May 8 (ST) Disregarding the recommendation made by National Rugby Selection Committee, headed by Ashoka Jayasena, to appoint former star flyhalf and present Kandy Sports Club coach, Fazil Marija as the Head Coach of the Men�s 7s team for the upcoming Commonwealth Games, it is reported that Competent Authority had already made a decision to appoint Nilfer Ibrahim as Head Coach of the touring party. With Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR) being annulled through Special Gazette Notification on Apr1 more..

May 8 (Island) Bocuse d�Or Sri Lanka and Dilmah have collaborated since the inception of the prestigious, global challenge in Sri Lanka, to inspire Sri Lankans with culinary ambition while exploring the potential for SL cuisine in the 21st Century. With two young Sri Lankan Chefs winning Bocuse d�Or Sri Lanka 2022 and going on to represent Sri Lanka in the Asian finals, our island�s human and culinary potential were evident in abundance in the passion and commitment of each of the contestants. more..

May 8 (TM) The Ministry of Public Security yesterday clarified that the new riot control vehicles seen at the Hambantota Port were imported to be sent for a UN Peacekeeping mission in Africa. Photographs of the imported riot control vehicles � supposedly from India � went viral on social media with questions being posed on the importation of such vehicles when the country is facing shortages of medicines, fuel, LPG, and other essentials. more..

May 8 (TM) The Govt yesterday (7) asserted that a new variant of tear gas canisters currently being used to disperse protests had been ordered several years earlier. Ministry of Public Security Secretary Maj. Gen. (Retd.) Jagath Alwis told The Sunday Morning that the tear gas canisters which were now being used had been ordered in 2019. �I�m not certain of the exact date but they were bought in 2019,� Alwis said, adding that the procurement process for such devices took time. more..

May 8 (ST) Agitation at the factories disrupting export orders is the latest addition to the litany of grievances faced by manufacturers at the free trade zones as buyers pull more and more orders out of SL. Amidst the resurgence of electricity interruptions fuelled by a lack of fuel to power generators, the zones are facing an impending crisis as it is learnt that manufacturers have stated at the National Labour Advisory Council (NLAC) meeting on Thursday that ongoing crisis has impacted more..

May 8 (TM) Finance Ministry is stepping up to finalise the controversial $ 250 million power deal with the US energy company New Fortress Energy (NFE) Inc. The move comes in the wake of national foreign currency reserves plummeting to critical levels and as the Legislature scrambles to restore political stability in the country. It is reliably learnt that the Ministry had requested the CEB last Friday to provide estimates for more..

May 8 (SO) The Boxing Association of SL (BASL) is up in arms over attempts to manipulate the selection of boxers for the forthcoming Commonwealth Games by officials with vested interests to promote a pugilist who made his professional boxing debut in a tournament held in Dubai this year. The boxer concerned Niraj Wijewardena was ironically the last choice in the priority list of eight male boxers made by the national boxing selection committee after the final selection trial was conducted by BASL. more..

May 8 (TM) Recommencement of int'l flight operations at Colombo International Airport, Ratmalana (CIAR) is expected to be delayed until further notice, following the recent decision by the national airline of the Maldives � Maldivian � to suspend its scheduled flights to Ratmalana indefinitely until the current situation in the country improves. Airport and Aviation Services SL (AASL) Chairman G.A. Chandrasiri admitted that Maldivian, operated & owned by Island Aviation Services more..

May 8 (SO) CB Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe said Finance Ministry will publish a gazette shortly to ban open account imports that spurs demand for unofficial channels such as Hawala and Undial systems and promote transactions through the formal banking sector under the Import Export Control Act. The regulator hopes that after the ban comes into effect the demand for informal channels will wane and transactions would be done through the formal channels. more..

May 8 (ST) SL banks are struggling to secure dollar funding lines amidst the crippling forex crunch in the country and a junk rating. At least six banks said the funding lines by Development Financial Institutions (DFIs) have dried up or these institutions are waiting on the sidelines to make a commitment after the intended bailout from the IMF. When the govt is downgraded to default grade, the banks in the country are also automatically put in the same grade as they cannot get a better rating more..

May 8 (TM) The proposed 21st Amendment Bill presented to Parliament by the SJB was gazetted last Friday. The gazetting of the proposed 21st Amendment to the Constitution has now put into motion the moves to repeal the controversial 20th Amendment and revert to an advanced form of the previous 19th Amendment, as well as the abolition of the Executive Presidency. Once the Bill is gazetted, it could be tabled more..

May 8 (ST) Fuel and gas shortages have triggered several protests in Colombo and outstation ciites yesterday, holding up traffic for several hours. At Armour Street in Colombo, one such protest was continuing past midnight blocking the Colombo-Negombo route and forcing motorists to use other routes. The protesters said they resorted to such action after they had waited in hope for domestic gas for several days, believing the dealer�s daily promise that the supplies would arrive today. more..

