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Home » NewsPetrol crisis: CPC makes emergency purchases in spot market
The Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) went into making emergency purchases in the spot market as the country was crippled without fuel and rationing introduced until the situation was normalised. The Sunday Times learns that the fuel crisis broke out after a shipment of petrol imported by the Lanka Indian Oil Company (LIOC) failed to meet [...]
Beware of fake high-value stamps
The Post Master General has warned the people to be alert of fake high-value stamps being issued mainly for land and legal transaction documents.Postal Chief Rohan Abeyratne said there was information that some groups were printing stamps overseas and selling them for a lower price here. He said only the Postal department had authority to [...]
PTL’s Rs. 10.5 billion frozen in Central Bank
Perpetual Treasuries Ltd (PTL)’s two bank accounts amounting to Rs. 10.5 billion — containing its profits from the questionable bond transactions — will remain frozen till January 2018 after the Supreme Court this week rejected PTL’s Fundamental Rights petition challenging the Monetary Board’s suspension of its primary dealer licence and the blocking of its accounts. [...]
Discourse aimed at building consensus on new constitution: PM
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said the current political discourse in the country was to build consensus on a new constitution. “The current exercise is to reach consensus. It is important to get consensus in Parliament as well as in the country on major issues,” Mr Wickremesinghe said addressing the inauguration ceremony of the National Law [...]
Meethotamulla dumpsite: Vacillation for two years and Rs. 4 billion unused: Report
Inefficiencies in selecting an acceptable landfill site led to garbage continuing to be deposited at the Meethotamulla dumpsite throughout 2015 and 2016 until it collapsed in April this year, documents seen by the Sunday Times reveal. The Treasury allocated four billion rupees in 2015 and 2016 to the Megapolis and Western Development Ministry for a [...]
Extended life for provisions on missing persons death certificates
The provisions of the Registration of Death (Temporary Provision) Act passed in 2010 to register the deaths of persons reported missing as a result of terrorist or subversive activity or civil commotion, have been extended for two more years. Home Affairs Minister Vajira Abeywardena has said the temporary provisions law which lapses on December 9 [...]
50 more officers for Bribery Commission to combat bribery and corruption
The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABC) intends to recruit 50 officers to launch a programme to prevent Bribery and Corruption. CIABC Director General Sarath Jayamanna P.C. said the objective was to create awareness on prevention of Bribery and Corruption within society. He said the Govt has agreed to implement the United [...]
TRADITIONAL WELCOME FOR BUDDHIST CONFERENCE DELEGATES
The Seventh Buddhist Summit of the World Buddhist Supreme Conference was held on Thursday at the Temple Trees Conference Hall, under the patronage of President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. During a visit to the Hunupitiya Gangaramaya yesterday, a guest who arrived for the conference is seen here petting an elephant which took [...]
Five drowned, four missing bathing in stream
At least five people were drowned and four others reported missing while bathing in a stream at Laggala in Matale last evening, police said. Police rescue teams were rushed to the area for search operations amidst heavy rains, but were called off around 6 p.m.. The navy has also dispatched a team which is due [...]
US$ 46m aviation fuel pipeline to BIA
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Management (CCEM) headed by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe approved the construction of a Jet A-1 (aviation fuel) pipeline from Muthurajawela to Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA). The US$ 46 million (approx. Rs 7 billion) project was approved following a feasibility study undertaken in 2015-2016. Petroleum Resources Minister Arjuna Ranatunga said several [...]
Debate on Steering Committee report: Speaker allocates one more day
Speaker Karu Jayasuriya has decided to allocate another full day to debate the Steering committee report of the Constitutional Assembly as almost all parties in parliament have requested more time for their members to speak on it. It will be the fifth day of the debate on the constitution making process. Initially three days had [...]
Jaffna co-operative leaders tell MPs to seek Govt. compensation for three decades of losses
Leaders of co-operative federations in Jaffna urged their Members of Parliament yesterday to demand compensation for destruction and looting of their assets during three decades of war. “In recognition of these losses, compensation should be provided by the Government, which can be utilised to increase production and create much needed employment across the district,” a [...]
