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President Gotabaya Rajapaksa continued his unannounced inspections of state institutions with a visit this week to the Bandaranaike International Airport where he is seen speaking to some young tourists. In his policy statement last month, the President said he hoped Sri Lanka could double the income earned from the tourist industry.
Arrest of MPs: Speaker ignored by AG, Police
The Attorney General’s Department and the Police have turned down a request by Speaker Karu Jayasuriya to permit the presence of a lawyer during the arrest of a Member of Parliament. The request was turned down at a meeting presided over this week by the Speaker to discuss procedures in the event of an arrest [...]
Plantation firms warn tea industry may collapse, but Govt. insists on wage hike
Amid dire warnings by plantation companies that the proposed Rs. 1000 wage hike for estate workers would see the “collapse” of the tea industry, the Government insists that the hike must be given as decided. Industry sources told the Sunday Times that the proposed hike would send wage bills skyrocketing to Rs. 6 billion, excluding [...]
SARS-like virus: BIA staff on alert, but no special checks yet
Airlines, customs, Immigration and security staff have been alerted to take precautions to identify any persons who may have symptoms of coronavirus initially reported from China, the Bandaranaike International Airport’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. D.R. Perera said. He said the staff had been placed on alert, but they had not installed devices to detect fever [...]
Lanka neglecting its wetlands; invasive plants a major threat
Sri Lanka’s six Ramsar wetland sites – Wilpattu, Bundala, Kumana, Anawilundawa, Vankalei and Madu Ganga — are greatly affected by spreading invasive plants and this has hit migratory birds which cannot find enough fish in the choking waters, the National Audit Office (NAO) has said. Ramsar wetland sites are designated to be of international importance [...]
Lion Air passengers suffering from Influenza A; no other virus
A 71-year-old Lion Air passenger who was admitted to the Infectious Diseases Hospital (IDH) in Angoda, has tested positive for Influenza A and no other virus and is recovering, a high-level health official said. His son who was also ill and admitted to the IDH has recovered and would be discharged shortly. Two Indonesians had [...]
Promotional messages: TRCSL pushes for opt-out options for mobile users
The telecom regulator has ordered all mobile service operators to include an opt-out or unsubscribe option free-of-charge so that users receiving unsolicited promotional messages can choose to stop receiving them. The decision covers unsolicited promotional messages that the mobile service providers themselves send or are conveyed by third parties, said Oshada Senanayake, Director General of [...]
Programme to recruit 100,000 people from low income families to get underway
More than 100,000 people from low income families with no formal education will be provided with employment in sectors such as masonry, carpentry, agriculture, fisheries and forest conservation after being trained under the supervision of the Ministry of Defence and the tri-forces. In a bid to empower families eligible for the Samurdhi benefits and unskilled [...]
Oil price hike: Minister seeks relief
Power and Energy Minister Mahinda Amaraweera has sought the advice of the Cabinet on measures to offset the losses suffered due to increasing fuel prices during the recent tense period in West Asia, ministry officials said. They said the minister told the cabinet that the government was losing Rs 10 per litre of all varieties [...]
Concessions, tax exemptions for 25 years: Govt. to reactivate law to woo investors
The Government is to reactivate an Act which gives concessions, including tax exemptions, for 25 years for what it describes as “Strategic Development projects of national interest”, the Cabinet has decided. The proposal is aimed at attracting foreign investments which could generate jobs and provide export markets to local products. Attracting foreigners for tourism and [...]
India offers US$ 50m for Lanka to buy military equipment
India will provide US$ 50 million to Sri Lanka to buy military equipment to boost the country’s security. The pledge was made by India’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, when he met President Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday. The funding would be part of efforts in improving defence ties between the two countries, [...]
Service station worker electrocuted
A youth was electrocuted while attending to a vehicle at a service station in Maligawatte, Colombo on Tuesday, a coroner’s court inquiry was told. The victim Maradan Yogaraja (27) was washing a car with an electric high pressure water gun, when the tragedy happened. Service station mechanic S Somaraja told the coroner that he heard [...]
Focus on Sri Lanka and nuclear disarmament
The Forum on Disarmament and Development (FDD) will launch three publications on nuclear disarmament and testing at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute on Tuesday. The event will start at 4 pm. The three publications are i) Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and Sri Lanka, ii) Why Sri Lanka Should Ratify the Comprehensive [...]
Lankan twins all set for world record tomorrow
The Sri Lanka Association of twins is calling on twins here to be a part of a new world record for the largest gathering of twins. Association president Upuli Gamage said they are inviting the twin community to congregate at the Suagathadasa stadium tomorrow by 9.30 a.m. Ms. Gamage said those who wish to [...]
Govt in talks with Japanese contractor to revive BIA expansion project
Sri Lanka has reopened negotiations with a Japanese contractor who bid for the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) expansion project under a 2016 loan agreement signed with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The project is several years overdue but the Government could not proceed as the two contractors that submitted bids under the JICA loan [...]
High vegetable prices cause grief for vendors and consumers
The prices of vegetables that increased at the end of last year are still soaring, as vendors received a limited vegetable supply. Even though the prices were high the quality of the vegetables were not good, the vegetable vendors complained. They said the price increase was due to adverse weather affecting the crops and harvested [...]
Programme to recruit 100,000 people from low income families to get underway
Over 100,000 people from low income families with no formal education will be provided with employment in sectors such as masonry, carpentry, agriculture, fisheries and forest conservation after being trained under the supervision of the Ministry of Defence and the tri-forces. In a bid to empower families eligible for the Samurdhi benefits and unskilled youth [...]
