May 29 (NF) SL Police is set to implement a comprehensive special traffic management plan as large crowds are expected to gather in the Colombo city for the 2026 Vesak festival, with multiple zones, thorana displays, and lantern exhibitions drawing significant public participation. The plan aims to manage the influx of vehicles and pedestrians as Vesak celebrations take place across several key locations in the capital from more..

May 29 (AD) Ministry of Education has issued guidelines to all Provincial Directors of Education, based on instructions from the Ministry of Health and Mass Media, on preventive measures related to the spread of Enterovirus Meningitis reported in several districts across the country. According to the circular, the disease has a greater impact on children and individuals with weakened immune systems. The first cases were reported in Deniyaya in the Matara District during April. more..

May 29 (FT) In a central banking monetary regime exchange rate is an endogenous variable, i.e. it is determined by several other short run and long run economic variables. Thus, it cannot be directly controlled by the central bank or any Govt entity. It cannot be directly controlled by any private entity either. However, there can be an indirect control by CB and other relevant institutions by managing variables such as foreign exchange inflows and outflows, money supply, real output & inflation. more..

May 29 (FT) It is one thing to study Buddhism from an academic distance. It is quite a different thing to be a practising Buddhist. Some of us are fated to straddle both these worlds, and it is as such edgewalkers that we write this on the eve of the Vesak poya day. When the Buddhist monastic order was first instituted by the Buddha, only adults were allowed to become members. In fact, according to Theravāda Vinaya (monastic code), one has to be at least 20 years old to receive full ordination. more..

May 29 (NW) The new Consulate General Office of Sri Lanka was officially opened in New Zealand’s capital, Wellington, on Thursday, strengthening bilateral ties between the two countries. The inauguration coincided with the official visit of Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath, and was attended by NZ’s Foreign Minister Rt. Hon. Winston Peters as a special guest. The ceremony began with SL religious observances and traditional Māori blessings, reflecting cultural traditions of both nations. more..

May 29 (FT) IMF Mission Chief for Sri Lanka Evan Papageorgiou yesterday said SL’s current monetary policy stance remains broadly appropriate, despite the Central Bank's recent 100-basis point policy rate hike. He said the country’s macroeconomic recovery remained on track, supported by stabilising prices, improving foreign reserves, and continued economic momentum. He expressed confidence that more..

May 29 (NW) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake has declared a number of public services as essential services under the Essential Public Services Act No. 61 of 1979 through an Extraordinary Gazette issued on Thursday (28). The gazette states that the order was issued considering the need to maintain normal public life amid the prevailing post-disaster situation across the country. According to the gazette notification, the declaration applies to services provided by state corporations, more..

May 29 (Island) SJB MP Mujibur Rahman said he had visited the CID at Police Headquarters to make a statement regarding allegations that he had telephone conversations with an inmate detained at the Bogambara Prison. Rahman said that he never had any direct connection with the inmate and said the calls had been made through a mobile phone belonging to one of his associates. According to the MP, the inmate is a drug addict who used the phone from inside the prison to contact the owner of more..

May 29 (NW) Govt is moving ahead with plans to introduce a public-private partnership (PPP) model for SriLankan Airlines, Minister Anura Kuranathilake said. He acknowledged that maintaining the national carrier through taxpayer funds was becoming increasingly unsustainable. He said the Govt is currently required to provide significant financial support to keep the airline operational, revealing that around Rs. 90 b more..

May 29 (DN) Bogambara pedestrian underpass was opened to the public yesterday. The underpass was built to reduce traffic congestion caused by pedestrians crossing the main road and ensure the safety of pedestrians. Costing Rs. 658 lakhs, it was constructed under the Rehabilitation and Development Project of the Access Roads to the Kandy Multi-Modal Transport Hub. Deputy Minister Prasanna Gunasena, Kandy Mayor Chandrasiri Wijenayake, Central Province Chief Secretary more..

May 29 (DN) SL youth should actively pursue opportunities in the Information Technology (IT) sector as the industry continues to expand rapidly both locally and globally, CEO Connex Information Technologies, Suresh Wijesinghe said. Speaking on the growing importance of the digital economy, Wijesinghe emphasized that the global IT industry has become one of the fastest-growing sectors in the world, creating thousands of new employment opportunities across multiple fields. more..

