Apr 20 (TM) Six years to the day and hundreds of promises and three different presidents and govts later, with a fourth president and govt in office, SL is no closer to identifying the mastermind/s behind the deadly Easter Sunday attacks than on that fateful day of 21 April 2019. The promises of swift justice have been plenty; so have the appointment of numerous commissions of inquiry and their equally numerous reports, yet, six long years later, the country is still awaiting justice more..

Apr 20 (ST) As Christians around the world celebrate Easter Sunday today, the day is still overshadowed by the local Catholic Church hierarchy’s battle with successive govts seeking justice for the victims of the coordinated bombings of churches that fateful Easter morn in 2019. Multiple investigations to find out who was behind these dastardly acts and the motive for them have only resulted in the fog of a war of words by conflicting forces and conspiracy theorists. more..

Apr 20 (ST) Dy Minister Chaturanaga Abeysinghe faced a lot of ridicule on social media after a speech he made at a public rally claiming that US Prez Donald Trump’s decision to freeze tariffs for 90 days was prompted by the letter sent by Prez Dissanayake to his US counterpart. He may not have said so specifically, but given the metaphors and double-speak his party colleagues have now got accustomed to, in office, he was being more..

Apr 20 (CT) Amidst a spectrum of opinions, one thing is clear: the campaign finance law currently in place in SL cannot be underestimated and it deserves more credit than it receives —it is far from trivial. Detractors may argue that legislation framework is futile in a country where implementation is often flawed—but that critique misses the mark. In fact, SL boasts some of the most advanced campaign finance regulations in the region. Yet, as with any legal framework, more..

Apr 20 (ST) My dear Pillayan, I am writing to you because everyone is suddenly talking about you when they should be talking about the New Year, Dalada exhibition or the local govt elections. This is because you were first arrested, then detained under the PTA and various people wanted to contact you after that. Some will argue that you should have been detained under the PTA a long time ago, when you first joined Velu and his Tigers as a child soldier at the age of 16 years. That did not happen. more..

Apr 20 (SO) Today is yet another Easter Sunday for Sri Lankans, especially the Catholic community, without justice for the hundreds of victims killed in the 21 April 2019 Easter Sunday attacks. Tomorrow (21) marks the sixth anniversary of the attacks, and the Catholic Church continues to hold Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD) and his JVP-led NPP Govt to the pledge given to the country’s Catholic community & Archbishop more..

Apr 20 (SO) If there is one thing we learned from the Covid-19 pandemic, which engulfed the world five years ago, it is that the next pandemic is a matter of when, not if. Thousands of Covid-like viruses are lurking in animals, waiting for an opportunity to jump to humans (hence the term zoonotic disease). Climate factors, biodiversity loss and the illegal and legal trade in wildlife are all contributory factors, along with increased travel. Covid-19 was a bad experience from the point of view of more..

Apr 20 (CT) Easter Sunday of 21st April 2019 was one of if not the bloodiest days in the history of Buddhist SL. It was staged by a small group of religiously deranged Muslim mercenaries headed by a vagabond madrasa truant and backyard imam apparently hired by a politically ambitious cabal. In a series of three articles under the heading Anatomy of an Islamic Infamy authored by this columnist and published in this journal on 5th 8th and 10th May 2019 several issues regarding that more..

Apr 19 (EN) A team from Sri Lanka will travel to Washington to have discussions on easing a 44% reciprocal tariff imposed on the island on April 22, Minister Anil Jayantha said. The delegation will have talks with the US Trade Representative on lowering tariffs and increasing imports to reduce a trade surplus with America, Minister said. SL had held virtual discussions with Assistant US Trade Representative more..

Apr 19 (CT) The 10-day exposition of the Sacred Tooth Relic at the Dalada Maligawa in Kandy, which began on 18 April, has drawn an unprecedented number of devotees, with Police estimating that over 1.5 million people will attend this rare religious event after 16 years. Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake inaugurated the sacred ceremony with the auspicious blessings of the Malwatte and Asgiriya Chapters. To ensure the safety of devotees, a robust security operation has been deployed, more..

Apr 19 (CT) In a decisive shift aimed at securing SL’s access to the European Union’s GSP+ trade concessions, Govt is preparing to swiftly repeal the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). A high-level EU delegation is expected to arrive in SL this May, during which trade and investment discussions will be held. Deputy Minister Anil Jayantha Fernando, said that SL will also take this opportunity to discuss export diversification and the continuation of GSP+ benefits with the visiting team. more..

