News
Home » NewsOnce bustling Pettah running out of business
With Pettah still struggling to restore its bustling image as Sri Lanka’s main shopping centre, many traders have been forced to slash prices by as much as 50 percent to maintain the businesses. This picture shows a worried trader who has not many customers though prices have been reduced. Pic by Priyantha Wickremarachchi
PC polls possible before presidential election
The prospects of Provincial Council elections ahead of this year’s presidential poll will form the subject of discussion when President Maithripala Sirisena meets National Election Commission Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya. President Sirisena, who returned to Colombo from a private visit to Britain, is to schedule a meeting with the Polls Chief in the light of Mr. [...]
Drunken leap in liquor licences
Seventy four new liquor licences were issued last year when compared with just ten in 2017 — an increase of 64 percent. This is the second largest jump in the number of new liquor licences issued by the Excise Department since 2006. In 2014, 83 new licenses were issued. The number dropped significantly since then [...]
94-acre logistics park and luxury apartment complex at Welisara
The Megapolis and Western Development Ministry will submit a cabinet paper shortly to acquire 94 acres from the Welisara Navy camp to set up a ‘logistic park’ and a luxury apartment complex. The move will force the relocation of the explosives storage complex used by tri-forces to either Divulaptiya or Mirigama and it will cost [...]
Railway runs off track on gender issue
Sri Lanka’s 160-year-old Railway Department freezes women out of all its top-level skilled and executive positions and recruits them only to minor positions, provided there are applications received, data obtained through the Right to Information (RTI) Act show. The Railway Department does not issue application forms for women employees, said J.A.D.R. Pushpakumara, Director (Planning) and [...]
Digital economy: Bill to give more security for personal data
Those messages you receive flogging products or services you never asked for from companies you have no dealings with: That is one sign that your personal data have been sold without your permission. Personal information in the digital economy–where business is conducted through markets based on the internet and worldwide web–is the new money. Sri [...]
MPs world cup: Lanka plays safe
The Easter Sunday terrorist attacks prompted Sri Lanka’s Parliament to decline sending a team for the inaugural Inter-Parliamentary Cricket World Cup (IPCWC), the Speaker’s Office said. The IPCWC took place in England this week in conjunction with the Cricket World Cup. Squads from the legislative assemblies of most of the countries taking part in the [...]
Rizwie Mufti to head ACJU again
The All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama (ACJU) yesterday re-elected Mufti M.I.M. Rizwie as its president in a secret voting process held at the Dehiwala Jumma mosque. Moulavi M.M.A. Mubarak was re-elected as the General Secretary . Agar -Mohamed and A.L.M. Khaleel were elected as deputy president and treasurer respectively. Also elected were members of a new [...]
State Lands Bill: President suggests changes
Changes recommended by President Maithripala Sirisena to the State Lands (Special Provisions) Amendment Bill have been forwarded to the Attorney General’s Department for advice, a Prime Minister’s Office source said. Once Cabinet approval is received, the recommendations would be included in the Bill by the Ministry of Lands, the source said. President Sirisena had earlier [...]
Don’t miss the last lunar eclipse for this year on full moon Poya
Sri Lanka will be able to witness a partial lunar eclipse shortly after midnight on Tuesday July 16, which is full moon Poya day. Coincidentally, the date also marks the 50th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. The lunar eclipse will also be visible in Australia, Africa, South America, most of Europe and Asia. [...]
Attorney General decides against representing both respondents
The Supreme Court (SC) is to hear submissions on 12 Fundamental Rights (FR) petitions filed against former Defence Secretary (DS) Hemasiri Fernando and Inspector General of Police (IGP) Pujith Jayasundara, on July 25, as the Attorney General (AG) decided not to represent both respondents, who have been sent on compulsory leave. A seven- member SC [...]
Proposed generation plan: CEB proposal at odds with Cabinet paper
The Ceylon Electricity Board’s (CEB) proposed generation plan, which is now published on its website, is at odds with a recent Cabinet paper submitted by Power and Energy Minister Ravi Karunanayake which proposes four more coal power plants, including one for “contingencies”. Approval was granted last month on the Cabinet paper that contained these and [...]
Son alleges hospital neglect led to judge’s fatal fall
The son of a retired High Court judge is claiming justice for his father’s death at the Colombo National Hospital, where he had been receiving treatment until last week. The patient, 88-year-old Sirisena Kadwathaarachchi, fell from the fifth floor of the hospital’s Bandaranaike Memorial Ward and died of multiple injuries from the fall on July [...]
Why SriLankan, Mihin crashlanded
The Commission of Inquiry appointed by the President to inquire into alleged irregularities in SriLankan Airlines, SriLankan Catering Ltd and Mihin Lanka from January 1, 2006 to January 1, 2018, after concluding its inquiry and investigations, reveals a callous abuse of power and fraud in the billions by successive Boards of Directors at the three [...]
