May 24 (FT) United Republic Front Leader Patali Champika Ranawaka speaking at its launch yesterday claimed it was formed to create a platform to hand over the country to the Z-generation. “I am old as well now. While I thank the central committee for appointing me as the leader of the United Republic Front, I will merely act as a guardian of this movement seeking to hand over the country from the X-Generation that we belong to the Z-Generation of today,” he said. more..

May 24 (PMD) President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the UAE has extended a gracious invitation to Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe to participate in the World Climate Action Summit, a key event that will inaugurate the Emirates Climate Conference. The invitation was sent as a letter to Prez Wickremesinghe, expressing warm greetings and well wishes for the progress and prosperity of SL and its people. The invitation letter sent by the Prez of UAE were officially handed over to more..

May 24 (AD) The total value of the contraband items found on MP Ali Sabri Raheem, who was arrested at the airport earlier today (23), exceeds LKR 78 million, SL Customs revealed. MP was apprehended at the BIA in Katunayake this morning for being in possession of a stock of undeclared gold and mobile phones. MP Raheem had returned to the island from Dubai, UAE at around 9.45 a.m. via a flight belonging to more..

May 24 (FT) SJB MP S.M. Marikkar said the executive is now holding the country’s independent commissions captive. “Therefore, it is now doubtful if we need independent commissions based on the current Govt’s behaviour” Marikkar said. MP said while the Election Commission of SL is being prevented from holding polls to protect the democratic rights of the people, on the other hand Govt is also attempting to remove the Chairman of the PUCSL for his efforts in protecting more..

May 24 (CT) Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) filed a motion before the Supreme Court requesting the nomination of a fuller Bench to hear the case filed in connection with the MV X-Press Pearl ship fire. The motion was filed, for the Fundamental Rights Petition filed in connection with the ship fire to be referred to the Chief Justice for the nomination of a fuller Bench. Petitioners observed that the Petition is one which involves and concern matters of utmost national, public & general importance more..

May 24 (DM) Just over a year since former Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa resigned from office following nationwide protests demanding him to step down, evidence has come to light that the former prez's staff who are mostly political appointees continue to be recruited in the Prez's Office under a newly created unit called special projects. Even though Rajapaksa did not complete his full term and was forced to resign due to more..

May 24 (FT) Prof. C.A. Saliya, presently at the SL Institute of Information Technology and previously in several foreign universities including the Fiji National Uni, AUT Uni in New Zealand, and Southern Queensland Uni in Australia, has accomplished the impossible task of making research methodology easily accessible to SL researchers. The book he has released, mostly in Sinhala and all-important areas in English as well, under the title The Researcher of the Real World – Academic more..

May 24 (FT) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe has commenced a series of discussions with MPs from the Northern and Eastern Provinces of SL with the objective of resolving the Tamil national question. Currently talks are underway with Tamil MPs from the five Northern and three Eastern administrative districts. These MPs are from both the Govt as well as the Opposition. As is well known the largest concentrations of SL Tamils in the island are in the Tamil dominated Northern Province more..

May 24 (SLN) The Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) embarked on a Search and Rescue (SAR) operation to assist the ongoing operations at the overturned Chinese fishing vessel LU PENG YUAN YU 028, which was reported on 16th May 2023 in Australian Search and Rescue Region, south of SL. At the directives of Commander of the Navy, Vice Admiral Priyantha Perera, the SL Navy's Offshore Patrol Vessel, SLNS Vijayabahu with a team of Navy divers was directed to engage in this crucial mission. more..

May 24 (EN) High Commission of India has come across media reports which suggest that Govt of India has demanded compensation/damages from Govt of Sri Lanka towards the assistance provided during the fire incidents onboard MT New Diamond and MV Xpress Pearl in Sept 2020 and May-June 2021. Such reports are completely false and incorrect. It may be recalled that Govt of India immediately deployed ships of the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) in response to specific requests more..

May 24 (TM) SL expects to open income tax files to doctors, lawyers, and tuition teachers as the first stage of the Govt’s proposal to open income tax files to citizens over the age of 18 to broaden the tax base, State Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya said. He said that the Govt is expecting to open income tax files to communities in the society which is perceived to have the capability to pay income taxes as the first stage of the proposal brought more..

May 24 (SG) Saudi Arabia and SL have agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation in several sectors of common interests. The two countries have reached agreements after discussing 65 items related to the fields of security, justice, labor, trade, industry, investment, energy, finance, economy, transportation, communication, agriculture, education, health, sport, culture, tourism, religious affairs, media, and work. This came during the conclusion of the work of the Saudi-SL more..

