May 21 (AD) Irrigation Dept has issued Amber flood warnings for low-lying areas of the Attanagalu Oya river basin and the Kuda Ganga sub basin of Kalu River, effective until 9 p.m. tomorrow (22). It states that a considerable rainfall has occurred in upstream catchment areas of Kuda Ganga sub basin of Kalu River as of 9 p.m. last night. By analyzing the current rainfall situation and river water levels of Hydrological Stations in Kalu Ganga, it is warned that there is a possibility more..

May 21 (FT) People’s Bank, said it continues to set industry benchmarks with its cutting-edge digital initiatives designed to enhance customer experiences and cater to their evolving needs. As part of its robust digitalisation strategy, People’s Bank has already introduced several innovative solutions that focus on enhancing the accessibility and convenience afforded to customers across the country. People’s Bank has revolutionised digital onboarding with its People’s Wiz Account more..

May 21 (CI) Lasith Malinga, not renowned for his exuberant joy, is a little bit giddy. Or at least the closest he gets to being giddy. He is reflecting on two young bowlers who modelled their actions on his own crazy roundarm bowling having made Sri Lanka's T20 World Cup squad. He's been coaching Nuwan Thushara at Mumbai Indians over the past two months; Matheesha Pathirana he'd worked with before. more..

May 21 (ANI) Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Ali Sabry affirmed his country's commitment to safeguarding India's national security interests on Monday, stating that Colombo, as a responsible neighbour, will not allow anyone to harm India's security. The Minister also addressed India's concerns regarding the visits of Chinese research vessels to the island nation, saying that they would like to work with other countries in a transparent manner but not at the cost of others. more..

May 21 (CI) And six hours later the 2024 LPL Auction is done! The way the auction went, the general vibe from the teams seemed to be that most of the high priority signings had been made prior to the auction. Only Matheesha Pathirana elicited any sort of high level bidding war, while the other two highly priced signings - Isuru Udana (US$ 100,000) and Karim Janat (US$ 80,000) - seemed to suggest sides placing a premium on squad composition. Though the Udana signing probably more..

May 21 (DM) The value of the US dollar and SL Rupee is determined by the supply and demand. If the value of the dollar rises significantly, the Central Bank of SL (CBSL) has sufficient dollars to control it, Finance State Minister Ranjith Siambalapitiya said. The value of the US dollar is rising rapidly due to several foreign banks operating in the country buying US dollars from the financial market & CBSL from the banking system. more..

May 21 (AD) The Ministry of Education has refuted the reports circulating on social media claiming that all schools island-wide will be closed tomorrow (May 22). “The Ministry of Education informs that the announcement circulating on social media that all schools in the island will be closed tomorrow is false.” “Therefore, the Ministry of Education announces that all schools in the island will be open tomorrow (22),” it said, issuing a special notice today. It further informs that more..

May 21 (DN) The Agriculture and Plantation Industries Ministry has taken steps to spray pesticides in paddy cultivation in 15 districts using drone technology this Yala Season. Plans have been made to spray pesticides using drone technology for paddy cultivation in Hambantota, Monaragala, Ampara, Batticaloa, Polonnaruwa, Anuradhapura, Kurunegala, Puttalam, Mannar, Vavuniya, Kilinochchi, Nuwara Eliya, Matale, Trincomalee and Gampaha districts in Yala cropping season. more..

May 22 (CT) Justice delayed is justice denied, is an oft quoted legal maxim, credited to William Gladstone, PM of England in the late 1800’s. This is of the greatest relevance to us. Among all the extreme realities that confront us today, the nearly sole consolation is that a robust and reliable relief, is that offered by a fearless judiciary. Any departure from this lofty stature, accorded to our Courts, ranging from the lowest legislature, to the all-powerful Supreme Court, more..

May 22 (TM) The Supreme Court verdict earlier this month ejected Diana Gamage from the Parliament brings an end to a long running legal/political saga of the SL governance landscape. SC’s unanimous verdict and its damning indictment of Gamage, also extends to law enforcement agencies, and also part of the justice mechanism as well. Yesterday, after an ineffective search for the firebrand former State Minister, who had held multiple press conferences in the wake of the verdict more..

May 22 (DM) What can the citizens of this country expect from the Bar Association of SL (BASL), which plays a crucial role in administering justice and upholding the rule of law when its principal office bearers are allegedly involved in massive corruption? This seems to be the question raised by law abiding citizens of this country regarding the BASL. Five members of the incumbent BASL are under the spotlight for allegedly more..

