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A Boeing 777 aircraft crash landed at San Francisco international airport, news agency reports said last night. There is no word so far on any casualties at the time of going to press. The aircraft – operated by the South Korean airline Asiana – is on the runway, with plumes of smoke rising from it, [...]
Multi-storied car park complex on Fort prime land
More than 100 perches of prime land in Colombo Fort were acquired by the Urban Development Authority through a special Gazette notification on Monday for a multistoried car park complex, the Sunday Times learns. The Urban Development Authority confirmed yesterday that the proposed car park and other facilities were to be built on the 100-perch land [...]
AG’s request for time till August 5 granted
Case against former DIG in abduction case The case compelling the Inspector General of Police to take criminal action against the former DIG Vass Gunawardena in an abduction and torture case was taken up in the Court of Appeal on Thursday. The Attorney General asked for time till August 5, to get instructions in this case [...]
One-way traffic test at Town Hall
Police yesterday carried out a trial run for a one-way road traffic system around the Town Hall area in Colombo. Police said that it was only a trial run and a decision would be taken later. However if implemented, vehicles proceeding along Union Place (Colvin R. de Silva Mawatha) towards Dharmapala Mawatha would have turn towards [...]
NPC polls: Only 7,000 displaced voters register
The number of supplementary or displaced voters for the upcoming Northern Provincial Council (NPC) elections has fallen short of government expectations. Only some 7,000 have applied to become voters in the North while government had expected about 18,000. A senior Elections Department official said that by Friday they had received some 7,000 applications. “Soon after [...]
Now Britain slams revised advisory on CHOGM period
The British Foreign Office has issued a travel advisory, advising its citizens of possible travel disruptions if they visit Sri Lanka during the November Commonwealth Summit. “There may be high levels of travel disruption around that time, like frequent road closures, high security at airports and difficulties in booking hotel rooms,” the updated advisory warned visitors. [...]
38 Govt MPs supporting 13 A, says Deva
At least 38 UPFA parliamentarians, including ministers, are opposed to any changes to the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, a Cabinet minister said. “I have collected the signatures of 38 MPs who say that the 13th Amendment should remain intact,” Minister and Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) leader Douglas Devananda said. He was talking on Friday [...]
Driver’s claim over Anura’s billion-rupee properties held up in court
The driver/ security guard of the late Anura Bandaranaike encountered a delay in his attempt to obtain legal acceptance of a copy of his former employer’s will through which he claims a sizeable inheritance – a claim disputed by Mr Bandaranaike’s sisters. The Western Provincial Civil Appellate Court on Wednesday postponed until November 11 the [...]
PS chairman allegedly solicited bribe from another PS chairman
The Walallawita Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman Udeni Nanayakkara was yesterday remanded till Tuesday by Mathugama’s Acting Magistrate for allegedly soliciting a bribe. Police told Acting Magistrate R.A.M. Rajapakshe that the suspect had solicited Rs. 1.5 million as bribe from the Benthota Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman to give him a permit to transport sand and he was arrested while [...]
Wet and gusty weather in coming week says Met. Dept.
The Department of Meteorology forecasts enhanced rainy weather conditions in the coming week in the southwest of the country, with wind-speeds going up to 60 km/h. However, officials pointed out that this spell of rainy weather will not be as devastating as the inclement weather on June 8 that left 51 fishermen dead and eight [...]
Swede used Skype to entrap unsuspecting females for porn
The Sri Lankan-born Swedish professor who was arrested in a sordid porn racket had used the Skype technology as the main tool to trap his unsuspecting victims who were later blackmailed to perform lewd acts which the suspect filmed and later sold to international porn sites, police investigations have revealed. According to senior officials with [...]
Rail gates on fast track: Express operations begin on Wednesday
A drive to recruit more than 1,000 people to operate make-shift railway gates was launched yesterday in view of the growing number of deaths at unprotected crossings. The men will be taken from the vigilance committees at village level and will be recruited after the necessary screening and interviews at the respective police divisions, Deputy Inspector [...]
Basil tightlipped on Indian conditions
In his first remarks since returning from New Delhi, Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa pointedly refused to say whether the Indian Government insists on Sri Lanka consulting it before changing the 13th Amendment. He maintained, instead, that some things must necessarily remain secret — as they would be between “husband and wife”. He said that was [...]
Another big Chinese loan for rural roads
The government has received another Chinese loan of US$ 400 million (Rs. 52 billion) to develop ‘B’ grade roads and rural roads, Road Development Authority (RDA) Chairman R.W. Premasiri said yesterday. The loan was being provided by the China Development Bank and the Ministry of Finance would be in charge of allocating the required funds for [...]
Maldivian President paints optimistic picture
More and more Maldivian nationals are seeking medical treatment in Sri Lanka owing to visa restrictions imposed on its citizens visiting India for medical care, Maldivian President Mohammed Waheed said yesterday. “A lot of our people are coming to Sri Lanka for medical treatment because there have been some visa restrictions in India,” President Waheed, who [...]
Writing on the blackboard for ‘military principals’
W.A.S.Wickremasinghe, Principal of Pragnananda National School in Raddolugama, Seeduwa had apparently decided to participate in the leadership programme offered by the Cadet Corps, with the hope that obtaining the military rank of ‘captain’ and a uniform would bring more recognition to the school. But today, his vacant office still bears the name board ‘Mr. W.A.S. [...]
Local Maritime Training Institutes at sea over new intakes
Govt. in the doldrums as local regulations remain noncompliant with amended International Convention Sri Lanka’s seafarer schools have stopped taking in new students for courses in safety and survival training until the Government makes local regulations compliant with a crucial international convention, informed sources said. They are also prevented from starting any new courses in [...]
