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Lest we forget!

The world today solemnly remembers those killed or injured while fighting for their countries during the world wars or other conflicts. At the War Memorial at Viharamahadevi Park yesterday, these troops are seen staging a rehearsal for today’s ceremonies to mark Poppy Day. Pic by Indika Handuwela

Polls on Jan 2; search for Opp. common candidate intensifies

With the presidential elections advanced to January 2 next year to facilitate the Sri Lanka visit by Pope Francis, the main opposition United National Party (UNP) is still in search of a ‘common candidate.’ The task of finding one and forming a ‘common front’ has fallen on former UNP Chairman Malik Samarawickrema, now a Working [...]

Death row Indian fishermen get Rs. 4.2m from Tamil Nadu

The Tamil Nadu government has sent Indian Rs. 2 million (SL Rs. 4.2 million) to the Indian High Commission here to cover the legal cost of the appeal to be filed by the five Indians sentenced to death for drug trafficking. In a statement, the Tamil Nadu government said the funds would be used by the [...]

Lanka pushes for full-fledged UN holiday for Vesak

UNITED NATIONS – Sri Lanka is leading an effort to have Vesak declared a full-fledged UN holiday. The proposal will first go before the Administrative and Budgetary Committee and finally before the 193-member General Assembly, the highest policy making body at the United Nations, for approval. Currently, the UN annually commemorates a Day of National Observance [...]

Move against nuclear catastrophe: EAM clueless

The External Affairs Ministry was unaware that a joint statement was being presented to the UN First Committee on the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons use — as the Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the UN in New York had not brought it to the notice of the Ministry, authoritative sources said. They [...]

October roar: 1,000 new mobikes a day as registrations soar

More than 1,000 motorcycles were registered every day with the Motor Traffic Department last month, showing a roaring increase in the number of registrations, officials said. Motor Traffic Department Director General S.H. Harischandra said that last month 35,614 motorcycles were registered compared to 24,437 bikes in the previous month. “We expect that there will be [...]

Team to learn from India how to handle high-risk viruses

The Health Ministry will send a team of virologists and microbiologists from the Medical Research Institute and Infectious Diseases Hospital to Pune, India to observe the handling of viruses such as ebola in laboratories. The team will be visiting the National Institute of Virology in Pune, which is the only top laboratory in Asia that [...]

Yal Devi runaway success, more trains on track

Raking in Rs. 10 million since its launch on October 13, the northern-bound Yal Devi has become the highest revenue earner for the Railways Department, which now wants to put on more trains. About 10,000 people are using the train for day-to-day activities, earning the department Rs. 600,000 daily. Given the increase of passengers travelling [...]

Security plans and spiritual programmes underway for Pope Francis visit

With the Holy Father set to visit the country on January 13, the Sri Lankan Army and Police are gearing up to implement a tight security plan, while the church prepares to greet the Roman Catholic Pontiff and canonise the first saint of Sri Lanka “We will provide tight security to the Pope without causing [...]

The Saturday fair located along the Nuwara Eliya-Udupussellawa main road in Kandapola faces a serious problem: on-coming traffic. The 20-year-old fair which has long met the needs of the locals is now a death trap in waiting with many road-side accidents occurring in the vicinity. Kandapola town located 10 km from Nuwara Eliya is populated [...]

Anxious wait for safe homes in landslide areas

Thousands of people in shelters in Badulla and Nuwara Eliya districts will have to return to homes in unsafe areas when the risk of landslides lessens until the government builds them new permanent homes. In Badulla alone, more than 4,386 people from 1,209 families are living in 30 temporary shelters. This is in addition to [...]

Rs. 1 million for personalised number plates

Sri Lankans here and abroad will be able to obtain personalised number plates for the vehicles they buy in Sri Lanka in terms of proposals made to the Cabinet by Transport Minister Kumara Welgama. The Minister has proposed that Rs. 1 million be charged for each personalised number plate which will be issued in association [...]

