Apr 5 (Island) SL’s long-standing dominance in the men’s 400 metres received another major boost as talented young sprinters, led by Omel Shashintha, delivered outstanding performances at the Junior Selection Trial held at Diyagama earlier this week. The trial was conducted to select the national team for the upcoming Asian Junior Athletics Championships scheduled to be held in Hong Kong from May 28 to 31. The performances at the meet underlined that the 400 metres more..

Apr 5 (ST) The debate surrounding SLC's physical performance test took a new twist this week with fast bowler Nuwan Thushara suing the board for refusing a No Objection Certificate (NOC) after the sling-arm paceman failed to meet required fitness standards. What began as an internal fitness assessment to improve the physical standard of the cricketers, has now become a public debate about transparency, fairness and more importantly more..

Apr 5 (Island) Once more, a public gathering to discuss J. R. Jayewardene was held last week. A country that has written so extensively on this phenomenal figure should, prima facie, have at least one person who understands him properly. Echoing Pete Seeger, “Where have all the flowers gone?” It is necessary to understand these social phenomena as we were subjected to their decisions, with the question: why were they not able to achieve what other countries were able to do? more..

Apr 5 (CT) As Christians celebrate one of their most sacred religious events today, Sri Lanka still awaits justice for the 270 killed and the 500 injured, after the passage of seven years, in one of the most heinous atrocities carried out in the country against innocent people at prayer. The attack, carried out at several places of Christian religious worship, including the St. Anthony’s Shrine in Colombo, St. Sebastian’s Church in Negombo, the Zion Church in Batticaloa, and luxury hotels in Colombo, more..

Apr 5 (Island) Health Ministry and the GMOA are playing a game of chicken over doctors’ transfers. The GMOA is protesting against an alleged govt move to gain control of doctors’ transfer scheme. It insists that doctors’ transfers must be handled professionally, free from political interference, for the benefit of doctors and the public. Accusing the govt of trying to politicise doctors’ transfers for the benefit of the ruling party loyalists in health service, more..

Apr 5 (ST) My Dear Jayakody sahodaraya, I thought of writing to you because you have suddenly gone from being which Jayakody? to a person that everyone is talking about. Even our good old Maco referred to you as Prince Win Flag. Now though, there is no need for such disguises. The cat is out of the bag. You are in the limelight. You may wonder why many, including those who support the maalimaawa, are demanding your resignation. Please don’t misunderstand. more..

Apr 5 (ST) The Walk for Peace, a 110-day peace walk across 10 US states from Texas to Washington conducted by a group of Buddhist monks, captivating millions in that country and garnering worldwide attention, will take place in SL later this month. The Walk for Peace Programme in Sri Lanka will be undertaken by twelve monks led by the founder of the American peace walk, Venerable Pannakara Thero. more..

Apr 5 (CT) Many of us shaped by the JVP in the late 1960s and 1970s carry convictions that have never fully faded. We were young and angry at inequality. We were incensed by colonial economic legacies that persisted long after independence. We believed SL’s people deserved far better — socially, economically, and politically. Today, a party grown from those roots governs the country. The question before us is not whether we have arrived at the destination, but whether we are truly on the more..

Apr 5 (TM) Just 4 years later, the date that shook the foundations of SL’s political order has slipped quietly into obscurity. It was the night of 31 March 2022 that marked the historic rupture between the governed and those who governed. That anniversary passed last week without even the faintest acknowledgement from the country’s political leadership – no statements, no reflections, and worse, not a word from civil society or the so-called watchdogs that were aplenty, until recently. more..

Apr 5 (TM) Amidst some turbulent times politically and economically due to political as well as external challenges brought on by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, today (5) is a politically significant day for the JVP, which is the key coalition partner of the ruling NPP, as it is the 55th commemoration of April Heroes’ Day that marks the fallen comrades of the JVP’s 1971 insurgency. The party has organised April Heroes’ events more..

Apr 5 (ST) The war in West Asia has started taking a direct toll on ordinary citizens—the fuel quotas last week and, beginning this week, a steep increase in their electricity and gas bills. The knock-on effect is higher food prices and the resultant increase in the cost of living. The Govt has a convenient excuse—the war. Its critics say the Govt has taken advantage of the war to cover up its dismal handling of a coal tender that has aggravated the domestic fuel crisis. And to cap it all, more..