May 29 (DM) A seven-year-old schoolboy who had reportedly planned to travel alone to Colombo to meet his parents was rescued by police after being found waiting at the Hatton bus stand. The child had drawn the attention of a timekeeper at the bus stand after he was seen loitering alone in his school uniform and failed to clearly explain why he was there. Timekeeper subsequently handed the boy over to the Police for further inquiries. During questioning, the child told police that more..

May 29 (DM) A recent survey has revealed 5780 children in the Anuradhapura district are vulnerable to sexual harassment or rape. DIG North Central Province T.B. Sugathapala told the meeting of the District Coordinating Committee that they are underage children less than 16 years of age. The District Coordinating Committee met under the co-chairmanship of Minister Wasantha Samarasinha and Governor Wasantha Jinadasa at the Provincial Council Auditorium. more..

May 29 (FT) German business leaders and policymakers yesterday identified SL as a strategically important partner in the Indo-Pacific region, while urging faster reforms, policy consistency, and stronger investment facilitation to unlock the full potential of bilateral economic ties. Speaking at the inauguration of the SL-German Business Forum 2026 themed Building Trusted Partnerships in Colombo, officials from more..

May 29 (DN) SL’s promising middle-distance runner Tharushi Abisheka once again showcased her talent by winning the gold medal in the women’s 1500m event at the Asian U-20 Athletics C'ships in Hong Kong yesterday. 18-year-old athlete, popularly known as Podi Tharushi on the local track, produced a brilliant performance to clock 4 minutes 31.41 seconds and secure the title ahead of Iran’s Maryam Baluoutaki (4:33.35) and South Korea’s Song Dawson (4:35.42), who finished second and more..

May 29 (FT) SL’s ICT and BPM sector has achieved a major national milestone, with digital services exports surpassing tea export earnings during the first four months of 2026, reflecting the country’s accelerating transition towards a knowledge-driven digital economy. According to recent export performance data published by the EDB, ICT/BPM export earnings reached approximately $ 581.7 mil during January to April, exceeding tea export earnings of $451.6 m during the same period. more..

May 29 (Island) Constitutional Council of SL has approved the appointment of Yasantha Kodagoda as a member of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), filling the vacancy created by the retirement of former Supreme Court Justice S. Thurairaja. Official sources said Justice Kodagoda would assume duties on the Commission following the completion of the constitutional approval process. The Judicial Service Commission plays a critical role in Sri Lanka’s judicial administration, more..

May 29 (FT) National Chamber of Exporters (NCE) is monitoring progress on the country's accession to the Madrid Protocol, a move that would give SL businesses access to a streamlined international trademark registration system used by over 100 economies worldwide. As of 2025, Madrid members represent 68% of all countries globally. Based on the NCE's most recent correspondence with the National Intellectual Property Office (NIPO), the accession process is currently in its legislative phase. more..

May 29 (FT) Board of Investment (BOI) has launched a new digital investment platform titled Ready to Invest, featuring more than $ 3 billion worth of investor-ready projects across eight priority sectors as the country intensifies efforts to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) and strengthen long-term capital inflows. SL recorded around $ 1.06 billion in FDI inflows during 2025, marking a sharp increase from previous year more..

May 29 (Island) 21st edition of the Build Sri Lanka housing and construction exhibition concluded last week at the BMICH. On the surface, it was a modest success: stalls were staffed, catalogues were exchanged, and the usual dignitaries cut the usual ribbons. But beneath the low hum of polite conversation, a far more urgent story was unfolding – one that policymakers appear to have missed entirely. For an industry that contributes nearly 8% to SL’s GDP and employs over 500,000 people, more..

May 29 (Island) Aitken Spence Printing has achieved a landmark international recognition by becoming the first and only offset printing company in SL to win an award at the prestigious WorldStar Awards, organised by the World Packaging Organisation (WPO). Company secured the WorldStar 2026 Award for Packaging Excellence in the Luxury Packaging category, reaffirming SL’s growing capability in world-class printing and packaging innovation. The award was presented at more..

