Sep 1 (CT) Former CB Governor, Arjuna Mahendran�s place of residence is now no more a secret subsequent to media reports of a senior official in the Attorney General�s Department informing court that Mahendran, a fugitive from justice had requested for copies of the warrant and evidence against him from the CID via the Singapore Interpol. This was in response to the Colombo Fort Magistrate asking the senior AG official on the status of the Arrest warrant more..

Sep 1 (CT) The reasons for the production and consumption of more vegetables, cereals and fruits are not just those based on religious considerations, but they are also over-whelmingly scientific and ecological. Livestock farming requires a huge amount of water and land as pasture. The amount of agrochemicals and veterinary chemicals needed also are high, especially with factory farming. The amounts of water etc., needed depend on the climate and other factors. more..

Sep 1 (Roar) Rajith* is ten years old. He has just finished the grade five scholarship exam, and he is ecstatic � he now has the time to play cricket with his cousins, watch TV and just relax. �The school started preparing us for the scholarship exam from grade four,� he tells us. �We had to stay in after school [hours] every day until four for extra classes. Tuition classes were for about 3 1/2 hours on weekends.� more..

Sep 1 (CT) There has been much criticism in both political and civil society circles that Singapore Free Trade Agreement is detrimental to Sri Lanka�s national interests. A Fundamental Rights petition filed by the GMOA along with two other petitions was taken up before the Supreme Court recently regarding the said agreement. Petitioners state that purported Free Trade Agreement (FTA), Sri Lanka had entered into with Singapore, is inimical to the interests of Sri Lanka. more..

Sep 1 (GV) A puff of wind shifts the piece of cardboard dangling from the tent. 541 it reads. Over one year later, the tent housing the families of the disappeared in Vavuniya has become a familiar part of the landscape. Not many passersby pause to look into the tent as they go about their daily work. The same photos are pinned to the front of the tent. This time around though, there are more posters. The Office on Missing Persons (OMP) features prominently. more..

Sep 1 (ST) The prison cell of the last King of Kandy, King Sri Wickrama Rajasingha in Colombo Fort is a well-known monument situated within the premises of the Ceylinco House building down Janadipathi Mawatha (Queen�s Street) at the turn-off to Bank of Ceylon Mawatha. Although it is commonly known as the prison cell where the last King was kept, there appear to be two versions to this story�the commonly held belief more..

Sep 1 (DN) It came for my grandmother within seven minutes. So it will definitely come for your loved one as well. 1990 Suwaseriya pre-hospital care ambulance service kicked off in 2016 with so many rumours, allegations and figments of imagination hindering its commencement. However, this ambulance service sped fast ahead, leaving all baseless accusations behind, and won the hearts of Sri Lankans. This emergency ambulance service, which is provided free, was initiated in 2016 more..

Sep 1 (Island) The SL police are among the most efficient law enforcement agencies in the world. Yes, we mean it! But the problem is that they are so efficient only when the offenders happen to be ordinary citizens without the wherewithal and political power to rise above the law. Among the suspects they have arrested and produced in courts, in record time, during the last several years are two small schoolgirls; one had stolen five rupees and the other a few coconuts! more..

Sep 1 (Island) A novel, a radio drama and a stage play all came under attack in Sri Lanka for allegedly containing anti-Buddhist or offensive language. International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliate the Free Media Movement (FMM) Sri Lanka in expressing concerns over the potential political censorship and control of freedom of expression of the three works. Office of National Unity and Reconciliation (ONUR) headed by Former President Chandrika Kumaranatunge, more..

Sep 1 (Island) Major General Chagie Pamoda Gallage, a true patriot, a soldier to the inner bone, an inspiring military leader and a gentleman to the fingertips, hung up his uniform on the 31st August 2018, after 35 years of arduous service to the nation, having reached the maximum permissible age of 55 years in SL Army. Having known Major General Gallage, for over three decades, I trust that I can pen many distinct attributes of him with absolute authority and accuracy. more..

