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Home » NewsIllicit passage to Australia isn’t plain sailing
Two boats packed with medicine, dry rations, food and water were set to sail off to Mankerni, a coastal village north of Batticaloa on Thursday night. They were waiting to transport some 41 would-be illegal emigrants to another trawler waiting in mid-sea. Two crew members were onboard each boat, to receive the passengers, but instead, [...]
Sand dunes of Deduru a mounting problem
The formation of sand dunes with the onset of the off-season at the mouth of the Deduru Oya in Chilaw has been causing problems to fishermen in the area. Among the problems they face has been that of launching their boats as well as guiding them through the dunes. Instances of fishermen losing their lives [...]
Health activists on hunger strike in Jaffna
Two health activists staged a 12-hour hunger strike in Jaffna on Thursday to protest alleged corruption and fraud in the Jaffna Teaching Hospital and the recent attack on a medical specialist. They called on the government to expedite inquiries into these allegations and the attack. The activists V. Kanthevel who leads the Jaffna regional group [...]
Speeding jeep kills jungle cat
A jungle cat was killed by a hit-and-run Jeep in the Yala National Park early morning on June 26. The incident occurred near Gonalabba and Madapara. Eyewitness Hansa Premakumara, who sent in the photograph of the dead animal, said the safari jeep was being driven at high speed. He recognized a tracker among the passengers [...]
It’s a crime
Two weeks ago a gang stormed a rent- a- car service in Borella and demanded money from the owners and when their demand was turned down they beat up the workers. With the help of Close Circuit Television Cameras (CCTV) at least five of the 12 youth were subsequently arrested and remanded until July 16. [...]
Museum robbery: 4 months on mystery deepens
Hours before the National Museum in Colombo was robbed, nearly four months back, several luxury vehicles were seen in the area, according to a statement made by a security officer of the Art Gallery situated nearby. Stanley Liyanage, 40, was on duty at the Art Gallery on March 16 – the night the museum was [...]
Prolonged drought seriously threatens vital resources
Drought conditions continue with the country receiving in the last two years, the lowest rainfall for May and June, spelling devastating effects on agriculture and hydropower generation.The low rainfall has resulted in a drastic drop in water levels in hydro catchments and reservoirs, with severe disruption to hydropower generation, domestic water supply and agriculture. Meteorology [...]
Stay order till July 20 on Jaffna Magistrate
The Court of Appeal issued a stay order preventing the Jaffna Magistrate from taking any action against the ‘Uthayan’ newspaper Editor for publishing a report regarding an apology said to have been made by the Magistrate. Petitioner T. Premanath citing Magistrate Manikkavasagar Ganesharajah as respondent alleged that when a case to prohibit a protest by [...]
Esala Perahera closing ceremony in waste water, alleges former Diyawadana Nilame
Opposition Leader of the Kandy Municipal Council and former Sri Dalada Maligawa Diyawadana Nilame Neranjan Wijeyaratne said the water cutting ceremony of the Kandy Esala Perahera would be held in the dirty, murky waters flowing from the ‘Meda Ela’. He said the point at which the water cutting ceremony would be held is at the [...]
Court of Appeal to hear EPC case amidst nomination for Provincial Council polls
The Court of Appeal hearing on the petition against the premature dissolution of the Eastern Province will begin on July 20, a day after nominations begin for three provincial council polls. This week the Court of Appeal decided that the case be heard before a Bench comprising Justices Sisira De Abrew, A.W.A. Salam and Anil [...]
Investment of EPF and ETF monies in CSE: Ranil wants a reply
Opposition and UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe raised a Point of Order in Parliament with regard to the query he had raised last month with regard to the investment of monies from the EPF and the ETF in the stock market. “When I raised the issue, I wanted the following information to be placed before the [...]
Trans-sitting on the banks of the Kelani
Some are cheering while others are not, at their new abodes provided by the State, after they were told to move out from their original homes at Mahawatta in Bloemendhal, with the promise of a flat in two years from now, somewhere in the city. The people were earlier squatters of Mahawatta Rail Gate, occupying [...]
