http://www.sundaytimes.lk Official website of the Sunday Times Newspaper in Sri Lanka Sun, 26 Apr 2026 02:36:07 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 http://www.sundaytimes.lk/260426/news/lankas-kalu-shows-peace-is-universal-640224.html 26 April 2026 @ 12:04 am lt;table border= quot;0 quot; gt; lt;tbody gt; lt;tr gt; lt;td gt; lt;img class= quot;aligncenter wp-image-640226 quot; title= quot;Passiko quot; src= quot;http://sundaytimes.lk/260426/uploads/2026/04/Passiko.jpg quot; alt= quot; quot; width= quot;400 quot; height= quot;629 quot; / gt; lt;/td gt; lt;td gt; lt;img class= quot;alignright wp-image-640227 quot; title= quot;Untitled-1 quot; ... http://www.sundaytimes.lk/260426/news/treasury-cyber-heist-widens-french-loan-papers-missing-640222.html 26 April 2026 @ 12:01 am lt;ul gt; lt;li gt; lt;strong gt;Suspicion falls on same group of hackers; Deputy Minister admits official email was compromised lt;/strong gt; lt;/li gt; lt;/ul gt; lt;strong gt;By Damith Wickremasekera lt;/strong gt; Documents relating to the repayment of a loan from France have gone missing from the Finance Ministry computer systems and could be linked to the same group of hackers ... http://www.sundaytimes.lk/260426/news/asg-and-senior-army-officer-clash-over-easter-sunday-case-640220.html 26 April 2026 @ 12:00 am lt;strong gt; lt;em gt;By Ranjith Padmasiri lt;/em gt; lt;/strong gt; A senior military officer expressed dissatisfaction to Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Dileepa Peiris following his statement in open court this week, accusing certain Army officers of obstructing the Easter Sunday attack investigation. lt;em gt;The Sunday Times lt;/em gt; learns that an officer from the Army rsquo;s ... http://www.sundaytimes.lk/260426/news/two-more-coal-shipments-fail-quality-test-by-independent-lab-640218.html 26 April 2026 @ 12:00 am Two more shipments from controversial coal supplier Trident Chemphar have failed, bringing the total number of consignments confirmed to be off-spec by independent accredited laboratory Cotecna to five, official sources said. The total number of shipments ordered from Trident was 25. The 16th is being unloaded now, while ships from a separate, emergency purchase of coal are also arriving. l... http://www.sundaytimes.lk/260426/news/cid-obtains-eight-page-statement-from-ranils-wife-in-four-hour-interview-640216.html 25 April 2026 @ 11:59 pm lt;strong gt;By Ranjith Padmasiri nbsp; lt;/strong gt; Criminal Investigation Department (CID) detectives have taken down an eight-page statement during a nearly four-hour interview with former First Lady Maithree Wickramasinghe with regard to their probe into former President Ranil Wickremesinghe rsquo;s UK visit to attend a graduation ceremony at the University of Wolverhampton, where she wa... http://www.sundaytimes.lk/260426/news/sri-lanka-talks-of-smart-villages-to-support-ageing-population-640213.html 25 April 2026 @ 11:58 pm lt;strong gt;By Ishu Bandara nbsp; nbsp; lt;/strong gt; As projections by the Department of Census and Statistics show, by 2040, 1 in 4 Lankans, approximately 25% of the population,will be aged 60 or above, the government is prioritising the development of Smart Villages to ensure that elderly citizens remain digitally included and socially engaged. This initiative is part of a broader nati... http://www.sundaytimes.lk/260426/news/reform-stalls-as-sri-lanka-delays-overdue-e-procurement-key-bills-640211.html 25 April 2026 @ 11:57 pm The full rollout of Sri Lanka rsquo;s long overdue e-Government Procurement (e-GP) is further delayed, according to the latest Governance Action Plan (GAP). Separately, the State-Owned Enterprise (SOE) Bill ndash; which was meant to be passed by December last year ndash; is now expected to be presented to Cabinet later this month, with the formation of the associated holding company pushed to... http://www.sundaytimes.lk/260426/news/mahanayakes-in-joint-declaration-for-peace-at-gangaramaya-today-640209.html 25 April 2026 @ 11:56 pm A ceremony to mark a ldquo;Joint Declaration for Peace rdquo; by the Most Venerable Mahanayake Theras of the Three Nikayas of Sri Lanka will be held at the Seema Malakaya, of theGangaramaya Temple, Colombo, today at 5 p.m. The event has been organised by the Gangaramaya Temple, with the assistance of the Presidential Secretariat. The declaration