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National New Year festivities are being held in most parts of the country. The Army also joined in with a New Year sports festival at the Army Camp in Kompannaveediya. One of the popular events was the tug-o’-war between women soldiers and it drew cheers from the troops. Pic by Indika Handuwala
No upgrade for BIA despite US$ 50m renovation
By Namini Wijedasa Despite three months’ renovation work which disrupted airline schedules, the Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka (CAASL) will not upgrade the Bandaranaike International Airport’s runway in accordance with the International Civil Aviation Organisation-accepted classification for runways capable of accommodating new large aircraft such as A380s. Notwithstanding its recent widening at a cost [...]
GMOA flatly rejects Govt.’s SAITM solution
The Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) has rejected proposals put forward by the Government to resolve the controversy surrounding the South Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine (SAITM), dashing hopes of an end to a crisis that has dragged on for months. Media Spokesman Dr. Samantha Ananda said yesterday that the union was yet to [...]
New trend in flu pattern
By Kumudini Hettiarachchi A new and unexpected trend in the disease pattern of the common flu, which is sweeping across Sri Lanka, has been found at the Polonnaruwa Hospital. Patients who contract influenza could also fall victim to a secondary infection. This secondary infection is normally caused by bacteria, but at Polonnaruwa it has been [...]
Poaching crisis: Lanka expresses its displeasure at India’s failure
By Chris Kamalendran Sri Lanka has expressed disappointment over the failure by the Indian authorities to honour the pledges made at the last round of joint Indo-Lanka talks on the fisheries issue. Fisheries Ministry Secretary Rani Adhikari, who headed the Sri Lanka delegation at the talks held on Friday in Colombo, told the Sunday Times [...]
Beware of virus: Don’t spoil your New Year
The Epidemiology Unit has called upon the people to take precautions during the festive season in view of the increasing number of cases of influenza. The Health Ministry’s Consultant Epidemiologist Dr. Samitha Ginige said that during the National New Year season most streets were crowded with shoppers and those travelling to their villages. Therefore, the [...]
NE housing project slashed: Fresh tenders and fair play urged
If the Government intends to slash its original proposal of 65,000 prefabricated houses down to 6,000 houses for the war-displaced, it must call a fresh tender as many more contractors will qualify for the smaller project and offer better prices, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Parliamentarian M. A. Sumanthiran said this week. Despite sustained opposition to [...]
Kalutara’s bustling town centre
The usually busy Kalutara town was unusually chock-a-block yesterday as men, women and children came to the town in their vehicles and by public transport to buy new clothes, household utensils and food items to celebrate the National New Year.
Reprieve death row, lifers to overcome prisons congestion, says report
There could be some reprieve for prisoners on death row as well as for those serving life sentences, if the Govt. accepts the recommendations of a special Task Force (TF) appointed by the Cabinet to look into congestion in prisons. The report of the TF tabled in Parliament this week by Chief Government Whip, Parliamentary [...]
Power and Energy Ministry scoffs at BOI allegations on proposed LNG terminal at Colombo Port
The Power and Energy Ministry has refuted allegations levelled by the Board of Investment (BOI) over the proposed LNG terminal at the Colombo Port. The Ministry was responding to a report in the Sunday Times headlined “LNG Terminal: BOI slams moves by Ministry.” In the article, BOI Chairman Upul Jayasuriya voiced dissatisfaction at the decision [...]
Major breakthrough in cause of influenza related deaths
The expected turned out to be the unexpected, giving a different and uncommon twist to a common health issue. As he peered at the cultures of two sets of sputum and respiratory secretions, as he had done for numerous specimens previously, instead of the usual spheres, rods and spirals, what he saw were shapes like [...]
State suffers Rs. 15 billion loss from Lak Sathosa rice imports in 2014
The parliamentary oversight Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) has endorsed the Auditor General’s findings that the state suffered losses of up to Rs. 15 billion due to bungling of rice imports by Lak Sathosa during the previous regime. COPE Chairman and JVP Parliamentarian Sunil Handunnetti said the rice had been imported, bypassing a Cabinet decision [...]