May 24 (DM) The local schoolbag and shoe manufacturers have agreed to reduce their prices by 10% beginning from July 15, State Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya said. Following a request made by the minister, the local manufacturers have decided to provide concessions after the depreciation of US dollar. The manufacturers have taken the decision following discussions with them on April 25. Accordingly, the price of a schoolbag and a pair of shoes will be reduced from Rs 350 to Rs 450. more..

May 24 (EN) SL’s parliament has voted to remove the chairman of the PUCSL Janaka Ratnayake, Speaker Mahinda Abeywardena said. Out of 225 members 123 voted to remove him while 77 voted against. Wijesekara told parliament during a debate proceeding a vote to remove Ratnayake as chairman of the PUCSL that the official had acted obstinately without the concurrence of fellow commission members. more..

May 24 (FT) The Global Steering Group for Impact Investment (GSG) after much deliberation has set its footprint in SL to forge a pathway in pioneering impact investments in the nation. SL National Advisory Board (NAB) for Impact Investments has been launched and empowered to commence operations to facilitate the flow of global impact capital and sustainability finance to SL from 3 May. Serving as a crucial mechanism in facilitating this flow of impact capital & sustainable finance, more..

May 24 (AD) Officers of SL Customs at the Central Mail Exchange have seized a stock of Kush cannabis with an estimated street value of around Rs. 34.75 million, following the inspection of 10 unclaimed parcels sent from abroad to SL addresses. The stock of Kush Cannabis weighing 3.475 kilograms in total, had been packed in 10 parcels and sent to addresses in Boralesgamuwa, Wellawatte, Minuwangoda, Welisara, Nuwara Eliya and Thalangama areas from US & Australia. more..

May 24 (TM) SL Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) has stated that 48 SL employees who were supposed to leave for employment in South Korea could not fly out of the country as a result of a 10-hour-long flight delay. The employment opportunities of those workers are at risk as they failed to reach South Korea as scheduled. SriLankan Airlines flight UL 470, which was scheduled to take off for Incheon, South Korea at 8.05 p.m. yesterday, had been delayed for 10 hours due to a technical error. more..

May 24 (DM) CID informed the Colombo Magistrate that they have started a fresh probe into the death of a housemaid who died mysteriously after being arrested and while being in the custody of the Welikada police. CID Chief Inspector Madawa Gunawardena made this assertion before Colombo Additional Magistrate Harshana Kakunawela during the magisterial inquiry. Detective Gunawardena also said that detectives are conducting further investigations to ascertain whether the death more..

May 24 (DM) The proposed power tariff revisions will provide a 23% reduction to consumers who uses less than 30 units, Minister Kanchana Wikesekera told Parliament. Minister who moved the motion to remove Janaka Ratnayake from the post of chairman of the PUCSL said the fixed tariff will be reduced to Rs. 250 from Rs. 400. He said electricity tariff of those who use between 31 and 60 units will be reduced by 9% and more..

May 24 (CT) Cabinet has approved a proposal put forth by the Pre to construct a monument in Colombo to serve as a solemn tribute, commemorating all those who lost their lives as a result of armed conflicts, political unrest, or civil disturbances throughout SL’s history. The monument will pay homage to civilians, members of the Armed Forces or Police, as well as ex-combatants, recognising the profound impact of these tragic events on individuals and communities. more..

May 24 (EN) Chairman of Sri Lanka’s Public Utilities Commission Janaka Ratnayake has been denied entry to the parliament to watch a debate to oust him in a move that should be deplored, opposition legislator Eran Wickremeratne said. “We understand that Janaka Ratnayake and his family have not been able to come to the gallery at parliament and that is to be deplored,” Wickremeratne told parliament. “Even if a person is convicted in a court of law, the person can be present there.” more..

May 24 (MB) The month of April is typically the warmest in Sri Lanka as the sun is positioned directly over the Indian Ocean island. Coupled with high humidity, the high temperatures make people uncomfortable and sweaty. This year, Dept of Meteorology went so far as to issue heat warnings for several districts, cautioning residents against exposure to high heat that can have harmful health implications. more..

May 24 (WHO) World Health Organization (WHO) today commended SL for enacting a legislation on trans-fat to protect health and prevent premature deaths from coronary heart disease. “Eliminating trans-fats from food supplies is a cost-effective measure with enormous health benefits. By enacting legislation on trans-fat, SL has once again demonstrated its resolve to protect and promote health of its people,” said Dr Poonam Singh, Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia. more..

May 24 (FT) Top blue chip John Keells Holdings announced strong performance for the FY23 amidst challenging times. Group revenue (excluding equity accounted investees) increased by 27% to Rs. 276.64 billion while recurring Group EBITDA increased by 17% to Rs. 45.74 billion. The FY23 performance was despite 4Q revenue declining by 11% to Rs. 67.8 billion and net profit declining 70% to Rs. 3.3 billion. JKH Chairperson Krishan Balendra said the recurring Group EBITDA in FY23 more..

