Sri Lanka News : InfoLanka News Room (2024)

May 20 (CT) A 42-year-old man was arrested in connection with the murder of three members of the same family in Maladeniya, Nalla, Gampaha. The victims were identified as a 42-year-old man, his 80-year-old father, and 77-year-old mother. The arrested suspect is a resident of Bangadeniya in Chilaw. He was taken into custody by the Nalla Police. Acting on suspicion, a team of officers from the Nalla Police Station intercepted and inspected a suspicious individual riding a bicycle. more..

May 20 (Island) SJB MP Dr Harsha de Silva has called upon the govt to digitalse the Excise Department functions to prevent department officials from engaging in corrupt practices, including skimping collection of taxes from liquor producing companies. “As of now the companies owe over seven billion rupees to the government. There are irregularities in excise officers collecting these taxes. To prevent these malpractices we have to digitalize the Excise Department’s work,”more..

May 20 (DM) Claiming that 82 MPs have requested vehicle permits, NPP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake said they would take possible steps to stop the move. He said adressing the pensioners national convention at the National Youth Centre in Maharagama yesterday that the NPP will not obtain the vehicle permits. He said they will request the Speaker to reveal the list of MPs who have requested for vehicle permits whenmore..

May 20 (EN) World Bank will help SL restructure the 800 million dollar debt in its water sector, Minister of Water Supply Jeevan Thondaman has said. “With the World Bank’s help, SL will restructure its $800 million of debt in the water sector, have access to credit enhancement schemes that will make new water projects transparent and affordable and put us on a secured path to achieve SDG6,” Thondaman said. The minister met with the Global Director for Water for the World Bank more..

May 20 (PMD) Senior Advisor to the President on National Security and Chief of Presidential Staff Mr. Sagala Ratnayaka, urged relevant officials to take immediate action to mitigate the risk of dengue in Colombo, particularly with the onset of the rainy season. He also advised the preparation of a special awareness program to educate school children and parents through the Ministry of Education during the Dengue Prevention Week, which will run from May 26 to June 1.more..

May 20 (SCMP) India is set to wield greater influence in SL as its companies flock to sign deals with the heavily indebted island nation in sectors ranging from energy to maritime logistics, even as some analysts question their commercial viability. Among the recent high-profile deals involving Indian companies was a 20-year power purchase agreement with Adani Green Energy, a subsidiary of India’s Adani Group, announced by SL Prez more..

May 20 (AD) All-Ceylon Prison Officers’ Union has decided to engage in trade union action by reporting sick leave from today (20) until May 22, based on several demands including an increase in wages. It is reported that officers of the Prisons Dept across the island have joined the trade union action, which has been launched demanding an increase in wages by Rs. 25,000. Meanwhile, the trade union action initiated by the university non-academic staff further continues.more..

May 20 (Island) Sri Lanka’s former Ambassador in Iran M. M. Zuhair has questioned the govt’s stand on sending workers to Israel amidst growing international condemnation and isolation of the Jewish State over the Gaza genocide. Apropos Labour Minister: Govt. won’t heed demand for severing diplomatic ties with Israel, halt sending workers, carried in the May 16 edition of The Island, the former Senior State Counsel and ex-MP Zuhair has sent us the following statement: more..

May 20 (FT) The SL leader and pioneer in the pawn brokering and gold loan industry - Dedigama Group Ltd., represented by its legal representatives Sudath Perera Associates, has resorted to legal action against another entity engaging in the same pawn brokering and gold loan entity operating under an identical trade name. Dedigama Group claims that their jewellery and pawn brokering business dates back to 1945, and that since 1992, they have adopted and continued to use the trademore..

May 20 (DM) The SLPP has not requested Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe to hold a general election first but only conveyed the opnion of the SLPP to the President, SLPP General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam said. "According to the law, dates for the prez election is certain. Prez has powers to dissolve Parliament at any time after two and half years of its term. The decision to dissolve Parliament is in the hand of the Prez. SLPP founder Basil Rajapaksa informed the Prez that it is bettermore..

