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Riot police in helmets ready to take on Sri Lanka Telecom workers who were staging a protest against privatisation moves. The police is now without a Chief or an Aciting Chief. Pic by Eshan Fernando
President to seek SC ruling on CC vote
He also considers challenging court’s power to remove official approved by the council By Ranjith Padmasiri President Ranil Wickremesinghe is to seek an interpretation from the Supreme Court on whether an abstention or absence by a member of the Constitutional Council (CC) during a vote on approving a nominee submitted by the President amounts to [...]
Absence of police chief poses security concerns
The stalemate in appointing an acting Inspector General of Police (IGP) continued yesterday, but a long-term impasse could have implications in a series of other police functions, a senior official said yesterday. He said there were a series of other functions, including giving directions on operations, signing documents, and calling for tenders, and they require [...]
Polls chief to set up operation centre under Senior DIG
By Damith Wickremasekara Establishing an operation centre under a Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police (SDIG) to monitor election-related violence and election law violations by next week would be among the top priorities in preparation for the conduct of the presidential election, Election Commission Chairman R.M.A.L. Ratnayake told the Sunday Times. He said the first [...]
Veteran left leader Bahu laid to rest
The funeral of veteran socialist Dr. Wickramabahu Karunaratne took place yesterday at the Borella cemetery. He passed away on Thursday while undergoing treatment at the Colombo National Hospital. After graduating with first-class honours as an electrical engineer from the University of Ceylon, he went to Cambridge University under a Commonwealth scholarship to obtain his doctorate. [...]
Fresh guidelines issued for state sector parallel post absorption
The Public Service Commission (PSC) has issued fresh guidelines on the absorption of provincial administrative service officers into parallel posts in the national service. The new circular containing the guidelines replaces previous circulars issued on January 30, 2020 and February 27, 2024. According to the guidelines, those serving in provincial public services such as teaching, [...]
Voting under fear: EC issues guidelines
The Election Commission has published procedures to be followed by those who have a reasonable fear of their inability to cast the vote at the assigned polling stations. A voter who is reasonably fearful that he will not be able to cast the vote at the given polling station due to the prevailing situation in [...]
Travel trade takes VFS Visa to court
By Sunimalee Dias The cumbersome new visa processing system that has caused confusion among users, especially tourists, has led to the Sri Lankan travel industry taking the matter up to highest court in the land – the Supreme Court – seeking redress. The tourism industry states that it was in November last year that the [...]
IGP controversy: Bar Association condemns government stance
The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) strongly condemned what they called efforts of the government to subvert the course of justice in relation to the interim orders given by the Supreme Court in the cases relating to the appointment of the Inspector General of Police Deshabandu Tennakoon. “The claim that the Supreme Court does [...]
The gift of generosity
Labima saha Athahareema – young Buddhist monks giving away goods they received during “Pindapatha Charikava” to blind women near the Sri Lanka Telecom office. The charikava was part of an event organised by the Central Bank Buddhist Society. The samanera monks from across the country received alms from state and private sector institutions. Pic by [...]
EU ban on LTTE extended
The European Union has decided the ban on the LTTE will continue for a further six months. The Foreign Ministry in Colombo said that the Council of the European Union (EU) on Friday renewed the list of persons, groups and entities set out by the Common Position with a view to combating terrorism, and the [...]
Japan resumes funding for 11 stalled projects; other donor nations will also follow
By Bandula Sirimanna Japan will resume funding 11 stalled infrastructure projects, including the expansion of the Bandaranaike International Airport, after Sri Lanka successfully restructured its foreign debt. The 11 Japanese-funded projects are: Kalu Ganga Water Supply Expansion Project, Anuradhapura North Water Supply Project , Kalu Ganga Water Supply Expansion Project, Kandy City Wastewater Management Project, [...]
New procurement guidelines coming but IMF-prescribed law hit by delays
By Namini Wijedasa New Procurement Guidelines (PG) 2024 to replace the outdated 2006 version that continues to be used in government purchasing are now with the Cabinet for approval, but the proposed Public Procurement Law, which is one of the 16 priorities for fighting corruption identified under the IMF programme, is still in the pipeline. [...]
