May 7 (DM) The Officer in charge of the Welikada Police informed the Colombo Additional Magistrate Nuwan Kaushalya that there is a suspicion whether the 120 foreign nationals who were arrested for allegedly engaging in illegal financial fraud while residing in the country without valid visas are also connected to the incident involving the misappropriation of USD 2.5 million from the Treasury by hackers. more..

May 7 (AD) General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam’s Central Committee and Prez of Vietnam, To Lam, is scheduled to arrive in SL tonight (7) for an official visit, accompanied by a high-level delegation. The visit is being undertaken at the invitation of Prez AKD, Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced. Nearly 200 members are reportedly expected to be part of the visiting delegation. Prez To Lam is also scheduled to address the Parliament of SL tomorrow (8). more..

May 7 (AD) Sri Lanka has expressed grave concern regarding the recent hostilities in the West Asian region, including attacks on critical energy infrastructure, which affect regional stability and peace efforts. The region hosts a substantial international expatriate community including SL nationals, whose safety and wellbeing remain a matter of paramount concern for SL, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment & Tourism. more..

May 7 (NW) Opposition MP Dayasiri Jayasekara has called on the Govt to explain why SriLankan Airlines entered into what he described as an expensive lease agreement for a 14-year-old aircraft while allegedly misleading the public into believing it was acquiring a new aircraft. Jayasekara questioned the transparency of the deal and called for an investigation, claiming the transaction amounted to a waste of public funds. more..

May 7 (DN) Deputy Minister Chathuranga Abeysinghe said that the Govt has provided collateral-free loans to 1,600 micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) through the National Credit Guarantee Institution Ltd (NCGIL) for the first time in history. The scheme enables the providing of loans ranging from Rs. 500,000 to Rs. 25 million without traditional security. The initiative was designed to aid recovery, particularly for businesses hit by economic downturns, and more..

May 7 (DN) PM and Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya informed Parliament that the enrolment of students in Govt universities for the 2025/2026 academic year will commence from the first week of September 2026. Responding to questions in Parliament PM said that arrangements have been made to forward all student registration lists to the relevant universities by Aug 31, after the release of the university cut-off marks. more..

May 7 (Island) The heart of the beautiful Nuwara Eliya city has turned into a scene of neglect, as piles of garbage remain uncollected even after the conclusion of the April festivities. Nuwara Eliya Municipal Council had organized a series of events for the April season, which concluded on May 4. However, it has been observed that the temporary stall area and surrounding public spaces, which attracted massive crowds for the festivities, have now become a dumping ground for waste. more..

May 7 (TM) Even though SriLankan Airlines recorded a loss in 2024 and further losses were projected for 2025 and this year, a bonus payment was made in 2025 to maintain operational stability and industrial harmony, Civil Aviation Minister Anura Karunathilaka said, responding to criticism raised by Opposition MP Ravi Karunanayake. Speaking in Parliament, MP questioned the decision, pointing out that the Airline had been profitable in 2022 and 2023 but had since slipped into losses. more..

May 7 (TM) Free Lawyers organisation, alleging that nearly Rs. 500 million in Aswesuma funds had been irregularly disbursed through double and excess payments to beneficiaries, called for an immediate Parliamentary inquiry into the incident. In a letter addressed to Speaker of Parliament, organisation claimed the payments had been made through Welfare Benefits Board (WBB) outside established financial procedures more..

May 7 (Island) In a startling turn of events, a Development Officer, serving at the Central Provincial Council, has reportedly submitted a bid of approximately Rs. 48 mn for a Land Cruiser V8 vehicle belonging to the Council, which was recently put up for auction. The revelation that a serving govt officer submitted a massive bid for such a tender—an act generally prohibited under public service regulations—has reportedly caused significant unrest within the Tender Board. more..

May 7 (FT) Cabinet approved the designation of six companies as Businesses of Strategic Importance under the Colombo Port City Economic Commission in terms of the Colombo Port City Economic Commission Act, No. 11 of 2021, enabling them to receive incentives and concessions provided under the law. Approved companies are Dijital Team LK Ltd, VitalHub Innovations Lab Ltd, Welvaart Solutions Ltd, Advantis Bridge Ltd, Java Global Access Platform FZ, and Ocean Builders. more..

