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Amid reports that President Maithripala Sirisena may sack Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa in the coming days, their looks seem to tell the story that all’s not well. They were seen together at the ceremony held on Friday at the Sugathadasa Stadium to give permanent appointments to thousands of Samurdhi officers. Pic by Ranjith Perera
Rajapaksa faces removal after motion on Wednesday
Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa faces removal next week after just six weeks in office, with Parliament set to approve a motion this coming Wednesday for his ouster. The motion has been agreed to by President Maithripala Sirisena during consultations with Opposition parties, provided it does not describe his dissolution of Parliament as being illegal. Mr. [...]
New Govt. in ‘ungodly rush’ to work out US$ 10bn LNG project
The Government has given international bidders just five weeks to apply for a complex, multibillion dollar Swiss challenge to supply an offshore floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU), pipeline and contract for liquefied natural gas (LNG), raising eyebrows in the oil and gas industry about the “ungodly rush”. This will be Sri Lanka’s largest single [...]
Bandula welcomes investments; ‘no questions asked’
Undeterred by questions over the legality of the government, Investment Promotion Minister Bandula Gunwardana is making a new trade policy. This will include incentives to Sri Lankans living abroad to encourage them to invest their money in Government-approved projects for a five-year period tax free. It will be a “no questions asked” policy on the [...]
Dual party dilemma over MR, Namal and others
Sri Lanka Freedom Party members–including Mahinda Rajapaksa and his son, Namal, — who publicly decamped to the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) last month–did so without resigning from the SLFP or the United People’ Freedom Alliance (UPFA), officials have claimed. On December 11, it will be one month since many SLFP parliamentarians took SLPP membership. [...]
Killing of two policemen: Former LTTE cadre surrenders
A former LTTE cadre surrendered to Police yesterday over the killing of two police constables at a checkpoint in Batticaloa and the removal of their weapons, a senior officer said yesterday. The suspect, identified as Rasanayagam Saravanandan, 48, a resident of Vattakachchi in Kilinochchi, surrendered to the Kilinochchi police station claiming he was responsible for [...]
Sri Lanka hosts VBSS training course for SE Asia navies
A Visit, Board, Search and Seizure (VBSS) course for the boarding teams of Indonesian, Malaysian and Philippine Coast Guard, Police and Customs concluded at the Navy Special Boat Squadron (SBS) Headquarters in Trincomalee last week. The United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in partnership with the Sri Lanka Navy SBS Training School conducted [...]
Bush was with us to share our sorrow during the tsunami tragedy: Mangala
Former Minister Mangala Samaraweera paying tribute to former United States President George H.W. Bush, who passed away yesterday, recalled with gratitude his role in assisting Sri Lanka during its recovery from the 2004 tsunami. “As America mourns the loss of former President George H.W. Bush, we recall with gratitude his visit to Sri Lanka following [...]
Prices rise and profits dip as rupee continues to fall
The depreciation of the rupee against the the dollar, amid the political crisis, has affected businesses and resulted in prices increases. Central Bank statistics show that the US dollar which was selling at Rs. 174.44 on October 26 – the day on which the political crisis erupted — was being sold at Rs. 181.45 as [...]
Monk hospitalised after alleged assault by UC member
A monk has been hospitalised after an alleged assault by a Maharagama Urban Councillor on Friday night, police said. The Ven Kottawe Hemawansa Thera, resident monk at Sudharshanaramaya in Maharagama had allegedly been assaulted by Urban Councillor Nishantha Wimalachandran and the locks of the monk’s residential quarters in the temple premises had been forcibly changed. [...]
Interact with journalists and report back: Amunugama to SL envoys
Sarath Amunugama, who holds the Foreign Affairs portfolio, has now instructed Sri Lanka’s Heads of Mission (HoMs) to interact with journalists in their countries of accreditation and report back weekly to the Ministry. The HoMs are expected to relay information about, among other things, “the names of journalists that they have met, the media organisation [...]
Army Women’s Corps to hold symposium on role of women in peace and sustainable development
“Women- the bedrock of peace and sustainable development” will be the theme of a conference organised to mark the 39th anniversary of the Sri Lanka Army Women’s Corps to be held at the BMICH on Tuesday. The event will bring together around 450 participants–from the three forces, the police, academics and state and private sector [...]
Away from the political floodgates
President Maithripala Sirisena, on Friday, opened the sluice gates of the Moragahakanda reservoir project for the first time after it was declared open by the President himself in January this year. The reservoir coming under the giant Moragahakanda – Kalu ganga multi-purpose project reached the maximum water level. The Moragahakanda dam is part of the [...]
