- Education State Minister Arvindh Kumar emphasises the importance of the “Presidential Scholarship” programme proposed by President Ranil Wickremesinghe: highlights that this initiative, geared towards supporting one hundred thousand students during the 2024/2025 academic year, holds immense potential to provide crucial assistance to economically disadvantaged students.
- Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa says regardless of the claim that the country has returned to normalcy, the electricity bill has increased by 500 – 600%, the water bill has soared, cost of living has surged, people are losing their jobs, and factories are being closed: laments the President’s ‘new normal’ is the norm of creating sorrows for the people.
- President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s first mass rally is scheduled to be held today at Kuliyapitiya Municipal Council: Organised by the former UNP General Secretary Akila Kariyawasam, the event is the first propaganda rally for the party aiming the upcoming elections.
- The Inland Revenue Department launches a ‘High Wealth Individuals Unit’ (HWIU) at the Large Taxpayer Office to enforce tax compliance among wealthy individuals: The unit will provide support to ensure accurate tax filings and conduct audits on high-risk cases.
- Deputy Director of the National Hospital and GMOF president Dr. Rukshan Bellana criticises recent police arrests of fresh medical graduates assisting registered doctors, contrasting with the lack of action against unlicensed quack doctors: highlights the importance of supervised practice for new graduates and urges authorities to target actual quacks, not aspiring doctors gaining experience.
- Health authorities warn of a rising rabies risk due to the lack of a proper programme to control the country’s free-roaming dog population: With over six million stray dogs nationwide and crippled sterilisation efforts, authorities fear a health and social crisis: Sixteen deaths from dog bites last year underscore the urgency for effective control measures.
- The government amends the Declaration of Assets and Liabilities Law to enhance transparency and combat corruption: High-ranking officials, judges, military personnel, election officials, and others are now required to disclose their financial information: A central electronic system to facilitate the declaration process: Revised declaration forms are available on the Bribery or Corruption Allegations Investigation Commission’s website, and officials must submit their declarations promptly.
- SLIC transfers its insurance operation to two new subsidiaries, SLIC General Limited and SLIC Life Limited, becoming a holding company: Alvarez & Marsal, along with Capital Alliance, will advise on the divestiture of the government’s shareholding in SLIC as part of Sri Lanka’s reform program: Five bidders, including local and global firms, respond to the Request for Qualification (RfQ) for the sale of SLIC’s life and general insurance businesses: Evaluation will follow guidelines approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
- Residents of Ottawa and the local Sri Lankan community hold a solemn vigil on Saturday to honour the victims of a tragic mass killing, one of the city’s worst in recent memory: Attendees, including Mayor Mark Sutcliffe and the Sri Lankan High Commissioner, pay tribute to a mother, her four children, and a family friend who lost their lives: A 19-year-old Sri Lankan national faces charges related to the deaths.
- Sri Lanka wins T20i series against Bangladesh by 2-1.
