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Home » NewsFloods expose shoddy carpeting of roads
The recent floods and landslides while causing deaths and devastation among thousands of people have also exposed the slipshod job in the carpeting of roads. Large sections of this recently carpeted road leading to the Southern Highway were virtually carried away by the floods. Pic by M.A. Pushpakumara
Satellite links for 3,000 Lankan fishing vessels
The Government is to spend more than Rs. 1.3 billion to provide satellite communications to 3,000 fishing vessels operating in Sri Lanka’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) after threats of sanctions by the European Union, the largest buyer of Sri Lanka’s fish. This is by providing each of them with a transponder worth Rs, 420,420 and it [...]
Govt. cancels regulations to monitor mining deals
Just six months after introducing them, the Government has cancelled new regulations that governed the mining, trading in and export of minerals including graphite. The gazette — which had also introduced a committee to determine the market value of mine output and the percentage of royalty payable by those seeking such licences for these activities — [...]
Details of your vehicle on website
Details of vehicles registered with the Motor Traffic Department will be available to the public on a website from next month, Commissioner General S.H. Harishchandra said yesterday. He said the purpose of making the details available was to prevent frauds and malpractices in the purchase of vehicles. These details will include the name of the owner, [...]
New state-owned company to run expressway buses
The Government has decided to establish an Expressway Transport Company (Pvt.) Limited to operate public transport services. The move comes on a recommendation by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who is also the Minister of Highways, Ports and Shipping. The fully state-owned company will come under the Treasury. Even the Articles of Association of the new company and [...]
Sri Lankan students leaving violence-hit eastern Ukraine
With assistance from the embassy in Moscow, Sri Lankan students have begun to leave Lugansk, the violence hit area in eastern Ukraine, officials said yesterday. Amid growing unrest in the area, at least 24 students who were studying at the Lugansk State Medical University had decided to leave the area and moved to the Ukrainian [...]
‘Fever corners’ in hospitals as dengue cases soar
The Health Ministry has ordered all main hospitals to open up units termed ‘fever corners’ to manage the heavy influx of patients. Epidemiology Unit head, Dr. Paba Palihawadana told the Sunday Times that fever corners have been set up at the Colombo National Hospital, Colombo South Teaching Hospital (Kalubowila), the Infectious Diseases Hospital (IDH), Sri Jayewardenepura [...]
Good Market for a greater cause
The Good Market, a new concept started to encourage local producer groups to supply organic vegetables, fruits and ethical products is fast catching up with many people eager to enjoy the new concept. Foreigners who run stalls here are volunteers and they devote their time to help local producers to create a platform to sell [...]
Mob stops TI’s workshop: Police role questioned
A three-day workshop on investigative journalism organised by Transparency International (TI) came to an abrupt end on its second day in Negombo yesterday when a mob staged a protest outside the hotel where it was being held, organisers said. They said the police on safety grounds requested the participants and the trainers to leave the hotel [...]
Attack on SB’s car: Pera grads warned and discharged
Eight men who graduated from Peradeniya University have been severely warned and discharged by Kandy’s Chief Magistrate after they pleaded guilty and volunteered to pay Rs. 100,000 as compensation for damaging the car of Higher Education Minister S.B. Dissanayake four years ago. Chief Magistrate A.M.A. Vasantha Kumar said he was discharging the eight men in [...]
Lanka Hospital death: Coroner’s ruling deferred
The city coroner has deferred his ruling on the death of a private hospital employee because of a delay in the submission of reports by the Government Analyst and the hospital. Thirty-nine-year-old Administrative Secretary Thushari Upalani Gamage, a mother of two, died on May 26 when a gas cylinder fell on her while she was inspecting [...]
Policeman in hiding citing security threats, politico says he’s not involved
The policeman who was attacked and whose vehicle was set on fire following a dispute with a deputy minister had gone into hiding, because his life was under threat, family sources said. They said, Sumith Saman was given medical leave and advised to seek further hospital treatment but he has not got himself admitted to [...]
Dazzled by headlights motorcyclist in fatal crash
A motorcyclist who was temporarily blinded by the strong headlights of an oncoming van was killed when his bike crashed into a tree, while the pillion rider was injured, a coroner’s court inquiry was told this week. The motor cyclist was killed at Malwatta in the Nittambuwa police area last Tuesday (June 3). The man identified [...]
Ruhuna Uni undergrads to continue agitating for reopening of their campus
Ruhuna University students will continue to push the university authorities to reopen their university. The University’s Wallamuna campus was declared out of bounds to students of four Faculties situated within its precincts, following a clash between students and villagers. Villagers invaded the premises protesting against the students’ opposition to hosting the Deyata Kirula exhibition within [...]
University and school teachers on warpath
The Federation of University Teachers’ Association (FUTA) will resort to continuous trade union action if the Higher Education Ministry fails to present solutions before July 10 to the issues raised by the association. “The executive committee meeting held on Friday decided that university teachers will go on continuous strike if the ministry fails to give [...]
Education Ministry circular denies private school O/L students entry to govt. school A/Ls
Sixteen-year-old Chaturi attended an English medium private school in Galle which conducts local syllabus classes up to Ordinary Level (O/L). Having sat for her O/Ls last December, she passed with 8 As and 1 B and was expecting to gain admission into a well-known government school in the area, to pursue her Advanced Level (A/L) [...]
