1. President Ranil Wickremesinghe says Sri Lanka Navy is entrusted with the responsibility of safeguarding Sri Lanka’s oceanic territories, including the Indian Ocean region. He underscored that the nation’s economic initiatives will not be permitted to suffer any harm in the Indian Ocean. President Wickremesinghe made these remarks while delivering a speech at the Presidential Fleet Review of the Sri Lanka Navy held at the Trincomalee Harbour.
2. Retired Lieutenant Colonel Rathnapriya Bandu has extended his support to the main Opposition, Samagi Jana Balawegaya. Premadasa has appointed Retired Lieutenant Colonel Rathnapriya Bandu as the head of the SJB’s Committee for national unity, peace and harmony at home and abroad.
3. Finance Ministry unveiled the Government Action Plan, crafted from the Governance Diagnostic Assessment (GDA) provided by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Finance State Minister Shehan Semasinghe, in a statement on his X handle, emphasized that this plan underscores the Sri Lankan government’s dedication to fostering a sustainable economy and promoting good governance within the country.
4. Sri Lanka’s earnings from tourism were estimated at USD 342 million in January 2024, the Central Bank’s latest report on external sector performance revealed. This is the highest monthly value the country has witnessed since January 2020.
5. The Department of Examinations has released the examination dates for various competitive school exams in 2024. The 2023 G.C.E. Ordinary Level (O/L) exam is scheduled to take place from May 06 to May 15, 2024. The Grade 05 scholarship exam for 2024 is set for September 15, 2024. Lastly, the 2024 G.C.E. Advanced Level (A/L) exam is planned to be held from November 25 to December 20, 2024, according to the announcement from the Department of Examinations.
6. Expolanka Holdings PLC, the largest listed company in the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) according to the Market Capitalization, has decided to de-list the company’s shares from the Official List of the CSE.
7. The Sapugaskanda Oil Refinery will cease operations for 45 days in early July 2024, more than 03 years since the previous turnaround (TAR) in February 2021, the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) announced.
8. Parliament has decided to call Central Bank officials to a parliamentary inquiry concerning salary adjustments. The officials are scheduled to appear next Tuesday(05) at 10:30 am. The session aims to address queries from parliamentarians regarding salary increments and seek clarifications on related matters.
9. A writ petition has been filed before the Court of Appeal seeking that an order be issued to the IGP and other respondents to take legal action against the former Chief of the State Intelligence Service, Senior DIG Nilantha Jayawardena over failure to prevent 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks, despite receiving intelligence information. The petition was filed by the Centre for Society and Religion (CSR), its director Rev. Fr. Jude Vernon Rohan Silva and a victim of Easter attacks named Devage Surach Nilanga.
10. Sri Lanka wicketkeeper-batter Kusal Janith Perera has been ruled out of the upcoming three-match T20I series against Bangladesh due to a “respiratory infection”. Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) have announced Niroshan Dickwella as Perera’s replacement.
