Apr 18 (EN) SL�s small luxury boutiques are seeing markets open as the country begins to stabilize and settle after the long awaited IMF loan was approved. Crisis- hit island nation received the IMF board approval for a US$ 2.9 billion extended fund facility loan approval on March 20 and aims are to reduce inflation, eradicate the primary deficit, restore financial stability, increase revenue and combat corruption and vulnerabilities. �There will definitely be an improvement after the IMF, more..

Apr 18 (CI) Ireland's collapse rolled into day three in Galle, as SL's spinners scythed through them twice, to secure an innings-and-280 run victory with Prabath Jayasuriya claiming a 10-wicket haul. Ireland were always likely to struggle here. They had never played in SL before, and were thrust into unforgiving April heat, without so much as a practice match to acclimatise. But where they had given a decent account of their skills against Bangladesh, more..

Apr 18 (DM) The consumers will gain a huge relief if the price of eggs is decided according to their weight, All Island Poultry Association (AIPA) President Ajith Gunasekara said. He said the Trade Ministry and the Agriculture Ministry should reach an agreement to decide upon the price of eggs by weight. He cited the problems caused by imposing the maximum retail price introduced in August last year. We should adhere to the latest technology and international standards and introduce value-added more..

Apr 18 (FT) Despite the declining volumes, tea prices are on the rise year-on-year where national sales average both in rupee and dollar terms. Forbes and Walker Tea Brokers said in March as well as in the first quarter of 2023 all elevations have recorded significant gains compared to the corresponding period of 2022. However, the national Tea Sales Average (TSA) for March recorded a decline of Rs. 175.20 to Rs. 1,263 ($ 3.82) compared to the Feb 2023 average of Rs. 1,438.20. more..

Apr 18 (CT) Makulugaswewa Police said they were able to unearth information with regard to a murder of a youth, one and a half years ago, through information given by a woman. It was said at that time that the youth had died due to self-immolation. Police said they were able to discover details of a murder that could have been swept under the carpet and were able to arrest a suspect who had aided and abetted in the crime. An incident had been reported from the Habarana Police Division more..

Apr 18 (EN) SL�s proposed Anti-Terrorism Bill little changed from the one presented in 2018 under the previous govt, which was presented after lengthy discussions with Int'l agencies and partners, Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe said. Strong criticism has mounted on SL�s proposed Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), which will replace the four-decade old Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). The island nation came under severe criticism when the govts in power misused the PTA more..

Apr 18 (EN) Opposition MP Mano Ganesan, who recently made an abortive attempt to bring Prez Wickremesinghe�s UNP and SJB together, said his own party has yet to decide on a future course of action in the event of an invitation to form a national govt. Ganesan said the Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA), which he leads, will decide when the time comes. �We are part of the SJB-led alliance. We�re a separate party. We will decide at two levels: more..

Apr 18 (AD) The Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) and the Vocational Training Authority today inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to provide vocational training aimed at foreign employment. Minister of Labour and Foreign Employment Manusha Nanayakkara, who was present at the event signing of the MoU, said Sri Lanka needs to more skilled workers to meet the demand for employment opportunities in countries like Japan, Europe, Canada, Australia and the Middle East. more..

Apr 18 (DM) An intelligence report revealed that certain extremist political groups wanted to promote extremist political ideologies by using the frustration of the youth by delaying the scrutinization of GCE (A/L) answer scripts, Minister Susil Premajayantha said. He said that the intelligence report was released last week and that the report said that extremist political groups are trying to cause inconvenience among the youth who are in the 18, 19 and 20 age group by delaying more..

Apr 18 (HM) In SL, during last year�s aragalaya, or people�s struggle, the concept of the gama or village in Sinhala, came to the forefront of political discourse. Gota Go Gama on the Galle Face Green in Colombo, demanding that Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa resign amid a dire economic crisis, not only became the main site of resistance but also came to represent an anarchistic revolutionary movement. Many other Gota Go villages emerged elsewhere in the country as well. more..

Apr 18 (CT) Following the mysterious deaths of fish, since Sunday (16), in the Kotmale Oya, which flows from Ambewela to Talawakelle, the residents and villagers living near the Kotmale Reservoir are advised not to consume those dead fish, Nuwara Eliya District Health Services Director Nissanka Wijewardena said. He said that following inquiries, conducted thus far, it has come to light that on a 12km stretch of the Kotmale River from Ambewela to Meraya and from Algin up to Agarakanda more..

Apr 18 (AD) Minister Ali Sabry, has described Sri Lanka as a hub of opportunities for investors, despite its recent crisis. Speaking at the launch of the Blockchain Centre in Sri Lanka held in Colombo on Monday, Sabry explained that SL is ideal to facilitate such a platform, owing to its abundance of investment opportunities and the renowned hospitality of its people. �Despite our drawbacks, and some extremists from all communities, our people are our biggest strength. more..

