Apr 4 (ANI) Lord Buddha�s sacred Kapilavastu relics, situated at a holy temple in Sri Lanka, have been offered to the Dalai Lama on Thursday morning. The sacred relics are located at Rajaguru Sri Subhuthi Maha Viharaya inWaskaduwa, a Buddhist temple in SL. Notably, the Kapilavastu relics hold immense historical and spiritual significance, connecting the devotees to the profound legacy of Lord Buddha. The Sri Subhuthi Maha Viharaya in Waskaduwa houses 21 relics of the Lord Buddha. more..

Apr 4 (AD) Actress Damitha Abeyratne and her husband were arrested by the CID today The arrest came after the couple, who had been wanted by the CID, appeared before the Colombo Fort Magistrate�s Court earlier. The CID is currently carrying out an investigation into Abeyratne and her husband, in relation to their involvement in an alleged money scam. Speaking to the media at the courts premises, Abeyratne said: "I was not in hiding. Damitha is not someone who can hide in this country; more..

Apr 4 (AD) Former President Maithripala Sirisena says he expects to present facts before the court with regard to the interim injunction issued by the Colombo District Court, preventing him from functioning as the Chairman of SLFP. The Colombo District Court on Thursday (04) issued an interim injunction preventing Sirisena from functioning as the SLFP chairman, following a complaint filed by former Prez Chandrika more..

Apr 4 (EN) South Korea will provide more employment opportunities for Sri Lankans and help the island nation with education and vocational training. PM Dinesh Gunawardena is on a visit to the People�s Republic of South Korea, where he met Governor of Gyeongsangbuk-du Province Lee Cheol Woo. �The Provincial Govt agreed to offer many benefits for education and higher education, agriculture, fisheries, women and rural development in SL during the talks,� statement read. more..

Apr 4 (DM) The first application under the newly enacted Online Safety Act was made to the Colombo Chief Magistrate�s Court and Court issued a conditional order preventing respondent parties from communicating alleged false information against former Chairman of PUCSL Janaka Ratnayake. Colombo Chief Magistrate Prasanna Alwis issued a conditional order in favour of the Petitioner Janaka Ratnayake in terms of Section 24 (1) and Section 24 (2) of the Online Safety Act No. 9 of 2024 more..

Apr 4 (CT) Supreme Court three Judge-bench recused yesterday from hearing the bail application of Susil Jayathunga who was dis-enrolled as an Attorney-at-Law recently for breaching ethics of the Supreme Court and later was remanded for Contempt of Court. SC Justices S. Thurairajah, Kumudini Wickremasinghe and Achala Wengappuli hence recused from hearing the bail application when prison officers produced him before Court. Jayathunga said that he was suffering from more..

Apr 4 (DM) The Maligakanda Magistrate's Court today ordered the CID to investigate into the credibility of former Prez Maithripala Sirisena's controversial revelation regarding the Easter Sunday attacks. Magistrate Lochani Abeywickrema ordered the CID that the progress of the investigation regarding this revelation be submitted to court on May 10. On April 3, former Prez Sirisena, through his lawyer informed Maligakanda Magistrate's Court that he will not provide a confidential statement more..

Apr 4 (FT) PHU leader Udaya Gammanpila says the Govt is attempting to hold both the Presidential and Parliamentary elections on the same day. Gammanpila asserted that the scheme is underway to fulfil the requirements of both the Prez and the SLPP. Nevertheless, he contended that holding both elections on the same day would not be in the best interest of the country. "Prez is attempting to delay more..

Apr 4 (Island) Minister apologised to the Muslim community for the mandatory cremation policy enforced during the COVID-19 pandemic under the previous Govt of Gotabaya Rajapaksa. The unexpected apology came during an Ifthar gathering hosted by Minister Thondaman in Hatton. He apologised to the Muslims and acknowledged that the policy had caused distress to them. He had assumed duties in January last year, but as the incumbent Minister responsible for water more..

Apr 4 (EN) The buses and vans that SL plans to import for the tourism sector will be a year old, as opposed to brand new vehicles that would cost more, and also subject to tax as usual, State Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya said. He said that the country�s rapidly recovering tourism industry needs to follow the same global standards which don�t allow for vehicles more than six years old. �In 2020, vehicle imports were stopped due to the foreign exchange crisis in the country, more..

Apr 4 (CT) Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva clarified that Maersk informed him that only one container was to be offloaded from the ship Dali that collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, USA, en route to Colombo last week. Ship accident in Baltimore has led to misinformation regarding its cargo and destination, particularly in SL. The Dali, a Singapore-flagged vessel, collided but it was not carrying hazardous waste or more..

