Apr 25 (Reuters) Chinese state energy giant Sinopec is pushing for greater access to SL's market, where rival India is also seeking to expand its presence, as it looks to build its first fully-controlled overseas refinery, reflecting a change in the firm's global strategy to compensate for slowing demand growth at home. Sinopec, the world's largest oil refiner, is expected to complete a feasibility study by June for a plant at the Chinese-run Hambantota port, more..

Apr 25 (CT) Minister of Public Security, Tiran Alles, announced that plans were underway to introduce a more modern National Identity Card (NIC) to replace the existing one, and related work had commenced. Speaking at the inauguration of the new office of the Department of Registration of Persons for the Central Province, Minister Alles said that the tender process for the production of the modern national identity card has been successfully completed. more..

Apr 25 (Island) Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe told Parliament yesterday that an incinerator set up in Wanathawilluwa at a cost of Rs 18 million to destroy narcotic drugs would be operational from next month. Presenting regulations under the Poisons, Opium and Dangerous Drugs Ordinance for approval in Parliament, the minister said that storing and protecting narcotic substances produced before courts until the case proceedings are over had been a problem. more..

Apr 25 (EN) NPP has shot back at SJB asking the party to suggest alternative dates for the proposed debate between the two parties’ leaders. The NPP’s Nalinda Jayatissa, who has been tasked with overseeing the organisation of the debate from the NPP’s end, told reporters on Thursday April 25 that, since all political parties are going to be busy in the run up to Labour Day on May 01, the SJB can propose three or four dates before May 20. more..

Apr 25 (AD) Former President Maithripala Sirisena has sent a letter of demand to Minister Mahinda Amaraweera, seeking Rs. 1 billion in damages over defamation. The letter of demand references an alleged statement made by Minister Amaraweera to the media on April 22 and 24 which it claims contains inaccurate and malicious comments regarding former President Sirisena. Accordingly, the letter of demand seeks Rs. 1,000 million in damages or compensation for defamation. more..

Apr 25 (CT) A report of the National Audit Office (NAO) revealed that although there were 453 traditional rain gauges scattered all over the island set up by the Dept of Meteorology, they were not receiving updated data. The report indicated that the number of rain gauges that did not receive data continuously from 2019 to 31 May 2023, were 60 in 2019, 100 in 2020, 97 in 2021, 50 in 2022 and 72 until 31 May 2023. Real-time rainfall data, collected every 10 minutes along with its intensity, more..

Apr 25 (EN) Rising temperatures and extreme weather events due to climate change are impacting business, and companies need to address the irrelevance of existing business models, the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce said. “Climate change is affecting all of us in a big way. More particularly, the business community and businesses,” Duminda Hulangamuwa, Chairman, Ceylon Chamber of Commerce said. “There is a huge cost. It is imperative that we address the situation,” more..

Apr 25 (DM) The rice distributed among schools said to be unsuitable for children's co consumption was provided by the World Food Programme (WFP) and not by the govt, Education Minister Susil Premajayantha assured today. He said those packets of rice were provided additionaly by the WFP to support the govt programme. The govt ensures that food distributed with govt funds is suitable for children's consumption. Even after stocks of rice are distributed to Provincial Education Centres more..

Apr 25 (DM) Police found the 33-year-old pilgrim who had climbed Sri Pada and had gone missing after jumping off the protective fence at the Ratnapura-Sri Pada route at the Uda Maluwa. Police found him lying in the Rajamalai Estate and admitted him to the Dikoya Hospital. They said the Siripagama Police and the STF, with the help of the army, had launched a search operation to trace the young man from where he had jumped. more..

Apr 25 (AD) The Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has agreed to commence the second phase of the Anuradhapura North Water Supply Project, says State Minister Shehan Semasinghe. He said the second phase of the project will meet the drinking water needs of 50,000 families in Padaviya, Kebithigollewa, Horowpothana and Kahatagasdigiliya divisional secretariats covering 119 Grama Niladari Divisions. Semasinghe expressed that JICA has expressed more..

Apr 25 (AD) TNA leader and Trincomalee District MP R. Sampanthan has been granted leave of three months from attending Parliament sessions. The proposal to provide three-months leave was passed in the Parliament today (25). Chief Opposition Whip Lakshman Kiriella brought up the proposal in the Parliament while it was affirmed by TNA MP Charles Nirmalanathan. Veteran Tamil politician R. Sampanthan, who is aged 91 years, is reported to be suffering from an illness. more..

