The first school term for Sinhala and Tamil medium government and government-approved private schools for 2026 will end today, April 10, the Ministry of Education announced.

According to the Ministry, the third phase of the first term for Muslim schools will also conclude today.

The second school term for Sinhala and Tamil schools and the fourth phase of the first term for Muslim schools will commence on Monday, April 20, 2026. 

The announcement applies to all government and government-approved private schools across the country. (Newswire)

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Secretary to the Ministry of Education, Nalaka Kaluwewa, says taking into account the prevailing fuel supply issue, the government has decided to grant holidays to all schools every Wednesday.

Nalaka Kaluwewa explained that the move follows the government’s earlier decision to grant public servants weekly leave on Wednesdays.

He confirmed that the holiday also applies to all government‑approved private schools.

Meanwhile, Commissioner General of Essential Services Prabath Chandrakirthi stated that conducting extra tuition classes on Wednesdays has been prohibited. 

He further clarified that every Wednesday will be treated as a holiday for government offices, including judicial services, schools, and universities. (Newswire)

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The Ministry of Education has announced the schedule for the end and recommencement of the third school term for 2025 in all government and government-approved private schools.

Accordingly, the first phase of the third term will conclude on Friday (07 Nov) for all state schools. 

The second phase of the third term will commence on Monday, December 8, 2025, for Sinhala and Tamil schools. 

The second phase of the third term will commence on Monday, November 24, 2025, for Muslim schools. (Newswire)

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The Ministry of Education has announced the schedule for the conclusion and commencement of academic terms for government schools.

Accordingly, the 2nd school term for the year 2025 for Sinhala and Tamil government schools ended today.

The 3rd school term will commence on 18th August for Sinhala and Tamil government schools.

Meanwhile, the 2nd school term for Muslim schools ends on 19th August.

The Education Ministry said the 3rd school term for Muslim schools will begin on 25th August. (Newswire)

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The Ministry of Education has announced the conclusion and commencement of the academic terms of government schools for the year 2025.

According to the Education Ministry, the second stage of the 1st School Term will conclude on Friday, 11 April 2025.

The Education Ministry further said that the third stage of the 1st School Term begins on 21 April and will end on 09 May 2025. (Newswire)

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The Ministry of Education has announced the schedule for the conclusion and commencement of the academic stages of the third term for government and government-approved private schools.

Accordingly, the first stage of the third academic term will end on 22 November 2024.

School holidays will be from 23 November 2024 until 01 January 2025.

The Ministry also noted that the GCE Advanced Level (A/L) examination will take place during this period.

The second stage of the third academic term will be conducted from 02 – 17 January 2025. (Newswire) 

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The Ministry of Education has decided to close all schools islandwide for two days in view of the upcoming Parliamentary Election.

According to the Education Ministry, all schools will be closed on 13 and 14 November 2024.

The Education Ministry further said the academic sessions will recommence on Monday, 18 November 2024. 

Schools being used as polling centres will be handed over to the relevant Grama Niladhari Officer following the conclusion of school academic activities on Tuesday (Nov 12). 

The ministry added that the measures have been taken following a request made by the National Election Commission in view of the 2024 General Election which is scheduled to be held on 14 November. (Newswire)

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The festival season coinciding with deals on ecommerce platforms has seen a surge of customers queue online. Amazon Great Indian Festival 2024 witnessed its highest-ever customer visits, with 140 crore customers visiting the platform, ecommerce platform Amazon India said in a release.

The ecommerce giant added that among the total customers visiting the platform, more than 85 per cent were from non-metro cities.

AGIF 2024 started on September 27, with 24 hours of Prime Early Access, giving customers access to more than 25,000 new launches from top brands across categories such as laptops, TVs, smartphones, fashion and beauty, home decor, appliances, furniture, and groceries.

AGIF 2024 also set new milestones for seller success and witnessed more than a 70 per cent increase in sellers surpassing a crore in sales compared to last year.

The online marketplace bolstered its fast delivery capabilities, delivering over 3 crore products to Prime members across India within the same or next day — a staggering 26 per cent increase from the previous year.

“This overwhelming response from across the country, for everything from daily essentials to high-value purchases, underscores customers’ deepening trust in Amazon India. AGIF exemplifies our obsession with providing an unparalleled shopping experience through wide selection, unmatched value, fast delivery, and relentless innovation. We are committed to creating more opportunities that unlock greater value for our entire ecosystem of customers, sellers, and partners,” said Saurabh Srivastava, Vice President – Categories, Amazon India.

AGIF ’24 saw over a 70 per cent increase in sellers surpassing Rs 1 crore in sales compared to last year. Small and medium businesses, including women entrepreneurs, weavers, and artisans, sold over 1,000 units every minute during the event.

