May 9 (DM) The Supreme Court today granted leave to proceed with the Fundamental Rights petitions filed by four school children over an incident in which they were forced to give statements to police following the arrest of Attorney-at-Law Hejaaz Hizbullah. The four petitioners, all aged below 14 and students of Al- Zuhriya Arabic College at the time, alleged that they were taken into custody by the CID and were held in detention for over 14 hours. more..

May 9 (EN) World Bank (WB) has warned SL of possible worsening of poverty if the crisis-hit island nation fails to address the needs of vulnerable groups when it implements painful adjustments in line with reforms for a $3 billion IMF loan. Poverty has already doubled last year with higher inflation and rising unemployment. “The negative economic outlook for 2023 and 2024 and adverse effects of revenue-mobilizing reforms more..

May 9 (FT) Board of Investment (BOI) said an impartial investigation has begun over the alleged attack of an Omani investor and his export-oriented apparel manufacturing plant. The apparel factory in Katana was outside the Katunayake zone and the BOI is actively assisting the investor in the relocation and has facilitated re-export of raw material in the interim. “Police protection was provided. An impartial investigation is being conducted to inquire into the incident and action will be taken more..

May 9 (AD) Police have arrested the main suspect in connection with the recent suspicious death of a 16-year-old schoolgirl in Kalutara. He had been arrested by police in the Hikkaduwa area, a short while ago. The 29-year-old person had allegedly accompanied the teenage girl, who was later found dead near the railway track, to the hotel room in Kalutara. Based on the information received by Kalutara HQI Ruwan Wijesinghe that the suspect is hiding in the Galle area, a group of crime division officers more..

May 9 (TM) The Medical and Civil Rights Professionals’ Association (MCPA) yesterday (8) filed a complaint with the CIABOC regarding the alleged malpractices of the Ministry of Health in purchasing medicines. MCPA President Dr. Chamal Sanjeewa claimed that the Ministry of Health is wasting public money by spending an unnecessary amount of money to buy medicines in a fraudulent manner, especially at a time when more..

May 9 (FT) We need to get back to normalcy! That certainly has national consensus. Normalcy is what is essentially promised in numerous statements by numerous experts, working for the IMF program and with Prex Wickremesinghe. Most urbans now believe Prez Wickremesinghe would establish normalcy. But normalcy is not defined, nor explained by any political head of a govt or by economic experts who say IMF assistance remains the only path to normalcy. more..

May 9 (TM) The demand of the protest movement that swept away former Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his Govt from the seats of power in the middle of last year (2022) was for a system change. This was a political and moral position that was concretised in the slogans that demanded that Rajapaksa and the 225 Parliamentarians go home. Go home Gota was a slogan that spanned the length and breadth of the country even if many people did not know what was being meant by a system change. more..

May 9 (AD) A 15-year-old girl has allegedly been kidnapped in the Minuwangoda area in Opatha. Accordingly, 15-year-old Kaushani Kavindya was allegedly kidnapped by three persons on 12 April, days after ending a strained relationship with her boyfriend. The girl’s mother, who was employed overseas at the time of the incident, levelled accusations against her daughter’s former lover, claiming that he had abducted her daughter. She further revealed that upon her daughter ending the relationship, more..

May 9 (PM) Skipper Nigar Sultana hit a sublime 75 not out off 51 balls to guide Bangladesh women’s team to a six-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the first Twenty20 of the three-match series at the SSC Ground in Colombo on Tuesday. Nigar’s unbeaten knock assisted by Ritu Moni’s 33 off 23 balls took Bangladesh to 146-4 in 19.5 overs, completing their highest successful run chase in T20s. Earlier, SL’s Harshita Samarawickrama made 45 off 44 balls and captain Chamari Athapaththu scored 38 more..

May 9 (FT) Prez Wickremesinghe, in his address to Parliament on the IMF bailout package, implied that, though a decision has not been taken yet, there is the possibility of restructuring the domestic debt of the central govt. The instruments involved in the domestic debt are the Treasury bills, Treasury bonds and SL Development Bonds commonly called govt securities. They are called domestic debt because they have been issued more..

May 9 (AD) The govt has decided to establish paying wards at state hospitals across the island for both locals and foreigners. The proposal, presented by Minister Keheliya Rambukwella, was approved by the Cabinet. Last year, Prez Wickremesinghe, in his budget proposals for the fiscal year 2023, proposed to re-implement the paying wards system at govt hospitals. Minister of Health tabled this proposal taking into account the fact that there are citizens who are willing to secure more..

May 9 (EN) Minister Kanchana Wijesekara has submitted a motion to parliament seeking to remove Public Utilities Commission Chairman Janaka Rathnayaka, an official said. “Minister submitted his report to Parliament today,” a ministry official said. The minister’s report was presented in terms of Clause 7 of the Public Utilities Commission Act. Prior to bringing in the motion, a charge sheet was sent to the Rantnayake with Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe’s signature on March 22,2023. more..

