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Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa falls on his knees as he gets a blessing and advice from the Getambe Rajopawanaramadhipathi the Ven. Keppetiyagoda Siriwimala Nayaka Thera. With him at the Peradeniya Getambe temple is his brother and SLPP leader Mahinda Rajapaksa. Pic by Indika Handuwala
Treasury rejects proposal to pay Rajapaksa era bills
The Treasury has rejected the proposal to meet the staggering bill of Rs 4.4 billion spent by the previous Mahinda Rajapaksa regime and declared it could not be met from state funds. The Finance Ministry has informed the Cabinet of Ministers that such authorised payments would be from 2015, in accordance with prevailing Financial Regulations, [...]
Presidential poll: Hire a party for Rs. 6 million
Political party names for the use of presidential candidates at the upcoming elections are on offer for amounts varying from Rs 5 to six million. One of the candidates not affiliated to a political party and set to contest the presidential election has been offered the party name and symbol for cash. Under existing election [...]
Environmentalists scoff at CEB’s ‘clean coal’ policy in energy parks
The Power and Energy Ministry has sought Cabinet approval to block off 511 acres of land at Foul Point in Trincomalee to build an “energy park” that includes a 600 megawatt coal power plant. A suitable Government-owned area has already been marked off by the Survey Department, says the Cabinet paper signed by Power and [...]
Waste transport: AG exposes massive racket in CMC
The Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) has been bleeding money on waste transport and disposal for many years by dishing out business to private contractors, instead of using millions of rupees allocated to it for the purchase of its own tractors, tippers, compactors and bulldozers. Between 2010 and 2016, the CMC received nearly Rs 850 million [...]
Secretaries delaying big projects; Government wants them sacked
A cabinet paper is to be submitted shortly seeking an investigation on ministry secretaries who have failed to implement cabinet decisions or delayed executing the decisions. The move comes following inquiries made from the Cabinet office over delays in implementing some of the important projects which had been approved by the Cabinet over the past [...]
Construction worker in fatal fall from 16th floor
A worker fell to his death from the 16th floor when he was fixing a scaffolding at a 50-storey building in Colombo, in the second such death in as many months, raising concern over safety measures at construction sites. The victim was identified as Wimal Karunaratne (48) a resident of Minipe. The incident took place [...]
Five schoolboys face ID parade over deadly beating
An unexpected confrontation between a group schoolboys and a salon manager last Saturday night led to the death of a man, and five youths are in police custody. They face an identification parade tomorrow. This incident is being investigated by the police under the direction of Slave Island Police OIC, Crimes Division, IP Nalaka Gunasekara. [...]
Gas and oil exploration to expand; tripartite agreement with Norway’s Equinor and France’s Total
Oil and gas exploration off the country’s territorial waters is set to expand further with the Government looking to sign a tripartite agreement with international energy giants Equinor and Total while also finalising bids to develop natural gas in the Mannar Basin. The tripartite agreement between the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL), Norway’s Equinor and [...]
Merged Chapters call for sangha court
A historic agreement merging the Amarapura and Ramanna Chapters was signed at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute on Friday. The two chapters will hereafter be known as a single entity: “Sri Lanka Amarapura Ramanna Saamagri Maha Sangha Sabha.” The agreement was signed by the Amarapura Chapter Mahanayake, the Ven. Kotugoda Dhammavasa Thera, and the Ramanna [...]
Remembering Bangladesh founding father
Bangladesh High Commission in Colombo commemorated the National Mourning Day marking the 44th death anniversary of the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in due solemnity, in Colombo and Matara. The National Flag of Bangladesh was hoisted at half-mast at the High Commission by High Commissioner M. Riaz Hamidullah. A minute’s silence was [...]
Please Mr Postman, explain this Rs.5 billion deficit
The Postal Department continues to run at a loss, incurring a deficit of more than Rs. 5 billion last year. The department had an accumulated deficit of almost Rs. 20 billion from 2012 to 2016, according to a senior department official who wished to remain unnamed. The Rs. 5 billion deficit comes amid a rise [...]
Poll monitors enter the fray: Focus on voter education, campaign financing and social media
Amid uncertainty over whether the provincial or presidential elections will be held first, poll monitors are gearing up to ensure a free and fair elections through voter education programmes and measures to monitor campaign financing and combat social media misinformation campaigns. Voter education programmes are being given priority by the monitors, with the likelihood of [...]