May 8 (EN) SL�s main opposition SJB said it will support a program backed by the top lawyers organization while other parties said they will support a no confidence it the party was willing to take over the govt. SLFP of ex-Prez Maithripala Sirisena following a meeting with ten other independent group said they will support a no-confidence motion submitted by SJB as long as the party was willing to take over the reins. �We can support the no-confidence,� more..

May 8 (ST) It was late Friday afternoon when a cabinet minister hurriedly telephoned Prez Rajapaksa who was at Janadipathi Mandiraya. Conversation centered on the token general strike that day. It paralyzed transport services, shut down schools, business establishments and brought civilian life to a standstill. �This is causing more serious damage to the economy. Can you allow this to continue?� minister asked. more..

May 9 (DM) Our country is wrestling with its worst economic crisis since Independence in 1948. Presently foreign currency reserves sit at their lowest level on record due to what many see as gross economic mismanagement and corruption by Government, resulting in a dire financial crisis on multiple fronts, triggered partially by the impact of Covid-19, which battered the economy, as well as mounting foreign debts. At the same time, we are facing a political; crisis on a scale never more..

May 9 (DM) Sri Lanka�s current political and economic turmoil is the the culmination of many political and economic misadventures by its political elite backed by a bureaucratic elite which had no strategic vision of the future driven by myopic short-term greed. Yet, its current catalyst was the triple energy crisis of scarcity and price hikes of domestic cooking gas, fuel for vehicles and unprecedented power cuts that brought the country to its knees and brought the people to the streets. more..

May 9 (DM) The worst is yet to come, as hyperinflation has not yet affected SL and the present crisis could escalate into one where people will be unable to afford even two meals per day, UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe said, adding that there is no purpose in crying over spilt milk but Parliament should investigate who is responsible for the present catastrophe. Wickremesinghe expressed these views at an interview, where he focused on more..

May 9 (ST) Bright smiles of determined young Sri Lankans contrast starkly with the tear gas and water cannons used by the police this Friday to smash tents and scatter protestors outside the newly established HoruGoGama (thieves, get out) on the road to Parliament. On the one side, there is youth, optimism and hope. On the other side, there is the threatening paraphernalia of the State. As the Speaker fluttered and flapped his hands in response to remonstrations of the Opposition that more..

May 9 (CT) A month has gone by since public agitation was initially levelled against the incumbent President and Govt. Although the demands of the protesters are loud and clear and have been heard by those they are directed at, they have been conveniently ignored. While those in power tend to believe that the only real solution to the ongoing economic crisis is to declare a State of Emergency or to prioritise appointment of a Deputy Speaker to Parliament, professionals have come forward more..

May 9 (CT) Sri Lankans are spending more hours in long queues than at home; buying fuel, gas and many other essential commodities. Adding to these problems, it is reported that funeral parlours are running short of coffins. The era of burying the dead wrapped in shrouds might not be far off when we take a closer look at the situation. Coffin manufacturers lament that there is not enough fuel to operate their machines due to the fuel more..

May 9 (CT) One doctor�s refusal to treat a politician has stirred a hornets� nest of opposing opinions. Has he done the right thing or not? On one hand, a majority professionals are supporting the change in governance with the youth leading the way. They are desperate since the govt party politicians and other affiliated parties are preventing the anticipated change coming from their public outcry with irrational arguments including alleged bribery in US$! One of the salient features is the sustained more..

May 9 (TM) Far removed from the sturm und drang (German for storm and stress) of the environs outside the immediate vicinity of that unholy sanctum on the Diyawanna, signified by the latest feat of town and country planning and related urban development in the form of the HoruGoGama (Thieves Go Home Village), there is calm in the House of the Speaker, barricaded as it is against the people, whose sovereign legislative power it wields. This calm belies terror. more..

May 9 (ST) Any thoughts that a stronger and more united Opposition would emerge in Parliament on the back of month-long street protests against the Govt were swept aside on Thursday during the election for the post of Deputy Speaker. By the end of the vote, different Opposition groups were accusing each other of betrayal as the Govt enjoyed a tactical victory. The election for the Deputy Speaker post was always going to be a crucial test in terms of numbers for Govt & Opposition, more..

May 9 (DM) The political messages coming from the Gogotagama (Go Gota Village) at Colombo�s seafront Galle Face grounds and other protest sites are simple, yet sharp. They are unorthodox and uncompromising too. The slogans and demands are also formulated in a refreshingly new political idiom, causing many an eyebrow to raise among the old school political activists. Which political party in the opposition --mainstream or radical � could have popularised overnight the most daring and more..

May 9 (FT) A large number of supporters of PM Rajapaksa are expected to gather outside his official residence Temple Trees this morning amidst reports that he will hand in his resignation today. Members of local authorities led by the SLLP as well as trade unionists affiliated to the party who met with the PM on Saturday pledged to bring their supporters to urge him not to resign, but the PM is expected to announce that more..

