>Jul 7 (SO) SLFP stalwart MP Kumara Welgama did not mince his words when he said he is totally against family bandyism in politics. MP Welgama said if both the Presidency and Premiership are chaired by the Rajapaksa family members, those next in the seniority line in the party would be deprived of any prospects of reaching the zenith of the party political ladder at least during the next 25 to 30 years. more..

Jul 7 (SM) Investigators have made a major breakthrough on the probe into the assault on former Editor Upali Tennakoon and are set to arrest a key suspect. Fingerprints found on Tennakoon�s vehicle on the day of the assault have been linked to an army officer accused of being involved in the attack. Co-ordinating Secretary of the Attorney General (AG) State Counsel Nishara Jayaratne said that investigations had linked more..

Jul 7 (SM) TNA Parliamentarian and member of the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) investigating the Easter Sunday bombings, M.A. Sumanthiran, asserted that the committee appointed by President Maithripala Sirisena to probe the same matter, was illegal. MP Sumanthiran told The Sunday Morning that the President had failed to follow proper procedure when appointing the committee thus making it illegal. more..

Jul 7 (TM) A group of former LTTE cadres have met officials of the US Embassy in Colombo and urged them to lift the ban on the LTTE in the US. The Crusaders for Democracy (CFD) had talks with a US Embassy delegation in Jaffna on Friday during which the request was made. The CFD consists of former LTTE cadres who have been rehabilitated and are now in active politics. Ganeshalingam Chandralingam alias Thulasi more..

Jul 7 (EN) A wildcat strike at state-run Sri Lanka Railways that left 400,000 passengers stranded was a result of union rivalry involving an attempt to frame an official for political gain one union leader charged, while strikers counterclaimed otherwise. "I am today revealing myself as the person behind the reason for this politically motivated union," Chandrasena Bandara, identifying himself as the secretary of the Railway more..

Jul 7 (ST) Prez Sirisena may turn to the Supreme Court once again � this time to seek a determination on when his tenure as President began. This is to determine when exactly his term of office will end. His legal advisors have told him that his tenure should begin from May 15, 2015 � the day Speaker Karu Jayasuriya signed his assent to the 19th Amendment. They have opined it is not on Jan 8, 2015 when National Election Commission more..

Jul 8 (CT) When President Sirisena announced his intention to hang the convicted drug offenders lingering in the death cells of Welikada prison, he was congratulated by President Duterte of the Philippines. When he returned from a recent visit to the Philippines, President Sirisena publicly expressed his admiration of the manner in which President Duterte was dealing with drug offenders in that country. Sirisena and Duterte appear to have misunderstood each other. more..

Jul 8 (CT) Ven. Galagoda Atte Gnanasara�s BBS is once again rallying in Kandy, transforming an otherwise serene city housing the most sacred Dalada Maligawa, a hotbed of Sinhala Buddhist extremism, on the heels of Athuraliye Ratana Thero�s fasting drama weeks ago. Sri Lanka has been witnessing these types of anti-Muslim upheavals in the Easter Sunday period, with many monk-led anti-Muslim waves blowing across the nation in cyclonic style. more..

Jul 8 (SO) Hours before the Supreme Court issued a stay order on executions, two United National Party backbenchers launched moves in Parliament to repeal the death penalty in Sri Lanka�s statute books, in a bid to end the debate on capital punishment once and for all. The Bill to abolish the death penalty, sponsored by UNP Galle District MP Bandula Lal Bandarigoda and Gampaha District MP Kavinda Jayawardane more..

Jul 8 (ST) The grim reaper�s shadow envelops the land and shrouds it in morbid darkness. The hangman�s noose throttles all conversation and strangulates all positive thought. The subject today is death by hanging. When the national debate and discussion at this hour should be focused on how to regenerate the economy; when the nation�s spirit should be buoyant and hopeful, upbeat on how to rise from the rut; when the collective conscious of all Lanka should be contemplating how to more..

