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In an apparently strategic move, China’s ambassador Qi Zhenhong visited the Northern Province, including Sri Lanka’s northern most point, Sakkotai Cape in Point Pedro overlooking India, with which China has territorial disputes. The importance of the visit was seen when a Chinese official operated a drone to record the northern seascape. The ambassador asked a [...]
Fertiliser importers tell Govt. to settle arrears of Rs. 26b
Private sector fertliser companies are demanding that the Government should settle an arrears of Rs 26 billion for stocks previously provided under the state-subsidy scheme for farmers. The companies have pointed out that the money was long overdue and needed as they were preparing to go ahead with the fertiliser imports for farmers after the [...]
SriLankan Airlines told to pay for jet fuel in dollars — or else
The Energy Ministry has officially informed SriLankan Airlines that it will not supply jet fuel if the payment is not made in dollars. Energy Ministry Secretary K. D. R. Olga said the ministry officially conveyed its decision last week and told the national carrier to make the dollar payments to the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) [...]
15 Lankans face charges in Kerala over LTTE links
Fifteen Sri Lankans arrested in March by the Indian Coast Guard have been chargesheeted in a Special Court in Kerala by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), India’s premier agency probing terrorist related crimes. According to well-placed sources in Kochi, the arrests are linked to the 15 being involved with LTTE remnants who are continuing to [...]
Fitch rating revision: Debt default fears worsen but Lanka assures repayment
Sri Lanka is running on empty and may be perilously close to defaulting on its foreign debt payments, the latest international sovereign ratings downgrade suggests. Citing an “increased probability of default’’, Fitch Ratings on Friday downgraded Sri Lanka’s long-term foreign-currency issuer default rating to ‘CC’ from ‘CCC’. In the high-yield credit market, debt rated ‘CCC’, [...]
Cabraal gets 74% of earlier salary as pension and Rs. 400,000 as monthly pay
The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) has passed a total of Rs 7mn for the arrears of newly-approved pensions for current and former Governors, including for Ajith Nivard Cabraal who is on his second term, authoritative sources said. Mr Cabraal is now receiving 74 percent of his earlier salary as pension and Rs 400,000 [...]
Rising veg prices change consumer behaviour; health warning from top nutritionist
A sharp vegetable price hike, together with the domestic cooking gas shortage and safety issue, has given rise to a marked change in consumer behaviour, traders say. In most markets, the scenes were the same – people buy small quantities and go for low-priced vegetables or green leaves. Those who cooked three vegetables for a [...]
Rituals herald the start of pilgrimages to Sripada
Pilgrimages to Sripada began yesterday, Uduvap Poya day. The processions, carrying the sacred casket of Relics of the Buddha, sacred objects and the statue of God Saman left the Sri Pada Raja Maha Viharaya in Galpottawa Pelmadulla following religious observances in the early hours of yesterday. The procession proceeded from four directions. The season will [...]
Eye Hospital chief: Who’s pulling wool over patients’ eyes?
Colombo Eye Hospital Director Dr Dhammika Alahapperuma has asked the police to deploy personnel in civvies to detect unscrupulous people playing out unsuspecting patients who call over for treatment. The request followed a recent incident where two elderly women were robbed at the hospital. The women had lodged a complaint with the hospital administration on [...]
Mirigama-Kurunegala expressway to be opened next month
The expressway between Mirigama and Kurunegala will be declared open early next month, a senior Highways Ministry official said. The expressway will span 40.9 km. The project is nearly completed and the finishing touches are in progress the official said. Around Rs 149 billion was spent on the expressway project including Rs. ten billion for [...]
Sifting truth from myth as concerns grow over Omicron as well as booster
Vaccines and jabs vital in facing virus Concerns and worries on many issues linked not only to Omicron, the latest ‘Variant of Concern’ but also whether the booster should be taken and whether it is safe are gripping the people of Sri Lanka. The anxiety has heightened as health officials declared that four people infected [...]
‘COVID-19 brought home the need to think globally and act locally’
Highlights of speech by Colombo University’s Vice Chancellor Prof. Chandrika N. Wijeyaratne who was Chief Guest at the Convocation and Award Ceremony for Membership of the College of General Practitioners (MCGP) Diploma 2021 The pandemic has turned the spotlight on the strong bond between the General Practitioners (GPs) and the people they serve at ground [...]
Resignation hits RTIC one day after first sitting
A day after the newly appointed Right To Information Commission (RTIC) held its first sitting, one of the Commissioners tendered his resignation letter saying, “his professional engagement and political activism will be a hindrance to the Commission’s independence”. Dr Athulasiri Samarakoon, Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Studies at the Open University of Sri Lanka [...]
Sharp increase in rape of underaged girls
The number of Under-16 girls who were raped rose by 18 percent last year when compared with 2019, according to the latest performance report of the Sri Lanka Police. The statistic pertains to rape “without consent”. Meanwhile, the rape of girls under the age of 16 “with the consent of the victim” rose by 9 [...]
Govt. cites pandemic, says local council polls cannot be held
The Government has decided to extend the period of local government bodies by one year, claiming the present situation was “not condusive” to hold local government elections, a senior Government source said. The prevailing Covid-19 pandemic has been cited as the main reason for the postponement of the election. The source also said that the [...]
