Hambantota International Harbour - A Dream Come True - by Dr.T. Jayasinghe - Palestine (06.08.2010 - Asian Tribune)
At
a time when news about disasters all around take priority over
development news, the appeal of that indefatigable young engineer Dr.
Priyath Bandu Wickrema, Chairman of Sri Lanka Ports Authority calling
the people of Sri Lanka to visit Hambantota harbor site and see the
brown virgin earth getting covered with sea water brought tears to my
eyes.
Being one associated with this project at its initial stage I can now
recall with much satisfaction the role I played as the convener of the
first Task Force for the construction of Hambantota harbor on the
instructions of President Mahinda Rajapaksa who at that time while being
the Minister of Fisheries was also the Minister in charge of Sri Lanka
Ports Authority.
The first meeting was a fairly large gathering of engineers and
administrators from Sri Lanka Ports Authority, academics from
Universities specially from Moratuwa, politicians, researchers and
others who advocated the idea of a harbor at Hambantota. President in
his first address gave the assurance that this harbor would be built
notwithstanding any obstacle. .................................>>
Colombo
Port handles record volume : Highest monthly container
throughput (27.04.2010
- Daily News, SL)
The Colombo Port marked the ever
highest monthly container throughput in March this year. It handled a
record volume of 360,801 TEUs (Twenty foot Equivalent Units) Sri Lanka
Ports Authority said.
This is an increase of 21.1 percent compared to the total container
throughput of the Colombo Port for the corresponding period last year
which was 297,911 TEUs.
As a result, the first quarter volumes of Colombo this year have risen
to 993,166 TEUs from 779,604 TEUs, the corresponding figure for the
previous year. ..............................>>
Businessman
jailed for groping three Hong Kongflight attendants (Corrected) (23.04.2010 14:18
GMT - monstersandcritics.com)
Hong Kong : A Sri Lankan
businessman who molested three flight attendants on a single flight was
beginning a jail sentence in Hong Kong Friday.
Halpita
Acharige Wijith Thalis, 47, admitted to indecently assaulting
three Cathay Pacific flight attendants on the four-hour flight from
Singapore to Hong Kong on Tuesday.
Thalis, on a business trip with two assistants, touched a flight
attendant's backside as she served passengers in the row in front, court
was told Thursday. ........................>>
Railway
techs put train commuters
into inconvenience (22.04.2010 - The Island, SL)
A large number of
train commuters in many parts of the country have been inconvenienced
due to a work-to-rule campaign launched by the Railway Technological
Union. Commuters in the Colombo city and suburbs are not severely
affected, but some long-distance operations have been cancelled, the CGR
said.
A CGR Engineer, on condition of anonymity, told The Island that the
Railway Technological Union (RTU) comprising 1000 members, had launched
the work-to-rule campaign due their salary increment being delayed. The
union blamed the Salaries and Cadre Commission for delaying to give
technologists their due increments. ...........................>>
Feminine
touch in the skies : Tribute to SriLankan Airlines women pilots - by Indrani Iriyagolle (20.04.2010 - Daily
News, SL)
SriLankan Airlines has evoked much admiration
and a sense of national pride amongst the public. It had much to do with
the media publicity about the achievements of the “all female flying
crew at SriLankan Airlines”. Women are proud of Captain Anusha
Siriratne, UL 4 Senior First Officer Roshani Jinasena, Senior First
Officer
Chamika Rupasinghe and Junior First Officer Madini Chandradasa. Why did
such exciting news not reach us earlier? ..............................>>
No-fly
zone spans across Europe and beyond - A world without air
travel? (18.04.2010 - The
Nation, SL)
(Washington post) : With a monstrous cloud of volcanic
ash closing down airports from Britain to Finland to Austria on Friday,
much of Europe was confronting a bizarre question: What do you do in a
world without air travel?
Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg, returning from Nuclear
Security Summit in Washington, was managing matters from his iPad in
Madrid.
European royals, who had planned to attend the queen of Denmark’s 70th
birthday party in Copenhagen, sent their apologies.
Tens of thousands of ordinary would-be passengers turned to
videoconferencing or made a mad dash for trains and ferries.
.........................>>
Hundreds of tourists, Lankans stranded without flights to Europe (18.04.2010 - The
Nation, SL)
More than 500 tourists have been forced to
extend their stay in Sri Lanka, while hundreds if not thousands of other
travellers to and from Colombo, too are being left in the lurch with
many airports remaining shut across Europe yesterday. Britain alone
extended the closure of her airports till 7:00 p.m. (their time) last
night.
Airport and Aviation Services Chairman Lt. Col. Prasanna Wickramasuriya
said that SriLankan flight UL555 to Milan which was rescheduled from
1:00 p.m. to 11:50 a.m. yesterday had to be cancelled as the Italian air
space was not reopened as previously expected.
..........................>>
Beggars
in buses banned from May 1 (04.04.2010 - The Nation, SL)
The
Lanka Private Bus Owners Association (LPBOA) has decided to ban all
beggars and street vendors from their buses effective from May 1.
According to Gamini Wijerathna, President of the LPBOA, begging is
already banned by law. He said, “activities such as begging and selling
goods are already prohibited under the Motor Traffic Ordinance.”
He added, “We have received many complaints from passengers regarding
the nuisance of beggars in busses. There are around three to six beggars
getting into a bus during each journey. And there have been instances
where they have threatened our drivers and conductors as well” ..........................>>
Taxi
monopoly by politician’s
wife halted - Train service
from BIA-Colombo imperative (01.04.2010 - The Island, SL)
With
the intervention of the Ports and Aviation Minister Chamal Rajapaksa,
the monopoly of a taxi service operated by the wife of a powerful ruling
party politician, at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) has
been stopped.
According to a source who wished to remain anonymous, the woman who
resides in the area had controlled a cartel of taxis numbering around
150 of which she owned only about 10 vehicles.Those operating this fleet
were allowed to always have a monopoly over the others where the hires
were concerned. .........................>>
Navy
launches Hassle-free, Environment-friendly Canal Boat Service (15.03.2010 21:25 SLT - navy.lk)
With
a view to provide a hassle-free, environment-friendly mode of transport
and to ease the congestion in road traffic, Sri Lanka Navy has launched
a canal boat service between Wellawatte and Nawala. The measure comes
into effect in accordance with the concept of His Excellency the
President in using Greater Colombo canals for water transport and
recreation. Deputy Area Commander of the Western Naval Command Commodore
S Jayakody and the Registrar of the Open University attended the
inaugural ceremony held today (15 th March 2010) with the participation
of university students and well wishers. ............................>>
