Apr 10 (PMD) Islamic adherents worldwide engage in fasting for a month, guided by the noble intention of fostering personal growth and benefiting others. The Holy Quran underscores the importance of adhering to such virtuous practices from antiquity, illuminating the path towards righteousness and spiritual fulfillment. As the Sri Lankan Islamic community observes Ramadan this year, it coincides with a period of burgeoning progress and encouragement within the nation. more..

Apr 10 (DM) The four former Presidents who are in active politics should bow out for their own benefit and for the sake of the people, MP Dullas Alahapperuma said today. MP Alahapperuma said former Presidents Mahinda Rajapaksa, Chandrika Kumaratunga, Maithripala Sirisena and Gotabaya Rajapaksa should keep away from active politics. "Keeping away from politics is good for their own health and for the sake of the people. Public funds which are spent on them should not be used more..

Apr 10 (FT) In a landmark move, Hambantota International Port (HIP) yesterday commenced its inaugural container transhipment service operated by the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC). MV MSC Ingrid made her maiden call at HIP, discharging a total of 500 plus TEUs of transhipment containers to be connected to a second carrier, MSC Sky 11 expected to call at the port on 16 April. The first shipment of containers consigned to more..

Apr 10 (DM) State Minister of Primary Industries Chamara Sampath Dasanayake is alleged to have severely accused and threatened the Human Resources and Administration Assistant of the Lanka Phosphate Company H.D.V.K. Chandraratne in the presence of the officials of the Ministry and the company. The trade union Sri Lanka Nidahas Sevaka Sangamaya has informed the Minister that it will resort to trade union action in case of a recurrence of similar incidents in the future. more..

Apr 10 (PMD) Following customs and traditions, the Nekath Seettuwa, the table of auspicious times for this year’s Sinhala and Tamil New Year, was presented to Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe at the Presidential Secretariat today. The table of auspicious times, duly prepared by the State Astrologers’ Committee of the Dept of Cultural Affairs, was then presented to the Prez. Minister Vidura Wickremanayake presented the Nekath Seettuwa to the Prez in accordance with more..

Apr 10 (FT) A recent conference convened by the International Development Economics Associates (IDEAs) network, titled African Debt Crisis and the International Financial Architecture, was held in Accra, Ghana from 27 to 29 March. It offered a stimulating platform for debate, tempered by the implicit background of the immeasurable suffering and equally heroic struggles Africa has witnessed. Participants were surrounded by reminders of Ghana’s role as both a key transit point more..

Apr 10 (FT) Current media coverage in SL is heavily focused on the forthcoming Prez elections. Though officially not announced yet, it seems a foregone conclusion that the presidential poll would take place later this year. Several potential candidates ranging from incumbent prez Ranil Wickremesinghe to media magnate Dilith Jayaweera are tipped to be in the presidential fray. Adding to this uncertain state of affairs are recent attempts by vested interests to field a Hindu as more..

Apr 10 (TM) Election Commission (EC) is to declare the legality of the changes made to the SLFP including the appointment of the Party's Senior Vice President (VP), Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva as its Acting Chairperson during its Politburo meeting on Monday, after studying the relevant documents and the Party's constitution. Recent controversy associated with the SLFP took a new turn with the Election of de Silva as more..

Apr 10 (DM) A meeting was held recently at the Transport Ministry to explore the feasibility of registering motorcycles with higher engine capacities. Commissioner General of the Dept of Motor Traffic Nishantha Weerasinghe said that a decision was made to draft a cabinet paper seeking approval from the cabinet of ministers. "We deliberated on the registration of existing illegally imported motorcycles with higher engine capacities through the DMT, with fines being imposed," more..

Apr 10 (TM) The Ceylon Principals’ Union (CPU) urged all principals and teachers not to pressurise parents unnecessarily in the midst of the economic crisis by collecting money for various events organised by schools. CPU General Secretary Piyasiri Fernando said that no one has the right to collect money unnecessarily from parents for certain events without consulting the parents regarding the expenses. Noting that events such as annual sports meets, concerts, and the Sinhala and Tamil more..

Apr 10 (DM) Sri Lanka’s labour force participation rate hit a new low in 2023, the recently published Labour Force Survey (LFS) annual bulletin highlighted. In 2023, labour force participation rate declined to 48.6% from 49.8% recorded in 2022. Since 2021, labour force participation rate has remained below the 50% mark. The labour force participation rate is the percentage of population that is either working or actively looking for work. more..

