Apr 20 (FT) The Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) has announced plans to crackdown on fraudulent trades and overcharging tuk tuk drivers in popular tourist areas following numerous complaints and viral videos shared on social media. �Officials would conduct regular raids and patrols in areas known for tourism-related businesses and street food vendors. Additionally, they would target tuk tuks that are reportedly overcharging tourists and more..

Apr 20 (FT) Aitken Spence Hotels has once again ranked among the top companies in LMD�s Most Awarded Hall of Fame, solidifying its position as one of the most distinguished entities in Sri Lanka. Garnering an impressive tally of 52 awards throughout 2023, the company secured the first place in hospitality sector and fourth place among the nation�s most honoured establishments. These awards have showcased the company�s prowess in service, culinary and product excellence. more..

Apr 20 (FT) Hayleys Solar, the pioneering force in SL�s solar energy landscape, has unveiled Solar Powered Water Heaters to the local market. Commenting on the launch, Hayleys Fentons Managing Director Hasith Prematillake states, �We aim to make renewable energy solutions accessible but also rewarding for every SL household. With this product offering, we will continue to develop the hot water systems market by offering energy-efficient solutions that leverage the power of the sun.� more..

Apr 20 (Island) Olympian Nagalingam Ethirveerasingam who won SL�s first gold medal at the Asian Games has passed away in Los Angeles. The former national record holder in the men�s high jump was 89 at the time of his demise. A legend in the field of athletics, Ethir was a 17-year-old student at Jaffna Central when he was picked to represent SL at Helsinki Olympics in 1952. Ethir represented SL at the next edition of the Olympics in 1956 as well. He held the national high jump record more..

Apr 20 (FT) Activists gathered on the side-lines of the annual meeting of the IMF and World Bank in Washington DC yesterday to demand deep, wide and urgent debt cancellation for Global South countries. Demonstrations were also held in the Philippines, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal. �While these meetings of the IMF and World Bank are happening, a worsening debt crisis is crushing developing countries across the world. This dire situation is proof of the flawed and more..

Apr 20 (FT) SJB MP Chandima Weerakkody accused Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe and his Govt of adhering to a local Robin hood rule, despite presenting a facade of transparent governance to appease the IMF and other organisations. He claimed that the Govt is attempting to create an impression of economic progress in the country while maintaining questionable practices. more..

Apr 20 (DN) The Sports Ministry spent more than 82 lakhs for Viren Nettasinghe�s International Badminton tournaments which helped him to reach Olympics qualifying standard, said Sports Director General Prof Rear Admiral Shemal Fernando. We already made a pathway to the Road of Olympics and Sports Minister Harin Fernando gave all requirements and ordered me to look after Super athletes requirements and Viren is the first athlete to reach his target with our assistance. more..

Apr 20 (Island) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe on Thursday told youth political activists, affiliated to his party in Nuwara Eliya, that he was willing to convert the historical post office at Nuwara Eliya into a tourist hotel if that is what the people desire. The meeting took place at the President�s House in Nuwara Eliya. �We would like to develop tourism. Do you also like to see that?� he asked the young UNPers. Wickremesinghe said he wanted to take over the colonial era post office at Nuwara Eliya more..

Apr 20 (Island) Uncovering the truth behind the Easter Sunday attacks hinged on a change in the political system, Fr. Cyril Gamini Fernando, the spokesperson of the Archdiocese of Colombo, said following his visit to the CID on Friday morning. Fr. Fernando was summoned to the CID to provide his account regarding the Easter Sunday attacks. He stated, �I received a letter from the CID requesting my presence at 10 am. They mentioned they wish to record my statement regarding my knowledge more..

Apr 20 (DN) SL clinched victory in the JR Jayewardene Trophy after a long wait, triumphing over two Pakistani golf teams at the start of the Smart City 63rd National Amateur Golf Championship�s int'l team match. The match took place at the Margalla Greens Golf Club in Islamabad, Pakistan yesterday. Uchitha Ranasinghe from the Royal Colombo Golf Club and Chalitha Pushpika from the SL Navy teamed up to score a joint gross of 148, with each player hitting more..

Apr 20 (FT) Minister Kanchana Wijesekera expressed optimism regarding potential developments with Sinopec, aiming for a comprehensive agreement aligned with the Govt�s principles by next month, with a target to sign the agreement by June 2024. He noted that concerns regarding the implications on land extent, logistics, port taxes, water resource management and compliance with BoI conditions emerged more..

Apr 20 (FT) Colombo stock market yesterday ended the week with losses, a complete U-turn after the previous saw sharp gains. During the week ASPI lost 2.3% and the active S&P SL20 lost 3.4%. In the previous week the ASPI and the S&P SL20 gained 2% and 2.6% respectively. Turnover this week averaged Rs. 1.95 billion, down from Rs. 2.91 billion in the previous week. Yesterday the S&P SL20 declined by 0.75% and the ASPI by 0.4% with turnover amounting to Rs. 1.47 billion more..

