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Efforts to be stepped up to realise potential:
Sri Lanka, Pakistan target $2 billion in trade by 2015
President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Pakistani
President Asif Ali Zardari have called for enhancing bilateral
trade, targeting US$ 2 billion by 2015 from the current US$ 375
million. Pakistan is the second largest trade partner of Sri Lanka.
During extensive discussions, the two leaders called to step up
efforts to fully realise the potential of the Sri Lanka-Pakistan
Free Trade Agreement and build a mutually beneficial economic and
trade partnership.
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Following US led sanctions :
World oil prices soar
World oil prices are soaring following the US
led sanctions against Iran, Petroleum Industries Ministry Secretary
R.H.S. Samaratunga told a media briefing on Friday at his ministry.
He said that the price of a barrel of crude oil had increased by US
$ 9 in the past 36 days. The price of refined oil had also increased
to US $ 130 per barrel last weekend. It was less than US $ 120, two
weeks ago, he said.
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The ‘Mother of All Shows’ begins
The tradition established will be kept as Sri
Lanka’s first ever award show for schoolboy cricketers, which has
produced many champion Sri Lanka cricketers, is back to continue its
role in fostering school cricket. The countdown to the 34th
Observer-Mobitel Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year 2012 event begins
today with the voting for the Most Popular Schoolboy Cricketer of
the Year All-Island and Outstation contests.
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‘Ranil tactics, only to gain political mileage’
Many political, religious and social leaders
yesterday condemned Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremasinghe’s
statement and categorised it as a move to take political mileage
ahead of the UN Human Rights Commission (UNHRC) sessions by
discrediting the country. Minister of Trade and Consumer Affairs,
Johnston Fernando said that the Opposition leader is coming out with
concocted stories for his own survival.
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Civilian officer to nip crime in the bud
A civilian officer with a sociological
background has been appointed to the police department to do an
indepth study on the pattern of serious crime plaguing the country
and recommend preventive measures to nip such crime in the bud. The
officer who will be attached to the Criminal Record Office is
expected to submit a report to the IGP within the next few weeks
highlighting the causes that led to such heinous crime being
committed,
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President Maithripala Sirisena is in Thailand making a three-day official visit and attending the second Asia Cooperation Dialogue Summit. The Dialogue Summit that brings together 34 nations in the Asian region takes place from October 8 -10 in Bangkok under the theme "One Asia, Diverse Strength".
Official level discussions have commenced between Sri Lanka and Iran on reviving trade agreements that were signed between the two countries and will be put into operation soon after ironing out technicalities, Minister of Industry and Commerce, Rishad Bathiudeen said. 
Pakistan on Friday (September 30) officially postponed the 19th SAARC Summit scheduled to be held in Islamabad on November 9 and 10. A new set of dates for holding the Summit will be announced soon through the Chair of SAARC (Nepal), reports said. 
Due to the prevailing drought, water levels of the main reservoirs have dropped to half its capacity, with authorities warning that drastic measures may need to be taken if water is to be continuously released from the reservoirs for power generation. 
To avert a possible dengue outbreak in the next three months, when the number of mosquito breeding sites are likely to surge with the monsoon rains, the Dengue Control Unit of the Health Ministry will launch an island-wide Dengue Control Week starting on Tuesday, September 27 to Monday, October 3.
Sir Richard Jolly, former Deputy Executive Director, UNICEF, and Special Adviser to the Administrator, United Nations Development Programme (1996 to 2000), and Principal Coordinator of the widely-acclaimed Human Development Report will deliver a lecture on, “Development: Can Sri Lanka be a model for implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs)?” on September 28 at 5 pm at the BMICH Committee Room D, on the invitation of the Gamani Corea Foundation. 
Richmondite Charith Asalanka joined the elite band of school cricketers by winning the coveted Schoolboy Cricketer Of The Year 2016 title for the second year in succession emulating the feats of former Sri Lankan greats Arjuna Ranatunga, 1980/82' ( Ananda) Roshan Mahanama, 1983/84'(Nalanda) Thilan Samaraweera 1994/95' ( Ananda) 'Lahiru Peiris 2004/2005 (St.Peter's) and Bhanuka Rajapaksa 2010'2011 (Royal) who had also won the award twice .
Cricketing legend and former Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene will grace the occasion at the 38th Observer-Mobitel Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year awards night scheduled to take place at the Galadari Hotel on September 20. 
Stern action will be taken against traders who sell sugar above the controlled price of Rs. 95. Instructions have been given to the relevant authorities to launch island-wide search operations, a press communique from the Minister of Finance Ravi Karunanayake said. 
Refuting speculations, Power and Renewable Energy Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya said, no decision has been taken to impose power cuts on account of the current dry spell in the country. 
