Apr 9 (FT) Witnessing rebound in Sri Lanka, the global technology giant Cisco is renewing its commitment to serve the growing customer base. “Sri Lanka is now very much on the rebound. There’s a sense of optimism and confidence in the country. It is great to be here and reinstate our commitment to SL,” Cisco India and SAARC President Daisy Chittilapilly told the Daily FT in an interview during her recent and first post-COVID visit to Colombo. more..

Apr 9 (Island) There is no gainsaying that we have to look for green energy to combat climate change. However, the world now seeks a just energy transition, meaning the development of energy sources that do not harm local communities and nature while doing justice for workers. Mannar, the location for the Adani wind power project, is undoubtedly a very sensitive location for different reasons. This island has been identified as highly vulnerable to climate change. more..

Apr 9 (ST) Trade unions have resorted to take legal action against the proposed labour law reforms. The 14 trade unions representing workers across various sectors at the National Labour Advisory Council (NLAC) are currently carrying out discussions on filing a case against the proposed labour law reforms initiated by Labour Minister Manusha Nanayakkara. FTZ and General Services trade union General Secretary Anton Marcus said that the labour law reforms have been drafted without engaging in more..

Apr 9 (FT) A.P. Moller – Maersk (Maersk) last week inaugurated its brand new warehouse at Wattala, spread over 100,000 sq. ft. Present at the inauguration were Maersk South Asia Managing Director Vikash Agarwal, Maersk Sri Lanka Head Biju Ravi, Aitken Spence PLC Deputy Chairman and Managing Director Dr. Parakrama Dissanayake and other leaders. This new facility is a testament to Maersk’s commitment to providing integrated supply chain solutions, offering a strategic advantage more..

Apr 9 (FT) Foreign and Comm-onwealth Development Office advice on Sri Lanka has been revised after a major campaign led by UK firm Experience Travel Group. In January 2024, Experience Travel Group (ETG) organised and led an open letter, published in The Independent. The signatories warned that FCDO’s official page on Sri Lanka “systematically undermines the travel industry,” and was supported by prominent UK parliamentarians, Sri Lankan travel providers, and celebrities including more..

Apr 9 (FT) Trade, Commerce and Food Safety Minister Nalin Fernando yesterday revealed measures are underway, including potential intervention by the Inland Revenue Department to investigate undue profits by traders underscore the Govt’s commitment to ensuring fair pricing and availability of essential commodities. Speaking to the journalists, the Minister reiterated efforts to curb profiteering by middlemen including issuing estimated price ranges and more..

Apr 9 (DN) SL women’s under 19 team led by Manudi Nanayakkara expected to make new plans to play their last ODI match of the Tri Nation Series against England today at Galle International cricket stadium, commencing from 10 am. Sri Lanka and England yet to win a single game at this ODI series while Australia under 19 team defeated both England and Sri Lanka to come on first. Australia beat Sri Lanka by 88 runs while Aussies recorded their second ODI win over England by 2 wickets more..

Apr 9 (DN) Ladies College crew emerged as the champions in the Women’s Junior Championship at the 39th SL National Rowing Championship. The event was organized by the Amateur Rowing Association of Sri Lanka and took place at the Diyawanna Rowing Centre in Battaramulla. Last year, Ladies College shared the championship title with Musaeus College and Bishop’s College. However, this year, they secured the title outright by winning six gold medals, two silver medals and four bronze medals, more..

Apr 9 (PMD) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe inaugurated the flyover spanning the railway line linking Kompagngna Veediya with Justice Akbar Mawatha and Uttarananda Mawatha, today (8). The rest of the construction work of this project is planned to be completed by the month of September, and the estimated amount for the entire project is Rs. 5,278,081,272.43. It has been observed that nearly 3 hours of time is wasted daily due to the railway crossing located in Kompagngna Veediya area, more..

Apr 9 (EN) Price of imported Chinese big onion has been reduced sharply than Indian one in SL markets with effect from Tuesday, in a move to provide some relief ahead of the festive season in the island nation battered by an unprecedented economic crisis. Many Sri Lankans have blamed the govt for expensive commodity prices in the country amid an unprecedented rise in the poverty level after the 2022 economic crisis. Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe govt has been in the process of reducing more..

Apr 9 (DM) NPP MP Harini Amarasuriya said that the NPP is ready to accept the invitation made by the Daily Mirror to host an open debate with the three main presidential candidates. NPP Leader was ready to accept the invitation and members attached to the NPP economic council have participated in a number of debates in the recent past where various details were highlighted. However, with the prez elections approaching, NPP proposed that the debate should include only prez candidates. more..

Apr 9 (FT) Huawei Sri Lanka announced that a team from the University of Moratuwa has successfully advanced to the Huawei ICT Competition 2023–2024 Global Finals and Regional Award Ceremony. This marks a historic moment as it is the first time a team from Sri Lanka will represent the country in the Huawei Asia Pacific finals of the competition. The University of Moratuwa team showcased exceptional skills and expertise in the Cloud Track of the Regional Huawei ICT Competition 2024, more..

