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Thousands of devotees holding clay lamps with mustard oil took part in a New Year ceremony at the Paramaramaneeyarama Viharaya in Beruwela, invoking blessings on the country and its people. Pic by Sarath Siriwardene
Network of elevated highways in Colombo and suburbs
Elevated highways are to link Colombo with key suburban towns, according to a three-year project being formulated now. It is being worked out jointly by the Ministry of Megapolis and the Ministry of Highways and will be sent for Cabinet approval. Megapolis Ministry Secretary Nihal Rupasinghe told the Sunday Times that a 21.6 kilometre-long elevated [...]
Policy reversal: Foreign vessels to fish under Lankan flag
Foreign fishing companies are to be invited again to carry out fishing operations under the Sri Lankan flag, but under strict regulations, including an observer on board, a senior official said yesterday. Fisheries Director General M.C.L. Fernando told the Sunday Times that foreign vessels would have to adhere to regulations which had been gazetted and would [...]
10,000 new passports in post-Christmas rush
At least 10,000 fresh passports were issued during the four day post-Christmas rush as thousands of people thronged the Immigration Department in Borella to beat the fee increase which came into effect on Friday, a top official said yesterday. Some 2,500 passports of different categories were issued on a daily basis and not a single [...]
Transport war in north: Wire mesh to protect state-run buses
Windscreens and rear windows of Sri Lanka Transport Board buses operating in the north are being protected by wire mesh following several incidents of stone throwing allegedly by private bus operators, an official said. The move follows a dispute over the implementation of a joint time table for Sri Lanka Transport Board and private buses. The [...]
Prices of imported food items soar, shortages possible
The prices of a variety of imported food items shot up from Friday, January 1, after the three levies announced in the budget became effective. The items include chick peas, dhal and canned fish products with traders warning that the new levies would have a spiralling effect on the prices. Food outlet owners said they had [...]
Youth drowns and two others missing in Mount Lavinia
A 21-year-old youth drowned and two others are missing and feared dead while bathing in the sea at a location close to the Mount Lavinia Hotel yesterday afternoon, the Police said. The victim was identified as Jeyan Kumar Mahendren, a resident of Maskeliya. The two reported missing are Thiruchelvam Saravanakumar aged 18 from Lindula and 21 [...]
Miscommunication between Colombo and Male delaying release of client: Counsel
The Maldivian authorities are yet to respond to a request from Colombo to release a Sri Lankan who has been detained since November last year on charges that he was part of a plot to assassinate President Abdulla Yameen. This has turned into a diplomatic issue between the two governments but on the other hand Colombo [...]
Paranagama Commission seeks six-month extension
With the term of the Presidential Commission to Investigate Complaints Regarding Missing Persons (PCICMP) ending next month, the commission has sought a meeting with President Maithripala Sirisena to discuss its activities. Commission’s Secretary, H.W. Gunadasa said a request would be made to President Sirisena to extend the term of the commission by six more months. “We [...]
Indian fishermen poaching in Sri Lankan waters remanded
29 Indian fishermen who were arrested for poaching in Sri Lankan waters were remanded till January 11 by the Trincomalee Magistrate, on Thursday. The Magistrate, T.Saravanarajah ordered that the fish catch be handed over to the Fisheries Corporation in Trincomalee. Pic by Amadoru Amarajeewa
CEB has renewable energy in long-term planning: Official
The Ceylon Electricity Board’s Long-Term Generation Plan does make room for wind power and other forms of renewable energy, contrary to claims by an officer of the Public Utilities Commission (PUC), a CEB official said this week. The Plan has made provision for 925 megawatts of new capacity addition from non-conventional renewable energy power plants [...]
Fertiliser seized from unauthorised store
Authorities yesterday raided an unauthorised private store and seized a large stock of fertiliser at a location in Julepallama in Hambantota, officials said. Among the items seized were 550 kilograms of ammonia, 520 kilograms of MOP fertilizer, 448 kilograms of ketapohora and 50 kilograms of urea, they said. According to the officials the trader was [...]
300 factory workers hospitalised after food poisoning
Around 300 factory workers were taken ill after suspected food poisoning following a New Year dinner hosted by their employer at a factory in Balangoda yesterday. According to hospital officials the victims fell ill after consuming a diner of rice and curry which had been supplied by a private caterer. While around 100 were discharged [...]
Randeniya to contest for BASL secretary post
Amal Randeniya, the Colombo Law Society’s former president, is to contest for the post of Secretary at the Bar Association of Sri Lanka elections which will be held in February. The returning officer for the elections will be the Solicitor General of Sri Lanka. Mr. Randeniya has held various positions in the BASL since 1998. [...]
Pakistan PM here tomorrow on three day visit
Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will begin a three day official visit to Sri Lanka tomorrow. His visit follows the official visit undertaken by President Maithripala Sirisena to Pakistan in April last year. During his visit, Prime Minister Sharif will also hold talks with President Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. He will visit the Dalada [...]
Compensation of Rs. 16 million paid to woman whose husband died at sea
A woman who lost her seafarer husband who died while on a voyage in early July last year was this week compensated Rs.16 million, a spokesperson from the National Union of Seafarers Sri Lanka (NUSS) said yesterday. He said the compensation was received after prolonged discussions with officials from the Italian company that owned the [...]
Public Utilities Commission says statements made not official views
The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka, in response to an article published in the Sunday Times of December 27, 2014, titled “PUC pulls the plug on CEB’s power generation plan” says that the statements provided to the writer of the said article were not its official views. It maintains that the officer who was [...]