Rajapaksa’s lawyers seek dismissal of Quo-Warranto petition
Lawyers appearing for former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, on Friday, requested the Court of Appeal to dismiss the Quo Warranto writ petition that 122 parliamentarians had filed seeking an order declaring that Mr Rajapaksa is not legally entitled to hold the office of Prime Minister. Gamini Marapana, PC, who appeared for Mr Rajapaksa, asked that court [...]
SC gives tough rulings on cases of brutal torture
The Supreme Court in separate rulings this week directed the State, police and prison authorities to pay a total of Rs 1,275,000 to two victims of torture—the latest in a series of recent judgments against the brutal practice. The 55-year-old G.H.G. Nandani Kumari, a mother-of-three, was awarded compensation of Rs 500,000 together with Rs 50,000 [...]
12-year old tusker Mugalan found dead near the Udawalawe tank
A 12 year-old tusker, identified as Mugalan was killed by a muzzleloader gun near the Udawalawe tank, a senior wildlife officer said yesterday. Chandana Sooriyabandara, Director General of the Department of Wildlife Conservation said the elephant died due to the injuries caused to its cranium. Wildlife officials have lodged a complaint in this connection with [...]
RTI Commission directs CB to reveal 2015, 2016 EPF deals
The Right to Information Commission this week directed the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) to release information in respect of Government securities market transactions of the EPF during 2015 and 2016, including primary market transactions held through auctions, primary market transactions held through direct placement and secondary market transactions. Considering the refusal of the [...]
Left behind: The forlorn fate of the disabled
Buses rarely stop for 27-year-old Colombo University graduate Nuwantha Gunasekara, who is visually impaired. “I take the bus from Balapitiya. There are dozens of times when I have heard conductors inviting others to get into the bus but they rarely direct me to the footboard. Sometimes they tell me to take another bus,” Mr. Gunasekera [...]
Tackling the dengue danger rising from major construction sites
Drizzles or heavy downpours – the relentless rain is here. With the rains, comes the fear of dengue. “We are ready to face the onslaught of dengue,” assures the Head of the National Dengue Control Unit (NDCU) and Consultant Epidemiologist Dr. Hasitha Tissera, reiterating that not only have they focused on homes and schools but [...]
Harassment in public transport on the rise, victims suffer in silence: UN
The acceptance of sexual abuse as ‘normal’ on public transport is contributing to the increasing number of incidents of young females being subjected to harassment daily in Sri Lanka, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFP) said. The report, ‘Sexual Harassment on Public Buses and Trains in Sri Lanka’ published in March 2017 states that incidents [...]
Laparoscopic repair brings relief for humiliating ailment
It had been a living hell for them – unable to do their daily chores or their jobs and even unable to go out of their homes, terrified that others would get an inkling of what was ailing them. Suffering in silence and shame, these women, along with their families, had hit rock-bottom physically, mentally [...]
Two years after operations began, Mihin Lanka losses reached sky high
Since its inception in 2007, the state-owned budget airline Mihin Lanka had faced a severe shortage of funds, and, as a result, it had been compelled to get sovereign-guaranteed loans from state institutions, with net losses after first two years in operation rising up to as much as six times the capital investment. These revelations [...]
Schoolboy crush led to murder
Investigators believe a three-month dispute over a love affair caused the stabbing murder of a boy by a schoolboy from the same neighbourhood in Matara. The victim was a 19-year-old student of St. Thomas’ College Matara described as a talented Advanced Level student by the school principal. The seeds of the tragedy were sown three [...]
General Elections will not resolve constitutional crisis
It is more than a month since the country has struggled with a Constitutional cum Political crisis that has created a sense of uncertainty within the country as well as inviting unfavourable attention worldwide. It is unfortunate that when a clear way out is available to resolve the issue, no attempt is being made to [...]
Pick of the Pix
Pix by Amila Gamage, Shelton Hettiarachchi, Hiran Priyankara Jayasinghe, Ishanka Sunimal and Augustin Fernando
Wilmune Digital Library -a learning cum training centre
The Wilmune Digital Library in Kandy, with its stock of nineteen thousand books and a membership of four thousand members is unique. The library is also serves as the training centre for the 45 librarians of the Central Province. This library which on two occasions was selected as the best library in the country by [...]
Constitutional crisis: Chaos on key issues
The political crisis that has engulfed the country for over a month continues to have a negative effect on the day-to-day lives of ordinary Sri Lankans. Both political factions have doubled down on their stances, with daily protests and meetings held island-wide, sometimes causing traffic chaos. The continued turmoil has had a devastating effect on [...]
Science puts Lanka in headlines for all the right reasons
While power-greedy politicians vociferously tarnish the image of country through their undemocratic fights, scientists silently bring some dignity to the name of Sri Lanka. Marine biologist Asha de Vos and cancer researcher Hasini Jayatilaka brought honour to the country when they were internationally recognised this month for their tireless efforts and groundbreaking discoveries. Ms. de [...]