May 19 (TM) One of the last hits performed by the late great Sunil Perera of Gypsies fame was a song titled I Don�t Know Why. The outspoken Perera, who openly expressed his displeasure over the state of governance in Sri Lanka both on and off the stage, often observed that he was born in a developing nation and seven decades later he would also have to die in the same developing nation. Mercifully for Perera, he passed just before the country was declared bankrupt. more..

May 19 (TM) The increased vigour with which the Ranil Wickremesinghe Govt is pushing through new pieces of legislation is a clear indication that Prez Wickremesinghe has already commenced his campaign for the upcoming Prez Election, although the official announcement of his candidacy is expected in June. Prez last week claimed that his Govt had introduced some 75 new pieces of legislation within a period of two years, more..

May 19 (CT) The attempted assassination of Slovakian PM Robert Fico has sent shivers down western spines. In a rare moment of unity, both Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin condemned the shooting. The identity of the arrested shooter has not been made public, but he is believed to be a 71 year old poet and writer violently protesting the Fico govt�s attacks on media freedom including the replacement of Slovakia�s independent public broadcaster, RTVS, with a pro-govt and patriotic mouthpiece. more..

May 19 (ST) My dear Mahinda maama, I am writing to you after hearing that you suddenly issued a statement about selling State institutions. It was then that I realised that you were still around. Otherwise, we were hearing only from Basil and Namal baby who also made an appearance on a talk show recently, making some interesting remarks. You want Uncle Ranil to halt the privatisation of govt-owned institutions until the next big election. You recalled the time you were in charge, more..

May 19 (ST) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe met this week with a group of journalists and editors at the Presidential Secretariat and discussed several issues pertaining to the country�s economic recovery efforts. In his remarks during the discussion, Prez scoffed at claims made by opposition parties such as the SJB and the National People�s Power that they would amend SL�s agreement with the IMF. more..

May 19 (CT) Blame it on the nation�s economic crisis or the emerging geo-political realities or whatever, but SL is suddenly seen as having graduated out of the traditional charge of putting its location-advantage to extract a price from competing regional and global powers. Instead, it has been forced to graduate to a level of balancing one regional or global power against the other or others. It was thus that the govt allowed a German Research Vessel to berth twice in quick succession, more..

May 19 (SO) Unlike many Asian countries where political volatility is the norm, Singapore rarely witnesses political upheavals of any kind. In this sense, the City State is a bastion of stability, both politically and economically. Singapore�s success on the world stage � from the sleepy backwater it was when Sir Stamford Raffles took control in 1819 to the financial powerhouse it is today � can largely be attributed to the vision and perseverance of one legendary Statesman � Lee Kuan Yew. more..

May 19 (SLN) In a search and rescue operation led by the SL Navy, in coordination with the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) Colombo, 3 fishermen from a distressed local fishing vessel were rescued off the east coast of SL, about 42 nautical miles (77km) off the Batticaloa Lighthouse on 17th May. One of the rescued individuals was transferred to Trincomalee by the SL Coast Guard for medical attention, while the remaining two (02) were transferred to Valaichchenai more..

May 19 (CT) Election Commission (EC) has no authority to open asset-liabilities declarations of candidates once they are submitted. However, in future elections, these declarations will be transferred to the CIABOC for scrutiny if suspicions arise, noted Commissioner General of Elections, Saman Sri Ratnayake. He clarified that the EC is only empowered to seek verification of asset declarations through legal recourse. Ratnayake stated, �We cannot open or verify more..

May 19 (ST) Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has ended the contract of Kandy franchise owners, the reigning champions of the Lanka Premier League (LPL), due to breaches of contractual obligations, as confirmed by SLC this week. B-Love Network, a Dubai-based cryptocurrency business, owned the franchise. Operating an online forex business is illegal in Sri Lanka, prompting scrutiny when more..

May 19 (SO) Schools rugby, the only sport in the country that was free of politics and widespread corruption apart from the occasional bouts of crowd violence, has been taken apart by its keepers the SL Schools Rugby Football Association (SLSRFA) which has decided to not only force teams to play their matches away from home but also compel players to come under more demanding situations by playing the second round matches in a knock-out format or game of death. more..

May 19 (Island) With the Elections Commission now on formal record that the forthcoming prez election must be held on a date between Sept. 17 and Oct. 16, 2024, the attention of both the media and the electorate will inevitably become more focused on the upcoming contest. While incumbent Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe, who is serving former Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa�s balance term which ends on Nov. 19, has not yet declared his own candidature, his intimates have positively stated that more..

