http://www.sundaytimes.lk Official website of the Sunday Times Newspaper in Sri Lanka Sun, 27 Feb 2022 01:12:44 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 http://www.sundaytimes.lk/220227/news/from-the-kandy-lake-a-plea-for-peace-474530.html 26 February 2022 @ 11:42 pm lt;div gt; lt;img class= quot;aligncenter size-full wp-image-474531 quot; title= quot;Snapshot(11) quot; src= quot;http://sundaytimes.lk/220227/uploads/2022/02/Snapshot11.jpg quot; alt= quot; quot; width= quot;600 quot; height= quot;338 quot; / gt; With Russia rsquo;s full scale invasion of Ukraine plunging the world into further chaos amidst a pandemic and world economies in recession, in... http://www.sundaytimes.lk/220227/news/basil-will-go-to-the-imf-in-april-474528.html 26 February 2022 @ 11:41 pm Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa is to visit the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank in April when the two lending institutions hold their annual Spring sessions. lt;em gt;The Sunday Times lt;/em gt; learns from high-ranking sources that the Government has initiated contact with both the IMF and the World Bank for the Finance Minister to visit Washington D.C. to start a dialog... http://www.sundaytimes.lk/220227/news/indian-it-firm-given-sdp-status-for-us-10-25mn-investment-here-474526.html 26 February 2022 @ 11:41 pm The local subsidiary of an Indian multinational IT company has been granted lsquo;Strategic Development Project rsquo; (SDP) status with multiple tax breaks in exchange for an investment of US$ 10.25mn and jobs for up to 5,325 Sri Lankans in ten years. The promised outlay is just above the minimum of US$ 10mn required to qualify for SDP status. HCL Technologies Lanka (Pvt) Ltd is owned by HCL ... http://www.sundaytimes.lk/220227/news/financial-relief-for-ukrainian-tourists-stranded-here-474524.html 26 February 2022 @ 11:40 pm The Government is to consider providing financial relief to over one thousand Ukranian tourists now in Sri Lanka on holiday and unable to go back to their war-torn country. The Tourism Ministry was to recommend to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to make use of funds from either the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority or the Ministry to assist tourists who do not have enough funds for an extend... http://www.sundaytimes.lk/220227/news/beer-and-wine-for-tourists-at-home-stays-guest-houses-474522.html 26 February 2022 @ 11:40 pm To boost tourism, the Government is to permit the sale of soft liquor -- beer and wine -- at all hotels, guest houses and home stay facilities registered with the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority. A senior Excise Department official said cabinet approval had been granted for the proposal. He said the proposal would enable the sale of soft liquor to tourists staying at low-budget guest... http://www.sundaytimes.lk/220227/news/govt-urged-to-declare-fuel-supply-as-essential-for-power-generation-474520.html 26 February 2022 @ 11:39 pm The Government has been requested to declare the supply of fuel for the power sector as essential under an impending Indian credit line of US$ one billion to meet fuel requirements to generate electricity for the next two months. The move by the Public Utilities Commission has been submitted as a cabinet note with a warning that the power cuts could be extended up to five to six hours if restri... http://www.sundaytimes.lk/220227/news/zoo-remains-headless-for-fifth-consecutive-week-probe-on-dgs-complaint-continues-474514.html 26 February 2022 @ 11:19 pm The country rsquo;s zoological gardens have been operating without a head for the fifth consecutive week with the probe on the director general rsquo;s complaint against zoo employees yet to be completed. [caption id= quot;attachment_474515 quot; align= quot;alignright quot; width= quot;200 quot; caption= quot;Shermila Rajapaksha quot;] lt;img class= quot;size-full wp-image-474515 quot; title= ... http://www.sundaytimes.lk/220227/news/west-container-terminal-project-agreements-signed-with-adani-ports-other-partners-474508.html 26 February 2022 @ 11:10 pm The shareholder, site lease and financing agreements for the Colombo Port rsquo;s West Container Terminal (WCT) were signed on Friday and the first instalment of a premium of US$ 15mn will be