July 26 (BBC) Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) says that, fifty one women who were in Sri Lankan embassy overseas for various reasons have returned to the country today (25). SLBFE has received 193 Sri Lankan women in the Suraksha residence of the SL embassy in Kuwait. Out of them, 51 persons have been returned to SL. The rest of the women in that area would be brought back within the next period. more..

July 26 (CT) The Education Ministry will introduce 26 new subjects by 2019 that are related to vocational training in a bid to meet the demands of the economy, Secretary to the Ministry of Education Sunil Hettiarachchi, said. "The private sector always complaints that those who join the job market do not have the skills necessary. This is why we are attempting to introduce new subjects to fill the gaps," he said. more..

July 26 (DM) The govt yesterday decided to postpone the PC elections which were due to be held this year, until a new electoral system is worked out to conduct polls for the nine PCs on the same day. Elections were to have been held for North-Central, Sabaragamuwa and Eastern Provincial Councils this year when their terms end on October 1. Cabinet approved a memorandum reported to have been submitted more..

July 26 (ST) The suffering the people of Bandarawela undergo due to the controversial Uma Oya Project appears to be reaching calamitous proportions. Within the last week alone, 43 more houses were added to the official list of damaged houses. The water scarcity becomes more acute with each passing day, while the speedy solution the authorities have promised seems a pipe dream. Bandarawela’s Divisional Secretary more..

July 26 (Island) The CPC workers have launched a countrywide strike against a govt bid to sell the CPC assets to China and India, but the Cabinet yesterday approved the agreement to lease out Hambantota Port to a Chinese company. Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe said that the agreement would be submitted to parliament and debated on Friday prior to the signing of the agreement on Saturday. more..

July 26 (DM) Appearing on behalf of Minister Ravi Karunanayake, President's counsel Rienzie Arseculeratne today informed the Presidential Commission investigating the Bond issue that his client is unable to appear before the Commission because the minister had to attend the Security Council meeting summoned by the President. He also said the minister will be ready to give evidence next Wednesday (2). more..

July 26 (AD) A Gazette notification has been issued last night declaring the storage and distribution of fuel as an essential service. All staff involved in petroleum distribution must report to work with immediate effect as it is now an essential service.  Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) employees who fail to report to work with immediate effect will be considered as having vacated their posts, Govt Information Department said. more..

July 26 (Island) One robber was killed and another was seriously injured in a shoot-out with the police when two armed men attempted to rob valuable artefacts from a temple at Lassanagama, Meegalewa in Galgamuwa on Monday night. The injured man is being treated at the Anuradhapura Hospital. The police recovered a T-56 assault rifle, a pistol and a hand grenade from the scene of the shoot-out. The police rushed to the scene acting on a tip-off that some man were coming to rob, more..

July 26 (PMD) President Sirisena, congratulating the newly elected Indian President Ram Nath Kovind expressed his willingness to work closely with the new Indian President to further develop and strengthen excellent bilateral relations and cooperation which exists between the two countries. Sending a congratulatory message to President Kovind, the President stated that the vision and maturity of the new President will enormously be beneficial in achieving harmony more..

July 26 (NR) President Maithripala Sirisena says all issues surrounding grievances should be solved through the means of discussion. Head of State this morning requested employees of the Ceylon Petroleum Cooperation to take into consideration the inconvenience caused to the public as a result of the strike launched by trade union employees. President’s Media Division issuing a statement said the President’s attention has been drawn to the trade union action. more..

July 26 (CT) If Minister Ravi Karunanayake is an honourable man he should resign from at least his Foreign Ministry portfolio till his name is cleared from an alleged bribery scandal. This is in the backdrop of the charges made by East-West Properties plc Director Ms. Anika Wijesuriya at the Presidential Commission hearing the controversial Treasury Bond deals of 2015 and 2016 where an active participant was Perpetual Treasuries, a primary dealer company owned by more..

July 26 (DN) Colombo Chief Magistrate issued an order directing the Wildlife Department that 15 elephants taken into its custody following CID investigations be temporarily released to the claimants to take part in the upcoming Kandy Esala Perahera. Each elephant was released on a bond of Rs. 10 million by Magistrate Lal Bandara consequent to requests by several elephant owners. 15 elephants were temporally released for more..

July 26 (DM) Submitting a special application Additional Solicitor General Yasantha Kodagoda today requested the commission to direct Arjun Mahendran, former Governor of CB, to hand over all communication devices he used since Jan 1, 2015 to date for the investigation. ASG made the application under section 6 of the Presidential Commission on Bonds Issue (PCoI) Act based on available material obtained during the investigation which was sufficient to make such a request. more..

July 26 (CT) Leader of JVP, Anura Kumara Dissanayake call upon Minster of Foreign Affairs and Lotteries, Ravi Karunanayake to resign from his post immediately. He said according to information unearthed by the Commission to inquire into the Bond Scandal, the minister had obtained a super luxury apartment at the Monarch Residencies leased by Arjun Aloysius while they, Ravi and Arjun, both were accused of robbing billions of public funds though two bond scams. more..

