May 14 (DM) The former U.S. Coast Guard Cutter DECISIVE, which departed from the Baltimore U.S. Coast Guard Yard East Wall Jetty, has arrived in Trincomalee after a nearly three-month voyage. The Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) formally took delivery of the US Coast Guard Cutter, provided by the United States to SLN, in a ceremony held in Baltimore on 02 Dec 25 The ship began its journey to Sri Lanka on February 20, 2026, covering approximately 14,775 nautical miles. more..

May 14 (NW) Civil society groups, political representatives and activists in SL on Wednesday called for urgent public and diplomatic support to ensure the safety of SL participant Sameera Mahboobdeen and other members of a humanitarian mission set to sail towards Gaza from Turkey on Thursday. The appeal was made by the Free Palestine Movement – SL (FPM), which said the Global Sumud Flotilla, expected to include more than 50 vessels, aims to deliver medical more..

May 14 (DM) Agriculture, Livestock, Lands & Irrigation Ministry and the Agriculture Dept, with technical support from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN, have launched the CROPIX Seed Production, Certification and Traceability System aimed at modernising SL’s seed sector through digital technology. The new platform is designed to improve transparency, efficiency, traceability and coordination across more..

May 14 (DM) Govt’s primary objective is to create smart citizens capable of facing the challenges of the future world, Public Admin, PCs & LG Minister Prof. Chandana Abeyrathne said. The Minister made these remarks while addressing the certificate awarding ceremony of the 2026-I batch of young cadets at the National Youth Corps Training Center in Walahena on May 12. The inaugural batch completed a formal training programme focused on Information Technology, English language more..

May 14 (AD) Owners of two tourist hotels in Matara have been convicted for selling bottled drinking water above the regulated maximum retail price, with the Matara Magistrate’s Court imposing a total fine of Rs. 1 million. Verdict was delivered after the Consumer Affairs Authority filed charges before the court on May 13. Investigations conducted by the Matara District office of the Consumer Affairs Authority, following public complaints, found that the two hotels had been selling more..

May 14 (Island) Alleging that the Public Utilities Commission of SL (PUCSL) has shifted the massive losses, caused by the coal scam, to the hapless public, Opposition and SJB Leader, Sajith Premadasa, has questioned the conduct of the regulator, noting that it is mandated to protect the interests of both the service provider and the consumers. Premadasa alleged that the PUCSL ignored the representations made by the SJB more..

May 14 (AD) A red warning for heavy rains in several areas of the country has been issued by the Met Dept. The Met. Department noted that the low-pressure area located northeast of the Sri Lanka is expected to move away from SL during the next 48 hours according to the latest weather analysis. Accordingly, very heavy showers above 150mm are likely at some places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa and North-western provinces and in Kandy, Nuwara-Eliya, Galle, Matara districts. more..

May 14 (DM) The Ambassador of Japan to Sri Lanka, His Excellency ISOMATA Akio, has reiterated Japan’s commitment to supporting the modernisation of SL’s fisheries sector through the introduction of advanced technology and innovation-driven development initiatives. The assurance was given during a special meeting held at the Ambassador’s official residence, following an invitation extended to Minister of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources Ramalingam Chandrasekar. more..

May 14 (AD) Indian Naval Ship Sunayna as IOS Sagar with a multinational crew from 16 countries is scheduled to arrive in Colombo tomorrow, in continuation of Indian Navy’s endeavour to build Bridges of Friendship. IOS Sagar was flagged off for sea phase from Mumbai in April, on completion of combined harbour training for multinational crew comprising officers and sailors from SL, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, Myanmar, Singapore, more..

May 14 (NW) CID has arrested the Controller of Information Technology and Internal Control at the Dept of Immigration and Emigration, over an alleged financial fraud linked to the installation of official software. FCID said the arrest followed inquiries into a payment of Rs. 9,831,250 made for a User Management Module software that was never installed. Investigators allege govt funds were fraudulently obtained without delivering the system. Police confirmed the suspect was taken more..

May 14 (DM) Members of the IUSF staged a protest today, demanding that the controversial Malwana property allegedly linked to former Minister Basil Rajapaksa be handed over for public use, including for universities facing space shortages. The protest was held at the Malwana estate, which spans nearly 15 acres and has previously been described as an ownerless property.nStudent activists said more..

