May 7 (ST) Kandy Municipal Council is still grappling with the segregation of nearly 500,000 kilograms of garbage, after a 10-day exposition of the Sacred Tooth Relic. Over 10 days, 630,000 kilograms of waste was left behind by pilgrims. Kandy’s Municipal Commissioner, Indika Abeysinghe said that efforts have been intensified to segregate the garbage and manage it in Kandy itself. A final decision is due in upcoming weeks. more..

May 7 (DN) Local rugby fans received good news as Kandy Sports Club’s star playmaker and leading points scorer of the season, Tarinda Ratwatte, has returned to the national squad after recovering from injury. The experienced centre has been named in the 25-member SL squad for the second and final match against the touring New Zealand Under-85kg team, which will take place on Saturday (10) at the Racecourse Stadium. SL Rugby Selection Committee, led by Sudath Sampath, more..

May 7 (Island) The recent massacre of 25 Indians and one Nepali at Pahalgam in Kashmir attracted international attention. Amidst the war on Gaza, Israeli air strikes on selected targets in the region, particularly Syria, Russia-Ukraine war, and US-UK air campaign against Houthis, the execution-style killings at Pahalgam, in the Indian-administered Kashmir, caused concerns over possible direct clash between nuclear powers India and Pakistan. Against the backdrop of India alleging more..

May 7 (ST) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayaka’s ringing claim during the NPP May Day rally at the Galle Face Green this Thursday that his Govt had established the Rule of Law in Sri Lanka would be exceedingly funny if it was not so bizarre. That claim is refuted particularly by the uncouth sight of NPP party cadre, ferried in by buses to Colombo for the May Day rally, parking on the Southern Expressway and having their lunches with gusto while camping on the side of the expressway lane. more..

May 7 (CT) It was reported yesterday how a 19-year-old Municipal Council employee was shot dead in a brazen attack near the intersection of the Mount Lavinia–Coastal Road on Monday. The youth was sweeping a by-lane around 6:35 a.m. when two unidentified men on a motorcycle approached him and opened fire. While the victim reportedly had past involvement in drug-related activity and links to a known trafficker, the sheer brazenness of the attack is what raises much alarm. more..

May 7 (SO) With Sri Lanka’s economy heavily reliant on a narrow band of exports such as apparel and tea, recent tariff threats from the US have exposed a structural vulnerability that has long haunted the nation’s trade profile. For Deputy Minister of Economic Development Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando – a technocrat-turned-politician with deep roots in development economics and industrial policy – crisis is also an inflection point. more..

May 7 (GV) Among the many human rights violations that have occurred in the country in recent decades, the abduction and killing of Dharmaratnam Sivaram, also known as Taraki, stands out. Investigating this case and bringing the perpetrators to justice was an election promise of the NPP government. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said that Sivaram’s case was among a select number of human rights violations currently under investigation. April 28 marked 20 years since Sivaram was killed. more..

May 7 (DM) The price tag for a brand new 1200 cc car caught my eye–Rs. 9.9 million. Cool, outrageous and whopping? You can choose your adjective. As if offering an apology for the price, the seller says you can drive it away for a monthly payment of Rs. 76,000/=. That sounds a lot better, but add to that income tax, servicing and fuel, and the owner will be spending Rs. 100,000 a month or more for his or her new car. There are very few people in that income bracket, and they already have good cars. more..

May 7 (TM) While the economic crisis has aggravated the strain felt by ordinary Sri Lankans, stagnating incomes coupled with increasing living costs are signalling a growing concern at the heart of SL’s economic recovery. DCS has revealed that an individual requires a minimum of Rs. 16,318 per month (as of Feb) to meet their basic needs. Further, the highest cost of meeting basic needs was recorded at Rs 17,599 in Colombo District more..

May 7 (DM) On 6 May (yesterday), fellow citizens of this emerald isle of ours wended their way to polling stations in villages and towns of our country. We all went to cast that all-important vote of ours to elect persons who would rule our local bodies, ranging from town councils to municipalities. As happened during our presidential election and at the parliamentary elections, most of us would perhaps have voted for the Malimava. It’s not that you and I believe comrade Dissanayake and more..

