News
Home » NewsCurrency cooperation deals between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh
Sri Lanka and Bangladesh yesterday resolved to request their respective Central Banks and other financial institutions to cooperate closely on currency swap arrangements. Agreement on the issue was reached when visiting Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa met his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina at her office in Dhaka. The two leaders also reiterated their commitment to an [...]
Central Bank suspends circulars to save dollars
The Central Bank did a 360 degree turn on its plan to save US dollars in the market, suspending decisions which forced banks and exporters to sell a portion of the US currency to the authorities. The hurried measures came amidst anxiety that the dollar would go way beyond the 200-rupee level. In the early [...]
Talks with India for currency swap of US$ 1 billion
The Finance Ministry will soon negotiate a facility with India to obtain US$ one billion under a currency swap programme. A senior Treasury official said a Finance Ministry delegation would begin talks with the Indian High Commission to obtain the facility. The amount will be repayable in one year. The facility was to be obtained [...]
BIA new terminal: From banana back to lotus at heavy cost
A government decision to change the design of the proposed passenger terminal at the Bandaranaike International Airport — once again back to 2012 from the shape of a banana leaf to the lotus flower shape — is to cost millions of rupees. The previous government changed the 2012 lotus flower shape to a banana leaf [...]
Crisis-ridden NMRA gives waiver of registration for import of China’s Sinopharm vaccine
China’s Sinopharm vaccine was on Friday night granted a ‘waiver of registration’ by Sri Lanka’s newly appointed drug regulator. The waiver of registration was granted under Section 109 of the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) Act which deals with ‘Emergency and other special circumstances’, confirmed NMRA’s Acting Chairman Prof. Sisira Siribaddana, stressing that it was [...]
UK High Court acquits Lanka’s defence attache; upholds diplomatic immunity
The UK High Court of Justice that overturned the verdict of a Chief Magistrate and acquitted Sri Lanka’s then Defence Attache at the High Commission in London has held that it goes on the premise that the Government of Sri Lanka would not have commissioned or condoned the behaviour of the Brigadier concerned but that [...]
Special measures for vaccination rollout for elderly in Colombo city
Mobile unit taking the jab to elders’ homes with moves to adopt same mechanism for immobile senior citizens in their own homes, says Dr. Ruwan Wijayamuni Six vaccination centres across the city for all other citizens over 60 A special mobile unit was launched on Thursday (March 18) with a team comprising a doctor, a [...]
Health Ministry keeping tab on reports of adverse events worldwide
The Health Ministry is keeping a close eye on the reported very rare adverse events occurring in connection with the COVID-19 vaccination worldwide, the Director-General of Health Services, Dr. Asela Gunawardena said, assuring that a few deaths reportedly after vaccination in Sri Lanka have been investigated and found to be due to other causes. “We [...]
New set of quarantine guidelines for returnees to Sri Lanka
The quarantining guidelines for those returning to Sri Lanka have changed as of Thursday (March 18). Here are the guidelines, according to the Director-General of Health Services, Dr. Asela Gunawardena: All those returning to the country without getting both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine – Those going into hotel quarantine will be released in 7 [...]
On blood-clotting incidents, vaccines and variants
With concerns rising over the alleged drop in the platelet count and blood-clotting in a few cases, the Sunday Times sought the opinion of the Head of the Department of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Prof. Neelika Malavige about this and other questions on vaccines and variants. Setting down the facts, Prof. [...]
Forest of falsehoods surrounds Sinharaja clearings
The forest department’s delays in acquiring land that would triple the size of the Sinharaja rainforest sanctuary is allowing landholders and rogue operators to clear land, fell valuable trees and gain controversial building permission inside the reserve, environmentalists claimed. Activist Pahiyangala Ananda Sagara Thera alleged businessmen and estate owners have started to encroach into the [...]
Media bodies propose single monitoring authority
The Sri Lanka Press Institute (SLPI), its constituents and affiliated organisations met Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella on Monday to submit a proposal for a single Authority to monitor the media, including print, radio, television and digital media in keeping with self-regulatory principles that will ensure freedom of expression and social responsibility. The delegation comprised representatives [...]
