Oct 8 (DM) Every child born to this world has a mother and a father. But not every mother and father will be ready to accept their child. Hence, the possibilities are such that a child could be abandoned for the rest of its life, sometimes at a tender age. This is why stories featuring two to three- week-old infants abandoned by the roadside are occasionally reported. While every child needs parental care and affection; more..

Oct 8 (EN) Sri Lanka will set up a monitoring mechanism to check if exporters are bringing earnings back to the country, the central bank governor Indrajit Coomaraswamy said as the central bank suffered the second consecutive run in 2018 sending the rupee plunging. "What we can do is put in place a monitoring system which we are hoping to do with the help of the Customs to know whether the money is coming back into the country," more..

Oct 8 (CT) A group of doctors headed by Consultant Uro-genital Surgeon Dr. T. Aravindhan, had removed 7 stones, including 2 extra large ones, weighing about 2 kg, which have been formed abnormally in the kidney of a person who had been admitted to A'pura Teaching Hospital on 3 Sept. Group of doctors revealed that those were the largest chunks of stones that had been discovered in the kidney of a person in Sri Lanka, so far. more..

Oct 8 (variety) After more than 30 years of civil war, Sri Lanka has slowly returned to normalcy. But the work of a generation of filmmakers has been informed by the war. One of them is Vimukthi Jayasundara, whose The Forbidden Land, with the war as a backdrop, won the Camera d’Or at Cannes in 2005. His subsequent films have played Venice, Rotterdam and Locarno. Jayasundara’s The Question of Innocence, more..

Oct 8 (DM) Their embarrassing exit from the Asia Cup may still haunt them but Sri Lanka, struggling for form and to find a settled line-up before the World Cup, will have a another opportunity to define positions and tactics when they take on England in a five-match ODI series starting Wednesday in Dambulla. This, however, will be no easy task for the home team. Their confidence levels have hit rock-bottom following more..

Oct 8 (EN) A law to regulate microfinance and protect borrowers from predatory lending, is nearly ready, Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera said after Sri Lanka wrote off more than 1.25 billion rupees in loans earlier this year with tax payer money. "We are at the moment putting the final touches to a new act which will cover the unregulated micro finance sector stipulating industry standards in protecting borrowers from more..

Oct 8 (CT) Eight deaths were reported and over 18,000 individuals have been affected due to the persistent rainy weather conditions prevailing around the island, the DMC reported yesterday. DMC noted that 17,966 individuals of 4,802 families have been affected due to the heavy rains, flood, high winds, lightening and earthslips. The affected areas, Kurunegala, Puttalam, Batticaloa, Nuwara Eliya, Kothmale, Kandy, more..

Oct 8 (AD) Former State Minister UNP MP Vijayakala Maheswaran arrested by the Police Organized Crimes Division (OCPD), has been granted bail by the Colombo Chief Magistrate. Maheswaran was arrested this morning by the OCPD stated over a controversial statement made by her recently. She had stated that the LTTE should be resurrected for the freedom of the Tamil people. The arrest was made when she had arrived to record more..

Oct 8 (Island) A 63-year-old patient was relieved of his wedding ring by three young men who posed off as STF personnel near Aniyakanda Ayurveda Hospital, Kandana. The victim, Anton Fernando residing at Kanuwana, Ja-Ela, said that he had been to Aniyakanda Ayurveda hospital, Kandana around 10 a.m. on Saturday, to get treatment for a recurrent ailment that developed after a heart surgery. According to him, the incident occurred while he was returning to the bus stand near Aniyakanda more..

Oct 8 (CFT) My former colleague at the Central Bank and presently Senior Economic Advisor to UNDP, Dr. Amarakoon Bandara, delivering a public lecture at the Bank on Growth Dynamics, has opined that SL can still open its window of opportunities if proper policies are adopted, despite its dismal economic performance since independence. Growth dynamics refers to the area of economics that helps policy makers to understand how an economy has progressed over time – its achievements, more..

