Apr 19 (AD) The Election Commission says it has no legal authorization to intervene to resolve the internal rifts of the SLFP. Members of the election body convened a meeting on Thursday to study the documents submitted by the factions within the SLFP with regard to the recent changes made to the party positions. When the SLFP’s politburo met on 08 April under the patronage of former Prez Chandrika Kumaratunga, the party’s incumbent Vice Chairman MP Nimal Siripala de Silva more..

Apr 19 (CP) The 19-year-old SL national charged in the mass killing of a newcomer family in Ottawa has no plan to seek bail, his lawyer says. Febrio De-Zoysa was arrested and charged in early March with six counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder, after police found the family dead in a townhouse in the suburb of Barrhaven. He remains in custody & his lawyer said “there is presently no plan to apply for bail.” more..

Apr 19 (DM) In light of the adverse weather conditions at the Dubai International Airport, SriLankan Airlines (UL) faces flight cancellations to the UAE hub, sources said. According to reliable sources, Flight UL 225, slated for departure to Dubai at 18:25 today (19), has been grounded due to the turbulent weather. Further, a previous UL flight bound for Dubai had to be rerouted yesterday (18), while another scheduled for departure on April 17 met the same fate. more..

Apr 19 (CT) The bodies of two women, who are suspected to have died under suspicious circumstances, were discovered inside a house in Isuru Uyana in the Kalutara-South Police Division. Kalutara-South Police were alerted by the 119 Police Information Centre regarding the absence of two women from the area for several days, accompanied by a noticeable odour emanating from the vicinity of the house on Wednesday (17). Subsequently, a team of Police Officers visited the scene more..

Apr 19 (TM) The ruling SLPP said that no Govt MP has requested lower-priced vehicle permits instead of the duty free permits that they are entitled to, as claimed in media reports. Several media reports alleged that MPs from both the Opposition and the Ruling Party have encouraged Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana and govt officials to offer lower-priced car permits in the event the duty free permits that have already more..

Apr 19 (Island) Health officials have reported that Ischemic Heart Disease (IHD) was the leading cause of death in govt hospitals from 2010 to 2020. IHD, commonly known as heart attacks, involves heart complications due to narrowed coronary arteries that impair blood flow to the heart muscle. Dr. Sherine Balasingham, a Consultant Community Physician, emphasised the importance of maintaining an active lifestyle to reduce the risk of such conditions. “Walking is beneficial, and more..

Apr 19 (EN) Sri Lanka is in discussions with China’s Sinopec to give extra land and assure water supplies after the company decided to expand the capacity of a planned oil refinery in Hambantota, Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera said. “There are concerns on how the water supply is going to be provided for the refinery,” Minister Wijesekera told reporters Friday. The refinery will need more land and also revise conditions in a Board of Investment agreement, he said. more..

Apr 19 (AD) The final rites of former Deputy Minister and former UNP MP Palitha Thewarapperuma are planned to be performed this afternoon (19). The funeral procession will commence following the religious observances at this residence in Yatadolawatta, Mathugama and the remains will be buried at the gravesite he had built himself sometime back. The former Kalutara District MP died from electrocution on Tuesday (16). He was aged 64 at the time of his demise. more..

Apr 19 (PMD) The distribution of fortified rice, provided by the World Food Program (WFP) on behalf of the program initiated under the instructions of Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe, to provide a nutritious meal for school students, commenced today, at the Veyangoda warehouse complex. In an effort to reduce iron deficiency among school children, fortified rice is provided for school meals. This distribution will be conducted under the supervision of M.H.A.M. Riflan, more..

Apr 19 (Island) More than 90% of youth under 25 believe that they have to go overseas if they are to live comfortably, lecturer at the Uni of Vocational Technology, Gayan Madushanka, who is one of the authors of a recent study titled Better living, better opportunities: Exploring how economic distress influence the intention to migrate says. The study had been carried out between June and Aug 2023, he said. more..

Apr 19 (Hindu) Friday (19), was a special day for K. Nalini, as the 38-year-old homemaker from the Kottapattu camp for SL refugees in Tiruchi district, became the first naturalised Indian national from her community to exercise her franchise at the booth at St. Lourdes Primary School. “My only hope is for my family and children to be able to progress and live without fear in India, as Indians,” Ms. Nalini said. “The Tamil Nadu govt has taken good care of the 450 families in our camp, more..

Apr 19 (TM) Estate sector workers are planning to intensify union action starting from next week, demanding solutions to long drawn-out wage-related issues. Even though they have been conducting various activities including protests, awareness raising campaigns, and discussions with the relevant authorities for some time, according to the All Ceylon Estate Workers’ Union Secretary J.M.A. Premaratne, those attempts have not yielded satisfactory outcomes. He further said that more..