May 7 (DN) With the success the seven men’s cricket tournaments have achieved, the Executive Committee of Mercantile Cricket Association (MCA) have decided to give women’s cricket in Sri Lanka a boost by introducing a women’s cricket tournament for the corporate sector. With the international recognition women’s cricket has gained at present, it is no secret that there still are many talented lasses aspiring to reach the zenith of the game. Even with SLC the game’s governing body through more..

May 7 (FT) Cabinet of Ministers approved the designation of Prime Melwa Port City Ltd, and Home Lands Port City Ltd, as primary Businesses of Strategic Importance under the provisions of the Colombo Port City Economic Commission Act, No. 11 of 2021, granting them access to incentives and facilitation measures outlined in the law. The decision was made in line with the framework governing investments within Colombo Port City, administered by the Colombo Port City more..

May 7 (DM) The SL rupee weakened beyond the Rs.324 mark against the US dollar yesterday for the first time in more than two years, raising fresh concerns over the country’s fragile external balance sheet and rising foreign debt pressures. Central Bank quoted the US dollar buying rate at Rs. 316.40 and the selling rate at Rs. 324.03 yesterday, extending the rupee’s recent downward trend in the midst of global market volatility and more..

May 7 (FT) Sri Lanka and South Korea have signed debt restructuring amendment agreements covering 18 concessional loans worth around $ 267 million, marking a further step in Colombo’s broader external debt restructuring process while reaffirming bilateral development cooperation between the two countries. The two countries have reaffirmed their development partnership following the successful conclusion of the Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) Policy Dialogue 2026. more..

May 7 (FT) Opposition MPs yesterday drew parallels between the Rajapaksa administration’s appointment of Ajith Nivard Cabraal as Governor of the CBSL in 2021 and NPP Govt’s decision to appoint a former Deputy Minister, Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma as Treasury Secretary, arguing that both reflected the politicisation of key economic institutions. During the Parliamentary debate on the $ 2.5 million Treasury phishing scandal, SJB MP Mujibur Rahman said the current administration had abandoned more..

May 7 (FT) Parliament yesterday commenced the Second Reading debate on the proposed Rescue, Rehabilitation and Insolvency Bill, a landmark legislative overhaul aimed at replacing SL’s century-old insolvency framework. Recommended by the IMF and developed with technical assistance from the World Bank, new law focuses on business rehabilitation, debt restructuring, and financial recovery, more..

May 7 (Island) Maldives President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu was in Sri Lanka recently on what was apparently a goodwill visit and this event, no doubt, bodes very well for Maldives-SL relations. Besides, the visit would go some distance in strengthening SL’s claims to NonAlignment. However, the commentator on regional politics could be accused of simplistic thinking if he/she glosses over or ignores the regional politics nuances or undertones of the Maldivian Prez’s visit. more..

May 7 (TM) Global foreign exchange volatility in rubber products manufacturing countries such as Malaysia, Thailand, and China, offers SL’s rubber glove manufacturers a competitive edge, First Capital’s recently published (4) rubber sector report said. “FX movements in MYR, THB, and CNY provide tailwinds for SL glove manufacturers,” the report titled Impact of Rising Rubber Prices on Listed Counters said. With the depreciation of LKR seen since the end of February, more..

May 7 (ST) Farmers in the Uhana DS area are facing severe difficulties due to an infestation of a worm-like pest, similar to a caterpillar, that is rapidly destroying young paddy plants in their fields, according to representatives of farmer organisations. This pest has been observed spreading for about the past 15 days in paddy fields in areas including Uhana, Kohombana, Dungolla Welyaya, Werenketagoda, and Senagama. Agricultural officers have identified two varieties of this pest, more..

May 7 (FT) Sri Lanka is looking to deepen economic engagement with India through new investments in technology, manufacturing, and strategic infrastructure, following high-level discussions between Minister Sunil Handunneththi and a delegation from the Indian CEO Forum. According to a post shared by the Minister, the meeting held on Tuesday focused on promoting Indian investments in SL, whilst strengthening bilateral economic cooperation between the two countries. more..

