Aug 5 (DM) Ceylon Motorcyclists' Association (CMA) questioned Police Department as to how they define loud noise which causes public nuisance and how they gauged such a noise. CMA Secretary Chirantha Amarasinghe said the association had noticed a sudden increase in the laws regarding loud machinery which the police categorized as a public nuisance. He said the police had no way of measuring the level of sounds in machines without a Sound Level Meter (SLM), especially in more..

Aug 5 (NR) Govt today reiterated that the Hambantota Port was not handed over to the Chinese company. Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe today visited the Chief Prelates of the Malwathu Chapter to clarify and explain the particulars of the Hambantota agreement. He noted after 80 of the 99 years agreed upon is complete the country will benefit a great deal more. Minister affirmed, not a single stretch of land of the Hambantota port has been given over to the Chinese. more..

Aug 5 (DM) Skills Development and Vocational Training Ministry said it would take stern disciplinary action against Ceylon-German Technical Training Institute (CGTTI) Principal Shantha Karunaratne over an alleged incident of soliciting sexual favours to pass the students. Ministry Secretary P. Ranepura said ministry would take legal action against CGTTI’s Principal over the incident as soon as possible. more..

Aug 5 (CT) President Sirsena has requested for a full transcript of Foreign and Lotteries Board Minister Ravi Karunanayake‘s statement and evidence given before the commission to investigate the Bond Scam. He had told his close confidantes that he cannot come to a judgment based on what is published in the media Colombo Telegraph reliably learns. This move came after President’s close advisors had pointed out that the media cannot cover an entire investigation more..

Aug 5 (CB) Niroshan Dickwella revealed that the team had a long meeting during the Lunch interval on the third day of the second Test and the discussions in the meeting helped the team fightback from the near-losing position they found themselves in. SL had been bowled out for 183 in response to India's 622 in their first innings and were asked to follow-on. At Lunch, with Sri Lanka's second innings to follow the break, SL sat down and put their faith in the ability to play the sweep more..

Aug 5 (AD) Ministry Of Health has issued a gazette announcing the maximum retail prices for stents used in heart surgeries. Accordingly the maximum retail price for Bare Metal Stents will be Rs.24,000 and Drug Eluting Stents will be Rs.105,000 Minister Rajitha Senaratne made the amendments to the current pricing schedule in accordance with the National Medicines Regulatory Act 2015. more..

Aug 5 (DN) Chief Incumbent Ven. Muruththettuwe Ananda Thera has filed an appeal in the Colombo Civil Appellate High Court challenging the Colombo District Court’s Interim Injunction to prevent him from utilising the Narahenpita Abhayarama temple property for political, commercial and trade union activities. The Colombo District Court issued this order on July 14, until the final determination of the lawsuit. When the appeal petition came up before Civil Appellate High Court, more..

Aug 5 (DM) PM Ranil Wickremesinghe’s political future and the future of the country largely depend on resolving the national question and bringing about economic development, Opposition Leader R Sampanthan said. He said this during the ceremony in Parliament to felicitate PM's 40 years as a MP. “Premier by nature is calm and stable person and a person who cannot be ruffled easily. We are felicitating him on his outstanding achievement of being 40 years in Parliament but the concern more..

Aug 5 (NR) The agreement that saw the Hambantota port handed over to a Chinese state conglomerate on a tax system was presented before the Chief Prelates of the Malwathu Chapter today. The agreement was presented to the Chief Prelates by Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe. Speaking to media afterwards Minister said he handed over the agreement to the Chief Prelates on the directives of President Maithripala Sirisena. more..

Aug 6 (SO) Political leadership has always been a challenge for all those who played such a role in society. In the first place, all genuine political leaders, especially, those who have won recognition in their societies, must make some self-sacrifice in the interest of the larger community. Along with self sacrifice comes the stress of bearing the burdens of aspirations, needs and interests of the community one leads. Ranil Wickremesinghe, currently Prime Minister of this country more..