Sep 1 (Island) While there is much talk of the next provincial council polls being held next January, talk is also spreading against any such polls. Do you know what the next Western PC will do? asked Chanda Vasangatha. "They will want million rupee chairs for their elected and elevated buttocks. That is the democratic process. Do better that those who went before, is the motto." "That is the trend today. more..

Sep 1 (DN) The 11th edition of the M1 Asian Netball Championships (M1 ANC) commences today with all 12 nations competing in the tournament geared up and ready to take each other on at the Singapore Sports Hub from 1-9 Sept. The team captains from the various competing countries come together today for a glimpse of the elusive Asian Netball Championships trophy in front of the iconic Marina Bay Sands. Captain of Team Singapore Vanessa Lee is expecting tough competition, and said: more..

Sep 1 (ST) �Tournaments such as Red Bull Campus Cricket can help university-age cricketers stay active in sport, while they juggle studies and �edging professional careers� says former ex-ICC match referee Roshan Mahanama, who believes too many young cricketers quit the sport after finishing school, because of a lack of cricket tournaments and opportunities for sports people aged 18 to 23. He says many promising cricketers are lured away from the sport by other career prospects, more..

Sep 1 (FT) Sri Lanka banks have the stability and capacity to expand regionally and would be supported by progressive regulations from the Central Bank, assured a top official, but this would be coupled with the monetary authority stepping up action on non-compliance to improve the regulatory environment. Speaking at a CT CLSA Securities event to launch a report on banking fundamentals, CB Deputy Governor more..

Sep 1 (CT) Men�s top seed Sharmal Dissanayake partnered by Alex Fairbanks took the men�s Open doubles title in the 103rd National Tennis Championship at the SLTA courts yesterday. The top seeds beat, hot favourites former men�s singles champion Dineshkanthan Thangaraja and Heera Ashiq in a hard fought straight sets. Now, Dissanayake will be eying the men�s singles crown but is bound to face a stiff challenge by Dineshkanthan Thangaraja in the final. more..

Sep 1 (DN) Carrier announced the grand opening of its new office and newly expanded product offering in Sri Lanka. Leveraging global expertise and an extensive portfolio, this newly formed entity will increase the accessibility of Carrier staff and services and the availability of their end-to-end air conditioning solutions, enabling shorter lead times and better customer service. �The key reason for opening an office in Sri Lanka was to be closer to our customers and more..

Sep 1 (EN) Sri Lanka's daily newspaper circulation has fallen in 2017, for the first time in nine years, with Sinhalese newspaper sales falling 5.2%, but weeklies have maintained a growth, data from the central bank showed. Annual circulation of daily newspapers fell 3.2% to 398.8 million from a year earlier, based on provisional data reported by five national newspaper publishers and the Mass Media Ministry. more..

Sep 1 (FT) The CID yesterday arrested an inbound Sri Lankan passenger from New Delhi for allegedly smuggling 20kg of gold worth Rs.130 million. The passenger had exited from Customs clearance at BIA with 20kg of gold stitched to his clothing. The arrest follows the discussion held by Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera with top CID and Customs officials to map out ways and means to detect contraband being brought to the country resulting in loss of revenue to the State. more..

Sep 1 (CT) SL Sevens rugby team produced a superb effort when they qualified for the semi-finals in the Asian Games rugby tournament in Indonesia yesterday. The Tuskers defeated China in the quarter-final by 17 points 12 which sent them through to the semi-final to be played against Japan at 12.26 p.m. SL time today. China took a lead of 5-0 early in the match as Z. Chao scored a fantastic try. It was then Sri Lanka�s turn to get their first try as Sudam Sooriyarachchi touched down and more..

Sep 1 (AD) MPs Udaya Gammanpila and Ven Athuraliye Rathana Thero presented submissions before the independent committee appointed by President Maithripala Sirisena to examine the SL-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (SLSFTA). The committee had assembled yesterday for the first time. The SLSFTA has been created in an approach that is advantageous to Singapore, and more..

