May 11 (AP) The South Asian nation of SL is experiencing an unprecedented economic collapse that has pushed the govt into a deep crisis. The island is struggling to import basic necessities for its 22 million people because of diminishing foreign reserves and crippling debt, spurring weeks of anti-govt protests that recently turned violent and led to the PM’s resignation. Much of the public ire has been directed at more..

May 11 (DM) Pope Francis today called for peace in SL and urged the ruling political leaders to heed the demands of the people. “I appeal to all those with responsibilities to listen to the aspirations of the people and to ensure full respect for human rights and civil liberties," the Pope said. “I join religious authorities in urging all parties to maintain a peaceful attitude, without yielding to violence” he added. Pope Francis turned his thoughts to the South Asian nation while speaking more..

May 11 (DM) The secretaries who served in Ministries of Defence, Public Security and Finance were reappointed by the Prez from yesterday to ensure the normalcy of the livelihood of the people, in accordance with the powers vested in the Prez. Accordingly, Retired General Kamal Gunaratne has been reappointed as Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, Retired Major General Jagath Alwis as the Secretary to the Ministry of Public Security and Mahinda Siriwardana as the Secretary more..

May 11 (EN) Trade unions in SL on Wednesday called off a continuous strike launched in protest of govt-backed violence, stating that it is the responsibility of the unions to help stabilise the country in the wake of the violence. Convener of Union Alliance Ravi Kumudesh said it is not right to allow elements looking to exploit the ongoing crisis an opportunity to take advantage of the strike. “It was decided by the union alliance committee more..

May 11 (EN) Central Bank Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe threatened to resign if the country’s leaders cannot ensure political stability as it is crucial to come out of the ongoing economic crisis. “I have told all political party leaders that if they can’t ensure political stability, there is no point of remaining as central bank governor,” he told a media briefing. “It is not about me. Even if another person comes to this position, he won’t be able to handle the current crisis.” more..

May 11 (FT) Joint Chambers together with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of SL yesterday called upon the Prez to take immediate steps to appoint a competent person as the interim PM and a small Cabinet of Ministers to be appointed in consultation with the PM acceptable to all leading political parties represented in Parliament. “This must be done with immediate effect in order to take urgent action to restore law and order and economic activity in the country,” they said. more..

May 11 (DM) The NBRO has issued an early landslide warning (warning level 1,2) to Nuwara-Eliya and Kandy districts and to the Western Province, considering the heavy rainfall being experienced in these areas. DMC Deputy Director for Early Warning Pradeep Kodippili said Kalutara, Kegalle, Matara and Ratnapura districts have been issued early landslide warnings. Therefore, the people living in the hilly areas should be vigilant over unusual activities in the ground areas more..

May 11 (HRW) Clashes broke out in Sri Lanka on May 9, after govt supporters attacked peaceful anti-govt protest sites in Colombo, the capital, and elsewhere, Human Rights Watch said today. The govt should uphold the right to peaceful protest, ensure that the security force response to public disorder is proportionate and rejects excessive force, and promptly investigate and appropriately prosecute acts of violence. Several hundred people identifying themselves as supporters of PM more..

May 11 (EN) He was a demigod for tens of thousands of Sri Lankans. Some people in the North Central district of Anuradhapura still keep his picture next to their Buddha statue. He was revered to that extent. Many of them are still thankful for the 76-year-old seasoned politician for his role in ending a 26-year war, for his govt’s initiative of subsidised fertilizer, and the infrastructure drive in their rural area which had been neglected by more..

May 11 (Island) Drawing the attention of the IGP C.D. Wickramaratne to the domestic and international ramifications of the incidents in front of Temple Trees and Galle Face, Attorney General Sanjay Rajaratnam, PC, has urged the Police Chief to conduct a thorough investigation. The AG has stated: “People, in the exercise of their constitutional rights as guaranteed in terms of Articles 14 (1)(a); (b); and (c) of the Constitution, have been engaged in freedoms of speech; peaceful assembly; more..

May 11 (CT) Specialist doctors say they find it extremely strange that all acts of violence on Monday, had taken place while emergency regulations and an islandwide curfew had been in force. AMS President and Secretary, Dr. LakKumar Fernando and Dr R.Gnanasekeram said they had a strong suspicion that the way was being paved for military rule. “We urge the IGP to take immediate action to arrest the perpetrators of the attack on peaceful protestors and the politicians more..

May 11 (CT) Prison Headquarters said, 58 inmates out of 181 escaped during the 9 May riot in Thalahena, Malabe, when a prison bus was attacked. Prisons Dept Commissioner General Thushara Upuldeniya denied rumours circulating on social media that these detainees are being used to attack anti-govt protesters. He stressed that these detainees were not involved in any illegal activities and asked the public to take more..

