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Two important meetings took place this week between India’s External Affairs Minister and two possible candidates for Sri Lanka’s upcoming presidential election. At Perth in Western Australia, President Ranil Wickremesinghe met India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar. The meeting took place days after the Indian Minister met in New Delhi with National People’s Power leader [...]
Imports broadbased to reduce food prices
Not only licence holders but other traders also will be allowed to import By Damith Wickremasekara In a fresh bid to control food prices, the government is to introduce a system for imports of essential food items by opening up the business without restricting imports only to licence holders. The move is aimed at eliminating [...]
Fuel at lower prices from Chinese refinery in Hambantota
Sri Lanka will be able to buy fuel from the proposed Chinese oil refinery to be set up in Hambantota under an agreement reached between the company and Sri Lanka’s Board of Investment. Under the agreement, Sri Lanka will be entitled to buy 20 percent of the production. China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation or Sinopec [...]
NMRA to go for foolproof digi system
The National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) has started discussions with service providers to introduce a foolproof digitalisation system for medicine and device registration after its last initiative collapsed in the mysterious loss of nearly two terabytes of data without backup. The regulator is now looking at systems adopted by other regulatory authorities worldwide, especially a [...]
Police to get higher food and lodging allowance from Tuesday
All police personnel will receive an increase in their food and lodging allowance starting next Tuesday. Accordingly, the police will initially be receiving the first phase of the increase for six months and, in the next six months, will receive a higher allowance with arrears for the first six months, Public Security Ministry Secretary Viyani [...]
Invoking blessings on King Charles
The Sri Lanka High Commission in the United Kingdom arranged a special religious ceremony at the London Buddhist Vihara on Friday to invoke blessings on King Charles who is currently undergoing medical attention. High Commissioner Rohitha Bogollagama is seen reading the message from President Ranil Wickremesinghe to King Charles wishing him a speedy recovery. The [...]
Supreme Court green light for appeal against order preventing pastor’s arrest
The Supreme Court (SC) has granted leave to proceed with an appeal filed by the Attorney General challenging the Court of Appeal (CA) order preventing the arrest of self-proclaimed prophet Jerome Fernando when he returned to the country, though he was named as a suspect for insulting Buddhism. The AG had filed an appeal requesting [...]
CID begins probe on hidden hand behind self-styled Bodhisatva
By Ranjith Padmasiri The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has begun an investigation to determine if Mahinda Kodithuwakku, who calls himself the “Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva,” had been used by any non-governmental organisation or fundamentalist group to attack Buddhism. Senior Deputy Solicitor General (SDSG) Dileepa Peiris informed the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court about the probe after it was [...]
Activist group seeks court intervention to prevent human, elephant deaths
By Ranjith Padmasiri The Centre for Justice Sri Lanka (CJS) has filed a writ petition in the Court of Appeal (CA) requesting that the court issue an order directing authorities to devise a programme to prevent deaths due to the human-elephant conflict in the Ampara district. In its writ petition filed by Attorney Nagananda Kodithuwakku, [...]
Iran celebrates 45th Victory Day
Iran celebrated the 45th anniversary of the victory of the Islamic Revolution and National Day with a reception at the Iranian ambassador’s residence in Colombo on Friday. Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, regarded as a close ally of Iran, is seen here joining Iran’s Ambassador Dr. Alireza Delkhosh and Minister Pavitra Wanniarachchi who represented the Sri [...]
Either we wait for global developments to dictate our fate or unite to chart our own course
President Ranil Wickremesinghe at the Indian Ocean Conference in Perth Delivering the keynote address at the 7th Indian Ocean Conference in Perth, Australia on Friday President Ranil Wickremesinghe stressed the urgency of addressing the climate crisis, pointing to warnings by experts on the Indian Ocean’s vulnerability to warming and rising sea levels. The island states [...]
German Sri Lanka Parliamentary Association gets new office bearers; Charitha new head
Parliamentarian Prof Charitha Herath (MP) was elected President of the German Sri Lanka Parliamentary Association on Friday (9). The meeting was chaired by Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena. Germany’s Ambassador to Sri Lanka Dr Felix Neumann was present as a special guest. MPs Sivagnanam Shritharan, Niroshan Perera and Dr Harini Amarasuriya were appointed as Vice Presidents [...]
SLTDA authorises Tourist Police to check tourist service providers
The Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) has delegated authority to the Tourist Police to check guides, tourist drivers and other services — including accommodation, water sports centres and restaurants — in a bid to regulate a growing informal sector which, according to industry sources, is also increasingly seeing foreigners offering such facilities without the [...]
Lost in translation
Govt. services affected by shortage of officers with bilingual skills; poor job prospects and lack of recognition keep recruits away By Mimi Alphonsus A shortage of translators, interpreters and bilingual officers has become a major obstacle for those seeking government services. The Public Administration Ministry acknowledged that despite a recent recruitment drive, 326 vacancies for [...]
Online Safety Law: Amendments ready, but rights groups’ concerns unaddressed
Public Security Minister says no more consultations needed, but Justice Minister says he will meet civil society and others concerned to discuss issues HRCSL joins growing opposition inside and outside the country; says Supreme Court’s several recommendations not included in the Act By Namini Wijedasa Amidst a salvo of statements against Sri Lanka’s Online [...]
Truncated parade for freedom at 76
The 76th National Independence Day celebration was held at Galle Face Colombo, under the theme “Let’s Build a New Country.” The event was held with the patronage of President Ranil Wickremesinghe taking the salute while the Prime Minister of Thailand, Srettha Thavisin, graced the occasion as the Guest of Honour. The ceremony continued with a [...]
