May 18 (FT) CB Governor Dr Nandalal Weerasinghe is reported to have stirred up a hornets’ nest when he had, quite correctly of course, firmly remarked that I want to make it clear: CBSL does not promote economic growth in answer to a question from the press when the bank’s Economic Policy Review for 2025 was unveiled to the public recently. Immediately, several high-ranking citizens of the country approached me with the simple question whether I would endorse controversial stand more..

May 18 (DM) Following months of speculation of arguments and rifts within the NPP camp, Daily Mirror reliably learns that some senior govt members have told Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake to consider inviting capable MPs from the opposition to join the govt in an attempt to take the nation forward. Inside sources said that during a recent meeting at the JVP HQ in Pelawatta, senior JVP camp had discussed a proposal more..

May 18 (DM) A tense situation was reported between the police and a group led by former MP Wimal Weerawansa near the War Heroes' Memorial in Battaramulla after the group attempted to hold a War Heroes' commemmoration. Tense situation arose after the police prevented the group led by Weerawansa from entering the premises, claiming that another event is being organised at the location. Weeranwansa was seen confronting the police and attempting to forcibly enter the location when more..

May 18 (AD) A writ petition has been filed before the Court of Appeal seeking an order directing the Commissioner General of Excise and others not to grant approval for the use of rice and sugar as primary raw materials in beer production. The petition, filed by a group of licensed liquor retailers, has named the Commissioner General of Excise, officials of the Department of Excise, SL Standards Institution, the Attorney General, the IGP and several others as respondents. more..

May 18 (AD) Yellow flags should be used instead of Buddhist flags to direct people toward dansal food distribution events in future, Commissioner of Buddhist Affairs Asela Madusanka stated. He made this assertion at a media briefing held today regarding the State Vesak celebrations. Commissioner said that a circular had already been issued with Cabinet approval instructing that Buddhist flags should not be used for directing the public to dansal events, and instead yellow more..

May 18 (FT) The recent meeting between Prez Donald Trump and Prez Xi Jinping in Beijing was far more than another diplomatic engagement between two powerful leaders. It was a reminder that the world is entering a period of profound geopolitical transition. What made the meeting particularly significant was Prez Xi Jinping’s invocation of the Thucydides Trap, a concept that has increasingly become part of the global conversation surrounding the future of relations between US & China. more..

May 18 (Island) SJB Leader Sajith Premadasa has launched a scathing attack on the govt for the 50% Customs duty surcharge on vehicle imports, accusing the latter of burdening the public with additional costs, despite its earlier promises to make vehicles more affordable. Premadasa said those who had once pledged to make a Vitz car available for Rs. 1.2 m had now moved in opposite direction by increasing duties on vehicles. more..

May 18 (AD) Muslims in Sri Lanka will celebrate the Haj festival (Eid al-Adha) on 28 May, the Colombo Grand Mosque has announced. Colombo Grand Mosque and the Moon Sighting Committee have stated that the crescent moon for the month of Dhul Hijjah —the 12th and final month of the Islamic lunar calendar- has not been sighted in SL today and therefore May 19 will mark the first day of the new month. Accordingly, Hajj festival will be observed on Thursday, 28 May, as it always falls on more..

May 18 (NW) A bill to repeal the Chief of Defence Staff Act has been published through an extraordinary gazette notification. The relevant bill, prepared on the instructions of the Minister of Defence, was published in the Govt Gazette on May 15. The draft legislation has been prepared to repeal the Chief of Defence Staff Act No. 35 of 2009 and to provide for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto. The bill, titled the Chief of Defence Staff (Repeal) Act, 2026, more..

May 18 (AD) Today marks 17 years since the defeat of the brutal LTTE terrorism that plagued SL for more than three decades. The war officially came to an end on May 18, 2009, following the death of LTTE leader V. Prabhakaran at the hands of SL military forces in the Nandikadal lagoon area. Roots of LTTE terrorism in SL date back to July 27, 1975, with the assassination of then Jaffna Mayor Alfred Duraiappah, regarded as one of the more..

