May 5 (Island) Regional Centre for Strategic Studies (RCSS) has accommodated Prof. Deepika Udagama and Ambassador (Retd) Esala Weerakoon to its Board of Directors, at its meeting held on 30 April. They succeed former Secretary to the PM, Deshamanya M.D.D. Pieris, and former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank (CB) and member of the Monetary Board of the CB, Dr. Ranee Jayamaha, who completed their terms recently. The current members of the BoD comprise Prof. Amal Jayawardane, more..

May 5 (FT) India has called for a bold reset in its economic and strategic engagement with Sri Lanka, with Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha urging both countries to move beyond symbolism and accelerate long-discussed agreements on trade, connectivity, energy, and digital integration. Delivering a keynote address at the Global Innovation and Leadership Summit in Colombo on Saturday, organised by Z Media and WION, more..

May 5 (NW) Three prison guards of the Welikada Prison have been arrested in connection with the death of a remand prisoner, Minister Nalinda Jayatissa said. Minister confirmed the arrests, revealing that statements have been recorded from two inmates and civilians on the incident. He further said that separate investigations are underway by the Police and Prisons Dept. The inmate, who had been held on drug‑related charges, had reportedly attempted to escape during a cleaning operation more..

May 5 (FT) The election of Asanga Seneviratne as President of the National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka marks more than just a surprise victory. It signals a long-awaited reset for Sri Lankan sport. Emerging as a dark horse candidate, Seneviratne delivered a decisive win over frontrunners Jaswar Umar and Shirantha Peiris, securing 16 votes in a contest where he was largely overlooked in the lead up to the election. In an environment where media narratives often shape outcomes, more..

May 5 (DM) Dismissing growing speculation, Minister Nalinda Jayatissa said Finance Ministry Secretary Harshana Suriyapperuma was not a dual citizen during his time in public office. Recent media reports had raised concerns over whether Suriyapperuma possessed both Sri Lankan and Australian citizenship, and whether he had formally renounced his Australian citizenship at the time of taking oath as a Member of Parliament or had only submitted an application for renunciation. more..

May 5 (Island) The Canadian High Commissioner to SL and the Maldives, Isabelle Martin over the last weekend met representatives of the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) in the East. Talks focused on the challenges facing the Tamil people. The meeting was held at the office of ITAK MP Kaveendiran Kodeeswaran and brought together parliamentarians representing the Batticaloa and Ampara districts, alongside local govt officials including divisional council chairpersons. more..

May 5 (FT) Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has recently uploaded its 2024 financial statements to its website. This is a welcome step towards transparency, and one hopes that future financial statements will be made available on a more timely basis. Given the public interest in the affairs of national institutions, clarity and accessibility of financial information are essential. While I am not a qualified accountant, a careful reading of the statements, more..

May 5 (EN) Sri Lanka Customs exceeded its April target by 30.5%, while revenue in the first four months jumped around 50% compared to the same period last year, official data showed. Customs’ April revenue target was set at 181.2 billion rupees. However, the revenue-collecting body collected 236.5 billion rupees in the month, exceeding the target by 30.5%. It also exceeded the cumulative target in the first four months by 33.7% to achieve 919.3 billion rupees. more..

May 5 (AD) Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa says the appointment of former MP Eran Wickramaratne as the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Cricket Interim Committee is a correct decision. Minister Jayatissa said the public expects the upliftment of cricket from its current state, and expressed confidence that Wickramaratne and his team are capable of fulfilling that goal. He also noted that former SLC Chairman Shammi Silva setting aside his position amicably was a positive example. more..

May 5 (PMD) A special state banquet hosted by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in honour of Maldivian President Dr Mohamed Muizzu, who is on a state visit to Sri Lanka at the invitation of the Sri Lankan President, was held yesterday (4) at the President’s House in Colombo Fort. Upon arrival at the Presidential Secretariat, President Dr Mohamed Muizzu and First Lady Sajidha Mohamed were warmly received by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. more..

May 5 (AD) The Cabinet of Ministers has granted approval to the proposal to appoint Wimal S.K. Liyanagama, a Special Grade officer of the Sri Lanka Administrative Service and the current Director General of the Department of Management Services, as the new Director General of Sri Lanka Customs. Cabinet paper in this regard has been presented by the President in his capacity as Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development. The current Director General of Customs, more..

