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Home » NewsTea and praise for President
President Ranil Wickremesinghe receiving wishes from Sri Lanka Muslim Congress Leader Rauff Hakeem and other opposition members after he made his inaugural policy statement to Parliament on Wednesday. The opposition leaders congratulated him at a tea party after the President’s ceremonial speech. Pic by Nishan Malagala
Crisis deepens over Chinese vessel
Ambassador meets President; Lanka’s request to defer visit referred to Beijing By Namini Wijedasa The Chinese Embassy will consult Beijing before responding to Sri Lanka’s request on Friday that the scheduled docking of the Yuan Wang 5 tracking vessel at the Hambantota Port be postponed, Sri Lanka was told yesterday. Chinese Ambassador Qi Zhenhong conveyed [...]
China’s Exim Bank suspends loan; Central Expressway hits road block
Economic crisis and suspension of repayment of loans cited as reasons By Damith Wickremasekera China’s state-owned Exim Bank has put on hold a US$ 51 million loan required for the construction of the first phase of the Central Expressway, throwing the Government into a fresh crisis over the project. Government sources said that as an immediate [...]
32 Sri Lankans leaving for overseas jobs every hour
By Kapila Bandara Faced with vistas of bankruptcy and hunger, 32 Sri Lankans boarded a flight every hour, every day, the numbers having more than quadrupled in the first 181 days of this year, external sector data from the Central Bank have revealed. This is apart from the number fleeing illegally by sea either to [...]
Despite signs of economic crisis, Govt spent huge amounts on roads and highways last year
By Namini Wijedasa Despite a sharp decline in government revenue and “high and rigid recurrent expenditure”, the Government last year continued to spend heavily on certain sectors including roads and highways, the Finance Ministry’s newly-released annual report reveals. Of the total foreign financing disbursements received by Sri Lanka between January 1 and December 31 last [...]
Lanka receives monkeypox detection kits
By Kumudini Hettiarachchi The Medical Research Institute’s (MRI’s) Virology Department has received RT-PCR kits for the detection of monkeypox. So far, no monkeypox cases have been found in Sri Lanka. The World Health Organisation (WHO) on July 23 declared monkeypox a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). Following a spike in cases, the United [...]
Fuel pass: Four-wheel users happy, but not so three-wheeler drivers
By Nadia Fazlulhaq A week into its implementation, the National Fuel Pass based on a QR code system, with a 5.4 million registered user base is receiving both bouquets and brickbats. A majority of four-wheel users hailed the system mainly due to shorter queues and the absence of thuggery and violence witnessed at filling stations [...]
Leopard who landed in house through the roof rescued in 16-hour op
Pix and text by Thiru Kethees After a 16-hour operation Nuwara Eliya wildlife officers on Friday rescued a leopard after it crashed through a roof and landed in a house in the Lindula area. The incident occured when the leopard who was giving chase to a dog fell into the house in Logie Coombwood estate. [...]
SC told how record tax cuts and Gotabaya Govt.’s policies led to economic crisis
Record tax cuts that caused a drastic fall in government revenue were among a series of disastrous decisions taken by the previous government that plunged the country into the prevailing economic crisis, the Supreme Court was told this week. Counsel for the petitioners made the argument when the SC took up two fundamental rights petitions [...]
‘Take 4th dose of vaccine against COVID-19 without delay’
Vaccine & Infectious Diseases Forum assures there are no safety and efficacy issues in extending shelf life of Pfizer batch in SL By Kumudini Hettiarachchi Take the 4th dose of the COVID-19 vaccine without delay, is the urgent plea from senior health experts this week, particularly to those at risk. As the spread of COVID-19 [...]
Hundreds risk illegal sea journey for a better life
By Wasantha Ramanayake Sri Lankans experiencing joblessness and hunger are taking risky decisions and paying human smugglers in a desperate bid to build better lives in another country. Among them was Mr Anil (not his real name), a fisherman from Chilaw in his 40s. A father of three, he sought a new life in Australia. [...]
