May 24 (TM) A special investigation has been commenced into the death of a burn injury patient being treated at the National Hospital in Colombo following the administration of an antibiotic injection. The 31-year-old male in question had been receiving treatment in ward 17 where he had been given the antibiotic drug Cefuroxime. He had died afterwards. Senior Hospital administrator Dr. Kumara Wickramasinghe had told Ada Derana upon inquiry that a special probe has been commenced more..

May 24 (Island) By the 6th century BC, the centre of Indian civilisation had shifted to the Ganges Valley. Social and economic conditions had made possible the rise of several religions which posed as alternatives to Brahmanism. By the end of the 5th century BC, the number of these sects had come down. Among those that survived were Jainism and Buddhism. Gangetic Basin soon became the centre of the second urbanisation of ancient India, following Indus Valley phase from 3300 to 1800 BC. more..

May 24 (TM) The videos showing local vendors in Kalutara and Colombo trying to rip-off foreign tourists brought to the surface a topic that had been forgotten, yet requires attention, in connection with tourism in the present economic climate. Charging Rs. 800 for an ulundu wade and a plain tea, and trying to charge Rs. 1,900 for a kottu, which the videos showed, are merely the tip of the iceberg. more..

May 24 (Island) Buddhism is a spiritual tradition that finds its genesis in the teachings of Buddha, also known as Siddhartha Gautama who was born in 653 B.C. in Lumbini Nepal. Buddhism is a vast religious, philosophical tradition with a history that stretches over 2600 years and is being followed by more than 500 million followers worldwide. Today, Buddhism is one of the major religions in the world that guides its followers toward spiritual enlightenment and liberation from suffering. more..

May 24 (CT) Sudath Mahaadivulwewa, a renowned Sri Lankan producer, has released his latest film, My Red Comrade. This experimental and politically charged film debates the old and modern views of revolution, emphasising a simpler, childlike perspective. Using a Native American fable about a wolf, the film critiques capitalism�s destructive impact on the environment and human beings, questioning the social and political issues arising from such an inequitable system. more..

May 24 (EN) Cabinet of ministers had given approval to develop grid scale battery energy storage systems (BESS) to maintain power system stability as variable renewable power plants expand. SL is expecting to connect large volumes solar and wind power between 2024-2030 to meet a 70% renewable electricity target, but due to variability of wind and solar (non-firm energy), the system stability is undermined. As a result, the power grid has to be able to absorb shocks from non-firm energy. more..

May 24 (EN) SL will extend the CHEC Port City Colombo (Pvt) Ltd project completion date by 2 years, minister Bandula Gunawardena said. The then Ministry of Megapolis and Western Development, UDA and CHEC Port City Colombo Ltd signed a tripartite agreement in 2016 with a target completion date of June 5, 2025. However, due to the pandemic, and the project company�s financial constraints and inability to generate sufficient revenue to meet obligations to more..

May 24 (CI) Lanka Premier League organisers have said they are in the final stages of confirming the new ownership of the Dambulla franchise, a day after Dambulla Thunders co-owner Tamim Rahman was arrested. As a result of the arrest, under Sri Lanka's Prevention of Offences Related to Sports Act, the Thunders franchise was terminated by SLC and the IPG group (which runs the tournament), on Wednesday. more..

May 24 (TM) Former CID Director, retired SSP Shani Abeysekara recently reminisced the challenges that he faced as a Police officer, and said that despite not having a proper case against him in a SL Court, he spent over 10 months in prison. He spoke about the legal proceedings against him, his service as a Police officer, and also about the controversial case involving Dr. Shafi Shihabdeen (of alleged forced sterilisations which turned out to be a hoax and a witch hunt) during a policy dialogue more..

May 24 (PMD) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe underscored the significance of Theravada Buddhism in addressing the challenges posed by a world rapidly advancing in science and technology. Speaking at the State Vesak Ceremony held at the Dharmaraja Piriven Viharaya in Matale virtually this morning (23), Prez stressed the importance of preserving the true essence of Theravada Buddhism and sharing its wisdom with the world. Although Prez Wickremesinghe was scheduled to participate more..

May 24 (Island) Asian Relay gold medallist Kalinga Kumarage has climbed up the Road to Paris 24 Olympic rankings following back to back competitions in Japan according to the latest rankings published by World Athletics. Kumarage has overtaken Aruna Dharshana to take the 49th position in the Road to Paris 24 Olympic ranking. With the top 48 athletes in this ranking being selected for quadrennial event in Paris, more..

