May 10 (DM) The LG elections have been held. The NPP emerged overall winners as predicted in these columns on polling day. As we forecast, the NPP victory was not as overwhelming as their victory during the parliamentary elections. Be that as it may -- the NPP won. The NPP’s rivals SJB, UNP, SLPP, SLMC & SB all contested independent of each other. They also condemned each other with vigour and vitality. They believed that they could independently, while crossing swords with each other more..

May 10 (ST) Our discussion last week on Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) as a missed opportunity for SL over the past 25 years has sparked significant curiosity and raised several important questions. One such question I would like to explore today is: Can FTAs be an alternative approach to adopt instead of fully committing to free trade? In SL’s case, I believe neither path was pursued effectively. The journey toward free trade, after gaining some momentum, eventually faltered more..

May 10 (TM) With tourist areas in the island facing challenges in accessing utilities such as water and electricity for businesses, it is learnt that the unavailability of a steady supply of electricity and water are among issues consistently faced by business owners in these areas. Multiple business owners and managers from the southern and eastern coasts have flagged issues with power outages and fluctuating power supply, more..

May 10 (GV) Writing in March after studying 2,000 comments against Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s (AKD’s) consequential budget speech, I observed there was a growing public sentiment (bordering on embryonic disenchantment) around the govt’s inability to deliver what it promised and that “while unwavering support for AKD and the NPP persists, the public discourse (as studied on Facebook) evolves from emotional affirmation to a more nuanced (critical even?) assessment more..

May 10 (CT) Education is wings that can rise you up from where you are, This was the promise of the NPP during the last election—a profound truth about the power of learning to uplift lives. But for 15-year-old Dilshi Amshika, education became something else entirely: a source of trauma, fear, humiliation—and finally, unbearable despair. On 29 April, Amshika died by suicide. Her death did not come out of nowhere. It followed months of agony. It was the consequence of repeated failures more..

May 10 (CT) Ceylon Fishery Harbour Corporation (CFHC), which has been entrusted with the task and responsibility of developing and facilitating the fisheries sector with adequate facilities, is actively working to bring the non-functional Oluvil Fishery Harbour back to operational status, said CFHC Chairman Kapila Bamunuarachchi. He made these remarks during an interview to discuss the current state of more..

May 10 (DM) Apart from the popularity issue, the NPP faced the flaws of the mixed electoral system as well. Despite the party being able to win the largest number of seats in 266 local councils including the Colombo MC, it had won absolute majority only in 133 councils. As the party had accused all other parties of corruption, the morality does not permit it to form coalitions with any of those parties. Hence, Tilvin Silva says that they would form coalitions only with independent groups. more..

May 10 (DM) Former LTTE deputy military chief Kandiah Balasegaran alias Brigadier Balraj is regarded as the finest military commander the Tigers ever had. Balraj was a much admired military tactician, reputed for leading from the front. Born in 1965, Balraj died of a heart attack 17 years ago on 20 May 2008. Balraj’s 60th Birthday will be commemorated on Nov 27 this year. This article, based on previous writings, focuses on Balasegaran alias Brigadier Balraj and more..

May 9 (AD) Election Commission has instructed all candidates who contested the 2925 LG Elections to submit their campaign income and expenditure reports on or before May 28. Issuing a statement, the Commission emphasized that candidates are required to prepare and submit their financial disclosures in line with the provisions of the Election Expenditure Regulation Act No. 03 of 2023. These reports must be handed over to the Returning Officers of the respective electoral districts. more..

May 9 (DM) Court of Appeal today directed the Attorney General to inform court whether there is a possibility of resolving the issues concerning SL's national cricket players, following their classification as employees of the national association, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), by the Inland Revenue Dept (IRD). Court of Appeal (Acting President) Justice Mohammed Laffar and Justice Priyantha Fernando issued this directive pursuant to writ petitions filed by ODI Captain Charith Asalanka, more..

May 9 (FT) This article is the third and final of a trilogy about the coordinated attacks by suicide bombers on the Easter Sunday of 21 April 2019. Young men with explosives targeted three churches and three luxury hotels in what has come to be known as Sri Lanka’s Easter bombings. The explosive attacks in Colombo, Negombo and Batticaloa resulted in 269 persons including 45 foreign nationals being killed and more..

