May 20 (DN) A high-level fireside panel featuring Jeff Hoffman, Jeevan Gnanam and Yuen Wong, moderated by Cherrie Chan, explored how travel innovation, entrepreneurship, and digital / AI infrastructure can help SL compete more effectively on the global stage. Held under the theme “The SL Destination Stack – How can travel innovation, entrepreneurship, and digital / AI infrastructure help SL win globally?, the conversation focused on how SL can move beyond traditional destination more..

May 20 (AD) The National Steering Council of the A Nation United National Programme aimed at eradicating the dangerous drug menace, together with the Cabinet-appointed Committee on the prompt destruction of seized narcotic substances, convened today (19). The meeting was held under the patronage of the Minister Ananda Wijepala. Primary attention during the meeting was focused on the proposed legal amendments required to facilitate prompt destruction of seized narcotic drugs, more..

May 20 (FT) Parliament yesterday passed the controversial Inland Revenue (Amd) Bill with amendments after the Govt refused to withdraw penal provisions criminalising certain tax compliance failures, despite strong Opposition criticism and Supreme Court intervention on key clauses. The amendments, which form part of the Govt’s broader revenue administration reforms under the IMF-supported fiscal consolidation program, more..

May 20 (TM) Global health leaders meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, have pledged to raise the survival rate of children with cancer to at least 60 per cent by 2030, under the WHO’s Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer. Health Minister Dr Nalinda Jayatissa said that children who survive cancer must be given the chance to live healthy, dignified and productive lives. He made these remarks at a special session held on Monday on the sidelines of the 79th World Health Assembly in Geneva. more..

May 20 (DN) SL created history in Central Asia and South Asian regional rugby when Lanka National men’s and women’s sevens rugby teams clinched a historic double championship at the inaugural Central Asia South Asia (CASA) Sevens Rugby Tournament in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Two champion teams returned to the island yesterday. Throughout the tournament, which was held over the weekend both SL teams displayed spectacular game play and absolute dominance to remain undefeated. more..

May 20 (Island) Sri Lanka women’s volleyball team set to depart the country today to compete in the 2026 Central Asian Women’s Volleyball Championship, which will be held from 22 to 29 May with the participation of eight nations from across the region. Tournament will be played in two preliminary groups, with the Sri Lankan side, captained by Ashani Chamodika, drawn in Group ‘B’ alongside Kazakhstan, Iran and Bangladesh. Group ‘A’ will feature more..

May 20 (AD) A bilateral discussion was held in Singapore alongside the Asia Tech 2026 conference, focusing on accelerating Sri Lanka’s digital transformation in partnership with the Gates Foundation. SL delegation, led by Deputy Minister Eranga Weeraratne, participated in talks aimed at strengthening cooperation on artificial intelligence (AI), digital governance and data-driven development initiatives. During the meeting, both sides discussed technical and more..

May 20 (AD) Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court today (19) questioned police over the failure to record statements from two individuals who had stood as sureties for former CEO of SriLankan Airlines Kapila Chandrasena, whose death is being investigated under suspicious circumstances. The matter was raised during the third day of magisterial inquiry proceedings into Kapila Chandrasena’s death. more..

May 20 (FT) Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), organised India–SL Business Forum: Partnering in SL’s Growth and Investment and the CII – Ceylon Chamber CEOs Interaction in Mumbai on 13 May. The events brought together senior govt representatives, industry leaders, policymakers, and business delegates from India and SL to deepen economic engagement and explore new avenues for cooperation across priority sectors. more..

May 20 (CB) The Colombo Kaps franchise, formerly known as Colombo Strikers, in the Lanka Premier League (LPL) have new owners. LPL organisers IPG Global, on Tuesday (May 19), announced that the franchise will come under the ownership of Witness Sports Alliance LLC, led by Saranyan Palaniswamy and KC Shyam Kangayan. Murfad Mustafa, a Dubai-based businessman from Kannur, Kerala, connected to the Faza Group, were the previous owners of the franchise. more..

