May 7 (EN) Washington-based World Bank had announced a billion US dollars in financing to help SL’s recovery after a visit by its chief Ajay Banga to the island, which is recovering from a currency crisis which ended in external default. The package targets sectors with high potential for employment and investment in energy, agriculture, tourism, and regional development, over three years. “This is a moment of opportunity for Sri Lanka,” more..

May 7 (TM) Fisheries authorities expressed concerns about around 16,000-17,000 fishermen not being able to cast their vote in the LG Elections held yesterday. Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Dept Director General Susantha Kahawatte noted that those engaged in multi-day fishing activities have faced this issue. Adding that multi-day fishing vessels engage in fishing activities for nearly two consecutive months once they leave the shore, he said that some such vessels that set off more..

May 7 (Island) Olympian Yupun Abeykoon will compete in a relay for SL after a lapse of five years when he is joined by national champion Chamod Yodasinghe and other top sprinters in the 4x100m at the Dubai Grand Prix. Sri Lanka Athletics announced a list of five athletes inclusive of the Italy based sprinter for the Dubai event yesterday. According to SL Athletics the relay team is set to leave for Dubai today. SL athletes will compete in six overseas events during the next four weeks more..

May 7 (EN) Sri Lanka told an EU-SL Joint Commission that its committed to repealing Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), which has been a sticking point in ensuring continued access for the island’s export goods to the European market through GSP+ trade preferences scheme. “SL confirmed the commitment to repeal the PTA, and briefed the Working Group on the timeline to replace it with new counter-terrorism legislation in compliance more..

May 7 (MB) Located along SL’s southeastern coast, Kumana National Park is renowned for its large waterbird colonies and its vital role in supporting diverse birdlife. However, the park is also emerging as an important habitat for the SL leopard (Panthera pardus kotiya). A recent study has confirmed the park’s significance as a stronghold for this elusive predator. Conducted by scientists from the Uni of Sri J'pura (USJ) and the Dept of Wildlife Conservation DWC), the study found 41 leopards more..

May 7 (TM) In the ongoing legal dispute between Sri Lanka and Hamilton Reserve Bank (HRB), the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, by its order dated 24 April, has granted Sri Lanka’s request for additional discovery to determine the beneficial owner of the International Sovereign Bonds (ISBs) that HRB purportedly claims to hold. HRB on 26 June 2023 filed a motion for summary judgment and the said motion became fully briefed on 31 July 2023. more..

May 7 (FT) Harshitha Samarawickrama has advanced nine places to break into the top 20 of the ICC Women’s ODI Batting Rankings for the first time, following her team’s win over India in the SL Women’s ODI Tri-Series on Sunday. She rose to a personal best 18th place with 583 rating points, thanks to her scores of 53 against India and 77 against South Africa which helped lead her team to back-to-back victories. In their victory over India, her teammate, Nilakshika Silva’s impressive more..

May 7 (TM) SL expects to spend Rs. 330 billion for hiking the state sector salaries in the next 20 months as allowances and other payments will be determined based on the basic salary expected in Jan 2027, Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake said. He said that govt has forecasted the GDP to increase over Rs. 30 trillion by the end of the year. Therefore, he said based on that projection it was calculated that Rs. 110 billion could be allocated from the govt revenue to fund salary increments of more..

May 7 (AD) Former Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella, who was arrested by the CIABOC earlier today, has been remanded until May 20 by the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court. He was taken into custody after appearing before the commission to record a statement today and was later produced before the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court. Accordingly, Colombo Chief Magistrate Thanuja Lakmali ordered to more..

May 7 (TM) The world’s wealthiest 10% are responsible for two-thirds of global heating since 1990, driving droughts and heatwaves in the poorest parts of the world, according to a study. While researchers have previously shown that higher income groups emit disproportionately large amounts of greenhouse gases, the latest survey is the first to try to pin down how that inequality translates into responsibility for climate breakdown. It offers a powerful argument for climate more..

May 7 (NF) Court of Appeal issued an order dismissing without examination the writ petition that had been filed requesting a directive to disqualify Minister of Public Security Ananda Wijepala from holding a parliamentary seat and to nullify his position as a Member of Parliament. This order was delivered by the bench comprising Acting President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Mohammed Laffar Thahir, and Justice Sarath Dissanayake. This petition was filed by Renuka Perera, more..

