July 28 (DN) The Supreme Court yesterday found that the Fundamental Rights of two persons residing in Wellawatte were violated by an order of the former President Mahinda Rajapaksa to acquire their residence. A three judge Bench comprising Chief Justice Priyasath Dep, Justice Buwaneka Aluwihare and Justice Anil Gunaratne ordered Rs.500,000 compensation to be paid to the residents. The Bench ordered the state to hand over the residence to the couple within 8 weeks. more..

July 28 (EN) Sri Lanka will focus on energy security after the latest petroleum workers strike exposed the country's vulnerability when the main oil storage facility is crippled, PM Ranil Wickremesinghe said. PM said the cabinet of ministers will examine options and examine the question of both the state Ceylon Petroleum Corporation and the private Lanka IOC sharing the same storage facility. "This was done at the time (in 2003/4) to save costs," Prime Minister said. more..

July 28 (CI) India declined to enforce the follow-on after securing a 309-run first-innings lead, and extended it by a further 189 runs at stumps on day three. Virat Kohli and Abhinav Mukund, whose careers have traced vastly different trajectories since they made their Test debuts in the same match six years ago, led India's second-innings effort, adding 133 for the third wicket at 4.48 an over. The partnership came to an end in more..

July 28 (DN) Deputy Speaker Thilanga Sumathipala said that the resolution that made fuel distribution an essential service was duly passed in the Parliament today, despite the commotion caused by the JO. He made this observation during a press conference held in Parliamentary Complex today, after the sittings had been adjourned. He also said that the motion was moved according to the Standing Orders and was passed accordingly, even amid a calamitous situation. more..

July 28 (EN) Ex-Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake said he will provide answers to a Presidential Commission probing a complex and widening scam in government securities under the current administration. "Nothing has happened to those of the previous regime who destroyed this country," Karunanayake, now foreign minister said. "But a minister of our Govt goes before an Independent Commission. This is the transparency of the rule of the Good Governance." more..

July 28 (DM) My husband, Selavarasa Jayanthan (39) from Jaffna, was never a member of the LTTE. It is a rumour to say that he was a former combatant. My husband fired unintentionally, the wife of the main suspect said. Two people were arrested in connections with the shooting incident targeting Jaffna High Court Judge, M. Elancheliyan at the Nallur South Road on July 22. The main suspect surrendered on Tuesday morning more..

July 28 (DN) The JVP observed that the resolution under the Essential Public Services Act that declared petroleum supply and distribution an essential service was not passed in accordance with the Standing Orders in Parliament. JVP MPs made this observation at a press conference after the parliament sittings came to an abrupt end this afternoon. JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake said that when the vote was taken the Mace was not in the bracket of the table. more..

July 28 (DM) A 54-year-old Sri Lankan man was arrested at the BIA departure lounge this morning while attempting to smuggle out foreign currency worth Rs.14mn concealed in his rectum. The detection was done at 9.30p.m at the BIA Departure Lounge by the customs Narcotic Control Unit officers and found foreign currencies packed in two condoms. Meanwhile, BIA Deputy Customs Director Parakrama Basnayake said the suspect was arrested after a tip off to the customs. more..

July 28 (TRF) Eight years after the end of a bloody civil conflict, Sri Lanka is on a war footing once again. This time all available resources have been pitched against a pesky and increasingly deadly foe: the dengue-carrying mosquito. In the first seven months of this year more than 109,000 cases of dengue infection have been reported in SL, according to the Ministry of Health, with over 300 deaths, an all-time high. more..

July 28 (NR) Ministry of Health says there is a significant decrease in the number of dengue cases reported in the island. There has been a 40% drop in dengue patients reported this week as opposed to last week. 6,097 cases of dengue were reported during the 3rd week of July, while approximately 8,700 patients were reported the week prior. Report compiled by the Health Ministry said since Jan 2017 approximately 110,000 individuals have been diagnosed with dengue of which more..

