The remark made by National People’s Power (NPP) strongman K. D. Lalkantha at the recent May Day rally that a future NPP government will decentralize judicial powers to its cadres at village level, triggered a flare up in Parliament with both the ruling party and Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) launching a verbal attack on MP Harini Amarasuriya.
Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) founder Basil Rajapaksa reasserted yesterday that his party still believes the general election should precede the presidential elections but President Ranil Wickremesinghe has a contrasting stand, according to an informed source of the party.
In a bid to mitigate the pharmaceutical drugs abuse menace, the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) will back police and excise officials to identify and crackdown the trends of misusing psychoactive medicines. In a move to make the law enforcement officials aware, the NMRA organized a special programme last week to educate the psychoactive substances, which are prescribed as medicinal drugs for various ailments. A senior NMRA off
A woman who allegedly spiked her husband’s tea with sleeping tablets, suspected of planning to spend the night with her paramour, was placed in custody after her husband fell seriously ill and was hospitalized. The suspect woman was produced before Hatton District Judge and Magistrate H. M.Seriddeen and remanded till May 15. The suspect woman (26) and her husband (32) were residents of Maskeliya Divisional Hospital quarters and hospital emplo
An individual who had been arrested in the early hours of yesterday morning for taking hostage his two children and threatening to commit suicide with them by exploding a hand grenade demanding his wife to be brought back to him was produced before Homagama Magistrate Rajindra Jayasuriya yesterday and remanded till May 17. He had been in possession of a high-powered hand grenade with its lock open at the time of arrest. The Special Task F
Meanwhile, earlier in the day addressing a media conference Public Security Minister Tiran Alles maintained that VFS Global, the foreign company now responsible for handling on-arrival visas on behalf of Sri Lanka at the BIA, will continue to operate for at least 12 years. He said that the proposal to transfer the new visa system to VFS Global was unanimously passed on November 23 last year without debate in Parliament following Cabinet approval.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe is reported to have told Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) founder Basil Rajapaksa that he will formally announce his stand regarding the presidential election only in June. In the midst of political developments ahead of the presidential election pending this year, the two leaders met recently as part of their routine engagements. The President reportedly told Mr. Rajapaksa that he would announce his stand in June
Highlighting that the current Sri Lankan visa issuing process is worse than the bond scam, Leader of Opposition Sajith Premadasa yesterday called for a proper probe into it and disclosure of all facts. “It is envisaged that the visa fiasco is worse than the bond scam of 2015 where millions of public funds have been robbed. Disclosure of real facts is important after a proper probe as the nation needs to know what had really taken place,” Mr. Prem
Sri Lanka Council for Agricultural Research Policy which serves as an organization for advisory capacity for coordinating and consolidating efforts has called for concept papers from scientists, researchers for funding in the year 2025. Applications are called for researchers and scientists with the National Agricultural Research System (NARS) for 2025. The deadline which was to be ended on April 30 has been extended to May 14 according to SLCA
By B.G.Chaturanga A group of 22 unemployed graduates who demonstrated in front of the North Central Provincial Council Secretariat yesterday morning were taken into custody by the Anuradhapura Police. Former Convenor of the All Ceylon Unemployed Graduates’ Union Dhammika Munasinghe and eleven female graduates were among those arrested. The police said the protesters had prevented the movement of Governor Maheepala Herath and the o
Uncertainty looms over the relaunch of the Japan -financed light rail project (LRT) even after the country’s debt restructuring process is concluded since Japan has decided not to discuss it , according to an official of the Japanese government.
The South West Monsoon which is expected to become active within the coming days will cause tidal swells in the seas around Sri Lanka, the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) which quoted the Department of Meteorology said yesterday.
Water levels in reservoirs used for hydro power have been dwindling fast due to the prevailing dry weather in the central hills, authorities said yesterday. Engineers in Charge said the water level in Castlereagh reservoir stood 47ft below the spill level and that of Maussakelle 52 ft below.
A Woman Police Constable suspected to have stolen the wallet of a woman inside a textile shop in Kandy was arrested by Kandy crime Investigations Branch.The owner, who found her wallet in her hand bag missing after she selected a dress and prepared to pay money had made a complaint to police.
A local passenger who tried to smuggle a range of precious stones to India by concealing them in carbon paper to go undetected at airport X-ray scanners was nabbed by the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) security yesterday afternoon.
We have observed that most of these criminals found in the underworld and drug-related crimes are victims of poverty and from the lower levels of society The most righteous statement to make would be to transform a society where criminals are not produced
Sri Lanka ranked 150 in the 2024 edition of the Press Freedom Index, published annually by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), which is a remarkable drop of 15 positions from 135 to 150 when compared to 2023. According to the index, Sri Lanka’s overall score has dropped from 45.85 to 35.21.
The award of contract for issuing on-arrival visas at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) to a foreign consortium including VFS Global as the key technology partner is mired in further controversy since it has been done without f
The manager of a cooperative shop belonging to Ginigathhena Multipurpose Cooperative Society who pleaded guilty of selling Kiri Samba rice in excess of the control price was fined Rs. 500,000 by Hatton Magistrate and District Ju
The naval and fishing communities involved in activities from Kalpitiya to Pottuvil via Colombo, Galle, and Hambantota are advised to remain vigilant as swell wave heights and periods may rise in the sea areas, the Natural Ha
SLCERT warns WhatsApp users against sharing OTPs to prevent hacking
IMF review for Sri Lanka delayed
Canada issues travel advisory over serious risk in Arugam Bay
More countries issue travel advisories
Sri Lanka Tourism invites global travellers for upcoming season
SPA owners say their rights have been violated
Lightning strikes two siblings: one dead, other injured