Apr 5 (SO) “You may not be interested in war, but war is interested in you” is a popular saying attributed to Leon Trotsky. Indeed, no country other than the US and Israel is interested in waging war against Iran, but the consequences of the war have affected practically everyone on the planet. Experts had warned that Iran would probably block the Strait of Hormuz to marine traffic, which includes oil tankers carrying 20% of the world’s crude and refined oil supply, apart from vessels carrying more..

Apr 3 (DM) Major reservoirs supplying fresh water to thousands of households in the main Colombo District is soon drying up posing a threat of drinking water becoming scarce in the coming weeks. According to officials in NWSDB, if rains are not received in the coming weeks, the supply of drinking water to Colombo will soon run out with water in the Kalatuwawa reservoir being sufficient only for 22 days and more..

Apr 4 (Island) SLPP National organiser MP Namal Rajapaksa yesterday said President Anura Kumara Dissanayake should be held responsible for the coal scam. He claimed that the President’s action to protect those allegedly connected to the coal fraud and his failure to recognise the matter as a fraud indicated that he too was responsible for the racket. Rajapaksa said the policies of the present administration were similar to those of the former Good Governance Govt of Sri Lanka. more..

Apr 4 (AD) Nuwara Eliya High Court has sentenced four suspects to death in connection with three separate protracted murder cases. Sentences were pronounced today (2) by HC Judge Viraj Weerasuriya. Accordingly, a 47-year-old accused was found guilty and sentenced to death in relation to a murder that occurred in 1998 within the Nanu Oya Police Division. In a separate case dating to 2009, a 55-year-old man was convicted of the murder of his mother, wife & child in Pattipola more..

Apr 4 (Island) Environmentalists have raised fresh concerns over possible mercury contamination linked to coal used at the Norochcholai coal power plant, warning that SL still lacks binding standards on mercury content in imported coal despite mounting health risks in nearby communities. Chairperson of the Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ), Environmental Scientist Hemantha Withanage, said more..

Apr 4 (TM) The ruling NPP is yet to make a decision on how it will respond to the no-confidence motion (NCM) brought against Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody, its General Secretary and Govt MP Dr. Nihal Abeysinghe said. He said the Party had not reached a final position and is still weighing its options. “We’ll see how it goes. There is some time. We have not made a decision yet. We know that there is a moral issue, and we are considering what we need to do,” he said. more..

Apr 3 (AD) A discussion on water management was held this afternoon (2) at the Presidential Secretariat under the patronage of Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake, in view of prevailing weather and climate variations, the potential onset of El Nińo conditions and the commencement of paddy cultivation for the Yala season. During the discussion, attention was given to projected rainfall for the year based on forecasts, as well as the current water levels in reservoirs, more..

Apr 3 (EN) Foreign investors sold US$44.1 million worth of SL govt securities in the two weeks ended March 31, amid renewed depreciation pressure on the local currency. Foreigners sold a net 13,658 million rupees (US$44.1 million at 1$=310 rupees) in the two weeks. Foreigners have sold rupee bonds for a 10th week in the last 29. The latest outflow in the last two reduced foreign investments in rupee bonds to 2,251 million rupees in the first 14 weeks of this year, data showed. more..

Apr 4 (DM) SLC has appointed Ryan van Niekerk as the National Bowling Coach and Jordan Gregory as the National Fielding and Spin Bowling Coach. Ryan van Niekerk, who previously served as the bowling coach and interim head coach of the Netherlands national team from 2023 to 2026, will oversee fast bowling across all national teams, including the national men’s side. Prior to his interim head coach role, he worked as the assistant coach and bowling coach of the Netherlands men’s team. more..

Apr 4 (FT) SL’s tourism sector lost momentum in March, with arrivals falling sharply as escalating conflict in the Middle East disrupted global aviation networks, even as the country maintained modest overall growth for the year. Latest data show that tourist arrivals declined 20% year-on-year (YoY) to 183,979 in March, marking a significant reversal after a strong start to 2026. The downturn follows the outbreak of the US-Israel war more..

Apr 3 (DM) Unannounced power and water cuts are already in force, a group of opposition parties alleged yesterday. Former MPs Patali Champika Ranawaka, Rajitha Senaratne, Lasantha Alagiyawanna, Wajira Abeywardena, former Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, and sitting MP Dayasiri Jayasekera made this allegation during a joint press briefing. “Unannounced power interruptions and water cuts are already in force in some areas,” MP Dayasiri Jayasekera said. more..

