May 5 (AD) A fundamental rights (FR) petition has been filed with the Supreme Court seeking the removal of permanent roadblocks in Colombo. It was lodged by Shenal Jayasekara, a resident of Gampaha area, and an environmentalist named Hemantha Vithanage. The IGP, the OIC of Colombo Fort Police, the OIC of Kollupitiya Police, the Road Development Authority, Human Rights Commission of SL and the Attorney General have been named as the respondents of this FR petition. more..

May 5 (SLN) A special operation carried out by the Navy in Saukkadu sea area in the dark hours on 3rd May led to the seizure of about 492kg of Kerala cannabis and apprehension of a suspect with a dinghy. Navy has been conducting regular operations to prevent wide-ranging illegal activities including the smuggling of drugs emanating via sea routes. Accordingly, the apprehension was made by an Inshore Patrol Craft attached to the Northern Naval Command, after detection of more..

May 5 (AD) Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekara says releasing diesel to the market has been limited as the priority is given to providing diesel for power generation due to the breakdown at the Norochcholai power plant. Delivering a statement in the parliament today, the lawmaker assured that adequate stocks of petrol are available in the country at present. Close to 40,000 metric tonnes of petrol supplied under the Indian credit line reached Colombo on Wednesday (5). more..

May 5 (DM) SLFP MP Ranjith Siyambalapitiya was today re-elected Deputy Speaker by a majority of 83 votes in a secret ballot. A total of 148 members voted for Mr. Siyambalapitiya and SJB MP Imthiaz Bakeer Markar obtained 65 votes. Three votes were rejected. SLFP MP Nimal Siripala De Silva proposed Mr. Siyambalapitiya's name while SJB MP Lakshman Kiriella proposed Bakeer Markar's name. Minister G.L. Peiris said more..

May 5 (EN) Finance Minister Ali Sabry said the country could take up to 10 years to recover from the latest currency crisis if wrong decision are made, but could use it as a blessing to put the country on a strong growth path. “I am not sure if we could resolve this crisis even in two years,” Sabry told the parliament in his 44-minutes speech at the parliament on the current economic crisis. “Whether we can resolve this crisis in 2 years or 10 years, it all depends on us.” more..

May 5 (AD) CPC has limited dispensing fuel volumes for vehicles at filling stations with effect from today. Thereby, filling stations are permitted to pump only fuel worth Rs. 2,000 for motorcycles at a single time. For three-wheelers, the limit has been set at Rs. 3,000 worth of fuel. Meanwhile, the maximum amount of fuel allowed to be dispensed to cars, vans and SUVs is worth Rs. 8,000. However, restrictions are not applied to buses, lorries and other vehicles used for commercial purposes, more..

May 5 (FT) The Rajapaksa’s, an immovable object; the popular resistance, an unstoppable force; their meeting has created an impasse. Can it be unblocked constitutionally and peacefully before it is sundered anti-constitutionally and violently? More than a month since the Mirihana protest changed the Lankan political landscape in unimaginable ways, the Rajapaksa’s continue to retain the levers of power. more..

May 5 (FT) The country’s delegation to the IMF reached Washington to discuss receiving financial assistance to overcome the current financial crisis. The delegation comprised all new members, headed by Minister of Finance Ali Sabry, CB Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe and Finance Ministry Secretary Mahinda Siriwardena. They were received cordially by the IMF members who promised support to overcome the country’s tragic financial situation. Without making news at the IMF discussion more..

May 5 (DM) The proposal made by SriLankan Airlines to lease 21 air bus aircraft was postponed by three months, COPE Chairman Charitha Herath informed Parliament today. He said the decision was made after SriLankan Airlines was summoned before the COPE recently. Meanwhile, Former PM Ranil Wickremesinghe said it was useless to lease aircraft before a final decision is made about the future of the SriLankan Airlines. "We need to decide whether to continue sell or close down more..

May 5 (CT) The SJB requested the UN to investigate the Sri Lankan dollar crisis. A group of SJB MPs including Harshana Rajakaruna, J.C. Alawathuwala and Mujibur Rahman, visited the UN office, yesterday (4) and handed over a written document, requesting the UN to investigate the dollar crisis. Addressing the Media, MP Rajakaruna said the UN Office on Drugs and Crime and the Stolen Asset Recovery Initiative of World Bank should be involved in these investigations. more..

May 5 (CT) SJB MP Harsha de Silva claimed in Parliament that the future of the 1990 Suwa Seriya ambulance service is uncertain owing to the lack of funds. Dr. de Silva requested PM Rajapaksa to take immediate steps to allocate necessary funds for Suwa Seriya. “I take full responsibility for my statement. Funds are no longer available to continue operations of the service. Therefore, the future of the service is uncertain. We do not know whether it will have to be shut down tomorrow. more..

