Sep 19 (ST) Rat-killers and kerosene topped the list for household poisoning so far this year, ousting mosquito coils and sprays and toilet cleaners from last year. Strong calls for the prevention of household poisoning were issued by the National Poisons Information Centre as the National Poison Prevention Week begins tomorrow. The top five causing household poisoning this year also included toilet cleaner, thinner and lysol, said Centre Head Dr. Waruna Gunathilake, more..

Sep 19 (CG) Two suspects have been arrested over the murder of a 4 1/2 year old child in Kotadeniyawa, the police said. According to the police, the two suspects are now being questioned over the incident. Among the two arrested is a 17 year old youth. The child who went missing in Kotadeniyawa was later found dead from a paddy field in close proximity to her house. Investigations later revealed that the child had been molested and killed. more..

Sep 19 (ST) Attorney General Yuvanjan Wijeyatilake, refuting recent criticism of him and his department in relation to major allegations, has pledged he will not give into pressure to go in for show trials without substantial evidence. In an exclusive interview the AG said. Q: You have sent a fresh directive to the IGP to accelerate investigations into the charges made in the writ application against KP. When did you issue the first directive? more..

Sep 19 (ST) At least 60 persons have died and some 100 others have been injured, several critically, in motor accidents islandwide, from the start of this month, a senior police official said yesterday. Of them, at least a dozen were killed and some 50 or more injured this week alone. In the bloodiest road fatality, reported on Thursday (10), five people attached to the President�s Security Division were killed and four others seriously injured in Minuwangoda when their Defender Jeep more..

Sep 19 (Island) Newly appointed Transport Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said that Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) would not hereafter provide buses to any political party on credit. He said he had already given instructions to SLTB Chairman Ramal Siriwardena not to release buses for political parties unless full payments are made in advance. De Silva said that they would recover the Rs. 142 million from the UPFA for using SLTB buses for its election campaign at least in installments. more..

Sep 19 (NS) A group of concerned intellectuals has sent a petition to President Maithripala Sirisena urging him to take note of attempts made to belittle and marginalize the second mandate of the Presidential Commission to Investigate into Complaints Regarding Missing Persons, or the Paranagama Report. The petition points at two paragraphs in the recently released report on Sri Lanka tabled by the UNHCR more..

Sep 19 (Island) A 31-year-old mason had allegedly pushed his 33-year-old wife and one year and 11-month-old daughter into the sea on Thursday night in the Kosgoda police area. The mother had survived the drama, but the infant had been washed away and the navy divers were carrying out a search operation for the missing child till last afternoon. The suspect who was trying to flee the area had been arrested by the Kosgoda police yesterday, while he was about to board a bus, more..

Sep 19 (NS) IUSF which is the students� body represents all the universities in the country has made five requests to the newly appointed four ministers on education. Accordingly, the IUSF needs all four ministers to look into their long time grievances soon. They have asked the ministers to take urgent steps to increase the annual intake for the universities, stop the courses of Pay and Study in state universities, collecting money from parents and students in schools more..

Sep 19 (CG) The new Sri Lankan govt has a very strong intent in addressing rights concerns, a top Obama Administration official said, calling for a credible domestic probe with substantial involvement from international community to address justice and accountability. Less than a month after she visited Sri Lanka ahead of a crucial report on alleged war crimes during the country�s decades-long civil war with the LTTE, more..

Sep 19 (Island) Petitioner, Tharangi de Silva of Panadura, who had been employed as a Grade III Management Services Assistant at the Presidential Secretariat, has complained to the Supreme Court that she was unduly served a vacation of post notice while she was sick though she had informed the officer at the Presidential Secretariat of her condition. The letter had been dated July 25, 2012. The petitioner has said she also complained to the HRC but received no response. more..

Sep 19 (DM) Prisons Commissioner Rohana Pushpakumara said yesterday the Prisons Department was in a position to implement the death penalty within three months if the government decided to re-activate it. He expressed these views in response to a statement by President Maithripala Sirisena on the imposition of the death penalty. He said the Department had received 15 applications for the post of hangmen and that interviews would be held within three weeks. more..

Sep 19 (LBO) Policy change is critical to accelerating poverty reduction and boosting prosperity in Sri Lanka, the World Bank Vice President for the South Asia Region, Annette Dixon, said during her recent meetings with the island�s leadership. She renewed the World Bank�s commitment to partner with the new government in implementing policy reforms during meetings with the president, PM and finance minister. more..

Sep 19 (Island) The National Shoora Council (NSC), an umbrella body of 18 national Muslim Civil Society Organizations (CBO) has vehemently condemns the brutal murder of the child Seya Sadevmini, who was strangled to death at Kotadeniyawa in Divulapitiya. Following is a text of a statement issued by the NSC in this regard: NSC pleads for collective action against all types of abuses against children in our country. It appeals to the President and the PM to reinforce law and the authorities to assure more..

Sep 19 (EN) Foreign investors have sold 5.4 billion rupees of Sri Lanka Treasuries (38 million US dollars) in the week to Sept 16, bringing the total foreign holdings of bonds down to 342.8 billion rupees, data shows. Foreign investors started selling rupee bonds in the last quarter of 2014 but interest returned in 2015. But they began to sell again after a rate cut in April 2015, which was made despite rising private credit and a sharp deterioration of the budget in Jan 28. more..