represents a united spiritual message calling... http://www.sundaytimes.lk/260426/news/sri-lanka-rushes-to-purchase-russian-fuel-coal-and-fertiliser-before-us-waiver-deadline-640207.html 25 April 2026 @ 11:56 pm lt;strong gt;By Damith Wickremasekara lt;/strong gt; Sri Lanka has decided to purchase oil, gas, coal and fertiliser on a government-to-government basis from Russia, making use of a waiver given by the US Treasury until May 16, permitting fuel transactions. Accordingly, instructions have gone to Sri Lanka rsquo;s embassy in Russia to expedite negotiations with the relevant companies to plac... http://www.sundaytimes.lk/260426/news/coal-inquiry-commission-set-up-will-ask-public-for-info-640205.html 25 April 2026 @ 11:55 pm lt;strong gt;By Ranjith Padmasiri nbsp; nbsp; lt;/strong gt; The Special Presidential Commission of Inquiry appointed to probe whether any irregularities or unlawful acts had occurred during coal procurement purchases is planning to invite the public to provide information related to its investigation from next week. The commission is due to move into its newly established office at the Alu... http://www.sundaytimes.lk/260426/news/two-forests-designated-as-living-charters-for-global-environmental-peace-640203.html 25 April 2026 @ 11:55 pm Two forests have been dedicated in honour of the 'Walk for Peace'. The two forests Nugagaha Mulayaya Forest in the Matale District and Padavigampola Forest in the Kegalle District have been designated as living charters for global environmental peace by the Environment Ministry. Through this initiative Sri Lanka hopes to spread a worldwide message about the protection of trees, wildlife, and... http://www.sundaytimes.lk/260426/news/environment-act-to-be-amended-cea-to-get-more-powers-640201.html 25 April 2026 @ 11:54 pm The government plans to amend the National Environment Act to address current legal and institutional issues and give more powers to the Central Environmental Authority (CEA). The draft National Environment (Amended) Act, which has got Cabinet approval, has been published in the government gazette prior to its being presented to parliament. The amendments to the National Environmental Act, N... http://www.sundaytimes.lk/260426/news/arabian-sea-fishing-lankan-vessels-told-to-obtain-maldives-permission-before-crossing-eez-640199.html 25 April 2026 @ 11:54 pm lt;p style= quot;text-align: left; quot; align= quot;center quot; gt; lt;strong gt;By S. Rubatheesan lt;/strong gt; lt;/p gt; Multi-day vessels of Sri Lankan fishermen that access the Arabian Sea via the Maldivian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) will henceforth be required to secure permits prior to entering its waters, according to a new procedure introduced by the Male government. Susantha Ka... http://www.sundaytimes.lk/260426/news/sagarika-goes-off-track-again-while-on-its-way-to-colombo-640194.html 25 April 2026 @ 11:53 pm [gallery link= quot;file quot; columns= quot;4 quot; orderby= quot;rand quot;] The Sagarika Express train which derailed on Friday had a second mishap while being brought to Colombo last evening. The incident occurred shortly after it had passed the Kopannavidiya railway station The train had derailed and gone about 300 metres along the track, causing damages to the concrete sleepers. ... http://www.sundaytimes.lk/260426/news/monks-spread-mindfulness-message-in-long-challenging-walk-640182.html 25 April 2026 @ 11:50 pm lt;p style= quot;text-align: left; quot; align= quot;center quot; gt; lt;strong gt;By Kasun Warakapitiya lt;/strong gt; lt;/p gt; A message of peace and compassion reached the hearts of people of Sri Lanka when a delegation of monks led by Ven. Pannakara Thera began a much-anticipated walk in Sri Lanka. The monks who arrived in Sri Lanka from the United States along with peace dog ldquo;Al... http://www.sundaytimes.lk/260426/news/shadowy-websites-trip-up-bank-customers-640177.html 25 April 2026 @ 11:35 pm lt;strong gt;By Nidarshani Wickramasinghe nbsp; nbsp; lt;/strong gt; Nearly 500 complaints related to online fraud, including financial scams, have been reported to the Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team (SLCERT) so far this year. According to these reports, 95% of these incidents occur due to user error. Senior Information Security Engineer at SLCERT, Charuka