A 30-year-old hotelier was shot dead by two men arrived on a motorbike at a hotel in Pilimathalawa last night, Police said.
Eight die in road accidents daily
Chairman of the National Council for Road Safety Dr. Sisira Kodagoda said that deaths caused by road accidents amount to a daily average of 8 in Sri Lanka.
He said there were 1,568 fatal motor accidents between 1 January 2016 to 31st July 2016 in which 1,632 persons died. There were 686 deaths caused in 666 motorcycle accidents with most victims being young employed males.
Though most of these deaths were due to riders and pillion riders either wearing safety helmets or using sub-standard helmets , Dr. Kodagoda said it was a pity that there was no SLS standards stipulation for helmets imposed by the Sri Lanka Standards Institution (SLSI ) which has granted a period of one year for vehicle owners and institutions to obtain the SLS certification. No one has however shown any interest in observing these directives, he added.
Brothel raided in Wellawatte
Three women were arrested on charges of having run a brothel under the guise of an Ayurvedic massage parlour at Havelock Road in Wellawatte last night, Police said.
They said another man was also arrested for managing the brothel. The women, aged 28, 31 and 41 were residents of Moratuwa, Anuradhapura and Piliyandala. They are to be produced in the Hulftsdorp Magistrate’s Court today.
Another teenager makes his way into ODI squad
Sri Lanka cricket selectors continued to keep faith on performing youngsters when they included 19-year-old right-arm fast-medium bowler Lahiru Kumara in the 16-member squad named for the third One-Day International against Australia at the Rangiri Dambulla Stadium on Sunday.
Educated at Trinity College, Kandy, Kumara was one of the top performers in the Sri Lanka Under 19 team’s recent tour of England where he bowled them to a series victory in the second U19 Youth test at Northampton with a haul of 11 wickets for 134 runs.
Educated at Trinity College, Kandy, Kumara was one of the top performers in the Sri Lanka Under 19 team’s recent tour of England where he bowled them to a series victory in the second U19 Youth test at Northampton with a haul of 11 wickets for 134 runs.
Kumara who took seven wickets for 82 runs in the first innings inflicted on England a rare home defeat when they lost by seven wickets and with it the two-match series. Kumara was made man of the match.
Kumara is the second teenager the national selection committee has given recognition to during the on-going series with Australia.
Another top performer on the Sri Lanka Under 19 tour to England opening bat Avishka Fernando who scored back to back centuries in the Under 19 Youth ODI series is already a part of the 16-member squad having been brought in at the start of the five-match series.
“We brought in Kumara because we want an extra fast bowler in the squad for Dambulla and Pallekele where conditions are likely to favour fast bowlers,” said chief selector Sanath Jayasuriya.
Making way for Kumara is left-arm spin all-rounder Milinda Siriwardana. The rest of the squad remains unchanged.
The selectors also included another in-form bowler to the squad at the start of the series 23-year-old left-arm spinner Amila Aponso who has created many problems to the Aussie batsmen with his spin variations in the ODI series.
Aponso was picked on the back of his 13-wicket match haul for Sri Lanka Development Emerging team against South Africa Emerging Players in the four-day game at Potchefstroom on their recent tour to South Africa.
Sri Lanka are currently undergoing a rare period where they have to cope with a series of injuries to their fast bowlers – Dhammika Prasad, Chameera Dushmantha and Nuwan Pradeep. A fourth bowler Shaminda Eranga has been suspended by the ICC who has deemed his bowling action illegal.
The third ODI at Dambulla will be veteran opener Tillakaratne Dilshan’s final ODI appearance before he retires from that format. He will retire from all levels of cricket when he plays in the second T20 International against Australia at the R Premadasa Stadium on September 9.
The selectors have not named a squad for the fourth and fifth ODIs having Dilshan’s retirement in mind.
With Kusal Perera likely to occupy the number seven slot where he made a superb half-century in Sri Lanka’s 82-run win over Australia in the second ODI at the R Premadasa Stadium on Wednesday, the vacancy for an opener exists.
“Danushka Gunathilaka will fill one of the opener’s berths, there is also Niroshan Dickwella who has been performing well in that position with the Sri Lanka ‘A’ squad,” said Jayasuriya..
In the two ODIs so far Sri Lanka has not got the starts they expect from the openers. Dilshan and Kusal Perera made three and, Dilshan and Danuska Gunathilaka 12.
Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews speaking in the defence of his openers said, “Our opening partnerships have not been great right from the Test series and the ODIs we need to try and put a big effort. (Mitchell) Starc is bowling pretty well and he has been getting wickets upfront with the new ball. It’s not easy for the openers to face him in this kind of form.”
