Aug 29 (CT) Can he, can�t he? That�s the question. The 19th Amendment issue on the possibility of Mahinda Rajapaksa contesting the presidential polls has turned national attention on the man all over again, even to the exclusion of brother, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the war-victorious Defence Secretary, who was being marketed as the replacement, in-between. Independent of what his SLPP-JO followers may say, more..

Aug 29 (Island) Newly elected Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan has taken Asia, if not the entire world, by storm. A man of great charm, he has endeared himself to the people, especially the poor, in this part of the world with his austerity measures. He is widely seen to be making a genuine effort to share the suffering of his people. He has refused to occupy the Prime Minister�s Official residence and chosen to do without most of the expensive vehicles allocated to him. more..

Aug 29 (Island) Japanese Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera�s recently concluded visits to the China-run Hambantota port as well as the strategic Trinco port should be examined against the backdrop of growing US-Japan-India alliance meant to counter China. Onodera arrived here following a two-day visit to New Delhi where two key US allies reiterated their commitment to further strengthen relations at all levels. Interestingly, as Onodera left New Delhi to begin his historic Sri Lanka visit, more..

Aug 29 (DN) A four-member delegation headed by Sports Minister Faiszer Mustapha is scheduled to leave for Dubai today to meet with the ICC hierarchy chairman Shashank Manohar and CEO David Richardson to discuss on the current status of administration of SLC. What objective the Minister is expecting to achieve by having a meeting when the ICC has given clear guidelines and a time deadline for more..

Aug 29 (FT) The Fireside Chat organised by the International Chamber of Commerce Sri Lanka (ICCSL) in partnership with the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) Sri Lanka Division and Daily FT kicks off today at the Hilton Colombo Ballroom at 6.00 p.m. The event is organised to recognise Sri Lanka�s most prominent and leading entrepreneurs and the value they create for their shareholders, customers, employees and the general community. more..

Aug 29 (CT) The independence of the Central Bank (CBSL) should be subject to public oversight, said former CBSL Deputy Governor W A Wijewardena. Delivering the oration at CBSL�s 68th anniversary, held under the theme A revisit to Central Bank independence: How to resolve emerging issues, he said, �It should be recognized that in a sovereign State, there cannot be another sovereign institution. Hence, the independence of the Central Bank should be subject to public oversight.� more..

Aug 29 (FT) Employees Provident Fund (EPF) will return to the stock market fairly soon, CB Governor Dr. Indrajit Coomaraswamy said as the monetary authority has established sufficient safeguards to improve transparency and accountability in trading guidelines. Speaking at the oration held to mark the 68th anniversary of the Central Bank, Dr. Coomaraswamy recapped the activities and achievements of the institution more..

Aug 29 (Island) In the first-clash of today�s double-header, team Galle will take on team Dambulla, at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy, in the on-going SLC Inter-Provincial T20 League. Dambulla, already placed second in the points table, will be all out to make it four-wins from five-games, while Galle will want to avoid the second-straight defeat after losing to Colombo, in their last game. In the second-encounter of the day, team Colombo will be up against the hill-country capital, Kandy. more..

Aug 29 (DN) Sri Lanka won the men�s Team Championship and secured the women�s Team Championship runner up position in the fifth Carrom World Championship worked off in Chun Wong, Korea recently. Lankan men�s team captained by Chamil Cooray beat strong India 3-2 while India clinched the women�s Team title beating SL 3-0. Champion SL men�s team included captain Chamil Cooray (Seylan Bank), Nishantha Fernando (SL Navy), Mohomed Hilmi (Royal College) more..

Aug 29 (DN) Sri Lanka's hopes of winning medals in the 800 metres men's and women's events were dashed with Indunil Herath finishing eighth and Gayanthika Abeyratne ending up in sixth position in the Asian Games in Indonesia yesterday. Indunil Herath finished the men�s 800 metres race in a time of 1.51.36 ending up eighth out of eight competitors which was less than the timing he had in the heats on Monday. more..

