June 22 (CI) 3: Number of higher totals in a tied ODI than the 286 runs in this match. England and New Zealand tied with 340 runs apiece in Napier in 2007-08, India and England both made 338 in Bangalore in the 2011 World Cup and New Zealand and India tied at 314 in Auckland in 2013-14. Others to hit a six to tie an ODI, before Liam Plunkett in this ODI, are Asif Mujtaba against Australia in Hobart in 1992-93 and Michael Rippon against Ireland in Amstelveen in 2013. more..

June 22 (CI) Sri Lanka's innings had sputtered along in fits and starts but without really finding a smooth gear until Seekkuge Prasanna feasted on the bowling of Liam Plunkett and Moeen Ali. Prasanna utilised the pace of Plunkett in pummelling two stray deliveries over the leg-side boundary but his punishment of Moeen in the following over was even more impressive. The first ball was slog-swept over backward square - by far the longest boundary at Trent Bridge. more..

June 22 (CI) Liam Plunkett thrashed a six from the final ball of an incredible game to secure a tie between England and Sri Lanka in the first ODI of the Royal London series at Trent Bridge. When Plunkett, England's No. 10, came to the crease, his side still required 52 to win from the last 26 balls. And, in the face of some impressive death bowling, it seemed the equation had become overwhelming when the asking rate rose to 30 more..

June 22 (Island) The title of this commentary is derived from the 16th century proverb Every man for himself and the devil take the hindmost. There are at least two versions of the real meaning of the relatively obscure expression, the hindmost contained in the proverb: as per its usage in PHILASTER or Love Lies a-Bleeding –– a play about a dispute to the Calabrianthrone, performed by William Shakespeare’s theatre troupe, The King’s Men in 1610 more..

June 22 (Island) One-time head of Law Faculty, University of Colombo, Dr Nirmala Chandrahasan last Thursday called for tangible action on the part of the Sri Lankan govt to bring in SL refugees, living in India, particularly in the state of Tamil Nadu. Dr Chandrahasan estimated the number of Lankan refugees in India at the peak of the conflict at 200,000. The appeal was made over seven years after the successful conclusion of the war with the annihilation of the LTTE leadership. more..

June 22 (DM) The govt's borrowings had doubled last year when compared with the amount approved by Parliament, the Auditor General stated in the annual report of the Finance Ministry. The Auditor General observes that a borrowing limit of Rs.1,780 billion was approved in terms of the Appropriation Act for 2015, but the govt had borrowed Rs.3,349 billion from internal and domestic sources for the year under review in violation of the Act. more..

June 22 (DN) The ICC has informed Sri Lanka Cricket that Shaminda Eranga has been suspended from International Cricket with immediate effect due to an illegal bowling action. Eranga was tested on June 6 at Loughborough, and the report has confirmed that all deliveries exceeded the 15 degrees level of tolerance permitted under the regulations and requires corrective measures. ICC has informed SLC that Eranga may however be permitted to play domestically at the discretion of SLC more..

June 22 (EN) SL Shippers’ Council has said new guidelines by the International Chamber of Commerce on freight transport rules would help prevent unfair trade practices like charges the trade is not liable to pay. “Freight forwarders and other service providers including shipping lines are debiting importers and exporters for charges they contractually are not liable to pay,” chairman of the Council Sean Van Dort said. “One such charge is the container washing charge. more..

June 22 (EN) Sri Lanka is expecting finalize capital gains tax legislation within a month, and it is not expected to be retrospective, State Enterprises Minister Kabir Hashim said, but uncertainty remains. Capital gains tax is expected to apply to a broad range of assets and not just land, he said. There are fears that the capital gains tax will apply retrospectively to profit made up to 2016, if such legislation is brought this year. more..

June 22 (CT) Pilgrims on trek to Kataragama, were given refreshments by members of the Ampara District Journalists' Forum (ADJF) at the Thirkkkovil Sangamankandy Pillayar Aalayamon on Monday. The ADJF, in order to strengthen inter communal harmony, peace and amity, undertook this voluntary task of providing drinks and snacks to the 120 pilgrims, headed by Velsamy. Velsamy, they started the trek from Jaffna's Thondamanaru Selvechannidy Aalayam, on 15 May, more..

