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Home » NewsFloods in the aftermath of tropical Cyclone Burevi
The tropical Cyclone Burevi hit the North, the East and several other provinces in Sri Lanka this week. The damage was less than expected, but in Jaffna, the storm surge hit several houses and the flooded areas appear to be part of the sea. Pic by Romesh Madusanka
Sweeping concessions for Financial Centre in Port City
The Finance Ministry will shortly seek Parliament’s approval to pass a wide range of concessions for the Colombo International Financial Centre (CIFC) coming up in the Chinese-built Colombo Port City, the Sunday Times learns. The concessions would be in addition to those to be granted by the Board of Investment (BOI) to the China Habour [...]
More than 8,000 prisoners will be out of jail this month
More than 8,000 remand prisoners will have their cases expedited, enabling them to obtain bail or pay up their fines and leave prisons this month as part of measures to reduce the congestion in prisons, the new Prisons Reforms State Minister, Lohan Ratwatte, told the Sunday Times yesterday. He said discussions were held with the [...]
Justice Ministry moving to WTC tower; Rs. 400mn rent for two years
The Cabinet of Ministers has granted approval to relocate the Ministry of Justice to the World Trade Centre (WTC) for two years starting from next year at a cost of more than Rs 400 million. Accordingly, a floor area of 35,071 square feet of WTC tower is to be rented out to the ministry from [...]
Vasu tells PM to safeguard PUCSL, while President wants it dissolved
WaWter Supply Minister Vasudeva Nanayakkara has slammed moves by the President’s office to dissolve the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL), pointing out to Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa that the independent regulator is under the Premier’s purview and not the President’s. “As the Public Utilities Commission is an institution under your Ministry, any decision [...]
Railways blind as more people occupy its land illegally
Several mobile boutiques have popped up in a section of Bastian Mawatha, Pettah. Even though there is a notice put up indicating that the land belongs to the Railways Department which outsiders are not authorized to enter, various constructions have been built. The mobile vendors have built more than 15 shops illegally on Sri Lanka [...]
A sombre Christmas
The Catholic Church is planning to celebrate Christmas this year on a sombre note in view of the prevailing Covid-19 situation in the country. The Archbishop’s House, Colombo, said that in these times of austerity the church wants to show solidarity with the masses who are reeling under the chaos created by the pandemic. Fr [...]
Mother and children run over on crossing
An expectant mother and her two young daughters were run over by a motorbike when they were crossing the road using a pedestrian crossing in Egoda Uyana, Moratuwa, Friday night, police said. According to the police, the injured children, aged one- and seven-years-old, were pronounced dead on admission to the Panadura Hospital. The critically injured [...]
Are they dead or alive: Mahara prisoners’ loved ones wait in limbo
No decision yet on whether COVID-infected prisoners killed in riot to be cremated or buried Rights activist voices concern that cremating bodies will destroy evidence The families whose kith and kin are believed to have been killed during the Mahara prison riot on Friday, are waiting for further information as a court order regarding the [...]
College of Psychiatrists disputes claims connecting pills with violent behaviour
The Sri Lanka College of Psychiatrists has expressed concern about recent claims connecting the violent and aggressive behavior of prisoners and the abuse of the drugs used in psychiatric practice. “We would like to state that this publicity is most unfortunate and without any rational basis and our aim is to clear any doubts among [...]
Ministry says March but unions want January for O/L
Controversy reigns over the GCE Ordinary Level (O/L) exam, with unions insisting the exam should be held as scheduled next month but the government deciding to postpone the exam until March. Many schools say syllabuses have not been completed due to schools being closed for long periods because of the pandemic. Education unions this week [...]
Sri Lanka’s gift to Pakistan ends up in Cambodia
After a seven hour long flight, Kaavan, the Sri Lankan baby elephant that was gifted to former Pakistan President Zia ul Haq in 1985, is reportedly walking around its new home in a Cambodian wildlife sanctuary. The Government of India also stepped in to help in the translocation, giving special permission for the valuable cargo [...]
Kandy MC defies court to demolish building, says complainant
A complaint has been lodged with the Central Province Governor that the Kandy Municipal Council and its officers are defying a court order and that their behaviour is tantamount to contempt of Court. S.B. Gunasekera of Talwatta, Kandy has complained that some Kandy Municipal Council officers did not permit the implementation of a court order [...]
