May 3 (DN) SL top four athletes are gearing up to compete in the UAE athletic Grand Prix today (3) at the Dubai Police grounds. All four athletes Nadeesha Ramanayake, Gayanthika Abeyratne, Tharushi Karunaratne and Yupun Abeykoon are in good form while they will have to face difficult challenge at this event. Nadeesha Ramanayake the 400m athlete will compete at 7.15pm SL time while ace sprinter Yupun Abeykoon will run at 7.50 pm SL time. The promising middle distance athlete Tharushi Karunaratne more..

May 3 (EN) An outsourcing scheme for SL visas which has led to a steep increase in fees, replacing a previous quick electronic travel authorization process that had drawn widespread acclaim has run into a fresh controversy over visa denials. A viral video showed at irate SL citizens berating a private visa provider at the airport after his foreign companion was apparently denied a visa for entry by the company. SL’s visa fees went up steeply after the new company started charging more..

May 3 (DM) Patients seeking medical treatment at govt hospitals across the country are facing significant inconvenience due to a shortage of medicines, forcing them to seek alternatives in private pharmacies. The shortage has been particularly noticeable at the National Hospital Colombo, where patients have been compelled to purchase medications from private pharmacies, incurring additional expenses. more..

May 3 (DM) SL will have another round of talks with the representatives of the ad hoc group of bondholders soon, State Minister Shehan Semasinghe said. Minister said the exact dates for the conduct of talks in London had not yet been fixed. Last month, SL rejected international bondholders' proposal to restructure more than $12 billion in debt. It triggered concerns whether the critical IMF support and delaying its efforts to resolve a two-year-long debt crisis will be at risk. more..

May 3 (AD) US Ambassador to SL Julie Chung reaffirmed US commitment to aiding SL’s efforts in reducing prison overcrowding, streamline court automation, and enhance the overall effectiveness of judicial processes. She stated this following the donation of 35 video conferencing units and the opening of new facilities in Agunakolapalessa and Galle prisons, which she says will help ensure virtual proceedings improve prisoners’ access to legal services, speed up trials, and reduce more..

May 3 (FT) A top level Chinese business delegation led by China Association of Small & Medium Commercial Enterprises (CASMCE) President and Secretary Ren Xinglei met with the Board of Investment Chairman Dinesh Weerakkody and officials of the BOI and Port City Colombo last week to discuss investment opportunities in SL for infrastructure; e-commerce; EV assembly line, tourism infrastructure, manufacturing, charging stations; renewable energy, including more..

May 3 (DN) The Sri Lanka ‘A’ team will meet the Afghanistan ‘A’ team in their third unofficial ODI today. Sri Lanka ‘A’ currently holds a 2-0 series lead and is expected to field a new-look side for this game. Five new players have been added to the Sri Lanka ‘A’ squad, while five players, including skipper Sahan Arachchige and deputy skipper Nuwanidu Fernando, have returned to Colombo to participate in the T20 series at R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium. more..

May 3 (FT) Planters’ Association of Ceylon confirmed its intention to file objections to proposed wage hike within the designated timeframe set by the Labour Commissioner. The move comes in response to widespread media coverage following Gazette No. 2382/04 published on 30 April about proposed wage increases for tea growing and manufacturing trade and rubber and raw rubber manufacturing trade and subsequent remarks more..

May 3 (DM) Professor Nalin de Silva, a prominent figure in the realms of philosophy, academia and diplomacy passed away at the age of 79. Known for his multifaceted career, de Silva left a lasting impact on SL's intellectual landscape. With a background in academia, de Silva served as a professor in the Dept of Mathematics and later as the Dean of the Faculty of Science at the Uni of Kelaniya. His contributions to education extended beyond the classroom as he also held positions of more..

May 3 (FT) Amid allegations regarding the outsourced visa application process, Govt Information Dept issued a statement clarifying the situation. According to the Dept, the responsibility for on arrival visa applications was awarded to VFS Global – a company operating in 151 countries and has 3,388 centres worldwide, following a thorough assessment and approval by the Cabinet of Ministers on 11 Sept 2023. The proposal presented by Minister Tiran Alles was approved by more..

May 3 (FT) SL Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO) has called on Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe to intervene and reinstate a competitive and user-friendly visa process through a Govt-operated website, similar to the previous Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system to enable a tourist to obtain the necessary 30-days, single entry visa, with ease. In a letter addressed to Prez Wickremesinghe by SLAITO President Nishad Wijetunga on 29 April, they insist on more..

May 3 (Island) A tense situation prevailed at the BIA on Wednesday night, with visitors having to wait in queues for hours to obtain arrival visas because a foreign-owned company had been tasked with handling the on-arrival visa counter. SL govt introduced the on arrival visa facility in 2012 and it was administered by the Dept of Immigration and Emigration. A visitor from a SAARC country had to pay US$ 20 for a 30-day standard tourist visa while a visitor from a non-SAARC country more..