Maiden overseas deployment of Lankan women Army officers
More Women Army Officers will be deployed overseas for United Nations (UN) Peace Keeping Missions like the first two Women Officers going to the Central African Republic (CAR), said the Army Chief. Army Commander, Lt.Gen. Mahesh Senanayake made the statement when he met the first two Women Officers at Army headquarters, who had been selected [...]
RTI reveals ‘disappearance’ of Commission report on Ashraff’s death
The unexplained ‘disappearance’ of a Commission of Inquiry (CoI) Report relating to the death of Sri Lanka Muslim Congress founder leader M.H.M. Ashraff, has surfaced in a recent appeal hearing before the Right to Information (RTI) Commission of Sri Lanka The disappearance came after it had been kept in a file at the Presidential Secretariat [...]
Big guns fire, seeking middle ground on a new constitution
The draft Interim Report of the Steering Committee (SC) of the Constitutional Assembly (CA), was taken up for debate this week. Many MPs participated in the 5-day debate, which ends on Nov.8. Following are excerpts of some of the speeches. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe: This is another step the Govt of national unity is taking, [...]
Call for cost-of-living relief is heard louder as budget day nears
With the presentation of the Budget 2018 just four days away, expectations are high among people, trade unions and consumer rights groups that there will be relief measures to address the rising cost of living. In the past few weeks, the Finance Ministry, in keeping with the usual procedure, has called for public proposals to [...]
Prices rise, farmers and consumers suffer in middlemen’s tyranny
The already high vegetable and fruit prices are expected to rise further during the upcoming festive season, but farmers say their products could be sold at affordable prices if measures are in place to rein in middlemen and traders making undue profits. The Hector Kobbekaduwa Agrarian Research and Training Institute’s Agri-Business Division Head, Duminda Priyadarshana, [...]
Polythene: Strict enforcement of ban from January
Just when the angry reaction to the polythene ban appears to be waning and supermarkets are generously handing out High-Density Polythene (HDPE) bags to shoppers, the Central Environment Authority (CEA) has expressed its determination to fully enforce the law. The CEA said it had been working intensely since the gazette notification was published on September [...]
State medical faculty heads request students to resume studies
All students of the state medical faculties are being urged to return to their lectures immediately, with an assurance that the eight Deans of the state medical faculties have requested the Government to appoint the high-level committee as soon as possible to settle the issues linked to the South Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine [...]
Yala safaris: Battle over wilderness
Following protests, the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) has agreed to allow more Safari jeeps to enter the Yala national park from the main entrance after imposing a ceiling — but the move has drawn angry reactions from environmentalists and wildlife activists. Wildlife Director General M.G.C. Sooriyabandara told the Sunday Times that following discussions with [...]
Pneumonic plague outbreak in Madagascar sets BIA on edge
A crisis situation in Madagascar, due to an outbreak of the pneumonic plague that has killed about 127 people and infected thousands, has become a point of concern to tourist destinations including Sri Lanka. The Quarantine Unit at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) said they are awaiting a travel alert from the WHO, to introduce [...]
Malabe-Fort Light Rail Transport project starts early 2018
Preliminary work on the Light Rail Transport (LRT) project between Malabe and Fort will commence early next year, officials said. The project covering a distance of 21 km and costing US$ 1.3 billion, with funding from JICA, is due to be completed by 2021. Ahead of the launch of the project, all overhead Telecommunication and [...]
Smart early childhood investments can build Sri Lanka’s future prosperity
Over the past year, many of the world’s leading health journals have weighed in on a topic that medical researchers rarely tackle: global economic policy. Research from the Lancet, the National Academy of Medicine, the British Medical Journal Public Health and many others has demonstrated the extraordinary economic returns from early childhood investments. Investing in [...]
New fines and safety rules: Despite three-wheeler drivers’ protests Road Safety Council says no change
No changes will be made to the traffic fine system and the Gazette pertaining to three-wheeler safety despite protest by unions, the National Council for Road Safety said. The Council’s Chairman Sisira Kodagoda said the regulations were now with the Legal Draftsman Department and would be submitted to Parliament after they are approved. Police Spokesman [...]