Hantane farmers hit by peacock menace
Hantane farmers are complaining that their crops were being damaged by hundreds of peacocks that had taken refuge in the area after being chased out from their habitat near a devale. At Uduwela in the foothills of the Hantane range, farmers say the peacocks were perched on tree tops and when there was no human [...]
Pick of the pix
Pix by Amila Gamage, Pix by M A Pushpakumara, Pic by Hiran Priyankara Jayasighe FROM OUR READERS Shutterbugs out there, we would once again appreciate your contributions to this picture corner. Please send your captioned photograph along with your name, and the location of the photograph, to: pictures@sundaytimes.wnl.lk We would also appreciate if you [...]
Three of the five sacked SLMC members petition court, challenging their removal
Three of the five Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) members, including its President who were sacked by the Health Minister challenged their removal in the Court of Appeal this week. SLMC President Prof. Harendra de Silva and two council members, Dr. Sunil Rathnapriya and Dr. Upul Gunasekara on Wednesday filed a Writ of Certiorari in [...]
Monkeys found dead in Udawattakele forest reserve due to poisoning, not COVID
The recent deaths of several monkeys in the Udawattakele forest reserve around Kandy town are believed to have been caused by poisoning. A PCR test carried out on one of the monkeys revealed that the death was not COVID-19 related. Several monkeys were found dead in the forest reserve, but only one of the bodies [...]
Setting up Batti campus: Gross negligence by central and local govt. institutes, says audit report
Every central and local Government institution that aided the founding of the controversial Batticaloa Campus violated, ignored or bent laws, rules and regulations to allow it to be set up–including a major State-owned commercial bank that neglected basic compliance checks, an explosive special audit has found. Between 2013 and 2019, multiple approvals were sought, and [...]
War of words over MPs’ right to free speech, defence, economy, Mahara and COVID-19
The Speaker’s comment that he might have to expunge the term ‘failed state’ which he thought the opposition leader had used in his speech triggered a heated argument over Parliamentarians’ right to express their opinion. This happened on Friday after Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa made the opening remarks on the state of the economy during [...]
Jaffna fishermen suffer huge losses from Cyclone Burevi
Hundreds of fishermen have seen their livelihood ruined by Cyclone Burevi, which destroyed their boats, fishing huts and nets, left more than 70,000 homeless across the north and killed two people. Strong winds and heavy rain will continue in coastal areas despite the departure of the cyclone, the second formed in 10 days in the [...]
Bringing the shadow pandemic to light
Please…. Relieve us from this hell! These are the pleas from women and girls across the world, trapped in a cycle of violence. Do we hear these voices echoing louder and louder? Saroja’s* is one compelling voice among many. As a mother of three, it was heartbreaking to hear of the abuse she faced by [...]
Govt barking mad if it holds back cash to defeat rabies
The COVID-19 pandemic and political expediency have dashed Sri Lanka’s hopes of reaching its robust goal of “zero rabies by 2020”. The programme to eliminate dog-mediated rabies, which started in 2013, has once again stalled due to poor government funding this year, health ministry officials said. The Public Health Veterinary Services (PHVS) said the cash-strapped [...]
Congested ‘wattes’ and high-rise apartments worry CMC health officials
The need of the hour is to break the vicious circle of the COVID-19 spread in congested areas of the city, underscored the top health official of the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC), pointing out that there is no widespread surge of cases now and containment efforts have paid off. “The cases have become static and [...]
“I had COVID-19″
The Sunday Times journalist Sandun Jayawardana relates his experience of being afflicted with the virus His case was lumped together with the Peliyagoda cluster though he neither visited the fish market nor bought fish from a fish monger; source is still a mystery Some patients hit out at Govt. for pinning the blame on people [...]
Peliyagoda fish market reopening further delayed until health concerns are addressed
The reopening of the Peliyagoda fish market is likely to be delayed for a month or so after the health authorities expressed reservations. The Sunday Times learned that Health Ministry officials have expressed fear over the possible spreading of the COVID-19 virus due to the poor condition of the building with damaged floors and blocked [...]