Apr 26 (FT) The Inland Revenue Department (IRD) is grappling with a critical shortfall in taxpayer inclusion, even as it chases a hefty revenue target of Rs. 2,195 billion for 2025. Despite issuing Taxpayer Identification Numbers (TINs) to around 10 million individuals, IRD officials estimate that only 1.7 to 1.8 million of them are adults over 18 years old, leaving nearly 7 million eligible taxpayers outside the formal tax net. more..

Apr 26 (DM) A high-level European Union GSP+ Monitoring Mission is scheduled to visit Sri Lanka from April 28 to May 7, 2025. The purpose of the mission is to assess the country's progress in meeting the conditions tied to the Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) trade concessions. The visit is part of the EU’s regular biannual monitoring process, to which the Government of Sri Lanka has committed in order to continue benefiting from the GSP+ facility. more..

Apr 26 (FT) Acting Indian High Commissioner to SL, Dr. Satyanjal Pandey hailed the inaugural India-SL Media Conclave as a landmark moment in regional media collaborating, commending the SL India Media Friendship Association (SLIMFA) for spearheading the first initiative of its kind in the country. Delivering his remarks at the opening ceremony of the Media Fest 2025, Dr. Pandey expressed gratitude to SLIMFA for beginning the event with a solemn tribute to the victims more..

Apr 26 (RFA) Authorities have barred a Vietnamese Buddhist monk from continuing a barefoot pilgrimage through Sri Lanka so he’s departing instead for his final destination, India. Thich Minh Tue, who departed on a multi-nation journey from Vietnam four months ago, was stopped in his tracks by SL police last week who cited a letter from Vietnam’s state-sanctioned Buddhist sangha – or Buddhist religious association – more..

Apr 26 (FT) Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa yesterday declared the inaugural Media Festival 2025 a pivotal moment in the region’s media landscape, highlighting it as a platform to promote media excellence and deepen SL-India cooperation. Speaking at the opening ceremony of Sri Lanka’s first ever Media Festival organised by the SL India Media Friendship Association (SLIMFA), patron of which is Indian High Commission, Dr. Jayatissa underscored the event’s regional significance, more..

Apr 26 (Island) An underworld hitman who attempted to break into a house in the Andiambalama area of Katunayake to kill a businessman was arrested in Rajanganaya by the police and the STF on Thursday night after the attempt failed and he escaped by jumping over a wall. Investigations have revealed that this individual is connected to a number of murders, including the recent killing of a businessman known as Indikatu Jude in the Seeduwa area a few weeks ago, more..

Apr 26 (Island) Ishan Madhusanka, one of the prime suspects in the shooting that killed underworld figure Aruna Widanagamage, alias Kajja, and his two young children, at Middeniya, was arrested in India and brought back to SL, through the Katunayake Airport, yesterday. He was taken into custody by officers from the CID and handed over to the Middeniya Police for further investigations. Kajja and his children were shot while travelling together on a motorcycle on the night of 18 Feb more..

Apr 26 (FT) Colombo stock market managed to close the week on a positive note with improved investor sentiment. During the week, ASPI and S&P SL 20 gained 2% and 2.7% respectively. S&P SL20 gained by 0.60% and ASPI by 0.81% on Friday. Turnover yesterday was Rs. 2.43 billion involving 125.53 million shares. Turnover during the week averaged Rs. 1.43 billion. Foreign participation in the market activity remained at subdued levels with foreigners closing as net sellers, with more..

Apr 26 (DN) Pavan Ratnayake and Milan Ratnayake shared a remarkable unbroken 160-run partnership as SL ‘A’ recorded a 5-wicket win over Ireland ‘A’ to clinch the title in their Tri-Nation Cricket final played at Abu Dhabi yesterday. It was a gritty partnership between the two Ratnayakes, Pavan and Milan, after SL ‘A’ struggled at 43 for 5 wickets in just 9.1 overs. SL’s openers, Lahiru Udara (16) & Kamil Mishara (10) more..

Apr 26 (EN) Foreign investors bought 11 million dollars worth Sri Lanka govt securities in the week ended on April 24, after they dumped the bonds in the previous two weeks amid jittery over U.S. Prez Donald Trump’s reciprocal tariff. The rupee has fallen slightly since Trump’s declaration while global investors have been shifting to safe-havens like gold. SL saw 3.33 billion rupees worth outflows from the govt securities in the week ended on April 24 after suffering an outflow of 10.1 b rupees more..

