May 17 (PTI) Ten Pakistani nationals, who were arrested on charges of smuggling a large cache of drugs, have been sentenced to jail for 10 years each by a SL court, police said on Thursday. The accused pleaded guilty when the case was taken up before the Colombo High Court on May 6, 2024, and were subsequently sentenced to 10 years in prison, the police said. In a joint raid conducted by the Police Narcotics Bureau and the SL Navy on Jan 1, 2020, ten Pakistani nationals were apprehended more..

May 17 (DM) In a bid to resolve ongoing electoral issues and ensure the smooth functioning of local governance, the Election Commission has urged the govt to hold the Local Govt elections as early as possible. This was discussed and conveyed in a recent meeting held between election commission officials and PM Dinesh Gunawardena. During the meeting, the Election Commission also presented the Prime Minister with options for the upcoming Provincial Council elections. more..

May 18 (CT) We have faced the tragic and unnecessary deaths of thousands great and small. All of them are important in their circle and a great loss. I submit that our queries are largely un-replied because we miss the questions that call for an answer. If you go forward from 2006, a mere 18 years, serious issues were raised in the letters pages of journals. The vicious circle of violence during the conflict dehumanized whole communities and every killing was explained away or more..

May 18 (DM) Prediction of the results of the forthcoming Prez election would be the most difficult one in Sri Lankan history, since almost all traditional attachments of the voters with the main political parties seem to have been shattered to the core by the economic crisis that brought millions of people to the streets in 2022. The unprecedented economic hardships within their household and the agitations with slogans on the streets against all present and past rulers of the country more..

May 18 (CT) Last weekend, President Ranil Wickremesinghe unexpectedly went to a famous hotel in Colombo, without informing his security detail, to attend the wedding ceremony of a prominent businessman’s son. Only the businessman, the Director General of Govt Information and the Prez knew about his attendance. Prez Ranil, who went to the wedding of a relative of diplomat Niranjan Deva Aditya, had told his security detail that more..

May 18 (CT) The 3 decades of war between SL Govt and separatist LTTE finally came to an end on 18 May 2009. Those who remember the dark passages of time during the war would attest to how the fear of the unknown and uncertainty plagued social life at that time. Those who lived in war-torn areas and survived to tell the tale need no extra convincing of the atrocities of war and even the ones who lived hundreds of miles away from the warfront had their daily lives plagued by the fear of uncertainty more..

May 18 (GV) Failure to hold the powerful accountable for misusing their power and inflicting damage on other people has harmed large numbers of Sri Lankans. This has been pointed out across the country and the world. Although accountability is often seen as an issue affecting ethnic and religious minorities or those focusing on past wrongs, it has been pointed out that failure to achieve this badly affects the present and threatens the future for most Sri Lankans. more..

May 18 (CT) J. Venuja, born on 25 July 1998, knows little about the war and deaths, but as a Fifth-Grader at that time living in Jaffna, she knows her father’s elder brother was killed along with his five children and wife during the final phase of the war. “I remember everybody talking about how a shell split his neck while he was running with his family in Mullivaikkal somewhere around May 2009,” Venuja, a journalist, now aged 24, said. more..

May 18 (DM) SL’s last official census was taken in 2012. According to that census, SL’s majority ethnic community the Sinhalese comprises 74.9 % of the island nation’s population. Numerically, the second largest ethnicity is the SL Tamils who are 11.1% of the population. The third largest ethnicity is the SL Muslims or Moors who comprise 9.3% of the population. The fourth largest ethnic group is the Tamils of Indian origin known as Malaiyagath Thamizhar (HillCountry Tamils) who are 4.1% more..

May 18 (CT) The International Council of Museums, convened in Paris, France in Nov 1946, aimed to raise global awareness about safeguarding and exhibiting the world’s invaluable antiquities. Today, the esteemed Chauncey J. Hamlin from America serves as the inaugural President of this council, comprising over 140 member countries. The term museum finds its origin in Greek mythology, where the god of art, Mansion, resided in a sacred place known as the museum. more..

May 18 (ST) Environmentalists have expressed concern over the safety of the Anawilundawa Ramsar wetland as a private land owner had been illegally filling land using waste metal. Environmentalist Ajith Gihan of the Wayamaba Handa environmental organisation pointed out that the Anawilundawa Ramsar wetland has been once more threatened yet none of the environmental authorities have given attention to the matter and taken action. more..

May 18 (DM) Hardly a day passes without hearing the profligacy and misdeeds of one or the other members of Parliament. Just two days ago, while strong criticism was being voiced at MPs for demanding permits to import new cars for themselves, a State Minister reportedly slapped an airport worker for demanding payment for services rendered. Media reports inform us that many MPs across the political divide have secured liquor permits in the names of their friends/relatives. more..