Damunupola, explai... http://www.sundaytimes.lk/260426/news/one-sri-lankan-among-crew-onboard-oil-tanker-seized-by-pirates-640175.html 25 April 2026 @ 11:34 pm Pirates have hijacked an oil tanker sailing near the Somali coast with 17 crew, including a Sri Lankan, according to multiple security officials, the BBC has reported. The ship, Honour 25, was overrun late on Wednesday by six gunmen when it was about 30 nautical miles offshore, the officials were quoted. It was carrying 18,500 barrels of oil, security officials from Somalia's semi-autonomous... http://www.sundaytimes.lk/260426/news/herath-and-iranian-fm-discuss-bilateral-ties-araghchi-thanks-sri-lanka-for-sailor-rescue-in-phone-call-640171.html 25 April 2026 @ 11:34 pm [caption id= quot;attachment_640172 quot; align= quot;alignright quot; width= quot;200 quot; caption= quot;Abbas Araghchi quot;] lt;img class= quot;size-full wp-image-640172 quot; title= quot;Minister-of-Foreign-Affairs-(Iran)_P6 quot; src= quot;http://sundaytimes.lk/260426/uploads/2026/04/Minister-of-Foreign-Affairs-Iran_P6.jpg quot; alt= quot; quot; width= quot;200 quot; height= quot;249 quot; /... http://www.sundaytimes.lk/260426/news/dept-for-registration-of-persons-warns-public-of-phone-numbers-being-used-by-fraudsters-640169.html 25 April 2026 @ 11:33 pm The Department for Registration of Persons has warned the public to be vigilant of a financial fraud being carried out by individuals posing as its officials. In a statement, the department said that a group of unscrupulous persons was using its hotline number, 0115226126, to obtain personal information of individuals to commit financial fraud. The other numbers linked to the fraudulent calls a... http://www.sundaytimes.lk/260426/news/bright-and-white-maradana-station-gets-fresh-look-in-phase-1-of-renovation-project-640165.html 25 April 2026 @ 11:32 pm lt;img class= quot;aligncenter size-full wp-image-640166 quot; title= quot;01-(1)_P6 quot; src= quot;http://sundaytimes.lk/260426/uploads/2026/04/01-1_P6.jpg quot; alt= quot; quot; width= quot;500 quot; height= quot;333 quot; / gt; The first phase of the renovation of the Maradana Railway Station has been completed and was opened to the public by Minister Bimal Rathnayake yesterday. The first ... http://www.sundaytimes.lk/260426/news/cabraal-reneges-on-discharge-terms-ciaboc-to-file-fresh-case-640163.html 25 April 2026 @ 11:31 pm lt;strong gt; lt;em gt;By Ranjith Padmasiri lt;/em gt; lt;/strong gt; The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) has decided to file a fresh indictment against former Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal in the Colombo High Court. The decision to file a fresh indictment against Mr Cabraal was taken after he did not meet the conditions that led him to b... http://www.sundaytimes.lk/260426/news/easter-attacks-state-alleges-probe-sabotage-salley-granted-time-for-statement-640161.html 25 April 2026 @ 11:30 pm The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) informed the Fort Magistrate rsquo;s Court this week of the progress in the probe into the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks. Investigators said they are continuing the inquiry despite several challenges, including intimidation of witnesses. When the case involving the former State Intelligence Service (SIS) chief, Maj Gen. (retired) Suresh Salley, was taken... http://www.sundaytimes.lk/260426/news/galu-kumari-unable-to-run-until-sagarika-mess-cleared-railways-dept-640127.html 25 April 2026 @ 11:07 pm lt;strong gt;By Rekha Tharangani Fonseka lt;/strong gt; More than 200 workers have been deployed to restore the southern railway track damaged near the Wadduwa railway station following a train derailment, with expectations that the track would be ready for operations by Monday morning. At least 300 meters of the track has been affected with extensive damages to some parts of the track, a... http://www.sundaytimes.lk/260426/news/wwct-conducts-awareness-campaign-on-leopard-attacks-in-peradeniya-640114.html 25 April 2026 @ 11:02 pm An awareness campaign is underway in the area around University of Peradeniya regarding the threat posed by leopards in the area and the safety measures that can be taken. Wilderness and Wildlife Conservation Trust is carrying out the programme, co-founder and Lead Researcher of the NGO Dr Andrew Kittle said. A leopard had taken a calf that belonged