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With the announcement of a big fuel price increase from Thursday midnight, there was pandemonium at Colombo filling stations. There were long lines of vehicles and arguments even broke out among those trying to get fuel before others. Pic by M.A. Pushpakumara
Trump’s nuke deal pullout impacts President’s Iran visit
TEHERAN, Sunday, May13 – President Maithripala Sirisena arrived here late last night on a mission that had potential for many benefits, including a possible oil deal that could have seen lower fuel prices for Sri Lanka. However, the visit, which is the first by a head of state since the United States President Donald Trump [...]
Fuel prices to be reviewed every two months
The fuel prices increased with effect from Thursday midnight will be subject to periodical reviews and prices adjusted according to international market prices, a senior Finance Ministry official said. He said the current prices would be valid for two months and the Finance Ministry would be reviewing the prices thereafter to make recommendations on price [...]
Lankan born Tanya triggers sex-abuse probe in US
Tanya Selvaratnam, the Sri Lankan born woman at the centre of a sexual abuse case that brought down New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, visited Sri Lanka with him for Christmas as recently as last December. The case has rocked the United States establishment at the highest levels, including the White House Oval Office of [...]
Dutch company gets large contract for groundwater monitoring
A Dutch company has secured a multimillion euro (Rs 4.4bn) pilot project to establish a ‘groundwater monitoring network’ for the Malwathu Oya, Maduru Oya and Kumbukkan Oya basins–three areas identified as being most susceptible to chronic kidney disease (CKD). The project envisages the drilling of 150 boreholes to install devices that will collect real time [...]
Central Expressway phase 1 delayed; RDA seeks Govt. intervention to secure loan
The Road Development Authority (RDA) has sought government intervention to expedite a Chinese loan to get going with a multibillion rupee expressway project delayed for more than two and half years, a top official said. The loan amounting to US$ 1.1 billion (Rs 160 billion) approved by the Exim Bank of China has been delayed [...]
President’s chief-of-staff bribery scam: Kantale investor pleads for release of factory
The investors behind the arrest of President’s Chief-of-Staff I H K Mahanama and State Timber Corporation Chairman P Dissanayake on bribery charges has written to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe asking him to “at least now” release the Kantale sugar factory infrastructure so their project can go ahead. Their letter makes it clear that the Prime [...]
CEB Engineers Union continuing work-to-rule may see unlicensed PUCSL power plants shutting down
Several power plants being operated without a licence issued by the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) are liable to be shut down if the Ceylon Electricity Board Engineers’ Union (CEBEU) continues with its ‘work-to-rule’ campaign. Earlier this week, engineers stopped work at a 60 Megawatt (MW) barge mounted plant being operated at the [...]
Free ambulance service for whole country under new foundation
The ’1990′ pre-hospital care free ambulance service will get a boost shortly with the introduction of legislation to expand the service to cover the whole island and ensure the smooth operation of the service in a sustainable manner. The service which was started in July, 2016 with a grant from the Government of India has [...]
CWC May Day rally turns N’Eliya into a garbage dump
Supporters of the Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC) left a trail of destruction and garbage in Nuwara Eliya following the party’s May Day rally held on May 7. CWC’s May Day Rally was held at the open-air theatre bordering Lawson Street. The venue was changed after law enforcement officials rejected a request by CWC leaders to [...]
3 fire-fighting units battle raging fire at Hameedia storage facility in Ratmalana
A fire which broke out yesterday at a storage facility of Hameedia’s clothing chain at Borupana Road, Ratmalana, caused extensive damage to the building and items inside it. The major fire, which broke out around 1 p.m. forced police to call in fire fighting units from Dehiwala-Mount. Lavinia, Moratuwa and the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) [...]
Special police op nets in 2051 suspects islandwide
A four-hour special police operation launched island-wide resulted in the arrest of 2051 suspects, police said yesterday. They said 1329 of the suspects already had warrants out for their arrest. A further 151 suspects had been wanted in connection with various crimes while 571 were arrested on suspicion. The operation, which lasted from 11p.m. on [...]
Milco’s dairy farmers crying over delayed fresh milk payments
Dairy farmers supplying fresh milk to the state-run Milco (Pvt) Ltd complain payments due to them from the company are delayed for months and as a result their families are in dire straits. Admitting that there was a delay in payment, the company’s General Manager Pio Fernando said the problem was owing to oversupply. “As [...]
OMP holds first consultation with families of missing people in Mannar
The Commissioners of the Office of Missing Persons (OMP) yesterday held its first regional consultations in Mannar with relatives of missing persons. More than 250 families of disappeared persons along with civil society representatives pointed out the need for justice for those who disappeared or were abducted. The consultation took place while thousands of families [...]
Cabinet approves new electricity policy with a “firm energy mix”
Cabinet has approved a new Electricity policy envisaging a “firm energy mix” constituting 30% Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) or, indigenous natural gas, and 30% high-efficient coal power. The balance 40% will be made up of 25% hydro-power and 15% from furnace oil which is a byproduct from local refineries and non-conventional renewable energy sources. These [...]
