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Home » NewsTight security in Colombo amid reports of troubles
A tight security cover has been placed around the University of Colombo, Fort and Galle Face, following intelligence reports of an anti-government group trying to create disturbances, Police spokesman Nihal Thalduwa said. He said the steps were taken as a precaution. Accordingly, armed soldiers and policemen had been placed around these areas since Friday morning. [...]
430 state institutions to be sold or restructured
Process to begin in two months and be completed by year’s end By Damith Wickremasekara The Finance Ministry has identified 430 state institutions, both loss- and profit-making institutions, for the proposed restructuring process. Under the proposed programme, some of the institutions will be sold; others will be closed down, merged or restructured. The process would [...]
CEB reforms: Colossal debt to be transferred to new treasury-held entity
By Namini Wijedasa A new law to reform the power sector envisages wiping the Ceylon Electricity Board’s (CEB) colossal debt off its balance sheet and transferring it to a “special purpose vehicle” (SPV) which will be held by the Treasury, authoritative sources said. An SPV is a subsidiary created by a parent company to isolate [...]
IRD encourages transactions through banks or cards
Taxpayers will no longer be able to obtain tax deductions for transactions exceeding Rs. 500,000 made to another person in a single day if they have not been made through a bank account or via card payment. In a notice to taxpayers, the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) notes that no deduction shall be allowed to [...]
AG challenges X-Press Pearl lawyer’s court appearance
By Ranjith Padmasiri The Attorney General has objected to a lawyer appearing on behalf of the Singaporean owner of the sunken vessel MV X-Press Pearl at the Colombo Magistrate’s Court more than 23 months after the disaster. The AG’s Department raised objections to the lawyer when the case was taken up before Colombo Additional Magistrate [...]
CBSL to get wide powers to ensure stability of licensed banks
By S. Rubatheesan A fresh Banking Special Provisions Bill proposes to give the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) a wide range of powers, including the right to proactively intervene with licensed banks that face existential threats to ensure financial stability. The move came in the wake of the Government preparing to go ahead with [...]
‘Take advantage of this opportunity and make a change’
President Ranil Wickremesinghe addresses youth selected for Sectoral Oversight Committees of Parliament A “system change” can be done in accordance with the Constitution, President Ranil Wickremesinghe stressed while addressing an orientation workshop for nearly 550 youth representatives of the Sectoral Oversight Committees of Parliament. Following a newspaper advertisement, youth between the ages of 18 and [...]
UN Sp. Raps. express concern over ATA and Rehab Bill
8 special rapporteurs, 2 working groups write to Govt; definition of terrorism an issue By Namini Wijedasa Eight UN Special Rapporteurs and two Working Groups have written to the Sri Lankan Government expressing concern about aspects of the country’s proposed Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) – including the definition of “terrorism” as envisaged in the law – [...]
Rains to ease despite cyclonic condition in Bay of Bengal
The prevailing wet weather condition will fade away after tomorrow, the Department of Meteorology said. The cyclonic storm “Mocha” over East-Central Bay of Bengal has turned into an extremely severe cyclonic storm and has the high probability to make its way toward northeast and cross Southeast Bangladesh and North Myanmar, the department said. The department [...]
Operation to locate 2.3 million vehicles that have not renewed their licences
The Department of Motor Traffic has launched an operation to locate an estimated 2.3 million vehicles that had not renewed their revenue licences for years. Commissioner General Nishantha Weerasinghe said the department had asked the chief secretaries of the nine provinces to furnish details of such vehicles by checking their database for vehicles that had [...]
CIABOC employees petition SC challenging Anti-Corruption Bill
Employees of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery and Corruption (CIABOC) were among those who petitioned the Supreme Court this week challenging various clauses of the Government’s proposed Anti-Corruption Bill. The bench comprised Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya and Justices Murdhu Fernando and Janak De Silva. Submissions continue tomorrow. A petition by 10 Attorneys-at-Law working [...]
32,000 dengue infections raise fears of a severe outbreak
By Nadia Fazlulhaq Dengue fever is spreading rapidly in heavily populated Gampaha and Colombo districts and health authorities fear an outbreak will surpass the tally of 72 deaths and 76,000 patients in 2022. So far this year, 32,000 and 20 deaths have been reported — the majority from the Western Province. President Ranil Wickremesinghe this [...]
Horrible sex crimes in Kalutara: Police piece together evidence
By Jayanie Madawala Murders, rape, child abuse and abductions have been extensively reported with two incidents in Kalutara getting prominence over the week. Among the incidents has been the mysterious death of a 16-year-old schoolgirl who died after falling from an upper floor of a lodge in Kalutara. The case has now been handed over [...]
Immediate withdrawal of contaminated eye-drop: MSD sends out circular
By Kumudini Hettiarachchi A batch of a common eye-drop, confirmed as being contaminated by a bacterium, has been withdrawn but many queried as to what would happen to the patients whose vision has been impaired. The eye-drop is Prednisolone Acetate Ophthalmic Suspension USP IO-PRED-S, a common steroid and anti-inflammatory medication used after eye surgery in [...]