May 20 (CI) Sri Lanka Cricket's new transformation committee has had cordial and constructive discussions with Imran Khwaja, the ICC's deputy chair, according to a member of the new SLC committee. Khwaja had been in SL over the last few days to gather information as the ICC decides what its response to the sweeping govt-led changes at SLC should be. During the course of that visit, Khwaja not only spoke with members of SLC's transformation more..

May 20 (FT) 9th Session of the UNCTAD Inter-governmental Group of Experts on E-commerce and the Digital Economy, held at the Palais des Nations in Geneva from 11 to 13 May, examined how digital platforms can contribute to strengthening fiscal revenues in developing countries. Sri Lankan e-commerce platform Kapruka Holdings was represented on the panel by Chairman Dulith Herath. Session 2, titled “Digital solutions for strengthening fiscal administration capacity more..

May 20 (ST) More details are emerging in the NDB Bank’s Rs. 13.2 billion fraud revealed over a month ago, with foreign forensic auditors closely scrutinising NDB processes relating to this fraud. The foreign team which includes some local expertise has been here for the past two weeks. Central Bank (CB) officials appearing before the CoPF said that on April 1, which was a Poya day, NDB alerted the CB governor to this fraud, initially estimated at Rs. 380 million. more..

May 20 (Island) Private taxi operators at BIA are calling for urgent rental relief, stating that they are struggling to sustain operations after paying nearly Rs. 19 million in monthly rental fees amid a sharp decline in tourist arrivals during the off-season. The operators said tourist arrivals have dropped by nearly 80%, severely affecting their income and making it difficult to continue meeting high operational costs. “Only a small number of tourists are now arriving at the airport, more..

May 20 (ST) In the wake of the US$ 2.5 million cyber heist, the Ministry of Finance has dismantled decades of bureaucratic leniency, replacing it with an ironclad regime of personal and criminal accountability, and announcing new regulations covering departments under its purview. Under newly-amended Treasury financial regulations, any officer who manually overrides an automated cyber security domain flag or transfers funds to an unverified account will face direct civil liability. more..

May 20 (ST) Public Security Ministry has recommended the award of a lucrative tender to Thales DIS Finland Oy/Just in Time (JIT) that will see the French-SL joint venture personalise 3.15 million e-passports—that is, enter biometric and biodata into the books—over the next few years. But the proposed contract has one concerning feature that subject experts warn is a glaring vendor lock-in trap. It makes the Dept of Immigration more..

May 20 (FT) Fraud in Sri Lanka’s banking and finance sector has become a growing concern over the past three decades, with major incidents reported from the 1990s to the present, including large-scale financial scams, insider fraud, money laundering, document forgery, loan irregularities, and illegal pyramid schemes. Several of these cases have resulted in significant financial losses and weakened public confidence in banks and financial institutions. The recurrence of such incidents more..

May 20 (Island) The police did precious little to prevent the various events, held in the North and the East on Monday, to commemorate the LTTE members killed during Eelam War IV. Some of the youth who attended those commemorations were seen blatantly flouting traffic laws by riding motorcycles without wearing helmets in an unruly manner. The police looked the other way. But they went all out to prevent a group led by NFF Leader and former minister Wimal Weerawansa more..

May 20 (Island) Open any business newspaper in Sri Lanka on any given weekend and the headlines read like a celebration. Bank A’s assets have crossed Rs. 3 trillion. Bank B has reached the Rs. 2 trillion asset milestone. Bank C has posted a profit after tax of Rs. 6 billion in the first quarter of 2026 alone. Bank E has reported a profit before tax of Rs. 2 billion. Bank E has cleared Rs. 1.5 billion in pre-tax profit. Bank F revealed a profit after tax of Rs. 4 billion. more..

May 20 (GV) Connotations of religion are different from those of religions – its plural noun. This may sound intriguing given the inviolable place religion occupies in society as our utmost moral guide. Let’s consider the two words religion and religions. While religion connotes peace, spirituality, love, kindness, generosity, mercy and all the sentiments that are conducive for harmonious living, connotations of religions are quite the opposite, not unsurprisingly. They are associated with more..

