May 9 (SO) The model of export-led growth has long been promoted as the ideal development strategy for nations such as Sri Lanka. However, this approach is now exposed as deeply unstable. Rising global protectionism, geopolitical tensions, and weaponised trade policies signal that SL must urgently pivot towards economic self-sufficiency, academic and political economist Dr. Ahilan Kadirgamar said recently. more..

May 9 (ST) It was an innocuous-looking news item on an Indian news website that drew my attention to the plight facing Sri Lanka’s tea industry. The headline read: India surpasses SL to become the second largest tea exporter. What has happened to Sri Lanka tea known the world over as a reputed brand and labelled as Ceylon Tea? According to historical records, Sri Lanka became the world’s largest tea exporter in 1965, with production exceeding 200,000 metric tons annually. more..

May 9 (CT) Following the results of the much-awaited LG Elections, the parties are now exploring new ways to twist and turn, interpret, and manipulate the results in their favour, all in an effort to appear as winners before the public. While determining clear-cut winners and the parties planning their future political endeavours, based on the recent election results, would surely be an interesting discourse, which is guaranteed to attract much public attention, it seems as if more..

May 8 (AM) IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon has been officially summoned to appear before the Committee of Inquiry on 19 May 2025. Committee, tasked with investigating allegations of gross abuse of power against the IGP, has convened several times at the Parliament premises in recent weeks. This marks the first time that Tennakoon has been formally requested to be present for the proceedings. The Committee was established to inquire into and report its findings on alleged misconduct by the IGP. more..

May 8 (AM) Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara informed Parliament that he has sought the intervention of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) following the death of a man who was remanded for two weeks after his mobile phone rang inside a courtroom. Responding to a question raised in Parliament, the Minister said he had taken steps to bring the matter to the attention of the JSC, the body responsible for overseeing judicial conduct. He stated that he had already spoken with JSC more..

May 8 (TM) Sri Lanka’s approach to meeting IMF-backed electricity pricing reforms risks clashing with its own regulatory framework due to differing interpretations of what constitutes cost-reflective pricing, warns Verite Research Executive Director Dr. Nishan de Mel. He warned that the govt may now face a dilemma between honouring its IMF commitments and protecting the independence of the regulator. more..

May 8 (AD) Inland Revenue Department (IRD) has announced an extension of the deadline for senior citizens to submit applications for quarterly income tax refunds for the assessment year 2023/2024. According to a statement issued by Commissioner General of Inland Revenue, decision was made in response to the significant number of requests received from elderly taxpayers. Deadline, previously set under Circular dated Sept 25, 2023, has now been extended to June 30, 2025. more..

May 8 (AD) Between 2,000 and 2,500 children in SL are suffering from Thalassemia, a genetic blood disorder that impairs the body’s ability to produce healthy red blood cells, according to the Ministry of Health. The Director of the Non-communicable Diseases Unit at the Ministry of Health, Specialist Dr. Samiddhi Samarakoon stated that 40 to 50 newborns in SL are diagnosed with Thalassemia annually. At a press conference held in connection with World Thalassemia Day commutations, more..

May 8 (Island) Patriotic National Movement, Global Sri Lanka Forum, Swadeshika Jathika Viyaparaya and Thunhela Jathika Viyaparaya have filed a petition, requesting the Supreme Court to prevent the implementation the 7 MoUs signed by India and Sri Lanka during Indian PM Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Colombo. Challenging constitutionality of the seven MoUs finalised on April 7, 2025, in terms of Article 126 read with more..

May 8 (TM) Former SL cricket captain Kumar Sangakkara has issued a public warning regarding bogus advertisements circulating on certain social media platforms that falsely feature him endorsing well-known brands. In a statement posted online, the former batter clarified that he has no affiliation with either firm and denounced the videos as AI-generated fakes aimed at duping the public. “Please disregard any adverts, you may have seen of me in collaboration with Daraz/Samsung. more..

May 8 (EN) SriLankan Airlines has suspended Thursday’s flight to Karachchi after Pakistan authorities closed the airport, an industry official said as tensions with India continued. On Wednesday SriLankan suspended the flight to Lahore after the airport was closed. Karachi, Lahore, Sialkot airport operations were suspended again on Thursday, Pakistan’s Express Tribune newspaper said. India struck against several targets in Pakistan Punjab and Kashmir after a massacre of tourists. more..

