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Home » NewsTug boat with 22 tonnes of oil runs aground in Mannar; salvage operations underway
By N. Thayalan Salvage efforts are underway to remove a barge with a tug boat carrying 22 tonnes of oil that had got into difficulties off the coast of Mannar. The barge named ‘Atulya’, towed by tug boat ‘Avadh’, had been en-route from The Maldives to India when it drifted to the Nadukuda coast in [...]
Dangerous trend in health sector
SPC buys insulin from Ukraine; More and more waivers from NMRA to bypass on quality By Namini Wijedasa As medical procurement controversies continue to plague the health sector, the State Pharmaceuticals Corporation (SPC) instructed the regulator to waive registration for consignments of high-priced insulin from Ukraine to be purchased on an “emergency” basis without tender. [...]
President to visit China to work out major projects
By Damith Wickremasekara President Ranil Wickremesinghe is set to make an official visit to China in October, his first to that country since becoming the Head of State last year. According to Government sources his main role will be to look for new investments, reach trade agreements and resume funding for stalled projects. Expediting investments [...]
Lanka to crackdown on IUU fishing practices to regain GSP+ from the European Union
Sri Lanka is to enact new legislation to curb Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing practices and regulate fisheries resources management as one of the key requirements to regaining the Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP+) concessions from the European Union. The move to introduce fresh legislation to eliminate IUU fishing came in the wake of [...]
Separatist Sikhs launch ‘Kill India’ campaigns in Western capitals
India yesterday braced for ‘Kill India’ protests organised by Sikh separatists outside its diplomatic missions in several Western countries. The protests are being organised by separatists seeking to create a separate homeland for Sikhs known as ‘Khalistan.’ The protests are being organised to raise funds for the ‘Khalistan’ cause in the name of Hardeep Singh [...]
Lakvijaya 4: CEB plundered and squandered Rs 167.6mn
The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) is seeking to waive off Rs 167.6mn incurred in just three years as expenditures for the defunct Lakvijaya coal power plant 300MW extension project. A fourth unit was never built in Norochcholai and the project management office was disbanded last year. The request to “write off the expenditures incurred and [...]
Economic sectors at risk from departures of 14,000 professionals
The growing exodus of professionals and skilled workers to foreign countries will threaten the quality of services provided to the public, experts warn. Statistics reveal that the country’s heading towards a major brain drain with 14,307 professionals leaving the country last year compared with 2,957 professionals in 2020 and 8,373 in 2021. According to the [...]
No major decisions taken over SLMA charges against NMRA
No major decisions had been taken at a meeting summoned by the Presidential Secretariat on Friday afternoon to resolve several charges by the Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA) against the drug watchdog, the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA), the Sunday Times understands. A proposal to appoint a committee comprising members of the Health Ministry, the [...]
Barnes Place ruckus raises concerns; Police act
Residents of Barnes Place, Colombo 7 were startled earlier this week by sounds of a noisy disturbance coming from a house in the area. A closer look revealed that a large group of armed men dressed like ministerial security (MSD) men had forcibly gained entry into an upstair residence in the area. The group, carrying [...]
Indian conglomerate’s luxury hotel further delayed
The opening of the Indian conglomerate ITC Ltd’s ambitious luxury hotel and mixed utility complex on Colombo’s Galle Face area has been further delayed. The project was granted “strategic development” status 11 years ago. One of the reasons, as indicated by the company’s last annual report, is slow apartment sales caused by the adverse macroeconomic [...]
Residents forced to rebuild bridge at their own cost
By Hiran Priyanakara Jayasinghe The residents of Puttalam District complain that they were forced to rebuild a temporary bridge with their own effort and expenses as the Anamaduwa-Meegoda new bridge construction had been halted halfway. Residents complained that the old bridge which was in a good condition was demolished to be replaced by a new [...]
Drop in dengue cases, but rains could raise risks
Despite a reduction in dengue cases, the general public must be cautious about a possible spread with the rainy season, noted consultant community physician of the National Dengue Control Unit (NDCU) Dr Nimalka Pannila Hetti. “In the past two months, 400 dengue cases were reported per day across the country giving rise to concerns about [...]
No advertising, announcements along the route of the Kandy Esala Perahera
Text and pix by L.B. Senaratne There will be no advertising along the route of the Kandy Esala Perahera this year, said Diyawadana Nilame Pradeep Nilanga Dela while addressing the first meeting in regard to the perahera. He said this will apply to the announcements going over the route of the perahera as well. This [...]
