Apr 19 (ST) The final act of MPs from the ruling NPP before going on their New Year vacation last week was to use their votes to defeat a No-Confidence Motion (NCM) against one of their own ministers, who was only recently indicted in the Colombo High Court on corruption charges and is currently out on bail. Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody was indicted before the High Court by the CIABOC last month on corruption charges for causing a loss of more than Rs 8.8 million to more..

Apr 19 (TM) A decision on whether to implement water cuts to preserve supplies will follow the NWSDB review meeting on Monday (20). NWSDB Chairman Chandana Bandara said there was currently no immediate need to impose water cuts, noting that the rainy season was beginning to pick up. However, he said a final decision would be made after the review. “What decision will be taken going forward will be made on Monday,” he said, adding that no water cuts would be imposed until then. more..

Apr 19 (CT) Association of Former MPs of SL has formally raised serious concerns with leading international bodies—the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, Inter-Parliamentary Union, and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights—regarding alarming developments within the Parliament of SL. At the centre of these concerns is the illegal and malicious interdiction of the Deputy Secretary-General of Parliament, which the Association describes as a grave violation of more..

Apr 19 (ST) Trident Chemphar’s coal caused serious, repetitive problems at the Lakvijaya coal power plant (LVP), including inability to generate full power capacity, severe overconsumption of coal, high pyrite (hard mineral particles that cannot be ground by the mills), leading to mill blockages and fires and restricted primary air flow due to high ash content. The report of the National Audit Office confirms that, according to operational data, more..

Apr 19 (AD) Islamabad United have signed SL batter Pavan Rathnayake as a replacement for Nepal int'l Dipendra Singh Airee for the rest of PSL 11. Airee was picked by Islamabad United in the player draft for Rs. 6 million, but his limited availability means he will receive 70% of that amount, which comes to Rs. 4.2 million. The remaining Rs. 1.8 million will go to Rathnayake, who is set to make his PSL debut. 23-year-old has limited franchise experience, with appearances in the Lanka Premier League, more..

Apr 19 (DM) A special Buddhist religious programme was held at the White House on April 16, amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, to invoke blessings for world peace and harmony among nations, as well as for US President Donald Trump and the American people. The event was attended by the Chief Judicial Sanghanayake of the United States, Most Venerable Katugasthota Uparatana Nayaka Thera, along with monks representing Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana traditions. more..

Apr 19 (NW) Minister K.D. Lal Kantha has issued a legal notice against Asia Broadcasting Corporation (Pvt) Ltd, accusing the local broadcaster of misrepresenting his 2025 assets and liabilities declaration and publishing defamatory content. The notice, dated April 18, states that Hiru Media Network aired a news segment on April 16 alleging the minister’s assets exceeded Rs. 460 million, citing details from his declaration. Lal Kantha contends the figures were deliberately exaggerated more..

Apr 19 (Island) Warning that agents of the devil who wish to hide the truth behind a wall of political posturing were attempting to obstruct investigations into the Easter Sunday terror attacks, Catholic Church has called for intensified public support and prayer to ensure justice for victims. In a message issued ahead of the seventh anniversary of the April 21, 2019 bombings, Colombo Archbishop Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith said there were ongoing efforts by more..

Apr 19 (ST) Govt’s multi-billion rupee initiative to abolish telecom tower taxes and subsidise rural infrastructure comes into effect soon to bridge the digital divide. On April 8, Cabinet approved the necessary amendments to the Finance Act No. 35 of 2018 to formalise this change. Bill will then be gazetted and brought before Parliament for approval soon. By eliminating any monetary obstacle, govt will encourage big telecom operators to venture into areas that have been less serviced. more..

Apr 19 (AD) Vice President of India, C.P. Radhakrishnan is scheduled to arrive in SL today on an official visit. Vice President is expected to remain in the country until tomorrow. During the visit, he will hold bilateral discussions with Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake and PM Harini Amarasuriya, as part of ongoing high-level diplomatic engagements between SL and India. The visit will also include participation in several official events and meetings with political and community leaders. more..

Apr 19 (NW) A television channel has admitted an error in its earlier reporting on the declared assets of Minister K.D. Lalkantha, saying previously published figures were the result of a calculation mistake. In a correction issued on Saturday, the channel said an earlier report had incorrectly stated that the minister’s securities were worth Rs. 38.39 crore and that his total gross assets exceeded Rs. 46 crore. The outlet said the correct value of the declared securities should have more..

