Apr 23 (AD) Archbishop of Colombo, His Eminence Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, departed for the Vatican this morning. It is reported that Cardinal Ranjith departed from BIA at 9.30 a.m. to attend the funeral of Pope Francis, which will be held on Saturday (26). Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, died on Monday at the age of 88 from a stroke, less than a month after returning home from five weeks in hospital battling double pneumonia. more..

Apr 23 (DM) Claiming that the discussions between the SL delegation and the US govt on reciprocal tariffs were fruitful, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said today that Sri Lanka and the United States will make a joint statement shortly. Addressing an election rally in Ratnapura, he said a SL delegation which is currently visiting the USA had fruitful discussions on Monday (22) and that Sri Lanka and the USA will make a joint statement regarding the matter. more..

Apr 23 (AD) The CEB today issued a clarification informing the public about the results of a comprehensive investigation conducted by an independent Expert Committee regarding the nationwide power outage that occurred on Feb 9. The complete committee report is available on the website of the PUCSL for public viewing, it said. Expert Committee has confirmed that the primary reason for this blackout more..

Apr 23 (CI) The uncapped trio of Malki Madara, Dewmi Vihanga and Piumi Badalge are among six changes to the squad that toured NZ earlier this year, as SL named a 17-member squad for the upcoming ODI tri-series against India and South Africa starting April 27. There are recalls for veteran Inoka Ranaweera, as well as Hasini Perera and Hansima Karunaratne. Making way are Imesha Dulani, Sachini Nisansala, Kaushini Nuthyangana, Chethana Vimukthi & injured Udeshika more..

Apr 23 (NW) SLPP spokesperson, Manoj Gamage, has strongly condemned the fatal shooting of SLPP candidate and activist Dan Priyasad, calling it a “deeply troubling and politically motivated killing.” Gamage stated that Priyasad, who was contesting for the Kolonnawa Municipal Council from the Meethotamulla ward, had been a vocal Sinhala-Buddhist activist and a prominent social figure for years. He alleged that the assassination may be linked to his outspoken political views. more..

Apr 23 (AFP) Approximately one-fourth of cash-strapped Sri Lanka's population, was living in poverty last year, despite the economy making a remarkable recovery from its worst financial meltdown, the World Bank said in its assessment on Wednesday. SL's growth surpassed the bank's forecast of 4.4%, recording 5.0% in 2024 – the first economic expansion since the 2022 crisis. "While the economy is recovering, more..

Apr 23 (AD) Indian High Commissioner to SL, Santosh Jha, has called on former Presidents Mahinda Rajapaksa and Ranil Wickremesinghe in separate meetings. The discussions were held last afternoon (22). The Indian HC in Colombo stated that during the meeting between High Commissioner Santosh Jha and former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, the two exchanged views on the versatile and dynamic India–SL partnership in the context of global developments. more..

Apr 23 (NW) Minister Bimal Rathnayake says design work has been completed for a new bridge to be constructed across the Nandikadal Lagoon on the Mullaitivu-Paranthan road, as part of the 2025 budget proposals. During a visit to the proposed site at Vattuvakal yesterday, Minister said that the procurement processes for the project are underway and that construction is expected to begin immediately after its conclusion. Total estimated cost of the bridge is Rs. 1,900 million, more..

Apr 23 (AD) Wellampitiya Police today reported the facts to the Colombo Magistrate’s Court regarding the murder of the convenor of the Nawa Sinhale National Movement and political activist, Dan Priyasad. The police stated before the court that investigations have revealed information suggesting a connection between a father–son duo in relation to the murder of Dan Priyasad. Accordingly, the police requested the court to issue an order preventing the duo—Bandula Piyal & Madhava Sudarshana more..

Apr 23 (FT) Hayleys Fentons Ltd, SL’s premier one-stop provider for complex engineering services is set to embark on a high-profile project for Shield Restraint Systems Ltd, in establishing Sheild — a new manufacturing facility within the Wathupitiwala Export Processing Zone (EPZ). This groundbreaking initiative highlights Hayleys Fentons unmatched expertise in collaborating with leading architectural and engineering firms to craft bespoke, high-quality solutions that exceed more..

Apr 23 (DM) SL is a developing nation with a GDP per capita of around $4,000. The U.S. clocks in at $80,000. That gap should trigger policies that support growth, not punish it. A lot of money flows out of SL often into American pockets. So no, there’s no unfair advantage here. There’s a two-way street. SL consumers pay U.S. firms for digital services, credit card fees, and subscriptions A 44% tariff won’t fix a trade imbalance. more..

