May 25 (FT) In remarkable turnaround of events for the Sri Lankan rupee, respected financial news agency Bloomberg said the currency has surged against the dollar, snapping a 9-day losing streak to become Asia’s best-performing currency on Friday. The rupee strengthened as much as 2.7%, its biggest gain since March 2023, reversing losses from Thursday when it slid to a three-year low. more..

May 25 (NF) Ministry of Health says that the fever condition reported from several areas of the island has been identified as meningitis. Secretary to the Ministry of Health, Dr. Anil Jasinghe, stated that spinal fluid tests carried out on the reported patients have revealed that the majority of those affected are children. Fever, headache, vomiting and nausea, stiffness around the neck, and difficulty in exposing oneself to sunlight have been identified as symptoms of meningitis. more..

May 25 (SO) All investigations with regard to the sexual assault allegation case against the Most Ven. Atamasthanadipathi Thera are proceeding according to due process without any interference from any quarter, Police said. Western Province North DIG Kalinga Jayasinghe told a media briefing yesterday (23) that the incident first came to light after the mother of the victim informed the Nittambuwa Police that her daughter had run away to Nittambuwa and was staying somewhere in the area. more..

May 25 (FT) Central Bank announced that its Governing Board has decided to introduce a maximum loan-to-value (LTV) ratio for credit facilities applicable to motor vehicle financing and loans secured by gold with effect from today. Under the new directions, a maximum LTV ratio of 70% has been imposed on credit facilities secured by gold collateral granted by Licenced Banks and Licenced Finance Companies, more..

May 25 (DN) The gallant SL Tuskers came within seconds of creating history before a heartbreaking last-minute try handed world No. 23 Hong Kong China national rugby union team a dramatic 15 points (one goal, one try, one penalty) to 14 (two goals) victory over 48th-ranked SL national rugby union team in their Asia Rugby Emirates Men’s Championship 2026 clash at the Racecourse Stadium yesterday after leading 3-0 at the breather. SL, who had never beaten Hong Kong before more..

May 25 (Island) The much-delayed Provincial Council (PC) elections cannot be held this year due to financial and legal constraints, JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva has said in Jaffna.Silva said so, fielding questions from journalists after the opening of the NPP coordination office in the Jaffna District on Saturday. When asked whether the govt was under Indian pressure to conduct the Provincial Council elections soon, Silva answered in the negative, claiming that more..

May 25 (FT) The Government has amended its recent Gazette Notification on vehicle imports to ensure that the 50% surcharge on Customs duties also applies to Letters of Credit (LCs) opened on or before 15 May if amendments were made after the Gazette came into effect. Under the original Gazette, the tax increase did not apply to LCs opened on or before 15 May. However, the amended Gazette, effective from 18 May, brings altered LCs within the scope of the surcharge. more..

May 25 (Island) U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has issued a policy memo directing that temporary visa holders (such as students, tourists, and temporary workers) who wish to obtain a U.S. Green Card must now return to their home countries and complete the process through consular processing via the US Dept of State. This sweeping policy ended the longstanding practice of adjustment of status from inside the United States, requiring applicants to leave the country more..

May 25 (Island) More than 31,000 people across Sri Lanka have been affected by worsening weather conditions, as the southwest monsoon intensifies ahead of its full establishment, raising fears of renewed flooding in vulnerable low-lying areas, DMC has warned. 31,072 individuals from 7,983 families have already been impacted by persistent rain, strong winds and rising water levels across multiple districts, more..

May 25 (NW) Legal action is being taken only against vehicles displaying distorted or non-compliant temporary number plates amid the ongoing shortage of official vehicle number plates in SL, Police said. Sri Lanka has been facing a severe number plate shortage after the DMT suspended the issuance of official number plates for nearly 10 months due to the absence of a supplier. The delay has reportedly prevented the printing of nearly 400,000 number plates, more..

May 25 (FT) Minister Vijitha Herath will undertake an official visit to New Zealand and Australia from 26 May to 3 June, at the invitation of the two Govts. During the visit, Minister Herath will hold bilateral discussions with his counterparts, Minister Winston Peters of New Zealand and Minister Penny Wong of Australia. He will also meet senior Govt representatives, officials, business leaders, academics, think tanks, and members of the Sri Lankan community in both countries. more..