May 29 (FT) PM Harini Amarasuriya pitched Sri Lanka as a resilient and reform-driven investment destination to German businesses, whilst assuring policy consistency, macroeconomic stability and stronger governance reforms as the country seeks to deepen economic ties with Europe. Addressing the inauguration of the SL-German Business Forum 2026 titled Building Trusted Partnerships in Colombo, PM said more..

May 29 (DM) ADRA Ceylon, an entity within the Pink Eagle Group, marks its 10th anniversary, celebrating a decade of remarkable transformation from a local venture into a globally recognized leader in premium Ceylon tea export. Since its inception, the company has successfully delivered exquisite teas to over 37 countries, firmly establishing its position among Sri Lanka’s tea exporters. This significant milestone reflects the strategic vision and unwavering commitment that have propelled more..

May 29 (FT) National Savings Bank (NSB) Group has recorded a steady and resilient performance for the first quarter of 2026, supported by a stronger core banking income base and disciplined asset-liability management. For the three months ended 31 March 2026, Group reported a Profit Before Tax (PBT) of Rs. 11.8 billion and Profit After Tax (PAT) of Rs. 7 billion, while making a total tax contribution of Rs. 8.5 billion during the quarter. NSB said the performance reflects its ability to maintain more..

May 29 (Island) The sudden fall and equally rapid recovery of the SL rupee within a matter of days has left many Sri Lankans confused about what truly happened inside the country’s foreign exchange market. Within a short span, the rupee weakened sharply from around Rs. 324-325 against the US dollar to Rs. 354 in parts of the commercial market, before unexpectedly stabilising again close to previous levels. Speed of both the depreciation and recovery triggered widespread speculation more..

May 29 (ST) Bairaha Farms has achieved a milestone in corporate sustainability, becoming one of SL’s leading poultry-businesses to receive Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Verification at the organisational level with a reasonable level of assurance. The ISO 14064 framework provides two levels of verification assurance with reasonable assurance representing the higher and more rigorous standard. By achieving the higher standard, Bairaha Farms has demonstrated more..

May 29 (ST) As the dollar rate climbed to around Rs. 353 over the past week, importers of essential food items said that the sudden increase is driving up the cost of food imports, shipping and related charges, placing both traders and consumers under pressure. Importers say the dollar, which had remained around Rs. 310 to Rs. 315 for a considerable period, suddenly surged to nearly Rs. 350 within days before more..

May 29 (Island) Every year, the spiritual compass of the Muslim world turns towards the holy city of Makkah, where millions of pilgrims gather for Hajj — one of humanity’s oldest and most profound journeys of faith. This year, too, the sacred valleys of Saudi Arabia are filled with the echoes of Labbaik Allahumma Labbaik — Here I am, O Allah, here I am — as Muslims from every continent respond to a divine call that dates back thousands of years to Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham). more..

May 29 (Island) How long the Provincial Councils (PCs) will remain unelected is anybody’s guess. All of them are currently under the provincial Governors appointed by the President. There have been five Presidents and four govts since the conclusion of the last PC elections held on a staggered basis between 2012 and 2014. JVP-NPP govt is under increasing pressure to hold the much-delayed PC polls. The NPP’s National Policy Framework, A Thriving Nation: A Beautiful Life, promises to hold more..

May 29 (Island) How long the Provincial Councils (PCs) will remain unelected is anybody’s guess. All of them are currently under the provincial Governors appointed by the President. There have been five Presidents and four govts since the conclusion of the last PC elections held on a staggered basis between 2012 and 2014. JVP-NPP govt is uk/wijith-dechickera/Our-Vesak-gift-or-how-to-rebuild-a-civilised-nation/10503-792632more..

May 29 (TM) In the wake of several deaths reported within prisons in recent years, including the latest incident involving a death-row inmate linked to the killing of a MP, attention has once again turned to the mental health and well-being of people living within the country’s correctional system. People within prisons and correctional centres face pressures very different from those experienced outside. Overcrowding, uncertainty surrounding court proceedings, separation from families, more..