Claims and counter claims over alleged abduction, torture of journalist
CCD to record statements from former Minister Rajitha Senaratne and son Chathura over the incident Man at the centre of the controversy Sujeewa Gamage, attached to Siyarata, news website says he will reveal all in court A journalist who ran a pro-United National Party (UNP) website claims that he was abducted, assaulted, and released only [...]
Thousands of hoteliers drowning in a sea of loans
Business owners in the hospitality industry, now entering yet another year of stagnation, claim they are drowning in accrued capital and interest on loans after availing themselves of a debt moratorium introduced by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) last year. Enterprises were worse off than before they received the moratorium, a hotelier from [...]
AG alleges Rs. 68B defrauded in three bond scams; Trials-at-Bar begin
The Attorney General has filed indictments before three Trials-at-Bar regarding alleged scams that took place during three different Treasury Bond auctions during the term of the former Government. The total amount of funds that had allegedly been defrauded during the three bond auctions amounts to Rs 68 billion, according to the AG’s Department. Accordingly, the [...]
Body of Lankan woman who died in Japan lies in funeral parlour pending investigations
The body of a 33-year-old Sri Lankan woman who died in Nagoya, Japan, is being held in a funeral parlour in that city pending the completion of investigations, diplomats said. Ratnayake Liyanage Wishma Sandamali died on March 6 after being taken to hospital from an immigration detention centre of the Nagoya Regional Immigration Bureau. Her [...]
World Heritage status for Kandy Esala Perahera: UNESCO’s Sri Lanka National Commission submits proposals
UNESCO’s Sri Lanka National Commission has submitted proposals to declare the Kandy Esala Perahera as a UNESCO World Heritage. This follows UNESCO’s decision to declare the original copy of the Mahawamsa as a World Heritage. At the 2006 International Buddhist Conference held at the International Buddhist Conference Centre at Pallekelle in Kandy, discussions were held [...]
14 killed, 33 injured in the worst road accident in recent years
Recording the worst road accident in 16 years in Sri Lanka, a private bus plunged down a 200 foot precipice in Passara yesterday, killing 14 people and injuring 33. The bus heading from Lunugala to Colombo went off the road while trying to bypass an oncoming vehicle. The bus which moved to the edge of [...]
No trace of missing student yet as of last evening
Four police teams searching for a 16-year-old student, missing since Thursday, had found no trace of him as of last evening. Aldon Devon Kenny, a GCE O/Level student at a leading private boys’ school in Bambalapitiya, left his home in Ratmalana on Thursday morning. His mother told the Sunday Times that Aldon had told her [...]
Fresh flowers for the Gods
The negative impact of single-use plastic on the environment has been a long established fact,and as a result the Central Environment Authority (CEA) banned the use of plastic flower garlands effective tomorrow, Director General CEA, Hemantha Jayasinghe, said. He said steps are being taken to replace plastic garlands with eco-friendly garlands in places of worship [...]
Contractors pocket advances in billion-rupee roadworks and walk off
Non-performing contractors in the iRoad (Integrated Road Investment Programme) project for developing roads in rural areas are causing huge financial losses for the government. Great hardship is being experienced by people living in areas involved in the project due to roadwork being abandoned halfway by non-performing contractors, the Sunday Times has learned. Local residents are [...]
Wet weather is temporary, but protect yourself from lightning, says Met Chief
Showers or thunderstorms will occur at times in the Central, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, Western, North Western Provinces and several other places in the evenings because of low pressure in the atmosphere over the South-East Bay of Bengal, the Meteorology Department said. Director General Athula Karunanayake said thundershowers accompanied by severe lightning and heavy winds are expected, [...]
Bid to protect your favourite fish ‘kelawalla’, but IOTC is tangled in a net
While the Indian Ocean’s yellowfin tuna stocks are fast depleting, the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission’s latest meeting ended without positive conclusions aimed at sustainable measures. The yellowfin Tuna (Thunnus Albacares), or Kelawalla as it is popularly known locally, is probably one of the most favoured fish of Sri Lankans, but little do we know that [...]
Burqa-niqab ban will be a gradual process: Public Security Ministry Secretary
A decision to impose a ban on Muslim women clothing burqa and niqab will be taken only after a debate in parliament, the Public Security Ministry has said. Ministry Secretary Retired Major General Jagath Alwis said he could give no time frame as to when the ban would be imposed, but it would be a [...]