May 5 (EN) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake met, Tô Lâm, the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), who led a sweeping anti-corruption drive, and is effectively the most powerful leader in the country. The meeting took place later Sunday at the CPV Central Committee HQ in Hanoi. As Minister of Public Security, General Secretary To Lam led an anti-corruption drive, started by his predecessor more..

May 5 (NW) A collaborative archaeological project between Sri Lankan and German researchers is shedding new light on an ancient glassmaking industry that once thrived in the heart of the island. Excavations at a site near Giribawa village in the North Western Province have unearthed compelling evidence of a sophisticated glass bead production center believed to have operated between the 7th and 11th centuries. The Giribawa Glass Manufacturing Project, launched in 2022, more..

May 5 (TM) Department of Railways stated that it would look into the water leak reported at the Nine Arch Bridge in Ella, on the Upcountry Railway Line, and take appropriate action. Statement was made following reports that a water leak became visible at the Nine Arch Bridge during periods of heavy rainfall. Broadcast media reported yesterday that linesmen on the railway line had noticed the alleged leak. Railways Dept had not received any formal notification about the incident yet. more..

May 5 (CT) SL Police confirmed that 46 candidates contesting in the upcoming LG Election have been arrested for violating election laws, as part of an intensified nationwide crackdown on electoral misconduct. In an official statement, the Police revealed that the arrests were made between 3 March and 30 April, during which authorities also apprehended 199 supporters affiliated to various political parties for similar offences. Police noted that the violations ranged from unauthorised more..

May 5 (Kyodo) Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani and SL Deputy Defense Minister Aruna Jayasekara agreed Sunday to strengthen cooperation between their countries' defense forces to promote stability in the Indo-Pacific region. Nakatani's visit to SL, the second by a Japanese defense minister, underscores the importance Japan places on ties with the island nation, which sits along key shipping lanes, amid China's growing economic and military influence in the region. more..

May 5 (DM) Sri Lanka’s tourism sector is nearing the 900,000 arrival mark for the year, with 896,884 tourists recorded by the end of April 2025. However, this figure trails the SLTDA forecasted target by a significant 247,253 visitors. This shortfall underscores the considerable challenges Sri Lanka faces in achieving its ambitious goal of three million tourist arrivals for the year, despite a clear post-pandemic recovery trend. more..

May 5 (CT) Campaigning for the upcoming LG Elections officially concluded at midnight on 3 May, marking the beginning of the mandatory silence period ahead of polling day. Election Commissioner General Saman Sri Ratnayake confirmed that all political parties and candidates have been duly notified not to engage in any form of electioneering during the silence period, which came into effect yesterday. Commissioner emphasised that any breach of these regulations will be met with more..

May 5 (ST) Higher Education Ministry has decided to appoint an additional officer to each state uni vested with fresh powers to penalise students and initiate legal action in a renewed bid to curb ragging. This specially designated officer, responsible for handling ragging complaints, will be a member of the university’s governing council. “While wardens and marshals are there on the premises, they do not have the full administrative authority to take action when complaints are made,” more..

May 5 (ST) Two Chinese projects—the proposed Sinopec oil refinery in Hambantota and a logistics centre at the Colombo Port—are still stuck in the pipeline, largely over benefits such as sweeping tax concessions that the investors are seeking. Sri Lanka has signed an initial agreement with Sinopec, the Chinese state energy giant, to build a US$ 3.7bn refinery in Hambantota. But while the request for proposals (RFP) issued by more..

May 5 (FT) All public opinion surveys in Canada in the last three years indicated one thing. That was, the Liberals who were in power for three consecutive terms had overstayed their welcome and should recede to oblivion. The specific attack was on its leader, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. It was typical of any leader who chose to hold on to the reins of power for too long. His youthful charisma, according to BBC’s Jessica Murphy, catapulted him to premiership some 10 years ago, more..

May 5 (FT) This week, IMF announced a staff-level agreement with Sri Lanka for the fourth review under the EFF potentially unlocking another $ 344 million in financing. Amongst energy pricing and tax reforms, social protection remains a commitment under the IMF’s fourth review. However, the integration of gender-specific considerations, particularly the inclusion of women, within the IMF’s bailout program has been limited and could be the key to missed targets. more..

May 5 (NW) Election monitoring body, the People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) has directed the attention of the National Election Commission to PM Harini Amarasuriya’s recent statement directing party supporters on ways to conduct propaganda during the silent period of the Local Government Elections. In a letter to the Election Commission, PAFFREL pointed out that the silent period of the Local Government Elections commenced from midnight on 03 May. more..