to the University of Peradeniya veterinary... http://www.sundaytimes.lk/260426/news/disparate-opposition-desperate-for-a-rallying-cry-640097.html 25 April 2026 @ 10:49 pm Political parties and trade unions have come out with mixed plans for May Day celebrations, as the international workers' day coincides with Vesak Poya Day. Some political parties and unions have curtailed events, but other opposition parties are eager to use the opportunity to expose government shortcomings, failed promises and corruption. lt;img class= quot;aligncenter size-full wp-image-... http://www.sundaytimes.lk/260426/news/fatal-road-accidents-and-drowning-continue-to-mar-holiday-season-640087.html 25 April 2026 @ 10:42 pm The Sinhala and Tamil New Year season was overshadowed by fatal road accidents and drowning incidents across the country. Road collisions resulted in over 40 deaths and more than 30 people died from drowning between April 12 and 21, authorities said. According to police reports, motorcycles were involved in the highest number of fatal crashes, followed by three-wheelers, vans, cars, and bicycle... http://www.sundaytimes.lk/260426/news/visitors-to-waterfall-down-to-a-trickle-640042.html 25 April 2026 @ 9:33 pm lt;strong gt;Pix and text by Palitha Ariyawanasa lt;/strong gt; A sharp decline in both local and foreign tourist arrivals at Dunhinda Falls has left more than 45 families dependent on the site struggling to make ends meet, with vendors citing economic pressures, global instability and poor infrastructure as key causes. Once a major attraction in Badulla, the scenic waterfall renowned for... http://www.sundaytimes.lk/260426/news/nuwara-eliyas-blooms-come-alive-once-again-official-calls-for-more-tourist-attractions-640031.html 25 April 2026 @ 9:23 pm lt;strong gt;Pix and text by Shelton Hettiaarachchi lt;/strong gt; The annual flower show organised by the Nuwara Eliya Municipal Council, one of the main highlights of the spring festival, was once again a treat for the eyes. The Nuwara Eliya spring festival has become a regular event on the annual calendar of local tourists in Sri Lanka, and this was evident from the large crowds that att... http://www.sundaytimes.lk/260426/news/met-dept-in-cloud-nine-doppler-radar-ready-by-next-year-640008.html 25 April 2026 @ 8:57 pm lt;strong gt;Pix and text by Hiran Priyankara Jayasinghe nbsp; lt;/strong gt; [caption id= quot;attachment_640009 quot; align= quot;alignright quot; width= quot;270 quot; caption= quot;Athula Karunanayake quot;] lt;img class= quot; wp-image-640009 quot; title= quot;Athula-Karunanayaka quot; src= quot;http://sundaytimes.lk/260426/uploads/2026/04/Athula-Karunanayaka.jpg quot; alt= quot; quot;... http://www.sundaytimes.lk/260426/news/shanuka-first-lankan-scout-to-win-japans-wood-badge-640003.html 25 April 2026 @ 8:53 pm [gallery link= quot;file quot; columns= quot;4 quot; orderby= quot;rand quot;] lt;strong gt;By L.B. Senaratne lt;/strong gt; Shanuka Karunaratne has become the first Sri Lankan scout to receive the prestigious international Wood Badge, awarded by Japan following a rigorous training course. A former scout at Kingswood College, Karunaratne was presented with the badge at the Scout Administ... http://www.sundaytimes.lk/260426/news/in-bangladesh-even-if-dormant-the-rti-acts-promise-remains-powerful-with-lessons-from-sri-lanka-india-639999.html 25 April 2026 @ 8:51 pm lt;strong gt;By Dr Shamsul Bari and Ruhi Naz lt;/strong gt; As the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2009 remains effectively dormant in Bangladesh, RTI advocates must now rely on the new government rsquo;s resolve to operationalise it. The law has been inoperative due to the absence of information commissioners since the interim government assumed power in August 2024 following a mass uprisi... http://www.sundaytimes.lk/260426/news/indian-vp-radhakrishanan-visits-beneficiaries-of-housing-project-in-ragala-nuwara-eliya-639994.html 25 April 2026 @ 8:50 pm Indian Vice President C.P. Radhakrishanan who was on a two day visit to Sri Lanka visited houses constructed under the Indian Housing Project (IHP) at the Liddlesdale Estate at Ragala in the Nuwara Eliya district There he interacted with families of beneficiaries and visited the village in which 166 houses have been constructed under IHP Phase-III. In Nuwara Eliya, he also visited the