Apr 26 (ST) The once notorious Bogambara Prison located in the Kandy city which is now open to the public is in dire need of restoration and development so that visitors to the historic building can experience a bit of the country’s history in a meaningful manner. The building and premise which comes under the purview of the UDA can be accessed by the public after buying a ticket at a nominal rate at the gate but what one has to undertake is a self-guided tour within the building with more..

Apr 26 (DN) SL’s top lady golfer Kaya Daluwatte produced a remarkable comeback to claim the runner-up position at the 17th Faldo Series Asia Grand Final, which concluded yesterday at the Laguna Golf Lang Co in Hue, Vietnam. This prestigious tournament brought together the finest young golfers from the Asia-Pacific region, and Daluwatte’s outstanding performance marked a proud moment for Sri Lanka’s golfing history. Competing in the Girls’ Under-16 division, more..

Apr 26 (PMD) Prez Anura Kumara Disanayake stated that no nation in the world has achieved development by neglecting its cultural values and traditions. He emphasized that the current govt is committed to rebuilding the country by reinstating the moral principles and ethical systems that have slowly diminished over the years. Prez made these remarks this afternoon (25) while participating in the opening ceremony of newly built Bodhi Prakara with Golden Fence, at the historic more..

Apr 26 (FT) The coordinated suicide bomber attacks by a group of misguided Muslim zealots against three churches and four luxury hotels in Colombo, Negombo & Batticaloa on Easter Sunday (21 April) in 2019 brought in its wake several conspiracy theories. Chief among these was the one which suspected that an official or officials of SL’s intelligence services had manipulated the Muslim youths into launching the attacks with more..

Apr 26 (NW) M.F.M. Fazeer, Secretary of the Young Journalists Association (YJA) and a court reporter, was allegedly forcibly removed from the Kuliyapitiya Magistrate’s Court while covering proceedings. The incident occurred during a hearing related to a case against police officers accused of arresting, torturing, and robbing a businessman in 2022. According to Fazeer, two police officers approached him as he was taking notes inside the courtroom, dragged him out, and barred him from more..

Apr 26 (NF) Ministry of Transport has given SLTB depot managers until the end of next month to provide profitable & quality services. Dy Minister Prasanna Gunasena stated that decisions will be made regarding individuals who fail to meet this requirement. Currently, there are 107 operational SLTB depots, with only around 60 of them being profitable. Since the new govt took office, approx 20 new individuals have been appointed to SLTB depot managerial positions. more..

Apr 26 (CI) The Women's ODI World Cup is five months away and, after the drama of the Qualifier in which Pakistan and Bangladesh confirmed their places at the tournament, preparation begins in SL with a tri-series. SL host India and South Africa for a seven-match tournament, which will include the pressure of reaching a final. All three sides have uncapped players in their squads so there are bound to be some new faces alongside old rivalries. more..

Apr 26 (DM) “We believe those we factcheck deserve the benefit of the doubt and that their responses should be given the highest consideration” FactCheck.lk has responded to the feedback from the office of former Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe regarding fact-check published in the Daily Mirror newspaper on March 21, 2025. FactCheck.lk said it appreciates and welcomes the feedback from the office of former President Ranil Wickremesinghe regarding our fact-check more..

Apr 26 (FT) In a bid to boost regional contribution to export development, the Govt this week unveiled a strategic discussion under the patronage of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Minister Sunil Handunneththi. Held at the Matara District Secretariat, the event marked the initiation of a pilot project in the Southern Province, designed to develop and implement a structured export-oriented action plan at the Divisional Secretariat level. The primary objective of more..

Apr 26 (ST) A SL entrepreneur, Roshan Lowe, hopes to establish a donkey milk industry in Kalpitiya, aiming to produce milk and related products for international markets. A discussion on the proposed project was held this week. The meeting was attended by officials including the Puttalam Additional District Secretary Chathuraka Jayasinghe, ranger attached to Dept of Wildlife Conservation Upali Kumaratunga, Kalpitiya Health Officer Dam Siri Madumal, CEA official H.M. Dissanayake more..

Apr 26 (ST) A hanging electric fence which deters elephants but allows people and smaller animals, and covered vehicles to move beneath it, has been found to be more effective and less costlier, a researcher believes. A conventional electric fence is not effective against elephants who find ways to dismantle the barrier. A simple double-sided hanging electric fence was invented by Dr. S. Wijeyamohan, head, department of bio-science, Uni of Vavuniya, and patented by the university. more..

