Apr 24 (AD) CID has informed the Colombo Magistrate’s Court today that further investigations are underway into the alleged major racket involving the reselling of e-tickets for up-country trains including to Ella at inflated prices. The case was taken up before Colombo Additional Magistrate Harshana Kekunawala, where CID officers submitted a report outlining the progress of their investigation. According to CID officials, more..

Apr 24 (AD) The Executive Director of PAFFREL, Rohana Hettiarachchi, says that 30 incidents of misuse of state power and state resources have been reported in relation to the 2025 Local Govt (LG) Election. He stated that 14 of these incidents have been confirmed, and that a total of 322 violations of election laws have been reported to the PAFFREL organization. Hettiarachchi further added that 18 violent incidents have been reported, of which 17 have been confirmed. more..

Apr 24 (AD) Toyota Lanka (Pvt) Ltd recently hosted executives from Toyota Tsusho Corporation (TTC). Atsuhiro Okamoto (The former president of Toyota Motor Corporation Philippines), Senior Project General Manager, Wakana Takagishi, Project General Manager of the Mobility Planning Department, and Nobuhiko Murakami, Chairman of TTC, were among the delegation members. Reflecting on the visit, Nobuhiko Murakami, Chairman of Toyota Tsusho Corporation more..

Apr 24 (Island) The prime minister stated that the era when politicians, public officials, and principals exploited their influence to gain unfair advantages in enrolling children into schools has come to an end and that if any injustice occurs in school admissions, to inform the Ministry of education. PM made these remarks on Wednesday (23rd) afternoon while addressing a public gathering held in the Dodangoda area. Addressing the gathering, Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated: more..

Apr 24 (AM) A complaint has been filed with the Keselwatta Police by the Court Registrar following a bizarre incident involving a stock of expensive imported liquor that had been presented to the Colombo Magistrate’s Court as case material. The liquor, which was scheduled to be destroyed, was discovered to have transformed into what appeared to be tea or discoloured water. The suspicious change was detected just before the destruction process, which was to be carried out more..

Apr 24 (NDTV) For decades, Sri Lanka has lived in the shadow of its big-brother neighbour, India. It has also had its fair share of strife, wars, coups, crises and change of heads. But all of that instability is in the past now. The island country is looking at a spectacular revival of luxury tourism. Palatial resorts, dreamy locales, tea trails and integrated destinations, from the beaches to the hills - this is SL's moment in the tropical sun. more..

Apr 24 (DN) SL Police Headquarters has announced a revision of the fees charged for various public services, following the issuance of a new circular by Acting IGP. According to the circular, the fees for several police services have been significantly increased. Key changes include: Sound Equipment License: Previously Rs. 300 per day, now increased to Rs. 2,000. Police Dog Services: Previously Rs. 3,000 for 1.5 hours, now raised to Rs. 20,000. Use is subject to veterinary recommendation, more..

Apr 24 (NW) SLPP MP Namal Rajapaksa has raised concerns over the inclusion of Director of the Central Criminal Intelligence Analysis Bureau,I SSP Shani Abeysekara, to the Police Committee appointed to study the PCo report on the 2019 Easter attacks. Acting IGP Priyantha Weerasooriya, yesterday, appointed SSP Shani Abeysekara to the committee investigating the report, increasing its members from four to five. SSP Shani Abeysekara has been added to the committee headed by SDIG Asanga more..

Apr 24 (DM) Despite its growing impact, the Electronic waste or E-waste problem in SL remains largely under-recognised and downplayed. This environmental concern receives less public awareness and govt attention when compared to issues such as plastic pollution or deforestation. As SL continues to adopt new technologies, discarded devices including computers, mobile phones, televisions, and other electronic equipment more..

Apr 24 (DN) A collection of books from the personal library of the late SL politician Mangala Samaraweera has been donated to the Colombo Public Library. The Governor of the Western Province, Hanif Yusoof, formally accepted the donation yesterday, which includes over 100 books from Samaraweera’s private collection. Governor Yusoof described the donation—made by Samaraweera’s family—as a reflection of his enduring commitment to knowledge, learning, more..

Apr 24 (DM) Sri Lanka will be able to reach a staff level agreement with the IMF on the fourth review under the EFF arrangement within this week, Minister of Labour Anil Jayantha Fernando said today. He told the media that the Sri Lankan delegation that is currently visiting Washington is engaged in preliminary level discussions with the IMF team and that the discussions are successful. He said Sri Lanka has launched a programme to achieve the criteria set by the IMF. more..

Apr 25 (DM) Sri Lankans have been in spiritual mode since April 18, the first day of the special exposition of the tooth relic of Gautama Buddha to the public. The exposition of the tooth relic will continue till April 27 (Sunday). Those who have been lucky to get a glimpse of the relic have expressed sheer joy. For most of these devotees, whose ambitions were met, it was a once in a lifetime achievement. This writer uses the word achievement because those unenlightened beings more..

