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One of the first eastern Tamil women recruits to the Army being given a warm kiss by her mother after the passing out parade at the Eastern Security Forces Headquarters in Trincomalee yesterday. The guard of honour at this passing out parade was taken by Brig. R. Shanmuganathan. Pic by Amadoru Amarajeewa
Drug war: Deal with UN
A shift in narcotics trafficking patterns from land-based routes across the Central Asian region to maritime channels and Colombo becoming a strategic hub have prompted the Government to sign an agreement with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). In terms of the agreement, the UNODC will “develop mechanisms and provide support” with the [...]
President off to US
President Mahinda Rajapaksa left yesterday on a private visit to the United States. Presidential sources said he was travelling to Houston for a meeting with his brother Dudley Rajapaksa.
Fishing dispute: Minister rejects Swamy’s call for temporary permits
Fisheries minister Rajitha Senaratna yesterday rejected a call to allow Indian fishermen to fish in Sri Lankan waters on a permit system for three years. He was responding to a call by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) senior leader Subramanian Swamy who made the suggestion at a seminar organised by the Defence Ministry in Colombo this [...]
Wigneswaran seeks Treasury approval for CM’s fund
The Northern Provincial Council has sought Treasury approval to operate a ‘Chief Minister’s Fund’ despite objections by the Governor, a spokesman for the Chief Minister’s office said. The Council had granted approval for the establishment of the fund which hopes to attract aid from foreign donors and well-wishers. Similar funds have been set up in three [...]
Embilipitiya Mill: Huge deal like waste paper
In 2011, Ministers approved a project where the Embilipitiya Paper Mill owned by the National Paper Company Limited was given on a thirty year lease to an Australian firm, Perth Engineering and Maintenance (Pvt.) Ltd. The precincts covered 44.7 acres and the agreement was for Rs 400 million. This was after the Chief Government Valuer [...]
12-member team plans grand National Day show in President’s hometown
Next year’s 67th national day celebrations on February 4 will be held in President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s ancestral village of Weeraketiya. The venue will be the Rajapaksa Maha Vidyalaya grounds which could accommodate 30,000 visitors. The Cabinet has appointed a 12-member Committee headed by Prime Minister D.M. Jayaratne to prepare a programme and monitor arrangements. Its [...]
Rice for beer: Free hand for breweries
The Government will not impose any restrictions on breweries buying paddy for beer production, Agriculture Minister Mahinda Yapa Abeywardene said yesterday. Beer companies were encouraged to use rice in their beers when we had an excess paddy production two years ago, he said. The minister claimed the breweries were short of paddy supplies this year. “It [...]
Keeping it within the family, turning the House into an heirloom
What enables a politician to get elected, and how important is it that he comes from a dynastic family: that is, where an immediate family member or close relative is already in political office at the national or provincial/local level? Analysis by Manthri.lk, a pioneering online platform that monitors and ranks all the proceedings and actors [...]
Drought-hit residents spare a thought for desperate animals
People are not the only victims of the drought in different parts of the country. Many wild animals are dying without food and water. In a bid to help these denizens of the wild in the forest reserve of the Sithulpawwa Yala area, the chief incumbent of the Sithulpawwa Viharaya Ven. Metaramba Hemaratne Thera and [...]
Witness protection Bill finally coming
The much delayed Bill to provide assistance and protection to victims of crime and to witnesses is to be presented to Parliament shortly.The Bill to be presented by Justice Minister Rauff Hakeem sets out rights and entitlements of victims of crime and witnesses and promotes their rights and entitlements.The draft Bill has been gazetted ahead [...]
India for non-interference , China moots Lanka’s geopolitical importance
The final day of Defence Seminar -2014 coincided with the 70th birth anniversary of former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, who was assassinated by the LTTE in Sriperumbudur in South India in May 1991. It was not a date that many remembered until Dr. Subramanian Swamy, a senior member of the ruling Bharathiya Janatha Party [...]