May 11 (CT) On the incident on 9 May in which pro-govt protesters gathered at Temple Trees and attacked people who had been peacefully protesting for the past 30 days on the streets is reminiscent of the State terrorism perpetrated on the Tamil people over the past 65 years by successive govts “Therefore, Tamil people should stay away from these incidents and be very vigilant,” noted TMK Leader MP C.V. Wigneswaran. MP said the Govt must take full responsibility for the attacks more..

May 11 (FT) Commercial Bank of Ceylon announced the appointment of Chief Operating Officer Sanath Manatunge as Managing Director and CEO effective 12 May and the concurrent appointment of Sellathurai Prabagar as Chief Operating Officer to fill the vacancy arising from Manatunge’s promotion. Manatunge succeeds Sivakrishnarajah Renganathan who will retire on 11 May, ending a distinguished 41-year career at Commercial Bank. Manatunge has been with Commercial Bank more..

May 11 (CT) Independent MP Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe said that a National Council should be established and on its recommendations, a Cabinet should be appointed, representing all political parties, to govern the country for a reasonable period of time. He said given that the incumbent Govt cannot in any case continue to be in power, prompt attention should be drawn towards the establishment of an all-party govt to address and attend to public grievances. more..

May 11 (CT) The leaders of the country should take full responsibility for the organised riot on 9 May, General Secretary of the Lanka Jathika Estate Workers’ Union, Vadivel Suresh said. He said the former PM’s oppression had shattered the entire country, and that their obsession with politics and ruling had driven them to harm the public. “We condemn the Govt’s actions because they did not intervene to protect the public,” he said, and added while Rajapaksa supporters attacked more..

May 11 (CI) Sri Lanka have made just two changes to the squad that emerged victors in the Commonwealth Games Qualifiers in January for their upcoming tour of Pakistan, which is set to kickstart the third edition of the ICC Women's Championship. Tharika Sewwandi, the 21-year-old left-arm seamer, and Vishmi Gunaratne, 16-year-old allrounder, were omitted from the squad. Imesha Dulani, 20-year-old batter in search more..

May 11 (CT) Methodist Church of SL unequivocally condemned the well -orchestrated violence, unleashed on the peaceful protesters at Galle Face and opposite Temple Trees on 9 May. “It is obvious that it was planned in higher echelons of political power and was possible due to the tacit connivance of some senior Police Officers. It is this cowardly act that triggered off a series of violent acts in many parts of the country. We call on the Prez, to appoint an independent group of eminent persons more..

May 11 (CT) Prez Rajapaksa should hand over his resignation letter immediately, TNA MP S. Sritharan said. He said the country’s violence level has peaked, and the people have to deal with the consequences of violence. He emphasised that the law must be upheld in all instances, and that the forces must prioritise the protection of the people. Not only people in the N&E, but also people in the Upcountry, have taken a stand against the Govt & its members, & they have attacked their homes more..

May 12 (DM) SL’s 76-year-old PM Rajapaksa has after much dilly dallying, finally resigned on Monday in the wake of countrywide protests and a worsening political and economic crisis resulting from mismanagement and incompetence. The country’s foreign currency reserves are running dry, the cost of living increasing to unbearable levels amid a severe shortage of essential commodities including food, medicines, domestic gas and fuel. “I am resigning with immediate effect so that you will be able more..

May 12 (DM) It was expected and yet it shocked many people. Expected, because that’s what history has taught us. Those in power, have enjoyed all the luxuries that come with power and especially through abuse of office, are lulled into believing that they will forever be in power and are rudely shocked when they realize that they could lose it all, seldom exit peacefully. They fight back, typically. They did. Here are some interesting facts to keep in mind. The attack on the agitators at Galle Face more..

May 12 (CT) As a group of lawyers are seeking ways and means to sort out the people’s struggle to solve the political instability legally, battle of SL populace continues unabated, with the cost of living and the desperate struggle to have three square meals that people enjoyed not so long ago, but the agitations appear to have fallen on deaf ears, while the rest of the world looks on. The aim is now a truly practical political solution to present problem, more..

May 12 (CT) Today will mark the third day where SL has no PM since the then Premier and previously two times Prez Percy Mahendra (Mahinda) Rajapaksa resigned from his post due to public agitation on Monday. The masses have been agitating for weeks not only for Mahinda’s resignation, but also for his younger brother Prez Rajapaksa’s resignation, as well. Today will also be the third longest number of days that SL has been without a PM since obtaining independence more..

