Motherly love : A ceremony was held at the Castle Street Women’s Hospital yesterday under the patronage of First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa to mark the world population reaching the seven billion mark. Here the First Lady holding the new born infant of Mrs D D Perera of Kelaniya watched by the hospital staff. UN representative in Sri Lanka Subinay Nandy and other officials were also present. Picture by Udesh Gunaratna

President promotes sound ties with int’l community

Several new bilateral ties set up:

President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his delegation which attended the 22nd CHOGM in Perth returned to the island yesterday morning, after successfully completing their Australian tour. The President and his delegation to the CHOGM made use of the opportunity to create a good understanding about Sri Lanka among the international community and set up several new bilateral relations, said a communique issued by the President’s Media Division.

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Minister Samarasinghe tells UN:

‘Do not consider TNA as sole rep of Tamil public’

Sri Lanka’s Special Envoy on Human Rights, Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe has asked United Nations Under Secretary for Political Affairs Lynn Pascoe and UN Secretary General’s Chief of Staff Vijay Nambiar, not to consider the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) as the sole representative of Tamils in Sri Lanka.

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Scientists make human blood protein from rice

Scientists at a Chinese university said Monday they can use rice to make albumin, a protein found in human blood that is often used for treating burns, traumatic shock and liver disease.

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The Ministering Angel of Delft

Delft, the largest inhabited island off Jaffna peninsula, with a population of little over 6,000 has only a single doctor. She is Dr. N Maheshwari, 64, who has been serving the people of Delft for one and a half years, with dedication amidst numerous difficulties.

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