Apr 25 (DM) Sri Lankans faced a dilemma on Tuesday evening when the Police media division made contradictory statements regarding an assassination of an individual in Kolonnawa. Official media release indicated details of the incident which also added that the corpse had been sent to the mortuary of the Colombo National Hospital. But the Police media division later contradicted its official press release and went onto claim that the individual was in fact alive and is receiving treatment more..

Apr 25 (TM) Welfare Benefits Board (WBB) has issued an ultimatum for beneficiaries of the Aswesuma scheme to open a bank account by June in order to continue receiving payments. Commenting on the mode of making payments to beneficiaries, WBB Chairperson Jayantha Wijerathna said that payments were generally made electronically, but that WBB encountered issue of beneficiaries lacking bank accounts. more..

Apr 25 (CT) Here is a challenge to the NPP govt which promised to eradicate racism and champion the cause of forging one united SL citizenry. An extension of this promise is to guide society towards reconciliation, mutual tolerance and coexistence. Cleaning Sri Lanka with the promise of no discrimination, no injustice and replacing them with equity in action. All of which are excellent and highly commendable promises. Indeed, all citizens irrespective of any differences more..

Apr 25 (TM) The South Asian region is once again closer to the risk of open conflict between States following the cowardly terrorist attack on civilian soft targets that killed 26 people in the tourist town of Pahalgam in the disputed region Kashmir. The incident, one of the worst attacks in Kashmir in recent times, shocked the region and has clearly enraged many in India, with cries for a strong response being echoed. There is no doubt that the Indian Govt is under pressure to act. more..

Apr 25 (TM) In 2023, the average annual cost per prisoner was nearly Rs. 400,000. However, with the prison population standing at over 280% of its capacity, inadequate infrastructure and resources continue to violate the fundamental rights of incarcerated people. The prison statistics report of 2024 notes that from the estimated Rs. 11,296,430,000 recurrent expenditure for the Prisons Dept, only Rs. 10,902,178,069 was spent. more..

Apr 25 (ST) Imagine SL deciding to seize the opportunity that is been created by the announcement of reciprocal tariffs by the US. In this scenario, SL would transform into a nation embracing free trade, eliminating its import controls. What would be the economic consequences of such a bold move? How would this decision shape the future of the SL nation? Today, I aim to address these questions by challenging opinion-based economics and advocating for a shift towards more..

Apr 25 (Island) Hundreds of thousands of Buddhist devotees have realised their dream of viewing the sacred tooth relic up close and paying homage to it during the past several days at the ongoing Dalada Vandana exhibition in Kandy. They have expressed their gratitude to the organisers of the holy event––and rightly so. Govt propagandists have sought to help the ruling NPP coalition gain political mileage from the relic exposition in the run-up to the local government elections. more..

Apr 25 (CT) The long-awaited special exposition of the Sacred Tooth Relic at the Sri Dalada Maligawa – Siri Dalada Wandanawa – has received an overwhelming turnout of devotees. According to the Sri Lanka Police, which urged the public to refrain from travelling to Kandy yesterday and today, around 300,000 devotees are waiting in queues for the opportunity to venerate the Sacred Tooth Relic. The large turnout of devotees has already exceeded the venue’s capacity. more..

Apr 25 (Island) I received a video that announced Japan was considering changing to a four-day work week. Suspicious of such news in my cell phone, I googled and found that certain countries had already opted for work weeks of four days and thus three-day weekends. This change too is a consequence of closedowns of work due to the Covid pandemic. “Several countries are experimenting with or have implemented four-day work weeks, including Belgium, Iceland, Spain, UK and Portugal. more..

Apr 25 (FT) Port City Colombo is being encouraged to become a vibrant regional hub for fintech innovation and investment in South Asia. CHEC Port City Colombo Managing Director Xiong Hongfeng this week received the report Enhancing Port City Colombo as a Leading Fintech Hub in South Asia from Fintech Association of Sri Lanka (FASL) Founding President Rajkumar Kanagasingam, more..

Apr 25 (FT) In a major step towards transforming SL’s smallholder tea sector, Tea Small Holdings Development Authority (TSHDA) and Solidaridad, in partnership with Regenagri, Control Union, and Nucleus Foundation, concluded a two-day capacity building workshop on Regenagri standards for tea extension officers. Held on 23 and 24 April at the TSHDA Hantana Training Centre in Kandy, the program brought together over 50 participants from eight regions which represent all tea-growing more..

Apr 25 (FT) Hayleys Solar has partnered with global renewable energy leader BYD to introduce state-of-the-art energy storage and inverter solutions to the Sri Lankan market, marking a significant step forward in the nation’s energy security and independence. This collaboration with BYD Energy Systems brings BYD’s most advanced energy technologies to Sri Lanka, including the LV 5.0, LV 5.0 Plus, Battery-Box Premium HVS, Battery-Max LiteIn, and Solar Hybrid Inverters. more..

