UNP-led NDF prez candidate Sajith Premadasa and SLFP-backed SLPP candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Given the contradictory statements being made by members of both camps regarding their respective campaigns, it is evident that both Premadasa more..

Oct 21 (Island) All presidential candidates are promising to usher in national prosperity, if elected. They tell us that they would achieve this lofty goal by having the right persons in the right positions. New Democratic Front prez candidate, Sajith Premadasa, has promised to appoint clean, efficient men and women to his Cabinet in case of his election as the President. (He does not seem to consider the present bunch of ministers clean and efficient enough to be of any use, otherwise more..

Oct 21 (ST) There is a perilous consequence to the Court of Appeal�s decision issued this Tuesday, explaining why it refused to issue notice in the legal challenge filed by civil society activists impugning the dual citizenship certificate of the Rajapaksa-led SLPP�s prez candidate, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa. In essence, the Court was asked to quash the dual citizenship certificate issued on 21st Nov 2005 on the basis that, then Prez Rajapaksa did not have the legal authority to sign the certificate as more..

Oct 21 (ST) Ever since the grant of Independence 71 years ago, a blindfolded little old lady has taken residence atop Hulftsdorp Hill on a 24/7 basis. No one has seen her in the flesh but all who do the trek up this Mount of Justice know that she is there with her right arm holding a sword, raised in imperious countenance to keep inviolate the sacred domain she rules over; and her left carrying the Scales of Justice which weighs the merits and demerits of legal supplication heard before it. more..

Oct 21 (ST) The United Nations, whose sprawling bureaucracy is largely known to move at the pace of a paralytic snail, came under fire last week when SL accused the Secretariat of being lethargically unresponsive to some of the key issues � over the forced scaling down of its peacekeeping troops � outlined in a letter sent to the UN nearly a month ago. Addressing the UN�s Administrative and Budgetary Committee, SL delegate Sithara more..

Oct 21 (ST) Igniting controversy over selection of pugilists for the upcoming South Asian Games (SAG), Sri Lanka has neglected a potential medal prospect Ishan Bandara. This came to light after Sri Lanka named a 14-member team for the SAG, to be held from December 1 to 10 in Kathmandu, Nepal. Bandara, who won a bronze medal at the last Commonwealth Games 2018 in Gold Coast, has been excluded from the outfit for the 10-day regional sporting extravaganza. more..

Oct 21 (ST) Prior to SL�s Limited Overs cricket series with Pakistan, there were many debates across the length and breadth of the island nation. SL took the risk and the challenge, toured Pakistan, lost the ODI series 0-2, but came back with an unexpected, yet welcome 3-0 series win in the T20s, with a side that some called depleted, but for many, it was a new-look unit under Dasun Shanaka. Though the Pakistan series is now done and dusted, it was an opportunity to discover new talent more..

Oct 21 (TM) An Indian milk company whose suppliers were earlier found guilty of contaminating milk with detergent powder has been chosen by the SL Govt to import milk into the country. SL Govt entered into 3 Memorandums of Interest (MoI) with TN Milk Cooperative Federation, Puducherry Milk Cooperative Federation, and Indian Potash Ltd. on 11 Oct at New Delhi for the supply of milk & milk-related products. more..

Oct 21 (FT) Irrespective of who will win the Prez Election, the economy will perform better and Sri Lanka will again be in the limelight of local and foreign portfolio managers, a top stockbroker predicted last week. �Irrespective of who wins the Election out of the two main contenders, the situation of the economy is going to be better than what it is now,� Softlogic Capital Markets CEO Danushka Samarasinghe said at an investor forum titled SL: An uncut diamond, held last week. more..

Oct 21 (ST) A senior police officer attached to Police hospital is under investigation for a hit-and-run accident in the Katugastota area. It is alleged that the police officer had sped away in his car after it collided with a three-wheeler on Aug 18 on the Madawala Road. Due to the collision, the rim cup of the police vehicle had come off. Three-wheeler driver had gone to the Katugastota police station, taking the rim cup with him to lodge a complaint. The rim cup had the vehicle number written on it. more..

Oct 21 (FT) Sri Lanka officially announced its participation at the Expo 2020 Dubai and launched a dedicated website (expo2020srilanka.lk), with major plans to enhance the country�s exports and image on a global scale. The official website was launched by the Ambassador of UAE Ahmed Ali Ibrahim Al Mualla, Deputy Minister Nalin Bandara, and EDB Chairperson Indira Malwatte, on Thursday. more..

Oct 21 (TM) A country�s economy is made up of a lot of moving parts, and requires the involvement of businesses both large and small. MSMEs (micro, small, and medium enterprises), while not talked about, play a major role in helping a country�s economy grow, and the SL economy is not exempt from this. MSMEs mainly include entities manufacturing and processing rubber and plastic-based substances, tea, leather, metal, fibre, paper, furniture and furnishing, gem and jewellery, more..

Oct 21 (ST) Senaka Weeraratne, who claims authorship of the widely used Umpire Decision Review System (UDRS/DRS), is seeking support from the newly elected President of Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) Kumar Sangakkara to gain due recognition for his contribution to the game. Weeraratne, a lawyer, came up with the idea as far back in 1997. In a letter to The Australian on Mar 25, 1997, he highlighted the importance of a DRS to minimize umpire errors in the middle. more..