Aug 5 (DN) Ashen Premathilaka, a 14-year-old from Sri Dheerananda College, Pilimathalawa outclassed his opponent from Kuwait Omar Alotaibi in the 37-40kg on the opening day of the first ever ASBC Asian Schoolboys Boxing C'ships which began in Kuwait on Saturday. It was a historic win in this inaugural int'l competition for SL who are represented by six boxers in the 13-14 age group. This is the first time a team of schoolboy boxers taking part in Asian level schoolboy boxing more..

Aug 5 (FT) The crucial yet short-term global public relations and marketing campaign to revive SL’s image and tourism post Easter Sunday attacks could go for a fresh and proper tender process, according to analysts, though the industry is racing against time. The original PR and global marketing exercise (emergency recovery promotional campaign) with nearly Rs. 1 billion spend, was awarded to JWT as an extended more..

Aug 5 (Island) Kandy Easala perahera will commence tonight at the auspicious time of 7.02 p.m. opposite the Sri Dalada Maligawa and parade along D.S. Senanayake Veediya, Temple road, Deva Veediya, Colombo Street, Yatinuwara Veediya, Raja Veediya before returning to the temple. After the kap ceremony in the four devales, the perahera Mangalya commenced on Aug 2. The perahera within the four devales was held from Aug 2 to 4. more..

Aug 5 (TM) CEO of debt-ridden SriLankan Airlines expressed disappointment at the lack of support the airline has received from the Govt, which has reportedly further pushed the airline into losses. SriLankan made a request in January from the Govt to service its debt for three years until the management brings the airline to a breakeven point, but this has been completely ignored. SriLankan Airlines has an outstanding debt of $ 800 million to be paid, to which govt has to find a solution, more..

Aug 5 (EN) Minister Arjuna Ranatunga has warned the UNP to solve its internal problem if it wanted to keep smaller partners with it, with internal calls to democratize a proposed constitution for an electoral alliance. Reformers in the party had objected to absolute powers taken by UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe in a leadership council, where Ranatunga, Patali Champika, Rauff Hakeem and several other leaders of smaller parties more..

Aug 5 (FT) Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) has launched the Xyntac brand with a flourish at the International Telecoms Week (ITW) 2019 held in Atlanta, USA recently, a premier event for the global wholesale telecom market. SLT has launched Xyntac in order to better position itself in the global market as a true global carrier. Accordingly, Xyntac will promote voice and data services along with innovative digital services to cater the evolving global market requirements. more..

Aug 5 (PTI) A two-member security delegation of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) will reach Karachi on Wednesday to decide if it is safe for its national team to tour Pakistan in October for a round of the ICC World Test Championship. Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ehsan Mani said that the Sri Lankan delegation will visit the grounds and hotels where the teams will stay in Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad besides meeting the board, police and security officials. more..

Aug 5 (FT) Questions have been raised as to how Gotabaya Rajapaksa obtained a passport from the Dept of Immigration and Emigration in May omitting an endorsement of his dual-citizen status. Rajapaksa told reporters last week that this passport was proof that he was no longer a dual citizen under SL law. Immigration officials, however, said that persons with dual citizen status are required to make more..

Aug 5 (CT) 2019 GCE A/L Examination begins today. A total of 337,704 candidates are sitting the exam at 2,678 centres. Exam will end on 31 Aug. Commissioner General of Examinations, Sanath B. Pujitha stated that the exam will start at 8:30 a.m. and requested the candidates to be present at the examination centres by 8 a.m. He further requested the candidates to produce their admission card with the national identity card or driving licence or a valid passport in order to verify their identity. more..

Aug 5 (FT) The latest LMD-Nielsen Business Confidence (BCI) poll reveals that economic sentiment remained largely the same in July with 12% of respondents believing that the economy will improve in the next 12 months compared to 11% in June. However, a majority (64%) of businesspeople consulted feel that conditions will worsen. “Certain industries have been slow to pick up after April, and this will have a negative impact on the economy going forward. more..

