May 14 (ST) Batters Kusal Janith Perera, Sadeera Samarawickrema, and seamer Dushmantha Chameera have been named in SL’s 30-man preliminary squad for the World Cup qualifiers in Zimbabwe as well for the 3-match ODI series against Afghanistan next month. The 1996 world champions have been relegated to play the 10-team qualifier next month in Zimbabwe to clinch one of the two remaining spots at more..

May 14 (AD) A heavy presence of security personnel was observed in parts of Colombo city since last night (12). This development came after it was reported that a group of at least 750 individuals was preparing to exert pressure on the govt. Unspecified intelligence information had revealed that the group in question was planning to rise up in revolt from inside the Uni of Colombo. This group’s organized attempt to instigate unrest was foiled after tightening the security. more..

May 14 (Island) Our leaders have so much to learn from Mrs. Sirimavo Bandaranaike, who was PM three times having become the first female PM in the world in 1960. During the height of the cold war, with several countries showing alliance with either US or Russia, she sensibly adopted a non-aligned policy and hosted the non-aligned summit in 1976 with the participation of 86 nations. In a cricketing world that is becoming increasingly divided, we can do well by borrowing a leaf out of Mrs. Bandaranaike’s more..

May 14 (AD) A prison guard of the Magazine New Remand Prison in Colombo has reportedly been assaulted by three unidentified persons. Accordingly, 3 unknown persons had broken into the said prison guard’s private residence in Minuwangoda and had him kneel on the floor, after which they had beaten the guard up while threatening his life. Suspects had fled soon after, Police said, adding that it is likely that the attack took place on the directives of an inmate at the Magazine New Remand Prison. more..

May 14 (AD) 7 personnel belonging to SL’s Tri-Forces have reportedly gone missing in France while participating in the 2023 World Military Triathlon Championship. Accordingly, 4 officers belonging to SL Army, one Naval personnel and two officers of SL Air Force are believed to have stolen their passports from the Chief of the 13-member delegation that departed to France for the event and fled the accommodation in which they were. A 13-member delegation comprising of five men, more..

May 14 (TM) Sri Lanka is marking the end of another coal unloading season that commenced last October to unload coal for the Lakvijaya Coal Power Plant, with the unloading of the 30th coal shipment while incurring losses amounting to millions of dollars. The requirement, as previously stated by the CEB, was at least 30 shipments for the season. Lanka Coal Company (LCC) has imported the required coal stocks to last until more..

May 14 (SO) The death of school student Tihara Nirmani (16) who apparently fell from the fifth floor of a motel in Kalutara remains a mystery to date. With the Kalutara South Police unable to crack the case, IGP C.D. Wickramaratne has now tasked the CID with uncovering the truth behind the incident that has shaken SL to its core. On May 6 Police found the young girl’s body lying near the rail tracks based on a tip-off. A woman in the vicinity and a staffer of the motel the girl had visited more..

May 14 (AFP) A Paris baker of Sri Lankan origin said he cried when he heard he had won best baguette in the French capital this week and would be delivering the bread to the presidential palace. "I cried because we are foreigners and we came here to learn how to make traditional French bread," Tharshan Selvarajah said. "I am very happy to have won the prize." 15 baguette connoisseurs selected Selvarajah's version of the iconic French bread as the best among 175 anonymous contenders. more..

May 14 (TM) Govt is considering issuing an upper and lower retail price cap for fuel at the pump following the entry of three new players to the domestic energy market through the proposed new regulatory body. Officials close to the subject said that the Govt had first anticipated to introduce an upper price cap with the entry of the three new players – China’s Sinopec, US-based RM Parks Inc. in partnership with Shell, and more..

May 14 (SO) SL will earn as much as Rs. 8.6 billion per year over a four year period (Rs 34.2 billion in total income) as the island’s allocation from the ICC’s annual payouts. Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) stands to earn approximately US$ 230 million per year between 2024 and ‘27 or 38.5% of the ICC’s annual earnings of $600 million. In US dollars SL’s share is 27.12 million compared to India’s lion’s share of USD 230 million but the amount in still massive by SL’s standards. more..

May 14 (ST) Private sector-led trade unions are planning to file complaints with the European Union (EU) against the govt’s dilly-dallying tactics to reconstitute the National Labour Advisory Council (NLAC) and other proposed labour law reforms that contravene internationally accepted worker rights binding on SL as well. Discussions are being held between authorities and the EU on the new GSP + scheme that will enable SL exporters to export more than 7000 products under zero duty to EU more..

