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Home » NewsFloods follow drought for rice bowl
With rice prices shooting up, the Government is taking measures to release buffer stocks from the mills, hoping for a bountiful harvest, but the task may not be easy as Sri Lanka’s rice bowl of Anuradhapura and many other areas are heavily flooded and the harvest may be seriously affected. Pic by Athula Bandara
Rice prices soaring, buffer stock to be released
The government is to take emergency measures to release buffer stocks to control a sharp increase in rice prices in the market. The move came after commonly used rice varieties such as Nadu, Red and white rice shot up in prices by about Rs 15 a kilo in the past three weeks. International Trade and [...]
Foreign Ministry slams brandishing of LTTE flags outside British court
Sri Lanka yesterday slammed the brandishing of flags of a banned terrorist organisation in front of a British court in the case against Brigadier Priyanka Fernando, former Defence Attache at the High Commission in London. The Ministry of Foreign Relations also referred to many factors that it said made it abundantly clear that legal case [...]
Govt. to review permit-free sand transportation
The government plans to review the decision to lift the requirement of a permit to transport sand, earth and rock stones, Cabinet spokesman Bandula Gunawardena told the Sunday Times. He said a committee would monitor the implementation of the decision after a week and decide if the scheme was to continue. However, environmental groups have [...]
Premier’s proposal causes concern among UDA officials
A proposal by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa to return the power of granting planning approvals from the Urban Development Authority to local bodies–which have no automated systems to process applications–is worrying the UDA which spent substantial funds to develop a centralised online system just two years ago. Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, who holds the urban [...]
Veteran journalist Gaston dies; he wrote hundreds of columns
One of Sri Lanka’s leading journalists Gaston de Rosayro passed away on Friday, at the age of 74. He was a professional working journalist for more than half a century and worked at newspapers in Colombo, Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong. After starting his career in the Daily News as a reporter, Gaston rose to [...]
Scrutiny of high-risk restaurants and retailers begins
Food hygiene and consumer goods will be checked by public health officials ahead of Christmas and New Year. Public Health Inspectors say they will begin inspections of restaurants, food vendors, and shops from tomorrow. The PHI’s Association’s M.G Upul Rohana, told the Sunday Times that 1,750 PHI’s will be sent out in 342 divisions island-wide [...]
UK reiterates support to clear illegal waste issue
The British High Commission said that the Environment Agency in the UK is in close contact with their Sri Lankan counterparts to ensure the controversial cargo of waste is properly disposed of, but is not able to provide information due to the pending legal investigations. A British High Commission spokesman told the Sunday Times that [...]
Northern fishermen want tough action against Indian and local trawlers
Small-scale fishermen in the Northern Jaffna Peninsula said yesterday that they were constantly threatened by Tamil Nadu trawlers fishing illegally in Sri Lankan waters, a week after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa promised Indian Premier Narendra Modi to release all boats belonging to Indian fishermen in the country’s custody. The small-scale fishermen in Kayts, Velanai and Karainagar [...]
Ministries, state institutions directed to report back on vehicles and office space
The Government has directed ministries, departments and state institutions to prepare a report on their vehicle fleet and office space in a move to draw up a new scheme regarding vehicles and office space. The Finance Ministry has conveyed the directive to ministries and state institutions following a directive from Presidential Secretary P.B. Jayasundara. The [...]
Tax relief benefits to reach people will take some time: Officials
Although most of the recently announced tax reliefs are effective from December 1, it would take some time for people to experience the actual benefits since coordination among traders, relevant stakeholders and state regulators is vital during the implementation process, senior government officials said. Inland Revenue Department officials said some new tax relief policy decisions [...]
Minister shoots down CEB’s proposal to buy emergency power
The Power and Energy Ministry has turned down the Ceylon Electricity Board’s proposals to go in for emergency power purchases and instead ordered the state utility to expedite power projects, including renewable energy plants. Power and Energy Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said that among the projects which had failed to be implemented were 780 renewable energy [...]
Used CFL bulbs create mercury mountain in Lanka
The collection of used compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) in Sri Lanka has stopped because the sole recycler in the country has amassed a container load of hazardous mercury powder which it has been unable to ship abroad. This means homes and businesses that have been saving their used bulbs and routinely passing them off to [...]
Special programme for Ven. Galaboda Gnanissara Thera’s 77th birthday
A special religious programme will be held on December 14, to mark the 77th birthday of the Chief Sanganayake of the Colombo New Korale, Ven. Galaboda Gnanissara Thera. As part of the commemoration events alms will also be offered to 250 student monks from rural temples at the Gangaramaya temple. Under the patronage of the [...]
Lankadeepa journalist who exposed illegal toddy trade attacked
A journalist attached to the ‘Lankadeepa’ newspaper and his family were attacked by a group of gangsters allegedly involved in the illegal manufacture and trade of bottled toddy in the Aluthgama area on Friday night. Tusitha Kumar de Silva a correspondent of our sister paper ‘Lankadeepa’ and his wife were assaulted near their home at [...]
Right of reply
The Coordinating Secretary to the Election Commission, Rizan M.A. Hameed has responded to our front page report last week, headlined, General Elections in late April or early May, polls chief tells president.” He says in a letter, “Chairman of the Election Commission directed me to inform you that the article, “General elections in late April [...]
