News

Professor M. Sunil Shantha of the Department of Economics & Statistics of the Sabaragamuwa University has been appointed as the Vice-Chancellor of the university.

According to the President’s Media Division (PMD), the appointment was made by President Ranil Wickremesinghe.

The PMD further said Professor M. Sunil Shantha has been appointed as the Vice-Chancellor for a period of three (03) years, with effect from November 02, 2023.

Two officers attached to the Paddy Marketing Board (PMB) have been interdicted over the disappearance of nearly 700,000 kilograms of paddy stocks worth around Rs. 65 – 70 million.

According to media reports, the paddy stocks were reported missing from two government-owned paddy stores in Kurunegala.

The Chairman of the Paddy Marketing Board confirmed that two officers have been interdicted in connection to the incident.

Minister of Agriculture Mahinda Amaraweera last week called for a report following allegations of paddy stocks going missing from 05 government paddy stores in Kurunegala District.

Multiple complaints were made by the employees of the PMB alleging that officials from the head office and regional offices of the PMB were involved in the disappearance of the said paddy stocks.

The Colombo Magistrate’s Court today ruled that the death of the late businessman Dinesh Schaffter was a crime.

The court informed that the 5-member Expert Panel appointed to investigate the death concluded that Schaffter’s death was caused by pressure applied to the areas of the neck and face.

Based on the facts presented by the Expert Panel and other investigation reports, Colombo Magistrate Rajindra Jayasuriya ruled that Schaffter’s death was a crime.

The Magistrate also ordered the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) to immediately arrest all suspects involved in the incident.

The 52-year-old Dinesh Schaffter was found tied up in the driving seat of his car at the Borella Cemetery on December 15, 2022, and died the following day due to a cardiac arrest while receiving treatment at the Colombo National Hospital.

The Homicide and Organised Crimes Division of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) launched investigations in collaboration with the Borella police into Schaffter’s death.

State Minister of Finance Ranjith Siyambalapitiya has revealed that it has been planned to introduce a new property tax from 2025.

Accordingly, plans have been prepared for the introduction of the relevant tax in the year 2025, in accordance with the recommendations made by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), he said.

Explaining the matter further, the State Minister revealed that the new property tax is expected to be levied on individuals who own large amounts of property.

The decennial population and housing census commenced at the Presidential Secretariat on Wednesdya (01).

The Presidential Secretariat assumed the distinction of being the first edifice catalogued in this census, said the President's Media Division.

"What sets this year’s census apart is its fusion of modern technology with conventional paper documents for data collection. The deployment of tablet computers, Internet connectivity and geo-spatial technologies is a standout feature. This method, known as Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI), is being employed for the first time," it said in a statement.

Sri Lanka’s Population and Housing Census is conducted every ten years and is overseen by the Department of Census and Statistics. The previous census took place in 2012.

Interestingly, the inaugural legally mandated census in Sri Lanka transpired on March 27, 1871, marking a pioneering scientific endeavour among South Asian nations.

The Population and Housing Census is a vital source of data for shaping national policies, public administration and understanding demographics, ethnic distribution and other social characteristics.

The census encompasses housing information at the village official division level. This comprehensive undertaking includes assigning a unique number to every building and obtaining GPS coordinates for each structure. Additionally, it results in digitized maps at the village official division level.

Source: PMD

The Freedom People's Congress (FPC) has reportedly decided to entrust its leader Dullas Alahapperuma with the task of talking to the Samagi Jana Balawegaya and other parties on contesting future elections under a common opposition alliance.

Discussions at individual levels could affect the group’s unity, it has noted.

Alahapperuma will negotiate with other parties and inform the FPC about developments.

The National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) has a new chairman in Dr. Ananda Wijewickrama.

He was appointed by health minister Dr. Ramesh Pathirana today (31) at a meeting with the director board of the NMRA.

Dr. Wijewickrama joined the state service in 1992 and became a consultant physician in 2000.

Foreign travel ban

Meanwhile, three persons have been imposed with a foreign travel ban over the import of 22,500 substandard immunoglobulin vaccines by faking documents.

They are owner of the importing company Sugath Janaka Fernando alias ‘Aruna Deepthi’, NMRA’s chief executive director Dr. Vijith Gunasekara and director (supplies) at the Health Ministry Dr. Kapila Wickramanayake.

Maligakanda magistrate Lochana Abeywickrama yesterday imposed the ban upon considering submissions made by the Criminal Investigation Department.

COPA subcommittee instructions

In another development, a COPA subcommittee has instructed the University of Moratuwa to report on the information management system of the Health Ministry.

It has also advised a preparation of a timeframe to establish information management systems at 436 hospitals.

Such systems are already in place in 723 hospitals.

