Apr 1 (FT) In a significant boost to SL�s employment landscape, especially during its challenging economic times, a groundbreaking platform named Worky was launched on 20 March. Designed to bridge the gap between job seekers, part-time workers, students, and service seekers, Worky is poised to revolutionise the way people find work and hire for services in SL. At its core, Worky is a location-based service platform that allows prospective job seekers & part-time workers, more..

Apr 1 (CT) IMF drug is beginning to show signs of effectiveness by producing few random indicators of economic recovery. With strict capital controls and tightened trade rules rupee is appreciating against the dollar and the buying rate of dollar has dipped below Rs.300. Unavoidably, the rupee has also appreciated against the country�s trading partners, which is bound to affect exports. Headline inflation has tumbled down from about 70% to below 6%, and the country�s foreign reserves more..

Apr 1 (CT) Every morning, Jayalaxmi (26), a teacher at one of the two schools in Eluvaitivu, Jaffna embarked on a journey fraught with challenges, crossing the azure expanse from Kayts Jetty to Eluvaitivu. The wooden ferry, weather-beaten and worn, was her conduit to education, carrying her and fellow teachers and islanders through the ebb and flow of the sea. �You should come on this ferry during the rainy season. more..

Apr 1 (DM) In March this year, President Wickremesinghe in an interview said Lanka was committed to repaying its debt within the period 2027-2042. The president said he expected the ongoing debt restructuring negotiations would bring the annual external debt payments down to 4% of GDP. The country�s foreign reserves, which stood at less than $20 million in April 2022 at the height of the economic crisis, now stand at over $3 billion, Wickremesinghe said. more..

Apr 1 (ST) Does the Sri Lankan Govt believe that posting hundreds of military officers with guns at the ready in front of churches during the Christian Holy Week, will suffice to mitigate monumental lapses on the part of the State in not (properly) investigating or prosecuting those responsible for the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks? Is this not part of the many charades in regard to investigating gross human rights abuses where the State itself is complicit in the same? more..

Apr 1 (TM) Amidst towering stacks of invoices and meticulously organised shipping documents, K. Perera embarks on his daily duties in his office as an importer of consumer goods. With each passing day, the weight of the increased cost of importing goods presses down on his shoulders, steadily chipping away at his profit margins. With steely determination, Perera carefully pores over financial reports and market analyses, more..

Apr 1 (TM) The prevailing economic climate is a nightmare to ordinary Sri Lankans. On the one hand, the prices of goods and services have skyrocketed with little intervention from the Govt to regulate the prices and the quality of goods and services. On the other hand, despite these price hikes, most Sri Lankans� income has remained stagnant, and in many cases, plummeted. To make matters worse, substandard goods, black market activities, and various scams have also become more..

Apr 1 (CT) Since the SL Police launched the ambitious Yukthiya operation, many were complaining how only the herrings were arrested while the big fish were allowed to roam free. Another allegation was that corruption runs deep into the Police force and many officers from the lower ranks to the highest order were in cahoots with criminals, drug dealers, underworld leaders, and of course politicians; to conduct their dirty bidding instead of upholding the law and peace of the country. more..

Apr 1 (Island) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe is reported to have said there will be no election until the conclusion of the external debt restructuring process under the IMF programme; it will be over before the next prez election to be held later this year. He has said so amidst pressure the SLPP is cranking up on him to dissolve Parliament. Some of Wickremesinghe�s close associates have said in no uncertain terms that the UNP does not want a general election held before prez polls. more..

Apr 1 (DM) Sunil Handunetti, a senior and respected leader of the JVP, has urged the govt not to sell (and potential buyers not to buy) state-owned enterprises such as the SriLankan Airlines, SLT and Litro, for which requests for proposals have been called. He implicitly threatens to expropriate the sold entities. CEB is also mentioned, but there is no such process underway for it. This coincided with the govt taking USD 210 million in dollar loans and LKR 41.4 billion in rupee loans off the Airline�s books. more..

Apr 1 (ST) When renowned global TV chef and documentarian, Anthony Bourdain, tried street food on Galle Face Green for his episode in SL in 2017, the public seaside walkway bustled with issovadai carts and kottu stands. Today, it�s a starkly different story. The vendors say the authorities have told them to clear out. Some have returned home, to Slave Island, without work. But many have shifted their carts to the Galle Road border, more..

Apr 1 (FT) A delegation of nine representatives from SL, representing key stakeholders from the Ministry of Agriculture, Elpitiya Plantation, Eastern and Allied Agencies and Hettigoda Industries embarked on a visit to the Anuga FoodTec trade fair in K�ln, Germany. Organized by the Delegation of German Industry and Commerce in Sri Lanka (AHK SL), this initiative aimed to immerse the delegates in the latest advancements in food production, processing, packaging, and storage. more..

