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Home » NewsDengue bedlam at Kalubowila
With the killer dengue rising again, several have died at the Colombo South (Kalubowila) Teaching Hospital where the wards are heavily overcrowded and other facilities also lacking. This picture of four child dengue patients sharing two tiny beds shows a case where the conditions could be as bad as the disease. Pic by RekhaTharangani
High-powered body to act on public complaints
High-powered body to act on public complaintsThe Government is to introduce a law to give legal effect to new mechanisms to address public grievances. The move, ahead of a possible presidential election next year, comes after a six-member official committee, tasked by the Cabinet of Ministers, set out the guidelines. The committee has said that [...]
35 per cent of power from coal, experts call for reduction of rates
The trouble-riddled unit 1 of the Lakvijaya coal-power station will be shut down in July for the Chinese contractor to replace its mammoth condenser which has malfunctioned multiple times since the plant was commissioned.China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC) has also agreed to correct any other defects at its own cost, said Bandula S Tilakasena, the [...]
Ministerial committee to study Medicinal Drugs Bill
The ministerial sub-committee on legislation will make a close study of the National Medicinal Drugs Devices and Cosmetics Regulatory Authority Bill. This Committee is headed by Environment and Renewable Energy Minister Susil Premajayantha. The move follows a string of observations made by Vasudeva Nanayakkara, Minister of National Languages and Social Integration. The Sunday Times of April [...]
Supreme Buddhist Council to advise Govt. on religions
A Supreme Buddhist Advisory Council to guide the Government on improving religious reconciliation is to be appointed by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Buddha Sasana Ministry Secretary M.K.B. Dissanayaka said yesterday. The 17-member council will include nominees from the Mahanayake Theras and its advice will be sought on resolving issues with other religions, disputes among Buddhist clergy [...]
President to hold talks with Modi
President Mahinda Rajapaksa leaves tomorrow for New Delhi to attend the swearing in of Narendra Modi as Indian’s new Prime Minister. He will also hold bilateral talks with Mr. Modi. President Rajapaksa will also hold talks with at least two of the other foreign leaders attending the ceremony, External Affairs Ministry officials said. The President [...]
Assets of 424 persons, 16 entities to be frozen
The Government has issued an order to freeze all funds, other financial assets and economic resources of persons, groups and entities designated and listed in March on suspicion of terrorist financing. The 39-page list was promulgated in terms of UN Security Council Resolution (UNSRC) 1373 and contains the names of 424 persons and 16 entities, [...]
PB relieved of one job
Dr Nihal Jayatillake, the current Secretary to the Ministry of Health, is tipped to take over shortly as Secretary to the Ministry of Economic Development. He will replace P.B.Jayasundera who was the Secretary to the Economic Development Ministry. Mr.Jayasundera will continue as the Secretary to the Ministry of Finance and Planning. Sudharma Karunaratna will take over [...]
Eminent lawyer Ranjith Abeysuriya’s funeral today
Deshamanya Ranjith Abeysuriya, P.C., former Chairman- National Police Commission (NPC), former Director- Public Prosecutions of the Attorney General’s (AG)) Dept, former President- Bar Association and a member of the Law Commission, passed away. An old Royalist, Mr Abeysuriya was among the first students of the University of Ceylon’s Law Dept with slain Foreign Minister Lakshman [...]
FUTA determined to stage its protest on June 3
A token strike by university teachers became imminent last night as talks by them with Higher Education Ministry officials ended in a stalemate. “The majority of our member organisations have already confirmed their participation in the token strike and we will go ahead with it,” FUTA General Secretary Prof. Rohan Fernando said. However Higher Education [...]
Dr. Kariyawasam appointed DMC (Health Services)
Dr. Pradeep Kariyawasam, the Chief Medical Officer of Health of the Colombo Municipal Council who retired this week has been appointed as the Deputy Municipal Commissioner (Health Services) by the Governor of Western Province . The appointment was made on the recommendation of the Mayor of Colombo A.J.M. Muzamil with the approval of the Chief [...]
TNA condemns Govt. designation of Tamil groups, individuals for alleged involvement in terrorist acts
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has condemned the designation of Tamil groups and individuals for alleged involvement in terrorist acts. A Gazette notification on March 21 designated 16 organisations and over 400 persons under the United Nations Regulations No 1 of 2012. The TNA said in a statement yesterday that in accordance with the Regulations, [...]
PSC defunct, new members to be named soon
New members to the Public Service Commission (PSC), the term of which lapsed two weeks ago, will be named by President Mahinda Rajapaksa shortly, officials said. The three-year term of the PSC ended on May 13. An official of the Public Administration Ministry said there is usually an interval of a few weeks between the [...]
