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Home » NewsFrom Geneva vote to Pakistan National Day
Pakistan celebrated its National Day on Tuesday and a reception was held at a Colombo Hotel to mark the occasion. Significantly, the reception took place a few hours after the UN Human Rights Council adopted a tough resolution against Sri Lanka with Pakistan being one of the 11 countries that supported Sri Lanka. Among those [...]
Colombo Port City under high-powered body
A high-powered five-member Colombo Port City Economic Commission, with adequate powers at its disposal, will oversee the development of 446.6153 hectares of land as a special economic zone in the heart of Colombo city. The commission is to function as a Single Window Investment Facilitator in relation to the grant of any registration, licence, authorisation [...]
Govt. climbs down from decision to hold PC polls in June
The Government wants to review different election laws in the country in a move that will recede prospects of any early Provincial Council polls. When Parliament meets on April 6, House Leader and Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena will introduce a motion for the appointment of a Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) for this purpose. Such a [...]
Unit to monitor environment destruction posts on social media
Both false and accurate information posted on social media on incidents of environment destruction will be kept under watch by a new unit to be set up by the Environment Ministry. To carry out the task, 323 ‘environmental officers’ would be recruited at Divisional Secretariat level, Environment Minister Mahinda Amaraweera told the Sunday Times. He [...]
54 Indian fishermen released on presidential order
Following an intervention by the Fisheries Department citing instructions from the Presidential Secretariat, fourteen Indian fishermen who were remanded by the Kayts Magistrate until April 8 for engaging in bottom trawling in Lankan territorial waters were released along with their trawlers yesterday. On Thursday 40 fishermen were released while in naval custody following instructions from [...]
Parliament refuses to divulge education details of MPs
Parliament has refused to disclose educational qualifications of ministers and Parliamentarians (MPs) on the basis it would be an ‘invasion of privacy’. Responding to a Right to Information (RTI) application filed by the Sunday Times, Parliament’s Assistant Secretary General and Information Officer Tikiri Jayatilleke said: “Educational qualifications relate to personal information, the disclosure of which [...]
Rising cost of living: Hot, spicy debate at Govt. group meeting
The debate was as hot as some of the spicy Sri Lankan curries when the government parliamentary group met last Tuesday. Government MPs complained of the spiralling cost of living and declared that life was becoming difficult for the people. One of those vociferous was Kalutara district Parliamentarian Lalith Ekanayake. Moving in as the trouble [...]
Ray of hope in magistrate’s remark, but long way to go for transgender freedom
Fort Magistrate Priyantha Liyanage recently admonished police to stop making derogatory comments about transgender people in a development that was seen as encouraging by a community that has long suffered in Sri Lanka. The magistrate was hearing a case following the arrest of five transgender people by the Kollupitiya police for allegedly violating quarantine guidelines [...]
Scramble to buy COVID vaccine
Sri Lanka scrambled to secure COVID-19 vaccines, as India ordered a halt of major exports of the AstraZeneca jabs made by the Serum Institute this week. An agreement is being finalised by Pfizer India and the State Pharmaceutical Corporation (SPC) to get 3 million Pfizer vaccine doses for Sri Lanka, the Sunday Times learns. The [...]
Justice Minister vows to eliminate laws delays, as new BASL chief is inducted
There is an urgent need to expedite the legal process in view of the sheer backlog of cases, Justice Minister Ali Sabry said yesterday. He made the remarks following the induction of President’s Counsel Saliya Pieris as the new President of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) during the BASL’s 47th Annual Convention. “We [...]
“View the circumstances as an opportunity to put in place procedures and infrastructure to modernise our approach”: CA judges
The country’s judiciary must resolve to do its part in forging a modern, efficient system that rivals its rich legal heritage, new Court of Appeal (CA) President Arjuna Obeyesekere said. Speaking during the Ceremonial Sitting held at the Superior Court complex on Tuesday (23) to welcome him and seven other CA Judges, Justice Obeyesekere noted [...]
Protests over NMRA’s decision to grant waiver to Sinopharm
The waiver granted by the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) to allow the import of the Sinopharm vaccine from China on March 19 drew much fire, with the Vaccine and Infectious Diseases Forum of Sri Lanka urging the Health Ministry to “strictly” follow the unanimous decision of the NMRA’s independent Panel of Experts. The eight-member [...]
