May 6 (NW) Orders have been issued under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act to prevent the sale, transfer, or disposal of several properties allegedly purchased with money earned through drug trafficking, following investigations by the CID. According to the Police, the CID’s Illegal Assets Investigation Division said the case involves suspects from Madupitiya, Mahawila, who are accused of using proceeds from narcotics trafficking to acquire land & houses. more..

May 6 (Island) SJB MP Dayasiri Jayasekara asked in Parliament whether Speaker Dr Jagath Wickramaratne was utilising two official residences, triggering a heated exchange in the House. Raising an oral question, Jayasekara alleged that despite earlier claims that he did not use an official residence, the Speaker was currently occupying both the official Speaker’s residence for official purposes and a separate unit in a govt apartment complex, under Ministry of Public Admin, more..

May 6 (DM) India has just concluded a shock election season. With the counting drawing to a close, the biggest shocker of all, subject to interpretation, comes from Tamil Nadu, where a two-year-old party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) led by actor-turned-politician Joseph Vijay had shattered decades-old duopoly in state politics, and is set to govern the state for the next five years. Other results are no less shocking. more..

May 6 (NW) Cabinet Spokesman, Minister Nalinda Jayatissa, says several high‑profile corruption cases involving politicians, including Wimal Weerawansa, Piyankara Jayaratne, Rajitha Senaratne, Johnston Fernando, Sajin Vaas Gunawardena, Chamara Sampath, Sarana Gunawardena, Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena, Mervyn Silva, Namal Rajapaksa, Shasheendra Rajapaksa, Champika Ranawaka, Keheliya Rambukwella, and Yoshitha Rajapaksa, are to be taken up in courts in the near future. more..

May 6 (DM) Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha renewed the call for the need to build a land link between SL and India and said the time for wavering is over. He said the distance between Colombo and Chennai by sea is roughly 300 km, but the distance between Rameswaram & Talaimannar, closest points of our two countries, is about 30 km. “Yet, there is no direct road. No railway. No ferry service that runs at scale. No energy grid connection. No pipeline. It is, frankly, an anomaly. more..

May 6 (AD) Raising concern over the prevalence of childhood obesity in SL, Consultant Paediatrician Dr. Maheshaka Wijayawardena said 10–15% of school-aged children are overweight or obese in urban areas. He said childhood obesity has emerged as one of the most pressing public health challenges globally, with a steady rise now seen in low-and middle-income countries, including SL. He noted that the country is experiencing more..

May 6 (AD) Pakistan, England & SL have reached an in-principle agreement to hold a tri-nation series in the ODI format, which is likely to take place in the last week of October this year. The venues for the series are being finalized, after which the schedule will be shared with the relevant cricket boards, and a formal announcement will be made after mutual consultation. Additionally, two Tests and three T20 matches are also likely to be scheduled during SL cricket team’s expected tour of Pakistan. more..

May 6 (DN) A total of 92 out of 97 locations damaged along the Main Line from Maradana to Peradeniya following the Ditwa disaster have been restored, Ministry of Transport, Highways and Urban Development said. The damage included landslides, soil erosion, rockfalls, as well as impacts on bridges and culverts. Restoration work is continuing at the remaining five locations between Rambukkana and Kadugannawa. Authorities said these sites require specialised engineering solutions more..

May 6 (QT) Qatar Charity (QC), with support from donors, has completed the first phase of its flagship educational initiative in SL, which aims to distribute 2,000 bicycles to students in remote areas. Recently, 500 bicycles were distributed during this stage to empower students to reach their schools easily and safely. The initiative comes in response to the significant challenges faced by students in rural areas, where many are forced to walk distances from 3 to 5 km daily to attend classes. more..

May 6 (TM) Central Bank of SL (CBSL) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Australia’s Skills for an Inclusive Economy programme on a pilot initiative to improve digital financial literacy for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), as a driver of Sri Lanka’s economic recovery and inclusive growth. The pilot will test targeted approaches to improve access to finance, enhance institutional coordination, and strengthen enabling environment for MSMEs. more..

May 6 (AD) Supreme Court today confirmed the death sentences imposed by the High Court Trial-at-Bar on four accused, including Swiss Kumar, in the abduction, gang rape and murder of 18-year-old schoolgirl Sivaloganathan Vidya in the Jaffna District in 2015. The verdict was delivered by a five-member judge bench headed by Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena after dismissing the appeals filed by the accused more..

