Jul 17 (HT) A fresh war of words erupted between the ruling Congress party and the opposition BJP over a Sita temple in SL. In 2010, the then BJP govt had decided to build a Sita temple in Sri Lanka with permission expected from the then SL govt. In his tweets on Tuesday ex-chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan alleged, �Officers of Kamal Nath govt wish to conduct a survey in SL to verify whether or not Mata Sita was abducted. more..

Jul 17 (AD) A controversial situation has unfolded within the UNP over selecting the candidate for the upcoming presidential election, says Minister Mano Ganesan. Factions within the party have been formed and they are working on their own agendas, Minister Ganesan commented. This controversial situation was apparent within the SLFP which later resulted in the formation of SLPP, however, the UNP leaders must make certain more..

Jul 17 (FT) A retired senior Prisons Department official who has witnessed seven judicial executions says he is against the capital punishment as no judicial system in the world is infallible and there is a chance that a wrong person can be sent to the gallows. �You can hang 100 guilty men but if you hang one innocent man, system is a failure,� said H.G. Dharmadasa, a former Commissioner of Prisons, more..

Jul 17 (FE) With India�s World Cup hopes coming crashing down after a defeat to New Zealand in the semifinal, the Board of Control for Cricket in India has initiated the process of an overhaul and invited applications for the head coach and other support staff. Ravi Shastri, the current coach, was appointed as India�s chief coach in 2017 after Anil Kumble�s tenure ended under controversial circumstances. more..

Jul 17 (Island) The Vice Chancellor of the University of Ruhuna Professor Sujeewa Amarasena said last week that political parties that controlled the student unions at universities willfully disrupted academic activities with the intention of increasing the number of dropouts as well as unemployed graduates so that they could be mobilized to rebel if and when the need arose. However student unions alleged that it was Amarasena who was more..

Jul 17 (AD) The price of a loaf of bread has been increased with effect from midnight today, stated the Bakery Owners� Association. Accordingly, the price of a 450 g loaf of bread has been increased by Rs 5. The decision has been taken over the recent price hike on wheat flour. The price of wheat flour was increased by Rs 8 per 1 kilogram from midnight on 15th July. The Chairperson of the Bakery Owners� Association, more..

Jul 17 (Island) It has been reported that the State Land (Special Provisions) Bill, tabled in Parliament on 28 June, sought approval for passing necessary provisions for awarding the sole right to state land held by citizens. The govt is reported to have said that the Bill will benefit the people who have only been residing in lands with a permit and unable to submit it as collateral in obtaining a bank loan. The Bill also aims at allowing the people have been living on permit lands since the 1920s more..

Jul 17 (FT) �The memoir of an unrepentant dark-skinned girl, a misfit who fitted in, a juggler of home and work, who thanks to her good karma escaped relatively unbruised. Still unsure why she stubbornly refuses to conform. But as you flip through these pages she hopes that you enjoy experiencing the journey of a rebel with a truck load of passion�! Thus Sandya invites us to explore the journey of a unique person. So well written, this book is unstoppable once you start reading. more..

Jul 17 (DN) Five hardcore members of the Colombo underworld were arrested by the Kalutara North Police on Monday while they were returning to Colombo after visiting one of their gang members identified as a Full Face Dilshan who is an inmate of the Malwatte Remand Prison. A walkie talkie of the SL Army, electronic room key of a Colombo hotel, 2,600 mg of heroin, five mobile phones and Rs.100,000 in cash were found hidden inside the car in which they were travelling. more..

Jul 17 (TN) Sri Lankan cricket team is ready to visit Pakistan to play a Test match and to further streamline the process, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has invited the Sri Lanka authorities to send its security delegation to Pakistan. According to details, a series is scheduled between the Green Shirts and the Islanders in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in September-October this year and Sri Lanka is willing to play one of the two Test matches in either Lahore or Karachi. more..

Jul 17 (GN) When nine Sri Lankans blew themselves up in churches and luxury hotels and led to the deaths of more than 250 people, ugly head of the Sinhala extremist group BBS has roared back into action in inciting violence against the island�s minority Muslim population. Last week, their leadership, which until recently was under arrest, had called for a nationwide conference to be held in the city of Kandy to be attended by monks more..

Jul 17 (EN) Edotco Lanka, a telecom tower affiliate of Malaysia's Axiata group is investing in a smart pole network which will provide street lighting, security cameras and advertising in addition to connecting mobile devices, Sri Lanka's investment promotion agency said. Edotco will deploy a 1,000 pole network around Sri Lanka over the next three years, under an agreement signed with Sri Lanka's Board of Investment. "Understanding the importance of aesthetics in urban development, more..

Jul 17 (AD) The Southern Expressway has been cleared of the bowser, which toppled near Kahathuduwa, and the traffic on the road has been restored, the Road Development Authority (RDA) said. A bowser truck has toppled on the Southern Expressway near Kahathuduwa today (17). Hence, the traffic on the expressway from Matara to Colombo has been temporarily diverted from Kahathuduwa exit, the Director of the Southern Expressway Management and Maintenance, more..

