COLOMBO (News 1st)

Your Wednesday Morning Brief

1. Non-Cabinet Minister of Economic Reforms and Public Distribution Dr Harsha de Silva meets the UK Minister of State for International Trade Conor Burns on the sidelines of the Sri Lanka Investment Forum 2019. 2. A special Committee on Public Enterprises or 'COPE' report which details inquiries conducted into the activities of 23 state institutions will be presented in Parliament today (October 23). 3. The National Elections Commission has directed its attention towards utilizing ballot boxes made out of cardboard for the upcoming Presidential Election. 4. The US District Court for the Central District of California granted former Secretary of Defence Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s motion to dismiss Ahimsa Wickrematunge’s lawsuit against him for the assassination of her father, Lasantha Wickrematunge. 5. Colombo High Court Judge Sashi Mahendra ordered the Prisons Superintendent to produce Avant-Garde Chairman Major Nissanka Senadhipathi in Court on November 14th. 6. A contingent from the EU Election Observation Mission commenced activities from yesterday (October 22) monitoring activities pertaining to the upcoming Presidential Election. 7. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has been summoned today (October 23) to appear before the Presidential Commission appointed to probe allegations of corruption and fraud at state institutions over the past 4 years. 8. National Organizer of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna Basil Rajapaksa in response to the UNP's invitation for an open debate said the SLPP is ready to face any challenge. 9. The Department of Irrigation said the water-level of the Kalu ganga and the Kelani ganga remain at Alert Level due to heavy rainfall. 10. A suspect was arrested by the Customs at the BIA for the possession of gold worth Rs. 39 million.

“Failure will never overtake you if your determination to succeed is strong enough.”