May 9 (Island) The SJB is reported to have agreed to help implement the solution proposed by the Bar Association of SL (BASL) to the present crisis. It is expected to support the proposed interim administration, and modalities are being discussed, we are told. This certainly is good news. Whether the SJB will accept any positions in the administration to be formed remains to be seen. Solutions to the current economic and political crises must be found strictly within the framework of more..

May 9 (Island) Thursday�s farcical re-election of Ranjith Siyambalapitiya as the Deputy Speaker of the incumbent Parliament is a clear demonstration, if any is needed, that it�s business as usual in the SL Parliament. This despite the revolutionary fervor of the people outside that first the Rajapaksas, aiya and malli, and thereafter the other clansmen must go. ITAK MP, Shanakiyan Rasamanickam, put it neatly. He said that the 65 Members who voted for Imthiaz Bakeer Markar represented people. more..

May 9 (DN) SL cricket team left for Bangladesh to take part in the two-Test match cricket series which will commence from May 15 in Chittagong, Bangladesh. Two Test matches are more important as part of the ICC Test Cricket Championship and both teams are getting ready to take this challenge. The selection committee headed by Promodya Wickramasinghe has selected a 18-member Test squad for this series. more..

May 9 (DN) Finnish-based serial entrepreneur Serviceform CEO, Iranthi Gomes, who made history by becoming the first-ever Sri Lankan to enter Forbes� 30U30 list for Europe in 2022, plans to recruit SL employees to reach out to Asian software markets. Gomes, who�s originally from Sri Lanka and now living in Finland, co-founded Serviceform alongside her life and business partner Jarkko Oksanen in 2018 with a team of 30 people. Within five months, the team has now grown to more..

May 9 (Island) For more than two years, school children had suffered as there had been little basketball due to the pandemic. But when all restrictions were lifted and the sport resumed, the teams put up a grand show. The knockout stages of the game was shifted to Sugathadasa Indoor stadium to give schoolboys and girls a flavour of international basketball and there were some tight games that were witnessed yesterday with some of them keeping you in the edge of your seat. more..

May 9 (EN) Sri Lanka�s central bank has ordered banks not to declare dividends and foreign banks not to repatriate profits until 2022 financial accounts are finalized and audited as an economic crisis impacts banks. �Every licensed bank incorporated or established in Sri Lanka shall defer payment of cash dividends until the financial statements/interim for the year 2022 are finalized and audited by its External Auditor,� the direction issued by the regulator said. more..

May 9 (FT) SJB MP Imthiaz Bakeer Markar urged Sri Lankans must unite to forge democratic and sustainable solutions to the prevailing political and economic crisis, and stressed the country cannot afford to shape change or elect leaders off the streets and these must happen within democratic representative frameworks. MP said the Galle Face protests had started out as a public movement to strengthen democratic frameworks, but some groups have attempted to hijack it and align more..

May 9 (Island) Chairperson of the Human Rights Commission, Justice Rohini Marasinghe, has sought an explanation from Defence Secretary, General Kamal Gunaratne, IGP C.D. Wickremaratne and Secretary to the Prez, Gamini Senarath, against the backdrop of trade unions affiliated to political parties and civil society groups, challenging the govt over the declaration of emergency with effect from midnight May 7, more..

May 9 (AD) Showers or thundershowers are expected at times in Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central and North-western provinces and in Galle and Matara districts. Fairly heavy showers above 50 mm will be experienced at some places in these areas. Several spells of showers will occur in Northern Province and A'pura District. Showers or thundershowers may occur at a few places in Uva and Eastern provinces during the evening or night. Winds speed can increase up to 40-50 kmph more..

May 9 (Island) Technipreneurs Lanka, which is co-funded by W�rth Lanka and German Development Bank DEG/KfW, and implemented by Nucleus Foundation, is a project that focuses on enhancing professionalism and entrepreneurship among SL craftsmen. Project intends to create skilled and economically independent craftsmen for SL. The graduation ceremony held on 05 May 2022 recognized the efforts of 27 students who had successfully completed the Technipreneurs more..

May 9 (MC) When SL PM Mahinda Rajapaksa stepped out for a public outing on Sunday, he was greeted with boos and heckles. This was his first outing since nationwide protests erupted demanding his ruling family resign over the worsening economic crisis. Rajapaksa was visiting one of the holiest Buddhist temples in A'pura which houses a reputedly 2,300-year-old tree. Dozens of protesters carried placards more..

May 9 (SLN) A successful operation led by SL Navy in coordination with the Police Narcotics Bureau in international waters south of Sri Lanka, led to the seizure of about 240kg of narcotics suspected to be heroin and apprehension of 07 foreign nationals, on 05th May 2022. Based on information received by the Sri Lanka Navy, the coordinated operation was carried out by the Offshore Patrol Vessel SLNS Sayurala by surveillance nearly three weeks in international waters. more..