April 28, Colombo (LNW): The venerable Malwatte Mahanayaka, Most Ven. Thibbotuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala Thera, has expressed concern over the current turmoil within the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), citing conflicting claims from three different factions vying for control. The Mahanayaka Thera emphasized that this confusion poses a significant challenge for the public in identifying the legitimate representatives of the party.
During a visit by Justice Minister Wijayadasa Rajapakshe and a delegation from the SLFP to the Malwatte Maha Vihara on April 26th, the Mahanayaka Thera asserted that resolving the question of rightful ownership of the party must be pursued through legal channels, suggesting recourse to the courts.
Highlighting the presence of a party constitution, the Thera expressed confidence in the judiciary’s ability to deliver a fair and just decision in due course.
Minister Wijayadasa Rajapakshe, addressing the gathering, disclosed that he had been unanimously elected as the acting chairman by 116 members of the SLFP’s executive council. However, he acknowledged a minority dissent within the council, with fewer than 10 members opposing his appointment.
The remarks from the Mahanayaka Thera underscore the gravity of the situation within the SLFP and advocate for a legal resolution to clarify the rightful leadership, offering a path towards stability and legitimacy for the party.
April 28, Colombo (LNW): The Mini Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) bilateral exercise for 2024, involving the United States Pacific Fleet and the Sri Lanka Navy, wrapped up triumphantly on April 26th. Beginning on April 22nd, Mini CARAT–2024 unfolded across various strategic locations including Marine Headquarters, Special Boat Squadron Headquarters, Naval Dockyard, and Upparu in Trincomalee, with additional segments hosted at the Lighthouse Galley in Colombo.
The closing ceremony, held at the Marines Headquarters in Sampoor, was graced by Commander Sean Jin from the Office of Defence Cooperation at the U.S. embassy in Colombo, and Captain Upul Samarakoon, Acting Director of the Sri Lanka Navy Marines. The exchange of mementoes underscored the significance of this collaborative endeavor.
Throughout the Force Protection exercises within CARAT, operations encompassed a spectrum of tasks from hostage rescue and managing arrested individuals to tracking, weapon proficiency, and even demonstrations on native Sri Lankan flora and fauna, including snake handling. Furthermore, exercises involving Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (SUAS), Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD), and live firing drills were conducted.
In parallel to the main exercises, a seminar focusing on Women, Peace, and Security took place at the Lighthouse Galley in Colombo. This important event saw the participation of Mrs. Mala Lamahewa, President of the Navy Sava Vanitha Unit, adding a valuable dimension to the discussions.
The Sri Lanka Navy anticipates significant benefits from the exchange of knowledge, skills, and experiences garnered during these exercises. This collective learning is poised to bolster the Navy’s capabilities in addressing common maritime challenges within the region, further solidifying bilateral naval cooperation between the United States and Sri Lanka.
April 28, Colombo (LNW):Showers or thundershowers will occur at several places in Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, Southern, North-western and Uva provinces and in Ampara district after 2.00 p.m. Showers or thundershowers may occur at a few places inNorthern and North-centralprovinces during the evening or night.
Showers or thundershowers may occur at a few places over the coastal areas from Galle to Pottuvil via Hambantota during the morning too.
Fairly heavy showers above 75 mm are likely at some places in Western, Sabaragamuwa and Southern provinces.
Misty conditions can be expected at some places in Sabaragamuwa and Central provinces during the morning.
General public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.
April 27, Colombo (LNW): The United States and Sri Lanka discussed the reduction of agricultural trade barriers to enhance food security in Sri Lanka.
It has been advocated for greater market access for U.S. exports of agricultural products, including animal feed. Biotechnology’s role in sustainable agriculture and food security was also explored.
Alexis Taylor, Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on Friday (26) called on President Ranil Wickremesinghe and other senior government officials to discuss USDA support for Sri Lanka’s agricultural sector.
She was accompanied by the U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Julie Chung Under Secretary Taylor’s visit underscored the American peoples’ ongoing commitment to supporting the agricultural development and economic growth of Sri Lanka, promoting greater food security and enhancing resilience against climate challenges, the U.S. Embassy in Colombo said in a statement.
The Under Secretary’s discussions affirmed Sri Lanka’s key role as a priority country in the 2024 Food for Progress initiative, which focuses on enhancing food security and climate resilience through environmentally friendly practices and improved market linkages.
