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Home » NewsLanka mourns demise of Podi Hamuduruwo
One of Sri Lanka’s most widely known Buddhist prelates, the Venerable Galboda Gnanissara Thera of the Gangaramaya temple in Colombo passed away on Friday and the prelate’s body was yesterday brought to the temple where he had served for decades in taking the message of the Dhamma far and wide while setting up institutions to [...]
Online visa process suspended by SC
Court orders Immigration Dept. to cancel VFS tender, revert to old system By Namini Wijedasa The issue of online visas for travellers to Sri Lanka has ground to a halt after the Supreme Court on Friday suspended the agreement signed by the Immigration Department to outsource online visa processing to a tripartite joint venture between [...]
Govt-EC standoff over Suraksha show
A standoff between the Government and the Elections Commission is afoot as to whether to go ahead with a ceremony, ‘Suraksha,’ the insurance scheme for schoolchildren, at the Presidential Secretariat next Tuesday with the attendance of Education Minister Susil Premajayantha. President’s Secretary Saman Ekanayake had sought clearance from the EC but was requested to postpone [...]
Police Chief’s powers for Public Security Ministry Secretary
By Damith Wickremasekara Public Security Ministry Secretary Viyani Gunatillake has been vested with the powers by President Ranil Wickremesinghe to make decisions on behalf of the Inspector General of Police during the period of the presidential election. Mr. Gunatillake told the Sunday Times that he had received an official communication from the President’s Secretary, Saman [...]
Suraksha ceremony draws EC objection
The Election Commission has requested the President’s Secretary, Saman Ekanayake, to refrain from having a ceremony to renew the ‘Suraksha insurance’ scheme for schoolchildren to be held at the Presidential Secretariat with the participation of Education Minister Susil Premajayantha. Election Commission Chairman R.M.A.L. Ratnayake said the conduct of the event at the Secretariat would amount [...]
India, Lanka hold ETCA talks; no decision on medical exports
By Namini Wijedasa Officials from India and Sri Lanka held another round of talks this week on the proposed bilateral Economic and Technology Cooperation Agreement (ETCA), with at least two more rounds required to resolve outstanding issues, including a new Indian request for expedited Sri Lankan regulatory clearance for its medical exports. ETCA seeks to [...]
Contingency plans afoot to deal with possible war situation in West Asia
The Government has put in place contingency plans to evacuate Sri Lankans in Lebanon and other countries in the region in case of escalation of the hostilities in the area, Foreign Minister Ali Sabry said yesterday. “The MFA and the Minister of Labour and Foreign Employment are working together to ensure the safety of Lankan [...]
Undergrad killed in Battaramulla car crash
A student of a private university was killed and two other passengers were seriously injured when a car driven by a 19-year-old youth veered off the road, collided with a van and hit a tree close to the Parliament complex in Battaramulla yesterday. Police said the driver was speeding and appeared to have lost control [...]
Ceasefire now, demand free Palestine activists
Free Palestine and global justice activists held a protest in Town Hall, Colombo to demand and immediate halt to what they call a genocide in Gaza. The demonstrators highlighted the importance of a ceasefire in Gaza where so far more than 40,000 people, more than half of them children, have been killed in Israel’s attacks [...]
Berlin Buddhist Vihara centenary celebration held at Temple Trees
By Dilushi Wijesinghe The 100th anniversary of Das Buddhistische Haus in Berlin, also known as the Berlin Buddhist Vihara, was commemorated at Temple Trees yesterday. The highlight of the celebration was the launch of the book titled 100 Years—Das Buddhistische Haus. The publication, compiled by the German Dharmaduta Society, features a collection of articles that [...]
Stage set for PC elections: Parliament to take up bill for second reading on Tuesday
The government will submit the bill to amend the Provincial Council Elections Act on Tuesday for the second reading in Parliament with the objective of holding PC elections soon after the presidential polls are concluded. The bill, which was submitted originally as a private member bill by Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchchi (ITAK) Parliamentarian M.A. Sumanthiran, [...]
