May 11 (CT) Following the arrest of Deputy Mayor of Kurunegala M. Ashardeen Moinudeen by officials of the CIABOC over the charge of allegedly soliciting a bribe from a businessman, he has been suspended from party membership by the high command of the ACMC, said Rushdie Habeeb, Director of Legal and Constitutional Affairs. Moinudeen was arrested by CIABOC officers at a hotel in the Battaramulla area recently over the charge of allegedly soliciting Rs 3 million from the said businessman more..

May 11 (Island) Minister KD Lalkantha invoked the views of Soviet revolutionary leader Vladimir Lenin on women’s emancipation while addressing the opening of a new state-run childcare facility in Battaramulla last week. Speaking at the inauguration of the Little Roots daycare centre and preschool at the Govijana Mandiraya premises Lalkantha said women could not achieve true liberation while remaining burdened by household responsibilities such as cooking, cleaning and childcare. more..

May 11 (CT) A massive fire broke out at the Jaffna Teaching Hospital’s drug storage facility around 1 a.m. yesterday (9), destroying medicines and other essential supplies worth over Rs 1 billion. Police have cordoned off the area and launched investigations to determine the cause of the blaze, NPP MP for the Jaffna District and former Director of the Jaffna Teaching Hospital Dr. Sri Bavanandarajah said. Tri-Forces personnel, along with the CID more..

May 11 (Island) UNP Vice President and Kandy District Leader, Navin Dissanayake, on Saturday, stressed that any proposed merger between the UNP and the SJB must be carried out formally rather than in an ad hoc manner. Dissanayake said a structured framework was essential to ensure the successful reunification of the two parties ahead of future elections. “A formal mechanism must be established for the unification of the UNP and the SJB. This process cannot be confined to more..

May 11 (AD) SL Police have announced that strict legal action will be taken against vehicles fitted with unauthorized modifications and excessively noisy exhaust systems, as part of ongoing efforts to improve road safety and enforce traffic regulations across the country. Police Media Division stated that ensuring traffic discipline and protecting the lives of all road users remain among their primary responsibilities. Authorities have observed a growing number of vehicles more..

May 11 (TM) Cabinet has approved a proposal to appoint a group of MP as District Coordination Officers covering all districts in the country with the aim of strengthening coordination in the health sector. The relevant Cabinet paper had been submitted by the Minister Nalinda Jayatissa. The move is aimed at bringing preventive and treatment services closer to the people more efficiently, minimising shortcomings in the health system more..

May 11 (DM) Authorities have temporarily suspended all sand mining permits in the Mannar District following concerns over the manner in which permits were being issued in the district. The decision was reached during a special meeting held yesterday at the Mannar District Secretariat with the participation of govt officials and sand business owners. Chairman of the District Development Committee and Deputy Minister of Co-operative Development, Upali Samarasinghe, said more..

May 11 (TM) The proposed reduction of the VAT registration threshold to Rs. 36 million per annum is part of the Govt’s broader effort to recover revenue losses following the sweeping tax cuts introduced in 2020, with further threshold reductions expected in the future, according to tax experts. Tax expert and KPMG SL Principal – Head of Tax and Regulatory Suresh Perera explained that the proposed amendments to the VAT Act would reduce the current threshold from Rs. 60 million to more..

May 11 (DM) Director General of Health Services has suspended the services of two doctors over the death of an infant at the Trincomalee District General Hospital. The disciplinary action follows a preliminary investigation into the tragic death of the newborn at the hospital on April 9. The investigation was launched after allegations surfaced regarding medical negligence during the delivery. According to the inquiry, a doctor at the hospital had reportedly made six urgent telephone calls to more..

May 11 (DM) Heavy rainfall experienced across the country could lead to rising water levels in reservoirs and increased spill operations in the coming days, the Irrigation Department warned. Director of Irrigation Lasantha Sooriyabandara said authorities have already begun releasing water from several reservoirs identified as reaching critical levels due to the prevailing weather conditions. He said around 65% of the total reservoir capacity in the country has already been filled. more..

