Aug 1 (Xinhua) Sri Lanka-China mutual cooperation was emphasized at the inauguration of the country's first-ever association for Sri Lankan alumni of the People's Liberation Army National Defence University (PLA NDU) in Colombo on Thursday. Speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the Chinese National Defence University Alumni Association of SL, retired Major Gen. Vijitha Ravipriya said the organization would serve as a bridge to connect PLA NDU alumni in SL more..

Aug 1 (EN) SL will give tax free salaries to 30 executives of billion dollar property project from China which will be a landmark in the reclamation that is expanding the island’s capital into the Indian Ocean. “During the project implementation period, up to a maximum number of 30 expatriates staff at any given time shall be exempted from the payment of Pay As You Earn Tax (PAYE) / Personal Income Tax Applicable,” a gazette notice under more..

Aug 1 (DM) UNP Assistant Leader Ravi Karunanayake said he would file legal action against SJB General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara for making false allegation against him. Mr. Bandara had earlier alleged that Mr. Karunanayake complained against the misuse of the Central Cultural Fund (CCF) by SJB leader Sajith Premadasa who was the then subject minister. PM Mahinda Rajapaksa appointed a committee which held Mr. Premadasa responsible for more..

Aug 1 (AD) A group of persons who closely associated with the COVID-19 case from Lankapura have tested negative for the virus. The PCR test results of 158 contacts of the said coronavirus patient were received last night (31), confirming that they are virus-free, Anuradhapura District’s Epidemiologist, Dr. P. Sanjaya said. They were directed to PCR tests on Thursday (30) after an employee of the Lankapura Divisional Secretariat tested positive for COVID-19. more..

Aug 1 (AD) President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has reiterated that no room will be left for anyone to destroy the historical heritage of the country or to cause damage to places of worship. A comprehensive programme will be designed in order to preserve the heritage of Wellassa whilst protecting places of worship of all faiths, Prez Rajapaksa said addressing a public gathering organized by candidate Wimaladasa more..

Aug 1 (DM) An investigation has been launched by the Narahenpita Police after a woman carrying an infant posing as a beggar had allegedly tried to harass another female who who identified herself as Tara Wikramanayake. According to a message circulating on social media the incident had happened at the Kirulapone traffic lights and the accused party had kept following Ms. Wikramanayake who was on her way to collect her children. more..

Aug 1 (DM) S.K. Senthivel is a left-wing political activist and independent candidate for the Jaffna District at the upcoming polls. He is the General Secretary of the New Democratic Marxist-Leninist Party and is representing the United Front for People’s Progress (UFPP) this time round. With over 50 years experience in politics, Senthivel spoke to Daily Mirror on national unity, people-centred democracy, social problems and other issues. Q: How is the UFPP different from mainstream more..

Aug 1 (AD) Forty-eight more patients who were under medical care for COVID-19 have been discharged from hospitals upon returning to health, Ministry of Health said. Thereby, the total number of recoveries reported in Sri Lanka has increased to 2,439. 9 patients at IDH, 04 at Welikanda Base Hospital, 10 at Kattankudy Base Hospital, 23 at Kandakadu Treatment Centre, and one each from Minuwangoda Base Hospital and Army Hospital in Panagoda had recovered from the disease. more..

Aug 1 (DN) The people are daily rallying round the SLPP in large numbers while UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and SJB leader Sajith Premadasa are struggling to capture power at Sirikotha. It seems like neither Ranil nor Sajith is interested in securing power in Parliament, said PM and SLPP Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa. He said that UNP and SJB party activists are worried about the tug of war between their two leaders. This is why scores of UNP and SJB supporters are joining us more..

Aug 1 (EN) Sri Lanka’s ticket to success lies in the graphite layer under the island’s surface, Samagi Jana Balavegaya (SJB) Colombo district candidate Dr Harsha De Silva said. “I personally believe that in a few years, everything will be battery-driven: batteries made of graphene sourced from graphite. The world’s purest graphite comes from Sri Lanka. Something I will do, if I’m elected, is to bring in a bill to protect supply of critical material” more..

Aug 1 (CT) The export revenue of BoI enterprises during the month of July 2020 had increased by USD 36.14 million a 7% increase than that of July 2019. Based on BoI data, total revenue earned for the period from 1 to 26 July last year had been USD 547.81 million. However, that figure had spiked this year up to USD 583.95 million. Out of all BOI registered export firms, in comparison to July of 2019, most profits had been accrued through the export of printed material this year. more..

Aug 1 (AD) The hawk-eagle suspected to have been used by underworld criminal gang leader Angoda Lokka for drug trafficking is to be handed over to the Zoological Garden in Dehiwala. This order was delivered by the Homagama Magistrate on Friday when the officers of Athurugiriya Police produced the said hawk-eagle before court. The bird was discovered on Thursday by Athurugiriya Police personnel while it was caged at a residence located on Kanatta Road in Nawalamulla, Meegoda. more..