Aug 6 (CT) The centre of the CB Bond scandal is getting rather crowded these days with the entree of former Finance Minister Ravi K. into the witness box so to say. On Friday, the CEO of Perpetual Treasuries Kasun Palisena handed over his mobile phone to the investigation Officers of the Bond Commission. Palisena is to appear at the Bond Commission on Tuesday (8) for inquiry. The gods alone know how many more witnesses will be called by the Commission before the dust settles more..

Aug 6 (SO) Hambantota Port was constructed with an investment of around Rs. 193 billion through commercial loans obtained by the Govt. Hambantota Port will be transformed into a viable venture and churn out revenue to the economy following the new agreement inked with Chinese company, official of SLPA said. Port named after former President Rajapaksa was built to be a leading services & industrial port in region. more..

Aug 6 (NS) The idea reportedly mooted by the govt recently to make it compulsory by law to have all provincial council elections on the same day, on the face of it, is a salutary move. Due to whatever reasons, when the provincial councils were set up by the JR Jayewardene govt they did not introduce the same day election rule for PCs. If it was deliberately done the motive would have been to keep the option of testing the waters by having these elections one by one so that it would more..

Aug 6 (ST) Vote of Felicitation in Parliament Friday for PM Ranil Wickremesinghe in recognition of 40 years of continuous service as a legislator, was overshadowed by the boycott of the special sitting by MPs of the JO group and the JVP. Mr Wickremesinghe who first entered Parliament on July 21, 1977 has seen his fair share of political upheavals in the country, but the felicitation vote came at a particularly turbulent time when his govt is at the center of a political storm, more..

Aug 6 (CT) Issuing a special statement the minister of Buddha Sasana Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe said that the govt is going to take the necessary measures against teachers and private class owners who continue to conduct tuition classes on Sundays and Poya days. Elaborating further on this, he also has said that a special gazette notification will be issued soon regarding a ban on tuitions on Sundays and Poya days. more..

Aug 6 (ST) My dear Mrs. Ravi K, I never thought I would be writing to you, especially after having written to your husband last week. Please excuse me for doing so but, after hearing what he had to say at the Bond Commission this week, I think I was wrong: instead of writing to him, I should have been writing to you all this time. Mrs. Ravi K, you would have heard of the saying behind every successful man, there is a woman. I realised how true it was only after hearing Ravi testify at Commission. more..

Aug 6 (Island) It is obvious that the next few days are going to be a torrid time in Sri Lanka politics. Minister Ravi Karunanayake’s appearance before the Presidential Commission triggered a deluge of sensational reporting for which the media cannot be faulted for the simple reason that the disclosures were sensational. Of course none of the allegations that were made or material elicited has yet been proven. That must await the final report of the commission. more..

Aug 6 (SO) It seems, the Joint Opposition (JO) is holding out hopes for a vote of no-confidence, to oust Minister Ravi Karunanayake following the allegations against him over his penthouse at Monarch residencies, which was once allegedly leased by Arjun Aloysius, the man in the centre of the Treasury Bond issue. JO members say they have handed over a no-confidence motion against Minister Ravi Karunananyake last week and are confident that it will be successful. more..

Aug 6 (ST) The photographs that appeared in last weekend’s newspapers after the signing of the tripartite agreement between China Merchant Port (CMP), SLPA & Ministry of Ports and Shipping to lease the debt-ridden Hambantota port, said it all. On the prompting of the vice chairman of CMP for a cross handshake between the three signatories, two locals looked awkward and embarrassed, but they obliged. Behind the scenes were govt politicians, for once shy of cameras. more..

Aug 6 (CT) In his 1953 play The Crucible American playwright Arthur Miller says there are wheels within wheels and fires within fires in this village. This seems to be the case with Sirisena-Wickremesinghe govt where none seems to take the responsibility of what is happening around them or even in their very own families. From everything that took place last week, from the alleged statement issued by the govt condemning North Korea more..

