May 16 (AD) A person who was attempting to transfer 50,000 Euros overseas through the Undiyal system has been arrested by the Special task Force (STF) at Pepiliyana in Boralesgamuwa. The foreign currency, all in 100 Euro notes, has been valued at around 18.69 million SL rupees while the arrested suspect is a 53-year-old resident of Punchi Borella. The STF said this comes under the offence of money laundering, where it was suspected that the money was not part of the proceeds. more..

May 16 (AD) During a discussion with the PM, the 10 political parties that quit the former govt have assured that they would contribute to the new govt�s efforts through the National Council and the Parliament Oversight Committees proposed to be set up. PHU leader MP Udaya Gammanpila stated this while speaking to reporters following a meeting between the representatives of the 10-party alliance and the PM held at PM�s Office more..

May 16 (TM) The Inter University Students Federation (IUSF) yesterday challenged newly appointed PM Ranil Wickremesinghe to arrest former PM Mahinda Rajapaksa for inciting violence against peaceful protestors on 9 May. �They are now arresting the youths who came to protect and help us on 9 May, when state-sponsored thugs were attacking us. Wickremesinghe has said that he will protect the protestors at GotaGoGama,� IUSF Convener Wasantha Mudalige told the media. more..

May 16 (CT) Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE) said that PM Ranil Wickremesinghe�s proposal to appoint a woman to the position of Deputy Speaker is timely. Director of CaFFE Surangi Ariyawansa said that it would increase women�s representation in Parliament. She noted that female representation is less than six per cent according to the composition of the 7th Parliament and that the number of women MPs was limited to 13 this time, because many party leaders did not care more..

May 16 (EN) Hatton National Bank said profits grew 4% to 4.9 billion rupees in the March 2022 quarter from a year earlier, with foreign exchange gains outpacing the provisions. Group reported earnings of 9.22 rupees for the quarter and the stock closed at 83.50 rupees per share on May 13. Interest income grew 27 percent to 32.8 billion rupees in the March quarter, interest expenses grew at a slower 2% to 13.9 billion rupees, increasing the net interest income by a sharp 54% to 18.8 billion rupees. more..

May 16 (AD) Dept of Meteorology says that showers or thundershowers will occur at times in Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central and North-Western provinces and in Galle and Matara districts. Heavy showers above 100 mm can occur at some places in Western and Sabaragamuwa provinces and in Kandy, Nuwara-Eliya, Galle and Matara districts, it said issuing an advisory. Strong winds about 40-50 kmph can be expected at times over the western slope of the central hills, Northern, more..

May 16 (TM) Frontline Socialist Party (FSP) alleged that there are attempts to destroy evidence that proves Western Province SDIG Deshabandu Tennakoon had given instructions to two senior police officers in the Western Province to not prevent the attacks on GotaGoGama on 9 May. �The police were inactive on 9 May, which helped the assaulters who attacked the peaceful protestors at GotaGoGama at Galle Face Green. more..

May 16 (DM) Even though the school activities begin tomorrow as usual, the fuel crisis could affect the smooth functioning. Therefore the govt should pay more attention to address this shortcoming, Ceylon Teachers' Union (CTU) Secretary Joseph Stalin said. While addressing the media, he said the GCE O/L exam is scheduled to start on May 23. "The authorities should swing into action to resolve the issues within the next four days, as it would be difficult for the children, also to the principals, more..

May 16 (EN) SL plans to present a new budget for 2022 with targets of the original fiscal plan missed by a wide margin, newly appointed PM Ranil Wickremesinghe said. �I plant to present a new budget in place of the development budget presented for 2022,� PM said. �I plan to present it as a relief budget.� SL generally prints money to keep interest rate down, pushes up inflation, depreciate the currency, blames it on imports and then give relief to through people friendly budgets, more..

May 16 (DM) People will accept the cabinet if PM Ranil Wickremesinghe has an open discussion with political parties representing Parliament and forms it according to a proper agreement, SJB MP Rajitha Senaratne said. �Mr. Wickremesinghe had not invited parties to join the cabinet until now, but has had clandestine discussions individually with MPs. All will accept the cabinet only if it is formed after a formal open discussion with parties more..

May 16 (EN) PM Ranil Wickremesinghe said he proposed to privatize SriLankan Airlnes, which had made large losses after ex-PM Mahinda Rajapaksa removed Emirates as its managing shareholder. �I propose that the loss making Sri Lankan Airlines be privatized,� Wickremesinghe said in a national address. �In the 20/21 year alone its loss was 45 billion rupees. By 2021 March 31 its total losses were 372 billion rupees. �Even if we privatize it we have to bear the loss,� he said. more..