Oct 8 (CT) Supreme Court Justice Eva Wanasundara has surpassed Attorney General Jayantha Jayasuriya to become the front-runner for the position of Chief Justice. Wanasundara, with a legal carrier spanning nearly 39 years, is currently the most senior Supreme Court judge and she is likely to replace Priyasath Depp who is retiring from office this week. President Maithripala Sirisena’s first choice for the position was Attorney General Jayantha Jayasuriya who argued at one point more..

Oct 8 (AD) Raththota Pradeshiya Sabha (PS) Member of SLPP Tilak Kumarasiri has commenced a fast-unto-death, protesting the assault against him by another PS Member from the same party. Reportedly, he has been sitting in front of the Pradeshiya Sabha premises since yesterday. He alleges that a group of mobs including PS Member of SLPP Dinesh Karathnaya and his father, former PS Chairman Jayantha Pushpakumara had assaulted him on Oct 5, following PS session. more..

Oct 8 (AD) Colombo Chief Magistrate Ranga Dissanayake today ruled that, at the moment it is illegal to name MP Ravi Karunanayake as a suspect in the investigation against MP Ravi Karunanayake for allegedly providing false information before the Bond Commission. Since a case hearing has not been initiated at the moment under the Penal Code of the country with regard to the incident, more..

Oct 8 (DM) The joint opposition is due to hold a crucial meeting tomorrow at which they would decide on the formation of an alternative govt, it is learnt. The meeting is due to take place at the residence of the chairman of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Prof. G.L. Peiris. The meeting takes place against the backdrop of unconfirmed reports that President Maithripala Sirisena met with former President Rajapaksa at the residence of former minister S.B. Dissanayake. more..

Oct 8 (CT) In the backdrop of Palu city on the West coast of Indonesia having been terribly devastated due to a 7.5 magnitude earthquake and a tsunami last week, Senior Engineering Manager, Research and Development of the Lanka Hydraulic Institute Ltd (LHI) Dr. Sanjeewa Wickramaratne has warned on the emerging tsunami threats in the region. As the country has already experienced the wrath of the Boxing Day tsunami of 26 Dec 2004, Dr. Wickramaratne has alerted the country by more..

Oct 8 (EN) Sri lanka’s earnings from merchandise exports surpassed a billion US dollars for the second consecutive month in July 2018, rising 5.7% to US$ 1,073 million from a year ago, the central bank said. Expenditure on merchandise imports increased by 10.3% to US$ 1,754 million in July 2018 over the same period. Trade gap in July 2018 rose to US$ 681 million from US$ 576 million the previous year owing to higher imports. more..

Oct 8 (EN) State-run Land Reclamation and Development Corporation had begun accepting trash deposits from a local body running the capital Colombo after part settlement of payment arrears. The corporation, which comes under the Megapolis and Western Development Ministry runs a garbage disposal site in Kerawalapitiya in Western province. The Colombo Municipal Council, which runs the city had not paid 207 million rupees due to the SLRDC, due from July 2018, more..

Oct 8 (LBO) President’s Counsel Shibly Aziz has passed away. Sections of his biography from Wikipedia reproduced below: Mohamed Shibly Aziz is a well-known and eminent President’s Counsel in Sri Lanka who has contributed extensively to the development of the legal system in the country from on or about 1968. He is the former Attorney General of Sri Lanka and has served on a number of national commissions and statutory bodies and represented Sri Lankan in several international fora. more..

Oct 8 (DM) While denying allegations made by several JO members claiming their group of participants had been hospitalized due to food poisoning after consuming milk supplied in packets during the Jana Balaya Colombata rally, Deputy Minister Nalin Bandara Jayamaha today said nothing had been mixed with the milk. He said according to the reports received by the govt analysts, nothing had been mixed with more..

