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Bond Commission cleared of mosquitoes

Bond Commission cleared of mosquitoes

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe is scheduled to testify tomorrow before the Commission probing the Central Bank bond issue. Yesterday, the premises were fumigated as part of the dengue prevention programme. Pic by Amila Gamage

Speaker to seek legal opinion on conduct of four COPE members

Speaker Karu Jayasuriya will seek legal opinion on the cases of four parliamentarians who were named before the Commission of Inquiry for making telephone calls to Arjun Aloysius, who is at the centre of the Central Bank bond inquiry, an official source said yesterday. The MPs were serving members of the Parliamentary Committee on Public [...]

AirAsia offers to build special terminal at BIA for budget carriers

AirAsia has offered to build a special terminal at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) for low-cost carriers under a five-year investment of US$ 70-100 million. The Malaysian carrier’s proposal to set up a budget carrier based out of BIA was put forward more than one year ago. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Management (CCEM) has now [...]

Gintota situation under control, night curfew continues

Additional Police and security personnel were deployed yesterday in Gintota, close to Galle, to prevent further clashes between two groups. At a meeting held at the Galle District Secretary’s office and attended by senior security forces personnel and Police, a decision was taken to maintain heavy security in the area until the situation returns to [...]

Cabinet com. raps CPC for petrol crisis

The Cabinet subcommittee that probed the countrywide shortage of petrol has identified five reasons that caused it and ruled that adequate buffer stocks have not been maintained. Its report, seen by the Sunday Times, lists the following five reasons: The Ceylon Petroleum Corporation’s (CPC) rejection of the fuel stock supplied by Lanka India Oil Company [...]

Controversy in Galle Fort: Several Govt. institutions told to move out

Controversy in Galle Fort: Several Govt. institutions told to move out

The Sri Lanka National Commission for UNESCO has taken issue with a Law and Order and Southern Development Ministry directive to certain Government institutions to vacate historic buildings in the Galle Fort which is designated a ‘Living Heritage Fort’ by the UN agency. The order to give up 15 buildings in the Fort was issued [...]

Power crisis looms due to implementation delays: PUCSL

The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) has predicted that the cumulative effect of implementation delays over the next three years “can very likely trigger a Power crisis that can seriously affect the national economy”. The Electricity Regulator has also taken a stand against Emergency Power being bought to meet the energy shortfall that [...]

UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan visits Sri Lanka

UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan visits Sri Lanka

Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), arrived in Sri Lanka on Saturday as a part of his Asian Tour. Minister Nahyan was received by State Minister of Foreign Affairs Vasantha Senanayake at the Bandaranaike International Airport.     During his visit, Minister Al Nahyan paid [...]

Cabinet approves tough amendments to combat corruption, money laundering

The Cabinet has approved amendments to seven Acts in a bid to strengthen laws on money laundering and corruption . Accordingly, the Bribery or Corruption Act, the Bribery Act, the Money Laundering Act, the Presidential Investigation Commission Act, the Court of Criminal Procedures Act, the Assets and Liabilities Act and the Special Presidential Commission Act [...]

Toddler drowns in home rooftop pool

An 18-month-old child died a week after he was rescued from the roof-top swimming pool of his house in Wellampitiya and admitted to the Lady Ridgeway Hospital, a coroner’s court inquiry was told. Abdul Jaufer, the 40-year-old father of the child, said his son had gone to the rooftop on his own and had fallen [...]

Massive drugs pile set for incinerator

Nearly a tonne of narcotics worth Rs 16.7 billion seized over the past three years, is set to be incinerated. The Special Task Force said 928 kilograms of illegal drugs will be destroyed next month. A senior STF official said approval is being sought from the Attorney General’s Department. Related cases have been completed. The [...]

MPs question delays over probe on corruption cases

MPs question delays over probe on corruption cases

Delays of police investigations into serious cases of fraud, corruption, drug trafficking and the current security situation figured in Parliament during the Committee stage debate yesterday, of the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Law and Order. Speakers from both the Government and Opposition, expressed their views at the debate . Law and Order [...]

Petroleum Ministry asks Treasury to intervene to recover Rs. 62 bn from state institutions

The Ministry of Petroleum Resources Development has urged the Treasury to intervene to recover more than Rs.62 billion due from various state institutions including SriLankan Airlines and the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), a senior ministry official said. Secretary to the Ministry Upali Marasinghe told the Sunday Times that several discussions have been held with the [...]

