May 23 (BBC) Govts need to subsidise the cost of food and energy for the poorest members of society, the head of the IMF has told the BBC. People around the world are struggling with the rising cost of living. Kristalina Georgieva said support needs to be provided "in a very targeted manner, preferably by providing subsidies directly to people". Many govts are providing some help but critics argue it's not enough. When it comes to the cost of living crisis, Ms Georgieva said: more..

May 23 (DM) Sri Lankan born Holt Labor Candidate Cassandra Fernando won a seat at the Australian federal election which was held on Saturday to elect members of the 47th Parliament of Australia. Cassandra Fernando in Holt will be the first Sri Lankan born woman in Parliament as at the time of writing she leads by 10,408 votes. She beat another candidate of Sri Lankan origin, Ranj Perera, in the Holt electorate. Cassandra Fernando, born in Sri Lanka, 1988, is an Australian politician. more..

May 23 (MFA) Minister of Foreign Affairs Prof. G.L. Peiris registered the Govt of Sri Lanka’s emphatic protest and deep concern over the adoption of a motion in the Canadian Parliament on 18 May 2022 on the alleged genocide of Tamils in Sri Lanka. In a meeting with the Acting High Commissioner of Canada in SL Amanda Strohan at the Foreign Ministry on Friday 20 May 2022, the Foreign Minister categorically rejected the blatantly false content of the motion, and highlighted that more..

May 23 (AD) Several more Cabinet Ministers are expected to be sworn in this morning (23), political sources said. A total of thirteen Cabinet Ministers have been appointed by Prez Rajapaksa thus far. Initially the President had appointed four Cabinet Ministers to maintain the legitimacy and stability of the parliamentary activities and other matters in the country on May 14. Accordingly, Dinesh Gunawardena has been appointed the Minister of Public Administration, Home Affairs, more..

May 23 (ST) Sri Lanka’s desperate poor stand to benefit from a joint action plan initiated by the United States Treasury for a coordinated response to tackle the escalating dangers of global food insecurity. Under the International Financial Institution Action Plan to Address Food Insecurity, the Asian Development Bank will repurpose existing commitments of about US$150 million (about Rs 54 b) to help tackle food insecurity. more..

May 23 (FT) The conversation between Aseni, whiz kid in economics, and her Grandpa, Sarath Mahatthaya, an ex-official of the Finance Ministry, on currency board systems continues. Their previous conversation focused on why colonial Ceylon established a currency board in 1884, its performance during 1884-1950, and why independent Ceylon replaced it with a central bank, while Singapore chose to retain it. Today, they examine the role of a modern-day crusader more..

May 23 (AD) Central Bank of SL (CBSL) has been summoned before the Committee on Public Finance tomorrow at 10 a.m. The Committee on Public Finance, chaired by MP Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, had recently decided to summon the Governor of the Central Bank, the Secretary to the Ministry of Finance and other officials to discuss the prevailing economic situation and solutions. Meanwhile the Bank of Ceylon (BOC) has been summoned before the COPE tomorrow at 10.00 am. more..

May 23 (DM) Hot on the heels of the SL Air Force (SLAF) having denied the statement made by SLPP MP Arundhika Fernando that he has served in the SLAF as a pilot, Airline Pilots' Guild of SL (ALPGSL) has also denied his claim. ALPGSL in a twitter post said "ALPGSL is the sole representative of pilots at the National Carrier. Therefore, we categorically deny his claim of having been a pilot in our fraternity. We have no record whatsoever of him being a pilot for the National Carrier." more..

May 23 (FT) This month we marked May Day, perhaps not in the usual way as there were many constraints to the normal parades. However, the unions, or at least some of them, joined the Gota Go Gama, signifying that the cause which was agitating the country had both a political and a socio-economic impact touching their lives. The tragic economic plight employees find themselves in today started with COVID and the disruption of economic activity, which was then exacerbated, by more..

May 23 (AD) The appointing of eight more Cabinet Ministers of the All-Party Govt took place before Prez Rajapaksa this morning. The new ministers were sworn in at the President’s House in Fort. Mahinda Amaraweera has been sworn in as the Minister of Agriculture, Forest Resources and Wildlife while Roshan Ranasinghe has been appointed as Minister of Irrigation, Sports and Youth. Bandula Gunawardena has been sworn in more..

May 23 (Island) The unfolding economic crisis in the country has presented Sri Lankans with unprecedented challenges, including scarcity of essentials, escalating living expenses and deteriorating living standards. The impacts of the crisis are graver and more ominous for those in vulnerable communities, where families struggle to make ends meet amidst mounting financial difficulties. As part of its commitment to give back to the community, Daraz Cares has more..

