Aug 3 (DM) The govt had approved the proposed new regulations to control the use of Air weapons in protecting cultivations from wild animals. Addressing the Media at the Govt information Department Cabinet Spokesman and Minister Gayantha Karunatilaka said using air weapons had been alleged to be used in hunting wild animals. The proposal was made by Sustainable Development and Wild life Minister Gamini Jayawickreme Perera to implement new regulations. more..

Aug 3 (DM) Detection of hauls of drugs, from time, has raised many an eyebrow in the society. Recently there was the discovery of a haul of cocaine in a sugar container bound for Lanka Sathosa, a state owned retail chain. The sugar import had originated from Brazil.  Once the legal process that entails such detections concludes, it’s questionable whether the discovered hauls of drugs, be it Cocaine, Opium or Heroin, is destroyed properly without any of it reaching traffickers through the backdoor?   more..

Aug 3 (DN) Court of Appeal directed both complainant and respondent parties to file their written submissions on Sept 8 regarding the preliminary objections raised by GMOA President Dr. Anuruddha Padeniya regarding a charge sheet filed against him over contemptuous statements. At a previous occasion, a charge sheet was, in open Court, served on Dr. Anuruddha Padeniya by the Court of Appeal for allegedly undermining more..

Aug 3 (Island) 25 Buddhist monks and a group of animal rights activists have complained to the Supreme Court, against the random killing of cats and dogs by injecting them with poison and burying them alive. This petition was called before the Supreme court yesterday and fixed for support on Sept 12. President’s Counsel, Sanjeewa Jayawardene, in a brief submission, to Court said that dogs and cats with rabies might be eliminated but not healthy and harmless ones. more..

Aug 3 (DN) Five corruption cases filed against Major Nevil Wanniarachchi, ex-Chief Security Officer of former President Rajapaksa, were fixed for trial by Colombo Chief Magistrate's Court. When the five corruption cases came up before Colombo Additional Magistrate, cases were fixed for trial on Oct 24. The accused, Wanniarachchi, was not present in court yesterday. The counsel who appeared on behalf of the accused submitted a medical report to justify his absence. more..

Aug 3 (CB) Bangladesh head coach coach Chandika Hathurusinghe brushed aside speculation of joining Sri Lanka side as he announced on Wednesday, that he is focusing on World Cup 2019. After the sudden resignation of SL coach Graham Ford earlier this year, there was speculation that Hathurusinghe might be roped in by the SLC. However, Hathurusinghe decided to pour cold water on it, and preferred to concentrate on his task more..

Aug 3 (FT) The public interest information regarding the controversial penthouse will be answered by the relevant parties by responding to the undernoted questions: 1. Details of the respective lessees, tenants and owners of the property, during the period January 2015 to June 2017, along with any relevant changes and effective dates of change? 2. If a company was the lessee, tenant or owner of the property during this time,  a. Whether a private or public company? more..

Aug 3 (DM) Experts from China were expected to arrive on Saturday to examine the Original Equipment Mechanism (OEM) due to the temporary repair of the power terminal at the Norochcholai power plant, the Director (Development), Ministry of Power Sulakshana Jayawardena said. “Out of the three electricity generation units operated at the power plant, the third unit which would generate 3,000 MW had failed,” he said. “While the generation unit is being repaired, more..

Aug 3 (EN) Sri Lanka tea prices continued to gain in June 2017, with the national  average  auction price up 30% to Rs. 591.54  a kilo from a year ago and seasonal teas expected to fetch better prices at future sales. The highest gains have been from the high grown teas, up 31% followed by low growns, up 30% and teas grown at the medium elevation up 28%. June auction average  was significantly higher than the  Rs.454.24 a kilo achieved  during  the  same  month  in  2016. more..

Aug 3 (DN) Minister Faiszer Musthapha today repeatedly declined to comment on allegations against Minister Ravi Karunanayake, maintaining that it is the responsibility of the UNP to react to them. Minister Musthapha, responding to a myriad of questions by journalists at a press conference at the SLFP Headquarters, stated that the SLFP would articulate its stance on the findings of Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) on the bond issue once its proceedings are over. more..

Aug 3 (AD) Leader of the NFF Wimal Weerawansa stated that a motion of no confidence has been submitted by the joint opposition against minister Ravi Karunanayake to prove his ineligibility to hold his post as Foreign minister. Minister Weerawansa stated that every citizen tricked by the deceptive hoax of yahalanaya has had to suffer the wrath of ditta dhamma vedaniya karma through the corrupt practices carried out by current govt. more..

Aug 3 (DN) Attorney General today informed Court of Appeal a settlement is under consideration regarding the writ petition filed by Carton Sports Network (CSN) that sought an order quashing the Mass Media Secretary’s decision to revoke the Terrestrial Television Broadcasting License of CSN. When the petition came up before Court of Appeal (President) Justice L.T.B. Dehideniya and Justice Shiran Gunaratne, Additional Solicitor General Sanjay Rajaratnam appearing for more..