Foreign job seekers caught in crossfire, left in the lurch
A simmering stand-off between licensed foreign job recruiting agencies and the medical sector in the industry has led to severe hardships for overseas job seekers while officialdom remains silent. Faizer Mackeen, Secretary of the Association for Licensed Foreign Employment Agencies charged that the medical sector in the industry entrusted with the responsibility of providing medical [...]
FUTA launches website, collects signatures as TU action continues
The Federation of University Teacher’s Association (FUTA) will continue with their trade union action as discussions with the Government have not yielded satisfactory results, FUTA President Dr. Nirmal Dewasiri said.A FUTA delegation held discussions with President’s Secretary Lalith Weeratunga last Tuesday. Dr.Dewasiri said the talks were ‘cordial and held in an encouraging manner.” Another round [...]
Govt. told to ensure prisoner safety after LTTE suspect’s death
Human rights advocates, civil societies and political parties have asked the Government to ensure the safety of prisoners, following the death of an LTTE suspect Ganesan Nimalaruban who was injured in the prison clash in Vavuniya and succumbed to his injuries last Tuesday. Members of the Civil Monitoring Commission, Tamil National Alliance and other groups [...]
GSK’s controversial medicines not listed here, says Drugs Regulatory Authority
As a drug-giant pleaded guilty and agreed to pay massive fines amounting to US$ 3 billion in one of the “largest healthcare frauds” in history, the local drug authority assured that the three controversial medications are not registered in Sri Lanka. Paxil, an anti-depressant, Wellbutrin used in smoking-cessation treatment, and Avandia, an anti-diabetic medication, which [...]
Dengue prevention: Keep your garbage out today for CMC to collect
Colombo residents are requested to leave all their garbage and discarded items and materials outside their homes, gardens and offices for the Colombo Municipal Council to collect today. The collection is part of the CMC’s ongoing mosquito eradication programme. “Dengue cases are escalating, and there have been scattered rains, especially in the Western province, which [...]
Raid on two websites: Computer info still being analysed, say Police
The data obtained from the computers confiscated by the CID during the raid of two news websites – SriLanka Mirror and Sri LankaXnews – are still being analyzed, a senior police officer said. The computers have been sent to the University of Colombo for analysis of the data, he said. Meanwhile the raid on the [...]
Ferdinandez to make statement on July 16
Ruwan Ferdinandez, whose name had been mentioned in the reports filed by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in connection with the Lankamirror and Sri LankaXnews websites case, will make a statement to the CID on July 16, his lawyer told the Sunday Times. Mr. Ferdinandez would make the statement according to the direction given by [...]
Troop training: Lanka says Tamil Nadu dispute not serious
The Government yesterday said it would continue to send security force personnel for training to neighbouring India despite protests from politicians in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. “India is the single largest overseas training base for Sri Lankan security forces personnel and this has been the case for the past decade,” Cabinet spokesperson and [...]
More illegal migrants reach Australia despite curbs
Despite government’s efforts to curb illegal migration, 32 more Sri Lankans arrived in the Australian territory of Christmas Island yesterday raising the number to more than 1,400 within a month.The 32 passengers, including a girl, were transferred from their small fishing vessel to the island’s Flying Fish Cove after their boat was intercepted on Thursday. [...]
Sweeping tax concessions for massive project in Fort
A five-acre extent of land has been allocated to operate a mixed utility complex including a luxury hotel in Colombo Fort under the Strategic Development Project initiated by the Government.The project will be operated by the WelcomHotels Lanka (Pvt.) Ltd. under an agreement entered into by the Board of Investment in May this year. The [...]
Cabraal’s gamble: Lanka loses billions in bankrupt Greece
A Central Bank investment of about 22 million euros valued last year at more than Rs 3.4 billion in Greek Government Bonds will be lost to Sri Lanka due to the acute economic crisis in that country. This week, the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE), the parliamentary watchdog that monitors finances in state organisations, learnt [...]
Violation of polls laws: Elections chief helpless
With provincial council elections slated for September, a government-backed recruitment drive has begun in three provinces — Eastern, Sabaragamuwa and North Central.Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya told the Sunday Times he was helpless over the matter except to direct the complaints to the Public Service Commission. Besides recruitment, since the dissolution of the three provincial councils [...]
