July 16 (SL) Health Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne says the unity govt will renew their agreement and continue as the unity govt beyond August. Minister said that the people in the North and East are enjoying real freedom as a result of the unity govt. He says the Govt has taken steps to address the Human Rights issue and so it will be ready to face the international community in Geneva at the UNHRC. more..

July 16 (ST) The sudden resignation of the Board of Directors of the BOI this week was not so sudden in a sense; it was a long time coming. Friction within the country’s One stop shop for Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) and the Minister in charge had dogged the Govt’s desperate search for foreign investors. The anticipated dollars, sterling and euros were not flowing in as the new Govt of 2015 anticipated, forcing it to rely on state-backed investments from China and India. more..

July 16 (ST) My dear Angie, I thought I must write to you because everyone is talking about you these days, especially after your team lost to Zimbabwe and you resigned from the captaincy. Cricket seems to have become the topic of conversation – more so than changes to the Constitution, the dengue epidemic or even SAITM! I suppose this is one of those moments when all about you are losing their heads and blaming it on you. It does appear as if there are many problems with cricket in SL more..

July 16 (SO) On Wednesday last week, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, former President of Brazil from 2003 until 2011, was convicted of corruption and money laundering. The case against him grew out of a long-running federal bribery investigation, known as Operation Car Wash. He was sentenced to nine and a half years in prison, but in deference to the national trauma involved in jailing a former President, the sentencing Judge allowed him to remain free during his appeal. more..

July 16 (Island) Former Navy Spokesman Commodore D.K.P. Dassanayake was arrested last week on charges of causing the disappearance of 11 persons in 2008. Dassanayake, a highly decorated Naval officer who played a major role in the war, is the latest high ranking armed forces officer to be arrested under the present govt. After January 2015, a good cross section of the entire military high command that won the war against terrorism has either been investigated, more..

July 16 (CT) As President Sirisena was praised in Bangladesh for making a revolutionary transformation in SL, visiting UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, Ben Emmerson, warned that the progress in achieving the key goals set out in the Resolution is not only slow, but seems to have grounded to a virtual halt more..

July 16 (CI) Pakistan flirted with their first victory in 14 World Cup matches several times over the course of the action in Leicester. They had Sri Lanka at 98 for 5 in the 27th over but somehow let them scramble to 221. Then, in the chase, they were 134 for 4 with a well-set Nain Abidi finding the boundaries at will. But she would be run out - the result of a mix up with her captain Sana Mir - as self-inflicted wounds eventually led to a defeat most agonising. more..

July 16 (CT) After six years in the making, former Sri Lankan Olympians finally came up with their novel association, Sri Lanka Olympian yesterday at the NOC, which is headed by former Olympian hurdler Sriyani Kulawansa. Association is expected to be the 149th member of the World Olympian Association which now has 148 member countries around the world. As per Kulawansa Sri Lanka has 97 Olympians at the moment who have represented Sri Lanka since the 1948 Olympic Games more..

July 16 (Hindu) “First, it was the tsunami that destroyed our community. Then came the war. Now, it’s microfinance.” That is how Jesudasan Rajitha describes the growing web of debt that is trapping people of this district on Sri Lanka’s east coast. Ms. Rajitha is with the federation of women’s rural development societies, which focusses on economic concerns of women. “Not a day passes without someone telling me that more..

July 16 (Island) Sri Lanka’s reputation at international level in cricket has plummeted to the lowest possible nadir in the 36-year old history after the island became a Full Member of the ICC under great stress and difficulties. The recent statistical details of the performances by the SL team are too painful to recall, though the media has made no bones of the miserable results of our team. Let it be said that Zimbabwe came to SL ranked 11th, having been defeated by Scotland a few weeks more..