May 5 (NW) Four newly appointed members of the Audit Service Commission took the oath of secrecy before Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne in Parliament on Monday. The new members are former Auditor General Gamini Wijesinghe, former Deputy Auditor General G. Thevagnanan, retired Court of Appeal Judge Nihal Rajapaksa, and retired public officer Ratna Deshapriya. Under Section 9 of the National Audit Act No. 19 of 2018, members are required to pledge not to disclose audit‑related information to any party more..

May 5 (FT) SL is passing through a rare and potentially transformative political moment. The present Govt enjoys an unusual combination of presidential legitimacy, parliamentary strength, and political cohesion. The result is an exceptional platform for legislative control and policy direction. In a country long burdened by unstable coalitions, rival power centres, and fragmented reform efforts, this degree of unity creates a genuine opportunity to reimagine the nation’s future. more..

May 5 (FT) There is a line in Gorge Orwell’s Animal Farm that has endured long after the politics it satirised faded into history. The line goes, All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others. It is a line that feels increasingly relevant in SL today, particularly in the way we allocate one of our most precious and constrained resources — fuel. At a time when the country is still managing scarcity, the question we should be asking is not who deserves fuel, but more..

May 5 (Island) China has declared that SINOPEC will not proceed with the USD 3.7 bn Hambantota oil refinery project unless a consensus could be reached on the percentage of the output that could be sold in the local market. China has informed the NPP govt that SINOPEC will not be able to sustain the project in terms of the original agreement that stipulated that 80% of the output be exported and 20 % sold in the Sri Lankan market, more..

May 5 (ANN) Assembly election results still being tallied in several states in India on May 4 reflect a strong mood for political change and signal monumental shifts in regional politics. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has kicked the door open to power in West Bengal, an eastern state it has never governed. And a movie-star-turned-debutant politician is set to govern Tamil Nadu, a southern state that is one of India’s economic powerhouses. more..

May 5 (Island) Former Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris alleged that Prez Dissanayake’s declaration on the impending court verdict clearly indicated that he was aware of its outcome. Prof. Peiris said that the President’s direct intervention in the judicial process amounted to an attack on the very basis of the country’s Constitution. Emphasising that he dealt with the issue at hand, not as a politician but a law academic, Prof. Peiris said that a judge couldn’t, under any circumstances, more..

May 5 (AD) Statistics indicate that alcohol consumption in SL is on the rise, according to the ADIC. Based on 2025 data, local beer production has increased by 5% and liquor production by 17%, suggesting a corresponding rise in alcohol consumption, the Centre said. It further noted that the lack of a price revision in alcohol since the adjustment made at the beginning of 2024 has been a key contributing factor to this trend. more..

May 5 (NF) A former member of the SLPP representing the Haguranketha Pradeshiya Sabha has been arrested over an alleged large-scale foreign employment scam involving more than Rs. 21 million, SLBFE said. The suspect was taken into custody for allegedly defrauding individuals by promising jobs in Romania. Complaints indicate that the suspect and his wife had claimed to offer employment in the construction sector in Romania and collected money from job seekers more..

May 5 (Island) Deputy Minister Nishantha Jayaweera, has denied reports on the gazette notification issued to revise VAT from 1 July. He said the move is aimed at simplifying the tax system in line with govt policy, by merging VAT and Social Security Contribution Levy (SSCL) into a single tax. He explained that banks and financial institutions, which were previously subject to 18% VAT and a 2.5% Social Security Contribution Levy, will instead pay a consolidated 20.5% VAT from 1 July. more..

May 5 (Island) Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara said the Opposition, and various interested parties were trying to misinterpret Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s May Day speech. Nanayakkara said so responding to The Island queries regarding concerns expressed by the Opposition and Free Lawyers organisation. Declaring that the Prez had never interfered with the judiciary, under any circumstances, Minister said that there was no need for NPP to do so. more..

May 5 (FT) Govt said recent VAT amendments are intended to simplify and streamline the tax structure on financial services, dismissing claims that the changes amount to a broad-based tax increase. Deputy Minister Nishantha Jayaweera said misleading claims emerged following an Extraordinary Gazette issued on 3 May, prompting the Government to issue an official clarification. Jayaweera stressed that the 18% VAT rate applicable to general consumer goods and more..