May 23 (ENS) It is best for India and Sri Lanka to come together for resolving the dispute over Katchatheevu island, said Up-Country People's Front (UCPF) leader V Radhakrishnan in Perambalur on Saturday. UCPF is affiliated to the Tamil Progressive Alliance of Sri Lanka. Radhakrishnan, who is in town to attend a wedding, in an interaction with mediapersons said, "Sri Lanka is facing an extraordinary economic crisis and there has been no political restructuring. more..

May 23 (DM) Retired SL diplomat Aruni Wijewardane, a career foreign service official, assumed duties as the top civil servant at the Foreign Ministry on Monday, replacing politically appointed former navy commander Jayantha Colombage. Calls for a career foreign service official be appointed as the Foreign Ministry secretary has been on the rise after the island nation’s diplomatic relations were questioned by critics amid allegations over more..

May 23 (EN) A SL court has requested the central bank to furnish payment details of a 500 million US dollar international sovereign bond (ISB) repayment in January when former governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal was head of the central bank, a lawyer said on Monday (23). The court requested the details after political activist Ranjith Keerthi Tennakoon asked for the data while his case filed against Cabraal’s alleged misappropriation during his first tenure as the governor from 2006-2015 more..

May 23 (EN) SL’s main stock index closed higher at more than two-week high on Monday (23) on hopes of political stability as the island nation saw some more cabinet ministers being appointed, but concerns over economic recovery still weighed on the sentiment, dealers said. “The market was very bullish today. We were expecting some mixed sentiment, but the index kept gaining,” a market analyst said. The main ASPI closed 2.53% or 208.88 points higher at 8,474.49. more..

May 23 (EN) SL’s tea traders have called for quick action to solve the country’s economic crisis saying the current environment is making operations difficult on top of state interventions made earlier. Future actions should follow expert consultation, the industry said. “The current environment does not augur well for the smooth functioning of commercial activities, and the tea trade is no exception,” the Colombo Tea Traders’ Association said. “The CTTA firmly believes that the govt must more..

May 23 (EN) A SL court extended travel ban on former central bank governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal until July 25 as he failed to appear in the court on Monday when his alleged misappropriation case was taken, a lawyer said. The Colombo Magistrate Court extended the travel ban that was originally issued on April 7, preventing Cabraal from leaving the country until July 25. The travel ban was initially issued after political activist Ranjith Keerthi Tennakoon filed the case citing more..

May 23 (EN) The preventable death of a two-day-old baby in a remote hospital in SL as a consequence of fuel shortages in the country has prompted former SL cricket captain Mahela Jayawardena to call for the immediate resignation of Prez Rajapaksa and his govt. The death of the infant was reported on Sunday at the Diyatalwa Base Hospital. The child had already passed away by the time he reached hospital. more..

May 23 (NR) Rt. Major General Jagath Alwis has resigned as the Secretary to the Ministry of Public Security. His letter of resignation has been handed over to the Secretary to the President Gamini Senarath. Rt. Major General Jagath Alwis has cited personal reasons for his resignation. The CID today recorded a statement from Rt. Major General Jagath Alwis in relation to investigations being conducted over the unrest and violence reported opposite Temple Trees & at Galle Face on 9th of May. more..

May 23 (Island) SLPP MP Sarath Weerasekera says PM Mahinda Rajapaksa had not decided to resign on 09 May 09 although the SLPP MPs had been asked to bring supporters to Temple Trees for a meeting. Weerasekera said so when asked him why he had skipped the Temple Trees meeting. One-time Public Security Minister said that the then PM Rajapaksa had, during a conversation with him on 08 May had denied reports that the latter was planning to resign the following day. more..

May 23 (DM) Leader of the SJB, Sajith Premadasa decided against taking up the PM’s post when two top economic advisors of the party told him that bringing enough foreign exchange under the prevailing situation to bail out the country from the current economic, political and social mess was not possible, a senior SJB source revealed. “When asked whether it was possible to obtain enough dollars from global financial agencies more..

May 23 (Island) Former Minister Ali Sabry told Parliament on Friday that when Puttalam District Ali Sabry Raheem’s house was set on fire, some of those in legal circles had been jubilant thinking it was his residence. “I have not earned from politics. I did not come here for that purpose. I have not stolen, not even a single cent from public money. Put all together with allowances, and benefits, the salary I am now getting is below that 10 percent of income I used to get. Before I accepted this post, more..

May 23 (DM) The Attorney General has instructed the IGP to transfer Western Province Senior DIG Deshabandu Tennanakoon with immediate effect to prevent unnecessary intervention into the investigations relating to the attack on peaceful protesters at Temple Trees and Galle Face on May 9. The CID is currently conducting investigations into the incident under the instructions of the Attorney General. The Attorney General had earlier advised CID to initiate legal action against 22 persons more..