Sep 1 (DM) 28th edition of the FACETS Int'l Gem & Jewelry Exhibition commenced on the 30th of August 2018 with a grand inauguration ceremony at the BMICH. The exhibition will be open to public until the 2nd of Sept. In celebration of the true facets of the island, Sri Lanka Gems, a coffee table book by Vladyslav Yavorskyy was launched at the opening. Yavorskyy is an internationally renowned gemologist and author of 3 popular books � Terra Spinel: Terra Firma, Terra Garnet & Terra Connoisseur. more..

Sep 1 (Island) Former President Ceylon Bank Employees Union (CBEU) T. Rusiripala, says successive administrations, including the incumbent dispensation should take the responsibility for the crisis in the public sector. Rusiripala, now an SLFP member of the Colombo Municipal Council issued the following statement in response to comments made at an event in Colombo by Minister Dr. Sarath Amunugama,. Dr. Amunugama has dealt with the need to investigate waste of public funds. more..

Sep 1 (Island) Opposition says that the economic outlook for the country is gloomy and the govt keeps talking about deficits, public debt, economic headwinds and weak growth. Therefore, depressive thought cycles seem to be entrenched in the minds of the people of SL and no wonder the people are anticipating a bleak future, business tycoon Dhammika Perera said on Wednesday, attracting thunderous applause from more..

Sep 1 (DN) Malaysia and Sri Lanka have agreed to strengthen collaboration in monitoring the waters between the two countries. Deputy PM of Malaysia Dr Wan Azizah had said this was among the topics discussed when she received a courtesy call from Minister Tilak Marapana on Monday in Parliament. �The govt is concerned about the security of our water ways. We are striving for pirate-free waters for the safety of our traders. Our focus is in keeping peace and in keeping our traders safe� more..

Sep 1 (DM) A delegation of 14 entrepreneurs from one of China�s leading business chambers, the China International Chamber of Commerce for the Private Sector (CICCPS) visited the BOI with a view of exploring possibilities of investment in the island. CICCPS is one of China�s leading chambers with a membership of over 4 million companies. This membership includes some of China�s mega enterprises such as Alibaba, Lenovo and Huawei. This was the delegation�s first visit to SL. more..

Sep 1 (CT) The GMOA is warning of a major strike if the authorities do not arrest those responsible for the harm done to the Galaha Hospital. Secretary of the GMOA, Dr. Haritha Aluthge, said that the Union was only prepared to give the Police, time until 3 Sept to execute the law against all those responsible for the attack on the Hospital. Aluthge threatened that over 3,000 doctors in the Central Province would go on strike on 4 Sept if more..

Sep 1 (CT) Mahapola Higher Education Scholarship Trust Fund has incurred a staggering loss of Rs 2.5 Billion. Meanwhile, Minister Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe said that Cabinet approval has already been given to seek advice from the Attorney General, to initiate legal action against those responsible for mishandling the Mahapola Higher Education Scholarship Trust Fund. Cabinet approved the removal of the Mahapola Fund from the purview of Ministry of Co-operatives and more..

Sep 1 (Forbes) Japan is getting more serious about preventing China�s dominance of the Indian Ocean. Last week, Tokyo donated two coast guard patrol craft to Sri Lanka, according to ChannelNewsAsia. The craft cost over US$11 million to make. The Indian Ocean has long been a strategic waterway, facilitating trade between the Middle East and Africa, as well as Africa and Asia. The ocean has become even more significant during recent years as China has continued to grow. more..

Sep 1 (Island) Colombo Fort Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne yesterday ordered that four Buddhist monks, National Organiser of Sihala Ravaya Ven Magalkande Sudatta, Ven Bengamuwe Nalaka Thera, Ven Ittepane Saddhatissa Thera and Ven Medille Pagnnaloka Thera be arrested for failing to appear in court despite being charged with causing damage to public property. Ven Ahungalle Jinananda Thera who surrendered to court more..