Infant killed, four injured as car crashes into kumbuk tree
An infant died and four others were injured in an accident at Irrattakulum in Madampe when a car driven by an engineer veered off the road after headlights of an oncoming van blinded him, a Coroners Court inquiry was told this week. The victim one-year-old Nawanasa Navaneedan was travelling with her parents and two other [...]
Indians, Bangladeshis top list of deportees from Lanka
Immigration authorities have deported 708 Indians between January 2012 and April 2014, a majority of them for working or trading illegally and for overstaying their visas, official statistics show. Of these, 82 were deported in the first four months of this year alone. This includes a small percentage of fishermen who were caught by the [...]
22-year-old female undergrad has her throat slit by soldier boyfriend
A 22-year-old undergraduate was allegedly stabbed to death by her soldier boyfriend in Elpitiya town last morning, police said. The victim, Bimasha Gayanithi Thrimanna, a second-year student at the Aesthetic University, Colombo, had left her home in Niyagama, Thalgaswala at around 3.30 that morning, saying that she was going to the hostel in Colombo, family [...]
EPF lost Rs. 11billion by 2013 on poor investments
The annual report of the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) for 2011 presented to Parliament this week revealed that poor investment choices of the fund’s monies have resulted in the Fund losing more than Rs.11 billion by the end of last year. The EPF had made investments of nearly Rs. 74 billion on a long term [...]
3 drunks arrested for assaulting 2 cops
Three persons were taken into custody after they allegedly beat up two policemen at a location in Wilgamuwa-Matale early yesterday, police said. They said the alleged incident took place when the two policemen had flagged down the three-wheeler in which the suspects were traveling in. According to police, the three suspects were highly intoxicated and [...]
Wigneswaran declines MR’s offer
Northern Province Chief Minister C.V.Wigneswaran turned down the invitation extended to him by President Mahinda Rajapaksa to join him as part of the Sri Lankan delegation to the swearing-in ceremony of new Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying “acceptance would indicate that there exists a strong co-operative spirit between the Centre and the Province, when [...]
The years won’t dim her sorrow
A mother holds back her tears for a fallen son at a solemn ceremony to mark the sixth National War Heroes’ Day that was held at Battaramulla on Monday. Pic by Indika Handuwala.
Smarting engine drivers get timetables changed
Train timetables are to be altered to minimise delays following chaos caused by train cancellations on Friday, the latest of a series of problems that have upset tens of thousands of commuters, with 30 trains cancelled in a week. The Transport Ministry has agreed to a proposal by the Locomotive Operating Engineers Union (LOEU) to [...]
Unions on the war path, warn of crippling action in coming weeks
The country could face a number of crippling strikes in the coming weeks, trade unions have warned adding that several demonstrations and protest marches have been planned island wide. On June 3, the Federation of University Teachers’ Association (FUTA) will launch an islandwide token strike, its president Chandragupta Thenuwara told the Sunday Times. The 3,000 [...]
CEA to launch separate e-waste collection to prevent toxic eco pollution
The Central Environmental Authority (CEA) on Tuesday will launch an islandwide campaign to collect electronic waste (e-waste) such as discarded computers, televisions, refrigerators, mobile phones and mobile phone batteries, and CFL bulbs among others. CEA Director General Dr Saranga Alahapperuma told the Sunday Times that the objective of the programme was to prevent e-waste being [...]
Former Daily News deputy editor passes away
Hilary Rajakarunanayake, senior journalist and former Deputy Editor of the Daily News from 1999-2002, passed away at age 78, this week. He also served the Daily News as its Ratmalana correspondent for several years. He was married to the late Ethel Rajakarunanayake (Ethel teacher), who had a long and distinguished career as a teacher at [...]
Transparent criteria needed for promotion and appointment of Appellate Court Judges
President of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka Upul Jayasuriya addressing the ceremonial sitting for three new judges appointed to the Supreme Court this week said there should be a set of transparent criteria and a due process for the appointment and promotion of Appellate Judges which is not vested solely in the hands of [...]
Health Ministry to go ahead with 60% picture warnings on fag packs
The Health Ministry is taking necessary steps to implement the 60% pictorial warnings on cigarette packets sold in Sri Lanka. Following the court ruling given on the matter on May 12 the ministry has written to the Legal Draftsman on drafting regulations needed to implement the decision, Dr. Palitha Abeykoon, the Chairman of the National [...]
