May 12 (FT) Power Minister Anura Karunathilaka acknowledged that the Govt’s decision to increase electricity tariffs by 18% will have an indirect impact on consumers across the economy, whilst insisting that the direct effect on the majority of electricity users remains limited. He said while most households will not see an immediate increase in their electricity bills, higher tariffs imposed on industrial and commercial users are likely to more..

May 12 (AD) A total of 198 foreign nationals, including 173 Indians and 25 Nepalese nationals, have been arrested in separate raids conducted in the Galle, Hikkaduwa and Midigama areas for allegedly engaging in cybercrime activities, Sri Lanka Police said. This includes 110 Indian nationals arrested while staying at two lodges in the Galwadugoda and Sri Sumedha Mawatha areas in Galle, on suspicion of committing offences under the Computer Crimes Act. more..

May 12 (FT) In a major push to strengthen grid stability and accelerate renewable energy integration, Govt announced plans to add 250 to 300 MW of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) to the national grid by the end of this year. Deputy Minister Arkam Ilyas said the Govt has already facilitated the addition of between 700 and 1,000 MW of renewable energy projects to the grid since taking office in 2025, rejecting claims that authorities are discouraging clean energy investments. more..

May 12 (FT) Opposition MPs last week intensified pressure on President and Finance Minister Anura Kumara Dissanayake over the $ 2.5 million Treasury phishing scandal, accusing the Govt of politicising key State institutions and weakening institutional safeguards within the Finance Ministry through inexperienced political appointments and partisan placements. The attacks came during the Second Reading debate more..

May 12 (NW) Court of Appeal has ruled that examinees are entitled to access their own answer scripts and marks under the RTI Act, dismissing an application filed by the Open Uni of SL seeking to block the release of such information. The judgment was delivered by Court of Appeal Judges R. Gurusinghe and Sumudu Premachandra on 08 May. The case arose after R.A. Janaka Roshan Ranasinghe sought access to his daughter’s answer scripts and marks from the Open Uni LLB more..

May 12 (FT) Deputy Power Minister Arkam Ilyas said Govt has withheld over $ 37 million from coal suppliers, including fines and performance guarantees, as authorities assess losses linked to disputed coal shipments used for power generation. Ilyas said the Govt has so far received 18 coal shipments, of which 16 consignments were supplied by the first supplier, while the remaining two shipments came from a second supplier. “As of today (11), we have withheld $22 mil as fines. more..

May 12 (DM) Hand hygiene is the most critical preventive measure, health experts warned as authorities keep a close eye to contain an enteroviral meningitis outbreak reported among schoolchildren in the Deniyaya Education Zone. Dr. Maheshaka Wijayawardena, Consultant Paediatrician said enteroviruses are highly stable RNA viruses capable of surviving for long periods on contaminated surfaces. “Viral meningitis is considered the most common neurological complication more..

May 12 (Island) Sri Lanka should mainly focus on upgrading its trade and investment facilitation system while identifying the paramount importance of the issue, South Korean Ambassador to SL Miyon Lee said. The bureaucratic matters—from Customs clearance to tariff lines, licensing, and registration—should be streamlined, she said at a round table forum recently held at the Colombo Club of the Taj Samudra, Colombo. The forum was organized and conducted by the Pathfinder Foundation more..

May 12 (ST) A shareholder of NDB this week filed a derivative action in the Commercial High Court of the Western Province against the leadership of the bank and its external auditors, Ernst & Young, following the internal fraud that resulted in a loss of approximately Rs 13.2 billion. M Thiyagarajah alleges that the bank’s board of directors and auditors were grossly negligent in failing to respond to early warning signs or more..

May 12 (DN) Govt has launched a project worth Rs. 450 million to encourage school children across the island to engage in sports. The inaugural event, chaired by Minister Sunil Kumara Gamage was held last Friday at the Dept of Sports Development, where the official distribution of sports equipment to several schools commenced. Out of the total Rs. 450 million allocated for the project, funds will be utilised for the development of school playgrounds and the provision of sports gear. more..

