July 31 (FT) Premier blue chip John Keells Holdings (JKH) yesterday reported robust results for the first quarter of new 2015/16 financial year, with transportation, consumer foods and retail and financial services sectors driving enhanced value. JKH Group profit before tax at Rs. 3.19 billion in the first quarter of the financial year 2015/16 is an increase of 6% over the Rs. 3.02 billion recorded in the previous financial year which included a capital gain of Rs. 389 million. more..

July 31 (CT) UNP and its Leader, PM Ranil Wickremesinghe are resorting to cowardly action since they are aware that the UPFA will win the August 2015 election, Badulla District candidate Dilan Perera said. He said that the PM is trying to cover up the fact that the UPFA will win more than 120 seats in the election. According to him, during a meeting between Wickremesinghe, prominent members of the UNP and Heads of State media institutions, a recently conducted opinion poll more..

July 31 (NS) As the parliamentary elections draw close with a mere 24 days to go, public opinion more often than not differs on its possible outcome. Nevertheless, there is a consensus among the majority that the upcoming election will be unique with a former President contesting, while the President in office has taken a middle ground as well the possibility of being the final election held under the preferential voting system prior to more..

July 31 (Island) Mrs. Nirmal de Alwis, the widow of late Premakeerthi de Alwis, radio and television programme compiler, had recently filed a Writ Application in the Court of Appeal requesting the Court to restrain Homagama PS from naming two roads in Homagama after him, without informing family members. The petition said that Premakeerthi de Alwis was murdered by a gunman in 1989, when their son was only one year old. A proper investigation was not held into the killing. more..

July 31 (CT) Additional Magistrate of Colombo, Nirosha Fernando, ordered the CID to expedite investigations into the murder of former Jaffna District MP Nadaraja Raviraj as a period of 9 years has already passed. This order was issued by the Additional Magistrate when the case was taken up for hearing. The former TNA MP who was resident in Manning Town in Narahenpita at the time of his murder was travelling in a motor vehicle on Matha Road in Narahenpita more..

July 31 (DM) Minister Ravi Karunanayake said the shooting at Kotahena was a breach of democratic principles and was sponsored by bankrupt opposition politicians. He said it came in the wake of several incidents that happened in the past 10 days echoing what happened during Rajapaksa regime. He said today's shooting came in the backdrop of seizing of a white van, arrest of two drug kingpins, more..

July 31 (Island) Health Ministry said it had entered into an agreement with a local special projects firm to recommence construction work on the Karapitiya Maternity Hospital in Galle. The German Govt had provided Rs. 5000 million to recommence construction work of the Maternity Hospital at Karapitiya. Initial construction of the Hospital had commenced in 2005 under a project managed by former Chancellor Helmut Kohl Foundation following the December 26, 2004 tsunami when more..

July 31 (CT) Opening of the Paddy Store and the purchase of paddy under a guaranteed price from Yala harvest, is a big boon to farmers in the Ampara District, and farmers should be determined to make the maximum benefit scheme, said the Additional District Secretary Ampara District M.I. Ameer Ali. He made the appeal to paddy cultivators after ceremonially declaring open the Paddy Store at Thambattai in Thirukkovil DS area, in the presence of a large gathering of farmers recently. more..

July 31 (DM) Deputy Minister Sujeewa Senasinghe today rejected the allegation that he had threatened a sergeant attached to Athurugiriya Police and said he had advised the sergeant not to consume alcohol while on duty. Deputy minister accused the police sergeant of being under the influence of liquor and had tried to disrupt an event where he was to address a small gathering of people using sub-woofers. more..

July 31 (EN) Sri Lanka’s new govt has managed to reduce the cost of two water supply schemes to towns east of the capital Colombo after negotiations with the contractors, a govt spokesman said. One contract was given to Maga Engineering Ltd for 3.7 billion rupees on which agreement was reached after negotiations with on a lump sum discount of 30 million rupees on the project’s completion, the Ministry of Urban Development, Water Supply and Drainage said. more..

July 31 (Island) The Welikada police in the early hours of yesterday arrested a female drug peddler known as Kudu Renu at Obeysekerapura with 3g and 500mg of heroin with a street value of Rs. 100,000. The police had received a tip-off that the suspect was planning to sell the banned substance to another person. The suspect already had six drug related cases in courts and her husband known as Kakka Ranji allegedly aided and abetted her. Police are looking for the suspect husband more..

July 31 (CG) Former Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa says Sri Lanka is now like a police State as a result of the actions of the UNP led Govt. Speaking at meeting held in support of UPFA, Rajapaksa said that members of the former Govt are facing severe harassment at the hands of the authorities. He said that the actions of FCID, CID and the Bribery Commission are like actions taken in a police State. more..

