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Home » NewsDiplomats lend a hand at Vesak Dansala
Joining in the spirit of Vesak and giving, foreign diplomats volunteered to serve food to visitors at a 500-seat rice dansala organised by the Presidential Secretariat at the Shangri La Green Grounds within the Buddha Rashmi Vesak zone. The food was prepared by the Navy with support from other security forces. The Foreign Ministry had [...]
Some 80 state enterprises to be restructured under sweeping reforms
Restricting Treasury guarantees for loss-making state-owned enterprises, controls on their finances, and the policy on restructuring the institutions will be included in a bill to be submitted to Parliament shortly. The proposed bill is being finalised by the Attorney General in terms of the state-owned enterprise reform policy of the government. One of the key [...]
Audit report exposes multibillion rupee scandal by Customs
Sri Lanka Customs officials have distributed billions of rupees as reward money among themselves since 1988, based on an internal circular prepared by the department, disregarding a scheme approved by the Minister of Finance, an audit report revealed. Based on the information available for the audit from 2012 to August 31 last year, a staggering [...]
Sri Lanka’s envoy slams OHCHR report as flawed, biased and self-generated
Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Geneva, Himalee Arunatilaka, wrote to the United Nations Human Rights High Commissioner, Volker Turk, rejecting what she called an “unwarranted and unilateral initiative” by his office (OHCHR) to release a report on Sri Lanka’s human rights record in the absence of any mandate from the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC). She [...]
JVP studying report for comment
The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) is still “studying” the report on Accountability for Enforced Disappearances in Sri Lanka issued by the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the party’s Propaganda Secretary and National People’s Power MP Vijitha Herath told the Sunday Times. He said the JVP would comment on the report [...]
Beware: Gusty winds and heavy rains today
Sri Lanka will be experiencing strong gusty winds and heavy rain today, despite the deep depression in the Bay of Bengal moving away from Sri Lanka towards Bangladesh while intensifying into a severe cyclonic storm, the Meteorological Department said yesterday. Deputy Director Meryl Mendis said that due to these conditions, the southwest monsoon rains would [...]
Man electrocuted in illegal power grab for Vesak lanterns
A 32-year-old man was electrocuted while he attempted to illegally obtain power from a neighbouring house to illuminate two Vesak lanterns in Galle on Friday night. The man was rushed to Walawa-Neluwa Madagama rural hospital but was pronounced dead upon admission. At the Karapitiya Hospital, the Judicial Medical Officer, Dr. U.C.G. Perera, carried out an [...]
MTV, Lanka Broadcasters Guild and Media Law Forum go to SC over Telecom Bill
Three petitions have been filed in the Supreme Court challenging the Sri Lanka Telecommunications (Amendment) Bill. The petitioners are MTV Channel (Private) Limited, Lanka Broadcasters Guild (Guarantee) Limited and Media Law Forum (Guarantee) Limited. The petitioners argue that the draft bill violates their constitutional rights. They note that the structure of the bill appears to [...]
WNPS seeks court intervention over Mannar wind power project citing irreparable, irreversible harm to ecosystem
An organisation, dedicated to the protection, conservation and preservation of the environment and the fauna and flora of the country sought the intervention of the Supreme Court on the Adani backed proposed Mannar Wind Power Project in the highly ecologically sensitive location of Mannar. The Wildlife and Nature Protection Society of Sri Lanka (WNPS), said [...]
Foreign Minister attends funeral of Iranian President
Foreign Affairs Minister M.U.M. Ali Sabry led a high level delegation to Teheran on May 22 to participate at the state funeral of President Dr. Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Dr. Hossein Amir Abdollahian and other senior Iranian officials. The Foreign Minister conveyed condolences on the tragic demise of the Iranian President and entourage on [...]
Excise official, banker caught dealing drugs
An Excise official and an assistant manager of a private bank were among five persons arrested by the Alawathugoda Police for selling Heroin. The Police said that the information regarding the man who provided the drugs were revealed after Police arrested a drug seller who divulged details on receiving the drugs. The Police used a [...]
President seeks to extend Attorney General’s tenure
President Ranil Wickremesinghe has recommended the extension of the tenure of Attorney General Sanjay Rajaratnam, PC, by six months. The recommendation to give a six-month service extension to Mr Rajaratnam has already been submitted to the Constitutional Council (CC), the Sunday Times learns. The CC is expected to consider the request when Parliament meets in [...]
Gamini Marapana funeral today
President’s Counsel Gamini Marapana passed away last morning after a prolonged illness. He was 82 years of age. His remains will be at 103, Barnes Place, Colombo 7 for the public to pay their final respects. The final rites will be conducted today (26) at 6 pm at the Borella general cemetery. Mr Marapana was [...]