May 20 (SO) SL’s prisons are again facing intense public scrutiny following a series of controversial inmate deaths, alleged assaults by prison officers, shootings within prison premises, and reports of underworld-linked birthday celebrations taking place behind bars. Human rights activists, lawyers and families of victims are now raising serious concerns over whether violence and abuse have become normalised within the more..

May 20 (ST) War always reminds me of Vietnam because some of us had seen the geopolitical and media clashes from the early days and the last—from divided Berlin to Hawaii—and were hoping to recall experiences from those days as Third World journalists who had to be taught the craft by Western pundits. I intended to recall those days on the 50th anniversary of the end of the war on April 30, 2025. But fortuitous and sad circumstances prevented me from doing so. Hence, I was planning to do so more..

May 20 (DN) SL Air Force (SLAF) has served the motherland with dedication for over seven decades. Today we discover one of the formidable flying formations, the No.07 Helicopter Squadron. The No.07 Helicopter Squadron, known as the Cradle of Helicopter Pilots, located at SLAF Base Hingurakgoda has an epic history from 1994, rendering many years of distinguished service to the nation. Globally the introduction of helicopters or rotary wing aircraft has changed the. more..

May 20 (SO) In the sun-drenched expanse of Gandhi Park in Batticaloa, where the salt air of the lagoon meets the bustling town still haunted by its violent history, a small but resolute group of men and women gather. They are not here for a fleeting protest or a loud political rally but for the Justice Walk, a quiet act of defiance that has become a staple of the local landscape. As SL grapples with the shifting tides of its political leadership, more..

May 20 (DM) There are moments in the life of a nation when ordinary men and women are called upon to bear extraordinary burdens. In times of uncertainty, conflict, and sacrifice, it is the members of the armed forces who stand between peace and chaos, stability and disorder, freedom and fear. Among them are those who gave everything they had in their youth, their dreams, their futures, and ultimately their lives in the service of the nation. Today, the Association of Retired Flag Rank more..

May 20 (DM) Seventeen years ago, on May 19th, a protracted civil war in Sri Lanka came to its bloody conclusion. During its twenty-five long years of existence, it was called a liberation struggle by some – though it deployed the world’s largest contingent of suicide bombers at the time – and a nihilistic terrorist campaign by others, and brought Sri Lanka to its knees at times. On May 19th, the SL military achieved a feat no other army had achieved in the fight against terrorism. more..

May 19 (AD) Police have requested public assistance to locate and arrest a suspect linked to the double murder of a lawyer and his wife who were shot dead in a parking area of a supermarket in Akuregoda. The incident occurred on February 16, when unidentified gunmen opened fire inside the supermarket parking area, killing the couple on the spot. Police said the suspect being sought is believed to have served as the driver of the vehicle used by the gunmen to flee the scene. more..

May 19 (AD) Cabinet has granted approval to formulate a National Space Policy for SL. Minister Vijitha Herath said it has been recognised that space technology and its applications have become essential tools for national development, with a significant impact on sectors such as disaster management, communication, security, environmental monitoring, and economic forecasting. In light of the growing global importance of space technology, more..

May 19 (NW) Deputy Finance Minister Anil Jayantha Fernando told Parliament today that the recent depreciation pressure on the SL Rupee was largely driven by global uncertainty, geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, rising oil prices and increased demand for the US Dollar. Responding to concerns raised by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa on the continued weakening of the Rupee, Anil Jayantha said more..

May 19 (AM) UNP’s Ashu Marasinghe has withdrawn his Rs. 1.5 billion defamation case against Samagi Vanitha Balawegaya activist Hirunika Premachandra after she apologised and expressed regret before court over allegations made against him in 2022. The case was filed by Marasinghe against Premachandra and his former wife Adarsha Karandana over statements linking him to an alleged act of animal sexual abuse. The controversy emerged in Dec 2022 more..

May 19 (NW) A collective statement has called for a fair and independent investigation into the serious abuse allegations against Anuradhapura Atamasthanadhipathi Pallegama Hemarathana Thera, stressing that the upcoming hearing on May 22 is not merely about one individual but a test of whether SL’s law applies equally to the powerful and the powerless. Statement highlights that according to information shared by the girl, she is alleged to have faced abuse from a very young age, more..