Aug 1 (Island) The upcoming general election will not impede ongoing talks between India and SL on re-scheduling of bilateral debt repayment, according to authoritative sources. Asked whether a consensus could be reached before the general election, sources answered in the negative. They, however, explained that relevant officials were continuing deliberations in that regard. Indian & SL officials held a video conference more..

Aug 1 (DM) The upcoming Aug 5 General Elections will be the most expensive poll held in SL history as the Elections Commission struggles to keep the cost at Rs.10 billion. Elections Chief Mahinda Deshapriya said the Commission was trying its best to keep the cost at Rs.10 billion and the staff were trying their best to ensure expenses do not surpass this mark due to several health measures which have to be adopted due to COVID19 pandemic and the deployment of additional staff as a result. more..

Aug 1 (CT) Director General of Health Services, Dr. Anil Jasinghe has issued a directive to the Northern Provincial Health Directorate to reduce the number of devotees at the Nallur Kandaswamy Temple during this year’s festivities owing to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Northern Province health sources said on 31 July that although the flag hoisting ceremony was held on 25 July, instructions in regard to health guidelines were only issued at the end of the week. more..

Aug 1 (CT) Police will adopt new technology to help apprehend those driving under the influence of illegal drugs. The new technology would help identify 12 types of illegal drugs. Motor Traffic Dept is already equipped with two methods of apprehending intoxicated motorists. One method is to make drivers undergo a medical test to ascertain whether they had been under the influence of alcohol, while the other method is the more..

Aug 1 (AD) The NASA’s Mars rover Perseverance rocketed away from Earth on Thursday (30) in search of signs of ancient microbial life on the Red Planet. The one-tonne, six-wheeled rover was launched out of Florida by an Atlas rocket on a path to intercept the second-smallest planet of the Solar System in February next year. Foreign media reported that the robot will also gather rock and soil samples to be ferried back home later this decade. SL-born mechanical, robotics & rocket more..

Aug 1 (DM) As Sri Lanka heads for parliamentary elections on August 5, the final stage of electoral campaigns are now coming to an end. A total of 7452 candidates will contest in the 2020 parliamentary election, with 3652 candidates from major political parties and 3800 candidates representing independent groups. With over 16 million eligible voters, this election is set to be a memorable one as the island grapples with a public health crisis. more..

Aug 1 (DM) Dr. Vikramabahu Karunaratne is a highly qualified academic who gave up his career to lead a leftwing political movement. He joined active politics in 1972 becoming a Central Committee member of the LSSP. However Dr. Vickramabahu is contesting for Kalutara district as a candidate from the UNP, a move contrary to his left-wing and Marxist political history. Q: You have been in a struggle more..

Aug 1 (MoD) Defence Secretary Maj. Gen. (Retd) Kamal Gunaratne said historical relationship between China and Sri Lanka had been growing on the mutual trust built on pillars of political, economic, cultural, educational and most importantly in defence over the years. Delivering the keynote address as the Chief Guest at the inaugural ceremony of the Chinese National Defence University (NDU) Alumni Association of Sri Lanka held at Shangri-La Hotel, Colombo, yesterday (30), he said more..

Aug 1 (ST) There are real fears that COVID-19 will affect turnout on election day but a majority of voters the Sunday Times interviewed insisted they will still go out and exercise their franchise, despite not having much hope of positive change regardless of who wins. We spoke to a number of voters in Kandy town this week. There was nobody that planned to avoid polling stations over pandemic fears. Some were sick of politics but still intended to vote. “I will vote as it’s my civic duty, though more..

Aug 1 (EN) Women who were democratically elected were deprived of their rightful chance to enter parliament in recent years, human rights activist and National People’s Power (NPP) Gampaha District candidate Chamila Thushari said. “Only the Local Govt councils have a 25% quota system for women. However, when it comes to representation in parliament, women are overlooked. Why are women in politics so threatening?” more..

Aug 1 (CT) Public Health Inspectors Union of SL (PHIUSL) said they were ready to extend their fullest cooperation to ensure the health safety at polling centres during the General Election in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. They would commence duties on 4 Aug by sterilising all polling centres. Secretary of the Union, M. Balasooriya said, the relevant Local Govt authority would have to provide the necessary equipment while EC is to provide the sanitising liquid and gel for the procedure. more..

Aug 1 (CT) Agrochemical pollution and habitat degradation are some of the most serious threats faced by endemic freshwater crabs, noted the Sixth National Report on the Biodiversity Profile of Sri Lanka to the Convention of Biological Diversity. According to the Report, out of the 51 species of crabs in the country, 50 of them are endemic, whilst 23 of these endemic varieties are point endemics (endemic species of fauna or flora unique to one specific location). more..

Aug 1 (EN) SL port workers union protesting a planned investment into a container terminal by India has demanded a written guarantee from Prez before elections that no privatization will be permitted, minister said. Min. Wimal Weerawansa and Udaya Gammanpila, another party activist met representatives of a worker union calling itself the alliance to protect the East Terminal who do not want terminal given to foreign or pvt parties. more..