Apr 19 (DN) China stands ready to support Sri Lanka’s development and strengthen their longstanding partnership, Chinese Ambassador Qi Zhenhong said in a release, addressing global trade tensions. Emphasizing the importance of multilateralism and economic cooperation, Qi re-affirmed Beijing’s commitment to working closely with Colombo to resist protectionism and economic coercion. more..

Apr 19 (DN) PM Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated that this Govt and the Cabinet are well capable of discharging duties without being a burden to the country and that of it can be confidently stated that the corruption, fraud and destruction have been completely halted. PM made these remarks while participating in a public gathering held at the Pullman Grand Hall in Kolonnawa on Wednesday (16). PM also stated: “Now it is the time for all of us to work together to rebuild the country. more..

Apr 19 (EN) A group of 44 diplomats, including from Vietnam, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Nepal, the Netherlands, India, Myanmar, Palestine, France, New Zealand, Cuba, Egypt, Japan, UK, Thailand, Canada and South Korea headed to Kandy by train to participate in special viewing of Lord Buddha’s Sacred Tooth Relic. The group traveled to Kandy this morning in a special observation saloon of a train that departed from Colombo Fort Railway Station at around 7:00 am, more..

Apr 19 (PMD) A fraudulent invitation is being circulated, misleading the public to attend the inauguration ceremony of the Siri Dalada Vandanawa (Exposition of the Sacred Tooth Relic). This fake invitation, falsely created in the name of the Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, instructs recipients to arrive at the President’s House in Kandy to participate in the event. No special invitations have been issued to anyone for the Siri Dalada Vandanawa. more..

Apr 19 (EN) Former state minister for finance has defended a controversial decision to restructure the country’s private sector workers’ superannuation fund, after the central bank approved an interest rate of 11% on Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) balances for 2024. “At the time, we promised a minimum return of 9% because we believed in the success of the recovery plan—despite criticism from those who didn’t fully understand the process,” Shehan Semasinghe said. more..

Apr 19 (AD) Siri Dalada Wandanawa, the special exposition of the Sacred Tooth Relic, which allows the public to venerate and pay their respects to the Sacred Tooth Relic, commenced today (18) after 16 years, with the participation of Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Marking the inauguration ceremony, the Prez placed first floral tribute to the Sacred Tooth Relic and with the President paying homage to the Sacred Tooth Relic, more..

Apr 19 (DN) Ambassadors, High Commissioners and other diplomats representing many countries including Vietnam, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Nepal, the Netherlands, India, Myanmar, Palestine, France, New Zealand, Cuba, Egypt, Japan, the United Kingdom, Thailand, Canada and South Korea travelled to Kandy yesterday morning by train from the Colombo Fort Railway Station to participate in the inauguration of the Siri Dalada Wandanawa Special exposition of the Sacred Tooth Relic. more..

Apr 19 (CT) Gujarat Titans (GT) have officially signed Sri Lankan all-rounder Dasun Shanaka as a replacement for the injured Glenn Phillips for the remainder of the IPL 2025 season. This announcement came on 18 April following Phillips’ unfortunate groin injury sustained during a match against the Sunrisers Hyderabad on 6 April. Phillips, who was brought into the team for INR 2 crore during the IPL 2025 mega-auction, did not play a single match for GT this season due to injury, more..

Apr 19 (DM) The Vatican is to declare those who died in bomb attacks in churches on Easter Sunday six years ago as Heroes of Faith on Monday April 21, 2025. Director Communications Catholic Church Fr. Jude Chrysantha said Archbishop of Colombo Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith will read out the announcement from the Vatican in Katuwapitiya on that day. ‘Heroes of Faith’ is a term used by the Catholic Church to refer to those who sacrifice their lives for what they believe. more..

Apr 19 (NW) Eleven staff members, including the manager of the Indian Hut restaurant in Galle, have been remanded until April 28 in connection with an alleged assault on a group of customers, police said. The incident occurred on the night of April 16, when a dispute over food escalated into a physical altercation between restaurant employees and a group of diners. Six individuals, including a 28-year-old man and two minors aged 17 and 14 from Colombo, sustained injuries and more..

