May 9 (FT) Several leading export associations on Tuesday made a clarion call for urgent action to revitalise SL’s stagnant merchandise exports. Holding a joint media conference, organised by National Chamber of Exporters (NCE), SL Shippers Council (SLSC), Joint Apparel Association Forum of SL (JAAF), Tea Exporters Association (TEA), SL Association of Manufacturers & Exporters of Rubber Products more..

May 9 (Island) In response to The Island query, Prof. Rajiva Wijesinha, Secy General of SCOPP, sent us the following response: ” It was most entertaining to see Erik Solheim back in SL, celebrating his dinner with his old friends Ranil and Maithree Wickremesinghe. Needless to say he reiterated what Mahinda Rajapaksa has been trumpeting, that Ranil did not run away when there was a crisis. Of course Ranil did not run away, because he was prepared to swallow anything to revive his political career, more..

May 9 (Island) Overturning an Appeal Court ruling, the Supreme Court (SC) has determined that State Minister Diana Gamage, a National List MP of the SJB, is not eligible to be a member of Parliament. She has lost her parliamentary seat, as a result. Thus, a protracted legal battle over the issue of Gamage’s citizenship status has come to an end. If Osala Herath, a social and political activist, had not resorted to legal action against Gamage, insisting that she was a British citizen, more..

May 9 (FT) Litro Gas yesterday ceremonially commissioned its state-of-the-art refurbished and upgraded storage and bottling facility at Mabima, Sapugaskande. Ceremony was presided over by Prez’s Chief of Staff Sagala Rathnayaka. Recognised as one of the largest in the region, the Mabima facility reinforces Litro Gas’s commitment to operational excellence and national energy security. Commissioned in 1984 by Colombo Water and Gas Company, Mabima Filling Plant has been more..

May 9 (EN) Govt will no longer earn US$ 50 from a tourist visa but 20% would to VFS Global, a private contractor hired without tender to run an electronic visa website, MP S M Marikkar charged. SL jacked up the price of a standard visa, which was double entry, to US$ 75 from US$ 50 with the advent of the VFS deal, and the firm’s own charges pushed up the cost to US$ 100.77 shocking tourists. Following intervention by Minister Harin Fernando, a new single-entry visa was promised for US$ 50. more..

May 9 (FT) Foreign Affairs Minister Ali Sabry announced the Govt’s expectation to finalise the foreign debt restructuring process next month aiming to slash the country’s outstanding payment by about $ 17 billion. He said the primary focus is on navigating the challenge of debt restructuring. “We aim to diligently negotiate and finalise the negotiations with private investors associated with sovereign bonds. more..

May 9 (ST) The passenger boat service between Wellawatte and Diyatha Uyana in Battaramulla, which began amid much fanfare on March 11, 2020, has now ground to a complete halt. The boat service was launched as a solution to the traffic congestion in Colombo and the suburbs including Nugegoda, Rajagiriya, Kotte, Dehiwala, Mt. Lavinia, Sri J'pura and Kalubowila. Nearly 10 boats were deployed for the service, ferrying passengers between Wellawatte and the administrative centre of Battaramulla. more..

May 9 (PMD) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe emphasized on-going efforts to enact unified legislation addressing environmental protection and climate change. He highlighted the govt’s commitment to crafting economic policies geared not only towards fostering export-oriented competitiveness but also towards transitioning to a green economy, aiming to achieve net-zero by 2050. Acknowledging the recent prolonged spells of extreme climate conditions as indicative of more..

May 9 (DN) Skipper Chamari Athapaththu’s outstanding performance of 102 off 63 balls helped Sri Lanka win the final of the Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier against Scotland in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday. As a result, SL will now slot into Group A alongside Australia, India, NZ and Pakistan, while Scotland will be part of Group B alongside South Africa, England, WI & Bangladesh at the World Cup scheduled for October. more..

May 9 (DN) Nuwanidu Fernando, 24-year-old all-rounder from SSC, recently shared his thoughts on playing for his country. “When I get the chance to play in the National side, I never think about my batting position or which position I am keen to bat,” he said. “What matters most to me is the success of the team, and I always work hard towards it. Personal milestones are not my priority.” Nuwanidu Fernando, recently shared his experience of playing against Afghanistan ‘A’ team. more..

May 9 (FT) Foreign Affairs Minister Ali Sabry yesterday insisted on the necessity of diverting the attention from visa fees controversy to establish Sri Lanka as a top-tier tourist destination. “We must shift our focus away from visa fees. Instead, we should look at providing complimentary visas to citizens of over 50 countries,” he told journalists. Minister said such a move could ignite excitement within the tourism sector and boost visitor numbers. Sabry’s proposal aims to reinvigorate tourism sector more..

