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Home » NewsHigh security alert for Easter vigil
Today is Easter Sunday. It was on an Easter Sunday in 2019 that terrorists attacked churches and hotels killing and injuring hundreds of people. The arguments on who were behind the attacks continue to this day. Last night as the Easter vigils began, there was tight security with the police special task force and the [...]
Sri Lanka seeks 5-year debt relief during London creditor talks
China expresses willingness to negotiate relief measures; work with IMF By Bandula Sirimanna Sri Lanka is seeking a loan repayment moratorium for its US$ 12 billion bilateral debts until 2028 during the ongoing talks in London with bondholders on debt restructuring as the country still grapples to emerge from the economic crisis, a Finance Ministry [...]
State institutions called upon to provide monthly reports online to IRD
By S. Rubatheesan Key government institutions are required to provide either real-time or monthly information through an electronic platform to the Commissioner General of Inland Revenue (CGIR) on all business transactions and property transfers from tomorrow, according to a new gazette notification. Accordingly, the Registrar General’s Department is required to provide information monthly about ownership [...]
Cabinet decides to repeal tax that led to sugar scam
IMF describes Special Commodity Levy as unusual; new stable and more transparent tax to replace it By Namini Wijedasa The Cabinet has decided to repeal a 17-year-old tax law which was at the centre of the “sugar scam” that cost the government nearly Rs. 16 billion in “foregone revenue” from 2020 to 2021. The Special Commodity [...]
CA quashes political victimisation panel’s findings against the Yahapalana Govt.
By Ranjith Padmasiri The Commission of Inquiry (CoI) to Investigate Allegations of Political Victimisation during the Yahapalana Government had acted outside its legal mandate, the Court of Appeal (CA) has ruled. The CA on Monday issued a writ order quashing the recommendations and findings of the CoI headed by retired Supreme Court Justice Upali Abeyratne. [...]
Police arrest woman who claimed her life was under threat
By Shane Seneviratne Police have arrested a woman for making false claims that her life was under threat. They made the arrest after a probe in response to her complaint to Central Province Senior Deputy Inspector General Lalith Pathinayake. The probe led by SSP Anuruddha Bandaranayake and Crime Division OIC Tilak Samaranayke revealed that the [...]
X-Press Pearl disaster: Singapore transport safety body finds fault with crew and Colombo port
The Transport Safety Investigation Bureau of Singapore has found a string of shortcomings on the part of the ship crew and the Colombo Port, leading to the X-Press Pearl disaster. Among the findings was that when the leak from the container was first detected at the Port of Hamad in Qatar, despite it having placards [...]
Three senior SLFPers lose posts, vow to challenge party decision in court
Minister Mahinda Amaraweera, State Minister Lasantha Alagiyawanna and parliamentarian Duminda Dissanayake yesterday vowed to take legal action against the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) for removing them from their positions in the party without prior notice. The MPs held the positions of senior vice president, treasurer, and national organiser of the party, respectively. They were [...]
CEB engineers seek major changes in power sector reform procedure
By Niranjala Ariyawansha The Ceylon Electricity Board Engineers Union (CEBEU) has requested President Ranil Wickremesinghe that a Cabinet Sub-Committee be appointed for the reform procedure in the power sector. “We, as CEBEU, earnestly request your intervention in arranging a consultative process before the approval of the electricity sector reform bill by the Cabinet of Ministers. [...]
Panel discussion on disaster risk management and climate change held at LKI
A panel discussion on ‘Enhancing disaster risk management and climate change response: Collaborative efforts by Japan and Australia in IORA member countries’, organised by the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute (LKI) took place on March 28, at the lighthouse auditorium of the institute. Speaking on the contribution of Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute (LKI) to the Indian Ocean Rim [...]
‘Daunting task’: Cranes arrive to clear bridge debris
BALTIMORE: Three heavy lift floating cranes arrived in Baltimore harbour on Friday (Mar 29) to begin what Maryland’s governor described as a “remarkably complex operation” to clear crumpled girders from a collapsed bridge taken down by an errant container ship. “To see it up close, you realise just how daunting a task this is,” Maryland [...]
