Apr 23 (ST) The 104th Hill Capital Battle of the Blues between Trinity College and St. Anthony’s College ended in a draw, after rain consumed a major portion of the game at Katugastota yesterday. However, the John Halangoda Trophy went to Trinity, who dominated St. Anthony’s by curling them for 110 runs in the first innings and posting 221 runs in reply. After the home team who were shot out for a low 110 and Trinity continued from their overnight total of 86 for no loss. more..

Apr 23 (ST) SL’s labour laws are about to change and authorities are to open up the space for public debate in June this year. Labour Ministry Secretary Ananda Wimalaweera said that the labour laws in the country today are outdated. As a result authorities opine that without having a number of separate legislations they would want it all to be unified. The Secretary pointed out that at present there are different legislations for varied services and the aim is to unify these. more..

Apr 23 (ST) Sri Lanka’s urbanisation has increased to 45% from 18.5% in 2012 in the past 10 years with rapid population growth and a hike in migration of people from rural areas. According to a new survey conducted by the National Physical Planning Dept in SL, urbanisation in SL has increased to 45% in 2022. Director General of the Department Gamini Hewage said that urbanisation remained at an average of 18.5 -18.8 from 2012 to 2021 and it increased to 45% in 2022. more..

Apr 23 (TM) The CEB is pushing all dispatchable thermal and oil power plants in its inventory that are in operation to meet the surge in power demand due to the prevailing hot weather conditions in Sri Lanka, CEB Spokesman Dhammika Navaratne said. This, as Minister Kanchana Wijesekera said on Thursday (20) that the daily demand for electricity may exceed 50 GWh, with a peak of 49.53 GWh recorded on Wednesday. more..

Apr 23 (DM) Catholic Church is not involved in insulting Buddhist monks and other members of clergy and will not associate with people who insult them, Archbishop of Colombo Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith said yesterday. We don’t condone insulting the clergy particularly Buddhist monks. Some say Catholics are behind the repeated insulting of monks over social media but I would like to say that the church is not behind such campaigns,” Cardinal Ranjith said speaking during a ceremony more..

Apr 23 (AD) Five persons were found hacked to death in a house in the Delft area in Jaffna this morning. Accordingly, three females and two males were found brutally hacked to death, while another female was admitted to the Jaffna Hospital after sustaining serious cut injuries. Police Spokesman SSP Nihal Thalduwa stated that while no arrests have been made thus far, investigations into the homicide are underway. He also noted that a motive for the murder remains unclear. more..

Apr 23 (EN) SL’s plans to decriminalize homosexuality to prevent discrimination against the LBGTQ community should not lead to a weakening of child abuse laws which already have some loopholes, activists have warned. Sections 365 states that whosoever voluntarily has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or child, is guilty of an offence. Section 365 A states that any person who, in public or private, commits, more..

Apr 23 (SO) Netball Federation has come up with suitable players as captain and vice captain of the SL team as they prepare to take part in the World Cup to be held in Cape Town, South Africa from July 28 to Aug 6. SL, drawn in Group C are scheduled to compete against Jamaica on July 28, hosts SA on July 29 and Wales on July 30. Gayanjali Amarawansa and Dulangi Wannithilake are the two names recommended and sent to the National Sports Selection Committee and Ministry of more..

Apr 23 (TM) Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Aviation, responding to the recent criticism against its decision to rescind the Shipping Agents, Freight Forwarders, Non-Vessel Operating Common Carriers and Container Operators Regulations 2017, claimed that the decision was made pursuant to a recent Supreme Court judgement. Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Aviation Secretary K.D.S. Ruwanchandra stated that the ministry’s hands were tied and that it had no option but more..

Apr 23 (SO) Ireland’ s spin bowling coach Nathan Hauritz threw a challenge to SL saying that it would be a different story if his team could bowl second in the second and final cricket Test starting at the Galle stadium on Monday. Ireland bowled first in the first Test after losing the toss and conceded a total 591 to SL only to lose by making totals of 143 and 168 in both innings. “If we get the opportunity to bat first and put a good score on the board I’ll back our spinners to create problems more..

Apr 23 (AD) A 10-year-old child was reported dead this morning (22) after running alongside a marathon in the Palagala area in Kudahettawa, Galkiriyagama. The child had collapsed on the road while running in support of his brother, who was participating in the marathon held as part of a Sinhala and Tamil New Year festival in the area. He was immediately admitted to the Kalawewa Hospital, but succumbed to his injuries when he was later transferred to the A'pura General Hospital for further treatment. more..

Apr 23 (TM) SL Govt is unlikely to receive any payment for the proposed export of 100,000 toque macaque monkeys to China. Earlier this month, reports of the Govt considering a proposal by a Chinese entity to export 100,000 toque macaques to China drew widespread condemnation and criticism from conservationists and political parties alike. However, the Govt maintains that no agreement has been made more..

