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Home » News‘I’m the happiest Christmas tree, see how gaily they’ve dressed me’
Though the COVID-19 pandemic and strict health guidelines have restricted Christmas celebrations, the joyful spirit is still evident as seen in this beautiful Christmas light decoration at the Holy Rosary Church in Colombo. Pic by M.A. Pushpakumara
Lanka seeks Rs. 10bn World Bank loan to buy COVID-19 vaccine
The Government has started talks with the World Bank to secure a Rs. 10 billion loan for the purchase of a vaccine against COVID-19, a senior official said. The official said the Government was seeking a soft loan while also looking at the possibility of obtaining funding from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the [...]
Massive fertiliser fraud exposed; files missing, fake lab reports
Certain National Fertiliser Secretariat (NFS) employees have been permitting the release of “failed fertiliser stocks” — with lead, chromium, arsenic, cadmium and other components above permissible levels — by replacing accurate laboratory test reports with fake ones, the National Audit Office (NAO) has revealed in an explosive report. Recent audit checks revealed 34 instances in [...]
SriLankan plans to buy two freight aircraft
SriLankan Airlines will shortly seek Cabinet approval to acquire two freight aircraft on an operating dry lease—that is, airplane with crew, Chairman Ashoka Pathirage said. Since the COVID-19 pandemic drastically cut down the number of passenger flights (where cargo was transported in the belly of the aircraft), there has been considerable demand for freight services, [...]
Supreme Court blaze: Fire chief rules out short circuit, probe continues
The Colombo Fire Chief has ruled out an electrical short-circuit as being the cause of Tuesday’s fire at the Supreme Court complex. Colombo Fire Chief P.D.K.A. Wilson said he believed the fire could not have been caused by an electrical short circuit, though he stressed that they were still awaiting the report of the Government [...]
Udayanga plans to bring Russian tourists, but no approval yet from health authorities
The Tourism Ministry has drawn up plans to receive as many as 5,000 tourists, most of them Russians, from later this month onwards, but the Health authorities are yet to grant approval. The tour groups have been arranged by Udayanga Weeratunga, Sri Lanka’s former Ambassador to Russia and the tourists are expected to arrive from [...]
Search on for father and child after vehicle crashes into Vavukulam tank
A man and one of his children were reported missing and two other children were rescued after their vehicle skidded into the Vavukulam tank in Mullaitivu last afternoon, Police said. The father and his three children were travelling in the small truck when the tragedy happened. A search operation was on for the father and [...]
pick of the pix
Badulla: Young blood Moratuwa: No room for the manger Matara: Red beauty Matara: Wangedi peniya Maligawatte: Self-grooming salon Fort: High five Main Street: Herbal goodness Wanathawilluwa: Miles to go 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, [...]
Grieving family says trainee pilot flew away never to return
Young trainee Shalinda Vimukthi Amarakoon needed 10 more hours of flying to qualify as a pilot officer of the Sri Lanka Air Force when he crashed off Kantale. He had already finished 84 flight sessions and there were only four more to be completed. After 50 hours of flying the trainees are allowed to fly [...]
SLPP faces budget defeats in several local councils; growing dissent at grassroots level
The 2021 budget has been defeated in several Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna-controlled local councils, underscoring a growing political crisis at grassroots level. The Ampara Urban Council’s Budget vote ended up in a tie with six members voting for it and six against on December 4 during the first reading. But during the second reading, the [...]
Mystery death of Dutch monk: Medical experts join probe team
Investigations into the mysterious death of a Dutch monk in Ratgama were expanded this week, with a team of medical experts also visiting the area to conduct inquiries. On Friday (18), the team, including several Consultant Judicial Medical Officers (JMO) and a Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist, visited the Polgasduwa Forest Monastery where the deceased monk had [...]
Agri Min proposals fruitless: Industry
The Ministry of Agriculture has rolled out a stream of reforms to curb rising vegetable prices. Addressing traders’ associations on Monday Agriculture Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage said that he was acting under the instructions of the President who had called for strict measures to control prices. The ministry plans to intervene in the market by abolishing [...]
Rotten tinned fish dumped at UC grounds
A tin-fish factory situated in Peliyagoda had allegedly disposed off a large stock of canned fish tins in the Urban Council dump yard illegally, a meeting of the council was told. The meeting was presided by Council Chairman K D Ananda Pushpakumara. During the sessions one of the members representing SLPP, Kavinda Ranatunga, said that [...]
O stay at home, all ye faithful: Advice from Cardinal Malcom Ranjith
“This year, please avoid visiting relatives. Limit Christmas shopping for gifts, and if it is absolutely necessary only one person from each family should go out for shopping. This Christmas, we should focus on religious observances. Do not indulge in external celebrations, with dinners, gala ceremonies and encounters, and limit celebrations to within your homes,” [...]
