Apr 29 (TM) Two accused who were found guilty of attacking a person to death with a sharp weapon in the Gas Paha Junction area in Colombo around 22 years ago have been sentenced to death by the court. The incident in question had taken place on 8 Aug 2002. This order was issued by Colombo High Court judge Amal Ranaraja who delivered the sentencing today. Issuing the verdict, the judge stated that the prosecution had been able to prove the allegations against the two accused more..

Apr 29 (AJ) In the sleepy, verdant village of Ambagaswewa, in the Polonnaruwa district, 63-year-old Gamini Thennakoon’s life is peaceful for the most part. On the brink of retirement, he still spends most days out working his rice paddies but is also content spending his days playing with his grandchildren and chatting with his wife and two daughters. Since boyhood, Thennakoon has farmed rice here across 2 hectares. more..

Apr 29 (AD) Court of Appeals ordered a petition filed seeking to invalidate the recent order issued by the Colombo District Court preventing Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe from functioning as the Acting Chairman of SLFP, to be taken up for consideration on May 02. This petition was filed by Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe. On Wednesday, the Colombo District Court issued an injunction order preventing the appointment of Minister Wijeyadasa as the Acting Chairman of the SLFP. more..

Apr 29 (DN) Minister Bandula Gunawardhana said the govt decided to provide 34 acres for the construction of second and third phase of National School of Business Management (NSBM) subject to the estimated value recovery of the Govt Valuer, on long-term lease. Minister said that the Cabinet of Ministers gave approval to provide a land in extent of 14 acres 03 rood and 12.8 perches for the construction of the phase II of the university. “Cabinet also granted its approval more..

Apr 29 (Island) Hundreds of millions of people in South and Southeast Asia were suffering the weekend from a punishing heat wave that has forced schools to close, disrupted agriculture, and raised the risk of heat strokes and other health complications, agency reports said. An NBC dispatch said: Weather across the region in April is generally hot, and comes before Asia’s annual summer monsoon, which dumps rain on more..

Apr 29 (DM) Students sitting for the GCE O/L Exam will start the GCE A/L classes immediately after their exams, Education Minister Susil Premajyantha said. While participating as the chief guest at the launch of the official internet radio channel of the National Institute of Education (NIE Visual Radio) at the Maharagama National Institute of Education, the Minister said the decision was taken due to the closure of schools during the last Covid pandemic and according to more..

Apr 29 (PMD) The deadline for the Children of Gaza Fund, initiated by Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe to aid those affected by conflicts in Gaza, has now been extended until May 31, 2024. Originally scheduled to conclude on April 30, 2024, the extension follows a widespread appeal from across the island. Irrespective of background, citizens have rallied behind the Prez’s call to support this cause. In the initial phase, on behalf of the govt, Prez handed over US$ 01 million more..

Apr 29 (AD) Police have arrested a Software Engineer along with several types of drugs including Hash and Kush Cannabis which have been smuggled to Sri Lanka from Italy. The Western Province – South Crimes Unit said that the stock of drugs which is estimated to be worth around Rs. 5 million were seized in the Wijerama Junction of Nugegoda, along with the suspect, based on a tip-off received by the officers of SL Army Intelligence Division. more..

Apr 29 (DN) PM Dinesh Gunawardena instructed the State Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils and Local Govt Ministry Secretary Pradeep Yasaratne to investigate the allegations of providing substandard rice and accepting money in the govt’s free rice distribution programme. Secretary has directed District Secretaries to carry out an urgent investigation and submit a report within a week concerning the problems in rice distribution programme. more..

Apr 29 (AD) Three individuals from the Pahala Karannagoda area of Warakagoda in Kalutara, have died due to a sudden illness after consuming illicit liquor. Victims are reported to be residents of the Karannagoda area, aged between 43 and 68. Relatives of the deceased individuals state that all three of them had consumed illicit liquor on Saturday night. One of the victims died while at home yesterday morning, while another fell ill more..

Apr 29 (DN) The former Senior Lecturer of the Geosciences Department at the Peradeniya Uni, Emeritus Professor Athula Senaratne, stated that there are straightforward measures to address any water leaks in the underground tunnel constructed under the Uma Oya project. He criticized the National People’s Power (NPP) for exploiting the issue to instill fear and gain political advantage, describing such tactics are unacceptable. Prof.Senaratne noted that minor issues more..

Apr 29 (EEAS) As part of the European Union’s (EU) response to support the revitalisation of the Tourism Industry in SL, two Train the Trainer workshops were held in March to prepare for the launch of new wellness tourism courses followed by a certification ceremony on 24 March with representatives from the Delegation of the European Union, SL Tourism Development Authority, and the SL Wellness Tourism Association in attendance. This initiative is a part of the EU-funded project more..

