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The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, the spiritual head of the worldwide Anglican Church, ‘censing the altar’ during the service held at the Cathedral of Christ the Living Saviour in Colombo, on Thursday. The Archbishop was on a three-day visit to Sri Lanka to promote reconciliation and express his solidarity with the country following the [...]
Serious charges against 70 top public officials
About 70 top Government officials, including district secretaries and divisional secretaries, are to be reported by the Home Affairs Ministry to the Public Administration Ministry over a range of charges, including sexual abuse, granting permits fraudulently to fell trees, sand mining and other malpractices. A senior official said the Home Affairs Ministry would make recommendations [...]
Govt. in fresh bid to get MCC grant approved before Sept. 17 review
The Government has strongly defended the proposed Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) agreement, enabling Sri Lanka to obtain a grant of US$ 480 million, with the MCC board set to review the agreement at its next meeting on September 17. The Government’s defence of the agreement was presented to the Cabinet this week after President Maithripala [...]
Niqab gradually returns amid uncertainty, police action
Four women were detained in the Galle Face Green on Friday amidst growing confusion over use of the face veil after the State of Emergency lapsed last week. The women, family members of a leading businessman, were attired in the niqab which is a full face veil with an opening for the eyes. They were [...]
GCE OL exams in December; presidential poll likely in November
The Examinations Department has informed the National Election Commission that General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level (OL) examinations are scheduled to be held from December 2 to 12. Examinations Commissioner General Sanath Pujitha told the Sunday Times he had already informed the NEC on the examination schedule for which it was making arrangements. The move [...]
90-day visa free deal between Sri Lanka and the Maldives
An agreement due to be signed between Sri Lanka and the Maldives next week will allow visa free entry for 90 days for Sri Lankans visiting the Maldives and Maldivians visiting Sri Lanka. The agreement will be signed during the official visit of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to the Maldives from tomorrow to September 4. [...]
Eminent Consultant JMO, Dr. M.S.L. Salgado passes away
The eminent Consultant Judicial Medical Officer, Dr. M.S.L. Salgado, passed away on Friday. He was 89. A colourful personality, Dr. Salgado stood firm, steadfast and true to his calling as a specialist in forensic medicine. A case in point is his adamant refusal, in the face of political pressure, to change his report in the [...]
CMC to get flying squad headed by retired military officer
The Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) will soon have a new flying squad headed by a retired military officer. It will also include former members of the security forces. Colombo Mayor Rosy Senanayake on Friday moved a resolution to set up the flying squad after she found that the existing one set up under an Assistant [...]
Thousands of Bohra people here for religious event
With the arrival of the Head of the Dawoodi Bohra community, His Holiness Dr. Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin, in Sri Lanka, more than 21,000 Bohra community members from 40 countries arrived in Colombo to participate in their annual convention. It was the biggest international event to be held in Sri Lanka since the Easter Sunday bombings. The [...]
SLFP to announce stance on polls at party convention
The SLFP will announce its stance on the presidential and other upcoming elections at its 68th anniversary celebrations on Tuesday, a party spokesman said . The convention that will be presided over by President Maithripala Sirisena will be held at the Sugathadhasa Indoor Stadium from 2 p.m. onwards. SLFP’s Media Spokesman Weerakumara Dissanayake said president [...]
National Hospital takes steps to discourage use of plastic
The National Hospital is discouraging the use of plastic within the premises, a senior official of the hospital said. National Hospital Director General Dr. W.K Wikremasinghe said they had decided to discourage visitors to the hospital bringing plastic items such as plastic beverage bottles, plastic bags and plastic wrappers. He said they have already limited [...]
Police officers win SC relief; commended for upholding rule of law
The Supreme Court has ordered two former top police officials to pay Rs 1 million each in equal share to two of their junior colleagues who in their fundamental rights petitions had alleged they were subjected to arbitrary disciplinary action after they refused to obey illegal instructions during the Presidential polls period in 2010. The [...]
Political parties begin campaign for crucial Elpitiya polls
Political parties have begun campaigning for the Elpitiya Pradeshiya Sabha’s October election which is set to give the winning party a gallop in the presidential race. Our correspondent said party supporters were seen engaging in campaign related work yesterday, as they believed a victory for their party would sway the presidential election in their favour. [...]
Kotte waters’ dirty secrets: Study reveals shocking levels of contamination
At least six tons of bio solids and 18,000 cubic metres of untreated or partially treated wastewater are discharged continuously into the ground every day in the Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte area, an environmental impact assessment (EIA) has revealed. Sanitation facilities in the region are mainly on-site in the form of septic tanks combined with soakage [...]
United Lawyers’ Association calls for change in UNP leadership
The United Lawyers’ Association (ULA), a collective of senior lawyers, on Friday called for a change in the United National Party (UNP) leadership, claiming that the Party, under Ranil Wickremesinghe, had suffered consecutive defeats for over a quarter of a century and needs fresh blood at the helm, to face the upcoming Presidential poll. ULA [...]