Jumbos cry for a home on the range

A proposal to set up a Managed Elephant Range (MER) around Mattala Airport in Hambantota area has failed to get off the ground, sparking fears of intensified human-elephant conflict. Four years after the demarcation of the range it has not been gazetted unlike neighbouring sanctuaries, and thus there is no way the Wildlife Department can [...]

It is all about that powerful and complex organ, the amazing brain, that an eminent group will discuss and debate next weekend in Colombo. What can ail the brain and how can these ailments be prevented and treated, will be on the minds of nearly 300 delegates, both local and foreign, as they meet from [...]

Bodyguards abscond while Malaka stays remanded post-surgery

Six accomplices of Malaka Silva, son of Minister Mervyn Silva, allegedly involved in the assault of a foreign couple at a nightclub, are still at large, though they have been identified, police said. The suspects were identified through CCTV footage from the Rhythm and Blues nightclub where the alleged assault took place in the early [...]

Man hides sister’s severed foot in jungle; docs unable to reattach it

A man who chopped off his sister’s foot with a sword, over a land dispute in Balangoda, removed the severed part of the leg, preventing doctors from attempting to re-attach the part to her leg, police said. The man, with the help of his son, chopped off his 54-year-old sister Stella Pushpa Wickramaratne’s foot from [...]

King James bible a must for aspiring writers, says veteran Indian journalist

Print journalism is not about displaying one’s skills of impeccable or phenomenal writing but more about communicating in a concise and precise manner where a reporter can connect with readers in a few words, observed M.J. Akbar, senior Indian journalist and national spokesperson for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Addressing students of the Sri Lanka [...]

Dengue patients flock to Negombo Hospital

Full-up — Negombo General Hospital is overflowing with dengue patients. With a dengue explosion in the country, which will send the disease numbers sky-rocketing this year, suspected dengue patients, both adults and children, are streaming into the Negombo Hospital, the Sunday Times found on a visit on Friday. Not only are the 17 beds in [...]

A House bitterly divided over merits, demerits of Executive Presidency

With the growing buzz about an early Presidential election, as well as of impending crossovers, Government and Opposition lawmakers locked horns last week on the merits and demerits of the Executive Presidency (EP). The issue of corruption and abuse of authority by those in power too came in for strong criticism from the Opposition, but [...]

Pakistan’s Defence Advisor Col. Rajil Irshad handing over relief goods for Koslanda landslide victims to the Sri Lankan Army

Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe laughs with members of the UNP-led Green Blood Group at its meeting in Nugegoda on Thursday. An e-mail account, greenbloodunp@gmail.com, was also launched. Pic by Gayan Amarasekera

Double trouble from dengue despite campaigns

Dengue cases were 100 per cent higher last month than in October 2013 despite intensive eradication campaigns, and authorities warn of a greater outbreak in coming weeks following islandwide rains. Neither the Epidemiology Unit nor the Dengue Control Unit of the Health Ministry will officially reveal the exact number of deaths from dengue so far [...]

President Rajapaksa, a number of other ministers and old boys of Nalanda College in Colombo, joined the school’s 90th year walk yesterday. Pic by Ishan Sanjeewa

Malefic pattern in upper skies bringing disasters

Take out your umbrellas, raincoats and arks – the coming weeks will see deluges that could lead to flooding and other natural disasters, climate experts warn. The rains ending the prolonged drought will come in full intensity and result in flash floods and more landslides, said climate expert S.A. Norbert, Professor in Geography at the [...]

Rs 262,000 per day at President’s disposal to spend in 2015: JVP

The Committee Stage debate of the Budget began this week with the votes of several important ministries taken up for discussion. These included the votes of the Office of the President, Prime Minister, Parliament, Ministry of Defence and Urban Development, Economic Development, Civil Aviation, Power and Energy and Petroleum Industries. Following are excerpts of views [...]

