Aug 25 (CC) Thisara Perera has been fined for breaching ICC Code of Conduct as he used some language and gestures mocking the Australia batsman David Warner. Meanwhile, Mitchell Starc was reprimanded in a different incident for throwing the ball towards batsman during second ODI match in Colombo on Wednesday. Sri Lanka won the second ODI by margin of 82 runs to level the ODI series against Australia. Both the players admitted the offences and accepted the sanctions more..

Aug 25 (DM) While denying the statement made by a MP, Army Commander Lieutenant General Crishantha de Silva said that there was no decision to remove any Army camp in the North. “No decision has been taken to remove Army camps in the North and there is no truth behind this claim,” he said. While addressing media at Colombo Defence Seminar 2016 he said Army would take any measure to ensure National Security. more..

Aug 25 (DM) Army has evacuated the Kudiyiruppu Camp which was in the hands of the army for the past 26 years. Camp which belonged to the Vanni security headquarters contributed immensely to provide security to the Sinhala and Tamil people during the war. Vavuniya District Secretary Rohana Pushpakumara said the army has taken steps to hand over the building where the camp had been set up to the Vavuniya district secretary. This building which belonged to Vavuniya district secretary more..

Aug 25 (CI) Anusha Samaranayake, a SLC fast-bowling coach, has been cleared of the fixing allegations over which he had been suspended in February. SLC had launched an inquiry about Samaranayake's role in the fixing-related approach of more than one SL cricketer last year. However, ICC has since informed SLC that there is no evidence Samaranayake has breached its Anti-Corruption Code. Despite this, Samaranayake's role with SLC remains in hiatus, more..

Aug 25 (DN) CID had been instructed to take legal action against those Wildlife Department officers who are involved in elephant rackets, Minister Gamini Jayawickrama Perera said. He also said AG and Public Service Commission have also been informed, so that they could take measures against such errant officers. He added that govt would not protect any person who is found involved in elephant rackets. more..

Aug 25 (DM) A helicopter carrying Ministers Sajith Premadasa and Navin Dissanayake to Nuwara Eliya made an emergency landing to a vegetable plot in Katumanne, Seetha Eliya today. They met with this incident while traveling to Nuwara Eliya. It had been scheduled to land at the Race Course Ground at Nuwara Eliya. Helicopter was flying low due to the mist this morning when the pilot saw high tension electric wires in the area, and decided to make the emergency landing. No one was hurt. more..

Aug 25 (CG) The TNA today warned of a mischievous campaign against the Certificates of Absence. TNA MP M.A. Sumanthiran told Parliament today that families of those missing are being misled not to accept the Certificates of Absence. He was speaking on the Registration of Deaths (Temporary Provisions) (Amendment) Bill. Sumanthiran said that the Certificates of Absence does not mean investigations into the missing will not move forward. more..

Aug 25 (DM) Presidential Secretariat will issue a full statement in the days to come on the news reports published in Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and the ABC among the Australian media on an alleged attempt to obtain a financial donation from an Australian company for political work by a coordinating secretary of President Maithripala Sirisena when he served as Minister of Mahaweli Development and Irrigation in 2009, more..

Aug 25 (Island) Former Cabinet Minister and UPFA MP Mahindananda Aluthgamage alleged that PM Ranil Wickremesinghe was planning to privatise 75% of the East Container Terminal at the Colombo Port. He told the media that Premier Wickremesinghe had revealed the privatisation plan at the Tuesday’s COPE committee meeting in Parliament. Aluthgamage claimed that not only the SLPA but also the CEB, SLTB would be privatised in the near future. more..

Aug 25 (DN) Secretariat for Coordinating Reconciliation Mechanisms (SCRM), in a statement, said that Mano Tittawella was neither Secretary nor member of the Office on Missing Persons, but was instead Secretary General of SCRM, effective March 29, 2016. Statement: This is to confirm that Mano Tittawella was appointed the Secretary General of SCRM from 29th, March 2016. SCRM is the apex body created by Cabinet in Dec 2015 to coordinate all reconciliation related activities in SL. more..