Vasantha Obeyesekere, who immortalised real life stories on the silver screen, is no more
Multiple award-winning film director Vasantha Obeyesekere, whose adoption of real life stories onto the big screen made him one of the biggest names in the country’s film industry, passed away last morning at a private hospital in Colombo. He was 80. In a film-making career that spanned nearly five decades, Obeyesekere won several presidential awards [...]
The Mahanayake’s passing an irreplaceable loss to the Buddhist world– President Sirisena
The cremation of the Mahanayaka of the Amarapura Maha Nikaya, the most Venerable Davuldena Sri Gnanissara Thera was held onThursday afternoon at Independence Square, Colombo with full state honours. Expressing his condolences at the ceremony President Maithripala Sirisena stated that the demise of the Thera caused an irreplaceable loss to society and the Buddhist world. [...]
Ravi J. cremated with full police honours
Capt.Ravi Jayewardene, son of former President, J.R. Jayewardene, was cremated with full Police honours amidst a distinguished gathering of mourners at the General Cemetery, Borella on Thursday. Mr Jayewardene passed away on Monday at the age of 80. The bier carrying Mr Jayewardene’s casket, draped in the flag of the Special Task Force (STF) of [...]
Opposition ferments against Mendis distillery
Resistance is growing in the East to W.M. Mendis’s (WMM) proposed ethyl alcohol plant, approved by the Finance Ministry within 18 months of Maithripala Sirisena winning the presidency, on a platform that decried, among other things, “the ethanol mafia”. The Batticaloa District Coordinating Committee met on March 27 and resolved to oppose the project. Members [...]
Sniffles, coughing, sneezing and body-aches herald the season
It is a virulently-ill nation that will brace itself to welcome the dawn of the National New Year, not with joy and laughter but with sniffles, coughing, sneezing and body-aches. In a rampage by the twin viral fevers of dengue and Influenza A including H1N1, both state and private hospitals are overflowing and many fear [...]
Pettah businesses await more New Year shoppers
The usual festive feeling is in the air and people are busy shopping, preparing sweetmeats and making other preparations for the much-awaited National New Year that dawns in a few days. From Friday onwards, outstation bus stands were filling up with people taking advantage of the long-weekend to travel to their hometowns. Shops selling shoes, [...]
Auspicious times for National New Year
Bathing for the old year: April 12, Wednesday–Bathing with Nanu (herbal mixture) made of kohomba-leaf juice: Dawn of the New Year April 14 Friday -2.04 a.m.. Punya Kalaya 7.40 p.m. April 13, Thursday to 8.28 a.m. April 14, Friday–Punya kalaya- the time period for religious activities Kindling the hearth April 14, Friday, at 5.41 a.m.- [...]
Koha’s call overseas comes from another species
The Koha or Asian Koel (Eudynamys scolopaceus) is considered the harbinger of Sinhala and Tamil New Year for its beautiful song aimed at attracting a mate. Its call can also be heard beyond Sri Lanka’s shores. The Koha’s call is heard even in Australia, reminding Sri Lankans who live there of Avurudu. One Sri Lankan [...]
Rare bottom-dweller is a vulnerable fish
In the animal kingdom, there are species that look alike, or ‘hybrids’, between two or more creatures. Marine creatures with such features often go unnoticed, but the fish caught in nets off the southern coast puzzled many as it appeared like a shark and a ray (‘mora’ and ‘maduwa’ in Sinhala, respectively). This strange fish [...]
Soaring temperatures raise risk of illnesses
Sri Lankans will experience uncomfortable afternoons and nights, throughout the remainder of the month. Temperatures will reach 41 degrees Celsius in certain areas, the Department of Meteorology predicted. Until the 15 of this month, the sun will be directly above the island. Today, the sun will be directly above Kochchikade, Ambepussa, Peradeniya, Dunuwila, Maduru-Oya, Bulupitiya, [...]