May 22 (GV) On May 1, 2024 video footage shared on social media showed a SL lawyer berating officials for outsourcing the issuance of visas to VFS Global at a congested BIA with long queues. What is the VFS controversy about? What did they do to our tourist visa process? VFS Global, headquartered in Zurich and Dubai, is backed by several key shareholders including Blackstone, a private equity firm. VFS Global, which has been operating in SL since 2004, has been facilitating more..

May 22 (TM) Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) is essential in protecting consumer rights and welfare, ensuring that manufacturers and traders adhere to established rules and regulations. Governed by CAA Act, No. 9 of 2003, the CAA has been active for over two decades, garnering both commendation and condemnation from consumers and other stakeholders. However, the question persists: is the CAA's involvement sufficient to guarantee consumer welfare and legal compliance among more..

May 22 (CT) Commissioner General of Elections, Saman Sri Ratnayake, seated in his spacious office on the first floor on Sarana Road, reflected on the political landscape of the country. He highlights a concerning trend: the fleeting seriousness of both the public and politicians, whose political focus intensifies solely during elections, only to wane thereafter. Ratnayake emphasised the urgent need for electoral literacy and advocates for more..

May 22 (CT) In the aviation industry, expertise is paramount and safety is non-negotiable. Thus, it comes as a rather scandalous revelation that one of the vital globally affiliated regulatory bodies has made blunders big enough to risk passenger and machine safety at the altitude of 35,000 feet. Civil Aviation Authority of SL (CAASL), which is a member and a signatory to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), is said to have issued a Command licence on the Airbus A320 – more..

May 22 (ST) Nagitinna, nagitinna. Call ekak thiyenawa (Wake up wake up, there is a call for you),” said Kussi Amma Sera on this bright and early Thursday morning (it was 7.30 a.m. and I normally wake up by 8.30 a.m.) Bleary-eyed and groggy, I walked across to the living room and picked up the phone. It was Ruwanputha, my young economist friend, who said: “I hope I didn’t wake you up.” Blinking my eyes in still sleepy mode, I let that question ride as he appeared to more..

May 22 (ST) Federation of Motorcycle Sports in SL (FMSSL) has initiated a training programme for motorsport marshals in SL, following the recent tragedy that took place at the Fox Hill Super Cross 2024 in Diyatalawa, where eight individuals were killed and over 20 were injured. Former riding champion, Shane Gunawardena, under whose leadership the FMSSL functions at present, has officially written to their international governing body, Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme more..

May 22 (TM) The Young Journalists’ Association of SL (YJASL) requested the Attorney General (AG) to appeal to the Supreme Court (SC) against the Trial-at-Bar verdict given in the Rathupaswala case regarding the shooting of unarmed peaceful protestors who protested in Weliweriya demanding clean drinking water. In a letter addressed to the AG, President’s Counsel Sanjay Rajaratnam yesterday (21), the YJASL stated that they had complained to the then IGP N.K. Ilangakoon, more..

May 22 (FT) Sri Lanka’s merchandise export earnings have reached a record high of $ 3.98 billion in the first four months of the year, whilst reflecting a 3.55% year-on-year (YoY) increase. This surpasses the previous record of $ 3.95 billion set in the same period in 2019. The all time high $ 4.23 billion was recorded in 2022. However, April merchandise export earnings declined by 4.10% YoY to $ 814 million, more..

May 22 (Island) On numerous occasions Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe has said he was elected president to get SL out of its economic morass and will do his utmost to fulfill that obligation. This has led to much speculation regarding the prez’s intentions with regard to conducting prez elections prior to achieving economic success. The truth of the prez’s utterances with regard to his commitment to resolving the economic crisis is to be plainly seen in his determination to push ahead with more..

May 22 (ST) It would forever be a memorable Mothers’ Day for Anuththara Hansani! Awaiting the birth of her first child – she knew it is a baby girl when we met her – in a few hours on May 12, she had the comfort of knowing that her own mother would hold her hand during labour and ease her furrowed brow as the painful contractions hit. “Amma inna eka loku haiyak (Having my mother would be a great strength),” said Anuththara from Moratuwa, reminding us of a poet’s words: more..

May 22 (FT) Board of Investment (BOI) Chairman Dinesh Weerakkody said that the establishment of a new Economic Commission in Sri Lanka is aimed at strengthening the investment climate and to enhance national competitiveness. “The Economic commission hopes to create a genuine one stop shop or single window and provides clarity on the key roles of institutions in the investment and export facilitation space and provide the required structure to take fast and effective decisions. more..

May 22 (FT) China’s Chongqing Airlines will resume its services to Colombo from 24 June with three weekly flights after a four year hiatus. The three services are on Monday, Wednesday and Friday with a stopover in Malč. As Chongqing is the largest commercial and industrial centre in Southwest China, more cultural, investment and tourism exchanges are expected to be brought to Sri Lanka via the scheduled three weekly services between Chongqing Jiangbei Int'l Airport & BIA. more..

