Apr 3 (EN) National guidelines for the management of shelters for victims of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) were recently launched by the Ministry of Women, Child Affairs and Social Empowerment, following Cabinet approval. The guidelines are a collaborative effort by the Ministry, UNDP in SL, and a key component of the Enabling Access to Justice for Victim-Survivors of SGBV in SL project, a joint initiative with UNDP and UNFPA SL, with funding from the Govt of Canada. more..

Apr 3 (FT) The National People’s Power’s (NPP) current election campaign aiming for the presidential election has a strong momentum. The confident body language of its leadership is one indicator of this. Their rallies are well-attended and there appears to be a strong bottom-up support. The NPP’s seemingly growing electoral prospects have propelled it to being in the centre of political discourse, and this has led other political parties/factions to be on the defensive. more..

Apr 3 (FT) SJB MP Kabir Hashim called on the Govt to temporarily suspend finalising the price agreement for a unit of power with the Indian Adani Group regarding the Mannar renewable energy project. Hashim highlighted that the CEB has initiated international tenders for an additional renewable energy project in close proximity to the proposed site for the Adani project. Hashim urged the Govt to await the determination of more..

Apr 3 (DM) Sri Lanka has claimed the coveted title of the number one destination for solo female travelers in 2024, according to Timeout.com Solo female travel is on the rise, with a recent survey indicating that over half of Gen Z women are considering traveling abroad alone. With more women seeking adventure, cultural immersion, and memorable experiences, the question arises: where to go and what to know? Several countries are renowned for being safe and accommodating for solo more..

Apr 3 (CT) Parliamentary proceedings, yesterday, were forced to be suspended for two hours owing to the absence of MPs who were scheduled to speak during the day’s debate. Banking (Amd) Bill and regulations under the Colombo Port City Economic Commission Act were taken up for debate. Accordingly, the proceedings were postponed until 4:30 p.m. by Deputy Speaker Ajith Rajapakse as both the ruling party and Opposition speakers were not present in the Chamber. more..

~Apr 3 (DM) In response to mounting concerns over reports of several police officers being in contact with leading drug lords, some of whom operate from overseas while others are imprisoned following recent crackdowns on underworld gangs, intelligence officers have been deployed to identify the police officers collaborating with organized criminals and drug traffickers with their assets to be probed. Police have received information more..

Apr 3 (DM) Sri Lanka will soon see the addition of a laboratory for energy efficiency testing of air conditioners, with the govt of South Korea agreeing to support the endeavour. South Korea will help, under the Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Project to establish the said laboratory. The project is financed through the Korea Energy Agency, and the installation of the laboratory and necessary training of human resources in this project is scheduled to be completed during the year 2024. more..

Apr 3 (Island) Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena on Monday said he had not alleged that Colombo-based embassies had been behind Aragalaya Speaker Abeywardena said so in response to a query raised by dissident SLPP MP Gevindu Cumaratunga. Cumaratunga asked the Speaker as to why a proper investigation hadn’t been launched into his (Speaker) declaration on March 21 that powerful foreign elements interfered and wanted him to act even contrary to the Constitution and more..

Apr 3 (Island) Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in collaboration with Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) conducted an Investor Forum held in Dambulla on the 27th of March at the Hotel Sannasa – Dambulla. The forum was organized with the objective of raising awareness on the importance of investor education with regard to the investment opportunities that exist in the Stock Market and investor protection. With the aim of educating the business community of the Dambulla district, more..

Apr 3 (TM) Economic Council of the NPP of the Parliamentary Opposition claimed that certain Opposition groups are attempting to mislead the public by creating in their election manifestos a nexus between their anti-corruption measures and the privatisation of crucial State entities. NPP's Chief Economic Adviser Prof. Anil Jayantha, noted that many Opposition political parties have already accepted the Govt’s economic policy, in which the privatisation of national assets more..

Apr 3 (TM) Health Ministry has given an assurance to the unions representing the professions supplementary to medicine and the paramedical services that the first part of a special allowance related increase would be paid to them in May while the balance would be paid in June. Hence, the unions decided yesterday (2) to put on hold the previously proposed continuous strike. Speaking to The Daily Morning, more..