Apr 1 (Island) According to an article published in The Island on March 25, 2024, Dr. Sudarshini Fernandopulle, MP, has raised concerns about the lack of consultation with the Women Parliamentarians� Caucus before the Justice Ministry gazetted a bill on Feb 9, 2024. This bill aimed to amend Chapter 19 of the Penal Code, proposing a reduction in the age of consent for sexual intercourse to 14 years. Dr. Fernandopulle emphasised that this provision directly relates more..

Apr 1 (DN) Sri Lanka women�s will meet Australia in their under 19 Tri Nation T-20 game today at Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium Hambantota,commencing at 2 pm. This is the second time two teams meet each other while Sri Lanka defeated Australia by thrilling seven runs in the opening game at the same venue followed by beating England by narrow margin of six runs on Saturday and undefeated Sri Lanka will take on Australia with confidence today. more..

Apr 1 (ST) SriLankan Airlines is currently in a crisis with the increasing number of breakdown and faults due to technical issues as the airline faces a serious concern with more and more technical officers and pilots continuing to leave. Commenting on the airline�s current concerns as the carrier faced several setbacks due to delays and technical issues on its aircraft, SriLankan Airlines Chairman Asok Pathirage told the Business Times that they are expecting three aircraft by April more..

Apr 1 (FT) Former Minister of Sports and estranged Govt MP Roshan Ranasinghe yesterday maintained that the Parliament elected in 2020 is the most corrupt to date. Ranasinghe, who has served in three parliaments, said, �These sentiments may discomfort some individuals, but they need to be articulated. Among the three parliaments I have been part of, the one elected in 2020 stands out as the most corrupt.� more..

Apr 1 (ST) Police have arrested a woman for making false claims that her life was under threat. They made the arrest after a probe in response to her complaint to Central Province Senior DIG Lalith Pathinayake. The probe led by SSP Anuruddha Bandaranayake and Crime Division OIC Tilak Samaranayke revealed that the 33-year-old woman had made several false claims to the police. She had claimed that her father was an engineer and her mother was a teacher, but these claims more..

Apr 1 (CI) The Chattogram Test has progressed at a slow pace so far, with only 11 wickets falling over the first two days, and both Bangladesh and SL believe the third day will be pivotal. The home side hope to bat out the entire day; the visitors want early wickets. SL are 476 runs ahead after posting a total of 531. Bangladesh lost one wicket in the 15 overs they had to negotiate on the second evening, but there was enough evidence that it will continue to be a hard grind for the bowlers. more..

Apr 1 (CI) Dinesh Chandimal, Dhananjaya de Silva and Kamindu Mendis joined the trio of half-centurions from day one as Sri Lanka batted out nearly the entirety of the second day in Chattogram to rack up an imposing first-innings total of 531, and put themselves in a commanding position in the second Test. In the process, they also posted the highest total in a Test innings without a single century, surpassing India's effort of more..

Apr 1 (FT) Supreme Media recently announced that it has forged a strategic alliance with TNL, a pioneering force in electronic media in SL, to significantly broaden its electronic media offering and experience across the nation. It said this historic partnership promises to create a momentous chapter in Sinhala language television and electronic media in Sri Lanka by expanding its horizons. Supreme, one of the nation�s fastest-growing channels, has recently embarked on more..

Apr 1 (TM) The FUTA welcomes the recent circular issued by the UGC restricting the use of the title of Professor after retirement. Recently, the UGC issued a circular stating that the title of professor can only be used when a person is still employed at an academic institution. It further reads that when he or she retires or resigns, that title cannot be used with his or her name unless the Academic Institution�s Council (Senate) grants him or her the title of Emeritus Professor. more..

Apr 1 (FT) Washington, D.C.: With a significant recognition of his extensive contributions to academia and public service, President Joe Biden has appointed Dr. Patrick Mendis, a SL-born US diplomat, as an advisor to the prestigious National Security Education Board (NSEB), according to a press release by the White House. This presidential appointment not only underscores his invaluable expertise in international relations and university education but also highlights more..

Apr 1 (DN) On the first day of the 2024 IWF World Cup in Phuket, Thailand, SL�s Hansani Gomes made her mark by setting a new national record in women�s weightlifting. Gomes, who represents the SL Air Force, competed in the 49kg category and lifted 76kg in the Snatch event, securing third place in Pool �C� among eight athletes. This achievement surpasses Gomes� previous national record of 75kg set in last year�s IWF World Cup in Riyad. Although she expressed disappointment for more..

Apr 1 (TM) The Inland Revenue Department (IRD) has implemented the forced registration of businesses that have not been registered to charge VAT even though their VAT threshold has been exceeded. When contacted IRD Commissioner General Sepalika Chandrasekara said that the IRD has implemented the method of forced registration to register the companies and individuals that have not been registered with IRD for charging VAT. more..