Oct 8 (EN) Sri Lanka’s economic growth is picking up speed and inflation has been contained contrary to criticisms that growth has collapsed, Indrajith Coomaraswamy, Governor of the Central Bank, said. “It does not help when Sri Lankans themselves keep saying growth is collapsing,” he told a World Bank forum where its new report on regional trade in South Asia was launched. Sri Lanka’s growth is slow but is picking up and is on an upward trend, Coomaraswamy said. more..

Oct 8 (NR) The Colombo Magistrates Court today imposed an international travel ban on Former Director of the Terrorist Investigation Division, DIG Nalaka de Silva and the Operations Director of the Anti Corruption Force Namal Kumara. The order was issued by Colombo Fort Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne. The duo was ordered to appear before court following a request made by CID and AG’s Department. A special investigation is currently underway into an alleged assassination plot more..

Oct 8 (EN) Minister Sajith Premadasa dismissed reports of a caretaker administration and said he had full confidence in Prez Sirisena to honour his mandate to work with the current coalition. Premadasa said Sirisena risked his life to defect from the SLFP and challenge an autocratic presidency of Mahinda Rajapaksa at the Jan 2015 election. “Prez will speak with anyone, but he will not betray the mandate he received in 2015,” more..

Oct 8 (DM) UNP MP Thushara Indunil said today his party was not on panic mode over speculation of moves being made to form an interim govt in the wake of discussions between President Maithripala Sirisena and former president Mahinda Rajapaksa. He said that instead his party would obtain the support of six SLFP MPs to form its own govt in place of the current national unity govt. “We have 106 MPs and need the support of six more members to secure a majority in Parliament. more..

Oct 8 (DN) SL is reviving bilateral trade with the second wealthiest economy in Gulf this week after a lapse of two decades. “We are reviving the SL-Kuwait Joint Trade Committee after 21 years. This shall be a new turning point in the long-standing Kuwaiti-SL relations” said Minister Rishad Bathiudeen addressing the Kuwaiti Ambassador to SL Khalaf Bu Dhhair in Colombo during a preparatory discussion on the Second Session of SL-Kuwait Joint Trade Committee more..

Oct 8 (CBC) "Are you sure Steve shouldn't be in this interview?," M.I.A. said when I asked her how her new documentary came together. It was a fair question because, technically, the 43-year-old pop star had nothing to do with the making of Stephen Loveridge's film, Matangi/Maya/M.I.A. But she was very much a driving force throughout the creation process thanks to more than 700 hours of personal video more..

Oct 8 (LBO) The vilification of oil palm in Sri Lanka on the grounds of the crop’s purported adverse impact on the environment is completely unjustifiable, given that the extent of land under oil palm is just 1.1 per cent of the extent under traditional crops – tea, rubber and coconut, an industry body has stated. Responding to claims that oil palm plantations are causing groundwater resources to dry up, degradation of soil and the proliferation of reptiles, more..

Oct 8 (AD) Colombo High Court has ordered to postpone the case against Former President’s Chief of Staff Gamini Senarath and three others until Oct 15. The case was taken up before a Trial-at-Bar consisting Justices Sampath Abeykoon, Sampath Wijeratne and Champa Rajaratne today. Deputy Solicitor General Thusitha Mudalige informed the court that most of the documents that were slated to be handed over to the defendants have already been submitted and two more documents more..

Oct 8 (KT) Police detained a Sri Lankan man Monday for allegedly starting a fire that exploded an oil storage tank in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, the previous day. According to an official at Goyang Police Station, the man flew a sky lantern from a construction site about a kilometer away from the gas storage site Sunday morning. A sky lantern is similar to a miniature hot-air balloon. The 27-year-old told police he bought the lantern and more..

Oct 8 (AD) Former Minister S. B. Dissanayake says that no discussion was held between current President Maithripala Sirisena and former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, at his house. Issuing a release he stated that former President Rajapaksa attended a dinner hosted at his house. Stating that no special discussion was held at the function, he said that, only light conversation on the insecurity of the country and the economic crisis was carried out with other attending MPs. more..

