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Hearty hi for Thai PM

Hearty hi for Thai PM

The close and centuries old ties between Sri Lanka and Thailand are symbolised in the bon-homie between President Maithripala Sirisena and Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha after they witnessed the signing of several agreements between the two countries on Friday at the Presidential Secretariat. Gen. Chan-o-cha was on a two-day visit to Sri Lanka in [...]

New Special High Court begins sittings tomorrow

Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation’s one time chairman Gamini Senarath and its Managing Director Piyadasa Kudabalage will be the first to be indicted before the newly set up Permanent High Court at Bar, which will begin sittings tomorrow. They will face charges of misappropriation of funds from the SLIC by investing millions of rupees in ventures [...]

US$ 300m world class beach park from Kollupitiya to Dehiwela

US$ 300m world class beach park from Kollupitiya to Dehiwela

The Government is to invest more than US$300 million (Rs.47.8 billion) to reclaim land for a new beachfront from Kollupitiya to Dehiwela. The Cabinet has given approval for the project, Megapolis and Western Province Development Ministry Secretary Nihal Rupasinghe told the Sunday Times. Under the ambitious project, some 85 hectares of beach land will be [...]

Glyphosate ban lifted

The Government has lifted the ban on glyphosate for all crops throughout the country. The ban was lifted through a gazette issued by the Registrar of Pesticides this week. In a gazette notification dated July 11, 2018, Registrar J.A. Sumith said that on the advice of the Pesticides Technical and Advisory Committee, he was rescinding [...]

Military releases another 522 acres to original owners

The military is handing back to the original owners another 522 acres of private land under its control in the Jaffna Peninsula, a senior army officer told the Sunday Times. The military is still occupying 3,100 acres of private land in the peninsula. According to Military Spokesman Sumith Atapattu, the military has already given back [...]

Hyatt dispute: EPF-owned company losing millions in cost and interest payments

A part Employees’ Provident Fund-owned company is racking up millions of rupees in costs and interest payments because it has failed to settle Euros 7.432 million (Rs 1.38 billion) in damages owed to an Italian company for the 2015 termination of an interior decoration contract for Grand Hyatt, Colombo. In September last year, a Singapore-based [...]

Enforcing death penalty no deterrent to country’s narcotic menace: Fin.Min.

Re-enforcing the death penalty for murder and drug trafficking, after a lapse of more than 40 years, will not be a solution, as only sprats, not big sharks, are being caught in the Law enforcement net. This was stated by Finance & Media Minister Mangala Samaraweera at a media conference on Friday, where he stoutly [...]

Vehicles, engines must conform to European emission standards: Environment Ministry

All vehicles and engines, imported or assembled locally, will have to conform to European emission standards, in keeping with regulations issued this week by the Environment Ministry, a senior official said. Director (Air Resource Management & National Ozone Unit) of the Environment Ministry, S. Dharmakeerthi said the tougher regulations are for reduction in vehicular emissions. [...]

Bakery owners threaten to increase price of bread too in 2 months

Bakers have warned of a price increase in bread within two months if they are not granted concessions over bakery ingredients. The all Ceylon Bakery Owners Association, which represents the bakers, issued the ultimatum yesterday. President of the All Ceylon Bakery Owners’ Association, N K Jayawardena said that they will raise the price of a [...]

3 New Additional Solicitors General appointed President’s Counsel

Ayesha Jinasena, Parinda Ranasinghe and Viraj Dayaratne who were recently appointed Additional Solicitor Generals (ASG), will take their oaths as President’s Counsel before Chief Justice Priyasath Dep, on Tuesday. ASG Ms Jinasena joined the Attorney General’s (AG) Department in 1992, is an authority on Intellectual Property Law, with an LLM from London University, and is [...]

200th anniversary of the Christ Church of Baddegama

200th anniversary of the Christ Church of Baddegama

A religious ceremony to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Christ Church of Baddegama was held this week with the Governor of the Southern Province Marshall Perera and British High Commsissioner James Dauris in attendance. Keerthisiri Fernando, Bishop of Kurunegala too was present. Pic by Sirangika Lokukarawita

ST’s ‘Mudliyar’ and legal luminary Hemantha Warnakulasuriya passes away

ST’s ‘Mudliyar’ and legal luminary  Hemantha Warnakulasuriya passes away

Senior criminal lawyer Hemantha Warnakulasuriya PC passed away at the age of 74 this week after a brief illness, and was cremated yesterday at the Colombo General Cemetery, in the presence of a large gathering of lawyers, politicians, artistes and friends. Mr. Warnakulasuriya wore many hats in his lifetime. He was a criminal lawyer with [...]

FMM condemns President Sirisena’s attempt to re-activate Press Council

The Free Media Movement (FMM) has vehemently condemned President Maithripala Sirisena’s decision to appoint a new Board of Directors to activate the Sri Lanka Press Council (SLPC) Act, without considering the continuous appeals made by many Sri Lanka Media organisations, including the FMM, to abolish the SLPC Act. “The FMM believes this decision to go [...]

July warming up for strike action

July is set to be a month of strikes with trade unions in several important state sectors threatening to call work stoppages over various grievances. Around 300,000 teachers and principals plan to strike on July 26, the Ceylon Teachers Union (CTU) said, over the Education Ministry’s decision to promote teachers and principals on the basis [...]

