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China is expanding its economic, trade and military ties with Sri Lanka providing US$ 100 million (Rs. 13.2 billion) for army welfare projects initiated by the Ministry of Defence, official sources said. Plans are afoot to set up accommodation and infrastructure facilities in army camps in the north and east with Chinese assistance. The maintenance [...]
Specialist raises questions regarding quality of imported drugs
One of Sri Lanka’s most highly qualified pharmacists said yesterday there were vital issues that needed to be addressed regarding the quality of medicinal drugs being imported, the quality testing of the drugs and good manufacturing practices. Dr. Titus de Silva, who qualified in pharmacology in Britain and was the first head of the National [...]
Armstrong dead at 82
WASHINGTON, Aug 25, (AFP) – US astronaut Neil Armstrong, the first person to set foot on the moon, has died, US media reported today. He was 82. Armstrong underwent cardiac bypass surgery, earlier this month. Armstrong and fellow Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin landed on the moon in 1969.
Govt. fears UK’s travel advisory could trigger ‘copy cat’ advisories
The Government yesterday expressed fear that more countries would take up a ‘copy cat’ attitude and issue adverse travel advisories which puts the country in poor light, following a damning note from the UK Foreign and Commonwealth office in London on Sri Lanka, a senior official of the External Affairs Ministry (EAM) said yesterday. EAM [...]
Unhappy with police? NPC has new set of guidelines
The National Police Commission (NPC) has made new rules of procedure to investigate public complaints against police officers. The new rules simplify the procedure to be followed by the Commission to investigate public complaints. With regard to complaints such as refusal to record complaints, undue delay in making available certified copies of statements made to [...]
Museum puzzles and pieces
Museum officials are studying a collection of some 350 gemstones recovered by the Police in order to establish whether any of the stones belong to items stolen from the National Museum during a break-in earlier this year. Museum superintendent Ranjith Hewage told the Sunday Times that some of the stones may be the same stones [...]
A poll for politicos – not for people
The banners, cutouts, posters and flags – illegal except in offices of candidates – are the only signs that tell the story that elections are round the corner in just 12 days. Those very busy are only the candidates and their supporters. The police are otherwise busy too. With money from the Department of Elections [...]
That water is contaminated!
At school we learn the importance of hygiene in food and water. Yet a majority of adults seem to have forgotten the consequences of consuming contaminated food and water. A direct result of this has been the burgeoning in the number of cases of water-borne disease cases in the city of Colombo. The Chief Medical [...]
Kovil defiant on animal sacrifice
The Kali-Kovil in Munneswaram is to go ahead with a pooja to sacrifice animals despite fresh protests. Animal rights activists say that during the sacrifice at the Sri Bhadrakali Amman Kovil, hundreds of goats and thousands of fowl are to be slaughtered in a cruel manner. A protest has been organised by the Multi-Religious Alliance [...]
Third week of fuel war : Minister and Vitol trade charges
Three weeks after substandard diesel stocks hit the market causing damage to more than 1,000 vehicles investigations carried out so far have failed to determine where the contamination took place while a battle rages between the Petroleum Ministry and the supplier Vitol. The Petroleum Industry Ministry after receiving the preliminary report has decided to send [...]
SMEs see red in the dark
Chitra Rohini who runs a communications shop at Kelaniya, is now at her wits end, as her business has been severely affected by the recent power-cuts. “As we do a lot of laminating and photocopying, power is essential for us. When the power-cuts commenced, there was a drop in the number of customers, as we [...]
Vanni loses one seat, Moneragla gets one more
The number of Members of Parliament to be elected from the Vanni District has been reduced by one and the number from the Moneragala district increased by one, according to the latest revision by Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya. The number of MPs to be elected from each district is determined by the commissioner annually in [...]
Thousands of land grabs in Colombo: CID arrests six gangs
More than 3,500 complaints of illegal land grabs, forcible occupation of houses and cases of forged deeds — most of them from Colombo — have been received by the Criminal Investigations Department, a senior officer said yesterday. He said that already six gangs operating in Colombo had been nabbed and of the complaints received, 1,165 [...]
JVP, CPA see monstrosity in Divineguma bill
The Supreme Court will tomorrow take up four petitions challenging the constitutionality of the Divineguma Bill. Among those who have challenged the bill are an employee of the Samurdhi Authority, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna and the Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA). The JVP in its petition said the provisions of the bill would enable the [...]
Polls dept. upstages UPFA CM candidate
Officials of the Elections Department yesterday sealed three stores in Anuradhapura from where UPFA Chief Ministerial candidate Berty Premalal Dissanayake was to distribute among voters, State-owned agricultural implements with stickers bearing his name, ahead of next month’s Provincial Council (PC) elections. Anuradhapura District Additional Elections Commissioner K.K.S. Madhawa told the Sunday Times that stickers and [...]