May 24 (TM) Mrs. Kushani Rohanadeera, who was newly appointed as the Secretary General of the Parliament, assumed her duties yesterday in the morning. Mrs. Rohanadeera, who arrived in Parliament this morning to begin her new duties, was received by Assistant Secretary Generals Mr. Tikiri K. Jayathilake and Mr. Hansa Abeyratne. post giving the official oaths/affirmation before theMahinda Yapa Abeywardana, Speaker, blessings were added by the recital of Pirith more..

May 24 (Hindu) Marking 200 years since their arrival in SL from southern India, to work in the British-run plantations, members of the island nation’s historically marginalised Malaiyaha [hill country] Tamil community have sought greater recognition, political rights, and improved living and working conditions. “Design, resource, and implement a 10-year development plan that is explicitly based on the principle of affirmative action in response to the decades of structural exclusion more..

May 24 (AD) The investigations into the controversial comments made by the self-styled prophet Pastor Jerome Fernando are already underway, the Attorney General informed the Supreme Court today. This was conveyed by Additional Solicitor General Priyantha Nawana, when a fundamental rights (FR) petition filed by Ven. Elle Gunawansa Thero was called before a Supreme Court judge bench this morning. more..

May 24 (EN) Shares closed up at over two months high as investors showing interest ahead of the Central bank policy review, an analyst said. The main All Share Price Index was up 1.39% or 119.86 points to 8,755.17, the most liquid index S&P SL20 was up 2.37 percent or 58.03 points to 2,566.92. “The market is seeing a rebound as investors are hoping for favorable outcomes at the Policy Review Meeting, hoping for lowered inflation, cut in market rates and interest rates and more..

May 24 (DM) Sri Lanka’s hotel sector is unable to fully reap the benefit of the increasing tourist arrivals as industry players have opted to slash rates in a bid to capture market share. THASL said that despite there being an improvement in the momentum of international visitors entering the country, the hotel sector has not been able to fetch higher revenues. “One of the biggest issues we are facing at the moment are low rates. Everyone is undercutting. There is a price war going on. more..

May 24 (Reuters) Sri Lanka is expecting foreign direct investment inflows to rise by a fifth to $1.3 billion this year, a govt official said, with India likely to play a lead role despite the SL economy facing its worst crisis in decades. Although it was pushed to the brink last year by power cuts, chronic shortages of fuel and food and soaring inflation, SL managed to raise its FDI by 38% to $1.08 billion, data from the BoI showed. more..

May 24 (AFP) SL navy announced on Wednesday that they had found 14 bodies inside a Chinese fishing boat that had capsized the previous week. The boat had a total of 39 crew members on board, including 17 Chinese, 17 Indonesians, and five Filipinos. Tragic discovery was made following a preliminary investigation by the Chinese govt, which concluded that there were no survivors. The incident occurred on May 16 when the Lu Peng Yuan Yu 028 overturned within Australia’s extensive more..

May 24 (DM) SL High Commission in Canada has raised objections to the erection of a monument to commemorate what the Tamil community living there called genocide of Tamil civilians in SL during the war. The groundbreaking for the construction of this memorial in the municipal area called Brampton in the greater Toronto area took place recently. Despite SL’s objection, Daily Mirror learns that Brampton mayor Patrick Brown has granted permission to build a monument to commemorate the lives lost more..

May 25 (CT) Canadian PM Justin Trudeau’s remarks on May 18 that Canada will not stop advocating for the rights of the victims and survivors of this conflict, as well as for all in SL who continue to face hardship, in the context of the recognition of May 18 as Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day has met with a strong rebuttal from the SL govt. It is tragic that 14 years after the end of the war, and with a president as internationalist and liberal as Ranil Wickremesinghe at the helm, more..

May 25 (ST) It was Nobel Prize-winning economist Milton Friedman who once said there is nothing called a free lunch. He should know. Critics claim that his free-enterprise philosophy and abjuring state intervention in business left many without any lunch. Friedman’s policies, absorbed by international bodies such as the IMF, which itself is supposedly backed by American big business, have left several countries that fell at the IMF’s feet after its leaders robbed or otherwise more..

May 25 (TM) Despite the impact of the economic crisis on SL’s agricultural sector, there’s a lot of hope and huge potential for the sector to grow once the country establishes the right frameworks and enables its people to create, innovate, and find solutions to the challenges they are facing, says NZ’s Agricultural Trade Envoy Mel Poulton. Commenting on opportunities for SL-NZ cooperation in the field, she asserted that more..