Jul 17 (DM) JVP alleged that the Cabinet Sub Committee appointed by PM Ranil Wickremesinghe was planning to prevent the Batticaloa Campus being taken over as recommended by the Sectoral Oversight Committee (SOC) on Education in its report presented in parliament. JVP MP Nalinda Jayatissa said that the Sectoral Oversight Committee (SOC) on Education in its report presented in parliament recommended that more..

Jul 17 (AD) Colombo Fort Magistrate has rejected the anticipatory bail application by the Secretary of the National Police Commission (NPC) Saman Dissanayake requesting to release him on bail if he was arrested over the Avant-Garde floating armoury case. Magistrate said that the court has no jurisdiction to grant bail to Dissanayake, who was named as a suspect in the Avant-Garde floating armoury case, as indictments are to be filed against him under the Firearms Ordinance. more..

Jul 17 (DM) The transporting of solid waste from Colombo to Aruwakkalu began yesterday, Megapolis and Western Development Ministry said. Sociologist Nimal Premathilka of Ministry said that initially the waste of the Colombo Municipal Council area would be dispatched to this depository and load of ten waste carriers were deployed. �According to the planned process, waste is to be transported to Aruwakkalu by trains but till the work on the railway track is completed, waste will be transported more..

Jul 17 (AFP) Sri Lanka's president has demanded capital punishment for the terrorists responsible for the deadly Easter Sunday attacks just days after he blamed international drug dealers for the suicide bombings. President Maithripala Sirisena has been battling his own uneasy coalition government -- which is seeking to abolish capital punishment altogether -- in a push to restart executions. more..

Jul 17 (DM) The father of notorious drug kingpin Mohommad Najim Mohammad Imran, alias Kanjipani Imran, had filed a motion in the Aluthkade Magistrate's Court citing that the B-Report submitted by the police to the Court relating to his son was erroneous. Accordingly, the Court issued a notice to the Colombo Crime Division (CCD) Director to appear before the court on July 19 and would consider issuing notice on the Attorney General on that date. Case was postponed till July 24. more..

Jul 17 (Island) Agreements concerning the health sector were signed by others, under the Rajapaksa govt, even without informing the then Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena, says Minister Rajitha Senaratne. Speaking at a ceremony in Nuwara Eliya, on Monday, to declare open the new Nuwara Eliya General Hospital constructed at a cost of Rs. 40 million Euros from the Netherlands, Minister said that as per the original agreement signed without the concurrence of the then Health Minister, more..

Jul 17 (AD) Token strike action of the postal workers at the Central Mail Exchange over their grievances is continued today. Postal workers at the Central Mail Exchange launched a 48-hour token strike from 4 pm yesterday, stated the Convener of the Joint Postal Trade Union Alliance Chinthaka Bandara. Recruitment, promotions, and salaries are lost under the Recruitment Procedure implemented in accordance with 6/2006 Salary Circular more..

Jul 17 (Island) The TNA would not allow the emergence of a dictatorship headed by anyone responsible of mass scale killing of Tamil people and treated Tamils harshly and, therefore, it had helped defeat the no-confidence motion against the govt, said TNA leader R. Sampanthan. Sampanthan told the media that the TNA had helped defeat the JVP�s no confidence motion against the govt, primarily because if the govt had been toppled another party would have captured power. more..

Jul 17 (Reuters) China Petroleum and Chemical Corp, known as Sinopec Corp, said on Monday it has set up a fuel oil company in Sri Lanka as it looks to supply fuel to ships along a major maritime route. The new unit, called Fuel Oil Sri Lanka Co Ltd, has been registered in Hambantota on the southern tip of the country, according to a report on the website of Sinopec Group, parent of Sinopec Corp. Fuel oil is a refined product mostly used as bunker fuel for ships and is also burned in power stations. more..

Jul 17 (CT) Over 567,000 people were reportedly affected due to the drought in nine Provinces, DMC reports. 567,662 people from 159,123 families have been affected due to drought, and the affected areas are Ratnapura, Puttalam, Kurunegala, Vavuniya, Jaffna, Mannar, Kilinochchi, Mulaithivu, Matale, Kandy, Hambantota, Polonnaruwa, Anuradhapura, Ampara, Trincomalee and Batticaloa. more..

Jul 17 (AD) State Minister Ranjan Ramanayake today called on PM Ranil Wickremesinghe to submit a clarification regarding his recent controversial comment on the Buddhist clergy residing in temples. The State Minister says that there is no need for him to apologize as he has not made a statement that would insult the Maha Sangha. He expressed these views to the media following the meeting with PM. Meanwhile, the General Secretary of the Sinhala Raavaya organization more..

Jul 17 (EN) Elyon Colombo, a business hotel promoted by St Anthony's group, a private held group in SL, is opening a 30-room hotel on Aug 1, placing confidence on the recovery from a hit from Islamist bombing in April. �As an entrepreneur, hotel operator and an investor I know based on the current situation of the country this is not the best time for this," Prasantha Jayamaha, co-founder, Elyon Hotel said. "But if not now, when? As Sri Lankans we must believe in this country, more..