A message of hope in troubled times
His visit had been prompted by the Easter Sunday tragedy and delivering a stirring message of solidarity, support and reconciliation, the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby touched the hearts of the 3,500 strong congregation that gathered at the Anglican cathedral in Colombo on Thursday evening. Sri Lankans had been in his prayers since the ‘terrible [...]
Something is rotten in the state of our veg market
Piles of rotting vegetables overflowing from garbage bins have become a common sight at the Pettah market, in Colombo, considered one of the main distribution points. Vegetable sellers complain that they are unable to sell the vegetables at a good price due to surplus of supply and a drop in the quality due to the [...]
Soil supply rivalry with Angoda Lokka trigger for double murder
Police are on the lookout for the two gunmen who shot dead a businessman and his driver in Hanwella this week on a reported contract killing over a business rivalry. A senior police officer said three suspects already in custody had claimed that the killing was a contract job given by underworld figure Angoda Lokka, [...]
Military minds discuss security threats, response strategies
The ninth Colombo Defence Seminar which brought defence partners to Colombo this week saw insightful intellectual exchanges on challenges of religious extremism, under the theme of ‘Evolving Military Excellence in the Contemporary Security Landscape’ in the aftermath of the Easter Sunday attacks. At least 800 local and world-wide defence partners, strategists, policy-makers, security experts and [...]
Young suspect admits Wennappuwa child killings fearing business loss
The 27-year-old suspect in the hacking to death of two children of one family in Waikkal, Wennappuwa, has admitted his responsibility in court, the police said. A simmering dispute over the rainwater runoff from a roof gutter of an unapproved structure made of containers and used as a soup canteen, had boiled over into the [...]
Sri Lankan lizards, tortoises get greater protection from wildlife trade
The World Wildlife Conference, known formerly as the 18th Conference of the Parties (COP18) of the UN Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), ended on August 28. Most of proposals that Sri Lanka submitted along with other countries seeking trade protection for local species got adopted while some [...]
Forest fires continue to burn unabated, leave scars in Ella
More forest fires have been reported this year, causing damage to environment, wildlife and now affecting one of the most popular tourist destinations – Ella. According to the Disaster Management Centre, there have been more than 100 forest fires in the eight months so far. The department’s Deputy Director Pradeep Kodippili told the Sunday Times [...]
Dire plea to save Lanka’s fish from invasive foreign monsters
Large and carnivorous monster fish imported under the aquarium trade are infesting Sri Lanka’s natural water bodies. This is a cause for serious concern, say the Environmental Action Committee of the Young Zoologists’ Association (YZA). Addressing a media conference on Wednesday in Colombo YZA Aquatic Life Study Unit’s Chief Advisor Hasantha Wijethunga said the danger [...]
Abolition of Executive Presidency- A glimmer of hope again
It is a rather tragic irony, that one of the Constitutional pillars, considered an impediment to the growth and development of a democratic society in Sri Lanka, namely the institution of the Executive Presidency (EP), continues to survive, despite the near unanimous agreement among all political parties and indeed, across society at large, that the [...]
National Hospital discouraging use of plastic
The National Hospital is discouraging the use of plastic within the premises, a senior official of the hospital said. National Hospital Director General Dr. W.K Wikremasinghe said they had decided to discourage visitors to the hospital bringing plastic items such as plastic beverage bottles, plastic bags and plastic wrappers. He explained that they have already [...]
Pick of the Pix
Pix by Amila Gamage, Ishanka Sunimal, Hiran Priyankara Jayasinghe, and Jayarathna Wickramarachchi.
Tobacco farmers at butt end of wavering Govt. policy
Several tobacco leaf cultivators say they will continue with their livelihood amid mixed signals from the Government regarding a move to ban the cultivation by 2020. Their decision to continue with the cultivation comes as Cigarette Barns Owners Association (CBOA) President Jayantha Egodawela claims that the Agricultural Ministry has given little support this year to [...]
Fradulent land sale:COPA directs Wattala UC to repossess ‘sold’ land
The Wattala-Mabole Urban Council (W-MUC) has been ordered to take back a 79-perch prime plot of land belonging to it, that had, allegedly, been sold fraudulently. The Sunday Times reported in April this year, that the land situated at Hendala Junction, had been sold well-below the market price. The matter was taken up recently at [...]
Researchers rewarded for published, locally-relevant projects
About 240 Sri Lankan scientists involved in 100 different research fields including medicine, agriculture, engineering and basic sciences were honoured at the 12th President’s Awards for Scientific Research. The awards were held in Colombo under the patronage of President Maithripala Sirisena on August 26. Research peer reviewed and published in internationally recognised journals, is a [...]
A public menace
For persons in the city of Colombo, street protests have become part and parcel of daily life. It appears that one group or the other is eternally protesting imagined or real grievances. Sadly many of these protests seemed designed to create maximum inconvenience to the public. Colombo’s already congested streets become an absolute hell during [...]