May 13 (TM) Ruling NPP stated that while discussions have already begun with individual representatives to form administrations in LG bodies where they (NPP) lack a majority, they would however not enter into coalitions with parties with opposing political views. In the LG Elections, the NPP won the majority in 339 LG bodies, but failed to secure more than 50% of the total representation in many of them, as Opposition political parties and indpt. groups collectively surpassed NPP. more..

May 13 (ST) The Cabinet will next week consider a proposal to reduce the tariffs for all renewable energy-based (RE) electricity supply to the national grid. If approved, Energy Ministry’s memorandum will allow the CEB to significantly lower the prices paid for every unit of electricity generated under all new private rooftop solar, mini-hydro, wind, ground-mounted solar, biomass and municipal solid waste contracts. For the first time, a tariff is also proposed for rooftop solar and more..

May 13 (TM) In the wake of increasing road accidents across the country, Ministry of Transport & Highways stated that an action plan to prevent road accidents, prepared collectively by 16 line institutions, will be implemented within the next two months. A sharp rise in road accidents has been observed, the most recent one being when a SLTB bus veered off the Nuwara Eliya–Gampola main road and plunged down a precipice on more..

May 13 (AD) A large consignment of Kush cannabis, illegally brought into SL by a British national woman who arrived from Bangkok, Thailand, has been seized by SL Customs. The narcotics were discovered during a special raid conducted by Narcotics Control Unit of SL Customs. Seizure took place this afternoon (12), during a targeted inspection of suspect’s luggage as she attempted to pass through Customs upon arrival in SL. Total weight of the confiscated narcotics is 46 kg, more..

May 13 (ANN) About a million women workers in key export sectors will lose their job and income if the 44% tariffs imposed by US Prez Donald Trump come into force at the end of the 90-day pause. SL's main export industries such as apparel, tea, gems, rubber & cinnamon, which employ mostly women, will be the most affected by the new tariffs since the US market is one of their most lucrative. Apparel workers reproach the govt for its lethargic attitude and failure to consider concerns of workers more..

May 13 (DM) Upon the critical need to ensure a legally mandated 25% quota for women’s representation in local govt bodies, following the recent local authority elections, Mannar Women’s Development Federation sent an urgent letter to the Election Commission (EC). The letter, endorsed by over 30 ground level groups, outlines key concerns about compliance with the quota, highlights areas where gaps persist, and urges the EC to take immediate steps to fulfill its legal obligation more..

May 13 (AD) A total of 388 inmates have been released from prisons across the island today (May 12) under a special state pardon granted by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in view of Vesak Poya Day, the Department of Prisons has announced. Prisons Spokesman Gamini B. Dissanayake stated that accordingly, 384 male inmates and four female inmates serving time for minor offences were granted a state pardon, in accordance with Article 34 of Constitution more..

May 13 (ST) An electricity tariff increase of 25-35% is among the proposals under consideration by CEB, as the IMF awaits the implementation of the revised rates. CEB sources said these tariff proposals would be prepared in accordance with the formula agreed upon by CEB and PUCSL and submitted for PUCSL’s approval. With the discussions on the revised tariffs underway, CEB Chairman Tilak Siyambalapitiya has more..

May 13 (DM) A 4-hour strike by employees at Jaya Container Terminal (JCT) and East Container Terminal of the Colombo Port last night has resulted in an estimated loss of at least Rs. 300 million, senior official of the SLPA said. The strike, which began at 8 p.m. yesterday and continued till midnight, was triggered by a controversial decision by SLPA to cut incentive allowances paid to essential employees who worked on April 12 and 13, dates that coincided with the Vesak Poya holidays. more..

May 13 (DN) SL sprinter Chamod Yodhasinghe, who participated in the Final Section 2 event at the Dubai Grand Prix in UAE managed to win the first place in the event with a finishing time of 10.27 seconds. The Dubai Grand Prix 2025 Athletics Championship concluded successfully in the UAE in last Friday. Five athletes from SL also participated in this competition, and it is noteworthy that they managed to enter the very top talent pool. SL sprinter Yupun Abeykoon entered the field representing more..

May 13 (EN) New active credit cards in SL increased by 11,881 in March this year, amid SL’s economic recovery and falling interest rates. The number of active credit cards recorded 2,038,682 by end March, compared to 2,026,871 by end February, showing an increase of 0.6% in March. The active credit cards have risen by 1.5% in the first three months of this year. Active credit cards in SL rose by 4.8% or 91,371 in 2024, more..