Enjoy Avurudu with strict COVID-19 preventive measures, says DG
As frenzied shopping, family reunions and festivities of the Sinhala and Tamil New Year seemed to take off with gusto, a strong note of caution comes from the highest health official in the country. “Be cautious as COVID-19 and its mutants are not only flying high around the world, setting off another wave of infections [...]
‘Doses reserved for those needing the second jab in April’
Health Services Director-General Dr. Asela Gunawardena assured that the second doses – around 230,000 – for those who got their first jab initially have been kept in reserve and would be administered at the right time. So far, Sri Lanka has received 500,000 doses of AstraZeneca’s COVISHIELD from India as a donation and bought another [...]
Lanka monitoring the variants closely
All health measures should be followed to prevent the third wave of COVID-19 engulfing Sri Lanka, urged Health Services Director-General Dr. Asela Gunawardena. This is the only way, he stressed, while assuring that the Sri Jayewardenepura University was performing genetic sequencing, thus keeping tabs on new variants. The one and only centre where genetic sequencing [...]
CoI debates cause tensions in Parliament while Sirisena defends himself
Those who claim he had prior knowledge about the Easter Sunday attacks but did nothing to prevent them have “a mental problem” former President Maithripala Sirisena said on Friday, as he defended himself during the Parliamentary debate on the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) report into the attacks. In an hour long speech to the House [...]
Police put brakes on move to fine drivers for worn tyres
Last year’s import ban on tyres had a negative impact on this week’s decision by police to fine drivers with faulty tyres after a recent fatal accident. Police have now temporarily withdrawn plans to inspect and fine drivers for using worn tyres following a public outcry over the fact that a shortage of tyres has [...]
About 520 people dead in road traffic accidents this year; daily death toll ten
Moratuwa University transport expert says de-merit system essential, to improve discipline among drivers, wants independent authority to conduct road safety audits Highway Ministry Secretary says warning signboards, speed bumps, rumble or alert strips will be put up in high risk, hilly terrain areas From the rural town of Lunugala in Badulla, Anthony Noah (46) and [...]
Rising obesity rates catch children, women
Child obesity has risen since COVID shutdowns began, adding to a nutritional triple burden of under-nutrition, high levels of obesity and vitamin and mineral deficiencies, studies show. While malnutrition is decreasing, obesity is taking its place in the nutrition crisis, the President of the Sri Lanka Medical Nutrition Association, Dr. Renuka Jayatissa, said. The level [...]
Tributes paid during final rites of late Most Ven. Agga Maha Panditha Kotugoda Dhammawasa Nayake Thera
Final rites of late Maha Nayake of the Sri Lanka Amarapura Maha Nikaya, Most Ven. Agga Maha Panditha Kotugoda Dhammawasa Nayake Thera was performed on March 25 at the Independence Square in Colombo. A large number of mourners had gathered to pay their last respects to Mahanayaka Thera. President Rajapaksa paid his tribute addressing the [...]
Colourful blossoms for the Gods The scenic Muriyakulama Wewa in Puttalam dotted with blooming water lilies is a sight to behold.
Planted years ago by Jayaweera Gamage, Transport Board bus conductor, they have become a source of income for people in the area. The vividly coloured lilies have become a lucrative business and are brought by flower sellers to sell at the Ruwanweli Maha Seya and Sri Maha Bodhi. People earn their daily living by selling [...]
Avurudu mung kavun won’t come cheap as prices leap
From green gram used in Avurudu kevili to rice, coconut, turmeric and other goods used widely during festive season are jumping in price with the National New Year around the corner. Green gram, used for making the popular sweetmeat, mung kavun, and other festival favourites, has seen the biggest increase – from Rs. 300 a [...]
Deadly oil readied for sale though toxins remain
Thirteen containers of crude coconut oil containing cancer-causing aflatoxin, which caused considerable controversy when detected late last year, have allegedly been refined in contravention of Customs law. Importers are prohibited from making any changes to imported goods until analytical sample reports are provided to Sri Lanka Customs subsequent to a quality control test being performed [...]