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Sri Lanka’s national cricket team had been down and under since 2014 especially in the aftermath of last month’s battering in England. But they rose from the ashes and the Pallakele hills were filled with the sound of victory when Sri Lanka comprehensively defeated the number one ranking Test team Australia. Debutant spinner Lakshan Sandakan [...]
H’tota and Mattala: China declines Lanka’s request
By Our Political Editor China has declined Sri Lanka’s request to convert into equity Beijing-funded projects including the Mattala Airport and the Hambantota Port. China’s Ambassador Yi Xianliang told Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe that it was not possible according to China’s laws. He said it should be done through discussions with investors on commercial terms. [...]
Iran demands Rs. 37 b in unpaid bills
By Damith Wickremasekara An agreement has been reached on Iran’s demand that Sri Lanka should settle an unpaid bill of US$ 256 million (Rs. 37 billion) to resume crude oil sales. The issue about the settlement of the bill figured during talks in Teheran between a Sri Lankan delegation led by Petroleum Resources Development Minister [...]
Madushanka case: Pakistani activist to intervene
Pakistan’s former Federal Minister for Human Rights and leading human rights and civil rights activist Ansar Burney has pledged to intervene in the case of a young Sri Lankan man who is under detention for over nine months for his alleged role in a plot to assassinate the President of the Maldives. Lahiru Madushanka (24) [...]
What’s brewing? Huge duty waiver for beer company
The Ministry of Finance has granted significant duty waivers to Lion Brewery Ceylon PLC to import beer in view of its local factory being submerged in floods two months ago, documents obtained by the Sunday Times show. The relief was granted without publicity and translates to Lion Brewery importing beer from several Asian countries at [...]
Tobacco tax blazes to 90 percent, blank packs with health warning
A proposal to raise taxes on import of tobacco to 90 percent from the existing 72 percent will be taken up by the Cabinet tomorrow. The Cabinet paper will be submitted jointly by President Maithripala Sirisena and Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne. Dr. Senaratne said the additional revenue would be used to offset losses resulting from [...]
Govt. to cut ties with alcohol industry; sponsorships, CSR projects to be stopped
By Chandani Kirinde A national alcohol control policy intended to cut direct or indirect ties between the alcohol industry and both government and non-governments sectors is to be introduced soon. Abolishing of the duty free import and sale of alcohol products is also among the far reaching changes advocated by the national policy which seeks [...]
Cabinet approves payments to chairmen and members of Independent Commissions
Cabinet has approved the payment of emoluments and allowances to the Chairmen and Members of the nine Independent Commissions set up under the 19th Amendment to the Constitution. Chairmen of each Commission will be paid a monthly allowance of Rs 100,000, a monthly telephone allowance of Rs 10,000. They will be provided with an official [...]
A section of the crowd at the Mutur District and Magistrate court opening ceremony
A section of the crowd that attended the opening of a new building of the Mutur District and Magistrate court complex which was declared open by President Maithripala Sirisena on Friday.
CEB meets PUCSL deadline with revised long term power generation plan
The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) has finally forwarded its Long Term Generation Plan to the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL), meeting an August 1 deadline set by it for the submission of the plan. CEB General Manager (GM), M.C. Wickramasekara confirmed that, the Board submitted the plan to the PUCSL this week and [...]
Election Commission targets youth vote through social media
The Election Commission (EC), in collaboration with the International Foundation Election IFSES, has planned a youth-friendly programme to encourage youth to register for voting. The programme will commence on August 5 and continue till August 12, during which period the EC will educate the youth through an interactive programme called # youth Vote SL. EC [...]
Education Minister hits out at sacked NIE council members
Some former members on the Governing Council of the National Institute of Education (NIE) had violated both the NIE Act and collective responsibility as council members, Education Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam charged. Commenting on the decision to sack the NIE council and replace it with new members, Minister Kariyawasam claimed the conduct of some members [...]
JO’s paada yaathra walks the talk to Colombo tomorrow
The third leg of the Jana Satana Paada Yaathra (protest march) organised by the Joint Opposition (JO) concluded in Nittambuwa town last evening. The procession is due to arrive in Kiribathgoda today, before entering Colombo tomorrow (1) where it will conclude with a public rally. The march began from Peradeniya town on Thursday (28), after [...]
17th edition of journalism awards unfolds on Tuesday
The 17th edition of the Journalism Awards for Excellence 2015 will be held on Tuesday, August 2 in the Empire Ballroom of Mt. Lavinia Hotel. The event, jointly organised by The Editors’ Guild of Sri Lanka (TEGOSL) and the Sri Lanka Press Institute (SLPI) is the most prestigious media awards event in the country. A [...]
New World Bank strategy to support Govt’s efforts to achieve greater prosperity
The World Bank Group’s Board of Directors on Friday endorsed a new four-year strategy aimed at achieving greater prosperity for Sri Lanka and its people. The strategy emphasises macro-economic stability, improving Sri Lanka’s global competitiveness, investing in under-served people and areas, and promoting green growth, a news release issued by the World Bank said. It [...]