May 14 (EN) SL is yet to appoint a proper legal team that would preside legal cases over any future marine disasters that occur within the island nation’s marine jurisdiction, Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe said. SL has witnessed two worst marine disasters within nine months since 2020 Sept: MT New Diamond, a very large crude carrier and X-press Pearl MV with large amounts of chemicals. Rajapakshe said Australian and Singaporean firms are aiding AGs Dept more..

May 14 (EN) Sri Lanka’s remittances from official channels rose to US$ 454 million in April 2023, up 82.9% from a year earlier, as more expatriates use formal banking network to send their earnings following the central bank stopped propping up the rupee and money printing. Sri Lanka’s monthly remittances coming through official channels ranged between US$ 500 to 600 million a month before the central bank started to print money to target an output gap in early 2020. more..

May 14 (ST) A new law to reform the power sector envisages wiping the CEB's colossal debt off its balance sheet and transferring it to a special purpose vehicle (SPV) which will be held by the Treasury, authoritative sources said. An SPV is a subsidiary created by a parent company to isolate financial risk. Its legal status as a separate company makes its obligations secure even if the parent company goes bankrupt. more..

May 14 (AD) Dept of Meteorology has issued an alert for naval and fishing communities about strong winds and rough seas, as the very severe cyclonic storm Mocha has now intensified into an extremely severe cyclonic storm. In an advisory, the department said it is dangerous to engage in activities in the sea areas off the coast extending from Puttalam to Galle via Mannar, Kankesanthurai, Mullaitivu, Trincomalee, Batticaloa, Pottuvil, Hambantota and Matara. more..

May 14 (AD) SL and Bangladesh are in talks for new initiatives to further enhance collaboration in the shipping sector. Thereby, Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva, together with State Minister Tharaka Balasuriya, held discussions on May 12 with Bangladeshi State Minister of Shipping holding Cabinet rank, Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury in this regard. Minister De Silva appreciated the long-standing friendship between the two countries and emphasized importance of shipping more..

May 14 (EN) Sri Lanka has seen a reduced number of tourists in May, as the country’s off-season has started after a better than expected four months. The daily average arrivals in May has dropped to 2,621 in the first 11 days compared to 3,677 in the four months through April 31, official data showed. “If you go through the statistics of the last 50 years, May is the lowest month in the arrivals as it is the beginning of the off-season”, Priyantha Fernando, Chairman of SLTDA, said. more..

May 14 (ST) A staff team of the IMF now in SL is currently holding talks with govt’s key fiscal and monetary officials directly involved in IMF procedures, Finance Ministry sources confirmed. The IMF team will look into the progress made by the govt in the implementation of the IMF sponsored economic reforms programme including the whole issue of external debt restructuring to reach a mutually acceptable agreement while remaining compatible with debt sustainability targets. more..

May 14 (TM) Discussions between CEB Indian investment company Adani Green Energy (AGEL) to adopt a tariff for 500 MW of renewable energy (wind and solar) plants are continuing, with no result after five months. Industry insiders now question if the multi-million dollar project will be able to come online in 2026. The green power plants are to be built offshore along Mannar and Pooneryn coastline. more..

May 14 (ST) The Finance Ministry has identified 430 state institutions, both loss- and profit-making institutions, for the proposed restructuring process. Under the proposed programme, some of the institutions will be sold; others will be closed down, merged or restructured. The process would begin in about two months and be completed by the end of the year. Some of the institutions will undergo management improvement. 430 entities consist of 39 corporations, 218 companies, and more..

May 14 (ST) Attorney General has objected to a lawyer appearing on behalf of the Singaporean owner of the sunken vessel MV X-Press Pearl at the Colombo Magistrate’s Court more than 23 months after the disaster. AG’s Dept raised objections to the lawyer when the case was taken up before Colombo Additional Magistrate Keminda Perera. Appearing for the AG, Deputy Solicitor General (DSG) Madhawa Tennakoon said the company was attempting to delay the probe into the incident by more..

May 14 (ST) Consolidation of each other’s strength in Parliament appears to have become a priority for opposition political parties. That such an urgency comes amidst a possible presidential election — after constitutional amendments — being a strong prospect this year, does raise a critical question. Reported in these columns last week was how the legal snags are to be cleared to pave the way for the presidential poll. more..

May 15 (DM) According to Central Bank figures, the inflation rate in the country has now steadied. Trading Economics data reveals the annual inflation rate in Sri Lanka slowed for a 7th consecutive month to 35.3% in April of 2023, the lowest in a year - from upwardly revised 50.4% in March. This is undoubtedly good news indeed. Unfortunately, however, prices have continued to rise - though at a softer pace - for food (30.6% vs. 47.6% in March) and non-food items (37.6% vs. 51.7%). more..