Apr 19 (CT) Sri Lanka concluded the 6th edition of the Asian U-18 Athletics Championship in Saudi Arabia with its highest-ever medal tally, with middle-distance runner Tharushi Abhisheka shining as the country’s sole gold medalist. The Sri Lankan contingent secured a total of eight medals—1 gold, 3 silver, and 4 bronze—finishing in 9th place overall. This marks the country’s largest medal haul in the championship’s history across six editions. more..

Apr 19 (CT) A low level of public interest has been reported in the upcoming Local Govt (LG) Elections compared to the previous two elections, according to the PAFFREL. PAFFREL’s Executive Director, Rohana Hettiarachchi, stated that no major incidents related to the LG Elections have been reported since the campaign commenced, although several complaints have been received — including 20 related to the misuse of govt property and 15 concerning personal attacks. more..

Apr 19 (DN) Final two crucial matches of the preliminary round of the National Super League (NSL) 4-day cricket tournament organized by SLC will begin on Sunday (20). Dambulla team led by Dhananjaya de Silva will meet Jaffna at Pallekele while Galle will play their match agsinst Colombo at Dambulla Stadium .After one week rest due to new year celebrations teams will be in action to finish the preliminary round. Top two teams at the end of the preliminary round of the 5-team tournament more..

Apr 19 (ST) In earlier times, people overexploited mangroves for their use all over the country. It eventually caused mangrove degradation. So mangrove restoration became essential. Over time, it may become a tradition to plant mangroves without adequate scientific research. Many developed countries offset their carbon emissions by planting mangroves in SL. Most NGOs support this practice by promoting the concept of blue carbon. more..

Apr 19 (DN) With the dreams of a nation resting on their shoulders, SL’s rugby stars will take the field today for a decisive Asia Rugby Emirates Men’s C'ship 2025 Play-Off match against Malaysia — a clash that could lift the Tuskers into the top four of Asian rugby for the first time in years. Kick-off is set for 4 PM at Racecourse Grounds in Colombo. It promises to be a high-intensity battle, with SL, ranked 40th in the world, meeting 50th-ranked Malaysia in what has been billed as a more..

Apr 19 (Island) UN Global Compact Network Sri Lanka is introducing a transformative patron structure for its Working Groups, set to take effect in 2025. This initiative strengthens the Network’s commitment to advancing corporate sustainability by amplifying the leadership of select companies within their respective issue areas. The Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) were signed on March 20, 2025, at the 80 Club, in the presence of the Network’s Board Members. more..

Apr 19 (TM) Fitch Ratings has set SL’s banking sector outlook for 2025 to improving, but says a surge in US tariffs could threaten this assumption in the Asia Pacific region. Fitch Ratings had anticipated broadly stable operating conditions across most Asia Pacific banking systems in 2025, but a surge in US tariffs could threaten this assumption in some markets. It said that the effect of the trade war on specific banking systems in the region will depend on final tariff outcomes, more..

Apr 19 (ST) SL’s Information Technology (IT) industry has experienced significant growth, with revenues increasing from approximately US$750 million, 10 years ago, to between $1.5 to 2 billion, Director of Creative Software Sushena Ranatunga said. This expansion underscores sector’s resilience and potential as a key contributor to the national economy, a pioneer in the IT industry, he added. Recent fiscal reforms have introduced new tax measures impacting digital services sector. more..

Apr 19 (CT) On Monday 21 April, Christian Community and families from both local and several foreign countries would commemorate the Sixth Anniversary of those whose lives were snatched away by the cruel bombers on that fateful Easter Sunday – in a series of attacks that shook the nation. For those who lost their loving members of families, next of kin, loved ones and friends the mental wounds inflicted by the deadly blasts, more..

Apr 19 (Island) Cassandra flopped down on her favourite sofa satiated with kavun, kokis and athiraha. She missed her treacle filled coils of ulundu – unduvel – which are elegant, smallish and slightly crunchy total delights; a specialty of the Kandy region. They are basically pani walalu, but unique in their smaller coils and taste; different from jalabi and those which you can buy at the Avan Hala below the Ambepussa Rest house, named hotel or resort or whatever now. more..

Apr 19 (Island) Govts with steamroller majorities become impervious to reasoning. Blinded by the arrogance of power, they dig their own political graves. This, we have witnessed on numerous occasions in this country. When ensconced in power, politicians practise the exact opposite of what they preach during their election campaigns. JVP-led NPP govt finds itself in an unenviable position. It has had some arrests made under Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), which it used to more..