Apr 25 (FT) NPP Executive Council member Tilvin Silva voiced his doubts regarding whether SJB leader Sajith Premadasa will indeed participate in a debate with NPP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Silva expressed the NPP’s confidence that Premadasa would not partake in a public debate. “That is why they continue to engage in a back-and-forth with us on this matter and make various assertions,” he said. more..

Apr 25 (AD) Sri Lanka and Singapore have signed a MoU with a view to working together to promote the boating and yachting industries. The agreement was forged between the Chamber of Marine Industries of Sri Lanka (CMISL) and the Singapore Boating Industry Association (SBIA) on 22 April, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. Signing of the MoU was done by Indhra Kaushal Rajapaksa, Chairman of CMISL and Vice President of SL Singapore Business Council and Y.P. Loke, more..

Apr 25 (DM) National Consumer Front Chairman Asela Sampath urged the canteen owners to provide a cup of milk tea for Rs. 80 from today while granting the concession of the reduced prices of imported milk powder to the consumers. Addressing the media, he said the milk powder importers had decided to reduce the retail prices of their one kilogram and 400 grams of milk powder packets with effect from today due to the depreciation of the dollar in the world market. more..

Apr 25 (FT) In anticipation of the upcoming industry exhibition, the International Industry Expo 2024, excitement is building as less than two months are left until the exciting event unfolds. Recognised as the largest South Asian industry exhibition of the year covering a wide range of industries, International Industry Expo 2024 is poised to bring together diverse participants from all over the country under one roof at the BMICH)\ from 19 to 23 June 2024. more..

Apr 25 (EN) Japan has given a 3 million dollar grant through the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), to boost inland fisheries and aquaculture in SL as the country recovers from a currency crisis. The funds will establish four community-operated mini hatcheries in Batticaloa, Mullaitivu, Anuradhapura and Monaragala districts. The money will also upgrade four NAQDA Aquaculture Development Centres and one community-operated mini fish breeding centre more..

Apr 25 (AD) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe declared open the super-luxury hotel ITC Ratnadipa Colombo which boasts Sri Lanka’s first ever sky bridge AHASA ONE connecting two towers at a height of 100m above the ground. ITC’s Hotel Group, one of India’s leading luxury hotel chains, is reported to have invested close to INR 3,000 crore in the luxury Sri Lankan property, which is being set up under a subsidiary WelcomHotels Lanka. more..

Apr 25 (TM) The most significant drug-related problem in the country is the trafficking of heroin from India, claimed SJB MP Eran Wickramaratne. It is debated that some powerful politicians are behind it and involved in drug trafficking which has handicapped drug control, claimed Wickramaratne further. “SL has actually become a transshipment centre for narcotics. In 2005, the UN South Asian regional profile report said that for the past decades, SL has been used as the transshipment point more..

Apr 25 (AD) A final decision has yet to be taken regarding reducing the prices of imported milk powder, the importers say. An official meeting on the matter has not been held as of yet. In March, the importers slashed the price of a 1-kilogram milk powder packet by Rs. 150 and a 400-gram packet by Rs. 60. It is understood that following the price drop, imported milk packets are being sold at various rates in the local market. Against this backdrop, a company that imports milk powder from NZ more..

Apr 25 (DM) In a scathing rebuttal of allegations by Malcom Cardinal Ranjith regarding the Easter Sunday attacks, former Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa said Cardinal Ranjith either glosses over the responsibility of, or expressly absolves the two parties actually involved in the terrorist strikes. Cardinal Ranjith made the following allegations against former Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa at a recent media conference: That the day after the report of the PCoI more..

Apr 25 (EN) Sri Lanka is planning to lift withholding tax on interest income below 100,000 a month to help older citizens who depend on interest income as interest rates fall, State Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya said. With deposit rates falling to around 9% from an earlier 16%, elderly persons who depend on interest get less income, he said. “We are now planning to put in place a mechanism to lift withholding tax from retirees who earn interest below 1,000 rupees a month,” more..

