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Ranil moots body to monitor LLRC
Opposition United National Party Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday called for the appointment of a committee comprising government, opposition and civil society members to monitor the implementation of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) recommendations. Addressing a media conference in Kilinochchi at the conclusion of a two-day visit to the north, the opposition leader said [...]
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Saudi Arabia hits back
Saudi Arabia has recalled its ambassador, Abdulaziz bin Abdul-Rahman Al Jammaz, in what appears to be a diplomatic tit-for-tat after Sri Lanka recalled its envoy in Riyadh. Saudi Embassy sources in Colombo confirmed that Ambassador Al Jammaz has left Sri Lanka. Other diplomatic source said “he has been recalled for consultations,” a diplomatic euphemism for [...]
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Unfettered access for UN rapporteurs
US-sponsored resolution at Geneva meeting could pose serious problems for Lanka An early draft of the United States sponsored resolution at the United Nations Human Rights Council calls upon the Government to allow “unfettered access” to UN rapporteurs responsible for different topics. They include mandate holders dealing with independence of judges and lawyers; torture; human rights [...]
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3,000 drunk drivers lose points
Drunk driving has led to more than 3,000 licence holders losing points, Motor Vehicle Registrar S. H. Harischandra said yesterday. The scheme termed Driver Improvement Point system was introduced in terms of the Motor Traffic Act and is intended to bring about better discipline among drivers. More than 3,000 drivers have had their points reduced under [...]
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Electricity tariff hikes of 25 pc likely
By Namini Wijedasa The Ceylon Electricity Board’s cost estimates for this year are being evaluated by the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) with a likely tariff hike of more than 25 per cent. The CEB has projected that it would cost the board Rs. 268 billion to generate, transmit and distribute electricity this year. Generation alone [...]
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Journalist shot and seriously wounded for investigative article
Unknown gunmen on Friday night shot and seriously wounded Faraz Shaukatally, an investigative journalist attached to The Sunday Leader. Doctors at Colombo’s National Hospital carried out emergency surgery on him yesterday to remove a bullet embedded below his neck. They said he was now out of danger. President Mahinda Rajapaksa has ordered Police Chief N.K. Illangakoon [...]
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Female visitors do not come here to be harassed
The Tourist Police will be cracking down hard on locals who pester and prey on foreign guests, writes Nadia Fazlulhaq Female tourists and foreigners working in the country say they are being increasingly harassed, teased and pursued by local males. Sophie (not her real name) is an expatriate from Los Angeles, California who arrived in the [...]
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Britain mulls attendance at CHOGM: Burt
Britain’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office Minister Alistair Burt, in a commentary written to a leading Canadian newspaper, has said that Britain has not yet made a decision on whether to attend the Commonwealth Heads Of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Sri Lanka, in November. Mr. Burt who was in Sri Lanka two weeks ago, in his [...]
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800 acres for huge projects in Hambantota
The Government has allocated more than 800 acres of land for several foreign and local projects in the Hambantota District. Investment Promotion Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena said the projects were aimed at attracting foreign investments in industries ranging from car assembling plants to glass and sugar factories. He said the main objective was to give [...]
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Lawyer dies in hit-and-run accident
Senior Lawyer M B Peramune, 75, died in a tragic hit-and-run incident at Wijerama in Nugegoda on Thursday. The accident occurred at 5.40 am when he was on his way back from his daily trip to buy bread from a nearby shop. Mr. Peramune was a renowned lawyer at Hulftsdorp. Police said they were conducting investigations [...]
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Lankans of foreign citizenship can now buy land here
Persons of Sri Lankan origin currently holding foreign passports are to be granted concessions to invest in the real estate sector in the country. The concessions come in terms of the scheme of payment which was hitherto extended only to Sri Lankans living overseas, but continuing to hold Sri Lankan citizenship. The Exchange Controller has offered [...]
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A song for the children from Country Roads
Looking at these children having the time of their lives, one wouldn’t imagine that they come from backgrounds that have not always been easy. These young children from the MJF Charitable Foundation’s centre in Moratuwa spent a happy Saturday at a special performance with the Country Roads singers, who will also perform today at the [...]