EC discusses poll-related matters with returning officers
By Kasun Warkapitiya Returning officers were invited to the Election Commission office yesterday for a briefing on the preparations for the upcoming presidential election, Commissioner General of Elections Saman Sri Rathnayake told the Sunday Times. “We mostly discussed how to carry out polling-related activities even during adverse weather conditions. The election could be held during [...]
AG objects to plea by man convicted for VAT fraud
By Ranjith Padmasiri The Attorney General has objected to a plea by a businessman convicted for a fraud of value added tax (VAT) to appoint a five judge bench to re-hear his appeal in the Court of Appeal. The request has come despite an appeal already pending with the Supreme Court. Businessman Mohamed Kamil Kuthubdeen [...]
Govt. to provide interest relief for those who pawned gold
The Government has introduced an interest subsidy for Aswesuma beneficiaries who have obtained cash advances of up to Rs 100,000 by pawning their jewellery in licensed banks before June, a circular from the Treasury said. Accordingly, the Treasury will pay an interest subsidy for pawning advances up to Rs 100,000. One customer can obtain this [...]
Large crowds at Gangaramaya temple pay their last respects to Podi Hamuduruwo
The cremation of the Chief incumbent of the Gangaramaya Temple Colombo Galboda Gnanissara Thera will take place with state patronage tomorrow at 3 p.m. in the grounds located opposite the temple. Ven Gnanissara Thera, popularly known as Podi Hamuduruwo passed away at a private hospital on Friday at the age of 81. The remains of [...]
Podi Hamuduruwo: A visionary priest with the Dhamma, people and nation in his heart
Devotees attending the Gangaramaya Temple at Hunupitiya in Colombo in the 1960s noted the presence of a tall young monk of pleasant countenance in close attendance to the chief priest, the Venerable Devundara Wachchisara Nayaka Hamuduruwo. This was a time when Venerable Wachchisara was losing his sight and tended to rely more on the young [...]
A tribute to a noble Friend: Honouring the legacy of Ven. Galboda Gnanissara Thera
Ven. Fa Zhao, Chief Abbot of the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum Golden Pagoda Temple, Singapore, reflects on the life and friendship with the late monk It is with profound sorrow that I pen these words, marking the passing of a remarkable Buddhist leader who has served the Buddha Sasana and numerous communities in [...]
Party preoccupations come to the fore in election cycle
By Kasun Warakapitiya With less than seven weeks left for the presidential election, the main political parties are busy organising their campaigns, which are set to be stepped up after nominations close on August 15. Seventeen prospective candidates have placed their deposits at the Election Commission by Friday, and more are due to follow over [...]
Don’t turn “citizens into consumers” of election propaganda campaigns: Election Commission
Senior govt. officials to be summoned to be warned of public funds being misused to promote candidates By Damith Wickramasekara and Sandun Jayawardana The Election Commission (EC) is to summon senior government officials next week to inform them not to allow public funds to be misused by political parties and/or candidates for election propaganda activities [...]
Visa outsourcing ripped apart: VFS lawyers protest against violation of natural justice
By Namini Wijedasa The Supreme Court (SC) this week suspended the Cabinet decision to outsource the processing of online visas to a tripartite joint venture of the Singapore-registered GBS Technology Services, the UAE-registered IVS Global-FZCO and the Dubai-headquartered VFS VF Worldwide Holdings Ltd. Justices P. Padman Surasena (presiding), Kumudini Wickremasinghe and Achala Wengappuli also halted [...]
Tea estate workers pick holes in unregulated ‘revenue sharing’ model
By Mimi Alphonsus Sri Lanka’s plantation sector has many problems, but the revenue-sharing model is no magic cure, say workers on the Madulkele estate in the Kandy district. The Revenue-Sharing Model (RSM) gives workers a part of the estate land on which they grow, pluck, and sell tea back to the company. It differs from [...]
