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Home » NewsLockdowns are back; Kuliyapitiya this week
In view of a surge in COVID-19 cases, Kuliyapitiya was locked down from midnight on Thursday and yesterday’s picture shows its central commercial area as a ghost town. Pic by Pix Dinesh Upendra
You can vote as soon as you reach 18
Youth reaching the age of 18 will be able to include their names in the electoral register as soon as they reach the eligible age for voting as the register will be updated thrice a year instead of once a year. A Bill to this effect has already been submitted by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa [...]
Govt. decides to proceed with 25 mega projects in major cities
The Government has announced plans to proceed with around 25 mega projects in major cities like Colombo, Kandy, Galle, Trincomalee, Kurunegala and Ratnapura by gazetting them under the Land Acquisition Act to acquire private lands and pay compensation for thousands of people who will be affected. The new regulations have been issued under Chapter 460 [...]
Covid surge in India, but travel bubble with Lanka continues
The Government has decided to continue the “bubble” concept for travel between India and Sri Lanka, despite the massive surge in the number of COVID-19 cases in India, officials said. The only revision will be that the quarantine period for those travelling from India to Sri Lanka has been increased from the existing seven days [...]
Probe on uproar; bid to stop SM posts from Parliament
A parliamentary committee appointed by the Speaker will look into the requests made from ruling alliance MPs to prevent parliamentarians from broadcasting on social media platforms the happenings inside the chamber, a senior official said. On Friday, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena announced that a committee chaired by Deputy Speaker Ranjith Siyambalapitiya would also look into [...]
Covid cases top 100,000 as dengue also strikes
As the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Sri Lanka crossed the 100,000 mark last evening with another 826 persons testing positive for the virus, health authorities reported an increase in dengue cases and warned about a further rise due to the rains. As of 7 pm yesterday, the number of COVID-19 cases, since the [...]
Easter Sunday massacres: Rishad and his brother arrested for alleged links with bombers
Former minister and All Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMC) Leader Rishad Bathiudeen and his brother Riyaj Bathiudeen were arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) early yesterday on charges of aiding and abetting the Easter Sunday attackers. They were taken into custody under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). The ACMC leader was arrested at his [...]
Tricky situation as COVID numbers increase
With the number of COVID-19 patients surging after the Avurudu season, a dangerous situation has emerged with the country’s health system already struggling to cope with the increasing number of patients. A Sunday Times staffer witnessed this situation firsthand recently at a major teaching hospital where, in a ward of some 40 patients, two COVID [...]
Serious worry over third wave
A new variant of the coronavirus causing a rapid spread of COVID-19 in the country and sending many symptomatic patients with severe disease to hospitals, is giving healthcare staff a headache. Friday saw Sri Lanka recording the second highest infection numbers for a day – 969 cases. The country stands at Alert Level 3. “Even [...]
Sick young people becoming oxygen-dependent
“There is a trend being seen of oxygen-dependency by young people who are becoming positive,” said the Director-General (DG) of Health Services, Dr. Asela Gunawardena. As these people need support with oxygen, he reiterated that the health authorities have responded to this need quickly and are setting up wall oxygen facilities in high dependency units [...]
Rapid spread and severe disease, as expert warns of a ‘new variant of concern’
“There is a strong possibility that a ‘new variant of concern’ of the coronavirus which is highly transmissible (spreading quickly) and also causing severe disease is currently circulating in Sri Lanka,” said Prof. Neelika Malavige, Head of the Department of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, University of Sri Jayewardenepura. Prof. Malavige’s laboratory is the only one [...]
Urgent call from SLMA – be careful and take all precautions
There was a gradual reduction in cases but after the avurudu season we are seeing an increase in COVID-19 patients not only at the National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIID) but also other COVID-19 treatment hospitals, said Senior Consultant Physician Dr. Ananda Wijewickrama of the NIID, Angoda. It was a grim picture that was painted [...]
Road deaths ‘like a tsunami hitting us day in and day out’
During Avurudu week, 52 people were killed in road accidents and more than 600 others admitted to hospital for treatment to injuries, police said. “Enough is enough: people should take politicians to task for being defensive and blaming bad drivers or tyres,” Professor Amal Kumarage of the University of Moratuwa’s Department of Transport and Logistics [...]
State Tourism Chief proposes major restructuring but big hotels oppose plans
A new tourism bill has proposed the setting up of an industry consultative committee that will provide guidance to the Sri Lanka tourism authorities, but major hotels are opposing it on the basis of lack of transparency. “The intention is to gain more inclusive input from the private sector,” said Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority [...]
Expert committee slams CEB for last year’s islandwide blackout
An expert committee has slammed the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) over last year’s countrywide power failure. It was triggered by an electrical superintendent bypassing standard maintenance procedure at the Kerawalapitiya grid substation and went for over six hours owing to hydropower generators repeatedly tripping during restoration attempts. The interruption, which started around 12.30pm on August [...]
Air-borne transmission playing important role in spreading COVID-19: Prof Malavige
Most viruses which cause respiratory diseases are mainly transmitted through droplets but there is a certain level of air-borne transmission, explained Prof. Neelika Malavige, Head of the Department of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, University of Sri Jayewardenepura. Specifically looking at the SARS-CoV-2 virus which is causing COVID-19, she said that there is emerging evidence that [...]
