- President Ranil Wickremesinghe says the education of children cannot be allowed to be ‘taken hostage’; warns if teachers do not make themselves available for AL exam paper marking by next week, he would not hesitate to make education an ‘essential service’ under emergency law and initiate legal action against teachers ‘flouting their responsibility’.
- The Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka says the Chinese National Forestry and Grassland Administration, the main government department supervising and managing the import and export of wild animals and plants, has clarified that it is “not aware of any request to import toque macaque monkeys from Sri Lanka” and has not received such application from any side.
- The HRCSL in its final report on the 2022 Rambukkana shooting recommends that the order to use force must be given solely on an exceptional basis, only after clearly announcing the intention to use force and allowing sufficient time for the participants to exit the area; adds a minimum of three warnings should be given on the use of force, prior to the use; stresses upon delivering such order, the abiding officers must use force only to the minimum extent necessary, following the principles of restraint, proportionality, minimisation of the damage, and preserving life; concludes law enforcement must not physically pursue protesters fleeing the protest site.
- Samurdhi Trade Unions allege while the GOSL together with the Samurdhi is distributing 10kg of rice to the poor, Rs. 860 million in Samurdhi Funds are being used for New Year celebrations: Joint Secretary for the All-Ceylon Samurdhi Managers’ Union says they are against this political hype programme and wasting money that belongs to the poor.
- Environmentalist Dr. Ajantha Perera says ex President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is the ‘ghost’ behind the consequence of Sri Lanka losing any compensation for the MV X-Press Pearl Disaster; claims the London bank account to which US$ 250 million was credited in lieu of compensation for the disaster belongs to a friend of Rajapaksa, who is still in the government; asserts it is possible to obtain US$ 50 billion as compensation for the incident.
- The CAA issues an extraordinary gazette declaring a maximum retail price for eggs: The maximum retail price of 1kg of white eggs is Rs. 880, and the maximum retail price for 1kg of brown eggs, Rs. 920.
- The Emergency Surgery Unit and ICU of Embilipitiya District General Hospital stalled for two weeks amidst the anaesthetists working in that hospital being abroad: The Embilipitiya District General Hospital is a facility where people from a number of districts outside the metropolitan area including Ratnapura, Matara, Moneragala and Hambantota visit for treatment and surgery.
- A number of institutions including SriLankan Airlines Ltd., Land Reforms Commission, Sri Lanka Export Credit Insurance Corporation, Vocational Training Authority, and University Grants Commission summoned to appear before the CoPE during the coming sitting weeks.
- Ex AG Dappula De Livera denies appearance before the Terrorism Investigation Division despite being summoned to provide a statement pertaining to the Easter Sunday Massacre: His lawyer tells media that a legal objection has been filed against the summoning; asserts that his client’s contribution to the probe into the event has been briefed to the IGP in a 130-page letter.
- Sri Lanka’s Catholic Church to march today, marking four years since the 2019 Easter Sunday bombing; says justice has not yet been served for the victims of the attacks: Media Director of the Archdiocese of Colombo Rev. Fr. Jude Krishantha says the march will commence from the Katuwapitiya Church at 9 pm, and is due to arrive at the St. Anthony’s Shrine in Kochchikade tomorrow morning.
