News
Home » NewsArmed guards on trains to prevent attacks
By Kasun Warakapitiya Armed Railway guards were deployed on the Jaffna-bound train yesterday after a series of attacks including Friday’s tragedy where a passenger was killed when he was hit by a bottle thrown at the Vavuniya-bound train. Railways General Manger B.A.P Ariyaratna said yesterday that the Railways took this decision after a series of [...]
Australia lists ‘Tamil Eelam’ in census
High Commissioner acts fast to get it pulled out, but questions over how and why it happened By Namini Wijedasa Angry protests from Sri Lankans domiciled in Australia and the High Commission there forced the withdrawal of Australia’s Bureau of Statistics (ABS), giving an option, particularly to those of Tamil origin, to declare whether they [...]
Asia-Pacific CJs seek separation of powers and judiciary’s independence
The Asia Pacific region’s Chief Justices yesterday adopted a Colombo Declaration calling for a “sufficient degree” of separation of powers between the judiciary, legislature and the executive and urged a possible amplification of the “Beijing Statement on Principles of the Independence of the Judiciary in the LAWASIA region”. Meeting on the sidelines of the LAWASIA [...]
Sapugaskanda upgrade project suspended; alternative at H’tota
By Damith Wickremasekara A US$ 2 billion project to upgrade the Sapugaskanda oil refinery has been shelved, Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake said. Petroleum Resources Development Minister Chandima Weerakkody had submitted the proposal prepared by experts to the Cabinet Committee on Economic Management. Mr. Karunanayake told the Sunday Times the proposal was turned down as fundraising [...]
Indian trawlers won’t be released, but talks to resume
Sri Lanka has rejected a fresh request from India to release 129 Indian fishing trawlers seized by the Navy for poaching — but has agreed to resume fresh talks between the fishermen associations of the two countries. A formal reply to the request has been sent in response to two requests from the Indian External [...]
No freehold land, but 83,000 jobs,US$13 billion in new financial city: Ministry
No freehold land will be granted to the Project Company of the Colombo International Financial Centre (CIFC) under the new tripartite agreement which was signed on Friday, the Government said. Issuing a statement to mark the signing of the agreement for the CIFC, formerly known as the Colombo Port City (CPC), the Megapolis and Western [...]
Independence of the judiciary has been restored: President at LAWASIA
President Maithripala Sirisena on Friday insisted, the independence of Sri Lanka’s judiciary has been restored and must stay that way, as the international community including the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) is closely watching its development . “I understand there are many who complain that the present Government hasn’t done much since it took [...]
SAITM issue: Deans denounce SB’s “denigrating remarks”
Deans of Sri Lanka’s eight state medical faculties have taken strong umbrage over a claim by Social Empowerment and Welfare Minister S. B. Dissanayake that the facilities at some of the medical faculties are lower than that of the South Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine (SAITM). “We, the undersigned, are dismayed and disappointed about [...]
Met Dept warns fishermen of strong winds
With strong winds expected in the next three days, the Meteorology Department has issued a weather warning to people living in the coastal areas. Heavy winds are expected in Colombo, Hambantota, Batticaloa via Pottuvil Panama, Killinochchi and Jaffna. Fishermen in these areas have been warned as winds of 60 km per hour were expected, a [...]
Confusion over who keeps VAT charges
The Supreme Court’s ruling to suspend the value added tax (VAT) introduced by the government in May has caused confusion among businesses and consumers with questions being asked about the money raised so far by the tax. The VAT was introduced through newspaper advertisements by the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) that said 4 per cent [...]
Ignoring signs
While visitors to Sigiriya generate massive revenue for the Central Cultural Fund (CCF) which administers it, there is little supervision of the behaviour of tourists who usually ignore signs as seen in the picture and by doing so cause harm to the ancient sites.
UNESCO DG to hold talks and visit heritage sites
UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova arrived in the country last evening on an official visit. She was received at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) by Education Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam, who is also the Chairman of the Sri Lanka National Commission for UNESCO and Executive Member of UNESCO. During her stay Ms. Bokova will hold [...]
Probe into students sitting A-L in 16 districts
The Examinations Department has opened an investigation in 16 districts where they suspect students from other areas are sitting the GCE (Advanced Level) examination in order to obtain easier university entrance. Education Officers have been sent to the 16 districts, where lower entry grades for university entrance apply, to ascertain whether students had fraudulently registered [...]
The Randoli begins
The first Randoli perahera paraded the streets of Kandy last night with Indiraraja carrying the casket of the Sacred Tooth Relic.
