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Home » NewsST wishes Muslims a happy Eid-ul Adha
Hajj pilgrims pray around the Kaaba, Islam’s holiest shrine, at the Grand Mosque in Saudi Arabia’s holy city of Mecca. While Saudi Arabia and a host of Muslim countries celebrate Eid-ul Adha–Hajj festival– today, Muslims in Sri Lanka will celebrate it tomorrow due to the sighting of the new moon a day later. Pic by [...]
New authority to acquire illegally obtained property
Justice Minister says bill will be presented to Parliament next week to give sweeping powers to new body By Damith Wickremasekara The Government intends to soon pass laws to establish an authority with the power to acquire, without a court order, movable and immovable property purchased through illegally earned money, including drug trafficking. Cabinet approval [...]
Jaishankar here to review Indian projects, including Adani-funded power plant
India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will be here next Thursday to review the ongoing Indian-funded projects in Sri Lanka, including those in the pipeline, such as the Adani-funded wind power project in Mannar and plans for an industrial zone in Trincomalee. In addition, the visiting Indian Minister will also explore further strengthening bilateral ties [...]
Lanka to take up bottom trawling
When Indian Foreign Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar visits Colombo next week, the government is to take up the issue of Indian fishermen entering Sri Lanka’s northern territorial waters three days a week and engaging in illegal bottom trawling, Fisheries Minister Douglas Devananda said. The Indian fishermen are expected to be back in Sri Lankan waters [...]
Five-year jail term for those found guilty of sexual harassment by word or communication
Causing sexual harassment by words or by any communication could make a person liable for imprisonment of up to five years and a fine if found guilty under proposed amendments to the country’s criminal laws. According to the amendments to be presented in Parliament shortly, the offender will also be liable to pay compensation to [...]
Two in five people in Sri Lanka are computer literate, statistics show
By Dilushi Wijesinghe Sri Lanka’s computer literacy saw an upward trend in 2023, the Department of Census and Statistics’ (DCS) annual bulletin revealed. Statistics highlighted that two in five persons were computer literate while three in five persons were digitally literate as of last year. Sri Lanka’s percentage of computer literacy has risen to 39 [...]
Thousands of court production vehicles to be auctioned
By Damith Wickramasekara A bill on the disposal of court productions is to be presented to Cabinet next week to enable the government to auction thousands of vehicles currently languishing in courts and police stations. Under the provisions of the bill, if a judge is unable to give a ruling on any vehicle that is [...]
Visakhians walk to raise funds for school projects
The Visakha Walk 2024 was held yesterday to mark the 90th anniversary of the Visakha Vidyalaya Old Girls’ Association. The event was organised to raise funds to support the school’s development projects, enhance educational facilities and improve the infrastructure. Pic by Akila Jayawardena
Stabbing incident at Ampitiya school: Student arrested
By Shane Seneviratne A student of Ampitiya Berrewaerts College in Kandy was stabbed and seriously injured by another student over a dispute, Police said. The student is undergoing treatement at the Intensive Care Unit at the Kandy Hospital, The incident occurred while the student was leaving school on Friday. Both students are residents of Hunukotuwa, [...]
Restaurant owner takes steps to soundproof premises after police warnings
The Borella Police, together with the Central Environmental Authority (CEA), has issued warnings to owners of a restaurant that hosts musical events at night to take measures to soundproof the premises. The directive follows complaints to the police and the CEA by residents that the events hosted there were causing a disturbance to them at [...]
Presidential poll testing ground for new campaign finance laws; election observers voice concerns over loopholes
By Sandun Jayawardana With the local government election now indefinitely on hold, the upcoming presidential poll will be the first vital test for the newly introduced campaign finance laws designed to regulate campaign spending. Election observers though, express concern that candidates will try to use deficiencies and loopholes in the Act to obtain an unfair [...]
Petitioners seek SC intervention against Mannar Wind Power Project citing public interest
The Bishop of the Diocese of Mannar and three prominent environmentalists this week petitioned the Supreme Court in the public interest against the proposed 250 MW Mannar Wind Power Project by Adani Green Energy. Rev. Dr. Fidelis Lionel Emmanuel Fernando along with Rohan Pethiyagoda, Prof. Nimal Gunatilleke and Prof. Sarath Kotagama have challenged the procurement [...]
AG instructs officials to arrest and bring back Royal Park murder convict
By Ranjith Padmasiri Attorney General Sanjay Rajaratnam has written to relevant authorities instructing them to arrest Royal Park murder convict Jude Shamantha Jayamaha and bring him back to Sri Lanka to serve out his life imprisonment. The AG has written to the Secretary to the President, the Secretary to the Ministry of Public Security and [...]
Electricity tariff revision after first week of July, PUCSL says
By Niranjala Ariyawansha The electricity tariff revision which was to come into effect from July 1, the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) said, will be able to be done after the first week of July. PUCSL Chairman Professor Manjula Fernando told the Sunday Times that the Tariff Revision Proposal 2024 submitted by the [...]
Planters call Jeevan Thondaman to account for running amok
By Kasun Warakapitiya Planters are awaiting a full inquiry into the alleged unlawful behaviour and intimidation by Water Supply and Estate Infrastructure Development Minister Jeevan Thondaman over a string of incidents at the Pedro estate in Nuwara Eliya, the District Secretariat, and outside the police station in the area. Between April 10 and June 1, [...]