May 13 (DN) We need to improve our batting and also need some power hitters, but work needs to be done before the World Cup said SL women’s cricket skipper Chamari Athapaththu after the Tri Nation women’s cricket fixture final which India won by 97 runs at the R.Premadasa stadium on Sunday. India dominated this final with a superb all round performance when they proved their strong batting line up can give good challenge against any team .The left hand opener Smriti Mandana more..

May 13 (FT) The Cabinet of Ministers approved proceeding with the partial procurement of Total Knee Replacement (TKR) component sets, following a limited response to a recent international competitive bidding process. Minister Nalinda Jayatissa said the procurement sought 3,000 patient-specific, high-flexibility TKR component sets, which are used in advanced knee replacement surgeries to restore mobility and function in patients with severely damaged or worn knee joints. more..

May 13 (SO) SL Masters’ hockey team led by former national striker Nadith Kudagama emerged unbeaten champions by defeating Dubai Hockey Club 4-0 in the first-ever Cargills International Masters Hockey Cup at Colombo Astro Turf. The unbeaten SL Maroons team aggressively attacked from the start of the final in the 3-day tournament. Host team scored its first goal through a penalty corner in the second minute of the game through former Army forward Asanka Welagedara. more..

May 13 (DM) Emirates has expressed its openness to increasing direct flight operations between Sri Lanka and various parts of India while emphasising that the respective govts of India and SL need to grant the necessary permissions. Emirates Senior Vice President West Asia and Indian Ocean Essa Sulaiman Ahamed shared these remarks this week. He clarified that it is up to the govts in India and SL to liberalise direct flight operations for third-party carriers such as Emirates. more..

May 13 (SO) Govt has promised a swift investigation into the whole saga of the sexual and mental abuse of a 15-year-old schoolgirl from Kotahena who later took her life. Govt has promised to take stern action against the perpetrators. Investigations have revealed that the girl first reported that a teacher had sexually abused her in the school back in October last year. She has sought counselling over the issue. Later, a tuition master of a more..

May 13 (ST) The national significance of the 2025 local govt elections results was the dominant topic in Parliament this week, with govt and opposition MPs offering up vastly different interpretations of what the results mean. The ruling NPP was keen to hammer home the point that it had won the largest number of local govt bodies at Tuesday’s elections. Minister Samantha Vidyarathna pointed out on Thursday that the NPP had the highest number of members elected in 267 out of 339 LG bodies more..

May 13 (GV) The Asian Literary Society (ALS) facilitated a forum at the National Library in Colombo where the convenors invited a range of academics, scholars, journalists and creative writers to discuss a timely and relevant topic: How far do we adhere to our roots? Exploring literature, language and cultural heritage of Sri Lanka. ALS is a platform established in 2017 to celebrate and support Asian literary arts and indigenous languages. It operates in the international digital sphere more..

May 13 (Island) The title of today’s comment was inspired by the name of an award-winning 1990 film, Dances with Wolves, which is the sobriquet given to the protagonist, Lt. John Dunbar, by a Native American tribe because of his close interactions with a wolf he befriends. We were reminded of that epithet on seeing the JVP-led NPP waltzing with those it condemned as thieves before last week’s local govt (LG) polls. The NPP govt deserves the moniker, Dances with Thieves. more..

May 13 (Island) The local government elections that took place last week saw a consolidation of the democratic system in the country. The govt followed the rules of elections to a greater extent than its recent predecessors some of whom continue to be active on the political stage. Particularly noteworthy was the absence of the large-scale abuse of state resources, both media and financial, which had become normalised under successive governments in the past four decades. more..

May 13 (TM) 23-year-old Charith Dilshan, a Sabaragamuwa Uni undergraduate, took his own life on 29 April. Several students are in remand prison in connection with the physical and psychological abuse the youth underwent before making the decision to end his own life. In 1975, in order to avoid abuse, Rupa Rathnaseeli of Uni of Peradeniya leapt off 2nd floor of uni’s Ramanathan Hall, a move that left her paralysed until more..

