Apr 29 (DN) SL’s women’s baseball team ended their campaign on a high note, crushing Cambodia by a massive 28-8 in their final match of the BFA IV Women’s Baseball Asian Cup 2025 Qualifier, played in Bangkok, Thailand yesterday. SL players came out with great energy, scoring a commanding 12-3 win in the first innings. They followed up with a solid 5-0 lead in the second innings and an impressive 11-4 advantage in 3rd innings. Cambodia managed just one more point in the final innings, more..

Apr 29 (DM) Minh Tue is a Vietnamese who describes himself as an ordinary learner and practising what Buddha has taught in scripture. He has been walking in Vietnam barefoot, eating once a day (only in the morning) from food received from others, sleeping in the open, and not receiving any money. He has no possessions, except some bare essentials like a bowl for food and to drink water. His robes are sown by himself; using discarded pieces of cloth he picks up along his travels. more..

Apr 29 (TM) The Public Utilities Commission of SL (PUCSL), disagreeing with the findings of the expert committee report forwarded by CEB on the 9 February islandwide power outage, has decided to hold a public hearing to conduct a fresh and comprehensive investigation into the incident. CEB announced on 23 April that it had forwarded the said expert committee’s report on the 9 February blackout to the PUCSL for review. more..

Apr 29 (DN) Central Bank reports indicate that the financial literacy rate in Sri Lanka is lower than the literacy rate, making people vulnerable to various illegal financial frauds. According to 2023 statistics, the literacy rate in Sri Lanka is 93%, but according to 2021 statistics, the financial literacy rate is just 58%. It has been observed that due to the low financial literacy of the people, the probability of people engaging in various unsafe financial activities is high. more..

Apr 29 (CT) Former Prez Maithripala Sirisena gave evidence yesterday before Colombo HC Judge R.S.S. Sapuvida in the case pertaining to the attempted suicide bomb attack on him in Boralesgamuwa in 2008. The indictments are filed against two persons accused of aiding and abetting a suicide bombing attack on Oct 10, 2008, targeting the then Minister of Agriculture, Maithripala Sirisena. Former Prez appeared before the Court on notice issued summoning him as the first witness more..

Apr 29 (DN) Kandy City was fully cleaned within 24 hours under the Clean Kandy programme implemented after the conclusion of the Siri Dalada Vandanava, special exposition of the Sacred Tooth Relic, with the assistance of some 3,000 people. Around 3000 people, including 300 staff members and students of Peradeniya Uni, school youth groups, representatives of the Police Environmental Committee, Kandy city residents and volunteer groups, contributed to this work throughout more..

Apr 29 (TM) CPC raised concerns about private sector fuel stations where domestic liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders are sold and industrial gas cylinders are filled, claiming that such storage is illegal. D.J. Rajakaruna stated that State-owned fuel stations do not allow the practice of storing and selling domestic and industrial gas cylinders. "Usually, we, the CPC fuel stations, don’t follow this practice. Yet, certain private sector fuel stations store everything together. It is illegal," more..

Apr 29 (CT) Minister Vijitha Herath has clarified that SL has not agreed to the proposed bridge connecting the island nation to India, nor to the associated highway extension to Trincomalee. He also stressed that no defence agreement was signed with India; instead, it was a MoU on Defence Assistance. He said, “The bridge between Rameswaram and Mannar was a proposal under one project, but we have not agreed to it.” more..

Apr 29 (DM) A young woman who was arrested by the Cinnamon Gardens Police while absconding after allegedly stealing two luxury wristwatches valued at approximately Rs. 13.5 million and 500 Sterling Pounds from a businessman’s residence in Colombo, was ordered to be remanded till May 5 by Colombo Chief Magistrate Thanuja Lakmali. The suspect, Sivasandaram Sivaranganee, a 23-year-old is a resident of the Maskeliya area. Cinnamon Gardens Police told court that the suspect more..

Apr 29 (Island) National Anti-Corruption Action Plan (NACAP) 2025-2029, ceremonially launched by Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake on 9 April, 2025, had actually got underway during former Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe’s tenure, sources said. According to a joint media release issued by the interested parties, following the launch, also attended by Chief Justice Murdu Fernando, PC, CIABOC-led project received the financial backing of Japan and the technical expertise of the UNDP. more..

Apr 29 (DM) The govt is under compulsion to increase electricity prices since the IMF will unlock the next tranche of US$ $ 344 million, contingent on the restoration of cost recovery pricing. In the fulfilment of an election promise, current govt reduced electricity tariffs by 20% in January this year. However, IMF conveyed its displeasure over this move since it is not cost–recovery pricing. more..

