May 15 (SO) District Court of Colombo has issued an interim enjoining order stopping Football Sri Lanka (FSL) from holding an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) on May 17 to amend the FSL Constitution. The District Judge gave the order on Friday on a plaint filed by Govt Services Football Association (GSFA) and the Gampola Football League (GFL) against FSL president Jaswar Umar and his secretary Upali Hewage. The plaintiffs had been sidelined in decision-making process more..

May 15 (TM) Concerns have been raised over the profits earned by Lanka Indian Oil Company (LIOC) at a time when the State-owned CPC is incurring heavy losses. Petroleum sector unions allege that the Govt is paving the way for LIOC to earn profits by letting it increase fuel prices periodically. As per statistics, in the March 2022 quarter, LIOC had earned a net profit of Rs. 3.37 billion – 248% up from Rs. 968 million in the same quarter a year earlier. In the year ended 31 March, more..

May 15 (ST) Having had their bowling stocks severely depleted following the retirement of veteran seamer Suranga Lakmal and decisions to rest Dushmantha Chameera and Lahiru Kumara, Sri Lanka is in a painful position ahead of their two-match Test series against Bangladesh starting today in Chattogram, Bangladesh. With their absence, pace injection has fallen on the shoulders of Vishwa Fernando, Asitha Fernando, more..

May 15 (TM) The violence that followed last Monday’s (9) attacks by a group of ruling party supporters on peaceful protestors saw the houses of many politicians being attacked in various parts of the country and some even being set on fire. However, the angry public came across some interesting commodities – which have been in short supply in the country, resulting in the public having to stand in queues for days and sometimes weeks – which were hoarded in large quantities at more..

May 15 (TM) The SJB yesterday stated that the Opposition would nominate Matale District MP Rohini Wijeratne Kavirathna for the vacant position of deputy speaker when Parliament resumes sittings this week. Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa took to Twitter last evening to announce the decision, calling Kavirathna a strong activist of women’s and children’s rights. “@RWKavirathna, a strong activist of women’s and children’s rights, will be our nominee for the post of deputy speaker” he tweeted. more..

May 15 (ST) The Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR) administration, which was dissolved and ousted by a Special Gazette Notification on April 1, by the then Minister of Sports, was reinstalled on Friday, after Sri Lanka’s Court of Appeal issued an Interim Order suspending the enactments of the Gazette. This will allow the duly elected office bearers of SLR to be in office, ending a 43-day takeover by a Competent Authority, appointed by more..

May 15 (Hindu) SL’s Ministry of Defencedenied reports of ex-LTTE cadre “regrouping to launch attacks” in SL, as reported by The Hindu, citing sources in Indian intelligence. “The article is completely baseless. We have received no intelligence warning of such a security threat,” a Ministry spokesman said. The report, citing Indian intelligence sources, was picked up by SL media and widely shared on social media. SL political leaders, too, strongly reacted to the Indian more..

May 15 (Island) MMBL-Pathfinder Group, a pioneer investor in the private civil aviation sector in SL, through its associate, Pathfinder Capital (Pvt) Ltd, last week announced it was entering the field of commercial drone operations here. It said in a news release that having examined the vast array of drones in the market, it had chosen Israel based Airobotics Ltd., which has developed an ideal solution for commercial drone applications, to supply the equipment necessary for the business. more..

May 15 (TM) Police has sought the assistance of the State Intelligence Services (SIS) islandwide to track down inmates from the Watareka Prison who went missing last week when a mob had allegedly attacked a Prison bus transporting inmates. Police Media Spokesman Senior SSP Nihal Thalduwa said that detectives had informed the details of those prisoners to the SIS. The inmate details have already been sent to the relevant Police stations around the country in an attempt to net them. more..

May 15 (EN) President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has called for legislators to work together to get the country out of the latest currency crisis triggered by the intermediate regime central bank in a Vesak day message, marking the birth, enlightenment and death of Lord Buddha. “The Dhamma states, “That deed is well done if one has not to repent for having done it, and if one is delightful and happy with the result of that deed,” the message from the President said. more..

May 15 (SO) The Indian Premier League, one of the most lucrative sporting events in the world, has become one of the most important events in the cricketing calendar over the years. The world’s best players along with the best coaches get together on this magical stage and this platform has provided some enthusiastic cricketing experiences for its fans over the years while the extra money floor is verified that players earn a fortune more..

May 15 (ST) Finance Ministry is facing one of its worst-ever cash crunch with no way to raise revenue even to pay salaries of 1.5 million public sector employees’ unless through increasing borrowing limits and printing money, official sources said. This has become a challenge at the moment due to political instability making it a mission impossible to obtain the necessary approval of the now defunct cabinet and parliament to increase the borrowing limit, a high official of the ministry said. more..