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Hand-amputation incident: Charge sheets out soon
By Kumudini Hettiarachchi Charge sheets against some officials including doctors of the Matara Hospital, accusing them of negligence in the hand-amputation of a law student are being finalised and will be sent to the Public Service Commission (PSC) shortly, a top level health official said on Friday. A committee including legal officers is drafting the charge [...]
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Eastern Province chiefs in spat over primary school
By Wasantha Chandrapala Wimalaweera Dissanayake, the Eastern Province Minister of Education, has strongly criticised Eastern Province Governor Rear-Admiral Mohan Wijeywickrema for his role in a dispute over the location of the Viharamahadevi Primary School in Lahugala, Ampara. Lahugala and Paranagovipola residents are fighting over the location of the primary school. Parents in Lahugala say they [...]
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Trinity College board, manager quit over acting principal’s extension
Four members of the Board of Governors and the Manager of one of the leading private schools in the country, Trinity College, Kandy, resigned this week, citing subversion of previous decisions taken regarding the suitability of the Acting Principal to hold the post. The four members of the Board of Governors are Trinity OBA (parent [...]
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BBSO challenges Mangala equating it to a terrorist outfit
By Hansani Bandara The Bodu Bala Sena Organisation (BBSO) on Friday expressed dissatisfaction over remarks made by UNP MP Mangala Samaraweera equating BBSO to a ‘Taliban’ terrorist organisation. BBSO Secretary, Ven. Galaboda Aththe Gnanasara Thera told a press conference that it was not their organisation that spread extremist ideas in this country, but certain Muslim [...]
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Ranil demands inquiry into heckling during Jaffna protest
By T. Premnanth Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe has called for a full inquiry into rowdy behaviour at a satyagraha in Jaffna organised by opposition parties. Four persons believed to be soldiers attempted to disrupt the campaign. Mr. Wickremesinghe named the units to which the soldiers belonged and said he would lodge a formal complaint with [...]
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Hike in respiratory diseases among children due to heavily polluted air
By Chamal Weerakkody Increase in respiratory diseases, particularly among school children, is causing a fresh health concern, a medical expert warned. A recent study has shown that respiratory diseases has taken the top spot in non-communicable diseases (NCD) in the country, which has affected children due to greater concentrations of dust and other atmospheric pollutants [...]
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Conflicting statements made as case comes up before Colombo Fort Magistrate tomorrow
By Kumudini Hettiarachchi As the parents of a five-year-old girl made many serious allegations against the Nawaloka Hospital over her death and the hospital authorities responded with a media statement on Friday, the issue comes up in the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court tomorrow (Monday). When the Sunday Times visited the bereaved family in their home at [...]
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Legal fraternity wants a leader with a cause
BASL Presidency Candidature To be or not to be politically aligned while upholding the independence and integrity of the profession Senior lawyers Tirantha Walaliyadde P.C. and Upul Jayasuriya. are the two major candidates contesting for the Presidency of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) at its forthcoming election next week (February 20). The election [...]
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BASL mulls Court of Appeal refusal of its intervening petition
By Wasantha Ramanayake The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) is still undecided on future action, following the Court of Appeal refusal to allow the BASL’s intervening petition in the Contempt of Court proceedings against Minister Rishad Bathiudeen, BASL Secretary Sanjaya Gamage told the Sunday Times. The refusal of BASL’s intervening petition would, however, not [...]
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FR petition challenges risky investment of employees’ monies
SC directs members be informed of strategy and policy of EPF The Supreme Court directed the Deputy Solicitor General to inform the relevant authorities to intimate to Employment Provident Fund members whenever there are revisions periodically, when the fundamental rights petition filed by 12 trade unions representing EPF members, challenging the arbitrary investment of their [...]
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Custom official’s counsel wants unfavourable ruling in FR case be referred to five-member Bench
A revision application was filed in the Supreme Court on Thursday by Counsel for a senior Customs official asking that the court’s decision delivered on February 1 regarding a fundamental rights application be overturned and leave to proceed be granted to the said petitioner. In this case filed by Customs Deputy Superintendent T.R. Rathnasiri alleged [...]