June 22 (DM) Three leading drug smugglers have been arrested with 1 kilogram of heroin by The Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) during a raid in Colombo early this morning, Police said. Police also seized two brand new vehicles during the raid. Police investigation revealed that suspects have connection with notorious drug smugglers Samantha Kumara alias Wele Suda and Suse, who were in remand custody on charges of drug smuggling and they were directing the racket. more..

June 22 (Island) The former Olympic swimmer Julian Bolling highlighted the importance of giving athletes precedence over administrators and stressed the need to keep sports free of drugs and trouble for it to win back trust of the fans. "Our administrators must understand the need to give priority to sportsmen. Administrators are there to serve the sport. Athletes are not there to serve administrators," said Bolling in an interview with The Island. more..

June 22 (Island) Sri Lanka Sevens squad will be disappointed with their performance in the recently concluded Monaco Sevens rugby tournament where they ended up being Shield runner up losing the final match to South Korea in Stade Louis Stadium in Monaco on Sunday. Sri Lanka played six matches in the tournament and were able to win just one match against Mexico on the second day. They beat Mexico 22-19 in the Shield semi final, but were beaten 31-24 by Korea in the final. more..

June 22 (Island) Sri Lanka Telecom announced the launch of SLT Speed Up Cycle Sawariya – the country's longest cross-country cycle race which will run through 5 days; covering 780 km in 12 districts. This one-of-a-kind cycle race will be held in six phases and will reward the winners at the end of each phase. The ultimate winner will receive a cash prize of Rs. one million. The overall cash prizes make up a total of over Rs. 3 million in order to recognize more..

June 22 (ENS) The North Sri Lankan Tamil-majority town of Jaffna was traditionally known for its industrious, scholarly, and above all, law abiding citizens. During the armed struggle for an independent Tamil Eelam, the LTTE had seen to it that no one (other than they) broke the law or the norms of Tamil society. But armed robberies, house break-ins, internecine gang warfare, rapes, eve teasing, and drug and alcohol abuse began to surface and assume more..

June 22 (Island) Eppawala police are yet to determine the cause of yesterday’s fire which erupted at the phosphate factory office. The Anuradhapura fire brigade and the residents in the area doused the fire, which erupted around 3.30 a.m. Vital documents had been burned to ashes, police said, noting that property had been damaged to great extent but there were no casualties. Further investigations are being conducted to find out whether it was a sabotage or not as there had been more..

June 22 (Island) The previous govt had not done enough for the welfare of war heroes; it had assigned the service personnel to to carry out tasks outside of their purview since war ended in 2009, Chairperson of Ranaviru Seva Authority Anoma Fonseka said. Addressing the media at the Defence Ministry’s Media Centre, she said, as the wife of former Army Commander Field Marshall Sarath Fonseka, she had experience of how then government treated the families of war heroes. more..

June 22 (EN) The fate of controversial Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran who is under fire over a bond auction rigging and insider dealing scandal will be decided by President Maithripala Sirisena and PM Ranil Wickremesinghe, a senior Minister said. "It is the mandate of the president to appoint the governor," Minister and General Secretary of UNP Kabir Hashim told reporters. Governor Arjuna Mahendran's term of office runs out at the end of month, more..

June 22 (AD) “We will kill everyone against us,” Minister Patali Ranawaka has told a monk, according to the Leader of the Jathika Emamuthuwa Venerable Bengamuwe Nalaka Thero. The observation was made while speaking at a press conference held in Colombo. Nalaka Thero went on to say the monk had also quoted the Minister as saying that they would first kill those who were with them and defected to the other side. “There are two evils in the Jathika Hela Urumaya. more..

