Aug 3 (DN) Sri Lanka Cricket�s Executive Committee yesterday made an appeal to the Minister of Telecom, Foreign Employment and Sports Harin Fernando to give time till the end of the New Zealand series to carry out his directive to SLC pertaining to the change of the coaching staff of the national team. If the Minister gives the okay then Chandika Hathurusingha will continue as head coach for the New Zealand series as well. more..

Aug 3 (CT) After a disastrous outing in last month�s Western Province Championship, Long Jumper Sarangi Silva returned to her best, leaping a personal best of 6.29m during special trials conducted by the Army to select Sri Lanka�s Military World Games team at the Sugathadasa Stadium yesterday. Sarangi leapt 6.12m and 6.18m prior to leaping 6.29m in the fifth attempt, which is her personal best; her previous best was 6.09m which she jumped during SL�s Asian C'ship trial. more..

Aug 3 (DN) SL�s top 3 professional golfers Anura Rohana, Mithun Perera and N. Thangaraja fought out a hard battle to the end in tough windy conditions with Rohana emerging a comfortable winner beating Thangaraja to second place by four shots in the RCGC Altair Open Golf Championship played at the RCGC yesterday. Defending champion Mithun Perera finished third. This was the 8th time that Rohana had won the RCGC Open C'ship. Total of 25 golfers made the cut more..

Aug 3 (FT) Despite approval from Police Acting IGP Chandana Wickramaratne to transfer DIG of Kurunegala Kithsiri Jayalath, who was allegedly involved in Dr. Mohamed Shafi�s controversial arrest, National Police Commission (NPC) yesterday decided to withhold his transfer to Trincomalee. NPC had approved 17 transfers of DIGs, including nine new DIGs, who had completed their training. more..

Aug 3 (Island) The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), according to PM Ranil Wickremesinghe, has been quite surprised at the rapid progress made by security services following the Easter Sunday attacks. Addressing a public rally recently following the opening of a new bridge at Kaduwela on the Kaduwela-Biyagama road, PM quoted FBI representatives sent to assist Sri Lanka as having told him that other countries took about one year to conduct such an inquiry. more..

Aug 3 (DN) Singapore has relaxed its Travel Advisory on Sri Lanka from defer all non-essential travels to exercise caution, the Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry said today. �The state of emergency remains in force. Security has been tightened at key installations including places of worship, tourist locations and airports.� the notice on the website read. �If you are already in SL, you are strongly advised to exercise vigilance and take all necessary precautions for your personal safety, more..

Aug 3 (FT) SLFP-linked trade union yesterday claimed that the national carrier will incur a loss of Rs. 175 million per month, as a result of the Govt�s decision to reduce ground handling charges by 25% to woo int'l flights post-Easter Sunday setback. Pointing out that ground handling is the most profitable division in the airline at present, they charged the intention of the Govt in reducing service charges was to fast-track a nose-dive for more..

Aug 3 (AD) Six Indian nationals have been arrested at the BIA while attempting to smuggle over 2.4 kg of gold by concealing in their rectal cavities. Passengers were arrested by officers of CID at the airport. They had attempted to smuggle 2 kg and 440g of gold, worth around Rs 17 million, by concealing them in their rectums. Police said based on information received by the CID unit at the BIA, four Indian nationals preparing to fly to India were arrested with 1kg & 60g of gold at the airport. more..

Aug 3 (FT) Viyathmaga held its latest public event in Kurunegala with a large number of people participating. Titled Country and Tomorrow the event was held at the Kandian Reach Hotel and was organised by the Kurunegala committee. Speaking at the event Dr. Nalaka Godahewa said the seminars which were chaired by Gotabaya Rajapaksa were being held amidst much constraints. However, despite these obstacles, he said measures were being taken to educate more..

Aug 3 (Island) The greatest threat to economic development was corruption, and both corruption as well as bribery undermined the rule of law, impeded development and promoted bad governance, declared State Minister Eran Wickramaratne. Minister, addressing a forum jointly organized by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka (CA Sri Lanka) and South Asian Federation of Accountants (SAFA) said: more..