Govt. intensifies war on drugs: Police powers for armed forces, convicts to be hanged

Govt. intensifies war on drugs:  Police powers for armed  forces, convicts to be hanged

Even as the Government, in its bid to eradicate the narcotics drug menace, moved ahead with plans to introduce a draft bill giving police powers to the armed forces and to implement the death penalty in specified cases, the quantity of drugs being seized in the country continued to increase throughout this week. On Tuesday, [...]

The narcotics situation in Sri Lanka is serious, says STF Chief

A two-year-old case where the navy and police arrested an Iranian trawler carrying 101 kilograms of heroin is dragging on because the accused have retained senior lawyers who keep challenging the navy in open court citing legal technicalities, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Admiral Ravi Wijegunaratne said this week. “We catch all these people who [...]

Avoidable mishaps leave thousands of children scarred

Avoidable mishaps leave thousands of children scarred

Preventable accidents that harm children have been increasing in homes and schools and health official say parents are being irresponsible. Last year, more than 39,000 children were brought into the Lady Ridgeway Hospital alone for treatment for falls, cuts and burns and the like. The director of the Lady Ridgeway Hospital, Dr Kumara Wickremasinghe, said [...]

Hundreds of uncared-for elderly escaping unbearable lives

Increasing poverty, unbearable financial burdens amid rising costs of living, chronic diseases, and lack of care from the state for those in their twilight years, and broken family bonds, are among factors prompting hundreds of Sri Lanka’s elderly to end their unhappy lives. Suicides among elders have been rising, latest statistics from the Police Department [...]

The unsavoury battle for the nut pie

The unsavoury battle for the nut pie

Desiccated coconut industry accuses milk powder manufacturers of gobbling up millions of nuts Claims unregistered backyard processors buy up large quantities from growers; milk extraction done under unhygienic conditions Says multinational firm among companies whose practices threaten survival of coconut-dependent sectors The decades-old desiccated coconut industry is grappling with a shortage of nuts. Making it [...]

Ombudsman raps Pensions Dept. for lethargy over public complaints

The Secretary to the Ministry of Public Administration, Management and Law & Order has called for an immediate report from the Director General of Pensions regarding charges levelled by the Ombudsman’s office over the Department’s alleged lethargy in responding to complaints by pensioners. Secretary to the Ministry, Padmasiri Jayamanna said he called for a report [...]

Spot fines from today to drive down road toll

Spot fines from today to drive down road toll

The new spot fine system effective from today (July 15), will help reduce the enormous road accident toll, a senior official said. The high number of fatal road accidents is driving reform of the current outdated fine system, National Council for Road Safety Chairman Sisira Kodagoda said. “There are many accidents that go unreported at [...]

Brutality worsens in continuing carnage

Brutality worsens in continuing carnage

Egregiously violent murders have now become normal in Sri Lanka. The police admit that brutality has risen a notch, although statistically, the number of murders has declined. There have been more than 200 murders in the first five months. Between July 7 and 13, there were at least eight violent murders, including the murder of [...]

Ministry analyses benefits of 6 Asian FTAs

The Ministry of Development Strategies & International Trade, criticised by professional organisations over the recent Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and others planned with India and China, has prepared an analysis of 6 Asian FTAs, showing in each, the benefits to the recipient countries. The Ministry, in a media release, has provided an overview [...]

Govt. action against drugs and crime should not violate human rights norms

Govt. action against drugs and crime should not violate human rights norms

Last week’s Cabinet decision to implement the death penalty for drug offenders in death row, lacks clarity. Newspaper reports do not make it clear whether the decision applies only to those who have been convicted of drug related offences, but continue to mastermind drug operations in the country from within the Prisons or, whether it [...]

The Orugodawatte ‘mobile market’

The Orugodawatte ‘mobile market’

Sri Lankans are quick to seize an opportunity, whenever one presents itself. The unofficial ‘mobile market’ which has sprung up at the Orugodawatte Junction traffic lights, where entrepreneurs bearing a variety of wares rush up to vehicles held up until the traffic lights change is a case in point. Motorists are usually held up at [...]

Birthday of Rangiri Viharaya custodian

Birthday of Rangiri Viharaya custodian

Around a hundred herbal plants with medicinal properties were planted by Maha Sangha at the Rangiri Dambulla Rajamaha Viharaya on Friday morning. The occasion was said to coincide with the 58th birthday of the Custodian of the Rangiri Dambulu Raja Maha Vihara, the Sri Vishnu Devalaya and Matale Deputy Chief Sanganayaka of the Siyam Maha [...]

Pick of the Pix

Pick of the Pix

Pix by Indika Handuwala, M.A.Pushpa kumara, Shelton Hettiarachchi, L.B.Senarathna, Hiran Priyankara and Jayarathna Wickramarachchi

How to keep our serpents in paradise

How to keep our serpents in paradise

To prevent the needless slaughter of up to 10,000 snakes a day by people panicking over snakebite death, toxinology expert Dr. Kalana Maduwage is urging the public to use a snake identification website he has masterminded to find out if a snake is venomous. The Snake Identification Service (www.snakesidentification.org) will assist doctors and others to [...]

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