June 22 (DM) MDMK general secretary Vaiko alleged that by naming a renovated stadium in Sri Lanka after Alfred Duraiappah, former mayor of Jaffna, the govts in India and SL had sought to deceive the world that normalcy had returned to the country. He said when there was no trace of thousands of Tamils who had disappeared during the war and when thousands of them continued to live in camps, PM Narendra Modi had inaugurated the stadium through video conferencing. more..

June 22 (Island) Education Ministry claimed that 95% of doctors who demanded schools for their children and threatened to surround the ministry today had not even submitted relevant documents. The problem had arisen because all of them wanted their children admitted to about 20 popular schools in the country, Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam said. There were 352 national schools in the country and of them only 20 schools more..

June 22 (DN) Coral Holdings (Pvt) Ltd one of the leading real estate companies in Sri Lanka and the Maldives has diversified to the dairy sector. The company will invest Rs. 500 million on a dairy farm in Killinochchi. Coral Holdings Chairman Dr. S. Pirabaharan said they have been owning a 200 acre land in Killinochchi for a long time. “We believe now the time is right to invest in it and we will be investing Rs. 500 million to have a state of the art dairy farm and a breeding centre.” more..

June 22 (DN) Exporters Association of Sri Lanka (EASL), an affiliated trade organization of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce has welcomed the lifting of the EU ban imposed on the export of Sri Lanka fisheries products to the EU market. The latest move by the EU, which was also endorsed by The Seafood Exporters Association, a constituent partner of the EASL will help the local fisheries industry to restore its ‘preferred supplier’ status within a short period in the European region. more..

June 22 (AD) Former minister G.L. Peiris says PM Ranil Wickremesinghe is prepared to do anything to protect his very close friend Arjuna Mahendran, central bank Governor. There is nothing he will not do to protect him and we have to think as to what is the secret behind this, he said. He claimed that there is a proposal now to appoint an Acting Governor for the Central Bank pending the ongoing investigations regarding more..

June 22 (DM) In the aftermath of the Orlando massacre and the brutal murder of one of the British Parliament’s rising stars, Sri Lanka also needs to consider the imposition of tougher laws against extremists. Last Sunday, a week after the massacre of civilians in an Orlando night club, some 50,000 people gathered in the city for a memorial service and the most notable feature was the appearance of a rainbow – signifying the beauty of unity in diversity. more..

June 22 (DM) Today being the death anniversary of my father Mervyn de Silva, founder-President of the Editor’s Guild of SL, CBK’s threat to leave the govt inevitably triggered a recollection of a typically sardonic one-liner of Mervyn’s from the 1970s. We were at the Supper Club when bandleader Claude Fernando came over to our table and complained: “I’ve warned the management I’ll take my talent elsewhere”. Mervyn cocked an eyebrow and deadpanned: “you sure travel light, don’t you?” more..

June 22 (DM) The healthcare industry today is openly described as a mafia due to various underhand quotations and tenders that have been passed to issue drugs. Recently the two heads of the NMRA stepped down from their seats since they believed that they had much political interference. Dr. Rajitha Senarathne gave his version with regard to the reasons behind the resignation of world renowned medical experts while also giving an insight to more..

June 22 (DM) While rejecting the allegations that JHU was behind the arrest of UPFA MP Udaya Gammanpila, JHU national organizer Nishantha Sri Warnasinghe said today such allegations were being made to suppress the financial crime allegations levelled against Mr. Gammanpila. He said there was no politics involved in his (Gammanpila's) arrest and added that he was arrested following a complaint made by his business partners in connection more..

June 22 (ST) Motorists will soon have to be extra alert to avoid being nabbed for traffic offences when the Transport Ministry implements its plan to use footage from street CCTV cameras to fine offending motorists. Special cameras that can easily read the number plates of vehicles will be installed on roads in addition to some 150 CCTV cameras already in place on main roads, junctions and around strategic buildings more..

June 22 (CT) There is an attempt to repeal a contract awarded to Shell Eastern Trading (Pte) Ltd, a subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell, by Litro Gas Lanka Limited, to import natural gas to Sri Lanka, the Anti-Corruption Front (ACF) states. ACF Adviser, Rajith Keerthi Tennakoon says that Shell Eastern Trading (Pte) Ltd, which had quoted the lowest price to import natural gas, is a reputed organization and if the tender is given to more..