May 8 (TM) SL’s pepper exports to India have hit the Indian domestic prices affecting the Indian pepper farmers as SL pepper exports to India surge by 71%. Rising imports of SL pepper have hit the prices of the commodity in the domestic market, witnessing a 25 Indian rupee (Rs. 88) per kilogramme drop in the last fortnight. Traders told Business Line that prices in the Kochi terminal market are ruling at 695 Indian rupees (Rs. 2,460) for ungarbled and 715 Indian rupees (Rs. 2,530) for garbled varieties more..

May 8 (NW) The NPP has the right to form the administration of the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC), as the party has obtained the highest number of seats, Cabinet Spokesman Nalinda Jayatissa said. Responding to SJB, claims on appointing a Mayor, Minister Jayatissa revealed that the mayoral candidate of the SJB had lost the Local Govt Election. “We will take the necessary measures to form a council at the CMC,” Minister added, addressing the post-Cabinet media more..

May 8 (NW) Ministry of Education has taken steps to immediately transfer the school teacher of a Colombo girls’ school related to the death of a schoolgirl in Kotahena recently. Ministry said its attention has been focused on the tense situation linked to the school located in Bambalapitiya. Ministry said it had summoned the school principal for an explanation, after which it had transferred the schoolmaster involved in more..

May 8 (AD) The govt has taken another step towards ensuring the national minimum monthly and daily wages of private sector employees be increased in parallel with the recent revision in the salaries of state sector employees. Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the proposal to gazette the amendments to the Budgetary Relief Allowance of Worker Act No. 36 of 2005, Budgetary Relief Allowance of Worker Act No. 4 of 2016 and the Employees’ National Minimum Wage Act more..

May 8 (AM) Independent MP Ramanathan Archchuna was removed from the Parliament Chamber today on the instructions of the Chair, following repeated disruptions during a parliamentary debate. The Chair issued multiple warnings to Archchuna after he repeatedly interrupted Leader of the House Bimal Rathnayake’s closing remarks. Despite the warnings, the MP continued to behave disruptively and created a disturbance in the Chamber. more..

May 8 (AD) The govt will not allow any faction to use Sri Lanka’s airspace or the country’s territory to attack another nation, Cabinet Spokesman Minister Nalinda Jayatissa stated when questioned on the stance of the govt pertaining to India, Pakistan tensions. Minister said SL will always reject all forms of terrorism and stand for regional peace. Commenting on the developments along the borders of India and Pakistan, more..

May 8 (NW) President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s return to Sri Lanka on May 6 aboard a private jet sparked debate in Parliament today, with opposition MPs seeking clarification on who funded the trip. SJB MP Harshana Rajakaruna questioned Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath on whether the Vietnamese Govt bore the cost. In response, Minister Herath clarified that the return flight was funded by a UN-affiliated Vietnamese Buddhist society, not the Vietnamese Govt itself. more..

May 8 (AD) Court of Appeal has issued a writ order canceling the decision made to appoint S.M.P. Suriya Bandara as the Director General of the Road Development Authority (RDA) in 2024. Appeals Court also directed the RDA and the Minister of Transport and Highways to appoint K.W. Kandambi as the Director General effective from March 5, 2024. The order was delivered by the Court of Appeal bench comprising Acting President of the Court of Appeal Mohamed Laffar Tahir and Justice Sarath Dissanayake, more..

May 8 (NF) Deputy General Manager of Railways, N.J. Indipolage says that plans are in place to convert the Polgahawela to Mahawa section of the Northern Railway Line into a dual track system. He stated that under the first phase of the project, the segment between Polgahawela and Kurunegala will be upgraded to a double-track railway. He added that this initiative aims to reduce train delays and improve transportation efficiency. Trains operating along the Northern Line frequently experience more..

May 8 (AD) For the second time since the papal conclave began, black smoke rose from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, signaling that no candidate has yet secured the votes needed to become the next pope. To be elected, a candidate must receive a two-thirds majority—at least 89 votes from the 133 cardinal electors. The cardinals are expected to vote up to two more times on Thursday. The continued appearance of black smoke suggests no consensus has been reached as they work to select more..

