Laws to shift responsibility for packaging on to producers
Laws to shift responsibility for packaging on to producers View(s):By Nidarshani WickramasingheLaws will be introduced to make manufacturers take responsibility for polythene and plastic products, Environment Minister Dammika Patabendi told the Sunday Times. The Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) concept has already been included in the proposed amendments to the National Environment Act. Polythene even from the 1970s has been discovered embedded in the soil in Sri Pada now. Mr Jayakodi clarified that it is not possible now to impose fines on devotees for entering the Sri Pada region carrying polythene material. Visitors will not be allowed to throw food, beverages, medicines, or any other commodity with polythene or plastic packaging inside the environmentally sensitive zones.
Source:Sunday Times
January 04, 2026 03:35 UTC
Deminers prepare ground for livelihoods pushing through funding challenges
Deminers prepare ground for livelihoods pushing through funding challenges View(s):By Kevin de AlwisClearing Sri Lanka’s remaining landmines is not only dangerous it is expensive, time-consuming, and increasingly underfunded. Despite steady progress over the years, The HALO Trust now faces mounting financial and operational challenges that threaten efforts to clear all mines from Sri Lanka by 2028 under the Ottawa Convention. “It costs about US$4 (about Rs 1,239) to clear just one square metre of contaminated land,” explained Hugh Baker, Programme Manager for The HALO Trust in Sri Lanka. “Unlike many post-conflict countries, mines in Sri Lanka are not confined to open land,” said Farzana Badueland of The HALO Trust. “It is restoring dignity and opportunity.”A key strength of HALO’s Sri Lanka programme is its reliance on local deminers, many of whom come from mine-affected communities themselves.
Source:Sunday Times
January 04, 2026 03:34 UTC
SSC to officially become Sri Lanka’s fifth floodlit venue
SSC to officially become Sri Lanka’s fifth floodlit venue cricket View(s): View(s):The Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) could soon host pink-ball Test matches following the installation of floodlights at the country’s premier Test venue, according to Samantha Dodanwela, Chairman of the Cricket Committee of the century-old club. The SSC is currently being upgraded to host several ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 fixtures, with floodlights being installed at a cost of Rs. Many countries are talking about day-night cricket and I believe this will be the best venue in Sri Lanka to play day-night matches. He also thanked Sri Lanka Cricket for funding not only the floodlighting project but also the proposed construction of three-tier spectator stands between the SLC headquarters and the media box. The SSC will host the first World Cup match of the Sri Lanka leg on February 7, when Pakistan take on the Netherlands.
Source:Sunday Times
January 04, 2026 00:58 UTC
Trying times last year
Trying times last year View(s):Come sun or rain, Aldoris, the choon-paan karaya, will come down the lane on any January 1st of the year, hoping for some calendars and diaries from customers. “He is like a loose cannon,” he said,In tracing the key events that impacted on Sri Lanka, the first issue is also a Trump-related decision. AI – Artificial Intelligence – is the buzzword nowadays and many in Sri Lanka have embraced this technology. In December, Sri Lanka was floored by Cyclone Ditwah, the worst natural disaster since the December 2004 tsunami. Fresh estimates of the cost of rebuilding the country this year have been recorded at over US$ 4 billion, much of which Sri Lanka would have to rely on donors.
Source:Sunday Times
January 04, 2026 00:58 UTC
FM Herath stuck in Dhaka traffic, misses Khaleda’s funeral
FM Herath stuck in Dhaka traffic, misses Khaleda’s funeral View(s):Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath flew to Bangladesh on Wednesday (December 31) to attend the state funeral of former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia, who passed away at the age of 80. Despite being given a police escort from the airport, the motorcade carrying Minister Herath could make little headway in the face of huge crowds of mourners that had travelled from all over Bangladesh to pay their respects to the late premier. Minister Herath was not the only foreign dignitary who missed the state funeral after being stuck in traffic. In the end, Minister Herath and other foreign dignitaries met members of the Zia family privately and offered their condolences. He then met with Tarique Rahman, son of the late leader and chairperson of her Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).