Apr 29 (AD) PM Dr. Harini Amarasuriya should’ve sought a meeting with the Vice President of the United States, J.D. Vance who was in India recently to discuss the reciprocal tariffs announced by President Donald Trump, Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe has asserted. According to former President Wickremesinghe, PM Amarasuriya should’ve sought the intervention of the Indian govt to set-up at least an one-hour meeting with Vice President Vance while in India. more..

Apr 29 (FT) State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) are defined as govt owned or controlled entities which generate most of their revenue from selling goods and services on a commercial basis. In other words, they are commercial entities that are state owned. A closer look at the numerous state-owned institutions that operate in SL will reveal that only about 130 entities would fall into the category of SOEs. The rest of them are non-commercial state institutions such as regulatory agencies, more..

Apr 29 (FT) As global trade tensions escalate—driven by tariff wars and shifting geopolitical alliances—SL faces disproportionate exposure due to its limited scale, high import dependency, and fragile fiscal state. This document analyses the economic fallout of the US–China trade war, examines SL’s unique vulnerabilities, and proposes bold mitigation strategies ranging from trade route re-routing and FTA negotiations to internal industrial revival, export diversification, more..

Apr 29 (AD) Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has announced that it has terminated the Lanka Premier League (LPL) franchise partnerships of the Colombo Strikers and Jaffna Kings. SLC said that as the owner of the Lanka Premier League, together with The IPG Group, it has decided to terminate the contracts of the two franchises for the failure to fulfill their contractual obligations. Accordingly, the IPG Group has formally communicated to SLC that the terminations have been affected due to more..

Apr 29 (EN) Sri Lanka should more firmly safeguard its own legitimate rights and interests and resist the undercurrents of geopolitical and bloc confrontation, as well as the countercurrents of unilateralism and protectionism, Qi Zhenhong, Chinese Ambassador to SL said. Zhenhong urged the island nation to believe that China is a more trustworthy partner. “Faced with a turbulent world, SL should more firmly safeguard its own more..

Apr 29 (EN) Prez Anura Disanayaka will be on a visit to Viet Nam from May 3 to 6, during which several bilateral trade agreements will be signed, minister Nalinda Jayatissa said. One of the agreements to be signed is between SL’s Export Development Board and The Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency (VIETRADE), to strengthen bilateral trade, exchange market information, promote bilateral participation in trade fairs and promotional events, and organize meetings between business delegations, more..

Apr 29 (AD) One of the world’s largest container ships, MSC MARIELLA, has arrived at the East Container Terminal of the Colombo Harbour for operational activities, marking a significant milestone in SL’s maritime history. This vessel can now be recognized as the largest container ship ever to arrive at a SL port. The SLPA also noted that the arrival of MSC MARIELLA affirms the capability of the Colombo harbour to handle some of the largest container vessels in the world, reinforcing more..

Apr 29 (AD) Colombo is beautiful with its religious and cultural diversity, and therefore, the residents should unite and transform the area into the most beautiful city, PM Dr. Harini Amarasuriya has stated. PM, while addressing public gatherings in Colombo, said the NPP has managed to unite all factions without any discrimination. Addressing the gatherings, PM further stated that the annual revenue of the CMC is Rs. 30 billion, more..

Apr 29 (CT) Former Chairman of Hotel Developers (Lanka) and Civil Aviation Authority of SL, Upul Dharmadasa, has criticised the decision not to renew the contract of SriLankan Airlines CEO Richard Nuttall. Instead, Nuttall was asked to reapply for his own position, a move that ultimately led him to accept the Presidency of Philippine Airlines (PAL) — one of the top executive posts in the Asian aviation industry. Nuttall, a British national, had been leading SriLankan since 2022. more..

Apr 29 (BFP) A Sri Lankan film is set to make history with its simultaneous UK and Sri Lanka release. Walampuri – Seven and Half Dreams will be shown at The Elgiva Theatre in Chesham on Friday, May 10. This marks the first time a Sri Lankan film will be screened in both countries at the same time, making it the UK premiere for this film. The film, from the creative team behind the cult TV hit Koombiyo, promises a tale of deception, drama, and unexpected humour. more..

Apr 29 (DM) Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) today released a photograph of a suspect wanted in connection with a financial fraud totalling Rs. 28.5 million. Police said the suspect had stolen a jeep worth Rs. 16.5 million from the car park of the National Hospital Colombo on August 25, 2020. In addition, a complaint was received in 2023 regarding a separate fraud of Rs. 12.5 million involving a vehicle. Investigations revealed that the suspect, identified as Rafiq Mohammad Faris, more..

Apr 29 (NW) The establishment of a fully automatic revenue generation system for the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) under the funds of the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) has received Cabinet approval. According to the govt, the CMC generates a significant amount of revenue from the four main sources of assessment tax, license fees, trade tax, and stamp duty. The CMC, the Ministry of Public Administration, the Provincial Councils and Local Govt, and more..