Aug 25 (DM) The joint opposition requested President Maithripala Sirisena to call for a local investigation regarding the news reports in the Australian media involving the name of President Sirisena over a bribery investigation conducted on a company there. JO member MP Wimalaweera Dissanayake said it was not good for the country when the president is being accused of such an act and more..

Aug 25 (Reuters) Sri Lanka is seeking a consortium that must include a company from the Indian subcontinent to bid for a $400 million contract to build a port terminal. The move to include an Indian subcontinent firm could neutralise growing Chinese influence in Colombo's port. Arjuna Ranatunga, SL's ports minister, said at least a 20% stake in consortia bidding for the Colombo East terminal construction contract must be held by a firm from the Indian subcontinent. more..

Aug 25 (CT) In what appears likely to be yet another dramatic revelation of what took place during the Rajapaksa regime, Minister Rajitha Senaratne disclosed it was he who gave the application form for the Nobel Peace Prize nomination to former President Mahinda Rajapaksa. He said at yesterday's Cabinet media briefing that he had personally handed over the application form to the former President, in a bid to assist him in his crusade to become Asia's Nelson Mandela. more..

Aug 25 (PTI) President Maithripala Sirisena today denied any wrongdoing following an Australian media report that claimed his adviser had allegedly demanded a kickback to approve a project during his tenure as Cabinet minister. The SMH had carried a story on an Australian police investigation that Sirisena's Coordinating Secretary had demanded a kickback to approve a project when he was a minister in Cabinet in 2011. more..

Aug 26 (DN) The international prices of a basket of food commodities rose by 4.2% in June, representing the largest monthly increase witnessed over the past four years, the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has said. According to the FAO, its Food Price Index (FFPI) released in July averaged 163.4 points in June 2016, 6.6 points (4.2%) higher than in May, and one percent below the corresponding month last year. Not only did the June increase mark more..

Aug 26 (CT) This is the first of a four-part piece examining the element of local ownership in the transitional justice and reconciliation process in Sri Lanka. The several instalments of this piece will look at the issue of local ownership through a critical appraisal of the govt's initiatives. They will consider the resolution co-sponsored by the govt in Geneva, some of the domestic initiatives of the govt such as consultative task forces, public representations committees and passing of legislation, etc., more..

Aug 26 (CT) National Coach of SL Netball team Deepthi Alwis spoke to Ceylon Today after the Asian Championship which was held recently in Bangkok, where Sri Lanka ended up as runner-up after losing to Malaysia in the final. Q: What are your thoughts on the performance of the team at the recent Asian Championship? A: I'm really happy we were able to win against the defending champions because at the last two more..

Aug 26 (DN) The axe on dissenters in the SLFP has finally fallen. Will this give rise to the much hyped birth of a new political movement and a division of the party? That is the big question echoing in the corridors of power as the country’s second single largest party grapples with internal turmoil. Last week, after a long period of watchful expectation and masterly inactivity, President Sirisena took the plunge. In his capacity as leader of SLFP, he sacked more than a dozen stalwarts of JO, more..

Aug 26 (CT) Speech made by Hon. R. Sampanthan on Tuesday in Parliament on the issue of political prisoners and their release: Sir, I move, “Govt has consistently undertaken to repeal the Prevention of Terrorism Act in view of the several obnoxious provisions contained in the said Act. Several Tamil persons are held in custody under the provisions of the said Prevention of Terrorism Act for various offences arising out of the armed conflict. It is 7 years since armed conflict came to an end. more..

Aug 26 (FT) The SLFP is today controlled by people who do not understand the Bandaranaike philosophy, otherwise they would never ally with the UNP, said Joint Opposition bigwig MP Dullas Alahapperuma, in an interview with Daily FT. Alahapperuma, who resigned from his Matara District SLFP leadership early this week, said the Joint Opposition would continue to protest against the removal of party stalwarts. more..