May 5 (Island) Civil society group Free Lawyers has requested Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena to probe whether political pressure was brought on a Magistrate, or a High Court Judge, in respect of an ongoing high profile case. Rajith Keerthi Tennakoon said that they felt the urgent need to seek the CJ’s intervention, following the May Day declaration by Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake that the verdict of a case that was heard on more..

May 5 (DN) SL men’s cricket team is set to tour the West Indies for the first time in 5 years, with a full bilateral series against the Windies across June and July. Tour will commence with a 3 match ODI series which will start from June 3 at Sabina Park, Jamaica. This is going to be the first assignment of the new National head coach Gary Kirsten with the men’s team and also the first cricket tour under the new SLC Transformation committee. The tour will consist of 3 ODIs, 3 T20Is & 2 Test matches, more..

May 5 (Island) At the initiative of the Deputy High Commissioner of Sri Lanka, Dr. Ganesanathan Geathiswaran, the Deputy High Commission of Sri Lanka in Chennai successfully organized the first-ever Sri Lanka Food Festival 2026 from 24th to 26th April at Green Meadows Resort, Chennai. The Festival provided a unique platform to showcase the rich and diverse culinary heritage of Sri Lanka, offering guests an authentic experience of traditional Sri Lankan cuisine. more..

May 5 (TM) SJB, is set to use the Parliamentary week starting today to scrutinise key national developments, including the diversion of US$ 2.5 million in State funds and recent remarks by Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake on judicial matters. A meeting with other Opposition party leaders is scheduled for this morning to determine the way forward. Commenting on the week’s agenda, Chief Opposition Whip Gayantha Karunathilleka said: “Our Parliamentary group meeting was held more..

May 5 (FT) Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UN (FAO) recently welcomed the adoption of a resolution by the UN General Assembly (UNGA) proclaiming 1 October as International Coffee Day. The resolution recognises the “cultural, social, and historical significance of coffee, from its origins to its significant role in the development of contemporary societies, in which it has become not only an important agricultural commodity and source of livelihood for communities, but more..

May 5 (TM) Sri Lanka ranked 14th place on the Visual Capitalist’s top 15 Countries Most in Debt to the IMF list – based on the absolute dollar amount each country currently owes the multilateral, as of end-April. Visual Capitalist is a data visualisation and infographics focused news website. Ranking the biggest borrower: Argentina at the top, the report said that in contrast to SL and Pakistan, Latin American Lower-Middle-Income- more..

May 5 (NW) SL Police has warned that strict legal action will be taken against landlords who provide houses, buildings or lodging to foreign nationals who have overstayed their visas or violated immigration laws. Police issued the warning following a series of raids yesterday that led to the arrest of nearly 157 foreign nationals over alleged involvement in cyber scam operations in the suburbs of Colombo. Authorities said property owners who knowingly or negligently accommodate more..

May 5 (FT) Nations Trust Bank (NTB) has absorbed Rs. 36.6 billion in assets and Rs. 142.8 billion in liabilities following the acquisition of Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) SL’s Retail Banking portfolio. The transferred assets comprise Rs. 31.1 billion in loans and advances, Rs. 4.1 billion in cash and cash equivalents, and Rs. 1.4 billion in other assets. On the liabilities side, customer deposits account for Rs. 133.1 billion, with a further Rs. 9.7 bil in other liabilities & provisions. more..

May 5 (FT) China overtook India to become SL’s largest trading partner in 2025, driven by a sharp rise in imports, particularly vehicles, following the easing of restrictions, the CBSL said. Total trade with China reached about $ 5.5 billion, narrowly surpassing India at $ 5.4 billion, reversing India’s lead held from 2021 to 2024. US remained the third largest partner at $ 3.5 billion, with the three accounting for 41.1% of total merchandise trade. more..

May 5 (DM) SL’s rice industry is charting a path to recovery. For the upcoming 2026/2027 marketing year (Oct–Sept), milled rice production is forecast to reach 3.45 million metric tons, representing a solid rebound from the revised estimate of 3.25 million metric tons recorded during the 2025/2026 period, according to According to latest report published by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service. “This comes from a higher planted area of 1.19 million hectares, more..