Sumanthiran calls on presidential candidates to disclose how they would tackle corruption
Addressing a press briefing in Colombo on Friday, ITAK MP M.A. Sumanthiran said all major Presidential candidates are promising to eradicate corruption but don’t say how they would fulfil this pledge. ITAK MP representing Batticaloa Shanakiyan Rasamanickam also emphasised this point. “We plan to set up a common public platform where we invite all three [...]
Main political parties rev their engines after Election Commission announces poll date
Major political parties stepped up their election campaigns following the announcement of the presidential election by the election commission this week. President Ranil Wickeremsighe joined his first election rally in Galle yesterday. The rally themed “Ekawa Jayagamu Api Galle” was organised by Health Minister Dr. Ramesh Pathirna and a group of Galle district politicians. Among [...]
Deposit for candidates remains unchanged despite concerns over costs
By Kasun Warakapitiya Despite repeated appeals by the Election Commission to the government to increase the cash deposit for the presidential elections to reduce the number of candidates, it remains unchanged. In April, the Cabinet approved a proposal by the Justice Minister to increase the deposit of a candidate representing a recognised political party to [...]
Govt.’s generosity frowned upon; EC warns public officials taking part in vote-catching programmes
By Niranjala Ariyawansha The Election Commission has warned that state officials will face legal action if they take part in the government’s vote-catching programmes during the election period. Elections Commissioner General Saman Ratnayake told the Sunday Times that the warnings would be coming in circulars to be issued in the next few days. There would [...]
Polls observers begin work to build voter confidence
By Renishka Fernando With the announcement of the presidential election nominations and polling day, election monitors, both local and foreign, will continue their work over the next eight weeks. They have prepared, and in some cases, started their work. The Election Commission has planned to bring in international observers as it did for the 2019 [...]
Prescribing Safety Assessment for medicines to be introduced in Sri Lanka
Medication safety the most common “preventable” cause of patient harm in healthcare worldwide, accounting for nearly 50% of all medical errors It was good news for a country which has been grappling with serious allegations and issues over the safety of medications being doled out to the public. Plans to introduce a ‘Prescribing Safety Assessment’ (PSA) [...]
Railways Dept begins annual inspection of tunnels
The Railways Department, yesterday, began the inspection of tunnels on the upcountry line as part of an annual procedure. Under the project, of the country’s 48 railway tunnels, 32 located between Nawalapitiya and Badulla stations will be inspected. Cracks, leaks, weakening of walls and other defects will be checked and necessary remedial measures would be [...]
Upskilling Railways workers
Pix and text by Rekha Fonseka A group of females recruited as unskilled workers to the Sri Lanka Railways Department have been trained in winding armatures and repairing fans fixed in train compartments. The women manually wind two armature a day and were recruited in 2012 during the tenure of then Transport Minister Kumara Welgama. [...]
No justice, worker who got shot in Kuwait says
By T K G Kapila A Sri Lankan food delivery employee who was shot and injured in Kuwait for allegedly delaying delivering a food order returned to the country claiming that he had not received any justice over the incident. Lakshman Tilakaratne, 46, told journalists at the Bandaranaike International Airport that though the incident had [...]
Saman Devale God’s emblem stolen
By L B Senaratne A priceless emblem of the Saman deity, said to be wrought in gold, has been stolen from the Saman Devale in Kandy. The emblem is carried in the annual perahera held each year in Alawatugoda. Alawatugoda Police confirmed the theft in the early hours of Thursday (25) morning. This devale was [...]
Election Commission to work with other organisations to combat AI, social media issues
By Ishu Bandara The Election Commission faces challenges and limitations in monitoring social media and AI-related issues due to a lack of equipment and manpower, it said. In order to overcome these challenges, the commission plans to collaborate with other organisations. Election Commissioner General Saman Sri Rathnayake told the Sunday Times that the commission will [...]