Apr 18 (AD) A 57-year-old resident of Gamagoda, Kalutara has been arrested as a suspect over the murder of his wife. The suspect was arrested yesterday, after a postmortem examination conducted on his wife revealed that she had died by strangulation, despite claims that she had died after having fallen down in the house. The deceased has been identified as Neelamuni Ramani Silva, residing in Gamagoda, Kalutara. She had passed away on 12 April, after reportedly collapsing inside her house. more..

Apr 18 (TM) The principal of a private school in Minuwangoda has been arrested for sexually assaulting a young female teacher yesterday (17). The 60-year-old principal of the school had asked the 22-year-old teacher to come to school for a special task, despite the school being closed. Upon completing the said task, the principal had sexually assaulted the teacher after hugging her inappropriately, after which the young teacher had fled the school. more..

Apr 18 (DM) SL ended 2022 with an official unemployment rate of 4.8 percent, a figure which masked much of the anomalies in the country�s labour market, as many people either migrated or gave up looking for work when the economy fell into its worst slump in the country�s post-independent history. The fourth quarter jobless rate came in at slightly better than the third quarter�s 5% but some economic analysts said the unemployment rate was misleading because more..

Apr 18 (AD) A discussion pertaining to the future affairs of the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Religious Affairs and Co-Existence was held at the Committee meeting held under the Chairmanship of MP Upul Mahendra Rajapaksha recently. Identifying the role, scope, future program and problems of the institutions under the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs was taken into discussion at the Committee meeting held, Communication Dept of Parliament said. more..

Apr 18 (AD) State Minister of Finance Ranjith Siyambalapitiya says that measures will be taken to relax the import restrictions imposed on many other goods. Speaking to the media today, following a review meeting on SL Customs� revenue targets for the year, State Minister pointed out that it will also help SL Customs to achieve the expected income. Siyambalapitiya, who emphasized that the revenue target given to the SL Customs for the first three months of the year is Rs. 270 billion, more..

Apr 18 (DM) The constitutionality of the private member�s bill submitted to parliament seeking to amend SL�s penal code with the aim of protecting the country�s LGBTQI community has been challenged before the Supreme Court through a Special Determination petition. A Retired Brigadier of SL Army Athula De Silva, Political analyst Shenali Waduge and prominent businesswoman Jehan Hameed filed this Special Determination petition naming the Attorney General and more..

Apr 18 (TM) The Cabinet has approved the proposed roadmap and timeline of the CEB restructuring process, said the Minister Kanchana Wijesekera. Approval for the proposed restructuring plan was granted at the Cabinet meeting held yesterday. Accordingly, the final draft of the new Electricity Act will be presented to the Parliament for approval by the end of May. Meanwhile, the Cabinet of Ministers also approved the establishment of a reform secretariat, and to obtain the assistance of more..

Apr 18 (AD) SL Police and Samurdhi Development Dept have been summoned before the Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) next week, the Department of Communications of the Parliament said in a media release. Thereby, the officials of the Samurdhi Development Dept will appear before the COPA on April 25. Meanwhile, SL Police is slated to make its appearance before the COPA the following day (26). COPA, chaired by State Minister Lasantha Alagiyawanna, will look into the AG�s reports more..

Apr 19 (DM) For the past 73 years, we Lankans have at different times permitted different govts to take away our freedom for one reason or the other. We permitted without too much ado, the right of the govt to impose emergency regulations in an effort to prevent workers demanding a living wage. One of the best examples was when late president JR Jayewardene dismissed over 40,000 public sector workers for demanding a monthly increase of Rs.300 in July 1980 using emergency regulations more..

Apr 19 (DM) One of my younger colleagues at the University of Peradeniya, recently wrote on his Facebook something a female student had told him: Sir, we only eat one meal a day. This is not news to us at universities, especially to those of us whose students are mostly from rural Sri Lanka. Peradeniya itself is rather rural, and the students coming from even its vicinity belong to the rural poor. One of the students told me that her daily bus fare is unbearable for her family. more..

Apr 19 (DM) The proposed Anti-Terrorism Bill which was gazetted on March 22, 2023, came under much scrutiny by civil society groups, legal entities and local and international human rights organisations. Even though the Bill seeks to replace the draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act with an Anti-Terrorism Act, many stakeholders who observed the draft legislation have pointed out several concerns. Some of these includes more..

Apr 19 (CT) What has imperilled SL is not only the wrong policies adopted by the successive govts that ruled us since Independence in 1946. Not only our leaders, one after the other, who sacrificed good governance and prudent economic management for temporary political power and instant greed-satisfaction are responsible. Selfless governance and magnanimous statesmanship were never a part of our leaders� repertoire. A national economy solely dependent on export of tea, rubber & coconut more..