May 23 (Island) Former UNP National List MP Prof. Ashu Marasinghe says the police probably would have refrained from using any force against govt goons on 09 May if SLPP MP Dr. Ramesh Pathirana hadn’t intervened. The complicity of the police and the Public Security Ministry, in the goon attacks on the Galle Face protesters, should be fully investigated and the wrongdoers punished, ex-MP Marasinghe said. Prof. Marasinghe, who was at the Galle Face protest ground when a group of more..

May 23 (CI) Kusal Mendis is still in a Dhaka hospital, after leaving the field holding his chest minutes before lunch on the first day of the second Test, but an ECG test has come out clear. The doctors suspect muscle spasms as the reason for his discomfort, SL team manager Mahinda Halangoda said, adding that Mendis is still under observation. It was the 23rd over of the Test, with Bangladesh in their first innings, when Mendis appeared in discomfort and lay down on the field. more..

May 23 (CI) In the first 50 minutes in Mirpur, SL's two seamers tore Bangladesh's top order down, the scoreline reading 24 for 5 inside seven overs. But the recovery was just as epic. Mushfiqur Rahim - fresh from a hundred in Chattogram - progressed masterfully to a ninth Test century. Litton Das, more aggressive than his senior partner, strode to a hundred of his own. At stumps, pair had put on 253 unbeaten runs together, more..

May 23 (TM) The GCE O/L examinations commenced today at 3,844 centres island-wide and with 517,496 candidates in total sitting for the exams. Some 407,129 of them are school candidates while 110,367 are private applicants. This year 542 examination coordination centers have been established island-wide. GCE O/L Examination which commences today will be held till June 1. Candidates are requested to arrive early at their exam centres with their admission more..

May 23 (DM) Complying with the interim injunction issued by the Supreme Court on March 29, former Prez Maithripala Sirisena has left the Paget Road residence last week and settled in another state house in Colombo 7. Commenting on the eviction, Sirisena lamented at a news briefing held at the Party office recently that he had been given only four weeks to leave the Paget Road Residence as opposed to about three months usually given even to public servants following their retirement. more..

May 23 (TM) Members of the JVP met with the Inspector General of Police C D Wickremaratne today to rectify and discuss the allegations levelled against the party in relation to the unrest that broke out on the 9th of May 2022. Speaking to the media, JVP MP Vijitha Herath stated that the IGP had promised an unbiased and fair investigation into the incident that took place and has so far confirmed that no political affiliation has been made to the incident that took place. more..

May 23 (NR) Minister Harin Fernando says the country has depleted economically, socially, and politically adding they took on posts in the govt to help uplift the country for future generations and in order to bring about stability. Minister Fernando speaking at a media briefing today said the draft of the 21st Amendment to the Constitution is due to be tabled during the Cabinet of Ministers meeting tonight, and claimed that in the event it isn’t tabled, he will step down from his posts as Minister. more..

May 23 (EN) SL govt foreign debt adjusted for foreign reserves went up to 32.8 billion rupees in 2022 despite no foreign deficit financing in the year, as money printing with a peg created forex shortages and a run-down of foreign reserves. Govt foreign debt, after adjusting for reserves went up to 32.8 billion rupees in 2021 from 28.9 billion rupees in 2020 despite negative US$ 69 million in budget financing, central bank data showed. more..

May 23 (TM) Both the SJB and SLFP are looking to take disciplinary action against the MPs representing the said parties who took over ministerial posts last week, contravening the respective parties’ decisions, but work on the same has not yet begun. When queried about SJB MP and Chief Opposition Whip Lakshman Kiriella’s statement that the SJB intended to take disciplinary action against MPs Harin Fernando and Manusha Nanayakkara, who took over ministerial posts, SJB National more..

May 23 (TM) Sri J'pura University Dept of Immunology and Molecular Biology Head Dr. Chandima Jeewandara raised concerns over the Monkeypox virus. He said that from 13 May to 21 May, 92 cases were reported worldwide, mainly from Western countries, including the UK, Europe, Canada, Australia, and the US, which is an unusual situation. “The WHO is concerned because new cases have been found without travel links to the endemic regions of the Monkeypox virus, more..

May 23 (TM) Against the backdrop of Cabinet portfolios being accepted by a few MPs out of the group that recently announced that it would act independently in Parliament instead of supporting the SLPP-led Govt, other MPs from the said group have stated they would not accept any such posts, and would continue to be independent. SLPP MP Udaya Gammanpila, whose party is among the 11 that recently declared they would function more..

May 23 (AD) The overall rate of inflation as measured by the National Consumer Price Index (NCPI) on year-on-Year basis is 33.8% in April 2022, according to the latest data from the Dept of Census and Statistics. NCPI-based headline inflation (Y-o-Y) had increased to 21.5% in March 2022 from 17.5% in Feb 2022 due to increases of prices of items in both Food and Non-food categories. DCS has released the National Consumer Price Index (NCPI) and Inflation rate for the month of April 2022. more..