deposited with the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) within days, officials said. ldquo;All official matters are completed, rdquo; confirmed SLPA Chairman Prasantha Jayamanna. ldquo;They previously carrie... http://www.sundaytimes.lk/220227/news/sunday-times-journalist-receives-diploma-in-journalism-474505.html 26 February 2022 @ 11:09 pm lt;div gt; lt;img class= quot;aligncenter size-full wp-image-474506 quot; title= quot;DSC_9705 quot; src= quot;http://sundaytimes.lk/220227/uploads/2022/02/DSC_9705.jpg quot; alt= quot; quot; width= quot;600 quot; height= quot;400 quot; / gt; The Sri Lanka College of Journalism yesterday held its Diploma in Journalism Convocation at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute in Colombo. Here Sunda... http://www.sundaytimes.lk/220227/news/ceb-to-go-to-the-people-with-energy-conservation-mechanisms-474500.html 26 February 2022 @ 10:58 pm The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) issued a circular this week to implement energy conservation among electricity consumers owing to dwindling reserves in hydro reservoirs, limitations in supplying fuel to thermal power stations and increasing demand. Among measures to be taken is to increase solar penetration with a mechanism to be introduced in due course to reward areas with the highest perc... http://www.sundaytimes.lk/220227/news/airline-offices-dollar-payments-to-principals-pile-up-474498.html 26 February 2022 @ 10:57 pm Money owed by general sales agents (GSAs) and local airline offices to principals abroad has further piled up with dollars unavailable to settle the dues, sector sources said. The problem is now months-old and the only reason airlines haven rsquo;t cut their frequencies is fear of providing competitive advantage to rivals, they explained. None of them wished to be identified. Payments for ca... http://www.sundaytimes.lk/220227/news/dec-3-blackout-committee-recommends-police-probe-474496.html 26 February 2022 @ 10:56 pm A committee that investigated the total blackout on December 3 has recommended a formal investigation by law enforcement agencies and independent IT experts after the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) offered no ldquo;definitive proof rdquo; to support its explanation for the failure rsquo;s root cause. The committee also examined the blackout that took place November 29, 2021, because of similar... http://www.sundaytimes.lk/220227/news/bandula-padma-kumara-prominent-voice-for-free-media-stilled-474493.html 26 February 2022 @ 10:56 pm lt;img class= quot;alignright wp-image-474494 quot; title= quot;download-(1) quot; src= quot;http://sundaytimes.lk/220227/uploads/2022/02/download-1.jpg quot; alt= quot; quot; width= quot;210 quot; height= quot;312 quot; / gt;Veteran media personality Bandula Padma Kumara passed away earlier this week after a brief illness. He had a stellar career that ranged from a film critic to a newspaper ed... http://www.sundaytimes.lk/220227/news/srilankan-pilots-fly-the-roster-claiming-airline-boss-failed-to-honour-pledge-on-pay-cut-474491.html 26 February 2022 @ 10:54 pm SriLankan Airlines pilots are ldquo;flying the roster rdquo; over a protracted dispute with the management. ldquo;This is not a work-to-rule action or any form of industrial action, rdquo; the Airline Pilot rsquo;s Guild of Sri Lanka (ALPGSL) insisted. ldquo;It only means that pilots will fly the published 28-day roster only and not extend any cooperation to the company to fly on its designa... http://www.sundaytimes.lk/220227/news/chamuditha-says-he-has-no-faith-in-police-probe-on-attack-on-his-home-474476.html 26 February 2022 @ 9:55 pm lt;img class= quot;alignright size-full wp-image-474478 quot; title= quot;CHAMUDITHA quot; src= quot;http://sundaytimes.lk/220227/uploads/2022/02/CHAMUDITHA1.jpg quot; alt= quot; quot; width= quot;300 quot; height= quot;362 quot; / gt;Three police teams investigating the attack on journalist Chamuditha Samarawickrema's Piliyandala home are questioning some of those he had recently interviewed on ... http://www.sundaytimes.lk/220227/news/all-eyes-on-ukraine-as-lanka-fears-conflict-will-hit-already-battered-economy-474469.html 26 February 2022 @ 9:52 pm As fighting escalates between Russian and Ukranian security forces, Sri Lanka is watching nervously on how the conflict will impact a country already reeling from an unprecedented economic crisis. As Russian forces reached the Ukranian capital Kiyv, there were concerns over the safety of Sri Lankans still in Ukraine. Of the 71 Sri Lankan nationals known to have been in Ukraine, 14 are students.... http://www.sundaytimes.lk/220227/news/after-a-covid-19-infection-let-your-body-guide-you-474460.html 26 February 2022 @ 9:48 pm [caption id= quot;attachment_474462 quot; align= quot;alignright quot; width= quot;200 quot; caption= quot;Dr. Eranga Narangoda quot;] lt;img class= quot;size-full wp-image-474462 quot; title= quot;Dr.