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Sri Lankan Muslims on Friday began their month-long Ramadan fast. At the Wekanda Mosque in Kompanna Veediya, devotees are seen offering special night prayers. Pic by Akila Jaywardena
Import restrictions to be lifted on 100-150 items
Treasury officials say vehicle import ban would remain at least for another year By Damith Wickremasekara The Government will lift import restrictions on 100 to 150 items in the next four months, provided that the move does not have an impact on the exchange rates, foreign reserves and inflation, senior Treasury officials said. They said [...]
IMF holds talks with unions, taxes may be revised in six months
Virtual roundtable meeting takes up crucial issues, including CEB reforms By Sandun Jayawardana The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has indicated the possibility of the Government being able to revise some of the taxes that have been imposed as part of the staff-level agreement with Sri Lanka once the programme comes up for review in six [...]
Lanka reaches new heights with first-ever heart-lung transplant
By Kumudini Hettiarachchi The first-ever heart-lung transplant in Sri Lanka was performed on Thursday at the premier state National Hospital of Sri Lanka (NHSL) in Colombo. The transplant, both the heart and lungs, carried out by a joint team of Sri Lankan and Indian Cardiothoracic Surgeons, Anaesthetists and other staff, takes the country’s transplantation programme [...]
EC seeks meeting with PM to tell him to fix polls date
By Namini Wijedasa The Election Commission (EC) has sought a meeting with Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena to discuss the local council election date acceptable to the Government, as the tussle over financing the overdue polls enters another week. The Prime Minister’s office confirmed that a request had been received and that an appointment would be [...]
Nuclear-power matters: Privileges and immunity for IAEA delegates
By Senuka Jayakody Experts arriving in the country for nuclear-power-related matters will be entitled to obtain the services of the Attorney General’s Department. The Cabinet provided approval to a proposal by the Foreign Affairs Minister and the Power and Energy Minister to sign an agreement with privileges and immunities for members of the International Atomic [...]
Sale of seven SOEs: No unsolicited bids
The Government will not entertain any unsolicited bids for the seven businesses that it listed for restructuring this week while a decision on what shareholding–if any–the State will hold in them will be made only after valuations are completed, a top official said. “A decision on whether there will be a 100 percent divestment or [...]
Appeal Court overturns High Court conviction based on confession made to police
By Ranjith Padmasiri A man sentenced to life imprisonment on heroin-related charges walked free this week when the Court of Appeal acquitted him after dismissing a High Court judgement which it said was based on confessions made to police. The man was indicted in the Colombo High Court on May 12, 2014, for trafficking and [...]
UNHRC welcomes several State legislative and policy measures
The UN Human Rights Committee, having considered the sixth periodic report of Sri Lanka earlier this month, has adopted concluding observations which include welcoming the adoption of several legislative and policy measures by the State. But it also expressed a range of concerns under its mandate to review the implementation of the International Covenant on [...]
SC issues notice on police chief for failing to submit guidelines to avoid ‘encounter deaths’
By Ranjith Padmasiri The Supreme Court on Friday issued notice on Police Chief Chandana Wickramaratne to appear in court on April 3 to explain why he failed to submit guidelines to be followed by police officers to avoid ‘encounter deaths’ of suspects while in police custody. The three-judge bench comprising Justices S. Thurairaja, PC, A.H.M.D. [...]
Bar Association would always remain independent, no party politics: New BASL President
Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya yesterday explained that the Bar Association is vital in guiding the process of the legal profession. He was speaking at the 49th Annual Convocation of the BASL where Kaushalya Nawaratne was inducted as the new President of the BASL. The event was held at the BMICH. “The Bar Association creates an [...]
French female athletes in Kandy
Kandy town yesterday witnessed a flurry of activities with a group of around 300 French women taking part in events related to Raid Amazones competition – the annual destination adventure event originating from France. It features female athletes competing their way through a range of challenges such as orienteering, mountain biking, canoeing, riding, running and [...]
Lanka’s medical education watchdog gets nod from international body
By Kumudini Hettiarachchi The local recognition process of the watchdog of medical education in Sri Lanka has secured its own recognition, after stringent evaluation and review, from a prestigious Geneva-based international body this month. The World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) has granted accreditation on March 7 to the 2019-established Accreditation Unit (AU) of the [...]
Govt. hopes to import most essential drugs soon
Health situation in grave crisis, GMOA warns By Nathara Abeywickrema The prevailing medicine shortage should ease shortly, with more supplies coming in from funds and orders placed, a health official said. Sri Lanka’s medical supplies were badly hit by the country’s inability to pay regular suppliers, and private importers too were unable to open letters of [...]
