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Tens of thousands of people have been affected by landslides and floods in the southern districts and elsewhere. This picture shows a father carrying the books of his child while his house was being damaged by a landslide at the Diyalpe Thennapitihena village in Akuressa. The villagers were evacuated just in time by police and [...]
Mystery over source of blood-based drug; Indian firm denies supplying it
By Namini Wijedasa An Indian company that official documents in Sri Lanka said had manufactured a stock of now-withheld immunoglobulin to the Health Ministry has denied it had anything to do with the medicines, leaving pressing questions about where the blood-based drug came from. Livealth Biopharma Pvt. Ltd. has now written to the National Medicines [...]
Sri Lanka to head Indian Ocean body for two years
Sri Lanka is to assume the chairmanship of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) next Wednesday following a high-level meeting of the Council. More than a dozen member states, represented by both foreign ministers and senior ministerial delegations, will attend the meeting. Foreign Minister Ali Sabry will chair the Council when the current chair, Bangladesh [...]
IMF notes RTIC as ‘outstanding example of transparency’
Calls for enhancing ability to fulfil mandate The Sri Lankan Government has been called upon by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to establish policies and rules that protect the Right to Information Act and the reach of the Right to Information Commission (RTIC) with ‘recent proposed bills’ assessed as potentially constraining the ambit of the [...]
Hamas launches surprise attack on Israel
Palestinian resistance group Hamas launched a surprise large-scale attack against Israel yesterday, firing thousands of rockets from Gaza and sending fighters to kill or abduct people as Israel retaliated with devastating air strikes. At least 70 people were reported killed in Israel, while Gaza authorities released a death toll of 198 in the conflict’s bloodiest [...]
PC honours: 34 qualified from list of 300 lawyers
Only 34 out of 300 lawyers who had sent applications to the Presidential Secretariat to be appointed President’s Counsel have the necessary qualifications, sources said. A Committee headed by a former Chief Justice was tasked with evaluating the qualifications of the applicants to determine if they met the criteria specified in the gazette notification on [...]
Finance Ministry to present action plan to collect tax arrears
By Damith Wickremasekara The Finance Ministry will present an action plan to collect tax arrears, as latest figures showed that government revenue was set to fall short by Rs 529 billion by the end of the year. A senior Treasury official said that an action committee would expedite revenue collection, amidst the International Monetary Fund [...]
State bodies failing to check dangers of rotting trees in Colombo
By Nadia Fazlulhaq The maintenance of trees in Colombo city needs a multi-sector approach with the use of latest equipment to detect roots and stem quality, an expert said. Upul Subasinghe, professor in Forestry at the Department of Forestry and Environmental Science at the University of Sri Jayawardenepura said this week’s tragic accident was a [...]
Edmund Ranasinghe hailed for his journalistic revolution
The Divaina newspaper’s founding editor, Edmund Ranasinghe, who made a transformative change in journalism, was felicitated on Tuesday at a presidential secretariat ceremony presided over by President Ranil Wickremesinghe. The 93-year-old veteran journalist’s life’s work has been appreciated, and his service to journalism was celebrated at the event. A book titled Edmundge Paththara Viplawaya (The [...]
SLMC asks EC to issue gazette announcing Naseer Ahamed replacement
By Ranjith Padmasiri Following Friday’s (6) Supreme Court ruling validating the decision by the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) to expel MP Naseer Ahamed, the party has written to the Election Commission (EC) requesting it to issue a gazette announcing his replacement. SLMC General Secretary Nisam Kariyappar, PC told the Sunday Times yesterday that the [...]
Police failed to stick to their code of conduct: SC in SI Mendis ruling
If relevant authorities are unable to provide an environment where government servants can work independently without fear or favour, it will lead to corruption, resulting in weak or poor government service, the Supreme Court has stressed. The Court made the observation as it ruled in favour of a Police Sub-Inspector who had been unjustly arrested [...]
