News
Home » NewsSriLankan flies Nawam Perahera to the world
SriLankan Airlines has launched an international branding initiative to promote the Nawam Maha Perahera 2026. Accordingly, an Airbus A320neo was redesigned promoting the Nawam Perahera to be held on January 31 and February 1. “SriLankan Airlines now carries the prestige spirituality, and cultural identity of the Nawam Maha Perahera across its international route network,” the [...]
Harini–Sajith talks deadlocked over CC’s civil society nominees
By Ranjith Padmasiri Talks between the government and the opposition remained deadlocked this week over the appointment of three civil society members to the Constitutional Council. Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya and Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa disagreed on the names of the three replacement members representing civil society. Discussions had been ongoing between the prime minister [...]
Solicitor General takes over Ranil’s UK-visit case
By Ranjith Padmasiri The probe into allegations that former President Ranil Wickremesinghe misused Rs. 16.6 million in state funds during a visit to the UK to attend his wife’s graduation ceremony at the University of Wolverhampton has been placed under the direct supervision of Solicitor General Viraj Dayaratne. To supervise the investigation, Attorney General Parinda [...]
Ranwala’s wife’s vehicle hit; driver drunk, say police
By Kasun Warakapitiya Weeks after NPP parliamentarian Asoka Ranwala was involved in a road accident, his spouse’s vehicle has been involved in an accident. Police media spokesman F.U. Wootler said that when Dr Indrani Ranwala, wife of Mr Ranwala, was turning into her house on the Kelaniya–Biyagama Road, an oncoming vehicle collided with her vehicle. [...]
CB ramps up fight against money laundering and terrorism financing
By Damith Wickremasekara The Central Bank will strengthen inter-agency frameworks for cooperation and coordination to combat money laundering and terrorist financing in line with the international standards recommended by the international intergovernmental body, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), a senior government official said. Among the measures will be the signing of a Memorandum of [...]
Low-quality coal fuels fears of environmental crisis; Lakvijaya ill-equipped to cope
By Namini Wijedasa Burning the low-quality coal recently procured for the Lakvijaya coal power plant via a tender that is now the subject of corruption allegations will cause a sharp rise in the quantity of fly ash generated, thereby posing a severe threat to the environment, experts warned. Sample tests conducted by the Lakvijaya internal [...]
Court stops SLMC from firing councillor Buhary from party
By Ranjith Padmasiri The Colombo District Court has issued an interim order restraining the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) from taking any steps to expel SLMC Colombo Municipal Councillor M.B. Fathima Buhary from the party and remove her from her MC seat. Ms Buhary had recently voted in support of the Colombo Municipal Council’s 2026 [...]
SLPP, police in heated row over flags
Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) supporters engaged in a heated argument with Thambuttegama police officers, including the officer in charge of the station, over the refusal to permit flags at a ceremony that was to be attended by the party’s National Organiser, Namal Rajapaksa. The SLPP supporters claimed that the police stopped them from putting [...]
MPs’ salaries: CIABOC seeks clarification from Parliament
By Ranjith Padmasiri The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) has sought clarification from Parliament on whether parliamentarians’ salaries were being credited to a specific account or the accounts of the respective MPs. This follows a complaint by former MP Udaya Gammanpila. In his complaint, he claimed that the monthly payments made [...]
Tenth Lakshman Kadirgamar journalism scholar Minaza Hassan off to India
Minaza Hassan, the winner of the Lakshman Kadirgamar Scholarship for a young journalist to undergo a course of study and advanced training at the prestigious Malayala Manorama Group of Newspapers, left for India this week. Ms. Hassan is the tenth recipient of the scholarship that is awarded by the Lakshman Kadirgamar Foundation in partnership with [...]
Our Wattala correspondent passes away
Journalist Sarath Chinthaka (54) who worked as the Wattala correspondent for the Lankadeepa and the Sunday Times passed away on Tuesday, January 13. He was a father of three and an alumnus of St. Anthony’s National School, Wattala. His funeral took place on Thursday, January 15 at the Public Cemetery, Kerawelapitiya, Hendala, Wattala.
Editors’ Guild to honour five veteran journalists with Lifetime Achievement Award
Five senior journalists will receive the coveted Lifetime Achievement Award at the Journalism Awards for Excellence 2024, which will be held on Tuesday at the Mount Lavinia Hotel. The winners are senior members in the print journalistic fraternity in the country. This year’s winners are Upali Tennakoon. Pushpa Ilangantilleke, R.A.E. Raman, Sa’adi Thawfeeq and Alexander [...]