Jul 8 (Island) Our press coverage of the Capital Punishment debate that followed President Sirisena�s announcement on 26 June of his signing death warrants on four persons convicted for serious narcotic-related crimes � I refer to Features, Opinions, news reports such as those on intimidatory orders conveyed to the govt of Sri Lanka by foreign diplomats and spokespersons of INGOs, decisions of trade unions and other civil society outfits, and seemingly casual statements by more..

Jul 8 (CT) The white flag on the gate of the Upananda National School in Pinnaduwa Galle waved gently in the soft breeze Friday (5) after a man was shot dead by a lone army sentry, the previous day, in an unfortunate incident that could have been easily avoided if both sides had shown more restraint. It all happened earlier in the day after retired Naval rating, 40-year-old Udaya Pradeep Kumara, answered a telephone call from more..

Jul 8 (SO) What is the most critical issue affecting the country today? If you thought it was the curse of the 19th Amendment or the up and down performances of our cricketers at the World Cup, think again. Instead, it is the raging debate about the introduction of the death penalty. While it may seem a peripheral issue for some, it is not- and that is because more than four hundred and fifty prisoners are languishing in death row. For them it is a life and death issue, quite literally. more..

Jul 8 (ST) Many years ago, my first visit to Singapore was a long stopover at the Singapore Airport, which was a memorable one. I had to wait about half a day for my connecting flight to Melbourne. Singapore Airport was big, and it never stopped becoming bigger and better in order to accommodate the ever-growing air-travel passenger movements; today it handles over 65 million passengers a year. Singapore has built its airport not only to accommodate millions of more..

Jul 8 (ST) There is palpable confusion in the air. Is SL�s IGP Pujitha Jayasundara, arrested this week along with former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando on a range of offences under the Penal Code, including murder and causing death by negligence, still holding the position of head of the police force, albeit being put on compulsory leave? The arrests of these two men are grounded in their failure to respond to previous warnings by foreign and local intelligence sources regarding more..

Jul 8 (DN) SL Netball team led by Chaturangi Jayasuriya will take part at the Netball world Cup which will commence on12th July in Liverpool, England. The final will be played on 21st July. This will be a huge challenge for the SL team which is presently world number 19 in the ranking. Our plan is to finish within the first ten teams in the world said SL coach Thilaka Jinadasa. SL team left for England 2 weeks before the world cup and they are busy with pre preparation before major tournament. more..

Jul 8 (DN) Sri Lanka ended their 2019 Cricket World Cup campaign on a losing note being beaten by one of the tournament favourites India rather comprehensively by seven wickets in the final league match played at Headingley here on Saturday. It was SL�s fourth defeat out of seven completed matches against three wins and skipper Dimuth Karunaratne said that it was a reasonable performance by his team more..

Jul 8 (Island) Prez Sirisena is on the warpath. He never misses an opportunity to tear into his political enemies and critics. On Saturday, speaking at a public event in Bibile, he lashed out at the opponents of the death penalty, going so far as to call all of them beneficiaries of drug dealers� largesse. He sounded just like Prez George Bush, who declared, "You are either with us or against us!" Bushism is something political leaders should avoid if they are not to look unintelligent. more..

Jul 8 (EN) CEB has lost 23.1 billion rupees in the four month ending April 2019 from 17.5 billion rupees last year, as costs increased amid a breakdown of a coal plant, and demand also picked up. The losses were financed mainly out bank borrowings. Outstanding debt to banks had risen to 80.4 billion rupees from 67.4 billion rupees. Arrears to the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation and Independent Power Producers also grew to rs. 103.1 billion by end April from rs. 71.61 billion, more..

Jul 8 (PSL) The new Kidney Patient Clinic and the dialysis unit constructed at the Wellawaya Base Hospital at a cost of Rs. 36 million to increase the quality of treatments and clinical services provided to those who are affected by the kidney disease were declared open by Prez Sirisena today (6). Monaragala District occupies a prominent place among the 11 districts that are prone to kidney disease. Around 1500 patients in 4 DSs more..

