News
Home » NewsLankan stars march in glittering Asian Games parade
Waving the national flag, a section of the 178-member Sri Lankan team is seen taking part in the parade at the Asian Games opening ceremony in Jakarta yesterday. Sri Lanka is expected to win medals in weightlifting and boxing events, team officials said. Reuters
Another train strike: President buys time till Thursday
In a bid to prevent another railway strike, President Maithripala Sirisena met trade union representatives all by himself yesterday and bought time till Thursday. How he will resolve the issues in just three days is unclear when a Commission has still not been appointed to address salary anomalies in the state sector. However, Lal Ariyaratne, [...]
Mega windmill power project by Danish company
A Danish company has been selected for a US$ 200 million project to generate power by installing windmills in Mannar, Power and Energy Ministry Secretary Suren Batagoda told the Sunday Times. This will be the first of three major projects of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), which has decided to boost its supplies from wind [...]
Action against Vijayakala: AG advises Speaker
The Attorney General has advised Speaker Karu Jayasuirya to examine whether under the current Standing Orders action can be taken against former State Minister, Jaffna District Parliamentarian Vijayakala Maheshwaran over a controversial statement she made recently. If this was not possible, the AG has asked whether the Standing Orders could be amended or let the [...]
Drink and disembark, but act sober in Dubai
Passengers travelling from Colombo and disembarking in Dubai will not be subjected to “automatic arrest” if they consume alcohol on flights, a senior official of the Emirates’ airline said yesterday. The assurance came after international human rights groups raised issue over the arrest of a Swedish born British resident and her detention in Dubai along [...]
Controversy over media reports of China printing currency notes for Sri Lanka
While the international media gave wide publicity to China’s foreign currency printing contracts with countries in the ‘Belt and Road Initiative’, including Sri Lanka, the Government has still not issued an official clarification despite unofficial denials from Finance Ministry and Central Bank officials. A report published in the South China Morning Post this week quoted [...]
Chinese companies taking over local construction industry
The dominance of foreign construction companies in Sri Lanka’s construction industry may bring about the collapse of local construction companies within years, industry sources said. They said Chinese and Indian construction companies were taking over mega projects while the Sri Lankan companies watched helplessly. They said that already Chinese companies were handling about 40 percent [...]
President to inaugurate Stage II of Wayamba Ela Project
On August 24 President Maithripala Sirisena will inaugurate Stage II of the Wayamba Ela Project. Under this scheme, waters from the Mahaweli will be diverted from the Eastern Province to the Northern Province. Launched in 2016 by President Sirisena, the aim of the project is to provide farmers in the area with an adequate supply [...]
Disaster response: US PACANGEL outreach to the Indian Ocean Region
The Indian Ocean Region (IOR) is well known for its share of natural disasters. According to the United Nations’ Economic & Social Commission for Asia-Pacific (ESCAP) Report of 1995, 50% of the world’s natural disasters occur within the IOR. It is fittingly titled the World’s Hazard Belt. The region, particularly its island nation States and [...]
Northern PC in limbo as CM wants his way
With two months left for the expiration of the term of the Northern Provincial Council (NPC), its functions are crippled, as its Board of Ministers (BoM) have failed to meet for over three months, due to a longstanding legal battle between the Chief Minister (CM) and a minister. In a move to resolve the current [...]
Drink and disembark, but act sober in Dubai
The Dubai Attorney General’s office, however, released a statement last Saturday (11th) dismissing the claim that Dr Holman was arrested for drinking a glass of wine and allegations of ill treatment while in detention. The statement, quoting Dubai’s Attorney General Esam Issa Al Humaidan said that the accused had attempted to enter the UAE on [...]
OMP report to mark Int’l Day of the Disappeared
The Office of Missing Persons (OMP) will commemorate International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, on August 30, by releasing its interim report making recommendations to the government. The report will be launched at an event, titled “Leave no room for enforced disappearances,” to be held from 3 p.m to 5.p.m. at the J.R. [...]
Another 500 acres of military-occupied North-East lands to be released
Some 500 more acres of military-occupied North-East private lands, including those located in the High Security Zones, are to be released a senior official said. The Rehabilitation and Resettlement Ministry Secretary P. Suresh told the Sunday Times the Government would allocate Rs 780 million to relocate the existing military camps and release the military occupied [...]
Col 7 property dispute takes new turn
Investigations into a complaint that a tenant allegedly attempted to take over a valuable property in Colombo 7, owned by an elderly couple, has taken a new twist with a fresh complaint being lodged with the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) that the tenant had also forcibly taken more than Rs 100 million from them. This [...]
Artist of 70s romantic comic strip “Ithin Eeta Passe” passes away
Balangoda Sarath Baddage better known as Balangoda Sarath Madhu who popularized comic strip romance in the country with his endearing love story of Dedunu and Kelum in “Ithin Eeta Passe” passed away on Friday at the age of 69. Baddage began his career as a science teacher but his passion for art led him to [...]
Stinking cesspits in ‘Little Rome’
Negombo, just seven km from the international airport and a short ride from Colombo, is a flourishing city with tourist-filled coastal resorts and its strong Catholic and Dutch heritage and large fishing fleet attracting crowds – but it is woefully lacking in basic amenities. As thousands throng fashionable Negombo’s streets daily, enjoying “Little Rome” with [...]