CHOGM in undemocratic SL is Commonwealth approval of its dictatorship, says Mangala
Holding the Commonwealth summit in Colombo, without proven commitment from the Sri Lankan Government to the values and principles of democracy, would grant the Commonwealth seal of approval to an emerging dictatorship in Asia, warns Mangala Samaraweera, former Foreign Minister and United National Party (UNP) Parliamentarian. Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma was quoted in the Daily [...]
Polonnaruwa wide open to thieving treasure-hunters
No security co-ordination, poor police staffing, laments Thera Despite a spate of raids by treasure-hunters, the authorities lack co-ordination to protect monuments and prevent the desecration of Polonnauruwa, the country’s medieval capital and UNESCO World Heritage Site. Gal Viharaya Chief Incumbent Ven. Wedaruwe Sri Upali Thera emphasised that all relevant authorities – the police, Archaeological Department, [...]
Prevent measles, get your infants immunised now
Govt. launches an islandwide vaccination campaign after Health Services Director General announces a major outbreak of the disease after 17 years Hard on the heels of a measles outbreak, the Health Ministry launched on Friday an islandwide campaign to administer a booster dose of the measles vaccine for infants between six to 12 months and [...]
Bets close on minnows while sharks continue to prey, with Govt. patronage?
Police selectively crackdown on pocket casinos while big-timers openly flourish in an industry with no legal stake to gamble on Police are cracking down on small casinos in Colombo and the suburbs, citing a 123-year-old law that deems “keeping, permitting to be kept, or managing a common gaming place” to be an offence. The Organised Crimes [...]
Senior ex-Customs officer to appear before Bribery Commission over assets declaration
The former Customs preventive Chief Ranjan Kanagasabai accused of obtaining a bribe has been directed to appear before the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption on Thursday (July 11) to record a statement regarding his declaration of assets and liabilities from 2004 onwards, Bribery Commission officials said. Mr. Kanagasabai has been served with [...]
Police ‘have no clear strategy’ to limit accidents
Greenhorns mostly responsible for road carnage, say experts Young drivers with little road experience are a significant cause for the horrifying road toll, the Automobile Association said this week. Police were also blamed, with a top transport expert declaring that police had no effective strategy for attacking the causes of road accidents and merely reacted to [...]
Rogue bus operators face higher fines – but know whose palm to grease
Driver describes how police are paid off Buses operating without route permits are a major cause of bus accidents, and authorities are pressing the government to increase the fine for operating without permits to Rs 200,000 – but the Sunday Times heard how bus owners know they can get off scot-free by bribing police. [...]
Poster campaign demanding compensation for fishermen killed, missing on June 8
The All Ceylon Common Fisheries Federation (ACCFF) has organised a poster campaign demanding payment of compensation to families of fishermen killed or missing in the June 8 inclement weather that hit the southwest of the country. Government had earlier promised Rs 100,000 in compensation per family, but the federation charges that this money has not [...]
Our queens through the ages get a place of their own
A museum dedicated to leading women in history with special emphasis on the women of the Kandyan era, to come up in Kandy The Queen’s Chamber or the Meda Wasala located behind the Dalada Maligawa in Kandy will soon be transformed into the country’s first museum dedicated especially to the queens of Sri Lanka and [...]
Rare Sri Pada elephant yields valuable evolution clues
Last hideout of shy herd that survives by being elusive Scientists are finding evidence of possible changes in evolution among elephants roaming Sri Pada with a chance to examine the body of an elephant found in the area in the first such sighting. The body was found last week (June 26) in the periphery of the [...]
Authorities heedless of climate change in coastal planning: report
Rising ocean would drown valuable projects Sri Lanka will be hit hard by climate change and is not giving this enough thought when executing development projects, a new report warns. The report, “Turn Down The Heat: Climate Extremes, Regional Impacts, and the Case for Resilience” builds on a World Bank report released late last year, which [...]
Abused, battered housemaid sans finger and compensation returns to scratch
Sri Lanka’s motherhood continues to toil abroad perilously while the powers that be pay lip service to their welfare and wellbeing Damayanthi Kumari, literally left a part of herself behind when she left Oman—her finger. After two months working as a housemaid, Kumari returned home on July 2. A battered and bruised Kumari had left [...]
Allegedly abused mistress turns killer
Strangles businessman lover with bra he meant to use against her Two years of alleged sexual and physical abuse have led to the killing of a businessman from Nugegoda, court was told in a confession by a woman. H.N. Indrajith Pradeep Narayana (40), of 805, High Level Road, Gangodawila was found strangled to death in his [...]
Poson desecrated
The month of Poson celebrates the advent of Buddhism to the country. The essence of Buddhism, the religion which shaped the socio-cultural legacy of the country, is non-violence. Deer, the animal symbolic of innocence, is closely connected with the ideals of non-violence and Buddhism. Sadly in the country’s medieval capital -Polonnaruwa- the month of Poson [...]
Electricity Board death traps claim a victim
With the aim of turning the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) into a profitable venture, the CEB keeps periodically increasing tariffs Unfortunately however, the CEB makes no effort to protect the public from the vast number death traps in the form of exposed electricity cables and even power distribution boards which dot the city. Just last [...]
Alleged war crimes: How should the Govt respond?
Even though it is four years since the end of the war the demand for a war crimes investigation does not seem to have abated. It is possible that with the passage of time such agitation would lose its momentum pursuing an unattainable goal or on the other hand, intensify depending on the dictates of [...]
Woman fraudster’s luck runs out at last
A woman fraudster, who was on the run after allegedly cheating her unsuspecting victims of millions of rupees, was nabbed by an off-duty policeman in the vicinity of the Gangodawila Court complex earlier this week. The woman known only as Sujeewa had given the slip to the police on six different occasions but her luck [...]
