Apr 4 (DM) The animals included frogs, salamanders, hedgehogs, rats, lizards, turtles, hamsters and a rare kind of worm. In Dec 2023, a consignment of 330 birds from Suriname (a small country on the northeastern coast of South America) arrived at MRIA via a charter plane. However, in this case, the importer had allegedly not possessed the necessary documentation including the licence and permits prior to engaging in import business. more..

Apr 4 (DM) When a politician says, the intelligent public knows and cannot be fooled, what he or she (our representative in parliament) really means is that the public doesn�t know and can be fooled. It�s similar to a lady saying �no� when what she really means is �yes�; take for example the lady who appears in a television commercial and says �no� when her husband wants to know whether she has had enough washing clothes by hand & whether he could purchase a washing machine for her. more..

Apr 4 (CT) The recent announcement by the SL Govt to provide free sanitary napkins for schoolgirls marks a significant stride towards gender equality and access to education. This programme, spearheaded by Education Minister Susil Premajayantha, reflects a commendable commitment to addressing the needs of female students, particularly those facing significant challenges in their educational journey. With approximately 1.2 million adult female more..

Apr 4 (FT) Namal Rajapaksa had his crowning as crown prince last week. The SLPP titled the Tangalle meeting, Let�s begin the Battle from Hambantota. Battle to return the Rajapaksas to power under a President Namal, if not in 2024, then in 2029; or someday. In the propaganda images, young Namal is foregrounded, kurahan shawl and all, against a backdrop of Mahinda and Basil Rajapaksa. The new trinity. more..

Apr 4 (TM) This week, the regulation to increase the Value Added Tax (VAT) from 15% to 18% was approved by Parliament with a majority of 36 votes, sparking much criticism about the Govt�s tax management in various spheres. With this decision, the prices of a large number of goods and services will increase, further exacerbating the economic burden on the people. We always talk about tax-paying citizens, and in the current economic context, Govt has paid more attention to them. more..

Apr 4 (Island) SL is never short of issues. Parliament is currently preoccupied with media reports that a Colombo-bound ship which brought down a bridge in Baltimore, the other day, was carrying a toxic cargo. The MPs have been waxing eloquent on hazmat and the Basel Convention for the past few days, but most of them including ministers billed to speak, on Tuesday, were not present in the House when the Banking (Amendment) Bill and regulations under the Colombo Port City Economic Commission Act more..

Apr 4 (DM) It is quite common that the issue involving Kachchativu, a tiny island in the Palk Straits between India and Sri Lanka, becomes a hot political debate in India�particularly in the state of Tamil Nadu�when elections are around the corner in that country. This time around, ahead of Lok Sabha elections, it has been raised; and the debate heated after remarks by Indian PM Narendra Modi placing blame on the Indian opposition over the agreement that ceded the island to Sri Lanka. more..

Apr 4 (CI) SL, with Sugandika Kumari leading the way with the ball and Chamari Athapaththu and Harshitha Samarawickrama slamming quick half-centuries, came from behind to win a historic women's bilateral T20I series for the first time against South Africa. The four-wicket win in the decider on Wednesday meant they took home the three-T20I series 2-1. Chasing 156 for victory, SL lost Vishmi Gunaratne in the second over for 1, but then had a 97-run stand between Athapaththu more..

Apr 4 (ST) Thousands of Sri Lankans have fallen prey to job-related scams over the years, with the latest being �jobs� as mercenaries in the Russia-Ukraine war. State Minister of Defence Pramitha Bandara Tennakoon believes that a foreign country has been active as an �illegal job hub� in sending Sri Lankans as mercenaries. He said that he could not name that country for the time being. �Nevertheless, the racketeers have been identified," he said. more..

Apr 4 (DN) Opener Davina Perrin, the in-form England batter, scored her second consecutive half-century as they secured an easy six-wicket victory over Sri Lanka to become champions in their Under 19 Women�s Tri-Nation T20 Cricket series at the decisive fixture played at Mattala yesterday. This was a commendable team effort by England. While Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat first, they couldn�t capitalise on the advantage to build the expected total. more..

Apr 4 (DN) Tourism, Lands and Sports Minister Harin Fernando announced the creation of a land bank that will consolidate all data related to govt lands in SL, with the support of the Land Reforms Commission. He stated that this centralised database will include information on all lands, whether they can be used or not, and their locations, as well as identify which lands are available for release to investors. The Minister made these remarks while speaking to the media more..

Apr 4 (TM) In the wake of several Spa employees being identified with sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) during the ongoing islandwide Police operations, the National STD/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) Control Programme (NSACP) urged all individuals who are of sexually active age (15-49) to get tested for STDs, pointing out that despite a person's profession, such diseases can infect anyone. Consultant Venereologist at the NSACP more..