May 9 (DN) Former skipper Dasun Shanaka led SLC Team Red to victory over SLC Team Yellow in the fourth match of the SLC T20 World Cup Preparation Tournament played yesterday. Shanaka’s unbeaten 63 off 38 balls, peppered with 4 fours and 5 sixes, was the highlight of the match, and helped his team set a commanding total of 192 for 8 wickets in 20 overs. Alongside Shanaka, Kamindu Mendis (30) and Avishka Fernando (25) also contributed to their team’s score with some impressive batting. more..

May 9 (Island) After their first attempt to improve Road to Paris 24 rankings went awry last week, three of SL’s top athletes will compete against odds to reach Olympic qualifying standards when they compete in Osaka, Japan. Asian Games medallists Tharushi Karunaratne, Nadeesha Ramanayake and Kalinga Kumarage left for Osaka yesterday, three days ahead of the competition where they will vie to improve their rankings. Last week Ramanayake produced a below par performance more..

May 9 (EN) Hundreds of SL ex-soldiers recruited by multiple teams were dying in their hundreds in the killing fields of the Russia-Ukraine border amid drone warfare, according to a fighter who escaped the region. Over 200 SL ex-soldiers are believed to have died and a similar number are being treated in hospitals in regions like Donetsk, he said. The retired soldier said he went to Russia after paying 1.6 million to recruiting more..

May 9 (DN) Sri Lanka should focus on entering more Free Trade Agreements (FTA) and those should be negotiated in favour of the country, said Chairman, Exporters’ Association of SL (EASL) Ranil Goonetilleke. Through more FTA’s SL should be able to grow exports, he said at a joint press briefing organized by National Chamber of Exporters of SL (NCE) on Tuesday. Goonetilleke stated that small and medium entrepreneurs are getting lack of support from the govt. more..

May 9 (AD) Two retired officers of the Sri Lanka Army have been arrested for illegally recruiting Sri Lankan army soldiers to be employed in the Russian military. Accordingly, a retired Major General and a retired Sergeant were apprehended by the CID in Kurunegala on Wednesday (08). Earlier on Wednesday, the Ministry of Defence announced the launch of an operation to arrest the suspects implicated in directing retired SL Army soldiers to join Russian or Ukrainian forces by illegal means. more..

May 9 (Island) Former President of Sri Lanka Cricket and Asian Cricket Council Thilanga Sumathipala launched a book last week in Colombo. Titled, Wave Maker the book deals on inner dynamics of Sri Lanka’s Cricket Legacy. Thilanga in 1998 became the youngest SLC President ever at the age of 33. He oversaw some testing periods for cricket in the country that included the chucking controversy in Australia. Under Thilanga’s dynamic leadership, SLC were able to clear Murali after more..

May 9 (DN) Health Secretary Dr. Palitha Mahipala said that 46% of women and 10% of school children in Sri Lanka are suffering from obesity. He also stated that the life expectancy of women, which was limited to 80 years a few years ago, has increased to 83 years. He also stated that today, 89% of deaths in this country are caused by non-communicable diseases such as cancer, heart disease, lung disease and diabetes. A majority of deaths occur due to heart disease and stroke. more..

May 9 (FT) Opposition MP Dayasiri Jayasekara levelled accusations against the Govt, alleging that a Govt MP was given a plot of land at the BIA to establish a jet fuel storage facility. When prompted by Govt MPs to identify the MP in Parliament, Jayasekara declined to disclose his name, asserting that the Govt was evidently already aware of his identity. Furthermore, he hinted at the person’s potential candidacy for Presidency. more..

May 9 (DN) Former National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr. Vijith Gunasekara has been arrested by the CID yesterday evening (8) over the controversial scandal of the alleged importation of substandard immunoglobulin. Dr. Gunasekara was summoned to the CID yesterday to record a statement pertaining to the importation of a batch of substandard human intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) vials into Sri Lanka. more..

May 9 (TM) The Election Commission (EC) is to accommodate requests made by several international organisations such as the European Union (EU) to observe the upcoming elections including the Prez Election, in a timely manner. Local election monitoring body, the People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections, had recently requested the EC in writing to urgently make necessary arrangements to invite a delegation of election observers representing int'l community. more..

May 9 (TM) Election Commission (EC) has informed President's Secretary Saman Ekanayake and the other relevant authorities that it is better to hold the LG elections than establishing community advisory committees to oversee development projects under LG bodies. Govt recently announced plans to establish these committees, with the alleged intent of having them oversee development projects within LG bodies. more..

May 9 (FT) Tyrannical Tiran Alles is about to learn a lesson in politics that his distinguished, respected father would have taught him had he been around. The worst time to play tough guy is in an election year with six months max to go to vote. Citizens (including officials) are impatient to vote, and are unintimidated because they know they have the power to bring the whole power structure down soon, if they so wish. Minister concerned is an unelected parliamentarian whose name more..