Aug 3 (SLN) Reciprocating to an extended invitation from the Russian Navy, Commander of the Navy, Vice Admiral Piyal De Silva made an official visit to Russia 27-30th July. During the visit the Commander of the Navy attended the annual naval parade in St. Petersburg, which is considered as Russia's large-scale international ceremonial event at sea. Further, Vice Admiral Silva also held bilateral discussions with Admiral Nokolay A Evmenov, Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy. more..

Aug 3 (NR) The price of imported milk powder has been increased with effect from midnight yesterday, the 1 of August. A senior spokesman of the CAA said consent was granted for companies importing milk powder to increase a 1kg milk powder packet by Rs.15. Accordingly, the price of a kilogram of milk powder will be increased from Rs.920 to Rs.935. A 400g packet of milk powder has been increased by Rs.5. The price of a 400g packet will be increased from Rs.370 to Rs.375. more..

Aug 3 (DN) The country cannot be developed by chanting political slogans on TV and rousing racial tensions. The people of this country should decide if they need a development driven govt which could attract investment or one that is limited to talk only, said PM Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday. PM was speaking at the distribution of 1200 land deeds to landless families in Anuradhapura public esplanade yesterday. more..

Aug 3 (DN) Grade Five Scholarship Examination for 2019 to be held tomorrow, with 339,369 school children aged 10-11 years sitting the test in 2,995 exam centres. Exam will be coordinated through 497 coordinating centres. Around 25,000 invigilators would be deployed for exam duties. The exam, which consists of two test papers will commence at 9.30 a.m. Candidates will be given 45 minutes to answer the first test paper while one hour and 15 minutes will be given for the 2nd test paper. more..

Aug 3 (Island) SL Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) initiated the National Sustainable Tourism Certification (NSTC) as the 1st step towards making the tourism industry sustainable with the technical and financial assistance of Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN) of UNDP in mid-2018. After the successful completion of the process, the 1st batch of hotels is set to be awarded and recognized for their impressive sustainable practices on August 5 at Ape Game, Battaramulla more..

Aug 3 (AD) Several teams of police personnel were deployed on multiple occasions to arrest National Thowheed Jama�ath leader Zahran Hashim, however, the arrest attempts had failed, Acting Director of Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) SP Jagath Nishantha said. These teams were deployed to Zahran�s addresses directed to Kattankudy and Kekunagolla, his wife�s hometown, while a Muslim officer was also appointed to more..

Aug 4 (ST) If the paralysis in govt and the prevailing conundrum of the UNP-SLFP cohabitation have been too long drawn, the heightened invective and counter vituperation within the UNP itself is beginning to have its impact on the country�s economy. Going by media reports, this week�s Cabinet meeting witnessed a right royal blow-up between Cabinet colleagues over the funding, or the lack of it, for the long overdue Central Expressway, & then over a pay rise for plantation workers more..

Aug 4 (CT) After seven decades in active politics, the UNP is today at a crossroads. For years, it has been struggling with a leadership crisis, its members leaving in droves to join other political alliances and losing elections one after the other. Through all that the party persevered. From time to time it formed alliances with minor political parties to face elections. And, amidst all of this, the party always retained its majority foothold and control within those alliances. more..

Aug 4 (SO) Exactly a week from today, the SLPP is set to hold a huge rally in the central city of Kandy, where expectations are that former President Mahinda Rajapaksa will formally take over the reins of the fledgling political party that swept the February 2018 local authorities election. August 11 is also when the SLPP rank and file strongly believe the former President will finally anoint the party�s presidential hopeful. more..

Aug 4 (Island) Two notorious characters who became a law unto themselves and terrorised the Opposition, under the Rajapaksa govt, have got their just deserts. Hambantota High Court has sentenced Hambantota Mayor Eraj Fernando and another person to 5 years in jail for threatening a group of UNP MPs, in 2014; Fernando was seen, on TV, carrying a pistol and running behind the MPs who were visiting the Hambantota Port. Photographs of the incident appeared in the newspapers. more..