Sep 1 (DM) A story that has gone viral in political circles says that there are two purohitas well past their youth having a gala time gallivanting around with some young fashion models and cinema actresses. One of these Romeos is said to be a tall guy from the central hills, whose numerous link-ups are now public knowledge. The other purohita�s escapades though a secret to the public so far has become an exhilarating subject for the staffers at a party head office in Pitakotte area. more..

Sep 1 (EN) Consumer inflation in Colombo rose to 5.9% in August 2018 from a year ago, the highest in eight months, according to data. The Colombo Consumer Price Index (CCPI) had risen 5.4% in July. The CCPI index in August 2018 remained unchanged at 125.8 compared with the month before. The year-on-year inflation of the Food Group increased from 5.6% in July 2018 to 7.5% in August 2018 and that of the Non�]food Group fell from 5.3% in July to 5.1% in August during this period. more..

Sep 1 (Island) Court of Appeal refused Ven. Galagodaatte Gnanasara thera, leave to appeal to the Supreme Court against the recent judgment of the Court, which convicted him of contempt of court and sentenced him to rigorous imprisonment for six years. Court of Appeal recently convicted the Gnanasara thera of contempt of court and imposed a sentence of six years rigorous imprisonment. more..

Sep 1 (AD) TNA MP M.A. Sumanthiran says that so far there is no agreement within the Tamil people for one nation and that they should be brought into one track through the new Constitution. He stated this joining a conference held in Galle with regard to the 20th amendment to the constitution. The war in the country was created as the interests of minority communities had been ignored, he said. MP Sumanthiran further stated that the country does not require a federal system more..

Sep 1 (AD) The Yala National Park will be closed for a period of two months starting from tomorrow (Sept 1), due to the prevailing dry weather condition. Accordingly, the Block 01 of Yala National Park, also known as Palatupana entrance will be closed, stated the Director General of the Department of Wildlife Conservation Chandana Sooriyabandara. He added that measures will be taken to improve tourist resorts and infrastructure facilities during this two-month period. more..

Sep 1 (DN) The Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT) in Malabe will be taken back to the Government cancelling its transaction in 2015, Minister Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe said. The Minister said the SLIIT would be operated as a fee-levying Govt owned independent institution. He said a Cabinet paper to this effect was submitted last week and it would be taken up again next week. more..

Sep 2 (SO) First it was the monk, calling casually for Hitler during a birthday sermon. Now it is the business tycoon in a silk suit, telling a packed, business-friendly audience at a five-star hotel how what Sri Lanka needs is something like a dictator. The recent fireside chat hosted by a distinguished business chamber last week, was chock full of surprises. Six of the country�s richest and most successful men sat on armchairs, with a brick-walled fireside as a digital backdrop, more..

Sep 2 (CT) Premier Ranil Wickremesinghe speaking at a function in Colombo soon after his party�s shock and humiliating defeat, at the 10 February Local Government Polls, to former President Mahinda Rajapaksa�s fledgling SLPP said, when he was asked what he would do if China landed troops at the Hambantota Port, that he would do nothing? The Premier had however, told the person who had asked him that question that there is (an army) division stationed there. more..

Sep 2 (SO) The Naganathan residence on Shoe Road, Kotahena is dark and dreary. Inside, it is as though time has stood still for the once happy Naganathan family, since the abduction of their son, Rajiv Naganathan, almost 10 years ago by a suspected, organized Navy abduction for ransom gang. Since his disappearance, Rajiv�s parents, especially, his mother Sarojini has left no stone unturned in the search for her only child. more..

Sep 2 (Island) In a statement with the attention-grabbing headline Conservation or Murder Wild Life and Nature Protection Society reported that the cabinet has approved the purchase of 2,567 AK-47 assault rifles for Dept of Wildlife Conservation (DWC). The 124-year old society which claims to be the third oldest non-governmental organization of its kind in the world asks the rhetorical question: "Why would the DWC require such an arsenal of weaponry; to shoot elephants or people?" more..