May 22 (ST) Vesak Full Moon Poya will light up SL after subdued celebrations over the past couple of years due to the economic collapse.The Sunday Times observed more pandals being built in the Western Province. Preparations are also underway to decorate state institutes, private companies, and roadsides. Decorators said sponsors are providing money, but as the same businessmen are supporting others, more..

May 22 (Island) In a significant development for SL’s tourism and healthcare industries, a Russian investor has announced ambitious expansion plans, running into over Rs. 7 billion, following the success of the Palm Garden Ayurveda Resort, Group’s Consultant Dr. Sohan Fernando said. The Palm Garden Ayurveda Resort, a 6 million USD project, includes a separate spice garden which supplies produce for its dedicated Ayurveda center, spearheaded by the same investor. more..

May 22 (FT) In the world of sports, there are leaders, and then there are visionaries. Dian Gomes, a name synonymous with Sri Lankan boxing, embodies the latter. As he prepares to retire from his active role in boxing management and administration in Sri Lanka, the sporting world braces for the departure of a true icon. Dian will still remain as a Board Member of the 200 member nternational Boxing Association (IBA) and the Asian Boxing Confederation (ASBC) supporting Sri Lanka Boxing. more..

May 22 (TM) The chances of the country’s elite set of athletes to book a birth at the forthcoming Paris Olympics are fast receding judging by the timings recorded by a few of them in recent meets, but, this summation was disputed by the Secretary of SLA Saman Kumara Gunawardene. He sounded highly optimistic of at least four of the country’s elite athletes namely sprinters Yupun Abeykoon, Kalinga Kumarage, Aruna Darshana and javelin more..

May 22 (FT) Seylan Bank has announced the appointment of Justice Buwaneka Aluwihare, PC, who is set to assume the role of Chairman of the Board, effective from 29 May. The transition follows the retirement of the current Chairman, Ravi Dias, who will complete his nine-year tenure as a Director of the bank on 28 May, in accordance with the Banking Act Direction No. 11 of 2007 (Corporate Governance). Justice Aluwihare was appointed as an Independent, Non-Executive Director of more..

May 22 (DM) Commercial High Court has issued an enjoining order restraining singer Romaine Willis and Mass Ramli Miskin alias DJ Mass from performing, reproducing and distributing the songs titled Eh Yaye and Api Natamu.Colombo Commercial HC Judge Priyantha Fernando made this order after considering a plaint filed by popular artist and music performer Corrine Almeida under the Intellectual Property Act. Meanwhile, the Court further issued notice of injunction more..

May 22 (DM) New laws are being introduced to facilitate the use of uncultivated land for agricultural purposes as land is vital for social empowerment, State Minister for Social Empowerment Anupa Pasqual said today. The State Minister also said that the govt has decided to incorporate a Skills or Professional stream into the G.C.E O/L Exam syllabus to promote social empowerment. He made these remarks during a media briefing under the theme Collective Path to a Stable Country more..

May 22 (FT) Central Bank of SL launched the Financial Literacy Roadmap of SL, marking a significant step towards enhancing the financial capabilities of people. It said the Roadmap, a cornerstone of SL’s National Financial Inclusion Strategy (NFIS), offers evidence-based guidance to all stakeholders engaged in financial literacy initiatives, aligning them towards a common objective: improving the financial behaviour of Sri Lankans & bolstering their financial resilience. more..

May 22 (FT) FPC member and MP Prof. Charitha Herath expressed serious concerns about the Govt’s proposed Economic Transformation Bill, which is set to be tabled in parliament this week. Herath criticised the govt for attempting to enshrine the country’s fiscal policy into law through the proposed legislation. “No democratic country would take such a step. It’s as if they’re turning an election manifesto into law,” he said. more..

May 22 (FT) Top blue chip John Keells Holdings (JKH) reported a strong fourth quarter reflecting buoyancy though FY24 overall was lower than the previous year given the unprecedented challenges faced by the country. JKH said during the fourth quarter, the Group reported a strong performance across most businesses, with consumer foods, transportation and leisure, in particular, recording significant growth. The performance seen in most of the businesses is a reflection of the improving more..

May 22 (TM) A low-pressure area over the south-west Bay of Bengal is likely to move initially north-eastward and concentrate into a depression over the central parts of the Bay of Bengal by Friday (24), the Meteorology Dept said. Accordingly, strong winds accompanied by heavy rainfall and very rough seas are likely over the sea areas around the country and over the south-eastern Arabian Sea areas and south-western Bay of Bengal sea areas. Therefore, the naval and fishing communities in more..