July 31 (ST) Bus conductor allegedly assaults commuter for demanding correct balance. A sports instructor attached to a school in Maradana was on Friday being treated for an injured eye and jaw after he was allegedly assaulted by an enraged conductor of a private-owned passenger bus, following an altercation over the fare and due balance, police said. The alleged incident took place on an Athurugiriya-bound bus plying from Colombo, shortly before dusk on Friday, more..

July 31 (AD) Nawagattegama Police have arrested four persons who were allegedly distributing cards of UPFA candidate Neomal Perera along with Pirith Poth or sacred books of protective chants at a temple today - Adhi Esala Full Moon Poya Day. Former MP’s Coordinating Secretary was among the suspects who were arrested near Abhinawarama Buddhist Temple in Rambakanayagama, Nawagattegama. They had reportedly been distributing cards containing a picture and more..

July 31 (ST) He was the principal of an international school in the bustling town of Galewala along the Dambulla – Kurunegala Road. For two years, he taught English to some 70 students on the upper floor of a two-storeyed building. When the classes were over, he turned instructor to groups of students who learnt karate. Mohamed Muhsin Sharhaz Nilam (37) was known only for those traits by students, parents and friends alike. more..

July 31 (DT) After the team’s poor performance in Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, the Board of Control Cricket in India (BCCI) has decided not to allow the Indian cricketers to take their wives and girlfriends (WAGs) along for the Test tour to Sri Lanka, starting next month. This is not the first time that the cricketing body has asked players not to take their wives and girlfriends on official tours. “And we’ve decided that their wives will not be allowed on tour”, a top BCCI official has said. more..

July 31 (Dawn) Master blaster and former Sri Lankan captain Sanath Jayasuriya on Friday visited the Army Public School (APS) in Peshawar to pay his respects to the victims of a terrorist attack on December 16, 2014. The Peshawar carnage is dubbed as the most gruesome attack in the country’s history. More than 140 schoolchildren and 10 other people were killed when heavily armed militants stormed APS. Jayasuriya, who has been appearing as an analyst on PTV Sports for more..

July 31 (ENS) The late lamented Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, former President of India and a much admired figure in Sri Lanka, has been drafted into the parliamentary election campaign now in full swing in the island nation. A group of professionals backing Champika Ranawaka, the energetic Lankan Minister of Power and Energy who is standing for election from Colombo district, has put in a full-page more..

July 31 (CT) According to a survey in 2012/2013 on poverty, Uva Province is home to the poorest in the country. Around 190,000 people live below the poverty line and in the Moneragala District alone 92,000 people live in abject poverty. This has been the case for some time now. The only time money floods into Moneragala is when an election is around the corner and given that two elections would take place this year, the people expect no dry spell this year. more..

July 31 (AD) UNP today condemned the attack on a group of people engaged in Minister Ravi Karunanayake’s election campaign at Bloemendhal Road, Colombo. Armed men opened fire at the group of UNP supporters this morning killing one woman and injuring more than 10 others in the Kotahena area. The incident of violence clearly demonstrates the plans of those elements that reject the culture of good governance and their intent on winning elections by unleashing terror, more..

July 31 (DM) A large stock of foreign made illicit cigarettes worth over Rs.96 million was seized by Excise Headquarters Special Crime Unit from a warehouse in Mattakkuliya yesterday amidst unconfirmed reports of a container illicit cigarettes discreetly being released through the Customs recently. The detection was carried out following an arrest of a trader in Wattala yesterday morning along with a stock of illicit cigarettes, more..

July 31 (AD) Special Envoy of the President, Minister D.M. Swaminathan paid his last respects to the late former Indian President Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam at the State Funeral which was held in Rameshwaran on Thursday, the foreign ministry said. At the State Funeral, the Special Envoy conveyed the condolences of President Maithripala Sirisena, PM Ranil Wickremesinghe, the Govt and people of Sri Lanka through Indian PM Narendra Modi and to late Indian President’s brother more..

July 31 (CT) Tickets for yesterday's Sri Lanka vs. Pakistan T20 match were sold at a higher price when the Sri Lanka Cricket Board issued a notice that the tickets for the match had already sold out. Ceylon Today was able to witness this racket in front of the gates of R. Premadasa Stadium where many people travelling in cars and motorcycles bought tickets at a higher price. Chaminda Bandara, one of the spectators who bought tickets at the counter said several individuals had sold the tickets near more..

July 31 (DM) The members of the Open University Students Unity (OUSU) called off their Satyagraha which was held for the past 227 days demanding that the excessive course fees be reduced. The Satyagraha was called off after representatives of the student’s unity met UGC Chairman Prof. Mohan de Silva. The Satyagraha began on Dec 17, 2014 by members of the OUSU and the IUSF accusing the authorities of more..