Apr 23 (Island) SJB spokesperson Mujibur Rahman alleged that attempts were being made to hide the identities of persons whom two Easter Sunday suicide bombers–– ringleader Zahran Hashim and his accomplice Ilham Ahamed, who blasted themselves at the Shangri-La Colombo on the morning of April 21, 2019––had met in the same hotel the previous day. Former Colombo District UNP MP said that the 2 suicide bombers more..

Apr 23 (Island) Dissident SLPP MP Prof. G.L. Peiris alleged that the Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa govt was pressing for the privatisation of key state ventures ahead of the upcoming prez election. In terms of the Constitution, the EC is empowered to make the relevant announcement on or after July 17. The former External Affairs Minister, now aligned with the SJB, said the Prez Wickremesinghe-led administration was bent on implementing a controversial privatisation project, more..

Apr 23 (EN) The establishment of Ramayana trial which includes a land bridge between Sri Lanka and India will be a game changer for the island nation’s tourism industry, Indian High Commissioner for Colombo Santosh Jha said. Sri Lanka has seen a spike in tourist arrivals from India in its recovery from an unprecedented economic crisis. The island nation has renewed efforts to establish of Ramayana Trails, which includes all the places believed to be associated with Ramayana. more..

Apr 23 (TM) The two drivers of the racing cars involved in the deadly accident at the Fox Hill Supercross race in Diyatalawa on 21 April, who were arrested while undergoing treatment in hospital, have been remanded until 30 April. This order has been issued by the Bandarawela Magistrate’s Court. The two drivers of the racing cars involved in the accident at the Fox Hill Supercross in Diyatalawa on 21 April were arrested more..

Apr 23 (AD) President of Iran Dr. Ebrahim Raisi is scheduled to make an official bilateral visit to Sri Lanka at the invitation of Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe to jointly declare open the Uma Oya Multipurpose Development Project on 24 April. The Uma Oya Multipurpose Development Project, funded by SL and Iran, is designed to generate and add 120 Megawatt electricity to national grid and provide irrigation to approximately 25,000 acres of paddy lands in the south eastern part of SL. more..

Apr 23 (AD) The overall rate of inflation as measured by the National Consumer Price Index (NCPI) on Year-on-Year basis has been decreased to 2.5% in March 2024, compared to 5.1% in Feb 2024. Meanwhile, the contributions to the inflation rate of March 2024 from the food group and non-food group are 2.1% and 0.4% respectively. On a monthly basis, the Year-on-Year inflation of the food group remained unchanged in March 2024 at 5.0% which was reported in Feb 2024 and more..

Apr 23 (DM) NPP has officially notified the SJB that they are prepared to hold the proposed debate between NPP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake and SJB leader Sajith Premadasa on one of the following days: May 7, 9, 13, or 14. In a letter sent by NPP executive member Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa, to SJB General Secretary Ranjith Madduma bandara yesterday afternoon, it was emphasized that without a set date for the debate, misunderstandings may arise among the public. more..

Apr 23 (FT) In a detailed critique of the recently gazetted SL Electricity Bill dated 17 April 2024, SLPP MP Dr. Charitha Herath has highlighted several critical observations and concerns. Dr. Herath commended the efforts made to enhance the Bill compared to previous drafts, acknowledging the considerable refinement and comprehensive nature of the latest version. However, he also identified fundamental issues within the draft, noting the need for further scrutiny and discussion. more..

Apr 23 (TM) The Election Commission (EC) stated that if the crisis situation within the SLFP continues, there may be a problematic situation in issuing nominations for SLFP members in the upcoming Elections. With an interim injunction being issued by the Colombo District Court (DC) preventing former President and incumbent Opposition MP Maithripala Sirisena from functioning as the Party Chairperson, more..

Apr 23 (ST) While the rest of the world is on edge over fears of World War III, the diplomatic community in SL put differences between their respective governments aside to come together to celebrate the Sinhala and Tamil New Year. The New Year celebrations were organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and held at the Police Park Grounds in Colombo. The diplomats played Avurudu games including elle, while others could not let go of their love of cricket. more..

Apr 23 (EN) Indian Tobacco Company (ITC) will launch its Sri Lankan property this week, an official said, a decade after the start of the construction in the land it owns next to China’s high end Shangri-La Hotel. This waterfront luxury development will include Colombo’s tallest residential tower with 48 stories, connected by a dual sky bridge to a 29-story hotel. Named as ITC Ratnadipa, is a subsidiary of ITC Limited and the proprietor is locally incorporated WelcomHotels Lanka Pvt. Ltd. more..

