Jul 29 (CT) PM Ranil Wickremesinghe, former Law and Order Ministers Sagala Ratnayake and Ranjith Madduma Bandara, and State Defence Minister Ruwan Wijewardene have been summoned to appear before the PSC, on 6 August, PSC member Prof. Ashu Marasinghe said. The PSC has also decided to summon Army Commander, Lieutenant General Mahesh Senanayake, for the second time, more..

Jul 29 (DM) Former NPC Member M.K. Sivajilingam said that Tamils would not support any Sinhalese or Southern-based candidate at the forthcoming presidential election. When asked about the stand taken by the main Tamil coalition, the TNA, he said that Tamil people were disgusted by the actions taken by the TNA so far. He said that the govt that came to power in 2015 had already hoodwinked Tamil people and more..

Jul 29 (FT) In a recent panel discussion on Sri Lanka�s debt sustainability � nicknamed A Hole in the Pocket � jointly organised by the Marga Institute and the Open University, two leading economists � Central Banker turned University Don Sirimevan Colombage and Bureaucrat turned Management Expert Anura Ekanayake � opined that the debt issue is critical for Sri Lanka in the next five years despite the positive view taken by the IMF and the Central Bank. more..

Jul 29 (CT) The farewell match at the Keththarama Int'l Stadium for one of the finest bowlers SL cricket has produced, Lasith Malinga, has clearly highlighted that the SL cricketers in international cricket weren�t just excellent players but legends of the game. Malinga�s big time cricketing career in the international scene which spanned for fourteen years came to an end with the marvellous cricketer first retiring from test cricket in year 2011 and now from his forte the ODI on 26 July. more..

Jul 29 (DN) Panadura Additional Magistrate Chandana Kalansuriya fined of Rs 37,000 on a private bus driver and ordered to pay Rs 360,000 as compensation to six injured persons. He was also sentenced him to six months imprisonment suspended for five years. The driver Gayan Upali of Mathugama pleaded guilty to driving his vehicle in a reckless and negligent manner knocking against another private coach proceeding on Galle Road, greviously injurying six passengers. more..

Jul 29 (RN) Muslim MPs holding Cabinet portfolios or posts of Deputy Ministers and a State Ministers are expected to take oaths and re-assume responsibilities tonight July 29, officials said. These MPs resigned from their offices when a group of Buddhist monks led by MP Athureliye Rathana Thero began a fast unto death calling for them to quit in early June. Two other members of Cabinet who stepped down at the time both from the ruling UNP Posts Minister Abdul Haleem and more..

Jul 29 (PMD) President Maithripala Sirisena says he is not alone in the battle against the drug menace and 90% of the population in the country is standing with him in this journey. When a section of some responsible persons in the govt took to streets against his decision to impose the death penalty for drug smugglers, the criminals, drug smugglers and corrupt people started to celebrate their victory, he said addressing a ceremony more..

Jul 29 (AD) At least 3 persons died while 5 others were critically injured following a collision involving a bus and a lorry at Wahamalugollewa along Anuradhapura-Medawachchiya road. A luxury private bus traveling towards Jaffna had collided head-on with a lorry traveling towards Dambulla. Eight passengers of the bus were rushed to the Medawachchiya Hospital in critical condition following the accident, however three of them had succumbed to injuries later. more..

Jul 29 (AD) The Ministry of Education today announced the dates of the second term holidays for students of all government schools. Accordingly all government schools will close for the second term holidays on August 01 while they are to reopen for the third term on September 02, 2019. Meanwhile the 2019 A/L Examination is scheduled to be held from August 05 to August 31 this year with a number of schools to be used as examination centers and paper marking centers. more..

Jul 29 (AD) Police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse a group of protesters near the Lotus Roundabout in Colombo. The protest had been organized by unemployed graduates over several demands. Lotus Road had been temporarily closed owing to the protest with riot police personnel and barricades placed near the roundabout blocking the path of protesters. However, police resorted to using water cannons and tear gas as more..

Jul 29 (Island) Despite strong speculation that former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa would be the Podujana Peramunas candidate at the next Presidential Election, the UNP believes it would be his brother MP Chamal Rajapaksa. Senior UNP MP and Social Empowerment Minister P. Harrison said that due to the various allegations and criminal cases pending against Gotabaya, it was unlikely that the SLPP would take a risk in nominating Gotabaya as their Presidential candidate. more..

Jul 29 (DM) Finance Ministry has not given its consent for the proposal by Foreign Affairs Minister Tilak Marapana to appoint Dulmini Attanayake, the daughter of former General Secretary of the UNP as the third secretary in the Sri Lankan Embassy in Australia. State Minister for Finance Eran Wikramarathne has pointed out that people who had passed a foreign service examination must be appointed to the post of the third secretary in the foreign missions after special training. more..

Jul 29 (AD) Director of the CID, SSP Shani Abeysekera has lodged a complaint with the police against Attorney at Law Manoj Gamage. The complaint has been lodged over a case of the lawyer threatening the SSP at a media conference. A press conference of National Alliance for Lawyers Associations was held on 27th July where Dr. Mohamed Shafi and the actions of the Dept of Attorney General were strongly criticized. more..