July 28 (DM) It may be difficult to go back to system of governance based on pre-1972 era as the parties have committed themselves to maximum devolution of power unlike those days where the Govt Agents represented the state at the village level, PM Ranil Wickremesinghe said yesterday. PM made this remark at the Dudley Senanayake memorial lecture organized by Dudley Senanayake foundation together with Friedrich Naumann Shiftung Fur Di Freiheit at Temple Trees last evening. more..

July 28 (LBO) The Sino-Sri Lankan deal over a controversial deep water port in Hambantota, which has been hanging fire since January 2015, will at last be signed here on Saturday. PM Ranil Wickremesinghe, told the media here that the agreement with China Merchants Port Holdings Company (CMPort) would bring in US$ 1.1 billion as an upfront payment and that the agreement would be beneficial for the country. more..

July 28 (CT) University of Notre Dame would implement a project titled Monsoon Intra-Seasonal Oscillation to scrutinize the climate changes in SL. This follows a request made by Minister Mahinda Amaraweera. Project would be launched with the objective of combating adversities that occur to human beings during climate changes in SL. It is said that a special aircraft would be employed to conduct scientific analyses and steps are being taken to place the relevant equipment in it. more..

July 28 (CT) The calling for tenders to obtain route permits to operate buses on the Southern Expressway had been halted after National Transport Commission (NTC) officials were threatened by those involved in the route permit racket, the Lanka Private Bus Owners' Association (LPBOA) claimed. LPBOA President Gemunu Wijeratne said he too had received death threats from those racketeers warning him against raising concerns over the calling off of tenders. more..

July 28 (PSL) Republic of Korea provided a humanitarian assistance package to Sri Lanka for drought relief. A Korean Parliamentary delegation handed over the relief material including eight lorry-mounted water bowsers to President Maithripala Sirisena at the President’s Official Residence in Colombo today. The keys of the water bowsers were handed over by two leaders of the Korean Parliamentary Delegation, more..

July 28 (Yonhap) A Sri Lankan national, whose robbery and rape charges have finally been cleared by a top court, was forcibly sent back to his country earlier this week. Last Tuesday, Supreme Court upheld not guilty rulings by the lower courts on the 51-year-old man after two years of a review on the unsolved case, citing insufficient evidence. The man, along with two other SL accomplices, was indicted in 2013 on charges of robbing and raping an 18-year-old South Korean college student in 1998. more..

July 28 (AFP) SL batsman Dimuth Karunaratne has been derided by an umpire and commentator for an absolutely appalling review in the Test match against India. The top order batsman was given out LBW for two-runs off the bowling of Umesh Yadav as the home side attempted to chase down India's imposing first inninngs total of 600-runs. Karunaratne was as plumb as they come, with the ball pitching at a full length on middle stump. Inexplicably, Sri Lankans went upstairs more..

July 28 (AD) PM Ranil Wickremesinghe stated that the Hambantota Port agreement will be signed tomorrow. The amended agreement to lease out Hambantota harbour to a Chinese company was approved by the cabinet last Tuesday, after terms of the first pact sparked widespread public anger in the country. China Merchants Port Holdings will take an 85% stake in Hambantota Int'l Port Group more..

July 28 (PSL) Culinary Art Food Expo 2017 which showcases the skills of chefs was commenced at the BMICH today under the patronage of President Maithripala Sirisena. This exhibition which will be held until 30th of July is organized by the Chefs Guild of Sri Lanka for the 17th time. Through this exhibition, the skilled chefs get an opportunity to present their innovative food creations to the public. The best recipes will be selected for prizes and awards in different categories. more..

July 28 (SLN) The Advanced Offshore Patrol Vessel (AOPV) constructed at the Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) for the mission requirement of the Sri Lanka Navy, arrived at the Colombo harbour this morning (July, 28). Upon its arrival at the Colombo port, the brand-new vessel that is expected to join the SLN fleet, was warmly received by the Navy in compliance with naval traditions. The ship is commanded by Captain (N) Nishantha Amarosa and its crew consists of 18 officers & 100 sailors. more..