Apr 9 (FT) The maritime landscape of Sri Lanka witnessed a momentous occasion on Wednesday, March 13, as the Chamber of Marine Industries of Sri Lanka convened its Annual General Meeting (AGM). This gathering marked a significant milestone in the nation’s maritime journey, uniting industry leaders, experts, and visionaries. Representing the state sector, the AGM was graced and addressed by SL Standards Institute (SLSI), Director General Dr. Siddhika Senaratne, Export Development Board (EDB), more..

Apr 9 (Island) President’s Counsel Manohara De Silva says the Human Rights Commission (HRC) has to inquire into alleged foreign interventions in SL, as they amount to failure on the part of the govt in power to safeguard the country’s national security. Pointing out that the Speaker had disclosed not only foreign interventions but also death threats to him, de Silva said that such a failure was tantamount to the govt’s inaction to perform its constitutional obligations, more..

Apr 9 (FT) A Maldivian national who is a friend of mine asked me to book train tickets from Kandy-Ella on 1 May 2024. I happily accepted the favour. I knew the times that tickets open and I always knew that this train was in heavy demand by foreigners. So, I knew I had to get in fast and buy the tickets fast. That was the plan. In reality it was a scam. I waited until the exact second it opened and clicked on the button. As expected, all the tickets of 2 trains opened, nearly 250 seats. more..

Apr 9 (Island) As another result of its worldwide promotional Tour, SL Tourism Promotion Bureau arranged three road shows in Australia post-pandemic. The inaugural event took place in Brisbane featuring the distinguished presence of Ms. Chitranganie Wagiswara, High Commissioner of SL to Australia, Sandith Samarasinghe, SL’s Consul General in Melbourne, and Chalaka Gajabahu, Chairman of SL Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB), accompanied by officials from SL Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB), more..

Apr 9 (CT) President Joe Biden has nominated Elizabeth K. Horst as the next US Ambassador to Sri Lanka. The nomination has been sent to the Senate, the US State Department noted on their official website. Elizabeth K. Horst, a distinguished member of the Senior Foreign Service holding the rank of Minister-Counsellor, currently serves as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary responsible for Pakistan and Public Diplomacy in the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs. more..

Apr 9 (CT) Several online money lending companies have filed cases, under the Online Safety Act, before Attanagalla District Judge Kesara Samaradivakara, seeking compensation totalling Rs 4.25 billion from three individuals for allegedly defaming financial institutions through malicious and inaccurate statements on social media. The complainant companies, affiliated to the Digital Alternative Lending Association (DALA), named the defendants as Chaturanga Lakshman residing in Veyangoda, more..

Apr 9 (TM) The Parliamentary Sectoral Oversight Committee (SOC) on National Security does not intend to summon before it the former President and incumbent Opposition Parliamentarian Maithripala Sirisena over the latter's recent statement regarding the terror attacks on Easter Sunday, 21 April 2019. Sirisena, who was the President and the Defence Minister at the time of the incident, recently claimed that he knew the 'real masterminds' of the terror attacks. more..

Apr 9 (TM) The JVP led NPP of the Parliamentary Opposition stated that its future Govt will not suspend any subsidies given to the people, but will streamline the process of strengthening the livelihoods of underprivileged social groups. JVP and NPP Leader and Opposition MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake said that there should be a social safety programme to protect the underprivileged social groups and to uplift their livelihoods while supporting them to get out of poverty. more..

Apr 9 (TM) Association of Licensed Foreign Employment Agencies (ALFEA) has urged Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe to convince several European countries to establish their diplomatic missions in SL, claiming that the lack of such has caused great hardships to Sri Lankans who seek jobs in such countries, and to employment agencies. ALFEA Secretary Mohamed Farook Arshad said that there are many job opportunities in European countries such as Malta, Romania, Poland, Slovakia, Lithuania, Serbia and Albania, but more..

Apr 9 (DN) Reports have been received about the death of three patients at the Colombo National Hospital after being administered with the substandard human immunoglobulin injections, Nalinda Indatissa PC who appeared in Court on behalf of the aggrieved party, informed Maligakanda Magistrate Lochani Abeywickrama yesterday. The President’s Counsel, who represented the aggrieved party in this case, an organisation called the Citizen’s Power against Bribery, Corruption more..

Apr 9 (FT) Both leaders, Sajith Premadasa (SP) of SJB and Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD) of the JVP/NPP have said a few days ago they are willing to debate their economic programs on TV. Yet for now, neither they nor their parties are getting into the logistics of holding such debate in weeks to come. About a month and a half ago Harsha de Silva of SJB invited Sunil Handunneththi the shadow finance minister of the JVP/NPP for a debate on their economic program on TV, but more..

