News
Home » NewsThis is the way we wade to school
During heavy rains these are common scenes in Kilinochchi. Sivapatha Maha Vidyala students form a human chain to wade through the waters to reach their school. Similar scenes were witnessed in other areas in the flood-hit Northern Province.
EU Court rejects move to lift ban on LTTE
The European Union’s General Court this week rejected an appeal to lift the proscription of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) as an international terrorist organisation within Europe. The petitioners, the European Political Subdivision of the LTTE based in Denmark, were ordered to pay their own legal costs and those incurred by the Council [...]
Tight security in North over LTTE Maveerar Day events
Tight security was maintained throughout the Northern Province yesterday with temporary checkpoints and patrolling of military personnel in streets as residents and organised groups held events to commemorate those killed in the separatist war. Remembrance events were mostly held in homes and in a few selected public places with people lighting oil lamps and candles [...]
Lanka bans passengers from six Southern African countries
Sri Lanka clamped a ban from midnight yesterday on passengers with a 14-day travel history in several southern African nations from entering the country after the new variant of COVID-19 mutant ‘Omicron’ was detected in that region. However, SriLankan Airlines will continue with its recently announced direct flights to Kenya, a spokesman for the airline [...]
Seven Lankan women cricketers afflicted by COVID-19 in Zimbabwe
Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) yesterday confirmed that seven members of the national women’s team, including six players, tested positive for COVID-19 during the ICC World Cup qualifiers in Zimbabwe, one of the countries where the new COVID-19 variant Omicron has been detected. The International Cricket Council (CCC) called off the tournament after some countries imposed [...]
Secs. told to work out post-covid project proposals within weeks
The Finance Ministry has given Ministry Secretaries just a month to formulate project proposals and action plans–complete with cost estimates–for implementation next year under the post-COVID economic recovery programme announced in the Budget. In a circular issued on Tuesday, Treasury Secretary S. R. Attygalle says the Government has embarked on a development path to stimulate [...]
Import of chemical fertilisers: Finance Minister yet to sign the gazette
The Finance Minister is yet to sign the gazette allowing the private sector to import chemical fertiliser, causing further delays in agrochemicals reaching the farmers, a senior Treasury official said. The Treasury’s Imports and Exports Control Department is still waiting for the gazette to be cleared and signed by the Finance Minister after the inclusion [...]
Golden gate of highway
Sri Lanka’s first cable-stayed six-lane bridge named the Golden Gate Kalyani was declared open by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa this week. The construction began in 2017 with a concessionary loan from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JAICA). The total cost of the project was Rs 55 billion. (Pic courtesy AirForce)
Lawyer feared Tinker Lasantha would be killed by police: BASL seeks IGP’s explanation
The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) has called upon the Inspector General of Police to explain the failure to prevent the killing of Tinker Lasantha even after the BASL had sent him an email the day before the incident, conveying the fears of a lawyer that his client could be killed by police. As [...]
Food importers seek dollars to release 1000 containers held up in port
Essential food importers have urged the Government to release sufficient US dollars to clear more than 1000 containers held up at the Colombo port, and warned of possible food shortages, if they are not cleared A spokesman said that these containers contained dhal, rice, sugar, garlic and other essential food items and they needed to [...]
Bill to ensure security of personal data collected by institutions
The Government has gazetted a Personal Data Protection Bill aimed at ensuring the security of personal data collected by institutions such as state bodies, banks, telecommunication service providers and hospitals. The gazette has been issued by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in his capacity as the Minister of Technology prior to the bill being tabled in Parliament. [...]
Violence against women: COVID-19 breakout sees surge in domestic violence both here and globally
One in four women–or 24.9% of the Sri Lankan population–have experienced physical or sexual violence since the age of 15, a survey conducted by the Department of Census and Statistics (DCS) in 2019 revealed. It was also discovered that close to half, or 49.3% of the affected women, did not seek formal help. The survey [...]
Why should UDA get involved in Muthurajewela when it has no track record of conservation: Environmentalists
Society for the protection of the sanctuary files petition against the UDA takeover, wants gazette completely revoked Society president says rackets going on within sanctuary need to be put an end to, but questions ability of the UDA to do what 11 other institutions combined couldn’t do UDA claims long-term plans are to uplift the [...]
Veteran journalist and jewel of a human being
M.V. Kanamaylnathan Jaffna-based veteran journalist M. V. Kanamaylnathan, better known as Kanam, passed away on Monday, November 22, 2021. I first came to know him when we were working together at the now defunct Independent Newspapers Limited during the second half of 1960s. It didn’t take long for us to understand each other. In him [...]
Crisis over cylinders of gas: time bomb waiting to explode
Gas cylinder importers have said they are confused at the series of gas cylinder explosions in the kitchens of houses or eateries, and alleged that sabotage may be the cause. Importers said they were perplexed by the incidents that were too frequent to be a coincidence and there would be a full probe on the [...]
Consumer Protection State Minister says report on incidents will be presented in House tomorrow
The Government yesterday sought to dispel fears among consumers of gas and said preventive measures have been taken to ensure the safety of gas cylinders. Responding to a question raised in Parliament by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, State Minister of Cooperative Services, Marketing Development and Consumer Protection Lasantha Alagiyawanna said that recent incidents of explosions [...]