Jul 29 (Island) By yesterday evening some 615,984 people had been affected by the prevailing drought in most parts of the country, according to the Disaster Management Centre (DMC). The DMC said 615,984 people belonging to 173,091 families were affected in several districts, particularly in the Northern, North Central, Central and North Western Provinces are among the worst affected areas. In the Batticaloa District, 24,285 families are affected and in the Jaffna district 21,094 families more..

Jul 29 (DN) The govt will recruit 15,000 graduates to the public sector on Aug 1, Education Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam announced yesterday. �Five thousand of these teachers will be appointed as teachers to govt schools,� he said. He was addressing the national ceremony to launch the initiative for free provision of a free glass of milk to primary school students. Minister said that during the past few years a number of initiatives were taken to uplift the Education sector. more..

Jul 29 (AD) Two petitions have been presented to the Supreme Court against the Leave Amendment Bill, which the Govt has tabled in Parliament with the intention of banning tuition classes on Sundays and Poya Days. The petitioners seek a court order declaring that several clauses in the Bill violate the Constitution. The former President of All Island Professional Lecturers� Association and private tuition class lecturer Sudath more..

Jul 29 (Island) Unidentified gunmen who arrived on a motorcycle shot dead a businessman in his SUV and injured another person seated next to him in the early hours of yesterday at Jamubugasmulla Mawatha, Kohuwela. Both victims were rushed to the Colombo South Teaching Hospital, Kalubowila and one was pronounced dead. The injured was later transferred to the National Hospital. The deceased is hotelier Sunil Perera (38) of Madiwela Road, Nugegoda while the injured person is more..

Jul 29 (AD) Considering the Fundamental Rights petitions filed against former Defense Secretary Hemasiri Fernando and IGP Pujith Jayasundara was continued at the Supreme Court for the second day, today (29). Accordingly, a seven-judge bench of the Supreme Court today commenced hearing the petitions filed by 12 parties against the IGP and former Defense Secretary, claiming that they had violated fundamental rights by failing to prevent the Easter Sunday attacks. more..

Jul 29 (NH) Hundreds of refugees and asylum seekers in Sri Lanka have spent the past three months searching for safety across the island nation after being swept up in an anti-Muslim backlash following the April terrorist attacks that killed more than 250 people. More than 1,000 refugees and asylum seekers were pushed from their rented homes after attackers struck six churches and hotels around the country. more..

Jul 29 (AD) Mathematics tutor Dinesh Nuwan Amaratunga along with 7 others has been further remanded over an attack on a van by a group of VIP bodyguards at Kalagedihena. Accordingly, the 8 suspects will be under remand custody until the 5th of August. A video recorded on a mobile phone had been widely circulated on social media recently depicting a group of individuals, dressed in white shirts and believed to be VIP security officers, arriving in a white Defender and Prado and more..

Jul 29 (FT) COMCRAFT � a leading international investment house based in Singapore� acquired the majority stake in Merbok MDF Lanka Ltd., which is Sri Lanka�s only high quality MDF board manufacturing plant. Considered as one of Sri Lanka�s largest factories, the plant is situated in Horana and produces in excess of 10,000 m3 of high quality MDF boards. Currently, the primary export markets for the MDF boards are India, Pakistan, Middle East and Australia. more..

Jul 29 (EN) New head of SL�s exporters association said its members were disappointed some of their proposals to improve trade have not been implemented despite being accepted by govt, and worried about new security measures raising costs. Chrisso de Mel, newly elected chairman of the Exporters� Association of SL (EASL), said they recently did an exhaustive study, identifying key areas for improvement/action. more..

Jul 29 (AD) The bodies of 10-month-old twin girls, who have been murdered, have been discovered at a house in Nintavur, Sammanthurai. Police said that the two infants were found hacked to death inside the bathroom of the house this morning (29). The mother of the infant twins, who is suspected of committing the horrific act, has been admitted to hospital and is receiving treatment under police custody. The mother is suspected to be suffering from a mental illness. more..

Jul 29 (NR) Several Muslim MPs who stepped down from their Ministerial portfolios have been sworn in to their previous posts once again. Accordingly, MPs Rauff Hakeem, Rishad Bathiudeen, Ameer Ali and Abdullah Maharoof were sworn-in to previously held Ministerial portfolios. Accordingly Rauff Hakeem was sworn-in as Minister of City Planning, Water Supply and Higher Education while Rishad Bathiudeen took oath as Minister of Industry and Commerce, Resettlement of Protracted Displaced more..

Jul 29 (DM) Filing a writ application in Court, the tenth accused in the Treasury Bond case, Ajahn Punchihewa has stated that he could have given vital information regarding investigations over the Bond scam, as he had information about a penthouse apartment in Singapore, valued at Singapore $ 7.6 million, occupied by the family of Arjun Aloysius, which was purchased by a company incorporated in British Virgin Islands. more..

