Jul 3 (CT) I have discussed earlier in this series the youngsters from the UNP, in addition to two experienced Ministers, which anyone elected President should use in the interim govt that must be set up before the next General Election. Two of them are not exactly new, because they have held State Ministries, but that has not really counted in a context in which State Ministers are not given clear responsibilities. Both Vasantha Senanayake and Niroshan Perera have a lot to offer, and more..

Jul 3 (CI) Bangladesh are out of the 2019 World Cup. They've beaten the teams they were expected to beat, and also a couple they may not have been, but they haven't managed to win any of their meetings with the tournament favourites, despite looking impressive and coming close on a couple of occasions. They came close against India at Edgbaston, but not close enough, falling 29 runs short in a chase of 315. With this result, India become the second team after Australia to more..

Jul 3 (ICC) He arrived at the Headingley crease a boy; just 21 years old, making his way in international cricket and tasked with rebuilding Sri Lanka following their disappointing start to the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup. If that challenge wasn’t daunting enough, there was the scoreboard, beaming down on the surface and acting as a reminder of his side’s precarious position. Sri Lanka were 1/2 and more..

Jul 3 (Island) After a few false starts, the incumbent President of Sri Lanka seems to have acted upon his well-known belief in the utility of Capital Punishment [1]. This institutionalised crime is now due to take place in our land of ahimsa, after a hiatus of 43 years. Whether The President sprang into action because of the purported rise in drug trafficking, as he publicly espouses, or whether it was an attempt at gaining ignoble popularity prior the upcoming elections more..

Jul 3 (ICC) Sri Lanka needed some inspiration from this ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019 to build from and take us forward into the next four years. Avishka Fernando just provided it. His 104 against the West Indies was an incredible innings and he showed to the world that we have something to rally around leading into the next tournament. It has been a tough couple of years for Sri Lanka but we have learned our lessons. It is important that we plan around a group of players who will be there more..

Jul 3 (DM) Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) into irregularities at SriLankan airlines, SriLankan Catering and Mihin Lanka submitted its 1,800-page report to Prez Sirisena, former Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Neil Unamboowe PC said. He said the report also contained a 900-page annexure and that the documents were submitted to the Prez by PCoI Chairman retired SC Justice Anil Goonaratne in the presence of more..

Jul 3 (Island) SL’s Ambassador – designate to the US, Rodney Perera assumed duties in Washington DC on 17th June- two days before Prez Sirisena bitterly complained about a stark US warning received by his govt against dealing with selected Russian companies. On top of being the leader of the SLFP as well as the UPFA, President Sirisena is head of the cabinet and the govt. Prez didn’t mince his words when he explained the difficulties caused by what he described as unfair US actions. more..

Jul 3 (CT) Former national men’s doubles champion and South Asian Games Silver and Bronze medallist, Hasitha Chanaka clinched a double while veteran players, Niroshan Wijekoon and Clarence Homer won three titles each at the Ceylon Masters Badminton Championships 2019, which concluded on Sunday. Chanaka, a regular finalist in the national tournaments over the past few years, won his over 35 men’s singles title when he defeated Amila Yatapana in the final. more..

Jul 3 (EN) Travel publisher Lonely Planet is still listing SL as the top destination for 2019, after Easter Sunday attacks, while warning readers to check the travel advisories issued by their govt's before travelling to Indian Ocean Island. "At the present time, foreign govts are advising caution, but are not warning against travel to SL," the travel portal said. "Check the travel advisory information from your govt for the latest travel advice." more..

Jul 3 (Island) Viraj Hewathanthri, manager special projects-Nikini Automation Systems earned world renowned German certification along with 10 other SL industry experts after the successful conclusion of the first Train-the-Trainers (AdA Int'l Basic) course certified on the basis of German vocational training standards of the Association of German Chambers (DIHK). Only 11 out of the 14 SL industrial trainers were awarded this recognition at the end of the course for meeting the criteria of the course. more..

Jul 3 (S24) Dhananjaya de Silva is eyeing an upset against India in Sri Lanka’s final match to lift his side into fifth place in the World Cup group table. Sri Lanka's topsy-turvy tournament continued in Durham with a 23-run victory over West Indies, just four days after their were beaten by nine wickets on the same ground by South Africa. This was their third victory in the tournament and while they can no longer qualify for the semi-finals, they have already upset hosts England and more..

Jul 3 (FT) PM Ranil Wickremesinghe said he has instructed Cabinet to complete development projects within the next three months, and pledged to free up funds to fast-track development. Speaking at an event to hand over Rs 180 million to Samurdhi Housing Lottery winners at Temple Trees, PM was upbeat about the challenges faced by the Govt, and insisted elections would not side-track development ventures. more..

Jul 3 (DN) SL–Germany Fast Track Dialogue was held recently at the Ministry of Development Strategies and Int'l Trade with the objective of addressing central issues faced by German Enterprises operating in SL under the BOI as well as facilitate new investments. Minister Malik Samarawickrama said Germany was a very important trading partner for SL with a volume of trade totaling Euro 1.2 billion. Minister added that there had been an important trade and more..