Big stink over improper disposal of clinical waste
Questions are being raised over the disposal of clinical waste from healthcare facilities following the recent detection that such waste has been dumped illegally and haphazardly in various parts of the country. The latest incident was reported on Friday when the authorities found a stock of clinical waste buried inside a Mahaweli Reserve at Ketanwewa [...]
Minister solving Colombo’s garbage issue by creating a problem here: Protestors
Residents, religious representatives and politicians have been holding several protests charging that the Aruwakkalu sanitary land fill was not being operated as it was assured earlier. Around 1000 residents participated in the latest protest on Friday. Religious leaders who also were among the protectors voiced their concern over the manner in which garbage was being [...]
We take 100 percent responsibility for landfill: Ministry
The Ministry of Megapolis and Western Development this week insisted that it would take “100 percent responsibility” for the Aruwakkalu sanitary landfill project. Addressing a media briefing, the Ministry’s Social Specialist Nihal Premathilaka observed that the country’s garbage problem had been in existence for 40 years. “Every time authorities tried to resolve this issue scientifically, [...]
Come to hospital soon if you have dengue symptoms, urge experts
The tiny dengue mosquito is spreading death and disease across the country. There have been 55 confirmed dengue deaths and 38,000 people affected by this viral disease so far this year, leading to the hospitals being flooded by patients, the Sunday Times learns. Amidst the gloom, the Director of the National Dengue Control Unit, Dr. [...]
Yahapalana Govt. has unfinished business to complete
With the Presidential elections scheduled for year’s end, the citizenry will be called upon to make choices that will determine the future trajectory of this country. As at this point of time, people have mixed feelings as to how to respond to the challenges that confront them when making such choices. When weighing the pros [...]
Jaffna offshore islands struggle without water
Water has become scarce for the few families in the northern islands offshore from Jaffna, who also face drought from April until the often-delayed seasonal monsoon rains. “Ten years ago, this was not the case. We had drinkable water from our domestic wells and farming lands, but later, the water became salty. Even during dry [...]
Home-grown ‘waste-to-treat-waste’ project
The ‘seed’ took root at a chance networking meeting with two people leisurely sipping drinks at the rear of the hall, was ‘nurtured’ in a simple physics laboratory and finally ‘blossomed’ into a major innovation in the smelly junkyards of two big-time industries. It was on Tuesday during a brief one-hour ceremony that the unique [...]
Losers in battle for habitat
Paddy farmers, especially those living in areas in proximity to jungles inhabited by wild elephants are once again confronted by the influx of these giants in search of food. Villagers are often confronted by elephants drawn by the smell of freshly cut paddy, and their homes ravaged by elephants in search of food. The raids [...]
Couple who voted in all polls since 1947 await next elections
Albert Abeygunawardena (105) and his wife Leelawathi Wijegunawardena (93) enjoy the distinction of having voted at every single election since the first parliamentary election in 1947. The couple, hailing from Ihala Lellawala Village in Wanduramba, Galle, last cast their votes at the 2018 Local Government Elections. Mr Abeygunawardena was 103 at the time, while his [...]
Out of the blue, a visitor is blown in by the monsoon
An unusually large bird found this week on Muthu Panthiya island in Chilaw drew crowds as it had never been observed on land. Stricken by curiosity, the villagers caught the bird and handed over to the Anawilndawa wildlife office. The bird, blackish with white underparts, had a very long, hooked beak and a wide wingspan [...]
Spotlight on how elephants are judged fit for peraheras
It has emerged that Tikiri, the emaciated old elephant that was paraded in the Kandy Esala Perahera despite appearing to be ill, might have been used in the procession for two days without approval by the head veterinarian attached to the Temple of the Tooth. Worldwide outrage followed media and social media reports prompted by [...]
Kandy businessman continues to donate elephant costumes
Maligawa officials are extremely grateful to well known Kandy businessman Thusitha Wijesena who has been donating the colourful elephant costumes for the annual Esala Perahera for the past 25 years. Maligawa sourcs say that long before he became a well known person in Kandy he had been invited to view the Perahera from the Maligawa [...]
Pick of the Pix
Pix by Indika Handuwala, Ishanka Sunimal, Priyanka Samaraweera, Jayarathna Wickramarachchi.