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Home » NewsPresident in Glasgow for crucial climate summit
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa arrived in Glasgow last evening to attend the United Nations climate summit — the 26th Conference of Parties (COP26). World leaders and representatives of nearly 200 countries will attend the conference which begins today and will continue till November 12 to work out the rules of a new global climate pact.
President declares wide range of public services as essential
Opposition grows to Govt.’s deal with US company on LNG supply Even coalition partners hit out, while CEB unions threaten blackout strike President declares wide range of public services as essential President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has declared a wide range of public services as essential services, as trade unions are bracing for a strike demanding the [...]
OECD’s global tax pact: Lanka seeks more time, wary of repercussions
Sri Lanka has sought more time to consider whether it should join a major global taxation agreement introduced by the Paris based Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) — an agreement the OECD says will ensure Multinational Enterprises (MNEs) are subjected to a minimum 15% tax rate from 2023 onwards. Sri Lanka is among [...]
One country, one law: Justice Minister Sabry not consulted about task force, not happy over move
Justice Minister Ali Sabry said he was unaware of the setting up of the “One Country, One Law” Presidential Task Force headed by Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) General Secretary Ven. Galagoda-aththe Gnanasara Thera. Mr Sabry told the Sunday Times he was not consulted on the setting up of the Task Force. “I am not happy [...]
37 Western Province police officers addicted to narcotics
Thirty-seven Western Province police officers have been identified as allegedly being addicted to narcotics. Police Chief C.D. Wickramaratne has forwarded their names to the Senior Deputy Inspector General (SDIG) Deshabandu Tennakoon who is in charge of the Western Province, with instruction to take action. SDIG Tennakoon has in turn forwarded the list to the DIGs [...]
IRD warns of more revenue loss; urgent tax reforms not done
The Government continues to suffer colossal losses in tax revenue due to the 2019 decision to remove and reduce many taxes, and the situation will only become worse if urgent tax reforms are not done, officers of the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) warn. H A L Udayasiri, Secretary of the Inland Revenue Service Union (IRSU), [...]
Canal Project: Gunaruwan Committee members contest Irrigation Ministry Secretary’s claim
The following is a response by Prof. T.L. Gunaruwan, D.S. Jayaweera, Eng. Janaka Kurukulasuriya and Prof. Sohan Wijesekera pertaining to the Sunday Times October 24 news item, which contained the Irrigation Ministry Secretary’s reply, referring, inter alia, to the “Gunaruwan Committee”. The ministry secretary’s reply was in relation to an article headlined, ‘Controversy looms over [...]
Minority parties push for PR system in future elections
Both Tamil and Muslim minority political parties in the country have decided to work together on electoral reforms, and collectively decided to demand Proportional Representation (PR) system in the upcoming elections. Politicians representing the Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA), Tamil National Alliance (TNA), Tamil National Peoples’ Front (TNPF), All Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMC), Sri Lanka Muslim [...]
Cloud over ‘Horizon’ as Pandora Papers reveal Paski’s trust deals
Rising out of a bucolic, rice-producing corner of urban Malabe is a popular educational institution that began modestly as a vocational training school. The Horizon College of Business and Technology (HCBT) was registered as a private limited liability company in January 2008. It is run by a Chairman and Rector. But nowhere on its website [...]
Pre-Trial procedure to be introduced
The Cabinet has approved in principle the pre-trial law amendment which is to be introduced to the Civil Procedure Code. The Justice Ministry appointed a Committee in October 2020 with the mandate to amend the most used procedural piece of legislation which is the Civil Procedure Code, in respect of the pre-trial procedure. The committee [...]
Grey areas, lack of resources delaying assessment of environment damage from X Press Pearl: Expert
Experts assessing the environmental damage caused by the X Press Pearl wreck claim that a lack of resources and transparency are delaying their assessments. “We don’t have an exact idea of what is in the cargo,” said expert team member Dr. Meththika Vithanage, Senior Lecturer at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura. According to Dr. Vithanage, [...]
Mini floods hit Nuwara Eliya for fourth time in a month
Nuwara Eliya town was hit by mini-floods for the fourth time in a month on Friday causing inconvenience to residents, officials said. Unauthorised constructions have been the main cause for the floods. Lawson strreet where the international Buddhsit centre is located, a trade complex, the fire unit located in the Victoria garden were were some [...]