London Vihara Chief Monk at Thanksgiving Service to mark 80th anniversary of the UN
A Service of Thanksgiving to mark the 80th anniversary of the United Nations was held at the Methodist Central Hall at Westminster. The Most Ven Bogoda Seelawimala Thera, Head Monk of the London Buddhist Vihara represented the Buddhist community in the UK at the service. Also in the picture among others is UN Secretary General [...]
Kandy lawyer’s FR petition on failure by authorities to limit Cyclone Ditwah damage filed for July 15
By Ranjith Padmasiri The Supreme Court has fixed July 15 as the date to consider a fundamental rights petition filed by a Kandy-based lawyer requesting the court to rule his fundamental rights had been violated owing to the failure by authorities to limit the damage from Cyclone Ditwah despite being warned of the impending disaster [...]
IQBAL ATHAS – Standing tall through it all
As the Sunday Times bids goodbye to our stalwart Consultant Editor/Defence Correspondent/Political Editor, we look back on an exceptional career of investigative reporting, war reporting, astute political commentary and mentoring a generation of journalists. Iqbal Athas, who dominated these Op-Ed pages for 30 years, first as a Defence Correspondent and later as Political Editor of the [...]
Teachers and principals suggest revisit of Grade Six reforms
By Kasun Warakapitiya Teacher and principal unions, as well as educators, have called on the government to reconsider whether the Grade 6 modules are to be used or an entirely new module should be introduced. This comes after the unions held a meeting with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Tuesday. Union representatives agreed reforms are [...]
Residents cry foul over three-year-old Beruwala UC garbage dump
Pix and text by Thusitha Kumara de Silva A large garbage heap that has been accumulating within the Beruwala Urban Council grounds for nearly three years is posing a serious health and environmental hazard, area residents say. A strong stench emanates from the dump day and night and since the waste has been dumped on [...]
Vegetable woes lead to disparities between wholesale and retail prices
By Kanchana Kumara Aariyadasa and K.R Rajamanthri A wide gap between wholesale and retail vegetable prices is currently being observed. While wholesale prices continue to drop at sourcing hubs, retail prices remain high by the time the produce reaches the consumer. Consumers told the Sunday Times that when the vegetables reach the people the prices [...]
Spotlight on the surrogate mother
Justice Yasantha Kodagoda on need to regulate Assisted Reproductive Health By Kumudini Hettiarachchi The dire predicament of the surrogate mother and the urgent need for a strong regulatory framework covering Assisted Reproductive Health, was the clarion call from a Supreme Court Judge to an eminent gathering of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists last Sunday in Colombo. “As [...]
Sea erosion affects historic mosque site in Kalmunai
Pix and text by D. Gnanasiri Hettiarachchi The Kadakarai – Maliyakadu area in Kalmunai famous for its historic mosque faced severe sea erosion recently. Ampara District MP Manjula Ratnayake on Thursday inspected the severe coastal erosion along a four-five km stretch from the Kadkarai mosque to the Maliyakadu cemetery, following rough sea conditions off the [...]
Local and international organisations step into help Ditwah-affected children
By Sajeniya Sathanandan UN agencies, international organisations and local groups have focused their attention on welfare of children in the aftermath of Cyclone ‘Ditwah’. Despite challenges on funding and other limitations, organisations have drawn programmes covering children’s education, security, mental health and welfare among other needs. Chief of Communications of United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) [...]
Village in Wanathavilluwa stays flooded since Ditwah
Pix and text by Hiran Priyankara Jayasinghe The Sinnanagavilluwa village in Wanathavilluwa had been submerged for almost two months, with authorities failing to take remedial action. The village was flooded during the recent Cyclone Ditwah with water completely inundating the houses for 10 days. This situation was reported in the media on several occasions and [...]
Lankans in US, American volunteers assist Welimada school
Pix and text by K R Rajamanthri A group of Lankans living in the United States, together with American social service volunteers, have come forward to help address long-standing infrastructure and resource shortages at Heen Narangolla Maha Vidyalaya in Boralandha, Welimada. The initiative was launched under the “Senahase Sathkara” programme spearheaded by Heen Narangolla Grama Niladhari [...]
Maize crops damaged, farmers claim compensation
Pix and text by D Gnanasiri Hettiarachchi Maize farmers in Alikanda, Ampara, say an unidentified disease has severely damaged their crops this season, leaving them without a proper harvest and deeply in debt. Nearly 500 acres, cultivated in previous years with good yields, have been affected, with farmers reporting stunted plants and poor cob formation. [...]
