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Home » NewsClosing the stable door after gunman had bolted
In a clear-cut case of closing the stable door after the horses have bolted, security was tightened in court premises to prevent any untoward incident similar to the killing of notorious criminal Ganemulla Sanjeewa by a gunman disguised as a lawyer on Wednesday in the magistrate’s court in Hulftsdorp. Pic by Sumudu Hewapathirana.
Police Chief, NPC in open battle over transfers
Acting IGP says AG supports the view that transfers are internal matters under IGP’s purview Commission rejects Acting IGP’s claim of interference, says it is following laid-out procedures By Chandani Kirinde The National Police Commission (NPC) and the Acting Inspector General Priyantha Weerasooriya have locked horns over the transfer of Officers in Charge (OIC) of [...]
USAID: Govt largest recipient; projects in four ministries hit
By Mimi Alphonsus The USAID funding freeze has left several non-governmental organisations (NGOs) high and dry, but the government sector, too, is deeply affected. Four ministries and several departments under them were receiving USAID grants at the time of the freeze and are now looking for money to continue their projects. Data obtained from the [...]
Adani-run port terminal contract blocks SLPA’s partnerships for East terminal
By Namini Wijedasa Major shipping lines have expressed interest in partnering with the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) to run the East Container Terminal (ECT)—but its agreement with the Adani-run West Container Terminal (WCT) prevents it from doing so. The agreement blocks the SLPA from directly or indirectly allowing a third party to operate any [...]
CEB curtails solar power intake into national grid; Regulator left in the dark
The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) last week started curtailing solar power output to the national grid by giving instructions to small-scale ground-mounted power producers to drop production between 11am and 1pm. It is not clear whether these instructions will be repeated today, as the producers were only notified verbally on the morning of February 16, [...]
Several key UN projects in Sri Lanka hit by US aid freeze
The pause in US foreign assistance is affecting many important programmes in Sri Lanka, including ones critical to advancing food security, economic reforms, democratic governance, anti-corruption, border security, and orderly migration management, according to Marc-André Franche, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Sri Lanka. He said these programmes were being carried out with the support [...]
Wijeya journalist acquitted of charges; no evidence she took courtroom pix
Moratuwa Magistrate Uddala Suwan Durugoda this week acquitted Wijeya Newspapers Ltd. journalist Rekha Tharangani Fonseka from a case filed against her on charges of taking photographs inside the courtroom in defiance of instructions from a public official. The magistrate acquitted the journalist after ruling that police had been unable to prove the charges against her, [...]
Courthouse killing: Suspects had conducted “dry run” days before the shooting
By Damith Wickramasekara and Sandun Jayawardana The man and woman responsible for the killing of alleged organised criminal and drug trafficker “Ganemulla Sanjeewa” had carried out surveillance inside the Aluthkade Magistrate’s Court complex, even conducting a “dry run” inside the complex a few days prior to the shooting, investigators say. The dry run had been [...]
Ella fire fuels concerns over harm to environment and tourism
By Dilushi Wijesinghe and Palitha Ariyawansa Last week’s fire that tore through Ella Rock, destroying more than 600 acres of land, has had ripple effects on wildlife, tourism, and air quality and increased the threat of landslides. The blaze that began on February 13 around 4 p.m. raged for two days before the authorities managed [...]
Tragic multiple deaths of elephants in rail accident sheds light on recurring issue
By Tharushi Weerasinghe Investigations into the train accident that killed most of a herd of elephants on Thursday began yesterday with a site inspection by officials of the Department of Wildlife Conservation and the Railway Department. The accident, near the 141st milepost between Galoya and Hingurakgoda railway stations, occurred when the Meenagaya train collided with [...]
New spiders named after ‘Village in the Jungle’ characters
By Malaka Rodrigo Sri Lanka’s rich biodiversity has once again proven to be a treasure trove for science with the discovery of six new palp-footed spiders by Prof. Suresh Benjamin, the country’s leading arachnologist. In a marriage of science and literature, three of these new spiders have been named after key characters from Village in [...]
Elephant crossing
By Ganasiri Hettiarachchige Herds of elephants roaming in the Samanthurai area has been a common site with the paddy harvest taking place these days. The Wildlife Department makes constant attempts to drive the elephants to the Buddangala forest reserve. At times over 150 elephants are spotted. The elephants could be spotted around 3.30 am crossing [...]
Spending on ‘lending a hand to the vulnerable’ climbs new highs
By Kapila Bandara Sri Lanka is pouring an unprecedented Rs 749 billion for social protection alone to fulfil a priority in the public spending plan, where social infrastructure such as health and education also get historic allocations. The National People’s Power Government’s maiden budget presented by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, last Monday, in a backdrop [...]