May 7 (DM) For those of us who held reservations about the NPP govt, one of the greatest concerns was that the 2024 election, which swept to power, could well be the last free and fair election in the country. That is not an unfounded fear, as the experience in many countries, where political fundamentalists or the militant left had won national power, has almost uniformly revealed. That brings forth the less-talked-about question. Many observers described the election as the more..

May 6 (AD) The 2025 Local Govt Elections officially commenced at 7:00 a.m. today (6), marking a significant milestone in the country’s democratic process following a seven-year hiatus. Elections are being conducted for 339 out of the 341 local govt bodies across the island. Polling will not take place for the Kalmunai Municipal Council due to an ongoing court case, while the elections for the Elpitiya PS have already been concluded. more..

May 6 (FT) In a bold move aimed at curbing tax evasion and tightening compliance with import and export laws, the Sri Lanka Customs Department announced yesterday it will begin publishing the names of institutions and individuals found guilty of Customs violations and tax frauds on its official website, www.customs.gov.lk. The new transparency initiative is intended to discourage tax evasion, motivate compliance and serve as a deterrent against repeated violations. more..

May 6 (DM) The Colombo Magistrate's Court ordered that the gold items believed to have belonged to the LTTE and discovered in camps, illegal banks and buildings in the N&E Provinces during the humanitarian operation, be handed over to the National Gem and Jewellery Authority for analysis and report. This directive was issued by Colombo Chief Magistrate Thanuja Lakmali, following a request by Deputy Solicitor General Suharshi Herath on behalf of the CID. more..

May 6 (ST) State-run SL Foreign Employment Agency (SLFEA) has temporarily stopped buying airline tickets from the private sector for workers travelling to Israel and South Korea after travel agents questioned the agency’s irregular procurement methods that flouted govt tender procedure. The agency is now awaiting instructions from National Procurement Commission (NPC) on how to deal with specific challenge more..

May 6 (Island) Police have launched an investigation to arrest a man for attempting to abduct a schoolgirl near a leading girls’ school in Colombo. The public has been urged to provide any information regarding the suspect by contacting 011-2695411. As per the complaint, the incident took place last Friday (2). A mother was placing her daughter in the rear seat of her car when an unknown man suddenly jumped into the vehicle and threatened her, demanding that she drive off immediately. more..

May 6 (Island) Kuliyapitiya Magistrate ordered a uni lecturer accused of secretly installing a hidden camera in a staff restroom be remanded until May 15. 34-year-old suspect, a lecturer attached to Dept of Food Technology and Nutrition at Wayamba Uni, was produced before court by the Pannala Police. Lecturer had allegedly installed a sophisticated miniature camera with Wi-Fi connectivity beneath a washbasin in a restroom used by nine staff members, including seven women. more..

May 6 (TM) Ministry of Defence (MoD) is planning to release a majority of lands under the control of security forces during the internal conflict period and return them to their original owners over the course of this year. Prez and Defence Minister Anura Kumara Dissanayake recently announced plans to release lands occupied by the security forces during the internal conflict and return them to their rightful owners. When queried about a timeline for the release of such lands, more..

May 6 (FT) The CIABOC has reported a sharp rise in complaints, disclosing that 1,267 complaints were received during the first three months of 2025, underscoring the deep-rooted challenge of public sector corruption in Sri Lanka. According to the latest update, 24 targeted raids were conducted across the country between January and March, resulting in the arrest of 20 suspects, including several public officials entrusted with key administrative and law enforcement roles. more..

May 6 (EN) US buyers are awaiting more clarity on the 44% Trump tariff before taking any decision to shift out of SL, top exporters said, though there is pressure to cut prices after a reduced 10% tax went into effect. Some of the products made in SL including are labour intensive and it was not easy to quickly shift them to the US as Prez Donald Trump wanted to, exporters said. Rubber products for example were for medical & industrial use. more..

May 6 (FT) The highly anticipated Bring Out the Leader in You Leadership Skills Bootcamp, organised by the SLASSCOM Women Technopreneurs Forum in partnership with SLASSCOM Academy, is back by popular demand. Led by award-winning global leadership expert Senela Jayasuriya, this transformative two-day event focusing on key areas like self-confidence, imposter syndrome, executive presence, communication, conflict resolution, emotional intelligence, more..