May 11 (DM) SL’s latest population census has delivered what appears to be a demographic shock. According to the 2024 Census of Population & Housing, SL’s fertility rate has fallen to just 1.3 children per woman—a level usually associated with some of the world’s lowest-fertility societies. If taken at face value, this would signal a dramatic and rapid shift in how SL families are formed. But is this really a fertility crisis more..

May 11 (DM) Doctors' Trade Union Alliance for Medical & Civil Rights Dr. Chamal Sanjeewa has alleged that the failure to properly investigate past corruption and fraud incidents in the health sector, despite evidence submitted to authorities, is causing a grave injustice to patients. He said he and the Auditor General had provided evidence to CID and CIABOC regarding several incidents that allegedly took place during the tenure of former Minister Keheliya Rambukwella and afterwards. more..

May 11 (DM) Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa is scheduled to leave for the Maldives on May 12 to participate in the 21st Asia Media Summit, one of the region’s leading gatherings focused on media, broadcasting, and digital communication. The summit officially commenced on May 11 at the Villa Nautica resort in the Maldives and will continue until May 14. The event has brought together policymakers, media executives, journalists, researchers, and communication experts more..

May 11 (NW) SL Police have urged property owners to exercise vigilance when renting or leasing houses, apartments, commercial buildings, and other premises, as such properties may be misused for fraudulent and criminal activities. Police said that it has been observed that certain individuals and organized groups obtain residential and commercial properties on a short-term or long-term rental basis and use them to carry out more..

May 11 (NW) Restoration work on the historic Elahera Anicut commenced on Sunday under the national programme Wari Mahima – Our Heritage. The project was launched with the participation of Ministers K.D. Lal Kantha and Hiniduma Sunil Senevi, and Deputy Minister T.B. Sarath. The Elahera Anicut, a world heritage site severely damaged by Cyclone Ditwah, is being restored in its initial phase with an estimated allocation of Rs. 309,144,000. more..

May 11 (TM) SLIIT Business School is delighted to announce the launch of VogueFest’26 for the 3rd consecutive time, the premier annual fashion extravaganza designed to celebrate creativity, innovation, and the entrepreneurial spirit. More than a glamorous runway event, VogueFest has become an influential platform that merges academic excellence with the vibrant world of fashion, offering a unique space where emerging talent can connect with industry leaders and where artistry more..

May 11 (AD) GMOA has denied any connection between its trade union activities and the death of a newborn during a delivery at the Trincomalee District General Hospital. GMOA Vice President Chandika Epitakaduwa stated that obstetric care falls under emergency medical services and that doctors do not withdraw from emergency duties during trade union action. He added that there appears to be an attempt by certain parties to unfairly attribute blame to the association over the incident. more..

May 11 (EN) The US has removed a temporary ban it imposed on Sri Lanka’s blue swimming crabs after the island nation complied with the strict conditions of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) imposed by the U.S. for the import of fish products, the Fisheries Ministry said. U.S. authorities had temporarily banned the export of SL’s blue swimming crabs in October last year after a lawsuit alleged that the administrative agency violated administrative procedures by denying more..

May 11 (DM) Around 84% of the population in Sri Lanka has expressed their willingness to donate eyes, according to relevant data, reflecting strong public support for corneal donation programmes in the country. SL’s remarkable eye donation achievements and the progress of the National Eye Bank were highlighted at a special ceremony held at the BMICH to mark its 15th anniversary, under the patronage of Secretary more..

May 11 (PMD) Of the LKR. 25,000 million allocated under the 2026 Budget for the Prajashakthi National Poverty Alleviation Programme, development projects valued at Rs. 23,000 million have already been approved and forwarded to District Secretaries for implementation. The allocations have been directed towards projects prioritised by Community Development Councils in the areas of livelihood development, the production economy and food security. These details were revealed during more..

May 11 (NW) The low-level atmospheric disturbance, in the vicinity of Sri Lanka, has developed into a low-pressure area and is located to the northeast of Sri Lanka, according to the Dept of Meteorology. Per the latest weather analysis issued at 03.00 pm today, the prevailing showery conditions over the island are expected to continue during the next few days. Showers or thundershowers will occur at times in most parts of the island, while cloudy skies are also expected. more..

