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Thai Pongal – back to the future

Thai Pongal – back to the future

  With the Tamil community and political party leaders actively cooperating with the National Government, Thai Pongal was celebrated in a special way on Friday. The sound of aerial bombing, mortar shells and landmine explosions were a thing of the past as the Northern A-9 highway was ablaze with light and sound of firecrackers as [...]

Tree-top protest brings results to students

Housing and Construction Minister Sajith Premadsa had to intervene to settle an impasse between protesting parents and school authorities at Hambantota, after two of the four protesting parents were hospitalised due to dehydration. Four parents launched a hunger strike atop a tree, following the rejection of their children to the year one class of a village [...]

DDCC heads to be briefed on their role in development

The President and the Prime Minister will meet the newly appointed co-chairpersons of District Development Coordination Committees tomorrow to explain to them their powers and responsibilities in carrying out the Government’s development programmes. Home Affairs Minister Vajira Abeywardena said 54 parliamentarians who were appointed to the posts earlier this month would be briefed on the [...]

Lanka mediates for Nasheed’s release

Sri Lanka has mediated with Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen for the release of his predecessor Mohamed Nasheed who is now serving a jail term.  The task was undertaken by Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera and Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake who flew to Male last Wednesday on an un-announced visit. This was after both President Maithripala Sirisena [...]

Central Bank, commercial banks oppose Finance Minister’s ‘no-questions’ policy

Central Bank (CB) officials have opposed Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake’s request for a ‘no-questions asked’ policy on depositing large scale remittances while commercial banks are rigidly sticking to tough anti-laundering and anti-terrorism financing laws on foreign currency transfers, the Sunday Times learns. The CB’s Exchange Control Department has expressed opposition to a request from the [...]

Ravi attends launch of China-sponsored AIIB

Sri Lanka’s return to seeking China’s financial assistance was further highlighted yesterday by Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake taking part in the opening of the Asian Investment Infrastructure Bank in Beijing by President Xi Jinping, an initiative by China to rival the World Bank, IMF and the ADB. Mr. Karunanayake flew to China with a team [...]

Nasheed released for surgery

The Maldivian government yesterday announced that the jailed former President Mohamed Nasheed was being allowed to travel to Britain for surgery — on condition that he returns to serve the remainder of his 13-year sentence.

Bidding process for names on vehicle number plates

The Motor Traffic Department will go in for competitive bidding in cases where more than one person request for a number plate with the same name for their vehicles. Motor Traffic Commissioner-General Jagath Chandrasiri explained that under a new scheme coming into effect soon persons would be able to display a name on the number plate, [...]

Burning questions over huge coal-buying contract

The Government has awarded a contract for 1.9 million metric tonnes of coal to a foreign company at a much higher price than what the Government is paying for spot purchases of coal, documents obtained by the Sunday Times show.  A one-year contract to supply 1.9 million metric tonnes of coal has gone to a [...]

UK Foreign Office bans use of its embassies by ex-PMs/ Ministers

The British Foreign Office has banned former prime ministers and former ministers from using the facilities of her embassies abroad, “unless the visits support UK government objectives”, a statement issued by the UK Foreign Office (FO) states. The crack-down comes in the wake of a Freedom of Information request from British Tory MP Andrew Bridgen [...]

Wait awhile for fuel price formula – Minister

The proposed pricing formula for fuel reflecting costs has been postponed again. Petroleum and Petroleum Gas Minister Chandima Weerakkody said the relevant Cabinet paper was taken up this week but was put off as the Ministry of Finance wanted time to study it. “We will take it up next week,” he said. The formula, which [...]

Ministry awaiting results of inquiry where police allegedly prevented media from reporting

The Ministry of Parliamentary Reforms and Mass Media is awaiting results of the inquiry by police into the case where they blocked journalists from reporting court proceedings of the death of the Embilipitiya youth, its secretary M. W. V. Narampanawa said. The police commenced an inquiry into the incident where police stopped reporters from covering [...]

Seeking blessings from the Sun God

Seeking blessings from the Sun God

  Devotees at a kovil in Jaffna worship the Sun God as pasrt of the Thai Pongal ritual.

More cop shops to provide speedier response to public complaints

The Government will set up more than 150 new police stations within the next two years with multiple objectives, including providing speedy response to public complaints, a senior official said. An allocation of one billion rupees will be provided for the setting up of new police stations in areas which will be identified depending on [...]

Jailed Maldives ex-president to seek surgery in UK: Male Govt

Jailed Maldives ex-president to seek surgery in UK: Male Govt

MAL, Maldives, Jan 16, (AFP) – The Maldives’ opposition leader Mohamed Nasheed, who is serving a 13-year jail term following a controversial trial, has been allowed to travel to Britain for surgery, the Maldives government said Saturday. Nasheed, who became the country’s first democratically elected leader in the Maldives. The sudden change of heart by [...]

Send-me-your-nude-pic: Will you give a Facebook like?

Send-me-your-nude-pic: Will you give a Facebook like?

A blackmail and extortion scandal involving company executives, ruggerites, cricketers and bank employees is being investigated by the Cyber Crime division of the Criminal Investigations Department. The probe was launched after the unit received at least 15 identical complaints in less than three months, a senior officer of the unit told the Sunday Times. The [...]

Houses at Rs. 2 m. each for North-East displaced

Houses at Rs. 2 m. each for North-East displaced

A Government-led initiative to build 65,000 houses for the displaced in the North and East has run into controversy. Civil society groups are questioning the estimated cost of each house—a steep Rs. 2.1 million—and the “fast-track” process by which a builder was selected out of several bidders. The displaced will have no say over the [...]