July 26 (AD) CPC trade unions engaged in the strike action have agreed to carry out essential services until 6.30pm today, when discussions are expected to be held with relevant authorities.  The strike action was launched from midnight on Monday (24) based on three demands including the acquisition of Trincomalee Petroleum tanks complex to the CPC, acquisition of Hambantota Port Tanks Complex to CPC more..

July 26 (CT) The SAITM issue has become a national issue. This has become an issue for politicking for various politically motivated groups. Various groups and individuals have raised their voices for and against SAITM creating much heat and less light. The SAITM issue has brought out some important questions regarding state funded/private higher education in this country. SAITM assumes importance since it is an institution providing private medical degree. more..

July 26 (Island) Sukshar Ranasinghe graduate in medicine from the University Chittagong has complained to the Supreme Court that the holding of the Act 16 examination for foreign medical graduates has been postponed from May this year until further notice. This is due to the involvement of the first respondent, the Sri Lanka Medical Council, registration authority in Sri Lanka, in the SAITAM dispute, the petition has alleged. The petitioner has requested the Court to compel more..

July 26 (Reuters) European Union's top court kept Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas on the EU terrorism blacklist on Wednesday and removed Sri Lankan separatist rebels, the Tamil Tigers. Judges at the European Court of Justice (ECJ) overruled the General Court's view of 2014 that the Council of European Union, 28-nation grouping, had insufficient evidence to maintain asset freezes and travel bans on Hamas. more..

July 26 (DN) Deputy Solicitor General (DSG) Dileepa Peiris today informed Court of Appeal that Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) General Secretary Ven. Galagoda Atte Gnanasara Thera behaved in an aggressive manner after getting up before Homagama Magistrate on January 25 last year. DSG Dileepa Peiris gave evidence regarding the contempt of court action filed against Gnanasara Thera over his alleged offensive behaviour inside the Homagama Magistrate’s Court. more..

July 26 (DM) Former president Mahinda Rajapaksa said today he was open for discussions with anyone for the sake of the country including President Maithripala Sirisena. He said this in reponse to a question asked by Daily Mirror during this morning’s live Twitter Q and A session #AskMR. When asked whether he was ready to talk to President Sirisena with regard to finding solutions to the current issues in the country, Mr. Rajapaksa said he was open for discussions with anyone. more..

July 26 (CI) Seldom have Indian Test teams gone on tour and enjoyed a first day this dominant. Batting first at one of the most bat-first grounds in the world, they cruised along at more than four an over while losing only three wickets, one in each session, going to stumps one short of 400. Shikhar Dhawan, back at the top of the order after missing India's last 11 Tests, scored a century in a session for the second time in his career, more..

July 26 (NR) PM Ranil Wickremesinghe says disruptive activities that will destabilize the country can never be allowed. Making a special statement in Parliament, PM said govt has no issue with trade unions voicing their objections and protesting for the welfare of their respective trade unions. However, he said govt is committed to ensure such trade unions do not misuse the freedom provided to them by the govt by disrupting the lives of the general public and destabilizing the country. more..

July 26 (AD) Speaker resorted to postponing the Parliamentary session owing to a heated situation that arose during the session. The heated situation had arisen when questions were raised from the MPs of the Opposition. PM Ranil Wickremesinghe issued a special statement on the petroleum workers’ strike in Parliament today. Following the statement, JO and JVP had proceeded to ask various questions from the Opposition, which subsequently led to a situation of unrest. more..

July 26 (LBO) Commercial High Court has ordered SLT to disclose the source of confidential information of Dialog, after Dialog initiated legal action. Court also required SLT to appear and show cause as to why interim injunction restraining SLT from using, disclosing or disseminating the confidential information contained in the Request for Proposals, pending the hearing and determination of the action, should not be granted. more..

July 26 (Island) A bill was presented to Parliament yesterday by the govt to amend the Assistance to and Protection of Victims of Crimes and Witness Act to enable a victim or witness to give evidence or make a statement from any remote location outside Sri Lanka.  According to the bill, "if any evidence or statement of any victim of crime or witness is to be recorded from any remote location outside Sri Lanka, it shall be recorded at the Sri Lankan diplomatic mission in the country from more..

July 26 (DN) A case filed against Former Minister Basil Rajapaksa and former Director General of Divi Neguma Department Kithsiri Ranawaka for allegedly misappropriating Rs.36.5 million of funds belonging to Divi Neguma Department was today fixed for Oct 27 by Colombo High Court Judge A.A.R. Heiyanthuduwa. AG had filed indictments against former Minister and former Director General of Divi Neguma Department in Colombo High Court for allegedly misappropriating Rs.36.5 millions more..

July 26 (DN) For the first time in Sri Lankan medical history, a leg from a brain dead individual, has been attached to another at the Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital on Monday. At present less than 10 such operations have been done around the world. A year ago, a 32-year-old man had to have his leg amputated just above his knee as a result of an accident. In the meantime, 52 yr old man who lay brain dead more..