May 6 (NW) A high-level diplomatic delegation from the European Union, led by Ambassador Carmen Moreno, met with Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa at his office in Colombo for wide-ranging discussions. EU delegation included Charles Whiteley, Head of ASIAPAC.6 Division of the European External Action Service; Lars Bredal, Deputy Head of Delegation; Guido Dolara and Bartos Otachel, Policy Officers of European Commission; Galija Agiseva, Representative more..

May 6 (DN) We played positive cricket in the last two games against Soth Africa and India which guided us to get back to back victories at this tri Nation ODI series said SL women’s team skipper Chamari Athpaththu. Skipper further added the youngsters led from the front and played their best cricket at the moment . Chamari herself was not in best form as a batter during these matches but young Harshitha Samarawickrama, Kasvisha Dilhari came back with good form with the bat against SA more..

May 6 (FT) National Chamber of Commerce of SL, in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment & Tourism, successfully hosted an exclusive networking session for the local corporate and business community on Friday (2), at the National Chamber Auditorium. The session was graced by eight newly appointed SL Ambassadors and High Commissioners designated to strategic diplomatic postings in Cuba, India, Japan, Pakistan, South Africa, UN (New York), UAE and UK. more..

May 6 (TM) Claiming that repeated remarks by certain IMF representatives on how electricity tariffs should be set are an insult to independent regulator, PUCSL, Electricity Consumers' Association (ECA) stated that it would formally notify the IMF headquarters about this in writing. IMF's SL Mission Chief Evan Papageorgiou said recently that SL should restore cost-recovery electricity pricing as soon as possible to more..

May 6 (CT) National Catholic Mass Communications Director, Fr. Jude Krishantha Fernando said that SL’s Archbishop of Colombo, Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith was also eligible to vote at the Conclave. Fr. Fernando fielding questions said, that not only was Cardinal Ranjith eligible to vote at the Conclave to be held tomorrow but, that he was also papabile. 2025 conclave would be the largest in the Catholic Church’s history as the late Pontiff’s appointments reshape the College of Cardinals more..

May 6 (Island) Badulla District NDF MP Chamara Sampath Dassanayake and former Minister Mervyn Silva have been further remanded pending investigations in separate cases. Former State Minister Prasanna Ranaweera, also wanted in connection with the investigation pertaining to ex-lawmaker Mervyn Silva, is at large. Silva was arrested and remanded for allegedly selling over six acres of state-owned land in Kiribathgoda to a private party on forged documents. more..

May 6 (FT) Marking a significant shift in SL’s journey towards a greener and more inclusive financial system, Central Bank yesterday unveiled the Sustainable Finance Roadmap 2.0 for 2025-2029, an ambitious update to its 2019 framework. This second iteration reflects the financial sector’s strengthened commitment to building economic resilience amid escalating climate risks and social challenges. With a sharper focus on more..

May 6 (DN) John Keells Group Transportation Sector marks 19 years of impactful collaboration with Dept of Transport Management & Logistics Engineering (TM&LE) at the Uni of Moratuwa, reinforcing its long-standing commitment to human capital development in SL’s transportation and logistics industries. Initiated in 2006, this strategic partnership goes beyond financial assistance—it is a comprehensive initiative designed to empower and equip the next generation of industry leaders more..

May 6 (FT) Browns Investments (BIL), investment arm of the LOLC Group, announced a significant expansion of its plantation portfolio with the acquisition of FLMC Plantations (FLMC). The acquisition was completed yesterday through a Share Sale and Purchase Agreement with Damro Manufacturing and Piyestra Furniture, for a total consideration of Rs. 4.8 billion. FLMC Plantations serves as the holding company and managing agent for Pussellawa Plantations (PPL) and more..

May 6 (GV) Women in Sri Lanka shun participating in politics for numerous reasons including hostility, harassment, threats, intimidation, violence and personal attacks on all fronts. While women consist 52 percent of the country’s population and 56 percent of the total voters, their representation in parliament is a meagre 5.8 percent consisting of 12 women out of 225 MPs. In the 2024 presidential election, there was not a single woman candidate among the 38 candidates. more..

May 6 (GV) Local Govt elections scheduled for May 6 give Sri Lankans the opportunity to once again take control of running their own affairs and restore democratic governance at the grassroots level. The vote, which should have taken place in 2022 and comes after many legal and political delays, will elect 8,711 representatives to 339 local authorities across the country. An estimated 17.3 million citizens are eligible to vote. The 2025 LG election will cost around Rs.11 billion for logistics, security, more..