Intelligence Coordination Centre to combat transnational crime in South Asia

A high powered meeting to form a South Asian Regional Intelligence Coordination Centre (SARICC) to share criminal intelligence and operations among countries to help combat transnational crime in the South Asian region, is to be held in Colombo next week. The move comes in the wake of a push by the United Nations Office on [...]

Lecture-hall doors are wide open and lecturers, professors await medical students tomorrow

Will the state medical faculty students return to their lecture halls tomorrow after many months of demonstrations, protests and keeping vigil in attala? This is the question on the minds of many, with sources telling the Sunday Times that the eight state medical faculties have got assurances that they will return tomorrow. “There are different [...]

Experts panel to find petrol-crisis culprits within three weeks

Experts panel to find petrol-crisis culprits within three weeks

A three-member probe panel will, within three weeks, identify those who are responsible for the recent petrol crisis and submit its report to the Cabinet, Petroleum Resources Development Ministry Secretary Upali Marasinghe said. He said the panel would likely be appointed tomorrow in consultation with Petroleum Resources Development Minister Arjuna Ranatunga. The appointment of an [...]

Young student with IT dreams, felled in fatal traffic accident

Young student with IT dreams, felled in fatal traffic accident

Mohomad Amman Kitchil was aspiring to achieve best results at the G.C.E (A/L) next year but died in a traffic accident in which nine students were severely wounded in the early hours of last Sunday. The former student of Lalith Athulathmudali College, Mt Lavinia, got good results at the G .C. E. (O/L) with nine [...]

More inter-monsoonal rains from next week

More inter-monsoonal rains from next week

The second phase of inter monsoonal rains is expected to begin from next week, according to the Meteorology Department. The duty meteorologist of the Department told the Sunday Times that evening thunder showers which were expected for a period of two months were disrupted due to the low pressure in the Bay of Bengal. “During [...]

Concern over VAT addition on some consumer items

Concern over VAT addition on some  consumer items

Concern has been expressed over the re-imposition of a 15 percent Value Added Tax (VAT) on selected items including fabrics, spectacles and electronic goods — but a reduction in prices of some essential items has brought relief to the people. An optical company spokesperson said that from April 1, there would be an increase in [...]

Call to care for people with life-threatening illnesses

Call to care for people with life-threatening illnesses

Thousands of people with life-threatening illnesses should receive care as part of the mainstream health care system of the country so they can face the normal process of death with dignity, doctors say. The Palliative Care Association of Sri Lanka has produced a national health strategic master plan 2016-2025 in which it recommends that a [...]

Docs raise concern: Slashing beer prices will pave the way for ‘gateway’ drinking

A barrage of criticism has come in the wake of the government’s decision to slash the tax on beer. The government should have a serious re-think of this particular budgetary proposal — allegedly made on the basis of a so-called ‘research’ now under fire — gracefully accept the criticism and change it in the public [...]

Local council election case: Ruling on intervenient petitions on Wednesday

Several civil society groups and election watchdogs have filed intervenient petitions in the Court of Appeal, raising objections to a writ petition, which, they say, is a move to postpone the local council elections. The writ petition was filed by six former local council members. They called on the Court of Appeal to issue an [...]

Eye tests for drivers today to identify diabetic conditions

The Colombo Eye Hospital is conducting eye screening on drivers today, to mark World Diabetes Day that fell on Nov.14, to identify drivers with vision problems due to a diabetic condition, and arrest the escalation of accidents. Director Dr L.J. Muhandirange said that Diabetes II is becoming prevalent among Sri Lankans over-40 years and drivers, [...]

Pick of the Pix

Pick of the Pix

Pix by Amila Gamage, Indika Handuwala, Sameera Weerasekera, Gamini Obeysekera and Sirangika Lokukarawita

They have faded away into oblivion

They have faded away into oblivion

‘Old soldiers never die; they just fade away,’ is the well-known saying and come November 11, services rendered by military personnel are commemorated world over. Remembrance Day or Poppy Day is observed in the Commonwealth of Nations member states since the end of the First World War to remember the members of their armed forces [...]

The butterflies are dying out

The butterflies are dying out

‘Dumbara Mithuro’ an environmental group, has pointed out that many species of butterflies are under threat from an invasive weed which had begun covering flower plants and weeds on which the butterflies thrive. The plant commonly known as ‘Gini thana’ or ‘Ali maanaa’ according to the group, was growing over flower plants preventing them from [...]

Saudi Arabia’s populist temptation

NEW YORK – Most efforts to comprehend the dynamics of Saudi Arabia’s ongoing political earthquake have focused on the psychology of the young crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman. But there are also structural reasons for Prince Mohammed’s brand of populism. Understanding these factors is key to finding a better path forward. In the past, political [...]

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