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Home » NewsRed moon way up high in the sky
While religious ceremonies were held all over the country to mark Esala Poya on Friday, a spectacular event was the total eclipse of the full moon for several hours. Our pictures captured in Colombo and Kataragama show the various stages of the century’s logest lunar eclipse including the rare red moon. Pix by M.A. Pushpa [...]
Populist budget ahead of elections
Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera wants Treasury officials to prepare “a populist budget” setting a poser to officials who say there is falling government revenue, mounting public debt and severe balance of payments difficulties. Minister Samaraweera’s call is in the light of the impending Provincial Council, Presidential and Parliamentary elections. However, officials say the economic situation [...]
SLTB, Hungarian firm to run 2,000 electric and hybrid buses
Some 2,000 electric and hybrid buses are to be operated under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) project involving a Hungarian company, a senior Transport Ministry official said. Transport Ministry Secretary G.S. Withanage told the Sunday Times Cabinet approval was being sought for the project which will be totally handed over to the Sri Lankan government in [...]
A/L exams: Army called in to jam mobile phones and devices
The Examinations Department has requested the services of the Army to jam signals to prevent the use of mobile phones or other electronic communications devices by those sitting the G.C.E. (Advanced Level) examination next month, a senior official said. Examinations Commissioner General Sanath Pujitha told the Sunday Times the decision to seek the Army’s help [...]
More talks on tea-for-oil deal with Iran
Tea Board and Commerce Department officials will meet next week to discuss payment modalities for tea sales to Iran. The discussions come in the wake of the Foreign Affairs Ministry regulations in keeping with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1737 of 2006 and 2231 of 2015. Several proposals will be discussed at the meeting on [...]
Notice issued on four to appear before special HC on Aug. 9
Notice has been issued on four accused to appear before the Permanent High Court at Bar on August 9 — the first to be summoned before the special HC set up to speedily prosecute those accused of large scale misappropriation of state funds. The four are former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s Chief of Staff Gamini Sedara [...]
SLFP makes soft launch of media campaign for polls
With drinks and dinner for journalists on Tuesday night, the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) backing President Maithripala Sirisena had a ‘soft launch’ of its media campaign for upcoming elections. The venue was the official residence of Minister and United People’s Freedom Alliance General Secretary Mahinda Amaraweera. SLFP General Secretary Rohana Lakshman Piyadasa and Deputy [...]
A toast in honour of PLA
The reception held to celebrate the 91st anniversary of the founding of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) brought together politicians and officials from across the board. Chinese Ambassador Cheng Xueyuan here toasts former President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Also in the picture are Defence Secretary Kapila Waidyaratna, former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Opposition Leader R.Sampanthan Pic [...]
Kuwaiti couple in BIA ‘pet’ drama get bail
A Kuwati couple were arrested and released on bail on Friday after they turned abusive and assaulted five Customs officers at the Bandaranaike International Airport following an argument over the quarantine procedure concerning their pet dog. Police said they were produced before Negombo’s additional magistrate on Friday and released on Rs 200,000 surety bail each [...]
Elderly population set to double by 2041, women to outlive men, says expert
Tiny-tots all in white going in perahera around the hall set off the right chord for an annual general meeting (AGM) that has been held for 96 years. As the members, all female and one male, of the Mallika Nivasa Samithiya (Society) Ltd., arrive right on time for the 97th AGM on Thursday, the little [...]
Lending companies to bear losses incurred by writing off interest on microfinance loans
The losses incurred from writing off interest on microfinance loans granted to women qualifying for debt relief under a new Government scheme will have to borne by the respective finance companies or microfinance institutions, the Cabinet decided this week. It was not immediately clear how much these losses would amount to. Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera [...]
Govt. doctors demand massive allowances, schools for children
Non-emergency surgeries will not be done, clinics will not be held, and out patient departments will not function from next Friday, when government doctors halt work to demand million rupee annual allowances, school privileges for their children, and solutions to nine other gripes, including the approval of the Singapore free trade agreement. The Government Medical [...]
Trace City dispute: UDA says IT park won’t be shifted
The Government’s IT Park, the Trace Expert City, will not be moved out of its current location at Maradana in Colombo, despite railway trade unions’ demand that the land be given back to the Railways Department to build a control tower, Urban Development Authority Chairman Jagath Munasinghe said yesterday. He told the Sunday Times that [...]
Glass bottles pile up; collectors say no recycling demand
The collection of glass bottles for re-use or recycling has come to a standstill. Uncollected bottles are now piling up on roadsides or in the backyards of houses, pubs, bars and clubs. Bottle and paper collectors say they have stopped collecting glass bottles as there was no recycling demand for them. Liquor shop owners said [...]