Former SDIG Lalith Jayasinghe sentenced for the second time
By Ranjith Padmasiri Former Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police (SDIG) Lalith Jayasinghe was found guilty for the second time in his career of harbouring a suspect in a murder case, with the Vavuniya High Court sentencing him to four years Rigorous Imprisonment (RI) this week after finding him guilty of harbouring a key suspect [...]
Gnana Moonesinghe passes away
Gnana Moonesinghe, a member of the Dispute Resolution Council of the Press Complaints Commission of Sri Lanka (PCCSL) passed away this week. Her funeral was held yesterday in Colombo. Ms. Moonesinghe was a graduate in Economics and Political Science from the University of Peradeniya and worked at MARGA, a non-profit Development Studies research institute. She [...]
Govt. calls for bids for sale of 21 presidential office vehicles
By Niranjala Ariyawansha The government has announced that it is in the final stages of auctioning of all luxury and high-engine capacity vehicles on the open market, which have become a substantial non-financial burden on state institutions, as reported to the Sunday Times. In the first stage, the Presidential Secretariat has called for bids for [...]
Chinese fishing in troubled northern Sri Lankan waters
By S. Rubathesan Northern fishermen are caught up in a geo-political net as a new actor, China is trying to enter the fray amid the ongoing Indo-Lanka fisheries conflict involving Indian fishermen continuing their illegal bottom trawling in Sri Lankan territorial waters. To woo the Northern fishermen, China granted Rs 1.5 billion worth of humanitarian [...]
Get the vaccine before departing Sri Lanka to certain countries
Meningococcal infection can be deadly to you and your family By Kumudini Hettiarachchi Is the deadly meningococcal infection diagnosed on and off in Sri Lanka, due to close contact with a person who has returned from an endemic country or is it community-based now? “If you are heading to a meningococcal endemic country, take your [...]
Parties disagree on date for local government elections, EC weighs in
By Ishu Bandara Opposition parties and the ruling National People’s Power (NPP) have taken up different positions on the conduct of local government elections. Many of the opposition parties have requested the Election Commission that nominations should be called after the budget debate is concluded, but the NPP wants the nomination dates announced earlier. Some [...]
Challenges hinder ‘mission’ to ensure safe anaesthesia and critical care for all
COAISL gives solutions, while urging the addition of ‘critical care’ to the specialist designation By Kumudini Hettiarachchi A “thriving” workforce is essential for optimal patient care and this is why the College of Anaesthesiologists and Intensivists of Sri Lanka (COAISL) has turned its intent focus on them. Addressing the inauguration of the 41st Annual Academic Congress [...]
Energy Ministry asks Adani Green Energy to provide official notification
By Namini Wijedasa Sri Lanka’s Energy Ministry has requested Adani Green Energy Sri Lanka Ltd (AGESLL) to provide official notification within two weeks as to whether its parent company, India’s Adani Green Energy Ltd (AGEL), has withdrawn the investment it had committed towards two wind power plants in Mannar and Pooneryn. “We have written to [...]
Some feel a sliver of the economic pie is not enough
By Kasun Warakapitiya Uncertainty over the benefits to the public from the 2025 budget hangs over revenue measures, public sector salaries, and allowances. A cross section of state and private sector employees, minor staffers as well as daily wage earners said that they expected more from the inaugural budget of the government. They said that [...]
Tourists flock to Nuwara Eliya in spite of the heat
Nuwara Eliya, always a favourite destination among travellers has seen an influx of tourists in recent weeks. Many were seen visiting the historic post office and spending time at caffes dotting the town, enjoying a cuppa and coffee. The excessive heat in recent days even in this usually cool climate has not deterred tourists from [...]
Intense February heat poses health risks
Hot days and nights and high humidity so far this month will expose Sri Lankans to heatstroke, skin ailments, and other health risks. The temperature has risen above 35 degrees Celsius in many areas in the country. As of yesterday, the maximum temperature recorded was 36.2°C from Ratnapura district. The Department of Meteorology has warned [...]
Budget allocation for children with neurodevelopmental needs: Parents, experts welcome move
By Tharushi Weerasinghe President Anura Kumara Dissanayake announced dedicated healthcare funding for children with neurodevelopmental needs in this week’s national budget. Accordingly, an allocation of Rs. 200 Mn was made for 2025 to establish a treatment centre for children with neurodevelopment needs, in line with international standards, at the Lady Ridgeway Children’s Hospital in Colombo. [...]
Health Minister makes appeal to medical professionals abroad to return
By L.B. Senaratne Health Minister Nalinda Jayatissa recently made an appeal to medical professionals working abroad to return home to Sri Lanka and serve the people who have paid for their education. They need your services, he said, He made the plea while declaring open a plastic surgery unit at the Peradeniya Teaching Hospital. The [...]