Source:Sunday Times
January 03, 2026 22:41 UTC
An insider’s account from the corridors of power
An insider’s account from the corridors of power View(s):Thisuri Wanniarachchi won the State Literary Award for Best English Novel at just 16 with her first book ‘Colombo Streets’. Her new book ‘The Department of Chosen Ones’ is an eye-opening insider’s account of how power truly operates inside the Sri Lankan state set against Sri Lanka’s recent political upheavals. I was barely three months old when he was transferred out of Colombo to the war zone. I was too little to understand what war really meant, but I knew what fear felt like, especially when the phone rang. Working for him, going home didn’t feel like going home; it felt like I was constantly working, even when I wasn’t.
Source:Sunday Times
January 03, 2026 20:36 UTC
Disasters and devolution debacle
Disasters and devolution debacle View(s):As the 2024 elected JVP-NPP appeared to be settling in after a year in the seat of government, their ‘Rendezvous with Destiny’ to change the political landscape was sent into a tailspin in just 24 hours by a natural disaster: a cyclone turned out to be their tormentor, not the political opposition they were hounding all year long. Many councils under Opposition control were bereft of this support even for cyclone relief work. Either way, the end result is that many of the local councils are dysfunctional today. Is that what the Provincial Councils are going to produce in elections pledged for this year? Very little is discussed of the effectiveness of these councils, which merely drain public funds in salaries and expenses.
Source:Sunday Times
January 03, 2026 20:36 UTC
New Year starts with Ariyawansa’s movie
New Year starts with Ariyawansa’s movie View(s):‘Malaki Duwe Numba’By Susitha R. FernandoFollowing the successive release of several Sinhala films in 2025, some of which went on to become box-office hits, the New Year opens on a promising note with the release of Malaki Duwe Numba, directed by Kalpana Ariyawansa and Vindana Ariyawansa. Featuring the late queen of Sri Lankan cinema, Malini Fonseka, the film is a special juncture in Sri Lankan cinema as the cast included three generations of Fonseka family. Having screened at a number of international film festivals, “Premaya Nam” was nominated for Best Picture by a New Director, the Best New Director, and the Best New Screenwriter awards at the Beijing International Film Festival. The film was also nominated for Best First Film at the Cayman Islands International Film Festival and for the Best Feature Film at the Chicago South Asian Film Festival. Additionally the film represented Sri Lankan at several international film festivals in Shanghai, Goa, Kerala, London, Florida, and Chicago.
Source:Sunday Times
January 03, 2026 20:36 UTC
Army outclass Ragama with a day to spare
Army outclass Ragama with a day to spare cricket View(s): View(s):Army Sports Club registered a comprehensive innings and 199-run win over Ragama Cricket Club with a day to spare in their SLC Major Club Tier ‘B’ 3-day encounter concluded at the Army ground in Panagoda yesterday. The Army SC win came on the back of fine allround performances by Seekkuge Prasanna and Shehada Zoysa, who excelled in batting and bowling departments. Meanwhile SSC have put themselves in line to record their fifth successive outright win in as many matches when play ended on day two against Sebastianites at Reid Avenue. Sebastianites did better in the second innings before being bowled out for 226 runs, leaving SSC a simple target of 86 runs. They need another 80 runs when play gets underway on the final day today.
Source:Sunday Times
January 03, 2026 20:36 UTC
Government carefully drives data centres amid Ditwah
Government carefully drives data centres amid Ditwah By Duruthu Edirimuni Chandrasekera View(s): View(s):The government has initiated a systematic, technology-based approach to deploy data centres, opening opportunities for industry participation, but recent natural disasters have raised serious concerns over the feasibility and risks associated with establishing the much-anticipated data centre, a top official said. “After Cyclone Ditwah, the selection of land for the data centre must be examined very carefully. The data centre must be built on solid ground; otherwise, the location itself could become a major business risk,” he told the Sunday Times Business. “With the non-aligned political status in the country, we are looking at AI data centres as data embassies in the country for other countries to use. The period for Expression of Interest for the data centres has been extended, and the Board of Investment will do a detailed discussion on securing the land, he added.