National Archives young DG target of controversy over Dutch records
The Department of National Archives is embroiled in controversy over allegations that copies of historical Dutch records in the custody of the institution have been sold to outsiders. The accusations mostly target the Department’s Director General, Nadeera Rupesinghe, a young historian educated in the Netherlands, who senior staff insist has been tirelessly streamlining and modernising [...]
Running on empty … traders and families in same plight this Christmas
Spending the most wonderful time of the year amidst a pandemic has been challenging for many this year, from fisherman to traders, housewives and to the elderly. Sulking traders were seen in cities and suburbs, all complaining about how the virus has made them suffer throughout the year, with businesses severely affected. “My only hope [...]
Drinkers of illicit brews risking death
The two siblings who died at their mother’s funeral after a drink of illicitly-brewed liquor is a warning to many who resort to dangerous, cheaper alternatives, the police said. Due to the lockdowns there are have been reports of illicit liquor brewing in several areas, the police said. The Walana Anti-Corruption Unit, said small-scale illicit [...]
Govt signals rethink on reopening schools in January
The Ministry of Education is reviewing its decision to open schools in January given the intensifying COVID-19 pandemic. While previously the government seemed unwilling to budge from its stance on reopening in January, now Ministry Secretary Professor Kapila Perera said talks are being held with the health authorities and a decision will be made next [...]
Glad tidings they bring in these bleak times
They managed the pregnancy for nearly one long month because it was too early for the babes to be born – but then came the day when they could delay no longer, for the condition of the young mother was deteriorating. They also pored over medical literature from all over the world to get some [...]
Suicide cases on the rise: Counselling desk set up in Jaffna hospital
A 24-hour counselling desk was set up this week at the Jaffna Teaching Hospital to check the increasing number of suicides in the Jaffna district. Launching the service named Abayam (refuge), Hospital Director S. Sathyamoorthy said the number of suicides and attempted suicides was increasing in Jaffna, particularly among the youth and the psychological counselling [...]
Cremation or burial: Prof. Malik lays the bare bones on table
With different views being expressed on the debate of cremation versus burial of those who die of COVID-19, the Sunday Times sought the expert opinion of Prof. Malik Peiris, Professor of Virology at the School of Public Health, Hong Kong University (HKU), to get the scientific facts straight. This is what Prof. Peiris, who is [...]
SL looking at finer points to get vaccine against COVID-19
Preliminary application for vaccine sent to COVAX 3 sub-committees under the direction of Additional Secretary (Public Health Services) Dr. Lakshmi Somatunga to deal with ‘prioritization’, ‘financing’ and ‘logistics’ Sri Lanka is currently working out the finer points with regard to securing a vaccine against COVID-19, after submitting the preliminary application through COVAX about a month [...]
No decision to lockdown for Christmas & New Year as of now: health & police officials
No decision has been taken as yet to clamp a blanket lockdown on the country during Christmas and New Year, both health and police officials said, urging people to behave responsibly and take all precautions so as not to support the spread of COVID-19. “Perform your religious rituals at home or if you attend church [...]
Britain was aware of Jayewardene Govt.’s agreement with KMS: Ranil
As Britain’s Foreign Office declassified secret documents, the role of Keenie Meenie Services (KMS) that helped set up the Police commando arm, the Special Task Force (STF) in Sri Lanka, and fought Tiger guerrillas, has been unravelled. In the mid-1980s when this happened, companies such as KMS, were derisively called “mercenary groups.” However, after the [...]
“Bugger off my land,” said ex-SAS soldier turned KMS worker; dies aged 86
Reproduced below are excerpts of an article on the KMS’ involvement in Sri Lanka during the early years of the war. The article by Phil Miller, author of ‘Keenie Meenie: The British Mercenaries Who Got Away With War Crimes’ was published in the Declassified UK website. On a warm day in late spring 2018, a [...]
A Muted Christmas
The Christmas season is on but the Covid-19 pandemic has cast a melancholic vibe on the celebrations this year. No hotel extravaganzas, parties, or musical shows render a muted Christmas for Christians around the country. During the festive season, places like the WTC, Hyde Park Corner, Galle Face in Colombo would usually be crammed with [...]
Unmasked: Nightclub groovers throw caution to the wind
The Colombo streets are now unrecognizable on Friday nights, compared to the pre-pandemic hustle and bustle. A three-wheeler-ride along Galle Face Green on the streets around the Liberty Plaza in Kollupitiya and all the nooks and crannies of Race Course and the Dutch Hospital implied that the once booming social scene of past was in [...]