Apr 19 (DM) For forty years, human rights activists have demanded repeal of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) of 1979. Ultimately it was money, not human rights (the threat of losing GSP+) that forced SL�s hand. A close read of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) reveals it for what it is: lipstick on a pig. It tinkers at the margins without changing what is rotten at its core. Through its overbroad definition of terrorism and backdooring of deradicalization regulations, ATA vastly expands state power more..

Apr 19 (TM) SL�s current crisis is an evolving and dynamic situation. Its political, economic, and social manifestations demonstrate the significance of legal institutions and processes in upholding the responsibilities of democratic governance and protecting the citizens rights. Crisis also holds lessons for other emerging markets and developing countries. Economy, transitional justice and democratic freedoms from a rule of law more..

Apr 19 (TM) Although various proposals for the formation of an all-party Govt are not new and have emerged from time to time over the decades in various backdrops, under the prevailing social, economic and political climate, such proposals and decisions regarding the same cannot be taken lightly as was done before. In fact, an all-party Government was also one of the foremost proposals that were presented when last year�s (2022) aragalaya movement failed to change more..

Apr 19 (CT) The downfall of SriLankan Airlines has been increasingly evident over the years, especially in the recent past, due to which the PM highlighted the need to privatise it. Given the economic crisis that the country is plunged into, there is no doubt that it cannot bear an additional burden and if State-owned enterprises continue to make losses without feasible solutions in the long-run, it could pave the way for the further collapse of the economy. SriLankan Airlines is one of the more..

Apr 19 (FT) Aitken Spence Group�s Elpitiya Plantations (EPP) has invested Rs. 60 million to take up 50% stake in agri-tech start up Ceylon Agri Foods Ltd. The start-up is engaged in Research and Development of innovative solutions to enhance productivity among others in the agriculture sector. EPP is one of SL�s most profitable and impactful Regional Plantation Companies (RPC) cultivating tea, rubber, oil palm and other crops in over 8,800 hectares across 13 estates. more..

Apr 19 (Island) What are human rights? United Nations declares: Human rights are rights inherent to all human beings, regardless of race, sex, nationality, ethnicity, language, religion, or any other status. Human rights include the right to life and liberty, freedom from slavery and torture, freedom of opinion and expression, the right to work and education, and many more. Everyone is entitled to these rights, without discrimination. Animals have similar rights on this planet: more..

Apr 19 (FT) In a bid to encourage manufacturing industries, Govt has decided to gradually relax non-Custom levies imposed on imports to facilitate local and international trade, whilst introducing key reforms to enhance external trade. Cabinet on Monday cleared a proposal to submit the draft regulations under Ports and Airport Development Levy Act No. 18 of 2011 to the Parliament. The move was a 2023 Budget more..

Apr 19 (Island) The Rajapaksa-Wickremesinghe regime is doing everything possible to consolidate its hold on power, regardless of the consequences. It has, in its wisdom, decided to allow only entertainment and religious events to be held on the Galle Face Green! Cabinet Spokesman Bandula Gunawardena said the Cabinet of Ministers had made that decision. Thus, the popular oceanside park will not be available for political rallies or anti-govt protests hereafter, more..

Apr 19 (Island) SL Savings Bank said that it demonstrated agility in a challenging year amidst an unprecedented economic crisis by achieving a growth in Profit After Tax (PAT) of 74% to LKR 445.1 million for the year ended 31st December 2022 compared to LKR 255.1 million recorded a year earlier. Chairperson, Keasila Jayawardena said � amidst tremendous social and economic challenges bank has been able to sustain earnings and has shown it�s financial agility and strength. more..

Apr 19 (TM) Foreign holding of govt securities has increased by almost 50% since Sri Lanka got the approval from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for the $ 2.9 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF), Central Bank data showed. According to Central Bank of SL (CBSL), the total stock of Treasury Bills and Treasury Bonds stood at Rs. 13.8 trillion as of 12 April out of which Rs. 102.4 billion were held by foreign investors, an increase of Rs. 33.61 billion or by 48.4% since 23 March. more..

Apr 19 (AD) A Sri Lankan returning from India has been arrested at the BIA in Katunayake while in possession of a large consignment of narcotic pills. The arrest was made on Tuesday based on a tip-off received byPolice Narcotic Bureau�s sub-unit stationed in Katunayake. The police found 60,460 narcotic pills (PREGAB 150mg) in total, weighing up to 34kg, on the arrestee after searching his luggage at the airport�s arrival terminal. This pill is generally used to treat nerve pain, more..