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Home » NewsTripitaka: Proposal handed over to UN
A historic event in the making yesterday outside the Dalada Maligawa with President Maithripala Sirisena handing over to the United Nations Representative Hanaa Singer a dossier containing Sri Lanka’s request to make the Tripitaka a world heritage document. Present at the ceremony were the Mahanayake theras of all the Nikayas along with Prime Minister Ranil [...]
Central Expressway: Japan imposes tough conditions for big loan
Japan has imposed tough conditions, including the cancellation of the project, if bribery or corruption is involved, to award the US$ 1 billion commercial loan for the third phase of the Central Expressway project to build the 32 km Pothuhera-Galagedara stretch, a senior official said. The conditions include cancellation of the project and repayment of [...]
Huge oil refinery at H’tota: Controversies and major questions over project
By Namini Wijedasa The son of a controversial Indian politician from the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) is a director in, not just one, but two companies recently incorporated in Sri Lanka. The second was set up ostensibly to implement a US$ 3.85 billion (Rs 685.5 billion) oil refinery project in Hambantota. But the initiative is [...]
No toilets at Colombo Port for luxury cruise liner tourists
The Colombo Port has no toilet facilities for the thousands of tourists who are increasingly calling over on luxury cruise liners. There are only two lavatories located in a decrepit “passenger terminal” on Queen Elizabeth Quay which was built in the early 1950s for the visit of Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh. [...]
Kodagoda president of Court of Appeal
The Constitutional Council yesterday decided to appoint Additional Solicitor General Yasantha Kodagoda as the President of the Court of Appeal. This follows a new recommendation sent to the CC by President Maithripala Sirisena. He had earlier recommended Justice Deepali Wijesundera but had later withdrawn her name. The CC meeting was chaired by Speaker Karu Jayasuriya.
Galle Face luxury flats Rs 17.8b money-spinner for Shangri-La
Luxury hotels owner and operator Shangri-La Asia has generated mega bucks from the 372 prime Colombo ocean-front luxury flats it has sold. The Hong Kong-listed hotel and real estate company predicts US$100 million (Rs 17.80 billion) operating profit from sale of residences in One Galle Face development in Colombo this year. About 76% of the [...]
Mahendran’s case: AG compiles new extradition report
The Attorney General’s Department is compiling a further detailed report supporting the request for the extradition of the Central Bank’s former Governor Arjun Mahendran on the instructions given by the President’s Secretary, a Presidential Secretariat spokesman said. The report would be sent to the Singaporean authorities after Singaporean Foreign Ministry called for further information over [...]
Power cuts: Complain to the PUCSL
The Public Utility Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) wants electricity consumers countrywide to tell it when supplies are disrupted so that it may confront the Ministry of Power and Energy. For this purpose, the PUCSL will place advertisements in the media, Corporate Communications Director Jayanat Herat told the Sunday Times yesterday. Days earlier, Power and [...]
President confident of international support for move to declare Tripitakaya a world heritage
President Maitripala Sirisena, yesterday, said there was international support for Sri Lanka’s move to declare Tripitakaya a world heritage. The President was speaking at the National Tripitaka felicitation ceremony held at Mahamaluwa in Kandy. He said he was confident that the Tripitakaya would be made a world heritage as the international community had extended its [...]
Canny detective work nabs alleged rapist
Nearly three weeks of careful investigation and analysis of CCTV footage by police have led to the arrest of a suspect accused of the rape of a Hungarian national. The suspect, a van driver, was produced in court early this week and placed on remand. The attack occurred in Hikkaduwa on February 19, after the [...]
Bus veers off the road, killing one and injuring 19
One person was killed and 19 were injured, last evening, when a bus veered off the road and hit an electric post at Lewanduwa on the Matugama – Aluthgama road shortly before entering the Southern expressway from the Welipenna entry point, police said. The bus carrying about 35 passengers was travelling from Galle to Negombo [...]
Navy personnel for specialised training on Chinese frigate
A company of 110 Sri Lankan Navy personnel will leave for China at the end of the month to undergo specialised training on board a Chinese frigate, the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) told the Sunday Times. The frigate is expected to be handed over to the Sri Lanka Navy later this year. Ninety-two sailors and [...]
Prevailing heat won’t affect cultivation: Officials
There has been little or no overall increase in rainfall between February and March, the Meteorology Department’s Director of Weather Forecasting, A R Warnasooriya said. Ms Warnasooriya said in addition to high temperature readings, the heat carried by the wind is adding to the general discomfort experienced by the public. Limited cloud cover meant that [...]
Festering power struggles bubble over, again
Despite strong assurances from the Power and Energy Ministry that power cuts imposed due to the sudden breakdown of the Norochcholai coal power plant on Monday, people are left without electricity for three to four hours at times. Households and business large and small, are all counting the cost of power cuts and failures. The [...]
Land bonanza for Eastern people; PM promises more projects
The Government yesterday handed over deeds and permits to residents of 13 divisional Secretary areas, giving them the ownership of 4,000 acres of land. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and several cabinet ministers took part in the event at the Webber Stadium in Batticaloa to hand over the deeds to 7,206 people. Batticaloa District Secretary M. [...]
Canny detective work nabs alleged rapist
Nearly three weeks of careful investigation and analysis of CCTV footage by police have led to the arrest of a suspect accused of the rape of a Hungarian national. The suspect, a van driver, was produced in court early this week and placed in remand. The attack occurred in Hikkaduwa on February 19 after the [...]