Jul 17 (EN) Sri Lanka's trade deficit fell 11.8% in May 2019 to US$ 823 million from a year earlier with a fall in imports and rising exports, the central bank said. Exports in May grew 4% to US$ 961 million from a year earlier. Garment exports grew 6.4% to US$ 391.6 million, contributing most to the export growth. The central bank said that there was higher demand for garment exports from traditional markets such as the US and EU, more..

Jul 17 (RN) Google Transit facility introduced by the National Transport Commission (NTC) to provide commuters information about trains and buses on their mobile phones has a major drawback � it does not provide real-time facilities for now. It also does not have data on Sri Lanka Transport Board buses as they are unavailable, Deputy General Manager of the NTC Muditha Navaratne said. He added that the facility can provide only the published schedules of the trains and private buses. more..

Jul 17 (DM) The SLPP said the conflict of opinion between Prez Sirisena and PM Wickremesinghe was leading the country astray. Ratnapura district MP Pavithra Wanniarachchi said the latest example was the contradictory views expressed by the two leaders on the implementation of the death penalty. "President says the death penalty should be implemented, but the UNP says otherwise. In fact, the UNP says the death penalty should be abolished and removed from the law books. more..

Jul 17 (DM) In a shocking exposure, General Secretary of SLFP, Dayasiri Jayasekara revealed that none of the Police vehicles have full insurance, revenue licence and vehicle emission test certificates and added if anyone had met with an accident involving a police vehicle, the compensation has to be paid by the police driver. �This is appalling indeed, but true. Some poor policemen pay compensation to accident more..

Jul 18 (CT) The recent spate of hate crimes and hate speech against Muslims in Sri Lanka is alarming. These acts of hate have targeted the entire community, devastated individuals, and above all ripped our countries process of reconciliation and co-existence, whilst threatening to undermine the most basic tenets of our democracy. One of the greatest and gravest tasks facing the Sri Lankan Muslim community today is to educate the public on the differences between hating a Muslim for more..

Jul 18 (DN) History shows that man and society go through conflict and cooperation, progress and decline. Yet the desire for improvement persists. Man is impelled to overcome problems, live an honouable, free and interdependent human life, mutually collaborating in co-existence and community. Consciousness and community are necessary for the functioning of society. In this social living, politics is a vast sphere of human activity through which nuclear and social authority more..

Jul 18 (FT) In April this year, Ahimsa Wickrematunge filed a lawsuit against former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa in the District Court of Central California, alleging his involvement in her father Lasantha Wickrematunge�s 2009 assassination. In response, on 27 June, a petition was filed on behalf of Rajapaksa before the District Court, requesting a dismissal of Ahimsa Wickrematunge�s civil suit. more..

Jul 18 (CT) Addressing the July 7 meeting at Kandy to provoke Sinhalese against Muslims under the on gong anti-Muslim campaign, Galagoda Atte Gnanasara Thera demanded that Buddhist monks should be free to mold the local Muslim culture the way they wanted. This is wishful thinking as the demand, perhaps backed by the govt, has all the ingredients to turn the island into a permanent killing field to the detriment of all. Muslims will never agree to such a move in the same way Kandyan more..

Jul 18 (CT) In a recent tweet, the US Embassy in Sri Lanka stated that the Millennium Challenge Corporation Compact (MCCC) is a gift from the Americans to the Sri Lankan people. However, there is a lot of misinformation about it, the Embassy had noted. With that brief note they had included a web address for us to get the correct information from the Embassy account itself. Yet, to quote directly from the site, the only information of this gift is: �The Board of Directors of the MCCC more..

Jul 18 (SO) Agriculture Department warned that the harsh, dry weather conditions gripping the country at present will disrupt the Yala season and said that the entire crop of some farmers may have been destroyed. The drought which has affected over half a million people in 105 DS divisions in 18 districts, is expected to intensify in the coming days despite some showers having been experienced in parts of Sabaragamuwa, more..

Jul 18 (SO) The recent Easter attacks targeting a number of churches and hotels devastated Sri Lanka. Over 250 people were killed, and many more injured. Within days of the attack, it emerged that the perpetrators of the attack were affiliated to radical Islamist groups in Sri Lanka. However, the identification of the perpetrators as ostensibly adherents of the Islamic faith opened the floodgates of discrimination and violence against the broader Muslim community in Sri Lanka. more..

Jul 18 (Island) The yahapalana govt is a contradiction in terms in that it consists of politicians who have a history of practising the very antithesis of good governance. Some of the recent utterances of its leaders and their soul mates show how fraught it is with internal contradictions. PM has gone on record as saying that the armed forces and the police, acting on his instructions, in the immediate aftermath of the Easter Sunday disaster, eliminated the local agents of the ISIS root more..

Jul 18 (CT) �What we are experiencing today is the most incompetent, most corrupt and most unpatriotic Govt in our history since Independence� said Dr. Nalaka Godahewa, addressing a seminar organised by the Viyathmaga in Kegalle on Sunday (7). �Once booming Sri Lankan economy is now stagnant, with the growth rate below three per cent, unemployment is rampant with the Central Bank, itself, reporting a reduction of 454,000 jobs available since 2015, Bloomberg has rated Sri Lanka as more..