-Eranga-Narangoda quot; src= quot;http://sundaytimes.lk/220227/uploads/2022/02/Dr.-Eranga-Narangoda.jpg quot; alt= quot; quot; width= quot;200 quot; height= quot;288 quot; / gt;[/caption] ldquo;L... http://www.sundaytimes.lk/220227/news/hypothesis-on-cold-water-showers-after-a-covid-19-attack-474455.html 26 February 2022 @ 9:46 pm [caption id= quot;attachment_474456 quot; align= quot;alignright quot; width= quot;200 quot; caption= quot;Dr. Waruna Gunathilake quot;] lt;img class= quot;size-full wp-image-474456 quot; title= quot;dr.-waruna-gunathilake quot; src= quot;http://sundaytimes.lk/220227/uploads/2022/02/dr.-waruna-gunathilake.jpg quot; alt= quot; quot; width= quot;200 quot; height= quot;254 quot; / gt;[/caption] l... http://www.sundaytimes.lk/220227/news/immunity-natural-infection-vaccines-474452.html 26 February 2022 @ 9:43 pm As Sri Lanka continues to see rising COVID-19 numbers, Consultant Clinical Microbiologist Dr. Mahen nbsp; Kothalawala attached to the National Hospital of SriLanka (NHSL) focuses on two crucial aspects. Immunity and what lies ahead in the face of the inexorable march of COVID-19 are what interests him. The lsquo;immune response rsquo; against SARS-CoV-2 (the new coronavirus) A human bei... http://www.sundaytimes.lk/220227/news/vaccination-of-children-474447.html 26 February 2022 @ 9:39 pm Here are the highlights of Friday rsquo;s media briefing at the Health Promotion Bureau (HPB). HPB Director Dr. Ranjith Batuwanthudawe: Children above 12 years of age are being given the 1st dose of the vaccine and those above 16 years of age will be given the 2nd dose if three months have elapsed since the 1st. Consultant Virologist Dr. Nadeeka Janage of the Medical Research Institute (M... http://www.sundaytimes.lk/220227/news/sparks-fly-as-pandemic-hit-people-now-suffer-power-cut-woes-474411.html 26 February 2022 @ 9:06 pm Long rolling power cuts are crippling businesses, disrupting education and affecting the daily activities of people who seem to ask ldquo;Is there light at the end of the tunnel? rdquo; People lament that power cuts are hitting them hard while they are struggling to cope with heaps of difficulties during the current pandemic period. Adding to their woes is uncertainty regarding the power cu... http://www.sundaytimes.lk/220227/news/adding-public-ire-to-fuel-474397.html 26 February 2022 @ 8:59 pm lt;ul gt; lt;li gt; lt;strong gt; lt;em gt;Tourist vehicle drivers go from shed to shed on motorbikes in search of fuel nbsp; lt;/em gt; lt;/strong gt; lt;/li gt; lt;li gt; lt;strong gt; lt;em gt;Bus operators warn public transport will be crippled, if situation worsens nbsp; nbsp; lt;/em gt; lt;/strong gt; lt;/li gt; lt;/ul gt; lt;div gt; The fuel crisis is causing a ripple effect ... http://www.sundaytimes.lk/220227/news/more-pain-awaits-sri-lankans-at-the-grocery-and-at-the-pump-474392.html 26 February 2022 @ 8:58 pm Sri Lankans beaten down by unprecedented multiple economic calamities caused by state failures, including simultaneous electricity and fuel woes, can expect to pay much more for their bread, roti, rice, cooking gas, and fuel in the wake of heavy price volatility in global commodities markets. Prices Sri Lankans pay at the grocery shops and wet markets are expected to catapult in tandem with ris... http://www.sundaytimes.lk/220227/news/drug-importers-warn-of-shortages-if-delays-and-dollar-problem-are-not-addressed-474374.html 26 February 2022 @ 8:46 pm The delay in certifying imported medicinal drugs is adding to the forex-crisis-driven supply chain disruption, industry sources said. If immediate steps were not taken to address the issue, the country would experience a severe shortage of drugs in the next three