May 3 (TM) Justice Robert Andrew Bright, in the London High Court (HC), has ruled that a claim against the London Protection and Indemnity (P & I) Club over the sinking of the MV X Press Pearl off the coast of SL must be heard in the UK. The London Club successfully argued that the case brought by cargo interests in Sri Lanka should be halted and arbitration be brought to London. The first to fifth defendants, SL Company Trico more..

May 3 (CT) T Indian High Commission in Colombo yesterday refuted claims that the companies mentioned in reports regarding the operation of on-arrival visa services, or the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) facilities, at the BIA are Indian-based or affiliated to India. They emphasised that any association with India in this matter is unjustified. The clarification follows an incident reported at the airport, a few days ago, where a SL national criticised the new e-visa system. more..

May 3 (CT) A confrontational situation arose in front of the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court yesterday (2). A group of directors of Onmax DT, who are accused of defrauding the public by running a fraudulent financial institution, were confronted by a group of victims caught in the fraud. The case was called before the Court yesterday morning, and a large number of people, affected by the fraud, gathered inside and outside the Court to witness the proceedings. After the hearing, more..

May 3 (FT) The Govt and the Ministry of Public Security came under heavy criticism yesterday for outsourcing the visa system supervised by the Dept of Immigration and Emigration (DIE) after rejecting a virtually free and well-functioning platform provided by SLT-Mobitel. Sources said there was a Cabinet Decision made in July 2021 approving Mobitel’s proposal submitted to DIE to revamp the existing system along with the infrastructure at a cost more..

May 3 (DM) Player Auction of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2024 will be conducted on May 21, at the Hotel Shangri-La, Colombo starting at noon. This is the second consecutive year that the LPL, which is growing in strength and popularity, is conducting a player auction. During the initial three editions, the players were picked by a player draft. Every team has the option of having a maximum of 24 and a minimum of 20 players in a squad while each squad should consist of six overseas players. more..

May 3 (FT) In the past two years, the United States Congress, that is the combined Senate and House of Representatives, have been regularly summoning and interrogating the representatives and heads of some of the world’s biggest and most powerful corporations. Actual chairpersons of massive, globalised companies, whose brand names are familiar to anyone using a smartphone, were grilled in an unusually hostile manner by top US politicos, often in sessions telecast live to the world. more..

May 3 (FT) The protracted struggle by Sri Lankan Tamils to achieve justice and equality in the island has brought into prominence several colourful and controversial personalities. Among such persons was a Tamil nationalist political activist who adopted the nom de plume Eelaventhan meaning King of Eelam. Eelaventhan whose real name was M.K. Kanakenthran was active in Tamil politics for over seven decades. He served as a MP in Sri Lanka from 2004 to 2007. more..

May 3 (EN) State-run SriLankan Airlines which is listed to be sold to private sector apologized for flight delay to London and the return aircraft on May 1 citing that the delay was due to safety and well-being of its passengers. The Airlines said its flight UL 503 bound to London with 272 passengers on May 1 was diverted to Vienna international airport in Austria due to a medical emergency involving a passenger who required urgent medical attention. Later the same flight flight experienced a delay more..

May 3 (DM) Tourism stakeholders said SL now has the highest visa costs in Asia, creating a significant barrier for tourists compared to competing destinations like Thailand, Vietnam and many others that offer free visas or charge much lower fees. In a letter to Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe, they urged him to intervene and restore a competitive and user-friendly visa process through a govt-operated website, similar to the previous more..

May 3 (EN) Laugfs Gas will cut liquefied gas (LP Gas) prices with effect from midnight May 3, corresponding with a drop in prices globally, and the appreciation of the rupee, Laugfs Gas CEO Niroshan J Peiris said. The price of a 12.5 kilogram cylinder would be cut to 3,840 rupees from 4,115 rupees by 275 rupees. The 5 kg cylinder would be cut by 110 rupees to 1,542 rupees from 1,652 rupees. “Gas prices have come down in the globally, and the rupee has appreciated, more..

May 3 (DM) Ports, Shipping and Aviation Ministry has decided to accelerate plans for the development of the Port of Galle into a tourist port. The decision was announced during a special meeting at the Ministry due to delays in the construction at the Galle Port and due to ineffective measures in addressing environmental and wildlife issues. The plans entail the construction of two backwaters, measuring 850m and 150m respectively. Additionally, the harbour basin will be more..

