COLOMBO (News 1st)

1. A Chinese national; an employee of the China State Engineering Corporation has been arrested on the suspicion of attempting to bribe an official of the Mahaweli Authority’s Agunkuolapelessa Regional office with a sum of Rs. 20,000.

2. Rs. 10 billion loan has been granted by the Peoples Bank to the Executive President of CML Walkers Jehan Amaratunga. He also serves as a director of Peoples Bank which raises concerns of impropriety and conflicts of interest.

3. JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake accused Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe of being directly involved in the bond scam, which resulted in the largest case of corruption in Sri Lanka’s history.

4. Thusitha Halloluwa, Chief of Staff to the Finance and Media Minister evades a complaint lodged by journalist Ushantha Warnakumara regarding the threats made by the former to the latter.

5. All support seminars and extra classes in relation to the G.C.E A/L examination will be restricted with effect from midnight today. (July 31)

INTERNATIONAL 

1. Jailed, former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Shariff taken to hospital in Islamabad for a possible heart condition.

2. China making a move to loosen restrictions imposed on foreign investments enabled more foreign companies to perform trade and also as a mode of domestic upliftment took to reform the farming industry.

SPORTS 

1. Former Director of Conservation of the Department of Archaeology, Gamini Wijesuriya denies rumors of UNESCO recommendation to remove constructions at the Galle International Cricket Stadium.

• Dasun Shanaka to lead Sri Lanka in ODIs against Afghanistan
• Food Safety Survey reveals that many imported fruits were contaminated with lead
• Two men arrested over Thalawathugoda car theft
• India extends USD 1 Billion Credit Line for Sri Lanka
• Bodies of over 140 drowning victims recovered by navy within one year