May 12 (DN) All-rounder Sathya Sandeepani will lead the SL women’s A team for the ODI and T-20 match series against New Zealand Women’s A team which will commence with first ODI today at Rangiri Dambulla Int'l Cricket Stadium. The selectors have named a 15 member ODI squad including more young players who played for the National under 19 team in recent series. The under 19 women’s team skipper Chamudi Probodha, Vimokasha Balasooriya, Sanjana Kavindi, Limansa Thillekaratne more..

May 12 (DM) After months of intense competition, emotional moments, and exceptional culinary performances, Sanjula Manoj has emerged as the winner of the inaugural season of MasterChef Sri Lanka, earning the title of Sri Lanka’s first-ever MasterChef. The highly anticipated grand finale brought together the season’s top contestants in one final culinary showdown, where creativity, precision, and composure under pressure were put to the ultimate test. Manoj impressed the judges more..

May 12 (AD) More than 35,000 kilograms of fish were harvested from the Udawalawa Reservoir over just two days — May 9 and 10. The total value of the catch amounted to Rs. 10.9 million. Officials attributed the record-breaking harvest to heavy rainfall in the upper catchment areas of the reservoir, including Balangoda, which caused water levels in the Walawe River to rise significantly. The catch consisted of 27,030 kilograms of Catla, 7,430 kg of Mrigal, and 1,009 kg of Tilapia. more..

May 12 (TM) Treasury is to bear 100% of the voluntary retirement scheme (VRS) compensation for employees attached to two newly established successor companies following the restructuring of the CEB. In addition, 50% of the compensation for employees attached to two other post-CEB restructuring companies will also be borne by the Treasury. The total amount needed to compensate 1,896 employees is Rs. 8.5 billion. more..

May 12 (FT) Ceylon Chamber of Commerce will lead a senior corporate delegation to Mumbai for the India–SL Business Forum tomorrow, held in partnership with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). The delegation brings together the leadership of some of SL’s most prominent companies, representing a broad cross-section of the economy. Participants include Chairpersons, CEOs, and Managing Directors from leading firms in banking, manufacturing, energy, logistics, tourism, more..

May 12 (DM) The Court of Appeal has held that where a Marriage Certificate is produced for the purpose of establishing a marital status in an administrative matter, such certificate constitutes prima facie proof of the existence of the marriage, and accordingly, no administrative authority or officer has the power to determine the validity or invalidity of such marriage in the absence of a decree or declaration issued by a competent court. The ruling was delivered by more..

May 12 (Island) Over 7 years after making an initial complaint of sexual harassment against her research supervisor, Dr. Udari Abeyasinghe, then a temporary lecturer and now a senior lecturer at the Uni of Peradeniya, has been finally served justice. On May 8, Supreme Court made the following directions regarding Udari’s fundamental rights case: 1st Respondent (her research supervisor) is prohibited from accepting more..

May 12 (FT) World’s bestselling author and Founder of Directive Communication Psychology Arthur Carmazzi is set to conduct a full-day workshop titled Reset the Brain on 19 June at the Monarch Imperial. The highly interactive and energetic workshop is an opportunity for companies to empower their employees to grow themselves and the organisations. For individuals, Carmazzi will help them become successful people-centric professionals in their work life. more..

May 12 (DN) National men’s cricket team is in the process of appointing a new captain for both the ODI format and Twenty20 format. After considering five names proposed for the same, experienced Kusal Mendis has been proposed as the new captain for the white ball format (ODI and T-20 formats). New men’s team head coach Gary Kirsten is working hard with the players in preparation for the forthcoming West Indies tour and he is keen to have one captain for the white ball format. more..

May 12 (FT) DFCC Bank delivered a strong financial performance for the period ended 31 March 2026, underscoring the robustness of its strategy, disciplined execution, and the resilience of its balance sheet. Loan and deposit portfolios recorded sustained growth of 5% and 7%, respectively, compared to 31 Dec 2025, reflecting calibrated credit expansion and funding optimisation. As a result, total assets increased by 3% to Rs. 884 bil and total liabilities grew by 4% to Rs. 777 bil. more..

May 12 (FT) Famed media industry figure Rayynor Silva yesterday further strengthened his foothold in the financial services industry, upping his stake in Seylan to 10% from 6% with an investment of Rs. 1.2 billion. The market yesterday saw 26.7 million voting shares of Seylan Bank exchanging hands at a price of Rs. 103 per share for Rs. 2.77 billion. It closed the day at Rs. 106.25, up by Rs. 0.25. The seller was National Development Bank (NDB), which, as at 31 March 2026, more..