Jul 3 (AD) Minister of Health, Rajitha Senaratne says that he, who has debated with some of Sri Lanka’s eminent personalities, will not debate with the Govt Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA). Responding to the challenge posed by the GMOA for a public debate on their charges against him, Health Minister expressed these views at a press conference held at the Ministry. He says that the GMOA is not an association of the Govt doctors, but an association of a certain gang. more..

Jul 3 (DN) Sri Lanka has moved to the Upper-Middle Income category from the Lower-Middle Income under a revision to Gross National Income (GNI) classification thresholds announced by World Bank on Monday. SL’s GNI per capita has increased from USD 3,840 in 2017 to USD 4,060 in 2018. As per the new classifications, upper-middle income economies are defined as those with a GNI per capita between USD 3,996 & 12,375. more..

Jul 3 (FT) No-Confidence Motion against the PM, Cabinet, and Govt handed over by the JVP will be debated in Parliament for two days on 10 July and 11 July. The vote on the Motion will be taken at 6.30 p.m. on 11 July. The No-Confidence Motion, signed by six JVP MPs, was handed over in May, and is related to the PM, Cabinet of Ministers and the Govt’s failure to act on the intelligence information related to the Easter Sunday attacks, as well as the failure to stop subsequent communal unrest. more..

Jul 3 (DN) Hayleys Agriculture together with the National Institute of Education conducted two programmes recently to share best global practices and new technologies in agriculture with A/L Science teachers. The two residential workshops were held at the Hayleys Agriculture Training School in Ekala, on May 29, 30 and 31 and June 19, 20 and 21. These programmes are part of a series of programmes designed to assist A/L teachers to grasp the practical aspects of the new subject more..

Jul 3 (AD) IGP Pujith Jayasundara has also been remanded until tomorrow (3). Colombo Chief Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne visited the Police Chief at the Narahenpita Police Hospital, and ordered that he be placed in remand custody until tomorrow. Former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando has been remanded until tomorrow (3) by the Colombo Chief Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne. The magistrate visited former Defence Secretary, more..

Jul 3 (FT) Govt will begin development work on the country’s third international airport in Palaly this week, with an investment of Rs.19.5 billion, to operate regional commercial flights. The official inauguration ceremony will be held on Friday 5 July under the patronage of Transport and Civil Aviation Minister Arjuna Ranatunga at the Palaly Airport in Kankesanthurai. A Cabinet proposal presented by PM Ranil Wickremesinghe received approval for the project at the 29 Jan Cabinet meeting. more..

Jul 3 (AD) A great seven-fold crisis has sprung up within the UNP over the party’s candidate for the Presidential elections, stated UPFA MP Bandula Gunawardane. Speaking on the agreement with the US, he said that under this agreement the US Army can enter and leave the country without VISA. He also said that this would allow US troops to walk into any place in the country in uniform. MP further said that the US can import and export war equipment and they will not be inspected at Customs. more..

Jul 3 (Island) SLFP General Secretary Dayasiri Jayasekera, MP, speaking on behalf of President Maithripala Sirisena, said that a final decision on the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) with the US should be delayed till the conclusion of the 2019 presidential election. Similarly, the proposed Millennium Challenge Corporation (MMC) agreement, too, should be delayed till after the next presidential election, he said. more..

Jul 3 (Island) The Cabinet of Ministers yesterday decided against approving Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera’s proposal to import Chinese cigarettes. That was after President Maithripala Sirisena had indicated that proliferation in the use of tobacco should be discouraged, Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne said. The National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol has also expressed its opposition to the move to flood the market with more fags. more..

Jul 3 (FT) When the Writ Petition challenging the reintroduction of the implementation of the death sentence came up before a fuller Bench of the five judges of the Court of Appeal yesterday, Attorney General raised Preliminary Objection on the maintainability of the Petition, as well as the jurisdiction of the Court of Appeal. Bench comprised Justices Yasantha Kodagoda (President/CA), Deepali Wijesundera, Janaka De Silva, Achala Wengappuli, Arjuna Obeysekere. more..

Jul 3 (DN) The Cabinet of Ministers has decided to allow the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation to replace a controversial 140-meter stretch of dilapidated fuel pipelines between Colombo Port and the CPC plants in Kolonnawa with a Treasury allocation for swift disbursement of compensation to affected families. The Cabinet proposal will enable the UDA to re-settle affected resident local families in suitable housing schemes. more..

Jul 3 (PTI) Human rights and civil society organisations in Nepal on Tuesday protested the Sri Lankan govt's decision to end a moratorium on capital punishment and execute four convicted drug dealers. Ending a 43-year old moratorium on death penalty, Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena last week signed the death warrants for four drug convicts who will be hanged soon, amid rising drugrelated crimes in the country. The island nation last executed a prisoner in 1976. more..

Jul 3 (Island) A delegation of MPs is scheduled to visit China on July 14. It will be headed by former minister and UNP MP Rauf Hakeem. The delegation consists of Minister Dr V. Radhakrishnan, UPFA MP Nimal Siripala de Silva, UPFA MP Gamini Lokuge, UPFA MP Dr. Bandula Gunawardena, UPFA MP Keheliya Rambukwella, UPFA MP Mahindananda Aluthgamage, UPFA MP Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena and ITAK MP Shanthy Sriskantharajah. more..

