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Peace-loving people held anti-war protests in world capitals yesterday to mark one year since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The picture shows a protest in Seoul yesterday, a day after the anniversary of the start of Europe’s largest conflict since World War II. (Pic by Anthony Wallace/AFP).
Tax relief: No way now, President tells unions
President Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday turned down a tax-relief request by some 40 trade unions representing professionals. During a meeting with representatives of these trade unions, the President said that since the International Monetary Fund (IMF) negotiations were currently underway no decision could be taken to provide tax relief. During the discussions, Treasury Secretary Mahinda Siriwardena [...]
Massive protest by some 8000 Lankan fishermen against Minister’s concession to India
More than forty Jaffna district fishermen’s associations with a membership totalling about 8000 will drag their fishing boats to the road in protest against Fisheries Minister Douglas Devananda’s proposal to allow Indian fishermen to engage in fishing in Sri Lankan waters. Fishermen’s association representatives told the Sunday Times there would be a discussion today on [...]
Local council polls: New date to be announced on Friday
The Election Commission will postpone the local government elections by three weeks, to sometime possibly even beyond April while commencing fresh negotiations with the Treasury on securing funds, Chairman of the Commission Nimal Punchihewa told the Sunday Times. The Commission will meet on next Friday to announce the new date for the election , he [...]
May 9 violence: Inquiry panel calls for action against then Army commander
The conduct of Acting Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and then Army Commander Shavendra Silva during the events of March 31 and May 9 last year should be further investigated by a specialised investigating unit such as the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), a Board of Inquiry (BOI) appointed to look into lapses by the armed [...]
Shocking report on how private firm made 14.8bn profit by selling power
An independent power producer (IPP) selling electricity to the national grid since the early 2000s had by March 2021 made a net profit of Rs 14.8bn amounting to 855 percent of its initial investment, a Government audit has found. From 2005 to 2015, the Aitken Spence-owned ACE Power Embilipitiya (Pvt) Ltd earned a net profit [...]
Norway wealth fund increases Sri Lankan assets in portfolio
The Norway Government’s behemoth sovereign wealth fund has added four Sri Lankan companies to its equity portfolio and divested two in 2022 in a challenging period when it increased the market value of its assets such as equities and fixed income, in Norwegian kroner terms. ‘The Government Pension Fund Global’, has prudently built up an [...]
Return to Royal
President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena and other parliamentarians who are old boys of Royal College were felicitated at an event at the school this week. Here President Wickremesinghe is seen addressing schoolboys and sharing a light moment with the Premier.
Court vacates enjoining order against Capri Club
The District Court of Colombo on Thursday vacated the ex-parte enjoining order it issued against Capri Club situated in Colombo. Additional District Judge Chandani Dias also refused to issue an interim injunction against the Trustees of the Club. Accordingly, the enjoining order issued against Messrs Eddie Wijesuriya, Razik Zarook PC and Hiran Soyza, said to [...]
Sepal Amarasinghe released with stern warning
The Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday concluded the case against social media activist Sepal Amarasinghe and released him from remand custody after he tendered an unconditional apology over defamatory statements he made regarding the Sacred Tooth Relic. Chief Magistrate Prasanna Alwis released Mr. Amarasinghe with the consent of the Attorney General’s Department after he [...]
SC dismisses FR application of University Bhikkhu Front convenor
The Supreme Court on Wednesday (23) unanimously refused to grant leave to proceed, and dismissed the Fundamental Rights Application filed on behalf of the Convenor of the Inter-University Bhikkhu Front (IUBF), Ven. Galwewa Siridhamma Thera, against his detention under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). The Fundamental Rights Applications of the petitioners Ven. Siridhamma Thera [...]
Bus goes off road in Peradeniya, 26 injured
Twenty six people sustained injuries yesterday, when a bus toppled off the road at Nelligala, Peradeniya, police said. The bus was carrying 47 pilgrims to Nelligala temple from Moratuwa when it went off the road, last afternoon. Police said the accident occurred due to malfunctioning brakes. Twenty passengers were admitted to Peradeniya Teaching Hospital while [...]
Right of reply
Foreign Ministry denies its officers booked Business Class tickets The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has responded to our news item last week; “No business class travel for top government officials” where it was stated that ”… a delegation from the Foreign Ministry due to attend Human Rights sessions in Geneva next week had been booked [...]
UN vote on Ukraine war: Lanka abstains along with China, India
Sri Lanka joined China, India, and 29 other countries to abstain from Thursday’s voting when the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) voted overwhelmingly for a resolution calling for Russia’s withdrawal from Ukraine as the war entered its second year on Friday. In all, 141 countries supported the resolution. Seven opposed it — Russia, Belarus, North [...]
