May 6 (Island) Fear is being expressed in some quarters that the upcoming elections may bring the country under a pall of political uncertainty again, adversely impacting the ongoing economic recovery efforts in the event of a regime change and/or an unstable govt. SJB and NPP have declared their intention to renegotiate the IMF bailout programme, but it is not likely that the IMF, which has the whip hand, will agree to radical changes. IMF bailout programmes are extremely hurtful more..

May 6 (TM) Sri Lanka’s gaps in maritime domain awareness and marine research is slowly being plugged by friendly nations. Last weekend, visiting Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa announced that the Japanese Govt would offer Sri Lanka a vessel equipped for underwater surveys, which would aid in capacity-building to conduct hydrographic research and chart Sri Lanka’s maritime domain. During her speech, the visiting Japanese Foreign Minister stated: more..

May 6 (ST) In the past under British rule, SL used characters for vehicle identification. In the past, vehicle registration in SL utilised alphanumeric combinations like EN for cars (from CEYLON) and IC for heavy vehicles. However, following the country’s Independence, the system shifted to numbers, such as 1 Sri for cars and 22 Sri for heavy vehicles. Later on, in the late eighties, the format evolved further, more..

May 6 (DM) May Day came and went. Yet very few words were spoken regarding working conditions in the country. Strangely, it was the head of state that raised the problem of wages while addressing the CWC May Day rally in Nuwara Eliya. Prez Wickremesinghe announced a pay rise for estate workers and justified the upward revision of payment with reference to the historic role the upcountry Tamil estate workers continued to play in keeping our country’s economy afloat. more..

May 6 (ST) Do the actions of the Wickremesinghe Presidency and his Cabinet reflect strategic decision-making on the cusp of majorly significant national elections in SL? The latest controversy to erupt is over the Cabinet outsourcing the handling of on-arrival visas to foreigners at the national airport to a private company. This is in the wake of a SL’s fury at the company’s representatives refusing a visa for his wife at Katunayake going viral on social media. We are told by Presidential Secretariat that more..

May 6 (ST) With Canadian politicians scrambling for every vote they can get, PM Justin Trudeau has again fallen foul with the Indian Govt for attending an event organised by a group of Khalistan Sikhs in the country. India is accusing the Trudeau administration of giving space to Khalistan extremists, who are demanding a separate state in India. No different is his own support for sections of the SL Tamil community in Canada more..

May 6 (CT) If the SL voter had thought that there would be some clarity about the Presidential Poll candidates, from the multiple May Day rallies by different political parties and groups, they would have been left even more confused. Yes, SJB’s Sajith Premadasa and JVP’s Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD) are already in the fray and the keen question upper-most in the voter’s mind was whether Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe would declare his candidacy and/or if the SLPP under-writer more..

May 6 (CT) SL celebrated Sinhala and Tamil new year on April 13. Astrologers wield considerable influence over the people and political leaders in Sri Lanka. However, many believers may not want to remember that the elder Rajapaksa, despite favourable astrological predictions, failed to win a third presidential term. This year there was a squabble among 42 astrologers employed by the Ministry of Culture to decide upon the auspicious date and time for new year rituals to start. more..

May 5 (ST) Amidst the riot of colour and hoarse slogans at last Wednesday’s May Day rallies and processions, lay a plethora of political realities different from previous years. Most importantly, for both ruling and opposition political parties, May Day became a launching pad for the presidential election campaigns. The presidential election is due any time after three months. There were negatives too. There were no shocks more..

May 5 (ST) Sri Lankans living overseas and unable to obtain dual citizenship due to existing laws in the respective countries will soon be able to obtain a renewable permanent residence visa to live and work here, Immigration and Emigration Controller General Harsha Ilukpitiya said. The regulations had been finalised and would soon be gazetted before the implementation of the scheme, he said. Those Sri Lankans whose citizenship has ceased after obtaining citizenship in another country, more..

May 5 (ST) The govt will go ahead with the agreement it signed with GBS Technology Services, IVS Global-FZCO and VFS VF Worldwide Holdings Ltd. to handle documents related to electronic and on-arrival visas to enter SL, Public Security Ministry Secretary Viyani Gunetilleke said. The delays and issues with the system were a technical fault. “Next week, we will implement it,” he said, declining to give a date. Controversy erupted this week after video clips were published on social media more..