July 28 (BBC) Nawaz Sharif has resigned as prime minister of Pakistan following a decision by the country's Supreme Court to disqualify him from office. The ruling came after a probe into his family's wealth following the 2015 Panama Papers dump linking Mr Sharif's children to offshore companies. Mr Sharif has consistently denied any wrongdoing in the case. 5 judges reached a unanimous verdict in Islamabad court, which was filled to capacity. more..

July 29 (CT) Buddhist temples are sprouting all over with govt sponsorship. Tamil heritage is being erased while our Provincial Council has no interest. Lack of democracy is encouraging only the uneducated and murderous militants to contest and win. MPs play communal politics. Batticaloa TNA MP, Yogeswaran, says only Tamil speaking Hindus are Tamils while the rest of us are merely Tamil speakers. PM and President play the same communal card promoting Buddhism as if more..

July 29 (CT) I have come across several of them during my university life but this particular person was somewhat exceptional. We all at that time, including myself had this common trait of having somewhat blind faith in what we believed in. But he was to the extreme. When I think of him, what I remember is Eric Hoffer’s book titled The True Believer. Hoffer was talking about the general, and I am talking about a specific person. Hoffer said, “All of them breed fanaticism, exceptional more..

July 29 (NS) Recently a group of members of the Global Tamil Forum (GTF) comprised of 17 medical professionals from the UK, Australia, Canada, US, France, Germany, Norway and Bahrain, over the course of nine days, provided assistance including medical, dental and ophthalmological treatment to the communities affected by the floods (about 780 patients) sheltered in villages, relief camps, a children’s home more..

July 29 (CT) Shanthi pooja a ritual performed to keep away the evil elements to begin any auspicious event was performed on Thursday (26) around the historic Nallur Kanthaswamy temple premises prior to the flag hoisting ceremony of the annual 25-day festival of the temple yesterday. The ritual to keep away the evil elements also covered the spot on the Southern Gopuram street of the temple where the shooting incident occurred resulting in the death of Sub Inspector Sarath Premachandra, more..

July 29 (SO) Sri Lanka Army, a perfect reflection of our society, poised to supplement the inadequate capacity whenever deemed essential in the best interests of the nation, marked a new milestone in its annals of history a few days ago with one more battle-hardened pioneering soldier, Lieutenant General Mahesh Senanayake, taking reins as the 22nd Commander of the SL Army. Presentation of his letter of appointment and the simultaneous elevation of his rank to that of a Lieutenant more..

July 29 (NS) Overdependence on Diaspora remittances discourages from gainful employment and fuels conspicuous consumption, unproductive investments in places of worship, wasteful expenditure, and personal debt burden. Founder of and Principal Researcher at Point Pedro Institute of Development, development economist Dr. Muttukrishna Sarvananthan spoke to the Nation regarding the economic, social, cultural, civil more..

July 29 (FT) That there are different development modes is undeniable. From country to country, culture to culture, the interpretation of the concept varies. A road, a harbour, an airport may be built, but its meaning, efficacy, the larger impact, will vary; sometimes even becoming the very opposite of what it was meant to be. Only recently a newly-built airport in our country ended up becoming a granary. Apparently no planes landed at this multi-million dollar airport. more..

July 29 (NS) The month of July seems to have a significant place in SL’s post independence politics. The July of 1983 was a turning point in SL’s ethnic struggle. Though we would not want to revisit that time, it has taught us many lessons that the country would keep in mind for years to come. Four years after, a significant even was recorded in SL’s political history, which would once again be a topic for years to come. July 29, 2017 marked 30 years since the historic signing of more..

