- President Ranil Wickremesinghe says both the Presidential and General Election will be held next year (2024): election analysts say the Presidential election will accordingly, have to be officially called by 15th August’24, which is in about 296 days time.
- UNP Deputy Leader Ruwan Wijewardene says a plan has been devised by President Ranil Wickremasinghe with utmost diligence to make SL a developed nation and “smart country” by 2048: critics however say that no such plan has been disclosed publicly to the country, so far.
- UK’s controversial TV news “Channel 4” declines to appear before the Presidential Commission of Inquiry on the Easter Sunday carnage over their recent broadcast: says it can’t reveal confidential sources or its “confidential journalistic material”.
- IMF Mission Chief Peter Breuer says the IMF is looking for a “strong budget & narrower deficit” from SL as it is presently projecting a 15% shortfall in revenue this year.
- Minister of Power and Energy, Kanchana Wijesekera says a system of daily fuel price revisions will be introduced from February’24, replacing the present monthly fuel price revisions.
- Ahead of his planned visit to the USA, NPP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake meets US Ambassador Julie Chung: complains about the post-ponement of the local government election, the non-holding of the provincial council election, & the “planned moves by the Govt to post-pone the presidential elections”: also informs her that the economic difficulties of the people have intensified due to the intervention of the IMF.
- Parliamentary media unit announces that a team of Chairpersons & Members of the Sectoral Oversight Committees will undertake a tour to the USA “to study the Committee process of the US Congress”: the tour is fully funded by USAID with “technical assistance” by the National Democratic Institute: the study programme is expected “to develop a more democratic approach to the functions of the relevant committees”: officials from the Parliament Secretariat to also participate at this “study tour”.
- Former Chairman of Ceylinco Consolidated & Seylan Bank, Lalith Kotalawela, 85, passes away while receiving treatment at a private hospital in Colombo.
- Top IPL Franchise “Mumbai Indians” recruit their greatest bowler & multi-time champion Lasith Malinga as their new bowling coach for the upcoming season, replacing Shane Bond.
- SL claim their first win at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 by beating the Netherlands by 5 wickets: Netherlands – 262 all out (49.4), Madushanka – 49/4: SL – 263/5 (48.2), Sadeera Samarawickrama – 91*, Charith Asalanka – 44.