May 9 (TM) SL’s monthly national tea price average fell across elevations in April, declining by Rs. 17.01 from the tea price average of March. The average price of a kilogram of tea was recorded at Rs. 1,166. The tea price average for the month further fell by Rs. 50.10 from the same time period last year, with a Rs. 94.99 decline from the year-to-date national average recorded between January and April of 2024. All elevations recorded declines in rupee terms compared to 2024. more..

May 9 (Island) Sri Lanka faces rising cyber threats with over 8.6 million web threats detected in 2024, Kaspersky Security Bulletin (KSB) has said. KBS has revealed that from January to December 2024, Kaspersky detected 8,696,292 different Internet-borne cyber threats in Sri Lanka. This translates into 8.6 million of users in the country being attacked by web-borne threats during this period. Sri Lanka ranked 22nd globally in terms of web-based threat exposure for 2024. more..

May 9 (FT) In a renewed push to attract foreign investment into the energy sector, Cabinet of Ministers at their meeting on Wednesday approved the exploration and potential production of petroleum and natural gas in four offshore plots within the Mannar Basin. To support this initiative, the Cabinet of Ministers also approved the engagement of a qualified marketing consultant to develop and implement a targeted promotion strategy. more..

May 9 (AM) In a groundbreaking moment for both SL and global theatre, Hiran Abeysekera is set to play Hamlet at the National Theatre in London in 2025 — becoming the first non-white actor to portray the iconic role on that prestigious stage. The announcement marks a historic milestone not just for Abeysekera’s career, but for the National Theatre itself, as it takes a progressive step toward greater diversity and representation in classical theatre. Hiran, who shot to international fame with more..

May 9 (AD) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake has congratulated His Holiness Pope Leo XIV on his election as the new leader of the Catholic Church. Posting on ‘X’, Dissanayake said: “Your role carries great responsibility and I wish you strength and wisdom as you guide the faithful. May your leadership bring hope and inspiration to people around the world. Warm regards from SL.” Cardinal Robert Prevost, a missionary who spent his career ministering in Peru and leads the Vatican’s more..

May 9 (CI) IPL 2025 has been suspended with immediate effect for one week, the BCCI said in a statement on Friday afternoon. The decision was taken in the wake of the cross-border tensions between India and Pakistan. "Further updates regarding the new schedule and venues of the tournament will be announced in due course after a comprehensive assessment of the situation in consultation with relevant authorities and stakeholders," board secretary Devajit Saikia more..

May 9 (SLN) Navy took hold of about 325kg and 04g (wet weight) of Kendu leaves, attempted to be smuggled in, during a search operation conducted in the Negombo sea area on 7 May 25. The Navy is keeping a close watch on the island's coastline, conducting frequent patrols and search operations to curb illegal activities, especially the smuggling of goods through sea routes. As an extension of these efforts, a team of Special Boat Squadron, deployed by SLNS Kelani in Western Naval Command more..

May 9 (AD) Five of the 12 individuals who were onboard the Bell 212 helicopter which crashed into the Maduru Oya Reservoir and were hospitalized in critical condition, have been pronounced dead following admission to the hospital. SL Air Force (SLAF) confirmed that all deceased persons are armed forces personnel, and includes three Special Forces (SF) personnel and two SLAF Helicopter Gunmen. more..

May 9 (SLN) French Navy Ship BEAUTEMPS BEAUPRE arrived at the Port of Colombo on a goodwill visit today. The visiting ship was welcomed by SL Navy in compliance with time-honoured naval traditions. The 80.65m long BEAUTEMPS BEAUPRE is a Hydrographic Vessel commanded by Commander BERTHEAU Dimitri and she is manned by 58 crew members. Meanwhile, the Commanding Officer and a group of crew members of the ship are scheduled to call on senior officers of more..

May 9 (CT) Former Minister Ali Sabry placed the blame for the ongoing confusion surrounding Local Govt (LG) Elections squarely on a controversial legislative move during the Yahapalana era, calling it a legislative ambush that continues to haunt the country’s democratic process. In a hard-hitting statement titled Who is Responsible for the LG Elections Mess?, Sabry accused the previous govt of engineering an unprecedented distortion of the legislative process. more..