Aug 26 (Island) The govt usually loses no time in denying reports it considers false or detrimental to its interests. But, it, for some reason, did not act promptly regards reports in the widely circulated Australian newspapers, Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) and The Age, on a very serious allegation against President Sirisena on Wednesday. President’s Office took more than twenty four hours to issue a denial. Reports, based on the subject of an Australian Federal Police probe more..

Aug 26 (CT) However, after the democratic revolution started with the January 2015 Presidential Elections, Sri Lanka is considered by some, as a good role model of peaceful co-existence, where unity, peace and harmony among the people take the foremost place. Of course, still there are many issues here that need to be addressed in nationality relations. But the good thing is the government is aware of them, though some sensitive issues require careful attention. more..

Aug 26 (GV) We present this submission as individuals self-identifying as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, and Queer (LGBTIQ), as family members and friends of LGBTIQ people, and as individuals/communities coming forward in support of Sri Lankans who wish to acknowledge and break the silence surrounding a people whose rights have been denied through the mechanisms and institutional structures of a democratic state. more..

Aug 26 (ST) After more than two years of vigorous groundwork and clearing all legal barriers while dispelling local concerns of engaging in gem mining, UK-based Gemfields Plc, one of the world’s largest coloured gem producers, is now ready to begin gem trading in Sri Lanka, officials of the company announced. Gemfields and East West Gem Investments (EWGI) established a gemstone trading company called Ratnapura Lanka Gemstones Ltd, a company approved by the BoI in 2014. more..

Aug 26 (FT) Sri Lanka desperately needs a new global economic strategy as part of a broader strategy for national renewal. It needs a decisive shift to markets and globalisation. A prospering, globalised market economy is the sturdiest foundation for a genuinely open society Untitled-7– for constitutional liberalism, the rule of law, ethnic peace and balanced international relations. Without it, all else fails. more..

Aug 26 (Island) The Kandy Perehera is over. It will be another year before I get to undertake this slow regal march through the streets of historic Kandy as thousands watch in awe and undisguised reverence. As a being with above average intelligence and sensitivity, I love the discipline of the masses, thousands of them, as they patiently wait to feast their eyes as we regally tread our way past them for almost three hours each night. The atmosphere is magical. more..

Aug 26 (FT) LOLC’s dominant financial services sector companies have led the Group to record strong profits in the first three months of 2016/17, a PBT of Rs. 3.2 b when compared to Rs. 2.7 b recorded in the same period last year. The current year’s performance, strengthened by the outstanding performance of the Group in 2015/16 of Rs. 11.9 b of PBT, is a 45% growth over the last year. The financial services companies, which account for 82% of the Group’s PBT, more..

Aug 26 (DN) Tillakaratne Dilshan has finally decided to end his career as a cricketer once and for all and according to him he will not want to be involved with the game he bestrode for over two decades any longer in whatever capacity. “I have taken this decision after consultation with my family members. I think this is the right time for me to retire and I have no other ambitions of prolonging my career any further,” Dilshan said. more..

Aug 26 (Island) The 3rd ODI between SL and Australia in Dambulla on Sunday, Aug. 28 has been dedicated to Tillakaratne Dilshan as is revealed in an SLC media communique issued. Following is the SLC statement on renowned player’s retirement: Sri Lanka’s opening batsman T. M. Dilshan has decided to retire from One-Day cricket after the 3rd ODI in Dambulla. Born on 14th Oct 1976, former SL captain Dilshan made his debut to the one-day team on 11th Dec 1999 against Zimbabwe. more..

Aug 26 (Island) The glorious uncertainty of the sport of racing has a worthy compatriot in the town of Nuwara Eliya – the weather! Both can be as fickle and unpredictable as the other and you would probably need a photo finish to determine the winner on any given race day at the Royal Turf Club. But Saturday the 20th of August dawned bright and clear and the sun came out to shine on the racecourse and all of Nuwara Eliya. It was almost as if the weather gods were as excited about more..