Apr 23 (AD) The organisers of the Fox Hill Super Cross 2024 motorsport racing event claim that they had assured the safety of the spectators at the event and that yesterday’s tragic accident was caused by the carelessness of the spectators themselves. Speaking during a press conference, regarding the horror crash which resulted the death of 07 individuals and left 23 others injured during a racing event, the organisers of the event said that safe areas which are elevated from the tracks more..

Apr 23 (DM) Some MPs from both SJB and the ruling SLPP have reportedly brokered liquor licences from the govt for their cronies for hefty commissions involved. The matter came to light after the religious leaders of some districts like Kandy inquired about the purported plans to set up liquor shops and those who helped securing licenses. In one instance, the prospective businessmen have cited the names of a few SJB MPs who helped them in getting licences. In one instance, the prospective more..

Apr 23 (EN) Sri Lanka’s revenue collecting bodies have outperformed and exceeded tax revenue target by 6% for the first quarter ended on March 31, State Revenue Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya said. “After many years of difficult challenges, it has been possible to exceed the expected state revenue in the first quarter of 2024,” he said in a statement. The govt expects a revenue collection of 4,106 billion rupees in 2024. more..

Apr 23 (FT) SL’s LGBTQ champion Rosanna Flamer-Caldera has been listed among the popular TIME magazine’s The 100 Most Influential People of 2024. Time 100 is a list of the top 100 most influential people in the world, assembled by the American news magazine Time. First published in 1999 as the result of a debate among American academics, politicians, and journalists, the list is now a highly publicised annual event. The list, the 101st yr, is published in 23Apr2024 issue of TIME. more..

Apr 23 (FT) State Minister of Finance Ranjith Siyam-balapitiya announced yesterday that the Govt has surpassed its expected revenue in the first quarter of 2024, marking a significant achievement after years of economic challenges. “During the first quarter of the year, the SL Customs, Excise and Inland Revenue Departments, which serve as the three key State revenue collectors, have amassed Rs. 834 billion, exceeding the expected revenue target of Rs. 787 billion by 6%, he said. more..

Apr 23 (FT) Malaysia’s multinational budget carrier Air Asia, diversified blue chip Hayleys Plc and Fits Air are among six parties vying for SriLankan Airlines. These three and an equal number were announced as parties qualified to bid for the national carrier after Request for Qualification (RfQ) closed yesterday. The other three are Dharshaan Elite Investment Holding, Sherisha Technologies, Treasure Republic Guardians. more..

Apr 23 (CT) Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, Asian Football Confederation (AFC) President, has hailed the commitment of the Football Federation of SL (FFSL) towards lifting the standards of the game. Shaikh Salman, who held fruitful discussions with FFSL President Jaswar Umar during his visit to Colombo, praised the recent initiatives undertaken by FFSL, and also noted the progress of the Men’s National Team, AFC said on its website. Earlier this February, President Jaswar unveiled more..

Apr 23 (FT) SLASSCOM People Summit 2024, organised by the SLASSCOM HR Forum at Waters Edge on 13 March, brought together industry leaders, experts, and practitioners to discuss current workplace challenges. Speakers from various sectors shared emerging trends and innovative HR strategies, inspiring attendees to drive positive organisational change through interactive discussions and insightful sessions. The summit began with the CXO Breakfast and more..

Apr 23 (DN) Afghanistan ‘A’ cricket team will arrive today to take part in the five one day games and a four day game against SL ‘A’ cricket team. The one day games will be played at Hambantota on April 28, 30 and May 3, 5 and 7as day games while the only four day game will be played at the P. Sara Oval Stadium from May 11 to 14. Meanwhile, the National Selection committee headed by Upul Tharanga already named SL ‘A’ squad but it has to be approved by the Sports Minister. more..

Apr 23 (Island) Old habits are said to die hard. Although the leaders of the incumbent dispensation promised to heed the resentful youth’s strident call for a system change, in 2022, and mend their ways, they have, true to form, reneged on their pledge and shown signs of a relapse into the previous mode of behaviour, if the manner in which they are conducting their election campaigns is anything to go by. SL politicians, like their Indian counterparts, have earned notoriety for more..