Aug 29 (PMD) At present a series of discussions are being held centering universities to receive the feedback of the intellectuals after the launch of the National Sustainability Discourse. This discussion with university academics comprises of two rounds and the second round is scheduled to hold under the patronage of President Maithripala Sirisena in the near future. Discussions were already held at the Uni of Colombo, Uni of Sabaragamuwa and the Open Uni and more..

Aug 29 (FT) Marking a momentous milestone in SL fashion retail, Cotton Collection announced, it has divested for an undisclosed amount its shares to ODEL, a subsidiary of Softlogic Holdings. The much sought-after brand was bought by Softlogic Group as it was the perfect fit for its well-established, diverse retail network and accelerated expansion plan. Niloufer Anverally, founder and creator of all-SL brand Cotton Collection, maintains ownership of her alternate brand Leather Collection. more..

Aug 29 (FT) Tourism Minister John Amaratunga called for tariff reductions from the Govt to achieve the 4.5 million tourist arrivals target by 2020, insisting that high tax structures and extraneous charges were constraining the sector from achieving higher growth. �If the country is looking at tourism as the highest income earner, then we have to have be more competitive in our tax structures, particularly on reducing the landing charges, more..

Aug 29 (Island) The govt is keen to sign Free Trade Agreements (FTA) with other countries in order to position SL as the largest trading market in the region, State Minister Eran Wickramaratne said. "At present SL has signed FTAs with several countries, including with India in 1998, with Pakistan in 2005 and a new FTA with Singapore, while negotiations have begun to sign an FTA with Thailand. Further, Bangladesh has indicated that they are willing to get into a trade arrangement with SL, more..

Aug 29 (Island) Former Chairman of SriLankan airlines Ajith Dias has made a statement yesterday to the police unit attached to the PCoI on irregularities at SriLankan Airlines, SriLankan Catering and Mihin Lanka. Former SL High Commissioner to UK and former director of Sri Lankan, Chris Nonis and ex-director Nihal Jayamanne made statements on Monday. PCoI has issued notice on former Defence Secretary and founding Director of Mihin Lanka, more..

Aug 29 (Island) Colombo Municipal has decided to hand over the contract for cleaning the official residence of the Mayor to cleaning services company for a two-year-period at the cost of Rs.8.5 mn. Sources said the CMC had called for tenders. Approval for the contract was granted by the monetary committee of the municipality. The municipal workers expressed dismay over the decision claiming that there was an excess more..

Aug 29 (ER) An agreement on Avoidance of Double Taxation and Prevention of Fiscal Evasion between Sri Lanka and Oman was signed during the Second Meeting of the SL-Oman Bilateral Consultations, held on August 15, 2018 in Colombo at senior officials� level by the leaders of the respective delegations. SL delegation was led by Secretary to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Prasad Kariyawasam and the delegation of Oman was headed by the Under-Secretary for Diplomacy and more..

Aug 29 (CT) Minister Mangala Samaraweera, along with Minister Ranjith Madduma Bandara and Deputy Minister Lasantha Alagiyawanna, visited the site of the Enterprise Sri Lanka Exhibition yesterday (28) in Moneragala to oversee the final arrangements of the exhibition, a press release stated. The exhibition will be declared open by PM Ranil Wickremesinghe at 4 p.m. today (29) and will be open to the general public from 10 a.m. to midnight during 29-31 August, the release added. more..

Aug 29 (PMD) A meeting between President Maithripala Sirisena and Secretaries to the Ministries was held at the Presidential Secretariat, yesterday (27). During this meeting, the President emphasized that Ministry Secretaries have to play a vital role in making the development process of the government efficient. The progress of the development programmes implemented at Ministirial level was reviewed in this meeting. more..

Aug 29 (Xinhua) President Maithripala Sirisena will leave for Nepal to attend the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multisectoral Technical and Economic Co-operation (BIMSTEC), which will be held in Kathmandu. Following the conclusion of the two-day summit on Friday, the chairmanship of BIMSTEC will be handed over to SL by the current chair Nepal. The fourth BIMSTEC summit declaration Towards a Peaceful, Prosperous and Sustainable Bay of Bengal Region will be adopted in Kathmandu. more..