May 5 (TM) Twelve islands in Kalpitiya, entrusted to the SL Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) as free grants, remain dormant in terms of tourism development even after more than a decade, a recent audit report by the National Audit Office (NAO) reveals. The total land area transferred by then Prez Mahinda Rajapaksa amounted to approximately 2,056.73 acres, designated as free grants under Section 2 of more..

May 5 (EN) Sri Lanka’s main opposition has called for a parliamentary investigation into extraordinary fees charged by a private contractor, questioning what are the actual costs of operating platform to justify such excessive fees. A contractor called IVS-GBS and VFS Global is operating the website which is directly linked to the Department of Immigration giving it the opportunity of make excessive profits technically known as rents by virtue of operating a monopoly. more..

May 5 (ST) Controversy surrounds the newly introduced online visa system (e-Visa) which was awarded to VFS Global through a cabinet paper in Dec 2023. All foreigners arriving in the country, subject to on-arrival visa or on-arrival free-visa, are mandatorily required to pay US$ 25.77 (service fee $18.50 and convenience fee $7.27) through the e-Visa system. Earlier a local mobile service provider, SLT-Mobitel had provided the system for the Dept of Immigration and Emigration (DIE) for more..

May 5 (DM) The Supreme Court granted leave to proceed with the Fundamental Rights petition filed by former CID Director SSP Shani Abeysekara challenging the National Police Commission’s decision to interdict him from police service following the Presidential Election 2019. Supreme Court three-judge-bench comprising Justices Vijith Malalgoda, Kumuduni Wickremasinghe and Mahinda Samayawardena granted leave to proceed for violating Fundamental Rights guaranteed more..

May 5 (DM) Election Commission of India is organizing the International Election Visitor Programme (IEVP) during the ongoing Lok Sabha 2024 elections, scheduled from May 4 to May 9, 2024. As part of this initiative, a 10-member delegation from Sri Lanka will be participating, comprising two representatives from the Election Commission of SL and eight from PCOI (Presidential Commission of Inquiry to Make Recommendations for Election Law Reforms). more..

May 5 (TM) A total of 100 Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) officials have been trained to act as border controllers in the event of immigration and emigration officials refusing to perform their duties at the BIA. Sources said that operations of VFS Global would continue without change as per a Cabinet decision to entrust local visa handling to a third-party company. Official SL eVisa website notes SL’s transition from the ETA system more..

May 5 (DM) Former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa cannot deny what he told me during the telephone conversation he had with me in 2021, Archbishop of Colombo Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith said today. Cardinal was referring to the statement of former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa where he denies telling the former that recormendations made by the Presidential Commission cannot be implemented as he will have to take action against people and associations which were close to him. more..

May 5 (EN) SL’s racing car drivers blamed senior officials on Saturday for the seven deaths at the Fox Hill event, stating that the organizers were poorly prepared to host the event and that basic safety precautions were not taken. SL Racing Drivers Association said that the authorities ignored repeated pleas from their members to ensure the track was watered to prevent dust and to ensure that visibility was not affected. Two of the cars ploughed into spectators and track marshals, more..

May 5 (SO) SLASSCOM recently conducted an orientation program for newly appointed Ambassadors and High Commissioners of SL designated for overseas missions to harness the potential of SL’s IT/BPM talent and explore the vast opportunities the country has to offer. Organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the session will equip the diplomats with insights into the country’s tech prowess and its potential to attract foreign investments while facilitating market access more..

May 5 (SO) Two heavyweight candidates will contest the top post when the Netball Federation of SL (NFSL) conducts its election on May 30. Nominations closed on April 22 and the two who have submitted their names to contest the top post are former national player and president Tamara Dharmakeerthi Herath and the incumbent president Lakshmi Victoria. Both of them are well known to have worked hard to uplift the standard of the game. However, the current membership will know more..

May 5 (ST) In a bold move aimed at reinvigorating the spirit of Test cricket, SLC has announced a substantial increase in match fees for players participating in the longer format of the game. The decision, which sees match fees for winning matches soar from US$ 7,500 to US$ 15,000, represents a 100% increase of the compensation currently received by players. With a clear intent to incentivise involvement in more..