Aug 5 (TM) Following the removal of oil from the Sri Lanka Glory ship stranded in Rumassala, Galle after it washed ashore on the beach due to high winds, the company the ship belongs to, Sri Krishna, is now seeking expert advice on how to remove the ship from the premises. Marine Environmental Protection Authority (MEPA) Deputy General Manager stated that MEPA will not take legal action against the company since more..

Aug 5 (NR) Police say 1,629 persons have been killed in motor accidents, mostly caused by reckless driving since the beginning of this year. Police Media Spokesman Ruwan Gunasekara said the bus accident reported in Waskaduwa, Kalutara which killed six persons was also the result of reckless driving by the driver of the SLTB bus. The driver of the SLTB owned bus was also killed in the accident, adding that three males and three females were killed in the fatal accident. more..

Aug 5 (DN) Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd, a part of the USD 19 billion Mahindra Group based in India, and Ideal Motors Ltd, will break ground on Aug 17 for a motor vehicle assembly plant in Welipanna with eye on the export market. The total investment will be over Rs. 3 billion. Vice President, Head of Int'l Operations - AFS (South Asia), Mahindra & Mahindra, Sanjay Jadhav, said that Sri Lanka was one of Mahindra’s top three export markets and this was why they had decided to invest in SL. more..

Aug 5 (Island) The country will lose Rs. 90 billion within the next 20 years if the govt awarded the construction for the construction of a 300 MW LNG power plant at Kerawalapitiya to any company other than Lanka Transformers Ltd. (LTL), Sameera Ganegoda, Chairperson of LTL staff Union, told PCoI. He said that LTL was one of the main contenders for the construction of the plant. LTL had been recommended by the TEC on more..

Aug 5 (DM) Nadaraja Sedurupan, the founder of an LTTE website and a pro-LTTE supporter of the Tamil diaspora, has been arrested by the Nelliyadi Police. Sethurpan, is a Norwegian passport holder and was arrested on Friday. The suspect has been arrested following a warrant issued by the Kilinochchi Magistrate's Court for threatening a person over the phone and failing to appear in court in connection with a ransom case. He was remanded till Aug 8 after produced before more..

Aug 5 (Island) The first ever Sri Lankan nano satellite, RAAVANA-1 launched into an orbit 400 km away from earth on June 17, sent the first picture of earth. RAAVANA-1 is a research satellite built by two Sri Lankan engineers, Tharindu Dayaratne and Dulani Chamika, from the Uni of Peradeniya and the Arthur C. Clarke Institute for Modern Technologies. The satellite is expected to fulfil five missions including the capturing of pictures of Sri Lanka and its surrounding regions. more..

Aug 5 (Island) Director Medical Supplies Division Dr. A.T. Sudarshana says a misinformation campaign has been launched to have the public believe that there is a severe shortage of drugs in govt hospitals. Dr. Sudarshana produced a detailed account of medicines available in govt hospitals. The report had been prepared on the basis of data provided by chief pharmacists of hospitals, he added. more..

Aug 5 (DM) SriLankan Airlines has made preparations to minimize inconvenience to its valued passengers at London’s Heathrow Airport that may occur as a result of the strike action planned by ground staff of Heathrow Airport Limited (HAL) on the 5th and 6th of Aug, SriLankan airlines said. “SriLankan does not envisage any cancellation of its flights at this time and will operate as per its regular schedule,” it said. SriLankan has reinforced its own operations for passengers more..

Aug 5 (MFA) Addressing the 26th session of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) held on 2 Aug in Bangkok, Thailand, Foreign Minister Tilak Marapana stressed the necessity for concerted global efforts to counter traditional and non-traditional security concerns including terrorism, violent extremism and cybercrime. In this context, Minister Marapana underscored the need for a deepened resolve among the ARF participants to overcome these challenges. 26th ARF session focused on more..