Aug 29 (Island) Kandy Municipal Council (KMC), at its meeting chaired by Mayor Kesara Senanayake, on Monday, resolved to ask for the same monthly allowance as the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) members. The CMC has increased its councillors� allowance to Rs. 40,000 each. The motion, moved by UNP member Lalantha Peiris, was jointly seconded by two councillors representing the SLFP and SLPP. Kandy Municipal Commissioner Chandana Tennakoon said more..

Aug 29 (Island) A high profile case involving members of all political parties represented in parliament, except the JVP, abusing duty free vehicle permits will be taken up in the Supreme Court on Aug. 31. The recipients included UNP and its coalition partners, SLMC, ACMC et al, SLFP, Group of 16, JO and TNA. Attorney-at-law and public interest litigation activist Nagananda Kodituwakku on Monday filed an amended more..

Aug 29 (AD) Former Director General and Deputy Manager of Disaster Management Center have petitioned the Court of Appeal to repeal recommendations by the PRECIFAC against them. Accordingly, former Director General Leonard Ravindra Mark and former Deputy Manager M.A Nishantha of Disaster Management Center have submitted the aforesaid petition to the Court of Appeal. Justice Preethi Padman Surasena and other members of PRECIFAC have been named more..

Aug 29 (AD) Riot police and STF was deployed yesterday to contain the tense situation at Galaha hospital after an infant died allegedly due to a lack of treatment. The family and relatives who brought the infant to be attended at the Galaha hospital had allegedly attempted to attack two doctors after the infant died last morning, police said. The relatives had complained that the infant died because of alleged medical negligence. �The angry relatives attacked the hospital causing damage to more..

Aug 29 (Island) TNA has alleged that a project is underway to bring in outsiders from the South to the Mullaitivu District. TNA took up the issue at a meeting, chaired by President Sirisena at the Presidential Secretariat, on Monday (27). The following is the text of the statement issued by the TNA at the conclusion of the meeting: "The Meeting of the Presidential Task Force on the Development of the North & East took place yesterday more..

Aug 29 (DM) Kamani is a 34-year-old mother of three from Bandarawela. Following a surgery for a brain tumour she was partially paralyzed. A distraught husband who is a farmer then took her to an Ayurvedic doctor. The treatment took a few months. However, it helped the poor woman to walk around once again. Clarence is a sub editor at a newspaper. A cardiologist at a private hospital recommended him a coronary bypass surgery after having found that his arteries were blocked. more..

Aug 29 (DM) The traditional three pillars on which the stability and sustenance of our working democracy rested were the Legislature, the Executive, and the Judiciary. These pillars are cemented on a hard-pressed foundation of the very source of our law, the Constitution of our country. To this robust dynamic of societal evolution was added the Free Press, the Fourth Estate. In order to dismantle this strong and firm structure, one must engineer an assault on all four elements, more..

Aug 29 (CT) In a bid to eradicate drug abuse among students and rehabilitate those already involved , the Ministry of Law and Order will head a multi-stakeholder anti-drug programme which will be launched in 10,000 schools islandwide from 10 Sept. An all-out effort to set up drug free zones in the vicinity of schools is also on the cards. The programme will raise awareness among schoolchildren & parents. more..

Aug 29 (ST) The names of several Radio dramas connected to the Office of National Unity & Reconciliation (ONUR) headed by former President Chandrika Kumaratunga, will be changed, after objections from certain quarters that some names of the plays are offensive to Buddhists. The issue was first raised by Ven. Omalpe Sobitha Thera, over the Radio drama series, Kanata paharak, aired over State-owned ITN FM, more..

Aug 29 (AD) Minister Rajitha Senaratne has ordered the Director General of Health Services to carry out a proper inquiry into the death of a child admitted to the Galaha Hospital and the events that transpired as a result of that. Ministry of Health said that in addition to the inquiry the minister has also instructed to temporarily transfer the two doctors who were at the hospital at the time, for their own safety. more..

