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Home » NewsAll eyes on likely presidential candidates
With the Election Commission this week annnouncing that the presidential election be held on a date between September 16 and October 16, all eyes are on likely candidates. Businessman Dhammika Perera , touted as a possible SLPP candidate, is seen here in a conversation with President and possible presidential candidate Ranil Wickremesinghe at an event [...]
EC and President’s Office clash over development projects
Polls chief says proposed community advisory committees could be misued by local council candidates; President’s Office says commission’s objection untenable By Damith Wickremasekara The Election Commission and the President’s Office are at sharp variance over a fresh directive on the proposed community advisory committees at the local government level to carry out supervision of development [...]
Lanka co-sponsors Palestine membership resolution in UNGA
Sri Lanka was among the 77 countries that co-sponsored the UN General Assembly resolution that was approved on Friday to grant Palestine full membership in the world body. Palestine has only observer status at the UN. The resolution was adopted by an overwhelming 143 member-states voting in favour, while nine voted against and 25 abstained. [...]
Remand custody, appeal duration to be deducted from jail terms
Time spent in remand custody and time taken for the hearing of the appeal will be reduced from the total jail term after parliament approves an amendment to the Penal Code, Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe told the Sunday Times. He said the amendment was being moved as some of the prisoners spent more time in [...]
Mobitel upgraded visa system at no cost to Govt
The decision to outsource online and on-arrival tourist visa processing to three foreign companies was made despite national telecom provider SLT-Mobitel having already partially upgraded the existing electronic travel authorisation (ETA) system at the request of the Immigration Department at no cost to the government. The fee charged by SLT-Mobitel was to have been US$ [...]
Sri Lanka named once again for grants under ADB’s biggest special fund
By Kapila Bandara Sri Lanka was once again named among the developing countries that will get grants for four years from 2025 under a multibillion-dollar dedicated fund of the Asian Development Bank. The Asian Development Fund of the ADB gives grants (funds do not have to be repaid) for specific challenges and supports climate change [...]
Superior courts vacancies now stand at 7; fears of case backlog mount
By Ranjith Padmasiri The number of vacancies in the superior courts has risen to seven, hampering their functions. There are two vacancies in the Supreme Court and five in the Court of Appeal. All the vacancies have been created by retirement of judges. Filling the vacancies has become problematic owing to the deadlock between President [...]
Importation of fully electric vehicles for Lankan migrant workers stalled as CoPF raises questions
By S. Rubatheesan A Parliament Oversight Committee has put brakes on an Extraordinary Gazette notification seeking to extend the period of importing fully electric vehicles for Sri Lankan migrant workers, citing a lack of transparency and alleged discrepancies in the scheme. When the Committee on Public Finance (CoPF) convened last week under the chairmanship of [...]
Much awaited ferry service resumes again from KKS, Jaffna to Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu
With only USD 114 for a return ticket, travellers from across the Palk Straits can travel between Kankesanthurai (KKS), Jaffna to Nagapattinam of Tamil Nadu as the much awaited ferry service is scheduled to resume operations from tomorrow onwards. The one-way ticket price inclusive of taxes for ferry service, which covers 60 nautical miles (110 [...]
Monsoon rains to play big role in electricity tariff revision in July
By Niranjala Ariyawansha The next electricity tariff revision, which is done once every three months, is due to be carried out in July, according to the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) Chairman, Professor Manjula Fernando. He told the Sunday Times the tariff revision would depend on the intensity of the southwest monsoon rains [...]
Nine injured when bus goes off road and topples in Mailapitiya
By Shane Seneviratne Nine people were injured when a bus travelling from Hanguranketha to Kandy ran off the road and toppled over in the Mailapitiya area yesterday. Police said that the injured were admitted to Kandy National Hospital and the Base Hospital Rikillagaskada. The driver and conductor of the bus were among the injured.
Festering pay tangle scuttles uni operations, unions dig in their heels
By Nathara Abeywickrema Academic work across all universities has been brought to a standstill due to an ongoing strike led by non-academic staff. The strike began at noon on Thursday. Non-academics are complaining that their salaries have been cut by 15% and that monthly allowances have not been increased. Peradeniya University’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Terrance [...]
Lankan fishermen arrested by Myanmar repatriated
A group of fishermen who had been arrested by the Myanmar Coast Guard were repatriated to Sri Lanka. They arrived at the Bandaranaike International Airport at Katunayake yesterday. The group consisted of 15 Lankan fishermen who were held captive in Myanmar prisons. At the airport the fishermen were arrested by airport officers of the human [...]
Our corals have begun to bleach once again for the heat, warns ocean expert
Health official asks the elderly especially to take precautions five deaths reported from the north By Dilushi Wijesinghe The prevailing heat is likely to go down in the coming days, and showers of 75–100 mm are to be expected in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, Central, and Wayamba provinces by next month, Meteorology Department Director General [...]