Pettah market vendors squeezed by higher rents
By Tharushi Weerasinghe Vendors in the Pettah say they are unable to bear the sharp rise in shop rentals imposed by the Urban Development Authority for small floor areas in the Pettah market. “I’ve been working in this market for about 40 years now,” said Mohomed Rafeek, 53, who runs a leather bag shop at [...]
The Pirates of the X-Press Pearl: Parliamentarians in finger-pointing game
By Sandun Jayawardana Accusations flew thick and fast between the government and opposition benches this week as Parliament went ahead with a two-day debate on the X-Press Pearl disaster despite strong objections from Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe. Moved by the opposition, the adjournment debate was initially supposed to be a one-day debate scheduled for Wednesday. [...]
‘Police, armed forces must ‘respond’ and not ‘react’ to lawful protests’
SC Judge Yasantha Kodagoda addresses gathering at the launch of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka’s ‘Recommended Guidelines to the State and Law Enforcement Officials on dealing with Civilian Protests’ By Nathara Abeywickrema As a lawful protest is a legitimate form of exercising the fundamental right to freedom of expression and free speech and peaceful [...]
Couple camping in elephant corridor attacked, one dead
Text and pix by Prasad Rukmal Investigations into the death of a young woman killed while camping in the Diyaluma Ella area has revealed that the location where she had camped with her fiancé was located in an elephant corridor. Tharushi Kaveesha (23) was a nurse working in a private hospital in Kurunegala, and her fiance [...]
Alarm bells over toxic textile dye found in betel chewing hunu
Finding comes to light during a study on oral cancer By Kumudini Hettiarachchi It should be white but it was a mutai pink, bringing with it double jeopardy! An analysis of the pink pigment gave a chilling insight – it was due to Rhodamine B, a toxic textile dye, which is banned against use as [...]
Heavy doses of jarring building work nuisance endangers mental health
By Nadia Fazulhaq From jolting, earth-shaking pile-driving to the constant noise of concrete mixers and industrial machinery, night shifts at Colombo’s construction sites are making residents spend stressful, restless, and sleepless nights. Prolonged exposure can cause hearing loss, or tinnitus, or both. Hearing loss can also be caused by a single loud noise. Depending on [...]
Complex double heart surgery, a first in SL
Team headed by Dr. Vivek Gupta performs ‘Extra anatomical bypass of coarctation of the aorta’ along with ‘Mitral valve replacement’ By Kumudini Hettiarachchi It started six months before with a small hathiya (panting) whenever he walked. Exhaustion also hit very fast. Now not only Sisira Siriwardena but also his two mallis (younger brothers) are all [...]
Peradeniya University staff given training on emergency response
By L.B.Senaratne The University of Peradeniya conducted its first-ever training programme on emergency medical response and first aid for the staff who interact with a student population of 13,000. The programme was attended by the staff, including academic, administrative and security officers, to ensure they are prepared to act in any emergency. The university’s Medical [...]
Tuk-tuks to go electric
Sri Lanka is promoting e-mobility to reduce carbon emissions emitted from vehicles, while adopting greener and cleaner approaches for a more sustainable and resilient future. A shift towards sustainable mobility is seen as a necessity for a green recovery process. In line with this, a pilot project was launched on Thursday (11 May) by the [...]
Spotlight on ‘Feed a Child’
Inauguration of the 25th Annual Scientific Congress of the Sri Lanka College of Paediatricians today By Kumudini Hettiarachchi and Dilushi Wijesinghe For these healers, it will not be just an academic congress but a meeting where they can hold their heads high and say they have gone beyond the call of duty to bring about [...]
Some suppliers yet to be paid for school meals
By Senuka Jayakody Efforts to provide mid-day meals to schoolchildren are continuing with funding from the World Bank and with the involvement of United Nations organisations. Slightly more than 1 million schoolchildren are provided with mid-day meals compared with a schoolchildren population exceeding 4 million. There are concerns that meals in some schools may not [...]
Nearly half of Sri Lanka’s children below 5 years in poverty and undernourished
By Kapila Bandara About half of Sri Lanka’s children aged below 5 years are in poverty and half the babies are undernourished, the result of the economic destruction which put at risk the country’s most vulnerable population. At a time when millions can’t spend Rs 2,000 a day for a meal for four, an alarming [...]
Vibrant network of Northern-based cooperative societies support communities across the Province
By S Rubatheesan During the global pandemic, Mayuran Despriya signed up for a new pilot project introduced by a local cooperative society hoping that the new credit system to purchase essential items on an interest-free monthly cycle would be beneficial if she was short of cash. This programme would be a lifesaver to run the [...]
A dansala that brought back the sweet and sour taste of Kirala fruit
By Malaka Rodrigo Among the many dansal that were organised across the country to mark Vesakwas a special dansala held in Weheragampita, Matara, offering fresh kirala juice mostly unique to the southern part of the country. The Kirala fruit grows in the marshes and the drink made from it is known to be very refreshing. [...]
Differently abled teacher builds pandol to help village children
This Vesak, a disabled teacher in Bulathko-hupitiya, E.S. Dharmasena created a pandol with the main intention of building a small library for children in his village from funds collected from spectators who came to view his pandol. Born in 1963 in Ellagala, Bulathkohupitiya, Mr. Dharmasena started teaching in 1982 and had taught in three Pirivenas. [...]