Jul 30 (CT) Granting conditional bail to Dr. Seigu Shihabdeen Mohamed Shafi by the Kurunegala Magistrate Sampath Hewawasam on Thursday 25th July, restored confidence in the judiciary. The case will be taken up again on August 9. Dr Shafi was taken into custody around two months ago on allegations of forcible sterilization of mainly Sinhalese women during surgeries, suspected links to terrorist groups and amassing wealth. A Daily mirror report pointed out that the CID report more..

Jul 30 (CT) The political opposition is on the offensive in the North. They are going to the people and highlighting the many failures of the govt and its broken promises. However, while they point to the govt�s failings, they do not give their own solutions to the problems that the North has. It appears that they have no answers either or they fear that the answers they have will not be to the satisfaction of the Northern people. Chief amongst these are the unresolved issues of the war, more..

Jul 30 (CT) UPFA MP Kanchana Wijesekara says that the JVP is giving oxygen to a dying UNP. �JVP always stood with them when UNP wanted votes�, he noted. Q: What is your analysis on the political context in the country at the moment? A: We have been experiencing the political instability for the past 4.5 years since 8 Jan 2015. The lack of unity among the parties in the govt, confusion, and division in Parliament more..

Jul 30 (ST) An undisputed feature of modern economic development is the strong relationship between foreign investment and economic growth. SL�s failure to obtain higher amounts of foreign direct investments (FDIs) of the appropriate type has been an important reason for the country�s low rate of economic growth. We have obtained only a fraction of FDI that other South & South East Asian countries have received. This year�s FDI inflow is expected to be even lower than last year�s. more..

Jul 30 (ST) So now we know, don�t we? At least some of us do. Bad enough we need to import many essentials, including medicines of questionable quality. Now we have taken to importing garbage from the land of our last colonial rulers. Recent media reports spoke of imported garbage that included human body parts lying uncleared at Customs warehouses. It is as though Britannia did not leave enough garbage behind when it debunked after nearly 150 yrs during which it got away more..

Jul 30 (Roar) The brain is, without a doubt, the most important organ in the human body. It undertakes numerous functions essential for our survival; it holds our memories, as well as the keys to our skills, our senses, emotions, and responses. The Uni of Washington�s study of seven-month-old babies gave us a fascinating insight into what goes on in a baby�s brain. Before a baby starts to speak, their brain is already equipped to handle more..

Jul 30 (Island) "If I were Dhammi (Damayanthi) in real life I would have never let Sugath go," reminisces Anula Karunathilake laughingly. As Dhammi of yester year�s silver screen who broke the hearts of many a Sugath, tells the Sunday Island, more than 50 years later, she shed copious tears having broken Sugath�s heart into smithereens. The parting scene of Dhammi and Sugath (played by Wickrama Bogoda) in Dr. Lester James Peries� Golu Hadawatha which hit silver screen 51 yrs ago more..

Jul 30 (SO) You can like it or loathe it, but the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) investigating the Easter Sunday bomb attacks is unearthing information that provides much food for thought that arouses the interest of not only the hardened security experts but even of the average Sri Lankan. The PSC has come under fire and political parties have their reasons for either supporting or opposing the Committee. The SLFP believes such a committee is not necessary because more..

Jul 30 (SO) Today in this House it is the UNP that is in Govt. The responsibility is with you. The PM became the Chairman of the Steering Committee that has met over 80 times and has brought two comprehensive reports. The second one includes a draft of the constitution made by the experts to the steering committee. The PM comes to the constitutional assembly and says this is not ours. I stand with the Leader of the Opposition on that criticism of the PM. more..

Jul 30 (Island) Chairman of the National Elections Commission (NEC) Mahinda Deshapriya is already talking about action he is planning to take against spoilers and puppet candidates to be fielded at the next presidential election. He has told the media that he will get tough with them. Has he forgotten the Provincial Council (PC) elections, which he undertook to hold before the presidential polls? Voters won�t be spoilt for choice at the upcoming presidential election, more..

Jul 30 (ICC) The ICC has today (29), officially launched the inaugural World Test Championship (WTC). Getting underway on 1 Aug 2019, the WTC will see the top nine Test teams in the world � Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, NZ, Pakistan, South Africa, SL and the WI � compete in 71 Test matches across 27 series, played over two years; with the top two teams contesting the ICC World Test Championship Final in June 2021 more..

Jul 30 (Island) Srinath Sooriyabandara, one of Sri Lanka rugby�s hottest properties, is on the comb-back trail after missing the last season because of a shoulder injury. On his return, he dazzled at the Mercantile Sevens where his team Access, tied for the title. The SL selectors, who always kept this brilliant player on their radar, have included him in the squad for next month�s Asiad. Although his father hails from Mapanawatura (which is a stone�s throw away from the Nittawela ground), more..

Jul 30 (EN) Mercantile Shipping Company is to sell two cargo ships owned by a subsidiary, Mercantile Emerald Shipping (Private) Limited�s (MESL), which has been unable to repay foreign borrowings amid mounting losses. The move will help revive Mercantile Shipping as a going concern and be taken off the watch list of the CSE. Mercantile Shipping said in a stock exchange filing the two ships, Mercs Uva and Mercs Uhana, have been mortgaged to Bremer Landesbank-Germany, more..