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Now go-slow for containers

It was like a traffic snarl on a Colombo highway. In view of the six-day work-to-rule by Customs unions, there was a container snarl on the road leading to the Colombo Port. As a result adjoining roads were also affected by heavy traffic jams. The Customs go-slow was called off on Friday, but clearing the [...]

Bond scam: Amendments to recover Rs. 8.5b from culprits

The Government is to move amendments to recover from all parties concerned the estimated Rs. 8.5 billion loss incurred due to the Treasury Bond scam. The decision was made during a meeting between Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and an Attorney General’s Department delegation headed by Solicitor General Dappula de Livera on Friday, a senior official [...]

Liquor licences online

The Excise Department will soon introduce an online scheme to issue new licences and also to renew licences to sell local and foreign liquor, a senior official said. The move will also enable people requiring permits to buy, transport and store stocks beyond the permissible quantity of 7.5 litres for functions. The scheme is being [...]

Thousands of ATM cards cancelled; new security measures now in force

Private and state banks have been forced to cancel thousands of ATM cards and issue fresh chip-based after revelations that a group of foreigners used devices to skim data from the cards at some teller machines and use them fraudulently, bank officials said. At least three foreigners — two Chinese and a Romanian — have [...]

HRCSL vets troops for South Sudan, rejects President’s charge

The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) is now vetting a group of military personnel nominated for UN peacekeeping in South Sudan, its chairperson Deepika Udagama said, days after writing to President Maithripala Sirisena rejecting claims that the commission was responsible for the recent deaths of two soldiers in Mali. Speaking in Parliament on [...]

Lankan drug bust in Dubai: Madush’s rival gave tipoff and sent pictures here

Last week’s arrest in Dubai of a Sri Lankan millionaire drug lord Makandure Madush raised questions of his political links and plunged the issue in mystery — the result of conflicting claims locally. An investigation by the Sunday Times revealed that the raid was conducted entirely by the Dubai Police and none of their counterparts [...]

EPF invested large amounts of money to repurchase TBs from secondary market

Despite its ability to purchase Treasury Bonds (TB) from the primary market at a higher rate of interest, the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) had continued to invest a large amount of its monies to re-purchase TBs in the secondary market from a private entity (which is now under probe), according to the Auditor General’s (AG) [...]

Price control on more essential drugs

A maximum retail price (MRP) would be imposed on 27 essential drugs within the next two weeks, said Minister Rajitha Senaratne. “The price change would be for generic drugs,” the Minister said, adding that discussions are currently under way to determine the MRP. Prices of drugs sold under 1,000 brand names would be revised, following [...]

Disabled Sri Lankan women twice as disadvantaged as men: UN study

A study by the United Nations Women (UN Women) said that people with disabilities in Sri Lanka encounter multiple barriers in accessing economic opportunities, and women with disabilities are twice as disadvantaged when entering the work force. In a report compiled by UN Women together with the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs and Dry [...]

EPF invested large amounts of money to repurchase TBs from secondary market

Two years on, RTI reaches out to the provinces

As Sri Lanka marked two years since the inception of the Right to Information (RTI) Act, on February 3, this year, the RTI Commission (RTIC) announced the commencement of public sittings and the hearing of appeals in the country’s provinces. On January 19, the RTIC held its first public sitting and hearing of appeals in [...]

After nearly two months of indecision and tug-of-war for control over the State banks, UNF Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera eventually prevailed and got President Maithripala Sirisena to approve UNF nominees to head the banks. Here, Minister Samaraweera hands over the Letter of Appointment to Ronald Perera PC, UNP Working Committee member as Chairman of Bank [...]

Emulate two greats of your school: CP Governor tells Trinitians

Pays tribute to the late Ministers Lakshman Kadirgamar and Gamini Dissanayake at school Prize Giving The annual Prize Giving of Trinity College, Kandy was held on Friday with Central Province Governor Maithri Gunaratne as Chief Guest. Addressing the gathering, the Governor paid tribute to two past pupils of Trinity College; late Ministers Lakshman Kadirgamar and [...]

How Pettah was turned into a ghost town by Customs strike

Mohammed Aleba, a 70-year-old driver from Badulla, spent three days in his lorry during recent trade union action by Customs officers, to make sure nobody dismantled its parts. Mr Aleba couldn’t return home empty-handed. The fuel for a return trip costs around Rs 25,000. And if he didn’t go back to Badulla loaded with [...]

