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Home » NewsAerial supervision of COVID rules
Though the new wave of the COVID-19 surge hits Colombo badly, these children are seen happily playing in the garden of their tenement. Inset picture shows an Air Force helicopter flying over the city with a senior police officer identifying people who are violating the lockdown regulations. Pix courtesy Sri Lanka Air Force.
Suppliers boycott Sathosa; Trade Ministry seeks Rs. 2bn from Treasury
In the face of suppliers refusing to do business with the state-run Lanka Sathosa due to the non-settlement of bills, the Trade Ministry is seeking approval to obtain Rs 2 billion for purchases. This money will be used for immediate spot purchases from private traders to get over the problem. Lanka Sathosa, the Government’s main [...]
Budget 2021: Vehicle import controls to continue; boost for tourism, exports
Vehicle import controls will be continued and heavy concessions granted to the tourism and export sectors, according to the highlights of the 2021 Budget to be presented in Parliament on Tuesday by Prime Minister and Finance Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa. Accordingly, vehicle imports suspended this year to prevent the foreign exchange outflow will continue. Permit holders [...]
US fixer faces jail term upto 13 years; charges include pocketing US$5.6mn from Lanka
Federal prosecutors filing in the US District Court this week have asked a judge to sentence American fixer and venture capitalist Imaad Zuberi to between 10 and 13 years in prison for an array of crimes, including pocketing US$ 5.6mn that Sri Lanka paid him in 2014 to improve the country’s image after its victory [...]
Surge of COVID cases in Colombo city: CMC teams up with SIS
The Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) is working with the State Intelligence Service (SIS) to identify areas of possible COVID-19 transmission after a recent surge was reported from the city, Colombo’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Ruwan Wijeyamuni said. Of the five deaths reported on Friday (13), three were from Colombo and on Thursday another two deaths [...]
Govt. gearing for US entry into power sector
The Government is gearing for a US entry into Sri Lanka’s power and energy sector after the US Embassy submitted an unsolicited proposal from two American companies for a liquefied natural gas venture to generate emergency power, according to papers submitted to the Cabinet. US-based companies New Fortress and General Electric (GE) had forwarded a [...]
Lakvijaya breaks down again; only one unit working
Only one unit of the Lakvijaya coal power plant in Norochcholai is currently functioning, signifying a shortfall of 600 megawatts of electricity in the country. The plant has three units which together generate 900mw of power. However, while unit 2 was shut down for a scheduled maintenance unit 3 broke down midweek after a boiler [...]
Parliamentary Council endorses President’s nominees for superior court vacancies
The Parliamentary Council has cleared the names for six vacancies in the Supreme Court and the post of President of the Court of Appeal as nominated by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. The Council has already forwarded the names to the President, the appointing authority in terms of the 20th Amendment. The Council is only empowered to [...]
Lanka to continue to enjoy GSP post-Brexit
Sri Lanka will be among other developing countries currently in the European Union (EU) Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP) which will enjoy the same tariff preferences to the UK post-Brexit. The UK government announced that removals and reductions of tariffs on goods from developing countries will continue after the end of the transition period. Accordingly, [...]
Colombo Port at sea with workers struck down by COVID-19
Work at Colombo Port remained crippled as 60 workers were identified as COVID -19 positive, and nearly 200 have been quarantined. Port sources said that the operations of the state-run JCT terminal were the worst affected as more persons working at the terminal were found to be COVID -19 positive. All Ceylon General Port Employers [...]
Road ahead: Statesmanship or 20A authoritarianism?
The story is told of when Sarath Fonseka, the then Army Commander, was hospitalised after sustaining serious life-threatening injuries in a suicide bomb attack at Kollupitiya in Colombo in April 2006. The most frequent visitor at his bedside was the then Defence Secretary, Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Secretary Rajapaksa would arrive daily and spend a few hours [...]
Pick of the Pix
From our readers Shutterbugs out there, we would once again appreciate your contributions to this picture corner. Please send your captioned photograph along with your name, and the location of the photograph, to: pictures@sundaytimes.wnl.lk We would also appreciate if you mention the camera or cellphone that was used.
Growing concerns
Most people’s reluctance to consume leaves, particularly those eaten raw like Gotukola, has affected cultivators in Chilaw. With the second wave of the pandemic hitting hard, farmers in Ariyagama and Manuwangama are looking to the government for help with the sharp decline in takers for Gotukola. Farmers had started harvesting, but with many areas and [...]