Aug 5 (Island) The UNP, yesterday, announced that the finalisation of an agreement on the National Democratic Front (NDF) to contest the forthcoming 2019 presidential election had been put off pending the conclusion of ongoing talks with stakeholders. General Secretary of the UNP Akila Viraj Kariyawasam said that as they had received several new proposals in respect of the NDF, it had been decided to put the agreement on hold. more..

Aug 5 (DM) In the early 1980s, SL’s iconic musical group -The Gypsies- wrote and put to music one of their famous ditty Uncle Jonsonge Jubilee Partiya. A take-off based on a wedding anniversary celebration which ends in a brawl and shambles. The ditty brings to mind the ongoing Brexit muddle in Britain. Brexit has already caused the downfall of two British PMs - David Cameron and Theresa May. Boris Johnson, the successor to May, is demanding the European Union (EU) leaders re-negotiate more..

Aug 5 (DM) These are times for economic debates as the global economy may again be on the edge of falling into a deep recession. In this context, the recent interventions by Prof. Howard Nicholas in Colombo have initiated much needed discussions and debates on the Sri Lankan economy. Prof. Nicholas, an internationally reputed economist of Sri Lankan origin, has done extensive work on Sri Lanka in the past. His book titled Marx’s theory of price and its modern rivals more..

Aug 5 (DM) There is political excitement in the air in anticipation of the presidential election before year end. Although no dates have been specified, there is much speculation about prospective candidates and their prospects. Among those being spoken of as potential presidential election contenders is Hambantota District MP and Cabinet Minister Sajith Premadasa who is also the UNP deputy leader. more..

Aug 5 (FT) The Finance Ministry said that the Excise Department has stepped up raids on illicit trade as well as enhanced its revenue. It said the Department has conducted 24,150 raids throughout the country during the first six months of this year under its program to minimise life risks through the elimination of illicit liquor. “These raids have been carried out under the charges of brewing illicit liquor, possession of such liquor, more..

Aug 5 (ST) The Govt has set up two committees to procure 500mw of electricity after the Attorney General (AG) shot down an earlier proposal to buy 200mw of emergency power from a barge-mounted plant without following tender procedures. The appointment of the new technical evaluation committee (TEC) and Standing Cabinet appointed procurement committee (SCAPC) is the continuation of a saga dating to when Ravi more..

Aug 5 (AD) The Court of Appeal has decided that former Northern Province Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran’s order to remove former Northern Province Minister B. Deniswaran from his post was illegal. The decision was delivered by a judge bench comprising Justices Mahinda Samayawardena and Priyantha Fernando when the case was taken up today. The court also ruled that the former Chief Minister’s order to remove more..

Aug 5 (Island) TULF General Secretary V. Anandasangaree is in the process of building up an alliance to take on the ITAK led TNA. Former MP Anandasangaree said that Tamil political parties should form an alliance as the TNA could not meet the aspirations of the Tamil people. The TNA consists of the ITAK, PLOTE, TELO and EPRLF. The TULF quit the TNA though it was a constituent at the formation of more..

Aug 5 (AD) Three new Governors have been sworn in before President Maithripala Sirisena at the Presidential Secretariat this morning. Accordingly, former Central Province Governor Maithri Gunaratne has been appointed as the new Governor of the Uva Province. Former Southern Province Governor Raitha Keerthi Tennakoon has been appointed as the new Central Province Governor. more..

Aug 5 (AD) JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake says that usually election battles take place during the election period, but now election battles are happening within the political parties. He said that the UNP made all the plans and announced it would launch its new alliance on August 5 with the presidential candidate to be announced on the same day. “Today they announced there is no alliance. Why? The struggle over becoming presidential candidate.” more..

