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Home » NewsBuddha relics draw devotees to Gangaramaya
Tens of thousands of Buddhist devotees from across the country are visiting Colombo’s Gangaramaya temple to pay homage to sacred relics of the Buddha brought from Gujarat, India, as part of an initiative by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The relics, discovered during excavations in the 1960s at the historic Devnimori site in Gujarat, will remain [...]
CIABOC decides to probe complaint against Speaker
Simultaneously, CIABOC will investigate Parliament’s suspended official By Ranjith Padmasiri The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) has decided to initiate a probe into a complaint lodged by Parliament’s suspended Deputy Secretary General Chaminda Kularatne against Speaker Dr Jagath Wickramaratne. The Sunday Times learns that the CIABOC has also decided to investigate [...]
Talks with WB team to revive stalled projects
A World Bank delegation visiting Sri Lanka next month will discuss plans to revive a string of projects that were stalled due to the 2022-23 economic crisis. Foreign Affairs Minister Vijitha Herath told the Sunday Times that stalled projects—including those in education, highways, and other infrastructure—as well as new projects, would be discussed with the [...]
Current vehicle surcharge to remain until December
The Finance Ministry has extended the validity period of the surcharge of 50 per cent imposed on vehicles until December 31, 2026. Accordingly, the surcharge is effective for used as well as modified vehicles too, with the Gazette notifications issued in January and April last year being extended until the end of this year. The [...]
Project officers see salaries triple
Salaries for staff assigned to implement special development projects have shot up nearly three times compared to the past under the newly proposed salary scale, according to a circular issued by the General Treasury. Under the special projects category, projects with the estimated total cost of USD five million and an implementation timeframe of one [...]
Herath holds talks with Iran’s FM; vows to honour repayment deal
By Damith Wickramasekara Amid rising tensions in West Asia, the Sri Lankan and Iranian foreign ministers have discussed maintaining and strengthening ties between the two countries. Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath told the Sunday Times that he spoke with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, by phone earlier this week. The conversation took place amid reports that [...]
SJB MP seeks amendments to OSA to protect children
Opposition Samagi Jana Balwegaya Parliamentarian Harshana Rajakaruna has handed over a private member’s bill to amend the Online Safety Act with the aim of protecting children from harm arising from the use of social media. The amendment seeks to introduce age-specific safeguards, parental consent, child-appropriate privacy and safety settings, and other measures to reduce exposure [...]
AG appoints committee headed by ASG Dileepa to advise on serious criminal probes
By Ranjith Padmasiri Attorney General Parinda Ranasinghe has appointed a committee, led by Additional Solicitor General Dileepa Peiris, to advise on investigations into sensitive and serious criminal cases. The committee was appointed following a request by Inspector General of Police (IGP) Priyantha Weerasooriya. Other members include Deputy Solicitor General Janaka Priyantha Bandara, Senior State Counsel [...]
Lanka to seek compensation for colonial-era losses
Sri Lanka will seek compensation from its former colonial rulers for loss of life and property as well as the return of artefacts stolen from the country, Minister of Foreign Affairs Vijitha Herath told Parliament on Friday. This was to compensate for the losses and damage done to the country during centuries of colonial rule. [...]
No door-to-door Grama Niladhari visits for voter registration, EC shifts onus to public
By Ishu Bandara The Election Commission of Sri Lanka is revising the 2026 electoral list, with voters able to check and update their details online through the official e-services portal or in person at the Grama Niladhari and District Election Offices. Election Commission Chairman R. A. M. L. Rathnayake told the Sunday Times that, unlike [...]
Lethal concrete slab- a wake-up call on dilapidated public buildings
By Dilushi Wijesinghe The deteriorating condition of several government-owned housing complexes and public buildings has once again come under scrutiny following the death of a seven-year-old boy after a slab of concrete fell from an upper floor of a state-owned housing complex in Colombo. The incident occurred at the Randhiya Uyana Housing Complex in Modara, [...]
J’pura ragging death: Convicted students lose appeal
By Ranjith Padmasiri The Court of Appeal this week upheld the Colombo High Court’s sentence on 22 former undergraduates who pleaded guilty to causing the death of a fellow student at the University of Sri Jayawardenepura by striking his head with a thick glass. The Court of Appeal set aside applications filed by the convicts [...]
GMOA doubles down on trade union action, cites minister’s failure to honour agreement
The Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) is planning to escalate its trade union action despite the hardships and inconvenience caused to outpatients across the country, citing the Health Minister’s failure to adhere to the written agreement and the timeline that was agreed upon during the previous discussion. GMOA Secretary Dr Prabath Sugathadasa told the Sunday [...]
Property owners, landlords raise concerns about draft law
Govt. says it will suspend passage of Bill through parliament reportedly to facilitate feedback Some legal counsel say “conceptually it is not bad law” but insist changes needed to remove ambiguity, others say POB unnecessary FR petitions filed before the Supreme Court including by the Condominium Developers’ Association (CDA) due to be taken up tomorrow [...]