May 18 (FT) People’s Bank has informed that an error relating to the application of the exchange rate in one currency within a specific remittance system, which resulted in certain customers receiving excess amounts during the period from May 2023 to March 2026, was recently identified and has since been fully rectified. Upon detection, the bank immediately initiated a detailed internal review and strengthened the relevant operational controls. The matter is currently being reviewed in consultation more..

May 18 (TM) Residents of Monaragala have alleged that several officials attached to the Monaragala Divisional Secretariat engaged in fraudulent practices while distributing Ditwah disaster compensation payments, including forcibly taking portions of compensation money from recipients. Some residents claimed they were asked to pay commissions in order to receive compensation that had already been approved for them. A female accused a Disaster Relief Services Officer more..

May 18 (Island) Amith Weerasinghe, ex-leader of the Mahason Balakaya movement, was taken into custody by Teldeniya Police last evening over allegations of large-scale financial fraud involving multiple complainants. Police said the suspect was accused of defrauding several individuals of substantial sums of money after allegedly promising to construct cabanas in the Pallekele and Ella areas, which were subsequently not delivered. Weerasinghe has denied any wrongdoing. more..

May 18 (Island) Govt has drawn up a comprehensive plan to reduce electricity tariffs through the ongoing restructuring of the power sector, with a strong focus on expanding renewable energy generation and improving the efficiency of hydropower production, Minister Anura Karunathilaka said. He said the long-term objective of the restructuring programme was to lower generation costs and ultimately pass the benefits on to consumers through reduced electricity bills. more..

May 18 (TM) In the wake of the recent landmark Supreme Court ruling involving the Uni of Peradeniya sexual harassment case against a former Senior Professor of the Faculty of Dentistry, Uni stated around 29 complaints related to sex and gender-based harassment and misconduct had been reported in recent years, with several of them later found to be baseless. Deputy VC Prof Ranjith Pallegama said the Uni was prepared to more..

May 18 (DN) Sri Lanka produced a superb all-round performance to crush India 31-10 and clinch the gold medal in the men’s final of the Central Asian and South Asian (CASA) Rugby Association Sevens in Uzbekistan yesterday, storming back after an early setback and finishing the match in commanding fashion after leading 14-5 at half time. India drew first blood with an unconverted try to take an early 5-0 lead, but Sri Lanka hit back strongly with power and pace. more..

May 18 (FT) Veteran journalist and columnist D.B.S. Jeyaraj passed away in Canada yesterday, marking the end of a distinguished journalistic career that spanned nearly five decades. He was a longstanding columnist for the Daily FT, where his work continued to attract a dedicated readership. Jeyaraj remained an influential voice among readers in Sri Lanka and the global Tamil diaspora, with his work often serving as a reference point for understanding key political and historical developments. more..

May 18 (DN) Sri Lanka is currently hosting one of the region’s most prestigious international chess tournaments as the Chess Federation of SL (CFSL), in collaboration with the Commonwealth Chess Federation and the world governing body for chess, FIDE, stages the Commonwealth Chess Championship 2026 at Citrus hotel, Waskaduwa from May 17 to 25. Recognised as one of the foremost int'l chess championships in the region, tournament has attracted more than 500 more..

May 18 (AD) All document attestation services at the Consular Affairs Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have been temporarily suspended until further notice due to an unexpected technical failure of the Electronic Document Attestation System (e-DAS). The temporary suspension applies to the Consular Affairs Division headquarters in Battaramulla as well as all Regional Consular Offices (RCOs) located in Jaffna, Trincomalee, Kandy, Matara & Kurunegala, Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. more..

May 18 (FT) SL’s tourism earnings fell sharply in April, with official data showing the sector’s foreign exchange inflows dropped to their lowest monthly level in nearly three years, underscoring mounting pressure from weaker arrivals, softer visitor spending, and global geopolitical uncertainty. Tourism earnings in April 2026 declined by 39% YoY to $ 157.1 million, marking the weakest monthly performance more..

May 18 (EN) Adani Ports-controlled Colombo West Int'l Terminal (CWIT) is a vision of the future. Its quayside cranes that move containers between ships and trucks and yard cranes, which stack them up six high temporarily, are operated remotely from its main building. Data from crane-mounted cameras and sensors are used by teams, including young women not normally known to be employed as longshoremen, to manoeuvre containers between ships, trucks & yards using joysticks. more..

