May 12 (ST) Sri Lanka’s 15-member squad for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup in the USA and West Indies has raised a few eyebrows and sparked discussions among cricket enthusiasts on a few debatable inclusions and exclusions. One that caught many by surprise is the selection of 21-year-old left-arm spinner Dunith Wellalage, who was part of the 50-over World Cup team last year and is yet to make his T20 international debut. more..

May 12 (Island) National List MP Diana Gamage’s exit from parliament last week, on the basis of the unanimous determination of a three-judge bench of the supreme court ends a saga that dragged on for as long as four years. For Sajith Premadasa’s SJB this was a heaven sent opportunity to bring back former MP Mujibur Rahman to the legislature. Rahman resigned his parliamentary seat to run for Mayor of Colombo on the SJB ticket at the scheduled 2022 local elections. more..

May 12 (CT) The way the social media went about the BIA incident in which someone identified as Sandaru Kumarasinghe went about attacking India and Indians in what essentially turned out to be a procedural delay/denial in visa processing should show the depth of anti-India sentiments that are not justified otherwise. Regarding the particular incident, Indian High Commission first and SL Ministers later clarified that no Indian or Indian firm was involved in visa processing more..

May 12 (CT) Everything seemed quiet on the govt front, bar the colours and noises of May Day politics. Then all hell broke loose one day, at the airport of all places. The old ETA (Electronic Travel Authorisation) system, which everyone requiring a visa on arrival had gotten used to, was gone, and a new VFS system that no one has heard of was in place. The change apparently had been implemented following cabinet approval of a proposal by Minister Tiran Alles based on an unsolicited offer more..

May 12 (ST) My dear Diana, I thought I must write to you now when everyone is talking about you after you were booted out of Parliament by an order from the highest court in the land. The way you conducted yourself, with your razor-sharp tongue and come for a fight attitude, who would have thought this will happen to you? You even managed to take the limelight away from that visa issue. In the end, it was the actions of two individuals – that chap Sandaru at the airport and more..

May 12 (ST) Presidential Secretariat has written to the CIABOC requesting that an inquiry be conducted into a Facebook post by a Divisional Secretary in the Puttalam District, levelling bribery allegations against a Media Director of the Prez Secretariat. In his Facebook post, Divisional Secretary claimed he had received a call from a person claiming to be a media director at the prez’s office asking for the number of a person more..

May 12 (ST) On the day Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe addressed Parliament to brief the House regarding the Govt’s economic programme, Govt had to push back at accusations from the opposition over a lack of transparency regarding its economic recovery efforts. Speaking after the Prez made a special statement to Parliament, Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa claimed that whatever the picture the Prez may have tried to portray, the new normal that is in effect today has heaped pressure, more..

May 12 (ST) A Cabinet Minister’s assertion this week that the Govt did not need to call for tenders because who else is there to tender, before awarding a lucrative 12-year visa processing contract to a foreign joint venture is the cementing of an alarming trend that makes a mockery of all new anti-corruption and governance related laws rushed into place at the IMF’s behest. This was confirmation that the deal to vet online and on-arrival tourist visa applications was granted to a three-party more..

May 12 (TM) If the Ranil Wickremesinghe Govt thought that the country was coming out of its economic danger zone and had built confidence in the minds of creditors and investors alike, it needs to think twice. The upcoming election period – Prez and Parliamentary Elections – has now brought caution back to the minds of creditors and investors. These sentiments were stated by none other than CB Governor more..

May 12 (SO) Sri Lanka, located in the equatorial belt, is blessed with an abundance of sun and wind. It is, therefore, somewhat surprising that we are still lagging behind in the Renewable Energy (RE) race. However, other countries, both developed and developing, have raced far ahead. In fact, some countries can already generate 100% of their power demand from RE alone for short periods. Soon, they will be able to do so 24/7. We are penning these words in the context of the latest reports more..

May 12 (TM) In this land like no other – the country’s tourism tagline some years ago – it has been determined that SL’s State Minister of Tourism was, in fact, a tourist; and, to boot, one who had overstayed her welcome by almost a decade. The magnitude of the matter is such that here is a foreigner in the eyes of the highest court of the land who has conned her way for four long years in occupying a seat in the country’s Legislature while also presiding over Govt policy as a Minister more..