Apr 3 (Island) Ministry of Justice and National Integration officially launched its new Management Information System (MIS) and revamped website, marking a significant milestone in ongoing efforts to modernize SL’s justice sector and strengthen institutional efficiency, transparency, and accountability. MIS was developed as an initiative of the Support to Justice Sector Project (JURE), funded by European Union, in partnership with Ministry of Justice, and implemented by UNDP and more..

Apr 3 (FT) National Development Bank (NDB) said it has detected a fraud involving certain employees acting in connivance with third parties, with preliminary indications placing the exposure at approximately Rs. 380 million, while investigations are ongoing to determine the final amount. The bank issued the below statement: “We wish to disclose that the bank has detected an act of fraud that has been committed by certain employees in connivance with a third party or parties. more..

Apr 3 (DN) Two leading Colombo schools, Thurstan College and Isipathana College, will clash for the Blackham Wijewardena Trophy in their 63rd Battle of the Brothers annual cricket encounter, which begins today and will be played until Sunday at the SSC Grounds. Both sides will be aiming for a result in this three-day encounter. Thurstan enter the match with strong confidence after last year’s victory and possess a solid group of all-rounders capable of mounting another strong challenge. more..

Apr 3 (TM) PM Harini Amarasuriya has informed that a Cabinet paper is to be submitted in the near future on relief measures and infrastructure facilities for the Malaiyaha people, the Civil Society Collective for Malaiyaha Reconstruction claimed. A special meeting between the PM and representatives of island-wide civil society organisations (CSOs) working with people affected by Cyclone Ditwah was held on 28 March more..

Apr 3 (FT) SL’s lending rates have retreated sharply from crisis highs, but credit card interest remains anchored near the regulatory ceiling, exposing a widening disconnect in monetary transmission. Data from the Central Bank show the Average Weighted Prime Lending Rate (AWPR) has fallen from 24.82% in Jan 2023 to 8.88% by end-January 2026, after easing to 11.91% in 2024 and 8.56% in 2025. However, by the week ending 27 March, the AWPR has edged up slightly to 9.28%. more..

Apr 3 (FT) The visiting staff delegation of the IMF yesterday met with leaders of the Opposition parties in Parliament to get their views on issues of mutual interest. The meeting was presided over by Deputy Speaker Dr. Rizvie Salih and comprised MPs Ravi Karunanayake, Dilith Jayaweera, Dr. M.L.A.M. Hizbullah, and Dr. Ramanathan Archchuna. For some reason, other party leaders, including those from the SJB and SLPP, were absent, including Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa. more..

Apr 3 (Island) A sweeping regulatory move to safeguard public health came into force April 1, banning the manufacture and sale of baby feeding bottles and reusable plastic bottles containing harmful chemicals such as Bisphenol A (BPA), while making Sri Lanka Standards (SLS) certification mandatory across the sector. The new regulation, issued by the CAA under Extraordinary Gazette No. 2456/42 dated Oct 1, 2025, requires more..

Apr 3 (ST) Northern and Eastern farmers who are preparing for the upcoming Yala harvesting season are worried about the police crackdown on fuel hoarding. A farmer in Murasumottai, Kilinochchi, was arrested for transporting 400 litres of diesel, in 20 cans, intended for his tractor. He was released on bail after being produced in courts on Thursday. Two large-scale farmers from Uriyaan, Kilinochchi, who cultivate over ten acres of land, were also taken into custody along with their fuel stocks but more..

Apr 3 (Island) A newly launched initiative, the Sri Lanka Brand Forum (SLBF), seeks to redefine the role of business in national development, urging companies to move beyond profit and become institutions of trust, clarity, and progress. At a recent press conference in Colombo, founders announced the forum as a response to what they described as a BANI world – an acronym for Brittle, Anxious, Nonlinear, and Incomprehensible – where uncertainty has become the norm. more..

Apr 3 (FT) Most venture funds celebrate one good exit. nVentures is quietly sitting on two, and both are still getting bigger. In the span of three years, the Singapore-SL-based venture capital (VC) fund has logged an acquisition by JPMorgan and watched a portfolio company it seeded get valued at $ 600 million. Neither outcome was obvious when nVentures wrote the cheques. The MAS-licenced firm is now publicly raising Fund II, targeting $ 10 million to back Enterprise AI startups built by more..