May 8 (NW) The new radiation detection equipment at Port of Colombo, provided by the US Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration’s (DOE/NNSA) Office of Nuclear Smuggling Detection and Deterrence through its Megaports Initiative, was commissioned by US Ambassador to SL, Julie Chung, recently. According to the US Embassy in SL, the equipment, valued at Rs. 148 mil more..

May 8 (AD) Samantha Ranasinghe was sworn in as a MP for Kalutara District before the Speaker of House, Jagath Wickramaratne. Ranasinghe was sworn in as a MP to fill the Parliamentary seat that fell vacant following the demise of National People’s Power (NPP) Kegalle District MP Kosala Nuwan Jayaweera last month. MP Kosala Nuwan Jayaweera passed away on April 6 at the age of 38 due to a sudden heart attack while receiving treatment at the Karawanella Hospital. more..

May 8 (AD) The Supreme Court has dismissed the petition filed by former Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka, who sought an order to quash the indictment filed by the Attorney General against three defendants, including him. The Attorney General had filed the indictment on charges including concealing evidence regarding the alleged hit-and-run incident that took place in 2016, in which the vehicle the former Minister was travelling in collided with a motorcycle in Rajagiriya, more..

May 8 (EN) SL’s gross official foreign exchange reserves dropped US$ 205 million to US$ 6,326 million April 2025 from US$ 6,531 million in March, despite some dollars bought from markets. Sri Lanka’s gross official reserves in April 2025, is below the US$ 6,472 million reached in Oct 2024, when the central bank printed large volumes of money to push call money rates down as private credit picked up, ahead of the last rate cut. more..

May 8 (EN) IPS SL will conduct its bi-annual survey on the ease of doing non-profit work in the island nation, comparing it with 16 other Asian economies. Doing Good Index 2026: How are Civil Society Organisations Faring in SL? looks at the regulatory and societal environment in which private capital is directed toward philanthropy or doing good. Last year’s DGI survey (DGI 2024) showed positive strides in SL’s social sector, elevating its status from Not Doing Enough to Doing Okay. more..

May 8 (AD) An explanation has been called from the school principal over the death of a Grade 10 student following an alleged sexual assault by a teacher, the Ministry of Education has stated. Issuing a statement regarding the matter, Edu Ministry said the teacher in question has been transferred while disciplinary action will be taken based on investigations conducted by police. Earlier today, a group of parents and students staged a protest opposite the school in Bambalapitiya more..

May 8 (FT) For thousands of SL students, gaining admission to a university is a moment of triumph—the result of years of hard work, sleepless nights, and steadfast pursuit. They enter these institutions with dreams of knowledge, growth, and a future filled with promise. Yet, for many, this dream is swiftly shattered by the brutal reality of ragging. The recent tragic death of a second-year student Charith Dilshan at Sabaragamuwa Uni, has reignited concerns about the enforcement of anti-ragging laws in SL. more..

May 8 (FT) When this column appears, readers would know the results of the May 6th LG election, but at the time of its submission, I do not. This gives me the opportunity of expressing perspectival, thematic and strategic political views beyond the results. Now we know the number of agreements signed between the Anura Dissanayake and Narendra Modi administrations. It isn’t 7, it’s 10. It is an unprecedented disgrace and moral outrage that we have to find out even this basic more..

May 8 (TM) Although the number of votes and the overall vote share reduced in comparison to the recent Prez and Parliamentary/General Elections, NPP polled more than double the amount received by the SJB. However, the NPP could not replicate its strong showing at the past two elections among urban voters and the Northern and Eastern voters. NPP, which secured a two-thirds majority power in the Parliament less than more..

May 8 (TM) The Election Commission (EC) stated that they are expecting to conclude their duties by informing political parties and independent groups that secured over 50% of seats in Local Government (LG) bodies to name chairpersons/mayors, as well as the number of female representatives that should be appointed, before 2 June. The LG Elections to elect public representatives for a total of 339 LG bodies were held from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday (6). EC Chairperson R.M.A.L. Rathnayake more..

May 8 (DM) Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa said his party, SJB, will respect the people’s verdict and cooperate with other opposition parties to ensure transparent and effective service delivery through local bodies where the opposition holds a majority. “I will bow down to the will of the people and will work with all opposition parties rather than engaging in confrontational politics. I am willing to engage in this exercise as a person who is always committed to safeguard democracy,” more..