Source:Sunday Times
January 03, 2026 20:36 UTC
The Palk Strait Imperative: Why Sri Lanka Must Rebuild the Bridge to India
The Palk Strait Imperative: Why Sri Lanka Must Rebuild the Bridge to IndiaOpinionBy Prof. Ravinda MeegamaFor millennia, the ocean has defined Sri Lanka’s destiny as an island nation. The Echoes of Rama SethuGeologically, Sri Lanka and India were one landmass until rising sea levels separated us around 5000 BC. By physically connecting to India, Sri Lanka can plug directly into this high-speed digital architecture. A physical land bridge between Sri Lanka and India would not merely move goods and tourists; it would unlock an entirely new cross-border sports economy, with Sri Lanka uniquely positioned to benefit. The author is a Senior Professor in Computer Science, Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Applied Sciences, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka.
Source:Sunday Times
January 03, 2026 19:46 UTC
Your Sunday Times highlights for this week
Your Sunday Times highlights for this weekNewsRead this week's Sunday Times for your interesting articlesAmong tomorrow's articles are:- CEB tariff hike proposal linked to Rs. For those who said the ‘maalimaawa’ chaps will have to abandon government and go home in 2025, giving specific dates as to when this would occur, this didn’t happen. Both the ‘maalimaawa’ chaps and the opposition try to convince us that they won the election. The ‘maalimaawa’ chaps did win a vast majority of the local councils on offer, so the opposition’s claim is simply not true. Mother Lanka, you have certainly got the government you deserve.
Source:Sunday Times
January 03, 2026 19:04 UTC
A disappointing year
A disappointing year View(s):My dear Mother Lanka,The year that just ended was one of ups and downs, one of great surprises, some notable achievements, but other equally significant disappointments. For those who wanted a Cabinet reshuffle, they did get one, but it didn’t amount to much which was disappointing. It is disappointing that they keep talking, losing votes for the ‘maalimaawa’ and not even Anura sahodaraya is able to stop them. As much as this gave us hope, the lack of a chief for auditing is equally disappointing. For those who wanted bigger changes and the main promises of the ‘maalimaawa’ manifesto being honoured, it was a disappointing year.
Source:Sunday Times
January 03, 2026 18:59 UTC
Light bill hike proposal linked to Rs. 11.5bn golden handshake
Light bill hike proposal linked to Rs. 11.5bn golden handshake View(s):By Kapila BandaraA ‘golden handshake’ worth Rs 11.554 billion for workers choosing voluntary early exit will be funded by raising electricity tariffs from January to March, the Ceylon Electricity Board has proposed to the regulator. It “has been converted to a 5-year loan’’ and instalments to March are Rs 874.23 million. The state electricity monopoly proposes to increase tariffs by an overall 11.57% to bridge an estimated Rs 13.094b financial deficit from January to March. Share This Post FacebookTwitterEmail × Send Email to FriendSend Please enter valid email WhatsappDeliciousDiggGoogleStumbleuponRedditTechnoratiYahooBloggerMyspaceRSS
Source:Sunday Times
January 03, 2026 18:59 UTC
Riding nowhere: Tuk-tuk parable of protectionism
Riding nowhere: Tuk-tuk parable of protectionism View(s):Sri Lanka’s tourism boom in 2025 ended not with fireworks, but with a tuk-tuk turmoil. Organised groups of local tuk-tuk drivers were reported to have harassed tourists and clashed with drivers attached to ride-hailing platforms like PickMe and Uber. Among the general public, these local tuk-tuk gangs have earned the notorious label of the “three-wheeler mafia”. This means that out of our 8.2 million employed labour force, about 15 per cent are tuk-tuk drivers! Parable of protectionismLocal tuk-tuk drivers charge high fares, secure only a few rides, and spend much of the day idle.
Source:Sunday Times
January 03, 2026 18:59 UTC