May 19 (SO) An internationally renowned Sri Lankan boxing official Rukman Wekadapola has achieved the rare distinction of qualifying as an ITO (International Technical Official), R&J (Referee and Judge) Evaluator and R&J Instructor of the International Boxing Association (IBA). He is the first Sri Lankan to achieve this honour after successfully passing the course held in March in Assisi, Italy. He achieved the top position from among 17 candidates. more..

May 19 (Island) Many are the SL players who have stamped their authority at big global tournaments over the years. From being little known players to the world, some of these individuals have gone on to become global superstars in just a fortnight�s time. The impact Sanath Jayasuriya had in the 1996 World Cup played a major part in SL�s triumphant campaign. Then there was Lasith Malinga, who turned the 2007 World Cup in the Caribbean upside down with his toe-crushing yorkers. more..

May 19 (AP) For 15 years, Rasalingam Thilakawathi has been trying to find out what happened to her daughter at the end of SL�s bloody civil war. Or if she might still be alive. The last evidence she has is a photo from a newspaper that shows her daughter, who was 19, sitting inside a bus along with others. The photo, according to the newspaper, shows captured Tamil Tiger fighters in the last stages of the war in May 2009. more..

May 19 (TM) SL Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) plans to establish nine provincial tourism units as part of a tourism development plan aimed at catering to sustainable tourism development at the provincial level. SLTDA Chairman Priantha Fernando stated they were currently considering provincial tourism development which, once in place, would be taken up by provincial tourism units established under the tourism development plan. He revealed that although the provincial tourism units more..

May 19 (Island) SL are among the medal contenders in at least one event but qualifying for the Paris Olympics in relays will be a Herculean task for the islanders when they compete against Asia�s best at the 1st Asian Relays in Thailand on Monday and Tuesday. After 14 out of the 16 spots for Paris Olympics in every relay were secured by top teams at the World Relays in Bahamas it will be a tough task for any Asian team to grab the final two positions for the world showpiece event more..

May 19 (TM) A cost of approximately Rs. 280 million is estimated to have been incurred to import 10 non-essential medicines from a company based in India in 2022, despite warnings of a health crisis in the face of shortages of essential medicines. An audit report on the procurement of medicines reveals that although two medicine lists (vital and essential) for a total of 325 medicines where stocks were available for less than 3 months more..

May 19 (DM) The recent arrest of four Tamils in the Eastern Province over the commemoration of war dead has left Sri Lankan diplomatic authorities in Canada in a precarious position in countering allegations regarding human rights violations, a top source said. Canada is home to around 240,000 Tamils of SL origin, lobbying against the alleged human rights violations during wartime. An informed source said the latest incident in the Eastern Province is raised in Canada by Tamil rights more..

May 19 (ST) Sri Lanka�s Govt Analyst is set to find out the similarity in paper used in printing counterfeit security tax stamps and the printing paper of fool proof liquor sticker with QR code for all liquor products, in the latest twist in the investigation into this racket. It has been recommended to terminate the agreement entered into with the Madras Security Printers Pvt Ltd if the Govt Analyst�s report is proved that the fake security tax stamp is printed in the same paper used by more..

May 19 (CT) Highlighting an often-overlooked issue in society, Tikiri Jayawardena, Vice Prez of the DOJF, revealed that less than 1% of children with disabilities, who make up 10% of the total number of schoolchildren, qualify for A/L classes each year, after the O/L exam. He highlighted that the increasing failure rate in the O/L exam, a significant barrier for children with disabilities entering the job market, leaves these children in a particularly helpless situation. more..

May 19 (EN) Sri Lanka may end the practice of supermarkets giving free shopping bags, as part of efforts to contain plastic use according to deliberations at a parliamentary committee following a supreme court decision. SL�s courts many years ago barred supermarkets from charging for plastic bags from customers after activists went to court. However a SC ruled in March this year to overturn that. The parliament Sectoral Oversight Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and more..

May 19 (TM) Govt is to present to Parliament on Wednesday (22) the proposed Economic Transformation Bill, which is yet another key piece of legislation under the ongoing programme with the IMF. The Sunday Morning, upon inquiry about the proposed Economic Transformation Bill from Govt sources, was told that it has been proposed that the Prez should, every five years commencing from 2025, ensure Cabinet of Ministers prepares more..

May 19 (DM) Despite a recent dip in infections, ongoing showers are likely to drive a rise in Dengue cases, health officials predicted. Dr. Sudath Samaraweera, the Director of the National Dengue Control Unit, said local authorities and health organizations continue to work tirelessly to combat the spread of Dengue. �Public awareness campaigns, mosquito control measures and prompt medical assistance for those affected remain key strategies in the battle against the disease,� more..