Baku tragedy: High degree of urgency to regulate foreign study offers
In the aftermath of the tragic deaths of three Sri Lankan students in Azerbaijan last week, the Government has decided to take immediate measures to introduce a regulatory mechanism for agencies involved in placing students in foreign universities. Higher Education Minister Bandula Gunawardena told the Sunday Times a meeting would be held next week at [...]
Thousands of farmers risk rat fever by ignoring health advice
Lack of knowledge and the stubborn belief that a healthy person cannot contract leptospirosis (rat fever) has contributed to infections and even deaths among farmers. The Health Ministry said that people bitten by rodents and have not sought early medical help end up being hospitalised. Figures for 2019 from the Epidemiology Unit of the Ministry [...]
Brand new therapy against blood cancer gives fresh lease of life to nine-year-old
A beaming family of three sits before us on Thursday morning in Colombo before heading back home to Kaluwila, Hidogama in Anuradhapura. Pretty nine-year-old Samadi Sathsarani between mother H. Rasika Hemamali and father P.T. Amarajeewa is all smiles – pulled back from the brink of death by a brand new procedure to beat leukaemia. Samadi [...]
Hot and humid days in the coming weeks, air quality poor
Hot and humid days are to be expected in the coming weeks while the present chilly conditions in the mornings will gradually fade away, the Meteorology Department forecasts. On Friday the temperature was 35 degrees in Ratnapura while throughout last week it was about 30 degrees in many districts. Ratmalana in the Colombo district [...]
Dog-killer ‘Gnana Uncle’ faces arrest if police firm up cruelty charge
A man who allegedly tortured and killed dogs to prevent them entering a poultry farm in Kobeigane, in the Kurunegala district, faces possible arrest after a video of a dog being shot repeatedly with an air-gun went viral on social media. A villager who recorded the video said he had witnessed several such incidents at [...]
Traffic deaths cut by 322 but police say roads a problem
There were 5,000 fewer road accidents and hundreds fewer deaths on the roads last year, and police say community policing, revision of traffic fines and deployment of more police have caused the welcome change. A leading transport expert warned, however, against jumping to conclusions. If the statistics showed a continuing trend, favourable conclusions could be [...]
Three-wheelers face challenges in transport evolution
Despite opposition from unions, the Transport Ministry aims to reduce imports of three wheelers. Transport Minister Mahinda Amaraweera, told the Sunday Times, that there is a proposal to replace three-wheelers with small cars due to the many restrictions faced by three-wheelers from the development of road infrastructure. “We will first introduce a uniform for all [...]
Vehicle licence office shakes up work
The Department of Motor Traffic (DMT) has begun to remodel services following the recent unannounced visit by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to the Werahera office. The President has instructed officials to streamline services within six months. The Minister of Transport, Mahinda Amaraweera, told the Sunday Times, that short, medium, and long-term plans have been drawn to [...]
Blowing in the wind: Our own manmade forest fires fanned by drought
The drought has set in around Sri Lanka and, with it, forest fires have started. Despite repeated pleas, advice and warnings by the authorities, the blazes are all manmade. Fires in forests are not uncommon here. The number reported annually ranges from 50 to 200 depending on prevailing weather, said a paper published in 2001 [...]
Wild west style media lynching of police officers must be curbed
When Ranjan Ramanayake was arrested for not having his official revolver licence renewed none would have imagined what would follow. According to media reports over 120,000 recordings of telephone conversations that the Parliamentarian had with various individuals were also taken into custody. Hardly 24 hours of the arrest had passed when selected recordings of the [...]
Dog programme tossed like a ball between ministries
The previous government’s decisions to keep tossing the dog sterilisation programme between ministries last year resulted in a regime that saw the work stymied for months. That situation probably led to a greater increase of strays on the street, both ministry officials and an NGO in the sector suggested. There are around 3 million dogs [...]
Howls of protests but DWC allays fears
As strong protests came from environmentalists over reported moves to give out arms to personnel from the Civil Defence Force to curb the human-elephant conflict (HEC), wildlife conservation officials were quick to allay fears and concerns over trigger-happy killings of wild animals. “These personnel from the Civil Defence Force would be supporting officials of the [...]
Welcome to ‘parana kade’
Despite many Sri Lankan firms being involved in the production of footwear, certain importers have commenced importing used shoes into the country. While the local shoe industry is struggling to survive with the cost of production and price of raw material increasing, the import of cheap used shoes is adding to the burdens of local [...]
Ambulance takes to the sky
On Thai Pongal day the Jaffna sky was adorned with many colourful kites as the annual kite festival held at Valvettiturai, in Jaffna took place. The festival is held to coincide with Thai Pongal celebrations and this was its tenth consecutive year. Forty eight kites of various designs were showcased, and the winner was ‘a [...]
Puttalam star tortoises in moon light walk to smugglers’ trap
The recent detection of a collection of star tortoises in Puttalam while they were being readied to be smuggled out of the country has sparked off fresh concerns over the district becoming a hotspot of the illegal trade. Smuggling activities have increased, with a large number of star tortoises freely roaming in moon light in [...]
Mother and stepfather held for beating child
The Matara police took into custody the mother and stepfather of a child who was brutally beaten by the man. Police said the man resided in a flat in the vicinity of the Matara super market. Both the mother and stepfather of the child were arrested by the Divisional Probation and Child Care Services Matara, [...]
Housing for poor family
Mrs. Ranjani Wanigaratne, (wife of Kochchikade Pradeshiya Sabha member Wanigaratne), at a simple ceremony held last week, handed over the keys of a new house built by the Udangawa Grama Sangwardana Samithiya Kochchikade to 38-year-old Ms. Sagarika Dilhani Fernando, last week. Ms. Fernando, mother of 2 kids aged 13 and 10 years -a domestic help [...]