Wilpattu bungalows close down
Two bungalows within Wilpattu sanctuary have been forced to close down due to the drought, Wilpattu National Park Manager, Manoj Widyaratne said. He said that, if the drought continues till the first week of September, other bungalows too would have to be closed down due to the shortage of drinking water. The Dry Zone has [...]
Don’t dig too deep below the skin to enhance looks
Everyone wishes to look good and there is nothing wrong with that. But be aware of what falls within the ambit of a simple “appearance enhancing” measure and what would cause harm, major or minor, at the hands of non-qualified people dispensing medical procedures. These are the words of caution by Consultant Dermatologists Dr. Chalukya [...]
Past patrons’ views sought on Dr. Gamage’s medical clinic
Public support is to be sought by an Inquiry Panel probing the death of a doctor at a medical clinic that illegally practised cosmetic procedures. The five-member panel appointed by the Health Ministry on Friday will seek views and suggestions from those who had taken treatment at the medical clinic down Visakha Road, Colombo 4, [...]
Strangling the goose that lays the golden eggs
Each year, numerous cases of sexual offences against tourists are reported in the local and international media. Yet the authorities drag their feet in addressing a serious issue affecting an industry that makes up nine percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product. A couple of weeks ago, a 13-year-old Norwegian girl, who was touring with [...]
Smothered by cartels, squeezed dry by drought
As morning dawns, the sleepy villages around the historic city of Polonnaruwa come to life. Brooms in hand, shop owners clear the dust outside their doors and spray turmeric water. Women on wooden benches sip tea, licking at the sugar held in one hand. But tragedy runs under the surface of this placid rural life. [...]
Alarm over rising seas but villagers keep returning to risky shore
For Shanthi of the Sri Dharmaarama Road fishing village in Ratmalana and Kamala Fernando of Ransigamawella off Wennappuwa, the coming days are a struggle to protect their houses from the strong waves that are rapidly swallowing up the shore. Thousands of families living bordering the south-western coasts and north-western coasts are at a growing risk [...]
3D glasses health hazard
3D cinemas are a big hit in Sri Lankan movie-going culture but are audiences risking their health? A recent crackdown by Colombo Municipal Council Public Health Department officers has raised concerns over 3D glasses handed out to audiences. CMC Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Ruwan Wijayamuni said that when 18 cinemas in Colombo, including [...]
Now Lankan insurers include sanction clauses
Sri Lankan insurers, like their international counterparts, have begun stating in their contracts that policy cover will be suspended in case of the United States, the European Union or the United Nations imposes sanctions against the country. The Government and sections of the private sector are fighting back—but experts warn that ‘sanction clauses’ are here [...]
JVP hits out at ruling party gimmicks
With less than four weeks for polls political parties have stepped up their campaigns for the Uva Provincial Council elections amidst fresh incidents of violations and violence. The failure to remove cutouts and posters of selected UPFA candidates in the Monaragala district, an attack on two Democratic Party candidates and distribution of goods and consumer [...]
Care for a drink? And then you are drugged and robbed
Beware of strangers, especially those who offer you drinks and other sweet treats as they could be spiked with a sedative that knocks you out cold before you are robbed of your belongings. Last Sunday an ayurvedic physician in Kandy had been asked by two people to accompany them to treat a patient. He was [...]
Heavy rain in south-west, drought-hit areas receive little: Met. Dept.
Heavy rains, sometimes accompanied by strong winds, lashed many parts of the country including Colombo, Gampaha, Kandy, Galle, Ratnapura and Matara Districts but sporadic rains in the drought- stricken areas, were insufficient to bring any relief, weather officials said. Commenting on the situation Meteorology Department’s forecast director S.R. Jayasekera said, “Usually the South West Monsoon [...]
Rogue and baggage: BIA becoming a den of thieves
More and more Sri Lankans returning from travel abroad are falling victim to theft of their baggage by unscrupulous porters and baggage handlers. Whilst Police have acted on a few recent instances, some passengers say they fear to complain because those allegedly involved are supporters of politicians in the area. For the same reason, airport authorities [...]