May 13 (DM) On Saturday (10), the Yunus govt banned all activities of the Awami League under the Anti-Terrorism Act until the trial of the party and its leaders is completed. Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Adviser to the Interim govt, Asif Nazrul, made the announcement after an emergency meeting of the Advisory Council at around 10:55 pm on Saturday. All cyberspace activities of the League, too, would come under this ban. The meeting also approved an amendment of more..

May 13 (CT) SL’s local govt elections on May 6 have thrown up interesting results. The governing NPP achieved a decisive victory by winning 266 out of 339 local councils, with the opposition parties performing poorly; SJB emerging the runner-up, having won control of 13 local govts, while ITAK and the SLMC won 37 and 5 councils respectively. Both UNP and SLPP did not capture power in any council. Nationally however, NPP’s vote bank declined from 6.8 mil in Nov 2024 parliamentary elections more..

May 13 (CT) Voting is a democratic right. Everyone holds equal value in this regard. As elections approach, there tends to be increased attention on the rights of persons with disabilities. But have these individuals truly been neglected during elections? Or are they unaware of their rights? Various social groups and organisations often voice concerns about the lack of facilities available to them. Using the Right to Information Act, more..

May 13 (TM) Govt of Sri Lanka finally moved to hold crisis management talks with relevant stakeholders on managing the impact of India-Pakistan conflict on Sri Lankan ports and shipping, with the Minister Bimal Ratnayake recently chairing high-level discussions on the matter. The meeting, held with the participation of key stakeholders from the sector, focused on strategies to manage the expected increase in ship arrivals at local ports due to regional disruptions. more..

May 13 (DM) The NPP, subsequent to the May 6 LG elections, has encountered the same problem the SLPP faced following the 2018 local council elections. Both parties obtained the highest number of seats in a majority of councils but failed to claim absolute power in a large number of them, as the collective strength of all other parties in those councils exceeded their strength. For instance, the NPP has got the highest number of seats in 267 councils, including in the Elpitiya PS election more..

May 12 (TM) Electricity Consumers Association (ECA) has called for an investigation into several decisions made by Dr. Tilak Siyambalapitiya, who recently resigned from his post as Chairperson of the CEB, citing that his actions had a significantly detrimental impact on the national energy sector. Dr. Siyambalapitiya officially stepped down from his position on 9 May, concluding a tenure that began on 26 Sept 2024. more..

May 12 (AD) SL Police has announced the implementation of a special traffic plan in Colombo from tomorrow (12) in line with the 2025 Vesak Festival. The Bauddhaloka Vesak Zone, organized by All Ceylon Buddhist Congress, will be held from May 12 to 14. Buddha Rashmi Vesak Zone, organized jointly by the Hunupitiya Gangaramaya Temple and the PM’s Office, will take place from May 12 to 16 while another Vesak Zone is scheduled to be held in Braybrooke Place on May 12-13. more..

May 12 (TM) Ministry of Defence issued a statement expressing its gratitude to the people in Maduru Oya, first responders and medical staff at hospitals for their prompt response to rescue and treat 12 personnel who were onboard the SL Air Force Bell 212 helicopter which crashed last Friday. “Ministry of Defence extends its profound appreciation to the local community of Maduru Oya, the medical professionals and personnel of the Aralaganwila Divisional Hospital & Polonnaruwa Hospital, more..

May 12 (TM) The Ministry of Transport and Highways stated that the Govt is focusing on providing necessary support to those injured, while relevant agencies are conducting investigations into the tragic bus accident in Garandiella, Ramboda, which has claimed 21 lives as of going to the print. The tragedy is the latest in a long line of public transport accidents which has been an recurrent issue in SL. more..

May 12 (Island) Ceylon Teachers’ Union General Secretary Joseph Stalin has called for an investigation into a complaint that a group of teachers at a girls’ school in Colombo have been collecting signatures from parents for a petition in defence of a teacher accused of having sexually abused a 16-year-old student, who committed suicide subsequently. Stalin said the teachers’ actions appear to have been an attempt to protect the accused, who had been released on bail. more..

May 12 (DM) Senior Gynecologist Dr. Shafi Shihabdeen and his family had to face immense hardships to regain the lost honour and their place in society due to the racially motivated political witch hunt, Faisz Musthapha PC said. He said the embarrassment and agony Dr. Shafi’s daughter Zinab had to experience even at school was unspeakable and finally justice had prevailed to them when the latter was acquitted on all accounts. Prez's Counsel who is also the Chancellor of more..