Apr 4 (EN) Sri Lanka welcomes the investment of more Chinese enterprises, and stands ready to provide a favorable investment and business environment for them, Sri Lanka said in a joint statement with China. SL will �roll out at a faster pace preferential policies to facilitate the implementation of the Colombo Port City and Hambantota Port integrated development projects,� it said. �The two sides agree to work together to deepen high-quality Belt & Road cooperation, more..

Apr 4 (CT) A consensus was reached among supermarket executives to offer a Rs 5 discount to customers who bring reusable bags for purchases exceeding Rs 500 at the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Environment, Natural Resources & Sustainable Development meeting chaired by Ajith Mannapperuma, MP, held in Parliament last week. Representatives from leading supermarkets in SL, including Arpico Super Center, Keells, Cargills Food City, Laughfs Super and Spar, attended more..

Apr 4 (AD) Sectoral Oversight Committee on Alleviating the Impact of the Economic Crisis, chaired by MP Gamini Waleboda, recently convened a meeting in Parliament with the participation of Secretary to the Fisheries Ministry, govt institutions under the ministry�s purview, officials including heads and representatives of the north-eastern fishing community. The fishermen representatives of the north pointed out that the illegal encroachment of the northern coast by Indian fishermen more..

Apr 4 (FT) Central Bank of SL (CBSL) has issued broad guidelines to licenced banks to set up Business Revival Units (BRU) to assist struggling businesses with a prospect of recovery, beginning in May 2024. �The challenging macroeconomic conditions prevailed during the recent years have led to disrupting the income generating activities of businesses, adversely impacting the ability of borrowers to duly repay their loans and thereby impairing recovery process of licensed banks. more..

Apr 4 (IE) Amid the BJP�s attempts to reignite the decades-old Katchatheevu issue ahead of the general elections, former Sri Lankan envoy to India Austin Fernando said the party may have invoked a vote-puller but it would be difficult for the Indian govt to step back after the elections, which is a problem. He said if the Indian govt crosses the Sri Lankan IMBL, it would be seen as a violation of Sri Lanka sovereignty, more..

Apr 4 (DM) The sun is expected to be directly over SL from April 5 to April 15, as a result of its apparent northward relative motion, the Forecasting Division of Meteorological Centre said. Accordingly, the nearest areas in SL where the sun will be directly above are Balapitiya, Elpitiya, Morawaka and Tissamaharama at around 12:12 noon. Meanwhile, showers would occur at several places in the Western and Sabaragamuwa Provinces and in the Galle and Matara districts after 2 p.m. more..

Apr 4 (DM) While marking 100 years since the beginning of the train service between Colombo and Badulla, Railways Department is to launch a special train, Dunhinda Odyssey, tomorrow. Train is scheduled to leave from Colombo Fort at 6.30 a.m. After the inauguration of the train, the Dunhinda Odyssey will be reserved for passenger transport, and the fare for a ticket will be Rs. 8,000. The train consists of four cabins with 44 seats each; it also includes three second-class cabins and more..

Apr 4 (Island) Chairman of the Human Rights Commission, Justice L.T.B. Dehideniya said that Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena�s recent disclosure of external intervention in Aragalaya could be inquired into only if he received a complaint about it. The retired Supreme Court Justice said so when The Island asked him whether the Commission would take into consideration Speaker Abeywardena�s confirmation of more..

Apr 4 (AD) Issuance of excise licenses has not been suspended, State Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya has asserted. He pointed out that the relevant authorities have been instructed to carry out the excise licenses issuance activities under a proper procedure. In response to the recent reports claiming that issuing excise license has been halted, the State Minister mentioned that the relevant licenses are issued only in compliance with the rules and regulations accepted by the Parliament, more..

Apr 4 (DM) Education Ministry has decided to increase the allowances paid to examiners and those engaged in examination duties in the next two to three weeks. Addressing an event organized at the Temple Trees to award letters of appointment to Graduate Teachers in the Western Province, Education Minister Susil Premajayantha said a committee will be appointed in this regard and a report called for. The allowances of examiners and those engaged in examination duties more..

Apr 5 (DM) Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa and his camp received a positive response from the NPP for a debate on the country�s economy. It�s a bit strange for the NPP to have agreed to a face-off with Premadasa because the JVP-led alliance prefers staging debates in an environment where experts speak on topics where analysis, statistics, reasoning and logic shape the direction of the conversation. We all know that conversation might not be the most appropriate word to more..

Apr 5 (GV) In a progressive move, SL has shed ambiguity in its child protection laws with an amendment transforming the Children and Young Persons� Ordinance into the Children�s Ordinance. Crucially, the amendment raises the age of protection from 16 to 18, aligning with global child rights standards. This landmark change strengthens the juvenile justice system and promises better outcomes for youth. The UN defines a child as anyone under the age of 18. more..