Hike in drownings triggers steps to keep heads above water
Drowning incidents in Sri Lanka are on the rise. Just last week there were 9 instances with 11 deaths reported. Two 11-year-old schoolgirls bathing in the sea off Calido Beach, Kalutara, drowned last Saturday (21). On July 23, two students, both aged 16, drowned while bathing in the Dee Ella Oya at Veyangoda. They had [...]
Journalism Awards for Excellence 2017, on Tuesday
The 19th edition of the Journalism Awards for Excellence programme will culminate with the annual ‘Awards Night’ at the Empire Ballroom of the Mount Lavinia Hotel, the host hotel for the gala event. This year there are 259 applications for 16 categories from 37 Daily and Weekly newspapers in the 3 language streams – Sinhala, [...]
Penning poems from within prison walls
At a time when news regarding the country’s prison system is more grim than good, an event held this week at the Prisons’ Headquarters in Colombo highlighted how some of the rehabilitation programmes that have been introduced are reaping positive results. One of these included the launch of a book containing 100 poems penned by [...]
SriLankan’s former CEO also worked for Mobitel, drawing thumping salaries from both
Starling revelations concerning the alleged improper conduct of current and former top officials at the national carrier have emerged as the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PoI) on irregularities at SriLankan Airlines, SriLankan Catering and Mihin Lanka continued its sittings. Among the revelations made this week were alleged irregularities in the appointment of former SriLankan Chief [...]
Digital health revolution in state hospitals
A silent revolution is taking place ever so quietly not on the streets of Sri Lanka but within its hospitals. How this revolution, using the click of a button, is touching and saving the lives of the humblest of men, women and children and also saving funds for a cash-strapped country was seen at the [...]
The smart three-wheeler that doesn’t ‘tuk-tuk’
An electric three-wheeler with a Lankan heart and a Japanese soul is planning to make travelling eco-friendly A plan to manufacture an electric three-wheeler in Sri Lanka was revealed this week, with its prototype showcased in Colombo for the first time. The Samurai three-wheeler, built with Japanese technology and currently being tested in Sri Lanka, [...]
Are consumers being short-circuited by private power producers?
Are the Ceylon Electricity Board’s (CEB) agreements with private power companies structured to earn independent power producers (IPPs) towering profits? And are we, the electricity consumers, footing the bill? ACE Power Embilipitiya Ltd, a 100 megawatt thermal power station running on heavy fuel oil, recently invoiced the CEB Rs 840mn for generating a month’s worth [...]
The heat is on and will remain so with patchy relief
As many locations around the world have set all time heat records this summer, Sri Lanka is also seeing an increase in warm weather that will continue for another month or two, say local weather experts. Warm and humid days and uncomfortable nights are to continue till about September, with little relief from strong winds [...]
Big holes in cadre from top to bottom leave Archaeology Dept.teetering
The Department of Archaeology is severely understaffed, with most of its top level positions being vacant. Senior officials there acknowledged that continuing shortfall at all levels of the department are hindering their efforts to protect and preserve archaeological sites around the country. The situation persists despite a directive from President Maithripala Sirisena in January, last [...]
Trishaws defy latest meter deadline with litany of complaints
Despite forcing the government to extend continual leniency over the deadline to install fare meters in their vehicles, three-wheeler associations are refusing to obey the latest order, offering a litany of complaints and excuses. They vow to hold protests if the government goes ahead with plans to implement the fare meter regulation by August 1. [...]
Salvaging Sri Lanka’s cricket — A national priority
For a considerable period of time, the world associated Sri Lanka with tea. After the advent of Sirimavo Bandaranaike as the world’s first woman Prime Minister, Sri Lanka was identified with the Bandaranaike name. From 1996, when the country won the Cricket World Cup, Sri Lanka has been synonymous with its achievements in Cricket. Today, [...]
Pick of the Pix
For our readers The saying goes that a picture is worth a thousand words. So shutterbugs out there, here’s your chance to send in your contributions to this picture corner. Please send your captioned photograph to pictures@sundaytimes.wnl.lk Solitude: What we all yearn for but hard to get! Pic sent by Dr. Susil W. Gunasekera Pix [...]
Tale of woe behind a perahera statue
As the perahera proceeded along Kandy’s roads on Friday, carrying the statue of a monk who died 240 years ago, it also carried the tale of official apathy in honouring his contribution to Buddhism and preserving a historic temple on the verge of collapse. The statue that was paraded through the streets was of the [...]
Spare a thought for the elderly
The platform at the Angulana railway station is a death trap. Passengers getting on and alighting at this station are forced to risk life and limb on a daily basis as the platform at this station is several feet below the compartment steps of the train. After stepping down the compartment steps, passengers have no [...]