June 22 (DM) In response to the request made by private bus operators to increase bus fares from July 1, Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva appointed a high-ranking panel to prepare the criteria for such increaments. At yesterday's discussions held with the minister at the transport ministry, the private bus operators insisted that they be permitted to increase bus fares from July 1 in the wake of the sharp increase more..

June 22 (Island) The Right to Information Bill would give the public an opportunity to obtain information in respect of any public institution, including parliament as well as members of Parliament, attorney-at-law Jagath Liyana Arachchi of Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL) told The Island yesterday. TISL and several other civil society organizations spearheaded efforts to bring in the Right to Information Act to Parliament. more..

June 22 (DN) Since the opening of the Sooriyawewa International Cricket Stadium in 2011, a total of Rs. 92.54 million had been spent for its maintenance activities, while its total income from holding international cricket matches stood at Rs. 16.63 million, an answer provided by the Sports Ministry said. The answer was read out in Parliament by Minister Gayantha Karunathilake on behalf of subject Minister Dayasiri Jayasekara for a question more..

June 22 (CG) As the UNHRC meets in Geneva this month and the High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Al Hussein prepares his oral report to be presented later in the session, Global Tamil Forum (GTF) has appealed to the International Community to remain fully engaged with Sri Lanka to ensure that all aspects of the UNHRC resolution A/HRC/30/1 are faithfully implemented. The leading Tamil diaspora group said that the pursuit of truth, justice for more..

June 22 (Island) Pandemonium broke out in Parliament when Minister Sarath Fonseka tried to respond to a question raised by Joint Opposition expecting a response from PM Ranil Wickremesinghe on the arrest of UPFA MP Udaya Gammanpila. MEP leader Dinesh Gunawardena, raising a privilege issue, said the arrest of Gammanpila was an act of political revenge and asked the PM to tell the House why an MP was taken into custody. more..

June 22 (Island) Alleging that the govt had pathetically failed to fulfil the pledges made in the run-up to the January, 2015 presidential polls, the National Movement for Social Justice and Purawesi Balaya yesterday launched a fresh campaign to pressure President and PM to make good on their promises. Senior representatives of the two organisations called upon the govt to change its course or face the consequences. more..

June 22 (CT) Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Similarly, there are times when those in positions of power shoot their own mouths off by making outrageously ridiculous remarks. That list would be topped off most certainly by our well-known politicians. But the latest addition to the list is not that much of a surprise. Last Friday, DIG Ranjith Perera, the head of the Police Department's commando arm, STF publicly threatened to punish the media in the way they [STF] dealt with the criminal underworld. more..

June 22 (CT) Despite its widespread use, for millennia the death penalty has caused lingering societal discomfort and unease. Fairly early on in history many enlightened leaders have found the the death penalty degrading of human dignity. For example, in ancient Sri Lanka a number of kings – influenced by the Buddha’s teaching – abolished the death penalty. In fact, for much of the the first, third, fourth and thirteenth centuries the death penalty was not employed in Sri Lanka. more..

June 22 (CT) The space generally reserved for sports at the Havelock Basketball Pavilion was filled with an abundance of creativity, bursting with refreshing energy and alight with colour, joy, and happiness, at the Colombo Hippie Market on 19 June. It was a space where hippie vibes were fused together with fashion, music, food, artistic creations, as well as unique items. The whole event organized by the Questival and The AgenZ was free of restrictions, more..

June 22 (CT) While steps were taken to prune the security given to former President Rajapaksa, his one-time loyalist, Sajin de Vass Gunawardena continues to enjoy VIP security, it is learnt. Convener of the NMSJ, Prof. Sarath Wijesooriya recently questioned on what basis was Gunawardena granted VIP security, when he was not even a MP. It is learnt that the organization also took up this matter during a meeting with President Sirisena, questioning the President as to why more..