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Home » NewsTeaching new election laws to future lawmakers
Election Commission Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya playing the role of a school teacher yesterday explaining the complicated new mixed election process to representatives of political parties, most of whom have little or no clue over what to do. Pic by Indika Handuwala.
Tax profiles on all above the age of 18
Comprehensive plan to double tax targets; bank transactions, purchases and utility bill payments to be monitored Tuition class owners and teachers summoned for meeting on Oct. 24; of 39,000 registered doctors, only 6,000 have tax files All citizens above the age of 18 will be placed under scrutiny for tax liability from next year under [...]
Once thriving co-operative bodies in north fight for survival
By Namini Wijedasa in Jaffna Off the road from Jaffna to Karainagar, in the sleepy village of Moolai, stands a distinctive cream-coloured edifice that the World Health Organisation says is the first non-profit co-operative hospital in all of Southeast Asia. In its heyday, the Co-operative Hospital Moolai was bustling. Today, it is far quieter. With [...]
Dispute over prisoners: TNA boycotts President’s functions in the north
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) yesterday boycotted a state festival presided over by President Maithripala Sirisena in Jaffna in protest over the failure to resolve an going issue over Tamil prisoners in custody. The boycott came after Opposition Leader R. Sampanthan wrote to President Sirisena on Thursday seeking the release of prisoners held under the [...]
CID explains how two Lankan-born businessmen allegedly defrauded US$ 1.1 m
A team from Taiwan’s Criminal Investigations Bureau arrived in Colombo this week as part of a probe into an international multi-million US dollar hacking scam of a Taipei-based bank where two businessmen with foreign passports have been taken into custody in Colombo. Litro Gas Chairman Shahlila Moonesinghe, a British passport holder of Sri Lankan descent, [...]
Cervical cancer: HPV vaccine at national level
The Human Papailoma Virus (HPV) vaccine to reduce the risk of cervical cancer has been introduced to the National Immunisation Programme. The Ministry of Health has been considering the feasibility and sustainability of the vaccine for the past three years before introducing it. Consultant Epidemiologist Dr. Deepa Gamage said the initiative was promoted because at [...]
Helitours does it again; passengers taken on uninsured aircraft
Helitours, the Sri Lanka Air Force’s (SLAF) commercial passenger service, transports paying customers—including foreign tourists—on an uninsured Harbin Y-12 aircraft not certified for airworthiness by the Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka (CAASL). This happens whenever its approved Xian MA60 planes are unavailable. In doing so, the limited liability company is working outside the radar [...]
Remove war crimes tag from Sri Lanka: Lord Naseby
In a House of Lords debate last Thursday on Sri Lanka initiated by Lord Naseby extracts from confidential reports by the British Defence Attache in Colombo put to bed exaggerated figures on the number of civilians killed in the last months of the war against the LTTE and the accusation that Sri Lanka deliberately killed [...]
Sunday Observer journalist passes away
Senior journalist, defence correspondent and Sunday Observer News Editor Ranil Wijayapala (42), passed away yesterday after a prolonged illness. An old boy of Taxila Central College, Horana, he joined the Daily News in February 1997 as a journalist and later became its News Editor. During a journalistic career spanning over two decades, he covered many [...]
Transparency, accountability guidelines in Govt. procurements to be gazetted this year
The procurement guidelines compiled by the National Procurement Commission (NPC) to ensure transparency and accountability in the procurement process of Govt institutions, will be gazetted before year end, said NPC Chairman Nihal Wickramasuriya. “The final version of the guidelines were prepared following consultations with all stakeholders and includes input from them as well,” he said. [...]
Parliament Select Committee to discuss accounts of 10 ministries before budget
A Select Committee of Parliament is to be appointed to enable MPs to meet and discuss the Heads of Expenditure of 10 ministries due to time constraints to discuss all ministries during the committee stage of the Budget. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe will move the motion to set up the select committee. The ministries which [...]
High ranking naval officers, maritime experts emphasise importance of building trust
The two-day International Maritime Security Conference held on October 9 and 10 at the Galle Face Hotel was organised for the eighth consecutive year by the Sri Lanka Navy in partnership with the Ministry of Defence. The theme for this year’s Galle Dialogue is “Greater Maritime Visibility for Enhanced Maritime Security.” High ranking naval officers [...]