American tourist arrested for flying drone over Maligawa
A “drone jammer” is the only solution to avoid drones been sent over the Sri Dalada Maligawa High Security Zone, say security officials administering the zone. An American Tourist named Ahamed was recently arrested by the Maligawa Police and handed over to the Tourist Police on the allegation of flying a drone with a camera [...]
Wildlife authorities keep their hands off privately-held animals!!
By Kasun Warakapitiya Lack of infrastructure to treat animals and incidents of ignoring of complaints related to animal welfare have been exposed after the repatriation of Muthu Raja (Sak Surin) last Sunday. Currently the animal is undergoing a 30-day quarantine period in Thailand, but the controversy over the events leading to its repatriation continues. The [...]
Netherlands to return priceless artefacts seized from Kirti Sri Rajasinha’s palace in 1765
The booty from the Dutch-Kandyan Wars have been exhibited in Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam from almost the mid18th Century Joint research between Dutch and local scholars seen as a landmark in Sri Lankan provenance studies By Yomal Senerath-Yapa A gold kastane (ceremonial sword or sabre), a Sinhalese knife, a silver kastane, two wall guns and the [...]
Court intervenes once again to stop work at historic Portuguese church in Mannar
By S. Rubatheesan Amidst attempts to go ahead with renovation work on a Portuguese-built church in Mannar despite an interim order issued earlierlast month, the Court of Appeal has instructed the Registrar to redirect the notices prohibiting the demolition of any part of the structure until a final determination is made on the archaeological importance [...]
Direct flights from Jaffna expected to cut travel costs
Cheaper air ticket prices and reduced transport cost to reach the Colombo airport are set to boost air services between Palaly in Jaffna to Chennai in India. The service is to be converted into weekly flights from October 15 with a return air ticket costing Rs 53,700 in contrast to Rs 85,000 from the Bandaranaike [...]
The green, green grass of Linear Park
Story and pix by Eshan Fernando Linear Park, east of Beira Lake, is now in a run-down state. The park which was declared open in November 2017 by then-President Maithripala Sirisena and then-Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has been left unattended. The park’s entrance counters are closed and graffiti is written on its sides. The benches [...]
Seized pavements: Vendors occupy pedestrian pathways
By Dilushi Wijesinghe A number of shops in Colombo city and surroundings have encroached on portions of the pavement in an unauthorised manner causing a safety hazard to pedestrians. The Sunday Times witnessed a number of shops along the streets of the Colombo Fort, Panchikawatte, Maligawatta and Kotahena dumping items such as spare parts along [...]
Committee to formulate AI usage begins deliberations
A committee to formulate a strategy for utilising Artificial Intelligence (AI) for 2023-2028 had begun its sittings from mid-June. The Government has considered the need for a timely adoption of AI in key sectors of the economy. This consideration followed a meeting held between President Ranil Wickremesinghe and industry experts, academia, private and government sector [...]
Other state universities to take cue from Pera open day despite hiccups
State universities will embrace the open day concept despite several hiccups from the first such event, University Grants Commission chairman Prof. Sampath Amaratunga said. The University of Peradeniya, opened its doors to the public, to mark its 80th anniversary. However, the event attracted bouquets and brickbats. The one-day event, while attracting thousands, had roads leading [...]
Experts call for urgent steps to save sinking state health sector ship
The state health sector is gasping for breath and sinking due to young medical specialists leaving Sri Lanka in droves, while the authorities are turning both a blind eye and a deaf ear. “No action is being taken to stop the brain drain,” reiterated many health experts and specialists, while pointing out that even junior [...]
Respite from damaging downpours forecast
With the active state of the South West Monsoon, heavy rains accompanied by strong winds were received over the week, leaving a trail of destruction, but the situation is expected to improve by next week, the Meteorology Department said. However cloudy skies, and windy and showery conditions are expected in some parts of the country. [...]
More than 800,000 appeals and objections for Aswesuma scheme
More than 800,000 appeals and objections have been filed with regard to the Aswesuma beneficiary scheme with the appeal period set to end tomorrow. Appeals have reached 815,000 while objections have risen to 10,000 State Finance Minister Shehan Semasinghe told The Sunday Times. Beneficiaries are identified in two categories with the first being family-based and [...]
Police search for man who disappeared with millions
The Mirihana Crimes Investigation Special Unit has launched an investigation to track down a man who claimed to be constructing or selling houses and disappeared with Rs. 19.2 million from 14 clients, who believed they were investing in their dream home. The would-be buyers of the houses only realised the man had disappeared with the [...]