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Sri Lanka’s President Ranil Wickremesinghe and other leaders attending the 134-nation G77 and China summit in Havana, Cuba, pose for a family picture, raising their hands in an expression of commitment to achieving the Global South’s efforts to narrow the scientific and technological gap with the developed Global North.
Bribery and corruption biggest criminal money spinner after narcotics
CB issues shocking report on money laundering; points out lack of prosecution By Namini Wijedasa Bribery and corruption are now the second most significant unlawful activity that generates criminal proceeds in the country and has shot up three places from fifth position in 2014, reveals the National Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Risk Assessment released [...]
Brain Drain: President seeks compensation from Global North
President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Friday called for the economically advanced countries of the Global North to pay compensation for recruiting skilled professionals from the poorer countries of the Global South in what is commonly referred to as the ‘Brain Drain’. Speaking at the 134-nation G77 and China summit in Havana, President Wickremesinghe referred to the [...]
CBSL limits money printing: Govt. wants revenue raised by Rs. 450bn
By Damith Wickramasekara With strict restrictions on money printing now in place owing to the new Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) Act, the Government has tasked agencies such as the Departments of Inland Revenue, Excise and Sri Lanka Customs with raising between Rs. 400 billion and 450 billion in revenue to overcome the shortfall. [...]
Cabinet approves Rs 566mn tyre tender despite concerns by engineers
By Namini Wijedasa The Cabinet has approved a Rs. 566 million tender to supply tyres to the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) despite a technical evaluation committee (TEC) finding that the product sold by the winning bidder had deviated from a multitude of fixed, predetermined specifications. The order, equivalent to the SLTB’s four-month requirement for [...]
Debt restructuring: Two more Lanka-friendly interventions in Hamilton Bank case
The United Kingdom and France joined the United States of America to intervene in a New York court case filed by the mysterious St Kitts Bank (Hamilton Reserve Bank) against Sri Lanka over its ISB (International Sovereign Bond) default. The London Financial Times reported that the two countries filed a joint “amicus curiae” petition to [...]
Tuition teacher remanded for pointing laser at magistrate
By Buddhika Kumarasiri A tuition teacher who held a laser beam at Kaduwela Magistrate Chanima Wijebandara during a court session has been remanded until September 27. The suspect, Janith Dias, was arrested on a complaint lodged by the court’s registrar. Police carried out a search on the suspect and found a laser torch in his [...]
Nallur sees sea of devotees
The annual festival at the Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil ended on Thursday night. A large number of devotees attended the ceremony. Pix by Romesh Madhushanka
Lawyers concerned over MPs’ references to pending cases; call on judiciary to be resilient
The Lawyers Collective, a group of senior lawyers, has expressed “deep concern” at recent instances where references have been made by Members of Parliament to pending cases and the conduct of judges. Citing some instances where such references have been made, the Lawyers Collective states in a release that these references include a reference to [...]
Supreme Court orders J’pura VC to submit report on 2020 ragging incident
By Ranjith Padmasiri The Supreme Court has directed the Sri Jayewardenepura University Vice Chancellor to submit a report on action taken against senior students who ragged first-year students, including a petitioner who suffered near-fatal injuries three years ago. The bench, comprising Justices Buwaneka Aluwihare, Shiran Gooneratne, and Priyantha Fernando, also directed the University Grants Commission [...]
Inland Revenue Dept. concerned over Govt. decision to defer SVAT abolition by a year
But business bodies and exporter outfits welcome move The Inland Revenue Department (IRD) has expressed concerns over the Government’s decision to defer the abolition of the Simplified Value-Added Tax (SVAT) by a year claiming that it would have an impact on revenue collection. A senior IRD official said exporters had raised objections on the removal [...]
Police submitting doctored drug samples to Govt. Analyst: House committee
A Parliamentary oversight committee revealed that certain Police officers intentionally submit drug samples that yield negative results to the Government Analyst’s Department. The Sectoral Oversight Committee on Just and Law-Abiding Society found at least 1,580 such false samples were submitted to the department last year alone. Police stations in Maradana (59), Peliyagoda (58), Kaduwella (58) [...]
Economic and social consequences of the drought: Increase in poverty, food insecurity and malnutrition
The severe drought that the country experienced in the last several months has destroyed crops and increased poverty, food insecurity and malnutrition. According to the Disaster Management Centre, by mid-May, more than 312,000 people in 14 districts in eight of the nine provinces had been affected by the drought. The number of families affected and [...]
Major shortfall of surgeons in state hospitals
Health Ministry officials cut out posts causing much frustration among those serving in the peripheries By Kumudini Hettiarachchi The sad tale of woe with regard to medical specialists either abandoning Sri Lanka or retiring from the state health sector, continued to hit the people. “To make matters worse, Health Ministry officials in charge of the 2023 [...]
Prisoner art revives concern about rehab failures and inhumane conditions
By Minaza Hassan An art exhibition has drawn attention to the untapped talent and creative potential of prisoners in Sri Lanka’s overcrowded jails. ‘Siranovu Sithuvam (unimprisoned paintings)’ was held this week at the Colombo Public Library as a recovery programme in celebration of National Prisoners’ Day on September 11. According to the exhibition organisers, the [...]
