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A friend indeed
Pakistan, which played a key role in canvassing support for Sri Lanka in the runup to the vote on a US-sponsored resoltuion at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva on Thursday, celebrated its 74th National Day yesterday. Pakistan’s new High Commissioner Qasim Qureshi hoisted the national flag at the National Day ceremony held [...]
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Lanka may pull out of Tamil Nadu
Deputy High Commissioner’s office likely to be shifted to Trivandrum By Anthony David The Government is exploring the possibility of shifting the Sri Lanka Deputy High Commissioner’s office in Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu, to Trivandrum, the capital of Kerala State. The move comes after the recall to Colombo of SSP Rohan Dias, who [...]
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Chinese firm gets major oil deal in Mattala, Hambantota
A Chinese firm has won the award to supply fuel to the international airport in Mattala and the harbour at Hambantota for the pre-commissioning of a bunkering facility and tank farm. The winner, China Hanqui Contracting & Engineering Corporation, has just completed work on the project in Hambantota. The fuel requirements are for the pre-commissioning [...]
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Compulsory medical tests for school athletes in strenuous sports
By Kumudini Hettiarachchi Sri Lankan authorities, responding to a recent spate of students dying while taking part in long-distance races, are to introduce a mandatory medical fitness test for school athletes before strenuous competitions, top officials said. A new circular, in addition to a 2007 circular about marathons, will be issued next week to all [...]
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Govt. finalises plans for northern polls
The Government is going ahead with preparations for the Northern Provincial Council elections, Minister and United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) General Secretary and Minister Susil Premajayantha said yesterday. Noting that this was one of the elements in Thursday’s resolution adopted by the United Nations Human Rights Council, he said, “We will no longer be facing [...]
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Rev. Fr. Perniola to be honoured for his scholarly work
Reverend Fr. Dr. Vito Perniola is to be awarded the prestigious Royal Asiatic Society medal scholarship, given once in several years. The event will take place on March 28. Rev Perniola who holds degrees in Pali, Sanskrit and in Buddhist Studies has contributed immensely to academic activities in Sri Lanka through his contribution to historical [...]
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Shocking hikes from next month, but CEB will remain in debt trap
A crippling hike in electricity tariffs possibly from next month will not achieve the desired objective of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) meeting debts of more than Rs. 30 billion to the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation, a senior official said yesterday. CEB Chairman W. B Ganegala said, “The additional revenue of Rs. 48 billion from the [...]
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Controversy over laundry at Perahera Mawatha
Right of reply The Urban Development Authority has drawn reference to a news item in the Sunday Times last week under the heading – “This land belongs to us say washer families facing eviction”. A letter from the UDA Chairman Nimal Perera said: We understand that it is impossible to reveal the actual situation of [...]
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C’wealth values, Latimer House principles govern Ottawa’s participation at CHOGM
Canadian Senator here to report on democracy, rule of law, freedom of expression, media freedom and northern social conditions By Namini Wijedasa Canada still holds the position that events in Sri Lanka, particularly the impeachment of the Chief Justice, should be discussed by the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG), a visiting Senator said yesterday. “Our [...]
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CJ 43 Bandaranayake’s lawyers see flaws in Bribery Com. probe
Lawyers for controversially impeached Chief Justice 43 Shirani Bandaranayake have protested to the Bribery Commission saying they were unaware of the scope of the inquiry against her nor had received any documentation about the inquiry. Ms. Bandaranayake was summoned by the Bribery Commission on Monday for an investigation related to declaration of assets. Her lawyers [...]
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Indo-Lanka heroin smugglers brought to trial
By Manopriya Gunasekara The trial of nine fishermen including five Indians, for allegedly smuggling drugs into Sri Lanka commenced on Friday before High Court Judge Preethi Padman Surasena. The fishermen were arrested on November 28, 2011, off the Northern coast for allegedly smuggling 955 grm of heroin. Sri Lanka Navy Lt Cmd. Charitha Gunawantha told court [...]
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CEB proposes to give huge shocks to those who can least bear it
By Chamal Weerakkody More than three million electricity consumers, whose usage exceeds 90 units will be the hardest hit by the newly-proposed electricity tariff as their monthly bill is set to increase drastically, CEB statistics reveal. Among the worst hit will be the consumers of 30 units of electricity since their monthly income may not [...]
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Schoolgirls’ pictures on Facebook: Is anyone safe out there?
Teenagers decry FB for not cracking down on culprits while Lanka’s cyber security centre says privacy settings could curb misuse By Nadia Fazlulhaq and Tharooshie Mahahewage As the number of Facebook (FB) users increases in Sri Lanka, so does the number of complaints of misuse with seven cases a day being reported to the [...]
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Anti-Muslim campaign is anti-Sri Lanka
IN THE NATIONAL INTEREST By Javid Yusuf Sri Lanka’s attempts at national reconciliation have received a major setback with the latest inter-communal tensions in several parts of the country. Picking up the pieces after a protracted and debilitating civil war that drained national resources for over three decades would be a daunting task for any [...]