Calls grow for laws to grow ganja for medicinal purposes

Calls grow for laws to grow ganja for medicinal purposes

Ayurveda Commissioner P.S.K.R. Weerakoon has called on the Government to expedite measures to make cannabis cultivation legal as native medicine practitioners are finding it difficult to obtain the herb. He said that at present they obtained much of the cannabis, a key ingredient in Ayurveda concoctions, from courts. Last year, some 350 kg of cannabis [...]

First-ever Fairway National Literary Award winners announced at FGLF

First-ever Fairway National Literary Award winners announced at FGLF

The winners of the inaugural Fairway National Literary Award 2015 were announced at an award ceremony held at the Fairway Galle Literary Festival 2016 on Friday. Sepali Mayadunne’s ‘Maha Sami’ was adjudged the winner in the Sinhala Category while Rizwina Morseth De Alwis (It’s not in our stars) and Ayathurai Santhan (Rails Run Parallel) emerged [...]

Anuradha Roy wins 2016 DSC Prize for South Asian Literature

Anuradha Roy wins 2016 DSC Prize for South Asian Literature

Indian writer Anuradha Roy was awarded the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature 2016 for her novel Sleeping on Jupiter at a ceremony held at the Fairway Galle Literary Festival yesterday. The US$ 50,000 prize was awarded to the winner by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. Speaking to the Sunday Times after the ceremony, Anuradha Roy [...]

‘My successor will have a friendlier environment’

‘My successor will have a friendlier environment’

“I saw, in front of my eyes, Sri Lankans turning a page and starting a process of transformation,” outgoing UN Resident Coordinator Subinay Nandy said in an interview this week. On the one hand, it was a transformation, Mr. Nandy described, reflecting upon the change in administration that took place last year. “But on the [...]

UNHRC means business and SL will have to deliver: UK Minister

Sri Lanka will have to demonstrate by June that it has made significant and credible progress in achieving the commitment made to the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) last September over issues of truth and accountability, UK’s Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Hugo Swire said yesterday. “The UNHRC will look at [...]

SLIIT trying to cut links with Mahapola : Ex-board member

The Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT) recently returned to the Mahapola Trust Fund Rs. 408 million which Mahapola had paid in the early 2000s towards the construction of the Institute’s main building in Malabe. This week, a former SLIIT board member accused the Institute of trying to sever ties with Mahapola in disregard [...]

Some principals, PPAs partners in school crimes

Some principals, PPAs partners in school crimes

While highly-publicised ceremonies were held in schools on Wednesday to mark the admission of some 250,000 Grade 1 children, a shocking a scandalous scam where large sums of money have been obtained from parents for admission has been exposed. This came after extensive investigations by the Education Ministry. At least 10 leading schools are under [...]

Galle attack: Focus on breakdown of school discipline

Major questions about student misbehaviour and the causes for it have arisen after the shocking case where a student is alleged to have attacked a vice-principal with a cricket stump. In the incident at Galle’s Siri Dhamma Vidyalaya, a 17 year old boy in Grade 12 is alleged to have hit the vice-principal with a [...]

Gregory’s Lake fast turning into garbage dump

Gregory’s Lake fast turning into garbage dump

Gregory’s Lake in Nuwara Eliya is a major tourist attraction and a place that adds to the scenic beauty of the area. During the tourist season it is a common sight to see people take boat rides on the lake while others walk around. However of late, a rather unsightly mess is building up to [...]

War hero families to get special-benefits cards

War hero families to get special-benefits cards

To raise the living standards of more than 300,000 Ranaviru families and disabled service personnel, the Government on January 25 will launch the Virusara Privilege Card that enables them to obtain goods and services at concessionary prices, in addition to other benefits. The card, which endows family members of fallen war heroes and differently-abled service [...]

A house fit for an ex-president; focus on hocus-pocus

A house fit for an ex-president; focus on hocus-pocus

Real estate dealer and former diplomat A.S.P. Liyanage who offered one of his houses to former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, until he was provided accommodation by the State, was yesterday awaiting police assistance to clear up a swimming pool filled with sand, following speculation that it contained gold and cash, on the superstitious beliefs of the [...]

Veggie prices down, but consumers slow to respond

Veggie prices down, but consumers  slow to respond

Trade stalls in urban areas are full of fresh vegetables, a few weeks after their prices skyrocketed as a result of bad weather and resultant shortfall. “Rupees 160 per kilo, Rs. 160 per kilo,” retail vegetable vendors shout in unison. This week prices of popular vegetables went down with green beans sold at an average [...]

Thai Pongal -a celebration of nature’s bounty

Thai Pongal -a celebration of nature’s bounty

Thai Pongal -the festival of farmers’ thanks at the first paddy harvest, includes worship to the Sun God and thanksgiving to cattle- is celebrated by the Hindu Tamil population. This year Thai Pongal was celebrated country-wide on Friday (15) with a state-sponsored programme held in Jaffna attracting large crowds. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe and his [...]

Oil leak continues to wreak havoc on lives, livelihoods and environment

The Muthurajawala oil leak, after two weeks, has left more trees dead, rotting animals and the lagoon unusable for villagers, as authorities were trying to take remedial measures. Fishermen complained the oil is still found in between the mangrove roots and are further killing the plants as well as wildlife. The head of the Kaldiyawatte [...]

Garbage collection and recycling in the dumps

Garbage collection  and recycling  in the dumps

Recycling household waste material collected by local councils is running into various problems due to poor planning, improper collection mechanisms and lack of public cooperation, the Sunday Time learns. The Central Environmental Authority (CEA) gives financial and technical support to more than 125 local authorities to implement the recycling programme. One of the main problems [...]

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