Schooling costs reach unbearable degree; VAT addition makes education unaffordable
By Nathara Abeywickrema Parents complain that the cost of educating children has never been as unbearable and unaffordable as it is now, with the imposition of an 18 percent value-added tax raising the prices of school supplies. The imposition of VAT was the third biggest blow to the education sector in recent years after the [...]
Stealing trees from Sigiriya
Story and pix by Kanchana Kumara Wildlife Department officials have unearthed a racket where trees from the Sigiriya sanctuary were being uprooted and planted in a newly built hotel. Trees were being uprooted and securely taken away in tractors to be planted where a new hotel is coming up in Gedigaswalana. The trees known as [...]
Why road accidents keep occurring despite tough preventive measures
Experts cite driver indiscipline, behavioural issues and government failures as some of the key causes; call for holistic approach to address the problem By Kasun Warakapitiya Negligence, lack of discipline, wrong attitudes, and a lack of attention to identifying and rectifying key problems in the transport sector are paving the way for more traffic accidents, [...]
Road safety expert says driver misbehaviour is a serious concern
In an interview with the Sunday Times, road safety expert Dr. Jayalath Edirisinghe, who is a senior lecturer in civil engineering at the University of Peradeniya, says he sees driver behaviour, speeding, reckless overtaking, and ineffective law enforcement as the key causes of road accidents, apart from drink driving and distracted driving, such as the [...]
Tragedy at tree-cutting site: 14-year-old boy loses life
Pix and Text by Sudath H.M. Hewa A 14-year-old schoolboy was killed in a freak accident when a branch of a tree fell on him while he was walking on the road in the Norwood area last week. Murugan Asanth was proceeding to the town for a haircut on February 3 and was passing a [...]
Little Aswi ran to the playground as the bell rang little knowing what would befall him
Pix and text by Suranga Rajanayaka The tragic incident of a tree crashing down on a preschool playground and snatching away the life of a five-year-old student once again brought attention to the safety of students at preschools and schools. The student, fondly known as ‘Aswi’, had only been at the Montessori at Gampola Benhill [...]
Bakery owners to feel the weight of violating gazette as CAA takes action
By Dilushi Wijesinghe The Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) is to file action against bakery owners who violate the regulations of the extraordinary gazette issued on February 1, making the display of the weight of a loaf of bread mandatory. According to the gazette, a loaf of bread should ideally weigh 450g with a permissible deficiency [...]
Driver falls asleep, runs over pedestrian
By Hiran Priyankara Jayasinghe A driver who fell asleep at the wheel has run over a father of a schoolboy who was waiting for the school van by the Puttalam-Chilaw road, on Friday. The incident had occurred during the early hours as he was waiting by the road at the Madurankuliya Pubudugama area until [...]
Independence celebrations at Balana rock fortress By L B Senaratne
The rock fortress at Balana which functioned as a strategic outpost and fortress of the Kingdom of Kandy was selected to mark the country’s independence day by the Balana Fortress Protection Society. Veddha chief Vanilaththo and his relations graced the occasion. There was an all night pirith and an alms giving on February 4. The [...]
Saluting the first PM
By L B Senaratne Central Province Governor Lalith Gamage garlanded the statue of Sri Lanka’s first Prime Minister D S Senanayake at Maha Maluwa. The ceremony was organised by the Kandy municipality, headed by Commissioner Ishan Wijetilleke in concurrence with Diyawadana Nilame Pradeep Nilanga Dela. The Governor recalled the events leading to independence and said [...]
Airport employee arrested trying to smuggle gold
An employee of a private cleaning firm was detained by officials of the Customs Narcotics Control Division at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) when she attempted to remove a stock of jewellery and gold in gel form worth over five million. The arrested has been identified as a 55-year-old resident of the Miridiyalanda area of [...]
Dealing a death blow to drug menace, say police
As the controversy-ridden “Yukthiya” (Justice) operation reaches 50 days, Acting IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon talks about breakthroughs within and without the country By Damith Wickramasekara and Sandun Jayawardana Investigators have identified five key drug traffickers based in Europe, believed to be the masterminds behind large-scale narcotics smuggling into Sri Lanka, Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP) [...]
10 Pera graduates get 2-year RI and ordered to pay compensation for 2011 ragging incident
Convicts now administrators, teachers; victim felt suicidal and went back to his village without completing degree, court told By Ranjith Padmasiri Ten graduates from Peradeniya University were given a two-year Rigorous Imprisonment, each suspended for 10 years, and ordered to pay compensation by the Kandy Chief Magistrate after they pleaded guilty for a ragging incident [...]
Gangaramaya needs help for perehera to go on
The Gangarama temple at Hunupitiya, Colombo is calling for sponsorships for the Nawam Perehera event which is due to be held later this month. The Nawam Perehera is being held for the 45th time and is scheduled for February 23 and 24. The Colombo Gangarama temple’s Vihara Adikari, Dr Ven Kirinde Assajee thera said that [...]
Officials’ failure to respond delaying PSC investigations
The Public Service Commission (PSC) has raised concerns that the failure of officials to respond to queries raised by the Commission is delaying the process of completing investigations related to public sector employees. The concerns were raised at a recent meeting of the Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) which met in Parliament under the Chairmanship [...]
They come to feed the jumbos and watch them bathe
The Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage is one of the main tourist attractions in the country. Tourists, both local and foreign, flock to feed fruits to the elephants and watch the jumbos bathe and frolic in the Ma Oya that flows by. The two core objectives of the orphanage are conservation and reproduction. It also acts as [...]