Apr 20 (FT) UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF)�the UN�s catalytic finance entity for developing countries�has appointed Pradeep Kurukulasuriya (SL) as the Executive Secretary for the organisation. In assuming the position, Kurukulasuriya as Executive Secretary will focus on strengthening the organisation�s unique capability to crowd-in finance to scale development impact where the needs are greatest�a capability rooted in UNCDF�s unique investment mandate to blend & deploy more..

Apr 20 (Island) As a collective body of exporters, we have been at the forefront of sustaining employment and ensuring a steady flow of foreign exchange, even amidst the most severe economic downturns faced by our nation. Our membership covers the majority of merchandise exports, which account for some 13% of Sri Lanka�s GDP. Today, we stand united in urging the authorities to address the pressing challenges posed by the appreciation of the SL rupee (LKR) against the US dollar (USD), more..

Apr 20 (DM) In a daring robbery which has stunned authorities, thieves managed to steal electric cables worth over Rs.10 million from a train named Nayana Kumari stationed at Hikkaduwa railway station, a top official said. The incident, had occurred in the early hours of Thursday, targeting the Nayana Kumari express train which had arrived the previous night from Colombo. The thieves specifically targeted cables used for powering the lighting system within the passenger compartments. more..

Apr 20 (DM) Sri Lanka is to pay US $ 308 million in surcharges to the IMF over the next decade (2024-2033), in constituting to 15.8% of the total charges and interests over the period, according to the US-based think tank Centre for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR). Over the period, SL�s total charges and interests payments to the IMF stand at US $ 1.94 billion. SL joined the list of 22 heavily indebted countries facing more..

Apr 20 (DM) UNP which is led by incumbent Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe today urged the SL people not to get deceived by NPP and Archbishop of Colombo Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith. UNP General Secretary Palitha Range Bandara made these remarks while making a special statement in reference to to the meeting which a group of NPP members had with Cardinal Ranjith on Thursday. Range Bandara questioned as to whether Cardinal is out to vouch support for NPP the same way more..

Apr 20 (DN) It is expected that the issuing of visas to tourists coming to Sri Lanka will be done by a technical coordination agency for the issuing of visas in 145 countries, Public Security Ministry Secretary Viyani Gunathilake said. He said that an agreement has been reached with an international organization to attract tourists to Sri Lanka and to facilitate the tourists in obtaining visas and they should apply for visas through the company�s website www.srilankaevisa.lk. more..

Apr 20 (Island) Nishan de Mel, the Executive Director of Verit� Research, stated that holders of Sri Lanka�s International Sovereign Bonds (ISBs) have expressed concerns about specific aspects of the debt sustainability analysis conducted by the country alongside the IMF. This disagreement is one of the key hurdles in reaching an accord with them, he said. Dr. de Mel said holders of SL�s ISBs disagree with the IMF�s more..

Apr 21 (SO) SL authorities have not allowed the import of private passenger cars since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020, with the exception of electric vehicles for migrant workers, BOI and a few other permit schemes. Govt also recently allowed tourism sector companies to import 1,000 vehicles, including 750 hybrid/electric vans. While the Govt has lifted import restrictions on other categories of vehicles such as commercial, agricultural and earthmoving, more..

Apr 21 (TM) Over a century ago, when the initial rumblings to obtain adult franchise in then British-ruled Ceylon surfaced, the Governor at the time, McCallum, made a pertinent observation, noting the immaturity of the electorate to appoint suitable people to represent them in matters of governance. Governor McCallum believed that the adult Ceylonese � above the age of 18 � were not mature enough to understand the concept of democratic governance and therefore were incapable more..

Apr 21 (TM) As the country gradually moves out of the more than 10-day-long New Year holidays, a section of the nation continues to await justice for the havoc wreaked on their lives and loved ones by the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks. Today (21) marks five years since the dastardly attacks that also resulted in putting Sri Lanka on a politically � and eventually a socially and economically � devastating path in the aftermath. more..

Apr 21 (CT) Today marks the fifth anniversary of the most devastating and deadliest suicide bombing SL has ever experienced. On 21 April 2019, a series of coordinated suicide bomb attacks targeted three churches and three luxury hotels in the commercial capital of the country, killing 269 persons and injuring over 500 others. In the five years since the Easter Sunday massacre, the fateful incident has been the centre of much discussions, debates and controversies in politics, communities and more..