Baltimore bridge disaster: Vessel carried containers for transhipment from Colombo
By Sunimalee Dias The Sri Lanka-bound vessel that struck a bridge just outside the Port of Baltimore in the US was carrying more than 500 containers to be unloaded at the Colombo Port for transshipment to India. The Singapore-flagged ‘Dali’ container vessel chartered by Danish shipping giant Maersk collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge [...]
Crumbling pottery industry has potters worried
Pix and text by K.R. Rajamanthri The dawn of the Sinhala and Tamil New Year sees a pot of clay filled with milk in many households. However, in recent times, the pottery industry has faced many obstacles, as voiced by potters in the Welimada area. Shashika Udayamali, a potter from Dambawinna, Welimada, said that the [...]
Hot weather to continue in spite of scattered showers
By Jayanie Madawala The Meteorology Department said showers will occur in some provinces, while a cautionary Heat Index is expected in other parts. The department predicts that the current hot weather will last until the middle of April. The decrease in wind speed and cloud cover are the main causes of the prevailing scorching weather. [...]
High-powered delegations to China and India emphasise importance of strengthening bilateral economic collaboration
The need to further strengthen bilateral economic collaboration was highlighted during visits by two high-powered delegations to China and India this week. A delegation led by Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena arrived in China on Monday (25) for a six-day official visit. During the visit, the PM held discussions with Chinese President Xi Jingping, Premier Li [...]
CA allows AG to make submissions on Dr Kapila Wickremanayake’s bail application
By Ranjith Padmasiri The Court of Appeal has allowed the Attorney General to make submissions next Monday on a bail application on behalf of Dr Kapila Wickremanayake, former Director of the Medical Supplies Division (MSD) currently in custody over theimport of substandard immunoglobulin. The bail application had been taken up before Justice D N Samarakoon [...]
BoI companies allowed to import electric vehicle, with conditions
By Namini Wijedasa The Government has issued a regulation allowing Board of Investment (BoI) companies to import a single electric rechargeable vehicle up to the value of US$ 30,000 with customs duty exemption on cost, insurance and freight (CIF). The regulation, issued earlier this month, is pursuant to a Cabinet decision taken in September last [...]
Moratuwa medical students yearn for tooled up specialist training unit
By Nathara Abeywickrema Professorial units are widely acknowledged as being crucial to undergraduate and graduate medical education, but students at the University of Moratuwa’s faculty of medicine are encountering numerous challenges in the absence of such a unit and suitable learning environment. The faculty needs to meet certain basic criteria to deliver a sound academic [...]
‘Vernolac’: Ayurveda Commissioner General instructs to stop all forms of advertising
By Kumudini Hettiarachchi Halt the commercial advertising in any form including on TV of ‘Vernolac’, a high-level Ayurveda official has instructed, hot on the heels of a Sunday Times expose last Sunday. ‘Vernolac’, supposedly a herbal nutraceutical, has been produced by the Institute of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (IBMBB) of the University of Colombo [...]
UNESCO to commemorate International Day of Vesak in line with UN resolution
The Executive Board of UNESCO this week adopted by acclamation a decision to commemorate the International Day of Vesak at UNESCO. The decision was adopted without debate at UNESCO’s 219th Session and was based on the historic UN General Assembly Resolution 54/115 of 1999 on International Recognition of Vesak at the United Nations which was [...]
Police and military presence increased
Heavy security for more than 2,000 Catholic churches will continue throughout the day for Easter Sunday services today. According to Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) and Police Spokesman Nihal Thalduwa, over 10,000 security personnel including Police, special task force (STF) and armed forces would be deployed. The Police have deployed around 6,900 Police personnel [...]
Fire safety regulations go up in smoke as corruption, deception hold sway
By Mimi Alphonsus Fires this week at a tyre shop in Armour Street, Grandpass, and the NOLIMIT clothing establishment in Wellawatte have reignited serious concerns over fire safety. According to the Fire Service Department (FSD), both buildings had neglected fire safety measures, raising the issue of compliance across Colombo. But they also said FSD is [...]
