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Home » NewsSee the agony of this monkey, but what do we do?
A skeletal monkey with little but skin and bone is seen after it quenched its thirst and struggled out of a temporary well that compassionate people had dug with a cloth ladder for the voiceless and helpless creatures in the fire and fury of the ongoing drought. The temporary well was dug at the Meegaswewa [...]
50,000 brick houses for North, East
The Government will construct 50,000 brick and mortar type houses in the Northern and Eastern Provinces under a new project. “The prospective owners will decide the kind of housing they prefer. Tenders will be called for construction work that would accommodate local participation,” V. Sivagnanasothy, Secretary to the Ministry of National Integration and Reconciliation, told [...]
Indian military team where IPKF men fell
A senior Indian military delegation, now on an official visit, yesterday paid homage at an abandoned memorial site built for fallen Jawans of the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) which operated here from 1987 to 1990. The memorial located in a private farming land off Kalviyankaadu in Kopay was revived by the Sri Lanka Army [...]
Japanese bikes will roar again after tax slash
Prices of small trucks and single cabs are to come down by as much as Rs. 300,000 following the vehicle tax revisions announced on Thursday, while there will also be a substantial reduction in the prices of motorcycles, especially Japanese bikes below 150cc. Vehicle importers said they would be able to once again import Japanese [...]
New e-NICs: Family details optional
To obtain new electronic National Identity Cards, the declaration of family details will be optional, but those who want to withhold such information will have to provide valid reasons, Internal Affairs Minister S.B.Nawinna told the Sunday Times. The Minister on Tuesday will seek Parliament’s approval for regulations on the introduction of electronic NICs which will [...]
Legal recognition for electronic signatures, records
Legal recognition is to be given to electronic signatures, electronic records and issue of any official document in electronic form. This will come through legislation to be introduced in Parliament on Tuesday. The legislation will come by way of amendments to the Electronic Transactions Act to give effect to the United Nations Convention on the [...]
Pump-and-dump trading: Pan Asia links to Perpetual/EPF probed
Pan Asia Banking Corporation (PABC) is vigorously defending itself against wrongdoing after the Central Bank (CB) slapped a six-month suspension on the bank’s primary dealership over the bond scam in the light of evidence of involvement in ‘pump-and-dump’ trades. Asked to comment on the suspension, PABC CEO Nimal Tillakeratne told the Sunday Times on Friday [...]
Sinniah is new Navy Commander
Vice Admiral Travis Sinniah has been appointed as the Navy Commander by President Maithripala Sirisena. Educated at the Trinity College, Kandy, he joined the Naval and Maritime Academy, Trincomalee, as an Officer Cadet in 1982 and graduated in 1984. Among the many awards he won for gallantry and bravery in the face of the enemy [...]
Dengue on the decline for now, continued vigilance imperative
Though the number of Dengue patients in hospitals is gradually receding, officials warned that due to intermittent rains there could be another outbreak. The number of Dengue cases in the second week of August had dropped to 3,862, as against 9,441 in the last week of July, according to the Epidemiology Unit. The number of [...]
Ed. unions rap pre-exam tuition ban
The ban on preparatory classes for candidates of national exams came in for heavy criticism from teachers’ and principals’ trade unions saying, the Govt’s continued action discriminates a section of the students. The ban on tuition classes for GCE Advanced Level (A/L) students came into effect on August 2, seven days prior to the commencement [...]
CID busts racket in videos of women lured into sexual trysts
The Criminal Investigation Dept’s (CID) Cybercrime Division has launched an investigation into an alleged racket to produce videos of sexual encounters with young women, and selling them to pornographic websites, CID sources said. The main suspect was taken into custody after a woman complained to the CID of an individual luring her to a 5-star [...]
Govt. to amend Inland Revenue Bill in keeping with SC determination
Several controversial clauses in the new Inland Revenue Bill which deal with the interpretation of the Bill will be removed in keeping with the determination of the Supreme Court which ruled that if such a clause is to be included, both a special majority in Parliament as well as a referendum were required. The Sunday [...]
Reporting rape: PCCSL urges strict adherence to Editors’ Code
The Press Complaints Commission of Sri Lanka Secretariat (PCCSL) has called upon newspaper editors and journalists to adhere to the spirit of the Editors’ Code in the publication of photographs of rape victims, identifying them and their places of residence and giving excessive details in reporting the crime and subsequent court proceedings. The PCCSL Secretariat [...]
Inushi Lanka to follow diploma in journalism
The Sri Lanka College of Journalism (SLCJ) is pleased to announce the award of the Rex de Silva Memorial Fellowship to Ms W.G.A. Inushi Lanka to follow its Diploma in Journalism course for the Year 2017-2018. The Rex de Silva Memorial Fellowship is presented by the family of the late Rex de Silva who was [...]