Nine dead, thousands made helpless by downpours and floods
By Jayanie Madawala Heavy downpours, winds, flooding, and landslides have caused nine deaths in the past week and disrupted the lives of thousands of Sri Lankans. Some roads have become impassable and main line train services have been disrupted. So far, 14,885 people belonging to 3,850 families are facing hardships due to the adverse weather, [...]
Unionists ready for renewed bout against ‘suppression’
By Yoshitha Perera Protesters converged on Nugegoda yesterday heralding another wave in their campaign against the incumbent government which they say does not have a people’s mandate to rule. This is expected to culminate in a countrywide protest in main cities and towns on August 9, Unionists organised under the banner of the Trade Union [...]
Galle Face struggle gets breathing space after court challenge
Protesters will be able to remain at their Galle Face Green site until Wednesday, following an undertaking given to court by the country’s chief law officer. This was the result of a legal challenge by lawyers acting for the aragalaya, citing the violation of Constitutional rights. The Colombo Fort Police had ordered protesters to remove [...]
Shootouts rise while cops keep order at fuel lines
By Damith Wickremasekara and Senuka Jayakody The lack of fuel for the police and them being compelled to oversee law and order at filling stations are among factors contributing to a new wave of criminal activities, the Sunday Times learns. Several deadly shootings have prompted the authorities to call for special operations to track down [...]
Litro customers laugh; Laugf customers in quandary
By Chrishanthi Christopher Bringing a sigh of relief to millions of Sri Lankans, the months-old cooking gas crisis has come to a somewhat of a happy end, with Litro consumers now being able to get their gas cylinders delivered to their doorsteps, while its rival Laugf’s customers complain of a shortage. However, sceptical Litro consumers [...]
Indi Raja, Rajiv Gandhi’s messenger of peace, carries golden casket
By L.B.Senaratne The first Randoli Perahera gets underway in Kandy today with large crowds expected. The final Kumbul Perahera was also witnessed by large crowds with special train and bus services providing transport. The final Randoli perahera will parade the streets on Thursday followed by the day Perahera the following day. Meanwhile Indi Raja – [...]
Kovil chariot ceremony after three years
The annual chariot procession of the Mayurapathi Sri Bathrakali Amman Kovil in Wellawatte was held yesterday after three years due to the pandemic. Hundreds of Hindu devotees took part in the ceremony. Pix by Indika Handuwala
Northern farmers mired in fuel-cum-fertiliser crisis
Urea supplies delayed; farmers in diesel queues; millers and middlemen not to be seen due to transport problem By S. Rubathessan Although Sri Lanka received adequate stocks of urea under the Indian credit line weeks ago, supplies have still not reached some Northern farmers on time largely due to transport problems linked to the fuel [...]
Multiple challenges hamper students and teachers
By Chrishanthi Christopher Uncertainty surrounds the government’s plan to reopen schools for Sri Lanka’s 4.3 million children after a long lapse due to the economic collapse, hunger, fuel scarcity, and rising costs of transport. Schools opened last week, but many students and teachers stayed away. Provinces reported only up to 60% attendance. The Education Ministry [...]
AG’s undertaking raises hope for protection of ‘Other State Forests’
By Malaka Rodrigo Forests known as ‘other state forests’ (OSF) are in the spotlight since a circular in November 2020 transferred their administration from the Forest Department to district and divisional secretariats. Environmentalists have gone to courts against the decision and during the last hearing on Wednesday August 3, the Attorney General (AG) gave an [...]
The historical depreciation of the Sri Lankan rupee
By Dr Kavan Ratnatunga Is the recent rapid depreciation of the Sri Lanka Rupee (LKR) against the US$ unexpected or a result of foreign exchange policies adopted by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) since 2005 to keep the depreciation at a rate much lower than the observed trend since 1977? The historical depreciation [...]
Lack of dollars hits rail tracks
Pix and text by Rekha Thanrangani Fonseka The deteriorating conditions of the rail tracks on several lines have slowed down the speed of trains. Railway authorities are hampered by the lack of dollars to import replacements. Chief Engineer ( Railway lines and industries) H.M.K.W.Bandara confirmed that the condition of a number of tracks have deteriorated. [...]