May 5 (NW) The key suspect behind the 8 July 2024 double murder of Club Wasantha and another individual in the Athurugiriya police division—Sujeewa Silva alias Loku Pattie, a well-known organized criminal—was brought to SL yesterday (4) by CID officials via BIA. Due to many organized criminals and suspects being overseas, SL Police, in coordination with INTERPOL, had issued Red Notices to apprehend them. more..

May 5 (DN) St. Peter’s College retained the Rev. Fr. Peter Pillai Memorial Shield, beating St. Joseph’s College by 4 wickets in their 51st annual Limited Overs Cricket Encounter played Saturday at SSC. The win saw St. Peter’s retaining the Rev. Fr. Peter A. Pillai Memorial Shield for yet another year and in the process also chalked up their 23rd win of the series to the 25 by St. Joseph’s. St. Peter’s College led by Oween Salgado managed to chase down the target of 178 to retain trophy in grand style. more..

May 5 (RP) Nittawela Rugby Stadium in Kandy, hosted the first overseas tour for the New Zealand U85kg team, starting on Sunday evening. The team overcame a physical test from the SL Tuskers. A loud and passionate crowd packed into the stadium for the matchup, after the Tuskers recently won an Asia Rugby Championship Playoff against Malaysia, 59-19. The New Zealand side, captained by Jarred Percival out of the High School Old Boys Light Bears club team in Canterbury, more..

May 5 (CI) A spectacular injection of big-hitting energy from Nilakshika Silva, a steady half-century from Harshitha Samarawickrama, and meaningful contributions from Kavisha Dilhari, and the lower order saw SL pull off one of their most impressive ODI chases. It was their second-highest successful chase, bringing them only their third win over India in the format. At the toss, Chamari Athapaththu said a total of 250 would be par. more..

May 5 (ST) Disturbing traditions adopted at school level by certain individuals, particularly in team sports, are double-edged swords. When someone becomes a victim, the emotional damage can far exceed the physical. Yet when these same victims later participate in these distressing traditions, they perpetuate an almost indestructible cycle. Recent days have been difficult for many Sri Lankans concerned with ethics. First, Kandy was transformed from a hill capital to what some described as more..

May 5 (FT) Asian Development Bank (ADB) President Masato Kanda yesterday called for continuity of reforms to ensure long-term growth and stability among member countries, most of whom are in the region itself. “The regional economy is coming from a position of strength, but there is a lot of uncertainty ahead. This means we cannot be complacent,” Kanda said at the opening day press conference of the four-day ADB’s 58th Annual Meeting in Milan, Italy, attended by over more..

May 5 (FT) Omega Line Ltd, SL’s largest exporter of apparel to the European market, has won the prestigious Merit award in the Large Apparel category at the Presidential Export Awards ceremony for the year 2023/24, organised by SL EDB. Presidential Export Award is the country’s most prestigious award presented to exporters by the President, recognising the outstanding contribution made to the export sector and the economic development of the country. more..

May 5 (FT) Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) and National Chamber of Exporters (NCE) entered into a strategic partnership to support SL exporters by enhancing their access to capital market opportunities and broadening visibility for their businesses. The partnership agreement was signed by CSE CEO-Designate Vindhya Jayasekera and NCE CEO Shiham Marikar. The signing ceremony was attended by NCE Assistant Director – Member Services/Operations Dilini Gamlathge, more..

May 5 (SO) All arrangements have been finalised to hold the long-awaited LG Elections on May 6, marking a significant return to grassroots democracy after a seven-year hiatus. All campaign-related activities, including public meetings and speeches, came to an end at midnight yesterday (Saturday), in keeping with the election silence period mandated by the Election Commission (EC). more..

May 5 (Island) Pope Francis was everyone’s favourite papal figure, a progressive who differed considerably from his two predecessors. The first Latin American to hold the post, and the first from the Global South, he was the first to break ground on subjects that had polarised the church, including homosexuality, child sexual abuse, and of course Gaza. Reports indicate that until the last he was in touch with church leaders in Palestine. He was more forthright on the issue than Western leaders, more..

May 5 (Island) Election Commission (EC) has said that everything is ready for tomorrow’s LG polls. However, a trade union representing the Grama Niladharis (GNs), who play a crucial role in conducting elections, has complained that funds allocated for hiring generators to ensure an emergency power supply to counting centres, etc, are inadequate, and therefore those places may be left without back-up power systems tomorrow. GNs should not be held responsible if anything more..

May 5 (CT) Another university student has tragically passed away due to ragging at a State university — this time, at the Sabaragamuwa University. The second-year student, according to reports, was severely and brutally ragged, bullied, and assaulted by senior students. Unable to bear the torture and humiliation, the student took his own life after returning home. This heartbreaking incident is not the first of its kind. Sri Lankan State universities have turned into torture chambers. more..

May 5 (TM) With the dust of the May Day rallies settling and the usual post-mortems taking place as to which political party’s rally was the biggest, this annual contest has assumed a new significance this time around, owing to the election that is to take place on Tuesday. Parties, especially the ruling NPP, are pointing to the crowds and forecasting victory – a landslide at the Local Govt Elections too. Tuesday’s election will be the first Local Govt Poll in seven years, a period during which more..