July 16 (SO) Vavuniya schoolboy Kirthushan wins Nestomalt mini marathon. S. Kirthushan of Vavuniya Tamil MMV clocked 1.14.53 secs. To win the Mini Marathon of the National School organized by the Department of Education which held yesterday in Jaffna. While P. Jenanthanan (Oddusuddan MV 1.22.03 secs) and R. Rinijan (Kokuvil Hindu College 1.24.05 secs) finished as runners up to Kirthushan. The was sponsored by Nestle Lanka which named as Nestle Mini Marthon for Nestomalt Trophy. more..

July 16 (ST) Four Lankan athletes stand the chance to be a part of the World Athletics Championships to be held in England from August 4 to 13. According to the qualifying standards set by the International Athletics Association of Federation (IAAF) two SL athletes have already qualified. They are Anuradha Indrajit Cooray and Hiruni Wijeratne. Both are Marathon runners. Other than that, Nimal Liyanarachchi who won the Gold at 800m more..

July 16 (Island) Colombo Stock Exchange hopes to have its Dollar Board operational by the end of this year whereby foreign companies could list dollar denominated stock in Colombo, CSE Chairman Ray Abeywardene announced last week. All necessary approvals for this purpose have been obtained, CSE CEO Rajeeva Bandaranayake said. "Everything necessary has been done," he said. "Now it is up to us to go out and get the business." Already some Maldivian companies have expressed interest more..

July 16 (SO) Calling to ban animal testing worldwide, The Body Shop has been partnering the Forever Against Animal Testing, the global effort to collect eight million signatories. “We want to ban animal testing for cosmetics purposes forever, everywhere in the world. We are proud to launch the Forever Against Animal Testing campaign in Sri Lanka. Although, there is no requirement in Sri Lankan law for cosmetic animal testing, there is also no legal ban to forbid the practice. more..

July 16 (ST) Please, could someone within the Lankan hierarchy — I mean in the govt — draw up a strategy to prevent the Afghanistan cricket team from obtaining entry visas to Sri Lanka, in the foreseeable future? I am quite confident that I need not explain this plea of mine. We do admit that all’s not well within the mechanism of the anatomy of Sri Lankan cricket, and today, what I am trying to ascertain is whether this wound was more..

July 16 (SL) Over 800 containers with palm oil imported from Malaysia, unfit for human consumption, had been released to the market over the past few years. Customs Department said that details had emerged of the large amount of adulterated palm oil released to the market following ongoing investigations. Palm oil had been imported to Sri Lanka between 2012 and 2016 and was released to the market during that period. In March 2016 an investigation had been launched more..

July 16 (Mirror) A student who was thrown into a cell and told she would be deported back to war-torn Sri Lanka still managed to get a first-class degree after finishing her university course. Shiromini Satkunarajah was told she wouldn't be able to finish her Electronic Engineering course at the University of Bangor in the crucial third year of her studies. But she won an 11th hour reprieve from deportation and bounced back to pass her degree with flying colours. Police arrested her and her mother as more..

July 16 (CT) A huge public outcry resulted after media reported the temporary closure of Golden Temple of Dambulla recently. However, following discussions held at Asgiriya Temple on 14 July, with the participation of Maha Nayake Thera of Asgiriya Chapter, Most Ven. Warakagoda Gnanarathana Thera, Ven. Anu Nayake Theras, officials of the Department of Archaeology and Central Cultural Fund (CCF), an agreement more..

July 16 (SO) Sri Lanka will be a hub for exports in the region within six to seven years with exports doubling from the current rate, State Minister Sujeewa Senasinghe saidlast week at the Media Ministry to apprise the media on the progress of the National Export Strategy (NES). He said the national export strategy will help to increase the export income to around USD 18 billion by 2020. The NES is being worked out with the collaboration of the private and public sector stakeholders. more..

July 16 (ST) It was again Kussi Amma Sera (KAS) who prompted the idea for this week’s column. As the sun’s rays crept through the trees, KAS, sweeping the garden as she usually does every morning, was mumbling to herself. Annoyed, I said: Speak up. Kathakaranna bayawenna epa. Looking up, she says, Mahattaya hari wedai — ara EPF mahattaya. Hari narakai. Evage minissu innavade mey ratey? Puzzled and before I could respond, the silence of morning is broken by a phone call. more..