May 12 (TM) While islandwide attacks and clashes that began on Monday (9) following the attack on MynaGoGama and GotaGoGama continue, the Police has received instructions to launch investigations into the attack on the peaceful protestors at the two said sites. Attorney General (AG) Sanjay Rajaratnam PC has instructed IGP C.D. Wickramaratne, to launch investigations into the attack, calling it unlawful interference into the people’s constitutional rights. more..

May 12 (CT) The turn of events triggered by the clash between anti-Govt and pro-Govt groups on Monday (9) following SLPP Govt supporters attacking peaceful protestors and protest sites at the MynaGoGama in Kollupitiya opposite the PM’s official residence, the Temple Trees, and GotaGoGama in Galle Face, has given the anti-Govt and anti-Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa movement a new face, and violence has unfortunately more..

May 12 (DM) Another important legislation is the Declaration of Assets and Liabilities Law, No. 1 of 1975, as amended. In terms of this law, it is required that MPs or elected members and staff officers of local authorities make a declaration of all of their assets and liabilities, of their spouse and their children. Therefore, a simple comparison of the assets declared by these elected officials to any assets that they may be currently holding, would easily reveal undisclosed assets. more..

May 12 (Island) Parliament is slumbering while the country is burning and rapidly descending into anarchy. Not even the killing of one of its members has shaken it awake! It should be in session continuously during a crisis of this magnitude to find ways and means of stabilising the economy and restoring social order. Mob violence has left nine persons dead since Monday, when a group of pro-govt goons set upon anti-govt protesters in Colombo. more..

May 12 (CT) JVP-NPP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s (AKD) offer to form an Interim Administration is damned sensible. Yes, yes of course everybody knows that the SJB, SLFP, rump-UNP, dumped-SLPP and even the TNA will not allow it. Gota on his political death-bed will get a fit if he hears of it. But AKD is making a point. He knows that one day his outfit may form not an interim but a substantive govt when it wins an election. He knows his weaknesses hence he is planning more..

May 12 (DM) Following Monday’s spate of violent uprisings in several parts of the country the govt imposed a curfew amidst an already declared state of emergency. As protests took a violent turn the Defence Ministry issued orders to the military to open fire at people who destroy or loot public property. Although mobs continue to set fire to properties belonging to pro-Rajapaksa supporters & politicians many believe that public should remain calm if things are to return to normalcy. more..

May 12 (TM) Lawyers’ Forum for the People claimed that they have no faith in the CID investigation into the attacks on peaceful protestors in Colombo. On Monday, SLPP Govt supporters attacked peaceful anti-Govt protestors and protest sites at the Maina/MynaGoGama in Kollupitiya and GotaGoGama in Galle Face. Forum’s Co-Convenor Senaka Perera said that he was the first person to lodge a complaint at Kollupitiya Police Station more..

May 12 (Island) Senior National Chess Championships for the year 2022 conducted recently produced two players who shared equal first after seven rounds of matches. Derrick Perera, rated second, and T.D.R. Peiris, rated third, finished on top after several rounds of competitive chess worked off in keeping with the Swiss Scoring System at the Chess Federation of SL (CFSL) HQ. Tournament attracted several accomplished veterans and among them were Sudarman Pitigala, Nandika more..

May 12 (Island) In what could be considered a unique achievement for a lass hailing from a far-flung village, Nethmika Herath of Medagama in Bibile is set to overtake China’s Lianying Liao as the top long jumper in her age category so far in Asia this year. The athlete from Nannapurava MV, Moneragala produced an outstanding feat in the Under 18 girls’ long jump at the Junior National Athletics C'ships at the Sugathadasa Stadium early this week. more..

May 12 (DM) SJB MP, Harin Fernando has informed party leader Sajith Premadasa that he will sit independently in Parliament as Premadasa had failed to give a possible solution to solve the ongoing crisis in the country. Fernando said that SJB members had held discussions throughout the day but no possible solutions had been reached to sort the ongoing issues, and Premadasa had refused Premiership post more..

May 12 (Island) Institute for Health Policy’s (IHP) Index of Consumer Sentiment fell three points to five, in April, with all indices down since March. IHP’s Dr Ravi Rannan Eliya said that IHP’s Index of Consumer Sentiment (ICS), a measure of how the public views their personal economic situation and the wider national economy, had fallen by three points in April to 5, closer to its floor of zero, and reaching its lowest level since IHP began tracking it. The current declining trend started more..

May 12 (Island) Study Group, a leading provider of international education is delighted to announce a new partnership in North America with Florida Atlantic University. Florida Atlantic Uni is ranked as a top public higher education institution by U.S. News and World Report and has been described as “an energetic and fast-growing institution, determined to propel itself to the forefront of innovation and scholarship.” It has more than 30,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students and more..