May 16 (NR) The Attorney General has ordered the arrest of SLPP MPs Johnston Fernando, Sanath Nishantha, Sanjeewa Edirimanna and Milan Jayathilake over violence that erupted in Colombo on the 9th of May. The Attorney General has directed the Inspector General of Police and the DIG in charge of the Criminal Investigation Department to apprehend a total of 22 individuals including the Senior DIG-Western Province Deshabandu Tennakoon over last week�s violence. more..

May 17 (DM) SL is suffering from highly unstable socioeconomic, political, and cultural backwardness due to mismanagement of these sectors by the politicians, administrators, lawmakers, policymakers, intellectuals, religious leaders, and a good number of reckless citizens of the country. This situation is not a thing that erupted in the recent past. Its roots have been linked for many decades. Starting from �71 abortive insurrections by the JVPers, Tamil�s uprising and terrorism in 3 decades, more..

May 17 (DM) Last week, SL�s struggle for an accountable govt looked as if it had prevailed against all odds. Then someone else sold it out. Earlier in the week, Mahinda Rajapaksa, the disgraced former PM scored his own goal. The ruling Pohottuwa thugs who emerged from a meeting at the Prime Minister�s residence, Temple Trees descended on the peaceful protesters camped in front of the residence, and then proceeded to wreak havoc at the Galle Face Green, more..

May 17 (TM) With domestic mechanisms and institutions tasked with investigating into and delivering justice for crimes against journalists falling short and failing to deliver what is expected of them, it is crucial for journalists to have access to regional and int'l mechanisms. This is particularly important in the case of a country like Sri Lanka, where many crimes have been committed against journalists due to their work. more..

May 17 (TM) After a pause of two days, i.e. the two days when the Vesak Poya was celebrated, Govt yesterday re-imposed island-wide curfew. Even though curfew was limited to a few hours from night to the morning, now that the violent attacks have stopped and only peaceful or lawful protests are continuing, why SL needs curfew and what it costs the country are questions that needs to be answered. Unlike last week when curfew was imposed for the first time, more..

May 17 (TM) It is a marriage of political convenience born out of familial inconvenience. And hey, opposites attract, yin and yang, etc. The reactions to the ascension of UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe to the premiership have, as expected, been predictable, with the int'l community led by the US seeing the appointment as a part of the first steps towards addressing the crisis and promoting stability, while sections of the Buddhist clergy, the Catholic clergy, and the Parliamentary Opposition more..

May 17 (SO) In an attempt to understand through mass media, the relationship between law and society we intend to seek clarifications on various legal issues, that have an impact on the common man. We have sought out Shaheeda Barrie, Attorney-at-Law, who has agreed to provide answers to the questions posed, as a pioneering public educational exercise. Shaheeda Barrie, Attorney-at-Law & Barrister-at-Law (Gray�s Inn, London) more..

May 17 (GV) I was introduced to the existence of a publicly shared negative attitude towards S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike for the first time at a book launch in Colombo several years ago. The author had decided to present the themes and style of her book through the dramatization of certain scenes from it. One of these scenes portrayed S.W.R.D. on his death bed, having just been shot on the verandah of his home by a person dressed in the robes of a Buddhist monk. more..

May 17 (CT) Impartiality beginning at the top, starting with Prez Rajapaksa (SLPP) and UNP leader and Premier Ranil Wickremesinghe, immediately facilitating investigations into last Monday�s (9 May) violence is sine qua non if SL is to obtain sustainable foreign aid quickly, so as to ensure socioeconomic stability in the country, fast. Foreign aid is needed urgently to import essentials like medicines, cooking gas, petrol, diesel and kerosene to start with as SL has no dollars more..

May 17 (FT) The sharp hike in interest rate to severely hit the Government most as analysts estimate one percentage increase translates to Rs. 20 billion per annum. On 3 April in the tightest ever monetary policy stance the Monetary Board decided to double policy rates by 700 basis points (7%). It justified the move saying a substantial policy response is imperative to arrest the build-up of added demand driven inflationary pressures in the economy and pre-empt the escalation of more..

May 17 (FT) Party leaders will meet this morning ahead of today�s Parliament sittings to decide the business for the week. On top of today�s agenda is the election of a Deputy Speaker. SJB has proposed the name of its Matale District MP Rohini Kumari Wijerathna for the post while the SLPP has nominated Hambantota District MP Ajith Rajapakse, but talks are underway to appoint the Deputy Speaker by consensus. A final decision on fielding only one candidate will be taken at more..

May 17 (FT) Main Opposition SJB MP Dr. Harsha de Silva yesterday offered to give leadership to an all-party economic revival plan via a key Parliamentary oversight committee. �Given the deadlock in creating an all-party govt to resolve #SriLankaCrisis I offer to be Chairman of Public Finance Committee in @ParliamentLK and give leadership to prepare All Party Economic Revival Plan as a Parliamentary proposal that more..