Apr 10 (AD) The Muslim community of SL will celebrate Eid-al-Fitr tomorrow (10), as the new crescent moon was sighted today (09). Accordingly, the Colombo Grand Mosque announced that Eid-al-Fitr (also known as Ramadan festival) for the year 2024 will be celebrated tomorrow. Eid al-Fitr is a festival of breaking the fast and marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan. It is a religious holiday that is celebrated by Muslims from all over the world and involves a range of celebrations more..

Apr 19 (Island) Colombo International Shoe Fair, hailed as the largest shoe fair in SL, is gearing up for its third stage commenced in Kurunegala. Initiated under the concept of Managing Director Kapila De Silva, Colombo International Shoe Fair has swiftly cemented its position as the largest and most eagerly anticipated shoe fair in SL. Its inception in Aug 2023 witnessed an unprecedented turnout, with over 500,000 eager customers flocking to explore the diverse offerings on display. more..

Apr 19 (DM) Ahead of the prez election, Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe has instructed the govt members to restrict foreign travel as much as possible because their presence is required to undertake political work, an informed source said. The UNP led by the Prez is planning to ramp up political work in view of the election after the May Day rally. The party is planning to conduct the rally on a grand scale this year as a springboard for the launch of political work directly targeting the prez elections. more..

Apr 19 (FT) Court of Appeal yesterday suspended the allocation of 3500 quotas by the Hajj committee given to SL for the Hajj Pilgrimage. Saudi Arabia had granted a quota of 3500 pilgrims to the island for the upcoming Hajj in June. The Hajj committee was given discretion to allocate from the quota numbers of pilgrims to each travel operator. In a writ petition filed before the Court of Appeal a travel agent who was not granted any allocation said the process adopted by the Hajj committee was arbitrary. more..

Apr 19 (FT) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe on Sunday underscored a pivotal shift in the country’s economic trajectory led by the youth, noting the importance of propelling the country towards rapid development under their leadership. Speaking during the Let’s Start with Me Kandy District Youth Conference held at the Prez’s House in Kandy on Sunday, he outlined plans to introduce fundamental legislation essential for establishing a new more..

Apr 19 (FT) Cabinet cleared the implementation of the Agripreneurship Villages establishment project, marking the first phase of this ambitious endeavour in 2024. The significant initiative aimed at revolutionising the agricultural sector will select one village from each of the chosen Divisional Secretariat Areas to serve as the pilot site for Agripreneurship Villages. “These villages will serve as hubs of agricultural innovation, equipped with state-of-the-art technology & smart solutions more..

Apr 10 (DM) Despite earning a yearly profit of Rs. 5 billion from expressways, Minister Bandula Gunawardana revealed that it might take at least 160 years to fully pay off the Rs. 800 billion loan used to build them. Gunawardana explained that even if someone lived for 80 years, it would still be impossible to settle the debt. He emphasized that even if someone reincarnated multiple times and worked throughout each lifetime, the debt would persist. To prevent financial collapse, more..

Apr 10 (DM) The world’s first Cinnamon Museum was unveiled this week in Mirissa Hills, a cinnamon estate near Weligama. The opening event was graced by Minister Harin Fernando, who called it a brilliant idea to make value to a SL brand. The Cinnamon Museum, a project by Global CEO- Ogilvy & Mather, Miles Young, who did extensive research and discovery of cinnamon, is a unique small resort with four bedrooms, where visitors can stay and experience a walk around the plantation, more..

Apr 10 (FT) T National Savings Bank (NSB) said yesterday it demonstrated its mettle amidst challenges by recording a Profit after Tax (PAT) of Rs. 7.2 billion for the fiscal year ended Dec 31, 2023. NSB said the performance in FY23 was a testament to its adept management and highly skilled workforce in a year which saw the aftermath of pandemic followed by largest economic crisis in post-independence history, and socio-political uncertainties and monetary tightening. more..

Apr 10 (TM) Endorsing the reported preparation by Tamil political parties to field a common candidate for the upcoming Prez Election, TMTK Leader C.V. Wigneswaran said that several names of potential candidates are already being considered. He said that the TMTK would endorse fielding a common candidate representing the Tamil political parties, charging that the Tamil community has been let down every time that more..