May 18 (DN) Two International Cricket Council (ICC) representatives Deputy Chairman Imran Khawaja and ICC Board Director and BCCI secretary Devajit Salkia met with the newly appointed SLC Transformation Committee at SLC hq on Saturday. Two ICC officials visited SL to assess the Govt’s recent sudden involvement in SLC management. The newly appointed Transformation Committee headed by former MP Eran Wickramaratne included former cricketers Sidath Wettimuny and more..

May 18 (FT) Business leader Hanif Yusoof has announced plans to resign as the Governor of the Western Province to better focus as Prez AKD’s Special Envoy on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). Yusoof was appointed Western Province Governor in late Sept 2024, whilst in November last year, Hanif was also appointed as a Special Envoy for FDI. Yusoof said some time ago, he conveyed to the Prez the desire to step down from the role more..

May 18 (TM) Sri Lanka's Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) has recorded over Rs. 25 billion in net foreign outflows from the beginning of the year through April (YTD), while total net outflow within the month of April alone was Rs. 5.3 billion, according to Ambeon Securities' monthly report for April. Describing capital market performance, the report stated: "Total net foreign outflow for April 2026 was Rs. -5,330.78 million. Year-to-date net foreign flow is Rs. -25,130.94 million." more..

May 18 (DN) It has been revealed that out of the 92 shops leased at the Colombo Floating Market project which was launched with great fanfare in 2014, only 16 shops are currently operational. This information was uncovered during a special field inspection conducted by officials from Transport, Highways & Urban Development Ministry along with the UDA. This shopping complex, which had been allocated to traders by the UDA under five-year lease agreements, has now fallen into a state of more..

May 18 (FT) Dipped Products (DPL), a subsidiary of Hayleys, officially inaugurated a series of major capacity expansion projects at its Kottawa manufacturing facility recently, marking a significant step forward in supporting export growth alongside advancements in robotic automation, efficiency, and sustainability. Rs. 2.3 billion investment is expected to enhance DPL’s capacity to meet rising global demand for specialised protective gloves, strengthening SL’s position in high-value more..

May 18 (FT) Dialog Axiata Group has in the first quarter of FY26 delivered revenue growth of 9% year-on-year (YoY) on the back of strong performances in mobile, fixed, and digital pay television businesses as Group revenue reached Rs. 47.3 billion, despite the continued strategic scaling down of the low-margin international wholesale business. On a quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) basis, revenue increased by 2% supported by data revenue growth and advertising revenue more..

May 18 (TM) Proposed business evaluation of the Sapugaskanda Oil Refinery is not a preliminary step towards a Public-Private Partnership (PPP), but a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) arrangement structured around project financing, according to CPC Managing Director Dr. Mayura Neththikumarage. Clarification was issued in the context of a Request for Proposal (RFP) formally published by Dept Consultant Procurement more..

May 18 (SO) The narrative of SL’s economic recovery by successive Govts exists in the columns of spreadsheets presented in Washington, in the press releases of the Central Bank, and in the polite handshakes that seal the progress of the IMF EFF. In this numerical universe, mathematics of survival look solved. Gross int'l reserves have been painstakingly rebuilt from zero; headline inflation, which once threatened to touch triple digits in 2022, has been brought down to single numbers; more..

May 18 (Island) The Director General of the CIABOC announced last month that amendments to the Anti-Corruption Act of 2023 were on the cards so as to restrict public access to the assets and liabilities declarations filed with the Commission. The information, released in 2025, caused profound embarrassment to the present govt, but was received very well by the public and any attempt to restrict that information flow at this stage, may prove to be very unpopular. more..

May 18 (SO) The Basketball Team of the School for the Deaf, Ratmalana recorded a historic victory in the U-15 Basketball Tournament, organised by the SL Schools Basketball Association. The School for the Deaf cagers had the better of Science College, Mount Lavinia in the final encounter to clinch the Under-16 Tier 2 All-Island Basketball Tournament. This was truly an inspiring moment for school basketball in Sri Lanka. The players couldn’t hear the final whistle but they made history as more..