Homes, small business in for another 20% electric jolt
By Nathara Abeywickrema Concerns were raised by many about the proposed electricity tariff hike that, along with a 22% increase, would take a toll on the country. The Electricity Consumers’ Association’s General Secretary, Sanjeewa Dhammika, said: “Energy bills going through the roof cause social hardship to ‘Samurdhi’ and ‘Aswesuma’ beneficiaries in particular. As of today, [...]
Gravity of undiagnosed leprosy infections will be felt in 3-5 years
By Nadia Fazlulhaq As a result of the COVID-19 lockdown, limited hospital visits, and field inspections, undetected leprosy cases will emerge in the coming years, a senior Health Ministry official warned. The Health Ministry’s Anti-Leprosy Campaign Director, Dr. Prasad Ranaweera, said if a person has been exposed to an untreated person over a long period [...]
Flight delays: What ails SriLankan Airlines?
Minister warns of ending national carrier’s exclusive right to operate flights originating from Colombo; unions say such a move will exacerbate the crisis Technical issues, trade union action, brain drain, failure to replenish the fleet are some of the issues the airline is struggling to cope with despite potential to make profits By Sandun Jayawardana [...]
Shocking drug forgery: Indian firm denies it exported allergy-causing immunoglobulin vials
Health Ministry makes Rs. 40 million part payment to a supplier, without verifying from where or how the injections came to Sri Lanka Medical community expresses serious concern over life-threatening corruption in the health sector By Namini Wijedasa The Health Ministry has paid Rs. 40 million for and distributed to hospitals a part-consignment of sensitive human [...]
Prolonged monsoon rains cause death, destruction and displacement
By Jayanie Madawala Heavy rains have led to floods in many areas and left a trail of destruction with hundreds of houses damaged. More than 50,000 people in the Matara District have been affected, District Secretary, Y. Wickramasiri said yesterday evening. He said areas such as Athuraliya, Malimbada, Thiyagoda, Kamburupitiya and Akuressa have been hit [...]
Rain wreaks havoc in day-to-day lives in Colombo and suburbs
By Minaza Hassan As thousands were officially declared as displaced due to adverse weather conditions, thousands were also inconvenienced in Colombo city. Affected individuals are categories as people who have been directly harmed due to adverse weather conditions and/or have been displaced by floods or adverse weather, Disaster Management Centre (DMC) Spokesperson Janaka Handunpathiraja said. [...]
Students must question the unknown to nurture interest in science
By Kumudini Hettiarachchi Nobel Laureate Prof. Leland H. Hartwell speaks on science and education in keynote address at the inauguration of the International Research Conference (IRC) of the Kotelawala Defence University Simple, succinct and eloquent, uplifting the mood amidst two days of showers, was the guidance all about science and education given by a Nobel [...]
Colombo Air Symposium 2023 back in action after three years
The Colombo Air Symposium-2023 (CAS), an annual international academic forum organised by the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF), will begin tomorrow. The two-day event to be held at the Eagle’s Lakeside Banquet and Convention Hall is being held after a lapse of three years. The symposium aims to delve into the realms of defence and [...]
Metal shrapnel detected in elephant shot in Mahiyanganaya
By Kasun Warakapitiya A metal detector, scanning equipment, and an X-ray machine were used to detect metal shrapnel in the wounds ‘Seetha’ the female elephant suffered when it was shot by a civil defence guard after a perahera in Mahiyanganaya last week. Prof Ashoka Dangolla, veterinarian and professor of the faculty of veterinary medicine and [...]
Trains and elephants: Never the twain shall meet
Going slow in areas where elephants cross the railway could prevent these tragedies By Prithiviraj Fernando Recent deaths of six elephants killed in train accidents in just one night, four in Galgamuwa and two close to Habarana on September 28, has once again brought attention to the topic of elephants and trains. While the number of elephants [...]
Leading hotelier stresses on sustainability and the 4Ps — people, planet, profit and ‘peace’
By Kumudini Hettiarachchi and Dilushi Wijesinghe He and his wife had “seen stars”! No, hotelier Hiran Cooray was not commenting on the idiom but in the literal sense having seen Colombo’s night sky during the lockdowns of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a time when air pollution, mainly due to human and industrial activity, was at [...]