Apr 1 (AD) Dept of Meteorology has issued a heat index advisory effective tomorrow (1) for 05 provinces and 05 other districts. Heat index, the temperature felt on the human body is expected to increase up to Caution level at some places in Western, Southern, North-Western, North-Central, Eastern provinces and Ratnapura, Monaragala, Mannar, Vavuniya and Mullaitivu districts, it said. As per the advisory, under this level of temperature, fatigue is possible with more..

Apr 4 (AD) The Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (Ceypetco) announced that fuel prices will be revised with effect from midnight today (March 31). Accordingly, the price of Petrol 95 Octane has been reduced by Rs. 07 to Rs. 440 per litre while Super Diesel has been reduced by Rs. 72 to Rs. 386 per litre. Meanwhile the price of Kerosene has been reduced by Rs. 12 to Rs. 245 per litre. However, the prices of Petrol 92 Octane and Auto Diesel will remain unchanged, the CPC said. more..

Apr 1 (DM) A group of school students who held an alcohol party in an abandoned building in the Welimada area were taken into custody by the police. According to the Police, the Welimada Police raided the building based on information received. Five schoolboys and two schoolgirls who were having a party in the deserted building were taken into custody by the police. These students were reportedly consuming alcohol, which was being sold at high prices at that time. more..

Apr 1 (LM) Indian PM Narendra Modi on Sunday lashed out at the Congress party over a controversial island, Katchatheevu that was given to SL by former PM Indira Gandhi in 1974. The Katchatheevu island debate has taken centre stage in Tamil Nadu politics as the Lok Sabha election nears. PM Modi on Sunday cited a report in Times of India that said, RTI reply shows how Indira Gandhi ceded the island to SL. The PM on the X platfrom wrote, "Eye-opening and startling! New facts more..

Apr 1 (FT) Strongly refuting any unsubstantiated criticism by plaintiff Hamilton Reserve Bank (HRC) and expressing confidence in its ability to restructure external debt, Defendant, Democratic Socialist Republic of SL, last week moved the Reply Memorandum of Law urging the US Southern District of New York to grant an additional five-month stay. The Defendant�s Motion for a Further Stay of Proceedings states that an additional more..

Apr 1 (EN) Sri Lanka has recorded a surplus of US$ 1,559 million in the external current account by end 2023, official data show, amid reserve collections by the central bank and private banks repaying debt. In the Dec 2023 quarter Sri Lanka recorded a current account surplus of US$ 237 million. Revised central bank data show that a current account surplus of US$687 million was recorded in the third quarter, US$ 51 million in the second quarter and US$ 584 million in the first quarter. more..

Apr 1 (FT) Japanese multinational automobile giant Honda Motor recently took criminal action against several infringing entities who were engaged in the sale and possession of counterfeit automobile spare parts bearing the Honda brand and trademarks in SL. Consequently, three wholesale dealers in automobile spare parts located in Colombo 10 and Homagama were subjected to criminal raid actions instituted by the Colombo Crime Division (CCD), based on the complaints lodged by more..

Apr 4 (AD) SJB MP Dr. Harsha de Silva alleges that former Prez Maithripala Sirisena has provided a controversial statement linking India to the Easter Sunday terror attacks, which will likely cause a critical diplomatic crisis. Quoting a report published on a national newspaper, de Silva stressed that the ex-president has claimed that India was behind the Easter Sunday massacres and that an Indian diplomat whom he named more..

Apr 1 (FT) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe addressing Parliament in Aug 2022 pronounced that the target of his Govt was to make SL a fully developed country by 2048. The choice of the target year had some sentimental reason. It is that SL will celebrate the centenary of independence from Britain in 2048. Since SL was a promising rich country in South Asia by the time it gained independence in 1948 prompting some analysts to brand it as Switzerland of Asia, it is ironical to target for prosperity more..

Apr 1 (FT) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe is reported to have told the cabinet of ministers, priority has to be given to the IMF program to ensure economic stability and elections will have to be postponed till the IMF program is concluded. One newspaper report had it, Prez had in fact informed the Election Commission too about postponing elections. Postponing elections being a far cry, there is now a new debate mainly in Colombo circles, whether Basil�s request for a parliamentary election more..

Apr 1 (PMD) The Govt of Sri Lanka donated USD 01 million to assist children impacted by the conflicts in the Gaza Strip. The donation was formally transferred to the Govt of Palestine through the United Nations� official channel, overseen by Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe at the Presidential Secretariat this morning (01). President Ranil Wickremesinghe personally presented the donation cheque to Mr. Zuhair M.H. Zaid, the Palestinian Ambassador in Sri Lanka. This contribution adds more..