Prevailing heat won’t affect cultivation: Officials
There has been little or no overall increase in rainfall between February and March, the Meteorology Department’s Director of Weather Forecasting, A R Warnasooriya said. Ms Warnasooriya said in addition to high temperature readings, the heat carried by the wind is adding to the general discomfort experienced by the public. Limited cloud cover meant that [...]
Bottlenecks, booze, speed turn highway into death trap
Police cardboard cutouts and speed signs don’t stop carnage Fatal accidents pile up on Colombo-Puttalam road At 1.45a.m. on Monday, a weary group of travellers refreshed themselves with a cup of tea at a café at Nagawilluwa, 125km from Colombo on the highway to Puttalam, and climbed back into their van on a [...]
Experts to hand over report on how best to tackle drug rehabilitation
President Maithripala Sirisena will, next week, receive an expert report on improved rehabilitation programmes for the rising number of drug addicts. The report complied by a nine- member Consultative Committee, set up under the Presidential Task Force on Drug Prevention, has evaluated the domestic mechanism, and on the President’s recommendation, has studied the drug rehabilitation [...]
Police crackdown on deafening musical horns
Police have begun an island-wide operation to remove loud musical horns, with 800 vehicles being pulled over just in the Colombo Fort-Pettah area on Thursday and Friday. Vehicle owners who agreed to remove the offending horns and hand them over to the police were given warnings and released. Those who resisted face court on charges [...]
Illegal sand mining thrives with political cover
The failure of the authorities to enforce the law on illegal sand mining operations due to pressure from Pradeshiya Sabha members has led to an increase in such rackets across the country. A group of fishermen from Bopitiya who had embarked on a two-day religious pilgrimage to the Madhu Church last week had found that [...]
August this year will see all 4 stages of extended Southern Expressway completed
All four stages of the extended Southern expressway beyond Matara are due to be completed by August this year, Road Development Authority Chairman Nihal Sooriyaarachchi said. He said, stage three and four between Wetiya to Andarawewa (15 Km) and from Andarawewa to Mattala and Hambantota respectively have almost been completed while the sections from Matara [...]
Committee stage debate on votes for ministries
The country imports over 1.2 million tonnes of chemical fertilizer a year, Minister of Agriculture, Rural Economic Affairs, Livestock Development, Irrigation and Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development P Harrison told Parliament on Friday (22) during the debate on the Expenditure Head of his Ministry. Mr Harrison further disclosed that over 4,000 metric tonnes of agrochemicals [...]
Australian Defence Forces arrive in Sri Lanka to begin joint exercise
A number of Sri Lankan Navy Special Boat Squadron’s (SBS) boats patrolled the harbour providing protection for the Australian flagship HMAS Canberra, a 27,000 ton Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD), which sailed in to Colombo port escorted by the missile frigate HMAS Newcastle yesterday. The small boat movement aroused the interest of a senior Australian Navy [...]
Pick of the Pix
Pix by Ishanka Sunimal, Eshan Fernando, Shelton Hettiarachchi, Sarath Siriwardane and Rubatheesan Sandran. From our readers The saying goes that a picture is worth a thousand words. So shutterbugs out there, here’s your chance to send in your contributions to this picture corner. Please send your captioned photograph to pictures@sundaytimes.wnl.lk
A ‘Raththaran’ example to emulate
The issue of corruption in public life has occupied centre stage in the national discourse for a considerable period of time. It is increasingly being recognised as one of the biggest impediments to the progress of the country. Last week, the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery and Corruption (CIABOC) launched a National Action Plan [...]
Destructive local trawlers vacuuming the livelihoods of fisherfolk
After Sri Lanka began taking a tough line on destructive Indian bottom trawlers in Sri Lankan waters, small-scale fishermen in the north are up in arms against local trawler owners. According to groups of fishermen, some 600 mechanised trawlers are operated by local fishermen from Gurunagar, Point Pedro, the northern islands of Jaffna peninsula and [...]
PM opens new Maha Oya bridge
The 83-year-old bridge over Maha Oya at Kochchikade which was in a badly dilapidated condition and causing traffic congestion, was this week replaced with the new four-lane bridge. The new 105 metre long bridge built across the Maha Oya –a perenial river- has now become tourist attraction among visitors to Negombo. The new bridge is [...]
Navy personnel for specialised training on Chinese frigate
A company of 110 Sri Lankan Navy personnel will leave for China at the end of the month to undergo specialised training on board a Chinese frigate, the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) told the Sunday Times. The frigate is expected to be handed over to the Sri Lanka Navy later this year. Ninety-two sailors and [...]
Special police plan for N’Eliya during April ‘Spring Festival’
Over 1,000 police personnel are expected to be deployed under the master plan for the forthcoming April ‘Spring Festival’ to be held in Nuwara Eliya in April. The ‘Spring Festival’ will commence on April 1 and will continue till the end of April. According to SP I.B.T.Sugathapala, of the Nuwara Eliya police, the security plan [...]
Rs. 147 billion aircraft deal: SriLankan defied Cabinet decision following Treasury Secretary’s advice
Ignoring a cabinet decision, SriLankan Airlines moved to procure ten aircraft at a total cost of Rs. 147.7 billion, after the then Treasury Secretary advised that cabinet approval was not necessary. SriLankan Airlines’ Finance Department Chief Yasantha Dissanayake made this claim while giving evidence this week before the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) investigating allegations of [...]
From bus halts to ‘ambalamas’
The government in collaboration with the private sector has spent large sums of money to upgrade bus halts in the country. But whether the general public benefits from these upgrades is debatable. A tour around Colombo city revealed many bus halts being used as ‘rest rooms’ by homeless city dwellers or occupied by vendors peddling [...]