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Southern Expressway a boon to motorists and State coffers
Statistically safer than Galle Road, but a fast track to tragedy for the irresponsible and the reckless. Aanya Wipulasena reports Fifteen months after the opening of Sri Lanka’s first toll road- the Southern Expressway (E1), motorists continue to be confused about speed limits and road rules to be followed leading to six deaths and 659 [...]
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Both parties asked to provide written submissions
Petitions against 11 Bills before House The fifteen petitions for special determination challenging 11 Bills presented in a hurry to Parliament to give legal effect to certain proposals in the Budget were heard before a Bench comprising of Chief Justice Mohan Pieris, Justices Eva Wanasundara and Sathiya Hettige on Thursday and Friday, and the Supreme [...]
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House passes 5 Bills, 16 listed for next month
Parliament this week approved five of the 21 Bills that were presented to the House on March 8, while the rest will be taken up next month. On Thursday, Parliament also approved an amendment to the Resettlement Authority of Sri Lanka Act enacted in March 2007, to extend the term of office of the Authority for [...]
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Lankan students turned out/refused lodgings in TN
Colleges close indefinitely as anti-SL campaign gains momentum fuelled by false, biased and politically charged media reports By Namini Wijedasa Sri Lankans forced to vacate college hostels due to student protests in Tamil Nadu (TN), are looking for alternate accommodation in private homes—and not always finding it easy. One Sri Lankan student from an Arts [...]
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Richmond College AGM and get together
The 20th Annual General Meeting and get-together of Richmond College Union (Colombo) 60-70 group will be held on Saturday, March 30, at 945 A, Lions Activities Centre, Sri Jayawardhanapura Road, Etul Kotte at 6.30 p.m.
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Deadly Indian Red Scorpion entered Lanka with IPKF: Study
By L.B. Senaratne A deadly new species of scorpion which has led to a number of deaths in the Jaffna district has been identified as “ Hottentotta Tumulus “in the family of ‘Buthidae’. A species commonly known in India as the “Indian Red Scorpion”. Researchers believe the deadly species was brought into the country during [...]
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Students take note, you will be ‘watched’ at historical sites
- Recent defacing incident at Sigiriya by 3 schoolchildren results in more guards being deployed at site, tougher laws to be passed – Teach them young to appreciate historical artefacts, say experts; teachers of govt. schools in Hatton summoned for meeting By Hansani Bandara Teachers of government schools in Hatton have been summoned for a [...]
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Alleged ethanol importer’s address just bare land
Suspect’s lawyer denies client’s responsibility for containers’ contents as they were opened in his absence By Skandha Gunasekara The mystery behind the illegal import of a stock of ethanol deepened after Customs found the address of the importer was only a bare land. These findings were placed before Colombo Additional Magistrate Sadun Vithana on Wednesday. [...]
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Eight new shrub frogs discovered from the Peak Wilderness
By Malaka Rodrigo Sri Lanka’s fame as a global amphibian hotspot got a further boost last week with the discovery of eight new amphibian species. This discovery, takes the number of amphibians found in Sri Lanka to 119 with 103 being found only in this country and was published in the prestigious ‘Journal of Threatened [...]
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Saving a life
His Holiness Gyalwang Drupka who recently led a peace march from Kataragama to Jaffna, was in Sigiriya walking around with his fellow priests when he observed a monkey in distress. The monkey was severely injured by a metal chain which was wrapped around its body. The monk was insistent that the monkey be caught and [...]
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Jumbos not bothered about Mattala
By Kumudini Hettiarachchi The elephants are a-roaming, going about their routine of foraging and resting, with nary a worry about the mechanical winged giants of the air landing and taking off from Mattala. Concerns that the flights coming into the newly-opened Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport at Hambantota would disrupt the lives of the elephants in [...]
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MRIA opens in the middle of nowhere to empty skies
A day out at Mattala, in sweltering heat, to witness the unveiling of a new airport. Namini Wijedasa reports from the site Chinese and Sri Lankan flags fluttered side by side at the opening of Sri Lanka’s second international airport last week. “China and Sri Lanka were traditional partners and good friends,” enthused Luo Fuhe, [...]
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Missing bus to Mattala costs woman Rs. 15,000
A woman from Kirindiwela who had secured a job in a garment factory in Jordan had to hire a van at a cost of Rs.15,000 to travel to Mattala last Monday so that she could catch the Air Arabia flight from the new international airport there. Piyuma Gothami Perera, 42, was going through an employment [...]
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Birds’ eye view of MRIA to ensure airspace for planes only
Feathered fauna driven out of its habitat to make way for Mattala, has experts bird watching for returnees By Nadia Fazlulhaq The Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA) will not only attract people from here and abroad, but also both domestic and migratory birds. Therefore it is important to take necessary preventive measures along with the [...]
