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As public agitation reached a crescendo this week against the Government, a state of emergency and a 36-hour curfew till 6 a.m. tomorrow became operational from last night. People in their vehicles are seen rushing home while armed security personnel are deployed in the city. Pic M.A.Pushpa Kumara
Crackdown on mass anti-Govt. protests today
Government clamped a sudden 36-hour all-island curfew from 6pm yesterday (Saturday) till Monday 6am, a few hours after declaring a state of emergency in the country. The immediate reason was to crack down on mass country-wide anti-Government gatherings planned for today to protest against the huge increases in the prices of food items, the non-availability [...]
Lanka’s former envoy faces jail term and fine in US
Jaliya Wickramasuriya pleads guilty to embezzling US$ 332,027 while buying new embassy building Jaliya Wickramasuriya, Sri Lanka’s former Ambassador in Washington, DC, has pleaded guilty to diverting and attempting to embezzle US$332,027 from the Sri Lanka Government and money laundering among other criminal charges during the purchase of a new embassy building. He will be [...]
Pay-TV channels go blank due to dollar crisis
Satellite pay-TV users are finding that increasingly more channels are unavailable for viewing. The reason: non-availability of dollars to make payments to the relevant foreign stations. “I noticed that the channel the kids usually watch was blank with a poor signal message,” said a 38-year-old author and mother of two children below the age of [...]
Cut down ministerial perks, and provide relief to people
The Mahanayake Theras yesterday reiterated that the Government should cut down on wasteful expenditure and perks to ministers and use that money to provide immediate relief to the people suffering from economic hardship. The Mahanayake Theras of the Malwatte and Asgiriya chapters along with the Mahanayake Theras of the Amarapura and Rammanna nikyas in a [...]
Govt. seeks help from WB, ADB and UN
The Government has sought assistance from the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the United Nations (UN) to obtain immediate medical supplies. Pharmaceuticals Production, Supply and Regulation State Minister Channa Jayasumana said the Government had asked for USD 40 million as immediate assistance from the World Bank to buy stocks of essential medicines. [...]
State Minister to resign
Provincial Councils and Local Government State Minister Roshan Ranasinghe yesterday announced his resignation from his state ministerial post and the post of Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Polonnaruwa District organiser from May 1. “I made promises to the people of my district and I could not deliver on those promises,” the state minister told the [...]
BASL calls on Govt. to revoke emergency, ensure freedom
The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) yesterday called on President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to immediately revoke the proclamation declaring a state of emergency. Issuing a statement, the BASL also requested the President to “ensure that the fundamental rights of the people, such as the freedom of expression – including the freedom of speech and publication [...]
7,000 digital tabs for agri officers
As the cash-strapped Government struggles to raise funds to import essential items into the country, the Agriculture Ministry has called for bids to procure 7000 digital tablets to be distributed among agrarian officers, as part of a major digitisation initiative. The Procurement Committee at the Ministry invited bids last week from potential bidders who recorded [...]
Muslims begin Ramadan fast
Muslims in Sri Lanka begin the month of fasting from dawn today. The Colombo Grand mosque said the new moon heralding the month of Ramadan was sighted last night.
“Can we have some of our fish from the Palk Strait, please?”
This NDTV grab shows a group of Sri Lankans who left for India claiming that they were fleeing hunger in Sri Lanka being given food by an Indian officer at the Rameswaram port in southern Tamil Nadu.
Cheers and firecrackers and hundreds of lawyers flock to represent suspects
Clapping, cheers and the sound of firecrackers greeted the release on bail on Friday night of 21 persons arrested in connection with the violent incidents during Thursday night’s protest near the President’s residence in Mirihana. Police had arrested 53 persons (52 males and one female) in connection with the incidents and the Mirihana police produced [...]
‘There was even banter between police and people; suddenly the mood changed’
What started out as a well-attended peaceful protest at Jubilee Post Junction in Mirihana turned violent on Thursday with more vocal groups joining in and the subsequent deployment of Special Task Forces (STF) and the military, leading to destruction of public property, injuries and multiple arrests. The Sunday Times spoke to several people that attended [...]
Youth activist behind #GoHomeGota Facebook campaign arrested and produced in Court
The Police yesterday confirmed that an activist behind a social media campaign on Facebook titled #GoHomeGota had been arrested. Twenty-eight-year-old youth activist Anuruddha Bandara had been active in promoting the #GoHomeGota campaign on social media in the recent weeks. The slogan was used widely during recent civil protests. He had been taken from his home [...]
Media rights activists condemn attack on journalists during protest outside President’s home
Media rights groups have condemned the assault and arrest of several journalists covering Thursday night’s protest near President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s residence in Mirihana. Several journalists were assaulted, allegedly by police Special Task Force (STF) personnel while covering the protest. At least one journalist was also arrested and allegedly beaten while he was under arrest, according [...]
BIMSTEC adopts charter; Lanka focuses on security; India calls for greater trade ties
The seven nation regional grouping of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) adopted a charter on Wednesday (30) to expand overall cooperation. The historic charter was signed at the conclusion of the fifth BIMSTEC summit in Colombo. Leaders also adopted BIMSTEC’s Master Plan for Transport Connectivity. This year’s summit [...]
Completely dependent on electricity and connectivity, ICT industry grinding to a halt
Service providers despair as clients go to competitors in other countries like India Some companies with international clients flying people out to Singapore and Maldives to keep their projects going Company heads face brain drain as more and more disheartened employees apply for visas Irosha de Silva’s marketing tech company, Creative Hub, is generally buzzing [...]