May 11 (DM) In the wake of UK citizenship holding Diana Gamage losing her parliamentary seat following a ruling by the Supreme Court, the immigration authorities are planning to consult the Attorney General to inquire into how she lived in Sri Lanka without a valid visa since she last arrived in the country on a tourist visa since around 2014, an official said. She lost her parliamentary seat on grounds that she is a UK citizen. more..

May 11 (CT) With the Election Commission of SL facing an acute dearth of technology and expertise, overcoming challenges posed by Artificial Intelligence (AI) in addition to misinformation and fake news circulating on social media platforms during the election period has become next to impossible. Commissioner General of Elections, Saman Sri Ratnayake, speaking at a recent forum held in Colombo, said his institution lacks basic tech facilities to monitor or debunk misinformation more..

May 11 (FT) Verité Research yesterday launched a Blueprint for a Rational Govt in Sri Lanka. The publication shows how all the duties, functions, institutions, and laws in Sri Lanka can be structured and organised in an efficient and effective manner – even with just 15 ministries. It draws on the work of the acclaimed 1988 Administrative Reform Commission as well as exemplary international practices, to design a highly functional structure for organising Govt and all its activities in SL. more..

May 11 (Island) None of the actions and initiatives of the Ranil Wickremesinghe govt are sincere and the state machinery is being blatantly misused for election purposes, MP G.L Peiris says. He that in recent months the govt had established an independent Commission for Truth, Unity and Reconciliation & Community Advisory Committees (CAC). “Usually, govts make these big gestures in first 100 days of being elected. more..

May 11 (DN) Senior journalist and former Sarasaviya Editor A. D. Ranjith Kumara passed away yesterday. Hailing from Kosgas Handiya in Grandpass, he was the eldest among four siblings and was the only member of his family to venture into the field of journalism. Ranjith Kumara worked as a journalist and Editor of Sarasaviya for 25 years while organizing the Sarasaviya cinema awards. During this time, he was honoured with two prestigious literary awards in recognition of more..

May 11 (ST) The recent incident involving the arrest of a street food vendor in Aluth Kade, Colombo, for allegedly selling food at a higher price has sparked questions about the perceived discrepancy involving the govt. Netizens questioned why the govt enforces strict measures against vendors while imposing higher charges for foreigners at tourist sites. Some argue that it is understandable that vendors adjust prices for foreigners to cope with rising operating costs. more..

May 11 (DN) Another person from the Punnalaikattuwan area in Jaffna has died on Thursday (9) from getting exposed to excessive heat. Sivagnanam Jayakumar aged 45, who had consumed alcohol with a group of friends in the afternoon, has returned to his home afterwards and was found fallen in the garden, Police said. The daughter of the victim has checked his condition after seeing the father fallen and has admitted him to the Thelippalai hospital upon noticing that more..

May 11 (Island) EJP leader Patali Champika Ranawaka has questioned the deployment of a bulldozer by the Netherlands to break up pro-Palestinian protests at the University of Amsterdam on 9 May. Had that happened in Asia, Western diplomatic missions would have promptly issued statements condemning the relevant govts over the threats such actions posed to democracy and freedom of expression. The former Minister was commenting on the reportage of more..

May 11 (FT) Advocata Institute Chairman Murtaza Jafferjee cautioned against complacency, urging policymakers to prioritise economic stability and enact meaningful reforms to navigate the economy, noting that the country still faces significant hurdles. “We have gone through a stabilisation program and there is a long way ahead of us. We have to make the necessary policy changes and build the institutions and more..

May 11 (DM) In a startling turn of events, three police officers from the Sapugaskanda Police, including a sergeant and two constables, were arrested today on suspicion of accepting a bribe amounting to Rs. 150,000 to stop proceeding with legal action against the sale of aphrodisiacs (a food, drink, or other thing that stimulates sexual desire) by an Ayurvedic medicine dealer. The saga began when the medicine dealer filed a complaint with the Sapugaskanda Police, more..

May 11 (DM) Law enforcement agents are on alert as illicit cigarettes in bulk arrive at the airport and were also found within the country during the last couple of days amounting to the value of over Rs.1.5 million. Two separate attempts to smuggle in imported brands of cigarettes were thwarted by the PNB officials at the BIA on Tuesday and Wednesday. A SL passenger returning from Muscat, Oman was intercepted by the officials at the Arrival Terminal while in possession of illicit cigarettes more..

