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Home » NewsControversial Pongal bull sport comes to Trinco
Jallikattu, a controversial Pongal bull sport once banned in India by its Supreme Court and later allowed, was hosted at Sampur in Trincomalee by Eastern Province Governor Senthil Thondaman, whose family takes part in this sport in Tamil Nadu. In India, animal rights groups have long protested that it is inhumane. A centuries-old sport is [...]
Revised Anti-Terror Bill before Parliament next week
Significant features: No validity in court for confessions made to police, detention orders initially only for 30 days By Damith Wickramasekara A revised Anti-Terrorism Bill will be among eight bills—four of them amendments to existing laws—due to be presented to Parliament in the first sitting week of the New Year starting next week, Justice Minister [...]
Killing of MP and police guard: AG appeals against bail order
By Ranjith Padmasiri The Attorney General has appealed to the Supreme Court (SC) to cancel the bail granted by the High Court Trial-at-Bar to 41 accused in the murder case of former Parliamentarian Amarakeerthi Atukorala and his police bodyguard on May 9, 2022, during one of the worst days of public protests. The AG has [...]
State chief accountants will be held liable for excessive expenses
The Treasury has cautioned the government’s chief accounting officers that they will be held “personally liable” for any expenditure that is not already budgeted for 2024—an expensive election year in which a primary surplus of 0.8 percent of GDP must also be achieved in line with fiscal targets. A primary surplus occurs when a country [...]
Auditors expose more scandals in drug purchases
By Namini Wijedasa An evaluation committee headed by former Health Secretary Janaka Chandraguptha not only approved counterfeit immunoglobulin and rituximab injections from the Seeduwa-based Isolez Biotech Pharma AG but also cleared the purchase of four other drugs without raising concerns about glaring discrepancies in the company’s “bid” documents, government auditors have confirmed. The ministry paid [...]
Crocodile claim at 2019 news conference: Arrest warrant on key state witness
By Ranjith Padmasiri The Colombo High Court has issued an arrest warrant for the prosecution’s main witness in a case filed against former Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne and former State Pharmaceuticals Corporation Chairman Rumy Mohamed. The case had been filed against the accused over a controversial claim made at a 2019 pre-election media conference to [...]
Deployment of SL Navy advanced offshore patrol vessel to the Red Sea still under discussion
The proposed deployment of a Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) advanced offshore patrol vessel (AOPV) to the Red Sea in support of the US-led mission against attacks on commercial ships by Yemen-based Houthi rebels is still under discussion. No date has been confirmed for the deployment, Navy Spokesman Captain Gayan Wickramasuriya told the Sunday Times. An [...]
Lankan HC presents credentials to Indian President
In New Delhi yesterday, Sri Lanka’s new High Commissioner Kshenuka Seneviratne met India’s President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapathi Bavan to present her credentials.
Colombo North Port: EIA warns of adverse impact on marine environment
The newly released environmental impact assessment (EIA) for Sri Lanka’s proposed Colombo North Port (CNP) states the project is likely to have a number of “significant adverse residual impacts” predominantly on the marine environment and recommends that the authorities weigh these against the wider economic benefits of the initiative. The 549-page EIA by AECOM Infrastructure [...]
Wide ranging powers for Truth, Unity and Reconciliation Commission
Evidence given by any person before the proposed Commission for Truth, Unity and Reconciliation in Sri Lanka will not be admissible against him or her in any civil or criminal court, according to a new bill. Gazetted by Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Sabry, the bill vests the Commission with a wide range of powers [...]
Weligama fatal shooting raises questions over communication lapses in police ops
By Sandun Jayawardana Key questions remain over the shooting at Pelana in Weligama last Sunday (31) that left a police officer dead and another injured. The dead and injured officers were part of a Colombo Crime Division (CCD) team that, police said, was on a drug raid in the area. Police Sergeant Upul Chaminda Kumara [...]
Economic crisis throws book at education: Dropouts on the rise
“When I go to the parent-teacher meeting, the teachers say that only my children have perfect attendance in their relevant grades,” said Shashikala Anthony, a 29-year-old mother of three from Station Road in Dehiwala. She and her husband are persistent in their efforts to educate their children, despite the rising cost of living. “My goal [...]
Demolition of Dehiwala beach side hotel: Allegations of politically connected motives
Hotel owner says only part of the premises was on CCD land and denies links with narcotics leaders CCD official says hotel documents not valid; admits they cannot act on other illegal buildings because of political pressure On January 1 this year, hotel proprietor Sampath Aththatage was awoken by his security men to the news that a [...]
Allegations of police abuse during raids: Alarm over public strip searches and warrantless arrests
By Tharushi Weerasinghe Public Security Minister Tiran Alles has called for an investigation and stern action against officers who harassed two youths at a stop-and-search last Wednesday. However, with the government’s recent crackdown on drug networks under its Yukthiya programme intensifying, more incidents of police harassment are reported. A youth who wished to remain anonymous [...]
