The Central Committee of Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) at a meeting held recently has decided that the party leader, President Maithripala Sirisena should contest the next presidential election in 2020, Minister of Special Assignments Dr. Sarath Amunugama said. The Minister in response to a media inquiry by BBC Sandeshaya said there is 27 percent minority votes in Sri Lanka and the his as well as the party's belief is that President Sirisena is the only candidate who can win a majority of those votes.

However, the President who chaired the SLFP Central Committee meeting has not expressed any views on the party's decision, the Minister said. President Sirisena, when he was sworn in as President on 9 January 2015, pledged that he would not run for office for a second term. However, the political environment now has changed, Minister Amunugama says. The SLFP Central Committee has also decided to fully implement the 13th Amendment to the Constitution transferring land and police powers to provincial councils. According to Minister Amunugama, party's stance is that instead of drafting a new constitution, the government should revise the current constitution and there is no need to call for a referendum.

At least ten people were killed in eight road accidents within the past 24 hours in differenet parts of the country, Police said.

A 62-year-old woman who was receiving treatment at the Jaffna Hospital died of Covid-19, hospital sources said. The woman, a resident of Jaffna had arrived from France last week and was admitted to the Jaffna Hospital due to fever.

Sri Lanka’s state-owned enterprises incurred 744.6 billion rupees in losses in 2022, the SOE restructuring unit has said. “52 State-Owned Enterprises in Sri Lanka incurred losses of LKR 744.6 billion in 2022,” SOERU said in a social media post. “When divided by the total number of Citizen, each citizen needs bare LKR 33,949.”

A 17-year-old girl was injured in a shooting incident at Girithale in Minneriya last night, Police said. They said that the Minneriya Police initiated an investigation upon receiving information that the girl had been injured and subsequently admitted to the Polonnaruwa Hospital.

The National STD/AIDS Prevention Program reports that approximately 1,700 cases of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) have been identified in Sri Lanka over the past three years. Of these cases, one-third are reported among young people aged between 15 and 29 years old.

The Sri Lankan Rupee remains steady against the US Dollar at several commercial banks in Sri Lanka today (Apr 15) compared to last week, while it continues to remain below the Rs. 300 rate.

Special security measures have been implemented for the Sinhala and Tamil New Year celebrations across the island, with around 4,500 events planned, including music shows and carnivals, Police said.

Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE), Recognizes Rwanda Genocide, Calls Attention to Int'l Powers, Disparate Responses for Justice to Alike Tamil Genocide.

All presidential candidates should show the public their apparent qualifications, whether they engage in public debates or not, former Minister Navin Dissanayake said.

No permission has been granted for the import of rice, other than Basmati rice for the needs of tourist hotels, Finance State Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya said.

The Election Commission (EC) is set to officially declare the date for this year’s Presidential Election in August, as confirmed by EC Chairman R.M.A.L. Rathnayake.

People remain confused since the Ministry of Public Administration, Home Affairs and Provincial has not defined the additional holiday declared on April 15 as a banking and mercantile holiday.

Thamil Makkal Thesiya Kuttani Leader and Opposition Parliamentarian C.V. Wigneswaran called on the majority community-based Presidential candidates to clearly outline their solutions to the Tamil community's issues in the presence of foreign diplomats, if they (candidates) seek the Tamil community's support.

The Sri Lankan Rupee is unchanged against the US Dollar at several commercial banks in Sri Lanka today (Apr 11) compared to Wednesday, while it continues to remain below the Rs. 300 rate.

Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) today emphasized its commitment to maintaining peace in the Indian Ocean region, despite the absence of immediate terrorist threats within Sri Lanka.

Extending the growth momentum, the international tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka crossed the 50,000 mark during the first nine days of April. The provisional data from the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority showed that for the first nine days of April, the island nation welcomed a total of 50,537. This brings the cumulative arrivals for the January 1 to March 9 period to 686,321.

The State Ministry of Home Affairs today declared April 15 as a Public (government) holiday for all state employees, Ministry Secretary Pradeep Yasarathna said.

The four former Presidents who are in active politics should bow out for their own benefit and for the sake of the people, MP Dullas Alahapperuma said today.

India will remain Sri Lanka’s most reliable friend and a trusted and dependable partner, emphasized Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Santosh Jha.

Ahead of the presidential election, President Ranil Wickremesinghe has instructed the government members to restrict foreign travel as much as possible because their presence is required to undertake political work, an informed source said.