Resolve to stand on your own feet this New Year
The unmarried are called singles in our society. Single or married, no one is alone in our society. We have our parents, children, siblings, friends and relatives to keep us company. But one must not forget that we are on our own. If one needs a heart transplant, two people will come forward to donate [...]
Shoppers flood Colombo in the bargain season after New Year
Sri Lankans ushered in the New Year on Friday after a week of frenzied shopping and much revelry. Post new year, shoppers were thronging outlets many of which were offering good bargains with goods going at discounted rates which was an additional attraction for many. The Sunday Times spoke to a mix of shoppers and [...]
No danger to frescoes from plaster collapse, says archeological official
The conservation process of restoring the layer of plaster which collapsed close to where the Sigiriya frescoes are situated, has been completed U.P.Wathuge, Acting Assistant Director of the Chemical Preservations Division of the Archeological Department said. He said the plaster had peeled off on Monday as moisture has seeped into it. The problem is that [...]
The old order changeth
The “Shanthi Karmaya” ceremony or the Gam Maduwa as it was referred to -complete with devil dancing and fire built up to the traditional ringing in of the new year of years gone by. These ceremonies usually starting around 7 p.m. continued till the early hours of the morning and ended with fire walking ceremonies. [...]
Road deaths reach record high of 2, 700 in 2015
Sri Lanka’s roads were deadlier than ever last year, with the highest number of traffic deaths on record. More than 2,700 people were killed in road accidents last year – an increase of more than 300 from 2014. This means an average of 7.5 people died each day on our roads on average in 2015 – [...]
Tighten your belts: Veggies will stay pricey
Vegetable prices, which have skyrocketed during the past three weeks, are likely to remain high due to short supply, farmers and traders warned. Adverse weather conditions and the reluctance of farmers to keep growing vegetables at a loss are the main reasons for the shortages. Rain has affected all main vegetable cultivation areas including Nuwara [...]
11 years after tsunami, waves of corruption wiping out victims’ village
It’s 11 years since the deadly tsunami shattered thousands of lives and homes in several coastal areas in the country, but waves of blows continue to fall on some of the survivors of the catastrophe. Among them are residents of the “Nest” tsunami village at Ratgama in Galle. They say that of the 154 housing [...]
Iglesias concert still rocking Colombo
The Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) says it is still waiting for the organisers of the Enrique Iglesias Sex and Love concert to submit a response to allegations of tax fraud. “I have not received any files from the company so far,” CMC Treasurer K.D. Chitrapala said. Ahead of filing legal papers in court against concert [...]
Beware, snatch thieves active, say police
Police have warned the public to be aware of snatch thieves after a string of incidents in Colombo and other areas, where mostly gold chains of women have been snatched in broad daylight. Complaints of gangs operating in three-wheelers or motorcycles snatching chains have been on the increase with cases being reported from Dehiwala, Wellawatte, [...]
Delimitation issues: Committee on course to meet Jan 31 deadline
Amid a controversy over the uncertainty of the dates of the next local council elections, the committee set up to look into complaints arising from delimitation of new wards is confident that it can hand over its final report by the January 31 deadline. Chairman Asoka Peiris, a former commissioner-general of lands, said the five-member [...]
Prisoners, guards to face hearing on Jan 12 over woman’s death
Police are probing a case of negligence by prison guards and three prisoners that led to the death of a 72-year-old woman killed when a branch of a tree cut down by one of the prisoners crashed onto her. Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Ruwan Gunsekara said police have taken statements from the guards and [...]
Govt. to speed up forest demarcations
The Forest Department will act swiftly to demarcate forest boundaries in the north and east following the recent attempt to encroach on state land in Punani, Batticaloa. Affirming the move, Conservator-General of Forests Anura Sathurusinghe said unlike in other provinces forest lands in the north and east had not been properly demarcated due to the [...]
Bright sparks run bike-parks for train commuters
Housewives, pensioners, widows and others living alongside railway stations now earn a decent income by converting their home compounds into motorcycle parks for train commuters, most of whom are office workers. For a fee, they look after commuters’ motorcycles until they return later in the day, or in some cases day or days after. The [...]
Siriwardane declares open the new Army renovated bridge
SLA authorities graciously invited provincial journalist Siriwardane to declare open the newly renovated bridge
Army acts on photo focus expose on croc-infested waters
It was a rare occasion…the provincial journalist who reported on a faulty public utility that caused inconvenience to the public was honoured. The Sunday Times reporter Sarath Siriwardane, in June 2014 revealed in these columns how the small bridge in Kadolana Duwa, Moragolla, had collapsed (see montage). Mr. Siriwardane’s photos depicted the plight of the [...]
Despite efforts of the WLD the human-elephant conflict continues to take its toll
In an effort to minimise the damage caused by the human-elephant conflict in the Puttalam District, of the North Western Province, the Department of Wildlife has put into operation a number of measures to assist the people. The conflict has caused extensive damage to cultivation and killed a number of villagers during the past year [...]
Tags need to be improved: Vet
The dead elephant who was tagged with a GPS collar was referred to a veterinary surgeon when the beast came in search of food at a garbage site in Wellawaya. Udawalawe Veterinary Surgeon Vijitha Perera says the method of tagging elephants with GPS collars has its advantages as well as disadvantages, as the tag could [...]
Tagged elephant dies at Suriyawewa
Villagers in the Suriyawewa area reported the death of an elephant who had been tagged with a GPS collar. It is reported that it is the first time an elephant with a GPS collar had been found dead. The lifespan of an elephant is around 65 years, but the tagged elephant who was found deadwas [...]