July 16 (CT) The 18 dissident SLFP Ministers, Deputy and State Ministers in the Unity Govt, who have said they were considering whether they should remain in, or quit the Govt, will within this week take their crucial remain or exit decision. One of the dissidents, Minister John Seneviratne, said they were continuing discussions on whether to quit the Govt or not. Asked to comment on media reports of this imminent mass exodus from the Govt, more..

July 16 (Hindu) SL’s World Cup-winning captain Arjuna Ranatunga, on Friday, stoked the fire, hinting at foul play in the 2011 WC final between India and SL which was Muralitharan’s last international game. Ranatunga was responding to Sangakkara’s call for investigation into Sri Lanka’s tour of Pakistan in 2009 in which the team came under attack from terrorists. Ranatunga was quoted as saying, “If Mr. Sangakkara wants an inquiry into the tour of Pakistan, then they should have one. more..

July 16 (Hindu) Sri Lanka is keen to enter into an agreement with Kerala so that tourism ventures of both the locales will get a boost, Arundika Fernando, Deputy Minister for Tourism and Christian Religious Affairs of SL has said. Daily flights link Colombo with airports in Kerala, a State which has similar cuisine and scenic beauty as Sri Lanka, he said after the official launch of Destination Hub, an initiative of Spiceland Holidays. Mr. Fernando said that Kerala’s backwaters were already high in demand more..

July 16 (SL) Govt has decided to screen tourists from seven countries including Syria, Pakistan and Nigeria. Minister S. B. Navinna said the screening will be carried out in light of national security concerns. Visitors from Syria, Pakistan, Egypt, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon will be screened before being approved a visa. Tourists from Syria and Egypt will be screened as there is a fear ISIS rebels from those two more..

July 16 (ST) Dr. Tilokasundari Kariyawasam, who played a prominent role in SL’s Education sector, passed away after a brief illness. Dr Kariyawasam, a past pupil of Vishaka Vidyalaya, Dharmapala College and finally Ananda College, entered Peradeniya Uni in 1952, and started her educational career by joining the Tutorial Staff of Vishaka College, as a young graduate teacher In 1966 she was awarded a British Council Scholarship till 1968, to obtain her PhD at Uni of London. more..

July 16 (ST) Turning upside down, the former regime’s project to restore the Beira Lake and develop the surrounding area spearheaded by former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, this showpiece lake is to be developed under a new plan soon. Earlier plans to relocate all the casinos to a special zone in Colombo’s D.R. Wijewardena Mawartha/Beira Lake area have been shelved. Beira Lake surrounding area development plan will be devised by the Ministry of Megapolis and more..

July 16 (ST) Cabinet Committee on Economic Management (CCEM) has hit the brakes on a proposed US$ 250m Horton Square mixed-development project in Horton Place, saying the buildings — two towers of 75 storeys each — were too high for the exclusive residential area. But the UDA maintains that it falls within limits allowed for special primary residential zones in the City of Colombo Dev Plan (Amendment) 2008. more..

July 16 (ST) National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) has lodged a complaint with the CIABC against its former deputy chairman, alleging that he provided to a foreign court an adverse report on child protection in SL. Deputy Chairman Sajeeva Samaranayake was removed on an order from President Sirisena after he submitted a sworn affidavit to an Australian court stating that SL was an unsafe environment for children and that the justice system as a whole did not respond effectively more..

July 16 (ST) Speculation was rife this week that under-pressure SriLankan Airlines Chairman Ajit Dias is considering stepping down at the end of July. Sources said Mr. Dias is believed to have told friends that he intended to step down from his position. However, airline officials, said Mr. Dias was on leave and in London and gave no such indication of quitting. Last week Colonel (Rtd.) Sunil D. Peiris, board director and Director of Human Resources at the airline resigned after more..