May 15 (ST) With the escalating political unrest private banks are increasingly shedding relationships with Politically Exposed Persons, officials in the banking sector said. Some banks have noticed large withdrawals from PEPs which made them conduct trigger reviews on their accounts. These are basically event-driven reviews that are based on changes in customer profiles warranting a fresh compliance process. Also, the current political crisis reported in public domain more..

May 15 (ST) The military has beefed up security at Sri Lanka’s Free Trade Zones (FTZs) where export manufacturing facilities are located to ensure the safety and smooth operation of the zones. In this respect, the Board of Investment (BOI) has been “communicating with the Sri Lanka Police and the Army to ensure the safety of all the workers in order to facilitate transporting them to all respective factories without a hitch,” a statement issued by the organisation stated. more..

May 15 (ST) Sri Lanka is expected to face over a 60% drop in paddy yields this Yala season (May-Aug) as the cultivation has already begun without chemical fertilizer. The country will be heading for another crisis in a shortage of food as the expected drop in yields is over 60% during this Yala season, Peradeniya Uni Prof. Buddhi Marambe said. Contrary to expectations of a shortfall in rice due to the fertiliser crisis in 2021, the Central Bank reported that total paddy production more..

May 15 (TM) Three consignments of fuel consisting of crude oil, furnace oil, and 92-95 octane petrol ordered on spot tendering are still waiting in international waters near SL for clearance as the Govt has been unable to dispatch necessary funds. A steady supply of furnace oil is critical to keep a number of thermal power plants operational, with the CEB struggling to generate adequate electricity to keep power cuts at a minimal level. more..

May 15 (EN) SL has got a good response from envoys of friendly countries for financial help, but it may take up to 3 months to finalize deals, PM Ranil Wickremesinghe said as a broken soft-peg created forex shortages disrupting imports. “I spoke with envoys of several countries yesterday and today,” PM Wickremesinghe said in a video statement. “The responses are good. But we have to tell them our situation and enter into agreements. It may take two to three months to finish this.” more..

May 15 (TM) Close protection offered to MPs will be increased in light of the prevailing security situation. According to Ministry of Public Security Secretary Maj. Gen. (Retd) Jagath Alwis, Police Dept is planning to increase the number of security officers assigned to each MP from Ministerial Security Division (MSD). An additional two officers are planned to be deployed to each MP from this week, Alwis said. Some MPs had requested additional security and with the death of one MP more..

May 15 (ST) At the seafront luxury two-storied house of a young politician in the deep south, with powerful friends of his own age, the discussion with a group of supporters was hush hush. It began with how best to persuade President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to retain in office Mahinda Rajapaksa as Prime Minister. The well-manicured garden around the house was more than an acre in extent. more..

May 16 (DM) A peaceful democratic revolution is sweeping across SL. It is a revolution from below, from the people. It has activated large segments of SL people to shed the habits of passive citizenship and transform themselves into active citizens. SL citizens have now claimed an assertive role in the democratic process, resisting an authoritarian govt, demanding the resignation of govts and its heads, arguing for revamping of parliamentary democracy, and asserting popular sovereignty. more..

May 16 (DM) On April 4, we published on these columns an article entitled: …. entire Opposition — unite under RANIL! The concluding paragraph stated, “Shortages have triggered the largest demonstrations in years, with a chain of candlelight vigils protesting the widespread blackouts. They even demand a non-politico consortium as a replacement. It is prudent that we leave unworkable Springs and seek democratic alternatives with a combined team rallying behind more..

May 16 (TM) SL is urgently in need of a unity govt based on consensus, led by a prime minister who has the acceptance of the public in order to move quickly to address the political and economic crisis the island is facing, Bar Association of SL (BASL) President Saliya Pieris said. Pieris highlighted the need for the political leadership to form a unity govt that acts with transparency and purpose to restore confidence more..

May 16 (DM) Following a month of peaceful protests, on Monday (9), attacks by a group of pro-govt supporters of PM Rajapaksa, (egged on by a few lawless ministers of his inner circle) on peaceful protestors in Colombo, led to several days of violence in which at least nine people were killed and more than 200 injured. Dozens of residences owned by the Rajapaksas and their loyalists were set ablaze. Mayhem unleashed by the attackers led to the resignation of the PM and more..

May 16 (CT) To paraphrase the national anthem, there has been no time in SL’s history where each line resounded so loudly than during the people’s movement. Perhaps the forces that divided us for so long thought the violence they unleashed on peaceful protesters on 9 May would develop into larger unrest that would overwhelm minorities. But those sinister plans faltered and shattered into a million pieces. We have witnessed, time and time again how politically-sponsored mobs more..