Indian drug smugglers, village youth gangs make Jaffna a crime-infested zone
A resident of Point Pedro, now living overseas, who was visiting his home town on holiday was approached by a local gang which demanded money so they could have a party with friends. The resident complained to police who then arrested the suspects despite resistance from the villagers, some of whom stoned the law enforcers. [...]
Calls grow for the return of Army to Yala
Calls are growing to restablish the Army units at the Yala National Park, amid reports that illicit activities within Sri Lanka’s premier wildlife sanctuary have increased since their withdrawal. Joining villagers and willdlife activits who want the Army back in the Yala National Park was the Sithulpawwa Viharaya’s Chief Incumbent, the Ven. Mataramba Hemarathana Thera. [...]
South Korea in driver’s seat for more bus lanes plan
More bus-only lanes are expected to be introduced in selected locations in Colombo over the next three months and a committee will be appointed to implement it. Bus lanes are to be designated from Pettah via Borealla to Battaramulla and will be expanded to Malabe, Piliyandala, Kottawa, Town Hall and Borella areas. Professor Amal Kumarage, [...]
Koreans struggled with bus lanes
South Korea began experimenting with bus lanes in the political and economic capital Seoul as far back as 1984 and it was not at first successful. Bus usage continued to drop. Many bus operators went bankrupt. Modern day Seoul is not in any way comparable to Colombo. Seoul is a mega city with a population [...]
Army hands over 28.8 acres of land it held since 1990
The army returned 28.8 acres of land to its owners in Valigamam North on Friday. The confirmation letter regarding the lands was officially handed over to Jaffna District Secretary N. Vedanayagan by newly appointed Jaffna Security Forces Commander, Major General Dharshana Hettiarachchi. These lands, belonging to 400 families, were held by the security forces since [...]
Bond Commission: Claims and counterclaims over PT’s borrowings
The Central Bank’s Information Technology Department’s Additional Director, Wasantha Alwis, has said Perpetual Treasuries had violated the law by failing to pay back, within the day, the money it owed to the Central Bank. The company had obtained the money under the ‘Intra-day Liquidity Facility’ (ILF). Money obtained under this facility must be paid back [...]
Arjun Mahendran warned about using mobile phone
Former Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran was warned by Chairman of the Commission, Justice K.T. Chitrasiri against using his mobile phone inside the premises of the Presidential Commission. Earlier, the commission allowed Mr. Mahendran to observe its proceedings. This week, while Additional Director of the Central Bank’s Information Technology Department, Wasantha Alwis was giving evidence, [...]
Displeasure over electricity worker wage gap strike
Electricity workers stopping work for a day last week were being “unreasonable’’, while efforts had been underway to narrow salary gaps that unions have complained about, the government said. Power and Energy Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya said two months ago he had set up a five member committee to examine ways to fix salary discrepancies. The [...]
Medical students’ parents meet President, suggest solution
There will be no new intern doctors passing out from state medical faculties to serve in a single state hospital across the country next year, if no immediate solution is brought about to the simmering crisis surrounding the South Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine (SAITM), health experts warn. The warning came as the government [...]
CEBEU, PUCSL at loggerheads passing the buck
Engineers of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) are at loggerheads with the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL), saying some of the Regulator’s senior officials are “actively and openly supporting the anti-coal lobby and the LNG Mafia”. The CEB Engineers’ Union (CEBEU) has written to PUCSL Chairman Saliya Mathews expressing “grave concerns” about the [...]
Photo focus: Lies, deception and elections
While major infrastructure projects are planned for cities, in rural areas ordinary folk are left bereft even of basics. For instance in some villages, people have to make do without such facilities like a simple bridge over a river to make their way to schools, markets or government institutions. The village at Ellalanda, bordering the [...]