Charter flight and credit card scams: Commission recommends charges against Sajin Vass
Clear abuse of the system There had been several excess sums paid on account of charter flights by the Presidential Secretariat to Mihin. It would have been prudent to verify the amounts invoiced and also request for a breakdown, as this is all public funds. Instead, the CEO of Mihin Lanka seems to have taken [...]
Cancellation of aircraft deals: SriLankan faced multimillion dollar fines, deposit forfeiture
The Presidential Commission of Inquiry which investigated into SriLankan Airlines and Mihin Lanka operations from 2006 to 2018, noted that due to the insufficiency of time, it was unable to make an in-depth analysis of the agreements and outcome but the excerpts from the evidence/affidavits of certain witnesses explains the factual background in this aspect. [...]
Mihin crew’s lunch and Sajin’s credit card payments
Charter Flight to Uganda (CHOGM Conference) As explained in paragraph of the witness’s Affidavit marked, an official state visit was made to Kampala, Uganda on the 27th November 2007 on a Mihin Lanka charter flight, in which the witness was part of the Mihin Lanka operational staff that travelled with the Government delegation. The witness [...]
Missing lawmakers, closed-door deals tarnish vote
The lackadaisical attitude shown by the government and the Opposition when the JVP-led no confidence motion was taken up this week was apparent as there were many empty seats at most times during the two-day debate. No Cabinet minister spoke on the motion. It was the backbenchers on both sides who ran the show with [...]
No one sure if ISIS behind Easter blasts, says Dayasiri
Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) General Secretary Dayasiri Jayasekera, who earlier refused to appear before the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) investigating the Easter Sunday terrorist attacks, gave evidence this week after being issued summons for a second time. Mr Jayasekera was called before the PSC over comments he made during an interview he gave to [...]
Controlling tobacco epidemic – Sri Lanka in the lead
Sri Lanka has become a formidable force in battling the insidious campaigns of the tobacco industry on all fronts – locally, regionally and globally. The South Asian Regional Consortium Centre for Combating Tobacco (SARC-CCT) will be inaugurated tomorrow (July 15) at the Galle Face Hotel, Colombo, amidst a distinguished gathering of delegates from Sri Lanka [...]
‘Waste water management’ blocks roads used to ease traffic congestion in Kandy
Kandy is full of obstructions in the name of ‘waste water management’, where several roads are blocked for the past number of years, obstructing traffic. This will pose a problem for the Police during the forthcoming Kandy Esala Perahera, where some of the roads need to be used to divert traffic, in case of congestion. [...]
Father of Pera Uni’s Vice Chancellor passes away
P. H. P. Dissanayake, Father of the Vice Chancellor of the University of Peradeniya, Professor Upul Dissanayake passed away yesterday. The body lies at his residence situated at Embulgaswewa, Habarana Road, Kekirawa. The funeral will take place on Monday evening at the Kekirawa Cemetery.
Post-Easter bombings’ restrictions clip private aviators’ wings
Private Helicopter Operators (PHO) are significantly affected by impractical security restrictions in the aftermath of the Easter Sunday bombings, with flying hours down almost 70% last month, a group of aviators told the Sunday Times. Some of the operators are finding it difficult to sustain operations due to the restrictions. The claims come in the [...]
Create ocean science ‘champions’ to boost nation’s security
Sri Lanka needs to understand how critical the resources of the ocean are to an island nation’s security and end its centuries’-old apathy about protecting its maritime base, leading scientists told a conference. “As an island nation, the resources of the ocean are very important for development and changes to ocean patterns can bring bad [...]
Filth and fish at the Peliyagoda fish market
Just a few years ago, the St. John’s Fish Market was closed down and a new fish market was declared open at Peliyagoda. It was promised the new market would be hygienic and provided with modern amenities. Today, dogs, cats, crows and swarms of flies have taken over the complex which is run in an [...]
No seating at Queen’s hotel or carnivals and fairs during Perahera, says Kandy Mayor
In view of security measures during the Kandy Esela Perahera next month, there will be no seating arrangements along the corridor of the Queen’s Hotel, nor will the annual carnival or fairs be held at the Getambe gounds or Wewalpitiya municipal grounds, during the season, Kandy’s Mayor Kesera Senanayake said. He said these decisions were [...]
Nuwara Eliya’s historic peace tree turns 100
The Peace Tree found in the historical Victoria Park in Nuwara Eliya turns 100 on July 19. A cyprus tree was planted by Lady Wedabon, the wife of the then British GA of Nuwara Eliya M.M. Wedabon, about eight months after World War 1 ended. The tree stands tall among many other trees that have [...]
Pick of the Pix
Pics by Indika Handuwala, Priyanka Samaraweera Ishanka Sunimal and Sunil Tantiriarachchi Jude Samantha
Sri Lankans spark most destructive forest fires
Sri Lankans are the spark for forest fires wherever they are reported, and cause immeasurable economic losses and environmental damage to the country and themselves. This past week, more than 500 acres of forest cover was burnt down. Major damage is done to water resources. Monaragala DMC assistant district director A H Ravindra Kumara said [...]