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Muslim preschool children took part in a Bakthi Gee programme titled ‘Sanda Diya Dhara 2024’. Accompanied by their mothers, students, who took part in the programme, are seen leaving the Colombo Public Library where the event was held. Pic by Nilan Maligaspe.
Nominations for presidential election in mid-August, voting on September 21
By Damith Wickremasekara Nominations for the presidential election are set to be accepted only in mid-August, not earlier, with the announcement of the exact date to be made in the coming week, Election Commission sources said yesterday. Accordingly, the election is now expected to be held on September 21, instead of October 5 or 12, [...]
Sirisena acquires ten state properties for himself under Swarnabhoomi
By Ranjith Padmasiri Former President Maithripala Sirisena has acquired 10 state properties for himself using “Swarnabhoomi” title deeds awarded when he was President. This was revealed through the asset declaration submitted by the former President to the Supreme Court. Five of the ten properties acquired by Mr. Sirisena in this manner also have houses. The [...]
IT outage: Lankan companies affected, but recover soon
By Tharushi Weerasinghe Several Sri Lankan companies from the airlines, apparel, and banking sectors came to a standstill on Friday when a global cyber-outage brought multiple industries to a halt. The outage, one of the world’s biggest to date, occurred when CrowdStrike, an international cybersecurity provider, deployed an update that triggered shutdowns of Microsoft systems [...]
Vehicle import ban to continue till next year
The government has postponed the lifting of the ban on private vehicle imports until the beginning of next year. A decision has been made to put off lifting the ban because the country’s economy has not stabilised enough and foreign reserves are not at a sufficient level to facilitate such imports, a senior Treasury official [...]
Goods retailers determined to hold high prices despite tariff trimming
By Nathara Abeywickrema Despite the recent reduction in monthly electricity tariffs, various sectors report that the anticipated benefits cannot be passed on to people. This is due to significant increases in other operating costs. President of All Ceylon Bakery Owners’ Association, N.K. Jayewardena said electricity is a substantial part of the operating costs for bakeries, [...]
More than 50 Lankan students stuck in B’desh as violence escalates
The Sri Lankan High Commission in Bangladesh is in constant touch with some 50 Sri Lankan students who are stuck in their university hostels and rented homes as Bangladesh imposed a nationwide curfew and deployed the army with disruption of communication channels following violent protests by youth this week, a spokesperson from the Foreign Ministry [...]
Indian Coast Guard fights fire on Colombo-bound container ship with dangerous cargo
The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) was last night battling a major fire onboard the container vessel MV Maersk Frankfurt, which was transporting “dangerous cargo” and was en route to Colombo. The fire broke out on Friday evening while the vessel was sailing from the port of Mundra in Gujarat. The Panama-flagged container carrier with a [...]
MP Sabri Raheem surrenders to police, gets bail
Puttalam District Parliamentarian Ali Sabri Raheem, who had an open warrant for his arrest, surrendered to Kalpitiya Police last morning. He was released on personal bail of Rs. 200,000 after being produced before Puttalam Acting Magistrate Indika Tennakoon. The MP was ordered to appear in court on July 22. On July 8, Puttalam Magistrate and [...]
Floral stupa as an offering
Buddhists throughout the country marked Esala Full Moon Poya yesterday. Esala is one of the most significant Poya Days in the Buddhist calendar and crowds were seen in Anuradhapura. Here devotees are seen carrying flowers arranged in the shape of a stupa as an offering. Pic by B.G. Chaturanga
Aadi Vel Festival begins
The annual Aadi Vel Festival of the Nattukottai Nagarathar Sri New Kathireshan Temple began yesterday from Sea street. The festival is celebrated annually in Colombo for the benefit of Katharagama God devotees who are unable to attend the annual festival at the Katharagama devalaya. This festival, organised by “Nattukottai Nagarathar” since 1874 is celebrated annually. [...]
IMF extends anti-corruption law deadline by six months to get more public feedback
By Namini Wijedasa The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has extended by six months the deadline granted for Sri Lanka to pass the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) so that more public feedback can be obtained. Accordingly, members of a high-level committee that had developed the POCA policy, legal framework and draft provisions had consultations yesterday [...]
LRC accuses plantation companies of land grab; oversight committee advises quick action
By Niranjala Ariyawansha Thousands of acres of state-owned plantation lands have been encroached upon by plantation companies over the years and are being used by them, the Land Reforms Commission (LRC) has alleged. These lands have also not been assigned either to the State Plantation Corporation or the Janatha Estate Development Board (JEDB). LRC Director [...]
IRD failed to recover staggering Rs. 369 billion in tax arrears, says National Audit Office report
The Inland Revenue Department (IRD) had accumulated a staggering Rs 369 billion as tax arrears by December 2022, of which the recovery of Rs 255 billion had been suspended due to various reasons, an audit revealed. The audit report, compiled by the National Audit Office, said that the Legacy and RAMIS computer systems maintained by [...]