May 12 (DM) Sri Lanka’s appetite for wheat, the island’s second staple food, is on a steady upward trajectory, fuelled by a recovering economy and a booming tourism sector but yet to reach the pre-crisis levels. According to the latest report by the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, the country’s total wheat consumption for the 2026/2027 marketing year (July-June) is forecast at 1.1 million metric tonnes. more..

May 12 (DM) From the thunder of cavalry charging across open fields, from mighty battleships ruling the seas to jet aircraft streaking across the skies, each era has transformed how nations project power. Every leap in technology has rewritten the rules of conflict. The sword gave way to the musket. The musket yielded to the machine gun. The horse was replaced by the tank, the battleship by the aircraft carrier, the bomber by the missile. And with each transformation, the battlefield itself more..

May 12 (TM) The resignation of Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody came after several weeks of controversy over his Ministerial role. The controversy sharpened when Jayakody was indicted by the CIABOC for a transaction that he was involved in 10 years ago as a Govt official in Fertiliser Corporation. Other issue was the Govt’s purchase of substandard coal from a new supplier. Jayakody’s resignation followed the appointment of a Special Presidential Commission of Inquiry (CoI) to investigate more..

May 12 (Island) The death of the most important suspect in the Sri Lankan Airlines Airbus deal has drawn intense public speculation. Kapila Chandrasena the former CEO of the heavily loss-making national airline was found dead under circumstances that the police are still investigating. He had recently been arrested by the CIABOC in connection with the controversial Airbus aircraft purchase agreement signed in 2013. Police investigations are continuing into the cause of more..

May 12 (TM) The people are once again being told to tighten their belts. Electricity tariffs have gone up yet again, and as always, the public is expected to absorb the shock while State institutions trade blame and excuses. This latest revision may officially spare 95 per cent of consumers on paper, but that does not mean they will escape its consequences. That is the deception at the heart of this announcement. In an economy still recovering from collapse, every increase in energy costs more..

May 12 (TM) Geographical Indication (GI) recognition for agricultural products can improve global recognition for exports while ensuring niche market reach and premium prices, especially by differentiating the certified products in the international market. SL’s first-ever GI certification was for Ceylon Cinnamon. While the country is currently taking steps to achieve this recognition for other products like golden pineapple and more..

May 12 (DM) Capturing power at an election two years after forming a political party is no doubt an incredible achievement even by a highly popular film star. However, Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar popularly known as Thalapathy (Commander) Vijay, who was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu on Sunday after securing support from several small parties, now enjoys an absolute majority in the State Assembly; but he seems to be heading towards a political muddle. more..

May 12 (GV) Sri Lanka is undergoing one of the most significant demographic transitions in its modern history. According to the 2024 Census conducted by the DCS, women now make up the majority of the national population while the country is simultaneously facing declining birth rates, an ageing society and increasing economic pressure. These changes are not isolated developments. Together, they point toward what can be described as the feminisation of the population. more..

May 12 (SO) Amid growing public debate on governance, accountability, and administrative efficiency, Minister of Public Admin, PCs and LG Prof. Chandana Abeyratne addressed a wide range of pressing national issues in this interview from allegations of financial irregularities to disaster compensation and electoral delays. Q: From the outside, it appears that the State Administrative Service is undergoing a serious crisis. more..

May 12 (ST) There is a disturbing miasma of what the Grecians pithily called hubris pervading the JVP led NPP Govt. The classical old tales tell us that this insolence is, more often than not, followed by nemesis; that is punishment for excessive arrogance. In a political sense, (or what passes for politics in this country these days), much of the Govt’s conceit is due to a performing Opposition that it remains confident, will not challenge them on the streets and more..

May 12 (Island) US President Donald Trump yesterday rejected Iran’s response to his peace proposal. He wants the conflict ended on his own terms, but Iran is not amenable to that idea. Oil prices have gone up again. The economic cost of the US-Israeli war on Iran is incalculable, as is obvious. There has been a welcome pause in the conflict, thanks to a fragile ceasefire, but economies across the world are still reeling due to a global energy crisis. more..