May 9 (EN) Sri Lanka will invite new companies to set up emission testing services ending a duopoly that now exists, Trade Minister Nalin Fernando said. At the moment Laugfs Eco Sri Limited and CleanCo Lanka Limited offer vehicle emission testing in SL. “Considering the number of vehicles in Sri Lanka, complaints we have received from the public, and that the desired emissions reduction has not happened, we have proposed to call for bids, or expressions of interest from other vendors,” more..

May 9 (AD) The hearing of the petitions filed before the Supreme Court seeking an order declaring that certain clauses of the SL Electricity Bill, submitted by the government to the Parliament recently, are in violation of the Constitution commenced today. The petitions were taken up for hearing before a three-member Supreme Court judge bench consisting of Justices Vijith Malalgoda, Shiran Gunaratne and Arjuna Obeysekera. Additional Solicitor General Viveka Siriwardena, more..

May 9 (EN) Sri Lanka is in the process of drafting a National Cyber Security Act, as social network users rise, State Minister Kanaka Herath said. “The user base across all social networks has surged from 60 million to 74 million. There is an imperative for a National Cyber Security Act. Plans are underway to draft pertinent legislation by May 2024,” Herath said. “Collaborative efforts involving 29 govt agencies, alongside CERT, have been undertaken to strengthen cyber security.” more..

May 9 (AD) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe states that for the reconstruction of the fallen country, economic stabilization and recovery programs were formally implemented and that as a result, the journey of economic growth started in the middle of 2023. In a special statement in Parliament today, Wickremesinghe said he assumed leadership of the country without any conditions, despite being a sole member of Parliament. more..

May 9 (DM) The Committee on Public Finance (CoPF) has decided not to temporarily divulge any details on the visa fiasco because of its sensitive nature, CoPF Chairman Harsha de Silva said today. "The examination of the SL visa outsourcing contract began at the CoPF in Parliament today. We will meet again on 14 May to continue the discussions. As Chair of the committee, this is all we wish to state to the media, given the ongoing sensitive nature of the matter," Dr. de Silva said. more..

May 9 (CT) Nearly 30 million red notices were issued between 2022 and 2024 due to delayed payments of electricity bills, Minister Kanchana Wijesekara revealed yesterday. He also revealed that over 1.3 million consumers had their electricity connections disconnected due to failure to settle their bills on time. Minister also disclosed that the accounts of over 126,000 consumers had been closed, while nearly 1.9 million new electricity connections had been established during more..

May 9 (EN) SL will hold Presidential polls between Sept 17 and Oct 16, 2024, as required by law, Elections Commission said. Commission said it will call for nominations within the specified period. “Election Commission will call for nominations for the prez election within the specified timeframe in terms of the provisions of the Constitution of SL and the Prez Elections Act No. l5 of 1981, and that by virtue of the powers more..

May 9 (Island) The population of SL jackals has dropped by about 60 percent during the last two decades and this is an indication of serious problems in the SL environment, Prof. Sampath Seneviratne, of the Dept of Zoology and Environment Sciences, Uni of Colombo has said. Prof. Seneviratne, one of the authors of the research study, titled The Way of the Jackal, said that jackals and their cousins, the fox and the wolf, were spreading rapidly in other parts of the world, more..

May 9 (AD) Investigations carried out so far have revealed that six Sri Lankans sent to Russia by human traffickers to join the military have died, Police Media Spokesman DIG Nihal Thalduwa said. Meanwhile, two other Sri Lankans who joined Ukrainian forces by illegal means have also been confirmed dead, the police said. The Police Spokesman also assured that further investigations are in progress to find out the exact number of individuals involved with the matter. more..

May 9 (AD) The Colombo Magistrate’s Court has issued an overseas travel ban on former State Minister Diana Gamage today (09). This order was issued by Colombo Magistrate Thilina Gamage after considering a request made by the attorneys of the petitioning party in the case related to her dual citizenship. The copies of the order were also forwarded to the office of the Controller General of Immigration and Emigration and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. more..

May 9 (EN) SL’s stance on Palestine in the face of Israel’s offensive push with human rights violations has helped the island nation to regain its reputation among the countries in the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) after strong criticism over forced cremation of Muslim Covid victims, Foreign Minister Ali Sabry said. Govt of former prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa led by current ruling party SLPP forced Muslims and Christians to cremate the dead bodies of those who died of Covid-19 in 2020. more..

May 9 (DM) Popular travel influencer Will Davis, also known as TrekTrendy on YouTube, took to Instagram to raise alarm about a concerning data breach related to SL's visa issuing system. Davis shared his distress over receiving daily emails containing tourist visas, complete with sensitive personal information such as full names, addresses and passport details. He said that despite having his visa approved a long time ago, more..