May 5 (ST) As Sri Lanka readies to clinch its first world cricket title in a decade, there is optimism that the 2014 champions could secure the World T20 title again when the tournament kicks off next month in the Caribbean and the USA. Despite participating in three World T20 Tournaments after their victory against India in 2014, SL’s performances have been below par, failing to secure a top-four finish in the last three editions. However, with a strong squad of players getting ready more..

May 5 (AD) The second meeting of the strategic dialogue between Sri Lanka and the UK is scheduled to be held in Colombo on 07 May 2024, at the senior officials’ level. The meeting will review developments in foreign and security policies, as well as progress in the areas of bilateral engagement, including trade, investment, tourism, climate change, environment protection, migration, and maritime cooperation among others. The meeting will also take stock of cooperation by more..

May 5 (JT) Strategically placed SL's economic recovery is essential for stability in the Indo-Pacific region, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa said Saturday, urging Colombo to swiftly restructure its foreign debt. After talks with her SL counterpart, Ali Sabry, Kamikawa said that Colombo should secure agreements with bilateral lenders and international sovereign bondholders to unlock suspended foreign funding. more..

May 5 (ST) The gradual increase in dollar reserves and the rise in the value of the rupee will allow the import of vehicles at least by next year, State Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya said. The committee appointed to carry out a comprehensive study to systematically remove restrictions on the import of vehicles has already made its recommendations, he added. Meanwhile the Govt is planning to pass a law implementing vehicle import standards to prevent malpractices and irregularities more..

May 5 (SO) Royal College’s promising young sailors dominated the Optimist Class with last year’s junior skipper Yusef Hazari winning the ILCA 4 Class at the Navy Cup Sailing Regatta held at Galle Face on April 26 and 27. In the Optimist Class, Kevaan de Costa clinched gold while Royal’s Luqmaan Aneeq and Binal Perera won silver and bronze respectively in a fiercely fought competition with a large fleet of more than 20 boats battling for titles in the junior category. more..

May 5 (TM) Adverse weather conditions together with high fertiliser prices have resulted in local tea production falling by around 1.5 million kg Year-on-Year (YoY) during the first quarter of this year in comparison to the equivalent period in 2023, SL Tea Board (SLTB) reveals. SLTB Chairman Niraj de Mel revealed that the slight YoY gains in local tea production volumes during January and February had been eliminated during March, with the latter seeing tea production fall by nearly 2.5 m kg more..

May 5 (EN) SL Climate Summit 2024, on the theme of Code Red: Climate Risks and Opportunities for Sri Lankan Businesses, will be held from May 7 to 9 at the Shangri La Hotel in Colombo. “As Sri Lanka stands at a critical juncture, with scientific consensus warning of the potentially devastating consequences of accelerating climate change, the three-day summit will serve as a platform for national dialogue on the impacts and opportunities of climate change for businesses,” more..

May 5 (SO) SL’s rugby team came up with a well organized plan and crushed the heavily built Kazakhstan team by a convincing score-line of 45 points (7 tries, 5 conversions) to 7 points (a try, a conversion) in the final of the Asia Rugby Division I tournament encounter played at the Race Course ground in Colombo last night. They stuck to their plan well especially in defence when they went low to bring down the heavier opponents more..

May 5 (Island) May Day falling last week, as is very well known, has long lost its Labour Day intent and flavour certainly in this country, degenerating into the political carnival all Lankans are familiar with. With a presidential election due later this year, predictably the various contending parties made the occasion one of trying to demonstrate their pre-poll strength by transporting their supporters by bus and train for the various rallies organized in Colombo. This, of course, has always been done, more..

May 5 (SO) Nagalingam Ethirveerasingam passed away peacefully on April 18, 2024 in Los Angeles, California, US at the ripe age of 89. As a Sri Lankan athlete, he touched many hearts by achieving a unique double, reaching the elite podium and completing a doctoral degree. He strode to the high jump bar and scaled the bar with nonchalant ease to become one of the all-time greats of Sri Lanka. He represented the country at successive Olympic Games – Helsinki 1952 and Melbourne 1956. more..