May 5 (AD) Four third-year students of Sabaragamuwa Uni, who were arrested over an alleged ragging incident, have been remanded until May 16 by the Balangoda Magistrate’s Court. The suspects were arrested by the CID yesterday in connection with ongoing investigations into the recent death of a fellow student, allegedly linked to a ragging incident. On April 29, it was reported that a student of the Sabaragamuwa Uni, allegedly distraught over a ragging incident, had taken more..

May 5 (NW) A recent episode of the BBC documentary series Ambulance has brought to light the harrowing story of a SL student living homeless in London while seeking asylum. The episode, which aired in April, follows emergency medical crew members Hannah and Niall as they respond to a call involving a suicidal individual living in a car park. The patient, identified only as Nadeera, tells the crew he arrived in the UK to study at a Uni but more..

May 5 (EN) Sustainable Finance Roadmap 2.0 published by SL’s central bank, with the International Finance Cooperation and the European Union, found that financial institutions’ contribution to the country’s sustainability targets remains small. “There is, therefore, an urgent need to support the financial ecosystem to better align its funding with not only environmental challenges but social challenges faced by SL and to scale up its contribution to the sustainable development objectives of SL,” more..

May 5 (AD) Steps have been taken to rescue another 15 Sri Lankans who were forcibly employed in cybercrime centers in Myawaddy, Myanmar, an official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated. Accordingly, on the instruction of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, a group is set to depart to the area to rescue the Lankans which is expected to be completed tomorrow. The International Organization for Migration office in Thailand will facilitate the tickets and local transport for the group, more..

May 5 (DM) In the wake of the rising cases of mosquito-borne illnesses and regular viral fever, health authorities urge the public to visit a doctor if they have fever that lasts more than two days. Physician Dr. Achala Balasuriya warned that trying to treat a fever at home without proper medical advice can be dangerous. “Some people may think it’s just a simple viral fever, but serious illnesses like Dengue or Chikungunya can start with similar more..

May 5 (PMD) At the invitation of Luong Cuong, President of Vietnam, Prez Anura Kumara Disanayake, who is currently on a state visit to Vietnam, extended an open invitation to Vietnam’s leading conglomerate, Vingroup, to explore investment opportunities in SL’s real estate and tourism sectors. While congratulating the Vingroup for their achievements and for building a diversified global brand, Prez invited Vingroup to consider investing in real estate & tourism sectors. more..

May 5 (AD) The former Additional Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, Mahesh Gammanpila, who was granted bail in connection with a major corruption investigation this afternoon, has been remanded again over his failure to meet the bail conditions. Gammanpila was taken into custody over allegations of involvement in the importation of a consignment of substandard organic fertilizer from a Chinese company during the tenure of the previous administration, which reportedly caused more..

May 5 (CT) Khaled El Enany, a former Egyptian Minister and candidate for the post of Director-General at UNESCO, is currently in Sri Lanka on a three-day official visit. During his stay, he is scheduled to hold discussions with high-profile government officials, including the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Cultural Affairs. He is also expected to meet with intellectuals, journalists, academics, and representatives of cultural and educational institutions in SL, more..

May 5 (CT) It has come to light that photojournalist Lahiru Harshana removed a photograph of Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake, which had been published on his personal Facebook page, due to external pressure to do so. According to reports received by us, some form of influence or request to remove the said photograph had been made through a third party by the President’s Media Division. While attempts are being made to verify the truth of this claim, the stance of the FMM is that more..

May 5 (NW) Vietnamese President Luong Cuong warmly welcomed Prez Anura Kumara Disanayake during an official ceremony held in Hanoi this morning, marking the commencement of a state visit from May 4–6. Prez Anura Dissanayake was accorded a ceremonial welcome with full military honours upon his arrival at the Presidential Palace of Vietnam this morning. SL and Vietnam has agreed to co-operate in the fields of agriculture, more..

May 5 (FT) Bangladesh High Commissioner Andalib Elias recently held discussions with Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) Chairman Sirimewan Ranasinghe to discuss ways to deepen collaboration between the ports of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, with the aim of streamlining bilateral trade. During the discussions, the SLPA Chairman outlined the ongoing development projects at the Port of Colombo (POC), particularly the progress of the Colombo East International Terminal. more..

May 5 (NW) Sri Lankans will be able to witness one of the greatest annual meteor showers, the ETA Aquarids, early tomorrow morning (6). According to Astrophysicist Gihan Weerasekara, meteor showers will be visible between 4 am to 5 am. He further said that up to 50 meteors per hour could be witnessed during this period. -What is the ETA Aquarids meteor shower? The debris that makes the ETA Aquarids meteors come from Halley’s Comet, which can only be seen from Earth once every 76 years. more..