May 20 (TM) Electricity Consumers' Association (ECA) alleges that several members of Public Utilities Commission of SL (PUCSL) are no longer qualified to hold their positions as per the PUCSL Act, No. 35 of 2002. ECA General Secretary Sanjeewa Dhammika said that he is planning to write to Minister Kanchana Wijesekara in this regard, seeking some sort of a solution. “As per Section 7(iv) of the PUCSL Act, if members have notmore..

May 20 (N18) Four suspected the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorists, who are believed to be Sri Lankan nationals have been arrested at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad, said Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad officers. According to sources, Gujarat ATS officials are interrogating the four suspected terrorists. The arrested individuals — all Sri Lankan nationals — are reportedly affiliated with the Islamic State (IS), officials said.more..

May 20 (EN) A European Union delegation has visited Sri Lanka to review the country’s compliance with the EU’s Regulation on Deforestation Free Products in the cultivation of rubber, Minister of Agriculture and Plantation Industries has said. The Regulation on Deforestation Free Products (EUDR), which comes into effect from December 30 this year, seeks to guarantee that products EU citizens consume do not contribute to deforestation or forest degradation worldwide.more..

May 20 (TM) The Election Commission (EC) stated that during the recent discussion with PM and Minister of LG Dinesh Gunawardena, there was no discussion regarding preparation to cancel the nominations called for the postponed LG elections. Prez and Minister of National Policies Ranil Wickremesinghe recently instructed Gunawardena to look into the possibility of invalidating the nominations accepted formore..

May 20 (EN) SL has joined a group of nations led by Indonesia which aims to mobilise capital to achieve carbon neutrality, Minister Jeevan Thondaman said. Global Blended Finance Alliance mooted by Indonesia in 2018, was formally launched at the World Water Forum in Bali today. Among the other founding members are Fiji, France, UAE, Kenya, Luxembourg and Canada. “Through our collective efforts, the Global Blended Finance Alliance aims to mobilise both public and private capital tomore..

May 20 (AJ) Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian have been confirmed killed after the helicopter they were travelling in crashed in poor weather. The bodies of the people aboard were found on Monday morning, some hours after their helicopter crashed in Iran’s northwestern region, state media reported. The accident challenges the country’s senior leadership as Iran sits in the midst of heightened regional and global tensions centred on the war in Gaza.more..

May 20 (FT) In the bustling chambers of SL’s Parliament, a disheartening spectacle unfolds with disturbing regularity – elected officials engaged not in constructive debate for the betterment of the nation, but in heated exchanges and even physical altercations. Yet, behind the façade of discord lies a disconcerting unity among MPs when it comes to safeguarding their own interests and privileges, even at the expense of the struggling populace. The recent decision by the govt to grant duty-freemore..

May 20 (FT) Asoka Handagama is notorious for challenging our cognitive capacity through his artwork, be it through poetry, fiction, stage drama, teledrama, or movies. His newest stage drama, A Death in an Antique Shop, is the best, or worst in some sense, in this tradition. You can watch it not on stage but on YouTube. In many respects, watching the drama on YouTube is better than doing it in a theatre-environment. First, it is free from attention deficiency which we will face in a theatre.more..

May 20 (ST) A comprehensive national audit released this week says severe violations of internal controls, neglect of accepted procurement guidelines and actions that surpassed Cabinet decisions led to SL’s worst-ever medical purchase scam. Below are just some of the transgressions highlighted in the National Audit Office’s (NAO) 887-page report. In June 2022, the Finance Ministry Secretary directedmore..

May 20 (AD) President Ranil Wickremesinghe has met with billionaire and investor Elon Musk on the sidelines of the 10th World Water Forum High-Level Meeting being held in Indonesia. During the meeting, Wickremesinghe and Musk have discussed the implementation of Starlink in Sri Lanka. It was emphasized that Sri Lanka is committed to expediting the application process to connect the country to the global Starlink network, the PMD said. Meanwhile, Minister Jeevan Thondaman,more..

May 20 (AD) Police have arrested a 33-year-old youth who had allegedly assaulted the Ambassador of Iran in SL, Dr. Alireza Delkhosh, during an incident near a shopping mall on Muttiah Road in Colombo 2. The arrested suspect has been remanded in custody until tomorrow (20), after being produced before the Aluthkade No. 02 Magistrate’s Court in Colombo. The incident had reportedly occurred on Saturday while the Iranian Ambassador was entering the car park of a shopping mall in his vehicle.more..

