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Addressing the United National Party special convention held yesterday at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium under the theme “a smart country’, President Ranil Wickremesinghe produced document after document to stress the achievements of the government under his presidency. He is seen here waving a gazette notification on the enactment of the Anti-Corruption Act. Pic by Eshan [...]
West Asia war: Moves to counter impact on fuel and gas supplies
CPC says it will strategically deploy dollar reserves and expedite tankage projects By Sandun Jayawardena As the conflict between Israel and Hamas rages in West Asia, authorities in Sri Lanka are making plans to prepare for any potential impact on the supply of oil and gas from the region. The Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) is [...]
President says presidential election next year; other elections to follow
By Kasun Warakapitiya President Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday announced the conduct of the presidential election next year (2024), followed by the parliamentary elections and the provincial council elections in 2025. “In accordance with the Constitution, the presidential election would be held next year, followed by parliamentary elections and the provincial elections in early 2025,” the President [...]
Health sector turmoil: New Customs rule leads to pile of medical products
By Namini Wijedasa Medical products are piling up at the Colombo Port owing to delays by the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) CEO in signing the paperwork to clear shipments, pharmaceutical companies said, warning that this will affect supplies in the private sector. Further backlogs are feared as the Customs Department has suddenly introduced a [...]
President clinches assurances from China; visit of research ship remains unresolved
By Our Diplomatic Editor President Ranil Wickremesinghe concluded a three-day working visit this week to China where he clinched assurances of support for Sri Lanka, addressing its current economic difficulties and alleviating its debt burden. China, one of Sri Lanka’s largest creditors, announced last month prior to the Sri Lankan Presidential visit that its official [...]
Limit online meetings to Tuesdays and Fridays: Circular to top officials
The Secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration has instructed top government officials to only hold online meetings with District and Divisional Secretaries on Tuesdays and Fridays following complaints from the public that the officials were frequently unavailable due to such meetings. The circular by Public Administration Ministry Secretary Ranjith Asoka, and addressed to all [...]
Plans to allow vehicle imports from next year
By Damith Wickremasekara The government is to introduce a vehicle import policy from next year, depending on the availability of foreign reserves, a senior official said. An expert committee comprising representatives from the Treasury, the Central Bank, the Presidential Secretariat, and vehicle importers is drawing up a policy, which will have to be approved by [...]
X-Press Pearl disaster: Court rejects preliminary objections by the accused
The Colombo High Court has dismissed the preliminary objections raised by the eight accused, who are facing criminal charges for the pollution caused by the X-Press Pearl disaster. Dismissing the preliminary objections of the accused, who argued that the Attorney General had no power to continue the criminal case filed under the Marine Pollution Prevention [...]
Easter Sunday massacre: Trial proceeds amidst tight security
Following a statement made by an accused in an unrelated case about plans for a new terror attack, heavy security was seen at the Colombo High Court as the trial against 25 accused in the Easter Sunday attack continued for the second week. For the fourth day in a row, an officer, who was part [...]
Wall dispute in Kollupitiya goes to police
A dispute among residents over an unauthorised construction in Kollupitiya is being probed by police. A senior police officer said that the parties concerned have been summoned for an inquiry. He said that the CMC had informed the residents who are trying to erect a wall towards the middle of 6th Lane in Kollupitiya, that [...]
Black fungal infection spreads: Warning to high-risk patients
By Nadia Fazlulhaq Public hospital directors have been instructed to immediately report any suspected case of mucormycosis, or ‘black fungus’, a fungal infection that can turn fatal for high-risk groups. “The Department of Mycology at the Medical Research Institute (MRI) has noticed a massive, sudden increase in the number of mucormycosis patients in 2022 and [...]
Thrice-struck people hit out at recent electricity tariff hike; CEB, PUCSL justify it
By Nathara Abeywickrema Angry people are hitting out at the government in the aftermath of the 18 percent hike in electricity tariffs imposed by the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) with approval from the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL). This being the third electricity tariff hike for this year alone, people have been forced [...]
Sarath Mahinda’s saga: Just one among the 1.23mn ‘vulnerable’ segment of Colombo
By Dilushi Wijesinghe Although last year was labelled a “recovery period,” following the economic crisis that hit the country in 2021,a policy report based on the Multidimensional Vulnerability Index derived from the United Nations Development Program’s (UNDP) National Citizen Survey for 2022-2023 revealed that more than six in ten Sri Lankans are multi-dimensionally vulnerable. Sri [...]
‘We are apprehensive of the situation but we will stay on’: Lankans in Israel
Sri Lanka’s representative in Palestine says Mission is in daily contact with 17 Lankans in Gaza By Sandun Jayawardana As diplomatic efforts continue to avert the conflict between Israel and Hamas from spiralling into a wider Middle East war, Sri Lankans in Israel say that while they are apprehensive about developments, they have no intention [...]
Tragedy awakens councillors to check Colombo’s trees
The Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) has sprung into action and is chopping off branches and removing trees as more complaints have been received by residents and state and private offices. This follows the tragic incident where a tree on the side of Duplication Road crashed into an SLTB bus, killing five passengers and injuring 17. [...]
Schools in danger zones need disaster prevention help
Heavy downpours during the past few weeks have left schools with old buildings, neglected boundary walls, and those located on loose soil, urgently requiring the attention of education authorities. This week, a fourth-grade student escaped with minor injuries when a rain-soaked wall collapsed onto the school toilet, causing heavy damage. “We have been raising concerns [...]
High winds and more thunderstorms predicted
The active south-west monsoon will further bring heavy rain and strong winds across the country, the Meteorological Department warns. While many parts of the country will experience heavy rain at times, the biggest concern is for the Uva, Central, and Eastern provinces. Showers or thundershowers will occur over most parts of the island after 2 [...]
Sri Lanka’s mining industry buried in corruption while unexploited resources just sit in the ground
Capital Metals PLC (CMET) is a global mineral sands company whose experiences in Sri Lanka illustrate why a thorough shakeup in the mining industry is long overdue. The London Stock Exchange-quoted business paired up in 2016 with Damsila Exports (Pvt) Ltd, a Sri Lankan company that had exploration licences for mineral sands issued by the [...]
Court grants bail to suspects who threatened businessman
The Trincomalee Magistrate’s Court granted bail for two individuals who were taken into custody over an attempt to cause life threats to a businessman in Nilaveli, Trincomalee. The businessman, Selvarajah Suthakaran who lives in Mahabage, Ragama lodged a complaint with the Police about attempts by a group against him in February last year after they [...]
Probe to assess earth slip threat to last king’s palace
The Archaeological Department and the Irrigation Department have launched a joint investigation in the precincts of the old palace building in the Dalada Maligawa complex after an earth slip occurred in the moat area, which is under rehabilitation. The United States granted Rs 51 million in 2012 for the conservation of the old palace building. [...]