Faiszer Mustapha presents dissolution of marriage, MMDA bills in parliament
New Democratic Front Member of Parliament Faiszer Mustapha this week presented a Private Member’s Bill in parliament detailing proposed amendments to the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act to establish a minimum marriage age of 18, although judicial exemptions may be granted for individuals as young as 16 under strict safeguards. The Muslim Marriage and Divorce [...]
Multiple Sclerosis can be controlled to lead fruitful lives
By Kumudini Hettiarachchi Multiple Sclerosis (MS), an autoimmune disease which impacts on the brain, spinal cord and optic nerve, is controllable. Those affected by MS, a disorder of the young, can lead a normal life – work, get married and have children. This is the crucial message that Consultant Neurologist Dr. Bimsara Senanayake, attached to [...]
Reviving wrecked state bus service a long, hard slog
By Jayanie Madawala Sri Lanka’s inefficient public transport services are well reflected in the state-run bus service, which for decades had accumulated billions in financial losses in the hands of corrupt politicians and their incompetent appointees. And turning around the state bus service along with filling up staff gaps now is a daunting undertaking. According [...]
An economy of a country is successful only if the people benefit, says President at Independence Day celebrations
Charm and simplicity marked the 78th National Independence Day celebrations on February 4 at Independence Square. More than 4,500 members representing the tri-forces and police added colour to the event. Over 500 performers—selected from the armed forces, police, National Youth Services Council, National Dancing Squad, and cultural centres including Manmunai North, Akkaraipattu, and Sainthamaruthu—took part [...]
Geoffrey Bawa Trust to restore Gangarama Temple’s Seema Malaka
The Seema Malaka of the Hunupitiye Gangaramaya Temple, probably the most public of the late architect Geoffrey Bawa’s oeuvre, is to be restored by the Geoffrey Bawa Trust. A conversation on the planned restoration was held at the Seema Malaka yesterday, spearheaded by the Chief Incumbent of the Gangaramaya Ven. Dr. Kirinde Assaji Thera, Chairperson [...]
Devnimori relics draw thousands in their first visit beyond India
By Ishu Bandara Marking their first ever international exposition, the Sacred Devnimori Relics of the Buddha arrived in Sri Lanka from India on February 4, Sri Lanka’s Independence Day, and were placed at the Gangaramaya Temple in Colombo for public veneration. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake inaugurated the exposition of the Sacred Relics on Independence day [...]
Pollution chokes Hamilton Canal; environmental disaster looms in Muthurajawela
Residents say superficial cleanups won’t solve the problem; Government teams up with church and activists to save the environmentally sensitive marsh By Tharushi Weerasinghe Residents living along the Hamilton Canal and fishermen from the Negombo Lagoon say large-scale pollution is destroying fish breeding grounds, worsening floods, and turning a once-lifeline waterway into a serious public health [...]
Road racing biker menace leaves cops chasing riders’ tail
By Kasun Warakapitiya Bikers racing on public roads at night and endangering other road users gained renewed attention from the police after the recent death of a teen who crashed into a car while racing with another youth. But traffic police are nowhere close to stamping out the nuisance. Police say many youths have died [...]
Some stretched to the limit despite cyclone damage payouts
Nearly ten weeks after Cyclone Ditwah devastated the country, the Sunday Times team’s visit to Colombo’s worst-affected area captures victims’ woes – from unpaid compensation to struggles in resuming livelihoods with little state support By Sajeniya Sathanandan It has been more than two months since Cyclone Ditwah devastated Sri Lanka, yet some are still struggling [...]
Kandy Devale holds ‘Ther’ festival in new chariot
By L.B. Senaratne The Kataragama Devale in Kandy held its Ther” festival last Sunday, with the chariot being taken around the town from 5 pm to around 6 am on Monday. The Ther chariot was built three years ago, as the older one was not usable. The new chariot was used on the instructions of [...]
New supplier to begin issuing licence plates
With nearly 400,000 official vehicle licence plates well overdue, the Department of Motor Traffic (DMT) is preparing to resume issuance following Cabinet approval to award the task to a private firm, Commissioner General of Motor Traffic, Kamal Amarasinghe said. South Asian Technologies (Pvt) Ltd has been selected to produce and issue licence plates, paving the [...]
Polythene proves lethal for Ampara’s gentle giants
Wild elephants are dying in Ampara District after consuming carelessly disposed waste, environmentalists claim. They say that a majority of wild elephant deaths over the past few years have been due to abdominal-related illnesses caused by consuming improperly disposed garbage and that the direct responsibility for this situation lies with the irregular waste disposal practices [...]
Tourism body’s unit against illegal guides missing in action
The Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority’s (SLTDA) enforcement unit members have not met since it was formed in October last year, the Sunday Times learns. The unit was set up as an undertaking to the Supreme Court — following a ruling in July — to curb illegal guiding and tourist accommodation, but is yet to [...]