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Home » NewsDesperate for a magic cure for the virus
Believing that something is better than nothing, people gathered outside the high-walled residence of a moonlighting medicine-man in Kegalle even yesterday to obtain a bottle of what he called a herbal cure for COVID-19, though the Government has still not given approval for it. Pic by Priyanka Samaraweera
Superior courts going digital; virtual court hearings soon
SC judges expedite moves, as Justice Minister reveals that tens of thousands of cases had been pending for decades By Ranjith Padmasiri The Supreme Court has decided to permit e-filing of cases and Virtual Court Hearings (VCH) to be conducted in the country, starting from the superior courts. These new procedures are expected to come [...]
Tourists could come to the south, east and northwest from next month; under health guidelines
The Government is planning to open the country’s borders for tourists, but will confine them to coastal areas in the south, east and the northwest of the country. The details on reopening of the country for the tourism sector were discussed on Friday at a meeting presided over by Basil Rajapaksa who has been appointed [...]
State ads preference for state media, Govt. institutions told
New guidelines have been issued for government expenditure on advertising and marketing, instructing state institutions’ top officials to give preference to state media, according to a circular issued by the Presidential Secretariat. “All State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) are required to negotiate with state-owned media agencies as the first preference and may enter into exclusive arrangements with [...]
Plans to allow spearfishing; experts warn of threat to spectacular marine beauty
Government plans to allow spearfishing or underwater hunting for tourists have raised fears that Sri Lanka’s stunning marine life, particularly around its world famous coral reefs, will be fished to extinction. Spearfishing was banned in 2017 after it was found that the sport–practised the way it was in Sri Lanka using scuba gear or “self-contained [...]
Incoming flights to BIA confined to repat and cargo
Only repatriation and cargo flights are coming into the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), with seven passenger flights and 14 cargo planes landing every day, Airport and Aviation Services Chairman Major-General (Rtd) G.A. Chandrasiri said. “We exported about 350 tonnes of cargo on Thursday,” he added. All operations followed health guidelines and the only problem has [...]
Apartment complexes lockdown lifted
The Government yesterday lifted the lockdown on six apartment complexes in Colombo city, but most residents will still have to remain indoors as the lockdown on the areas has not been lifted. Deputy Inspector General Ajith Rohana said that though the restrictions were lifted, apartment complex residents in lockdown areas would not be able to [...]
Navy celebrates 70th anniversary
The Sri Lanka Navy this week celebrated its 70th anniversary. As part of the anniversary celebrations, a wide range of events were held in every naval command, giving prominence to time-honoured naval traditions and religious events. Navy Commander Nishantha Ulugetenne took part in the events to mark the celebrations. A scene at the Galle Face [...]
Gangaramaya’s Podi Hamuduruwo: Ven. Gnanissara’s legacy expands in America
A ten-year-old boy from Matara was brought to Colombo by the Ven. Galboda Devananda Nayaka Thera and handed over to the Ven. Vachissara Nayaka Thera of the Colombo Hunupitiya Gangaramaya temple. The well-known monk, the Ven. Morontuduwe Sri Dhammananda Thera read the young boy’s horoscope and determined that he was suitable for ordination as a [...]
Eminent group voices strong condemnation against removal of SLMC members
The Court of Appeal is due to take up tomorrow (December 14), the two petitions filed by the five members including the President of the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) against their sacking by the Health Minister. SLMC President Prof. Harendra de Silva and council members, Dr. Sunil Rathnapriya and Dr. Upul Gunasekara, challenged their [...]
Falling by the wayside
The coronavirus has swept across the country, putting some of the most vulnerable communities further at risk. Many who were engaged in different occupations lost their source of income in a blink of an eye. The pandemic proved to be catastrophic for small traders and those in the tourism sectors. It has clobbered the economy, [...]
Wastewater as a cheap and rapid surveillance tool for virus
With Sri Lanka in the throes of the second wave of COVID-19, a multidisciplinary team in the hill town of Kandy has gone beyond their call of duty to bring about a simple solution to get a heads-up of an imminent infection so that it could be contained before the spread starts. Poring over reams [...]
Controversy over false tweet while Harsha accuses PM of giving wrong figures
The 2021 Budget was passed on Thursday with a two-thirds majority vote after three weeks of heated debates during the committee stage where allocations to different ministries were taken up. But the final day Dec 10 began on a dramatic note with the opposition agitating over an alleged false tweet which is said to have [...]
Govt. and Opposition MPs trade barbs over independence of judiciary
Former Justice Minister and Samagi Jana Balawegaya frontliner Thalatha Athukorale accused the Justice Minister of placing an unnecessary tax burden of an additional Rs. 400 million on the people by temporarily locating the Justice Ministry in the World Trade Centre building. She asked what was the big hurry to shift the ministry to another place [...]
Bad weather pushes vege prices up; expert calls for strategic direction in agri business
Farmers have cited adverse weather conditions as the reason for the sudden surge in vegetable prices this month. “This is a seasonal increase in prices that usually happens after the November monsoon,” said Ajantha Abeyratne who has been farming in Mattala for the past fifteen years. “The crops get destroyed, leading to a supply drop, [...]
