Apr 25 (FT) I borrowed this caption from an inspirational speech delivered by 2016 Australian of the Year, Lieutenant-General David Morrison. He was the Chief of the Australian Army from 2011 to 2015. His speech was a part of his campaign to champion gender equality in the Australian Army, amid an investigation regarding an unacceptable behaviour of a group of officers against women in the Army. It was a powerful, brutal, honest, and no-nonsense speech. more..

Apr 25 (SLN) A special operation conducted by the SL Navy on 23rd April in the coastal area of Anthonypuram in Palali, Jaffna led to the apprehension of a suspect with over 26 kg of Kerala cannabis. The Navy conducts regular patrols and search operations in the coastal and sea areas of the island to prevent the influx of contraband and other nefarious activities. Accordingly, naval personnel of Veththalakerni and Point Pedro Naval Detachments in SLNS Uththara more..

Apr 25 (AD) The Cabinet has approved limiting the construction of buildings of over four stories in the Nuwara Eliya district from May 01, 2023. The decision has been arrived at while granting approval to a proposal presented by Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe to introduce regulations under the provisions of the UDA Act. Prez recently raised concerns regarding the matter that the allure of Nuwara Eliya city is gradually being decreased as a result of the informal development more..

Apr 25 (AN) Sri Lanka is working on attracting more investment from Saudi Arabia, the island nation�s envoy in Jeddah said, as Saudi support is seen as important to help put the SL economy back on track. SL has been gripped by a deep financial crisis caused by economic mismanagement and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which left the island nation severely short of dollars for essential imports and more..

Apr 25 (EN) SL�s high heat with windless conditions are expected to continue until the Southwest Monsoon begins, officials warned, asking children, pregnant mothers, and the elderly to be vigilant about dehydration symptoms. �This will continue until the beginning of the Southwest monsoon,� Shiromani Jayawardena, Meteorologist at the Met Dept said. �If we receive thunderstorms with a significant amount of rain, with the evaporation, there will be some sort of temporary relief.� more..

Apr 25 (AD) Human Rights Commission of SL today urged FUTA to postpone their trade union action until the paper markings of the 2022 GCE A/L exam is completed. HRCSL said it has initiated an inquiry into this issue by self-intervention in concern with some complaints received by the commission and the media reports pertaining to the issue. Accordingly, a discussion has been held today with the participation of Commissioner General of Examinations and Chairman of FUTA, more..

Apr 25 (DM) The national coffers are reported to have incurred huge losses when implementing Gotabaya Rajapaksa�s rehabilitation/ improvements of the 100,000 km road programme, which was initiated in 2020, it is learnt. Under this programme, national, provincial and rural roads were to be rehabilitated to facilitate travelling and enhancement of economic development of the country. The objective of this programme was more..

Apr 25 (TD) The escalating power struggle between China and the United States, along with their respective allies, has amplified the significance of retaining a military presence in proximity to strategic choke points in the Indian Ocean. This has imposed immense pressure on smaller nations positioned along those chokepoints, given that any action they undertake is subjected to close scrutiny by those vying for supremacy in the new global power dynamics. more..

Apr 25 (AD) MP Dullas Alahapperuma has proposed that the GCE O/L exam not be held this year, in view of the inconvenience caused to students. Speaking during this morning�s Parliamentary session, the MP put forth a proposal that the O/L exam not be held this year, and instead, that the respective students be awarded a certificate by the Dept of Examinations deeming them eligible to commence the A/L syllabus. �I request that you consider this proposal at a time where nearly 600,000 more..

Apr 25 (DM) NPP MP Vijitha Herath today revealed that USD 5 million which was credited to a Union Bank account belonging to the GAC Shipping Ltd. in SL as part of the compensation for the New Diamond disaster had been transferred to an overseas account and hence demanded an investigation into the incident. The MP told Parliament that USD 5 million has been credited by the German Deutsche Bank to the account of the GAC Shipping Ltd. at Union Bank in SL more..

Apr 25 (DM) Minister of Justice Wijeyadasa Rajapaksha dropping a bomb shell in Parliament regarding container ship MV X-Press Pearl and New Diamond today, revealed that a sum of US dollars 250 million has been credited to the bank account of one Chamara Gunasekera as a bribe to prevent the operator of the ship X-Press Pearl to prevent the Sri Lanka govt from securing damages. �I am revealing this on information I have received and cannot be responsible for these revelations. more..

Apr 25 (CI) Paul Stirling and allrounder Curtis Campher struck their nation's third and fourth Test hundreds respectively, as Ireland stormed past their previous highest Test score early in the day, and on to a mammoth 492 by tea. Although the sheen of Ireland's excellent first innings was dulled somewhat by the SL openers progressing to 81 for no loss by stumps, the hosts will still have to mount a huge score more..