May 24 (IE) The ATS had found three pistols and 20 cartridges at Nana Chiloda, allegedly linked to the operatives who were purportedly instructed to collect the arms and then stay at a normal, low profile, budget hotel by their handler, one person identified as Abu. Two days after arresting four Sri Lankan nationals suspected to be ISIS operatives, Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) Wednesday said that all the accused have been previously booked in gold and drug smuggling cases. more..

May 24 (DM) At least 20 trees in the Colombo city had fallen due to inclement weather conditions that prevailed during the past few days. These trees that are located along the streets and at the Viharamahadevi Park due to gushing winds. One tree along Maitland Crescent fell last morning but was cleared by evening while one tree near Sirimavo Bandaranaike Mawatha and one near Borella Kanatte and few within the park had come down during the past few days. more..

May 24 (TMD) The Vesak festival is a profoundly sacred day for Buddhists worldwide, commemorating the Buddha�s birth, enlightenment, and passing. Buddhists in SL, along with their brethren around the globe, celebrate Vesak with deep devotion. They spend this period engaging in religious observances and venerating the Buddha with fervent devotion. At this challenging moment, we as a nation should cultivate the same great zeal for enlightenment that Buddha exemplified, more..

May 24 (Island) India is exploring ways and means of acquiring Sri Lanka�s graphite mines, the Indian media has reported, adding that New Delhi and Colombo have had talks in this regard, but they are still at a preliminary stage. These reports have come close on the heels of SLPP leader and former President Mahinda Rajapaksa�s media statement calling for a halt to the govt�s divestiture drive on the grounds that the current administration is only an interim arrangement. more..

May 24 (TM) In the wake of allegations being levelled regarding the sale of liquor permits given to MPs at a large price, Excise Dept stated that it will take measures to suspend those liquor licences if any such matter is identified by the Department. It was reported that a number of MPs in both the Govt and the Opposition have requested liquor permits, which are alleged to be sold later for amounts as large as Rs 50 m. more..

May 24 (EN) SL is planning a golf course in Chilaw as part of an overall strategy to develop a tourism hub in the Chilaw-Iranawila area, minister Bandula Gunawardana said. �Iranawila and Chilaw will be developed as a tourism hub,� he said. �A golf course is also planned for Chilaw.� SL already has several golf course in Colombo, Kandy and Nuwara Eliya. SL has five 18-hole golf courses and several 9-hole golf courses and is currently promoting itself as a destination for golf tourism. more..

May 24 (CB) Just days before Canada are due to begin their T20 World Cup campaign, head coach Pubudu Dassanayeke has been dismissed from his role as head coach, which he had held for the past two years. A former SL and Canada international, Dassanayeke returned for a second stint as coach of Canada in July of 2022, having previously coached Nepal (twice), and US. Since taking on the role again, Dassanayeke successfully took Canada through the Americas T20 Regional Final more..

May 24 (DM) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe has no plans to amend the Constitution to extend his term of office or hold a snap general election as reported, Minister Bandula Gunawardana said. He said that there has been turbulence in the share market due to statements made by various factions last week that a snap general election would be held before the presidential election. He said the Prez clearly stated that the prez election would be held this year as per the Constitution and more..

May 24 (CT) Adverse weather has impacted 67,865 persons from 17,325 families spread across thirteen districts. Tragically, two deaths have been recorded. The affected districts include Ratnapura, Colombo, Kegalle, Anuradhapura, Kandy, Galle, Jaffna, Kalutara, Matara, Puttalam, Kurunegala, Hambantota and Gampaha. Moreover, 410 houses have suffered partial damage due to these weather conditions. In light of the prevailing adverse weather conditions, Dept of Meteorology has issued more..

May 24 (Island) The Cabinet has announced a significant advancement in the privatisation process of Sri Lankan Airlines, a press release issued by Kanchana Kodituwakku, Director-Group Communications at Supreme Global Holdings indicates. The press release indicates that the Cabinet has narrowed down the field of potential acquirers to three contenders from the initial six bidders. They are namely; more..

May 24 (DN) Due to inclement weather, CEB has reported over 36,900 breakdowns resulting in power interruptions to more than 300,000 consumers throughout the country in the last three days. Minister Kanchana Wijesekera said that additional service staff, apart from the general staff, have been assigned to attend to the breakdowns. CEB management and service staff are working 24 hours to restore power supply promptly to the affected consumers owing to the inclement weather. more..

May 24 (DM) A number of leading NGOs funded by various foreign sources for projects such as gender rights, human rights and democratic governance have been registered only as guaranteed companies under the registrar of Companies leaving the National NGO Secretariat in the lurch in having a check on their expenses and activities, a top source said. NGOs registered with the Secretariat received as much as Rs.33 billion in funding last year. Even a bigger amount should have been spent by more..