A primary focus was the ongoing USD 27.5 million Market-Oriented Dairy Project which has helped improve milk productivity for over 15,000 dairy farmers in Sri Lanka, with many reporting doubling production thanks to the project.
USDA’s dairy project also seeks to help improve climate adaptivity among the dairy farmers by providing comprehensive training on cattle herding and feed consumption strategies that reduce unnecessary energy consumption.
Additionally, since 2018 the USDA’s McGovern-Dole project implemented by Save the Children in partnership with the Ministry of Education has provided daily meals to close to 100,000 Sri Lankan primary schoolchildren throughout the country.
Building on this success, USDA embarked on a new five-year, $32.5 million project expansion to further boost school meal provisions across eight districts, including Badulla, Colombo, Kilinochchi, Monaragala, Mullaitivu, Nuwara Eliya, Ratnapura, and Trincomalee.
The project now aims to provide meals to close to 200,000 students covered under Sri Lanka’s national school meal program.
April 27, Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka has been recognised as the 5th best country to visit in your lifetime, according to CEOWORLD Magazine’s prestigious rankings for 2024.
The accolade highlights Sri Lanka’s diverse offerings and unique experiences that captivate travellers from around the globe. Sri Lanka continues to bask in the spotlight as one of the world’s top travel destinations, the recognition serves as a testament to the country’s enduring allure and unwavering hospitality.
CEOWORLD Magazine recently unveiled its list of the best countries to visit, providing invaluable insights to help travellers choose their next vacation destination.
The rankings, based on feedback from over 295,000 readers, reflect the highest level of participation in the magazine’s history.
Sri Lanka’s impressive ranking is attributed to its enchanting hill country, which offers a myriad of experiences for travellers of all interests with a total score of 60.53.
“The hill country of Sri Lanka offers a wide range of experiences for travellers of all kinds, whether it’s Ayurveda treatment, unforgettable train rides, or visiting a tea plantation.
The country is rich in culture and traditions, with the Poya ritual being the most significant one celebrated at Buddhist temples.
Don’t miss out on the opportunity to enjoy a wholesome Sri Lankan breakfast, dine under the stars, and stay overnight in one of the country’s National Parks.
Additionally, Sri Lanka is a great destination for shopping enthusiasts, who can find gems, batik, tea, handloom fabrics, leather goods, antiques, jewellery, and ceramics,” the CEOWORLD Magazine noted about Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka continues to emerge as one of the world’s best tourist destinations with accolades from various travel guides, travel magazines and travel web sites including Lonely Planet, Travel lemming web site and Bloomberg web site etc.
Sri Lanka was selected by travel influencers as top destination in Asia, and It was also given the Emerging destination award.
It has gained the travel lemming readers award among world’s top destinations by traveliing web site some time ago . Also, I scape web site UK ranked Sri Lanka as one of the 10 best places to visit.
Sri Lanka was ranked one of the top 25 islands voted by readers of travel + leisure magazine for with many UNESCO heritage sites, beaches, wildlife parks and hill country resorts bottled up in to a small space . Sri Lanka is undoubtedly one of the best holiday destinations waiting to be discovered and celebrated.
The 23rd edition of the Las Palmas Gran Canaria International Film Festival (Festival de cine de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria) took place today, April 27th, showcasing films from all five continents. Among the highlights was the Indo-Lanka production ‘Paradise’ by Prasanna Vithanage, which secured the Audience Jury Award at the prestigious event.
‘Paradise’ has been making waves internationally, previously clinching the Best Movie Award, known as the Kim Ji-seok Award, at the Busan Film Festival in Korea. Additionally, it received an award from the Youth Jury at the Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinema in France.
Furthermore, ‘Paradise’ garnered nominations for Best Movie and four other awards at the Asian Film Festival held by the Asian Cinema Academy, solidifying its status as a standout production in the global film arena.
April 27, Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka’s efforts to attract and leverage international investment into exploration and commercialisation of two blocks adding to over 5,000 square kilometres with potential oil and gas resources in the Mannar Basin have once again been gridlocked by legal challenges in the Court of Appeal.
This legal issue cropped up ata time when the authorities were preparing to issue two-year oil and gas exploration licenses for as many as 900 offshore blocks for foreign firms to scout for energy resources and bring in vital investments to the crisis-hit country, a top official said.
Starting up oil production is part of President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s plan to attract foreign investment as he seeks to stabilise the economy amid the country’s worst economic crisis in seven decades.