May 17 (Island) Sri Lanka today is in the throes of addiction withdrawal. Reliant on fossil fuels to maintain the economy and basic living comforts, the sudden withdrawal of oil, coal and gas deliveries has exposed the weakness and the danger of this path of development driven by fossil energy. This was a result of some poorly educated aspirants to political power who became dazzled by the advancement of western industrial technology and equated it with Development. more..

May 17 (Island) There has been a severe erosion of public faith in all three branches of govt, albeit to varying degrees. The less said about the executive, the better; it has become a total failure. The scales of justice are tilted in favour of politicians in power and their kith and kin, and rogues walk free, as a result. The legislature has become a huge liability, and one sees hardly any difference between it and the Mattala Int'l Airport. The country is mired in an unprecedented economic crisis, more..

May 17 (ST) Prez Rajapaksa will hand over the defence portfolio and will not retain any ministries in PM Ranil Wickremesinghe�s interim govt. The new Cabinet is expected to be limited to a maximum of 20, which means 18 other ministers will serve alongside the Prez and PM. Prez Rajapaksa swore in four members of the new Cabinet. This was after the SLPP offered its support to the new premier, after its parliamentary group met more..

May 17 (DN) Sri Lanka men�s hockey team defeated Uzbekistan to finish in fifth place at the Asian Games qualifying Hockey tournament match and has qualified for the Asian Games. This is a good achievement by SL players after been disqualified from the semi finals at this qualifying tournament which ended in Bangkok Thailand yesterday. The deciding game between Uzbekistan and Sri Lanka turned out to be a keen tussle while both sides ended with three all after four quarters. more..

May 17 (ESPN) Lasith Malinga's last ball in the IPL was a bewitching slower ball to trap Shardul Thakur lbw and defend one run off the final ball of an IPL final. Three years later, Baby Malinga, Matheesha Pathirana, trapped Shubman Gill lbw with his first ball in the IPL. A similar low release, accuracy with the yorker, and a slower one gave Pathirana figures of 3.1-0-24-2 on debut, which included wickets of Gill and Hardik Pandya. His captain MS Dhoni - the captain at the receiving end of Malinga's more..

May 17 (FT) CPC yesterday assured that the fuel distribution mechanism will return to normalcy by the end of this week, whilst Litro Gas promised to dispatch 80,000 cylinders daily from tomorrow. �It will take another four to five days to put an end to the long fuel queues. The bowsers are being dispatched to filling stations countrywide,� a CPC top official said. The fuel queues extending to several kilometres are observed in almost each town�s filling stations across the country, more..

May 17 (FT) Keeping party politics aside, The Hotels Association of Sri Lanka (THASL) President M. Shanthikumar yesterday called on all Opposition political parties to unite, put the best heads together and lead the country out of the current crisis. "If there is anyone in the opposition with a real love for the nation, they will come forward unconditionally to lift the country out of this mess. We cannot slide down further, the situation is precarious,� he said. �There are some excellent, more..

May 17 (FT) SJB MP Champika Ranawaka who heads the 43 Brigade wrote to PM Ranil Wickremesinghe saying the group would decide the extent to which it would cooperate with the new Govt once they receive the reply to several questions, they have posed to the PM. Ranawaka also congratulated Wickremesinghe and said they appreciate him coming forward to shoulder the responsibility of taking the country out of more..

May 17 (Island) Pelwatte, a local dairy brand with international standards and an unwavering promise of delivering quality fresh milk to its customers recently organized a series of seminars for the GCE Ordinary Level students. This was done with the intention of furthering Pelwatte�s corporate philosophy of uplifting livelihoods through sustainable methods. The seminars commenced during the last week of March and concluded in the 1st week of April 2022. more..

May 17 (TM) Minister Prasanna Ranatunga stated that he will personally intervene to bring justice to all those whose properties, including houses, were damaged due to the violence that took place in the country on various occasions since 31 March. He pointed out that he has already discussed the matter with Prez Rajapaksa and PM Ranil Wickremesinghe. Protests and violence against members of the Govt began with public protests outside Prez Rajapaksa�s Mirihana residence on 31 March. more..

May 17 (ST) Inland Revenue Department (IRD) has called on large banks, finance companies and private sector companies to pay their first quarter taxes upfront, ahead of the due date, as the Govt is facing a cash-flow problem in paying public sector salaries. The Treasury has requested the IRD to ask these large corporate taxpayers to cough up the money due to the difficulty in finding the funds to pay salaries. Senior IRD Commissioner and IRD Commissioners� Association President more..

May 17 (ST) China wanted food packs with rice, sugar, dhal and sprats in packs distributed to officials in the Foreign Ministry but strong objections by the Foreign Service Officiers� Association put paid to the move. The move has been authorised by Foreign Secretary Jayanath Colombage, and the China-Sri Lanka Friendship Association was to be used as the conduit for the distribution. He has said that a token presentation should also be held to project the acceptance. more..