months, pharmaceuticals importers warned. [caption id= quot;attachment_474375 quot; align= quot;alignright quot; width= quot;400 q... http://www.sundaytimes.lk/220227/news/dollar-crunch-throws-supply-chains-businesses-into-disarray-474370.html 26 February 2022 @ 8:45 pm The worsening forex crisis is severely disrupting supply chains, especially of small and medium businesses, and damaging their relationship with foreign suppliers, several sectors lament. ldquo;Many banks are asking for collateral in rupees to the values of Letters of Credit we want to open, rdquo; said Kavinda Makalanda, Managing Director of Schering Life Sciences, a pharmaceutical company. ... http://www.sundaytimes.lk/220227/news/merchandise-export-earnings-rise-to-us-1062-in-january-474368.html 26 February 2022 @ 8:44 pm Sri Lanka's merchandise exports climbed by 13 percent to US$ 1,062.63 million in January 2022, compared to the same period in January 2021, Sri Lanka Export Development Board (SLEDB) stated. According to SLEDB data, the merchandise export performance in January 2021 was US$ 936.70 and in January 2020, it was US$ 1,004.90. The export performance in January 2022 was extraordinary and the rise ... http://www.sundaytimes.lk/220227/news/pick-of-the-pix-2-474346.html 26 February 2022 @ 8:43 pm [caption id= quot;attachment_474347 quot; align= quot;aligncenter quot; width= quot;300 quot; caption= quot;Pious beliefs: It amp;#39;s not what you have that makes you great; it amp;#39;s what you give Pic by Jayarathna Wikramaarachchi quot;] lt;img class= quot;size-full wp-image-474347 quot; title= quot;01 quot; src= quot;http://sundaytimes.lk/220227/uploads/2022/02/01.jpg quot; alt= quot; quot;... http://www.sundaytimes.lk/220227/news/sea-cucumber-farming-spells-death-to-traditional-coastal-fishing-in-north-474352.html 26 February 2022 @ 8:41 pm Once a fisherman, Manualpillai Thoms Dehol (56) now makes a living solely by repairing fishing nets to support his family of four. Hailing from a fisherfolk family at Pasaiyoor in Jaffna, he gave up fishing last year: The reason: His access to the familiar shore and the sea has been restricted by mushrooming sea cucumber farms which occupy hundreds of acres of sea areas. [caption id= quot;at... http://www.sundaytimes.lk/220227/news/govt-to-expand-vessel-monitoring-as-lankan-fishermen-continue-to-fish-in-foreign-waters-474348.html 26 February 2022 @ 8:39 pm The multi-day fishing vessel Sampath 7 left the fisheries harbour in Beruwala in May last year, and its skipper Mahalingam Kanapathi steered the boat into the waters of Seychelles. However, since the vessel did not have a valid licence to fish in foreign waters Kanapathi was arrested along with his vessel by Seychelles coast guards on June 1. [caption id= quot;attachment_474350 quot; align= quo... http://www.sundaytimes.lk/220227/news/the-masked-horror-474321.html 26 February 2022 @ 7:54 pm lt;img class= quot;alignright size-full wp-image-474331 quot; title= quot;_DSC1911-copy quot; src= quot;http://sundaytimes.lk/220227/uploads/2022/02/DSC1911-copy.jpg quot; alt= quot; quot; width= quot;500 quot; height= quot;334 quot; / gt;With millions of face masks disposed daily, a new environmental and health hazard is in the making. For more than two years, the use of face masks has been p... http://www.sundaytimes.lk/220227/news/a-stinking-sight-474293.html 26 February 2022 @ 7:41 pm lt;img class= quot;alignright size-full wp-image-474310 quot; title= quot;aluthkade-(1) quot; src= quot;http://sundaytimes.lk/220227/uploads/2022/02/aluthkade-1.jpg quot; alt= quot; quot; width= quot;500 quot; height= quot;333 quot; / gt;Garbage will continue to be a cause of concern for those residing in Colombo city next week due to further delays in garbage collection. Colombo Municipal Cou... http://www.sundaytimes.lk/220227/news/quality-assurance-bill-amendments-to-be-taken-up-in-the-house-474210.html 26 February 2022 @ 4:15 pm Amendments to the Quality Assurance Bill will be moved during the committee stage at Parliament regarding the composition of the committee rsquo;s members, an official of the Education Ministry said. Under the existing bill of the 15 members to the committee, nine members can be appointed by the Education Minister, but in view of opposition from university lecturers and other groups who claim t...