The pitches the Aussies have encountered in the first two ODIs have been spin-oriented, but they can expect some kind of assistance for their fast bowlers at Dambulla where the strong winds could help them to swing the ball.
SRI LANKA SQUAD FOR 3RD ODI: Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Dinesh Chandimal (vice-captain), Angelo Mathews (captain), Dhananjaya de Silva, Angelo Perera, Avishka Fernando, Danushka Gunathilaka, Suranga Lakmal, Thisara Perera, Dilruwan Perera, Seekkuge Prasanna, Lakshan Sandakan, Amila Aponso, Lahiru Kumara.
Former Rivira editor Upali identifies officer who assaulted him
Former Rivira editor Upali Tennakoon and his wife Dhammika, at an identification parade held at the Gampaha Magistrate’s Court, yesterday identified Warrant Officer 1 Premananda Udalagama of the Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI) as the person who had assaulted them on the morning of January 23, 2009 at Imbulgoda, Gampaha,
Tennakoon was on his way to office when four men on motorcycles blocked their path and attacked them.
The suspect had been in remand custody following his arrest on August 15, this year in connection with the killing of The Sunday Leader editor Lasantha Wickrematunga on the morning of January 8, 2009. Gampaha Additional Magistrate Lalith Kannagara remanded the suspect till August 29 in connection with the assault case.
Tennakoon, formerly the editor of Divaina and Mrs Tennakoon, who fled the country after the attempt on their lives, returned to the country in view of the case.
Army headquarters recently conducted two separate investigations into the alleged disappearance of various documents sought by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) probing the disappearance of media personality Prageeth Ekneligoda on the eve of January 26, 2010 presidential polls and the killing of Wickrematunga.
Earlier Udalagama was identified at an identification parade as the kidnapper of Wickrematunga’s driver, Dias. The abduction had taken place a few months after Wickrematunga’s assassination.
Perera fined for breaching ICC Code of Conduct
Sri Lanka all rounder Thisara Perera was fined while Australian Mitchell Starc reprimand by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for their behaviour in two separate incidents during the second one-day international in Colombo. He has been fined 15 percent of his match fee for breaching the ICC Code of Conduct.
Perera was fined for his reaction after dismissing David Warner in the second over of the Australian innings. He used language and displayed actions which could have provoked a reaction from David Warner the ICC said in a statement on Thursday.
Perera was fined for his reaction after dismissing David Warner in the second over of the Australian innings. He used language and displayed actions which could have provoked a reaction from David Warner the ICC said in a statement on Thursday.
Fast bowler Starc was charged for throwing the ball in the direction of batsman Dinesh Chandimal, who was inside the crease at the striker’s end and not attempting a run.
Both players accepted the sanctions and there was no need for a formal hearing.
Govt. agrees to amend OMP Bill
The government was willing to amend the Office on Missing Persons Act to accommodate opposition’s amendments which had been missed out during the third reading stage debate of the bill, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said in Parliament yesterday.
The Prime Minister made the observation when Chief Opposition Whip and JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake asked the government to reveal its position on the amendments proposed by his party, which had not been included in the final Bill signed by the Speaker.
The Prime Minister made the observation when Chief Opposition Whip and JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake asked the government to reveal its position on the amendments proposed by his party, which had not been included in the final Bill signed by the Speaker.
MP Dissanayake said one out of the three Amendments proposed by the JVP had not been accommodated as it was not read out at the Committee stage. "MP Bimal Rathnayake, who was present in the chamber to present our party’s Amendments had not been given a chance by the Speaker at that time. It may be due to the chaotic situation that prevailed. The Hansard report of that day shows the confusion that prevailed at the time," he said.
Wickremesinghe said the matter would be discussed with Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera. "We will look into all options available to include the JVP Amendment. If there is no other way we will bring in an Amendment Bill to the OMP Act," he said.
Leader of the House and Minister Lakshman Kiriella asked the JVP to submit in writing the Amendments they wanted included.
Overseas travel ban on five
Colombo Additional Magistrate Nishantha Peiris yesterday issued an order preventing five businessmen, suspected to be connected to the murder of Bambalapitiya-based businessman Mohamed Shakeeb Sulaiman, from leaving the country.
Twenty-nine-year-old Sulaiman disappeared from outside his house down Kotelawala Avenue in Bambalapitiya, on Sunday (21) and was believed to have been abducted. His body was found in Mawanella yesterday morning.
The order preventing them from leaving the country was issued by the Court after considering a request made by the Colombo Crimes Division (CCD).
The Magistrate also ordered the Court Registrar to issue copies of his order to the Controller of Immigration and Emigration and to the Director of the Police Intelligence Unit.