May 3 (EN) Sri Lanka will remove controversial minimum room rates imposed on hotels from May 2024, and allow competition to return to the industry, Tourism Minister Harin Fernando said. “There is good news, we are taking out the minimum room rate from the 30th of this month,” Minister Fernando told reporters on Friday. “I think the market forces have to run. That’s what we believe in also, but there was a reason that this was. more..

May 3 (FT) Four trade unions aligned with the SJB presented a series of proposals to coincide with May Day celebrations held on Wednesday in a bid to further labour rights in SL. Samagi Sewaka Sangamaya (SSS) highlighted the unbearable tax burden levied on the people by the Govt amidst the current economic crisis and demanded it be revised to 2021 tax rates. The union also called on the Govt to halt the sale of profit making State enterprises to cronies and to instead establish more..

May 3 (EN) State-run Litro Gas was cutting liquefied gas (LP Gas) prices with effect from midnight of May 03, with an appreciation of the rupee fully passed to customers, Chairman Muditha Pieris said. The price of a 12.5 kilogram cylinder would be cut to 3,940 rupees from 4,115 rupees by 175 rupees. The 5 kg cylinder would be cut to 1,582 rupees from 1,652 rupees. The 2.3 kg cylinder would be cut to 740 rupees from 772. World LP gas prices have moved up and down in recent months, more..

May 3 (CT) Medical Specialists urged parents to refrain from sending their young children to school, day care centres or Montessori if they showed symptoms of the contagious hand- foot and mouth disease (HFM Disease) which was seen spreading amongst paediatric cases from March 2024 to date. Paediatric Consultant, Dr. Deepal Perera yesterday (2) said that there had been an increase in young patients with HFM disease caused by the coxsackie virus since March this year. more..

May 3 (CI) South Africa will host SL and Pakistan's men's teams and England's women's team in the 2024-25 summer for a total of 17 international fixtures, including five Tests, between November and January. The men's Test series form part of the World Test Championship and will be played in Durban and Gqeberha (SL), and Centurion and Cape Town (Pakistan), which leaves the country's biggest venue - the Wanderers in Johannesburg - without a Test for 2nd summer in succession. more..

May 3 (Island) Former Environment Minister Nazeer Ahamed who lost his Batticaloa district seat six months ago as a result of a landmark Supreme Court decision was yesterday appointed as Governor of the North Western Province. One-time SLMC stalwart received the latest appointment courtesy the Wickremesinghe-Rajapakasa govt. Ahamed received his letter of appointment from Prez Wickremesinghe more..

May 3 (AD) Sports Minister Harin Fernando has signed a regulation today (03) in a move to depoliticise sports in Sri Lanka. The regulation No. 01 of 2024 empowers the Director General of Sports to take action on 73 registered National Sports Associations, when necessary, the Ministry of Sports said. Additionally, the Sports Minister has also appointed an ombudsman to listen to the grievances of all sectors in sports and guide them for the betterment of the country’s sports. more..

May 3 (AD) Former Prez Maithripala Sirisena has appeared before the CID in order to record a statement today. Sources said that Sirisena recorded a statement for two hours at the CID, regarding the Easter Sunday terror attacks. CID had previously obtained a five-hour-long statement from the former Prez on March 25, after Minister Tiran Alles ordered an immediate investigation pertaining to his comments regarding the Easter Attacks’ culprits that raised eyebrows. more..

May 3 (CT) In an alarming trend, recent nutrition-related indicators underscore a disconcerting and worsening nutritional status in the country, particularly among children and women. This trend persists amidst existing socioeconomic challenges, disproportionately affecting vulnerable groups, according to a report by the CB. Although the Government continued to provide child nutrition services during the year with more..

May 3 (DM) Forty four Sri Lankans who were in different prisons across the UAE have been pardoned by a Royal order, the Embassy of SL in Abu Dhabi said. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the UAE has formally conveyed to the Embassy of SL in Abu Dhabi that these SL prisoners received pardons by the Royal order on the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan, April 2024. These 44 Sri Lankans who have received the Royal pardon will be repatriated to SL by Govt of the UAE in due course. more..

May 3 (DM) Former cricket captain and former Minister Arjuna Ranatunga refuted reports that he had joined the SJB though he appeared in a May Day rally in Talawakale which Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa had attended. "MP Palani Digambaram invited me to the May Day rally in Talawakale which was organized by his party. It was not organised by the SJB. I have not joined the SJB," he said. "However, I admire Premadasa as he has made an effort to eradicate corruption more..

May 3 (Island) A two-day sick leave campaign launched by the Govt Executive Officers yesterday brought a number of state services to a standstill.The Joint Committee of Govt Executive Officers called for this campaign based on several demands including issues with their salaries. Executive officers in engineering, health, education, agriculture and several other sectors joined the sick leave campaign. President of the Joint Committee K.L. Udayasiri said that ad-hoc decisions more..