May 18 (DN) Fifth edition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) player auction will be held on May 21Tuesday at Hilton Hotel Colombo and there are 420 players for this auction which will be held in a big way.The players auction will start on May 21 at 12 noon will have 18 initial rounds, focusing on multiple talent options such as batters, all rounders, fast and spin bowlers and wicket keepers with different segments for each criterion such as more..

May 18 (DM) CEB for the first quarter ended 31 March (1Q24) has recorded a profit of Rs. 88.3 billion, which is a 349.8 percent change when compared with the Rs. 35.3 billion loss recorded in the corresponding period in 2023. The entity generated revenue of Rs. 179 b in 1Q14. Having provided no concessions to domestic customers, and witnessing a reduction of 28% in cost of sales, and a gross profit of Rs. 69 b was recorded. In 1Q23, CEB posted a gross loss of Rs. 17 b. more..

May 18 (Island) Lessons that the 2022 mass uprising provided have gone unlearnt if the ruling party politicians’ unruly behaviour is anything to go by. Those who went into hiding fearing aggressive mobs that pursued them have crawled out of the woodwork; they are exuding hubris and flexing their muscles, again. Old habits are said to die hard. State Minister Prasanna Ranaweera (SLPP) has incurred much public opprobrium for slapping a baggage handler at the BIA. more..

May 18 (FT) The Colombo stock market staged a recovery yesterday but that wasn’t enough to close the week on a negative note. ASPI gained yesterday by 0.5% and the active S&P SL20 by 0.1%. During the week the ASPI and the S&P SL20 lost 1.6% and 2.5% respectively. Turnover yesterday was Rs. 1.2 billion involving 82.8 million shares. For the week the turnover averaged Rs. 2.2 billion. Asia Securities said the indices regained ground after four sessions of downward movement on Friday more..

May 18 (ST) The recent discovery of 148 passports outside a non-residential property in the Mattegoda area by a villager has sparked concerns not only about potential personal data breaches and safety but also about continuing multi-million rupee scams by unregistered recruitment agencies. Reports suggest that a fraudulent foreign job agent duped applicants from Kudamaduwa in Polgasowita of Rs 260 million before disappearing. The villager who stumbled upon the stash of passports more..

May 18 (Island) Top PNM spokesperson Dr. Wasantha Bandara said that the govt should explain how it intended to counter the powerful Eelamist lobby seeking to divide the country on ethnic lines with the help of the US, a self-appointed world policeman. Dr. Bandara said so commenting on a resolution that had been introduced to the US Congress calling on the govt to work towards an independence referendum in N&E Provinces more..

May 18 (Island) S.P.P. Angelo of St. Sylvester’s BC and Nirushika Jayathissa of Up Hill BC were adjudged the Best Boxers of the Novices Boxing Tournament held at the Royal MAS Arena in Colombo. The tournament, organised by the Boxing Association of SL (BASL), featured a record number of 186 boxers from 27 clubs. Rohan de Silva, Group Director of McLarens Group of Companies and President of SL Badminton, was the chief guest on the final day, presenting the special awards more..

May 18 (FT) American writer V. V. Ganeshananthan has won the 2024 Carol Shields Prize for Fiction. The $ 150,000 ($205,074.75 Cdn) prize recognises the best fiction book by a woman or non-binary writer from the US and Canada. It is presently the largest international literary prize for women writers. The winner will also receive a residency at the Fogo Island Inn in Newfoundland. Ganeshananthan is honoured for her novel Brotherless Night, which follows the story of 16-yr-old Sashi in 1981 more..

May 18 (FT) In a significant move aimed at protecting the unique ecosystem of Mannar island, the environmental protection organisation, Wildlife and Nature Protection Society (WNPS), has filed a fundamental rights application in the Supreme Court. This legal action challenges the recent cabinet decision to award a wind power project in Mannar island to Adani Green Energy Ltd, of India. more..

May 18 (Island) The CEB has ignored a directive issued by the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to reduce the amount of fine imposed on those who failed to settle their electricity bills. The PUC has directed that Rs 3,000 charge be reduced to Rs 800 with effect from March 5, 2024. However, the CEB has charged Rs 3,000 for each restoration of power supply till March 31, 2024. Electricity Users’ Association Sanjiva Dhammika said that in response to a RTI query submitted to the CEB, more..

May 18 (DN) India has been the leading economic partner and the largest contributor to tourist traffic to SL, Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha said addressing the PhonePe launch. SL’s National Payment Network LankaPay announced its partnership with PhonePe one of India’s most popular FinTech apps – towards accepting UPI payments at LankaQR merchant points. He said in 2023 more than 300,000 Indian tourists travelled to SL which was 20.36% of tourists coming more..