MiG deal case: AG cites Udayanga’s ab-sence as reason for delay in concluding inves-tigations
Petitioner’s lawyer says his client and family facing severe financial difficulties after bank accounts had been frozen BY MANOPRIYA GUNASEKARA Sri Lanka’s former Ambassador to Russia Udyanga Weeratunga evading the inquiry into the MiG deal was among the reasons for the delay in concluding investigations, Senior State Counsel (SSC) Udara Karunathilaka, who appeared for the [...]
Global Tamil Forum calls for end to culture of impunity
The Global Tamil Forum (GTF) says it strongly believes that without taking decisive steps to “end the culture of impunity prevalent in the country,” the Sri Lankan people will “only face more doom and gloom in the future.” Issuing a statement welcoming what it says is a “comprehensive report” from the United Nations High Commissioner [...]
Aquariums doing underground trade in native freshwater species
By Kasun Warakapitiya With the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) undecided about approving the rearing and captive breeding of several endemic species of fish, the illegal business of selling protected species of fish at aquariums and via social media is thriving. Most monster fish (large fish) keepers as well as hobbyists who are interested in [...]
Where the streets have no names
Story and pix by Eshan Fernando One of the frequent complaints regarding local councils has been that they fail to maintain proper services in their respective areas. With the delay in conducting local government elections, and the absence of local council members too has aggravated the problem. Any shortcoming is usually brought to the notice [...]
Smugglers use novel ways to post drugs via courier services
By Renishka Fernando On Tuesday, September 12, two suspects were taken into custody after an attempt of drug smuggling was thwarted by Sri Lanka Customs. The detection took place following initial investigations by the Narcotics Control Unit of Customs. According to the police, a package to an address in Maradana, Colombo had been sent through [...]
NLDB’s fresh milk project takes off
By Nadia Fazlulhaq In a bid to promote the consumption of fresh milk among city dwellers, the National Livestock Development Board (NLDB) has launched a mobile milk distribution programme targeting residents of apartment complexes and government housing schemes in Colombo city and suburbs. NLDB chairman Prof. H.W.Cyril said fresh milk collected daily will be made [...]
How Esmond worked out a package for Lanka’s UN membership
September 29 marks the 38th anniversary of the death of eminent press baron, lawyer and political kingmaker Esmond Wickremesinghe, the father of President Ranil Wickremesinghe. Mr. Wickremesinghe played a key role in Sri Lanka gaining membership in the United Nations, navigating tough obstacles which were byproducts of the Cold War between the United States and [...]
50 years of Germany in the United Nations
By Annalena Baerbock, Foreign Minister of Germany Fifty years ago, on September 18, 1973, by New York’s East River, two German states joined the United Nations. This event was the result of a brief General Assembly resolution—however, it was anything but routine business in the world of diplomacy. Almost three decades after the end of [...]
Mannar, Chilaw shrimp farms face scrutiny over effluents
By S.Rubatheesan After a recent field study found that a majority of shrimp and aquaculture farms across the country have failed to comply with environmental regulations, the Fisheries Ministry directed relevant government agencies, the National Aquatic Culture Development Authority (NAQDA) and the National Aquatic Resources Development and Research Agency (NARA) to take immediate legal action [...]
Alarming literacy and numeracy skills deficit in primary children
By Tharushi Weerasinghe A survey by the Education Ministry has found that an alarming percentage of primary schoolchildren lacked basic literacy and numeracy skills. A Learning Crisis and Recovery Study that assessed the foundational skills of Grade 3 students found that only 14% and 15% of Grade 3 students achieved all the foundational skills under [...]
Change course or face collapse: Warning signals for SLR
As train services limp back to normal after a devastating 2-day railway strike, Sandun Jayawardana looks at the many-pronged problems that plague Sri Lanka Railways As authorities await a report on revenue losses from yet another devastating railway strike, both the Government and trade unions say that the Department of Railways is in danger of [...]
Severe personal financial crises among reasons for suicides
By Nadia Fazlulhaq Families of victims of pyramid schemes, the unemployed, and those who suffered losses from their businesses or cultivations are being advised to be alert to signs of depression as there is a concerning number of suicides and attempts. The inability to recognise early signs of depression and the lack of ground-level counselling [...]
North still dry and reservoirs not filling up despite downpours
By Jayanie Madawala A dry spell still prevails in the north of the country, although many parts of the country are experiencing heavy rains. The duty meteorologist of the Meteorology Department told the Sunday Times, “September is when the South West monsoon is established and the south western part of the country receives rain. Rain [...]
APIIT Law School Gears Up to Host Teams Worldwide at ALSINC 2023!
With anticipation in the air and an undercurrent of excitement, APIIT Law School welcomed over 20 teams from around the world for the third edition of the APIIT Law School International Negotiation Competition (ALSINC) – a signature project that provided an opportunity for university students to build their knowledge and skills in different forms of [...]