Indian company claims it secured railway tender, but SLR is yet to call for bids
An Indian State-owned manufacturing company has announced on its website that it has secured an order from Sri Lanka to supply 160 railway coaches even before the bid has been called by the Railway Department. Integral Coach Factory in Chennai says on its website that “ICF has bagged an export order for supply of 78 [...]
The US cannot go it alone on Iran
NEW YORK – US President Donald Trump has announced what was long anticipated: that he will not certify that Iran is complying with the July 2015 “Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action” (JCPOA) signed by the United States, China, Russia, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Iran. Nor will he certify that the suspension of sanctions [...]
SL’s Unity Govt. poised to leapfrog economy- Fin.Min. to WB
Sri Lanka’s new Unity Government is poised to leapfrog the economy after long years of conflict and political instability, Minister of Finance and Mass Media Mangala Samaraweera said in Washington, during a current visit connected to the World Bank (WB)/IMF annual conference. According to a media release issued by the ministry on Friday, the Minister [...]
Despite denial, Gota implicated by ex-STF Chief
The deployment of a staggering number of 798 armed STF personnel to conduct a search of two wards of the Welikada Prisons in November 2012, in violation of all laid down procedure to be followed when Prison premises are searched, led to the riot there which resulted in the death of 27 inmates and caused [...]
Rail passengers crushed in tussle between politicians and unions
Hundreds of of enraged rail commuters surrounded the office of the station master in charge of train operations at the Fort Railway Station on Wednesday, while crowds bayed from the elevated walkways and stairways at the rail hub demanding transport to go home. Women were helpless amid the chaos. Massive crowds jeering rail officials and [...]
Veggie traders and middlemen sucking consumers dry
Nadu is selling for a little less now, but a palm-sized coconut still costs Rs 85, up by Rs 10, in the Pettah and Ratmalana markets. While the state struggles to rein in runway prices of staple food items, traders and middlemen are profiting at will. Farmers and consumers are being ripped off. Consumers are [...]
Public private partnerships not required for maintenance of highways: RDA Committee
Sri Lanka’s expressways will generate enough revenue for the Road Development Authority (RDA) to run, maintain and extend them for the next ten years. They do not require a public private partnership type financial model, a team appointed on the instructions of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Management (CCEM) has said. The six-member group, comprising [...]
Focus on rapidly evolving issues such as human rights, environment and digital technology
By the end of this month, several legal personalities in the South Asian region, including Chief Justices (CJ), Lawyers and academics will gather in Colombo for the Silver Jubilee Conference of SAARC LAW, an initiative given birth 25 years ago in Colombo. The three-day conference from Oct.27-29 at the Taj Samudra Hotel, titled “Emerging Legal [...]
High ranking naval officers, maritime experts emphasise importance of building trust
The two-day International Maritime Security Conference held on October 9 and 10 at the Galle Face Hotel was organised for the eighth consecutive year by the Sri Lanka Navy in partnership with the Ministry of Defence. The theme for this year’s Galle Dialogue is “Greater Maritime Visibility for Enhanced Maritime Security.” High ranking naval officers [...]
PTL paid EPF informants “Charlie” more than 397 mn for inside information
Chief Dealer of Perpetual Treasuries Limited (PTL), Nuwan Salgado, told the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the issuance of treasury bonds this week that PTL had paid over Rs.397 million to two informants inside the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) for price sensitive information related to bond auctions. Mr Salgado further admitted that PTL had been [...]
Motorists voice concerns about new technology to monitor vehicles
Several vehicle-user associations raised concerns over the decision to use Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to monitor vehicles. Many of the associations said their awareness regarding the new technology is insufficient. All Island Three-wheeler Drivers & Owners Association President Sudil Jayaruk, while adding the project will be important for the security of both passengers and three-wheeler [...]
Suicide rates down, but concerns remain
Suicides rates in Sri Lanka may be falling but self harming by youth is on the rise, the police said. The WHO in a global update on suicide incidence in 2015 ranked Sri Lanka as the country that had the fourth highest incidence of suicide in the world. However it was quick to retract when [...]