Apr 19 (NW) SL’s Free Media Movement (FMM) has condemned the CID over its reported request to X concerning a journalist’s post on the country’s energy crisis. The FMM said journalist Sulochana Ramiah Mohan had received an email from X (formerly Twitter) informing her that the platform had received a legal request from the CID regarding content shared from her account @sulorammohan. According to the notice, the CID claimed a post linking to one of her articles violated the laws of SL. more..

Apr 19 (AD) Three separate incidents involving violent attacks on women have been reported from Moragahahena, Gokarella, and Ragama, prompting police investigations and multiple arrests. In the first incident, video footage circulating on social media depicts an assault on a woman in the Moragahahena area. The incident reportedly occurred after she requested her neighbors to stop lighting firecrackers, as the noise was distressing her pet dogs. Moragahahena Police have since arrested the suspect more..

Apr 19 (TM) The ongoing Middle East crisis has had a limited direct impact on Sri Lanka’s coconut exports, although shipping disruptions and increasing freight costs have created operational challenges for the sector, according to Coconut Development Authority (CDA) Chairman Shantha Ranathunga. He explained that the direct impact on exports remained relatively low, noting that only a small portion of coconut products were shipped to the Middle East. more..

Apr 19 (TM) The liquidator to wind up the affairs of the Information Communication Technology Agency (ICTA) is expected to be appointed within the next two to three months. Deputy Minister Eranga Weeraratne stated that the ICTA was currently in the process of handing over its projects and that a liquidator would be appointed once this transition was completed. “The projects currently under the ICTA are being transferred to GovTech. Once that process is finalised, we will appoint a liquidator,” more..

Apr 19 (TM) Despite a recent dip in foreign worker remittances, the Govt has no immediate plans to reconsider its decision to relax vehicle import restrictions as current import volumes remain within manageable levels, the Deputy Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security, and Cooperative Development has revealed. Deputy Minister R.M. Jayawardana stated that the ongoing conflict in the Middle East had contributed to a decline in remittances from Sri Lankan workers abroad. more..

Apr 19 (TM) The upcoming election of office-bearers and the AGM of the National Olympic Committee of SL (NOCSL) could face another delay, while the country itself may run the risk of being suspended by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in the face of a lawsuit looming on the horizon. The NOCSL election for the 2026–’30 four-year term is set to be held on Saturday (25) at 4 pm at the Olympic House premises, more..

Apr 19 (TM) The resignation of Sri Lanka Athletics (SLA) Secretary General Madhawa Bandara Senarath has been accepted by SLA President Bimal Wijayasinghe, the latter confirmed to The Sunday Morning Sports on Thursday (16). The SLA President stated that Senarath, when handing over his resignation letter, had mentioned that he was stepping down from his post due to personal reasons, having only been elected to office during the SLA election held in mid-March this year. more..

Apr 19 (EN) SL’s foreign exchange revenue from tourism in March 2026 plunged 37% from a year ago to US$223.7 million, the central bank said, quoting tourism promotion authority data. This is the first official tourism revenue released by the authorities since the US/Israel bombing on Iran started on Feb 28. The island nation’s tourism revenue has been lower since August last year compared to arrivals after the relevant authority revised down per-day tourism spending, officials have said. more..

Apr 19 (ST) Just days ahead of the elective Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the National Olympic Committee of SL (NOC) scheduled for April 25, it has slapped a two-year ban on former Assistant Secretary Chandana Liyanage, following an inquiry into allegations of ethical violations. This was after the Ethics Committee headed by Dinal Philips, PC, made the recommendation following an ethics investigation after NOC President Surendran Subramaniam filed a complaint on two key allegations. more..

Apr 19 (ST) SL Women left the island early Friday to Bangladesh for a crucial bilateral series that carries significance far beyond the immediate contest. Led by Chamari Athapaththu, the tour comprising three ODIs and as many T20Is which will serve a dual purpose – securing valuable points for direct qualification to the next ODI World Cup and fine-tuning preparations for the T20 World Cup in England in June. The first ODI is scheduled for April 20, with Sri Lanka entering the series more..