Apr 4 (TM) A programme is underway to include human rights in the school curriculum of SL as a subject to raise awareness among the community about the people�s rights, said Human Rights Commission of SL (HRCSL). These remarks were made by one of the Commissioners of the HRCSL, Prof. Thaiyamuthu Thaanaraj. Prof. Thaanaraj said that the HRCSL is currently working with the National Education Institute (NIE) to make the necessary changes, adding that HRCSL more..

Apr 4 (FT) The SJB yesterday insisted the reform agenda must be progressive and called for greater transparency. The party�s trio of economists addressed a range of pressing issues which the Govt has failed to deal with expeditiously. MP Kabir Hashim called for greater transparency and best practice with energy sector reforms, pointing out that the Govt may still find it difficult to let go of old habits that had undone the state sector. more..

Apr 4 (CI) Bangladesh's 2-0 Test series loss against Sri Lanka was not just one of their routine defeats. It came at a time of upheaval in the country's cricket, particularly the Test team. The Sylhet Test last week was Bangladesh's first home Test in 16 years without Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim and Tamim Iqbal. Although Shakib returned for the second Test in Chattogram, after a year, these stalwarts are at the end of their international careers. The team has a new captain, more..

Apr 4 (DN) In an era where digital transformation is imperative, SL is taking significant strides towards modernizing its citizens� interaction with govt services through the implementation of a Digital ID system. Drawing on the expertise and success story of India�s Aadhar program, Sri Lanka aims to introduce a similar framework tailored to its unique socio-political landscape using Indian know-how implemented locally Centre for Digital Public Infrastructure in India co-chair Dr. Pramod more..

Apr 4 (TM) Ministry of Finance has decided to withdraw the Microfinance and Credit Regulatory Authority Bill as the bill has failed to capture the policy that was intended to address the issues in society regarding micro-debt, Additional Director General of the Legal Affairs Dept of the Treasury, A.K.D.D.D. Arandara said. Speaking at the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) on Tuesday (2), he said that although the Supreme Court determination more..

Apr 4 (ST) Certis Lanka, in a significant stride towards providing education and fostering the growth of caregivers, has unveiled its newest venture, the Identity College of Higher Education (ICHE) on March 12. ICHE, situated in Colombo, aims to revolutionise caregiver education by offering a comprehensive curriculum tailored to meet the diverse needs of students. The college will provide specialised courses, workshops, and hands-on training programs, equipping learners with more..

Apr 4 (Island) According to a roadmap developed with the assistance of the World Bank (WB) and International Finance Corporation in 2023, Sri Lanka has good conditions for offshore wind, with most of the more than 50 Gigawatts of potential being held in the western and southern coasts, with a caveat that the roadmap analysis found that not all of this potential will be developed due to practical and cost limitations that are prevailing at present. According to the World Bank, more..

Apr 4 (FT) Fabric and Accessories Manufacturers� Association (FAAMA) recently held an exclusive breakfast meeting where experts predicted turbulent times for the apparel industry, advising businesses to collaborate with superplayers and adapt new marketing strategies. The meeting, named State of Fashion 2024 � Pockets of Growth as uncertainty reigns, featured two speakers from McKinsey and Company; McKinsey and Company Managing Partner Vidhya Ganesan and McKinsey more..

Apr 4 (FT) SriLankan Airlines Chairman Ashok Pathirage revealed that procurement delays have resulted in only two of the four wide-body aircraft approved by the Cabinet being available for lease for the national carrier. On Monday, the Cabinet approved the leasing of four A330 wide-body aircraft from Ireland-based ORIX Aviation and Aergo Capital Ltd, on monitoring lease facilities along with an additional aircraft, based on recommendations from Technical Evaluation Committee (TEC) more..

Apr 4 (BBC) A small, uninhabited island that is part of Sri Lanka has sparked a political row in India weeks before general elections kick off. Katchatheevu - a strip of land spanning just about 1.9 sq km (0.7 sq miles) - is located in the Palk Strait, a stretch of ocean which divides India and Sri Lanka. It lies to the northeast to Rameswaram town in India's Tamil Nadu state and to the southwest of Sri Lanka's Jaffna city. more..

Apr 4 (PMD) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe has declared the formation of an Agricultural Modernization Organization Council, which will be chaired by both the Prez and PM. The primary objective of this council will be to oversee the restructuring of ministries, institutions, and organizations associated with agriculture in SL. Prez made this announcement during a progress review meeting of the Agriculture Modernization Program held at Prez Secretariat this morning (3). more..