Towering number of projects, but implementation weak, says Finance Ministry’s monitoring unit
The Government has 385 mega projects valued at over Rs 4,627bn in various stages of execution with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) backing the largest number of foreign-funded initiatives but China heading the list for highest value. Despite the towering number of projects, implementation remains habitually weak, the Finance Ministry’s Project Management and Monitoring Department [...]
Downpours set to bring more misery
Downpours will worsen in the coming days with more than 100mm of rainfall expected in certain areas, the Meteorological Department said. So, far nearly 46,000 people have been badly affected. The department’s deputy director, Anusha Warnasooriya, said North Central, Uva, Eastern and Northern provinces were expected to receive heavy rainfall. Deputy Director of the Disaster [...]
Jaffna’s 500pc dengue increase sends control chief north
A fivefold increase in suspected dengue patients at a major Jaffna hospital and other disturbing news prompted an urgent visit to the north by the National Dengue Control Unit chief to assess the problem. Director Aruna Jayasekera visited the Jaffna Teaching Hospital to meet Jaffna Municipal Councillors, provincial health chiefs and other officials to [...]
Market tender mired in controversy; Kurunegala MC vote ends in tie
Controversy shrouds a proposed tender for the construction of a mega market complex that will replace the old market in Kurunegala town. Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna councillors allege that Kurunegala Municipal Council Mayor Thushara Sanjeewa Vitharana, also from the SLPP, wanted to award the contract to a company that bid Rs. 280 million higher than [...]
UK reiterates support to clear illegal waste issue
The British High Commission said that the Environment Agency in the UK is in close contact with their Sri Lankan counterparts to ensure the controversial cargo of waste is properly disposed of, but is not able to provide information due to the pending legal investigations. A British High Commission spokesman told the Sunday Times that [...]
Scrutiny of high-risk restaurants and retailers begins
Food hygiene and consumer goods will be checked by public health officials ahead of Christmas and New Year. Public Health Inspectors say they will begin inspections of restaurants, food vendors, and shops from tomorrow. The PHI’s Association’s M.G Upul Rohana, told the Sunday Times that 1,750 PHI’s will be sent out in 342 divisions island-wide [...]
20th edition of Journalism Awards night on Tuesday
The 20th edition of the Journalism Awards for Excellence programme will culminate with the annual ‘Awards Night’ on Tuesday, December 10, at the Empire Ballroom of the Mount Lavinia Hotel, the host hotel for the gala event. This year there were 313 applications for 17 categories from 37 daily and weekly newspapers in the three [...]
Antarctic seal in ‘catastrophic moult’: Expert
The southern elephant seal from Antarctic polar regions continued its mysterious way around the coast this week, visiting Colombo on Friday for several hours and resting on rocks off Kollupitiya beach before returning to the water. Experts pleaded with the public not to disturb the creature as it was undergoing a traumatic but natural moulting [...]
It’s muddy hell for these students of Agalawatte primary school
Students of the Agalawatte Dapiligama Primary School –a branch of the Agalawatte Maha Vidyalaya- is adversely affected by the present weather. According to the school principal K.A. Suneetha the playground of the school is under water making it impossible for students to participate in sports activities. She added the many short-comings at the school was [...]
Bus-Stop Talks to hone researchers’ presentation skills
Reminiscent of chats people had whenever they strolled up to a bus-stop and awaited this popular mode of transport in days gone by, it was innovative ‘Bus-Stop Talks 2019’ in a different setting recently. The setting was not a bus-stop though the backdrop portrayed one, but the New Building Lecture Theatre of the Faculty of [...]
Team hunted down hidden quarry in Jaffna’s rugged terrain
Remnants of war were still evident in 2014 when this team launched its search operation in the Jaffna peninsula. Members combed the territory, checking muddy marshes, waterholes, beaches, thorny scrub jungles and abandoned facilities; they moved carefully across the rugged landscape, turning rocks, lifting decaying logs and even fallen palm leaves in their path. They [...]
Many offers to adopt abandoned new-born baby
Many people have come forward with offers to adopt a newborn baby found abandoned on the Puttalam – Kurunegala road. The baby is recovering in the Puttalam hospital and medical superintendent Dr. Sumith Attanayaka confirmed that there were many inquiries about the child. Police too have received inquiries. The baby girl was fond by a [...]
Water for jumbos, fences for humans: new minister seeks solutions
More reservoirs will be constructed in forests so that thirsty elephants do not invade human settlements in search of water, the Minister of Environment and Wildlife, Lands and Land Development, S.M. Chandrasena, said as a leading expert also called for forest water sources to be developed. To meet concerns posed by the human-elephant conflict – [...]
Many youth volunteer to beautify street walls
Over the week more requests flowed from youth who were interested in beautifying public walls, mostly in towns across the country, authorities said. This new trend catching on, on the streets of Sri Lanka is both colourful and it is spreading the message of working in harmony. Local authorities have been receiving requests seeking [...]
No callers at these telephone booths
The dilapidated remains of telephone booths –a nostalgic reminder of yesteryear- dot our cities and are anachronistic reminders of the past. Today they lie idle along roadsides, memories of ‘good old days’ when people took ‘calls’ both long distance and local with available coins. Many of these booths are damaged beyond repair. Some of the [...]
