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Hours after President Ranil Wickremesinghe returned from a two-day official visit to India, he left for Anuradhapura to observe the sacred city development project. He called on Chief Sanganayake and Atamasthanadhipathi Ven Pallegama Hemarathana Thera and held a meeting on the development plans. The President is seen visiting a project location near Shri Maha Bodhiya [...]
All-party talks on devolving police powers to provinces
All political parties represented in Parliament will be consulted on devolving police powers to provinces, the Government announced hours after the Presidential delegation returned from New Delhi. “President Ranil Wickremesinghe is keen on implementing the 13th Amendment to the Constitution. As far as police powers are concerned, he will consult all the political parties in [...]
Health Ministry halts use of controversial anaesthetic from India
The Health Ministry this week withheld until further testing a batch of propofol anaesthetic that was recently bought from an Indian company and for which the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) had waived registration, thereby allowing the drug to bypass domestic quality, safety and efficacy checks. The Sunday Times reported earlier this month that the [...]
IRD spells out issues in collecting revised revenue target
The Inland Revenue Department (IRD) has cautioned the Treasury that it will not be able to collect the revised revenue target set at Rs 1,667 billion by the end of the year due to a range of issues faced in the collection of taxes. IRD officials who have met with Treasury officials in the presence [...]
Expressways shifted from RDA to state-owned Sahasya
The Cabinet has granted approval for Sri Lanka’s expressways to be shifted from the Road Development Authority (RDA) to a state-owned company called Sahasya Investments Ltd (SIL) set up in October 2020. The objective is to “operate the network in a more commercial manner”, documents seen by the Sunday Times state. The possibility of implementing [...]
Japan’s Foreign Minister to visit Sri Lanka for high-level talks
Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi will visit Sri Lanka next week. It is the first ministerial visit from Tokyo to Colombo since 2019. The Harvard-educated senior politician from Japan is expected to hold talks on the ongoing debt restructuring process which is co-chaired by the Japanese government, and new avenues of bilateral cooperation following the [...]
Top Chinese official visits Gangaramaya
China’s Vice Premier Level Communist Party Central Committee Political Bureau member Yuan Jiajun visited the Gangaramaya Temple yesterday. He is seen being welcomed by Ven. Kirinde Athsaji Thera
Online passports: Applicants complain of delays, Controller explains reasons
Although 35,000 online passport applications have been received through the new online application system at the Immigration and Emigration Department, only 3700 passports have been couriered to applicants, Controller General Harsha Ilukpitiya said. Following a number of inquiries the Sunday Times received from various individuals on delays in receiving their passports after submitting their fingerprints, [...]
Law College buildings to be revamped; Principal appeals for help
The Council of Legal Education, chaired by Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya, has taken steps to repair the dilapidated buildings at the Sri Lanka Law College and improve its facilities. The repairs will be carried out by the Central Engineering Consultancy Bureau (CECB), with Justice Ministry engineers providing assistance and advice. The relevant agreement has already [...]
New circular gags health sector workers
The Health Ministry has issued a fresh circular warning health sector workers against speaking to the media without approval from their departmental head. The circular dated July 21 issued by Health Ministry Secretary Janaka Sri Chandraguptha again directs the attention of health sector workers to the Establishment Code and Public Administration Ministry circulars on public [...]
Ranil and Modi pledge to strengthen bilateral ties, promote connectivity
Two leaders adopt Vision Document outlining key areas of cooperation In what was described as a remarkable moment in Indo-Lanka ties, the two countries’ leaders committed this week to further strengthen bilateral ties with enhancing connectivity, people to people ties and more integrated economic cooperation between the two nations in the near future. On his maiden [...]
Soaring ginger prices make tea, soup and curry bland
By Nadia Fazlulhaq The pungent and spicy flavour and aroma of fresh ginger in a cup of tea, a bowl of soup, and a dish of curry is fast disappearing in many kitchens as its prices are expected to remain high till the end of this year. The price of a kilo of ginger was [...]
