Apr 30 (TM) The longstanding issue of granting forest access to the Vedda community is nearing its final stages, with the Govt preparing to introduce a legal framework to formalise their rights, it is learnt. Deputy Environment Minister Anton Jayakody said that a Bill to allow Vedda community members to enter forests under regulated conditions will soon be presented to the Cabinet of Ministers. He noted that the proposed legal framework aims to ensure that they are permitted to more..

Apr 30 (AD) A discussion to review the progress of the process to establish a new authority for the protection and restoration of the Central Highlands has been held yesterday (29) at the Presidential Secretariat, under the patronage of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. The President emphasised the urgent need to safeguard and rebuild the Central Highlands, following the significant damage caused by landslides triggered by the recent Cyclone Ditwah, President’s Media Division said. more..

Apr 30 (CI) Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) president Shammi Silva and the board's executive committee members officially resigned on Wednesday, a move which had been rubber-stamped at a special committee meeting the day before. The development reportedly came after a request from the country's prez, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who is understood to have met Silva last Friday to negotiate a cordial exit amid more..

Apr 30 (DN) SL’s women’s hockey team suffered a heavy 6–2 defeat against Hong Kong China in their final match of Women’s Asian Games Qualifier 2026, played in Jakarta, yesterday, ending their campaign on a disappointing note. Hong Kong China took early control of the 7th/8th place playoff, racing to a 2–0 lead within the first 12 minutes through well-executed field goals. SL responded with a penalty corner conversion in the 14th minute to reduce the deficit to 2–1 at the end of the first period. more..

Apr 30 (FT) Sri Lanka will welcome internationally respected Buddhist scholar and monastic teacher Ajahn Brahmali tomorrow, 1 May (Poya Day), when he delivers a special Dhamma Talk on The Right View (Samma Ditthi) at the BMICH Main Hall. The program will be held from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and over 1,500 participants are expected to spend a day in seela, with the day being dedicated to several talks and discussions on the complex subject of Right View in the Noble Eightfold Path. more..

Apr 30 (ST) Nearly 500 complaints related to online fraud, including financial scams, have been reported to the SL Computer Emergency Readiness Team (SLCERT) so far this year. According to these reports, 95% of these incidents occur due to user error. Senior Information Security Engineer at SLCERT, Charuka Damunupola, explained: “This is like a bank customer handing over their own credit card and PIN to more..

Apr 30 (FT) The Insurance Regulatory Commission of SL (IRCSL), together with the Insurance Association of SL (IASL) and the SL Police, has introduced the country’s first digital motor insurance card, marking a shift towards real-time verification and paperless enforcement. The issuance of digital motor insurance cards comes into effect from 1 May. The system enables motorists and law enforcement officers to verify insurance coverage instantly through digital channels. more..

Apr 30 (ST) SL and China have formalised a framework to settle trade directly in Renminbi (RMB) in an initiative of moving away from a traditional reliance on the US Dollar for its massive trade volume with China. Governor of the CB, Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe, and Governor of the People’s Bank of China, Dr. Pan Gongsheng, on the sidelines of the recent IMF-WB Spring Meetings in Washington underscored the potential benefits of promoting Renminbi-denominated settlements for more..

Apr 30 (Island) The International Labour Organisation (ILO) now defines a living wage as the wage level necessary for workers and their families to afford a decent standard of living, given national circumstances, for normal hours of work. This standard of living is operationalised through the cost of essential goods and services, typically including food, housing, healthcare, education, transport, and a modest allowance for contingencies and social participation. more..

Apr 30 (FT) Seylan Bank has reported a Profit After Tax (PAT) of Rs. 2.91 billion in the first quarter of 2026, up 5.25% from a year ago. The bank said it recorded a Profit Before Income Tax (PBT) of Rs. 4,548 million in 1Q 2026, against Rs. 4,199 million a year ago, reflecting a growth of 8.31%. Net interest income increased from Rs. 8,587 million to Rs. 9,734 million, an increase of 13.37% over the previous year mainly due to the significant growth in the bank’s assets base over last 12 mo more..