May 9 (TM) SL’s exporters cannot bear the burden of the removal of the Simplified Value Added Tax (SVAT) in October, National Chamber of Exporters (NCE) said. “The export community is not asking for indefinite protection,” NCE President Indhra Kaushal Rajapaksa said. “But we are pleading with the govt- do not dismantle SVAT this year. Exporters are already under pressure from rising energy and logistics costs, more..

May 9 (CT) A delegation from SL comprising of professionals from the fields of music, filmmaking, acting, film production & distribution, animation and gaming participated in the inaugural edition of the World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit (WAVES) 2025 held at the Jio World Convention Centre, Mumbai, India, from 1 to 4 May 2025. WAVES 2025, a flagship initiative envisioned by PM of India, brought together leading voices from across the globe – industry veterans, policymakers, more..

May 9 (CT) Minister Kumara Jayakody told Parliament that the Govt remains hopeful that electricity tariffs will not be increased in the near future, despite international financial pressures. Responding to a question posed by MP Ajith Perera on whether electricity charges would be raised in accordance with recommendations made by the IMF, Minister Jayakody clarified that while the Govt has no current intention of increasing tariffs, burden of debt servicing remains a significant concern. more..

May 9 (AD) Two suspects arrested and remanded in connection with the murder of political activist Dan Priyasad have been identified by witnesses during an identification parade held at the Colombo Magistrate’s Court today (9). The identification parade was conducted on the orders of Colombo Additional Magistrate Harshana Kekunawala. During proceedings, the court was informed that three witnesses had positively identified the two suspects. However, the legal counsel representing more..

May 9 (BS) Ministry of Health and Family Welfare made the decision during a recent meeting with relevant stakeholders to outline strategies for addressing the ongoing dengue outbreak. Under the new plan, dengue testing kits will be procured using administrative budgets, and healthcare workers will receive specialised training for dengue treatment and prevention. A coordination team-comprising local leaders, religious figures, NGOs, BNCC cadets, and youth volunteers-will be formed to more..

May 9 (AD) Minister Ananda Wijepala revealed that 79 shooting incidents have occurred in the country within the past 7 months, resulting in 52 fatalities and injuries to 35 individuals. Minister also stated that these shootings have occurred between Sept 21 last year and yesterday. He explained that 62 of these shootings have been carried out by organised crime gangs, while 17 shootings have been carried out by others. more..

May 9 (AD) A Divi Neguma development officer has been sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment by the Colombo High Court for soliciting a sexual bribe from a 30-year-old mother of three in exchange for facilitating a govt subsidy for her child’s kidney surgery. Delivering the verdict, Colombo High Court Judge Aditya Patabendige stated that such conduct by a public official was utterly unacceptable and represented a grave betrayal of public trust. more..

May 9 (CI) Annerie Dercksen's maiden ODI century - which came off the back of two successive fifty-plus scores and is also the fastest by a South African in the format - headlined South Africa's consolation win at the women's tri-series in Colombo. With South Africa out of contention for Sunday's final, they put together their most complete performance of the competition and posted their fifth highest score in all ODIs thanks to contributions from the lower order, which ultimately won them the game. more..

May 9 (EN) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s office announced the second batch of bidding for the sale of 7 luxury and decommissioned vehicles and it said the move was a part of the govt’s ongoing commitment to reducing public expenditure and ensuring fiscal discipline. “The second phase of bidding has commenced for the sale of 27 luxury and decommissioned vehicles from the Presidential Secretariat,” PMD said in a statement. more..

May 9 (AD) A German national woman has been arrested by the Cinnamon Gardens Police in connection with the recent suspicious incident involving a laptop left near the Russian Embassy in Colombo. Police said the woman was taken into custody after the unattended device raised security concerns and a bomb scare at the Russian Embassy in Colombo on April 28. Investigators recorded her statement for over a five-hour period with the assistance of an interpreter. more..

May 9 (NW) Ceylon Teachers’ Union (CTU) Secretary Joseph Stalin condemned Minister of Women and Child Affairs Saroja Paulraj over comments made in Parliament regarding the death of a schoolgirl in Kotahena, calling the minister’s remarks conceited. The Minister in Parliament said that the parents of the Grade 10 student, who died by suicide following alleged sexual abuse by a teacher, had not yet met her or submitted a petition. She also noted that a formal complaint has more..