Apr 23 (AD) The youth, who was arrested for giving an anonymous false tip-off to the police about a possible bomb threat to Akurana area recently, was remanded until May 04. The 21-year-old was produced before the Hulftsdorp Police earlier today (22). On April 19, he had called the 118 online emergency complaint system and falsely claimed that there was an impending bomb attack on mosques in Akurana during Muslim devotees’ prayers in the holy month of Ramadan. more..

Apr 23 (EN) SL’s manufacturing activity saw a recovery in March 2023 ahead of a traditional New Year in April along with most services but wholesale and retail trade was down, according to a Purchasing Managers’ Index. Employment continued to fall with attrition and people moving abroad according to the survey of purchasing managers conducted by the central bank. SL is suffering the worst currency crisis in the history of the islands intermediate regime CB which printed more..

Apr 23 (ST) Power and Energy Ministry has withdrawn its own Cabinet paper on revised feed-in tariffs for renewable energy after deciding it was too complicated, authoritative sources said. Despite the Govt’s pledge to generate 70% of Sri Lanka’s electricity through renewable sources by 2030, new projects are blocked by the continued failure to introduce a viable tariff Federation of Renewable Energy Developers Vice President Manjula Perera said. more..

Apr 23 (AD) Representatives of Tri-forces were summoned before the Human Rights Commission of SL (HRCSL) yesterday (21), in relation to the investigations being conducted into the torching of President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s private residence on 09 July 2022. While both, representatives of the Navy and Air force presented facts in this regard before HRCSL yesterday, SL Amry failed to do so. However, HRCSL noted that SL Army had requested for a later date to present these facts. more..

Apr 23 (ST) In cities where there is a heavy concentration of buildings and other surfaces such as roads and pavements which absorb and re-emit the sun’s heat, people are being asked to be extra vigilant about heat-related illnesses such as respiratory difficulties, and heat exhaustion. Such pockets arising in dense cities are called the urban heat islands effect. Dense urban areas experience higher temperatures day and night more..

Apr 23 (ST) Finance Ministry has instructed all ministries, provincial councils, departments, district secretariats, State corporations, statutory boards and State-owned enterprises to immediately implement the long overdue electronic Govt procurement (e-GP) system, in keeping with an IMF requirement to improve transparency. Procurement notices relating to all methods and categories with an estimated value of more than Rs 300mn are now to be published in e-GP portal from May 1. more..

Apr 23 (TM) The SLPP, yesterday appointed a new Chairman during an Executive Committee meeting, which was not attended by its former Chairman Prof. G.L. Peiris. During the committee meeting, which was held under the leadership of the Party Leader, former Prez Mahinda Rajapaksa, Ven. Prof. Uthurawala Dhammarathana Thera was appointed as the new Chairman of the SLPP. SLPP General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam said that the party had invited former Chairman Prof. G.L. Peiris more..

Apr 23 (DM) The highly controversial Antiterrorism Bill is subject to amendments and changes in Parliament and as such no one should have any fear or feeling of threat from the proposed Bill, Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe said. The govt is aware of concerns raised by the global and local community on certain provisions contained in the draft of Anti-terrorism Bill and the Govt is ready to alleviate them by discussion, compromise more..

Apr 24 (ST) Two years after SL’s former AG claimed on the eve of his retirement, that the savage attacks on churches and hotels by homegrown jihadists in April 2019 discloses a grand conspiracy, the country’s Minister of Justice has issued a flurry of directions to state agencies to summon the former chief state law officer for questioning. If we are to be polite in our profound puzzlement, the why and the wherefore of this sudden Ministerial activation is a mystery of and by itself. more..

Apr 24 (ST) If you want an ideal specimen that typifies incompetent, lackadaisical, ignorant and reckless ministerial behaviour, one of those Mahadanamuttha types, who, without a thorough grasp of the subject, and without a holistic vision and approach, comes up with instant quick fire solutions to the country’s problems, look no further than SLPP Minister Mahinda Amaraweera, the man in charge of the nation’s most important economic sector: Agriculture. more..

Apr 24 (TM) Just call 1990 – that is the number etched as a lifesaver for Sri Lankans anywhere in the country. The Suwa Seriya ambulance service has been lauded for being the most efficient Govt service in the business of saving human lives. It was established by the 1990 Suwaseriya Foundation Act, No. 18 of 2018. However, the requirement for the upkeep of the service is Rs. 3.9 billion annually, which, unfortunately, more..

Apr 24 (CT) Temasek Holdings Ltd, or simply Temasek, is a Singaporean state holding company 100% owned by the Govt of Singapore. Incorporated on 25 June 1974, its net portfolio is US$287 billion as of end 2022 with US$61 billion invested during that year. It owns all the assets it manages, issues international bonds and is credit rated. Another interesting feature is the relationship between Temasek, the Singapore govt and China. Singapore is becoming an important link in China’s more..

