An Indian tourist who fell into a more than 100 metre deep precipice at Ehela Kanuwa on the Ratnapura Sri Pada route in the early hours of yesterday morning was rescued by a team of officers from Maskeliya STF camp. Police said the tourist Bharath Chandradas (25) from Mumbai Maharashtra had been heading for Sri Padastana along the Ratnapura route with several others when he fell off the protective fence into the precipice at about 5 am yesterd
India remains unresponsive to the request by Sri Lanka to allow an innocent passage through the Indian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) for its fishermen to enter the Arabian Sea, a top source said. Sri Lanka made
On former Provincial Councillor Nauzer Fowzie’s initiative, Dubai-based Saeeda Foundation laid the foundation for a four-storied building with 16 classrooms at a cost of Rs.100 million at Khairiya Girls College, Dematagoda last week. The donation of Rs.100 million was presented by Nauzer Fowzie to the school’s Principal Nazeera Hassanar. Member of Parliament A. H. M. Fowzie was the chief guest of the event whilst All Ceylon Jamiyathul Ulama Presi
The Commissioner General of Land, Bandula Jayasinghe yesterday challenged an indictment filed by the Bribery Commission against him on the premise that no Director General has been appointed thus far by the President. When the writ application was taken up for support in the Supreme Court, Counsel Hafeel Farisz appearing for the Commissioner General told court that there was no Director General currently enforced by the Bribery Commission under
More than 83,000 suspects have been arrested and drugs worth Rs. 9 billion have been seized since the launch of the ‘Yukthiya’ operation in December last year. Police spokesman DIG Nihal Thalduwa said that while not all arrested suspects were remanded, 2,932 individuals arrested during the operation are undergoing further investigation under detention orders. Police initiated the ‘Yukthiya’ operation on December 17 last year to combat drug-r
The prolonged breakdown of one of the linear accelerators at the Apeksha Hospital, Maharagama, which predominantly treats the pediatric patients has placed hundreds of lives at risk. Sources familiar with the matter revealed that the linear accelerator, crucial for administering radiotherapy — a vital cancer treatment, has been non-operational since February. Despite the severity of the situation, the Health Ministry has turned a blind eye by
The Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL), Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe today said that he will not step down from the post of Governor due to the issues caused by the salary increase. While addressing the media, he said the crisis situation was caused by the amount of the salary increase at the CBSL. He also said that he will reconsider the salary increase for the employees working under him.
Government vehicles which are running at a cost of Rs. 300 per kilometre can be run at a cost of 100, incurring some Rs. 20 billion to the government, a research paper submitted to the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Energy and Transport has revealed. This was revealed according to the data of a research paper prepared by the Department of Manpower and Employment on “Public Resource Management” which was presented at the Sectoral Oversight Comm
Early on Tuesday morning a container ship crashed into the landmark Francis Scott Key Bridge near the US city of Baltimore, causing most of it to collapse. Several vehicles on the bridge at the time plunged into the waters of the Patapsco River, and rescuers are searching for between seven and 20 people believed to be in the river. Maryland Governor Wes Moore has declared a state of emergency. Several people were seen to be on the bridge a
The National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) have made a startling recovery that recent flooding of unregistered skin treatment medicines found in the local market as cosmetics could have serious health hazards. The NMRA Food and Drugs Inspectors following several alerts of the Sri Lanka College of Dermatologists (SLCD)searched several leading cosmetic shops in Colombo yesterday to find an unregistered skin treatment medicine being sold b
An idea has been mooted by the ruling party to bring in a resolution to claim expenditure incurred for the three day debate on the no faith motion which was brought against Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, a government MP said. MP Chamara Sampath Dassanayake told a gathering that the government is looking towards bringing the resolution during the next Parliament session.
State Minister of Finance Shehan Semasinghe who is in the delegation of Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena visiting China, will hold talks with EXIM Bank of China and China Development Bank to complete the debt restru
The Court of Appeal yesterday issued a writ of certiorari, squashing the report, the findings and the recommendations made by the Presidential Commission on Political Victimisation (PCoI) in respect of incumbent President Ranil Wick
Chief of Defence Staff General Shavendra Silva of Sri Lanka held talks with Chief of Defence Forces of Kenya General Francis Ogolla in Nairobi and explored cooperation in areas such as counterterrorism. The visit marks a pivotal moment in the diplomatic ties between the two nations, signifying a mutual commitment to enhancing defe
A recent survey carried out by the health authorities has revealed that more than 12,000 school children in Anuradhapura District are suffering from optical disorders. They had held 14 eye clinics for school children this year covering the whole district. During the eye clinic for school children in the Anuradhapura Municipal limits under the Vision 2000 programme, Medical Officer in Charge of the Non-Communicable Disease Prevention Unit of
The Education Ministry has undertaken measures to offer a main meal at school to every student in Grades 1 through 5, starting today. The decision was taken into consideration following recommendations from nutritionists. Minister Susil Premajayantha had given instructions to serve the breakfast between 7.30 a.m. and 8.30 a.m. before the students engage in educational activities. He said the Ministry has paid more attention to maintaining the foo
Sri Lanka has witnessed a surge in non-communicable diseases, prompting action from the Ministry of Health. This was revealed by the Health Minister Dr. Ramesh Pathirana at the launch of the “Suva Udana” mobile health clinic programme in Yakkalamulla, Galle. The programme, which marks the 14th such initiative this year, seeks to extend healthcare services to rural communities.
Amid fears that the current programme with the International Monetary Fund ( IMF) will be derailed in case of a regime change, the government is planning to enact an economic transformation law to ensure sustainability of the project despite political changes, a minister said yesterday. The International community, particularly the Western countries, has emphasized the importance of continuity with the the economic reform programme supported by
The former General Manager of the Coconut Cultivation Board was arrested for allegedly misappropriating over Rs. 77 million from the Employees Provident Fund, police said. A senior police officer confirmed that the 64-year-old suspect from the Delgoda area was taken into CID custody on Friday following an investigation into the complaint of alleged misappropriation of Rs. 77,722,691 from the EPF. The suspect is scheduled to be produced before th
The Justice Minister has issued an extraordinary gazette notification permitting to use English language for all purposes of record and proceedings in the Commercial High Courts. With the approval of the Cabinet of Ministers and in accordance with Article 24(4) of the Constitution, Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe has issued this gazette notification enabling all aspects of litigation to be in English in commercial, company, admiralty a
The French Court of Appeal has finally ruled against the extradition of Sri Lankan organized criminal Sinharage Saminda Silva alias Kudu Anju, a top source familiar with the ruling said. He was arrested in France last year. After his arrest, Sri Lanka sought his extradition since he had been accused of multiple criminal charges, including the murder of Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia Municipal Council member Ranjan de Silva and large-scale drug traffick
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