May 7 (ST) Sri Lanka’s economy is being tested by external pressures with a rising US dollar and escalating international conflicts driving up the cost of fuel imports, domestic cooking gas, and electricity. Traders and consumers are trapped in a dilemma of unpredictable price changes. Traders claim that importers are absorbing much of the cost pressures and retailers are operating with small profit margins. more..

May 7 (FT) Cabinet of Ministers at their meeting on Monday approved the awarding of tenders worth nearly Rs. 1.5 billion for the procurement of cabs and tractors for the Dept of Wildlife Conservation, aimed at strengthening field operations including wild elephant management. Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa announcing the decision noted that the vehicles would be deployed for wild elephant management duties and other field operations carried out by the Department. more..

May 7 (DM) It was a Gen Z-led Tsunami which hit Tamil Nadu’s electoral arena on Monday the fourth of May. The stunning victory of matinee idol Vijay’s Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) in the State Assembly elections was as unexpected and as unsparing as a deluge. Vijay’s TVK won 108 seats of the 234 up for grabs, but still needing 10 more to form a govt. Ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), which was seeking a second term, got 73, and AIADMK got 53. more..

May 7 (TM) What is striking about the latest alleged cyber fraud involving a Govt payment of $ 2.5 million is not only the scale of the loss, but the number of red flags surrounding how it was allowed to happen in the first place. This is not, as some would prefer to suggest, a routine technical mishap. It is, in the words of COPF Chair Harsha de Silva, a massive theft. More importantly, it appears to be a failure born of multiple administrative irregularities at the very heart of the State’s financial machinery. more..

May 7 (DN) Custodial deaths are increasingly becoming the norm in this country. Yet another death of an inmate at the Welikada Prison has been reported in the media the other day. This follows the death of an inmate hardly two weeks ago while also in custody. Three suspects have been taken into custody in this connection. Hardly two weeks ago, another prisoner allegedly died following an assault within the Magazine Prison. On that occasion, five prison officials, including a jailer, were more..

May 7 (SO) Sri Pada, also known as Adam’s Peak, is a 2,243-metre (7,359 ft) conical mountain in central SL, famed as a sacred pilgrimage site for over 1,000 years. It is celebrated for the sacred footprint (Sri Pada) at its summit—revered by Buddhists as the Buddha’s, Hindus as Shiva’s, and Muslims/Christians as Adam’s. Traditional climb to Adam’s Peak involves a challenging 5-km hike (approx 2-4 hours) with over 5,500 steps. more..

May 7 (DM) There was a time when the State assembly election in Tamil Nadu drew much enthusiasm from the SL people as politics of the State held a profound and consistent bearing on the of its southern neighbour while the latter was engaged in a bitter war with the separatist Tamil armed group, the LTTE. Tamil Nadu leaders such as Muthuvel Karunanidhi of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and Jeyalalithaa Jeyaram of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam more..

May 7 (DM) In an era of rapid social and technological change, legal systems and governance structures are under increasing pressure to evolve. Traditional frameworks, once considered sufficient, are now often inadequate to address the complexities of modern society. This is particularly evident in two seemingly distinct yet fundamentally connected areas; the law on abetment of suicide and the recent cyber fraud scandal within SL’s public finance system. more..

May 7 (TM) The Govt has taken steps to repossess, on 2 May, a railway reservation land in Nawalapitiya that had been lawfully used on a lease basis for 26 years by the Mahindananda Aluthgamage Foundation, which was established by an Act of Parliament, along with a three-storey building of 6,000 square feet constructed on it. This takeover has created a controversial situation in the area as the social welfare activities carried out by more..

May 7 (CT) The country began a journey of correction and transformation after the election of AKD as President and the NPP as the ruling majority in the govt. That journey essentially consisted of an odyssey towards a perfect society. Perfection may be a hard-to-achieve object. Yet its pursuit cannot be hindered by its own pioneers. The most telling question that begs an answer is whether AKD and his Cabinet of Ministers have the courage to take timely corrective measures. more..

May 7 (Island) A government move to assign some Clean Sri Lanka representatives to Divisional Secretariats countrywide as coordinators has run into stiff resistance. The Sri Lanka Association of Divisional Secretaries and Assistant Divisional Secretaries (SLADA) has written to the Secretary to the President, urging the government to revoke its decision and warning that the proposed move will seriously undermine the independence of the public service. more..