Paniya undergoing testing – Ayurveda Commissioner
Hundreds thronged the home of DhammikaBandara in Henamulla, Kegalle this week with scant regard for safety precautions against COVID-19, to get for themselves a bottle of the so-called paniya (syrup) which is being promoted as warding off the new coronavirus. With speculation that a new and uncontrollable infection cluster would emerge from this situation, the [...]
Lawyer seeks access to Hejaaz Hizbullah in CID detention: CA to take up case tomorrow
A writ petition seeking access to detained lawyer Hejaaz Hizbullah will be taken up before the Court of Appeal tomorrow before a bench comprising Justice Priyantha Fernando and Justice Sobitha Rajakaruna. The petition filed by Chalana Perera, a junior counsel from Mr. Hizbullah’s Chamber, claims that lawyers have been continuously denied free access to meet [...]
Sri Lanka’s Anglican Church condemns human rights violations
The Diocese of Colombo of the Church of Ceylon adopted a Resolution unanimously on Friday condemning the recent incidents of human rights violations while expressing severe concern on the state of human rights in the country and the liberty of citizens. “We are saddened by the deterioration of democratic norms such as the denial of [...]
Tap on the shoulder is all EC can do against hatred on Facebook
Offensive posts and memes ridiculing or dehumanising political leaders and the Election Commission chief that went viral on Facebook during the run-up to the August 5 parliamentary polls still linger despite multiple reports by watchdogs. Such memes, often likening their targets to animals, appear to clearly violate Facebook’s own Community Standards but the social media [...]
SJB vows new protests over Mahara riot killings
Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa is leading his Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) party into further protests following this week’s dramatic demonstration against the government’s handling of the Mahara prison riot in which 11 inmates were killed. Earlier this week Mr. Premadasa led SJB members in a silent protest outside the Presidential Secretariat against claimed government oppression. [...]
Destructive human activity worsening Jaffna flooding
When the seasonal monsoons coupled with the cyclonic storm ‘Burevi’ blew across Northern and Eastern provinces last week, most parts in the Jaffna city area went under water within a couple of hours of heavy rainfall. One of the city’s busiest streets, Stanley Road, was inundated as its drainage canals were partially or fully damaged [...]
Govt wants classes as normal but unions dig in heels
Despite increased COVID-19 cases and recent adverse weather conditions including Cyclone Buveri lashing the north and east last week, causing school closures, the government insists that schools remain open. The Ministry of Education said average student attendance countrywide was 50-52 per cent, with attendance higher in rural areas than in urban centres, according to Additional [...]
Inquiries continue into Dutch monk’s Dodanduwa death
The southern village of Ratgama went into mourning this week after the recovery of the body of the monk popularly known as Netherlanthaye Jinawansa from the Ratgama lagoon on Tuesday. The late monk had been ordained in Sri Lanka as Ajahn Jinavamso. He had arrived in Sri Lanka some 12 years back from the Netherlands [...]
WHO promises 20 % of Sri Lanka’s vaccine requirements
There is nothing to worry. If you are ill, don’t panic but seek treatment at a hospital. There is no stigma attached to the coronavirus. All health facilities are available and deaths can be prevented, was the earnest plea sent out by the newly-appointed State Minister of Primary Health Services, Pandemics and COVID-19 Prevention, Dr. [...]
Lessons of COVID-19 that go beyond health
The science came first and then a beautiful image of earth, riveting the eminent audience physically present in the Lotus Room of the BMICH in Colombo on Tuesday and joining virtually from around 40 countries. The image had been taken from one of the Apollo flights from near the surface of the moon, showing the [...]
Little money, but brimming over with humanity
In this time of gloom comes a story of great faith and goodwill where the humble people of the village, Palagala Bamunugama in the North Central Province, led by their chief priest come together to build a home for a cancer-stricken girl and her family While eight-year-old Navodini was in Colombo to have surgery on her [...]
Mahamaya MW building could be another Buwelikada tragedy in the making, UDA warned
The Urban Development Authority (UDA) has opened an inquiry into an alleged illegal construction coming up in Kandy city. A senior UDA official said that on a complaint received, a UDA team visited the location at Mahamaya Mw and submitted a report to the head office for necessary action. He said the complainant would be [...]
New vegetable market in a soup over space; Traders oppose move to divide stalls
A controversy has arisen regarding the allocation of stalls at the new Manning Market complex in Peliyagoda, with some stall owners accusing the Urban Development Authority (UDA) of arbitrarily reducing the stall space allocated for them to accommodate more stalls. Initially, the UDA had informed stall owners that 460 wholesale business owners at the Pettah [...]
Expert committee to probe impact of tremors on Victoria Dam
An eleven-member expert committee headed by the Geological Survey and Mines Bureau Chairman Anura Walpola has been appointed by Power and Energy Minister Mahinda Amarweera to conduct an extensive investigation into the impact of recent tremors on the Victoria Dam. The other members of the committee are the Peradeniya University’s former Vice Chancellor Prof. Athula [...]