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This was ground zero

This was ground zero

This was the main scene of the power failure which dealt a blackout blow to the Government this week. Ceylon Electricity Board engineers and Swiss-trained Scene of the Crime police detectives are seen carrying out investigations at the Biyagama substation where a transformer blast caused the countrywide power failure.  Pic by Indika Handuwala

US$ 101m hack-in heist: Interpol hunts for Shalika Foundation chief

An international alert is underway to arrest a key director of Shalika Foundation, a Sri Lankan NGO at the heart of a global multimillion dollar money laundering scheme. He is said to be on the run and believed to be in Japan.“We have sought Interpol assistance to trace this person who is believed to be [...]

Who will win the battle of the builders — Mittal or locals?

Indian steel billionaire’s company offers concessionary terms to win  contract to build 65,000 houses for IDPs Lankan companies hold talks with ADB to obtain financial guarantees for the project as the bidding war intensifies Cabinet has approved a proposal to build 65,000 houses for war-affected families in the North and East but stopped short of [...]

Technical issues ground Air Force’s Helitours flights

Helitours, the Air Force’s domestic air service, has suspended scheduled flights due to technical issues with its aircraft. Civil aviation sources said operations were stopped a week ago and no date had been given for their resumption. Helitours is the only service that offered scheduled flights to Jaffna after having edged other operators out of [...]

Power crisis: German experts coming; short-term solution in two weeks

German experts are due in Sri Lanka tomorrow to inspect some 30 electrical transformers and recommend ways to prevent countrywide power failures during sudden breakdowns. Their main task would be to inspect the transformers that exploded and caught fire at Biyagama and Kotugoda last Sunday and on Friday resulting in power cuts. Power and Renewable Energy [...]

Public servants given cash but no vehicle

In a move to save hundreds of millions of rupees spent on transport in the public sector, the Government is encouraging officers to use their private vehicles, by increasing the transport allowance – but the officers say the new allowance is not enough. The Ministry of Public Administration and Management in a circular to government [...]

UNP MP allegedly assaults spectator

A spectator was assaulted yesterday allegedly by UNP Parliamentarian Harashana Rajakaruna and persons accompanying him during the Royal-Thomian 50 over Cricket match at the R. Premadasa Stadium, an eyewitness said. He said the incident took place after the spectator taunted the MP, saying the ‘Yahapalanaya’ (good governance) was not going on well. The spectator suffered injuries [...]

Dinesh hits out at USAID seminar on constitutionalism

Joint opposition MPs are irked over an invitation to attend a USAID-assisted seminar on constitutionalism. Invitations to attend the seminar on March 29 at Water’s Edge Hotel in Battaramulla have been sent to all legislators, but Joint Opposition leader Dinesh Gunawardena said such moves did little to increase public confidence in the constitution making process. [...]

Ragging brings academic activity at Kelaniya campus to a halt

Academic activities for senior students of the Kelaniya University were brought to a standstill, with the Kelaniya University Teachers’ Association (KUTA) deciding not to hold classes for seniors until ragging at the campus was stopped . Kelaniya University Vice Chancellor Prof. Sunanda Madduma Bandara warned that in accordance with the Act Prohibiting Ragging in Educational [...]

Curses turn to blessings

Curses turn to blessings

As part of their series of ‘coconut dashing’ rituals to invoke the curse of the deities on the government, members of the Joint Opposition, including MPs Bandula Gunawardena, Kumara Welgama, Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena and Sanath Nishantha Perera yesterday dashed coconuts at one of the temples at the Munneswaram Kovil complex in Chilaw. But the temple [...]

2 victims identified, DNA tests on three corpses while police interrogate suspects

2 victims identified, DNA tests on three corpses while police interrogate suspects

Authorities are still working to identify three of the five persons found murdered in Koshenawatta, Dankotuwa on March 11. Accordingly, DNA tests on the remaining bodies will be conducted next week. Meanwhile, five suspects arrested by the Criminal Investigation Dept (CID) in connection with the alleged murders were produced before the Marawila Magistrate and District [...]

Dinesh hits out at USAID seminar on constitutionalism

Joint opposition MPs are irked over an invitation to attend a USAID-assisted seminar on constitutionalism. Invitations to attend the seminar on March 29 at Water’s Edge Hotel in Battaramulla have been sent to all legislators, but Joint Opposition leader Dinesh Gunawardena said  such moves did little to  increase public confidence in the constitution making process. [...]

Ragging brings academic activity at Kelaniya campus to a halt

Academic activities for senior students of the Kelaniya University were brought to a standstill, with the Kelaniya University Teachers’ Association (KUTA) deciding not to hold classes for seniors until ragging at the campus was stopped . Kelaniya University Vice Chancellor Prof. Sunanda Madduma Bandara warned that in accordance with the Act Prohibiting Ragging in Educational [...]

Ex-monk in trouble after posting nude pics of woman who broke off their affair

A former monk who posed off as a businessman-student studying overseas and started an affair with a private sector employee has been arrested by the Cyber Crime Unit of the Criminal Investigation Department for allegedly posting obscene pictures of his partner after their affair broke off, Police said. The arrest was made after a complaint [...]