Legislation to address environment protection, climate change: Ranil at SL Climate Summit President Ranil Wickremesinghe has emphasised ongoing efforts to enact unified legislation addressing environmental protection and climate change. He also highlighted the Government’s commitment to crafting economic policies geared not only towards fostering export-oriented competitiveness but also towards transitioning to a green economy, aiming [...]
Anawilundawa Ramsar wetland becomes dumping grounds
Story and pix by Hiran Priyankara Environmentalists have expressed concern over the safety of the Anawilundawa Ramsar wetland as a private land owner had been illegally filling land using waste metal. Environmentalist Ajith Gihan of the Wayamaba Handa environmental organisation pointed out that the Anawilundawa Ramsar wetland has been once more threatened yet none of [...]
Third petition filed challenging appointment of CIABOC DG
A third petition has been filed challenging the appointment of the Director General of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC). The petitioner, Dr M V B Ralapanawe, states that the appointment of W K D Wijeratne as the DG of CIABOC is a “blatant violation” of the Constitution, the Anti-Corruption Act [...]
Policeman saves woman from attempted suicide
By A G Wickremesinghe A traffic sergeant rescued a woman who attempted to commit suicide by jumping off a bridge into the Kalu Ganga in Ratnapura. The incident occurred last Sunday around 1.15 pm when the 35-year-old woman had jumped off from the Ratnapura Warakathota Bridge and into the river. Sergeant Chaturanga Saman Gallage and [...]
Body of man who drowned saving Ukrainian tourist yet to be retrieved
Strong currents preventing retrieval operations A three-wheel driver who saved the life of a foreign tourist caught in a strong sea current at Ahangama had fallen victim to the current and drowned. For a week the Police and residents have been trying to salvage the body wedged between two rocks, but were unsuccessful due to [...]
Serious concern over 40,000 quacks
Call for Medical Registry for GPs at double celebration of CGPSL and WONCA SAR By Kumudini Hettiarachchi They are privy not only to our health needs but also our social and psychological status. They stand by us in times of joy and times of sorrow. They are the specialist General Practitioners (GPs) or Family Physicians [...]
Ex-army suspects exploiting desperate soldiers for Ukraine-Russia combat cash
By Hafsa Sabry Yet again, news of Sri Lankan soldiers being smuggled for combat in the Russian-Ukrainian war under false promises of serving in the army as camp helpers and obtaining residency within four years has shed light on organised human trafficking. The main suspects this time are an army major and a sergeant. They [...]
Govt. backpaddles on visa issue but questions still remain
By Sandun Jayawardana Stung by intense criticism of the chaotic rollout of its new electronic and on-arrival visa regime to enter Sri Lanka, the government has been forced to backpaddle hurriedly to avoid a catastrophic hit to the island’s tourism industry. The controversy continues however, with many questions remaining unanswered. The agreement signed between the [...]
Fraudulent job agents bilking hundreds of millions; bureau urges agency check on website
By Hafsa Sabry The recent discovery of 148 passports outside a non-residential property in the Mattegoda area by a villager has sparked concerns not only about potential personal data breaches and safety but also about continuing multi-million rupee scams by unregistered recruitment agencies. Reports suggest that a fraudulent foreign job agent duped applicants from Kudamaduwa [...]
Wellawaya: Where villagers spend sleepless nights afraid of elephant intruders
With their only recourse to improvised ‘elephant fences’ villagers call on the government and other stakeholders to find a speedy solution Say their villages should be given similar protection to what’s given to the area sugarcane plantations By Anthony David and I.R. Indika in Wellawaya The villagers here in Demathara, Wellawaya, spend sleepless nights day after [...]
Roaming herd raises concern among villagers
A herd of 30 to 40 elephants has been seen roaming around the Anamaduwa, Mahakumbukkadawala, Vanthavilluwa, and Pallama areas of the Puttalam district, causing concern among the villagers. With the recent rains and the fresh growth of grass, the elephants are attracted to these areas. However, some have gone on to destroy crops, and villagers [...]
HEC: Combined action urged to implement National Action Plan
By Kasun Warakapitiya As environmentalists call for the swift implementation of the National Action Plan to reduce the Human-Elephant Conflict (HEC), the Wildlife Conservation Department (DWC) emphasises that the success of any plan hinges on the collaboration of all stakeholders—government departments, agencies, and environmentalists—on a unified platform. DWC Director General Chandana Sooriyabandara said the department [...]
Abandoned expressway site poses livelihood problems for villagers
RDA says construction work will resume once next tranche of the IMF facility arrives Beam collapse raises questions about project’s viability; construction material going to waste By Kasun Warakapitiya The Kadawatha-Mirigama expressway stretch, which was set to be completed by the end of the year, has been abandoned, and nearby villagers are dealing with its [...]
Campaign to clear traffic light areas of beggars sees results, says CMC official
By Dilushi Wijsinghe The campaign by Traffic Police and the Colombo Municipal Council to clear busy intersections of beggars seen near traffic lights has seen a drop in their numbers. CMC’s Traffic Design and Road Safety Deputy Director, Manjula Kularathna, said the campaign was aimed at warning the public not to entertain begging near traffic [...]