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It was Independence Day but with an international crisis threatening Sri Lanka’s independence, President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the heads of the security forces were in a sombre mood as they watched the parade in Kegalle on February 4th. Pic by Indika Handuwela
SB’s private degrees cause concern
A Gazette notification to allow private institutions to award degrees without conforming to professional standards has led to a howl of protests. Some of the main areas where provision has been made to award degrees are in the fields of medicine, engineering and architecture.The Sri Lanka Medical Council, the governing body for medicine, said it [...]
SB’s son Narada secretary of the committee
Higher Education Minister S.B. Dissanayake has appointed his eldest son Narada Dissanayake as the Secretary of a Quality Assurance and Accreditation Committee which will govern all non-state degree awarding institutions. The committee’s main task is to assess applications from institutions, seeking degree-awarding status. Narada Dissanayake is one of the five permanent members of the committee [...]
Indian visa issue: Lanka seeks report for action
The Government will raise with India the issue of Sri Lankans being left out of the facility to grant visas on arrival for citizens of 180 countries, an External Affairs Ministry official said yesterday. “We have asked our High Commission in New Delhi to meet relevant authorities and submit a report on why Sri Lanka was [...]
Bus driving only for 23-65 year olds
With the increase in road accidents involving public transport vehicles, the Ministry of Transport is to introduce tough regulations.An official said the age group of those eligible to drive public transport vehicles would be limited to between 23 and 65. In addition, those with any criminal record would also be barred from driving public transport [...]
US envoy’s visit: US embassy rejects EAM statement
The United States embassy has rejected a claim that Sri Lanka’s Ministry of External Affairs had merely asked a senior US official to reschedule her visit and not refused her a visa. Catherine Russell, US Ambassador-at-Large for Women’s Issues, was due to in Sri Lanka tomorrow and Tuesday. Her visit was “cancelled” after US authorities were [...]
Nominees keepers, losers weepers as nominations close to win at all costs
Intense election campaigning began with the closing of nominations on Thursday for the two provincial council (PC) elections. Rallies of supporters shouting slogans, from all major and other political parties, took place with the respective district representatives, on conclusion of nominations for the Western and Southern PCs. The Elections Dept confirmed that elections will be [...]
Pope agrees to Sri Lanka trip, prays for gift of peace
VATICAN CITY, Feb 08 (AFP) – Pope Francis today turned his focus to Asia, announcing a possible trip to Sri Lanka and approving the beatification of 124 Korean martyrs. The beatification ceremony for Paul Yun Ji-chung and his 123 fellow martyrs — who were killed for their Catholic beliefs between 1791 and 1888 — will take [...]
GL -Rajitha clash in credit sharing over fishermen’s release; poachers carry on
Two Ministers in the Cabinet are fighting it out publicly over who should take the credit for the release of detained fishermen both in Sri Lanka as well as in India. The first salvo was fired by External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris last month. He claimed that the release followed a telephone conversation he had [...]
Rector says he was not contacted; but that’s not so
Responding to a news report headlined ‘St. Joseph’s College Rector transferred to Aquinas’, published in the Sunday Times of January 12, the Rector, Rev. Fr. Sylvester Ranasinghe, has sent the following reply. “I write in reference to an article published in the ‘Sunday Times’ 0f January 12. The article is obviously damaging to my good [...]
Law makers and law breakers
Election law prohibits the display of cutouts, banners and conduct of processions once nominations close. Nevertheless almost all parties went on to violate the law no sooner nominations closed on Thursday. Soon after nominations closed, supporters of all political parties were seen parading the streets at the District Secretariat offices in the six districts of [...]
Kalutara UNP MP will be removed if found guilty
The UNP has decided to suspend the membership of MP Palitha Thevarapperuma who acted in an unruly manner at the party Parliamentary Group meeting earlier this week, General Secretary Tissa Attanayaka said. He said the party took the decision following a report submitted by Opposition Chief Whip John Amaratunga. Mr. Attanayaka said if Mr. Thevarapperuma [...]
Boy strangled during ride on a swing
A 13-year-old boy was strangled after he got entangled in a rope while on a make-shift swing in Kinniya, Trincomalee, yesterday, police said. According to police the incident occurred when the victim Mohamed Zanuz and two others decided to take a ride on a rope swing in an isolated playground on their way home after [...]
