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Home » NewsSustainable ocean use highlighted at IORA meeting
The Blue Economy is a term used in economics that refers to the sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods, and jobs, while preserving the health of marine and coastal ecosystems. This was the focus of the Indian Ocean Rim Association’s ministerial meeting, which was held in Colombo this week and presided [...]
EC in fresh bid to hold local council polls
Requests initial funding of Rs. 2.2 billion from Treasury and the balance in three months By Damith Wickremasekara The Election Commission, in a fresh effort to revive the conduct of the local council elections, has sent a revised schedule to the Treasury requesting money for the polls. According to the revised schedule, the Commission has said [...]
Treasury raps state agencies not following transparency rules in procurement
Despite strict regulations being issued to publish procurement notices on a digital portal if the cost exceeds Rs 200 million in keeping with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) guidelines, most of the state agencies have failed to publish them on the digital platform, the Treasury said. According to a circular issued by the Treasury’s Public [...]
Health Ministry blunders again: Two more drugs bought from firm that allegedly forged papers
By Namini Wijedasa The Health Ministry had ordered two more medications from the same company that had supplied its Medical Supplies Division (MSD) with counterfeit human immunoglobulin which triggered adverse patient reactions in three major hospitals, it has been revealed. The local company, Isolez Biotech Pharma AG, had secured these tenders—as it did with human [...]
Delay in appointing permanent tax chief paralyses IRD, affects revenue collection and other key functions
The continued delay in appointing a permanent Commissioner General (CG) has become a huge obstacle for the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) to achieve its tax revenue targets, officials have warned the government. The IRD has functioned under an acting Commissioner General for the past one and a half months since the retirement of D.R.S. Hapuarachchi [...]
No let-up in monsoon mayhem
By Jayani Madawala The Meteorological Department predicts that the current monsoon will likely continue for a few more days. Most areas witnessed rainfall over the week, causing severe damage, especially in the south. The Department of Meteorology said Uva, Central, and Eastern provinces experienced heavy showers, with rainfall totals topping 75 millimetres. Fairly heavy showers, [...]
Sacking of SLMC Vice President: Special council meeting to be convened at last
Sources say decision follows agitation by members By Kumudini Hettiarachchi The Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) is due to hold a much-sought-after special council meeting on October 23, to discuss the sacking of its Vice President (VP) by Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella at the end of September on the pretext of “reconstituting” the board of [...]
SC rulings on AJP, SJB party expulsions
Parliamentarian Ven Athuraliye Rathana Thera will keep his parliamentary seat after the Supreme Court (SC) ruled that the decision by Ape Janabala Party (AJP) to expel him from party membership was not valid in law. The Disciplinary Committee of AJP had sent a letter to Ven Rathana Thera on October 15, 2021 informing him of [...]
AG refuses to appear for State unis cited as respondents over ragging incident
The Attorney General (AG) has refused to appear for any of the 16 State universities cited as respondents in a fundamental rights petition filed in the Supreme Court (SC) over a ragging incident. The SC had ordered all 16 State universities to submit comprehensive reports on ragging incidents that had been reported in their universities [...]
High Court Trial-at-Bar against Easter Sunday accused commences
By Ranjith Padmasiri The High Court Trial-at-Bar against 24 accused in the Easter Sunday attacks commenced this week, with the Attorney General stating that the trial is meant to provide justice to the victims of the terrorist attacks on churches and hotels in 2019. A total of 23,270 indictments have been filed against the accused [...]
Arrangements in place for students in the South to sit for Scholarship exam
By Dilushi Wijesinghe The scholarship examination will be held today, and standby arrangements are in place to overcome any hurdles caused by adverse weather conditions in the Southern Province, authorities say. Walasmulla Zonal Education Director Channa Upali Weerasekara told the Sunday Times that the exam will be held as scheduled. The Meteorology Department reports say [...]
Inclement weather a blow to tourism in the South
The recent floods in the southern province have hit the tourism industry, which was on a slow recovery path. “We have lost all hopes for the upcoming December season,” Unawatuna Hoteliers’ Association president Nimal Geeganage said. He said many hotels in the region have stopped preparatory work for the December season due to the weather [...]
Prasanna Vithanage’s film Paradise wins Kim Jiseok Award
Famous film maker Prasanna Vithanage was awarded the Kim Jiseok Award at the Busan International Film Festival, in South Korea on Friday. He received the award for his film “Paradise” which shared the award with Mirlan Abdykalykov’s film ‘’Bride Kidnapping’’. Vithanage’s film stars Roshan Mathew, Darshana Rajendran, Shyam Fernando, and Mahendra Perera.