Aug 4 (Island) Kusal Mendis is favourite target of social media. An unfortunate victim of the incredibly �Short memory syndrome� most Sri Lankans suffer from. However, it was heartening to see him have a decent series against Bangladesh. Most of the criticism stems from the fact that Mendis is a shaky starter. Ten ducks and a further 16 innings with ten or less runs off 71 innings does little to enhance his reputation. However, modern day greats like Mahela and Sangakkara too appear to more..

Aug 4 (CT) While urging the political leadership to come together to appoint an independent commission to investigate the Easter Sunday attacks, to ensure justice for the victims, Archbishop of Colombo Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith insisted that he will not have an audience with any future Presidential candidate until justice is meted out for the victims. He explains as to why he has no faith in the appointed commissions that are claiming more..

Aug 4 (ST) Aiyo Sirisena, I thought I should write to you when I heard your loyal lieutenant, Mahinda Amarey, say that the Blues will announce their candidate in September for the upcoming big election. Hearing that, I didn�t know whether to laugh or cry because we didn�t think you would even consider contesting. Amarey said that the Blue party hasn�t decided yet whether to field its own candidate or whether it could come to an agreement with Mahinda maama�s pohottuwa chaps about more..

Aug 4 (ST) Laughing aloud, the trio watched as a boy down the lane was being chased by a dog. Balagena malli (watch out little brother), said Serapina, as the 14-year-old ran away, after initially provoking the dog. Later under the Margosa tree, I heard Kussi Amma Sera raising the issue of a severe drought that has affected crops and many villages. Apey pradesaye vishala wathura prashnayak thiyenawa (there is a major water shortage in our area), she said. more..

Aug 4 (SO) In combating terrorism, the state�s security agencies and specialist counter-insurgency units tenaciously hold on to suspects rather than risk letting loose potential combatants to possibly wreak havoc. In this country, wracked as we have been by successive insurgencies, every community and many neighbourhoods have experienced detention of their people under Emergency Regulations and under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. Right now, the country is again under Emergency Law more..

Aug 4 (Island) Since the heydays of Clive Lloyd, no cricket team has played the sport with such charm, grace and colour than the New Zealanders. The whole world was in admiration for the way Kane Williamson and his troops conducted themselves during the dramatic final of the Cricket World Cup at Lord�s a fortnight ago. The New Zealanders arrived at Katunayake in the early hours of yesterday for a month long tour, during which they will play two Tests and three T-20 Internationals. more..

Aug 4 (CT) Cold war prevailing between the two camps within the UNP reached volcanic proportions with Deputy Leader Sajith Premadasa�s camp openly challenging PM Ranil Wickremesinghe who is holding onto the leadership for over quarter century, at a crucial Working Committee meeting held on Thursday, to deliberate on the proposed alliance. Argument arose with Party's Chair Kabir Hashim opposing idea, more..

Aug 4 (CT) Former Commonwealth Games (CWG) Gold medallist Chinthana Geethal Vidanage, CWG Bronze medallist Hansani Gomes, Chamari Warnakulasooriya, Thimali Haputhanna established new national records at the South Asian Games trials held at Torrington. Vidanage, who won the Gold medal at the CWG 2006 and a Silver medal in the 2010 edition, demonstrated that he is still going strong at 37 years of age by lifting total of 305kg while exceeding the qualifying standard more..

Aug 4 (Island) Despite SL cricket blowing hot and cold in recent times, one format that they have done decently well is Test cricket. SL became the first team to beat Pakistan in a Test series in UAE in 2017 and early this year they became the first Asian nation to win a Test series in South Africa. Former captain and premier batsman Angelo Mathews told Sunday Island that the team is looking to build from the momentum gained in the South African series into the upcoming series against NZ more..