May 14 (AD) New stamps for the postal facilities provided to Members of Parliament were issued at the Parliamentary Library under the patronage of Speaker of House Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne. Accordingly, two new stamps valued at Rs. 20 and Rs. 70 were released, Dept of Communication of Parliament said. The stamps were issued by the Philatelic Bureau of the Dept of Posts of SL, and are expected to facilitate the various postal requirements of Members of Parliament more conveniently. more..

May 14 (TM) Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR) has informed Siri Lions Sports Club that they will need to place a refundable financial deposit of Rs. 4.5 million with the former, as a mandatory condition for participation in future ‘A’ Division competitions. This was revealed to The Daily Morning Sports by SLR President and ex-national Pavithra Fernando. According to him the game’s domestic governing body had decided on the said requirement for Siri Lions, following the findings and recommendations more..

May 14 (TM) The Meteorology Dept announced that El Niño conditions are likely to emerge with a probability of about 62% and are expected to persist through at least the end of this year. Operational weather forecaster at the Dept, Preethika Jayakody said rains may continue this month (May) without disruption. In a possible El Niño situation, the guidelines and relevant data will be issued by the Dept. more..

May 14 (BU) Sri Lanka is launching the Public-Impact Champions Network (PIC-Net), a government-wide initiative aimed at accelerating digital transformation across state institutions. Outlined in the Digital Economy Blueprint, this project aims to drive digital transformation across the public sector, Deputy Minister of Digital Economy Eranga Weeraratne said. The champions will be chosen from 95 govt offices, comprising ministries, state-owned enterprises & provincial councils. more..

May 14 (EN) SL’s Export Development Board and Janathakshan GTE Ltd, are partnering under the UNDP’s GEF-07 Project to promote biodiversity-friendly and climate-resilient agriculture across Kalutara, Galle, Matara, Ratnapura, Kegalle, and Nuwara Eliya. United Nations Development Programme’s GEF-07 Project, Partnerships and Innovative Financing to Mainstream Biodiversity and Sustainable Land Management in the Wet Climatic Zone of SL, will facilitate market linkages more..

May 14 (NW) WSO2 has announced that its Founder and CEO, Dr. Sanjiva Weerawarana, will step down from his role as CEO with effect from June, 2026. The Board of Directors has initiated a search for a permanent CEO and has appointed WSO2’s Chief Revenue Officer, Devaka Randeniya, as Acting CEO to lead the company during the transition period. “We are grateful to Sanjiva for his vision and leadership in building WSO2 into a globally recognized technology company,” said Jonas Persson, Chairman of the Board. more..

May 14 (EN) The recent depreciation of the SL rupee is a reflection of shifting global market conditions rather than internal economic mismanagement, central bank governor Nandalal Weerasinghe insisted, but admitted intervening to prevent excessive swings. Under the current flexible inflation targeting framework, the exchange rate is primarily determined by market demand and supply in line with macro-fundamentals, he said at a public lecture on 2025 Annual Economic Review. more..

May 14 (FT) CB Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe yesterday rejected the notion that the CBSL’s role was to directly drive economic growth, productivity gains, or foreign direct investment (FDI), arguing instead that its mandate was confined to preserving monetary and financial stability. The remarks amounted to one of the clearest public attempts yet by the CBSL to draw institutional boundaries around its post-crisis mandate more..

May 14 (AD) A former Director of the National Institute of Education has been sentenced to six years of rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs. 3 million by the Supreme Court after being found guilty of contempt of court in relation to the non-implementation of a court order concerning the 2024 Grade 5 Scholarship Exam. The accused, I.G.S. Premathilaka, former Director of the National Institute of Education, was convicted of contempt of court for failing to comply with a SC more..

May 14 (NW) Sri Lanka and Belarus have signed a bilateral Air Services Agreement aimed at enhancing air connectivity between the two countries. The agreement was signed by SL’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Vijitha Herath and Belarus Transport Minister Alexei Lyakhnovich during Herath’s official visit to Minsk. The Foreign Minister also called on Belarusian Prez Aleksandr Lukashenko, with discussions focused on strengthening the longstanding friendship between 2 nations more..