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Appeal Court decision nullifying PSC decision on CJ 43 challenged
The Supreme Court on Thursday fixed for March 5 an appeal against the Court of Appeal decision that nullified the findings of the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) against Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake, Chief Justice 43. The Supreme Court Bench comprised Justices Shirani Thilakawardane, Chandra Ekanayake and Sathya Hettige. President’s Counsel Nigel Hatch appearing for appellant Sumudu [...]
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Money, money, money, not so funny in poor parents’ world
The recent case of a girl allegedly stealing coconuts to meet a school payment has raised the issue of monies charged for various public school necessities. Charundi Panagoda reports Maheshika Pubuduni, a 13-year-old schoolgirl from Horana with a whole life ahead of her, could have ended up in a juvenile offender’s facility over serious criminal [...]
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Uma Oya project: Register your objections, urge environmentalists
Environmentalists have voiced concern over public apathy regarding the supplementary Environmental Impact Assessment of the second phase of the Uma Oya multi-purpose project though it has been open to public comment since January. The EIA document will be open for public comment at the Central Environment Authority (CEA) only until February 22, and environmentalists are [...]
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Eateries food spiced with adulterated condiments: CMC health officials
By Mirudhula Thambiah Adulterated and germ-infested spices are causing food contamination in eateries, Municipal health officials said last week. Food inspectors have warned several leading hotels and eateries to change their spice suppliers as their products were not produced hygienically. and their packaging not sealed properly. When unprocessed spices are brought for processing and packing, [...]
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Gypsies celebrate independence
Story and pix by Priyantha Hewage The Gypsy community, a fast vanishing tribe in Sri Lanka, held their own independence celebrations for the first time. The Gypsy group, which is made up of 42 families, made an appeal at a village in Vavuniya on February 4, which marked the country’s 65th year of independence from [...]
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Take heed of coughs, colds, fever; it could be ‘walking pneumonia’
Infection spreads rapidly within the home, the school, the workplace and ultimately the community; more virulent in children By Kumudini Hettiarachchi Ill but not very ill, that is why it is known as “walking pneumonia”. The “barking”, rasping or hacking cough which wracks the whole body is an indication of what it is – mycoplasma [...]
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Next vehicle census in Sinhala and Tamil: DIG Traffic
By Sonja Candappa Questionnaires for the next census on heavy vehicles entering Colombo city, to be conducted by the police, will be printed both in Sinhala and Tamil, DIG Traffic, Amarasiri Senarathne said. This decision was taken after the general public was inconvenienced by questionnaires for the census on light vehicles being in Sinhala only. Moratuwa [...]
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Open gem pits and pigs – main cause for spread of Japanese encephalitis
By Aanya Wipulasena Unsealed gem pits are the main reason for the spread of Japanese encephalitis in the Ratnapura district, where nine of the 48 persons hospitalised with the virus have died. The highest number of cases was reported from Nivithigala and Kuruwita, says Ratnapura Regional Health Services Director, Dr. Athula Dangalle. The victims were [...]
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Baby vendors caught red-handed
Three Avissawela arrests following attempt to sell a baby for Rs. 100,000. Hansani Bandara reports Three persons have been arrested on a charge of attempting to “sell” an infant born last week at the Avissawela Hospital. The arrested persons are a minor female hospital employee, her husband, and a third party. Under court orders, the [...]
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How safe is Colombo?
Tuesday’s robbery in HSZ exposes security lax in Lanka’s commercial capital By Chris Kamalendran and Damith Wickremasekara One of Colombo’s biggest highway robberies in recent times took place in a High Security Zone (HSZ) in broad daylight on Tuesday, underlining that the country’s commercial capital is still not safe despite spy cameras at strategic locations [...]
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Blood ivory is not for showcasing
Conservationists and Buddhist monks are against the release of confiscated elephant tusks or their display in temples, writes Malaka Rodrigo Releasing a cargo of confiscated ivory would only create a demand for more ivory, and this would trigger a surge in the poaching of Sri Lankan tuskers, warn animal lovers. Environmentalists and conservationists protested on [...]