Apr 5 (TM) The cargo ship that recently collided with a bridge in Baltimore, US, causing the destruction of both the ship and the bridge, which was en route to SL, is found to have contained hazardous waste material, of which the intended destination is yet to be known. The relevant authorities such as the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) have suggested that such material would not have been intended to be unloaded in SL. more..

Apr 5 (ST) Last week�s discussion in this column on the link between money and inflation, while generating a great deal of enthusiasm among the readers, has also led to some other questions from them. For this reason, I thought of continuing with the same discussion by focusing more on the application side of the discussion rather than the conceptual issues. An interesting question that has been raised is related to illegal money, and its connection to money supply and inflation. more..

Apr 5 (CT) Someone asked me; Hon� Vajira Abeywardena has advised the Tamils not to put forward a Tamil candidate for Presidency and divide their votes. What have you to say? My response was; My friend Hon� Vajira Abeywardena is the Chairman of the UNP. What else can he say to make the incumbent Prez win? But if he looks at the problem we face from the standpoint of the Tamils, he will not say so. We Tamils have continuously voted for Majority community candidates more..

Apr 5 (SO) The Sunday Observer spoke to State Minister of Finance Shehan Semasinghe following his visit to China with PM Dinesh Gunawardena, where both sides focused on dent restructuring. Minister outlined the importance of adhering to IMF guidelines at this stage to expedite the process of economic recovery. He warned that any deviation from this intricate process risks extensive damage to the economy. more..

Apr 5 (CT) Set aside the highly visible and mostly spoken battles that have been the talk of everyday life, there is a more serious but silent battle that Sri Lanka has to beat through. The nation is being poisoned, not just figuratively, but literally too! Amidst the many challenges posed by the economic recession, political instability and bigger societal crisis lies this lethal issue, but with only little attention paid to it. Nevertheless, the tragedy is that this is not a very novel narrative; more..

Apr 5 (CT) In connection with the IMF's second economic review, as part of the ongoing 4-year EFF programme, on SL, World Bank (WB) group published its newest economic update on SL this week. The WB also unveiled its South Asian Development update in SL. Franziska Ohnsorge, the Chief Economist for South Asia at the World Bank (WB), participated in its Colombo launch. Takeo Konishi, Director General of the South Asia Department at the ADB more..

Apr 5 (Island) Against the backdrop of Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena�s quite belated (but better late than never) public confirmation of external interventions in Aragalaya, that led to the overthrow of Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa�s govt in mid-July 2022, former cashiered Flying Officer Keerthi Ratnayake, with a never-say-die attitude even when odds are overwhelmingly stacked against him, asserted that he was the first to alert the then govt regarding the impending chaos. more..

Apr 5 (TM) Now and then, the Katchatheevu Island, lying halfway between the Islands of Rameswaram (India) and Delft (Neduntheevu, SL), has been hitting the news headlines. Mainly, such interests are evinced when several of the hundreds of Indian trawlers that cross the IMBL three times a week and engage in bottom trawling in SL waters get arrested for a variety of offences, including illegal entry into SL waters, engaging in fishing without licence and practising bottom trawling, which more..

Apr 5 (FT) Committee on Ways and Means revealed startling factors regarding the profit margins amassed by traders on imported essential food items. The committee chaired by MP Champika Ranawaka, delved into discussions regarding the glaring disparities between market prices and import costs, shedding light on significant profits ranging from Rs. 100 to Rs. 1000 per kilogram. Officials from key institutions including Central Bank of SL, more..

Apr 5 (Island) There has been a steep rise in crop depredation by wild animals in Sri Lanka, and farmers are crying out for a solution. A group of cultivators took to the streets in Menikhinna, Kandy, on Wednesday, calling upon the govt to help keep crop raiders at bay. They said the ever-increasing cost of production, lack of agrochemicals, etc., had adversely impacted their cultivations, and wild animals had aggravated their plight. Monkeys are considered the worst crop raiders, more..

Apr 5 (FT) Oman Air has said its intent to launch services to one new destination, adjust frequencies on 25 routes, discontinue services on four others, revamp flight times and shorten layovers. As part of the restructuring, the airline would cease flights to Islamabad, Lahore, Chittagong, and Colombo from April, focusing on rightsizing and repositioning the company for future growth by 2027. �Rest assured, we remain committed to keeping you flying with confidence & convenience� airline stated. more..

Apr 5 (DM) Jetwing Hotels Chief Hiran Cooray defended the Minimum Room Rates (MRR) as a necessary market push under the current environment for Colombo City hotels to return to profitability while increasing earning capacity for their employees. �You try to market a hotel and see, it�s not easy. People don�t have the confidence, and when there is fear, you don�t necessarily go out and sell at a higher price. That�s why it�s necessary for someone to come and push it up. more..