Diana happy about introduction of flexible opening hours for liquor shops and bars

The proposal was made in yesterday’s budget by the President to introduce flexible opening hours for bars and liquor shops in order to stop illicit liquor sales

SC delivers a landmark judgment broadly interpreting parate execution

A Supreme Court seven-judge-bench yesterday delivered a landmark judgment giving a broad interpretation in respect of parate execution (law which allows sale of mortgaged properties without intervention of courts), by overruling the decision of Chelliah v Ramachandran case. The Supreme Court seven-judge bench comprising Justices Buwaneka Aluwihare, Murdu Fernando, S. Thurairaja, Gamini Amarasekara, A.H.M.D. Nawaz, Kumudini Wickremasinghe and M

SC holds Deradicalization Regulations are not legally valid

The Supreme Court yesterday made a declaration that the regulations issued by former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in respect of Prevention of Terrorism (De-radicalization from holding violent extremist religious ideology) Regulations No. 01 of 2021 are not legally valid. The Supreme Court further held that these regulations are in violation of the fundamental rights of the petitioners guaranteed under Articles 10 (the freedom of thought, consci

Ports Ministry to start several revenue-generating programmes at Hambantota Port

Ports, Shipping and Aviation Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva has focused on starting several revenue-generating programmes at the Hambantota Port. Following a discussion at the ministry, it was revealed that the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) owns 15% of the total shares of Hambantota Port, and the government has not received any dividend as no profit has been made from the Hambantota Port so far. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the

No tea party but lunch

The usual tea party which is held for MPs and other invitees after the second reading of the budget was not held this year, but a late lunch because of the fact that the presentation of the budget began at 12 noon.

B-day celebrations at parliamentary group meeting

Dual birthday celebrations were held during the ruling party parliamentary group meeting at the parliamentary complex yesterday. Birthdays of State Minister Shehan Semasinghe and MP Sagara Kariyawasam were celebrated with the cutting of cakes, according to reliable sources. President Ranil Wickremesinghe had also participated in the celebrations.

Sugar shortage sparks price surge; CAA urges complaints

The National Movement for Consumer Rights Protection (NMCRP) claimed that there is a huge shortage of white sugar in the local market. NMCRP head Ranjith Vithanage told the Daily Mirror that the shortage is due to the controlled price imposed on sugar. The Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) has issued a gazette notification setting a maximum retail price (MRP) for sugar, with effect from November 3. Despite the maximum retail price for

Main suspect who threatened ex-PUCSL Chairman arrested

The main suspect who allegedly made death threats and attempted to extort Rs. 1.5 million from former chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) Janaka Rathnayake has been arrested in Wellampitiya. Police said the suspect was arrested by the Colombo Crimes Division and that the suspect had 12 grams of ice drug in his possession at the time of arrest. The CCD launched investigations into the alleged death threats and extortio

SL to produce train tickets locally after 150 years?

Sri Lanka is slated to decide on manufacturing train tickets locally after 150 years with an investor who has been in the local paper industry and is set to meet government top brass to convey his plan to produce train tickets locally. Chairperson of Ceylon Eco-Friendly Products (Pvt) Ltd Udaya Gunarathne said he will engage in a meeting with the government top brass this week when he will present his project proposal of developing train tickets

South Asian student organisations say ‘We stand in solidarity with Palestinian people’

Student unions from several South Asian countries yesterday demanded Israel to declare immediate ceasefire and said that they will stand in solidarity with the people of Palestine recognising their right to resist, return home and to be free. A host of student unions representing India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka signing a joint statement said the student community stands in solidarity with the people of Palestine. The Inter

Editors’ Guild mourns Gamini Weerakoon’s passing away

The Editors’ Guild of Sri Lanka expresses its profound sorrows at the passing away of a founder member of The Guild, Mr. Gamini Weerakoon. Mr. Weerakoon was the former Editor of The daily Island and Sunday Island. He joined Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd., as a parliamentary reporter in 1966 after abandoning his under graduate studies at the Science and later Law Faculty of the University of Ceylon (Colombo).