Apr 24 (CT) Sri Pada Vandana Pooja Committee, which convened recently, has taken a decision, owing to multiple concerns, to curtail the off-season Sri Pada trekking. For those who normally follow the pilgrimage flow and think about trekking Sri Pada only during its well-known pilgrimage season, which is from Unduwap Poya till Vesak Poya (from Dec to May), the recent decision might be of little significance but for other groups who are interested in Sri Pada for reasons other than more..

Apr 24 (GV) In Sl terror means Tamil or Muslim. When the J.R. Jayewardene govt responded to the ethnic problem not with the promised political reforms but with repression and the PTA was born, the concept of terror (and its prevention) invoked an image. Not of the Tiger chief, for his face was yet to be seared into the collective memory of the Sinhala South, but of the Tamil. Every Tamil symbolised terror, from politician defending more..

Apr 24 (TM) This week, SL policy makers will vote on the much-talked about agreement with the IMF. There will undoubtedly be debates surrounding the austerity measures and reforms the agreement proposes. However, the Govt appears to have taken an uncompromising stance to go ahead with all terms and conditions of the agreement, while the Parliamentary Opposition remains sceptical and critical about a range of socio-economic changes & challenges that result from the agreement. more..

Apr 24 (Island) The Land of Cockaigne, the English translation of a 13th Century French poem, tells us about an imaginary land of plenty, where houses are made of cake and other such delicious food items; rivers of milk are flowing and everything is available free of charge. But on reading recent news items in the local media, one wonders whether Cockaigne is real and found on a manmade eyot in the Diyawanna Lake. Sri Lanka is facing the worst-ever economic crisis, more..

Apr 24 (Island) The families of the victims still weep and mourn, their hurt spilling over in painful tears. They express their disappointment at the lack of progress on the investigation into the Easter Bombings of 2019. Justice for the victims has proved to be oddly elusive since the 21st of April that year. four years on, the authorities seem to be still staring at a blank wall, unable to connect the dots and follow the trail of evidence in the public domain and those collected at various commissions more..

Apr 24 (FT) President Ranil Wickremesinghe is taking a strong stance on corruption. That’s good news. Everyone knows that corruption is a big problem. The man who eliminates corruption will be a hero. That slot is still open as none of our political leaders have made the slightest dent in the amount of corruption that prevails in our society. We are not short of politicians who scream and shout about eliminating corruption. They are what I call tin rattlers. more..

Apr 24 (FT) The Dec 2022 quarter earnings of listed companies suffered their first decline since 2020 by 44% to Rs. 96.4 billion. The results were for 281 listed companies and First Capital said the dip was owing to sluggish performance primarily in the Capital Goods (-82.6%YoY to Rs. 5 billion), Transportation (-87%YoY to Rs. 3 billion), Telecommunications (-226.8%YoY to a loss of Rs. 9.6 billion) more..

Apr 24 (CI) Aside from a brief period at the end of day one, when Sri Lanka lost three top-order wickets for 28 runs, and a couple of half-century stands in their own innings, Ireland were outplayed in pretty much every passage of play you could bring to mind in the first innings of the first Test. It happens. Ireland are playing their first ever two-Test series, and were thrust into a furnace. Not only do they have to play in April, when the air is extraordinarily sticky, but the surface at Galle is also perhaps as more..

Apr 24 (CI) In the first Test, Ireland's spinners managed three wickets in 85.3 overs. By comparison, SL's spinners claimed 15 wickets in 85.4 overs. This was the biggest difference between the sides, and it is this chasm that Ireland's spin-bowling coach Nathan Hauritz is charged with closing, ahead of the second Test. Being more consistent with tighter lines and fuller lengths was one route to improvement, Hauritz said. But so was winning the toss and bowling in friendlier more..

Apr 24 (ST) Sri Lanka wants to verify details of a Chinese animal breeding company which had sought to obtain 100,000 toque macaques reportedly for zoos in China. The Chinese Embassy in SL has been asked to provide complete details of the company, the secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, Gunadasa Samarasinghe said. Environmentalists have severely criticised the unsolicited proposal for endemic monkeys of SL. more..

Apr 24 (AD) Three prison officials, who were in charge of 3 teen murder accused detained at the child detention centre in Makola, have been suspended. Prisons media spokesperson Chandana Ekanayake said statements were obtained from the three officials in question pertaining to a video received by the prisons intelligence unit. Thereby, the service of the three prison officials was suspended, pending disciplinary action. Three prison officials were in charge of three 16-year-olds more..

Apr 24 (FT) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe on Friday declared plans to make SL the region’s air and sea hub. Addressing the 30 year development plan of the Colombo North Port workshop, the Prez highlighted the adjustments to be made in making SL the hub of the Indian Ocean when the whole logistics and transportation in the region changes with the Chinese involvement in the East to West Railways in the African nation. He emphasised that Govt’s intention is to make SL an air and sea hub more..