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Home » NewsParliamentarians awake, it’s a pillow fight
In the spirit of unity in diversity for the National New Year, politicians also put party politics aside to take part in traditional New Year games at the Parliament grounds yesterday. Two young UNP parliamentarians – Nalin Bandara and the SLFP’s Ananda Aluthgamage – woke any sleeping participants with their head-on pillow fight. Pic [...]
Rs. 2.88 trillion spirited out of Sri Lanka in last 10 years
Corrupt individuals including politicians and businessmen, criminals, and tax evaders have moved US$ 19.96 billion in dirty money out of Sri Lanka in the decade up to 2013, an organisation that tracks the movement of shady money has revealed. The equivalent of Rs. 2.88 trillion has been illegally taken out of the country in the [...]
New Police Chief: CC again gets three to choose from
The Constitutional Council will meet at 3 p.m. on April 18 to discuss matters relating to the appointment of a new Inspector General of Police. This is after the Presidential Secretariat sent to it, for the second time, the names of three candidates. Among them are Senior DIGs S.M. Wickremesinghe and Pujith Jayasundera, who are [...]
Minister Ranawaka accuses CEB of financial crime
A top Government minister yesterday raised issues over why the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) had called for international bids to procure 55 megawatts of power when the state utility had declared that 460 MW were locally available. Megapolis and Western Development Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka, a former Power and Energy minister, said yesterday that the [...]
Port City part of megapolis, financial hub of Asia: PM
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said yesterday that the Port City project would operate as a joint Sri Lanka-China venture and be incorporated into the larger megapolis plan, in which even Indian businesses could invest. “Some of the Indian companies have told me they are interested in coming to the Port City. It’s a joint venture. [...]
Minister disconnects with SLT Chief’s huge housing allowance
Minister disconnects with SLT Chief’s huge housing allowanceA decision reportedly taken by the Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) board to approve a huge monthly housing allowance of Rs. 725,000 for its Chairman P.G. Kumarasinghe Sirisena has been challenged by Telecommunications and Digital Infrastructure Minister Harin Fernando. The minister told the Sunday Times yesterday that he had [...]
CEB degenerates into buying private power
The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) has commenced purchasing electricity from owners of generators as part of a Self-Generation scheme aimed at mitigating the current power crisis. Director (Development) of the Ministry of Power and Renewable Energy, Sulakshana Jayawardena said the scheme had come into effect on April 1. Under this programme, so-called ‘bulk suppliers’ who [...]
Auspicious times for the National New Year
Punya Kaalaya: From 1.24 pm on Wednesday, April 13 to 2.12 am on Thursday, April 14. New Year dawns at 7.48 pm on Wednesday, April 13. Preparing food: At 8.06 pm on Wednesday, April 13. Start work, transactions and partaking of meals: (Dressed in light green) At 8.54 pm on Wednesday, April 13. Anointing of [...]
U.R. de Silva throws his hat for BASL post
Two candidates declared their candidacy this week for the post of President of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) for the year 2017/2018. Udaya Rohan De Silva known as U.R. De Silva, senior criminal practitioner has declared his intention to contest the post. He was elected as the BASL Treasurer in 2008. Educated at [...]
State institutions ordered to cut monthly power consumption by 10%
All Ministries and Departments have been ordered to cut their power consumption by 10% every month, Power & Renewable Energy Ministry Secretary Dr B.M.S. Batagoda told the Sunday Times. In order to implement the proposal an ‘Energy Officer’ will be appointed in each of the public institutions, who will be responsible to plan the reduction [...]
Right of reply: MTD Walkers PLC says no partnership with Kolkota flyover builder IVRCL
Referring to our last week’s Page 1 story on the Kolkata bridge disaster, MTD Walkers PLC has sent us the following statement: 4th April 2016, Colombo: MTD Walkers PLC ,today stated that they would like to clear any confusion that may have occurred as a result of the article that appeared in a leading English [...]
New Asgiri Mahanayake taught at Asgiri Pirivena and leading schools
Ven. Panditha Warakagoda Dhammadassi Gnanaratne Thera (74 years) was on Thursday unanimously elected as the 22nd Mahanayaka of the Asgiriya Chapter. Unprecedented security saw Police cordoning off the historic Poyage on the day of the election while the media was barred from the premises until the election was over. The election of the Maha Nayaka [...]