Route clear for Mannar basin gas; in the interim, India’s LNG for Kerwalapitiya power plants
By Namini Wijedasa An Indian proposal to sell liquefied natural gas (LNG) for Sri Lanka’s gas-powered generation plants is an “interim solution” until gas production finally starts in the Mannar Basin, a plan long-delayed by incomplete regulatory frameworks and political wavering. Those requirements are all now in place. The final set of laws—the Petroleum Resources [...]
Teacher patience stretched over state response to lingering demands
By Nathara Abeywickrema School activities are being disrupted due to a work-to-rule campaign by teacher unions, alongside the lingering effects of past strikes. A two-week campaign, launched last Monday by educators in response to unresolved wage issues, working conditions, and resource allocation, has led to significant changes in the daily operations of schools. The unions [...]
Moratuwa uni aims to nurture grads equipped with medical technologies
By Nathara Abeywickrema The first batch of 104 students, from the Faculty of Medicine (FOM) at the University of Moratuwa (UOM) will begin its final year of professorial clinical training in January 2025. Following this, they will sit for the bachelor of medicine (MBBS) exam, mandated for all local medical faculties, in mid to late [...]
ADB loan makes uni facilities possible
The Asian Development Bank is financing three technology faculty buildings in University of Kelaniya, Rajarata University, and Sabaragamuwa University, an engineering faculty building complex in University of Sri Jayewardenepura, and a medical faculty building complex (department of anatomy, physiology and biochemistry) in University of Moratuwa. The loan agreement for the construction and equipping of the [...]
We all have to be prepared for onset of dementia, says Alzheimer’s Foundation chief addressing Mallika Nivasa Samithiya AGM
By Dilushi Wijesinghe Lanka Alzheimer’s Foundation President Prof. Shehan Williams said that although an estimated 300,000 Sri Lankans suffer from dementia, actual figures were not known. Addressing the Annual General Meeting of the Mallika Nivasa Samithiya as chief guest on Wednesday (24), he stressed that one in three people in their eighties are likely to [...]
10-yearly snapshot rolled down the road
By Niranjala Ariyawansha The Department of Census and Statistics (DCS) said that the 2023/24 national census, which was scheduled for September will have to be postponed further due to the presidential election. Responding to an inquiry by the Sunday Times, the department’s Director General Ms. Anoja Seneviratne said the census will be held after the [...]
Spotlight on prison overcrowding once again as Meningitis kills inmate
n Activists say overcrowding further compounded by Yukthiya operation n Prisons Department’s Annual Report – 2023 also highlights overcrowding as a major challenge By Sandun Jayawardana The recent death of a prison inmate from Meningitis at the Galle Prison has again drawn attention to the risk of dangerous infectious diseases spreading through the prison population. The Department [...]
Sri Lanka to state its case on elephants in processions
By Kasun Warakapitiya A renowned veterinarian, and professor in veterinary clinical science at the University of Peradeniya Professor Asoka Dangolla is to fly to Thailand to defend the use of elephants in perahera. This comes as international pressure is mounting against the use of elephants in processions, following the repatriation of the ailing, wounded tusker [...]
Sri Lanka’s first Albatross sighting thrills birdwatchers
By Malaka Rodrigo Lahiru Walpita, an avid birdwatcher based in Mannar, spends his days combing the beaches in search of seabirds. On the morning of July 22, at around 5.45 a.m., something caught his attention; a large seabird appeared on the horizon. The bird was following a boat. Eagerly peering through his spotting scope, Mr. [...]
Challenges in SL’s mental health arena: Brain drain & lack of medicines
Dr. Sajeewana Amarasinghe details how the Sri Lanka College of Psychiatrists is helping to cope with the situation By Kumudini Hettiarachchi Powerful was the focus on numerous mind-related issues as local and international Psychiatrists gathered in Colombo this weekend. ‘Quality Mental Health Care in South Asia’ was the theme as the 21st Annual Academic Sessions of [...]
Plaudit for ‘1926′
The live-wire who made the ‘National Mental Health Helpline 1926’ a reality, Dr. Pushpa Ranasinghe was honoured at the ceremony on Friday after the airing of a brief video on its importance. The helpline gives hope and is invaluable for all those vulnerable men, women and children out there, guiding them to relevant services too. [...]