TLC until death
‘Where O death is your victory? Where O death is your sting?’ it is queried in the Bible, but as human beings some of us are terrified or fearful of death while others are puzzled as to what lies beyond the grave. But death is a certainty of life, it is inevitable and for some [...]
TN fishermen now trespass neighbouring domains of Andhra Pradesh and Kerala
Have fishermen from Tamil Nadu become a law unto themselves? If the anguish and apprehensions of fishermen from the neighbouring States of Andhra Pradesh and Kerala are any indications, their counterparts in Tamil Nadu evoke fear among them; fear of vandalism, highhandedness and physical assault. Tamil Nadu fishermen are infamous for trespassing into the Sri [...]
Tour operators affected by closure of road to Mini World’s End
The dilapidated condition and the subsequent closure of a road leading to a popular tourist destination in the upcountry is affecting the tourist industry, the Sunday Times learns. Since 2014, the Mini World’s End at Sandatenna, Nuwara Eliya had become a very popular tourist attraction after a joint project by the Nuwara Eliya Municipal Council [...]
Landslide and flood warnings issued as Met Dept says expect more rain and strong winds
Fresh landslide and flood warnings have been issued to residents in Galle, Kalutara and Ratnapura Districts, the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said yesterday. DMC Deputy Director Pradeep Kodippili said that landslide threats have been issued for Galle, Ratnapura, Kalutara, Nuwara Eliya districts due to continuing showers. “In the Galle the Neluwa area the people have [...]
New laws to push Lanka’s road safety drive
With the United Nations setting an ambitious goal of halving the world’s road accident deaths, the National Road Safety Council believes new measures it is spearheading can make country go in tandem with the world body to achieve the target. Among the new measures is the new fine system for traffic offences. The Government will [...]
Opposing constitutional reforms: A case of ‘none as blind as those who refuse to see’
Constitutional reform processes must necessarily be an exciting and exhilarating process for any country trying to pick itself up after a debilitating armed conflict. It must seek to address fundamental issues that affect the country and prepare itself for the next phase of its nation building journey and inspire hope to those marginalised and poor [...]
Controversial Provincial Councils (Amendment) Act: The procedure and the challenges
The Provincial Councils (Amend) Act No. 17 of 2017 was passed in Parliament on Sept. 20 and certified by the Speaker on Sept. 22. There has arisen a great deal of controversy and debate regarding the passage of the Bill and its enactment. The Bill was presented to the House on July 26 and had [...]
Pick of the Pix
Pix by Amila Gamage, Indika Handuwala, M.A.Pushpakumara, L.B.Senarathna and Jayarathna Wickramarachchi
Lest we forget: Meritorious act to mark act of vandalism on Sigiriya frescoes
A Kiri-ammawarunge Danaya was held for 600 Kiri Ammas to mark the 50th anniversary of the damage caused to the Sigiriya rock paintings. The Danaya took place at Sigriya Madya Maha Vidyalaya in the early hours of yesterday. The event marked the damage caused by a group of people in 1967 when they applied green [...]
Nearly Rs 10b for President’s Office, 50% hike from 2017
The 2018 allocations to the President’s Office will increase by about 50% over the 2017 allocations, according to estimates in the 2018 Appropriation Bill presented to Parliament this week. In 2017, Rs 6.4 billion was allocated to the President’s Office, which has been increased to nearly Rs 10 billion (Rs 9,983,525,000) for 2018. Of this [...]
25% Women representation has parties nitpicking for ‘right’ candidates
The Local Authority Elections Amendment Act (LAEAA) passed in Parliament in August, requires 25% of women representation in the 335 Councils at the forthcoming elections in January 2018. The Parties said they are frantically searching for the right women candidates to represent their Parties. Under the LAEAA, it is mandatory that Nomination Lists of Parties [...]
Tragedy: Human-elephant conflict escalates
The human-elephant conflict has worsened over the past few weeks with a number of deaths among both villagers and elephants in different parts of the country Despite regular assurances that government and local authorities are working out a solution to the issue, villagers have been provided no solution to the ongoing problem. As a result [...]