Apr 19 (CT) As the country slowly moves out of the New Year celebrations and the reality of the increasing cost of living, the toll on the country’s economy, with a still weak ceasefire in the Middle East, was continuing its impact. With the first round of talks between the warring Trump Administration and Iran failing to achieve the desired end to the crisis, now over a month of intensification, tensions are still a reality on the ground. more..

Apr 19 (Island) We are now paying the price for electing successive govts that, with their oligarchic advisers, promoted continued dependence on imported fossil fuels for personal gain rather than national interest. This has been reinforced by repeated tariff hikes, resulting in an unfair transfer of the burden of systemic policy failures onto households and businesses undermining productivity solely due to high energy costs. This model of passing the buck is not only economically unsustainable but more..

Apr 19 (Island) The Grim Reaper apparently rides shotgun in many vehicles on SL roads, where chaos is the norm, with drivers and riders moving like bats out of hell and jaywalkers darting across arterial roads and busy streets in a suicidal rush. The situation takes a turn for the worse during festive seasons, when road users behave as if they had a death wish. This may explain why as many as 44 lives were lost in 42 fatal accidents across the country between April 10 to 15 this year. more..

Apr 19 (CW) The rise of AI is bringing economic optimism in developing countries such as SL and Nepal. Computerworld’s Agam Shah was in the region recently talking to entrepreneurs about the fast-evolving technology and their plans for it. The soap refill dispenser at a cafe in TRACE Expert City — a technology hub in Colombo, SL— boldly declares that it was delivered by USAID, from the American people. The device is a relic from the past, reflecting goodwill that once existed between the US and SL. more..

Apr 19 (CT) Govt effectively exhibited a level of political maturity this week with a two-fold mechanism directed at overcoming a very pressing issue that was threatening its path. Prez on Thursday announced the appointment of a Special Prez Commission, chaired by SC Justice Gihan Kulatunga, to investigate alleged malpractice or illegal activities in coal imports by Lanka Coal Limited and its subsidiaries, as well as power generation, from the inception of coal-based power in the country to April 2026. more..

Apr 19 (ST) No sooner had the renovated Pettah Central Bus Stand been declared open last week than images and visuals emerged of damage to property at the location. The mystery of who was responsible for the acts of vandalism soon led to various accusations being made on social media, where some fake posts circulated widely. The fake posts also targeted activists from opposition political parties, including the Sarvajana Balaya and SLPP. more..

Apr 19 (ST) My dear Anura sahodaraya, I thought of writing to you, first to wish you suba aluth avuruddak weva and also to let you know of a few issues that have been bothering us in recent months. You had to deal with cyclones and coal tenders in the year that just ended. So, we know you must be hoping for a better year ahead. Anura sahodaraya, we didn’t see you during the Sinhala and Hindu New Year last year. Your critics said you didn’t observe time-honoured customs like Mahinda maama did for more..

Apr 19 (ST) The tug-of-war, as part of the fun and games of the traditional New Year, has taken a far different, more belligerent mode with the ongoing conflict in West Asia. The personal pride of a mad hatter and his cowboys in one country and the national pride of another are at play as the world watches in muttering resignation if there will be an early conclusion to the fighting. So far, world leaders have been indulging the whims and unilateral excesses of a president who is casting himself more..

Apr 19 (TM) As the country eases back into routine after the Sinhala & Tamil New Year, there is a familiar sense of reset in the air – renewed hope, quiet expectation, and the enduring question of whether life will, at last, become a little more affordable. The recently concluded Sinhala and Tamil New Year was undoubtedly one of the most politically potent New Year celebrations, with all key political leaders working on outdoing the others through their respective celebrations. more..

Apr 19 (TM) There is a certain brutal honesty in a remark attributed to former President J.R. Jayewardene: Even the most diehard socialist remains a socialist only until they acquire their first asset. It is a line that has echoed through SL’s political history – often invoked cynically, and sometimes, dismissively. Yet today, in the wake of yet another rapidly unfolding controversy, it feels less like a quip and more like a prophecy fulfilled. Barely had the country settled into the calm more..

Apr 19 (SO) The world breathed a sigh of relief as Iran agreed to open the Strait of Hormuz, following discussions with the United States (US). But a lot more has to be done before oil tankers restart using it. There are still many contradictions and friction points. Statements from Washington and Tehran reveal negotiations that are simultaneously advancing and stalling. It is obvious that neither side has a credible path to outright victory. Consider the message of US Prez Donald Trump. more..