The new regulations were finalised by the government and set a framework for companies to sign an expression of interest (EOI) for exploring offshore assets around the country, state-run Petroleum Development Authority said .
According to the latest developments in the CA (Writ) Application No: 392/2023, the court found that a prima facie case has been established by the Petitioner, Serendive Energy.
Accordingly, the court issued orders restraining the 1st to 36th Respondents and/or its servants or agents from granting to any 3rd party other than the Petitioner the rights to offshore exploration of blocks M1 and C1, until a final determination is reached in the case.
Serendive Energy, which has a strategic alliance partnership with a large Indian conglomerate, commenced pursuit of legal remedies following a recent effort in 2023 to reverse exploration block award that had previously been made to the company.
Serendive Energy first participated in an open international tender (SL 2019-02) in 2019, and was awarded the blocks, Mannar Basin M1 and Cauvery Basin C1 in May 2021.
This decision took place following evaluations conducted by the Petroleum Development Authority and headed at the time by former Chairman Saliya Wickramasuriya and current Chairman Surath Ovitigama, who have long served among the nation’s leading domain experts on oil and gas.
As stated in the 2021 Ministry of Power and Energy Annual Report, “International competitive bids were called for in the year 2019 for the exploration and production of oil and gas of Mannar Block M1 and Cauvery Block C1 and the bid evaluation process had been concluded in May 2021.”
“Negotiations had been held by the Government of Sri Lanka throughout the year 2021 with Serendive Energy Ltd. for separate petroleum resources agreements in respect of M1 and C1 blocks, and about 90% of the negotiations have been concluded.
April 27, Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka will be appointing a panel to draft a law to set up a petroleum regulator with powers to cover liquified petroleum gas, petrol, diesel, kerosene, aviation fuel and lubricants.
The Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal to establish a Regulator for the Energy Sector. PUCSL will remain as the Electricity sector Regulator and a new Regulator will be introduced for Petroleum, LPG, LNG, Lubricants, Oils & Energy Sectors,” Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera said on X.
In a statement, the government said that although the import, refining, distribution and sale of petroleum products including petrol, diesel, kerosene, jet fuel oil, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and lubricating oil are carried out within the existing legal framework, the sector is not subjected to a wide range of regulation or a petroleum mechanism.
Meanwhile, as private entities are involved in the import and distribution of products, the need for an independent, dynamic, effective and efficient regulatory mechanism has been identified to find solutions to problems, address challenges in the sector and safeguard the interests of consumers, investors and other stakeholders.
Accordingly a committee was appointed to propose the draft frame work for the Energy Sector Regulator in two months on Fair Pricing Mechanisms & Pricing Formulas, Quality Assurance, Compliance Monitoring, and Safety in Unloading, Storage and Distribution.
The grame work will also cover Environmental Standards, Industry Collaboration & Stakeholder Engagement, Dispute Resolution, Public Awareness & Education, Emergency Response and Risk Management.”
Several private establishments are engaged in import and distribution of petroleum products in the island.
The regulator will have wide powers to “address challenges in the sector, ensure quality of products, and protect the interests of the public and investors,” a government statement said.
The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) will retain its role as the regulator for the electricity sector, while the forthcoming regulator will assume responsibility for governing various aspects of the petroleum and energy industries.
This separation of oversight is expected to streamline regulatory processes, foster greater accountability, and optimize sector-specific regulations.
A specialized committee has been entrusted with the task of formulating the framework for the Energy Sector Regulator within a concise timeline of two months.
This separation of oversight is expected to streamline regulatory processes, foster greater accountability, and optimize sector-specific regulations.
A specialized committee has been entrusted with the task of formulating the framework for the Energy Sector Regulator within a concise timeline of two months.
This framework is envisioned to encompass a comprehensive spectrum of regulatory considerations, ranging from fair pricing mechanisms and quality assurance to compliance monitoring and environmental standards.
As part of the 30th Anniversary Celebrations this April, Samson Rubber Products Pvt Ltd has Organized a Grand Series of Events. On April 27th, SRP will few religious events along with this Special Event to Honor its Long Standing Employees, reflecting SRP’s Deep Rooted Cultural Values and Commitment to its Workforce. The evening will conclude with a Spectacular Fireworks Display, Lighting up the Skies of Galle in Celebration of Three Decades of Success.