May 20 (Island) Reeling from a revelation that the Bar Association of SL (BASL) received Rs 21 million as payment for an anti-corruption study undertaken in terms of an agreement with Japan Int'l Cooperation Agency (JICA), without following proper procedures, the Bar Council has appointed a five-member committee consisting of five President’s Counsel to conduct an investigation. The committee comprising Kanag Isvaran, Faisz Musthapha,more..

May 20 (FT) As the world commemorates International Tea Day on May 21, Ceylon Tea stands proudly at the forefront, celebrating its rich heritage, unparalleled quality, and global significance. Renowned for its unique flavour profile and exquisite aroma, Ceylon Tea has captivated tea enthusiasts worldwide for generations. Originating from the lush hillsides of SL, this beloved brew continues to enchant connoisseurs and novices alike, embodying a tradition of excellence that spans centuries.more..

May 20 (DM) One of Sri Lanka's senior cricketers looks set to retire from white ball cricket at the end of T20 World Cup 2024 in USA and West Indies, Daily Mirror reliably learns. The former captain of all three formats is expected to migrate to Melbourne, Australia at the conclusion of World Cup. Daily Mirror understands that the star all-rounder has already bought a few houses in Melbourne as he looks to settle down under with his young family. more..

May 20 (DM) Over 280 kgs of narcotics were destroyed using a new high-powered incinerator built at a cost of over Rs. 11 million at Vanathavilluwa in Puttalam yesterday. Police said that a total of 251 kgs of heroin and 38 kgs of Methamphetamine (ICE) were destroyed in the presence of Minister Tiran Alles and IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon. Previously, govt had to spend a significant amount of money to destroy seized stocks of drugs due to the lack of a permanent facility for this purpose.more..

May 20 (FT) Thousands of Tamils on 18 May converged in Mullaivaikkal, along SL’s north-eastern coast, to pay homage to their relatives killed in May 2009, in the final battle of the island’s protracted civil war. As the war escalated before its gruesome end, lakhs of Tamil civilians were pushed to this narrow strip of land, declared a No Fire Zone by the Govt. Tens of thousands, including women and children, died in the indiscriminate shelling of the armed forces, while scores were seriously injured.more..

May 20 (TM) BIA Police Station has wrapped up its investigations into the incident where State Minister Prasanna Ranaweera allegedly assaulted a Porter at the airport premises, due to the absence of a proper complaint by the party who got assaulted. Following a video being circulated on social media in which the State Minister is assaulting and threatening a porter with several security officers at the airport last week (14), more..

May 20 (DM) SL All Union Alliance of the Board of Investment (BOI) has issued a stark warning against the proposed Economic Transformation Bill, set to be submitted to Parliament on May 22. The alliance cautions that the Bill will severely destabilize the investment sector, which is already grappling with economic challenges. According to the coalition, the Bill caters to a select few individuals without consulting field experts or investors. The alliance calls for a transparent revision of the Bill,more..

May 20 (DM) A TV star pawnbroker has been hand-picked to sell one of the world’s most impressive gemstones that has been valued at almost £250 million. The 683lb cluster is owned by a SL gem dealer who wants to cash in his asset to fund his financial security and lifestyle. James Constantinou, who became a hit on the Channel 4 series Posh Pawn, will be brokering the giant sapphire, known as the Queen of Asia, to his high profile global connections. “I deal with a lot of rare andmore..

May 20 (EN) SL will need to either connect to India or set up a nuclear power plant if the country is to reach its renewable energy targets due the country’s weather patterns, a researcher and policy advocate has said. SL has set ambitious goals for renewable electricity generation by 2030, apparently without much prior study or any costs being revealed when the target was set by Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Rohan Pethiyagoda, a taxonomist and researcher who had also been senior state officialsmore..

May 20 (TM) Civil activists questioned why the law enforcement agencies have failed to act on recent court verdicts over non-citizens holding office in the Legislature. Civil activist Oshala Herath opined that it is regrettable that CID has failed to arrest former State Minister Diana Gamage despite the fact that she has violated the Citizenship Act No. 18 of 1948. It was Herath who filed the case before the Supreme Court (SC) which resulted in Gamage losing her Parliamentary seat over her UK citizenship.more..