May 11 (DN) The SL govt is promoting automobile component manufacturing as a trust sector for growth and the industry has plans to grow exports from current USD 200 million to USD 1 billion soon, said Chairman of the Sector Advisory Committee for Automobile for the Ministry of Industries, Dimantha Jayawardena. “SL automotive component manufacturers went through one of the toughest business cycles from 2020 but has now recovered and is to become a major exporter,” he said. more..

May 11 (FT) SLPP founder Basil Rajapaksa said the party stands ready to align with or disengage from any group in the interest of the country. Rajapaksa, speaking to the media at the opening of the party elections operations office, revealed that the SLPP has not yet finalised its candidate for the upcoming Prez election. However, he expressed optimism that a decision on the party’s Presidential nominee will be reached soon. He emphasised that the party leadership will be briefed more..

May 11 (ST) When the war widows of Valaipadu returned to their village in 2010 after over a year of displacement, they did not think there would be much opportunity awaiting them. But an unusual new product would soon transform their lives: seaweed. Seaweed farming is relatively straightforward. Nursery plants are grown for 45 days in shallow waters before being dried, dusted and packed. In Valaipadu, more..

May 11 (FT) The premier three-day Build SL Housing and Construction International Expo organised by the Chamber of Construction Industry (CCI) kicked off yesterday at the BMICH. It is the 19th annual exhibition organised by the Chamber. Build Sri Lanka 2024 showcases the latest developments in the building and construction industry, with eminent industry experts, stakeholders and decision makers in attendance, making it an ideal event to source new products, network and more..

May 11 (DN) Dinara de Silva, SL’s top girls tennis player, excelled on the court as she defeated Indonesia’s Abigall Elham in straight sets in the semi final to advance to the final of the ITF World Tennis Tour Junior Circuit J30 at SSC Colombo. First week of this exciting tournament was played at the SSC courts yesterday. In an impressive display, 2nd seeded Dinara secured a 7-6, 6-1 victory over Abigall Elham, third-seeded player from Indonesia, securing her place in Women’s Singles final. more..

May 11 (FT) ASPI of the Colombo stock market crossed the 12,500 points mark for the first time in 2 years thanks to the sustenance of positive investor sentiment. ASPI gained by 122 points or almost 1% to close at 12,518.97 points. The active S&P SL 20 gained by 1.56%. During the week the ASPI and the S&P SL20 gained 0.9% and 1.6% respectively. Year to date, ASPI has gained by 17.5% and the S&P SL20 by 21.57%. Turnover yesterday Rs. 2.5 billion involving 111.38 million shares. more..

May 11 (ST) International Day of the Midwife, which falls today, is a reminder that the shortage of midwives in the state sector negatively influences maternal care and is taking a heavy toll on the families they care for. Typically, one midwife should assist 1,500–2,500 mothers, according to Family Health Bureau (FHB) guidelines. It says it is taking measures to address the shortfall of 3,000 midwives. In addition to being the foundation of healthcare for women and children, midwives have more..

May 11 (ST) National Dengue Control Unit (NDCU) foresees that the present dengue incidence could increase due to the upcoming south-west monsoon in June. There have been 22,528 dengue patients and nine reported deaths throughout the country as of today (5). Western Province (WP) accounted for the majority of all cases. NDCU further highlighted the absence of proper prevention measures, more..

May 11 (DN) Sri Lanka ’A’ Team led by new skipper Pasindu Sooriyabandara is expected to adopt a positive approach in their one and only four day game against Afghanistan ‘A’ which commences today at P. Sara Oval Stadium. After successful five match unofficial ODI series between two teams Sri Lanka ‘A’ team won the series 3-2 while both teams will field new look sides in this four day game . Two different venues ODI’s at Hambantota Mahinda Rajapaksa International cricket stadium while more..

May 11 (FT) A month ago, I had a frantic call from a distant contact who wanted to know if I could arrange for cancer treatment at Apeksha that same day, as they have been very curtly told, come next week. They had come on a confirmed appointment, he told me. His problem was, the hire for the van was over Rs. 30,000 and they simply cannot afford that fare yet again in a week. Apeksha in Sinhala is Hope though not the most apt name for a hospital. A hospital should hold more than mere hope more..