May 6 (FT) Stallion-backed ACAP Stockbrokers has re-launched after deploying close to Rs. 400 m to acquire, recapitalise and restructure the brokerage, positioning the firm to intermediate foreign capital into Sri Lanka’s equity market. The brokerage was acquired for about Rs. 200 m, with a further Rs. 150–200 m invested to address capital adequacy constraints, rebuild compliance frameworks and restore trading capacity. The deal was completed around five months ago but withheld from more..

May 6 (AD) The High Commissioner of Pakistan to SL, Major General Nayyar Naseer, HI (M), (Retd), has paid a courtesy call on Defence Secretary, Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha (Retd), at the Ministry of Defence. Upon arrival, the Defence Secretary welcomed the High Commissioner and extended his best wishes for the commencement of his diplomatic tenure in Sri Lanka. Discussions focused on further strengthening the longstanding bilateral relations between SL and Pakistan, more..

May 6 (TM) SL continues to wait with abated breadth nearing a week since the Shammi Silva-led SLC administration made way for the Eran Wickramaratne helmed Cricket Transformation Committee (CTC) on 29 April, all the while the ICC keeps mum. However, former Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe who famously was in ICC’s crosshairs three years ago when sacking the same SLC administration, is of the firm opinion that more..

May 6 (AD) Hambantota Magistrate’s Court today ordered the release of the three suspects, including owner of the Hambantota Bird Park, who had been accused of illegally importing 21 motorcycles, including 11 high-capacity bikes. The order was issued after considering the facts presented before the court when officers of the Central Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) informed the court that they would not be maintaining the complaint. Officers attached to CCIB had seized 21 motorcycles more..

May 6 (FT) Building on its 2025 performance, during which the Bank doubled its bottom-line Union Bank has commenced 2026 with strong momentum, reinforcing its trajectory as one of the fastest-growing commercial banks in the country. The 1Q 2026 results reflect a sharp acceleration in core earnings, driven by solid gains in profitability and revenue. Profit Before Tax (PBT) rose by 260% to Rs. 465 million, while Profit After Tax (PAT) surged by 570% to Rs. 334 million, more..

May 6 (NW) Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa today visited the Dehiwala Police Station to meet youth activist Ashan Kottewatta, who was taken into custody after raising concerns about the alleged politicization of Divisional Secretariat offices under the Clean Sri Lanka project. Speaking to reporters today following the visit, Premadasa said the arrest amounted to a violation of Kottewatta’s fundamental rights. He further stressed that freedom of speech, access to information, and more..

May 6 (EN) Sri Lanka’s construction sector activity continued to expand in March 2026, registering an index value of 57.1, a much slower rate than the previous month’s 70.3, according to a Purchasing Managers Index compiled by the central bank. “Many respondents reported a challenging operating environment, mainly due to limited availability of fuel and raw materials, rising costs, and logistical bottlenecks stemming from the conflict in the Middle East,” the central bank said. more..

May 6 (AD) Colombo High Court has fixed June 17 to hear the corruption case filed against former Minister Kumara Jayakody by the CIABOC. The case was taken up today before HC Judge Rashantha Godawela. After considering the submissions made, the judge ordered the Bribery Commission to provide all necessary documents required for the trial to the defense within two weeks. Thereafter, judge concluded the pre-trial more..

May 6 (NW) The Cabinet of Ministers has approved two major contracts under the National Highways Widening and Improvement Program to rehabilitate and upgrade key sections of the Colombo–Galle–Hambantota–Wellawaya Road (A002), strengthening connectivity along the southern corridor. A Rs. 1,207.74 million contract has been awarded to MS RR Construction (Pvt) Ltd to rehabilitate and improve a 13.3‑kilometre stretch between Kamburugamuwa and Dewinuwara. more..

May 6 (DM) Uncertainty over the stalled sale of Hotel Developers (Lanka) Ltd is starting to ripple through the company’s operations, as delays in finalising its ownership structure cloud strategic decision-making. The proposed divestiture of the state-owned operator of the Hilton Colombo, seen as a key plank of SL’s state enterprise reforms under its IMF-backed Extended Fund Facility programme, remains on hold. Company’s annual report states that the divestment has been put on hold more..