Apr 25 (CT) Sri Lanka recorded a malaria death, several years after the last case of indigenous malaria was reported in Oct 2012. Informed sources said the deceased was a 35-year-old person from Cheena Kotuwa, Beruwala in Kalutara, who had gone to Tanzania for gem mining. He had returned to Sri Lanka on 10 April 2023 and had remained at his home with fever for four days before being admitted to a private hospital on 14 April 2023. He had died of the infection on 15 April 2023. more..

Apr 25 (AD) Minister of Education Susil Premajayantha has assured that the 2022 GCE O/L exam will commence on 29 May as scheduled. Speaking in Parliament this morning, the Minister stated that all necessary preparations have been made to hold the exam on 29 May, with the session anticipated to end in 10 days. Meanwhile, commenting on the 2022 GCE A/L exam, Premajayantha revealed that the marking of answer sheets for 10 subjects from the A/L more..

Apr 25 (EN) SJB is attempting a collaborative force against undemocratic actions of the govt with other opposition parties that include dissident factions of the ruling SLPP while reining in any defections from its own fold. SJB leader Sajith Premadasa said in a statement on Monday that several groups within the opposition took the first step in working together as a giant force against what it called undemocratic actions of govt. more..

Apr 25 (ANI) Sri Lanka has appreciated India for offering support to evacuate the stranded Sri Lankans from Sudan after the warring factors entered into a 72-hour ceasefire agreement. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sri Lanka, Ali Sabry on Monday said that the Foreign Ministry of SL is closely monitoring the situation of its citizens in Sudan and that they were working to ensure their safe evacuation. Minister of Foreign Affairs, SL, Ali Sabry on Monday tweeted, more..

Apr 25 (DM) Ministry of Buddhasasana, Shasanarakshaka Bala Mandalaya, and the Dept of Buddhist Affairs have issued guidelines to all temples regarding the holding of the Vesak week. LJP leader Venerable Akmeemana Dayarathana Thera said that the letter informed all the temples to display a banner (8 feet wide and 4 feet high) displaying the contents of the Vesak week celebration. "We requested Dept of Buddhist Affairs to provide relevant funds to print the banner. more..

Apr 25 (EN) Chairman of China Merchants Group, Miao Jianmin has visited Hambantota Port, which is managed by the group. The group which also has built operate transfer container terminal in Colombo Port, would continue to make investments in the South Asian region, he was quoted as saying at the port. China Merchants Ports Holdings Company Ltd (CMPort), which is partner in a joint venture which runs the port network spanning South Asia, Africa, the Mediterranean and South America more..

Apr 25 (CT) Following the brutal killing of five elderly people in Neduntheevu, or the Delft Island, residents of the island protested for the second day, yesterday, over a lack of public security despite the presence of the Navy on the island. The protesters also submitted a petition requesting protection and a surveillance system to monitor activities on the island. Protesting the lack of public safety on the island, despite a sizable Navy presence there, they marched to the Neduntheevu (Delft) DS more..

Apr 25 (PTI) Normal life was disrupted in northern and eastern provinces on Tuesday due to widespread protests by the TNA against a new controversial anti-terrorism bill drafted to replace a draconian counter-terrorism law. The new Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) will replace the much-maligned Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) of 1979. PTA was introduced as a temporary arrangement to counter the campaign of separatist violence more..

Apr 25 (DM) Power & Energy Ministry has decided to continue with the increased weekly fuel quota that was provided for the New Year season. Minister Kanchana Wijesekera said the decision was taken after analyzing the fuel import, management, distribution and sales data. A discussion was held at the progress review meeting of the CPC at the ministry yesterday. During the meeting, fuel quotas, fuel cargo import plan, fuel distribution and the national fuel pass system were discussed more..

Apr 25 (TM) The Miracle Dome, owned by Prophet Jerome Fernando, is still incomplete and more donations are needed to complete the church, says Glorious Church Board Member Gratien Gunawardena. "The Miracle Dome is still incomplete and we need more donations. Uebert Angel has not donated a cent, not a single cent. He has not donated any dollars either. I know this because I am a board member and if Angel has donated any funds I would know. more..

Apr 25 (AD) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe said that any attempt to disturb the education system of the country, whether directly or indirectly, will not be permitted, and if required, new legislation will be introduced to address such conduct. Prez stressed the pivotal role of education in shaping the future of the country, and announced his plans to establish a modern education system that aligns with the demands of the 21st century. more..