Misunderstandings could erode citizens’ faith in the judiciary: Justice Karunaratne
It cannot sufficiently be emphasised that the acceptance of judicial decisions by citizens and the Government is crucial in sustaining peace, welfare and good governance, said newly-appointed Court of Appeal President, Justice Nishshanka Bandula Karunaratne. “We all live through a time of unparalleled crises, and almost none is immune to their adverse repercussions. In such [...]
SC dismisses FR applications of protesters near Parliament
The Supreme Court on Friday unanimously refused leave to proceed, and dismissed the fundamental rights applications filed on behalf of 10 petitioners against their arrest by Police during the protest at the entrance to Parliament on May 4, 2022. The applications were taken up for consideration before a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Jayantha [...]
Court vacates enjoining order against Capri Club
The District Court of Colombo on Thursday vacated the ex-parte enjoining order it issued against Capri Club situated in Colombo. Additional District Judge Chandani Dias also refused to issue an interim injunction against the Trustees of the Club. Accordingly, the enjoining order issued against Messrs Eddie Wijesuriya, Razik Zarook PC and Hiran Soyza, said to [...]
Dehiwala zoo opens up to animal lovers for Valentine’s
Animal lovers of all ages were seen having a great time bonding with their newly-met zoo pets at a unique Valentine’s Day event held recently. An animal lovers week ‘senehase sathiya’ organised by the National Zoological Gardens, Dehiwala saw thousands of animal enthusiasts enjoying face painting, fish spa treatment, having pythons wrapped around their arms, [...]
Poignant tribute to deceased organ donors
Sadness and joy. Tears and smiles. Death and life. This embodied the poignant scene on the morning of February 18 at the bustling Sri Jayewardenepura General Hospital when a small knot of people gathered in the lobby before a large plaque with stars, to lay lamps with flickering flames and white roses. The stars commemorated [...]
Bakers to get stock of cheaper imported eggs
Eggs imported from India are likely to be priced at about Rs 42 per egg for bakeries. A senior official of the State Trading Corporation (STC) said a shipment of two million eggs is due by the end of next week. The quantity is also expected to fulfil the needs of bakeries for 10 days. [...]
Pera Uni alumni souvenir shop opened
A Peradeniya University souvenir shop was opened recently in Getambe, at the site where once the Peradeniya Police Station stood. The property belongs to the university. Before the land was acquired by the university it was home to the Kandy Municipal Commissioner and former Governor General of then Ceylon, William Goppallawa. When the Peradeniya Police [...]
Kandy Lake to get a make-over
Kandy Lake is to get a bolstering with the intervention of Central Province Governor Lalith U Gamage. He was addressing a discussion as to how best development work, which has come to a standstill, could be opened up for the benefit of the people. One of the main items on the agenda was the Kandy [...]
Low-tier power users facing shocks ask where are solar units?
Electricity charges revised for a second time are expected to once again drive prices of consumer goods and services ever higher, burdening millions of families who fall into the 0-30 units user category. Traders and services providers are now expected to pass on rising costs of electricity to consumers. Electricity tariffs were raised in August [...]
Rs. 1.6 trillion tax target in tatters
The Inland Revenue Department (IRD) will struggle to meet its Rs. 1.632 trillion revenue target this year due to a host of shortcomings including weak tax collection, the Sunday Times learns. The Government has hiked last year’s revenue target of Rs 940bn to Rs 1.632trn. But achieving this is far from certain owing to poor [...]
Hackers and impersonators on the prowl on Instagram
“Is this you?” – was the repeated message in the inbox folder that 22-year-old Piyumi Wattuhewa woke up to one morning. “There were scores of messages from friends–some asking me if I had created a second Instagram account, and others, rightly telling me that someone had created a fake account in my name.” Many Instagram [...]
Exodus of talent carves gaping holes in bankrupt economy
Sri Lanka is witnessing a fall in service sector employment and skilled professionals as a result of increased emigration following the economic collapse. Many are selling their homes and leaving for good with their families. This has affected many areas of the public sector, including education, healthcare, and administrative services. The emigration of qualified professionals [...]
Focus on the ‘art’ of clinical neurology and bridge basics with futuristic trends
Bridging the basics with futuristic trends is what the 16th President of the Association of Sri Lankan Neurologists (ASN), Dr. Darshana Sirisena is promoting having taken on the mantle in April last year when the country was recording the “most extreme” adverse living conditions. He assured the distinguished gathering at the inauguration of the ASN’s [...]
Hilly terrain holds dangers for careless bus drivers
Several road traffic accidents — some deadly — in the central hills have involved bus drivers unfamiliar with the terrain, the police said. The most recent one was last Sunday when a private bus returning from Sri Pada went off of a cliff at Norton Bridge, killing three people. The driver was arrested, produced in [...]