Sri Lanka aims for self-sufficiency in fresh milk with Indian, French aid
By Nadia Fazlulhaq With India and France ready to assist the country’s dairy industry, being self-sufficient in milk is possible, but first authorities will have to address concerns, experts advise. This week, IDELF France Institut De L’Elevage (French Livestock Institute) and AFD (French Agency for Development) granted their preliminary approval to provide 700,000 euros (Rs.250 [...]
Spotlight on recent incidents & deaths in state health sector
NMRA Chief answers Sunday Times queries in a no-holds-barred interview and requests setting up of accredited lab to check meds By Kumudini Hettiarachchi In the wake of several incidents and deaths being reported from some state hospitals in the country, the Sunday Times asked the drug watchdog, the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) for specifics [...]
Dambulla’s botanical paradise: Re-launching a labour of love
British naval officer Sam Popham started in 1963 to conserve the biological diversity of the dry zone Priority given for villagers to provide lodging and food for eco-tourists By Tharushi Weerasinghe Popham’s Arboretum, Sri Lanka’s only botanical garden for trees in the dry-zone of Dambulla, is a five decade long labour of communal generosity and [...]
Decades-long struggle clears way for hearing-impaired to drive
A programme to provide driving licenses for hearing impaired persons islandwide will begin by January next year, Department of Motor Traffic commissioner (development) Kusalani de Silva said. For decades, the National Federation of the Deaf had been campaigning for such licenses. The World Federation of the Deaf had also urged that licences be provided to [...]
Finally, Nil Manel wins battle with imposter
Cabinet paper soon to “reinstate” its name as Lanka’s National Flower By Kumudini Hettiarachchi The saga around the Nil manel and its imposter is set to end soon, giving Sri Lanka’s National Flower its rightful name. To right the wrong done to Nil manel, the Environment Ministry will be submitting a Cabinet paper on July [...]
Lanka Phosphate Supply Officer accuses management of corruption, poor performance
By Nathara Abeywickrema The Eppawala based Lanka Phosphate Limited’s (LPL) Supply Officer who was allegedly assaulted in the presence of Primary Industries State Minister Chamara Sampath Dasanayake claims he has been made a scapegoat for the corrupt behaviour and inferior performance of the company’s management. Supply Officer Ashoka Abeysiri, who was allegedly assaulted, told the [...]
Voter registration list on display from August 15 to September 11
Major shortage of Grama Niladhari officers hampers process; one officer handles two to three divisions By Ryan Casiechetty The voter registration list is to be finalised and displayed to the people from August 15 to September 11, an Elections Commission official said. During that time period, the people are requested to check whether their [...]
First aid skills for adults may help prevent accidental child deaths
By Nadia Fazlulhaq Villagers in Thalahagama in Akuressa were left in shock and tears as they buried the lifeless body of a once bubbly one year old. Little Kehansa struggled for her life after choking on a small bottle cap while playing with her seven-year-old brother. The parents had been busy with household work [...]
Major increase soon in water supply rates
Subsidies for low-income groups, religious and educational institutions An increase of about 50 per cent in the water supply rates has been proposed by the National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSD), General Manager Wasantha Illangasinghe said. She said the increase would be implemented with minimal impact on low-income groups, those covered by social security benefits, [...]
The rise and reign of Ranil W, one year on
Can the man who is steering the bankrupt nation towards economic and political stability beat the Churchillian hoodoo, come 2024 elections For decades, Ranil Wickremesinghe had been at the butt end of jokes about being the longest-serving Leader of the Opposition in the country and of ruining what was once the Grand Old Party, the United [...]
‘Let’s prevent diabetes hitting the young’
With teenagers & those in their 20s vulnerable, SLCE President Dr. Dimuthu Muthukuda urges action right now By Kumudini Hettiarachchi Diabetes and the latest danger, are what they are trying to shout from the rooftops, so that all healthcare workers and people would heed the warning and reverse the tide, saving the younger generation from [...]
Suspects sought for setting fire to part of Trinco hotel
A part of a tourist hotel in Kuchchaveli, Trincomalee has been set on fire on July 16 at night following a long-running dispute. The suspects are said to be fishermen. The hotelier claims that the police had failed to act, so far. “This hotel was to be opened by the end of this month, and [...]