May 5 (Island) FSP has alleged that NPP govt, too, like its predecessor, was creating a situation where medicines can be purchased at higher prices outside tender procedures. The Education Secretary of the FSP Pubudu Jayagoda alleged that the NPP Cabinet was planning to endorse the Health Ministry move. Jayagoda alleged that NPP had adopted a strategy similar to that of Keheliya Rambukwella to procure medicines. more..

May 5 (DM) An organized gang capturing stray dogs in villages around the Moragahakanda reservoir and along the Elahera road has raised serious concerns among local residents, who suspect the animals are being slaughtered for meat. Y.M.S. Bandara (56), a social worker and representative of the Ambana Farmers’ Organization, stated that numerous pet dogs belonging to families displaced by the Moragahakanda reservoir project have gone astray after their owners relocated. more..

May 5 (AD) A man who was imprisoned for 14 days after his mobile phone rang inside the Embilipitiya Magistrate’s Court has died while in custody under controversial circumstances, prompting allegations from his family and triggering investigations by prison authorities. The individual, who had reportedly arrived at the court premises to post bail in a case filed over traffic violations, was detained for allegedly violating the decorum of the courtroom when his phone rang during proceedings. more..

May 5 (DM) Sri Lankan musical group Knights has secured the runner-up position at the Battle of the Bands – International competition held in Mumbai, India. The band returned to SL this morning, arriving at the BIA. This year’s edition of the competition - broadcast by Doordarshan - was the first to feature international acts, following three years of Indian-only participation. Bands from Mauritius, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Singapore, Russia, SL, Nepal, Spain & UK took part in the contest, more..

May 5 (MoD) The prestigious UN Peacekeepers' Medal Awarding Parade for military Observers deployed in the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINUSRO) was held on 30 April. Special Representative for Western Sahara and Head of MINURSO Alexander Ivanko, together with Force Commander Major General Md Fakhrul Ahsan, presided over the ceremony of awarding the UN Medal to MINURSO Military Observers (UNMOs). A total of 19 UNMOs from 17 countries were recognized for their service more..

May 5 (EN) SL’s state revenues grew 18% 760.7 billion rupees in the two months to Feb 2025, but current spending followed closely behind, growing 15% to 791.3 billion rupees. Tax revenue grew 18% to 760.7 billion rupees. SL opened vehicle imports in Feb 2025, which is expected to boost revenues, but state worker salaries were also raised from April which will push up spending. Car imports were seen picking up in March and April with more letters of credit being opened. more..

May 5 (DM) The 25% quota for women in local authority elections, introduced in 2017 to improve women’s representation, is likely to be defeated by two flaws in its implementation, Verité Research said. First, parties and independent groups that receive less than 20% of the total votes in a local authority area are not required to meet the women’s quota, Verité Research said. It said, secondly, direct ward (DW) seats account for 60% and proportional representation (PR) seats account for 40% more..

May 5 (CI) The Bangladesh men's team will tour SL for two Tests, three ODIs, and two T20Is, in June and July. The Tests will be both teams' first fixtures in the 2025-27 World Test Championship cycle, and will be played in Galle and the SSC (Colombo). Two of the ODIs will be played in Khettarama (Colombo), and one in Pallekele, before the T20 series goes on something of a tour, starting in Pallekele and moving to Dambulla before coming back to Khettarama for the final match of the tour. more..

May 5 (TM) Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious, and Cultural Affairs stated that no final decision has been made about an annual exposition of the Sacred Tooth Relic. This despite reports that a discussion regarding an annual Tooth Relic exposition was held amongst the stakeholders. A special exhibition of the Sacred Tooth Relic was held from 18 to 27 April. During it, Central Province Governor S.B. Abayakoon more..

May 5 (TM) The Ceylon Teachers' Union (CTU) has urged the Govt to take urgent action to curb the ongoing wave of violence in the country, noting that it is also affecting the functioning of schools and the education of children. There has been a noticeable rise in shootings and other violent crimes across the country in recent months. CTU President Priyantha Fernando said that the wave of violence in the country has also spilled over into the schools at present. more..

May 5 (AD) A complaint has been filed with the CID against Thusitha Halloluwa, former Acting Director of the National Lotteries Board (NLB) and former Director General of Public Relations to former President Ranil Wickremesinghe, regarding an allegedly defamatory and false statement made against Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Acting on the instructions of the President, Attorney-at-Law Akalanka Ukwatta lodged the complaint last night, according to a statement issued by the PMD. more..