May 11 (AD) Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa is scheduled to appear before the CIABOC tomorrow, according to his media spokesperson Attorney Manoj Gamage. He said former President Rajapaksa is expected to present himself at the Commission at 9 a.m. tomorrow. Gamage noted that discussions are currently underway regarding certain procedural matters and a meeting with the legal team is planned for later today more..

May 11 (AD) A detainee who had been sentenced to death in connection with the killing of former Polonnaruwa District MP Amarakeerthi Athukorala has died after falling from a building within the Welikada Prison. The inmate sustained critical injuries following the fall and was immediately admitted to hospital. However, he was pronounced dead after admission. Authorities have launched an investigation into the incident, while the circumstances surrounding the fall remain more..

May 11 (DM) Buttala Police have arrested four women after a video showing three young women riding dangerously on a motorcycle without safety helmets went viral on social media. The incident attracted widespread public attention and prompted an immediate police investigation into the matter. According to police, the video showed three women traveling on a single motorcycle in a reckless manner along a public road. Following the circulation of the footage online, more..

May 11 (FT) She wakes before the mist clears. By the time most of Colombo is having breakfast, she has already been working for two hours, plucking, carrying, meeting a daily quota that does not change regardless of her rest, discomfort or nourishment. She works on a tea plantation and is among many others whose contributions are vital to the economy, yet whose experiences are not always reflected in any occupational health statistic. The pressure to meet quotas is often matched by more..

May 11 (FT) With the recent phishing episode at SL’s General Treasury involving $ 2.5 million, alertness has been aroused among Sri Lankans that cybercriminals are on the job to trap them into seemingly genuine but fake transactions to steal their money. In the General Treasury’s case, as information in the public domain reveals, Treasury officials, who appear to be greenhorns on the job, were duped by cybercriminals into paying a routine debt repayment into a fake account more..

May 11 (ST) A part of the US$ 2.5 million transferred by the Treasury to scammers after a breach of the computer system at the Ministry of Finance has been traced to a bank account in the state of Delaware in the US, a senior police officer said. Account had been in the name of a company in Delaware engaged in registering online businesses while the account was maintained at a branch of the TD Bank in the state, official involved in more..

May 11 (DM) Some leading companies from the Middle East which is now caught in the Israeli/ US war with Iran are among the parties that have shown interests in investing in the Mattala international airport, according to a Minister. Sri Lanka has called for Expressions of Interest to run the international airport in Mattala, Hambantota district. A Cabinet-appointed committee has been tasked with negotiating the deal with prospective domestic and foreign investors. more..

May 11 (NF) An organized criminal and drug trafficker, Manoj Suranga Liyanage, alias Batuwatte Chamara, who was taken into custody while overseas, was repatriated to the island last night (10). Batuwatte Chamara was arrested in Azerbaijan about a year ago. The alleged drug trafficker and organized criminal had fled the country and was hiding in Dubai. He was brought to Sri Lanka from Azerbaijan via India at around 10:10 p.m. last night. The 48-year-old Manoj Liyanage, more..

May 11 (FT) Sri Lanka’s fiscal position strengthened markedly in the first two months of 2026, with the Govt recording a sharp expansion in the primary surplus and reversing the Budget deficit into a surplus position. The Govt recorded a primary surplus of Rs. 545.42 billion during Jan-Feb 2026, up 66.1% from Rs. 328.45 billion a year earlier, reflecting continued improvement in revenue performance more..

May 11 (TM) Former Prez Mahinda Rajapaksa said that he would comply with the summons issued by the CIABOC and appear before the Commission tomorrow. The former President made the remarks while attending the funeral of former SriLankan Airlines CEO Kapila Chandrasena to pay his final respects. Rajapaksa has been instructed via a letter to appear before the CIABOC to record a statement regarding the controversial Airbus deal. The case relates to allegations that Chandrasena, more..

May 11 (FT) Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has strongly criticised the Govt’s decision to raise electricity tariffs by 18%, claiming authorities are shifting the financial burden of alleged substandard coal imports onto consumers and businesses. Making a special statement, Premadasa claimed the latest increase unfairly penalises electricity users despite repeated calls not to pass on costs linked to what he described as questionable coal procurement decisions. more..