Aug 2 (SO) The Wednesday General Election will be a watershed event in the country’s political history for several reasons, chief among which is the fact that it is being held amid a global pandemic. This is indeed the first time that Sri Lanka will be going to the polls under such conditions, though Sri Lankans have kept faith in the ballot even when the bullets were trying to destroy their lives during the 30-year battle against terrorism and also during the JVP-led insurgencies in the South. more..

Aug 2 (Island) This is the last issue of our newspaper before the country goes to the polls on Aug. 5 to elect the 13th Parliament since 1947. Talk of ‘floating’ votes notwithstanding, most people have by now decided how they are going to vote or if they are going to vote at all. If various pre-poll analyses are correct, the out-turn at this election is likely to be lower than usual. Voter turnout at elections in this country is relatively high, much more so than even in most developed countries. more..

Aug 2 (CT) Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Leader Sajith Premadasa talks to our sister paper Mawbima on his election campaign. Q: You are contesting the forthcoming General Election in a challenging background, isn’t it? A: It’s not possible to engage in a conventional election campaign owing to the COVID-19 situation. Those activities are being conducted in accordance with health guidelines. more..

Aug 2 (GV) These could be the last days of the 19th Amendment. If not of its entirety, at least of a part of it, even a substantial part of it. The message that the 19th Amendment retards effective governance and should be thrown out has reverberated strongly, especially since the Prez election last year. Prez Rajapaksa has had enough of it. So, it may go. The 19th Amendment was possible due to many reasons. A majority of the voting population demanded some reformation of the structure more..

Aug 2 (ST) And so, another election costing the country Rs. 10 billion is on the cards next week to elect 225 MPs. It appears to be an election that is generating the least amount of public interest in contemporary times. It is not just the Covid-19 pandemic that has been a dampener. Neither is it the apathy among the citizens in the politics of the land for Sri Lankans are totally immersed in the subject at all times. It is also not exactly that many believe it to be a foregone conclusion; more..

Aug 2 (SO) 2020 General Election will be held at a crucial juncture. The General Election was eagerly postponed twice due to the Covid-19 pandemic when the masses were looking forward to a quick General Election to give Prez Rajapaksa a two-third majority in Parliament to implement his programs that were pledged to the masses. Even when PM Mahinda Rajapaksa tried to have an interim budget passed to finance more..

Aug 2 (ST) My dear Voter, I thought I must write to you today because, three days from now, you will be entrusted with the task of choosing those who govern us for the next five years. It is a responsibility that comes your way once in a while and it is your duty to exercise it with great care, so that you won’t regret it later. This election is a bit different, thanks to the coronavirus and ‘social distancing’. Maco is complaining that it is the most expensive election ever, but at the same time he is asking us more..

Aug 2 (GV) It has been 37 years since the anti-Tamil pogrom of July 1983, a riot that set the country ablaze and sparked a 30-year long and bloody war. But even after nearly four decades, there has yet been no active effort to remember and reconcile the injustices of the past, both at the level of leadership and at the grassroots. The acknowledgement of the past – which is not just knowing there were injustices but saying they were wrong and being committed to rectifying them – more..

Aug 2 (SO) Govt lawmakers are of the firm opinion that the voters are set to give a resounding mandate to the SLPP at the August 5 General Election and elect a fresh Parliament to ensure the much-needed political stability of the Govt. The twice-postponed General Election is being held after overcoming several unprecedented hurdles so that Wednesday’s much awaited Parliamentary Elections will mark the end of the period of uncertainty and gloom in the country. more..

Aug 2 (Island) The bane of this country has been ethnicity and religion based politics. It first began among the Ceylon Tamils in the north and east with the rise of the ITAK which put the idea of an exclusive Tamil state into the minds of the people of those areas. The rise of communal politics in the north and east was followed by the transmogrification of trade unions among up-country Tamils into political parties. The final addition to the mix was the SLMC which more..

Aug 2 (DM) 78-year-old Jennifer lived on Cotta Terrace, a residential neighbourhood in Borella, Colombo. Towards her last few years, she used to get her meals from a little eatery across the main road. As she experienced some difficulty in walking, she would walk down the road towards the Namel Malini Punchi Theatre and wait for her food to be delivered from the eatery across the road. It is during one of these walks that more..

Aug 2 (Island) His editor once instructed Premakeerthi to compile factual information for an essay on Brigitte Bardot, a famous French actress, sex symbol of the Western cinema at the time, to feature in a newspaper following day. Being limited by the lack of resources, at a time before the information revolution hit SL, Premakeerthi spent a whole night researching and writing about the life and works of Brigitte Bardot. When the article was finally ready, he entitled it One night with more..

Aug 2 (GV) This is the time to remember Neelan and Sithie Tiruchelvam. Along with Kumari Jayawardena, their living rooms were spaces where scholars and activists from all over SL, South Asia and the world came to think, discuss, break bread and just laugh. They helped build institutions that brought together the best of young people from all over world with inquiring minds and a thirst for justice. This was the 1980s and the 1990s. It was a time when ideas were important. Today we are all implementers. more..