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Home » NewsStorm gathers pace over plans for ECT deal
Amid the ongoing storm over plans to give to an Indian company-led consortium 49 percent of the Colombo Port’s Eastern Container Terminal, port union members are seen here protesting against any such move which they say is a sellout of national assets. Pic by M.A. Pushpakumara
UNHRC Chief warns of asset freezes and travel bans for Sri Lankans
The United Nations Human Rights High Commissioner’s latest report on Sri Lanka goes so far as to suggest targeted sanctions such as asset freezes and travel bans for Sri Lankans “credibly accused of human rights violations”. The report is with the Sri Lankan Government and it has till January 27 to respond, said Foreign Secretary [...]
India to gift 500,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine to Sri Lanka before Feb. 4
A gift of 500,000 doses of the Oxford University-AstraZeneca vaccine produced by India’s Serum Institute under the name ‘Covishield’ is expected to be airlifted to Sri Lanka to be rolled out symbolically either as early as next week to mark India’s Republic Day (January 26) or later on Sri Lanka’s Independence Day (February 4). The [...]
Lanka tightlipped over Indian protest over deaths of fishermen
Colombo has not responded, and is unlikely to respond, to New Delhi’s strong demarche earlier this week over the death of four fishermen on board an Indian poaching vessel which sank off Sri Lanka’s northern Delft Island after a mid-sea collision with a Sri Lanka Navy boat. The Foreign Ministry said it had no statement [...]
ECT crisis: Port unions present their own management proposals
Port unions campaigning against plans to hand over ColomboPort’s East Container Terminal (ECT) to an Indian-led joint venture presented their own management proposals to the Sri Lanka Ports Authority on Friday. These will be among the suggestions to be considered by the Cabinet Appointed Negotiating Committee (CANC) which has also received a draft concession agreement [...]
14,000 liquor-serving outlets exempted from licence fee
Hotels, restaurants and guesthouses have been exempted from paying the annual fee on liquor licences.The concession has been granted with no deadline set for the payment to resume, a senior Excise Department official said. The waiver came after hotel owners made representations to the Excise Department and the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA), requesting [...]
Health Minister and husband afflicted by COVID-19: Contact tracing of top health officials
Authorities scrambled yesterday evening to identify and isolate dozens of close contacts of Health Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi after tests confirmed that she and her husband Kanchana Jayaratne had contracted COVID-19. The minister was moved yesterday for treatment to a hotel-turned-quarantine-centre. Her office at the Health Ministry premises was shut down and the staff asked to [...]
Court of Appeal ceremonial sitting postponed over COVID fears
The ceremonial sitting for 15 new Judges of the Court of Appeal (CA) scheduled for next week has been postponed indefinitely after several individuals at the Superior Court complex in Hulftsdorp tested positive for COVID-19. The Ceremonial Sitting for eight CA Judges, including new CA President Arjuna Obeysekera was due to be held on January [...]
Call for a Special Presidential Com: CoI on political victimisation
The Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into Political Victimisation has suggested the establishment of a Special Presidential Commission of Inquiry to make recommendations to Parliament on imposing punishment on former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and 21 others for violating the Constitution. The CoI has determined that the individuals in question had violated the Constitution in their [...]
Cement carrier runs aground on Little Basses Reef; Navy, SLAF teams rush to the spot
MV Eurosun,’ a deadweight tonne bulk carrier flying a Liberian flag, ran aground on Little Basses Reef off Sri Lanka’s southern coast yesterday. The vessel had been enroute to Trincomalee from Abu Dhabi carrying 33,000 metric tonnes of cement clinker and other cargo when it ran aground, the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) stated. Navy sources [...]
Many a river to cross
Amidst the many discussions about developing interior road networks and carpeted roads, for these students in the Arachchikattuwa area, it remains a daily struggle to get to school and back due to the bad road conditions. During the rainy season particularly, it is difficult for these schoolchildren to travel on the existing roads. Though a [...]
State patronage for Dr. Edwin Ariyadasa’s final rites
The funeral of senior journalist and media personality, Kala Keerthi Dr Edwin Ariyadasa will be held tomorrow (January 25) evening at the Borella Cemetery under state patronage. Dr. Ariyadasa passed away on Friday at the age of 98 after a prolonged illness. Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday (January 23), instructed officials to make arrangements to [...]
Preparations begin for Western Province schools reopening
Schools could resume in the Western Province and in isolated areas, considering satisfactory attendance in eight provinces, Education officials say. Up to 60 percent of students showed up in urban areas and 80 percent in rural areas during the first week of resumption, said Education Ministry Secretary Prof. Kapila Perera. Schools in the rest of [...]