May 7 (AD) Supreme Patriarchs (Mahanayaka Theros) of SL’s Malwatta, Asgiriya, Amarapura and Ramanna Chapters have requested the British govt’s intervention in the preservation of archaeological finds linked to Lord Buddha’s corporeal remains found from Uttar Pradesh in India, which are currently at risk of auction. In a letter addressed to the British High Commissioner in Colombo, Supreme Patriarchs of SL's more..

May 7 (CT) Former Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe said that the public showed little interest in casting their votes at the LG Elections held yesterday to elect representatives to their respective LG bodies. Wickremesinghe also pointed out that, compared to previous elections, voter turnout at polling stations remained low, with only 9 to 10% having cast their votes in the morning. When asked whether the voter turnout in the LG Polls was expected to decrease, UNP Leader said that more..

May 7 (TM) Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) Grounds in Colombo – one of the country’s oldest cricketing venues, will host a Test match for the first time in 16-months, during Bangladesh men’s team’s forthcoming all-format tour of SL. SLC releasing the tour itinerary, announced that Dhananjaya de Silva’s men will feature in two-Tests in June against the visitors. Afterwards, the hosts led by Charith Asalanka are scheduled to contest Bangladesh in three ODIs and T20Is throughout July. more..

May 7 (AD) Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa says that SJB is prepared to take the lead in uniting all opposition forces under a shared vision to fulfill the public call to restore a truthful and powerful public service, defeating lies. Delivering a special statement on Tuesday (7), Premadasa expressed gratitude to voters who stood with the SJB despite what he described as a politically hostile environment filled with “insults, threats, mudslinging, conspiracies & challenges.” more..

May 7 (AD) The Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) says it will seek the support of other opposition parties to elect the Mayor of the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) as the opposition holds a majority in the council. Despite the NPP winning the most number of seats, the opposition parties hold a majority in the Colombo Municipal Council, and the SJB will seek support from other opposition parties to elect its own Mayor, SJB General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara said. more..

May 7 (AD) Tilvin Silva, General Secretary of the JVP, main constituent party in the NPP coalition, says NPP has no intention of establishing majorities in any local govt institution through coalitions with parties that have been rejected by the public. Speaking at a press conference today, following the release of the LG Election results, he emphasized that the NPP would only consider joining forces with candidates more..

May 7 (AD) Former State Minister Prasanna Ranaweera has been remanded until May 19 by the Mahara Magistrate’s Court after surrendering to the court today. Ranaweera had been evading arrest and is an accused in the Kiribathgoda state property fraud case in which former Minister Mervyn Silva is also accused. Silva was arrested by the CID on March 05 for allegedly selling a plot of state-owned land located in Kiribathgoda to a private party after forging documents. more..

May 7 (FT) Bar Association of SL (BASL) has voiced strong condemnation over the tragic suicide of a Sabaragamuwa Uni student, allegedly driven by a brutal act of ragging—calling it an inhuman and unlawful violation of both legal standards and fundamental human decency. “BASL strongly condemns any form of ragging, bullying or violence directed at any student at any educational institution which is not only violative of the law but also in violation of basic human values and conduct,” more..

May 7 (AD) SL public handed another strong mandate to ruling the NPP at the 2025 LG election. Although the number of votes and the overall vote share reduced in comparison to the recent Presidential and Parliamentary elections, the NPP polled more than double the amount received by the main opposition, the SJB. The NPP could not replicate its strong showing at the past two elections among urban voters and north and eastern votes. more..

May 7 (DM) Cinnamon Gardens Police arrested a 36-year-old man in connection with an attempted abduction near a prominent girls’ school in Colombo. The arrest follows an investigation launched after a woman filed a complaint on May 2, stating that an unidentified man had entered her vehicle after she arrived to pick her daughter up from school. According to the complaint, the man got into the backseat—where the 8-year-old child was already seated—and demanded that the woman more..

May 7 (NF) The NPP has claimed a decisive victory in the Colombo Municipal Council, long considered a stronghold of the UNP. The NPP secured 48 seats with 81,814 votes, accounting for 36.92% of the total vote share. This marks the first time in decades that the UNP has lost control of Colombo’s most prominent local authority. The SJB followed with 29 seats and 58,375 votes, while the UNP managed only 13 seats with 26,297 votes, representing just 11.87% of the vote. more..