Minor tremor reported in Trinco

A minor tremor with a magnitude of 3.4 has been reported in the Morawewa area of Trincomalee District yesterday, Geological Survey and Mines Bureau confirmed. The bureau stated that the tremor with a magnitude of 3.4 on the Richter scale had been felt at around 01.15 p.m. last afternoon. Sri Lanka has been experiencing minor tremors both inland and sea throughout this year. Many of them have been reported from the South and in the Moneragala Di

Amidst severe Doctor shortage Anuradhapura Hospitals face closure

Several hospitals in the Anuradhapura District have been on the verge of closure due to the dearth of doctors, much to the anxiety of the Government Medical Officer’s Association Deputy Secretary of the GMOA Dr. Ajantha Rajakaruna said. Anuradhapura Base Hospital and Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital were facing a shortage of medical specialists. He pointed out that 25 medical specialists and 30 doctors of Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital and 30 doct

More than half a million people forced into darkness this year

The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) disconnected a total of 544,488 electricity connections during the first 10 months of 2023. The details were announced in a report issued by the Power and Energy Ministry recently. Besides, 94,201 electricity connections were reported to have disconnected at the end of 2021, and 247,250 connections were severed at the end of 2022. Altogether, more than 8% of Sri Lankans were already forced into darkness b

Sri Lanka’s weather set to deteriorate further

Sri Lanka‘s weather is to deteriorate once again as a result of a low-level atmospheric disturbance that has set in. Heavy showers above 100 mm were forecast in some places in Western, Central, Sabaragamuwa, Southern and Eastern Provinces and in Kurunegala and Polonnaruwa Districts during the coming days. Showers or thundershowers will occur at times in Northern, North-central, Central and Eastern Provinces. Showers may also occur in the coastal

Executive and legislature should resolve cricket crisis: Mayantha

Both the President and Parliament should resolve the cricket crisis, Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Mayantha Dissanayake said yesterday. MP Dissanayake who is the son of former Minister Gamini Dissanayake who at one time headed Sri Lanka Cricket said an emergency Bill should be brought in to introduce new laws pertaining to cricket and other sports. “One cannot afford to delay this endeavour,” the MP told a media briefing.

China’s support expected to further strengthen digital education: Minister

Following a special meeting with People’s Republic of China’s Education Minister, Huai Jinpeng, Education Minister Susil Premajayantha said that China’s support is expected to further strengthen digital education powered by education reforms. During the meeting, the progress of the educational reform measures and educational development programmes implemented in the education sector of Sri Lanka were discussed. Minister Premajayantha met

Mahela blames poor player fitness levels for disappointing World Cup Campaign

As the postmortem begins into Sri Lanka’s disappointing Cricket World Cup campaign, Consultant Coach Mahela Jayawardene blamed the poor fitness levels of the players as a key reason for the team’s performances during the tournament. The team returned to the island on Friday, having finished ninth out of ten teams in the Group Stage, which meant they did not qualify for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan, the first time that Sri Lanka

Budget : Govt hard pressed between IMF and demand for public relief

The government is expected to present the annual budget for 2024 today in Parliament, prepared amidst much struggling to strike a balance between the conditions stipulated by the International Monetary Fund ( IMF) and the need to give concessions to people ahead of the national elections expected later next year . In accordance with the IMF programme, the government is mainly required to meet its revenue targets at the end of the year while cu

Motion to be brought to expel SJB MP Chaminda Wijesiri

A motion is to be brought in to expel Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Chaminda Wijesiri for misbehaving in Parliament, State Minister of J

Two jumbos drown in causeway

The causeway had been built by a businessman to reach a sand mining site

CCTV cameras to be made mandatory in passenger buses

Officials instructed to initiate an efficient method to pay tolls using a QR code

120 Artistes awarded with Justice of Peace title

Title was awarded to veteran artistes in the fields of cinema, stage, television, tele-drama, music, singing, songwriting, etc

Assassination attempt of former Pakistan High Commissioner: Three LTTE suspects acquitted

The three accused had been charged under the PTA

Reservoirs swell and spill over

Castlereagh and Maussakelle reservoirs had reached spillover level

Overseas demand results in 25% reduction of SriLankan Airlines aircraft engineers: ALAE

The Association of SriLankan Airlines Licensed Aircraft Engineers (ALAE) revealed that an unprecedented demand for skilled

Cricket associations over 20 years will be dissolved: Minister

Says SLC has withdrawn 2Mn dollars and transferred it to another bank account

CEA Chairman nabbed by Bribery Commission for soliciting Rs.10Mn bribe

Preliminary inquiries revealed that the suspect had demanded the sum to facilitate a person with a forged document related to the environmental authority

131 Girls sexually abused in October: Police

10 of the victims are currently pregnant

Main SLPP queries if moves are underway to postpone elections next year

A Cabinet subcommittee has been appointed to work out recommendations to introduce a mixed system