Seetha... http://www.sundaytimes.lk/260426/news/ditwah-sand-removal-endangers-puttalam-bridge-villagers-blame-officials-639986.html 25 April 2026 @ 8:46 pm lt;strong gt;Pix and text by Hiran Priyankara Jayasinghe nbsp; lt;/strong gt; Residents of a village in Puttalam are up in arms, accusing the Irrigation Department and the Geological Survey and Mines Bureau (GSMB) of disregarding environmental concerns and endangering lives by permitting sand removal on both sides of a vital bridge. Villagers say reckless sand mining is taking place near th... http://www.sundaytimes.lk/260426/news/green-light-for-special-number-plates-at-rs-1-million-backlog-to-be-cleared-in-three-months-639980.html 25 April 2026 @ 8:44 pm lt;p style= quot;text-align: left; quot; align= quot;center quot; gt;The government has given the green light to enable motorists to obtain ldquo;special rdquo; vehicle registration numbers for a fee of Rs. 1 million, even as lawmakers have raised concerns over long delays in issuing standard number plates and procurement practices. lt;/p gt; The approval was granted this week by the Committee ... http://www.sundaytimes.lk/260426/news/nayakakanda-good-shepherd-convent-parents-oga-protest-lay-principals-appointment-639978.html 25 April 2026 @ 8:43 pm lt;ul gt; lt;li gt; lt;strong gt;Question 'sudden decision' that breaks with decades-long tradition of religious leadership lt;/strong gt; lt;/li gt; lt;/ul gt; lt;strong gt;By Dilushi Wijeisnghe nbsp; lt;/strong gt; lt;strong gt; lt;/strong gt;A dispute over the appointment of a new principal at Good Shepherd Convent Nayakakanda in Wattala has escalated into a protest, with alumni and... http://www.sundaytimes.lk/260426/news/west-asian-cargo-war-disruptions-push-up-risk-premiums-shipping-routes-reshaped-639972.html 25 April 2026 @ 8:41 pm lt;strong gt;By Ishu Bandara nbsp; lt;/strong gt; While the West Asian conflict is expected to settle sooner or later, issues will linger for longer as sea mines reportedly laid by Iran, similar to those used during the Iran-Iraq War, continue to endanger shipping routes, cargo handlers warn. [caption id= quot;attachment_639973 quot; align= quot;alignright quot; width= quot;300 quot; captio... http://www.sundaytimes.lk/260426/news/rat-fever-risks-rise-with-rains-hundreds-infected-in-ratnapura-and-colombo-639966.html 25 April 2026 @ 8:37 pm lt;strong gt;By Sajeniya Sathanandan nbsp; nbsp; lt;/strong gt; Health professionals are urging precautions to avoid infection with leptospirosis (Rat fever), as it has the potential to cause an outbreak in the months ahead. Ratnapura has the highest percentage at 12.67%, but other provinces can also be affected because of humidity and the rainy season. Outbreaks can be triggered by mons... http://www.sundaytimes.lk/260426/news/proud-moment-for-talawakelle-as-three-students-qualify-to-enter-medical-faculty-639960.html 25 April 2026 @ 8:35 pm [caption id= quot;attachment_639964 quot; align= quot;aligncenter quot; width= quot;500 quot; caption= quot;Vijayakumar Anitha quot;] lt;img class= quot;size-full wp-image-639964 quot; title= quot;IMG-20260423-WA0027_P14 quot; src= quot;http://sundaytimes.lk/260426/uploads/2026/04/IMG-20260423-WA0027_P14.jpg quot; alt= quot; quot; width= quot;500 quot; height= quot;225 quot; / gt;[/caption] lt... http://www.sundaytimes.lk/260426/news/extreme-heat-to-persist-while-afternoon-thundershowers-loom-639952.html 25 April 2026 @ 8:22 pm lt;strong gt;By Jayanie Madawala lt;/strong gt; The prevailing extreme heat and strong sunlight will continue while rains or thunder showers could occur in the afternoons, especially in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, Uva, and Southern Provinces and in Puttalam District, according to the Department of Meteorology. Early morning misty conditions can also be expected in the Central, Sab... http://www.sundaytimes.lk/260426/news/from-elephant-to-whale-avurudu-games-get-a-seaside-twist-639941.html 25 April 2026 @ 8:20 pm [caption id= quot;attachment_639948 quot; align= quot;aligncenter quot; width= quot;660 quot; caption= quot;Taking the lime and spoon event to water quot;] lt;img class= quot; wp-image-639948 quot; title= quot;3s quot; src= quot;http://sundaytimes.lk/260426/uploads/2026/04/3s5.jpg quot; alt= quot; quot; width= quot;660 quot; height= quot;240 quot; / gt;[/caption] lt;p style= quot;text-align: le...