Apr 23 (Island) State Minister of Industries and Entrepreneurship, Chathuranga Abeysinghe, while addressing a public gathering held at the Raffles Hotel in Kotte on Tuesday said that the law will be enforced against all those who acquire assets illegally. He said that, if someone joins a municipal council receiving a modest salary and, within two to three years, builds a luxury house and acquires a vehicle, we will question how such wealth was amassed. If a satisfactory explanation more..

Apr 23 (AD) All inmates of the Matara Prison are currently being transferred to nearby prisons. Following the unrest that occurred at Matara Prison last night, steps have been taken this morning to transfer these inmates. The disturbance reportedly began at around 8 p.m. last night when prison authorities attempted to transfer two inmates from Matara Prison to Angunakolapelessa Prison. In response, a group of inmates from one of the wards began to protest & exhibited unruly behavior. more..

Apr 23 (DM) Speculation is rife why the Additional Secretary Ministry of Finance has ignored Bribery Commission’s directive to conduct an inquiry into an appointment made during the former regime to the National Lotteries Board. Following a complaint received by the CIABOC on how an unqualified person was appointed as the General Manager (GM) of the National Lotteries Board (NLB) in 2022, at the behest of a powerful Secretary at more..

Apr 23 (DM) Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) is continuing its island-wide raids to track down vendors selling bottled drinking water at prices above the approved rates. Accordingly, CAA has imposed a maximum retail price for locally bottled drinking water as follows: Rs. 70/- for 500 ml; Rs. 100/- for 1 litre; Rs. 130/- for 1.5 litres; Rs. 160/- for 2 litres; Rs. 350/- for 5 litres. All bottles, including those manufactured before the issuance of the relevant gazette, must now be sold at more..

Apr 23 (AD) SL Police says that presently there are over 300,000 devotees in queues awaiting to venerate the Sacred Tooth Relic in Kandy and therefore, urged the public to avoid coming tomorrow and the day after (24 and 25) and to choose an alternate date. The special exposition of the Sacred Tooth Relic - Siri Dalada Wandanawa, which commenced on April 18, was held for the sixth consecutive day today from 11 a.m. onwards and will continue for another four days, while more..

Apr 23 (AD) Three suspects have been arrested in connection with the murder of the convenor of the Nawa Sinhale National Movement and political activist, Dan Priyasad. The suspects including a woman have been arrested for allegedly providing information to Priyasad’s killers. Meanwhile, it is reported that six police teams have been deployed to investigate the shooting incident. Police suspect that the murder was carried out by associates of notorious organized criminal figure and more..

Apr 23 (NW) Dept of Wildlife Conservation has reported businessman Priyan Pushpakumara to the Nuwara Eliya Magistrate’s Court for violating national park regulations by feeding wild animals at the Horton Plains National Park. The incident gained widespread attention after a video, released by Pushpakumara himself, went viral on social media. The footage drew strong criticism from wildlife enthusiasts, who condemned the act as irresponsible & harmful to natural ecosystem. more..

Apr 23 (AD) A Committee of Inquiry headed by a Supreme Court Judge has been appointed to investigate the allegations of misconduct and abuse of power against IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon. Committee is chaired by SC Justice Preethi Padman Surasena, with Justice Neil Iddawala and the Chairman of the National Police Commission (NPC), Lalith Ekanayake, serving as its members. A resolution to appoint a Committee of Inquiry more..

Apr 23 (AD) IGP Priyantha Weerasooriya has appointed SSP Shani Abeysekara to the committee investigating the Presidential Report on the Easter Sunday attacks, increasing its members from four to five. On Tuesday (22), a four-member committee was appointed to study the report of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry into the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks. Under direct instructions from Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the final report and all accompanying volumes of the PCoI into more..

Apr 23 (NW) A discussion was held between Western Province Governor Hanif Yusoof and World Bank representatives today, during which four key tourism projects were finalized. Four key tourism projects are as follows; 1) Restoration of Colombo’s Colonial Heritage – Revitalizing historic buildings and tramway systems to create a cultural tourism hub. 2) River Cruise Along the Bentara River to Yagirala Rainforest – A 40-km eco-tourism experience connecting river tourism with more..