Aug 3 (CG) Sri Lanka and the United Nations signed the 2018 – 2022 UN Sustainable Development Framework (UNSDF) today, the agreement which pegs UN assistance to Sri Lanka’s long term development priorities. The UNSDF provides the overarching framework for the work of the United Nations in Sri Lanka in line with the national priorities of the Maithri Palanayak, Sthaavara Ratak: A Compassionate Governance, A Stable Country, the Public Investment Programme, more..

Aug 3 (DM) In the wake of a revelation made by the AG’s Department over the alleged attempt into access Arjun Aloysius’ Apple account through his wife’s phone, the PCoI today delivered a two-fold order preventing Arjun Aloysius or any agent on his behalf, accessing his Apple account or tampering its information. Commission said despite there being no particular section in the commission of inquiry act over such an order more..

Aug 3 (AD) Kaduwela Magistrate’s Court today issued instructions to carry out the preliminary process, within 3 weeks, for the release of the luxury sports car which had previously belonged to MP Namal Rajapaksa and later sold to another individual. FCID had filed a case after the car in question, a Ford Mustang, was discovered at a garage in the Kaduwela area.  When the case was taken up today before magistrate Prasanna Alwis, defence counsel Premanath Dolawatta more..

Aug 3 (EN) Sri Lanka may be close to the top of the rate cycle but govt spending and inflation direction in the coming months will be key determinants of policy, Central Bank Governor Indrajit Coomaraswamy said. "My gut reaction is that we are close to the top of the interest rate cycle," Governor Coomaraswamy told reporters. "But there are important qualifications." If there is a significant fiscal slippage the central bank will have to respond with monetary policy. more..

Aug 3 (CI) In addition to all the runs, a contest came India's way in Colombo, and they were ready for it thanks to the aptitude of Ajinkya Rahane and the appetite of Cheteshwar Pujara. Centuries from two of India's top five and 344 first-innings runs by stumps on the first day is exactly the position a team 1-0 up in a three-match series would want. Especially on a pitch that doted on the spinners. Conditions - nowhere near drastic, more..

Aug 3 (DM) A Green party deputy has begun breathing fire and brimstone at high-ups in both main political parties. Finding that the deputy was going too far, the party authorities had told him to leave the party if he was unhappy instead of tongue-lashing even the party high-ups while staying pat in the party. However, that admonition could not bridle the deputy’s sharp tongue. Some sections in the party started wondering whether the deputy meant business or simply staging an act. more..

Aug 3 (DM) Minister S.B. Dissanayake said President and the PM should take a decision with regard to the individuals being revealed before the Presidential Commission of Inquiry into the Bond Issuance, while protecting the dignity of the govt and political parties as it could lead to public unrest and issues within the political parties and the govt. He said that it was clear that there were issues about certain names being revealed before the commission and added that more..

Aug 3 (LBO) Continuing confusion over the terms of foreign participation in the development of SL’s ports threatens to stymie Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the maritime sector. It is not only the Hambantota port, but the Colombo port’s East Terminal and the to-be-constructed Trinco port that have become victims of policy confusion, secret maneuverings, and political wrangling both within and outside the govt. more..

Aug 4 (CT) Following excerpts are from an Old English Saturday night Prime Time Comedy show: You… can be a millionaire…and never pay taxes! You can be a millionaire… and never pay taxes? First… get a million dollars. Now… you say, Steve… what do I say to the tax man when he comes to my door and says, 'You… have never paid taxes’? Two simple words. Two simple words in the English language: I forgot! How, many times do we let ourselves get into terrible situations because more..

Aug 4 (CT) The Govt of Sri Lanka is planning to celebrate the forty years operation of neoliberal policies introduced in 1977. This also coincided with the PM’s forty years in Parliament. Senani and Kalpa, two of my former students gave me a wonderful gift when they returned back to Sri Lanka for a summer vacation from the New School of Social Research in New York. The gift that is a copy of Arundhati Roy’s second novel, Ministry of Utmost Happiness, provided me loads of thought more..

Aug 4 (Roar) “සුද්ධිට අගෞරව කරන්න හොඳ නෑ (we mustn’t disrespect Suddhi)” is an oft-repeated motif in Prasanna Jayakody’s third outing, 28. The irony that this respect is demanded for the dead body of a sex-worker, is at the heart of this deceptively light-hearted road-trip adventure. The filmmaker succeeds, for the most part, in highlighting it in a way that thankfully doesn’t feel hamfisted, inviting the audience to reflect more..

Aug 4 (DN) The two major parties within the National Unity alliance were last week busy grappling with contrasting issues, even as the govt went ahead with landmark events such as the signing of the Hambantota Port agreement with the Chinese govt and the handover of the Neville Fernando Teaching Hospital in Malabe to the state. For the UNP, there was both cause for concern and celebration. The last week of July saw the commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the UNP’s more..

