Aug 31 (EN) Mobile phone operator Bharti Airtel has revived plans to sell its Sri Lanka and Bangladesh operations and appointed two bankers to conduct the sale, Indian media reported. CNBC-TV18 reported that Etisalat and Orange are among interested players and that Airtel will separately to look sell its towers business in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. It has 2,500 towers in the island. Bharti, India's largest telecoms firm, had tried to sell the two assets in 2012 but was not successful. more..

Aug 31 (CI) India were seven wickets from their first series win in Sri Lanka since 1993 after Rohit Sharma, followed by lower-order contributions, all but batted Sri Lanka out of the game. The other Sharma, Ishant, having faced a barrage of bouncers from Dhammika Prasad and aggression from Dinesh Chandimal when he batted, came out pumped up and knocked out any thoughts of the target of 386 being chased down with more..

Aug 31 (CT) National Dangerous Drugs Control Board (NDDCB) will organize an anti-narcotic workshop for the newly appointed MP elects for the Parliament that will convene tomorrow. Chairperson of the NDDCB Dr. Chamira Samarasinghe stated that the workshop for the new appointees will seek to create an attitude change regarding the large scale illegal narcotics business as the second step to eradicate politicians who are involved with narcotics in the country. more..

Aug 31 (CT) All Ceylon Federation of Free Trade and National Workers Congress (ACFFTNWC) branch in Ekala, Yakkala is one of the few all women trade unions in the country. ACFFTNWC coordinator, Mayura Dharmawardena said the trade union has a branch at the Polytex Garments in Ekala, Yakkala (other two branches which are more male-dominated are in Koggala and Kegalle). Branch officers and committee members are women who work in the factories & other workplaces more..

Aug 31 (CI) The Sri Lanka-India Test series witnessed its first major boil-over on its penultimate day following a spat between Ishant Sharma and Dhammika Prasad towards the end of India's second innings at the SSC. The umpires spoke to both captains following the incident, but the bad blood didn't end there; it spilled over into Ishant's celebrations at the fall of SL's third wicket, bowler smacking his own head repeatedly. more..

Aug 31 (NS) In a startling turn of events in the investigation into Prageeth Eknaligoda’s alleged disappearance, it has surfaced that the CID is to question his alleged mistress and the Media Secretary to MP Douglas Devananda, Nelson Edirisinghe. CID has allegedly found evidence that Eknaligoda lived with this mistress in Matale, and that whenever he was in Colombo he would reside with Edirisinghe and not his wife, Sandya. Sandya was used by those opposed to Mahinda more..

Aug 31 (CG) Coral reefs weighing about 20 kg were seized from four Sri Lankan refugees by the Q Branch police in the Kanyakumari district in Tamil Nadu, India. The Hindu newspaper quoted police sources as saying that the coral reefs were seized during the regular raid conducted by the Q branch police in the refugee camp at Kozhiporvilai near Kaliyakavilai. The seized coral reef and the arrested refugees were handed over to the Forest Department for further action. more..

Aug 31 (MoD) The former President of Afghanistan HE Hamid Karzai arrived in the island today. Karzai was accorded a traditional welcome and was received by Secretary to the Ministry of Defence Mr. BMUD Basnayake upon his arrival at the BIA. HE Karzai is accompanied by Mrs. Karzai. The former Afghan leader is visiting the country to attend the Defencve Seminar - 2015 where he will be attending as the chief guest. more..

Aug 31 (HN) Secretary General of Parliament Dhammika Dasanayake said, according to parliament standing orders, a MP elect for the new parliament can sit anywhere inside the chambers until a speaker is elected. Parliament is scheduled to be inaugurated at 9.30 tomorrow morning. He said that seating arrangements have not yet been finalized although the new parliament begins tomorrow. However seating have been already arranged for president, more..

Aug 31 (PHC) Govt of Pakistan has upgraded the Jinnah Computer Center at Jinnah Memorial Hall Kandy by donating 10 computers and related equipment through its High Commission in Colombo. High Commissioner of Pakistan Maj. Gen. (R) Syed Shakeel Hussain handed over the computers to the management of Jinnah Computer Centre in a ceremony. Members of Kandy Muslim Traders Association, Muslim League, management of Jinnah Memorial Hall, students of Jinnah Computer more..

Aug 31 (ENS) Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka, who commanded the Sri Lanka Army during the 2006-2009 Eelam War IV, has refuted the contention of former Tamil Tiger commander Col Karuna Amman, that Tiger Supremo V Prabhakaran had shot himself dead and was not killed by Lankan troops as claimed. “He had a head injury in which a part of the skull had come off. If he had shot himself, the bullet would have more..