Sep 19 (AS) After dabbling in Sri Lanka�s plastic, tea and gem markets, Hisashi Ueda struck gold using a more down-to-earth resource: elephant dung. His company, Michi Corp., began selling paper made with recycled pachyderm poo in 2002. The Sri Lankan-produced Elephant Paper is now exported to more than 10 countries and has become a popular souvenir item at Tokyo�s Ueno Zoo and 70 other venues in Japan. more..

Sep 19 (CT) Students who visit the Colombo Public Library which is maintained by Colombo Municipality have to pay Rs 10 for the use of toilet facilities. Municipal Councillors Hemantha Weerakone (JVP) and Sunil Vithanage (UNP) had asked the librarian not to levy a charge from students. However, students said that the librarian has not paid any heed to the request. An employee of the library said that levying a charge for the use of sanitary facilities began after toilets were renovated recently. more..

Sep 19 (ST) A resident of Dharmaratne Avenue in Rawatawatte, Moratuwa, was returning home after his night shift around 2 a.m. when his van�s headlights picked out something that looked like a slowly moving log. Disturbed by the sound of the vehicle the log came to life, lunging to the side of the road and entering a neighbour�s garden. The resident got home and told his father, D. Perera, who telephoned and alerted the neighbour to the presence of the trespasser. more..

Sep 19 (Island) The new Power and Energy Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya stressed the need of a special mechanism to provide an uninterrupted power supply to the country as a top development priority. Addressing a ceremony held at the CEB to commemorate the renowned Engineer Wimalasurendra, Minister said the people of the country and companies across industries always demanded an efficient power supply. more..

Sep 19 (Island) Transport Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva ordered the immediate sale of discarded iron and other metals and abandoned railway compartments currently stored at countrywide railway yards. After visiting the railway yard in Maligawatte yesterday, minister said dilapidated railway compartments were parked near stations for years creating environmental problems too. "According to an estimate done by the Railway Department two years ago, the value of more..

Sep 19 (Island) Minister of Health and Indigenous Medicine, Dr Rajitha Senaratne pledged to establish a children�s hospital more advanced than the Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children in the Kalutara District. Health Ministry Spokesman, Lal Ananda Abeydheera yesterday quoting Health Minister Dr Senaratne said that a Hospital for Women too would be established once the Ministry received Rs. 6400 million in funds promised by the government of the Netherlands for the purpose. more..

Sep 19 (LT) The JVP ceaselessly looked after and care about the welfare of the wife and children of late Mr. Rohana Wijeweera, the founder of the JVP and continue to do so; their expenses and wellbeing is a top priority of the party and the JVP would never allow them to fall into the streets said the General Secretary of the JVP Tilvin Silva. He was responding to our query regarding certain reports published in newspapers. more..

Sep 20 (SO) Both President Maithripala Sirisena and PM Ranil Wickremesinghe are justly proud of the achievement of their govt, especially of Ministers Mangala Samaraweera and Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, in navigating the complex legal demands of international human rights mechanisms and the geo-politics of UN fora to take Sri Lanka closer towards a successful search for justice and peace in our country. When a previous regime, bent on a seemingly quick end to a complex more..

Sep 20 (SL) The UNHRC report on Sri Lanka, as expected, has created controversies on predictable lines. Opposition flame throwers have rushed in to lambaste the new govt on the report that has provided quite a lot of ammunition for them. It has created a situation like in the trite Sinhala saying: Poking a finger into the eye of a depressed grandfather waiting for an opportunity to cry (andanna inna mutthage ahey angillak anna wage). While Minister Mangala Samaraweera more..

Sep 20 (SO) The culture of portfolios and perks continue even after the election of a new govt, at Aug 17 general elections, with its estimated running costs amounting to megabucks. The Rajapaksa govt had 52 Cabinet Ministers and a large number of deputies and state ministers and the tradition continues with the UNF govt with a 46-member Cabinet. Most of the politicians of bad repute of the previous regimes, whether UPFA or UNP have been returned to more..

Sep 20 (Island) There is no doubt that the report of the OHRC that grabbed headlines in Sri Lanka last week would have been infinitely harsher in its assessment of the situation here in the period leading up to the end of the war in May 2009 and immediately thereafter but for the changes for the better manifest after the presidential election of January 8. Many broken fences in this country�s foreign relations with the west have been mended following the regime change and more..

Sep 20 (Island) Sri Lanka was able to produce a Gold and Bronze award winner each and a Best Finalist to do the country proud, at this year�s 9th Toyota Dream Car Art Contest Global Awards ceremony in Tokyo, Japan. The response to the 2015 contest was overwhelming: Toyota received a record total of over 875,000 artworks from 81 countries and regions. Since 2004, the Toyota Motor Corporation has taken the initiative to give children from around the world to put their more..

Sep 20 (SL) Various criticisms have been directed at the govt by the forces who supported the good governance campaign at Presidential election and general election. However, President of FUTA Chandragupta Thenuwara said that despite some criticisms, they are willing to leave room to think that the govt may have taken certain decisions targeting to get necessary majority in parliament for the intended reforms. more..