Colombo-Kankasanturai train derails near A’ Pura
A train bound to Kankasanturai from Colombo derailed last evening near Parasangahawewa, area at Anuradahapura, a Railway spokesman said. An official of the Anuradhapura Railway Control Office said two wheels of the last compartment went off the track. Noone was injured in the incident and passengers were transferred to other trains.Repairs were expected to be [...]
Paranagama Commission hands over incomplete report as term ends
The Presidential Commission to Investigate Complaints Regarding Missing Persons wound up its activities by handing over a 48-page report to President’s Secretary P.B.Abeykoon on Friday. Its activities will now be taken over by the Office of Missing Persons (OMP) Commission which is to be set up soon. Commission Chairman Maxwell Paranagama who handed over the [...]
Consumers paying more for CEB’s mismanagement and irregularities
The parliamentary Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) which examined the accounts of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) found that consumers are paying more for electricity due to years of poor financial management of the Board and also raised serious questions about the composition of the Boards of Directors of the CEB’s subsidiary companies. The Committee [...]
Govt. Analyst bottleneck frustrates law and loved ones
Gamini Chandrasekara’s world collapsed around him on August 12, 2014. His wife of 18 years, a doctor at the Lady Ridgeway Children’s Hospital, died during a procedure at a beauty parlour in Bambalapitiya. Priyangi Chandrasekara was only 47. She allegedly suffered a severe allergic reaction to an injection administered to her. Her husband now has [...]
Study shows problems with snake antivenom
Research shows one of two kinds of antivenom imported from India might not be very effective against some venomous snakes in Sri Lanka, where 40,000 people are hospitalised due to snakebite each year. The research team checked several batches of Indian antivenom from the VINS and Bharat brands, the only antivenom (antivenene) available in Sri [...]
Rail security beefed up after vandalism death
More railway security guards, including plain-clothed officials, are being recruited to combat hoodlums hurling missiles at moving trains following the death of a man hit by a thrown bottle. The Superintendent of the Railways Protection Force, Anura Premaratne, said undercover security officials had been placed in various locations after a Zonal Education Deputy Director was [...]
Labour Ministry urges RPCs, TUs to meet
The Labour Ministry has called for a one-on-one meeting next week with owners of plantation companies and representatives of trade unions to finalise the long deadlocked collective agreement while considering a new productivity based system proposed by the Planters Association. Labour and Trade Unions Relations Minister W. D. J. Senewiratne told the Sunday Times that [...]
Oral cancer killing more
A sharp rise in oral cancer, and more cases among younger people, has prompted health authorities to reiterate warnings on betel chewing and smoking, which is directly linked to the spread of oral cancer. Betel is globally the fourth most common psychoactive substance consumed, after caffeine, nicotine and alcohol. Oral cancer includes cancers of the [...]
Every day a life is snuffed out in brutal tit for tat killings
At least one person is murdered in the most brutal manner somewhere in the country every day, latest statistics compiled by the Police Department reveal. During the past six months 286 were murdered with most of the victims being shot dead, slashed by sharp weapons or strangled. In the latest incident reported on Friday night [...]
War widows in backdoor exit to the Gulf for survival: Officials
Two Government Agents (GA) of the North brought to the attention of the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) that war-affected women living under the poverty line, were leaving to the Middle East (ME) on the sly, as housemaids, without being documented. District Secretariats (DS) of Mullaithivu and Kilinochchi have written to the SLBFE [...]
Kalpitiya land fraud exposed
The Government has reacquired 200 acres of state lands at Aalankudawa in Kalpitiya following allegations that some former Pradeshiya Sabha members and a Provincial Councillor had used forged documents to lease them out to investors, an official said. Kalpitiya Divisional Secretary Sunanda Prasanna Herath said he had instructed these lands should be maintained by the [...]
Photo focus: A law unto themselves
In today’s society three-wheelers or trishaws as they are popularly known, have become an essential mode of transport for ordinary people. Yet, the trishaw is also a menace on the country’s roads. A majority of trishaw drivers behave as if road rules don’t apply to them. Not only does this create traffic chaos, it also [...]
Jumbo job: Veterinarians on round-the-clock Esala Perahera duty
This year’s Esala perahera got underway with elephants very much in the news as the Department of Wildlife cracks down on elephants that are being kept as domestic animals without permits, and on the perahera (pageant) elephants. Among the officials designated to perform specific duties and tasks to ensure a smooth run of the Esala [...]
Varsity non-academic staff end strike after winning demands
By Chrishanthi Christopher The strike launched by 13,000 non-academic staff paralysing activities of 15 universities in the country has ended with the Government agreeing to accede to several of their demands. The Sri Lanka University Trade Union Joint Committee (SLUTUJC) said since the Government had agreed to meet the demands the staff resumed work. SLUTUJC [...]