Sri Lanka has voted in favour of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly’s resolution calling for an immediate and sustained ‘humanitarian truce’ in Gaza.

A total of 120 countries, including Sri Lanka voted in favour of the resolution, while 14 countries, including Israel and the United States of America, voted against it.

India, Australia, Germany, Canada, Japan, Ukraine and the UK were among 45 countries that abstained from voting.

Accordingly, the UN General Assembly on Friday adopted the resolution calling for an “immediate, durable and sustained humanitarian truce” between Israeli forces and Hamas militants in Gaza.

The resolution also demands “continuous, sufficient and unhindered” provision of lifesaving supplies and services for civilians trapped inside the enclave, as news reports suggest Israel has expanded ground operations and intensified its bombing campaign.

Israel has intensified its bombardment of the besieged Gaza Strip as internet and mobile communications services collapsed in the Palestinian territory. An extended series of large explosions lit up the sky over Gaza City after nightfall on Friday.

Israel has bombed the strip relentlessly since Hamas launched an attack on southern Israel on October 7 that killed more than 1,400 people.

Israel has also imposed a “complete siege” on Gaza, cutting access to food, water, fuel, and electricity for the enclave’s 2.3 million residents who have few options for seeking refuge.

The health ministry in Hamas-controlled Gaza has published a report listing the names of more than 6,000 “documented deaths” in Gaza since the attack.

The Court of Appeal today (31) nullified the writ petition that was filed seeking an order abolishing the parliamentary seat of State Minister Diana Gamage, following a split decision by the 3-judge bench.

Social activist Oshala Herath had filed this petition seeking an order in the nature of a Writ of Quo Warranto declaring that Diana Gamage is disqualified to be a Member of Parliament and is thus not entitled to hold office as a MP.

President's counsel, Faizer Mustapha, representing the petitioners in the case concerning the dismissal of Ministers Manusha Nanayakkara and Harin Fernando from the Samagi Jana Balavegaya political party, has asserted that the documents submitted by the party are fake.

Mustapha urged the court not to accept these documents during the ongoing legal proceedings.

He informed the court of a significant contradiction between the documents related to the statement of objection submitted by the Samagi Jana Balawegaya and the documents submitted in the initial motion regarding the expulsion of the two ministers from the party.

The legal representative of the petitioners argued that a meeting report linked to the removal of the ministers had been presented by the Samagi Jana Balawegaya through a motion. They claimed that this report had been created and submitted after the case had commenced, suggesting potential manipulation of the documents.

Given these concerns, a request has been made to the court to issue an order rejecting the contested documents. The court has stated that a decision will be reached after thorough deliberation.

Legal experts have pointed out that presenting fake documents to the court could result in a case of contempt of court, adding a new layer of complexity to the ongoing proceedings related to the ministers' expulsion from the Samagi Jana Balavegaya.

(Hiru News)

Direct flights between Turkiye and Sri Lanka commenced with effect from Monday (30).

The first direct flight of Turkish Airlines from Istanbul to Colombo carried 261 passengers, and reached the Bandaranaike International Airport on Monday morning.

The passengers were warmly welcomed upon their arrival with a traditional Kandyan dancing performance and Ceylon tea gift packs by the Sri Lanka Tea Board.

For almost a decade, Turkish Airlines operated flights to Katunayake via Male, Maldives.

A direct flight of Turkish Airlines from Istanbul to Colombo only takes eight hours, and these direct flights have been scheduled for Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.

Each flight will leave Istanbul at 5:40 AM local time, and depart Sri Lanka at 7:40 AM local time.

MP Nimal Lanza has lashed out at SLPP general secretary Sagara Kariayawasam in defence of the minor cabinet reshuffle, which he described as the correct thing done by the president.

If the party cannot work together with the president, it is free to defeat budget 2024 and go for a general election, Lanza told the media.

The SLPP breakaway independent MP said the change in the health minister was effected following a discussion between the president and the SLPP leadership.

The main issue raised by that party’s general secretary was not that change, but that the SLFP’s getting more responsibilities.

Amalgamating plantation industries with the agriculture ministry will help both to work closely together.

It was a very correct decision taken by the president, he said.

The finance ministry’s takeover of institutions due for privatization is a most appropriate decision too.

“If Sagara Kariyawasam and others have the power, they can show it. They can take a firm decision without saying things. They can sit in the opposition,” said Lanza.

Kariyawasam can tell the president to the face that they will no longer support him, he said, and challenged him to leave the government.

The SLPP general secretary kept his silence when Namal Rajapaksa was showered with ministries during the Gotabaya Rajapaksa regime that had four or five cabinet reshuffles, he pointed out.

“They kept their silence like kittens,” he added.

Lanza also dared the SLPP general secretary for a face-to-face debate with him on past and present affairs of politics.