Sep 20 (ST) One of the ironies of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) passing strictures this week on the way the Govt of Sri Lanka and its Armed Forces conducted a military campaign to liquidate a heavily armed, most dangerous, fascist, racist terrorist organisation and accusing the Armed Forces of being responsible for varying acts of broadly defined war crimes is that the Sri Lanka Army plays a key role in the same organisation�s Peace Keeping Forces in world�s hotspots. more..

Sep 20 (ST) My dear Sampanthan seeya, I thought I must write to you to offer my congratulations to you, now that you seem to have been finally accepted by all concerned as the Leader of the Opposition, even though some are still trying to steal that job away from you. It just shows that you are never too late to reach the top! We welcome the change because even though we had Presidents and PMs changing every half a dozen years or so we had the same Leader of the Opposition for twenty years! more..

Sep 20 (SL) The JVP has been highly critical of the actions of the new govt based on the initial steps taken by the national govt to increase the ministerial portfolios violating the concept of good governance. JVP MP Sunil Handunneththi accused the two main parties � the UNP and the SLFP of reaching an agreement to settle the cases of fraud and corruption allegations against their party men. more..

Sep 20 (Island) The release of the OHCHR report on Sri Lanka by the OHCHR has further compounded a complicated situation in Sri Lanka. What counts in this report are not the so called findings because none those have been proved or even established to have occurred at all, but the recommendations which provide a course of action for the govt of Sri Lanka to follow. The findings of the OHCHR report have been couched in more careful language than the amateurish report more..

Sep 20 (CI) Gloucestershire claimed their first limited-overs trophy in more than a decade after tightening like a vice during the last third of Surrey's innings to suffocate the run chase and triumph in a thrilling finish. After losing their talisman, captain Michael Klinger, to the third ball of the match and then being cleaned up for 220 by Jade Dernbach's hat-trick, this was a remarkable triumph from a Gloucestershire side who refused to give in against seemingly mighty opposition. more..

Sep 20 (SL) The majority of the Rajapaksa camp, even some of his strong loyalists, are now holding important ministerial portfolios and key positions in the national govt. Looking at the expansion of the cabinet and the allocation of ministries, many questions have been raised whether the formation of the national govt is a quest for getting ministerial portfolios and being in power rather than looking at the issues faced more..

Sep 20 (SO) The outcome of the early stages of the 30th session of the UNHRC in Geneva, Switzerland, can only be construed as a pyrrhic victory for Sri Lanka after its diplomatic cadre had waged an arduous battle at the Council over the past five years. It all began on the eve of May 27, 2009, when the 11th session of the UNHRC adopted a resolution on assistance to Sri Lanka in the promotion and protection of human rights in which the Council urged the Govt to continue strengthening more..

Sep 20 (NS) Though they were partially hysterical, there was an air of predictability about the comments made by the UN Human Rights Commissioner Zeid Raad Al Hussein when he spoke on Wednesday about the OHCHR report on Sri Lanka and on what in his opinion, is to follow. Hysterical, because he did not rule out the plausibility of genocide, saying that there had been systemic violence perpetrated against innocents and combatants, mainly by the armed forces. more..

Sep 20 (SL) Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam says that despite various criticisms levelled by some groups, the new govt does not provide protection or immunity to criminals and anybody who are involved in corruption. He added that despite the expansion of the cabinet, the govt has saved a lot more by cutting down unnecessary expenditures and by putting an end to a system of corruption. more..

Sep 20 (SL) Over a month after the general election, national govt that has been formed is yet to commence its official functions due to the inability of its ministers to carry out their official duties. The delay in gazetting the subject matters under each ministerial portfolio has posed a problem for many ministers to carry out their work. However, Minister Ravi Karunanayake has commenced work in his office and has commenced the preparation work for the 2016 budget presentation more..

Sep 20 (CT) According to the Minister of Sports, elections of officials to Sri Lanka Cricket is to take place in Dec 2015. At this moment all is well with the forming of the Cabinet of the National Govt. The elections should have been called up by now. There are many clubs who are eligible to vote. It may have been everyone's idea to vote in unison, with unity being the key point in the country at this moment. The voting makes elections at Sri Lankan Cricket somewhat controversial; more..

Sep 20 (Island) With Sports Minister Dayasiri Jayasekara announcing that the cricket board elections will be held before the end of this year, World Cup winning former captain Arjuna Ranatunga has expressed his desire to contest the elections as SLC President. Arjuna is expected to finalize his team in a fortnight�s time with some of the members of the 1996 World Cup winning squad including batting maestro Aravinda de Silva more..

Sep 20 (ST) A high level delegation of Sri Lankan bankers led by Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran visited Dubai and Abu Dhabi this week for a series of meetings with banks to explore options for credit lines and technical cooperation pacts. There was no official statement on the Sept 16-18 visit by a team that included Central Bank Deputy Governors P.N. Weerasinghe and Ananda Silva; Bank of Ceylon Chairman, Commercial Bank Managing Director, more..