Apr 9 (FT) Even as long ago as the Greek and Roman eras, playwrights have been engaging with the idea of tragicomedy, the dramatic coexistence of the two opposite elements in the human condition. “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players” suggested the Bard; characters are inter-changeable, the dramatists introduced men as gods, slaves as masters, a trivialising portrait exemplifying the inherence of the two elements in the one moment, tragedy and comedy. more..

Apr 9 (FT) Cargills Bank has released its Annual Report for 2023, highlighting a robust growth in Profit before Tax driven by a 30% increase in total assets during the year. Bank posted a Profit before Tax of Rs. 730 million for the year, vs. Rs. 206 million in the corresponding period. Total Operating Income grew 14% YoY to Rs. 4,875 million, driven mainly by a 39% growth in Net Fees and Other Income to Rs. 1,494 million. Net Interest Margins contracted slightly during the year to 5.61%, more..

Apr 9 (EN) Treasury has released 107 billion rupees to state workers for April salaries including an increment, State Minister for Finance Ranjith Siyambalapitiya said. The monthly salary bill is about 93 billion rupees, but it has gone up by about 13 billion rupees due to the 10,000 rupee allowance, he said. Usually the monthly salaries are paid starting from the 16 and 17. First teachers are paid, then the military the next day, followed by provincial councils, he said. more..

Apr 9 (AD) Cabinet has granted approval for the admission of local students for the MBBS medical degree programme at General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University (KDU) starting from this year. The admissions will be carried out on payment basis and based on ‘Z’ score at G.C.E. A/L and other specified qualifications. KDU was declared a University by the General Sir John Kotalawala State Defense Training Institute (Amd) Act more..

Apr 9 (DM) The Cabinet has given the green light to an increase in candidate deposits for Prez Election. According to the newly sanctioned regulations, candidates representing recognized political parties will now be required to deposit Rs. 2.6 million, marking a substantial rise from the previous amount. Similarly, independent candidates must place a deposit of Rs. 3.1 million to vie for the presidential seat. The proposal to amend the pertinent regulations was jointly presented by more..

Apr 9 (CT) Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) yesterday agreed before Colombo High Court Judge Damith Thotawatta to provide some of the requested facilities for drug peddler Nadun Chinthaka alias Harak Kata who is detained in the Tangalle Old Prison. Sajith Bandara, Senior State Counsel representing the Attorney General, informed the Court of this decision during the consideration of a motion submitted by Nadun Chinthaka. Sampath Mendis PC, representing the accused, more..

Apr 9 (DM) For a long time, accusations have been made against Minister Prasanna Ranatunga, alleging that he forcibly acquired a plot of state-owned land in the Thalawathugoda area and also conducted reclamation and development activities there. The Minister’s daughter resides in a house on a land adjacent to Perera Mawatha in Thalawathugoda where the Minister’s house is located. more..

Apr 9 (EN) Employees of Dept of Posts, who usually protest on various demand, have agreed to work on April 12 holiday to prevent reputational damage on their service amid a higher number of parcel to be delivered, State Media Minister said. SL has received a record number of foreign parcels this year including gifts for the festive reasons from Sri Lankan expatriates to their relatives. “So it is the responsibility of the Department of Posts to deliver these parcels on time,” more..

Apr 9 (AD) The Court of Appeals has set a date to deliver its decision on whether or not to take up the writ application seeking to quash the remand order on former Minister Keheliya Rambukwella issued by the Maligakanda Magistrate. Accordingly, the court ordered that the decision will be communicated on April 30, 2024. The former Minister filed the relevant petition seeking to invalidate the order issued by Maligakanda Magistrate’s Court under the Public Property Act to remand him until more..

Apr 9 (DM) Minister Pavithradevi Wanniarachchi has directed the authorities concerned to promptly address the spread of the invasive plant species Koenigia Mollis in the tropical rainforest surrounding the Sri Pada (Adam's Peak) mountain range. She instructed officials to implement measures focused on biodiversity conservation and to employ scientific and technical methods for the removal of the invasive plant. The invasive plant has been found to have spread along the roads more..

Apr 9 (CT) Over 370 vocational training institutes, whose registrations expired from 2017, have not renewed their registrations and are operating without approval from the Tertiary and Vocational Education Commission (TVEC), rendering the certificates obtained from them invalid for the students. Additionally, 371 organisations, whose registrations lapsed from 2017 to 2022, have applied for renewal, but the necessary approvals haven’t been granted by the commission. more..

Apr 9 (AJ) Fifty years after India and Sri Lanka settled a long-simmering dispute over a tiny island, Indian PM Narendra Modi has accused a former govt of the now-in-opposition Congress Party of gifting Indian territory to its southern neighbour. The allegation by Modi and his ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on the eve of national elections has sparked a heated debate in India over a key diplomatic relationship. more..