Diplomatic Vesak celebrations
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a Vesak celebration this week, which was attended by the diplomatic corps in the country. Foreign dignitaries were seen participating in various rites and partaking in a selection of dansal. UN Resident Coordinator in Sri Lanka Marc-Andre Franches read out the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres’ Vesak Day [...]
Vesak around the world
UN Headquarters Buddha Gaya No 10 Downing Street Amaravati Kolkata Lucknow Mulaghandakuti Vihara, Sarnath Thailand
SL among countries highlighted in report on curtailment of social media
Centralisation of power with the executive in Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh has resulted in regulatory frameworks lacking effective judicial and parliamentary oversight over blocking orders, internet suspensions, and user data requests, states a new report on social media regulation. The report titled “Social Media Regulation and Rule of Law: Key Trends in Sri Lanka, [...]
SW monsoon deluge: Take weather warnings seriously
Eight have died, and 45,344 have been badly affected by the onset of the Southwest monsoon along with strong winds. Giving the casualty figures, the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) director, Major General (Retd.) Udaya Herath, told the Sunday Times that much of the rain-related damage was in the Western, Southern, and Central provinces as well [...]
Seven deaths islandwide due to trees falling
The Disaster Management Centre (DMC) has urged the public to be vigilant about trees falling as strong winds and rain lashed many parts of the country. Seven deaths have been reported from incidents of trees falling, while 11 have sustained injuries, with the majority being reported from Puttalam District. A 22-year-old female motorcyclist was killed [...]
100mm of rain and strong winds forecast to continue
Due to the southwest monsoon, the Department of Meteorology predicts that heavy showers and winds will continue over the next 24 hours. Heavy showers above 100 millimetres are likely at some places in the Sabaragamuwa Province and in the Nuwara-Eliya District and the department has also issued a ‘Red’ warning for the two regions. An [...]
Avalanche of power outages: CEB and unions in blame game over staff shortage
Handicapped by a severe shortage of technical staff, the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) is struggling to cope with an avalanche of power breakdowns due to heavy monsoon rains accompanied by gusty winds, with the number of outages being more than 450,000 in just the past week. A senior CEB official told the Sunday Times that [...]
Adverse weather: Vesak week bookings drop by 50 percent in Nuwara Eliya
Heavy rains have dampened the hopes of the tourism sector in Nuwara Eliya during the long Vesak holidays, with some hotels recording 50 percent booking cancellations by local visitors, according to hoteliers. They said most local visitors cut short their stay and left the area due to heavy winds and rains, while others cancelled the [...]
Groundwork being laid for research on Buddhism and Artificial Intelligence
Local and foreign experts will soon deliberate on the possibility of using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to spread Theravada Buddhism globally. President Ranil Wickremesinghe has asked the Sri Lanka International Buddhist Academy (SIBA) to carry out research on Buddhist philosophy and AI and how to promote Buddhist teachings through AI. Research will look into aspects such [...]
Truc Lam monastery marks 10 years
The Truc Lam monastery in Kundasale marked Vesak and 10 years of service to the people with a meditation programme for monks and lay people. The monastery, situated in a peaceful environment surrounded by trees, was established in 2014. and the present incumbent, Ven Myanmmar Dhammaloka Thereniya, said that they conduct meditation classes for all, [...]
Heavy downpours not a damper in spreading the joy of Vesak
Heavy showers did not deter people across the country from celebrating Vesak on a grander scale this year. Thousands of devotees clad in white flocked to temples to observe Sil and participate in other religious observances, while colourful pandals and lanterns lit up the night sky. While the National Vesak event was held in Matale, [...]
Kalubowila shows the way for post-ICU care with PULSE
It was a function with a difference, two days before Vesak on Tuesday (May 21), very much in the spirit of this thrice blessed Buddhist celebration. Formalities having been dealt with earlier, the true essence of what the Colombo South Teaching Hospital (CSTH), Kalubowila, was offering came in the form of a little plant. The [...]
Karapitiya crowned Galle National Hospital
Now there is one in the south, whereas the first was in the capital and the second was in the hills, catering to the sick of Sri Lanka. The Karapitiya Teaching Hospital this week joined the prestigious ranks of National Hospitals, the third for the whole of the country, after the National Hospital of Sri [...]
Farming throughout the year triggers collapse of Anawilundawa Ramsar wetland ecosystem
Large trees and the mangroves in Anawilundawa Ramsar wetland’s ecosystem have been badly affected by human activity and are on the verge of destruction. Environmental organisations explained that the wetland usually experienced dry and wet seasons where the water levels would drop and rise, allowing the mangrove and Kumbuk trees to dry their roots and [...]