Apr 3 (DN) Minister Bandula Gunawardhana said that the govt has succeeded in settling outstanding amount of Rs.361 billion to the contractors of the Road Development Authority (RDA). He said the International Monetary Fund has laid down a condition that contracts cannot be executed on credit. “The govt has given an undertaking to the IMF to settle the such credit within a month,” he said. The govt’s revenue in 2023 was Rs.3 trillion while recurrent expenditure exceeding Rs.4 trillion. more..

Apr 3 (FT) Access Engineering has been awarded contract to build the Main Terminal Building (MTB), Passenger Bridge No. 02 and the Passenger Bridge No. 03 under step 2 of Phase II of Bandaranaike International Airport Development Project (BIADP). Cabinet approved awarding the contract based on the recommendations of the Technical Evaluation Committee and the Standing Procurement Committee. “A total of four bids were received with contractors registered under more..

Apr 3 (CT) The total number of dengue cases in the country topped 20,000 by 31 March 2024, the National Dengue Control Unit (NDCU) said. According to statistics provided by the NDCU’s website NaDSys surveillance, yesterday (2), the number of dengue cases in the country by 1 April 2024 (Monday) had reached 20,130, with eight dengue deaths being recorded by the Unit within the first three months of this year. The total number of dengue cases in the country for March this year was 3,615, while the highest number of dengue more..

Apr 3 (ST) Executive Board of UNESCO this week adopted by acclamation a decision to commemorate the International Day of Vesak at UNESCO. The decision was adopted without debate at UNESCO’s 219th Session and was based on the historic UNGA Resolution 54/115 of 1999 on International Recognition of Vesak at the United Nations which was then spearheaded by former Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar, and was adopted on its 25th anniversary year at UNESCO Headquarters more..

Apr 3 (FT) World Bank said SL’s economy is projected to see moderate growth of 2.2% in 2024, showing signs of stabilisation, following the severe economic downturn but the country still faces elevated poverty levels, income inequality, and labour market concerns. The fresh assessment of the multilateral donor agency is contained in its latest bi-annual update. Released yesterday the SL Development Update, more..

Apr 3 (FT) Several tourism associations, rebuked calls by what they alleged as a cartel of lazy hoteliers to continue with Govt regulated Minimum Room Rates (MRR), stating that SL lost close to 40% of additional occupancy due its implementation, and a decision to continue could lead to the breakdown of the industry. SL Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO), Association of Small and Medium Enterprise in Tourism and Association of Professional Conference, more..

Apr 3 (Island) A wind farm consisting of 30 towers generating 100MW (Phase 1- Thambapavani) was established on the southern coast of Mannar Island in 2020, with financial assistance from the ADB. The widespread criticism of this project due to its positioning within one of the main bird migratory corridors in the Asian region (detailed elsewhere in the article) was largely overlooked or ignored due to the economic priorities that prevailed at the time, as it happened with the now infamous more..

Apr 3 (TM) Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) says it will assess the performance of national cricket team’s head coach Chris Silverwood, after the conclusion of the ICC T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and the USA, this June and decide on whether to retain his services beyond it. Silverwood, 49, an ex-England international who landed a two-year coaching deal with the SLC in 2022, was set to complete his stint on 14 April this year. more..

Apr 3 (DN) Asian Games finalist Nadila Nethviru is set to make history as the first gymnast from SL to compete in a World Cup series. Nethviru, who is 18 years old and attends St Benedict’s College, will represent SL at the 16th FIG Apparatus World Cup organized by the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) in Doha, Qatar, from April 17 to 21. Nethviru will be the sole athlete representing SL at the 5-day meet, as Olympian Milka de Silva is unable to participate due to a shoulder injury. more..

Apr 3 (CI) Mominul Haque took the blame for playing a part in Bangladesh not capitalising on a good batting pitch on day four of the second Test against Sri Lanka in Chattogram. Bangladesh had their best batting day of the two-Test series as they crossed 200 for the first time in five Test innings, but a number of batters failed to convert their starts, and they are now staring at a big defeat, reduced to 268 for 7 in a tall chase of 511. Mominul, when on 50 off 55, struck a sweep straight down more..