Apr 29 (NLG) In 2018, when the second-largest mass grave was discovered in Mannar, a Tamil-dominated coastal town in SL, investigators unearthed over 300 skeletons, including those of 28 children. It was a gruesome sight: skulls submerged in hardened mud and rock, with bones piled up and entangled in a morbid embrace. After exhumation, the remains were numbered, logged, stored in plastic and more..

Apr 29 (DM) The fifth edition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2024 has seen interest from over 500 players from overseas, ready to take the field in the upcoming edition. The 5th edition of the LPL 2024, which is SL’s top-most domestic T20 Tournament with an international flavour will be held from July 1 to 21. Players from 24 cricket-playing nations, including the ones from all the ICC Full Member Nations, have registered for the upcoming player auction and are vying to get picked into more..

Apr 29 (DM) Seven individuals were hospitalised following a brawl between the staff of the Menikhinna Hospital and a group of people who had come to admit a patient. The brawl had taken place after an altercation between the group who had come to admit the patient and the hospital staff. People who had came to admit the patient claim that the hospital staff, including a doctor assaulted them even with chairs. Menikhinna police who arrived at the scene upon receiving a telephone call more..

Apr 30 (DM) The govt made two important decisions recently on medical education in the country. One was to establish a medical faculty at the National School of Business Management (NSBM) in Homagama and the other was to enroll local students at the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence Uni to pursue medical degrees. Cabinet spokesman Bandula Gunawardena said on March 12 that the proposed medical faculty would come under the direct supervision & regulation more..

Apr 30 (DM) Corporal punishment affects over 1.3 billion children worldwide and is the most common form of child abuse globally and in SL, where complaints of cruelty against children have increased by three-fold in the past ten years. As the world celebrates and respective govts pledge to do more to abolish a heinous crime against children on International Day to End Corporal Punishment on April 30th, neither the Govt of SL nor the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA), more..

Apr 30 (GV) SL’s road to ruin was marked by miracles. The story, born in mystery, spread across the land at the speed of light. Luminous rays were emanating from Buddha statues. For three days in August 2006, people thronged temples, media provided live coverage, work stopped, roads clogged and international flights pushed back. Prez Mahinda Rajapaksa was ecstatic that the first sighting happened in a temple in his more..

Apr 30 (TM) In a rare occurrence, the long arms of the law, last week caught up with a few crooked law enforcement officers after 26 years. The Anuradhapura High Court last Friday (26) gave the death sentence to five police officers who were found guilty of killing eight Tamil civilians at the Bharathipuram village in Kantale 26 years ago. In 1996 following the incident, action had been taken against 13 policemen linked to the incident. However, the case had been reportedly more..

Apr 30 (CT) As Sri Lanka braces itself for a pivotal presidential election, the specter of a tripartite contest looms large, promising both challenges and opportunities for the nation’s political future. Against a backdrop of delayed and cancelled elections, disillusionment with traditional political parties, and socioeconomic turmoil exacerbated by the global pandemic, the stage is set for a seismic shift in the country’s power dynamics. The protracted postponements of provincial and LG elections more..

Apr 30 (DM) Today, I stand at the intersection of corporate leadership and social responsibility, deeply reflecting on the vital role we play in shaping a society that cherishes and protects its most vulnerable members—our children. Today, 30 April, is the International Day to End Corporal Punishment and I invite you to join me on a journey of reflection, action and commitment towards eradicating this deep-rooted societal ill. more..

Apr 30 (CT) From time to time, the changes in the socioeconomic and political landscape of the country determine what our priorities are. However, it is imperative to not push the existing priorities too far down the list to make space for the newfound issues. Unfortunately though, with limited funds – both monetary and human capital – the bitter inevitable is that sometimes the authorities get too busy dealing with new priorities and take old priorities for granted, until they come back more..

Apr 30 (Island) The JVP-led NPP has come under an avalanche of criticism for a claim made by Nalin Hewage, one of its stalwarts, in a recent television debate, that the victims of the JVP’s reign of terror in the late 1980s were anti-social elements such as rapists, robbers, bootleggers and cattle rustlers. A protest was held near the JVP hq, yesterday, against that controversial claim. Hewage’s assertion runs counter to JVP/NPP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s recent statement, more..

Apr 30 (ST) Five years after the Easter Sunday attack, Parliament held yet another debate on the matter. This was the third such debate on the subject and for the most part, it followed the pattern of the debates that preceded it, with various parties and individual MPs hurling accusations at each other as to who was ultimately to blame for the tragedy. The 3-day adjournment debate on the attack was moved by the Opposition on Wednesday; with MPs blasting the Govt for what they claimed more..

