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Blacklisted Iranian company’s vessel in mysterious escape
A vessel that slipped out of Sri Lankan custody last week belonged to an Iranian shipping company blacklisted by the United States for its role in supporting Iran’s ballistic missiles programme, the Sunday Times has found. The company is also blacklisted by the European Union — Council Implementing Regulation (EU) No 1245/2011 —as an entity [...]
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Growing protest over re-demarcation in East
By Chris Kamalendran The Public Administration Ministry has called for an urgent meeting with parliamentarians from the Eastern Province to resolve a fresh crisis over government plans to re-demarcate boundaries of Divisional Secretaries. Public Administration Minister John Seneviratne said that, following complaints from political parties in the East, he had called for a meeting on [...]
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Chinese, US firms vie for oil pipeline project
By Damith Wickremasekare Chinese and US companies are bidding for a multi-billion rupee fuel pipeline project which is to begin next month and completed within five months. The Petroleum Ministry has called for bids for the installation of two pipelines connecting the Colombo Port and the Sapugaskanda Refinery. Minister Susil Premajayantha said five international firms — [...]
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BASL standing by decision not to welcome new CJ
The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) will stand by its decision not to welcome the new Chief Justice, its President Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe said yesterday. “There is no variation in the Bar Association (BASL) resolution not to welcome government appointed new Chief Justice Mohan Peiris,” he said. His remarks came as preparations were underway to have [...]
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No Tigers, but road terrorists
By Namini Wijedasa No longer is terrorism a threat. Today’s travel advisories on Sri Lanka warn of crazed bus drivers and stray cattle than of bomb attacks. With the end of the war in 2009, Sri Lankan road habits have overtaken terrorism as a danger to tourist safety, travel advisories issued by developed countries show. [...]
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Protest outside Maharagama clothes store
Tension mounted in the Maharagama town last evening when a group of protesters called for the closure of a popular clothes store in the area. Ven. Amatha Damma Thera, a spokesman for the Budhu Hiru organisation, said he took part in the protest because two Buddhist monks had been summoned to the Colombo Crime Division [...]
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Armed only with dreams of a better life, they soon wake up to a nightmare
In the aftermath of the tragic beheading of Lankan maid Rizana in Saudi Arabia, the whole issue of poorly prepared, poverty-stricken local women going in their thousands to West Asian countries has come into focus once again. Charundi Panagoda and Hansani Bandara report “Keep your mouth shut if you don’t want to end up like [...]
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Justice put to the sword by Govt.’s show of force
The art of coarse law enforcement at Dr Bandaranayake’s ‘no show’ at Hulftsdorp when lawyers were given short shrift while Govt. supporters made merry. Namini Wijedasa and Wasantha Ramanayake report The corridors of the Superior Courts building were oddly uncongested on Tuesday, the first day of work for the New Year. There should have been [...]
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Endemic freshwater crabs under threat, need protection: Experts
By Malaka Rodrigo Not only elephants and leopards, but lesser known species such as freshwater crabs, that are jewels of Sri Lanka’s biodiversity, need to be protected, say experts. On January 14, Customs at Katunayake Airport detected a consignment of 125 live freshwater crabs to be exported along with a consignment of other ornamental freshwater [...]
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Jigsaw puzzle from outer space divides scientists
Lanka’s coloured rain and falling rocks draw conflicting views from experts, writes Nadia Fazlulhaq Since the skies over Sri Lanka started raining “colours” and dropping rock fragments across the country, scientists have been scratching their heads to explain the strange “alien” phenomena. Some claim these came from outer space, while others say these originated within [...]
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30 per cent distrust the Police, 47 per cent keep mum fearing reprisals
Results of sociological survey in Kahawatte State social services in the area dysfunctional with official neglect By Chamal Weerakkody and Lasantha Niroshana As killings and abductions continue in the Kahawatte area of the Ratnapura district, a sociological survey conducted in the area has prompted the transfer of 31 policemen and officers out of the area [...]
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The food that we eat!
The Sunday Times joins Public Health Inspectors on an inspection tour of eateries and warehouses in Pettah and Fort. Mirudhula Thambiah reports Raw meat and cooked foods stored together in the same freezer shelf, curries that had been cooked sometime back being stored for reuse and large utensils containing exposed food, placed on the floor. [...]
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People power saves Dambadeniya era ‘Geta Kumbuk’ from the electric saw
By Malaka Rodrigo The New Year started with some good news for envirionment lovers, when an ancient Geta Kumbuk tree was saved from the electric saw in Paramulla-Alawwa. The historic tree that was earmarked to be cut down for road widening purposes was spared because of protests by residents, who venerate the tree. According to Environment [...]