Get girls interested in welfare activities from a young age: Public Trustee
More attention should be paid to involve young people in social welfare activities as they would then be more willing and ready to take charge of such projects when the time comes, Public Trustee Tharangani Keenawinna Dissanayake said. Speaking as chief guest at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Mallika Nivasa Samithiya on Thursday, [...]
Victims and witnesses: No protection, but persecution
On a humid night in February, Sudesh Nandimal left his sister’s house in Moratuwa to buy credit for his mobile phone. Four men milled about the gate. A vehicle was stopped a short distance away, its parking lights on. They were still there when he returned and crowded around him. “You’re Nandimal, aren’t you?” one [...]
Bane or boon, Govt. ban on pre-A/L ‘coaching’
A Government ban on tuition classes before the Advanced Level (AL) exam scheduled to begin next week, begs the futility of the exercise and the need to look inwards at our education system, itself. Last week, the Exams Dept imposed a ban on all tuition classes to be effective from July 22. Gazette notification no. [...]
Dengue elimination programme reveals mosquito breeding grounds in 10 out of 23 schools at Kalutara
Health officials have said several dengue mosquito breeding grounds and mosquito larvae were discovered in ten schools, out of 23 which are set to conduct the G.C.E Advanced Level examinations, starting Tuesday (2), in the Kalutara and Beruwala MOH areas. The situation was revealed during a three-day dengue eradication programme, carried out by the Ministry [...]
Expect heavy rain, high winds
Showers and thundershowers will occur around the country and rainfall could reach up to 100mm in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, North-western and Southern provinces. Strong winds during these thundershowers could even blow away roofs and branches and uproot trees, the Department of Meteorology warned. Thundershowers are to be expected around 2pm in the Colombo, Galle, [...]
SAITM gives its side of story, Kiriella says suspension of new intake only a ‘discussion’
Ten days after a high-powered delegation of medical professors issued a strong report on the South Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine (SAITM) including a call to immediately suspend new intakes of students, the future of the controversy-ridden institution remained in the balance. As to-and-fro arguments were dished out by defenders of SAITM (mainly its [...]
Migration-linked promiscuity causes HIV spike
Migration for work and risky sexual behaviour have sent up HIV rates in young men. Every week an average five HIV positive cases have been detected among the “most at risk population”, the Health Ministry’s AIDS Surveillance data shows. Dr. G. Weerasinghe of the National STD/AIDS Control Programme (NSACP) said there have been 127 HIV [...]
Trail blazing ‘Sim Junior’ and ‘Sim B New’ open new chapter in paediatric care here
A busy scene is what we come upon recently. A ‘four-year-old’ in a red shirt and a black pair of trousers has been rushed in and the mother is wailing, while the medical team is clustered around the ‘boy’. While the case history – how he has taken ill – is extracted from the distraught [...]
Farmers vow to block elephant corridor plan
The Irrudeniyaya electric fencing program to prevent wild elephants entering into human habitat has come to a standstill after farmers’ unions lodged a complaint with the Human Rights Commission this week. All-Island Farmers Federation (AIFF) National Organiser Namal Karunaratne said farmers say they would face disadvantage over the Department of Wild Life’s extension of the [...]
Disappointed, dejected, disabled veterans demand pension
When a Parliamentarian is eligible to a pension after serving just five years, why is it that a group of persons who risked their lives in the service of their country, are denied a pension? This was the query posed by the disabled war veterans who converged in Colombo this week to protest against what [...]
Expert urges Lankans to recognise value of our forests
The world is losing forest at the rate of 3 million hectares a year according to 2010-2015 figures, the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) revealed as World Forestry Week was marked in Rome on July 18-22. Minister Susil Premajayantha attended the Rome forum on behalf of the President of Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka needs [...]
Top international award for Peradeniya scientist
The Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation (ATBC), the premier global organisation with a mission to foster scientific understanding and conservation of tropical ecosystems, has awarded its 2016 Honorary Fellowship to Professor Savitri Gunatilleke, Emeritus Professor at the University of Peradeniya. Prof. Gunatilleke is the first Sri Lankan to receive this award, made at the [...]
Photo focus: From ‘Seaside Park’ to eyesore
The multi-million rupee Seaside Park constructed by the Department of Coast Conservation at Mahamodara, Galle is facing destruction as a result of official apathy and neglect. The park, built in the aftermath of the 2004 Tsunami, comprises a series of walkways and paths that run from Dadalla to the Navy Base in Mahamodara. Sadly, the [...]
Tamil Nadu’s political leaders still play to the gallery
Tamil Nadu (TN) Chief Minister (CM) Jayaram Jayalalithaa, Indian Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi, and the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) have a lot in common with World Postal Day, International Letter-Writing Day and, of course, the Global Postal Union. Postmen who used to carry bags of letters way back in the 1960s to 1990s, [...]
Police investigating a ‘hidden hand’ in Jaffna uni violence
Police are investigating whether any external element was behind the recent violence at Jaffna University while a committee appointed by the university administration conducts its own inquiry into the matter. Violence erupted over the disputed staging of a Kandyan dance act during festivities welcoming first-year students to the university on July 16. “We are investigating [...]