1000 national schools project: Many schools in limbo after not receiving funds
Many schools ear marked for the current Government’s 1000 national schools project have not obtained funds to run the establishments. It is learnt that several schools have been refused funds for this year from their respective provincial councils, while the line ministry which absorbed the schools, failed to allocate said funds. “The schools are in [...]
Farmers raise the stakes against Uva-Wellassa land grab
Farming families in Uva-Wellassa region today ripped up fencing erected around a public land demarcated for a sugar factory to be built by a Singapore company with links to a Sri Lankan partner. The farmers are organised under a civic group being advised by a monk from the area and are campaigning against a land [...]
In defence of Lanka, with love, friendship and fidelity since 1963
“You do set us a few challenges – it hasn’t exactly been an easy ride,” Lord Michael Naseby told his audience gathered at the BMICH on the afternoon of Tuesday, March 29, for the launch of his book ‘Sri Lanka: Paradise Lost, Paradise Regained’. The British peer who has been a steadfast friend and faithful [...]
Last stages of Lanka’s separatist war: If the defence attachés despatches were unverified, why the cuts?
Lord Naseby, has been described by former British House of Commons Speaker Baroness Betty Boothroyd as; “I know from experience there is no British politician more knowledgeable, more trusted by the people of Sri Lanka….. has been careful not to side any political party or ethnic group”. Having graduated from the Commons to the Lords, [...]
Controversy over CEP III: Maga responds to MCC’s charges of irregularities
More public revelations this week regarding the controversial third section of the Central Expressway Project (CEP III) demonstrate just how compromised Sri Lanka’s national procurement processes are. Maga Engineering (Pvt) Ltd is one of the five companies in a recently-formed local consortium called LIDC which is the only party being considered for the massive contract [...]
Misery piles up for families at New Year
Sri Lankans preparing to celebrate the Sinhala-Hindu New Year will have to endure shortages of essentials and unprecedented prices for essentials. Apparel prices have doubled from last year and most essential food items are pricier. Battaramulla resident, Sandani Fernando told the Sunday Times that she cut down on the number of clothes she buys for [...]
Power cuts add to Water Board’s worries, but officials assure continued supply
Mounting power cuts have begun to worry experts about the ability of the national utility to continue pumping water to households. “We need electricity to pump water from the source, to the treatment plants, to storage and then to the households,” said a top National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) official. The Board makes [...]
Economic wheels not turning without diesel
Rising fuel prices and the prolonged shortage of diesel is severely impacting a number of economic sectors, ranging from container transport to fisheries and exporters. Nihal Amarasekara, the secretary-general of the Association of Container Transportation said: “We have met with import and export customers and forwarded our new rates, an increase of 60%. However, the [...]
Paper trail weighs down printing materials importers
Private importers of paper have been told they can buy stocks under the Indian credit facility, but are still unaware of how it will be implemented, the industry association said. Sri Lanka is suffering from a dire shortage of printing paper and 400 agents have registered with the Trade Ministry for urgent imports under the [...]
RDA forced to pay millions in delay payments
The Road Development Authority (RDA) has to pay an additional sum of Rs 47 million as delay payments to the contractor, Access Engineering Private Ltd. This is because the Police Department has not handed over buildings belonging to the Slave Island Police Station, and delays in the construction of the flyovers connecting Baladaksha Mawatha and [...]
One man’s trash, another man’s gold
Small collectors of discarded, recyclable items are seeing an increase in their income due to the growing demand for material that can be recycled. “One of the pros of import limitation is that people get used to reusing and recycling,” said Ramaiah Ranjani (42) from Moratuwa who collects discarded items. She offers Rs45 per kilo [...]
The Ukrainians stuck in Sri Lanka wait and wait
A peaceful demonstration by the Ukrainian community in Sri Lanka took place on March 24 at the Dutch Reformed Church in Galle. According to data from the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA), more than 4,100 Ukrainians are in Sri Lanka, of which 800 have registered with the Ukraine Embassy. The unregistered Ukrainians are in [...]
State sheds duty to give school meals, fund printing costs
Having overseen an unprecedented calamity, the government is shedding its responsibility to fund school expenses. Even meals are being denied to students. Last week, the Treasury refused to pay for the water used up in schools. The Water Board is sending monthly bills to schools, which in turn, have sought help from parents to pay [...]
Telepsychiatry Service, a first in SL
In uplifting news to people with mental illness, the Psychiatric Unit of the Kandy National Hospital, seeing the dire need, had launched a pioneering Telepsychiatry Service, which is a first in this field in Sri Lanka. Begun during the troubled times of lockdowns at the height of the pandemic, the Telepsychiatry Service holds a weekly [...]
Second booster in the US
The 2nd booster shots of either Pfizer or Moderna coronavirus vaccines have been given the nod for Americans 50 years of age and older, by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This is an attempt to boost dwindling immunity against severe illness and death in the light of the rapidly-spreading Omicron variant BA.2 which is [...]
Psychiatric manifestations of COVID encephalitis
COVID-19 and its neuro-psychiatric manifestations have been documented worldwide. Here in Sri Lanka, most probably in a first for the country, four such patients have been treated at the Kandy National Hospital. The diagnosis of this link had been made by Dr. Shanika Ekanayake, Senior Registrar in Psychiatry under the mentorship of Consultant Psychiatrist Dr. [...]
A simple Triple Pill to control high blood pressure and prevent death
Caught in the vice-like grip of COVID-19, what has been on the minds of everyone in Sri Lanka in the past two years has been the new coronavirus. But scientific studies begun before the pandemic hit Sri Lanka in March 2020, have now come under the spotlight with immense benefit for those facing the danger [...]