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Home » NewsIt’s selfie time in Germany with President
Hundreds of Sri Lankans living in Germany got an opportunity to take selfies with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Friday in Berlin when he arrived for a meeting with the Sri Lankan expat community.
Red labelled container release: Probe com. calls for further audit
The government committee appointed to inquire into the controversial release of 323 containers over two days from the Colombo Port has called for a further audit and made several urgent recommendations following containers marked as ‘red label’, thereby requiring Customs scrutiny, being released without inspection, the Sunday Times learns. The committee’s report was submitted to [...]
Govt. drops move to abolish pensions of ex-presidents
The government has deleted from the action plan of the Ministry of Justice and National Integration its commitment to abolish the pensions and special privileges of retired presidents and their families, a document obtained through the Right to Information (RTI) Act shows. In March, the secretary to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake issued a circular to [...]
CID report reveals 69 prisoners have been freed without official clearance
By Tharushi Weerasinghe and Dilushi Wijesinghe A Criminal Investigation Department report has revealed that 69 prisoners who were not officially approved for release have been freed under the presidential pardon since December last year. The report was presented to court this week as part of an investigation into an unapproved presidential pardon granted to an [...]
Lanka bracing for adverse impact of Iran-Israel conflict on critical sectors
Sri Lanka is bracing for the impact of the widening of the war in West Asia amidst fears that critical sectors such as fuel supplies, tea exports and foreign employment will be affected if the conflict escalates. While an immediate impact is not expected in the fuel and tea sectors, there are concerns for the [...]
Gen Hamilton Wanasinghe’s funeral at Borella today
General Hamilton Wanasinghe, a former Army Commander and Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, passed away on Friday (June 13) following a brief illness. He was receiving treatment at the Narahenpita Army Hospital at the time of his death. His funeral, with full military honours, will be held at the new crematorium of the General [...]
Experts dismiss animal survey, question accuracy of figures
By Kasun Warakapitiya Researchers, environmentalists and agriculture experts refuse to accept the national animal census, which they say is flawed and has many grey areas that need to be rectified. The reactions came after the Agriculture Ministry on Thursday released the results of the census, with ministry officials claiming that, according to the census, there [...]
Presidential pardons and other amnesties going back four to five years to be probed by CID
By Damith Wickramasekara Detectives from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) probing the release of prison inmates under the guise of presidential pardons will conduct a thorough review into the release of prison inmates under presidential pardons and other amnesties going back four to five years, Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala told the Sunday Times. The [...]
Devotees flock to St. Anthony’s feast
The feast of St. Anthony was marked on Friday at the St. Anthony’s Shrine in Kochchikade, Colombo with the participation of a large number of devotees. The procession took place around the Kochchikade area. Pix by M.A.Pushpa Kumara
NSC, SLMC denounce Israel’s attack on Iran
The National Shoora Council (NSC) has condemned what it calls “Israel’s unprovoked aggression on Iran” on Friday (13), when multiple Iranian civilian targets were attacked, killing civilians, scientists, and causing damage to civilian nuclear facilities. Issuing a media statement, the NSC said it strongly condemns the dangerous Israeli attacks on Iran’s electricity-generating civilian nuclear plants, [...]
The venue of tomorrow’s big battle
The Colombo Municipal Council (CMC), the country’s premier local government body, will be centre stage tomorrow in a political battle between the Jathika Jana Balawegaya and the combined opposition to gain control of the council. The vote will take place for the mayoral and deputy mayoral posts when the council convenes for the first time [...]
UN Human Rights Chief on a three day visit to SL
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk is to visit Jaffna, Trincomalee and Kandy during his three day official visit from June 23-26, sources said. In Colombo, he is expected to call on President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya and selected Cabinet Ministers and civil society groups. The high profile visit of [...]
Sri Lankans stand by India in their moment of grief
Sri Lanka joined the international community in mourning the victims of the Air India crash that claimed the lives of 241 people near Ahmedabad on Thursday. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, in a message posted on X , conveyed Sri Lanka’s condolences to the Government and people of India. “I am deeply saddened by the tragic [...]
‘In my ten years of tourism, I’ve never met anyone like them’
Tour guide Dulaj Thilakarathne recalls memorable time with the Joshi family who died tragically in the Air India crash By Dilushi Wijesinghe Dr. Prateek Joshi, his wife Dr Komi Vyas, and their three children had promised their Sri Lankan tour guide, Dulaj Thilakarathne, whom they came to call family, that they would be back once [...]
Lakshman Kadirgamar survived 1979 Swissair crash
Two Sri Lankans survived a plane crash more than four and a half decades ago, one of whom was former Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar, then a UN civil servant. On October 7, 1979, Mr Kadirgamar, then Head of the Asia-Pacific division of the Geneva-based World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), was travelling on Swissair flight 316 [...]
Chemmani mass grave under scrutiny once again after construction workers find skelton remains
By S. Rubatheesan The reopening of a mass grave in Chemmani, Jaffna, raised mixed hopes among the war-affected communities in the North, particularly the relatives of enforced disappeared persons. In early February this year, a group of construction workers found human remains when they were clearing some adjacent land near the Sinthupathi Hindu cemetery premises. [...]
Inspection of schools for mosquito breeding sites: Name and shame move extended till end June
Teachers’ unions give stinging response Health Ministry says move aimed at making principals more socially responsible and mobilising past students and parents of students By Kasun Warakapitiya The Health Ministry has decided to revise the list of schools found to be harbouring mosquito breeding sites before it is released to the media in a name-and-shame [...]