July 16 (ST) For a second successive week, ministers at their weekly meeting last Tuesday discussed the future of the Anti-Corruption Committee Secretariat (ACCS) and this time, decided to shut it down. Previous week’s meeting ended inconclusively with President Maithripala Sirisena letting off some steam on his coalition partner, the UNP alleged nexus with the JO led by former President Rajapaksa. more..

July 16 (Island) They are the three corners of Sri Lanka’s vicious political triangle. Mahinda Rajapaksa and his family are nothing if they are not blatant about everything. They defeated the LTTE, so they can do no wrong. They will return to power, they insist, and rule for ever, no matter what. If and when they do, the blame or credit for it must surely land on the present govt – for its betrayal of the common opposition promises in the landmark election of January 2015. more..

July 16 (Island) Will Sri Lanka be pushed into the cauldron of conflict once again with the governance mechanism in limbo, slow to react responsively to conflict loaded situations? Sri Lanka is no stranger to conflict. In the present context what is bewildering and disconcerting is the perception that the present govt (as did the previous one) is watching passively while the BBS, a radical Sinhalese Buddhist organization appear to be pre -programmed to rouse religious and communal hatred more..

July 16 (NS) Newly-appointed Governor of the Eastern Province, former minister, Rohitha Bogollagama said the immediate task would be to strengthen the understanding between the people of the Province and the Govt, and between the major communities in the region. Bogollagama said the new role was an opportunity to focus on the reconciliation process that has been initiated by President Maithripala Sirisena. more..

July 16 (NS) A discussion conducted by the Rivira with Minister S.B. Dissanayaka regarding the future of the national Govt, the political position of the SLFP and the new Constitution. Q: There is at present a heated political situation within the SLFP. Certain SLFP MPs and ministers are making controversial statements about the national govt. Why if there are no issues, did President Sirisena urgently summon the SLFP MPs more..

July 16 (Island) This is not fiddling while Rome burns. This is taking selfies on the railway track ignoring the hurtling express train. No govt can remain eternally popular. Govts, like people, also face midlife crises. Some of the woes afflicting the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe administration are due to such natural factors. Not all of them, though, or even most of them. These heights of inefficiency, this unwillingness to stand up to the bullying of more..

July 16 (CT) The future of medicine hit a turning point in December 1967, when a South African doctor, Prof. Chris Barnard, performed the world's first ever heart transplant. A 25-year-old woman, Denise Darvall, was dying due to the fatal injuries caused in a car accident. Dr. Barnard using a technique developed by a group of American researchers in the 1950s, transplanted her heart in 53-year-old Lewis Washkansky on 3 Dec. more..

July 16 (SL) Despite  cabinet approval compensation has not yet been paid to the victims of Welikada prison riot. Minister D.M. Swaminathan said govt will ensure the victims of the incident get justice. He said his Ministry had been instructed to pay compensation to the victims as cabinet had approved it yet it did not take place. Meanwhile, as CID begins an investigation on Welikada Prison riot, a lawyer appearing more..

July 16 (ST) A onetime top official of the SL Permanent Mission to the UN in New York is to be questioned by the FCID over alleged financial irregularities. This probe concerns an advance of more than US$ 50,000 drawn from the mission for expenses related to a visit by former President Rajapaksa and entourage to attend the UN General Assembly. One such advance had been settled after five months with irrelevant and incomplete more..

July 16 (ST) About 600 Metric Tonnes (MT) out of 700MT of garbage collected in Colombo on a daily basis can be recycled or reused provided the public supported such efforts, Minister Champika Ranawaka said. Minister Ranawaka, who has been tasked by President to resolve Colombo’s garbage woes, said that since taking over the task of garbage disposal within CMC limits, they have been able to recycle or reuse 400MT out of 700MT more..