May 16 (TM) Protests and shortages are the order of the day in Sri Lanka today and outrage against the Govt is growing as people find it increasingly difficult to eke out an existence. The situation is worsening by the day, with medicines, fuel, and gas running out, regular power cuts, and prices of essential items skyrocketing, even as the political crisis adds more fuel to the raging fire of the economic crisis. more..

May 16 (ST) In the shambles left of the Rajapaksa Govt this week in Sri Lanka, Prez Rajapaksa’s last-ditch conjuring of many-times PM Ranil Wickremesinghe to fill the vacuum left by the resignation of his brother, Mahinda Rajapaksa, was hardly unexpected. That was the most predictable move left to the nation’s so-called first family now reduced to cowering under the protection of the security State that had been nurtured for this very purpose, perchance. more..

May 16 (ST) Though dumped by the people 20 months ago, Ranil Wickremesinghe popped out like a long shut Jack in the box to be harnessed to the Rajapaksa yoke as the chief tiller to furrow anew the land they had turned to waste. After secret talks held behind closed doors with Prez Rajapaksa at the Prez’s House late Wednesday evening, it emerged that the beleaguered Prez, driven to the wall by mass protests and deserting ranks, had offered Ranil Wickremesinghe prime ministerial post more..

May 16 (CT) “As a result of my investigations into the Lasantha Wickrematunge’s murder case, I believe the MiG deal revelations in The Sunday Leader formed the main motive for his murder,” former Inspector of Police and lead investigator into Wickrematunge’s murder told the People’s Tribunal on the Murder of Journalists at the Hague, Netherlands on May 12. IP Nishantha Silva detailed among other things how cell phones used by the murderers were identified by combing more..

May 16 (FT) Every hour the Earth’s atmosphere receives enough solar radiation to meet the electricity needs of every human being on Earth for a year. In other words, the world’s most significant problem, the energy crisis, can be fixed with just one percent of the earth’s solar radiation. Solar energy generation is a fast-growing industry in other parts of the world. Unfortunately, Sri Lanka has been a little slow on the uptake until the recent energy crisis, brought on by a lack of foreign currency more..

May 16 (CI) During the first Bangladesh-SL Test in Chattogram, there were four players who had debuted in the 2000s. Among those, Angelo Mathews was the most capped one, and he had to squeeze out every bit of that experience to get Sri Lanka out of early trouble, consolidate in the middle, and then dominate by the end of the day. While SL have many young players in their squad, a senior figure like Mathews finishing the day more..

May 16 (ST) It is not a new feature of the Sri Lankan political economy – frustration of the country’s educated youth at present times as well as in the past! When they realise about their hopeless future, a significant portion of the frustrated youth can be mobilised for a different cause; today they have mobilised themselves for non-violent means of protest. The objective of the protest has been reported as overthrowing the so-called responsible political leaders from power. more..

May 16 (Island) The week that began with mayhem has ended in cynicism. Mayhem saw the ouster of Mahinda Rajapaksa as PM. Cynicism is the main ingredient in the appointment of Ranil Wickremesinghe as his successor and the interim govt that he and his beleaguered Prez are now cooking. The week saw the highs and lows, the terrible and the terrific, of SL politics. It began low with drunken thugs streaming out of Temple Trees, and it is ending low with SL’s most recycled more..

May 16 (CI) During the first Bangladesh-SL Test in Chattogram, there were four players who had debuted in the 2000s. Among those, Angelo Mathews was the most capped one, and he had to squeeze out every bit of that experience to get SL out of early trouble, consolidate in the middle, and then dominate by the end of the day. While SL have many young players in their squad, a senior figure like Mathews finishing the day more..

May 16 (TM) A total of four suspects have been arrested in connection with the death of SLPP MP Amarakeerthi Athukorala, who was killed during a tense situation in the Nittambuwa which erupted following a group of SLPP supporters attacked two peaceful protests in Colombo. When contacted by The Morning, SSP Nihal Thalduwa stated that four suspects have been arrested in connection with the incident. He added that investigations are underway to find other suspects involved in the incident. more..

May 16 (Island) SL is in the throes of an unprecedented economic crisis. Faced with a shortage of foreign exchange and defaulting on its foreign debt repayment, the country is unable to pay for its food, fuel, medicine, and other basic necessities. Notwithstanding the austerities that would be entailed, a bailout by the IMF has been accepted as the only way out of the dire economic situation. Opposition political parties, and citizens across the country, blame the Rajapaksa more..