Since the inception in 1994, The Entrepreneur Spirit of Mr Ranatunga Rajapaksa, The Founder of Samson Rubber Products Pvt Ltd and Present Managing Director Mr Sajith Rajapaksa embodies the Sustainable Journey of SRP through investing in Cutting Edge Technoloogy, Green Lean Manufacturing, Continuous Improvement, Integrated Supply Chain Solutions, R&D Innovations, World Class Management Best Practices.
SRP, Manufactures in three Locations in Sri Lanka producing Solid Tyres & Allied Products for Variety of Industries such a Material Handling, Construction, GSE & Aerial Work Platforms etc. We produce excess of 500000 Tyres for OEM & Aftermarket and have managed to secure International Patents for our Specialty Tyres. We supply Germany, China, Singapore, Italy, Mexico, USA, Sweden, France, Denmark, Canada, UK, Bulgaria, Australia & South Korea.
At SRP, we use specially engineered compounds, tyre carcus & tread constructions, which we presently supply and continuously develop together with customer feedback. You will experience lower replacement downtime and higher machine hours per dollar spent. We supply small cured on as well as large cured ons. We supply Casted Rims, Pressed & Auto Welded Rims, Split Rims. We have served the Industrial Tyre Customer with 30 Years of Direct Experience on OEM Production & Export, in Compound Development, Carcus Construction, Tread Development, Testing & Quality Assurance. SRP Tyres are specially engineered to deliver higher performance outputs bypassing major manufacturing defects, while delivering high performance expectations of equipment manufacturers & end users alike
Our Team Work is the hallmark of our company’s success. SRP employs a work force of over 500+ Highly Skilled Technical, Engineering, Managerial, Marketing and Administrative Staff. We believe that each employee plays a pivotal role to make the customers delight through making them satisfied. SRP employees continuously go through comprehensive Training and Development programs in their respective fields to ensure optimum level of skill management, organizational knowledge building and productivity improvement. Company Best Practices and Professional Ethics guide SRP operations locally and in Overseas Markets. When dealing with our Valued Customers, Upholding Intellectual Property Rights and Providing High Levels of Customer Care is a SRP Core Value.
DSI Rubber Products & DSI Plastic, Divisions of SRP are capable of Compression & Injection Moulding, Extrusion, Sheet Manufacturing and many types of Bondings (Steel, P,VC etc). We presently work with FDA Approved Food Grade Rubber(NR), Recycled Rubber, NYLON, PP, PE, PET, EVA, EPDM, HDPE, LATEX, NBR, SBR, NEOPRENE, PVC, TPR, ABS. These products are Exported Globally. Mount Spring Water Pvt Ltd is a Fully Owned Subsidiary of SRP, Manufacturing Bottled Drinking Water catering to the Sri Lankan FMCG industry for more than 15 Years. Mount Spring Bottled Drinking Water serves Prestigious Clients such as Keells Super Market Chain and is readily available Island Wide through its Dealer Network.
As SRP Celebrates 30 Years in Solid Tyre Business, the Focus is on both Honoring its Past Achievements and Driving Forward with Continued Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Excellence in the Global Tyre Industry.
April 27, Colombo (LNW): President Ranil Wickremesinghe has officially received generous financial contributions for the ‘Children of Gaza’ Fund, an initiative established to alleviate the suffering of those affected by conflicts in Gaza. The President’s Media Division (PMD) reported that various organizations and entities have stepped forward to support this noble cause.
Among the contributors, the Huda Jumma Mosque in Kalmunai donated Rs. 1,589,000, the All Ceylon Jamiatul Ulama – Kinnia branch contributed Rs. 5,300,000, the Regional Education Office in Kalmunai donated Rs. 3,128,500, and the Sports First Foundation contributed Rs. 300,000 towards this initiative.
Additionally, during the initial phase, President Wickremesinghe delivered US$1 million, received from allocations earmarked by ministries and government bodies for this year’s Iftar celebrations, to the Palestinian government through an official United Nations delegation.
Responding to the President’s call for contributions, a substantial sum has been collected for the ‘Children of Gaza Fund,’ which will be officially transferred to the Palestinian government in the coming days.
The PMD has announced that the window for contributions to this fund will remain open until April 30, 2024. Donors are encouraged to deposit their contributions into the Bank of Ceylon (7010), Taprobane Branch (747), account number 7040016 before the specified deadline, demonstrating solidarity and support for those in need.
