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Home » NewsIf flags can tell stories, see what these pictures show
Amidst criticism of Chinese domination at Hambantota, these secret pictures obtained by the Sunday Times show a symbolic side of the issue. Till last week (top left), there were five flag poles and the Sri Lanka flag pole at the centre stood taller than the rest. But this week, the flag pole flying the Lion [...]
Fertiliser crisis: Issue with Pakistan averted
Hot on the heels ofa spat over a tea ban by Russia, the fertiliser shortage which the Government blamed entirely on a Pakistani policy to “ban” exports nearly became a diplomatic issue between the two countries, with Sri Lankan diplomatic sources claiming that Pakistan wanted to clarify its position but decided against it due to [...]
Thilan Wijesinghe tipped to chair SriLankan interim board
With the Government accepting the resignations of the Board of Directors of the troubled SriLankan Airlines, a new interim team was preparing to take over amidst a shake-up in the airline’s top management, informed sources said. “A new team will take over soon,” a source close to the officials involved in the restructuring process said, [...]
4-star hotel at BIA
The Government has invited proposals from prospective investors to establish and operate an airport hotel at the Bandaranaike International Airport. The Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) Ltd wants to build a star class hotel at BIA for airline crew, airline passengers, off-loaded passengers, transit passengers and other airport users, according to a notice by [...]
Prince Edward chief guest at 70th freedom festival
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and youngest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is expected to be the chief guest at the 70th Independence Day celebrations on February 4, a senior Home Ministry official said. The main parade on that day will be held at the Galle Face Green, the [...]
Lanka attracts record number of corporate private jets
The number of international corporate jets visiting Sri Lanka has risen sharply last year, with 569 recorded arrivals and the total is expected to be higher when additional statistics are collated. There were 326 international corporate jet movements into the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) up to September 2017 alone; 126 into Ratmalana airport up to [...]
60 years of Russia-SL diplomatic ties: SL to issue stamp 2 months after Russia
Sri Lanka is set to issue the first day cover commemorative stamp to mark 60 years of diplomatic relations between Sri Lanka and Russia, two months after Russia issued its stamp. The Foreign Ministry stated that the issuance of the commemorative stamp has been scheduled for next month, at the request of the Sri Lanka-Russia [...]
Navy raid uncovers Rs. 30 million worth narcotics on VVT beach
The Sri Lanka Navy yesterday recovered 90 kilograms of cannabis, four kilograms of opium and four kilograms of hashish during a raid on the Valvettithurai beach.Navy Spokesman Dinesh Bandara said the street value of the drugs seized was more than Rs. 30 million. He said the raid was conducted by the Northern Naval Command, following [...]
Episcopal Ordination and Enthronement of 6th Bishop of Kurunegala
The Episcopal Ordination and Enthronement of Right Reverend Devapriya Keerthisiri Fernando as the 6th Bishop of Kurunegala of the Anglican Church in Sri Lanka, known as the Church of Ceylon, took place yesterday (6). A special celebration and service to mark the occasion was held at the Cathedral Church of Christ the King, Kurunegala.
Meethotamulla tragedy: Report ready, but no call yet from President’s office
The retired High Court judge who conducted the probe on the Meethotamulla garbage dump tragedy has been awaiting a call from the President’s Office for more than a month to hand over his report. Retired Judge Chandradasa Nanayakkara, who headed the one-man Presidential Committee, said he completed the report in November and, early last month, [...]
Underground oil pipeline: CPSTL calls for tenders
The Ceylon Petroleum Storage Terminals Ltd (CPSTL) has called for bids for the laying of a section of an underground pipeline along the rail tracks at Orugodawatta. According to the tender published in newspapers and in the CPSTL website, the work consists of connecting of a 24-inch DIA steel casing pipe (approximately 34m minimum length) [...]
India, USA, UK experts to assist Central Bank conduct forensic audit
The Government intends to co-opt experts from India, USA and the UK to assist the Central Bank (CB) to conduct a forensic audit exercise in keeping with the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) that looked into the CB Bond issue. “Additionally, amendments will be broughtto the Monetary Act as well as the Registered [...]
Immigration officers warn of tougher action if no solution in 2 weeks
Immigration officers say they will intensify their awareness campaign about their grievances and may even resort to trade union action if the committee appointed to look into their demands failed to provide solutions within a two-week deadline. A five-member committee was appointed last week on the instructions of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to study the [...]
Enhanced Japan-Lanka ties via infrastructure development: Japan FM
Japan would like to further promote bilateral cooperation with Sri Lanka through quality infrastructure development in the country, visiting Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono told Sri Lankan officials. Toshihide Ando, Deputy Press Secretary at the Japanese Foreign Ministry, who was part of Minister Kano’s delegation, told a group of journalists on Friday that the Foreign [...]
Polls Chief on alert as campaigning heats up
With less than five weeks left for local elections, parties and independent groups have started their campaigns with strict warnings from the Election Commission against violating regulations. More than 250 complaints related to violations of election regulations have been reported to election monitoring groups, with only a few major violations to date, since the handing [...]