May 9 (MB) On average one elephant has died each day in Sri Lanka in the first three months of this year, with nearly half of those deaths due to human causes. This escalation of the perennial problem of human-elephant conflict on the island has prompted calls for urgent solutions to save this endangered and iconic species. SL’s Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) recorded 151 deaths of SL elephants more..

May 9 (EN) Parliament committee will meet later Tuesday and decide on a new date to debate a draft law on reforming the island’s central bank, PM Dinesh Gunawardana said following request by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa. “The matter can be discussed at the business committee meeting and re-scheduled for another date,” PM Gunawardana said. The controversial new central bank which is set to legalize output gap targeting (stimulus or printing money for growth) more..

May 9 (AD) Cabinet of Ministers has sought the appointment of a presidential commission with absolute powers to prevent acts of violence similar to that on May 09, 2022 in the future; Minister Bandula Gunawardena revealed. The ministers made this request a day ahead of the one-year commemoration of the violent unrest on May 9. Stressing that the violent events that unfolded last year have left a black mark in the world history, Gunawardena noted that more..

May 9 (DM) Finger is pointed at State Minister Indika Anuruddha for the assault on an apparel factory owner in Katana who happened to be an Oman national, an opposition party MP told Parliament today. “The finger is pointed at the state minister and we request the President to remove him from the post,” MP Nalin Bandara Jayamaha said. MP Sudarshini Fernandopulle also said that a politician is behind the attack. “Around 500 families who depend on the factory have been affected more..

May 9 (DM) Claiming that plans were afoot to set on fire some 100 houses of politicians including SJB MPs and political leaders on May 10 last year, Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe said today these plans were foiled as armed forces were ordered to shoot on sight. He told Parliament that a list of 100 houses had been prepared to be set on fire on May 10 and some SJB MPs and political leaders were on top of this list. "Having learnt of the information, we informed defense secretary more..

May 9 (TM) SJB opposed selling of strategically important State Owned Enterprises (SOEs), however, demanded the breaking of monopoly by the same SOEs. SJB MP Eran Wickramaratne said that SJB opposes the sale or privatization of the strategically important SoEs such as CEB and CPC but insists that the monopoly now enjoyed by such SoEs be brought to an end with private sector participation on a competitive market system. more..

May 9 (Island) Sri Lanka is among the south Asian nations where people’s data had been harvested by an India-based threat actor dubbed Patchwork, says the Hacker News. It said that the Meta has uncovered massive social media cyber espionage operations across South Asia, adding that three different threat actors leveraged hundreds of elaborate fictitious personas on Facebook and Instagram to target individuals located in South Asia as part of disparate attacks. more..

May 9 (EN) Shares edged down on Monday on selling pressure and profit taking as the banking sector sees renewed interest debt optimization assurances were prompted to investors by the Banking Association, an analyst said. The ASPI was down 0.13% or 11.84 points to 8,914.74, while the most liquid index, S&P SL20, was up 0.54% or 13.96 points to 2,607.40. “There was mixed sentiments, due to the slight recovery in the biggest sector,” an analyst said. more..

May 9 (Reuters) India has extended a $1 billion credit line for SL by one year, giving the crisis-hit country a backup funds to pay for essential imports. The credit line, part of about $4 billion in emergency assistance extended by India during the peak of SL's financial crisis early last year, was scheduled to end in March. Post-negotiations, the credit line was extended until March 2024, said Deputy Treasury Secretary more..

May 9 (DM) Kurunegala Mayor Thushara Sanjeewa Vitharana (SLPP), has been sacked from office and membership of the council over allegations of corruption against him by the North-Western Province Governor Admiral of the Fleet Wasantha Karannagoda. The Governor said investigations had revealed that Thushara Sanjeewa Vitharana was guilty of 11 out of 18 charges brought against him. An Extraordinary Gazette has been issued by the Governor in this regard. more..

May 9 (EN) SL’s Supreme Court has determined that a private member’s bill seeking the decriminalisation of homosexuality is not inconsistent with the constitution, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena said. “Supreme Court is of the opinion that the bill as a whole or as any provision thereof is not inconsistent with the constitution,” the Speaker announced Tuesday May 09 morning. The apex court’s determination was issued following a petition filed challenging the bill. more..

May 9 (AD) The public sector and semi-govt employees, who have submitted their nominations as candidates for the 2023 LG election have been allowed to report back to their respective duties with effect from today. Minister Janaka Wakkumbura stated that however, LG election candidates who were employed in the area where their nomination has been submitted, should obtain transfers to another nearby local govt constituency, through the heads of institution where they are employed. more..