Aug 6 (Island) The appearance of Minister Ravi Karunanayake before the Bond Commission was the talk of the week. No one can fail to notice that there is a major difference in the way Ravi Karunanayake has been treated when compared to how Hirunika Premachandra was treated when it came to her abduction case and Galagodaatte Gnanasara thera was treated recently with regard to the multiple cases against him. Despite the fact that the men who abducted a youth more..

Aug 6 (ST) While last week, Kussi Amma Sera was afflicted by a bout of uncontrollable laughter reading about a proposal from a minister to create a costly airport at the Colombo port, this week it was a case of being distraught. Mahattaya, balanna. Minisunta kochchara amaaru..da wathura nethi hinda, she said with sadness, watching on TV women from the dry zone areas pleading for water. Nodding my head in agreement, I cautioned her to use water sparingly even though there is water on tap all the time. more..

Aug 6 (ST) When the coalition of Thilanga Sumathipala and Jayantha Dharmadasa convincingly beat the group led by once-powerful board secretary Nishantha Ranatunga at the Sri Lanka Cricket elections in 2016, expectations were high of the new administrators. Twenty months into their first term, they have achieved little in respect of their promises of good governance, transparency and, more importantly, improvement of the game. more..

Aug 6 (DC) It had been a cakewalk for India till the second innings of the second Test in the series against Sri Lanka. The first Test was won by plenty and the second seems headed the same way till the stirring partnership between Dimuth Karunaratne and Kusal Mendis put up a string of questions for the Indian bowlers. From India's point of view, it's been clockwork performance so far in the series. Every batsman and every bowler has looked in good form. Indeed, some have been outstanding. more..

Aug 6 (FPJ) One of the most precious gifts that Sri Lanka offers its visitors is one scenic view after another, unlike anything they’ve ever seen. On car rides, inside a train filled with old school charm, on tuk-tuk rides around the city, after treks and even on the streets. We chose to explore Sri Lanka through three cities in late June, hoping it’ll surprise us and leave us dazzled in many, many ways. A friend and I, after much deliberation and debate, settled on Colombo, Kandy, and Galle, more..

Aug 6 (ST) Now it is the beleaguered SLC’s anti-corruption man Lakshman de Silva himself who is in a spot of bother. Former SL Police Officer turned ICC anti-corruption sleuth has been sidelined by Lankan cricket administration after he was in the midst of a row with tour organising committee official Aruna de Silva, also of SLC, during India-SL first Test match in Galle. It is said that the rift broke out after Lakshman de Silva told more..

Aug 6 (ST) SL marathon runners – Anuradha Indrajit Cooray and Hiruni Wijeratne will take part in  the 16th World Athletics Championships Marathon event in London today. The competition which commenced on Friday will continue until August 13. Anuradha Indrajit’s men’s event will be at 10.55 am (London time). Hiruni’s event will be at 2 pm. 108 marathon runners from 54 countries will take part in the men’s marathon. In the women’s marathon 96 runners from 46 nations will face the starter. more..

Aug 6 (SO) Wheat flour millers say that they do not intend to revise prices of flour despite the reduction in import tax on wheat flour. Cess on a kilogram of imported flour has been reduced from Rs. 25 to Rs. 15. The import taxes on wheat grain has been reduced from Rs. 9 to Rs. 6. The tax reductions were made by Finance Ministry in a bid to reduce the cost of living. A spokesman for Serendib Flour Mills said that the company does not plan to reduce the price on a kilogram of wheat flour more..

Aug 6 (CI) Third day's play at SSC was a good illustration of how difficult winning Test matches can be. You nip an opposition out in under two sessions, you ask them to bat on because you suspect the pitch will slow down quickly, and then the opposition batsmen come with a game plan, attack you, have some luck running, and at the end of the day you have two wickets to show for 60 overs' work. more..