Apr 19 (DM) Sri Lanka is facing an imminent threat in its health sector with high chances of substandard medicines like human immunoglobulin entering the market in the near future, as the law enforcement body of the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) has diminished to just a single officer since this week. In a shocking revelation the Daily Mirror learns that the NMRA Law Enforcement Division, more..

Apr 19 (EN) President has said regional youth centres will be established in each divisional secretariat division in a bid to empower the youth demographic. President Ranil Wickremesinghe promised “to nurture budding entrepreneurs through these centres, with intentions to engage bank executives and trade board members in the process,” at a meeting with young Members of Parliament and emerging political figures from the Nuwara Eliya district. more..

Apr 19 (EN) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe will secure no more than 2.5 million votes if he contests the upcoming prez elections, SJB MP Ashok Abeysinghe said. Abeysinghe predicted that, no sooner the prez election is called, former UNP MPs who lost their seats at the 2020 parliamentary elections will join the SJB en masse. “This is guaranteed. But no one from our party will leave to a party on the decline,” he said, referring to comments made by UNP general secretary Palith Range Bandara more..

Apr 19 (DM) To advance the implementation of the Mindfulness programme, Education Ministry plans to launch it with a Global Week Summit on May 3 and 4. Accordingly, the summit will be held at the Nāgānanda Int'l Institute for Buddhist Studies (NIIBS) in Kelaniya. However, Education Ministry launched the Mindfulness programme as a pilot programme for schoolchildren on Jan 4 in all schools. The summit was organised by Ven. Uda Eriyagama Dhammajva Thera, more..

Apr 19 (DM) People should not make the 2024 Prez election a regime changing poll as it has to be one which elects a custodian for the nation, UNP Chairman Vajira Abeywardana said. "Prez election should be one which elects a custodian who is capable of making SL a stable country. Incumbent Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe is the only leader who has such a capability. People can use the general election to bring about a regime change. They can send all 225 MPs home including me at more..

Apr 19 (AD) SL has participated in the Global Sovereign Debt Roundtable (GSDR) in Washington DC, which brings together debtor countries and creditors, in a bid to build a greater common understanding among key stakeholders on debt sustainability, debt restructuring challenges and ways to address them. State Minister Shehan Semasinghe and CB Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe attended the roundtable, more..

Apr 19 (TM) Pelwatte Dairy announced the appointment of Mohamed Rizwie and Deepthie Wickramasuriya as Non-Executive Directors to its Board. These appointments mark a significant milestone in Pelwatte Dairy's commitment to innovation, growth, and corporate governance excellence. Pelwatte Dairy Industries Ltd Managing Director Akmal Wickramanayake, expressing his enthusiasm for the new appointments, stated: "We are thrilled to welcome Rizwie and more..

Apr 19 (DM) A Sub-Inspector from the Mawathagama police station and a Sergeant from the Doretiyawa police station, both found to have connections with drug traffickers, were arrested by the CID today. The arrests were made following instructions from the IGP after revelations emerged during the interrogation of a suspect detained by the Mawathagama Police for drug trafficking. The arrested 56-year-old Sub-Inspector had been communicating via WhatsApp more..

Apr 19 (AN) SL prisons have seen a disturbing rise in deaths among inmates, nearly 50 from suicide, as well as poor health, and violence. Last year, 209 deaths were reported, said Gamini B. Dissanayake, Commissioner of Prisons. The number this year is higher; especially alarming is suicide, which the system is failing to prevent. Seventeen cases were reported in 2023, including three foreign nationals. more..

Apr 19 (AT) On July 9, 2022, Sri Lankans protesting the regime of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa shocked the world when they stormed the executive mansion in Colombo. Live-streaming on Twitter and YouTube, dissidents ransacked the presidential palace and celebrated in the streets as state security struggled to contain the masses. Days later, news that Rajapaksa would resign seemed to confirm that the island nation’s watershed moment for democracy had finally arrived. more..

Apr 19 (TM) Although Sri Lanka’s graphite has the potential to facilitate Electric Vehicle (EV) battery production, its production levels are insufficient to attract international investors. Chamber of Mineral Exporters (CME) Vice Chairman A.F.M. Farook said that the Govt should be encouraging and attracting Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) for the manufacture of finished products related to EV batteries in Sri Lanka, instead of solely exporting the mineral. more..

Apr 20 (DM) The Dogs bark but the Caravan moves on is a proverbial saying of supposedly Turkish origin. A caravan refers to a group of people, animals or vehicles on the move. As is natural members of the canine species respond to the strange sight of a caravan in their midst by barking. This is especially so if there are animals in the caravan. Despite the dogs barking, the caravan proceeds on its journey. The moral is that an individual or group must continue on the journey toward more..