Apr 30 (FT) Regional Plantation Companies (RPCs) are preparing to invest in palm oil cultivation, expecting the Govt to lift the 7-year ban. The shift was outlined at an industry roundtable organised by the Palm Oil Industry Association (POIA) and Watawala Plantations, where companies set out plans to expand cultivation if policy changes. POIA COO Yajith de Silva said the Plantations Ministry-appointed 13-member more..

Apr 30 (FT) South Asia’s first ever One Love Reggae Festival will be held from 7 to 9 Aug in Bentota Beach, its organisers announced yesterday. The festival will feature 9 legendary int'l reggae headlining artists making it one of the largest reggae gatherings ever staged in the region. Starting daily from 5 p.m. onwards, fans can expect three days of vibrant music, cultural expression, and unity. Set against the stunning coastal backdrop of Bentota, the One Love Reggae Festival more..

Apr 30 (Island) US President Donald Trump has lashed out at German Chancellor Friedrich Merz for being critical of the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran. Instead of countering the German leader’s compelling arguments, Trump has alleged that Germany is not opposed to Iran’s nuclear programme. He has written in a social media post that Merz thinks it is all right for Iran to have a nuclear weapon and does not know what he is talking about. If Iran had a nuclear weapon, more..

Apr 30 (TM) For decades, cricket was the invisible thread that stitched together the various fabrics of our society. In times of war, economic hardship, or natural disaster, the national team provided a singular reason for a fractured nation to exhale in unison. It was never merely a sport. It was stitched tightly into our identity, a source of joy, and a symbol of a small island punching well above its weight on the global stage. Yet today, that thread has frayed. The resignation of the entire SLC more..

Apr 30 (ST) Yet today, SL is grappling with serious policy challenges in trade and macroeconomic stability. Few seem to grasp the gravity of the issue. Over the past three years, people have made significant sacrifices to restore stability, but this hard‑earned progress cannot be sustained without a breakthrough in trade performance. Without stronger trade outcomes, not only is macroeconomic stability at risk, but so too are the prospects for income growth, job creation, poverty reduction, more..

Apr 30 (CT) International terrorism expert and founder of the Int'l Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research, and Editor of the Handbook of Terrorism in the Middle East, Prof. Rohan Gunaratna, speaks to Ceylon Today on the escalation of conflict in the Middle East and the volatility the future holds for SL in view of the growing threat to the Indian Ocean. Q: Sri Lanka announced the strengthening of its security and more..

Apr 30 (TM) It is true by the modern Gregorian calendar that every coming day is just another day. Yet, one day is set aside for workers across the world. So, in two days, we mark May Day. In Bread and Roses (2000 film by Kenneth Charles Loach), a low-wage janitor named Maya tells her exhausted sister: "They can have our sweat. But they can't have our dignity. Therefore, this day belongs to us." The line travels well beyond the screen. It sits easily in real life. more..

Apr 30 (GV) In Sept and Nov 2024, the NPP govt led by Prez Dissanayake swept to power on a historic wave of popular discontent. Voters exhausted by decades of entrenched corruption, dynastic misrule and the catastrophic 2022 economic collapse turned to an outsider movement that promised nothing less than a systemic transformation of the country’s political culture. Thousands of kilometres to the northwest, a strikingly similar story had unfolded a decade earlier. more..

Apr 30 (TM) For decades, families living along the fragile borderlands of Mullaitivu and Vavuniya have known little but upheaval, war, displacement, enforced disappearances, lost deeds, abandoned homes, and the long struggle to begin again. Many started rebuilding their lives after 2009 through farming, fishing, and cattle rearing, believing that peace had at last brought a chance at permanence. Today, however, more..

Apr 30 (DM) The NPP govt, since it was voted into power in 2024 thanks to the unprecedented economic crisis the country underwent four years ago, is gradually learning to mend the gap between theory and practice in politics, yet giving ammunition to its adversaries. Their teachings and arguments as an Opposition party before assuming power were mostly theoretical and attractive, but now as a party in power they have begun to feel that some of the theories they have been stressing are more..

Apr 30 (DM) Sri Lanka Cricket Board Chairman Shammi Silva’s resignation came in at a time when the most popular sport in the country is gasping for breath. Cricket, once a much-celebrated sport in every nook and corner of the country, gradually became unpopular among the masses due to its corrupt nature. With players showcasing poor performances and sometimes losing matches at a rate, much to the dismay of fans who were ready to support the team despite these shortcomings. more..

