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Amid widespread fears and reservations over the new wave of the COVID pandemic, more than half a million children will today sit the Grade 5 scholarship examination at centres all over the country. Examination Department officials have assured that all safety precautions have been taken as seen in this picture where an examination centre at [...]
Pompeo to visit Lanka after Yang holds high-level talks here
Hot on the heels of a high-level Chinese visit to Sri Lanka, the United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is due in the country this month, the Sunday Times learns. “He is expected to come,” said Admiral Prof Jayanath Colombage, Secretary to the Foreign Ministry. Other sources say he is due in two weeks, [...]
SC rules four 20A clauses require referendum; rest can be passed by 2/3rd majority
In handing down its determination on the 20th Amendment Bill, the Supreme Court has ruled that four clauses need a referendum of the People along with a two-thirds majority in Parliament while the rest can be passed by a two-thirds majority of Parliament alone, according to a copy of the Court’s opinion that was available [...]
Chinese delegation came under ‘air bubble’ concept
The visit of the Chinese delegation generated controversy after it was revealed that the delegation will not be subjected to quarantine. The Government justified the decision on the ground that it was a high-level delegation and was only in Sri Lanka for less than a day. Instead of mandatory quarantine, the delegation was subjected to [...]
Rs. 1.6 trillion for road projects since 2007, says report highlighting underperformance
Governments have sunk Rs 1.6 trillion into the highways sector in the 13 years since 2007, with the highest expenditure having been in 2017, the Roads and Highways Ministry’s latest Performance Report states. The money has gone into expressways, national highways and flyovers and bridges on national highways, says the 2019 report which was recently [...]
Over hundred COVID cases reported yesterday; concerns over extent of pandemic’s spread
Concerns grew yesterday over the extent of the COVID-19 pandemic’s spread in the country after 101 close contacts of workers from the Brandix apparel factory in Minuwangoda tested positive for the disease. In addition, two more workers from the apparel factory tested positive yesterday. Yesterday’s 103 cases brought the total number of cases linked to [...]
Massacre on Easter Sunday: Former President blames top officials
Testifying before the Commission probing the Easter Sunday attacks Former President Maithripala Sirisena said he believed the massacre took place because those holding responsibility had failed in their duties. He told the Commission this week that if he was informed of the advance information about the planned massacre he could have taken steps to [...]
Lanka among countries most affected by extreme weather
Sri Lanka was among six countries deemed most affected by extreme weather events in the year 2018, along with Japan, the Philippines, Germany, Madagascar and India, a German non-profit organisation which analyses the impacts of extreme weather events said in its 2020 Global Climate Risk Index (CRI). The factors take into consideration include fatalities and [...]
AG refuses to share written submissions with petitioners’ counsel despite court’s consent
The Attorney General has refused to share his written submission with counsel appearing for petitioners challenging the constitutionality of the 20th Amendment, despite a five-member Supreme Court bench urging him to do so. The Supreme Court concluded hearings of the case early this week and sent its determination to the Speaker’s office yesterday. When Parliament [...]
Op Centre at Health Ministry to defuse newest cluster
An Operations Centre was established on Friday at the Health Ministry to act as a coordination mechanism among all sectors to respond speedily to the challenges posed by the latest Minuwangoda cluster with a garment factory as its nucleus. The Minuwangoda cluster has not only affected the Gampaha district but has also spread its tentacles [...]
E-waste collection week completed
A week dedicated to collecting electronic waste from households ended on Saturday. The Postal Department last week joined hands with telephone services providers to collect such waste as a part of a programme to mark World Postal Day on Saturday, October 10. An appeal went out to Sri Lankans to hand over damaged and discarded [...]
COVID-hit Gampaha to see more rain in coming days
With heavy rainfall and strong winds being forecast this week, the Gampaha district, under a partial lockdown following the detection of a COVID cluster, will be among the areas that will experience bad weather, the Meteorology Department said. Director (Forecasting) Merril Mendis said the northeast monsoon had been activated due to a deep depression in [...]
Act now to rein-in fresh cluster
It is still not too late. Sri Lanka can ‘rein-in’ the current COVID-19 time bomb and mute its fallout if appropriate action is taken right now. This was the consensus among many experts including those in the health sector whom the Sunday Times spoke to, who were adamant that “now low-grade community transmission has begun”. [...]
State offices change services over COVID
After the largest COVID-19 outbreak in Minuwangoda and cases being reported in and around major cities, state institutions providing public services closed their doors and offered online services with hotline numbers announced for use. Secretary to the Ministry of Public Services J.J. Ratnasiri told the Sunday Times several public institutions resorted to these measures to [...]
Pangs of the pandemic: Covid devours village tourism that showcased Lanka’s rural lifestyle
Like many settlements around Habarana, the quiet and rustic Laksirigama thrived on a brand of “village tourism” popular with foreigners. Tourists would gather around hearths and watch women toss ingredients into bubbling, fragrant pots of curry. They would scrape coconut, grind chili and pick crisp new vegetables from organic home gardens. Then, they would sit [...]
Multiple bodies of sea creatures appear on beaches, worrying scientists
Researchers are puzzling over the appearance of decaying carcasses of almost 20 turtles and four porpoises washed ashore over several days this week, and there is speculation that the recent oil spill could have caused the deaths. Veterinary surgeons of the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) have conducted postmortems but are as yet unable to [...]
Navy-MEPA trade charges over release of tanker
The decision to allow the ill-fated crude oil tanker MT New Diamond to be towed out of Sri Lankan waters has led to controversy, with the Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) accusing the Sri Lanka Navy of releasing the vessel in violation of its directives and the latter insisting that it had the authority to [...]
MT New Diamond fire: Singapore-based salvor settled AG’s claims
Contrary to some reports, it was the Singapore-based salvor, and not the owners of MT New Diamond that settled the payment requested by the Attorney General over expenses incurred when fighting the fire that swept through the vessel. The salvor, SMIT Singapore Pte Ltd, was appointed by the ship’s Greek owners M/s. Porto Emporios Shipping [...]
Coconut prices a hard nut to crack in prolonged shortage
The coconut shortage is not only triggering desperate searches for dwindling supplies in a pandemic situation but forcing people to pay a hefty Rs. 90-100 per nut despite a law prohibiting sale above Rs. 70. The shortage is to remain until January next year, a government study says. To add to the misery, the Consumer [...]
Vallam fishermen distraught as Govt. bends to trawler demands
Last Monday at midnight, a group of fishermen from Eluvaitivu, one of the northern islands off Jaffna, ventured out to sea after noticing a group of local trawlers engaged in fishing a few kilometers offshore. Last Monday at midnight, a group of fishermen from Eluvaitivu, one of the northern islands off Jaffna, ventured out to [...]
Pick of the Pix
Pix by Lahiru Madushanka Pix by Amila Gamage Pix by Champika Fernando Pix by Dr Noble Jayasuriya
Creativity in the time of a crisis
Some people who have lost their jobs and income sources due to the COVID-19 pandemic have turned to creative means to earn money. A few of these people have begun making artistic products from discarded materials such as old tyres, rims and wires. They made sculptures, flower pot holders and different types of ornaments. Mahen [...]