July 26 (AT) An eerie art installation near an idyllic Sri Lankan beach symbolizes many of the contradictions of this post-war society, comprising a sculpture of a man carrying his brutalized daughter, an old suitcase full of clothes and a small graveyard punctuated by tiny stones. The core sculpture was inaugurated on May 18, 2016 – the seventh anniversary of the end of the decades–long civil war, which the SL govt celebrates as a day of victory over the Tamil insurgents. more..

July 26 (Island) The main suspect in the killing of Jaffna High Court Judge Illancheliyan’s body guard Sgt Sarath Premachandra, Sinharasa Jayanthan had confessed to his interrogators that he had no intention of killing the judge but he had to settle a score with a three wheeler driver. He said the incident occurred when he was engaged in a scuffle with some of the trishaw drivers at the Nallur three wheel park. The police sergeant had intervened and tried to settle it. more..

July 26 (CI) Asela Gunaratne will play no further part in the India Test series, and is almost certain to miss the ODIs that follow, after he sustained a serious fracture in his left thumb while fielding. He will undergo surgery in Colombo on Wednesday, having been rushed up from Galle, where an x-ray confirmed a substantial injury. "It is a sad one - he will miss a minimum of four weeks, but I think it will be more," Asanka Gurusinha more..

July 26 (NR) Joint Opposition says it is disappointed with the protocol followed by the govt pertaining to the trade union action launched by the Ceylon Petroleum Cooperation. UPFA MP Namal Rajapaksa called the govt insensitive in its dealings. MP Namal Rajapaksa said the govt is not looking at the people’s issues with sensitivity. He said “What the govt did was send the army in the night, issue a gazette claiming it is an essential service and took it to their hands.” more..

July 26 (Island) Minister Sagala Ratnayake told Parliament that Police Narcotics Bureau and Organised Crime Prevention Division would be combined to form a new division under a senior DIG. He said that he would seek the permission of the National Police Commission to join the two separate divisions tomorrow. Minister said so while responding to a question raised by JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake over the last week’s detection of a huge haul of cocaine inside more..

July 26 (DN) Supreme Court directed the authorities to submit a periodical report regarding the Uma Oya multi-purpose project. The Supreme Court three-judge-bench comprising Chief Justice Priyasath Dep, Justice Anil Goonaratne and Justice Nalin Perera fixed the petition for August 11. Deputy Solicitor General Palinda Ranasinghe appeared for the respondents informed court that remedies sought by the petitioners through the original more..

July 27 (CT) In the context of the present day, movie quotes have become very much applicable to society. Subtle messages are passed with subliminal connotations contained within. Particularly in Sri Lanka, the people are groping in the dark waiting for a hero to come and save the day, but alas! Every hero that came turned out to be a conman in disguise. In the nature of the above quote, the deposed former President Rajapaksa is lesson enough that should you be greedy for more, more..

July 27 (CT) Lack of talented female persons in politics and in political parties is a great set back in Sri Lankan politics that had compelled the govt authorities to find a remedy for this short coming. In this connection the Election Commission has requested the various political parties to provide 25% of the vacancies in the Central Committee and to reserve another 20% for female officers in the Party. I can recollect from memory at least half a century back two ladies who had held more..

July 27 (SO) The controversy surrounding the Rangiri Dambulu Raja Maha Vihara popularly known as the Dambulla cave temple has taken a new turn as the temple authorities and the Archaeological Department have reached consensus based on mutual trust to carry out the conservation work of the ancient temple due to intervention by the Mahanayake of Asgiriya Chapter Ven. Warakagoda Sri Gnanarathana Thera more..

July 27 (DN) The week practically began with the shocking news of an attempt on the life of a senior judge in Jaffna. HC Judge Manickavasagar Illancheliyan escaped the assassination bid on Saturday night in Jaffna after an unidentified man snatched the revolver of one of his personal protection officers and opened fire. Police officer (SI Sarath Premachandra, a native of Chilaw) who was critically injured in the line of duty in the shooting incident in Nallur died at the Jaffna Hospital. more..

July 27 (DN) It was reported in recent issues of several local newspapers that a 4-member cabinet subcommittee has been appointed to study a cabinet paper that seeks permission for a limited use of glyphosate (often known by its original brand name, Roundup) in the plantation sector. Cabinet paper apparently had been submitted on the basis of a report by a committee appointed to make recommendations with regards to the pesticide and insecticide policy to the ministerial committee more..

July 27 (CT) The new govt came to power on the promise to introduce a new Constitution. However, National Freedom Front (NFF), a constituent partner in the JO, has been vehemently critical about this move. Here, NFF Kurunegala Organizer Kelum Jayasumana discusses the NFF's opposition to the proposed new Constitution and several other issues. Q: The NFF is conducting a series of seminars against the govt. more..