Airmail to four countries suspended due to delay in signing deal with airline
The dispatch of airmail to four countries has been suspended due to a delay in signing an agreement with an international airline, a Postal Department senior official said. Accordingly, the Postal Department has stopped sending airmail to Cypress, the Czech Republic, Poland, and Iran on this airline. The agreement has been proposed following the installation [...]
After 40 years, maiden passenger ferry journey from India to KKS
By S. Rubatheesan A ferry carrying 50 Indian passengers from Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu reached Kankesanthurai (KKS) yesterday, marking the resumption of Indo-Lanka sea connectivity across the Palk Strait after four decades The ferry, Cheriyapani, reached the northern KKS harbour around 12.15 p.m. yesterday after a journey of more than three hours from Nagapattinam. The [...]
Chop, chop, chop not the answer to avert tree tragedies
Horticulture and Landscape Gardening expert Prof. Kapila Yakandawala stresses the importance of a Tree Management Plan to safeguard the lungs of our cities while ensuring the safety of the public By Kumudini Hettiarachchi A Tree Registry and a comprehensive Tree Management Plan are essential for urban areas to prevent tragedies such as Colombo’s Duplication Road [...]
Immunoglobulin saga: Every new morsel of info that emerges raises more questions than answers
By Namini Wijedasa Health Authorities still don’t know what was in the human immunoglobulin 5g vials that were sold to its Medical Supplies Division (MSD) by a local company named Isolez Biotech Pharma AG, purportedly on the basis of “fake” waivers of registration (WoR) containing the “forged” signature and stamp of the National Medicines Regulatory [...]
Police inspector slain over gang retribution
The slaying of a Police Inspector in the southern province was a contract of an underworld gang, investigations have revealed. Inspector Dadimuni Balendrasinghe was shot dead in Rathgama earlier this week as he was returning home after a court case. The Special Task Force (STF) during an operation shot dead one of the suspects believed [...]
Passenger’s timely brake saves lives as bus driver suffers heart attack
By L B Senaratrne Who was the Good Samaritan who rescued 100 passengers from death when the bus driver fell unconscious due to a heart attack just before the Kadugannawa steep hill on the boundaries of Mawanella-Pilimathalawa? Fifty years ago, a truck full of devotees — nearly 50 returning from Kandy — went off the [...]
Import restrictions lifted, but importers say complex factors influence high price of goods
By Kasun Warakapitiya Although import restrictions were lifted for textile products, ceramics, and electrical devices this week, prices remained unchanged. The government issued a gazette extraordinary, dated Monday, October 9, to lift import restrictions on all items except vehicles. Items such as men’s, women’s, and children’s clothing, household electronic items, bathware, air conditioners, refrigerators, freezers, [...]
‘‘I was one of the cancer ‘cases’ of 2020’’
First Lady Prof. Maithree Wickramasinghe talks publicly for the first time of her experience and what SL can do with regard to early detection By Kumudini Hettiarachchi The year was 2020. There were 3,975 new cases of breast cancer detected that year and the current First Lady was one of them. “I was one of these [...]
IORA winds up with the adoption of Colombo Communiqué and openings for bilateral discussions
The Indian Ocean Rim Association Meetings Conclude in Colombo this week with spin-off opportunities for bilateral discussions. On Wednesday, October 11, the Indian Ocean Rim Association’s (IORA) Council of Ministers came together in Colombo for their 23rd meeting. At this meeting Sri Lanka took over the chairmanship of the IORA, an inter-governmental organisation aimed at [...]
Lost in the process of Aswesuma
What happens to the Mathurams, Fatimas, Nilukas and others who have been left out of a social welfare scheme meant to help the very people like them By Mimi Alphonsus and Dilushi Wijesinghe Senior citizens Benedict Silva and his wife, Mathuram, were Samurdhi recipients. Earlier this year, Mr. Silva contracted severe kidney disease and they [...]
Survey reveals irregular tourism operators lacking ‘green’ credentials can harm industry
By Wasantha Ramanayake One of the biggest challenges of the tourism industry is to educate informal tourism operators about sustainable tourism practices and integrate their knowledge into their operations to attract more tourists, industry experts and academics say. Around 90% of the informal sector tourist organisations have little knowledge of sustainable tourism, said Colombo University [...]
No en masse Sri Lankan returnees from Israel despite conflict
One Sri Lankan feared dead, one reported missing and one released from hospital, following attack by Hamas on October 7 Fears of ripple effect on tourism here By Sandun Jayawardana Though the conflict between Israel and Hamas has escalated dramatically over the past week, there has been no exodus of Sri Lankans residing in Israel. [...]
The old town hall is still standing though the paint is cracked and dry…
Story and pix by Nilan Maligaspe The historical old town hall building located at Pettah is another tourist attraction but urgently needs a colour wash. The old town hall building was constructed in 1873 by then British Governor William Henry Gregory. The building which was built in the style of English architecture was constructed by [...]