Jul 3 (DM) President Maitripala Sirisena said he was facing death threats because of his campaign against drug trafficking and that he had been informed about these threats by intelligence officers. He said this at a function held in Polonnaruwa to distribute deeds for Mahaweli lands. The President said there was a conspiracy to destroy him and weaken him as he was leading the campaign against drug smuggling. more..

Jul 3 (DM) Sri Lanka has set the precedent. The rest of the world, at least some of them seem to be following through. As social media gained credence as the main interpersonal communication mode of the ordinary person, attention also focused on the means of monitoring and controlling the content. It soon became a question of scale – would Facebook or the Govt of SL or another entity have the capacity to keep track of what the six million SL origin profiles were posting or in other terms monitor more..

Jul 3 (DM) The melting roads in Germany say it all. Even Europe’s most technologically advanced nation was not prepared for a climate catastrophe of the magnitude of what it is experiencing right now. The heat wave has driven home a point to Europe and the rest of the world that the future buildings and infrastructure need greater emphasis on heat resistance. The world certainly is coming to terms with the reality that extreme and unpredictable weather patterns are likely to rule the planet more..

Jul 3 (DM) Much has been spoken of the Easter Sunday terror attacks and the network of National Tawheed Jamaat (NTJ) – the hitherto little known terrorist outfit responsible for the bombings in three churches and several deluxe hotels on April 21. Two days subsequent to the dastardly suicide bombings, Indian security agencies alerted Sri Lanka that another attack could be carried out by NTJ, more..

Jul 3 (ST) That her husband is in jail is not Imara’s only problem. She has nowhere to live, no job and her children are no longer in school. This week, the CID told the Kurunegala Magistrate’s Court they had no evidence that her husband, Dr Shafi Shihabdeen of the Kurunegala Teaching Hospital, had made Sinhalese women sterile by clamping their fallopian tubes during caesarean operations, that he had links with any terrorist org more..

Jul 3 (CT) SLFP General Secretary, MP Dayasiri Jayasekara said that it is doubtful whether those who filed petitions in the Supreme Court against Prez Sirisena’s decision to execute the death penalty for drug traffickers, had done so because they are also involved in drug trafficking. He further said that as a Buddhist, and a lawyer, he personally opposed the death penalty, but based on the principles of necessity, the death penalty more..

Jul 3 (ST) Parliamentary Committee on Public Accounts (CoPA) will recognise 109 State institutions that have shown higher performance in 10 categories, according to an assessment of financial and regulation adaptation based on 2017 accounts. Award ceremony has been scheduled to be held at BMICH on 5 July. Awards will be presented to organisations that have excelled in their respective categories out of 838 more..

Jul 3 (EN) All-time cricketing great Sachin Tendulkar and Bollywood stars will be promoting SL tourism to the Indian market after the Easter Sunday terror attack, visiting the island in August to take part in a Colombo Fashion Week (CFW) festival. "This is not going to be a normal CFW event,” SL Tourism Promotions Bureau Chairman Kishu Gomez said. “It's an amplified one with so many elements added on - Sachin more..

Jul 3 (Island) The Technical Evaluation Committee (TEC) appointed to select the kind of tab computer to be given to GCE AL students had not clearly communicated with the prospective suppliers about the specific criteria they had been looking for, the PCoI was told. Attorney General’s Department officer who led the evidence pointed that it meant that TEC was the only group who knew what the specifications were. more..

Jul 3 (SLA) A new contingent of 61 Army personnel including 11 Officers under the Phase 6 of the UN Mission of South Sudan (UNMISS) left this morning (3) for South Sudan to serve in the SRIMED Level 2 Hospital in Bor, South Sudan, amidst greetings and best wishes. SL Army, taking its increased and matured professionalism to foreign shores with an urgent medical project at the request of the UN, succeeded in establishing its more..

Jul 3 (AD) President’s House in Kankesanturai, Jaffna was built on nearly 75 acres of land acquired by the govt during the tenure of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, claims former Chief Minister of Northern Province C.V. Wigneswaran. Current Prez Sirisena’s pledge following his prez election win to return the land acquired to build the President’s House and the surrounding lands to the rightful owners is yet to be fulfilled, more..

Jul 3 (PMD) President Maithripala Sirisena declared open the country’s first ever museum of ancient technology and the library in Polonnaruwa today. The museum is one of the mega development projects launched recently and provides the ideal platform to study technologies used by ancient Sri Lankans. The objective of establishing this museum is to collect and preserve old technological equipment for the benefit of more..

Jul 3 (EN) Sri Lanka's tourist arrivals are starting to recover from Easter Sunday attacks, a top official said, with many countries relaxing travel warnings and measures being taken to push industry. Tourist arrivals fell to about 1,300 a day in May 2018, down 70% from a year earlier according to official data. Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Board chairman Kishu Gomes said arrivals had picked up to 2000 per day in early June and more..