‘Vas Aradhana’ ceremony at Gangaramaya temple
A ‘Vas Aradhana’ (Rain retreat ceremony) was held at the Gangaramaya temple, in Colombo yesterday. The ceremony gives the opportunity for the lay community to take care of the monastics by offering them food and medicines. Gangaramaya Viharadhikari Kirinde Assaji Thera presided over the ceremony. Pic by Eshan Fernando
Lack of transparency and loss to country: Visa outsourcing under CoPF fire
Calls for comprehensive forensic audit by the Auditor General’s Office By Sandun Jayawardana The absence of a competitive bidding process in the outsourcing of online visa applications prevented the Department of Immigration and Emigration (DOIE) from obtaining the “best value for money.” This is especially evident when considering the fees charged by competing destinations are [...]
Despite distractions, industry expects more visitors in remaining months
The sector affected by visa issues and unregistered businesses run by tourists By Renishka Fernando Sri Lanka’s tourism industry has shown remarkable resilience and adaptability in the face of diverse challenges, ranging from the Easter attacks of 2019, the coronavirus global epidemic, and the national economic bankruptcy. But this year has been promising, with tourist [...]
Weapons and drugs make a dangerous combo, triggering a rise in crimes
By Chandani Kirinde Inter-gang rivalries and the fight for control of the illegal narcotics market amidst high demand for heroin in the country have led to an escalation of gun violence, with at least 50 related killings reported in the first half of the year, police and experts studying gang violence said. “If you analyse [...]
Direct link to city and port will help logistics operations
By Minaza Hassan Easy access for container trucks to the Colombo Port and reduced traffic in the city will be among the benefits of the longest elevated highway bridge due to be opened for the public in October. The construction of the Port Access Elevated Highway Project (PAEH), which began in September 2019, is expected [...]
Parties peddling promises labour to ring more doorbells
By Kasun Warakapitiya Leading political parties are gearing up for the upcoming presidential election by preparing their campaigns, drafting manifestos, and setting up ground level networks. Political party secretaries await the announcement of the date to start party propaganda supporting their candidates. Some parties remain undecided on candidates and smaller parties are yet to decide [...]
Parties told to track voice-cloning that can soil polls outcome
By Ishu Bandara The upcoming Presidential Election could be a challenge for candidates and voters due to the influence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in various ways, experts in the field have cautioned. While AI can bring many benefits to the election process, it also poses several risks and potential negative impacts, such as spreading disinformation [...]
Hingurakgoda domestic airport to spread its wings
By Dilushi Wijesinghe With the aim of transforming the Hingurakgoda domestic airport into an international hub for aviation, the first phase of construction work to modernise the airport began on Friday. The first phase consists of extending the existing 2,287-metre-long, 46-metre-wide runway to 2,500 metres, with a six-month time frame for its completion. It would [...]
Rooftop solar power: CEB ordered to sign agreements at previous higher tariff; downward revision overturned
By Niranjala Ariyawansha Power and Energy Ministry Secretary Sulakshana Jayawardena has instructed the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) and Lanka Electricity Company (LECO) to continue signing agreements on the previous higher tariff with rooftop solar consumers who have already paid the required fees, submitted documents and finalised installation before July 1, 2024. This decision was taken [...]
Two fires in Badulla district destroy 60 acres of forestland
Fire in Lunugalama forest reserve damages electricity poles, causing power outages By Prasad Rukmal Two fires broke out on Friday in the Badulla district. One was in the Lunugalama forest reserve, and the other was in a pinus cultivation close to Haldummulla town. About 60 acres were destroyed altogether. The Lunugalama forest reserve fire damaged [...]
New bureaus to be introduced to strengthen primary healthcare sector, says Health Secretary
By Tharushi Weerasinghe The Health Ministry is introducing six new bureaus and rolling out reforms within the primary healthcare sector to face any health challenges. “We are going to transform disease surveillance, and primary healthcare services, introduce accreditations to ensure patient safety, and work closely with professional bodies to train healthcare stakeholders by expanding existing [...]
Unveiling a butterfly mystery: Research sheds light on little-known migration
By Malaka Rodrigo In the past, clouds of butterflies flying in one direction were a sight to behold. According to folklore, these butterflies were flying towards the holy mountain, Adam’s Peak (Sripada), to pay obeisance to Lord Buddha’s sacred footprint. This phenomenon gave rise to the commonly used name ‘Samanala Kanda’. Whether these butterflies were [...]
Nearly one year on, these resettled families still groping in the dark
By S. Rubatheesan When Peduruppillai Amalathas returned to his village in Palaly North last year after 34 years, he had high hopes of starting afresh—building a home and providing a good education to his children. But today, he, along with some 47 families, are still in the dark—literally—without electricity, proper water, or sanitation facilities after [...]
The man who reversed economy’s slide faces his toughest political battle
Wickremesinghe’s two-year presidential journey through troubled times and political minefields Time was when, not so long ago, Ranil Wickremesinghe, as Leader of the Opposition or Prime Minister, was lampooned mercilessly for his uninspiring style of public speaking, conveying the impression of an aloof politician distanced from the masses and having difficulty reading the pulse of [...]