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Police firing water cannon at thousands of teachers who took sick leave and staged a protest march in Colombo Fort seeking the balance of the salary increment due to them. Pic by Akila Jayawardena
Killing of sailor: Lanka expresses concern to India
High Commissioner meets India’s foreign minister Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to New Delhi, Kshenuka Senewiratne, met India’s External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar, and conveyed the Sri Lankan Government’s concerns over the incident of a naval officer being killed while encountering Indian fishermen illegally operating in Sri Lankan territorial waters. Ms. Senewiratne met the Indian Minister [...]
Plea bargaining to expedite cases and reduce prison congestion
Plea bargaining or plea arrangement provisions are to be introduced to the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC) with the aim of resolving criminal cases expeditiously, the Justice Ministry has announced. Cabinet approval was given earlier this month to present the amendments in Parliament. The Justice Ministry said plea agreements would help minimise the backlogs of cases [...]
Corporal punishment for children: Ban stuck at ministries
The Justice Ministry has submitted to the Education Ministry an expert committee report on proposals to improve the protection of children. The decision comes despite Cabinet approval given in April to draft laws and gazette them by June. A senior Justice Ministry official said they had decided to submit the proposals to seek the views [...]
US$1.5 billion in development funds coming after deal with China’s EXIM Bank
By Damith Wickremasekara Sri Lanka is set to unlock loans amounting to more than US$1.5 billion from the China Export and Import Bank for projects held back due to the debt crisis. The facilities became available after Sri Lanka this week entered into an agreement with China’s EXIM Bank on debt restructuring and simultaneously an [...]
Parinda Acting AG
Senior Additional Solicitor General Parinda Ranasinghe is to be appointed as the Acting Attorney General tomorrow. He is being appointed to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of AG Sanjaya Rajaratnam this week. The Sunday Times learns that Mr. Ranasinghe’s name is later due to be submitted to the Constitutional Council for approval for [...]
Indian FM Jaishankar raises ‘Katch’ bogey again
Experts on both sides contest claim and point to politicisation of the issue in Tamil Nadu By Tharushi Weerasinghe India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar raised the issue of Kachchativu again in correspondence with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin last Thursday. He was responding to a letter from Mr. Stalin regarding the recent detention [...]
Sri Lankan delegation to Russia faces hurdles in negotiations over fighters in Ukraine
Challenges include Sri Lankans obtaining Russian citizenship and contractual obligations with Russian military By Kasun Warakapitiya The Sri Lankan delegation who visited Russia from June 26-27 to investigate the fate of Sri Lankans fighting in the war in Ukraine have encountered fresh complications. Key among them was that some had already obtained Russian citizenship and [...]
2000 kilos of drugs destroyed by incinerator at Wanathawilluwa
Text and pix by Hiran Priyanakara Jayasinghe Nearly 2000 kilos of drugs, held as court evidence, were destroyed yesterday by using a high powered incinerator at Wanathawilluwa. The haul of drugs included 614 kg of ice (methamphetamine), 581 kg of ketamine (a dissociative anaesthetic drug), and 13. 681 kgof heroin. The incinerator belongs to the [...]
Navy seizes trawler with more than 191 kg of drugs and six suspects on board
A local multi-day fishing trawler carrying more than 191kg of heroin and crystal methamphetamine (ICE) was intercepted on the high seas by the Navy about 120 nautical miles (about 222 km) off Colombo on June 24. Six suspects on board were apprehended in the operation conducted by the SLNS Nandimithra. Navy Commander Vice Admiral Priyantha [...]
JSC challenges Justice Minister’s allegations against judiciary
By Ranjith Padamasiri The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has responded to allegations levelled by Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe against the judiciary in Parliament. Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena told the Sunday Times he had received the JSC’s observations and they would be tabled in Parliament on July 9. The JSA observations have been communicated in a [...]
Hirunika’s judgment: Bail application to be filed pending appeal
By Ranjith Padmasiri Lawyers will file a bail application, pending an appeal against the judgment sentencing former MP Hirunika Premachandra to a three year jail term, after being found guilty of abducting a youth. The bail application would be filed during the upcoming week. Ms Premachandra was sentenced by Colombo High Court Judge, Amal Ranaraja [...]