Apr 4 (DM) Sri Lanka crossed the 200,000 tourist arrival mark for four consecutive months from Dec 2023, through March 2024, affirming good times are back for the once hard-hit industry that almost came to a standstill. Although the monthly tourist arrival rates have almost doubled from what was witnessed in 2023, the monthly arrival targets have not been met as yet this year, both in the upper-case scenario and lower-case scenario. In the month of January, the lower-case scenario target more..

Apr 4 (ST) Ceylon Electricity Board Engineers Union (CEBEU) has requested Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe that a Cabinet Sub-Committee be appointed for the reform procedure in the power sector. �We, as CEBEU, earnestly request your intervention in arranging a consultative process before the approval of the electricity sector reform bill by the Cabinet. This could be facilitated through a cabinet subcommittee or any other suitable mechanism that ensures involvement of all key stakeholders� more..

Apr 4 (AD) Bar Association of SL (BASL) has expressed deep concern about the recent remarks made by certain Members of Parliament condemning the invocation of Supreme Court�s fundamental rights jurisdiction by a citizen to challenge the issuance of liquor licenses. Reiterating that every citizen has a fundamental right to seek redress from the SC, the apex court of the country, as enshrined in the Constitution, the BASL said this right cannot be curtailed under the guise of more..

Apr 4 (PMD) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe affirmed his commitment to bolstering the nation�s economy through the establishment of competitive investment avenues. He commended the pivotal role played by companies under the purview of the Board of Investment in driving SL�s economic growth. Addressing attendees at the Investment Board Awards Ceremony held at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday (02), more..

Apr 4 (ANI) Nineteen fishermen from Tamil Nadu apprehended by the SL Navy on January 23, have been repatriated from the island nation and are on their way to Chennai. In an official post on X, the Indian embassy in Sri Lanka confirmed the return of 19 fishermen, "Returning home! 19 Indian fishermen have been repatriated from Sri Lanka and are now on their way from Colombo to Chennai." There have been recurring incidents of arrests of Indian fishermen by the SL Navy. more..

Apr 4 (DM) Children attending school face a greater risk of road accidents in the densely populated city of Colombo compared to other areas of the country, Education Minister Susil Premajayantha said, addressing an event organized at the Ministry for the official launch of the School Road Safety Club. Therefore, he said that urgent steps have to be taken to change this tragic situation, and for that, such road safety programmes are a great support. "It's notable that the majority of more..

Apr 4 (DM) The attempt by some MPs to dissolve Parliament by passing a resolution has proven to be a futile exercise as the required number of 113 MPs cannot be mustered, a MP who wished to remain anonymous said. Previously, SLPP stalwart Basil Rajapaksa, in his meeting with Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe, asked for the dissolution of Parliament to declare a snap General Election ahead of the Prez Election which is more..

Apr 4 (FT) Ranil�s bridge to India will turn Sri Lanka into a part of Akhand Bharat. Where Ranil�s bridge starts, SL�s independent story will stop. Future history may record the unprecedentedly disgraceful and deep treachery that is now underway and indict not only the ruling elite that is perpetrating it but also all those of us citizens who are alive, aware and active and watching it happen without resistance or dissent. I write this because I do not intend to be one of those. more..

Apr 4 (FT) The IMF�s explanation of SL�s recent foreign exchange crisis is fiscal and monetary mismanagement; fiscal excesses funded by Central Bank printing. The solution proposed by the IMF is to reduce the budget deficit (�fiscal consolidation�) and prevent the Central Bank from printing money to finance it. Particular emphasis is placed on the attainment of a primary budget surplus � Govt revenue minus expenditure less interest and amortisation payments, and particular more..

Apr 4 (EN) The good MPs in parliament consider the SLFP their home and are eager to return, and the party will fill vacancies in its senior leadership levels in due course, Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said. Speaking to reporters on Thursday (4), Amaraweera said former president and then SLFP leader Chandrika Kumaratunga was compelled to take legal action against incumbent chairman and former prez Maithripala Sirisena after actions led to a deterioration of the party. more..

Apr 4 (AD) SLPP�s Weerasena Gamage is expected to fill the parliamentary seat left vacant following the passing of SLPP MP H. Nandasena this morning. SLPP MP Nandasena had passed away due to a sudden illness this morning at the age of 69, family members confirmed. He was a former member of Padaviya PS and North Central PC where he held a provincial ministerial portfolio. He was dismissed from his ministerial position in May 2017 after attending a Joint Opposition May Day rally. more..

Apr 4 (EN) At least 10 MPs elected in the 2020 general elections are not anymore the legislature, either due to death or resignation or legal issues. With the latest death of ruling SLPP legislator K H Nandasena (69 years) on Thursday (4), Parliament has witnessed three deaths of elected MPs and the resignation of seven MPs. Amarakeerthi Athukorala (57 years), a SLPP legislator, was killed by angry mobs on May 9, after the supporters of more..