Apr 10 (TM) Cabinet committee looking into entering BRICS as the country plans to grow the economy after its worst economic crisis, Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Sabry said. He said that Sri Lanka is looking at entering BRICS as an option which was suggested by the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs. However, he said that BRICS is too early for Sri Lanka as many people are interested in entering the bloc, “they are not going to just accept us, it will take little time,” he added. more..

Apr 10 (CT) 14-year-old Chamodi Munasinghe’s 5-wicket haul and Dewmi Wijerathna’s 4/43 scripted SL U-19 Women’s comprehensive 108- run win over England Under-19 Women in the third game of the U-19 Women’s Tri Nation ODI Series 2024 worked off at Galle Int'l Cricket Stadium yesterday. Opting to bat first, SL posted 226 runs before being bowled out in 48.3 overs, and in reply, England fell well short of the target as they were bundled out for 118 runs courtesy Chamodi and Dewmi’s heroics more..

Apr 10 (ST) Before finalising the ODI squad for the three-match series against Bangladesh, national selectors were in a dilemma whether or not to pick Lahiru Kumara. Their concern stemmed from Kumara’s soaring skin-fold levels, which raised doubts about his fitness and increased his susceptibility to injuries. The reading was well over 120–much more than the required 85, indicating significant room for improvement more..

Apr 10 (FT) SL Insurance Corporation (SLIC) said yesterday it concluded the year 2023 with remarkable success, achieving an impressive profit before taxation of Rs. 10.6 billion, reflecting a robust improvement in combined Gross Written Premium (GWP) of Rs. 44.2 billion, marking a growth of 7.2%. As of December 31, 2023, Sri Lanka Insurance Life recorded a premium volume of Rs. 21 billion, while Sri Lanka Insurance General recorded a premium value of Rs. 23.1 billion. more..

Apr 10 (FT) National Chamber of Commerce of SL (NCCSL) and KPMG SL have officially signed a MOU aimed at fostering knowledge sharing and collaborative endeavors. This landmark agreement marks a strategic collaboration between two influential organisations, poised to catalyse numerous joint initiatives. The primary objective of this MOU, where KPMG SL will be onboard as a Knowledge Partner, and to strengthen the services to the MSME sector through capacity building more..

Apr 10 (Island) In sports and life, it’s all about grabbing the opportunities from both hands. Often, we tend to cry over spilled milk and turn a blind eye when new opportunities or ventures open up. Kamindu Mendis is a great example of making most of his chances. The left-handed batter from Richmond College, Galle was given a raw deal as he was sidelined after making a half-century on debut against Australia. He was in the sidelines for two years not able to break into the senior side. more..

Apr 10 (AI) During 2022 and 2023, SL law enforcement authorities responded to unprecedented protests in Sri Lanka with unlawful use of tear gas and water cannon and the misuse of batons. Law enforcement authorities used tactics of obstruction, surveillance, and intimidation of protests, creating a chilling effect on the right to freedom of peaceful assembly. The suppression of protest must stop and the government must ensure that law enforcement authorities adopt more..

Apr 10 (ST) A BOI company in Sri Lanka is the importer of the hazardous material scheduled to have been shipped to Colombo, according to the manifest of the Dali vessel chartered by Maersk. More vessels with hazardous materials are also expected to be due at the Colombo Port. The company, Ansell Lanka, based at the Biyagama Export Processing Zone, had ordered to import a stock of Resin Solution; more..

Apr 10 (ST) The lack of a large number of speakers from both the govt and opposition forced a temporary halt to proceedings during Parliament’s final sitting a few days before the Sinhala and Tamil New Year. The decision prompted anger from the opposition, which accused Deputy Speaker Ajith Rajapakshe of setting a dangerous precedent. Tuesday’s (2) Parliament sittings were held to pass several important pieces of legislation, namely the Banking (Amendment) Bill, more..

Apr 10 (Island) 15 years after the end of the war in the North and the East, a tourist might have a difficult time figuring out whether a war was fought there at all, at first glance. There is not much difference between the towns in the North and the South. There is an appearance of peacefulness and normalcy that tourists have taken to. SL has claimed the coveted title of the number one destination for solo female travellers in 2024, according to Timeout.com, a leading global media and more..