Apr 21 (TM) One cannot help but ask MP Dullas Alahapperuma as to why he waited so long to urge former Presidents to bow out from active politics. If anyone puts this question to him, they cannot be faulted. Alahapperuma said recently that former Presidents Chandrika Kumaratunga, Mahinda Rajapaksa (MR), Maithripala Sirisena, and Gotabaya Rajapaksa (GR) should keep away from politics for their own health and for the sake of the people. Public funds which were spent on them more..

Apr 21 (CT) It has been five years since the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attack. Just like that fateful day, today�s fifth anniversary also falls on a Sunday. Despite the passage of time, numerous questions remain unanswered. It is no secret that the tragic events of that day had a significant impact on the political landscape, leading to the election of ousted Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa in the 2019 Prez Election and subsequent landslide victory in more..

Apr 21 (ST) Iran�s President Ebrahim Raisi is due in Sri Lanka next week on a rare state visit abroad�unless unsettled circumstances in war-torn West Asia overtake events. Unlike in other constitutional presidencies, the Iranian Prez is not the numero uno of his country. That honour goes to its Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei who never leaves the country. Thus, the significance of the Prez�s visit. The G-7 countries (US and its allies) began making diplomatic noises about the timing of the visit more..

Apr 21 (ST) My dear Satellite, I am writing to you after some time. That is after seeing you back in the limelight after many years, dabbling again in the affairs of the Blue Party. The last we heard, you had intervened successfully in court to obtain an order preventing Aiyo Sirisena from functioning as the Chairman of your Party. Honestly, I don�t know what your motives were. We understand if you felt you had to intervene to save the Party founded by your father and nurtured during difficult times by more..

Apr 21 (Island) The death last week of Dr. A.T. Ariyaratne, who founded and led the Sarvodaya movement in SL after a long life of 92 years, has robbed the country of a colossus of his generation. His own name, as well as that of the organization he created is very well known to everybody in all homes across the length and breadth of the country. A small made, soft spoken personality with a shock of white hair and an ever present smile, he had a face that could best be described by more..

Apr 21 (Island) As Sri Lankans took time off to mark the national New Year last week, Iran launched a spectacle of drone and missile attacks against Israel. This was the first direct attack by Iran on Israel after the Islamic Revolution in 1979. Until now Iran has been using proxies to harass Israel � the Shiite Hezbollah in Lebanon, and Hamas and other groups among the Palestinians. Iran�s attack was more a spectacle than a serious punch and was intended as a retaliatory response to Israel�s Apr1 airstrike more..

Apr 21 (ST) The move to allocate more than Rs. 300 million from the decentralised budget funds to a group of MPs from an opposition party on the instructions of Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe has set off alarm bells within that party�s hierarchy. The funds had been allocated following special instructions from the Prez and given to several of this party�s MPs who have good relations with him, sources said. more..

Apr 21 (Island) Young fast bowling sensation Mathesha Pathirana is rocking India. His deadly death over bowling efforts for Chennai Super Kings had made him an overnight sensation last season. Madras fans are beginning to love him even more this season after he blew away arch-rivals Mumbai Indians with a four-wicket haul during Sunday�s double header. Such was his impact at Wankhede on Sunday that it felt unreal. Coming on to bowl the eighth over of the innings, more..

Apr 21 (TM) Trinity College, Kandy and Nalanda College, Colombo are set to clash in the 44th First XI cricket encounter at the Nalanda College Campbell Place Grounds on 26 and 27 April. The prestigious Mahela-Sanga Challenge Trophy will be up for grabs in this highly-anticipated match. The annual cricket encounter between Trinity and Nalanda has been a staple in the school cricket calendar since its inception in 1978. Named after two cricketing legends, Mahela Jayawardene and more..

Apr 21 (SO) From a once competitive force in Asia, Sri Lanka now finds itself among the poorest of the poor in the sport of rugby at a four-nation championship called the Asia Rugby Division One tournament to be played from April 30 to May 4 at the Race Course ground in Colombo. Having ended as one of the best teams in Asia behind Japan and South Korea in the 1990s at what was called the Asiad, Sri Lanka struggling to be in the scrum will now take pride to be pitted against Qatar, more..

Apr 21 (EN) Softlogic group has begun restructuring its debt and is seeking investors for hotels and ODEL retail project, while also selling off assets, according to its annual report for the year to March 2023. Softlogic group, which has interests in retail, hotels, finance and healthcare, posted a loss of 24.07 billion rupees for the year to March 2023, up from 8.1 billion a year earlier. Group revenues including insurance fell to 96.8 billion rupees from 111.2 billion rupees, more..

Apr 21 (CT) Prez Maithirpala Sirisena, who was also the Commander-in-Chief and Defence Minister, was apparently receiving medical treatment in Singapore when SL�s deadliest single day of terrorist violence and its first experience of Muslim-on-Christian mass violence took place on 21 April 2019. When considering the colossal damage caused by this manmade disaster on a single day, in a country that fought a 3-decade civil war, more..