Aug 6 (Island) Hong Kong thrashed Sri Lanka 36-0 to lift the Asia Under-20 Rugby Championship which came to an end at King’s Park in Hong Kong yesterday. Sri Lanka were unbeaten in the competition until they met Hong Kong in the final and tries from A. Paul, C. Smith. D. Max and D. Oliver. Sri Lanka could not handle the pressure of a final as they failed to match the impressive brand of rugby that they had been playing in the build up to the final. more..

Aug 6 (ST) GMOA will meet with all other trade unions on Wednesday to discuss further action to be taken against abolishing the SAITM. GMOA Assistant Secretary Dr Navin De Soysa told the Sunday Times that, if the President and the PM do not show an interest in solving the issue, then we will have to discuss further trade union action. “Discussions will be held with all other trade unions and political parties which participated in the National Protest Day,” he said. more..

Aug 6 (ST) The latest tender called for the redevelopment and upgrading of BIA’s Aviation Refuelling Terminal and the existing Fuel Hydrant system has been cancelled following a recent decision taken by new Petroleum Minister Arjuna Ranatunge. The minister took the decision after considering a determination made by SL’s Procurement Appeal Board (PAB) stating that it does not endorse Cabinet Appointed more..

Aug 6 (CI) Nuwan Pradeep has become the second Sri Lanka player to be ruled out of the Test series against India after suffering an in-game injury. Pradeep could complete only four balls of his 18th over on day one, and left the field clutching his left hamstring. Sri Lanka cricket manager Asanka Gurusinha has now confirmed a grade-one hamstring tear, and said Pradeep would be out of action for a minimum of two weeks. The news is a substantial blow to Sri Lanka. more..

Aug 6 (Island) Don’t be surprised if Sri Lanka Cricket block all calls coming from Kabul. Now that Afghanistan is a Test playing nation, the Afghans will be keen to get a nation with a rich cricket tradition to play their inaugural Test match. Given the status of the national cricket team at present, SLC will be keen to block all calls coming from Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan. At the moment even victory against Afghanistan is not certain for Sri Lanka. On Saturday, as Sri Lanka headed towards more..

Aug 6 (ST) Cash-strapped Govt is going ahead with a new land and property title registry modernisation and regularisation plan with the assistance of a US firm amid fears from surveyors that the 117 year-old SL Survey Department (SLSD) will be handed over to a US company. Major management functions of SLSD, including Land Information System and Aerial Survey Operations will be vested in Trimble Navigation Ltd, more..

Aug 6 (ST) State owned Business Enterprises (SOBEs) have recorded mixed performances during the first four months of this year with CEB and CPC incurring losses during this period in comparison to the first four months of 2016, mainly due to the dry weather conditions which prevailed in 2017 and 2016, This was revealed in the Finance Ministry’s mid-year fiscal position report 2017 released recently. In this background, the govt policy of strategic reorientation of SOBEs more..

Aug 6 (DM) The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s most advanced hospital ship Ark Peace would arrive in Sri Lanka on a goodwill visit from August 6 to 9. Issuing a statement, the Chinese Embassy today said the hospital ship would provide medical assistance to Sri Lankans free of charge on August 8. “Upholding the concept of peace, development, cooperation and win-win as well as actively carrying forward international humanitarianism and Nightingale spirit, more..

Aug 6 (CT) Senior MPs of UNP are holding discussions with PM Ranil Wickremesinghe on the option of urging Minister Ravi Karunanayake to relinquish office on account of alleged links with vital matters related to the Bond controversy that has put the govt's Yahapalanaya persona under siege. Top UNP politicians holding Cabinet portfolios namely Malik Samarawickrama, Lakshman Kiriella, Gayantha Karunathilaka, Mangala more..

Aug 6 (CT) Govt beefed up security and conducted a search operation for several hours in Thunnalai, Vadamarachchi, in Point Pedro yesterday to arrest criminals involved in the upsurge in crime in the area. Three suspects in their 20s were arrested in a sweep by the Special Task Force (STF) and Police personnel who also confiscated 11 motorbikes, and also 6 Canter lorries that were used in illicit sand mining. These vehicles are in the custody of the Point Pedro Police. more..