Third-term case: BASL chief insists on oral submissions

The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) yesterday reiterated that the Supreme Court should entertain oral hearing in the determination of the opinion sought by President Mahinda Rajapaksa on his eligibility to call for a presidential election after four years in his second term and contest for a third term. BASL President Upul Jayasuriya told [...]

The Republic of Sri Lanka established by the 1970 Constituent Assembly is based on two legal instruments. Firstly, the Constitution of the Republic of Sri Lanka enacted by this Constituent Assembly; Article 12 (1) of this 1972 Constitution reiterated the validity of Ceylon Independence Act 1947 passed by the UK Parliament. Secondly, the Republic of [...]

Fisheries Ministry to purchase vessel monitoring equipment

The Fisheries Ministry is to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Wednesday with a Denmark based company for seven million Euros (approximately Rs. 114 million) to purchase vessel monitoring system machines and other technical instruments in keeping with a European Union (EU) recommendation. Officials of Visma Fisheries Solutions will be in Colombo next week [...]

Rising costs hit domestic aviation industry

It took off with aplomb after the war’s end but the domestic aviation industry is facing formidable challenges amidst rising costs. Companies dependent upon air passengers are the worst affected. Those who run training schools are better off, though not much. Some airlines have now revised their targets and are expecting to break even later [...]

Good food and promises dished out to families of Lankans working abroad

With the presidential election scheduled for early next year Temple Trees is a hive of activity, with arrangements being made for President Mahinda Rajapaksa to meet various groups of people. “I had the best meal ever in my life today,” said 68-year-old P. Siriyalatha, a mother of two daughters. The added joy for her, she [...]

State sector expansion for national development, optimum service: Minister

One in every 17 Sri Lankans is a State sector employee, Minister of Public Administration and Home Affairs, John Seneviratne told Parliament yesterday. The Minister disclosed this when the votes of his Ministry were taken up for debate during the Committee Stage debate of the Budget. ”Even though we are a small country, we have [...]

Yapa’s bicycles: The mystery deepens over deals within wheels

Two containers which arrived from Japan under the name of the Lakshman Yapa Foundation headed by Investment Promotion Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena were scanned and declared as ‘unclear and suspicious areas marked’ , but yet released without a proper investigation, Customs sources revealed. The Sunday Times last week in its lead story disclosed that the [...]

A new gym, accessible to anyone for free, was declared open by Secretary Defence and Urban Development Gotabaya Rajapaksa at Colombo’s Independence Square on Wednesday. Pic by Indika Handuwala

Tata company undertakes mixed development project in Colombo 2

India’s Tata Housing Development Company has become the latest international firm to be given generous tax concessions for a mixed development project it is building at Slave Island, Colombo 2. This includes a ten-year corporate income tax waiver on the profits of the project, other than from the sale of apartments. The exemption for income generated [...]

ST pic of PM, House Leader dozing during Budget speech discussed

A picture published in the Sunday Times of October 26, showing Prime Minister D.M. Jayaratne and Leader of the House, Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva dozing, while President Mahinda Rajapaksa delivered his Budget speech, came in for discussion in Parliament yesterday. UNP MP Ajith P. Perera raised the issue during his speech on the votes [...]

100,000 University admissions by 2020: UGC Chairperon

Student intake to State universities to be increased to 100,000 by 2020, said University Grants Commission (UGC) Chairperson Prof. Kshanika Hirimburegama said. She said that university infrastructure facilities will be expanded to enable this increased intake. “By next year, we intend admitting 2,000 students into the Technology stream, which will be increased significantly later. For [...]

Research gets 10% of Higher Education allocation: UGC Head

Research to receive 10% of Higher Education allocation, said University Grants Commission (UGC) Chairperson Prof. Kshanika Hirimburegama. She said that, altogether some Rs 650 million is being allocated for Research within State-run universities. “This includes Rs 500 million for Research centres to be set up in our universities, and Rs 150 million for academics to [...]