May 24 (TM) IMF warns that proposed New York (NY) legislation on adding legality to debt restructuring would risk complicating and prolonging debt restructurings in countries such as SL. Accordingly, the bill which the lawmakers in New York are pushing to change the way sovereign debt overhauls are carried out after a country defaults, would introduce significant uncertainty into the existing debt restructuring architecture, more..

May 25 (DM) A single pivotal moment or a well-made point can indeed have a significant impact on the outcome of a presidential campaign during a debate. Such moments can either propel a candidate forward or derail their entire campaign. A well-articulated argument or a memorable retort can sway undecided voters, garner media attention, and shape public perception. Conversely, a slip-up, blunder, or an off-color remark can damage a candidate�s credibility, erode public trust, more..

May 25 (CT) In the heart of SL, the vibrant festival of Vesak resonates with a unique blend of devotion and celebration. As Sri Lankans come together to commemorate the Birth, Enlightenment and Parinirvana of the Great Teacher, the Buddha, the essence of Vesak transcends mere rituals; it embodies the spirit of compassion, generosity and unity. Traditionally, the observance of Vesak in SL holds profound spiritual significance. It is a time when devotees reflect on the life & teachings more..

May 25 (TM) The forthcoming Cyber Security Bill has stirred concerns among local IT experts due to the frequent reference to the Defence Cyber Command Act of 2023 throughout the document, the details of which remain undisclosed to the public. Section 2(e) of the draft bill, which has yet to be officially gazetted, outlines one of the objectives as ensuring effective coordination and collaboration with Defence Cyber Command more..

May 25 (CT) The Head of Emerging Market Economies Johanna Chua, when commenting recently on SL�s emerging economic stability under IMF direction made a crucial point that people should feel the stability after paying a heavy price for it. But she failed to identify those people she was referring to. IMF being an institution created by and for the affluent never cared for the poor and downtrodden. It is a class biased institution predominantly interested in maintaining more..

May 25 (DM) Each year in April, the JVP marks its first armed insurrection against the govt in 1971, as April Heroes Commemoration Day. Second JVP insurrection is memorialised by way of the November Heroes commemoration marking the death of JVP founder and leader Rohana Wijeweera in 1989. Wijeweera led two rebellions, one in 1971 and a second in 1989. Thousands of young Sinhalese men and women died in the two insurgencies led by the then-JVP leader. more..

May 25 (TM) The deviation from the initial conditions set forth by the Govt when deciding to further liberalise the petroleum sector two years ago has caused the State-owned Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) to incur losses. Three new petroleum sector players � Sinopec, RM Parks, and United Petroleum � were initially supposed to pay the Govt of Sri Lanka a total of 1% of their total monthly income as a royalty payment. more..

May 25 (Island) The transparency of election funds collected by political parties is a critical aspect of democratic governance, ensuring that electoral processes are fair, free from corruption, and reflect the true will of the people. Today I am trying to explore the significance of transparency in political financing, examining examples from around the world to highlight diverse approaches and their impacts on democracy. Regarding the situation in SL, Transparency International reported more..

May 25 (TM) 15 years have passed since the end of SL�s brutal civil war, which lasted for about 30 years. None of the main political problems have been resolved. Country is not progressing economically either. Instead, we saw that all the problems worsened and the country reached a state of chaos and bankruptcy. A large part of the southern Sinhalese polity does not seem to think that there is a pressing need to find a negotiated political solution to the national ethnic problem that has torn more..

May 25 (CT) Until the Election Commission announced that General Elections may precede the mandated Prez poll this year, no one from the majority SLPP in Parliament denied news reports that the Party wanted the former ahead of the latter. Now when that report appears, you have SLPP General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam telling the world that they never ever pressured Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe to hold Parliamentary polls first. Either the two stakeholders have arrived at more..

May 25 (ST) The flooding of the Kandy railway station on Wednesday was caused by a combination of reasons, including issues related to a major waste water project in the city, Governor Central Province Lalith Gamage said. Elaborating, he said the wastewater project funded by JICA was implemented around 20 years ago at a cost of Rs 22 billion. However, Mr. Gamage said that the project was unsuccessful, as only 3000 of the intended 9000 houses have been connected. more..

May 25 (ST) The famous Mirissa beach may get its proposed Blue Flag status soon, but, in the soon-to-be marine sanctuary, the blue whale may not find a safe refuge. Whale-watching tour operators are raising the alarm over fewer blue whale sightings in Mirissa in the season that ended in April. This has been disastrous, they claimed. Tourists were fewer than half the number compared with the year before. more..