CID probing whether cult-like leader had more followers
By Damith Wickremasekara The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) has launched an islandwide investigation to ascertain whether there was a successor and other followers of the cult-type leader who took his life, followed by six more related deaths. Police sources said a team has been sent to Polonnaruwa following reports that the man who had preached [...]
District secretaries told to give priority to construction projects
The Finance Ministry has written to all District Secretaries telling them to propose projects under their respective decentralised budgets by February 15 this year and to adhere to a priority list devised by the government that is heavy on construction projects. “Ensure that you set aside a minimum of 50% of your district’s total allocation [...]
VAT calculation causing consumer confusion
Even VAT unregistered companies are adding VAT burden on customers Tax expert says customers have the right to demand businesses to produce TIN number By S. Rubatheesan With the new Value Added Tax (VAT) increase coming into effect on January 1, the method of invoicing for goods and services caused much confusion among consumers as [...]
Heavier taxes begin to bite already burdened lives
By Kasun Warakapitiya A whole host of price increases began to be felt all at the same time when the Value Added Tax (VAT) came into effect this year. Charges for telephones, cooking gas, fuel and a range of goods fell within the tax increase. People are adjusting rapidly to counter the increasing cost of [...]
Dambulla raid detects onions, potatoes not fit for consumption
By Kanchana Kumara Ariyadasa The Dambulla Police and the Special Task Force of the Police attached to the same area were able to unveil a racket of selling imported rotten potatoes and big onions that could be carcinogenic. The Police identified the racket when conducting raids to check warehouses and containers used to store imported [...]
Man detected with empty cartridges shells arrested by Maligawa police
By L.B.Senaratne A man who was detected with six empty cartridge shells in his possession while entering Sri Dalada Maligawa was arrested by Maligawa police. The detection was made when his bag was being scanned before entering the Maligawa. The man from Kegalle had told police that he was in possession of a legal firearm [...]
Deluge continues to cause widespread damage
More than 25,000 people belonging to 7,812 families are undergoing hardships due to the prevailing weather, with the most affected areas being the Uva, Eastern, Sabaragamuwa, Central, North Eastern, and North Western Provinces. The onset of the northeast monsoon season has brought flooding, landslides, mudflows, and other related disruptions in mostly the northern parts of [...]
Tourists enter country on dark expressway, as Police and CEB drag feet
By Nathara Abeywickrema For more than six months, thieves have cut high-voltage electricity cables on the Katunayake-Colombo Expressway, making it impossible to turn on lights. Authorities are struggling to get the connection back, mainly due to the high cost of restoring the wiring. As a result, drivers on the expressway travel in the dark. Tourists [...]
Major boost for stroke care
Health Ministry’s first National Guidelines for Management of Stroke launched By Kumudini Hettiarachchi It is the ‘ideal’ marriage between health administrators and clinicians, bringing forth renewed help and hope in the New Year for the hapless stroke patients of Sri Lanka. The Health Ministry’s first-ever ‘National Guidelines for Management of Stroke in Sri Lanka’ were [...]
Thousands more afflicted by dengue; nationwide initiative begins today
By Nathara Abeywickrema To combat dengue fever, nationwide programmes involving security forces and health officials will begin today, starting from the Nugegoda Medical Officer of Health (MOH) area. The National Dengue Control Unit’s Consultant Community Physician, Dr. Nimalka Pannila Hetti, said that in the first five days of January alone, 1,085 dengue patients have been [...]
330 birds in suspicious Suriname cargo handed over to importer until probe concludes
By Kasun Warakapitiya The customs has allowed ‘safe custody’ of more than 300 birds to an importer to hold them at his premises at Hambantota until an investigation is completed. Customs media spokesman Seevali Arukkgoda told the Sunday Times that a shipment of the 330 birds that arrived following an earlier shipment of exotic birds [...]
Man-made canal splits Godahewa fishing harbour into two
Pix and text by Rahul Samantha Hettiarachchi A private company has dug a canal through the Godahewa beach area in the Hambantota District to channel lagoon water. This man-made waterway now cuts the fishing harbour in two, making life difficult for local fishermen. Fishermen say that, apart from distorting the natural beauty of the lagoon, [...]
Veggie prices soar to unprecedented levels
By Dilushi Wijesinghe Caught in a whirlpool of econ-omic hardships, farmers across the island continue to suffer as indirect implications of the Value Added Tax (VAT), with further contributing factors such as the weather triggering a dizzying rise in the prices of vegetables. Although the VAT effective from January 1 does not directly contribute to [...]
Faustian Bargains, Forlorn Love & a Serial Killing Plant: A Cult Classic Brought to Life
“Little Shop of Horrors” is a hybrid dark comedy that is an award winning musical and a popular film that has attained cult status. This is a story that interlaces romance, science fiction with horror and comedy making it a truly one of a kind, at-the-edge-of-your-seat experience. The Overseas School of Colombo (OSC) staged this [...]