Death of Veteran Journalist C.S. Dharmarajah
The death occurred of veteran Journalist C.S. Dharmarajah while on a pilgrimage in India, on August 10. Mr Dharmarajah began his journalistic career in the 1950’s as a Sub Editor in the Morning Times. He later moved to the Ceylon Daily Mirror as its first Chief Reporter and subsequently as its Features Editor. He wrote [...]
Dengue death statistics withheld by Health Ministry
The number of dengue cases has reached a staggering 25,000 this year despite measures taken by health authorities to control this deadly mosquito-borne disease. According to data released by the Health Ministry’s Epidemiology Unit the number of cases stands at 25,679. However, the number of deaths has not been released by the Epidemiology Unit since [...]
Drought-hit Polonnaruwa farmers pawn their tractors
Farmers in drought-stricken Polonnaruwa are in a desperate plight. Not only have they lost their crops because of the long dry spell, they stand to lose the farming equipment and other possessions they pawned in order to raise the money to go ahead with this year’s cultivation. These farmers have no money to redeem their [...]
‘We will not bow to threats or pressure’– SLMC
The Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC), the country’s powerful medical regulatory body, came out strongly this week against threats of intimidation and pressure, vowing to stand firm and sought civilsociety and media support in its efforts. In one voice, the full force of the SLMC including its President, Prof. Carlo Fonseka – facing the media [...]
Environmental concerns mount as oil slick spreads
The authorities have launched a round the clock monitoring system of an oil slick that surfaced on the ocean from a cargo vessel that sank off the Panadura coast late Thursday while marine biologists and environmentalists warned of a catastrophe when the oil slick reaches the shore. According to officials the 15,500 tonne Cyprus-flagged Thermopylae [...]
Wellawatte killings: Suspect allegedly sacrifices his family over mounting debt
Prashan Kumarasamy, 27, the prime suspect involved in the alleged murder of his own family members, is believed to have planned this crime for over a month. According to police, a month ago, he befriended a pharmacist from whom he obtained the antidepressants, allegedly used for mixing in drinks, to kill his family members. A [...]
Drought drives farmers to the wall
As the drought continues to wreak havoc in most parts of the country, driving farmers to the wall, those involved in livestock and cattle breeding, have opted to put up shutters, owing to the lack of water needed for their poultry and animals. Livestock farmers in Kuliyapitiya- easily the country’s single largest district that produces [...]
Dry weather here due to global climatic changes
The prevailing drought in the northern part of Sri Lanka is due to the disturbance caused to the monsoonal rain patterns by global climatic changes, says Department of Meteorology duty forecaster Ananda Jayasinhearachchi. He said that rains received for the duration of the Southwest monsoon to date are below average of the usual rainfall. “The [...]
Eating out tonight? Beware of the water you drink
About 1.5 million people comprising both residents of Colombo city and those who visit it, are at risk of contracting typhoid and other water-borne diseases due to sewer water contaminating tube wells and even chlorinated pipe-borne water, health authorities warn. Colombo Municipal Council Chief Medical Officer Dr. Pradeep Kariyawasam said the increase in the number [...]
Buddha statue case suspects remanded
A second suspect in the case of attempting to sell a gold Buddha statue with an archeological value for half a million rupees has been remanded till September 5. The suspect is W. M. Wijekoon of Suriyagoda, Murthalawai. In this case, a gold Buddha statute 18.5 centimetres tall, allegedly from the Kandyan period, was brought [...]
To have one’s land and sell it too
Y.A.C. Priyankara, 33 had well laid out plans for his future when he invested in a plot of land in Pugoda in the Gampaha district, for which he sold his house in Yakkala.He rented out a house till he had built his own. “I was planning to build a small house on this land, put [...]
Public see red as police and CMC go in circles
Malfunctioning traffic light systems in Colombo city are adding to the already chaotic traffic, with the police and CMC giving different reasons for the situation. “Police officers are assigned to control traffic in some busy intersections in Colombo and it would help the task of these officers if there was a system of properly [...]
Even at 90, Sam fights for Parliamentary independence
Ninety-year-old one-time Secretary General of Parliament, Sam Wijesinha was felicitated yesterday by the Parliament Staff Pensioners Association at a ceremony held at ‘Temple Trees’ under the patronage of President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa. Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe had excused himself from the function as he had undergone eye surgery. President Rajapaksa related an [...]
SL welcomes 3 Heads of State in 2 weeks
The recent visit by the King of Swaziland’s Mswati III to Sri Lanka was followed last week by two other high profile visits, those of the President of the Republic of Seychelles, James Alix Michel and that of Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed. The visit by the Maldivian President is the first since he took office [...]
Results coming from a staggered election
Scheduling elections prematurely on a staggered run is a strategic device to hold an early Presidential Election -provinces are artfully selected to declare a winner enabling the early bird to pick worms on the ground, as the serial unfolds. Results are infectious, sufficient to spread its impact to neighbouring provinces in a game where the [...]