July 29 (CI) Should Virat Kohli have enforced the follow-on in the Galle Test? While we don't know the game's result yet, not enforcing the follow-on is a decision that is taken to reduce the opposition's chances of making a comeback in the match and often shuts them out of the game. In recent years, numbers suggest that not enforcing the follow-on has worked better for teams. Really? I thought batting once again minimises the chances of winning a Test? Not at all. more..

July 29 (Island) The visit of the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Counter-Terrorism, Ben Emmerson, was extensively covered in the mainstream media after a damning end of mission statement delivered in Colombo. The Special Rapporteur’s full report on his mission to Sri Lanka will be tabled in Geneva at the next session of the UN Human Rights Council sittings in March 2018. The statement went into some detail around on-going torture in Sri Lanka. more..

July 29 (Island) From what we know about a penthouse leased by the former Minister of Finance, there is a very easy way for the Treasury to cut down on the huge amount of money spent on ministerial housing. It will certainly be very simple for the Cabinet to take a decision on the new plan to meet the cost of such official ministerial housing, with no cost whatever to the citizen – whether taxpayer of not. All it has to do is decide that more..

July 29 (Island) Sri Lankans have been adopting models of all sorts. Their legal system is based on the Roman-Dutch law with borrowings from other sources. They got the Westminster model of representation from Britain. The presidential system is an executive hotchpotch, to say the least. They have an Indian make of devolution system. Now, they are trying to adopt the German electoral model. Other models such as 5S of Japanese origin are also in vogue here. more..

July 29 (CI) Below is the transcript from a press conference with SL's head coach in the year 2030. Coach, tough day in the office for your boys? Err… I suppose you could say that. Being in a situation where we are 14 for 5, following on, on the second day, after Karnataka B made 789 for 5, is not ideal. There were four catches dropped in the first session today. Is it fair to say that standards have fallen substantially? I think we have to be very careful about that kind of statement. more..

July 29 (CI) I will do whatever the team needs. It is the most lukewarm answer in cricket. But then, Dilruwan Perera is not a hot-blooded man. If you yelled at him on the street, or cut him off in traffic, he would probably go home and discuss his options with his lawyer. He's an asset to this team at present - though perhaps not the one they expected him to be. In 2016's mid-year Galle Test, Dilruwan claimed 10 for 99 and sent the match hurtling more..

July 29 (CT) Affiliated District Associations of Sri Lanka Badminton are seeking clarification from the Director General of the Sports Ministry following an anonymous email regarding the formation of an elections committee to conduct election of office-bearers to Sri Lanka Badminton. Director General Saman Bandara was appointed as the Competent Authority of SL Badminton by Minister Dayasiri Jayasekara in April to run the affairs of Badminton after dissolving the governing body. more..

July 29 (GDI) SL Bureau of Foreign Employment and Japan International Manpower Development Organization signed a MoU to train Sri Lankan Technical Interns in Japan and give them an insight into their profession. The agreement was signed by the Chairman of IM Organization Kyoki Yanagisawa and Minister Thalatha Athukorala recently at the ministry. According to the MOU, Sri Lankans will get an opportunity to be trained in manufacturing & agricultural companies in Japan. more..

July 29 (CI) Graham Ford had disagreed with the appointment of Asanka Gurusinha as SL's cricket manager from the start, but there was no effort to exclude Ford from team matters, and no undue interference in Ford's role by the board, Gurusinha said. Gurusinha also said his newly formed role does not unduly overlap with that of a head coach. Ford resigned in June, following what he felt were intrusions into what more..

July 29 (DN) The stand-in captain for Dinesh Chandimal for the ongoing first Test against India at the Galle International Stadium suffered a bruised left middle finger on the third day of play yesterday. Herath tried to stop a hard drive by Indian captain Virat Kohli at extra cover and was forced to go off the field. “Rangana was hit on the same finger where he suffered a fracture three years ago. We can’t see a fracture. We took an x-ray. If the pain continues, then we will do a MRI scan. more..