Iqbal Athas defined a new era in journalism
The time was some forty years ago, the place the sprawling ‘News Room’ of Independent Newspapers Limited in Hulftsdorp, the media factory that produced the SUN, Dawasa and Dinapathi. On most weekday mornings around 10 am, a tall, well-built, moustachioed gentleman in his trademark safari suit, briefcase in hand, would saunter in, usually with an [...]
720,000 buildings across the country affected by Cyclone Ditwah, says UNDP report
Says areas with the greatest recovery needs are where the cyclone impacted existing vulnerabilities District Secretaries and Grama Niladharis, face logistical hurdles when administering compensation By Ishu Bandara One in every 12 buildings in Sri Lanka was damaged by flooding during Cyclone Ditwah, an analysis report issued by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has [...]
‘Problematic’ home damage payouts also raise illegal occupier concerns
By Ishu Bandara Compensation paid to people whose houses were damaged by the Ditwah cyclone disaster and to residents living in landslide risk areas is likely to be delayed, as several government bodies have raised concerns that the process is flawed. They have warned that if the government continues with the existing approach, it could [...]
Geotechnical body wants building activity in high-risk areas halted
By Nidarshani Wickramasinghe The National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) has recommended that all construction projects be cleared from high-risk areas demarcated through boundary demarcation maps developed using satellite images following the landslides triggered by cyclone Ditwah in November. However, the areas and the corresponding landmass affected have not been confirmed, and this will take time, [...]
Etanwela, Matale on a windy road to recovery
The District Secretary for Matale, Prasanna Madanayake has dispelled fears of Etanwela villagers that their village will be closed down due to the impact of the cyclone ‘Ditwah’ that triggered landslides in the area. He assured the villagers that no decision to close down the village has been taken and that the damage caused to [...]
Twin SLMA mission – emergency relief and advocacy for public health
Dr. Manilka Sumanatilleke promises support for Chilaw Hospital and prevention of NCDs By Kumudini Hettiarachchi The twin aspects of emergency relief in a country that is becoming more and more vulnerable to disasters and long-term advocacy for public health, will be the baton that the newly-inducted 132nd President of the Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA) [...]
Spike in road deaths derails drive to reduce accidents
Efforts by the police and authorities to reduce road traffic accidents have suffered an early setback within the first two weeks of the new year, with more than 85 dead and several injured. According to Deputy Inspector General W. P. J. Senadheera, who is in charge of road safety, the majority of the accidents were [...]
Villagers in Weligama protest against sewage treatment plant
Text and and pix by Tharanga Gunarathne The residents of Jayawickremapura in Udukawa, Weligama have been seriously inconvenienced due to a sewage treatment plant situated in a private property. The plant had been running for many years in a private property in the Welipitiya divisional secretariat division. Residents of the area protested against the owners [...]
Northern railway line to be closed for two months for repairs
By Rekha Tharangani Fonseka The Northern railway line section from Mahawa to Omanthai is to be closed down for two months for repairs, Northern Provincial Chief Engineer R. F. Alexander said. Accordingly, five bridges on the northern railway line which have been severely damaged due to adverse weather conditions experienced will be rebuilt during the [...]
President in the North to open several projects
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake visited Jaffna this week and participated in several groundbreaking and opening ceremonies for development projects including a housing project as well as the third phase of the Myliddy Fishery Harbour development Project. He also opened the Jaffna Regional Office of the Department of Immigration and Emigration, located within the Jaffna District [...]
Tariffs may rise extra 10% if US Supreme Court holds against Trump powers
By Kapila Bandara US President Donald Trump is prepared to unilaterally increase tariffs immediately by 10% overall for six months if the Supreme Court delivers an unfavourable opinion on the legality of duties imposed in April last year. National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett told Fox Business in a 7:54 am live (Washington time) interview [...]
OHCHR report calls for steps to address conflict-related sexual violence
A new report by the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has called for urgent and comprehensive accountability measures to address conflict-related sexual violence in Sri Lanka, describing the violations as widespread, systemic, and largely unpunished. The OHCHR brief, titled “Accountability for Conflict-Related Sexual Violence in Sri Lanka,” documents incidents [...]
Shootings continue into the new year, Minister Wijepala blames criminal gangs
By Ishu Bandara Shootings have continued into the new year with the latest incident in Jinthupitiya, Colombo on Friday night. A long standing dispute between two underworld gangs had allegedly led to the shooting of a 44-year-old man from Colombo 13 .He later died at the Colombo National Hospital. Two children a four-year-old boy and [...]