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Hunt on for rogue banker siphoning funds from foreign accounts through credit card frauds
By Damith Wickremasekara The Criminal Investigation Department has launched a search for an Assistant Manager of a State bank who allegedly helped persons to transfer monies from overseas accounts through credit card frauds and later remit them to France. The CID also has sought the assistance of Interpol to arrest another Sri Lankan national now [...]
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Thousands expected to visit Kelaniya during Perahera week
More than 50 elephants and 2,500 dancers will grace the Kelaniya Rajamaha Vihara Duruthu Perahera on Friday, January 25. The Dewadutha Perahera and Uda Maluwa Perahera will be held on January 22, 23 and 24, followed by the Maha Perahera on January 25. Folk dances of Udarata, Pahatharata and Sabaragamuwa will be performed. The perahera [...]
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Justice Amerasinghe passes away
The funeral of Justice A.R.B. Amerasinghe, a former Supreme Court judge, academic and author of many law books, will take place this morning at the Borella Kanatte. He passed away on Friday at the age of 76. Anthony Ranjit Bevis Amerasinghe was educated at the University of Ceylon, the Ceylon Law College and the Queen’s [...]
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From the pirates’ clutches into the arms of loved ones
After over a year of torture and starvation in hell on earth Sarath Surasena makes it to paradise a broken man By Ranee Mohamed Sri Lankan Engineer Sarath Surasena was the only Lankan in the crew of 19 on the ship M/V Orna, which was captured by Somali pirates in December 2010. After over 365 [...]
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A journey to the unknown
Though a Sunday Times online opinion poll showed that more than 80 per cent of our readers do not want Sri Lankan females to go to Saudi Arabia in the aftermath of Rizana Nafeek execution, this young girl and others are seen leaving for Saudi Arabia yesterday. The inset shows people in Rizana’s village [...]
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19th Amendment on the way
CJ’s term to be slashed to three years, Parliament Standing Orders to become law By Our Political Editor A 19th Amendment to the Constitution is to restrict the term of office of a Chief Justice to just three years and make clear provision that Standing Orders of Parliament are part of the country’s laws. The [...]
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Unappreciated efforts
Story and pix by Krishan Jeewaka Jayaruk Unprotected level crossings are one of the main factors leading to rail accidents in the country today. According to the Railway Department out of a total of 915 crossings island wide, 612 are unprotected crossings. Recognising the dangers posed by unprotected level crossings, Dr. Sarath Wimalasuriya (57), a retired [...]
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Trader dies intervening to save another from assault
By Aanya Wipulasena The death of a 42-year-old rice mill owner in Padaviya has left many of its villagers in shock and grief. Sonny Senarathne, a father of four, who is well known for his work as a political activist of the JVP, died of injuries sustained when he intervened to save another man who was [...]
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Impeachment and the misconceived reliance on Chief Justice Corona’s case
Dr Reeza Hameed The case involving the impeachment of Chief Justice Corona of Philippines has been cited in some places in support of parliament’s move to impeach our own Chief Justice. It was most invoked during the recently concluded impeachment debate in parliament when, speaking in favour of the motion, our Minister of External Affairs [...]
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Parliament is supreme: It’s a myth
By Edmund Ranasinghe (This is the second part of an article which analyses the role of parliament within a democracy. The first part appeared last week) It has been said by Western thinkers that “parliament today is little more than a meeting place in which rigorously controlled party delegates assemble together to register decisions already [...]
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The truth about the people of Keppapilavu
By Shenali Waduge This response is to counter the article titled “In search of justice: The story of the people of Kepapilavu” written under a pseudonym “Elijah” to the Sunday Times (6 Jan 2013) having visited Mullaitivu as well as spoken to the people of Kepapilavu last month (Dec 2012). Can someone please say how [...]
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Vegetable prices go sky high after torrential rains destroy crops
By Sonja Candappa, Pix by Kanchana Kumara Ariyadasa Heavy rains and subsequent floods experienced in the recent past resulted in the destruction of many crops and land, leading to increased prices of almost all agricultural produce. Vegetables were the most affected due to crops being destroyed. As a result the prices of vegetables sky rocketed and [...]
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Rs. 654 m slump in ETF due to bad investment in shares
By Chandani Kirinde The Employees Trust Fund (ETF) has suffered staggering losses due to investments in shares, according to the Auditor General. The Auditor General’s report submitted to Parliament noted that the capital gains received on sale of shares and units during 2011 had recorded a more than Rs. 654 million decline or 54 per [...]
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Environmentalists not in favour of breeding rare fish for export
By Malaka Rodrigo Environment watchers are angered by plans to legalise the breeding of rare fish and the cultivation of rare water plants for export. They say the Ministry of Economic Development, the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) and other government agencies are working together to amend the relevant laws. The export proposal covers eight [...]
