Srilanka

A woman has died and several houses in the Wanduramba, Imaduwa, and Baddegama areas in Galle have been destroyed in landslides that were triggered by the heavy rains that prevailed during the past few days, the Galle District Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said.The deceased has been identified as Mabotuwana Withanage Lasanthi Rasika, a 46-year-old mother of three. She was a resident of Wanduramba, the DMC said.

The government is in the process of simplifying tourism regulations and taking several meaningful steps such as single window, relaxing red tape, issuing free visa on arrivals to promote Sri Lankatourism and investment climate, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe told the Cinnamon Future Tourism summit in Colombo yesterday.Answering a question by CNNRichard Quest, the Prime Minister said, &The government must ‘get out& of meddling with the ‘tourism industry& and should not have a lot of regulations.&Popular CNN Correspondent and the host of Quest Means Business, Richard Quest is in Colombo to participate at the Cinnamon Future of Tourism summit.

Even as several parts of the North, especially Jaffna, experienced an end to the months-long drought with some early monsoonal showers, minor flooding was reported in several parts of the South, at Panadugama in the Nilwala Ganga valley and, the Irrigation Department said yesterday that water levels of the Kalu Ganga and Gin Ganga were reported as rising due to heavy rains.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday said he has never submitted letters requesting to appoint Solicitor General Dilrukshi Dias Wickremasinghe or any other person as a Supreme Court judge.In a special media statement the Prime Minister said only the Chief Justice and Attorney General can make recommendations on appoint a Supreme Court ju. The Premier there s no truth to the allegations made by President Maithripala Sirisena against him with regard to former Director General of the Bribery Commission Dilrukshi Dias Wickremasinghe.The Prime Minister went on to say that he has never acted in a manner that contravenes the onstitution and added the allegations against Dilrukshi Dias should be investigated without delay.