Apr 29 (NW) Maligakanda Magistrate’s Court today imposed a fine of Rs. 500,000 on a restaurant located in the food court of a shopping mall in Colombo 04 for selling drinking water bottles above the govt‑regulated Maximum Retail Price (MRP). The case followed a raid by the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA), where an officer posing as a customer purchased a 500ml water bottle. The restaurant charged Rs. 100 but returned only Rs. 20 in change, effectively overcharging Rs. 80 more..

Apr 29 (NF) Information continues to emerge regarding investigations being conducted by the CIABOC into the assets of former Prez Mahinda Rajapaksa and his wife, Shiranthi Rajapaksa. Bribery Commission has stated that the affidavit submitted by former Prez Mahinda Rajapaksa in connection with the assets investigation was found to be incomplete. Commission said that, as a result, he has been informed to submit a fully completed affidavit without delay. more..

Apr 29 (DM) SL’s reliance on tobacco taxes is facing a growing policy contradiction, with Ceylon Tobacco Company (CTC) warning that repeated excise hikes are accelerating a shift toward illicit cigarettes, potentially undermining Govt revenue even as the sector remains a major fiscal pillar. CTC, in its latest Annual Report said it contributed Rs.173.8 billion to the Treasury in 2025, around 4% of total tax revenue, highlighting more..

Apr 29 (TM) Minister of Fisheries, Ramalingam Chandrasekhar has strongly condemned the recent incident in which a SL national was arrested and severely assaulted in India. Minister emphasised that such acts constitute a serious violation of human rights and significantly harm the mutual respect and trust between SL and India. He highlighted that ensuring the safety and dignity of all citizens is a fundamental duty of any govt, and actions of this nature are unacceptable. more..

Apr 29 (Island) The latest A/L results show that the Central Province has fallen to the 8th position in the national rankings, according to Senior Assistant Education Secretary of the Province Prabath Maddumaarachchi. He noted that the North Central Province is the only province ranked below them. He made these remarks while attending the 26th Professional Lecturers’ Meeting held at the City Hotel in Kandy. “The field of education is a highly sensitive sector. more..

Apr 29 (NF) Former State Intelligence Chief, retired Major General Suresh Salley, who is currently being held under a detention order in connection with the Easter Sunday terrorist attacks, was presented before a Judicial Medical Officer this morning. Salley was produced before the Colombo JMO under tight security provided by the STF. This step was taken by the CID following a court order issued based on a request more..

Apr 29 (TM) Deshabandu Sirisumana Godage, the founder of Godage Publications and a prominent figure in SL’s printing and publishing industry, has passed away at the age of 90. He was conferred with the Deshabandu title in 2003 in recognition of his services to society. Born in May 1936 in Palatuwa village in the Matara District, he was the sixth of nine siblings. He completed his education at Gunaratana Maha Vidyalaya in Palatuwa and later moved to Kalutara at around the age of 15 more..

Apr 29 (TM) The group of Buddhist monks and participants who completed the seven-day Ehipassiko peace walk in Sri Lanka departed the island this morning (29). Led by Venerable Pannakara Thero, a Vietnamese monk based in US, the delegation left BIA at 7:12 a.m. bound for Istanbul, Turkey, with plans to connect to the US. The delegation included monks, lay participants, and a dog named Aloka. During their departure, they offered alms at the airport’s VIP lounge, more..

Apr 29 (EN) UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is providing fertilizer vouchers to smallholder paddy farmers to recover production in time for the upcoming Yala cultivation season. The farmers in Anuradhapura saw their fields partially or fully damaged by Cyclone Ditwah during the Maha cultivation season in SL 2025/26. Through a voucher scheme valued at 300,000 dollars, FAO will provide targeted fertilizer support to 3,489 smallholder paddy farmers, including 1,686 women farmers. more..

Apr 29 (AD) Sri Lanka and Indonesia have held discussions to grant visa exemption for diplomatic and official passport holders of both countries. The proposal was deliberated during a visit of the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia, Muhammad Anis Matta, who undertook an official visit to Sri Lanka, at the invitation of Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Arun Hemachandra. During the visit, Vice Minister Matta held bilateral discussions with Deputy Minister Hemachandra. more..