Aug 29 (CT) Matara Magistrate Pavithra Pathirana yesterday enlarged on bail the Dewinuwara Sri Vishnu Devalaya Nilame�s secretary, W. Kolambage and the Devalaya�s Mahout, who were arrested and charged by the Gandara Police over the alleged torture of an elephant named Kalana. The arrest was made yesterday after Wildlife Conservation Department Officers lodged a complaint with the Gandara more..

Aug 29 (Island) Minister Sagala Ratnayaka, addressing the 3rd Indian Ocean Conference in Vietnam, yesterday, called for Oceanic Good Governance in the region and said Sri Lanka was dealing with regional players who had major economic stakes in the Indian Ocean. "Sri Lanka is also pushing to further integrate with the world by undertaking reforms to facilitate trade and encourage productive foreign investments," more..

Aug 29 (CT) Tenders would be called and procurement procedures would be followed to call for manufactured cards shortly, to have the health profile of the public. The Health Ministry hopes to launch the electronic health card which would store vital health information regarding each person and the launch is expected to take place next year. Responding to questions, informed sources in the Health Ministry said that in addition to more..

Aug 29 (CT) The number of completed skeletal remains discovered at the Mannar mass grave exceeded the 100 count yesterday (28), according to the research team conducting excavations at the site. As it surpasses the 60th day of excavation, the consulting JMO of Mannar in charge of the excavation, Dr. S. Rajapaksa said that 109 complete skeletons have been discovered from this mass grave site. more..

Aug 29 (USE) On Aug 27, the U.S. Coast Guard handed over a high endurance cutter, formerly the USCGC Sherman, to the Sri Lankan Navy in a ceremony presided over by Vice Admiral Sirimevan Ranasinghe, Commander of the SL Navy, and Rear Admiral Michael Haycock of the U.S. Coast Guard. The cutter, a gift from the people of the United States, will be the largest ship in the SL fleet and strengthens defense cooperation more..

Aug 29 (OHCHR) The UN Independent Expert on foreign debt and human rights, Juan Pablo Bohoslavsky, will conduct an official visit to Sri Lanka from 3 to 11 Sept 2018, at the invitation of the Govt. �My visit aims at collecting first-hand information and examine questions related to debt and other financial obligations from a human rights standpoint,� said Bohoslavsky. �The purpose of the mission is to identify good practices, more..

Aug 29 (EN) The Colombo Fort magistrate Lanka Jayaratne Wednesday ordered the arrest of Sri Lanka's chief of defence staff Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne over hs alleged role in helping the main suspect in the abduction and murder of 11 children escape arrest. Jayaratne told the CID to arrest Wijegunaratne who is said to have funded Chandana Hettiarachchi alias Navy Sampath last year to escape the police net. more..

Aug 30 (GV) Is bribery a fact of life in SL? The following video captures perceptions on bribery and corruption across five cities, and in English, Sinhala and Tamil. The issue of corruption has gained new focus politically, with the activities of a new Special High Court, established to hear cases of large-scale financial fraud and corruption. On Aug 27, notice was issued to the former Defence Secretary along with 6 others � the second case filed by the Court since its establishment on Aug 21. more..

Aug 30 (DN) Minister Sajith Premadasa recently called for an open economy with a human face. He said it is the right way to establish a just society. Mr. Premadasa added, �It must be understood that full-blown capitalism is not the order of the day. A just and fair society can only be established through systems, structures and procedures that are based on benevolence capitalism. To use a more apt phrase, a just society could be established through capitalism with a human face.� more..

Aug 30 (SO) On Sept 2, 2013 Mayuri Jayasena who was six months pregnant had fallen asleep on her chair while talking with her husband after having lunch together. Her husband Madushka Herath de Silva had got up, careful not to wake Mayuri to get dressed and go to his fruit stall located in the Anuradhapura town. Mayuri remembers being sad that her husband did not wake her up because she used to help him get ready, and more..