Nation mourns scholar monk’s death
Chancellor of the University of Kelaniya, Chief Judicial Prelate for the two Regions of Colombo and Chilaw, and Chief Incumbent of the Peliyagoda Vidyalankara Pirivena, Aggamahapandit Dr Most Venerable Late Welamitiyawe Kusaladhamma Thera’s final rites are scheduled to take place at Independence Square today (31). President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has directed that the thera’s funeral be [...]
Tuition teachers eager to resume their classes
Tuition class lecturers are waiting for the green light to begin classes after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa instructed officials to resume O/L and A/L classes in schools, on Friday. All Island Professional Lecturers Association National Organiser Jagath Weeraman told the Sunday Times that their members have been instructed to keep lecture halls fully sanitised, have hand [...]
Lanka takes new measures to stop bottom-trawling by Indian fishermen
In yet another move that signals that Sri Lanka is toughening its stance against bottom-trawling Indian fishermen in Sri Lankan waters, the Fisheries Ministry has decided not to release any Indian boat involved in the illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. Fisheries Director General S.J. Kahawatte told the Sunday Times the move follows the decision to [...]
‘Living with COVID-19 is not forgetting about the virus’
A look around at what is happening and then a closer look at the latest virus variants as well as studies on the different vaccines. This is the wide-ranging interview the Sunday Times has with Prof. Neelika Malavige, Head of the Department of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, University of Sri Jayewardenepura. Pointing out that the [...]
Focus on children as it’s back to school for some students
Here are the highlights of Friday’s media briefing held at the Health Promotion Bureau chaired by Director Dr. Ranjith Batuwanthudawe. The Additional Secretary, State Ministry of Pre-Schools & Primary Education, Mahinda Yapa: 95% of children (in Grades 1-5) in 9,152 primary schools attended classes. Uniforms are not compulsory as it may be difficult for parents [...]
A look around the world: Concerns over A 30 variant
Some concerns are being expressed in other countries about the A.30 variant, with a study by German researchers finding that its spike protein has mutated heavily and that it evades vaccine-induced antibodies with high efficiency. Five infections caused by this variant have been identified – three in Angola; one in Sweden; and one in the [...]
SLMA warns of another wave and how to prevent it
Lessons from recent COVID-19 outbreaks in the United Kingdom, Singapore and Israel “compel” us to believe that another wave is imminent, warns the Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA). In view of the lifting of movement restrictions, the SLMA recommends “precise” steps to prevent another surge of infections as otherwise, such a surge would have an [...]
Builders being bulldosed by cement shortage, small contractors badly hit
Small building contractors are going bankrupt due to the shortage of cement and other construction materials and the increasing cost of items such as reinforcement bars. The Chamber of Construction Industry Chief Nissanka Wijeratne said 80 percent of construction materials were imported, and builders were finding it difficult to acquire products at reasonable prices as [...]
Pre-register voters from birth, monitors now urge
Election monitors are calling for an automated system in which youth who reach 18 years of age would be automatically registered as voters and notified of the fact. The call came after monitors and young people welcomed an amendment to the Registration of Electors Act that will allow persons to apply for voter registration immediately [...]
A baby girl would live on in the lives that will be saved
Two Colombo University medical students’ initiative to collect funds to save 2½-month-old Sonakshi suffering from end-stage liver failure by sending her to India may have come too late for her, but the donation of the collected money to the Colombo North Centre for Liver Diseases will help save other little lives as moves are [...]
Spotted! New app allows Yala visitors to ID leopards
An app has been developed to allow visitors taking photographs of leopards in the Yala National Park to identify each animal from its face markings. Most of the leopards at the sanctuary’s Block-I region have been individually identified. Some have special markings such as scars that can be recognised easily but others, to the untrained [...]
Pick of the pix
From our readers Shutterbugs out there, we would once again appreciate your contributions to this picture corner. Please send your captioned photograph along with your name, and the location of the photograph, to: pictures@sundaytimes.wnl.lk We would also appreciate if you mention the camera or cellphone that was used.
Garbage heap disaster looms
The Karadiyana garbage dump has reached its maximum capacity, the National Building Research Organisation warned. Garbage collected from areas like Moratuwa, Boralesgamuwa and Kesbewa have been disposed off here despite previous warnings that the capacity has been exceeded. Executive Director, Waste Management Authority (WP), Nalin Mannapperuma said a red notice had been issued after the [...]