- A special meeting of the Members of Parliament representing the ruling party led by President Ranil Wickremesinghe has been held at the Presidential Secretariat. During the discussion, special attention of the MPs has reportedly been drawn to the government’s future course of actions, implementation of development projects and preparation of developmental plans covering all electorates.
- Opposition Leader MP Sajith Premadasa has refuted media reports claiming that he had refused to meet the President of Iran Ebrahim Raisi during the latter’s recent visit to Sri Lanka.
- The Cabinet approval has been received to hand over the management of Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport to Shaurya Aeronautics Pvt. Ltd of India and Airports of Regions Management Company of Russia or an affiliated company thereof for a period of 30 years.
- Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Alexis Taylor, paid a courtesy call on President Ranil Wickremesinghe.During the discussions, the Sri Lankan leader was briefed on the ongoing dairy modernization program supported by the U.S.
- The Colombo Magistrate’s Court has ordered the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) to expedite the probes related to the ‘X-Press Pearl’ maritime disaster.
- The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the proposal presented by the Minister of Power and Energy to appoint a committee to study the matter and make recommendations to prepare a necessary legal framework for the introduction of a regulatory body for energy sector.
- The Court of Appeal has deferred the verdict on the bail request made by the Director of Medical Supplies Division (MSD) Dr. Kapila Wickramanayake. Thereby, the decision on the bail request, which was slated to be delivered today by Appeals Court judge D.N. Samarakoon, is expected on 30 April.
- Non Cabinet Minister of State Plantation Enterprises Reforms and State Minister of Finance, Ranjith Siyambalapitiya, announced that in the first quarter of this year, state revenue has reached an impressive Rs. 834 billion. This achievement not only surpasses the projected revenue but also indicates a growth of 6%.
- President Ranil Wickremesinghe received official handovers of generous financial contributions for the ‘Children of Gaza’ Fund. This is an initiative the President established to alleviate the suffering of those affected by conflicts in Gaza.
- Sri Lanka won the Bronze Medal in the Mixed Relay 4x400m at the Asian U20 Athletic Championship. The team, which consisted of Jathya Kirulu, Jithma Wijethunga, Themiya Rajapaksha and Takshima Nuhansa, finished the game third while China clinched the Gold, and India won the silver.