Diplomacy prevented a crisis from brewing: SL Ambassador to Russia
Prompt action to lift the Russian ban on Sri Lankan tea saved the industry from plunging into a crisis, Dr. Saman Weerasinghe, Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Russia said. Dr. Weerasinghe pointed out that the Russian Federation was the biggest buyer of Ceylon Tea. As such, had the ban continued, it would have resulted in massive [...]
Fatal accidents growing deadlier
The year ended recording a large number of accidents due to man-made reasons like drunk driving, fatigue and negligence. According to statistics released by the Traffic Police Headquarters, last year 3,087 deaths occurred out of 2,909 fatal accidents. This was against the 2016 figures in which 2,961 were killed in 2,798 fatal accidents. Figures compiled [...]
Horrific toll of traffic accidents prompts NHSL Neurotrauma Unit docs to speak out
Some, of course, are no more. All have a single common factor which has shattered not only their lives but also the lives of their loved ones, with newspapers and television stations being replete with these tragic stories day in, day out. Road traffic accidents are taking their toll – either snuffing out the lives [...]
Tsunami lesson points to a future free of asbestos
Roofing developed in the urgency of post-tsunami rebuilding could be the solution to a move away from asbestos sheeting, with government agencies quickly researching alternatives. Action has been stepped up following President Maithripala Sirisena’s order to find suitable replacements for asbestos while a ban on importing material for asbestos production remains pending. The ban was [...]
More questions than answers over ‘final’ solution to SAITM issue
The so-called ‘final’ solution to the saga of the private South Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine (SAITM) announced on Thursday has raised a hornet’s nest. What is in the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), asked many sources, questioning why it has not been made public or [...]
What caused lonely death of Kallaru tusker?
The four-foot-long tusks seized by police this week belong to the “Kallaru tusker” that used to roam the Mullikulam forest in the Mannar region, whose death is yet a mystery. The tusks belong to the skull and skeletal remains found on Friday at Silawatura in the Mullikulam wilderness, Department of Wildlife (DWC) officials said yesterday. [...]
Angry Porativu Pattu residents block access to garbage dump
Angry villagers at Porativu Pattu in the Batticaloa district had blocked the road to a garbage dumping site at Paduvankurai, demanding that the authorities take immediate stepd to remove it. During a protest this week, they placed tractors to block access to the site. As a result, several councils in the Batticaloa district have stopped [...]
Meethotamulla tragedy: Report ready, but no call yet from President’s office
The retired High Court judge who conducted the probe on the Meethotamulla garbage dump tragedy has been awaiting a call from the President’s Office for more than a month to hand over his report. Retired Judge Chandradasa Nanayakkara, who headed the one-man Presidential Committee, said he completed the report in November and, early last month, [...]
Lone leopard terrorises Hatton estate, evades capture
A lone leopard has set off panic in the tea plantations in Hatton and disrupted work, with efforts by Wildlife officials to capture the animal drawing a blank. The hunt for the animal was launched on Tuesday. Wildlife officials on Thursday set a trap in the Panmore estate located off the Dickoya-Hatton road. But the [...]
Ground frost descends on ‘Little England’
Residents and visitors to Nuwara Eliya were greeted with ground frost this week, as the Meteorology Dept forecast mild winter weather phenomena such as colder nights and mornings, mist, ground frost and daytime dry weather. ‘Little England’ continues to experience extreme cold weather with temperatures falling to 4 to 5 degrees celsiusat dawn. Elsewhere in [...]
Nigerian fraudsters continue to rip off foolish Sri Lankans
Smooth-talking, Nigerians notorious for online fraud the world over are continuing to fleece millions from greedy, gullible Sri Lankans who never even meet these African Facebook “friends’’ in person. These Nigerians groom their potential Sri Lankan victims online for months before they pounce. Some of these Nigerian fraudsters are living in Sri Lanka as “students’’ [...]
Helpless users pile on complaints against Facebook fakes
Bogus accounts on Facebook have become the biggest concern for social media users in the country, based on complaints that have been filed with a state agency. But other than making requests for such sites to be removed or asking that offensive or abusive material be taken offline, there is little help that social media [...]
Dog lovers snarl at farm animal agency’s sterilisation role
A state agency responsible for cows, pigs, and goats will take charge of sterilising 100,000 dogs this year from the first quarter, while animal welfare groups say the department that gives advice on farm animals is amateurish. The Department of Animal Production and Health will get Rs 150 million and one million doses of the [...]
Galle Face -now a tourist hotspot
Galle Face Green is no more a purely Sri Lankan leisure spot. As the area surrounding Galle Face is seeing rapid development, the once neglected Galle Face green is fast becoming one of Colombo’s main attractions among tourists. Whether it’s for an evening stroll, to witness the sunset, or taste Sri Lankan street eats, foreigners [...]
Police summon assaulted prisoner’s wife for verbal abuse of Prison officials
Police have recorded a statement from the wife of an inmate of Kuruwita prison, who suffered broken limbs, after being assaulted by prison officials, alleging she verbally abused her husband’s attackers. Dilsha Kumari was summoned to the Kuruwita Police on Friday and asked to make a statement, after Prisons officials complained she abused them upon [...]
Pick of the Pix
Pix by Indika Handuwala, Amila Gamage, Sameera Weerasekera Gamini Mahadura, Shelton Hettiarachchi and Thilak Nimalasooriya