May 7 (FT) This is a rebuttal to the article titled Policy brief for Sri Lankan Govt: Call to re-evaluate wind energy strategies for sustainable future by Hiran Daluwatta (HD) that was published in the DFT on 21 April 2025. HD presents wind power in negative light with erroneous remarks and claims that wind energy is not the optimal solution for achieving long-term energy security for Sri Lanka. Responses to opinions expressed by HD are presented below: more..

May 7 (FT) In classrooms and corridors across Sri Lanka, children and young adults are learning something far more dangerous than what appears in textbooks. They are learning how to survive abuse—often inflicted not by strangers, but by peers. Bullying in schools, once brushed off as a normal part of growing up, has evolved into something far more sinister, and its consequences are irreversible. Lives are being lost. Futures are being erased. And we, as a nation, remain largely silent. more..

May 7 (TM) Voting in SL’s first LG Elections in nearly 7 years officially closed yesterday. Polling which had commenced at 7 am yesterday, came to a close at 4 pm. Voter turnout varied from district to district, with Colombo recording 52%, Gampaha 56% &Kalutara 61% in Western Province. In Central Province, Kandy 58%, Matale 62% & Nuwara-Eliya 60%. In Southern Province, Galle 63%, Matara 58% & Hambantota 61%. more..

May 7 (EN) India has made multiple missile strikes against targets which is said was linked to the killings of tourists in Indian administered Kashmir by suspected attackers from Pakistan. Indian forces targeted the headquarters of the banned Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba groups in the missile attacks against terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied-Jammu and Kashmir in the early hours of Wednesday. Targets included bases in Pakistan Punjab. more..

May 7 (EN) Ruling NPP is leading in most local authorities outside of the North of the island, but has failed to secure an overall majority of seats in a number of councils, results declared so far show. With around 196 out of 339 local bodies declared, Prez Anura Dissanayake’s NPP was leading in most, securing around 43% of the total votes declared. The main opposition SJB was polling around around 20%. In a number of local authorities in the South, the combined opposition outnumbered NPP. more..

May 7 (TM) The Socialist Peoples’ Forum, called for an end to ragging in State Universities and specifically for all student unions across public Universities including the IUSF and those with a political leaning to the JVP and FSP, to publicly declare an action plan to end ragging. Recently, an engineering student of the Sabaragamuwa University, committed suicide after severe ragging by members of the student body. more..

May 7 (CT) Ministry of Women and Child Affairs has confirmed that the NCPA has launched an investigation into the recent death of a 16-year-old schoolgirl in Kotahena, following allegations of sexual abuse and public humiliation. The girl, who had committed suicide, was reportedly a victim of sexual abuse at the hands of a male mathematics teacher at her former school in Bambalapitiya. Her parents have alleged that the child was later subjected to further trauma after more..

May 7 (FT) World Bank Group President Ajay Banga will visit SL today, marking the first Presidential visit to the country by a World Bank Group Prez in nearly 20 years. The visit comes at a critical moment, as SL continues its path toward economic recovery and seeks to build a more resilient, inclusive and private sector-led future. The visit follows an invitation from Prez Anura Kumara Disanayake, extended during a congratulatory call between the two leaders shortly after his appointment last November. more..

May 7 (DM) A man who tried to remove a precious stone fixed on the forehead of Devol Deviyo (deity) of ancient Seenigama Maha Devalaya, which is situated on an offshore islet in Seenigama, collapsed to his death last night. The police found the victim’s body collapsed on the foot of the statue inside the ancient Devalaya on the islet when they opened the doors this morning. The male who is yet to be identified was found only in his underwear and his face covered with a T-shirt as a mask. more..

May 7 (DM) SL continues to stand tall in the high human development category. However, latest data by the UN shows that the momentum is slowing, with regional peers closing in fast. Human Development Report 2025, placed SL in the 89th rank out of 193 countries. This is down from the 88th position it held in 2022. SL recorded a HDI score of 0.776. Despite being placed in the high human development segment, the report highlights how the country has lost ground, slipping eight ranks since 2015. more..