Kandy building goes up in flames

A multi-storeyed commercial building on Colombo Street, in Kandy was damaged by fire on Friday night. This is the second building in Kandy to have caught fire in recent weeks. The building which housed a wholesale plasticware shop did not have basic emergency fire fighting equipment, Fire Department officials said. Commercial buildings are required to [...]

Investigation into illegal landfill at Bellanwila wetland sanctuary

The Attorney General has called on the Ratmalana Divisional Secretary to summon a meeting of all stakeholder institutions to prepare an investigation report pertaining to the illegal landfill of wetlands within the Attidiya-Bellanwila sanctuary. The AG has directed the DS to summon representatives of the Land Reclamation and Development Corporation, the Agrarian Services Department, the [...]

Survey shows sharp dip in Lanka’s fish stocks

An independent ecosystem survey carried out on Sri Lanka’s coastal marine resources after forty years found that fish stocks have depleted rapidly to one fifth of what it was. This was due to several factors including overfishing and high level contamination by microplastics. A Norwegian Research Vessel named “Dr. Fridtjof Nansen” completed the ecosystem survey [...]

Popular schools allowed to open branches

In a move to meet high demand for Grade 1 admission to popular schools, cabinet has approved a government proposal to allow popular semi-government schools such as St Peter’s College, Colombo to establish branches across the country. A total of 36 popular semi-government schools including St Peter’s, St Joseph’s College and Wesley College in Colombo, [...]

Young murder suspect trips up in bid to erase bloody trail

A young man from Homagama may be involved in three murders — a class mate’s, a driver’s, and a Japanese woman’s — police believe. The suspect Sandun Sameera Senanayake, 25, is in remand custody. He is believed to have taken hurried lessons from a friend to drive, while the body of the car’s driver lay [...]

‘Sena’ worm-affected farmers to be compensated in 2 weeks: Minister

Farmers whose crops were destroyed by the ‘Sena’ (Fall Army) worm will receive compensation within the next two weeks, Agriculture Minister P. Harrison said yesterday. The Minister told the Sunday Times that Rs 250 million had been allocated by the Treasury to pay compensation to these farmers. He said that, if the initial allocation was [...]

Disabled Sri Lankan women twice as disadvantaged as men: UN study

A study by United Nations Women (UN Women) said that people with disabilities in Sri Lanka encounter multiple barriers in accessing economic opportunities, and women with disabilities are twice as disadvantaged when entering the work force. In a report compiled by UN Women together with the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs and Dry Zone [...]

Slovakians caught smuggling fauna and flora probed

The Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) is investigating whether a group of five Slovakian nationals who were arrested with a large number of indigenous insects, butterflies and plant parts from the Sinharaja Rainforest are actually scientists who were illegally collecting samples for testing purposes. Wildlife Ranger of the DWC’s Kalawana Sector, Lakshman Rathnaweera, said the [...]

Price control on 27 essential drugs

Several state agencies are tasked with the responsibility of caring for children. Sadly most of them have failed to achieve their objectives. The state and in some instances parents themselves are to be blamed for this sad state of affairs. Most children who are homeless or neglected end up on the streets as they have [...]

Tragedy -abused mother admits killing daughter

A woman suspected of having killed her daughter and having thrown the corpse into the Kala Oya, on Friday made a confidential statement to the Chief Magistrate of Puttalam -Indrajith Buddhadasa. Her statement on the incident, was recorded for over an hour. The suspect Nayana Kumari, 21, of Olumadu, Neelabamma, Saliyawewa is currently in remand [...]

Concerns grow as report shows plastic killing off our fish

As Sri Lankan seas become increasingly polluted with plastic waste, contributing to a 500 per cent depletion in fishing stocks, a pollution expert has called for more effective garbage management to avert a man-made disaster. Four-fifths of microplastic waste (extremely small pieces of plastic debris) found in our seas comes from the land, washed into [...]

The National Carrier SriLankan Airlines (SLA) continues to incur staggering costs on its operations in the now virtually defunct Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA), with a deficit of Rs. 741,733,244 accumulated to this day, it was revealed at the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) probing into allegations of large scale fraud and malpractices at SLA, SriLankan [...]

Pix by Sameera Weerasekera, Ishanka Sunimal, Amila Gamage, Priyanka Samaraweera and Shelton Hettiarachchi From 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

Bridge over Kokkilai to speed up travel between north and east

The government is to build a bridge across the Kokkilai lagoon in the Mullativu and Trincomalee districts that would enable easier access between the north and east along the coastal line. With loan negotiations to take place with the Czech Republic,the project is to be completed within three years, Road Development Authority Project director, L.U.D. [...]