Some estate workers renting their houses
Nearly 60,000 houses have been built for workers as separate units at different stages by various donors and agencies. Workers on the estates are provided 7 perches of land and 3 perches of land for common amenities. However, about 20-25 per cent of these housing units are given on rent to outside parties. Renting out [...]
Little or no benefits from subscribing to unions, money spent on functions
Despite estate workers paying subscriptions to trade unions on a monthly basis, the benefits to contributors are low, the Sunday Times investigation revealed. All major trade unions receive a monthly subscription varying from Rs100-350 from each employee. Trade union representatives say they spend the subscription money for their functions, May Day rallies, to maintain offices, [...]
After the floods, Kolonnawa and other Colombo suburbs come under the microscope
Committee looks into unauthorised structures including warehouses and container yards built on filled land By Sandun Jayawardana A committee comprising officials from the Urban Development Authority (UDA), Sri Lanka Land Development Corporation (SLLDC), Department of Irrigation and Department of Agrarian Development has been appointed to conduct a study to identify locations in Colombo and suburbs where [...]
Badulla night mail sleeper carriage service drifts off into the night
By Wasantha Ramanayake Waking up at dawn in the misty mountains of Uva after an overnight train trip in the Badulla night mail is an experience of a lifetime. Although it is not exactly luxurious, the first-class sleeper service with two single beds in one berth on the Colombo-Badulla night mail train hangs in balance. [...]
Disaster agencies told to build up damage-claim capabilities
Institutional capabilities of public institutions should be strengthened with more staff to prepare compensation claims for Sri Lankans badly affected by the human-induced climate disasters such as the recent floods and inclement extreme weather which are predicted to be more frequent in future. According to lead government delegate Leel Randeni for the Bonn climate meetings [...]
Australian company’s multibillion sandmining project mired in Mannar protests
Protests hinder progress towards mining licence Residents allege large-scale land robberies involving brokers working for company Environmentalists fear existential threats such as soil losing fertility and contamination of water sources Company representative downplays impacts of the project on people’s livelihood By Mimi Alphonsus and S. Rubatheesan For over a decade, an Australian company has tried [...]
Fishing trawler with 150 kg heroin seized in Navy, PNB joint op
The Navy and the Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) launched a special operation and seized a local multi-day fishing trawler on suspicion of smuggling narcotics on the high seas, about 400 nautical miles (740 km) south of Sri Lanka. Six fishermen were arrested in the operation. The trawler, which was seized at the international maritime boundary, [...]
Allegation of double standards in Nestle baby products: Nestle Lanka says no added sugar
A global milk, milk food and food giant has been accused in a damning international investigation of having “double standards” with regard to their products sold in developed countries, as opposed to those marketed in lower- and middle-income countries. The accusations have been levelled against Nestle, which touts itself as the world’s leading “nutrition, health [...]
SL has doctors, technology and facilities to treat scoliosis
‘Don’t be misled into taking your child abroad’, one of many messages to be highlighted at ‘Scoliosis Awareness Walk’ on June 23 By Kumudini Hettiarachchi It is all for the sake of keeping the spine straight – as ‘early detection’ and ‘timely intervention’ are essential in the battle against scoliosis. It is also to underscore that [...]
GABF seeks to combat human trafficking and modern slavery
By Dilushi Wijesinghe The first Sri Lanka Summit of the Bali Process Government and Business Forum (GABF) to combat human trafficking and modern slavery took place on June 13 at the Stein Studios in Ratmalana. The summit was organised by the Capital Maharaja Group (CMG) and the Sri Lanka Business Lead of the Bali Process [...]
Major policy changes required, says president
President Ranil Wickremesinghe said a new Central Bank act aimed at ensuring monetary stability, legislation such as the Public Debt Management Bill and the Public Finance Bill expected to bolster financial and monetary stability, are in the pipeline. “Once we carry this through, I see Sri Lanka achieving stability in monetary and fiscal affairs for [...]
Silence of women wrong signal to abusers on buses and trains, say police
By Nathara Abeywickrema The majority of women being silent in the face of harassment of any kind, is fuelling the normalisation of abuse on public transport, according to police. A campaign has been launched to arrest suspects who mistreat women and children on buses and trains. Chief of Police in charge of the Child and [...]
Unions seeking solutions to salary, recruitment gripes turn on heat
By Ishu Bandara Trade unions have stepped up protests and strikes, impacting several sectors including the postal services, education, and railways. More trade union action is expected in the weeks ahead. The ongoing strike by non-academic staff at universities is on its 45 th day and union president and spokesperson Dhammika S. Priyantha says they [...]
Battle against child labour: We may not have resources but we have the will , says NCPA
By Hafsa Sabry As the world observed International Day Against Child Labour June 12, Sri Lanka finds itself grappling with an escalating crisis. To commemorate the day, the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) has organised a series of programmes and awareness campaigns, highlighting the critical need to address the underlying socio-economic issues that perpetuate child [...]
Sri Lanka Navy recruits 458 men and women
Sri Lanka Navy’s 254th intake saw 458 recruits join its regular and volunteer forces at a ceremony at the main parade ground of SLNS Nipuna, Boossa on Friday (14). Among the recruits were 355 (274 male and 81 female sailors) belonging to the regular force, and 103 (37 male and 66 female sailors) belonging to [...]