India, Pakistan Independence Day celebrations in Colombo
Pics by M.A. Pushpa Kumara Pakistan marked its 72nd Independence Day on August 14 (left) while India celebrated its 72nd Independence Day on August 15 (right). The events were also marked by Indian and Pakistani nationals in Sri Lanka at their respective High Commissions in Colombo. At the Pakistani High Commission in Colombo, Acting High [...]
SriLankan Chairman’s costly interference and botched catering plan at Mattala airport
SriLankan Airlines suffered a staggering loss of USD 90, 261 (Rs.14.5 million at today’s exchange rate) due to transit passengers missing their connecting flights after former Chairman Nishantha Wickramasinghe overruled a decision by one of the airline’s Operations Control Managers to reschedule a flight from Colombo to Paris in January, 2014. This was revealed during [...]
Ranking cop asks court to order IGP to give ‘entitled’ promotion
A fundamental rights petition filed by a serving Senior Superintendent of Police in the Supreme Court alleging that the Inspector General of Police has repeatedly attempted to stall his career progression due to malice and personal animosity, will be heard on October 5. SSP Lekamwasam Palitha Rohan Siriwardana, who serves in Kilinochchi, with 40 years [...]
Adding fuel to the public ire over rising cost of living
A three-time fuel price increase within a short period of four months has snowballed into price hikes in a variety of goods and services. A packet of rice — the common man’s food — that was sold at Rs 120 a few months ago has gone up by twenty rupees. Though bread remains at the [...]
Price-cuts for 25 medicines soon
The prices of 15 more essential medicines including neurological and diabetes drugs and life-saving intravenous antibiotics as well as 10 anti-cancer drugs are to be slashed shortly. There can be ‘profit’ for the pharmaceutical industry but there should absolutely be no ‘profiteering’, reiterates National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) Chairman Prof. Asita de Silva in an [...]
Use of banned fishing methods endanger livelihoods
On Monday night, the day after the Fisheries Minister Wijith Wijayamuni Zoysa assured Mullaitivu fishermen that illegal fishing will not be allowed at the expense of traditional fishermen, local fisherfolk stopped a boat with a group of fishermen ready to go fishing using high powered lights — a fishing method prohibited by the Fisheries Ministry. [...]
Heavy fines in play despite bus driver agitation
The traffic police has deployed extra police personnel with the introduction of the new fine system from July 15, in a fresh attempt to keep the number of vehicle accidents low in the country where over 3,000 people are killed annually in road traffic accidents. The move comes amid an abortive attempt by private bus [...]
Bike hits man on pedestrian crossing
A 50-year-old father of two was knocked down while he was crossing the road at a pedestrian crossing earlier this week, by a motor bike proceeding to Rajagiriya, a coroner’s court inquiry was told. The rider, who was reportedly speeding, had hit the pedestrian critically injuring him. Though rushed to the National Hospital, the victim [...]
Ceylon Electricity Board Engineers’ Union averts split in ranks
The Ceylon Electricity Board Engineers’ Union (CEBEU) has avoided a potential crisis among its membership by revoking the temporary suspension imposed on CEB Deputy General Manager (DGM) Sujeewa Abeywickrama. Mr Abeywickrama’s CEBEU membership had earlier been suspended after he took part in a joint press conference with leaders of rival CEB trade unions on July [...]
Salary increase for MPs – the why and the how
Recent media reports that salaries and other emoluments of MPs are to be increased, drew strong criticism from various quarters, and the move has now, apparently, been shelved. These reports do not make it clear whether it was only a discussion at a meeting of party leaders in Parliament or, whether it was a recommendation [...]
Stinking cesspits in ‘Little Rome’
Negombo, just seven km from the international airport and a short ride from Colombo, is a flourishing city with tourist-filled coastal resorts and its strong Catholic and Dutch heritage and large fishing fleet attracting crowds – but it is woefully lacking in basic amenities. As thousands throng fashionable Negombo’s streets daily, enjoying “Little Rome” with [...]
A drama cast with a difference
This year the prestigious ‘State Drama Festival’ which show cases the talents of the country’s best dramatists, actors and actresses will feature a cast with a difference. A drama featuring a mix of prisoners and prison officers of the Welikada Prison has been selected for the final round of the festival. The drama titled ‘Sinhaya [...]
SL engaging neighbours to halt waste washing up on our shores
Plastic piling on Sri Lanka’s shores is a pressing issue, authorities say, while preparing measures to combat it. The waste is mostly domestic, but some wash up from neigbouring countries, the SundayTimes learns. Last week, clinical waste from Bangalore was seen on the Puttalam coast. Environment Deputy Minister Ajith Mannapperuma told the Sunday Times that, [...]
Monks and residents of Panadura protest demolition of historic bungalow
Buddhist monks and Panadura residents are protesting the demolition of a historic bungalow that once belonged to one of its distinguished personalities, Susantha de Fonseka, who was elected to the State Council in 1931 and later served as its Deputy Speaker. A landmark in Panadura, facing the river, the bungalow named “Siri Medura” is nearly [...]
Pick of the Pix
Pix by Amila Gamage M.A.Pushpa Kumara Priyantha Wickramarachchi Shelton Hettiarachchi, Tilak Nimalasuriya
4,000 people affected, 1,000 houses damaged in provinces lashed by rain and wind
More than 4,000 people were affected and 1,000 houses damaged, and several reservoirs were spilling over as heavy rains and strong winds lashed the Central and North Western Provinces, officials said yesterday. A motorcyclist in the Central Province town of Panwila became the first casualty of the current spell of bad weather, they said. He [...]