For Christmas, a star of wondrous beauty bright
According to the legend, a comet appeared in the sky on the day Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem. Setting the right tone of this Christmas season, a comet appears in the night sky these days where you may be able to observe it as a dot. This comet was discovered by astronomer G. J. [...]
Easy passage for CMC budget
The Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) budget was passed with 60 members of the ruling UNP and 30 SLPP members voting in favour. Five SLPP members and six JVP members voted against the budget.
Railway and postal unions warn of general strike after token strikes
For a 25-year-old marketing executive, the train strike on Wednesday resulted in a delay for a crucial client meeting and he spent an “exorbitant” sum to hire a taxi. “Why don’t the relevant officials come up with an alternative when unions go on strike?” he groaned. “I am losing out on time I can use [...]
SC grants Gunaratne brothers leave to proceed in FR case against Peliyagoda Police
The Supreme Court has granted leave to proceed in a fundamental rights petition filed by Migara and Charitha Gunaratne, the sons of Maithri Gunaratne, PC, against officers of the Peliyagoda Police over the alleged brutal assault of Migara, the first petitioner, when he went to the station to deliver food to a client of Charitha, [...]
2022 Budget allocations for Nuwara Eliya MC approved
The 2022 budget for the United National Party (UNP) controlled Nuwara Eliya Municipal Council was approved with a majority of 18 votes. Two SLFP councilors also supported the proposals on Friday. Former Mayor Mahinda Dodampegama voted against the move. Two Sri Lanka Podujana Pereamuna (SLPP) members abstained from voting and two other members did not [...]
Kandy underground tunnel project back on the cards
The construction of an underground tunnel from Suduhumpola to Tennekumbura is once again on the cards, said RDA Director W. A. Gunasinghe at a Kandy district committee meeting. The proposal for a tunnel had come up several times, first by the former Highways Minister Lakshman Kiriella and later on by ministers in charge of this [...]
Smell of death, stench of gas duopoly and regulatory rot linger
Bureacatic bungling, indecisions and confusion continued last week on the country’s domestic cooking gas supply with the government rejecting two LPG (liquid petroleum gas) shipments at the Colombo Port only to reverse its decision within days. The Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) on December 11 suspended the unloading of tanker Epic Balta from Bangladesh carrying 3,200 [...]
Gas users hail Court of Appeal order
The Court of Appeals’ order that LPG distributors should sell only those cylinders that conform to the SLSI standards has been hailed by the people. The Court also directed the gas companies to recall all unused cylinders that do not conform to the SLSI standards. The matter was then fixed for January 26 next year. [...]
Husband of gas explosion victim to take legal action
The husband of a woman killed in a gas explosion said he is hoping to take legal action against the Government and the Litro gas company. R.D Sudath Sirimanna said not one politician had even condoled with the family. “I only see politicians arguing in Parliament over the issue that killed my wife. My four [...]
Pick of the pix
Maharagama: Seasonal trappings Uduwavala: Crowing about Ja-Ela: Learner’s permit Elakanda: Safety net Town Hall: Protests galore Grandpass: Comforting warmth Nuwara Eliya: Light and shade
Alert raised amid 26 dengue deaths and jump in infections
Close to 5,000 people have been infected with dengue in the first half of December. Health authorities are asking people and institutions to keep their surroundings free of mosquito breeding sites to prevent an outbreak in the coming weeks. Those with a high fever are being advised to get medical help immediately and get a [...]
Importers suffer from barriers and forex shortage
Importers of non-essential items have raised concerns over further restrictions by the government citing the US dollar shortage, saying their businesses are suffering. But the government says restrictions are only placed on the quantity of imports. The Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa and Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal favour further clamps on imports. On September [...]
Safety fails
The main reason behind the recent incidents of explosions of containers of liquid organic fertiliser is because there is a severe dearth of quality plastic cans and bottles to store them in, local manufacturers of organic fertiliser claim. They added that unsafe transportation and storage of organic fertiliser was also contributing to the incidents. The [...]
Festive cheer regardless of the price tags
From a bauble to an egg, the prices of Christmas decorations and festive food ingredients are at an all time high, but Sri Lankans are not in the mood to pass up the chance to celebrate what they missed out on last year. Christmas trees are selling, compared with last year, one vendor recalls. “There [...]
Humpback family revives Mirissa tourism hopes
A family of humpback whales are rarely seen in Sri Lankan waters, but a sighting in Mirissa may be a good omen for the whale-watching industry this festive season. Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) are known as ‘songsters of the ocean’ for the sounds they make. They live as a pod and a pair of adults [...]
Indian trawlers vacuum up Sri Lankan fish stocks after wrecking their own
Valvettithurai, Jaffna: Ever since he was a teenager, Kathiramalai Kamalanathan, 56, has been fishing to support his family of five. Even after his children were married off and settled down in nearby villages, he prefers not to depend on anyone and still goes out to sea. The only difference is that, now, he needs to [...]
‘Queen of Asia’ that could fetch over US $ 100 million to go on sale next month
Gem researcher Chamila Suranga who is in possession of what is believed to be the largest blue sapphire cluster in the world, hopes to put it up for sale next month. He said, he hoped the buyer would be a museum or a private gem collector so that its value remains as it a rare [...]