Apr 26 (FT) “I want to be a special, exceptional and unmatched citizen of this country. That is the purpose of my living. And, I want to give back my share to this country, which is the greatest country in the world,” Dimantha Dilan Thenuwara, who is now in Nepal to climb the Ama Dablam one of the famous peaks in the Himalayan range, said. Thenuwara, a business analysis manager of the Cloud Solutions International owned by more..

Apr 26 (Island) Against the backdrop of one-time LTTEer Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, alias Pilleyan’s arrest on April 08, 2025 and subsequent detention under Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) over Eastern Uni VC Prof. S. Raveendranath’s disappearance on Dec. 15, 2006, whose life was actually under threat from the LTTE several years after Karuna and Pilleyan broke away from it, various interested parties started commenting on the role played/atrocities perpetrated by Pilleyan more..

Apr 26 (Island) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who is leading the NPP’s local govt (LG) polls campaign from the front, while urging his rivals to sink their political differences and help achieve national progress, would have the public believe that winning the upcoming mini polls will be a walk in the park for his party. He is being overconfident and overoptimistic. The NPP’s huge victory in last year’s general election is still fresh, and therefore the govt is thought to have a better chance of more..

Apr 26 (FT) 'We will serve justice to the people who have languished in agony without hope for so long.' ‘The political mastermind behind the religious fundamentalists who caused the Easter Sunday carnage of 21 April 2019 will be publicly named and suitably punished.’ ‘Full disclosure of the conspiracy with a political motive will be made on 21 April 2025 and closure brought to the suffering of a pilgrim people.’ Go on – pull the other one also, would you? It has bells on! more..

Apr 26 (GV) The upcoming local govt elections represent more than just another trip to the polling booth. They mark a critical juncture in the country’s democratic journey, emerging from the shadow of the transformative aragalaya of 2022 and the subsequent rise of the NPP coalition in the 2024 national elections. These local elections offer the first major opportunity since these watershed events for citizens to continue reclaiming their role as the true sovereigns of SL’s democracy. more..

Apr 26 (CT) With no offence to the Sacred Exposition of the Tooth Relic of Lord Buddha– Siri Dalada Wandanawa – there is every reason for us to ponder on the events that have led to grave concern. At first, the Exposition was perceived to be a well-thought-out endeavour with thousands of Police officers deployed to ensure security and order as well as sufficient facilities, such as food, water, sanitary facilities and parking, provided for more..

Apr 26 (CT) The state owned Daily News of 9 June 2018 which referred to the alleged BMW duty fraud as a massive fraud amounting to Rs.16 billion when importing 1,675 of BMW vehicles went on to describe it as the largest ever customs fraud in Sri Lanka! It is horrendous there has been no closure and accountability under the executive presidencies of MR, MS, GR, RW and now apparently under AKD for this alleged massive fraud which originated almost one and a half decades ago. more..

Apr 26 (DM) Pakistan and China have traditionally been among Lanka’s most loyal friends, defending it at sittings on the UNHRC, when our country was accused of a plethora of rights violations. Since independence Lankan leaders also enjoyed cordial relations with India. However at crucial times especially at sessions of the UNHRC India remained strangely silent. During our near three decade war against terrorism (1983 to 2009), Pakistan provided arms and ammunition to the SL govt to help more..

Apr 26 (CT) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake made an unannounced visit to Kandy on 24 April to meet with the crowds gathered for the ongoing Siri Dalada Wandanawa — the long-awaited special exposition of the Sacred Tooth Relic. His visit took place amid unprecedented numbers of devotees, with over 400,000 pilgrims reportedly converging on the hill country capital in anticipation of the event. Prez visited several locations late in the evening, more..

Apr 26 (CT) The world watches with mounting anxiety as tensions between India and Pakistan escalate yet again, following the horrific terrorist attack in Indian-administered Kashmir earlier this week, which claimed the lives of 26 tourists. It is a tragedy that has shocked the conscience of the region, and one that rightly demands justice. But it is also a moment that calls for utmost restraint and level-headedness from all parties involved. For South Asia—home to nearly 2 billion people more..

Apr 26 (DM) The reason for the disappointment in some groups is the failure of the investigations to prove their theory that the SLPP led by former Prez Mahinda Rajapaksa was behind these terrorist attacks in order to create an atmosphere that was conducive for them to win the Presidential election held in the same year. Starting from the day after the macabre crime committed by the NTJ led by Zahran Hashim, one of the suicide bombers who attacked three tourist hotels and three churches, more..