Defence Secretary Colonel (retd.) Gotabhaya Rajapaksa shares a light moment with Chief Justice Sarath Nanda Silva (centre) and SLN Chief Vice Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda at the annual prize giving of Daham Pasala conducted by Sri Sambodhi Viharaya on Saturday.
First lady Mrs Shiranthi Rajapaksa
was the chief guest.
(Pic by Jude Denzil Pathiraja)

• HRC rules against Education Ministry
  The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka has held that the fundamental rights of the petitioner, S. Kumarage, who was serving as a Vice President at Pasdunrata National College of Education, were violated by the Ministry of Education (MoE).
  
  

• Forged 1,000 rupee note detection at colour lab leads to several arrests
  The Negombo police busted a major counterfeit currency racket. Initial investigations had revealed that a couple living at Marawila ran the operation with the help of a Tamil. Police had recovered 77 counterfeit Rs. 1,000 notes along with a computer and accessories used by the forgers.
   
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• Making enemies of friends
  At a time when the country needs the best of efforts to counter the huge propaganda campaign mounted against her, we appear to be going out of our way to make enemies of our friends, particularly the powerful countries, whose friendship we do most badly need in this war against the LTTE.
   
• ‘Why no memorial for the IPKF
  New Delhi, July 29 –Indians may be upset that Sri Lanka has not set up a memorial to Indian soldiers who died fighting the Tamil Tigers two decades ago. But the man who led them asks: why is there no monument for them in India?
   
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• Rising costs compel Govt to revert to subsidies
  The continuous rise of fuel prices has increased the pressure on the Government to cushion the impact on the public by reintroducing fuel subsidies at a greater economic cost. As expected, the Government in the weekend increased prices of petrol by six rupees and diesel by four rupees which will directly contribute to the rise of the cost of living and also hamper the industrial sector.
   

• High interest rates slowing down company earnings
  Increase in interest rates and reduction in business volumes have hurt the cost structures of many companies during the quarter ended March 2007 and June 2007, stock analysts said."Earnings attributable to the equity holders indicated that earnings have slowed down during the year 2007," SC Securities said in its weekly market report

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• Kandy maintain unbeaten run with 16-5 win over CH
  Regaining champions Kandy Sports Club put up a strong effort and came close to clinch the League title for the seventh year in succession when they overpowered CH & FC by 16 points to 5 in their penultimate game of the Caltex inter-club ‘A’ division rugby tournament at Maitland Crescent on Saturday.

  Hosts CH & FC manage to keep a Kandy player from invading their territory on Saturday’s rugby clash at Maitland Crescent. Kandy, the defending champions won 16-5. Pic by Dimuthu Premaratne

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• The Chesterfield files
  Flaws in the youth system spell danger
  Apart from the need to rename this year’s Tour de France . . . the tour de farce with its now psychedelic image of peddle-pushing and drug-taking among its so-called cyclists, there are other events closer to home that have shamed the image of youth and sport. And forgive me, but it’s not just a matter of yawning with boredom over headlines about the nation’s continued stumbling Davis Cup failures.
   
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