May 5 (Reuters) On a lush plantation in SL, Arulappan Ideijody deftly plucks the tips of each tea bush, throwing them over her shoulder into an open basket on her back. After a month of picking more than 18 kg (40 lb) of such tea leaves each day, she and her husband, fellow picker Michael Colin, 48, receive about 30,000 rupees, currently worth about $80 after the island nation devalued its currency. Their earnings must support more..

May 5 (AD) Ambassador of US to SL, Julie Chung has called for restraint on all sides as anti-govt protests continue to take place across the island nation. Taking to her official Twitter handle, Ms Chung reiterated the support of the US country for the rights of peaceful protests. The freedom to engage in peaceful protest without fear of arrest is fundamental to democracy, she said further. Her remarks came after 13 protesters who were engaged in a demonstration near more..

May 5 (CT) Ministry of Buddha Sasana and Cultural Affairs has taken steps to mark the upcoming Vesak festival on a grand scale, despite the country being gripped by political instability and an economic meltdown. Govt has declared 12 to 18 May as the official Vesak Week. State Vesak Festival will be held with the participation of the Prez at the Kuragala Rajamaha Viharaya, in Balangoda on 14 and 15 May. This year’s Vesak festival will give prominence to Prathipaththi Pooja over more..

May 5 (DM) The much-awaited global communications campaign for destination SL would not be rushed and would only be launched at the appropriate time, SL Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) chief said. SLTDA Chairperson Kimarli Fernando wrote to the private sector stakeholders this week informing them that the final stages of the procurement process for the integrated global campaign have been reached and more..

May 5 (AFP) Crisis-struck SL’s vital tea exports have dropped to their lowestvlevel in 23 years, official figures showed yesterday, hit by a fertiliser ban and the war in Ukraine. Tea is the island nation’s biggest export commodity, bringing in about USD1.3 billion annually before the current economic downturn, the worst since independence in 1948. But a bungled ban on fertiliser imports last year – introduced in a doomed effort to save foreign currency and avoid a debt default – hit growers hard, more..

May 5 (CT) Medical practitioners too will show their opposition to the Govt during tomorrow’s hartal, Association of Medical Specialists (AMS) said, urging the public to refrain from channelling their services in the private sector in view of the hartal, as they too had decided to throw their weight behind it. President and Secretary AMS, Drs. LakKumar Fernando and R. Gnanasekeram, said however that they had decided to participate in the hartal with minimum inconvenience to the public. more..

May 5 (DM) As a solution to the current medicine shortage in the country, the All-Island Private Pharmacy Owners' Association (ACPPOA) has requested the government to implement three options, including recommending doctors and physicians to issue prescriptions only by generic name, but not trade name. ACPPOA President Chandika Gankanda told the Daily Mirror while replying to a statement made by the Govt Medical Officers’ Forum (GMOF) President more..

May 5 (EN) SL Railway department said all trains will be operating despite the one day strike that has been announced island wide by a group of trade unions. Deputy General Manager of Transportation at the Railway Department, Gamini Seneviratne told reporters on May 5, said the main unions have not given notice of a strike, therefore all trains will be operating as usual. “The main unions, such as the Station Master’s Union, Train Controllers union and the Driver’s union have not informed us more..

May 5 (EN) SL Prez’s personal shaman known as Gnana Akka has been commissioned to charm protesters demanding his resignation over the worsening economic crisis. After a six-week hiatus following former MP Hirunika Premachandra’s attempt to storm Gnana Akka’s Anuradhapura shrine, the shaman resumed her operations on Tuesday. Although her services were unavailable to lesser mortals, more..

May 5 (DM) While expressing confidence that there is no shortage of petrol in the country, Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekara said that Diesel shortage would continue for a few more days as supplying Diesel to fuel sheds has to be restricted as more diesel is being released for power generation at present. He told Parliament that more Diesel released for power generation after the breakdown of the Norochcholai Coal Power Plant to maintain power cut for 3 hours and 20 minutes. more..

May 5 (AD) Several roads near the Parliament Complex will remain closed off to the general public today (5) and tomorrow (6). The decision was taken after taking into account the inconvenience caused by the protests staged in the area, to the parliamentarians and parliamentary staff who are attending the proceedings of the House, according to the police. Thereby, the parliamentary entry roads from Diyatha Uyana Junction (Polduwa Junction) to Jayanthipura Junction and more..

May 5 (EN) The near two thirds’ vote in favour of SL’s govt-backed deputy speaker candidate on Thursday revealed the likelihood of the govt easily defeating a proposed no confidence motion against it, TNA MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam said. In an impassioned speech following the vote, Rasamanickam said that only 65 MPs were with the people of Sri Lanka who have been demanding the resignation of the govt, while more..

May 5 (EN) SL’s forex reserves remained at US$ 1.9 billion in April 2022, Minister Ali Sabry told parliament, broadly around the same level as in March. On May 04, Sabry said usable reserves are less than US$ 50 million. Foreign currency reserves were US$ 1.673 billion, down from 1.702 in March, Sabry said. Most of the foreign currency reserves are 10 billion Chinese Yuan which cannot be freely used. “The amount received under this agreement can be used to finance trade and direct more..