May 15 (DM) Amidst the economic depression in Sri Lanka, there is now a great clamour for labour reforms. Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa regime and the business lobbies are now in a rush to repeal or change the laws that have protected the rights of the workers for decades. Why is there such a strong push for labour reforms at the current moment? How are such regressive legal changes sold to the public? What are the implications of such an attack on labour for democratic rights? more..

May 15 (DM) SL experienced nine tremors since January this year which according to Geological Survey & Mines Bureau (GSMB) is the highest number of tremors recorded within a short period of time. Many tremors were experienced in Hambantota, Buttala, Wellawaya, and nearby areas and from a geological point of view these areas are located along the Mahaweli shear zone. Even though SL is situated at the centre of more..

May 15 (ST) There is a stark difference between SL’s multifaceted aragalaya (the peoples’ struggle) of 2022 and the current unrest in Pakistan, with the deploying of the army throughout the land. To be blunt, that difference is the role of the Opposition in both countries. Common to Pakistan and Sri Lanka is the collapse of the respective national economies and disastrous political leadership. Eruptions of public fury on Pakistan’s streets have been somewhat tempered this week more..

May 15 (ST) The ongoing X-Press Pearl parliamentary saga took a new twist this week with the burnt ship surfacing in the Bahamas with a new crew and a billionaire passenger aboard. Minister Wijeyadasa had made a sensational claim in last month’s episode that a bribe of 250 million dollars to thwart SL’s 6 billion-dollar-damage claim, had been placed in the London bank account of a mystery Lankan named Chamara Gunasekera. He even disclosed the London bank’s sorting code, more..

May 15 (TM) Colombo is one of the first Cities in the world to be named a Ramsar Wetland City. This title bestowed on Colombo in 2018 was in recognition of the relationship between the City and the wetland complex and how it has integrated into urban development. However, there is little emphasis on the importance of urban wetlands in the survival of the city. Essentially, it is with wetlands that we are able to create more..

May 15 (CT) According to the World Bank, poverty rate in SL had doubled from its pre-pandemic level of 11.3% to 25.6% in 2022. Almost 5.6 million or 23% of the people have fallen into poverty over the last few years. This is not at all unexpected and could be said as a worldwide phenomenon in consequence of a systemic crisis that has engulfed the world of economic neoliberalism. As wealth gap between rich and poor nations widens and as income gap within each nation also deepens more..

May 15 (TM) The past few days witnessed a heavy Police and military presence in several areas of Colombo, city and suburbs, begetting various theories seeking the reason for the govt’s need to tighten the security in the country’s capital. While some alleged that the govt tightened the security with an ulterior motive to suppress a possible public uproar possibly caused by an alleged imminent and controversial political change, some interpreted this as just another attempt by the govt more..

May 15 (CT) The IMF has endorsed Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe’s hopes and predictions that the nation may be on the path of economic recovery next year. Possibly, he was only mouthing IMF’s assessment all along. It does not stop there. Post-Easter blasts, post-Aragalaya, tourism earnings have picked up. Govt has obtained an extension for using US$ 300 million from the USD 1-billion line of credit obtained from the Indian neighbour, whose one-year window lapsed recently. more..

May 15 (SO) Prabath Jayasuriya has taken 50 wickets in seven Tests to claim the record for reaching the mark in fewer matches than any other spinner in Test cricket. Jayasuriya broke a 71-year-old record when he dismissed Ireland’s Paul Stirling to claim his 50th Test wicket on the final day of the second Test in Galle. Jayasuriya hit the 50-wicket mark in just his seventh Test to grab the record from West Indies player Alf Valentine as the spinner to reach the milestone in fewest Test matches. more..

May 15 (ST) The Aragalaya coverage by two SL photojournalists working for foreign news agencies AFP and AP has been recognised by their peers. Agence France-Presse (AFP) photojournalist Ishara Kodikara won recognition at the Human Rights Press Awards 2023 for his work during the political upheavals that eventually led to the ouster of Gotabaya Rajapaksa from the presidency in July 2022. more..

May 15 (Island) Colombo looked like a garrison town over the weekend with a heavy military and police presence. The govt had received an intelligence warning that a plot was being hatched to trigger a wave of civil disturbances, media reports said. Thankfully, what was feared did not come to pass, and the need for the govt to take out the newly-formed Iron Bar Brigade, as it were, which must have been lurking somewhere, did not arise. One should not hasten to discount more..

May 15 (CT) The suspicious death of a 16-year-old girl in Kalutara managed to shock the whole nation and in the wake of the incident a lot of opinions are beginning to surface. From one extreme end of victim blaming to the other – normalising the whole incident claiming that it is just another day in paradise – people, especially netizens, are continuing to share their two cents on the matter. In a society which believes our safety is by and large the responsibility of our own & no one else’s, more..