Election Commission backpedals on fate of Ranjan’s seat
The Election Commission will not make any statement regarding the status of the Parliamentary seat of Gampaha District Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Ranjan Ramanayake until the matter is clarified by Parliament, its Chairman told the Sunday Times. There were different legal opinions expressed regarding Mr Ramanayake’s seat, and the EC members have decided it [...]
Smoke over BOC loan to stockpile cigarettes; and heat over Ramanayake’s seat in Parliament
Over the past year, the Gotabaya Rajapaksa Government has faced criticism that certain businessmen close to Government higher-ups are profiting off those connections in dubious ways. The accusations have been made most recently regarding the controversial Ukrainian tourism project spearheaded by Udayanga Weeratunga and about hotels being used to house Sri Lankans returning from abroad [...]
Devis and Menikes are hustling and bustling again
All the Devis and Menikes were back on track this week, tooting their way to picturesque corners of the country after a three-month silence caused by the second COVID outbreak. “Long-distance passenger travel is increasing slowly and gradually. With the country opening to tourists and Lankans living overseas, there will definitely be a demand for [...]
Virus beats dodgy spice ‘juice’ and ensnares politicians
A local potion promoted by senior politicians, ranking officials, and some media, as a “cure’’ for the deadly new coronavirus, is still in demand among some in Sri Lanka, despite findings that doubt its medicinal use. Once again, this week, hundreds converged at the residence of Dhammika Bandara, the self-styled holy man in Udukumbura at [...]
Cardamom scarcity sees prices hit the ceiling
Cardamom, an essential ingredient in countless Sri Lankan sweetmeats and desserts, is now so scarce that a 10g packet–where available–retails for as much as Rs 370 in supermarkets. Several outlets of popular chains had no stocks. One had a 25g packet for sale at Rs 850. Traders said that, while cardamom had rarely come cheap [...]
Time to end IUU fishing in Sri Lankan waters
This was inevitable: the unnecessary loss of, not one, but four lives due to illegal fishing by Tamil Nadu trawlers in Sri Lankan waters. What is really shocking about the deaths this week is that, despite numerous promises and twelve years after the end of the civil conflict, the Government of India has failed to [...]
An oasis for terminally ill patients and their kith and kin too
Tranquillity and serenity descend like a gentle and soothing veil on anyone who walks or is wheeled in along its manicured pathways, past ponds dotted with water lilies and lotuses, into simply but aesthetically furnished lodgings.Set in green and lush surroundings, balm to weary eyes, it is a haven not only for those who take [...]
Northern farmers unable to shed ‘tax’ imposed by separatists
Francis Anthony Joseph of Pedro Estate, Nuwara Eliya once grew Chinese vegetables in a plot near his house to support the family. But, during the pandemic, he chose to grow leeks and potatoes last year. He could not get a fair price for his crop. Joseph cultivated broccoli, iceberg lettuce, rocket lettuce, and bok choy [...]
New SC judges stress the need for people-friendly laws, quality judgments and adherence to noble principles
The ceremonial sittings for six newly-appointed Supreme Court Justices were held at the Supreme Court on Wednesday and Thursday under COVID-19 compliant guidelines. Justices A.H.M.D. Nawaz, Kumuduni Wickremasinghe, Shiran Gooneratne, Mahinda Samayawardhena, Achala Wengappuli and Janak De Silva were ceremonially welcomed at the Supreme Court complex. Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya, other Justices of the Supreme [...]
Orchids snatched from forests to satisfy shutdown-driven craze
Endemic wild orchid plants are being pillaged from forests following a social media-driven craze for the flowers especially after people turned to gardening to relieve the tedium of COVID-9 lockdowns. Among the orchid plants being offered on the internet and surreptitiously on roadsides are the Vesak flower orchid (Dendrobium maccarthiae), wanaraja or jewel orchid (Anoetochilus [...]
Is Sri Lanka not inviting trouble with open arms, asks expert
Strong calls are going out to the health authorities to review the strategies used to combat COVID-19 in Sri Lanka without trying to ‘mix and match’ them to fit plans drawn up without taking the ground reality into consideration. “The review should not be conducted internally by the Health Ministry but should include knowledgeable external [...]
Pick of the Pix
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 mention the camera or cellphone that was used.
Political, civil salvoes target youth ‘discipline’ via ‘military training’ idea
Two former military men were at loggerheads this week, after one’s statement on introducing military training for youth above 18 years old caused a stir in the political arena and confusion among people. Public Security Minister retired Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekara earlier this week announced that he would be presenting a proposal to Parliament on [...]
Who knows what to do with 1m kilos of smuggled turmeric?
Sri Lanka Customs, saddled with one million kilos of imported turmeric, is awaiting orders from the government on its disposal. A consignment of 62 containers containing 27 metric tonnes arrived last July after the ban on turmeric in December 2020 was imposed. The stocks are being stored at the Customs storage facility in Orugodawatte, Colombo. [...]