Brace yourself for more hot weather

Brace yourself for more hot weather

Sri Lankans should gear themselves for more sultry weather throughout March and April, the Meteorological Department warned yesterday. “A climate cycle in the Pacific Ocean is having a impact on global weather patterns. This is causing the intense heat,” Forecasting Division Director Sarath Premalal said. In comparison to last year, Sri Lanka in recent months [...]

O/L results: 9 of the top 12 from WP

Western Province (WP) students have emerged as top achievers at the 2015 GCE Ordinary Level Exam, according to results released by the Examinations Department last night. Nine of the top 12 performers are from the WP. S. Sathsarani Hettiarachchi- Visakha Vidyalaya, Colombo 5, came 1st in the island. K.K. Samal Punsara- Nalanda College Colombo 10, [...]

The 19th convention of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress

The 19th convention of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress

The 19th convention of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress was held in Ampara yesterday.  Here President  Maithripala Sirisena, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe,  SLMC Leader Rauff Hakeem and Minister Sarath Fonseka are seen greeting the crowd, while Opposition Leader R. Sambanthan looks on.

VAT hike will gouge consumers

The government’s plan to raise Value Added Tax (VAT) on goods and services by 4 per cent will have a ripple effect on the economy with the consumer being burdened with the extra cost, businesses said. Although essential items will be VAT-exempt the VAT increase on all other consumer products from 11-15 per cent will [...]

Rajapaksa, Ravi in debt war

The Government has refuted charges by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa that the present Government has borrowed far more in the 15 months than during Rajapaksa’s 9-year term, saying all current borrowings were to “service debt from the pre-2015 era”. At a hurriedly-called media briefing on Thursday afternoon the purpose of which may have been to [...]

Another power failure: CEB must switch to hi-tech professionalism

Another power failure: CEB must switch to  hi-tech professionalism

Experts are scrambling to determine how three electricity blackouts occurred within six months and the answers are still not forthcoming. There is general consensus, however, that imbalances in the power system cannot– and must not — lead to regular countrywide shutdowns. “There were three blackouts in September, February and March,” said Damitha Kumarasinghe, Director General [...]

Norochcholai plant shut down with grid failure

Norochcholai plant shut down with grid failure

The Lakvijaya coal power plant in Norochcholai had experienced technical faults that aggravated the recent countrywide power failures and aided the collapse of the system, Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) engineers said this week. “Every time there was an imbalance in the system caused by various reasons such as being struck by lightning, the Lakvijaya coal [...]

Frustration boils over as cuts hammer small business

Frustration boils over as cuts hammer small business

Anger and frustration showed among small business owners, hit hardest by the power interruptions throughout this week. “We depend on electricity to do most of our work here,” said Wimalanath, 36, who works at a small laundry on the Galle Road and faces the difficult prospect of losing part of his wages as the power [...]

Families hungry, sweaty and bitten by mozzies

Families hungry, sweaty and bitten by mozzies

Five days of power interruptions brought misery to domestic electricity consumers already troubled by excessive temperatures. Housewives battled to keep food from perishing and provide meals to the family while problems arose with washing and ironing of clothes and the availability of light so that schoolchildren could study. There were risks for pedestrians and motorists [...]

CEB officials get an earful from angry callers

CEB consumer care officials had to bear the brunt of irate  consumers anger as they were inundated with calls on “blackout-Sunday”. A senior CEB official said that staff manning the call centres had no explanations to offer as they too were in the dark. Initially there were anxious calls by people asking when the power [...]

Public angered by bad communication, lack of backup

Public angered by bad  communication, lack of backup

This week’s power cuts drew angry reactions from the public, with some saying officials should take more responsibility to  ensure regular electricity supply is maintained. Niroshan Kumara, 20, engineering student: “We depend on this sole grid. Even if there is a minute’s fault somewhere the entire system goes down and everybody is affected. Why didn’t [...]

Public services plan how to avert future crises

Some public services were so severely hit by the frequent power interruptions that officials were left searching for answers on how best to meet such crises in the future. When the power outage first occurred last Sunday (March 13), severe traffic congestion was reported from Colombo and suburbs when traffic lights, essential to bringing some [...]

The sculptor returns to the House adorned with his majestic creations

The sculptor returns to the House adorned with his majestic creations

Parliamentarians across the board feted Kalakeerthi Wimal Wickrama Surendra, the man whose creations adorn the interior of the Parliament Chamber and who is also credited with sculpting the design on the impressive silver plated door at the main entrance leading to the Parliament Chamber. Speaker Karu Jayasuirya invited Mr. Surendra as a special guest earlier [...]

JMO team probing mystery deaths in Dehiwala

The possibility of chemical poisoning causing the deaths of a businessman and three others at their residence on Kawadana road,  Dehiwala, is being investigated by a team of Judicial Medical officers. Colombo South Teaching hospital Consultant JMO Dr. Bandula Abeysinghe,  AJMO Dr. Chathura Nandasiri and AJMO Dr. Senarath Prasadini on Wednesday were called to ascertain [...]

No one cares for safety

No one cares for safety

By their appalling disregard for road rules and lack of common sense Sri Lankans are needlessly putting their lives and the lives of others at great risk on a daily basis. Some do not think twice about hanging precariously from the footboard of moving vehicles, despite the clear risk of death or injury. Yet some [...]

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