Apr 25 (DM) Minister Bandula Gunawardana said he has not received any complaints regarding the sexual harassment of a former ITN employee and that he has instructed the Ministry secretary to obtain a formal complaint regarding the incident. Minister told this in Parliament while responding to a question raised by SJB MP Rohini Kumari Kaviratne, who urged the Minister to reveal the culprit and take action against him. �I have not received any complaints so far. more..

Apr 25 (CT) As clashes, between the Sudanese Army and the paramilitary forces, escalated leaving hundreds of people dead with thousands injured in the last few days, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said there are 50 Sri Lankans living in Sudan and they are monitoring the situation. However, the MFA said they have no details whether there are 50 Sri Lankans or 50 families from SL living in Khartoum, Sudan. Whether or not, Lankans wanted to be evacuated was a question that received no more..

Apr 26 (CT) Since being declared malaria-free by the WHO, it appears that SL has slightly deviated from taking precautionary measures to avoid future risks of malaria re-emerging. SL was declared malaria-free by the WHO in 2016. Health experts, however, observed that although the parasite may have been eliminated, the Anopheles mosquito is alive and kicking. According to the WHO, even though malaria is preventable and treatable, it is a serious and persistent threat to public health. more..

Apr 26 (ST) The political hotchpotch SL has been in recent years � especially the last couple or so � has served as a veritable gold mine to be exploited by those with creative minds. We have seen caricaturists, cartoonists, satirists, poets, and lyric writers making hay while the iron is hot, as someone once said, mixing his metaphors in his inordinate hurry. While politics and politicians have been a treasure trove � and understandably so � for artistic and literary activity, more..

Apr 26 (CT) The vision of the Sri Lanka Railway Department (SLR) is to be the most efficient transport provider in South Asia, but it is struggling to get the required diesel to run the locomotives, and at the outset of the IMF asking to privatise all of Sri Lanka�s loss-making entities, including the SLR, the Govt has decided to transform the SLR into the Railway Authority, under which a Railway Department would exist, more..

Apr 26 (DM) Federation of University Teachers� Associations (FUTA) is up in arms. To emphasize their grievances this body, whom ordinary folk would believe to be of intellectual bent, continues delaying the marking of A/L exam scripts. The A/L exam itself was held in January this year. In March this year, the Examinations Commissioner-General announced, daily payment for marking of examination papers had been increased to Rs. 2,000/-. The whole evaluation process lasts 12 days more..

Apr 26 (DM) What is even more striking is that in both instances the institutions were state-owned. Or should we say funded by public money, but managed for the political expediency of whoever is in power. During my recent training assignment in Colombo, it was clear that there were deep crevasses within the media community. Politicisation of institutes, even those privately owned was one of the biggest. It was one of the main roadblocks in the way of professionalism. more..

Apr 26 (TM) Govt is in the final stage of negotiations with the three finalised multinational oil and gas companies that are ready to enter the fuel retail market in SL, according to Ministry of Power and Energy Secretary Mapa Pathirana. It is understood that the agreements will be signed following the last round of negotiations. He said that the agreements would be signed with the 3 companies soon after negotiations had been completed. more..

Apr 26 (Island) Prof. G.L. Peiris, MP, has faulted the IMF for paying scant attention to the high incidence of corruption in Sri Lanka. He has struck a responsive chord with the public. When the current dispensation stopped dilly-dallying and asked for IMF assistance, many Sri Lankans thought there would be no bailout unless an anti-corruption drive was launched. But, as Prof. Peiris has said, the IMF does not seem keen to pressure Sri Lanka to battle bribery and corruption with might and main. more..

Apr 26 (TM) Many, especially the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community and activists, remain hopeful of having the laws that criminalise and discriminate that community, i.e. Sections 365 and 365A of the Penal Code, repealed, following the private Member Bill, recently presented by SLPP Govt MP, Premnath C. Dolawatte. Although the Bill has been challenged in the Supreme Court (SC), intervenient petitions have been filed by a number of parties more..

Apr 26 (DM) The two main opposition parties, SJB and JVP have participated in protests held by families of victims and Catholics over the failure to apprehend the real mastermind who initiated Easter Sunday attacks that took 369 lives and maimed over 500 innocent devotees on Easter Sunday four years ago. SJB had a demonstration in Negombo, while JVP, had woken up from a four-year deep slumber to hold a vociferous demo and a rally in the Catholic vote base. more..

Apr 26 (Island) West Indian legend Courtney Walsh featured in 132 Tests in a career spanning 17 years that started with Lloyd and ended with Lara. Despite that many games, he never made a half-century in Test match cricket and was the ideal last man averaging 7.54 with the bat. Even he would have fancied a half-century on this Galle pitch. Ireland had been blown away on a typical Galle surface as the first Test ended inside three days but for the second Test they found a flat deck and more..