Apr 25 (AD) Foreign Minister Ali Sabry is scheduled to leave for Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to attend the World Economic Forum’s Special Meeting on Global Cooperation, Growth and Energy for Development which will be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from 28-29 April. Convened by the World Economic Forum, the Special Meeting in Riyadh is expected to bring together leaders from diverse sectors and industries to inspire a comprehensive dialogue on the most urgent and complex issues of the day. more..

Apr 25 (FT) The Gender Equality Bill has been gazetted. It requires every public institution and private institution to appoint a senior official to be responsible for gender mainstreaming and gender equality (Gender Focal Point). That person is legally required to prepare a plan of activities targeting their areas of responsibility and report directly to the Council on a quarterly basis with a copy to Women Parliamentarians Caucus in Parliament (section 17). more..

Apr 25 (FT) SJB presidential campaign manager Sujeewa Senasinghe and live-wire SM Marikkar accuse Prez Wickremesinghe of refusing the SJB its request of venue for May 1st and switching that preferred location to the JVP-NPP instead. Meanwhile, six SJB MPs including shadow Finance Minister Dr Harsha de Silva accept decentralized funds from Prez Wickremesinghe allegedly without obtaining party permission. Is Ranil already a shareholder of the SJB, while simultaneously undermining it? more..

Apr 25 (FT) In an internationally widely observed and landmark visit to SL, the Iranian President Dr. Ibrahim Raisi yesterday renewed his country’s further support to the progress of the Indian ocean nation. In a whistle stop but highly secure tour to SL, President Raisi inaugurated the $ 514 million worth Uma Diya Janani multi-purpose development project which boosts the critical electricity and irrigation sectors of the country. more..

Apr 25 (AD) Iran and SL on Wednesday signed five MoUs, aimed at bolstering bilateral relations between the two countries. Signed in the presence of Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe and Prez Dr. Ebrahim Raisi, the five agreements will cover cooperation between the two countries in the fields of film, media, tourism, cooperatives, libraries, and cultural, scientific, technical, and sports: 1. MoU on cooperation between National Library of SL and the National Library and Archives of Iran more..

Apr 25 (DN) United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in SL's mobile interactive gender exhibition, A Journey of Transformation and Women’s Empowerment, reached its final stop in Batticaloa and was opened by Julie Chung, US Ambassador to SL together with Azusa Kubota, Resident Representative, UNDP in SL, along with the participation of other local govt officials, development partners and CSO partners. The pioneering initiative aimed at more..

Apr 25 (Island) SJB leader Sajith Premadasa yesterday confirmed that an abortive attempt was made on his life at Galle Face on the afternoon of May 09, 2022 in the wake of the attack by SLPP goons on those who had barricaded themselves outside the Presidential Secretariat. MP Premadasa said so in response to The Island query. We sought the Opposition Leader’s reaction to SLPP MP Johnston Fernando’s declaration that more..

Apr 25 (DM) The chief local facilitator behind the organised child smuggling syndicate between SL and Malaysia, which rocked the country with 17 child smuggling cases last year, was arrested by the Dept of Immigration and Emigration at the BIA, when he was deported from Malaysia today. Making a breakthrough in a year-long probe by the SL border agency, the chief local facilitator was caught in the act of transporting a 14-year-old boy with his father by the Malaysian Immigration Dept more..

Apr 25 (DM) In light of the numerous complaints received, the Railways department has stated that riding on the footboards of express trains is strictly prohibited. They have made it clear that they will not assume responsibility for any accidents involving both locals and foreign tourists. A senior official from the department noted that several incidents have been reported where both locals and foreign tourists were observed riding on footboards, particularly on upcountry trains. more..

Apr 25 (DM) Govt Medical Officers' Association (GMOA) has requested the govt to suspend the recent Cabinet decision which approved local students to gain admission to the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University's medical degree programme. Under the endorsed proposal, which received the nod from the Cabinet, aspiring medical students from Sri Lanka will have the opportunity to commence their studies at the renowned institution from the upcoming academic year. more..

Apr 25 (FT) Despite the temporary setback in tea production in the first quarter, due to the dry weather and low fertiliser application by smallholders in Q1, the Sri Lanka Tea Board (SLTB) Chairman Niraj de Mel was optimistic that the tea output could still reach 260 million kilos and generating around $ 1.3 billion in revenue for 2024. “We were hopeful of a positive year, but the good work of January and February was wiped out in March with the first quarter ending up in a negative manner. more..