Man who tried to bribe STF officers nabbed

A person who tried to bribe STF officers at the Shrasthravedhi camp in Panama, Pothuwil, was taken into custody on Tuesday. Earlier in the day officers from the camp had arrested a man who was carrying the meat of a porcupine he had killed at the Raddella forest reserve. Following his arrest, another man had [...]

Northern farmers affected by floods to get compensation

Starting from tomorrow, farmers in the north will receive compensation of Rs 40,000 for an acre of paddyland destroyed by the recent floods. “Approximately 9200 acres of paddy fields were destroyed due to the floods,” Kilinochchi District Divisional Secretary Sundaram Arumainayaham told the Sunday Times. He said around 1500 acres of vegetable and fruit cultivations [...]

First locally-made MBRL takes pride of place at parade

Last week saw the first locally manufactured Multi Barrel Rocket Launcher (MBRL) and its ammunition on parade at the Independence Day celebrations. The weapon system was designed and built by the Center for Research and Development (CRD) of the Ministry of Defence. “This system is 100% locally developed by Sri Lankan scientists and engineers,” said [...]

The formation of a National Government has been one of the most talked about subjects in the last couple of weeks. While there has been no official statement from the United National Party (UNP) as to the reason for its efforts to form a National Government, from the public statements of some UNPers as well [...]

Daring parachutists star in Independence celebrations

The highlight of the Independence Day celebrations at Galle Face Green on Monday, a parachute “base jump” from a skyscraper, drew cheers from the assembled crowd. Twenty parachutists from the three forces and the police – a female officer among them – carried the national flag as they descended from the heights, trailing smoke and [...]

Regulators suspect in Naiwala killer theme park failures

When 48-year old Janaki Gangodawila and her 13-year-old daughter Araliya Rasmi set off from their home in Kotugoda looking forward to a day of thrills at a theme park in Naiwala, Gampaha, they could not have foreseen deadly consequences. The mother and daughter were killed when the gondola of an attraction named the “Octopus’’ broke [...]

PC polls definitely before presidential, says President

President Maithripala Sirisena yesterday declared that Provincial Council elections will definitely be held before the Presidential election. Speaking at a public rally coinciding with the reorganisation programme of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), the President said the impediments to holding Provincial Council elections will be removed soon. He said though some people had prediced [...]

Only one BOI project in the North funded by Diaspora, says report

Sri Lanka’s war-torn North has only 23 Board of Investment (BOI) companies, just one of which is funded by the diaspora, the lowest number of industrial enterprises in the country and an industrial sector growing far slower than the national average, a new report reveals. In the ten years since fighting ended, employment creation has [...]

CIABOC’s national action plan calls for sweeping law reforms to combat bribery, corruption

Penalising bribery of foreign public officials and private sector bribery, providing for conflicts of interest rules and whistle-blower protection are among the highlights of the proposed national action plan of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) The Action Plan has been formulated under five specific areas: Preventive measures; value-based education and [...]

Chinese creates spectacle at opening of optician’s shop

A Chinese national was briefly detained by police in Kollupitiya on Friday after he behaved in an unruly manner at the newly opened premises of a prominent optician. The man had initially walked in during the opening ceremony and attempted to buy a pair of spectacles. He had become unruly after he was told that [...]

Many people are entitled to diplomatic passports

Vast groups of people in Sri Lanka are entitled to diplomatic passports, ranging from members of the clergy, Presidential and Prime Ministerial advisors to Ministers of all categories, along with their spouses and unmarried children. The subject of diplomatic passports—and who is entitled to them—was under discussion again this week, amidst news that the holder [...]

Hotel owner to appear in court after man nearly swallows nail in lunch packet

A hotel owner has been taken to court by the Kotte Municipal Council after a customer almost swallowed an iron nail in a lunch parcel. The man had partially swallowed the nail mistaking it to be a chicken piece, but fortunately with the help of family members he had been able to remove the nail [...]

Prime Minister to tour North as part of initiative to push development projects

Rs 2 bn worth of development projects in the North and East are to be fast tracked. Accordingly, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, the subject line Minister of Northern Development, will tour the North from February 14-16 along with nine other cabinet Ministers under whom various projects have already been completed. The Prime Minister’s secretary, Saman [...]

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