Apr 20 (DM) Despite SJB and NPP having been throwing challenges at each other for a debate over the economic recovery of the country, they seem to have their apprehensions as well in meeting the challenge. SJB seems to be hesitant to field their Leader Sajith Premadasa for the duel with NPP Leader Anura Kumara Dissnayake, even though it is a Prez election that is to be held this year according to Constitution & Premadasa’s candidature for that election has long been confirmed by party. more..

Apr 20 (CT) The Sinhala and Tamil New Year holds profound significance for the SL populace, offering a moment of communal joy transcending religious boundaries. It is a time when people come together, shedding differences, to ignite hope through the initiation of auspicious rites, infusing life with renewed purpose and meaning. The Sinhala and Tamil New Year stands as a cornerstone of celebration for all Sri Lankans, more..

Apr 20 (DM) In April 2022 our country was declared bankrupt. We were unable to import basic needs such as food, fuel, cooking gas, medicines and other necessities. A sudden ban on the import of petroleum-based fertiliser nearly killed some of our main export crops such as tea, rubber and coconut. Soon shop shelves ran empty. Long queues formed around fuel depots. Amid the turmoil, the executive president fled the country. A situation of anarchy was eased with the election of Prez more..

Apr 20 (Island) So, the Sinhala and Tamil New Year came and went. Cassandra has used a SL colloquial manner of pronouncing that an anticipated event was marked and ended. The high temperatures however prevail, though mercifully tempered by afternoon showers. Everyone except drug dealers and politicians were struggling against strangulating pecuniary difficulties, but of course last minutes urges to buy had to be given in to. Colombo became a deader city than it was more..

Apr 20 (TM) At a time when the need to expand youth involvement in politics is reflected more than ever following the unprecedented political changes that took place in the country in the past few years, the Youth to Lead SL which is a youth-based advocacy group, recently spearheaded a pivotal meeting with the Election Commission (EC). The group presented a comprehensive array of recommendations aimed at amplifying more..

Apr 20 (CT) Since gaining independence, SL has navigated a turbulent political landscape, swinging between left and right-wing ideologies until the early ’90s. Since then, the nation has largely sought a middle path. The prolonged war, spanning nearly three decades, hampered development and progress but benefitted a segment from the nature of war economy. However, 2009 marked a turning point with the war’s end, heralding an era of peace and offering SL a golden opportunity to more..

Apr 20 (CT) Commenting on the nation’s economic recovery not long ago, World Bank Director Faris Hadad-Zervos observed that the need for sustained efforts to mitigate the impact of the economic crisis on the poor and vulnerable are critical, alongside a continuation of the path of robust and credible structural reforms. According to him, this involves a two-pronged strategy, “first, to maintain reforms that contribute to macroeconomic stability and second, to accelerate reforms to stimulate more..

Apr 20 (Island) The Gaza conflict shows signs of spiralling into a much broader war, which is likely to threaten world peace and destabilise the global economy. Friday’s Israeli missile and drone strikes on the Iranian city of Isfahan, which is said to be home to several nuclear facilities, has pushed the Middle East closer to a devastating regional war. One dreads to think what the situation would be in case of the Iranian nuclear facilities coming under attack. Economic fallout of Friday’s attacks more..

Apr 20 (TM) I am writing this as many mourn the demise of late politician Palitha Thewarapperuma who left us on Tuesday (16). While I try to be as apolitical as possible, I thought of writing this as a believer of humanity, which Thewarapperuma had in abundance. In the grand tapestry of Sri Lanka's political narrative, there are certain figures who transcend the confines of time and space, leaving an enduring legacy that resonates through generations. Thewarapperuma, a name etched more..

Apr 20 (TM) The procurement of 100 MW of supplementary power has faced further delays as the Power and Energy Ministry is yet to approve the proposal submitted by the CEB. Last month, the CEB announced its anticipation of adding 100 MW of supplementary power to the national grid by 1 April. However, the necessary approvals for proceeding with the signing of Power Purchasing Agreements (PPAs) with Independent Power Producers more..

Apr 20 (FT) Sri Lanka is no stranger to hostiles with big black backpacks brimming with explosives, literally and metaphorically. A protracted conflict between insular tribes, stoked by ethno-nationalism and egged on by war profiteers, taught us to expect sudden or strategic violence in public places and contested spaces. The tsunami of 2004 took a sleeping island by surprise in their homes. But being used to nature red in tooth and claw, the wound was more readily assimilated more..

Apr 20 (CT) The New Year celebrations this year were low key compared to the past. The loud sound of crackers and other fireworks that traditionally accompany the dawn of the New Year were less than in the past. The economic burden on the people has begun to tell and was evident in the reduced purchase of new clothes and other items in preparation for the New Year. It can be surmised that the general population has less savings to utilize due to those savings being consumed more..