Passionate pursuit of heart care
Live interventional cardiology and mobilizing Physicians in the battle against heart disease the high points at the SLCC’s academic sessions By Kumudini Hettiarachchi Moving away from the usual academic sessions of exclusive lectures and discussions, the Sri Lanka College of Cardiology (SLCC) proved that “people’s hearts do matter” through hands-on training. Skill enhancement in interventional [...]
SLAF and Montana National Guard to hold joint military exercise
By Dilushi Wijesinghe The Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) in partnership with The Montana National Guard (U.S. Pacific Air Force) is set to conduct a joint military exercise ‘Atlas Angel’ from August 5 – 9. The exercise will be carried out at the SLAF base in Katunayake and the SLAF Academy China Bay, Trincomalee with [...]
Indian bottom trawler fisherman’s death raises India-SL tensions
By S Rubatheesan It was around 9.30 pm on Friday at Kankesanturai naval jetty where a Sri Lankan Navy vessel left the shore with a coffin onboard carrying a deceased Indian fisherman along with two other Indian fishermen who met a tragic accident on Wednesday. The body of another Indian fisherman is yet to be [...]
The pelican’s lunch hour at the zoo
One of the great attractions at the Dehiwala Zoo is the feeding of the pelicans. A large number of pelicans gather at the zoo during feeding time during the middle of the day. The birds gather around the zoo’s kitchen area expecting a meal. According to Curator at the zoological gardens, Nalaka Sudesh, the birds [...]
Kap ritual takes place ahead of perahera
By L B Senaratne The commencement of the Kandy Esala Perahera began at the Aluthnuwara Dedimunda Devale premises with the ‘Kap‘ ritual where a suitable tree was cut for distribution to the four devales in Kandy at 4.10 am today. The silver axe was handed over by the Basnayake Nilame of Maha Vishnu Devale and [...]
Amidst shortage of perahera elephants, nilames ask for licence to capture
By L B Senaratne The grandeur of the Kandy ritual known as the “Kandy Esala Maha Perahera” may soon fade away, said the Diyawadana Nilame Pradeep Nilanga Dela, at the final briefing for the 2024 pageant held at the Kandy Maligawa Complex. Outlining the scarcity of elephants as the President of the Domesticated Elephants Association, [...]
Billboard problem
A hoarding on display obstructing the road and the pavement in Kandy is raising concerns. It poses a risk, especially with the Kandy Esala Perhera taking place. The height of the elephants and the men riding on them with assorted items could potentially be disastrous, people have pointed out. No establishment is allowed to have [...]
Dengue management – SL shows the way to Bangladesh
By Kumudini Hettiarachchi A lazy Sunday morning on July 28 – but intense and interactive discussions within the charming auditorium of the Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA) down Wijerama Mawatha, Colombo 7. Up goes a case study on the screen and every aspect of treatment and management is analysed and discussed under the guidance of [...]
Deadly dengue surge pushes patient count near 33,000
By Nathara Abeywickrema The National Dengue Control Unit (NDCU) of the Ministry of Health has issued a warning that a potential rise in dengue cases in the coming weeks could be due to lower public vigilance towards prevention, especially in light of the rains. As of mid year Sri Lanka has reported 32,967 dengue patients, [...]
Presidential election: Tamil parties go different ways
Newly formed “Tamil Peoples General Council” still to name common candidate; ITAK sceptical of move, awaits manifestoes of leading candidates to see which horse to back By S. Rubatheesan Long before the Election Commission called for nominations, some Tamil political parties and civil society outfits were holding discussions behind closed doors on the possibility of fielding [...]
Novices, old hands, and even rejects step in for political bout
By Nathara Abeywickrema As nominations day for the presidential election approaches, the political landscape is witnessing an increased interest in the contest. Among them are candidates who have contested on several previous occasions, and who have been able to draw only a few thousand votes. Fourteen contenders have deposited a bond with the Election Commission [...]