Examiners demand Education Minister explain replacing A/L Economics Examiner
The controversy over alleged external interference with examiners setting question papers for GCE Advanced Level (A/L), deepened yesterday, with 39 of 50 Chief Examiners demanding that Education Minister Bandula Gunawardena explain how a Chief Examiner for the Economics paper was replaced. The dispute has been sparked following the appointment of a new Chief Examiner for [...]
Flood-hit villagers wait helplessly in watery desolation
The flash flood waters are receding but the victims who were displaced are left hungry and yearning for help. Her denim trousers hiked to her knees, Dushmanthi Siriwardena, 24, stands in the mud outside her house. Her baby, who will turn two this year, clings to her neck, unaware of the tears that roll down [...]
Paying the price for roads, houses built without care
Short-sighted development has exacerbated the misery caused by the rain-floods. The rainfall, especially in the Kalutara District, was the highest the country has received in decades. With no experience in receiving such high falls in a short period of time authorities were unprepared to deal with the situation. According to Meteorology Department’s Deputy Director (Forecasting [...]
Have-gun-will-kill homicide spree highlights illicit firearm proliferation
A hike in gun crimes including homicides, attempted murders and robberies using weapons ranging from 9 mm pistols to T-56 assault rifles, has highlighted the threat posed by firearms getting into the hands of criminals; but the Government’s response to the problem has been slow, with little follow-up action on pledges made to various UN [...]
SLMC set to probe dengue death at private hospital
The Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) will probe the dengue death of a 14-year-old patient at the private Neville Fernando Hospital in Malabe, on a complaint of alleged negligence, made by his mother. We received the affidavit complaining about the death of Kavisha Wickramaratne this week and will initiate inquiries, said SLMC’s Acting Registrar Dr. [...]
Ruhuna University undergrads to continue agitating for reopening of their campus
Ruhuna University students will continue to push the university authorities to reopen their university. The University’s Wallamuna campus was declared out of bounds to students of four Faculties situated within its precincts, following a clash between students and villagers. Villagers invaded the premises protesting against the students’ opposition to hosting the Deyata Kirula exhibition within [...]
Police assistance sought to prevent foot-and-mouth spreading to main dairy areas
Police assistance has been sought to prevent the transportation of cattle and other farm animals infected with the foot- and-mouth disease to the main milk producing districts – Nuwara Eliya, Kandy and Kegalle, a senior Police officer said. Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police DIG Gamini Navaratne who has been entrusted with the implementation of [...]
Major changes coming to 150-year-old Police Ordinance
The Police Ordinance, which will complete 150 years since it became law next year, will undergo major changes as it has now been found that its provisions are “no longer adequate for the proper maintenance of law and order in the country.” An expert committee headed by Law and Order Ministry Secretary Major General (Retd.) [...]
Minister Thondaman sacks secretary Dr. Kenderagama over ST report
A front page report in last week’s Sunday Times about the sale of a four storied building has led to a spat between Rural Community Development Minister, Arumugam Thondaman and his Secretary, Dr K.M.T. Kenderagama. Dr Kenderagama who has been on contractual employment since 2011, tendered his resignation after being told to do so by [...]
Hotel construction explodes
Sri Lanka is seeing an unprecedented rise in the number of new hotels being built with 52 being opened this year alone — an average of one per week. Some hoteliers are now concerned that, if the number of tourists does not keep up with the industry’s accelerated expansion, the market will be so fragmented [...]
Two more weeks to present views on draft laws on medicinal drugs
The Health Ministry on Friday bowed to criticism over draft laws covering medicinal drugs, providing two weeks for critical public views, even as there was a suggestion that conflicts in the ministry were seen delaying their implementation. During a public discussion on the draft National Medicinal Drugs, Devices and Cosmetics Regulatory Authority Act at the [...]
It’s dansal time again: Be wary of those soft drinks as rains come down
The Public Health Inspectors’ Union has requested the public to be cautious when consuming food and drink at Poson dansals as the prevailing weather could result in the spread of water borne diseases. The union’s secretary Senarath Bandara said that strict guidelines on the importance of using clean water have been given especially to organisers [...]
Rats and rain ruin drugs
Patients who obtain treatment from state hospitals depend heavily on the drugs dispensed to them. But in some instances poor storage facilities are resulting in the drugs being disposed of. These pictures captured at the storage facility at the Base Hospital in Puttalam speak for themselves. The store room, the quarters for hospital officials, [...]
Consumers milked by Govt.
The Government faces heavy criticism of making money at the expense of the local consumer after reducing a tax concession given for imported milk powder. The concession was reduced by Rs. 25 effective from last Monday because the global market prices have “rapidly plunged,” the Ministry of Finance and Planning stated. The actual tariff is [...]
Seneviratne gets top PCCSL post
Former Secretary General of Parliament, Nihal Seneviratne has been appointed Chairman of the Dispute Resolution Council (DRC) of the Press Complaints Commission of Sri Lanka (PCCSL), following the resignation of Sam Wijesinha. The appointment was made by the PCCSL Board of Directors this week, a press release from the PCCSL said. Mr. Wijesinha, who served as [...]