Constitutional Assembly holds inaugural meet; PM heads steering committee
The Constitutional Assembly (CA) which held its inaugural meeting this week will meet again next month after the Committee of Public Representations on the Constitution (CPRC) submits its report. At its first meet held on Tuesday, 21 members were named to its Steering Committee, which is tasked with preparing the draft of a new Constitution [...]
CEB contract workers’ protest outside Ministry goes into National New Year
Over 300 Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) contract basis workers serving as billing officers are planning to spend the Sinhala and Tamil New Year in front of the Power and Renewable Energy Ministry premises next week. The workers have already spent 11 days in a protest in front to the ministry premises but no solution has [...]
Save your skin from the sun
The scorching rays of the sun beat mercilessly on all of us, without discrimination be it man, woman or child. The ‘natural’ protector of our bodies from these ultra-violet rays is the skin and it is a team from the Dermatology Unit of the Lady Ridgeway Hospital (LRH) for Children which gives us advice on [...]
Sweet melon big hit in east to beat the heat
Soaring temperatures in the eastern province have turned the common ‘seeni kekiri’ -(sweet melon)- a variety of cucumber- into a much sought-after thirst quencher. Farmers and traders bring in large quantities of the fruit to the Batticaloa town square as well as along the Batticaloa-Kalmunai Main road where they make a brisk sale. The soaring [...]
Scorching sun bears down on already ‘burnt out’ consumers
The Cost of Living issues seem to have been laid to rest for the time being with the approach of the Sinhala-Tamil New Year as shoppers were seen rushing in and out of shopping complexes and haggling with pavement vendors in Colombo as well as in outstations this week. Vendors shouting themselves hoarse advertise their [...]
The carpenter’s carts of many colours, sizes and purposes
April –the festive month of the Sinhala and Tamil New Year is coloured with the flamboyant flowers of the Erabadu trees that stand on the wayside along which traditional carts are lining to race to win the Avurudu Thilina (trophy). At a time when rural youth are leaving the mammoty and broom-stick , one can [...]
Visitors expected to throng N-Eliya as season opens
Police have warned the public against those who engage in illegal dealings by pretending to provide accommodation to visitors intending to holiday in Nuwara- Eliya. It was revealed that some people have been getting money fraudulently from local and foreign visitors intending to come to Nuwara – Eliya saying they could provide accommodation during the [...]
From north to south, bowsers being sent to parched villages
Drinking water problems persist in several areas despite rains bringing relief to parts of the country as the intense heat triggers a sharp rise in water consumption. The main issue faced by the the National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) during the past several weeks was seawater spilling into the Kalu and Nilwala rivers [...]
Major hospitals deny kidney transplants were carried out by them
While the police confirmed that the kidney transplants on the six Indians who were arrested last month (March 3) were done in Sri Lanka, some of the authorities of the major hospitals who have been implicated in the kidney transplant racket denied the surgeries were carried out in those hospitals. Last week the police arrested [...]
Criminals take the high road
Smugglers and criminal gangs are using expressways, where traffic largely runs unchecked, as conduits for illegal business, say authorities who foiled a gang hoping to shift 110kg of heroin along the Southern Expressway to Colombo. The Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) is investigating the consignment of heroin found on a vessel off the southern coast on [...]
Dengue sites need to be cleared with ‘military precision’
Official lethargy and public indifference are the two major obstacles in the way of checking the spread of dengue fever around the country, health officials say as dengue continues to rise with 12 deaths reported so far from the disease with 13,639 dengue cases reported in the past four months. In the first days of [...]
Container driver remanded on charges of negligence, failure to prevent accident
The magistrate’s court has ordered to remand till April 19 the container driver involved in Friday’s accident at Kelaniya railway bridge, causing disruption of trains and inconveniencing the public,Peliyagoda Police OIC Ajith Prasanna said. He said the magistrate has also ordered police to produce the container company owner on the same day in courts. IP [...]
Rights petition to protect good Samaritans at accidents
Good Samaritans who come to the rescue of victims at accident sites need protection, a non-profit organisation declared this week in a Fundamental Rights (FR) petition filed in the Supreme Court seeking an order for regulations to safeguard caregivers. The Foundation for Civilian Bravery, established by Parliament Act No. 4 of 2009, demands guidelines, similar [...]
Photo focus: The travails of road users
With each passing day the search for parking space in Colombo has become a growing nightmare. With designated parking spaces few and far between, drivers are forced travel long distances to park their vehicles. Office workers are among the worst affected by this issue. A few whose offices do not have sufficient parking spots park [...]