Oct 8 (Xinhua) Eight people were killed and over 30,000 affected as strong winds and heavy rains lashed out across Sri Lanka over the weekend, Disaster Management Center (DMC) said on Monday. DMC Spokesperson said fresh warnings had been issued in several districts as more rains were expected later on Monday and Tuesday. He said fishing and naval communities had been warned to take precautions as wind speeds in north & northwest of the country, and in Colombo. more..

Oct 8 (CT) The proposed Techno City Project in Homagama can cause large-scale biopiracy in the country, through its intended genetic engineering and bio technology research laboratory, Centre for Environmental and Nature Studies (CENS) claimed. The executive director of the organization, Dr. Ravindra Kariyawasam, said that the Techno City project, which would be launched as a co-operative project between the SL and more..

Oct 9 (Island) A pot-bellied politician, a bumbling president or a minister with an oversized mouth, whatever the trend in politics at the time, the political cartoon, despite its hyperbole, speaks far louder than words most of us journalists can muster. Cartoons are a potent political communications tool. Political cartoonists through artistic skills and satire, criticise the existing system, often drawing attention to corruption, political intimidation and other social issues. more..

Oct 9 (CT) Certain controversial statements made by Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith‘s about human rights made during a Sunday sermon at a Catholic church service on the 23rd of last month as reported in the media and the subsequent tweet by Minister Mangala Samaraweera in response to that appear to have stirred up a minor hornet’s nest. Though some commentators have seen the Cardinal’s statements as belittling or downplaying human rights, from his original statements as reported in a video clip more..

Oct 9 (SO) Watchdogs of the society, Voice of the voiceless, The Fourth Estate are some of the names used to identify media. But as a group of professionals who contribute to society across many stratas, they themselves need a voice at times. In the Global Press Freedom Index Sri Lanka holds the 131st place out of 190 countries which clearly indicates a less healthier working environment for journalists. more..

Oct 9 (ST) Whenever two or more Sri Lankans gather there are two subjects that hog any conversation. The exchange of habitual pleasantries over, the talk inevitably turns to politics and cricket. Which topic takes pride of place depends on who has most recently been playing pandu with the public purse and how much has been pilfered by govt politicians and their catchers or our cricket’s alchemists caught in the glare of the spotlight desperately trying to cover-up their more..

Oct 9 (ST) Adverse international developments and inhospitable conditions in the country have led to a downward revision of the economic growth to less than 4% this year. The expectation at the beginning of the year of a significant economic revival this year from the poor performance of GDP growth of 3.1% last year is fading. The impending US trade embargo on Iran and the policy environment in the country that are not conducive to investment and economic development. more..

Oct 9 (CT) In the backdrop of Women and Children’s Affairs Minister Chandrani Bandara calling for a ban on Facebook for minors, the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) said “Rather than banning Facebook, we have numerous ways where a child can be protected.” NCPA has received 6,357 complaints up to 31 August this year. The total number of complaints received last year from January to 9 December was, 104. more..

Oct 9 (SO) Of all the issues that are tarnishing Sri Lanka’s image, which one is most damaging? Is it the downward spiral of the Sri Lankan rupee, the conduct of the top brass of the Sri Lanka Police or the performance of Sri Lanka Cricket? It is a tight contest but perhaps, because of its greater international exposure, the performance of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) will emerge the winner- and that would be about the only win SLC will be able to register in the foreseeable future. more..

Oct 9 (CT) The depreciating value of the SL Rupee in relation to the US dollar during the last few months has been the focal point of the economic turmoil in the country and it has, once again, raised the issue of the imperative need of a national economic policy. Last week, the Rupee nose-dived to a new historic low, ending at Rs 171 to the US dollar. In this calendar year alone - in the last nine months - the value of the SL Rupee to US Dollar eroded 11%, thus making the Rupee one of more..