May 19 (EN) Foreign investors have dumped Rs. 41.6 bil ($138.6 mil) worth of SL govt securities in the first 20 weeks of 2024, after reduction in the key policy interest rates. The foreign holding in SL's treasury bills and treasury bonds fell to Rs. 75.9 bil on the week ended on Friday (17), May 2024, from Rs. 117.4 bil on the week ended on Dec 29. Central Bank rate has reduced the key policy rates by 50 basis points so far in 2024, extending the rates cut by 700 basis points since June last year. more..

May 19 (ST) SL companies are awaiting power wheeling modalities where an entity is allowed to use electricity supply from different locations using the existing grid for payment at low energy costs. This came after the cabinet approved a power wheeling facility that allows private entities to utilise the CEB transmission network to transport electricity to different locations for a fee. This new facility enables electricity consumers to construct renewable energy plants like mini-hydro more..

May 19 (ST) The prez election is set to be conducted on October 5 or 12. The Sunday Times learns that the Election Commission has had consultations on the possible dates for the conduct of the elections and considered the two days, which are Saturdays. Last week, the Election Commission, in an official statement, said that, in keeping with the provisions of the Constitution and the Presidential Election Act of 1981, prez election should be held between Sept 17 and Oct 16 this year. more..

May 19 (ST) Sri Lanka rejected Friday�s UN report from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) calling for accountability for enforced disappearances, stating such a report has not been mandated by the UNHRC. It also questioned the timing of the report on the eve of the May 18 end of the armed conflict with the LTTE in 2009. On Friday, the OHCHR issued a 45-page report titled Accountability for, more..

May 19 (AI) Speaking at a commemoration marking the 15th anniversary of the end of SL�s internal armed conflict on 18 May 2009, which culminated in the brutal Mullivaikkal offensive where countless civilian lives were lost, Agn�s Callamard, Secretary General at Amnesty International, said: �Today�s anniversary is a grim reminder of the collective failure of the SL authorities and the international community to deliver justice to the many victims of SL�s 3-decade-long internal armed conflict. more..

May 19 (AP) SL's minority Tamil community marked 15 years since the end of the island nation's civil war on Saturday in an emotional ceremony that proceeded despite fears authorities would attempt to prevent its staging. Public events celebrating the Tamil Tigers separatist group -- which fought a no-holds-barred battle to establish an ethnic minority homeland -- are illegal and authorities have blocked past memorials. Tamils say the events are held to remember all victims of decades-long war, more..

May 19 (ST) Despite wild speculation, some doctored and others engineered by individuals or interested groups, the clamour for an immediate parliamentary general election has died down or is even dead. The reason: for many weeks now, Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe, who is empowered constitutionally to dissolve Parliament�which has now completed more than two and half years�wants a prez election first. more..

May 20 (DM) Office of UN High Commissioner on Human Rights (OHCHR) on Friday issued a strident call to the SL Govt (SLG) to urgently establish an independent prosecutorial authority, appoint a special prosecutor and create special courts to try those accused of gross violations of international law and serious breaches of international humanitarian law. In its report on accountability for enforced disappearances in our country, the OHCHR has suggested enhancing the capabilities more..

May 20 (CT) In recent weeks, we have observed a disheartening spectacle unfold between the SJB and NPP as they engage in a futile tussle, each blaming the other for the failure to arrange a debate between their respective leaders and economic policy teams. This debate, crucial for enlightening the voting populace ahead of both the Prez and General elections, remains elusive due to the entrenched animosity between the parties. Consequently, the electorate grapples with disillusionment and more..

May 20 (CT) Although it is largely believed that govt institutions are strongly influenced by politics, Dept of Education was somewhat immune to those claims, as a certain trust among the people was built on the capabilities of the Department to act as an independent entity, devoid of political influence. However, the recent incidents involving govt exams and the news headlines people are frequently exposed to, have put a significant more..

May 20 (DM) The world is collapsing for our working people, with the tremendous rise in the cost of living, mass disruption of livelihoods, skipping meals due to broader food insecurity, and rising malnutrition and school dropouts. This is visible to all of us, from the larger number of beggars on the streets to children seeking work in the countryside. However, according to the IMF, the country is doing well under the program. Well for whom though? Sri Lanka is doing well for its external creditors, more..

May 20 (TM) SL has a bloated state sector problem, and much of it stems from politicisation and poor policy decisions. Moving forwards, it is right to enact much needed state sector reforms, and make the Govt smaller. However, SL needs to be smart in going about it. There is no quick fix for the issue, and unless you clearly identify where the fat is � knee-jerk reforms may also cut away muscle and even bone. A body can do with its fat being trimmed, but not without muscle and bone, more..