Apr 25 (FT) Seylan Bank announced yesterday a Profit Before Tax (PBT) of Rs. 4,199 million in Q1 2025, against Rs. 3,704 million in Q1 2024, demonstrating a growth of 13.36%. For the three months ended 31 March 2025, Profit after Tax (PAT) recorded by Seylan Bank was Rs. 2,761 million, with a growth of 20.29% against Rs. 2,295 million recorded in the corresponding period of 2024. Net interest income decreased from Rs. 9,371 million to Rs. 8,587 million, a decrease of 8.37% more..

Apr 25 (DM) Transshipment volumes at the Port of Colombo experienced a decline in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same period last year. For the first three months ending March 2025 (1Q25), transshipment volumes fell by 6.3% year-on-year (YoY), totalling 1.53 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), down from 1.64 million TEUs in 1Q 2024. This marks a stark contrast to the robust growth the port experienced during the first and latter parts of 2024, more..

Apr 25 (FT) SL’s first-ever Media Festival will kick off today and continue tomorrow in Colombo, with a good blend of top Indian and local experts providing key insights. Indian media industry personalities who are flying down exclusively are well-known TV journalist Palki Sharma, New Delhi-based World Is One News (WION) Editor Sidhant Sibal, India Today Group Chief Synergy Officer Shailesh Shekhar, and media research guru more..

Apr 25 (DN) Sri Lanka ‘A’, led by Sadeera Samarawickrama, will be determined to lift the title when they face Ireland ‘A’ in the final of the Tri-Nation ODI Cricket Series, scheduled for today in Abu Dhabi at 11:30 a.m. (SL Time). SL ‘A’ have delivered superb all-round performances throughout the tournament and remain unbeaten with four wins, two each against Ireland ‘A’ and Afghanistan ‘A’. This will be the third meeting between SL ‘A’ and Ireland ‘A’, led by Gavin Hoey. more..

Apr 25 (DM) FitsAir, SL’s first privately owned international airline and a leading low-cost carrier, yesterday announced the launch of Business Class across its regional network, which will be effective from today. The move represents a strategic milestone in FitsAir’s growth story, combining premium features with its core promise of affordability and reliability. Tailored for the modern business traveller, the upgraded offering includes priority check-in, fast-track boarding, more..

Apr 25 (ST) China’s ever-expanding trade surplus with Sri Lanka has bulged to a new high surpassing US$4 billion (Rs 1.195 trillion) in 2024, nearly doubling from the year before and continuing the nine-figure advantages. This was a period in which Sri Lanka’s import prices eased slightly overall improving the terms of trade, as measured by the ratio of export-to-import prices, and when the rupee firmed against the yuan by 13.9%. more..

Apr 25 (DN) SL Under-19 all-rounder Viran Chamuditha has been ruled out of the six-match Bangladesh one-day cricket series due to injury. Chamuditha, from St. Servatius’ College, Matara, was a member of the National Under-19 team in the last Asia Cup tournament held in the UAE. Meanwhile, selectors have named all-rounder Senuja Wakunagoda from St. Joseph’s College, Colombo, as a replacement for Chamuditha for the first 2 one-day games, which will commence more..

Apr 25 (Island) Reigning national champion in the men’s 800 metres, Harsha Karunaratne has requested Sri Lanka Athletics and the Ministry of Sports to provide him with the opportunity to compete in the upcoming Indian Grand Prix 2 utilizing his own funds in a bid to produce a top performance. Sri Lanka Athletics did not pick Karunaratne for the South Asian Athletics Championship which has now been postponed after being placed second at the selection trial. more..

Apr 25 (EN) Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Public Security became the victim of a cyberattack that caused embarrassment, although it did not appear to compromise the website or its data. Internet users were met with a rude shock when searching for the ministry’s website on Google. The description for the Secretary page featured a string of pornographic expletives, and the link redirected users to a page that was not publicly accessible on the ministry’s website. more..

Apr 25 (FT) The National Trust SL has opened submissions for its 2025 awards program, inviting SL authors to submit books published in 2024 that explore the island’s intangible heritage. The awards, which aim to honour and promote excellence in heritage writing, are open to works published in Sinhala, Tamil or English. The initiative is part of the Trust’s broader mission to preserve and raise awareness of the country’s non-material cultural legacy – including oral traditions, folklore, more..

Apr 25 (TM) Although the Govt also disagrees with the Online Safety Act, No. 9 of 2024 (OSA), Minister of Public Security Ananda Wijepala claimed that the Private Member Bill introduced by NDF MP Ravi Karunanayake to repeal the same, was not brought in good faith. Online Safety Bill was presented to the Parliament in late 2023 by the then-Public Security Minister Tiran Alles. As the current Public Security Minister, more..