WPC allocates Rs 95 million for Schools’ Infrastructure

The Western Provincial Council has allocated Rs 95 million for development of school infrastructure for the next year, WP Education Secretary, M.A.B. Daya Senarath told the Education Times. He said, under this project, Principals will be required to send in their project proposals and the Provincial Education Ministry will fund 50% of the project in [...]

8,000 O/L Candidates’ NIC applications rejected: Registration Dept CG

About 8,000 National Identity Card (NIC) applications submitted for next months GCE Ordinary Level candidates cannot be accepted due to shortcomings, said the Commissioner General, Registration of Persons Sarath Kumara. Among them, 5,000 applications were from students who had not reached the mandatory age of 16 years, to be eligible for an NIC, while about [...]

Application for admissions to State-run Universities to go online: UGC Addl. Sec.

Online application to State-run universities will be available for the first time in Sri Lanka from next year, said Additional Secretary to the University Grants Commission (UGC), Dr Priyantha Premakumara. He said that GCE Advanced Level qualified students desirous of gaining admission to any State-run university, could apply online, to save time for both parties. [...]

16 Computer Labs in Batticaloa district under Deyata Kirula

Under the ‘Deyata Kirula’ in the Batticaloa district, 16 Computer Labs were declared open by the Deputy Minister of Telecommunications & Information Technology, Prabha Ganeshan, this week. The first Lab was set up at the Vakarai Vammivettuvan Maha Vidyalaya on Tuesday. Principal, S. Inthiran, Vakarai Divisional Secretary Mrs S. Rajagulanayagi and Kalkudah Zonal Education Director [...]

30,000 School dropouts in 2013: BG

Education Minister Bandula Gunewardena said that 29,878 schoolchildren between Grade 1 and Grade 10 (aged 5-14 years) dropped out of school in 2013. Minister Gunewardena said this includes those who left school after the GCE Ordinary Level and GCE Advanced Level exams. According to him, 39,087 school dropouts were reported in 1997, 45,247 reported in [...]

Education Ministry surveys Teachers’, Schoolchildren’s Computer Literacy, Schools’ Computer Facilities

The Ministry of Education is currently conducting a survey on Computer Literacy of students and teachers, as well as a census on the availability of Computer facilities in schools island-wide. The survey and census is conducted with the assistance of the Department of Census & Statistics and Sri Lanka Information & Communication Technology Agency (ICTA). [...]

State, Private sector Higher Education to compete through’ Quality drive: CB Report

The Ministry of Higher Education has embarked on transforming the Higher Education system to facilitate the establishment of both State and private sector universities through a quality drive competition, said a recently released Government report. The Central Bank (CB) Report released last month on Recent Economic Developments: 2014 Highlights & Prospectus 2015, said that, during [...]

A campaign to improve the environs in the Dambulla area was launched this week with the help of schoolchildren and the participation of the police. A tree planting campaign at the Rangiri Dambulla temple was attended by chief incumbent Ven Inamaluwe Shri Sumangala Thera and the Principal of Dambulla National School, R.K. Rajapaksa. Pix by [...]

AAUPCC aids undergrads in need at Peradeniya campus

The Student Welfare Committee (SWC) of the Alumni Association of the University of Peradeniya, Colombo Chapter, (AAUPCC) has undertaken several projects to help undergraduates of the University of Peradeniya, Committee Chairman, K.M.D. Gunaratne told Education Times. “AAUPCC established 23 years ago, has a membership of over 2,100 members at present, who serve or have served [...]

National question internal issue for Lanka: BJP spokesman

The government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi regards Sri Lanka’s national question and its economic cooperation with China as essentially internal matters of Sri Lanka although India has humanitarian and security concerns, the ruling Bharatiya Janatha Party’s National Spokesman, M. J. Akbar, said yesterday. In an interview with the Sunday Times, Mr. Akbar, a [...]

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