Amazon India witnessed a travel booking bonanza — flight reservations grew by 20 per cent, and hotel bookings skyrocketed by 60 per cent YoY, as per the company.

According to the company, the facility of EMIs fueled big-ticket purchases during the sale.

During the sale on the platform, 5G smartphones saw a massive boost in the budget segment (Rs 10,000) with more than one-third volume share driven by the wide selection from top brands like Realme, iQOO, and Xiaomi, the company said.

The overall demand for both non-gaming and gaming laptops increased by 30 per cent YoY.

Among non-gaming laptops, demand for the latest 13th Gen i3, i5, and i7 Intel-powered laptops grew by up to 10X YoY. In gaming laptops, Amazon saw strong demand for premium Intel i7 series laptops with 55 per cent YoY growth.

Customers enjoyed big savings on Alexa smart home combos, with 1 out of every 5 customers buying a smart product such as a smart plug, bulb, or camera bundled with an Echo Smart Speaker, as per the company.

The company observed that Tier 2 and beyond cities contributed to more than 70 per cent of premium smartphone sales. More than 50 per cent of TV purchases came from tier 2 and 3 cities. The company witnessed demand for large appliances from tier 2 cities grew by 25 per cent, with customers preferring air conditioners and refrigerators.

More than 60 per cent of new Amazon customers from Tier 2 cities and below shopped for fashion and beauty, while more than 50 per cent of fashion and beauty orders came from Tier 2 and 3 cities, as per Amazon India.

The Home and Kitchen category saw more than 60 per cent new customer demand coming from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, fueled by benefits like free delivery, coupons, and easy returns, the company said in the release. (ANI)

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The 01st of November has been declared a school holiday for all Tamil medium government schools in the Central and Uva Provinces.

According to the Uva and Central Provincial Directors of Education, the decision has been taken in view of the Deepavali festival, commemorated on Thursday (Oct 31).

The Provincial Directors of Education further announced that the academic activities missed due to the holiday will be covered on Saturday, 09th of November. (Newswire)

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The announcement was made by the Ministry of Public Administration and Home Affairs. (Newswire)

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The Ministry of Education has announced the timeline for the third academic term of government and government-approved private schools for the year 2023.

Accordingly, the first phase of the third academic term for 2023 will end on Friday, December 22, 2023.

The second phase of the third academic term for 2023 will commence on February 01, 2024. (NewsWire)

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The Ministry of Education has announced the conclusion and commencement dates of state school academic terms for the year 2023. 

The Education Ministry stated that, accordingly, the second term holidays for government and government-approved private schools will commence on August 17, 2023.

Meanwhile, schools will recommence for the next academic term on August 28, 2023. (NewsWire)

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The Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) has declared Friday (June 30) a market holiday in line with the special bank holiday declared by the government.

The government had declared a special bank holiday on June 30, 2023, under Section 10(1) of the Holidays Act, No. 29 of 1971.

The special bank holiday was declared via a special gazette notification issued by Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena in his capacity as the Minister of Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils & Local Government.

Earlier, Central Bank Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe revealed that local depositors are assured of the safety of their deposits and that interests will not be affected. 

According to media reports, analysts believe the government, planning to announce a Domestic Debt Restructuring (DDR) on Wednesday, wanted a longer weekend to provide a suitable buffer for any potential market reactions to significant financial announcements.

Anticipating the announcement on DDR, the government expects that this cooling-off period of five days would minimise the potential frenzy in the sector, they said.

The five-day bank holiday covers the Hajj festival (Thursday, June 29), a special bank holiday (Friday, June 30), Saturday (July 1), Sunday (July 2), and the Esala Poya (Monday, July 3). (NewsWire)

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The Wildlife and Nature Protection Society of Sri Lanka (WNPS) has advised motorists to drive with care and be vigilant of wildlife while travelling during the upcoming festive season. 

The Society has requested those travelling during the long weekend to be mindful of their speed in wildlife-surrounded areas to prevent roadkills and for the safety of motorists. 

Following are a few tips from the Wildlife and Nature Protection Society to help motorists drive with care during the holiday season.

1. Slow down when driving through forested areas. This helps you react quickly if an animal suddenly appears in your path.
2. Pay attention to your surroundings and be alert in known animal zones, such as areas where there are warning signs or crossing structures.
3. Use your headlights to help spot animals on the road, especially at dawn and dusk.
4. Avoid distractions that can take your eyes off the road, such as using your phone.
5. Keep your distance if you see an animal on or near the road. Slow down and give it plenty of space to move. Don’t try to scare it off the road by honking your horn or flashing your headlights. (NewsWire)

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