Drinka pinta milka day? Those were the days
Noorul Bathirian, a mother of three, now has to make the tough decision of which of her family members she would give the precious glass of milk every morning. With her husband being paralysed and no steady income the slightest change in food prices has a thundering impact on the household diet. Her children, three [...]
Attempt to snatch baby elephant from wild
Hearing a baby elephant’s cries from the forest all Tuesday night, villagers called wildlife officials who thwarted an attempt to snatch the baby from the wild and sell it into captivity in private hands. The officers had been expecting to find the elephant injured from an accident but instead found it tightly tied to trees [...]
Kegalle comes alive with pageant
The 66th Independence Day Celebrations was held in Kegalle on Tuesday under the patronage of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. A tri-forces military parade comprising 1,400 Army Officers, 250 Naval Officers, 250 Air Force Officers, 250 Police Officers, 250 Members of the Civil Defence Force, 325 Cadets of the National Cadets Force and 300 Members of the [...]
No material to probe bribery head over charge – one-commissioner probe
A Commissioner of the Bribery and Corruption Commission has found there is no “material upon which an investigation need to be conducted” against the Chairman of the Commission, former Supreme Court Judge Jagath De Silva Balapatabendi in relation to a complaint submitted by JVP MP Sunil Handunetti on January 1, 2014. The JVP MP alleged [...]
Dengue battle costs billions – so why the soaring deaths?
At the age of 27, K.D. Niroshini from Ferguson’s Road, Colombo 15 has been left a widow with a nine-year old son and is expecting another child. Her husband, 29 year-old R.K. Ranjith, lovingly called Ranji, died of dengue haemorrhagic fever. The illness took his life last week when both he and Niroshini were distracted [...]
Hectic bid to make Lakvijaya run again
The top management of China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC) is still in Sri Lanka as efforts continue to get the Lakvijaya Coal Power Plant in Norochcholai running again. The President, Vice President and General Manager of CMEC arrived in the country a week ago and will be joined today by a delegation from China’s Ministry [...]
In-house doctor and medical centre at Ananda College
Ananda College Colombo, on Friday opened its newly established medical centre equipped with emergency facilities and an in-house doctor. The centre was established by the Old Anandians Medical Guild following the death of a nine-year old student at the school premises recently. This centre will provide a clinical facility for detection, managing, monitoring and follow [...]
Probe on teachers’ and officials’ joy ride
A three-member panel has been appointed to probe the action of 73 teachers and education officials who had defied orders and embarked on a foreign trip at public expense, initially meant for students in the Southern Province, a top official said yesterday. The panel was set up after explanations were called from the group as [...]
Global TU head coming here on fact finding mission
The leader of the world’s single largest trade union (TU) federation will be in the country on a five-day visit starting February 15, on a fact-finding mission regarding issues faced by local workers, including those unjustly terminated by their employers, senior union officials said yesterday. General Secretary of the Global Union Federation of Industry-All (GUFIA), [...]
Battling dust and denque
The dust seems to be too much for this Environment Protection Unit policeman, taking part in dengue awareness programme. Pic by M.A. Pushpakumara
Supermarkets targeted in latest food raids
The Consumer Affairs Authority is continuing the widespread raids and inspections that began last December, with the latest targets being supermarkets and warehouses of leading importers involved in selling expired items with re-labelling and re-selling food items harmful to human health. Last week, the CAA found 30,000 cans of date expired canned fish and 10,000 cans [...]
Law College’s new principal resigns citing personal reasons
Former Supreme Court judge P. A. Ratnayake P.C has sent in his resignation as the Principal, Sri Lanka Law College, citing personal reasons just over a month after taking up the position. Justice Ratnayake told the Sunday Times that he sent his letter of resignation last Tursday to the Council of Legal Education (which makes the [...]
Dial M for Murder … killer trapped by mobile he used to check on Mel
When well-known journalist and analyst Mel Gunasekera lingered longer than expected with her old St. Bridget’s schoolmates on Saturday night last weekend the 40-year-old unwittingly set in train a tragedy that ended with her dead in a pool of blood, slain by a man she had once trusted and employed. Mel – founder of one [...]