Lord Naseby questions British govt. on criteria used to assess reports on final stages of war in Sri Lanka
British Conservative Party politician Lord Naseby has questioned the British Government in the House of Lords regarding the criteria it used to assess the credibility of evidence reports it received related to the situation in Sri Lanka during the final stages of the war with the LTTE between January and May 2009. Four questions directed [...]
Port City Bill: ASG presents amendments; petitioners see threat to sovereignty
After five days of exhaustive arguments, a five-judge Supreme Court bench on Friday evening concluded hearings into petitions challenging the constitutionality of the Port City Economic Commission Bill. As lawyers for the petitioners argued that sections of the Bill violated the Constitution, the Attorney General insisted it had been drafted with the sole aim of [...]
CEB calls for bids on gas turbines
The Ceylon Electricity Board has called bids for the design, manufacture, supply, installation and commissioning of three 35-megawatt gas turbines at the Kelanitissa Power Station. Interested parties are expected to come forward with 100 percent financing for the project, without the possibility of a Government guarantee, but the option of a counter-guarantee by the People’s [...]
Govt. behaving in dictatorial manner to silence MPs critical of it: SJB
The Samagi Jana Blawegaya (SJB) yesterday claimed the government was intimidating opposition MP’s who are critical of the government. SJB General secretary Ranjith Madduma Banadara told the Sunday times that the government is behaving in a dictatorial manner as they are using intimidation tactics to keep matters from being raised at the parliament. He said [...]
Backyard mask-makers cheat public while regulators stand back
Substandard face masks are being falsely sold as having been quality-certified or imported, prompting complaints from unhappy purchasers and manufacturers of certified masks, with a gap in government regulation being exploited. Consumers say the masks emit a stench, cause rashes, have unevenly fixed straps and contain dust. Rasika Priyani, a resident of Galle, said a [...]
Cardinal calls for justice amidst sombre remembrance of Easter Sunday victims
Cardinal Ranjith Malcolm who celebrated Holy Mass at St Anthony’s Church Kochchikade, on April 21, marking the second year remembrance of the victims of the Easter Sunday bombings, once again urged the government to grant justice to the victims and their families by investigating and revealing those behind the heinous crime. He said that it [...]
May Day dampened for third straight year
Despite a government call to drop plans for May Day rallies and processions, some political parties are preparing to hold celebrations on May 1. For the third successive year, parties are being forced to hold back from carrying out their traditional May Day activities. In 2019, the Easter Sunday bombings caused rallies to be called [...]
Pick of the Pix
From our readers Shutterbugs out there, we would once again appreciate your contributions to this picture corner. Please send your captioned photograph along with your name, and the location of the photograph, to: pictures@sundaytimes.wnl.lk
Murder of disabled woman a disturbing sign of times
The tragic end of a 43-year-old disabled woman from Alangkudawa, Norochcholai who was beaten to death with a rod by her younger brother on Monday, was the latest in a spate of murders reported by police this year. The brother assaulted his elder sister while she was sleeping after being scolded by their mother for [...]
Elephant treated for gun wounds
Veterinary Surgeon Isuru Kottegoda and Wildlife Officials have started treating a 2-year-old elephant found to have sustained gun shot injuries in the Elukuthuwa Tank Reserve in Kottukachchiya, Anamaduwa. The officials believe that the elephant had been hit by a trap gun and had been injured a week back. Villagers had alerted the officials that they [...]
New social movement to highlight 1956 support of local industry
A new social movement backed by the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) aimed at promoting the ideology and values generated after 1956 by the S W R D Bandaranaike government is due to be launched next week. The group calling itself “Panashaye Daruwo” plan to launch the campaign with a public seminar next Tuesday, at [...]
No schools closure yet despite kids turning up with virus
Despite COVID-19 patient numbers spiralling in the past week, especially amongst young people, the education ministry said no decision has been taken to close schools. Ministry Secretary Professor Kapila Perera said the ministry was monitoring the situation in schools and a decision would be taken if the situation intensifies. Already, some schools have closed following [...]
Indian trawlers moored by TN ban, but illegal fishing continues in ‘Vaththai’ boats in Lankan waters
Although South Indian mechanised trawlers are restricted from fishing due to the Tamil Nadu government’s 61-day ban, their fishermen keep coming in traditional vaththai boats to engage in illegal fishing in Sri Lankan waters, say Sri Lanka’s Northern fisherfolk. Their complaint comes amid their protest over a proposal to permit Indian fishermen to fish in [...]
Hambantota elephant reserve crisis: Protesting farmers seek presidential intervention
Protesting Hambantota farmers have requested a meeting with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, seeking his intervention to resolve Hambantota Managed Elephant Reserve (HMER) issues. As their protest fast or Satyagraha campaign entered 100 days, Walawa Left Bank Joint Farmers’Association President Mahinda Samarawickrema said they also sought meetings with the Hambantota District Secretary, the Suriyawewa Divisional secretary, officials [...]
Defacing Buddha statues : AG files indictments in Kegalle High Court against 16 accused
The Attorney General has filed 21 indictments in the Kegalle High Court against 16 accused over defacing Buddha statues in the Mawanella area. The accused are alleged to have been involved with Easter attack ringleader Zaharan Hashim in promoting religious hatred. AG Dappula De Livera has requested Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya to appoint a three-judge [...]
Disposable problems
Despite successive governments bringing in laws to safeguard the environment pollution caused by improper disposal of plastic, polyethene, glass, and in the current scenario of disposable facemasks, people continue with the careless and selfish practice of dumping their waste into waterways, roadsides etc. This harms the environment, threatens birds and animals, and leads to the [...]