Health officials look at re-deployment of specialists to meet crisis
By Kumudini Hettiarachchi The dearth of medical specialists was the focus of a high-level meeting of health administrators on Thursday morning, with more than 100 participants, both physically and on zoom. The urgent need for the re-deployment of specialists had been discussed at length and included the “significant” impact of the current economic crisis on [...]
Village-level polls campaigns continue
By Senuka Jayakody Political parties are continuing campaigning at the village level until a confirmed date is announced by the Election Commission for the local government elections, first slated for March 9. Now that campaign finance laws are in effect, parties aim to operate according to a fixed budget. The Elections Commission has said it [...]
With local councils dissolved, talks held to discuss functions in various areas
Authorities say most municipal and local council members have handed over vehicles, residences and offices By Kasun Warakapitiya The Provincial Councils and Local Government Affairs Ministry has called for a meeting with provincial governors, district secretaries and heads of District Coordinating Committees to decide on the future functions of local councils. State Minister Janaka Wakkumbura said [...]
Pleasure-seekers trash Thalawathugoda
By Nadia Fazlulhaq Rich in biodiversity, Thalawathugoda area is now under threat from discarded beer cans, plastic bottles, polythene, empty food containers, and leftovers that are thrown into drains, the pavements and natural waterways by those arriving to wine and dine on the streets and at leisure spots. Residents and nature enthusiasts are concerned that [...]
Row over sandmining activities in Thabbowa sanctuary
Text and pix by Hiran Priyankara Jayasinghe The Puttalam Magistrate court has issued a notice over a part of the Thabbowa sanctuary in the Puttalam district being destroyed by sandmining, to the Karuwalagaswewa Divisional Secretary and an official from the Geological Mines Survey Bureau. The order came after Wildlife Department officials reported to court that [...]
Sugar projects face land, human, and environmental challenges
By Yoshitha Perera Consumer demand for sugar and sugar-related products has been on the rise in Sri Lanka and much of the domestic need has been met with imports. In 2022, Sri Lanka has spent US$268.66 million on sugar and sugar confectionery as reported by the United Nations Comtrade database on international trade. According to [...]
Pleas fall on deaf ears
Students who attend Bogoda College and samaneras who attend a pirivena closeby risk their lives daily while going along Bogoda-Halamba road that has couple of dangerous spots, villagers said. Monks and villagers have made several requests to officials to build a bridge , but little has been done they say. They further claimed that many [...]
Two children who went in search of their mother, washed away
The bodies of two siblings, 10 and 7 who were washed away on Thursday during a downpour in Hali-Ela, Badulla, were found couple of kilometres a part from each other on Friday. The two had gone in search of their mother who was late returning home after work when tragedy struck as they were crossing [...]
Recurring landslides likely to harm lives and damage homes
Sri Lankans living in areas at risk of landslides are being told to remain vigilant with the onset of monsoon rains. On the night of March 19, heavy rain resulted in a landslide near the Poonagala Hospital, Bandarawela, causing injuries to residents, and damage to commercial and residential property. Three people were injured, three houses [...]
Bits and pieces of roads
Story and pix by Eshan Fernando One of the most frustrating issues faced by the public who travel this country’s roads on a daily basis is the poor condition of many of them. A frequent complaint is that roads which are dug to lay water connections are rarely repaired properly. The lack of proper repairs [...]
Northern fisherfolk denounce ‘passes’ for Indian poachers
More than 2,000 fishermen this week took to the streets of Mannar against a proposal by Fisheries Minister Douglas Devananda to issue passes for Indian fishermen to enter Sri Lanka’s territorial waters. Members of fisheries societies from Jaffna, Mannar, Mullaitivu, and Kilinochchi carried placards, chanted slogans, and marched into Mannar town and handed over a [...]
Unions glove up for another bout with officialdom
A collective of unions is preparing for further trade union action next week, saying their demands related to the higher tax burden and livelihood issues remain unanswered. The Professional Trade Union Alliance is to hold a meeting tomorrow to make a decision as discussed at a meeting on Friday. Unions say that a meeting had [...]
IMF bailout package uplifts pro-poor programmes; unlocks stalled projects
With the International Monetary Fund’s announcement of a US$ 3 billion bailout package for Sri Lanka sending positive signals to lending agencies and investors, hopes are high for a resumption of stalled projects and programmes that are expected to help vulnerable sections of society. On Wednesday, President Ranil Wickremesinghe told Parliament that the establishment of [...]
Sinharaja jumbo emerges; wildlife officers manage to avert incidents with villagers
‘Panu kota’, an elephant in Sinharaja forest made an appearance last week close to villages in Neluwa. The elephant was first spotted on March 13 in Kosmulla before it started making its way through the villages in an attempt to make an annual migratory route. The appearance of the elephant saw wildlife officers of the [...]