May 9 (TM) Ceylon Principals' Union (CPU) has urged the Govt to implement the recommendations made by the Cabinet sub-committee that looked into the issues in the teacher-principal services in August, 2021, instead of appointing committees to look into the matter from time to time. Minister Susil Premajayantha had recently appointed a committee consisting of five members, to look into the problems and shortcomings of the SL Principals’ Service and recommend solutions for such. more..

May 9 (DM) Coming up with more staggering disclosures on the ill-fated X-PRESS Peral ship, Minister Wijedasa Rajapakshe told Parliament today that Chamara Gunasekera who had received US$ 250 million to delay the prosecution is a close associate of MP Nalaka Godahewa who was the minister in charge of Ports during that time. “Chamara Gunasekera is a fake name, the real name of this person is more..

May 9 (AD) The hearing of the evidence in the case filed by the Attorney General against former MP Hirunika Premachandra, over the alleged abduction of a youth, took place before the Colombo High Court today. Evidence pertaining to the case was presented before Colombo High court Judge Amal Ranaraja. Premachandra has been accused of abducting, assaulting and wrongfully detaining a youth in 2015, who, identified as Amila Amarasinghe, testified to the incident under more..

May 9 (AD) A group of SL immigrants has been deported after attempting to enter Australia illegally. Thereby, a total of 41 Sri Lankans, who were repatriated by the Australian security forces, reached BIA at around 9.40 a.m. this morning in a special flight. After being taking into the custody of the Australian security forces, the illegal immigrants were detained at the Christmas Island. Majority of the deportees are reportedly residents of Jaffna and Valachchenai. more..

May 9 (EN) Sri Lanka’s bilateral creditors held an inaugural meeting on the South Asian nation’s debt restructuring, with China sitting in as an observer. “If China decides to participate, we would welcome it,” Masato Kanda, Japan’s vice minister of finance for international affairs, said at a briefing late Tuesday in Tokyo. “We will continue to call on China to formally participate in the creditor countries’ meeting,” he said. more..

May 9 (MB) As the crowing of a rooster signals the break of dawn in Taplejung in eastern Nepal, two men grab their slingshots and head out to work. They know they have a long day ahead of them, guarding the orange trees from the hungry monkeys that roam the forests. These staffers at the orange research center in Taplejung aren’t alone in their struggle. Across Nepal’s central hill country, thousands of farmers face the same problem: troops of rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta), more..

May 9 (ICC) Sri Lanka Cricket have announced the dates of a three-match ODI series at home against Afghanistan. The hosts will up their preparations for the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Qualifier matches in Zimbabwe in June and July by playing Afghanistan in a three-match ODI series. Afghanistan will arrive in Sri Lanka on May 29 and the three matches will be played on June 2, 4 and 7 respectively. All the matches will be played at the MRIC Stadium in Hambantota. more..

May 10 (DM) Sri Lankans must be taught courtesy, but not diplomacy. Why? Because Sri Lankans who go abroad to work as diplomats have the knack to work there without antagonizing people over there. The problem is witnessed here; where people with power throw their weight around. It’s so ugly when that happens. We can see so many videos of people in uniform-those who claim to have held top posts in state institutes giving scant respect to the law enforcement officers at check points or more..

May 10 (DM) Our state-owned media organisations have been abused by successive govts in power for so long that they have completely obliterated the idea of public service media organisations. These organisations are the largest media operators in the country, and they have always been. They control print, radio and TV in all three languages unlike any other. Over-staffed by under-preforming political henchmen and women, they have never had to deal with financial sustainability. more..

May 10 (DM) Cho Sung Lea, President of the South Korea Disaster Relief Foundation (SKDRF), has visited SL 20 times over the past eight years to provide SL with investment and employment opportunities from Korea. Lea has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize as well. This article is based on his recent interview, in which he shared his experiences in SL during his visit to provide 19 modern factories and more..

May 10 (GV) Buddhism has been a part of Sri Lanka's culture for centuries and the ordination of young boys as novice monks is a well established tradition. It is a practice that is meant to instill discipline, self-control and religious values in the younger generation. However, recent incidents of abuse and mistreatment of young monks have brought the issue to the forefront. These incidents have revealed a systemic problem in the power dynamics of the monastic community where more..

May 10 (CT) Sri Lanka, like many countries in the neoliberal free market economy zone, is at war with an accursed enemy, inflation. It is fighting this war with the only weapon it has and recommended by the govt’s economic advisor IMF, the agent of dollar imperialism. That weapon is to raise the interest rate by the Central Bank. In this war however, it is inflation that is destined to win, because it has imperial connections. It is a common belief among economists that a little bit of inflation more..