Apr 29 (CSM) Many nations have seen mass protests against corruption, a change of govt, and then ... very little lasting transformation. Not so in SL. Since 2022, when protests in the island nation ousted a corrupt ruling clique, public demands for integrity in govt have led to the election of a reformist president – and much more. Last week, the IMF gave high approval to the reforms in SL by releasing $334 mil in aid, more..

Apr 29 (EN) Central Bank total assets decreased by 333.9 billion rupees in 2024, driven by a sharp contraction in local currency assets. “Despite an improved overall performance, CBSL’s total assets decreased by Rs. 333.9 Bn. in 2024, primarily driven by a sharp contraction in local currency assets, which fell 25.1% or by Rs. 628.7 Bn. year-on-year, partly offset by an increase in foreign currency assets which grew 17.3% or by Rs. 294.8 Bn. year-on-year.” The decrease in local currency more..

Apr 29 (EN) Defence Secretary Sampath Thuyacontha met Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif in Islamabad on the sideline of the bilateral defence dialogue of the two South Asian nations. The meeting was held today, the second day of the bilateral defence dialogue. “These high-level engagements aim to enhance bilateral cooperation, foster mutual understanding on regional security dynamics and explore opportunities for defence collaboration,” more..

Apr 29 (DM) Claiming that summoning former Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe before the Bribery Commission was not a secret, Cabinet Spokesman Nalinda Jayatissa said today that Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake only quoted Ranil's social media post on his correspondence with the Bribery Commission. While responding to a question on Ranil Wickremesinghe's query as to how Prez Dissanayake came to know of more..

Apr 29 (CT) Under the supervision of the Ministry of Science and Technology, SL Inventors Commission organised the Sahasak Nimavum 2025 Invention Exhibition and Competition for the 13th time. The event was held on 25, 26, and 27 April at the Sirimavo Bandaranaike Exhibition Centre. The exhibition was officially inaugurated on the morning of 25 April by Minister of Industries and Enterprise Development, Sunil Handunnetti, and Minister of Science & Technology, Krishantha Abeysena. more..

Apr 29 (EN) Cabinet of Ministers has approved to go for only international bidding to build 18 grid-substations to buy 152MW solar power with an aim to regulate the excess power generation from ground-mounted solar panels. Cabinet Spokesman Nalinda Jayatissa said the new move will help to regulate the grid and maintain stable power supply even during the period of excess supply. The island nation saw a sudden power cut on February 9 after the country had no mechanism to face more..

Apr 29 (Island) 12-year-old Sethmi Premadasa became the youngest Sri Lankan ever to perform at the world-renowned Musikverein, in Vienna, last week, delivering a captivating piano performance as part of an exclusive international concert. The prestigious event brought together a select group of top young musicians from around the world, including performers from China, Japan, US, Turkey, Canada, Austria & Thailand. Miss Premadasa’s performance stood out not only for her more..

Apr 29 (NF) State Vesak Festival for the Buddhist Era 2569 (2025) will be celebrated at the International Buddhist Center Temple in Nuwara Eliya. The festival, organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs, Ministry of Public Administration, PCs & LG, and Dept of Buddhist Affairs, will be held under the theme Bhajetha Miththe Kalyane- Bhajetha Purisuththame (Let's associate with noble friends of good qualities). more..

Apr 29 (NW) The Batalanda Commission Report has been officially handed over to the Attorney General. Batalanda Commission Report was tabled in Parliament on 14 March by Minister Bimal Rathnayake. At the time, Minister Rathnayake informed Parliament that the report would be forwarded to the AG for advice on necessary action. He further said that Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake would appoint more..

Apr 29 (CT) Secretary of the Ja-Ela Pradeshiya Sabha has been removed from the post with immediate effect, the Secretary of the Ministry of Western Local Govt, A.D.S. Sadeekha said. Secretary of the Ministry of Western Local Govt has taken this decision based on Secretary, L.W.L.K. Dharmasena’s arbitrary action to spend Rs 3.5 million on the cladding of a dilapidated three-storey building owned by the PS. The Secretary of the Ministry says that in view of the more..

Apr 29 (TM) Ministry of Ports and Civil Aviation is set to introduce a Port Community System (PCS) across the country’s ports and address certain infrastructure-related issues within this year to prevent delays and streamline operations, it is learnt. PCSs help reduce paperwork and cut down administrative red tape often associated with ports-related logistics, leading to faster decision-making and more streamlined operations. Deputy Minister Janith Kodithuwakku said that a PCS would more..

Apr 29 (TM) Dept of Forest Conservation is set to release 250,000 acres of lands in the N&E Provinces to their original owners, according to the Ministry of Land and Irrigation. The frequent issues that the Northern and Eastern people face include the occupation of their lands by the military forces and State departments. Deputy Minister Dr. Susil Ranasinghe said that a major issue had arisen in the N&E Provinces as more..