Kurana shootout: Police on manhunt for three more dangerous criminals
Police are hunting for a dangerous underworld gang allegedly connected to the four suspects arrested following a gun battle with the police Special Task Force (STF) last Saturday. Investigations have revealed that four more gang members were in a separate van but made good their escape when they saw the STF confronting those inside the [...]
Growing trend of affluent youth taking to high-end drugs, warn officials
The increasing use of synthetic drugs and abuse of prescription medicines among young people is a worrying trend and needs more attention, authorities point out. Synthetic drugs such as ‘Ecstasy,’ ‘Crystal Meth,’ ‘Ice,’ ‘Ketamine’ and ‘LSD’ are now available in Sri Lanka and are becoming increasingly popular among young people, especially those from affluent backgrounds, [...]
Desperate national parks battle poachers, curtail safaris and campers
National wildlife parks are struggling with an increase in poaching and are limiting access to safari operators and campers amid a devastating drought. The Yala National Park may even be closed to visitors next month. There have been reports of animals poisoned at watering holes by poachers at various national parks. Despite the drought, wildlife [...]
Plastic industry claims and lobbying intensify, but regulator insists ban stays
Some progressive restaurant operators are embracing the ban on polythene by using alternatives, while others say they are unprepared for the ban next month. Polythene manufacturers are continuing to lobby in the media and elsewhere to protect their interests ahead of September 1 and force the government to back down. The All Ceylon Apana Salawa [...]
Fishing boats in the regulatory net for plastic waste
Thousands of fishing vessels that carry plastic water bottles and containers will be required to bring them back to shore under new laws being pondered to cut down the plastic waste piles that litter the oceans around Sri Lanka and choke precious marine life. When fishing vessels return to port, crews will be required to [...]
Driving offences penalty regime and fines in slow lane, but traffic tragedies rising
Hundreds more have lost their lives this year and road traffic tragedies are on track to surpass the entire total for last year, but the driver demerits points system and increased fines are in the slow lane, grinding through officialdom. In the first six months, 140 more people have perished in contrast to the total [...]
Lanka gets tougher with NK; relations have been rocky since the 1970s
Diplomatic relations between Sri Lanka and North Korea (NK) have been troubled from its inception, and also vacillating, depending on the Govt in power here. However, the past two years has seen Sri Lanka take a tougher stance against NK, condemning both its nuclear programme as well as its human rights record. While the issue [...]
ICAO says Airbus A380 is “Code F” aircraft but can land on Code E runways
The International Civil Aviation Organisation confirmed this week that the Airbus A380 is categorized as a Code F aeroplane. It is permissible to operate an A380 regularly on a Code E runway, ICAO said “but only if approved by the appropriate authorities through the conduct of a compatibility study”. “The Airbus A380 is currently categorised [...]
Ceremonial welcome for maiden landing of Emirates A380 on ‘upgraded’ runway
In what the Government hailed as an aviation milestone for the country, an Emirates A380 aircraft landed on the newly resurfaced and upgraded runway of the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) on Monday for a special one-off flight. The aircraft, Flight EK654 from Dubai, touched down on Monday morning carrying 524 passengers.The aircraft was given a [...]
The ‘Glen Falls’ at Nuwara Eliya is no more
The ‘Glen Falls’ which added much scenic beauty to Nuwara Eliya is drying up. The waterfall once synonymous with the town of Nuwara Eliya of which many a hotel and roads are named after is now visible only on rainy days. Area residents have watched as the waterfall dried up before their eyes. Colonial Governor [...]
A Govt. like no other
When marriages are in trouble, anniversaries go unnoticed. So it was last week. Last Thursday marked the second anniversary of the National Unity Government which was elected to office on August 17, 2015. In the throes of a controversy over the resignation of UNP Assistant Leader Ravi Karunanayake, that landmark passed with hardly a mention, [...]
Making a killing with poisoned food
The ongoing drought conditions affecting many parts of the country is taking a deadly toll of animals and inland fish. Unfortunately actions of unscrupulous persons attempting to make a fast buck via this sad situation are posing much danger to both man and beast. Wildlife officials from drought-stricken areas reported hunters had taken to poisoning [...]
Norwegian vessel to dig up fish life, marine eco system data in Sri Lanka
The Norwegian research vessel RV-Dr Fridtjof Nansen will sail into Sri Lankan waters next year to help assess fish stocks. The methods and timeline of the survey was finalised this week at a three-day workshop involving fisheries experts from Sri Lanka, Norway, and the Food and Agriculture Organisation. This 550-foot long vessel which is 200 [...]
Pick of the Pix
Pix by Indika Handuwala, Krishan Jeewaka Jayaruk,Gamini Mahadura and Karuwalagaswewa Jayarathna
Politics of death penalty: Putting Maldives in the dock
At a time when most of the world has rid itself of the death penalty, South Asia sadly remains an outlier. Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan stubbornly persist with its implementation, to varying degrees. Against the evidence, they justify handing down death sentences on the claim that they will serve as an effective deterrent. It [...]