May 25 (FT) High Commissioner of India Santosh Jha, attended the AGM of the Indian CEO Forum in Colombo on Friday. Indian CEO Forum (ICF) concluded its AGM on 22 May, reaffirming its commitment to strengthening India–SL economic & commercial relations, investment facilitation and corporate engagement. The Indian CEO Forum comprises Indian companies operating in SL, Indian heads of multinational corporations, and SL companies led by Indian business leaders. more..

May 25 (FT) To catalyse bilateral trade and investment and drive regional economic integration, the Consulate General of Sri Lanka in Mumbai facilitated a series of high-level strategic engagements between The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce and leading Indian commercial institutions on 13 and 14 May. The delegation from The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce was led by Chairman Krishan Balendra, and comprised a distinguished group of SL industry leaders more..

May 25 (CT) Environmental law expert Dr. Ravindranath Dabare, lamented that both petitioners and others involved in the case concerning the X-Press Pearl Disaster remain unclear as to whether the Supreme Court-ordered compensation of USD one billion has been fully or partially disbursed to Sri Lanka. He noted that the legal proceedings appear to have effectively terminated following the vessel’s sinking more..

May 25 (FT) JB Securities CEO Murtaza Jafferjee has warned that SL must accept painful but necessary economic adjustments to restore stability in the external sector, arguing that attempts to delay or dilute those adjustments risk worsening underlying imbalances. He cautioned against relying on expectations that future market conditions would reverse present losses or correct imbalances without immediate policy action. “Economic agents must adjust to prevailing realities now, more..

May 25 (AD) A suspect arrested in connection with the murder of a married couple in Dickoya, Hatton and the theft of 18 sovereign pounds of gold jewellery has been referred to the JMO at Dickoya Base Hospital for examination. The suspect was arrested yesterday (23) following a joint operation conducted by officers of the Hatton and Bogawantalawa Police Divisions. The suspect was subsequently taken to hospital to obtain a medical report prior to being produced before more..

May 25 (AD) A total of 12 state-of-the-art colposcopy machines have been introduced to govt hospitals to improve the detection and treatment of cervical cancer, which ranks as the fifth most common cancer among women in Sri lanka. A further six machines are scheduled to be installed within the coming month, further expanding diagnostic capacity across the island. Each colposcopy unit is valued at Rs. 6 million, more..

May 25 (FT) Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF), despite being SL’s largest financial institution, has lower transparency and disclosure standards compared to other entities that manage funds on behalf of third parties, such as companies listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE), licenced commercial banks, and unit trusts. This was revealed in a new research brief by Verité Research titled The Employment Provident Fund in SL: A Comparative Assessment of the Adequacy more..

May 25 (FT) Hemas Holdings has announced record earnings for both the fourth quarter and full financial year 2025/26, marking a historic milestone for the Group. Group earnings reached Rs. 3.03 billion in 4Q, representing 17.6% year-on-year (YoY) growth, and Rs. 8.92 billon for the full year, up 10.7% YoY. Revenue for FY26 grew 8% to Rs. 127.4 billion, and all three key business units recorded revenue growth, both annually and quarterly. Gross profit margin expanded by 110 basis points (bps), more..

May 25 (Island) Governments never postpone elections they are confident of winning. They devise ways and means of postponing elections and concoct various excuses for such shameful action only when they realise that their luck has run out and they cannot muster enough popular support to secure victory. The Yahapalana govet postponed the Provincial Council (PC) elections in 2017 for fear of losing them, but badly lost the Local Govt (LG) polls it had to conduct the following year. more..

May 25 (FT) Dr. Rohitha Silva has been appointed President of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of SL (FCCISL), one of the country’s leading apex business organisations representing 63 chambers countrywide trade associations, entrepreneurs, regional business communities and private-sector stakeholders. His appointment comes at a critical time when SL entrepreneurs and businesses are still recovering from multiple crises conditions, including more..