Aug 26 (FT) In a market in which it has existed for nearly three decades, global leader in payments technology, Visa, yesterday formally Untitled-6announced the opening of a fully fledged office in Sri Lanka saying the move reflects growing confidence in the economy and future of electronic payments. Company said that with electronic payments amounting to only around $ 2 billion out of a $ 45 b personal consumption expenditure more..

Aug 26 (DN) Police found the body of a man in a room at a lodge in Kotahena on Wednesday night. A Police team headed by OIC, CI Sanath Amarasinghe arrived at the scene after the lodge manager alerted Police regarding the body on Wednesday night. The man appearing to be around 65 years had been a frequent visitor to the lodge. He had arrived at the lodge on August 14 and the manager had last seen the man going into the room on Monday evening. more..

Aug 26 (DN) Angelia Ong, winner of the Miss Earth 2015 pageant will arrive in Sri Lanka on today August 26. She will be here on a special invitation by TV Derana and she is expected to crown the Derana Miss Sri Lanka for Miss Earth 2016. The grand finale is to be held on Aug 31 at Citrus, Waskaduwa. Angelia will be accompanied by the 2nd runner-up of the same pageant Brittany Payne. Angelia Ong, is a 26 year old Filipino model and beauty queen who was crowned Miss Philippines Earth 2015. more..

Aug 26 (Hindu) The first year in office for any govt should normally not be problematic. This holds good more or less in the case of SL’s national unity govt, which has completed one year in office despite huge challenges in the areas of economy, constitutional reforms, and, importantly, the Tamil question. Billed as the first of its sort, govt was formed immediately following the Aug 2015 parliamentary elections after traditional rivals, more..

Aug 26 (Hindu) A setback of any kind demands a retrospective study. It is a matter of concern for followers of Australian cricket that they have now lost their No. 1 position in Tests. As a matter of fact, it must have been a rude shock to Australian legends to watch their batsmen struggle against the spinners in Sri Lanka. For, if truth be told, the Australian batsmen, at one time, had mastered top-class spin bowling, thanks to their sheer guts and intelligence in counter-attacking. more..

Aug 26 (ST) Department of Posts will henceforth be invalidating unclaimed Postal Service Money Orders (MOs) issued three years ago – in 2013, a top official of the Department said. A newspaper advertisement was recently placed by the department announcing this move. Total amount accumulated during this period is in the region of Rs. 5.8 million, he revealed. The department holds a significant amount of unclaimed money in MOs and the accumulated money is credited to more..

Aug 26 (DN) Colombo Additional Magistrate named a Scotsman as a suspect in a case where he had allegedly punched Malaka Silva in the face during the scuffle at a nightclub in Colombo 3 in 2014. Accordingly, James Casserly was ordered to be released on a personal bail of Rs. 200,000 by Additional Magistrate. Meanwhile, Police were ordered to seek the AG’s advice regarding the incident and the case was fixed for Dec 8 for more..

Aug 26 (FT) With the intention of safeguarding local potato farmers, Govt has increased Special Goods Tax on imported potatoes from Rs. 40 from Rs. 35 per kg. The revised Special Goods Tax on potatoes became effective from midnight on 24 Aug. Finance Ministry said the aim of the Govt was to fetch a better price for the local farmer as the domestic harvest has started reaching the market. Decision was taken subsequent to repeated requests by local potato farmers to provide them a better price. more..

Aug 26 (Island) You might have experienced late flight arrivals or departures with SriLankan Airlines and other issues, but we have never compromised your safety whatever cost it might have incurred the Airline, and it would be worthy to remember that we ourselves were the whistle-blower at the recent incident in Frankfurt where a pilot under intoxication was stopped from flying his plane to Colombo, to avert possible danger to the plane and the passengers, Captain Ranga Amadoru and more..