Mass scale abandonment of puppies raises concerns
Animal Rights Activist (ARA) organisations are perplexed over the sudden appearance of dogs and puppies abandoned in paddy fields and bushes in remote parts of the country. Recently members of the organisations received calls within a span of a week from Anuradhapura and Panagoda informing them that several puppies and adult dogs had been dumped [...]
Dispelling myths about alcohol and health
It is about time to dispel some of the myths about alcohol and health. Much study has been devoted to this by the health services of the USA and UK. Much of what follows is based on information from the USA: (https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/alcohol-use.htm) and UK (http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Alcohol-misuse/Pages/Introduction.aspx) The significant thing both countries emphasize is that it is [...]
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Pick of the Pix
Pix by Lakshman Gunathilake, Amila Gamage , Indika Handuwala, Sameera Weerasekera,Shelton Hettiarachchi and Jayarathna Wickramarachchi
More rains for some areas, but insufficient for paddy cultivation in the dry zone
With seasonal monsoon intensifying in areas of the North and East and high rainfalls within a short period of time being recorded this week, more rains are to be expected, the Meteorology Department said. The low level atmospheric disturbance and cloudy skies and showery condition still persists over Sri Lanka. “Showers or thundershowers will occur [...]
Puttalam district tanks record low water levels
Drought conditions still prevail in the Puttalam District in spite of scattered rains with the water levels in tanks and reservoirs remaining at a minimal level. Iginimitiya Regional Irrigation Engineer Dilruk Hettiarachchi said that the Iginimitiya tank which can hold a capacity of upto 59000 acre feet now records only 7000 acre feet. The Thabbowa [...]
Political rivalry triggers gang warfare in Balapitiya: Police
Security officials are attributing the upsurge in gang-related violence in the Balapitiya area, in the past two weeks, that left 4 dead and 5 injured, to political rivalry coming to the fore as the Local Government (LG) elections draw near. Police said the three shooting incidents in which four people were killed and five injured, [...]
Can France and Germany come together?
PARIS – Seven months ago, when Marine Le Pen of the far-right National Front had a chance of winning the French presidency, Germany feared for France’s future. But after Germany’s federal election in September, France has not been particularly afraid for its neighbour. The extreme-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), for all its gains, is not [...]
Family members of dead asylum seeker seek asylum in Switzerland
Three of the four family members of the Sri Lankan asylum seeker who was shot dead by the Swiss Police are seeking asylum in Switzerland after that country on humanitarian grounds gave them one-week visitor visas to attend the funeral. In Colombo, Swiss embassy officials confirmed that an incident had taken place in the city [...]
The UN should declare a day for dengue, says top Indian physician
The United Nations should declare a day for dengue, the governor of the Indian Chapter of the American College of Physicians Dr. A.Muruganathan said addressing the innaugural academic sessions of the Sri Lankan Society of Internal Medicine (SLSIM)in Kandy recently. Dr. Muruganathan was the Guest of Honour at the meeting presided by the Society’s president [...]
Budget 2018…price hikes or relief
With four days left for the much expected budget to be submitted in Parliament, the ordinary man and woman have mixed opinions on what is in store for them, given that the cost of living has rocketed to a new high. Despite government’s efforts to bring down prices of essential food items in its ‘Sathosa’ [...]
If you see a fallen feathered friend, show a little kindness
It’s the migratory season for our feathered friends and the public are urged once again to show a little kindness to these winter visitors who are exhausted after their long migratory flight. During the past few days many exhausted Indian Pittas (avichchiya in Sinhala) have been sighted in various parts of the country. In their [...]
Chilaw doctors operate on man after freak accident
A man injured in a freak accident, which saw a branch pierce his face, was operated on by a team of doctors at the Chilaw hospital on Thursday. The Acting Director of the hospital Dr. M.I. Siraj said the man who had been cutting branches had slipped and fallen onto another tree and a branch [...]