Jul 8 (ICC) SL all-rounder Lahiru Thirimanne has urged experienced paceman Lasith Malinga not to hang up his bowling boots just yet. Malinga, who is renowned for delivering the ball with a unique action, made his farewell ODI appearance on Saturday as Sri Lanka slipped to a seven-wicket defeat against India in the ICC Men�s Cricket World Cup at Headingley. The 35-year-old from Galle has enjoyed a glittering international career, bagging 101 wickets in 30 Tests together with more..

Jul 8 (CB) That Sri Lanka finished at the sixth position - bettering South Africa, Bangladesh, West Indies and Afghanistan in terms of points - is not something many would have fancied considering the strength of the team on paper. They did punch above their weight and make things interesting in the second half of the tournament although they eventually fell short of qualification. Their finish notwithstanding, the scare they gave to England - whose defeat at the hands of Sri Lanka more..

Jul 8 (EN) SL's reported narcotics offenses were up in 2018, but many other grave crimes continued a downward trend seen in recent years. Grave narcotics offenses doubled to 4,387 from 2,845 in 2018, pushing total grave crimes up by 376 offenses to 36,355 in 2018, up from 35,979 in 2017. Outside of narcotics grave crimes fell to 31,968 in 2018 from 33,134 in 2017. It is not clear whether and increased focus on the narcotics more..

Jul 8 (Island) Opposition Leader of the Negombo Municipal Council Royce Fernando (UNP) was arrested by the Police, yesterday. Arrest was made by a team of officers attached to Katana Police, in Negombo, when he arrived at a Chinese restaurant for lunch. Fernando was among six suspects wanted in connection with a complaint filed with Katana Police on March 23 regarding an incident where a group forcibly entered a house, assaulted a person before committing robbery. more..

Jul 8 (CB) Shakib al Hasan could miss Bangladesh tour of Sri Lanka, the BCB chief selector Minhajul Abedin said. The all-rounder has requested for some rest after an exhausting World Cup campaign while BCB awaits the security clearance for the tour. Liton Das, who is likely to get married on July 28, is also doubtful for the tour but the BCB is yet to make a call on the squad. "Shakib is tired because of playing non-stop cricket and probably that is why he requested for some rest," more..

Jul 8 (TMS) A furious ICC warned the Sri Lankan management not to allow disgraced former captain Sanath Jayasuriya to mix with their players after he was spotted in the Headingley crowd during Saturday�s game against India. Jayasuriya, one of the heroes of Sri Lanka�s 1996 World Cup triumph, was banned for two years in February after pleading guilty to two breaches of the ICC�s anti-corruption code following more..

Jul 8 (Island) The 19th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Council for Business with Britain (CBB), was conducted on 20th June at Westminster House, presided by Mark Prothero, CEO, HSBC Sri Lanka and Maldives, with British High Commissioner (BHC) James Dauris participating as chief guest. High Commissioner Dauris asked those present to consider what people in their positions can do to speed the development of a more favourable business climate in Sri Lanka. more..

Jul 8 (CT) It is reported that the Sri Lankan Ambassador to the Netherlands is having to reside in a five star hotel in the Netherlands, as the former Ambassador is still occupying the Ambassador�s official residence. Therefore, the expenses of the five star hotel have to be borne up by Sri Lanka�s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA). Sumith Nakandala is the newly appointed Sri Lankan Ambassador to the Netherlands and A.M.J. Sadiq was the former Ambassador. more..

Jul 8 (Island) Catholic Church expected the govt to take continuing terrorist threats seriously, Rev. Father Cyril Gamini Fernando said. Former spokesperson for the Catholic Church Rev. Fernando, the incumbent parish priest at the Kurana St. Anne�s Church, in his Sunday sermon urged the govt and law enforcement authorities not to play down the threat. Over two months after the Easter Sunday attacks Kurana church continues to more..