May 5 (DM) A pedestrian died after he was knocked down by Puttalam District Muslim Congress MP Ali Sabri’s motorcar at Mampuri on Palavi – Kalpitiya road on Wednesday night. The victim died on admission to Puttalam base hospital. Norochcholai police said the parliamentarian was on board the vehicle at the time of the incident. The deceased Simion Benedict Dickson (46) was a resident of Manthivu in Puttalam. Investigations revealed that while the victim was crossing the road, more..

May 5 (DM) The joint fuel price formula of the CPC and LIOC would be presented to the Cabinet next week, Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekara said today. He told Parliament that the fuel price formula would be presented to minimise the loss incurred by the CPC. "The price formula will be presented not to cover the total loss but to cover some amount of the loss incurred by the CPC. We will be able to find Dollars to import the next fuel shipment only if we do so," he said. more..

May 5 (EN) SL’s main stock index slipped for the second session on Thursday as investors stayed on the sideline for more cues amid continuous political and economic uncertainties, dealers said. The turnover slumped to its lowest since March 31, last year. The day’s turnover was 824 million rupees, less than a quarter of this year’s average daily turnover of 4.4 billion rupees. The main All Share Price Index (ASPI) fell 0.40 percent or 30.49 points to 7,567.55 at the close. more..

May 5 (EN) SL has lost about a million tax payers over two years following tax cuts made in Dec 2019 to stimulate the economy, Finance Minister Ali Sabry said. In 2019 SL has had 1.5 million tax payers and by 2020 the number had fallen to 1.036 million. By 2021 the number had fallen to 412,000 tax payers. “There is a drop of about a million tax payers. It is a big problem,” he said. A day earlier Sabry said Dec 2019 tax cuts were a historic mistake. more..

May 5 (AD) Former Governor of CB Ajith Nivard Cabraal has been summoned by to appear before the court on the 23rd of May. The court also announced that the overseas travel ban imposed on him will be extended until that day. Mr. Cabraal was previously issued summons to appear in court on May 2. However, he could not make an appearance as May 2 was declared a public holiday by the govt. Attorney-at-Law Jeewantha Jayatilleke appeared for him and stated that he would make more..

May 5 (DM) Bar Association of SL (BASL) observed that all politicians should act as statesmen to avert the country's current economic and political crisis. BASL President Saliya Pieris PC said at a press conference that all politicians have to come together to work out a solution to restore political and economic stability in the Country. "All politicians have to come together to work out a solution because the economic crisis is dire. We believe this is the time for politicians to act as statesmen," more..

May 5 (EN) Price revisions have not reduced losses for SL’s state-run Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (Ceypetco) and price formulae have been requested from two main fuel suppliers in order to minimise losses, Minister Kanchana Wijesekara said. Lanka IOC, the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) unit in SL, raised petrol prices by 35 rupees to 338 rupees a litre and diesel by 75 rupees to 289 rupees a litre from midnight April 18 amid sharp more..

May 6 (DM) As protests against the regime grow louder a massive hartal is scheduled to take place today (6) all over the island. The public’s dissent against the regime began in a profound way with a huge rally at Galle Face on April 9 demanding the president and the 225 members in the cabinet to step down. But the lawmakers of the present regime have stayed put and tried to deceive the public by appointing a makeshift cabinet. The hartal will cripple most services today. more..

May 6 (ST) According to the international aid agency Oxfam, about 30 million people are experiencing alarming hunger, severe levels of food insecurity and malnutrition in north-eastern Nigeria, South Sudan, Somalia and Yemen. One in five people — 21 per cent of the population — faced hunger in Africa in 2020, while 282 million people are undernourished in Africa. That’s 46 million more people compared with 2019. These figures would have seen an astronomical rise in 2021 and more..

May 6 (DM) TNA MP for the Jaffna district M.A. Sumanthiran airs his views on the present status of the economy and the political crisis. Q: The TNA has taken a different stand regarding the no confidence motion against the govt. Why is it? A: When a no confidence motion against the govt is passed, the Cabinet stands dissolved according to the Constitution. Then, a new govt has to be formed. Then, we must know what more..

May 6 (DM) Apparently, no country has laws to punish govt leaders responsible for economic mismanagement. In SL, govt leaders’ economic incompetence has precipitated a gargantuan economic crisis. With no easy way out of the crisis, the people are being driven down dark alleys of poverty and uncertainty, while those responsible for the colossal economic crime are well insulated from the hardships the ordinary folks undergo. Nothing has gone missing from the daily spread of more..

May 6 (GV) The ballads and chants still peal across the windswept Galle Face Green as the protests continue and Gota Go Gama (GGG) flamboyantly, angrily, uproariously flourishes on what was once the marine esplanade of my childhood, where I watched kite flying and sunsets. Unlike that childhood 60 years ago when our home in Wella did not even have a telephone, GGG is both living experience when one goes or, marches, to the Green, as well as a simultaneous virtual experience in our more..