It’s complicated: Sri Lanka’s relationship with loudspeakers
Kew Road in Colombo 2, like many other areas in Sri Lanka, is a multi-religious place of worship houses blasting their prayers on a daily basis. But what is soothing to some is a perennial nuisance to others. “My mother likes to come to the temple and listen to the bana in the evening when [...]
Budget has failed to address vital sectors hit by pandemic, say stakeholders
The Budget has failed to address pressing issues facing many vital sectors, especially hit by the pandemic, stakeholders have complained. Recently appointed Hoteliers’ Association President M. Shanti Kumar said the industry needs more financial support as it has the potential of generating more income for the country. “Our hotels, guest houses, resorts, restaurants need that [...]
Tourism sector confident that new Covid variant ‘Omicron’ won’t derail revival plans
Sri Lanka’s tourism sector is hopeful that the new COVID-19 variant ‘Omicron’ will not cobble its fast-tracked plans to resuscitate the industry but admitted that it was possible some cases may enter the country. Omicron, or the B.1.1.529 variant, was identified by South African scientists this week and there has been a significant spread there. [...]
Tourists happy to be here, but warn delays at BIA and price hikes may deter travellers
Magdalena and Glenn, who wished to be identified by their first names, arrived from Sheffield, England, around 10 days ago and headed to Hikkaduwa to meet local and overseas expatriate friends. “We have been relaxing at the beach and I have been surfing,” he told the Sunday Times. “We will also be visiting Mirissa, Ella, [...]
Worker remittances drop due to three key reasons; CBSL optimistic
The fall in migrant worker remittance levels has been attributed to increased use of informal money transfer channels, a drop in departures and an increase in the number of returnees, but the Central Bank is optimistic about a turnaround. Earlier this week, the Central Bank’s release of the External Sector Performance for September 2021 stated [...]
Forgotten town
A one time commercial hub in the Sabragamuwa Province during the colonial days is now in a neglected state, despite several monuments which deserved to be conserved. The village of Dedugala, located in the Bulathkohupitiya Divisional Secretariat area of the Yatiyantota Electorate was the commercial hub with some 100 shops in the area. The town [...]
SL must act now and expedite booster jabs
Sri Lanka should “act right now” to pre-empt the possibly very highly transmissible ‘Omicron’ variant (B.1.1.529) from getting a stranglehold in the country, a scientist strongly urged on Friday. “We need to act very fast and use the ‘window of opportunity’ to cover as many people as possible with the booster vaccination to prevent the [...]
College of Surgeons looks back and into the future with pride as they mark a 50-year journey
They care, they have cared in the past and they will care in the future – times may be doubly arduous due to the pandemic, but it has not stymied the efforts of the College of Surgeons of Sri Lanka (CSSL) from going beyond the call of duty to its patients. This is what uplifts [...]
Politicians blaming each other for not building bridge over troubled waters
Tragedy struck when six people, including four children on their way to school, died when a ferry capsized in the Kurinjankerni lagoon in Kinniya. While politicians were busy blaming one another, the grim reality is that for many years the Kinniya residents did not have a proper bridge in the area. The residents had used [...]
Lockdown or no lockdown, road accidents continue to claim more lives
With the country opening up fully following periodic lockdowns, experts and authorities are looking into ways to reduce the number of road accidents that continue to claim lives. Police statistics reveal that this year upto October 31, 1880 people have died in 1796 fatal road traffic accidents while 5122 accidents have resulted in severe, life [...]
Rainfall could decrease, but expect afternoon thunderstorms in most parts of the country
The prevailing low-pressure atmospheric disturbance southeast of Sri Lanka and over the southwest parts of the Bay of Bengal is expected to get weakened, leading to a reduction in the rainfall, the Meteorology Department has said. However, the department warns that the atmospheric conditions could still bring about afternoon thunderstorms over most parts of the [...]
In potato paradise, farmers ditch organic fertiliser after poor harvest
In Sri Lanka’s potato paradise Welimada, farmers say they are going through a financial hell after a drastic harvest shortfall which they attribute to the use of organic fertiliser instead of chemical fertiliser. While the farmers are suffering losses, consumers are hit by a shortage of potatoes in the market. Farmer T.M. Muthubanda bought 50kg [...]
Agro-chemical ban reversal a tad too late for Maha Season
For many farmers, the news was a huge relief when the Government announced it was reversing the ban and allowing the private sector to import chemical fertiliser, but it was too little, too late to save their crops during the ongoing Maha season. Not only that, many farmers expressed concerns about Agriculture Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage’s [...]
Decision to reverse ban on agro-chemical imports: Aluthgamage says Govt. sensitive to public opinion
Agriculture Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage, a staunch defender of the move to shift from chemical fertiliser to a fully organic fertiliser process, has said the Government had to reverse the decision on the chemical fertiliser import ban in response to concerns expressed by the people. In an interview with the Sunday Times, the minister vowed to [...]
It’s cassava, kos and kesel muwa for many as carrots, leeks, beans go beyond their means
Vegetable prices remained high for the second consecutive week, although a slight reduction in prices was reported compared to last week. People complained that the prices were still high, adding that they feared things would only get worse with the upcoming festive season. Farmers warned that the vegetable price hike would continue into December with [...]
JDS scholarship programme extends towards young Lankans once again
Japanese Grant Aid for the Human Resource Development Scholarship Programme (JDS)has extended its deadline until December 03. The programme began in Sri Lanka in 2010. So far 188 fellows have been sent to Japan. JDS is now inviting potential applicants who understand its aims and are interested in a two-year master degree programme at universities [...]