May 18 (ST) The prevailing heat is likely to go down in the coming days, and showers of 75–100 mm are to be expected in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, Central, and Wayamba provinces by next month, Meteorology Dept Director General Athula Karunanayake said. He said that the primary contributing factor to the extreme heat was global climate change. Health Ministry’s Deputy Director General, Dr. Ananda Jayalal, said that the elderly should take extra precaution during these more..

May 18 (FT) University of Jaffna Teachers’ Association said it is deeply concerned by the moves by the SL state and its law-enforcing apparatuses to regulate, suppress and block Mullivaikkal memorialisation events planned to be held this week, to commemorate the war dead. Association underlined the importance of memorialisation as a personal and collective act of resistance and resilience and said they may also help those affected by the war to find healing and peace. more..

May 18 (DM) Supreme Court directed the petitioners to serve notices on former Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa as he was not represented by a counsel in connection with five fundamental rights petitions. When the five Fundamental Rights petitions challenging former Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s decision to grant a prez pardon to ex-soldier Sunil Ratnayake, who was convicted and sentenced to death for Mirusuvil murder case, more..

May 18 (EN) India and China have shown huge interest in International Climate Change University in Sri Lanka with an aim to promote climate related research and technologies while British Council has pledged to help bring in universities for academic activities, a climate change advisor said. Sri Lanka President Ranil Wickremesinghe launched his ambitious International Climate Change University at the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai. more..

May 18 (DN) Central Environmental Authority (CEA) requested all citizens to refrain from using polythene papers and plastic covers to make all kinds of Vesak decorations including big and small lanterns, pandals, banners, posters and other Vesak decorations considering that they will badly affect the environment, rivers, lakes and other waterways. A recent CEA survey has revealed over seven million tons of non-degradable polythene and plastics are coming through rivers, waterways and more..

May 18 (FT) SL’s tea exports in April in volumes have increased, whilst values have dipped, industry sources said. Tea exports in April reached a total of 16.38 million kilos, marking a steady increase of 0.21 million kilos compared to the same period a year earlier. In April 2023, volume of tea exports was 16.16 million kilos, down by 2.13 million kilos compared to same period in 2022. Interestingly, tea in bulk, instant tea and green tea stood as exceptions, demonstrating growth, more..

May 18 (Island) Global spiritual leader and peacemaker Gurudev Sri Ravi Shankar will be visiting Sri Lanka from today to 20th May, on an invitation from PM Dinesh Gunawardena. This is Gurudev’s sixth visit to the country, organisers said. Gurudev will address a public meeting at an event titled Ekamuthuva: An Evening of Music, Meditation and Wisdom at Taj Samudra on 19th May. At the event 12 skill development centres of The Art of Living across the country, will be inaugurated. more..

May 18 (Island) A controversial resolution has been introduced to the US Congress calling on the US to work towards an independence referendum for Eelam Tamils and recognize the genocide committed against them by the SL state. The resolution, introduced by Wiley Nickel, is the first of its kind to be brought to the US Congress. It comes as Tamils marked the LTTE’s defeat 15 years ago, with May 18 commemorated as more..

May 18 (FT) Colombo Additional Magistrate Harshana Kekunawala on Thursday directed the Attorney General’s Dept to proceed with indicting the wife and father-in-law of ACMC Leader MP Rishad Bathiudeen, as well as the person who employed a minor as a domestic aide. This directive follows the tragic incident from 2021 where the young girl was burned to death while working in a house belonging to Bathiudeen. Accordingly, Court instructed AG to file indictments against Ponnaiya Pandaram, more..

May 18 (AD) The Irrigation Dept has issued an Amber flood warning for possible floods in the low-lying areas of several river basins including Kalu, Kelani, Gin, Nilwala, Deduru Oya, Maha Oya, Attanagalu Oya, Kala Oya and Malwathu Oya, if heavy rains persist over the coming days. The early flood warning notice has been issued as per the weather forecast issued by the Department of Meteorology this evening (17), that heavy rains exceeding 100 mm per day may occur more..

May 18 (FT) SL has failed to meet 30% of its due commitments end-April 2024 under the IMF program according to the latest update by publicfinance.lk (run by Verité Research, an independent think-tank). The failure to meet due commitments also translates for a total of 19 unfulfilled obligations, with the majority of these not met commitments pertaining to enhancing transparency and enacting legislation. more..

May 19 (ST) Vesak, the holiest of holy months for an estimated 400 million plus Buddhists worldwide and countless others who follow the teachings of Gautama the Buddha, will be commemorated next week on full moon day. The usual events to mark the occasion that kept the sublime doctrine alive in this country, especially during 400 years of European rule, are on the cards: the sermons, the temple bells ringing, the lights, the devotional songs, the pandals, the lanterns & unique free eating houses, more..