CC approves appointments of 2 judges to CA, does not consider SC appointment
The Constitutional Council (CC) has approved the recommendation to appoint senior High Court Judges Dr Frank Gunawardena and Adithya Kumara Patabendi to the Court of Appeal. President Anura Dissanayake had forwarded the names of the two judges to the CC on the recommendation of Chief Justice Murdu Fernando. Justice Gunawardena joined the judicial service as [...]
How a multimillion-dollar loan dairy cow bid turned sour and left the industry high and dry
By Namini Wijedasa Sri Lanka’s multimillion-dollar loan to buy dairy cows from Australia in a failed bid to boost local milk production was borrowed from a Dutch bank now at the centre of a money laundering investigation. The Dutch Public Prosecutor’s Office or Openbaar Ministerie (OM) has announced that it would subpoena Rabobank U.A. as [...]
The glow of Thanthirimale and other Poson events shed their light
The island lit up in honour of Poson on Tuesday as people from all faiths and all walks of life came together to engage in meritorious ceremonies and events. In Ambagahamulla the Matale Divisional Secretariat organised a Bakthi Gee (devotional song) programme that was performed by children representing multiple religions. The programme was conducted with [...]
No breakthrough: Mystery continues over the missing macaw
By Kasun Warakapitiya Investigations into the theft of a macaw from the Dehiwala Zoo ten days ago have so far yielded no results, National Zoological Gardens Director General Dr. Chandana Rajapaksa told the Sunday Times. He said the investigators had yet to identify the person who entered the macaw cage on the night of June [...]
Kandy Municipal Council first meeting ends in disarray
By L B Senaratne The Kandy Municipal Council has faced its first obstacle after being forced to postpone its first meeting over a dispute of setting up committees, which are key to administration. The council met on Thursday at its chamber. Under the Act of the Municipal Councils, at the very first meeting after elections, [...]
UK visitors get a taste of paddy harvesting
By K R Rajamanthri Two tourists from the United Kingdom recently took part in traditional paddy harvesting activities in Uva Paranagama, as part of a new rural tourism initiative launched by the “Ayubowan Uva Paranagama Cooperative Society.” The programme, held in the Bomburu Ella area, aims to promote local tourism and strengthen the rural economy [...]
SC overturns Colombo High Court acquittal of drug runners
By Ranjith Padmasiri The Supreme Court has overturned a judgment by a three-judge bench of the Colombo High Court that acquitted and released a group of accused arrested in international waters with 194 kilogrammes of heroin, describing the lower court’s ruling as a “perverse judgment.” The SC accepted the appeal made by the Attorney General [...]
Govt. taking steps to address homelessness, says deputy minister
By Minaza Hassan More than 100,000 Sri Lankans are homeless, and this number rises when those living in slums and overcrowded households are taken into account, according to Deputy Housing Minister T.B. Sarath. He gave these figures when commenting on government moves to resolve the issue of homelessness. He said many housing projects were underway, [...]
Investigations and monitoring continue of SL coastline as plastic pellets and debris wash ashore
Authorities believe likely cause is the Wan Hai 503 container ship that caught fire near the maritime boundary off Kerala The risk of eating fish is minimal, says expert By Tharushi Weerasinghe and Hiran Priyankara Plastic pellets and debris from a foreign cargo ship that caught fire off the coast of India are now [...]
Two-month wait for number plates as DMT faces supply crisis
By Dilushi Wijesinghe New vehicle owners will have to wait at least two more months to receive licensed number plates, although the Department of Motor Traffic (DMT) is in top gear to resolve the supply crisis. The DMT has submitted a procurement request to secure number plates from a new supplier, Commissioner General Kamal Amarasinghe [...]
Pasting anti-Israeli stickers: HRCSL rules TID arrest unlawful
By Mimi Alphonsus The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) has ruled that the arrest and detention of Mohammad Rusdi for pasting anti-Israel stickers were a violation of his fundamental rights. In a 30-page report, the HRCSL recommended immediate corrective measures, including the discontinuation of the restriction order against Mr Rusdi and the implementation [...]
Report finds driver fatigue caused Gerandi Ella bus crash; exposes flaws in transport system
By Tharushi Weerasinghe The recent bus crash, which killed 23 passengers in Gerandi Ella, was primarily caused by driver fatigue, according to an investigative committee report handed over last Wednesday to Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala by Senior DIG Ajith Rohana. The committee found that the Sri Lanka Transport Board bus driver had been working [...]
SLCP holds unique congress
Dr. Duminda Samarasinghe practises what he preaches Many aspects of the 27th Annual Scientific Congress of the Sri Lanka College of Paediatricians (SLCP) this week were unique. Held not in the bustling commercial capital of Colombo, but in the administrative capital of Sri Jayewardenepura, Kotte, on the theme ‘Organize and Collaborate for Cost-effective and Meaningful [...]
Medicine shortages: Urgent and systemised procurement process a dire need
Stop-gap steps and glossing over scarcities will shake foundations of state health sector By Kumudini Hettiarachchi The family of a patient critically ill with rat fever (leptospirosis) admitted to a southern state hospital is requested to buy a life-saving injection as stocks are unavailable. Another patient with a fractured thigh ball where it joins the [...]
Industrial sector hit hardest by electricity tariff hike; relief proposed
By Ishu Bandara Although the electricity rate hike is affecting consumers across the board, the government needs to provide some relief to the industrial sector consumers, as the hike has had a significant impact on them compared to other sectors, according to Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) Chairman Udayanga Hemapala. He told the Sunday Timesthat the [...]