Cold facts dash vaccine hopes, but optimism persists
Sri Lankans, like all others around the globe, are anxiously waiting for the week’s best news regarding a vaccine for the COVID-19 pandemic. This is after Pfizer, one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies, announced that its two-part COVID-19 vaccine is 90% effective at preventing the disease. However, the availability will involve a lot of [...]
Mixed views on controversy surrounding rapid antigen test kits
Has there been an irregularity in the process of granting registration to the pharmaceutical importer, George Steuart Health (GSH), by the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) for the importation of Rapid Antigen Test kits for COVID-19? This is the question that needs to be answered amidst allegations and counter-allegations that have been swirling around in [...]
The tender to provide test kits to state hospitals
On a different front, a tender process was occurring at the end of October. n October 29, 2020 – A global open tender is floated by the State Pharmaceutical Corporation for 100,000 Rapid Antigen Test kits to be distributed among state hospitals. n November 2, 2020 – The tender closes with a large number of [...]
Lanka’s air quality affected by winds from India; warning issued for people with respiratory illness
Sri Lanka’s air quality has been affected by unusually large amounts of pollutants brought in by wind movements from India, experts have said. They urged the elderly people, those with respiratory and heart ailments, expecting mothers and children, especially from the Northern region, Western coastal areas and central hills to be extra careful as winds [...]
Family dispute leads to two deaths in Vaddukoddai
A long standing family dispute resulted in the death of two family members on Friday night in Chulipuram, Vaddukoddai when an argument turned into a bloody clash, police said. Special Security Forces (STF) personnel were deployed in the area soon after the incident to ensure normalcy as a tense situation prevailed among the relatives in [...]
Budget 2020: Govt. hails economic performance, opposition says Govt. is heartless
Parliament on Thursday passed with amendments the delayed 2020 Budget which the opposition called illegal and one that violated the Constitution. Presenting the second reading of the 2020 Appropriation Bill was Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa in his capacity as Finance Minister. He made a proud declaration that despite the Opposition and its local and foreign [...]
COVID-debate mired by allegations and counter allegations
The adjournment debate on the COVID situation in the country moved by the Opposition on Friday became one of trading allegations, personal insults and speeches irrelevant to the issue. Former Army Commander Field Marshal Sarath Foneseka was one of the few who spoke on a vital point, how Sri Lanka should be prepared for the [...]
Male dominance in Police Department robs women the chance of getting top positions
Sri Lanka’s first female Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police was appointed in September–nearly 70 years after women were first recruited to the force. It was a cause for celebration. But the mood is sober amongst other senior policewomen who are now eligible for DIG promotion in five years. They point out that the male-dominated [...]
Help us flatten the COVID-19 peak, plea to the public
Strong efforts are being made to limit the spread of COVID-19, reiterated health officials, urging people to join them in this effort. Comparing the current situation to the first wave, the Deputy Director-General (Public Health Services I), Dr. Hemantha Herath said that the different clusters in that, at some point, reached a peak. Thereafter, due [...]
While awaiting a vaccine, don’t forget to protect yourself & avoid the 3Cs, says WHO Rep
With COVID-19 vaccines on the mind of many Sri Lankans, the Sunday Times asked the Country Representative of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Sri Lanka, Dr. Razia Pendse for her views. Q. What is the plan that Sri Lanka should have in place with regard to securing a vaccine if and when one is [...]
Strict safety guidelines for food outlets
Measures to curb the pandemic by restricting people’s movements come into effect as several supermarket outlets were closed after some of their staff members tested positive following random PCR tests. Two employees at Keells supermarket in Union Place, three employees from its Thimbirigasyaya outlet and one employee from the Havelock Road outlet tested positive for [...]
Hospitals adopt new defensive rules in second virus wave
With the second outbreak of COVID-19 producing mortalities among a number of asymptomatic patients who have died at home or on admission to hospital, the Health Ministry has tightened health protocols. All hospitals on the advice of the Health Ministry have asked patients to avoid visiting hospitals except in case of emergency, and medication is [...]
Despair as produce trucks turned back from markets
Farmers and traders are tearing their hair in frustration and despair as fresh produce fails to make its way to market stalls due to COVID-19 curfews, with crops even being abandoned on farms or ditched at markets as sales fail. They are pleading for the government and other authorities to find a way out of [...]
Market closures hit Kalpitiya vegetable farmers; Govt. intervention sought
The closure of wholesale vegetable markets and several economic centres have severely affected more than 25,000 farmers in the Kalpitiya area. The farmers say their investments and months of hard work have gone waste as they cannot sell the harvest from 20,000 acres they cultivated. Vegetable cultivation is a main income earner for residents in [...]