Apr 30 (CT) Sri Lanka thrashed Scotland by 10 wickets in their second match of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier 2024 played on Sunday (28) at Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi. Sri Lanka won the toss and opted to field. The decision reaped rich rewards as Scotland’s batters failed to create momentum from the start of their innings. After losing opener Darcey Carter for a duck in the opening over, Scotland kept losing wickets at regular intervals. more..

Apr 30 (DN) The much-awaited Asia Rugby Division 1 Championship 2024 will commence, today heralding the beginning of the Asia Rugby season with Sri Lanka making a notable return to action. The tournament promises riveting matches as SL hosts Qatar, Kazakhstan, and India at the Racecourse Stadium in Colombo. The opening ceremony will commence today at 4 PM. In the curtain raiser, Qatar will face off against more..

Apr 30 (DM) As per the recently issued gazette notification, the income tax payments can only be made using three methods. The methods are by depositing cash, depositing pay order or bank draft or by the use of Online Tax Payment Platform (OTPP). While previously tax payments may have been made by cheque, the recent gazette notification does not identify payments via this avenue as an accepted method. Accordingly, the income tax payments, including payment more..

Apr 30 (DN) Sri Lanka ‘A’ team led by Sahan Arachchige is ready to play second Unofficial ODI against Afghanistan ‘A ‘ led by Ikram Alikhil at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium Hambantota today. After winning the first ODI on Sunday SL A team came to the game with more confidence but the way Afghans battled until the end SL ‘A’ can’t take lightly this game. Both side batters dominated the first game and Afghan fast bowlers are better than SL pacemen. more..

Apr 30 (Island) In March 2020, SL govt believed that the massive mandate Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa had received gave it a licence to get out of the cycle of UNHRC resolutions by unilaterally opting out of the process. It announced that it would no longer consider itself bound to implement the resolution in force at that time. It stated its position was “backed by a people’s mandate and is in the interest of SL and its people, instead of opting to continue with a framework driven externally more..

Apr 30 (FT) As part of the 30th anniversary celebrations this April, Samson Rubber Products Ltd, (SRP) has organised a grand series of events. On 27 April, SRP hosted a traditional Pirith chanting ceremony and a special event to honour its long-standing employees, reflecting SRP’s deep rooted cultural values and commitment to its workforce. The evening will conclude with a spectacular fireworks display, lighting up the skies of Galle in celebration of three decades of success. more..

Apr 30 (FT) Central Bank envisages exports in 2024 to increase by 8.4% to $ 12.9 billion in the aftermath of a decline in 2023. The projection of $ 12.9 billion worth of exports is indicated in the CBSL’s Annual Economic Review of 2023 released last week. Last year exports were down by 9% to $ 11.9 billion from $ 13.1 billion in 2022. Imports are expected to recover to $ 20 billion this year from $ 16.8 billion last year, more..

Apr 30 (ST) A total of 43 indictments have so far been sent out against 93 accused in relation to the Easter Sunday attack, Attorney General’s Dept noted. The main case on the attack is the Trial-at-Bar where 25 accused have been indicted and the trial is in progress. The Trial-at-Bar is headed by High Court Judge Damith Thotawatta and 78 witnesses have so far given evidence. With regard to senior officers facing allegations over failure to prevent the attacks, more..

Apr 30 (FT) State Minister of Finance Shehan Semasinghe expressed confidence in exceeding the $ 5 billion mark by year-end, driven by the strong growth in the tourism sector. “As of 25 April, the number of tourist arrivals to SL surpassed 757,000, contributing significantly to the increase in foreign reserves. It is now capable of exceeding $ 5 billion by the end of the year,” he said at the National Development Pride Conference of the Development Lottery Board yesterday. more..

Apr 30 (TM) Since there is no transparency in the scheme of providing fully electric vehicle licenses to Sri Lankans working abroad and there appears to be many issues pertaining to the matter, the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Public Finance (COPF) Dr. Harsha de Silva instructed that a full analysis be carried out jointly by the Ministry of Finance, the Central Bank of SL (CBSL), more..

Apr 30 (FT) CHEC Port City Colombo Ltd, entered into a partnership with SL Export Development Board (EDB) in a move towards attracting export-oriented businesses to Port City Colombo. The partnership will allow Port City Colombo and the EDB to seamlessly work in collaboration to promote the Colombo Port City Special Economic Zone as an attractive commercial destination for export-oriented businesses. A MoU was signed between the two parties to this effect at a special ceremony more..

Apr 30 (AD) The Immigration and Emigration Dept officers at the BIA in Katunayake have apprehended two women over their alleged involvement in an attempt to send a SL teenage boy to London using forged documents. One of the suspected women had attempted to take the teenager with her to London on Friday (26), using forged documents bearing the details of a SL mother currently residing in UK along with her son. The teenager in question has been identified as a 17-year-old boy, more..