Missing Israeli tourist found; admitted to hospital
An Israeli tourist who went missing in Uppuveli, Trincomalee was found three days later yesterday following a joint search operation. The woman identified as Tamar Amitai, 25, had visited Trincomalee last Tuesday and had made a booking in a hotel via internet. The hotel had made a complaint to the police that she had gone [...]
Range Bandara’s son arrested over road accident
Yashodha Range Bandara, son of UNP General Secretary Palitha Range Bandara has been arrested over a road accident in which a three wheel driver was injured last morning in the Karuwalagaswewa area, Police said. He was produced in courts and released on Rs 500,000 surety bail while his driving licence was suspended. His vehicle had [...]
Special monthly allowance of Rs. 25,000 for senior state administrative officials from July 1
Senior state administrative officials holding posts in the Executive Service category of the public sector will be granted a special monthly allowance of Rs 25,000 from July 1. A circular issued with the concurrence of the General Treasury by the Ministry of Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils, and Local Government on Thursday indicated that [...]
SLAF sends an MI-17 to UN peacekeeping mission in an Antonov 124
On Friday, (June 28) the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) reinforced its commitment to United Nations Peacekeeping Missions by dispatching an MI-17 helicopter to the SLAF Aviation Contingent stationed in the Central African Republic under the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) . Sri Lanka welcomed the Antonov 124, [...]
Aggressive poachers challenge Sri Lankan naval intercepts
By Tharushi Weerasinghe Ten Indian fishermen detained by the Sri Lankan Navy for poaching will be charged with the death of a sailor belonging to the Special Boat Squadron. He sustained critical injuries to his spine resulting from the “aggressive manoeuvres” of the Indian trawler that was resisting arrest. He died at the Jaffna Teaching [...]
A good swimmer and diver, sailor’s family and friends recall
By Sampath Seneviratne A senior sailor of the Sri Lanka Navy Special Boat Squadron, Piriyantha Ratnayake (40) who died after a mishap during an operation to seize Indian poaching trawlers is missed by his family, relatives and friends. A resident of Ibbagamuwa in Kurunegala, he was posthumously promoted to Fleet Chief Petty officer. Hi wife, [...]
Deadline looms for unfinished projects worth Rs 12 billion
By Nathara Abeywickrema District Secretaries have been set a July 31 deadline to finish all projects under the decentralised programme, prompting them to speed up work. The government allocated Rs 12.15 billion in the 2024 budget through District Coordination Committees to resume the decentralised budget programme, which had been on hold for three years due [...]
Railway plans better sanitation facilities for commuters at stations
By Kasun Warakapitiya Sri Lanka Railways (SLR) is planning renovations of its stations to improve facilities for commuters. Railways Acting General Manager, S.S. Mudalige, said as part of the renovations, pay-to-use washrooms would be introduced and more public ones would be made available. Facilities will be set up at main stations, while the railway department [...]
CID apprehends cyber crime racket
Targeting the Indo-Lanka cricket fan base, scammers have found an open door to drain the pockets of cricket lovers through fraudulent betting schemes on their favourite teams. The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) cracked down on a large-scale cyber crime racket over the past week, arresting 137 Indian nationals operating from Sri Lanka. Despite these efforts, [...]
Farmers ask for retribution on those who excavated near Kala Wewa
Story by Thisara Saman and Nonis from Anuradhapura A group of farmers conducted a deva pooja seeking punishment for the unauthorised persons who have excavated and damaged the rock near Kala Wewa. History records that the reservoir was constructed in the fifth century during King Datusena’s reign. The excavators have dug around 2 feet on [...]
First stem cell transplant at Jaffna Hospital
As Saman Kumari goes back to her family after life-saving procedure, this hospital becomes the third in SL to set up a state BMT Unit By Kumudini Hettiarachchi Housewife and mother of two, Saman Kumari (38), is very happy to be back with her family in the village of Iluppelessa, Padiyapelella, around 60km from Kandy town. [...]
Parliament to hold 2-day debate on the Resolution for the Implementation of External Debt Restructuring agreements
The Committee on Parliamentary Business has decided to debate the Resolution for the Implementation of External Debt Restructuring Agreements on July 2 and 3, Chief of Staff and Deputy Secretary General of Parliament Chaminda Kularatne said. This was decided on Friday at a committee meeting held under the chairmanship of Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena and [...]