Killer dengue deals death warrants across the country
Two inconsolable mothers weeping their hearts out. In the two homes in mourning, a stone’s throw from each other at Koralawella, Moratuwa, a little girl and a teenage boy are dead. Nine-year-old Sanduni Wasana’s life ebbed away on Vesak Poya and 17-year-old Tharindu Maleesha de Alwis’s over a week ago, like three more within this [...]
Liquor sales an all-time-high during Vesak
Hundreds of people stood in line outside a dansala at the Kanuwana Junction, Ja- Ela on Vesak Full Moon Poya Day (May 14). While they awaited eagerly their turn to be a part of a generous act, another crowd stood at a mobile tavern for a different reason. Those who went incame out with a [...]
Police third degree for AHS undergrads demanding four-year programme
With a severe blow landing on his back while he had fallen face down, Tharindu Sampath thought he was breathing his last. Lying on the floor of a police cell, Tharindu heard his assailant, ironically a policeman yelling at him to remove his belt. Unable to move after receiving repeated blows, he lay there thinking [...]
When will they ever learn? Riots in class a blot on our schools
This Monday (May 19) it was an ordinary afternoon at St Thomas school in Matale but then it all changed. For the first time in the school’s history a student was stabbed and seriously injured by another sparking calls for a rethink on discipline in schools. Malith Guruge, a Grade 12 student of St Thomas, [...]
Lanka pinpointed as winner if reefs conserved
Stronger storms, rising seas and flooding are placing hundreds of millions of people at risk around the world – in Sri Lanka and other countries a major part of the solution lies off-shore, according to a new study that finds coral reefs reduce wave energy by 97 per cent. The study, by scientists in the [...]
Need of the hour -a sense of aesthetics and history
After 17 years, conservation work on the historic Abhayagiri Stupa in Anuradhapura is reaching its final stages -but a conflict has arisen over the final touches to its completion. While local experts and UNESCO officials are of the view that the structure should not be plastered, but a section of the monks including the viharadhikari [...]
Tattooed tourist claims Rs. 10 m. for sexual harassment, ill-treatment
A British tourist, who was arrested and held in custody for having a tattoo of Lord Buddha on her arm, has filed a fundamental rights case seeking Rs. 10 million as compensation for alleged sexual harassment and ill-treatment during her ordeal in Sri Lanka.The petitioner Naomi Michelle Coleman (37) cited the Attorney General, Police Sergeant [...]
Roads authority ducks decision while a district runs dry
Residents of Hendala, Wattala, were forced to wait a week without running water because the roads authority looked for someone sufficiently senior to give the Water Board permission to dig up a road and repair pipes – in the end the board went ahead regardless. Residents were forced to collect water distributed from bowsers, depend [...]
Arrests, shootouts and conflicting motives for PC’s midnight murder
The main suspects involved in the murder of the police constable at Kurunegala has been shot dead and two others arrested, with one more evading arrest, but the motive for stripping and killing a policeman and attempting to kill the other remains a mystery. Police say the breakthrough in the investigations came from close analysis [...]
JUTA President Dr Rasakumaran decries TID questioning for organising commemoration ceremony
Jaffna University Teachers Association (JUTA) President, Dr A. Rasakumaran who was questioned by the Terrorism Investigation Department (TID) for his involvement in organising a commemoration ceremony in remembrance of those who lost their lives in the war’s final phase, says he did not do anything illegal. “I did not do anything against the law. We [...]
Injury on Khuram Shaikh’s neck caused by broken bottle proved fatal: Matara Hospital former chief JMO
A Judicial Medical officer this week told a High Court inquiry into the killing of British national Khuram Shaikh said that he had a fatal injury on his neck caused by a broken bottle. Dr. Kithsiri Wijeweera, the former chief JMO at the Matara hospital was testifying on Thursday in the trial taken up before [...]
Condominium residents sans title deeds soon to be granted relief
Condominium residents who have not been granted their title deeds, as the property developers failed to obtain the Certificate of Conformity (COC) approval for the buildings, will soon be granted relief, said a senior Condominium Management Authority (CMA) official. CMA Chairman Kapila Gamage told the Sunday Times, an amendment will be introduced so that property [...]
Malinda wins Gratiaen for Edges
The Nation newspaper’s Editor-in-chief Malinda Seneviratne was awarded the Gratiaen Prize 2013 for the best work of creative writing in English for ‘Edges’, a collection of poetry. Shortlisted writers included Chamali Kariyawasam and Inosha Ijaz, with poetry taking precedence in this year’s shortlist. At a ceremony held in Colombo yesterday, Tissa Devendra, head of the [...]