Apr 23 (ST) Scores of govt websites are missing vital Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certification—a basic component of cybersecurity that ensures a safe connection—thereby putting users’ sensitive data at risk. In an independent analysis of 130 official websites, it was detected that at least 35 of them (around 27%) lack valid SSL certification. SSL’s encrypt data ensures that users’ information is secure when travelling from their browser more..

Apr 23 (Island) On April 21, the country passed the fifth year anniversary of the Easter Sunday bombing that took the lives of about 300 persons and injured and maimed many more. The bombers targeted Catholic and Christian churches on Easter Day, sacred to Christians, which were filled with devotees at the time of the attacks. The bombers had emerged out of the blue as it were, there were questions whether SL had become a site of a global battle and uncertainty that others might strike more..

Apr 23 (Island) SL will rely on their juniors to emulate the success of their senior relay team when the track and field governing body fields a 17-member team inclusive of four relay teams for the Asian Junior Athletics Championship which commences in Dubai on Wednesday. Team captained by Ananda College sprinter Merone Wijesinghe and Nannapurawa MV jumper Madushani Herath left for Dubai yesterday. Currently SL is ranked 16thin the Road to Olympics rankings in the men’s 4×400 metres relay. more..

Apr 23 (CT) Plastic is most probably the most talked-about topic in the last decade not because of environmental concerns but due to mass production which is causing havoc in the world. Since commercial introduction in the late 1950s, more than 6.5 billion metric tons of plastic has gone to waste. At the inception, only two million tons were produced annually but by the late 1990s it has reached an alarming 450 million tons per annum. The issue isn’t the amount produced but how much of more..

Apr 23 (CT) After five years of constant appeals to politicians and persons in authority for intervention in uncovering the truth behind the 21 April 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks the Catholic Church of SL has taken a decision to place its faith in Justice from above. “We believe that no matter how much we raised our voices and repeatedly requested an open, free and transparent investigation has not taken place till now,” Head of Catholic Church Archbishop of Colombo, Cardinal Ranjith lamented. more..

Apr 23 (CT) Sri Lanka faces a troubling new development of a war racket, where retired soldiers and those who deserted are fighting for Russia against Ukraine as mercenaries, which the SL Govt has not endorsed. Already, a retired Major has been arrested for allegedly recruiting ex-soldiers as mercenaries for Russia, which the Russian Embassy in Colombo vehemently denies. Local media in SL continue to report on concerns surrounding more..

Apr 23 (CT) It has become almost routine to hear how State institutions waste State funds to run their departments and serve the interests of officials. Whether the mismanagement is intentional or not, millions, if not billions in State funds have been wasted across several scenarios. These include purchasing expensive equipment only to be shelved for decades, paying officials long after they have left their posts, overpaying employees, on numerous occasions, for jobs that they are more..

Apr 23 (DM) Palitha Thewarapperuma, a controversial politician from the Kalutara district met a tragic death last week. His popularity was reflected in the huge crowd that gathered, including thousands of Muslim men and women from many parts of the district. He had been famous for what many described to be stunts or antiques, but he always represented the sensitivities of the ordinary people, except for one or two incidents. In Dec 2013, when the authorities decided to close more..

Apr 23 (TM) On 21 April 2019, SL faced one of its darkest days when an Islamist extremist group named the National Thowheeth Jama’ath (NTJ) orchestrated a series of coordinated bombings, targeting churches and hotels on Easter Sunday. Five years have passed since that fateful day, but the wounds inflicted on the nation’s psyche and the lives of countless individuals are still raw. The attacks, which claimed the lives of more..

Apr 23 (CT) As Sri Lanka prepares for both Prez and General elections, the political scene is filled with anticipation and speculation. With three leading presidential candidates already announced and the SLPP, or Pohottuwa, yet to name theirs, the stage is set for a compelling contest. The known presidential candidates are Sajith Premadasa of the SJB, Anura Kumara Dissanayake of the NPP, and Ranil Wickremesinghe of the UNP (TBA?). The potential SLPP candidates range from more..

Apr 23 (TM) 7 people were killed last Sunday and 21 injured after a race car ploughed into spectators at a motorsport event at the Fox Hill Supercross race in Diyatalawa. This is not the first time deaths have occurred in motor sports. It may be, however, the largest single loss of spectators in a SL motor sport event, to-date. The deaths, and the manner in which the tragedy took place, has raised many questions about the event organising and the safety measures which were taken or not taken. more..