Jul 8 (AD) UPFA MP Bandula Gunawardena says that the country will divide into two camps at the next presidential election and those who love the country and those don�t will be separate by a line. �There is no point in telling various stories when the country is dividing like that. You have to choose one of the two camps,� the Joint Opposition member said, in a possible dig at the SLFP. Meanwhile SLFP member Susil Premajayantha also echoed similar sentiments saying that the country will more..

Jul 8 (AD) Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera says that he has come to know that certain temples are refusing to display pictures of him, but he is not someone who goes behind pictures or such. However, he said that if a decision has been taken regarding a matter it cannot be changed whenever it suits them. �If our govt�s money is good then my picture should also be good. If that picture is not good please know there is a problem with regard to paying for them,� he said. more..

Jul 8 (AD) Sri Lanka�s Buddhist nationalist group Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) rallied its hardline base on Sunday, saying they must aim to take democratic control of parliament to protect the community. Influential chief of BBS, Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thero, addressing hundreds of monks and followers in Kandy, called on SL�s 10,000 Buddhist temples to help win votes for candidates from Sinhala Buddhist majority. more..

Jul 8 (PSL) President Sirisena has instructed all relevant officials to accelerate multiple irrigation projects connected to Morahakanda-Kaluganaga mega development plan as the people living by farming in those dry zones should receive benefits of the project with no delay. Under the guidance of the Prez, this mega Moragahakanda-Kaluganaga development project saw its culmination channeling much needed water for drinking and cultivation to the people living in northern & North central more..

Jul 8 (FT) Following four months of declining fortunes, LMD-Nielsen Business Confidence Index (BCI) shored up by 19 basis points to register 81 in June. In comparison, the index stood at 102 a year ago while the average for the last 12 months is 10 basis points higher, LMD reports. Nielsen�s Managing Director Sharang Pant believes that the country is gradually emerging from the events that occurred towards the end of April, stating: �There is some level of optimism and discussions at more..

Jul 8 (FT) Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC) was yesterday on the receiving end of some strong words in response to its request for more transparency regarding agreements with the US, with the PM�s Office saying it regretted the politicisation of the private sector body. In a letter which was released to media, signed by PM�s Secretary E.M.S.B. Ekanayake, CCC was reminded that they have been part of discussions regarding more..

Jul 8 (AD) MP Udaya Gammanpila says former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa will be the next presidential candidate regardless of the verdicts given in the cases filed against or even if he is jailed. Speaking at a press conference in Nugegoda, he said that there is attempt to seek the Supreme Court�s opinion with regard to the term of the presidency. The PHU leader said that there is a risk of the presidential election getting delays through that decision. more..

Jul 8 (DM) Jaffna Diocesan Catholic Lawyers Association (JDCLA) in a memorandum solicited to the President drop his decision to re-implement death penalty, instead of effecting a series of strong and long term policies, aimed at addressing serious crimes including drug trafficking. President Jude Dinesh and Secretary Stanislaus Celestine in the memorandum have urged as well the Prez to ratify and adopt the Second Optional Protocol to the Int'l Covenant on Civil & Political Rights more..

Jul 8 (FT) Former ICTA CEO Damith Hettihewa claims that he quit his high profile Govt job on 30 June to disrupt the current political system. �We professionals intend to disrupt the existing political system, and rally the masses without a political party or membership to win the upcoming Presidential Election. It is similar to Uber becoming world�s biggest taxi company without a single taxi, or Airbnb becoming the global more..

Jul 8 (DM) Following the implementation of special operation to arrest drunk drivers, the Police have arrested a total of 796 drunk drivers within two days. The month-long special operation to arrest drunk drivers was launched on July 5. Police said they had arrested 363 drunk drivers within 24 hours that ended at 6 a.m. Saturday, while another 433 drunk drivers were arrested within 24-hour period ended at 6 a.m. today (7). The special operation would be carried out across the country and more..