Aug 4 (ST) Ashantha de Mel, Chairman of Cricket Selectors, thinks SL should focus on training that is specific to the shortest format, as they prepare for next year�s T20 World Cup in Australia. �This is a different format,� said de Mel. �I think we need to focus on training specific to the T20 game.� Training specific to the T20 format that refers to are power-hitting (a skill missing from the SL side), boosting the speed with which they play their shots, more..

Aug 4 (CT) HFC Kurunegala maintained their unbeaten streak as the Overall Champions for the 12th consecutive time, defeating Devi Balika Vidyalaya 22-11 and HFC Kalutara 15-04 in the Under-15 and Under-13 categories respectively; yet succumbed to Kalutara Balika Vidyalaya 34-31 and Musaeus College 30-29 in the Under-19 and Under-17 categories respectively in the annual SL Schools National Netball Tournament played at Welagedara Sports Grounds, Kurunegala yesterday. more..

Aug 4 (ST) A lengthy session of discussion on junior and youth rugby was the highlight at the AGM of Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR), held at the National Olympic Committee Auditorium in Colombo yesterday. SLR President, Lasitha Gunaratne, stated that the Annual Accounts, audited by the AG�s Dept, were accepted at yesterday�s AGM, which was well-attended by SLR�s affiliations and membership. �We are one of the sport governing bodies in Sri Lanka, with a clean record when it comes to accounts & finances. more..

Aug 4 (TM) A conflict is brewing between Ministry of Housing, Construction, and Cultural Affairs, which overlooks UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and Ministry of Tourism Development around the reduction of tourist ticket prices for these sites. A few weeks ago, Minister Affairs John Amaratunga, briefing the media on the measures taken to promote the terror-hit tourism industry, noted that more..

Aug 4 (Island) The SL Shippers� Council convened its 49th Annual General Meeting (AGM) last week. Incumbent Chairman Suren Abeysekera, acknowledging his election to the Chair, said the Council is the apex body of shippers in Sri Lanka with a 50 plus year history. It was also the first Shippers� Council to be established in Asia. Representing 14 Product Associations with a representative membership of about 50, it is allied to almost all industries engaged in int'l trade. more..

Aug 4 (DM) Plans have been made to introduce a single ticket system where passengers could travel to Matara from Colombo via both by train and bus through the Kottawa-Makumbura Multi-Modal Transport Hub, Railways General Manager Dilantha Fernando said. Once the system is in place, he said a passenger could purchase a ticket from the Fort Railway Station in Colombo to go to Makumbura Railway Station and then to Matara on the Southern Expressway via bus utilising the same ticket. more..

Aug 4 (CT) There is a sand mining mafia operating in the Ceylon Fishery Harbours Corporation (CFHC), a reliable source revealed. Sand mining is carried out in harbours such as Kirinda, Hambantota, Ambalangoda, Chilaw, Hikkaduwa and Pereliya. It was also alleged that the Coast Conservation Department (CCD) and the Geological Survey and Mines Bureau (GSMB) were complicit in this mafia. more..

Aug 4 (TM) Port & Airport Development Levy (PAL) introduced in 2009 has never been used for the development of SL�s ports or airports as its name would have one believe. The funds raised under the levy for over 10 years have been channelled to the Consolidated Fund and none of it has been allocated for the development of SL�s ports and airports. Officials from SL Ports Authority and Airport & Aviation Services (SL) Ltd, which overlook the development/maintenance of ports & airports, more..

Aug 4 (DM) The govt is to recruit 8,500 GCE O/L and A/L qualified youths next week as project assistants to accelerate rural development work. They will be provided with a year's training and paid a stipend of Rs.15,000 each and confirmed jobs after the period of training. The govt handed over appointment letters to 16,800 graduates in the State sector last week. They too will be provided with one year's training and appointed to State institutions as permanent employees. more..

Aug 4 (ST) AG has exposed irregular accounting of debt running into billions of rupees where inconsistent rules were applied and some loans had been completely written off during the period of 2013 to 2015 under the previous regime. The loans obtained in relation to eight loan agreements under contracted liabilities made by the Govt have not been included in the financial statements of the relevant state institutions, more..