GMOA, SACS each to its own while agreeing to Govt.’s proposal
The Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) and the Student Action Committee of SAITM (SACS) have agreed to the government’s proposal to absorb SAITM students into the Kotelawala Defence University (KDU), subject to the govt. agreeing to their respective conditions. The GMOA has consented to the proposal as long as SAITM is officially abolished, and the [...]
Gates closed to inspection
With the number of dengue cases rising, PHIs and other officials who visit households to carry out inspections are not always welcome. Here officials in Beruwala are seen talking to householders through a closed gate. Pic by Sarath Siriwardane.
Academics raise questions over non-appointment of ‘vocal’ members to Jaffna Uni. Council
Serious concerns are being expressed in academic circles that the University Grants Commission (UGC) has “conveniently” left out the vocal members in the Jaffna University Council when appointing new members on April 20. In letters sent out by the UGC on April 20 appointing new members to the council, three former members who were sticklers [...]
Existing Laws sufficient to arrest law’s delays if used properly: Samayawardhena J
Though some say that Laws should be amended to arrest the Law’s delays, existing Laws are quite sufficient to deal with any situation, provided they are made use of properly, said Justice Mahinda Samayawardhena. He was addressing the Ceremonial Sitting of the Court of Appeal (CoA), held on Tuesday (8), to welcome him and Justice [...]
Floating lifeline to rescue dying Bar Reef
Scientists hope a line of buoys enclosing threatened sections of the Bar Reef will provide a lifeline for the dying marine sanctuary. Bar Reef, off Kalpitiya, is one of the marine sanctuaries affected by catastrophic coral bleaching. Marine activists who deployed a number of floating buoys demarcating two sections of Bar Reef from March 26-29 [...]
Chain reaction of CoL increases coming from fuel price hike
This week’s fuel prices increase is set to trigger a chain reaction with transport costs, food prices and the cost of living to rise. The increase came hard on the heels of a hike in the prices of gas, milk and food items. The head of the state-run Railway Department has called for an increase [...]
RTI law: One year track record impressive, but long way to go
One year after the Right to Information (RTI) Act came into effect, Sri Lanka’s track record of that law which gives every citizen access to information is impressive and looks promising where ordinary citizens, civil society and media make use of it for various purposes extensively, foreign delegates observed at an international conference on RTI [...]
Panel discussions: A guiding light to transparency in governance
The first panel discussion session titled “Overview of Key Systemic Strengths and Weaknesses of RTI in National Systems”, opened the dialogues on how various countries adopted very vibrant RTI Laws in their Constitutions, by recognising “Right to Information” as one of the basic human rights of an individual. RTI Commissioner Kishali Pinto Jayawardane, former Information [...]
Beauty and the beast
Despite the proliferation of cosmetics and skin care products containing dangerous levels of heavy metals such as mercury, lead, and arsenic, and rising numbers of women seeking medical help, there is barely any regulation, enforcement or legal cover, experts say. Suitcase traders are hauling in counterfeit cosmetics from China, Thailand, Middle East, India, Pakistan, and [...]
On the trail of tramadol abuse
A disturbing trend among youth is generating red signals across the country, spurring a strong, coordinated crackdown by many government agencies to cut off the smuggling trail over sea and land. Five brands of tramadol (an opioid painkiller) which are unregistered in Sri Lanka are being smuggled into the country from India. Ferried from India [...]
Govt. should stop stealing baby diapers
Last month, the Lady Ridgeway Hospital in Borella made a public appeal for help with a shocking revelation: Distressed parents of sick babies are resorting to stealing diapers. “Each day around three to five heart operations are carried out on little ones from all parts of our country free of charge” wrote Dr Shehan Perera, [...]
Researchers warn of harmful bacteria in unhygienic salted fish
The age old tradition of preparing salted fish cured in goraka (gamboge) in the coastal belt of Sri Lanka on a commercial scale has come under fire by the Industrial Technology Institute (ITI), which warns of dangerous pathogens that could harm human health. Research scientist Wasundera Divisekera said that the jaadi, a preparation made by [...]
Solution to the ethnic problem through constitutional reforms: It’s time to seize the moment
Tamil National Alliance Leader R. Sambandan speaking in Parliament on the occasion of the debate on the President’s Statement of Government Policy last week drew the attention of the House to the importance of the constitutional reform process. He emphasised the importance of finding a solution to what is commonly called the ethnic problem through [...]
Maligawa funds for Eastern Province Viharas
Funds amounting to Rs 120 million,from the Sri Dalada Maligawa will be used to rehabilitate Viharas in the Eastern Province, Diyawadana Nilame Pradeep Nilanga Dela said at an event to handover the money. The ceremony held at Gomankadawala, in Trincomalee at the Ranpokunugama Raja Maha Viharaya was attended by the Malwatte Anunayake Thera Ven. Simbulkumgure [...]
Hard labour on Workers’ Day
May Day, the day internationally set apart to celebrate the working class worldwide, was postponed from May 1 to May 7 in Sri Lanka -on account of Vesak full moon day falling on May 1. Many political parties chose to hold May Day rallies on May 7 instead of May 1.. Many May Day rallies [...]
Pick of the Pix
Pix by M.A.Pushpa Kumara, Priyantha Wickramarachchi, Gamini Mahadura and Shelton Hettiarachchi