Aug 5 (CT) The annual festival of the historic Nallur Kanthaswamy Temple will commence tomorrow with the flag-hoisting ceremony. A contingent of nearly 700 Policemen will provide security for the event with reinforcements arriving in Jaffna from the outstations in order to beef up security further. In addition to the deployment of a large number of Police personnel, the Security Forces will also be deployed on the main roads leading to temple more..

Aug 5 (DM) President Maithripala Sirisena said he has not yet decided whether to contest or not at the next presidential election although there are many requests for him to contest. He expressed his views addressing the representatives of the Organisation for the Protection of SLFP at a meeting organised by the former Minister Mahinda Amaraweera during the weekend. A large number of former provincial council members more..

Aug 5 (AD) Two new State Ministers have been sworn in before President Maithripala Sirisena, this morning (05). Accordingly, MP Anoma Gamage has been appointed the State Minister of Petroleum Resources Development while MP Lucky Jayawardena was appointed the State Minister of City Planning, Water Supply and Higher Education. Previously, Anoma Gamage had been serving as the Acting Minister of Petroleum Resources, more..

Aug 5 (CT) An appreciative judgment has been delivered by Hambantota High Court Judge Thamara Tennakoon sentencing Mayor of Hambantota Eraj Ravindra Fernando for threatening a group of UNP MPs with the pistol which the Mayor claimed a toy gun when the MPs visited Hambantota Harbour and Mattala Airport in April 2014. Several countries which are concerned about the morale of children have even carried out campaigns extensively to ban toy guns & urged parents more..

Aug 5 (FT) In the previous article in this series, we presented the views expressed by two leading economists, Professor Sirimewan Colombage and Dr Anura Ekanayake, at a recent panel discussion on Sri Lanka’s debt sustainability opined that the country’s debt crisis, especially the foreign debt crisis, has been critical, needing quick fixing. Colombage disputed the IMF’s debt sustainability assessment that by 2025 the country would be able to sustain its debt position, more..

Aug 5 (AD) Six persons, including 3 police officers, have been injured in the clash between two groups in Wellawatte, last night. The injured have been hospitalized for treatment, stated Police Media Unit. Police have arrested one suspect in connection with the incident. It was reported that a heated argument between two groups had intensified into a clash at Mayura Place in Wellawatte, last night. The clash had taken place between a group of residents in a housing complex in the area more..

Aug 5 (AD) A Dambulla Urban Council member has been arrested this morning over attacking another person with a sword. SLPP member Anura Bandara has been arrested in this manner. The person injured in the attack is a 35-year-old businessman named Nalin Perera. He is currently admitted to the Dambulla Hospital with severe injuries. Reportedly, the Urban Councilor had arrived at the business place of the victim early this morning where he had attacked the victim with a sword. more..

Aug 5 (AD) The Attorney General has informed the President that the Private Member’s Motion presented to the Parliament seeking to abolish the death penalty is illegal. President Maithripala Sirisena says that drug racketeers, criminals, and rapists are the happiest before the challenges faced in the fight against drugs. “I saw in the newspaper this morning that 10 persons have died after moonshine poisoning. more..

Aug 5 (Island) Singapore has relaxed its Travel Advisory on SL from defer all non-essential travels to exercise caution, the SL Foreign Ministry said. Meanwhile, Singapore Govt noted that since the Easter Sunday bomb attacks on 21 April, there have been no further major security incidents in SL. "There is still the risk of terrorist cells existing and the State of Emergency remains in force. Security has been tightened at key installations including places of worship, tourist locations & airports" more..

Aug 5 (DN) The murder and robbery case filed against Handunge Anura Suresh Silva of Thalpitiya was fixed for trial by Panadura Chief Magistrate Amila Ariyasda. The accused is the agent of the Hero showroom in Wadduwa. The Chief Magistrate concluded the non-summary inquiry against the accused and forwarded the case record to the Attorney General and ordered the accused to stand his trial before the Panadura Provincial High Court. Accused was enlarged on personal bail more..