Apr 23 (DM) A total of 10 million people have registered with the Inland Revenue Dept to obtain Taxpayer Identification Numbers (TIN), while at least 7 million people still remain unregistered, IRD Deputy Commissioner General B.K.S. Shantha said. He said the 10 million people include the persons who are above 18 years old. "A gazette notification was issued in May 2023, making it mandatory for all individuals aged 18 and above, more..

Apr 23 (CT) SL Mahabodhi Association has extended its condolences following the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis. President of the SL Mahabodhi Association, Most Venerable Banagala Upatissa Nayake Thera, expressed his deepest condolences on the passing of Pope Francis. “Pope Francis, whom I met on several occasions, was a respected disciple of Jesus Christ, endowed with great humility, a profound vision of interfaith harmony, and a great love for the poor,” more..

Apr 23 (EN) A trilingual inscription jointly submitted by China and Sri Lanka featuring texts in Chinese, Persian, and Tamil, has been inscribed in the UNESCO Memory of the World Register, the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization has said. The stone tablet dated February 15, 1409 features texts in Chinese, Persian, and Tamil. “Installed by Chinese Admiral Zheng He during one of his voyages, the inscription praises Buddha, Vishnu, and Allah,” Xinhua reported. more..

Apr 23 (FT) Minister in charge of the subject of tourism has said that an alternative to Booking.com is being developed by a SL expatriate with the Govt’s support to break the platform’s monopoly and thereby bring down the commissions paid by owners of tourist accommodation and generate taxes for the Govt. Minister’s comments display poor understanding of how platforms work. Given the increasing importance of platforms across the economy, it is necessary for all in positions more..

Apr 23 (FT) Govt previously announced the suspension of parate action which was in existence will not be extended beyond 31 March 2025. This has now been confirmed by the press release issued by the Ministry of Finance wherein certain financial accommodations have been revealed towards assisting affected SME sector. Accordingly, parate execution is now effective. Decision of the Govt in lifting the suspension of parate action is commendable and I consider it as a bold more..

Apr 23 (FT) Minister Nalinda Jayatissa urged the public and political actors not to undermine the ongoing investigations into the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks, insisting that the probe is now moving in the right direction even after five and half years of delays and alleged suppression. He stressed the complexity of the case and the widespread network behind the attacks. “The unfortunate incidents took place 6 years ago, more..

Apr 23 (TM) Colombo Magistrate’s Court has ordered the release of a man and a woman who were arrested on suspicion during the Easter Sunday service at the St. Anthony’s Church in Kochchikade. The suspects were produced before court by the Foreshore Police. The arrests were made by officers after the individuals were observed walking suspiciously adjacent to the church premises on 20 April. Presenting evidence to court, Police stated that no incriminating more..

Apr 23 (DN) The most venerable Mahanayake Thera of the Lanka Amarapura Dharma Rakshitha Nikaya, Aggamaha Pandita, Rajakaya Pandita Sastrapati, the Incumbent of Bambalapitiya Vajiraramaya, venerable Trincomalee Ananda Maha Thera visited the Peliyagoda Vidyalankara Pirivena on April 09 to review the progress of the Tamil language education programme conducted by the Dharmavijaya Foundation. The Tamil language education programme, which began about 2 mo. ago more..

Apr 23 (Island) SJB MP S.M. Marikkar yesterday found fault with Prez Anura Dissanayake for failing to deliver on his promise to reveal the mastermind behind the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks. Marikkar said that the Prez’s earlier claim—that the main perpetrator would be exposed—had not materialised. “The Prez said the mastermind behind the Easter attack would be revealed. But it hasn’t been. So, what Prez said was a lie,” more..

Apr 23 (DN) SL’s young boxers have already started high-performance residential training camp in preparation for the much awaited international tournaments of ASBC Asian U22 and Youth Championships. The Boxing Association of SL (BASL) has organized the event at the newly inaugurated state of the art boxing ring at Katukurunda Police Training School and it will conclude on May 9. The training camp features the 25 member boxers who were selected to more..

Apr 23 (TM) Sri Lanka’s reserve money remained steady for a second consecutive week, signalling a cautious but stable monetary stance, as the Central Bank manages liquidity in a gradually recovering economy. According to data for the week ending 17 April, reserve money - comprising currency in circulation and commercial bank deposits held with the Central Bank - stood at Rs. 1,798.5 billion, showing no significant movement from the previous week’s Rs. 1,798.4 billion. more..