Aug 4 (DN) The deadliest creature on earth is not a great white shark nor a mountain lion; it’s a mosquito. Causing over 725,000 human deaths each year, the mosquito is responsible for the transmission of diseases including malaria, Japanese encephalitis, chikungunya, zika, yellow fever and dengue, among others. In Sri Lanka, the transmission of the dengue virus by mosquitoes has been particularly bad this year. Since January 1, the Epidemiology Unit of the Ministry of Health more..

Aug 4 (NS) Denying animal rights activists’ charges VC, University of Moratuwa, Prof. Ananda Jayawardene said that university authorities were not responsible for the deaths of the dogs and cats and they were sedated by the University security personnel as it was part of their job to maintain a dog-free environment in the university. “University Medical Centre had records of students who were bitten by these stray dogs more..

Aug 4 (CT) Hindu culture in the Mannar District is personified in the ancient Thiruketheeswaram Temple. Excavations done by both Sri Lankan and foreign archaeologists indicate that the history of Mannar dates back to pre-Roman times. The Thiruketheeswaram Temple overlooks the ancient port town of Manthai, which was the main entry point for Arab traders. An attempt was made to restore the temple in 1950, but this ground to a halt because of the outbreak of the war. more..

Aug 4 (Island) Brain-dead yahapalanaya has been on life support for the last two and a half years or so and the govt keeps postponing elections lest people should pull the plug thereon. That the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe administration has been practising anything but yahapalanaya (good governance) can be seen from, inter alia, what is being revealed before the presidential commission of inquiry probing bond scams. Had a presidential probe been conducted into the first bond racket in 2015 more..

Aug 4 (CT) The northernmost regions of the country have been in the throes of a devastating drought the last few weeks. A number of islets in the northern seas in particular have felt the worst of the drought. Yet, the country awoke to the disaster only when several photographs of the carcasses of Delft phonies were being circulated in the media. So far, about 10 ponies on Delft Island have died, with the prevailing arid weather conditions being identified as the main cause. more..

Aug 4 (Island) The govt had planned to take up the Bill to give effect to the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance for debate in Parliament in early July this year, but at the last moment they postponed the debate due to protests by the JO and pressure from the Buddhist establishment. This Bill had been presented to Parliament by PM himself. However the govt never really gave up on the aim of getting this Bill passed, and in the days after more..

Aug 4 (CT) Minister Arjuna Ranatunga said on Wednesday that the ideal situation for the country would be to have a third player from the local private sector. This would also generate competition while the funds and the profits would be maintained within the country, unlike an expatriate corporate which would repatriate the funds to their respective countries. Q: What is your reaction to your being shifted more..

Aug 4 (CI) At times it can feel like there is no tougher place in the world for visitors to begin an innings in than Sri Lanka. Not only can the tracks be treacherous and the spinners terrific, but when they are winning, Sri Lanka's fielders have had their own, singular way of intimidating oppositions. Just ask Usman Khawaja, whose four innings last year brought him 26, 18, 11 and 0 - score diminishing with each knock. At times during the second Test in Galle, it felt like Khawaja would more..

Aug 4 (GN) He has not seen his family since March 2016. His ship has been stranded in the UAE for a year and he has not been paid all this while. He could not go home when his father passed away five months back. Now his wife is in the ICU of a hospital following a heart attack. SL sailor Shantha Rajapaksha has been fighting immense odds while his vessel MV Sharjah Moon remains stranded in the UAE waters. Six of his Indian colleagues, who spent one year with him aboard the vessel, more..

Aug 4 (WI) Twenty years? Are you sure? Has it really been that long? Sanath Jayasuriya’s eyes assume the size of saucers as he fires these questions rapidly at you. He is grinning like a Cheshire cat, even as form seems to dictate to him that a little modesty might not be out of place. But as he weighs up the battle of ecstasy with political correctness, he just lets his emotions take over. more..

Aug 4 (AT) 20th Annual Bakeer Markar Commemoration lecture is to be delivered by Prof. Ahmet Davutoglu, Former PM of Turkey, on the theme of Multiculturalism as a Basis for Peace, on 8th August in Colombo. These annual lectures organized by the Bakeer Markar Centre for National Unity focuses on fostering national unity and encouraging fresh thinking on unity in diversity, which are key areas the late Deshamanya Bakeer Markar sincerely dedicated himself to. more..

Aug 4 (FT) The Cabinet this week approved a proposal to import cashew as local production was unable to meet local demand. Currently there is a market for about 20,000 MT of cashew per annum. However, local production only amounts to 10,000-12,000 MT. The supply shortage has negatively affected the livelihood of a large number of families, the joint proposal submitted by Ministers Duminda Silva and Kabir Hashim highlighted. The Ministers proposed to import the shortfall.  more..

Aug 4 (FT) Tourist arrivals dipped by 1.8% to 205,482 in July from a year earlier, with the number of Chinese visitors continuing to drop. However, cumulative arrivals of tourists for the first seven months of the year rose 3.6% to over 1.2 million (1,215,926) compared to 1.17 million during the same period last year, continuing the growth momentum established in 2010 as per data released by the SLTDA yesterday showed. more..