Apr 3 (ST) Good news is rare these days, and every glittering ounce of it should be cherished. A few Sri Lankan companies have stepped in to help McDonald’s employees secure jobs after the chain of outlets was shut down as directed by the courts. Nothing brightens a day like an act of unexpected kindness such as this with all the turmoil in the world. McDonald’s employees were invited through several LinkedIn posts by at least four companies to join their cadre. more..

Apr 3 (CT) SLC declared open the newly built Ratnapura District Cricket Ground in Monaravila on 30 March thus providing a much-needed facility for the area, which will help enhance the game in the Sabaragamuwa Province. The new ground, which consists of seven centre turf wickets, will enable schools and clubs in the district to utilize the ground to play matches, conduct practice sessions, and also play U19 Cricket. SLC President Shammi Silva declared the facility open. more..

Apr 3 (ST) With the focus on addressing the nutritional deficiency in primary schoolchildren and bolstering their academic performance, the govt has resumed the school mid-day meal programme, but it has faced some snags. The Education Ministry’s School Food and Nutrition Director, Ganga Dilhani, emphasised that the primary objective of this initiative was to enhance the nutritional status of schoolchildren more..

Apr 3 (Island) Tracing history and going back to the colonial era, Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe has said that despite the adverse impact of world wars and internal conflicts, Sri Lanka has steadfastly upheld its democratic value of ensuring the functioning of both the govt and the opposition without interruption. The president was addressing members of the student parliament and said they might find it worthwhile to explore ways and means of sustaining this system. more..

Apr 3 (ST) It was only last month that our diplomatic foray into the UNHRC’s 55th session in Geneva turned even more abrasive, as it virtually damned some Western powers for pursuing double standards. Not that there was no truth in it. But there is an age-old saying, which, if suitably adapted to suit our own political environment, says that those in glass houses should not take off their clothes. Sad to say, some of those who parade as patriots and saviours of this Resplendent Isle, more..

Apr 3 (Island) MP Wimal Weerawansa demanded a parliamentary probe into Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena’s claim that some foreign powers had pressured him (Abeywardena) to take over the executive presidency following Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s resignation at the height of Aragalaya in July 2022. Weerawansa also called for a two-day parliamentary debate on the Speaker’s claim to expose what he called evil forces that had undermined the country’s sovereignty. more..

Apr 3 (TM) Populist politics has been the bane of Asian democracies, with the use of such often coming out of hibernation during election seasons. The recent revival of Katchatheevu Island issue in New Delhi, and its use by Indian PM Narendra Modi to fuel criticism of his political rivals is a matter of political expediency. It risks eroding a bank of goodwill India has worked tirelessly to build in SL since 2014, and especially since effort invested following Covid-19/economic crisis period. more..

Apr 3 (CT) In the backdrop of the El Nińo effect in SL, effectively addressing water crises amidst unpredictable rainfall patterns and soaring temperatures demand a comprehensive strategy, yet such measures have not been uniformly implemented across all provinces of SL. The report from the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI), titled Understanding Multi-dimensional Vulnerabilities: Impact on People more..

Apr 3 (CT) Ranil Wickremesinghe has no choice; Sajith Premadasa too is running out of options. Pohottuwa exhausted its choices with the departure of Gotabaya Rajapaksa from Presidency. Ranil killed the UNP and trying to be elected Prez is not a difficult task; it’s an impossible one. Ranil failed to get a single elected to parliament in the last elections. UNP was erased out of the electoral map in 2020. Once the symbol of consistency in electoral performance, Grand Old Party of Ceylon more..

Apr 3 (DM) Having languished in relative obscurity and been found responsible by the Supreme Court for failing to prevent the Easter Sunday carnage former Prez Maithripala Sirisena is making headlines again for all the wrong reasons. Two weeks back, he made an astounding revelation that he knew who was behind the Easter Sunday attacks which killed 269 worshippers and tourists and wounded over 500. Intriguingly, it didn’t occur to the former president that he should alert more..

Apr 3 (CT) Ceylon Today acquired the Final Report (TIB/MAI/CAS.110) titled, Fire Onboard X-Press Pearl (XP) at Colombo Anchorage, which transpired on 20 May 2021. This report was compiled by the Transport Safety Investigation Bureau (TSIB) of the Ministry of Transport, Singapore, and was released on 16 Oct 2023. According to the report, Colombo Port did not provide continuous firefighting support, more..