May 25 (FT) SL’s vehicle market slowed sharply in April, with total registrations declining to 51,156 units from 59,734 units in March. The contraction was broad-based across almost all vehicle categories, with the decline in three-wheeler registrations making the largest contribution to the overall slowdown. Motor car registrations fell to 3,238 units in April from 4,856 units in March, while brand-new car registrations more than halved more..

May 25 (FT) The recent discussions surrounding dark tourism in Sri Lanka raise an uncomfortable but necessary question: are we slowly losing control of the tourism industry we worked so hard to build? To answer this honestly, we must first understand how Sri Lankan tourism evolved. Over the last four decades, Sri Lanka’s tourism industry has largely followed the same trajectory as other Asian leisure destinations such as Goa, Bali, Phuket, Pattaya, and parts of Thailand. more..

May 25 (FT) The use of digital banking services in Sri Lanka has increased rapidly over the past few years. Today, thousands of customers use mobile banking apps, internet banking platforms, QR payments, and online fund transfer facilities for their daily financial activities. While these services offer convenience and speed, there has also been a noticeable increase in online financial fraud targeting banking customers across the country. It is important for the public to understand that, more..

May 25 (DN) Justice delayed is justice denied is the legal maxim that points us towards a simple truth: when legal relief or justice is not delivered in a timely manner, it amounts to no justice at all. The concept highlights how prolonged delays in the judicial system can undermine its very foundation by eroding public confidence. It can weaken the deterrent effect of the law. It can prolong the suffering of victims. It can even cause vital evidence to disappear with the passage of time. more..

May 25 (TM) The growing concern over suspected meningitis cases reported from several parts of the country must serve as a timely warning to both the authorities and the public. We may not yet be facing a national health emergency, but the emergence of more than 100 suspected cases across multiple districts is reason enough for vigilance, preparedness, and swift preventive action. 116 patients suspected of contracting meningitis have been identified so far. more..

May 25 (GV) A man walks down a corridor with heavy steps, as if weighed down by the stack of files in his hand. He stops to pick up a crumpled piece of paper and put it into a trash can, a small act which reveals much. His destination is the office of his new boss, a smartly dressed young woman. He places the files on her table, the gesture indicative of resignation, official and psychological. He has been an investigative officer for more..

May 25 (Island) Sri Lankans recently celebrated the fourth anniversary of the Aragalaya, which, some believe, ushered in an era of Left populism in SL. Left politics in Sri Lanka has been ravaged by a crisis, since the late 1970s. It was basically one of an inability to regain the mass basis the Left lost in the 1977 elections. The Left was pushed out of the coalition govt, led by Sirimavo, by the right-wing forces, within it, in the context of the global oil crisis that led to the adoption more..

May 25 (DM) SL’s renewed pressure on foreign exchange is once again exposing the delicate balance between fiscal gains and external stability. What appears, on the surface, as an improvement in govt revenue is increasingly being offset by rising dollar outflows triggered by import liberalisation and worsening global conditions. At the centre of this emerging strain is the reopening of vehicle imports. After years of restrictions, policy shift has unlocked pent-up demand, resulting in a sharp rise in more..

May 25 (SO) As Sri Lanka rapidly expands its digital economy, cybercriminal networks are increasingly exploiting the country’s open visa regime, growing internet penetration and low levels of public awareness to run sophisticated online scam operations. In recent months, the police have arrested hundreds of foreign nationals linked to alleged cybercrime syndicates and scam farms operating from rented houses & apartments more..

May 25 (DM) United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, voted 141–8 to adopt a landmark resolution endorsing the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which states that States have a legal obligation to address climate change. It is indeed a powerful pronouncement on international law, climate justice, and science. The resolution was initiated by the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu, one of the countries on the frontline of the climate crisis. more..

May 25 (CT) The above observation, though strongly worded, reflects a growing concern now spreading across many sectors of the country regarding the alarming and rapid deterioration of the SL rupee. Within a relatively short period, the exchange parity of the US dollar has increased sharply, placing enormous pressure on the national economy, businesses and the ordinary citizen. While external global developments and international market trends undoubtedly exert pressure on developing more..