May 14 (DM) Former SriLankan Airlines CEO Kapila Chandrasena’s suspicious death took place at the residence of Aravinda de Silva, where the CCTV cameras were operational, but the system had not been recording footage for a long period and no footage of the location where the death occurred had been captured by the CCTV system, Colombo Crimes Division informed Colombo Fort Magistrate Pasan Amarasena today. more..

May 14 (DM) All Ceylon Medical Officers Association (ACMOA) has called for an investigation by the Investigation Division of the Health Ministry into four procurements carried out under the Health Information and Quality Improvement (HIQI) Project, implemented through the United Nations Office for Project Services, involving around Rs. 2.8–3.0 billion in grant funding. The Association has raised concerns over the necessity of the procurements, alleging possible duplication of existing more..

May 14 (AD) The Supreme Court has concluded hearing fundamental rights petitions filed by Director of the CID Shani Abeysekara and two others challenging their arrest and remand by the Colombo Crime Division (CCD) and has postponed delivering its judgment. The petitions were taken up before a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court comprising Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena, Justice Achala Wengappuli and Justice Gihan Kulatunga. Counsel for the petitioners argued that more..

May 14 (FT) Delivering the keynote address at the Global Innovation and Leadership Summit in Colombo organised by Z Media and WION on 2 May, the High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka Shri Santosh Jha attempts to give Sri Lanka a bit of a hurry-up, insisting that it gets on with constructing permanent land connectivity which links Talaimannar in Sri Lanka to Rameshwaram in India. His Excellency’s strident push for land connectivity is part of Delhi’s double-tap. more..

May 14 (FT) SL’s slow GDP growth vis-à-vis the rapid economic progress of high-income Asian countries was the centrepiece of discussion at the public seminar on Macroeconomic Policy Directions, hosted by the SL Economic Association (SLEA) and the Gamani Corea Foundation (GCF), last Friday. The well-attended event was organised under the collaborative arrangement of the two organisations, with Daily FT as the media partner. The collaboration between the SLEA and the GCF aims at more..

May 14 (FT) CB Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe yesterday drew a sharper distinction between the CBSL’s role as banker to the Govt and its function as regulator of licenced banks, as scrutiny intensified over the Treasury’s $ 2.5 million phishing scam and the Rs. 13.2 billion fraud uncovered at NDB. Governor sought to clarify where operational responsibility sits within Sri Lanka’s public payments architecture and more..

May 14 (DN) Sinhala publication of the book Buddhist–Muslim Dialogue was launched at a ceremony held at the BMICH on Tuesday. Event was organised by the Tanweer Institute for Islamic Studies and Interfaith Dialogue as part of its ongoing efforts to promote interreligious understanding and peaceful coexistence in SL. The book was jointly authored by Dr. Asad Shiraz and Tripitakaacharya Ramesh Madushanka. The launch was held under the patronage of Ven. Professor Gallelle more..

May 14 (DN) With the commencement of the tourist season in Pottuvil-Arugambay, health authorities have launched surprise inspections at restaurants and hotels to ensure the cleanliness and hygiene of food consumed by tourists. The arrival of both foreign and local tourists has now begun in the Pottuvil and Arugam Bay areas. While large numbers of foreign visitors are seen in the surfing zones of Arugam Bay, many local tourists frequent the bathing spots in the area. more..

May 14 (Island) The widespread torrential rains currently experienced countrywide are expected to provide significant financial relief to the debt-ridden CEB by sharply increasing hydroelectric power generation and reducing dependence on costly thermal and coal-powered electricity generation. Senior engineers of the CEB said the rapid rise in water levels in major catchment areas and reservoirs had already strengthened more..

May 14 (TM) Central Environmental Authority (CEA) has directed the developer of the Ambuluwawa cable car project to repair environmental damage linked to the project, following observations and reports submitted by both civil society groups and State institutions. CEA Director General Kapila Rajapaksha said that the project remains suspended, but that the developer has been instructed to dismantle any remaining structures that pose a threat to the environment and to more..

May 14 (NW) A private bus travelling from Kalpitiya to Colombo has come under police investigation after a video showing the vehicle dangerously overtaking another bus in the Madampe area circulated on social media. Officers from the Madampe Police Station stopped the bus on the same day after observing the traffic violations shown in the video. The driver was severely warned, and his driving licence was taken into police custody while a temporary licence was issued. more..