Teachers at Yahala Arawa Maha Vidyalaya hold free night school for students
By K.R.Rajamanthri A free night school programme set up to help students of the Welimada educational zone is being carried out at the Yahala Arawa Maha Vidyalaya, in Uwa Paranagama. The school’s principal, Rohana Bandara, told the Sunday Times that the initiative started over a year ago to help improve the quality of education for [...]
Govt’s nutrition-boosting school meal programme: Suppliers face bitter reality
By Hafsa Sabry With the focus on addressing the nutritional deficiency in primary schoolchildren and bolstering their academic performance, the government has resumed the school mid-day meal programme, but it has faced some snags. The Education Ministry’s School Food and Nutrition Director, Ganga Dilhani, emphasised that the primary objective of this initiative was to enhance [...]
Those familiar “issovadai” carts on Galle Face Green may soon be a thing of the past
The Sri Lanka Port Management & Consultancy Services say it’s about sanitation but questions arise whether it’s more to do with gentrification By Mimi Alphonsus When renowned global TV chef and documentarian, Anthony Bourdain, tried street food on Galle Face Green for his episode in Sri Lanka in 2017, the public seaside walkway bustled with [...]
Plan to move sellers into underground shops: Director SLPMCS
Managing Director of SLPMCS Suraj Kathurusinghe said they had a list of 19 vendors who have worked at Galle Face for a long time but that they did not hold official permits. The plan is to move the sellers into 10 existing underground shops, he said, adding that more than one can occupy each if [...]
Give Kalmunai North Division its due status, protesters demand
Locals allege interference by Kalmunai South and discrimination over development, land, and financial matters By Wasantha Chandrapala and S. Rubatheesan The scorching sun and intermittent rains have not deterred the women and men protesting outside the Divisional Secretary office in Kalmunai North, a Tamil populated area in Ampara, since Monday. Their longstanding demand has been [...]
Batik wars: Imports vs local producers
Text and pictures by Hiran Priyankara Jayasinghe The local batik industry has been hit hard by illegal imports of printed Indian material. Batik producers complain that the Indian printed batik sarongs and clothing items have reached Pettah markets for lesser prices, affecting the sales of local batik products. The local Batik Manufacturers Association (BMA) pointed [...]
Pre-festive checks uncover fakes and hidden rice stock
By Dilushi Wijesinghe With the Sinhala and Tamil New Year approaching, the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) and Public Health Inspectors (PHIs) have intensified raids to prevent possible scarcities and the exploitation of consumers in the coming days. Director of Raids and Special Investigation of the CAA Sanjaya Irasinghe told the Sunday Times that warehouses of [...]
Shangri-La pares losses; hotels, mall, and apartments generating billions
By Kapila Bandara Hong Kong-based luxury hotels owner and operator Shangri-La Asia Ltd, which owns hotels in Colombo and Hambantota, and a mall and apartments on Galle Face, has reported a US$1.9 million loss for the year ended December 31, 2023. It was a sharp reduction in loss from 2022, when the hotels in Sri [...]
EC to set spending limits for presidential and upcoming polls
New campaign finance laws come into force to ensure level playing field, prevent misuse of state resources Ban on donations, contributions from govt. depts, corporations, corporate bodies and foreign groups Commission to set the expenditure ceiling in consultation with political parties, independent groups By Sandun Jayawardana All upcoming national elections will be subject to [...]
Fleeing bankrupt Lankan homes, overseas job-seekers opt to die in fight for their lives
By Niranjala Ariyawansha Thousands of Sri Lankans have fallen prey to job-related scams over the years, with the latest being ‘jobs’ as mercenaries in the Russia-Ukraine war. State Minister of Defence Pramitha Bandara Tennakoon believes that a foreign country has been active as an “illegal job hub” in sending Sri Lankans as mercenaries. He told [...]