May 6 (DM) The implementation of a 2.5% increase in the Social Security Contribution Levy (SSCL) has triggered a sharp rise in SL’s vehicle import sector, with importers warning that prices of all imported vehicles have increased from May 1, adding fresh pressure on already strained consumers. VIASL says the revised levy has also been applied to vehicles manufactured in previous years, significantly pushing up costs at a time more..

May 6 (NW) ICC latest annual update has seen Sri Lanka drop one place in the Men’s T20I team rankings, while India and Australia retained their top positions in the men’s and women’s lists respectively. Sri Lanka slipped from 8th to 9th after losing six rating points, falling below Bangladesh and now sitting just one point ahead of Afghanistan. India continue to lead the men’s rankings with 275 points, maintaining a comfortable gap over England (262) and Australia (258), more..

May 6 (EN) Ministry of Energy and the Board of Investment have called for Requests for Information (RFI) for the development of Green Hydrogen and Green Ammonia projects in the country. With offshore wind and solar potential already identified, SL’s National Hydrogen Roadmap (2023) positions the country as a future regional hub for green hydrogen and ammonia production and export, BoI said. “This RFI invites qualified local and int'l investors, developers & operators to submit more..

May 6 (FT) The war between Iran, USA and Israel has taken a step back from a dangerous precipice. However, the horrifying images emerging from these wars remind us that humanity remains trapped in a cycle of violence that has claimed billions of lives. The justifications and underlying causes for war are numerous. Several culprits have been identified for the current cycles of violence, including actions against the dominance of the US petrodollar, a battle to gain energy security and more..

May 6 (FT) On 3 May 2012, London’s Isleworth Crown Court found Pahalagama Somarathana thera, chief incumbent of Thames Buddhist Vihara and Chief Sanghanayaka of the UK, guilty of four counts of sexual assault. At the time of the assault, the victim was nine years old. The final assault was committed in the shrine room of the temple. The monk’s appeal was rejected in 2013. His 6-year jail sentence was commuted to three-and-a-half for good behaviour. He was banned from more..

May 6 (FT) The Govt yesterday backed down and agreed to a Parliamentary debate on the $ 2.5 million Treasury cyber theft after rejecting the Opposition’s request last week, following a tense standoff in the House that forced a reversal. Opposition MPs rose in their seats demanding an urgent debate, triggering a confrontation that quickly shifted from procedure to substance, with exchanges exposing more..

May 6 (Island) Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga Bodharagama yesterday granted bail to former SriLankan Airlines’ CEO Kapila Chandrasena, arrested on March 12 and re-remanded subsequently in connection with ongoing investigations into receiving USD 2 mn bribe from Airbus Industries to facilitate aircraft sales to SL during Mahinda Rajapaksa’s second term. Magistrate ordered Chandrasena’s release on cash bail of Rs. 500,000 and three surety bails more..

May 6 (NW) Police have rejected claims made by former MP Udaya Gammanpila regarding the death of Treasury official Ranga Rajapaksha, stating that his remarks are false and contradict official findings. Police said Gammanpila’s statement that the victim’s wife had complained to authorities describing the death as suspicious is not true. Gammanpila had raised questions over whether the death was a suicide or staged to appear as one, and called for clarification on fingerprint evidence. more..

May 6 (DN) Multiple levels of investigations are underway regarding the incident of US$ 2.5 million fraud paid by the Treasury to a third party, and holding the position of Finance Ministry Secretary will not hinder fair investigations, Deputy Minister Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando told Parliament. He also pointed out in the House that the above investigations are not complete and that since it is a serious matter, a careful and thorough more..

May 6 (AD) Bar Association of SL (BASL) has expressed grave concern at a statement made by the Prez at the recent May Day Rally referring to a Judicial decision due to be delivered on May 25 stating that the audience would be able to applaud the decision when delivered. BASL said the tenor of the remark is open to the suggestion that there is interference with the judicial process and as such the BASL apprehends that the statement may erode public confidence in the judiciary. more..

May 6 (AD) Australia has begun a crackdown on visa approvals, rejecting visas for international students at record rates since the beginning of 2026. Applications from students belonging to Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, India and Bhutan have been the worst affected, facing massive cuts as compared to 2025 visa approvals. The refusal rates on visa applications by int'l university students reached 32.5% in February this year. This is the highest rate of rejections seen in one month over more..