May 5 (TM) The May Day procession is first heard, before it comes into view of the Church of St. Michael and All Angels, Polwatte. Drummers and Kandyan dancers lead, followed by nearly 30 priests, a red scarf with the hammer and sickle donning their white robes. In the comfortable neighbourhood of Kollupitiya, workers from all faiths gather under the cross inside the church for a workers’ mass. more..

May 5 (DM) Some ideas simmer in our national imagination for years, if not for decades, before they gain fruition. A development bank for SL has not just been an idea, but was formed, dissolved and re-imagined time and again since Independence. In this context, National Budget for 2025 states that the Govt is working towards setting up a development bank: “As a first step, the function of a development bank through a new administrative structure will be established through the existing state bank more..

May 5 (CT) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s 2025 May Day speech, delivered at the NPP rally, marked a significant milestone in Sri Lanka’s post-independence political journey. Addressing a large and enthusiastic crowd, the Prez laid out a bold vision for national reform, social equity, and genuine unity across all communities. In a historic first, the speech was simultaneously translated into Tamil, symbolizing a renewed commitment to inclusivity and reconciliation. more..

May 5 (CT) A troubling case of an unjustified payment to a Chinese fertiliser company has resurfaced, revealing that SL — amid its worst financial crisis and severe fuel shortages in 2021 — paid Rs 1.4 billion for a shipment of fertiliser, even though the order had been cancelled after the product was found to be contaminated with E. coli and Salmonella. Despite the fertiliser being deemed unfit for use, Govt was forced to compensate more..

May 5 (DM) Another May Day has come and gone, with the governing party commanding impressive attendance, filling the Galle Face Green for the second time in five years. This robust showing arrives in stark contrast to recent history, when the former Prez wisely prohibited such gatherings under his Clean the Green concept. May Day is an alien concept; hence it cannot be declared as a public holiday. This was the dismissive reply the Ceylon Labour Party, under the leadership of more..

May 5 (DM) Tomorrow (6) Lankans of voting age, will once again wend their way to polling stations for the third time in seven months. This time around, voters will participate in the long delayed local govt elections. Govt has also promised Indian premier Modi to hold Provincial Council elections as per requirements of the Indo-Lanka Accord of 1987 early next year. We are seemingly faced with a Hobson’s choice. Our past ruling political parties have been riddled with corruption. more..

May 4 (ST) In a bid to gauge its grassroots mandate, the NPP/JVP govt is facing its first countrywide popularity test. On Tuesday, May 6, 17,156,338 registered voters will head to the polls to choose councillors for 339 local councils—a decisive measure of the administration’s appeal from the village level up. The voter strength, now updated every three months, makes it the biggest election in SL, EC Chairman R.M.A.L. Ratnayake said. more..

May 4 (Island) CIABOC sources said that plans were afoot to file charges in connection with 15 major fraud and corruption cases in the near future. The Commission sources said that these cases stem from thorough investigations into complaints that had previously gone unexamined, with recent file reviews prompting the decision to proceed with legal action. The forthcoming charges are based on detailed inquiries that uncovered substantial evidence pointing to serious misconduct. more..

May 4 (DM) There is a weakness in the initial agreement we made with Starlink, as it does not grant us access to its data systems in the event of a national security issue, unlike the arrangements we have with existing telecom providers in SL, Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake said. He explained that the govt was able to uncover several security threats—such as the Arugam Bay incident and the recent court shooting—because it has access to local telecom systems, under legal permissions more..

May 4 (TM) The CPC is currently assessing the technical feasibility of importing petroleum products from the United States as part of a broader effort to expand supply options in line with emerging trade opportunities between the two countries. CPC Managing Director explained that while Sri Lanka primarily sourced its fuel from the region, the corporation was open to considering US imports if logistical, commercial conditions were viable. more..

May 4 (SO) SL and China have reached an agreement on tax concessions for a proposed $3.7 billion oil refinery in Hambantota, marking a milestone in the long-delayed investment by Chinese energy giant Sinopec. Minister Anil Jayantha Fernando said that tax terms were finalised, with only one key issue pending, the volume of fuel that can be released to the domestic market. Minister said that the Sinopec project, which has doubled in scope since its initial announcement, more..

May 4 (DM) SL-born Cassandra Fernando has been re-elected to the Australian Parliament following the federal election. Labor’s Cassandra Fernando has won her second term as the Minister for Holt Fernando celebrated the victory with her team on the election night, with the room erupting in cheers and applause. Cranbourne MP Pauline Richards and Bass MP Jordan Crugnale were also present to witness the victory. Emotions were at their highest among the crowd when the TV projected more..

May 4 (TM) PUCSL has officially requested the CEB to submit updated and accurate financial statistics to assess the status of the Bulk Supply Transaction Bank Account (BSTBA), as discussions continue over a potential electricity tariff revision. PUCSL Corporate Communications Director confirmed that the commission had called for the revised figures to determine whether the BSTBA balance had fallen below the critical Rs. 15 billion threshold – a level which, under regulatory guidelines, more..

May 4 (EN) State-owned SriLankan Airlines said its flight from Chennai went through a mandatory security checks due to an alert regarding a suspect wanted in India who was believed to be on board, the state-run airline said. “Airlines wishes to inform the public that Flight UL 122, operated by aircraft 4R-ALS, which arrived in Colombo from Chennai at 11:59 hrs today (3), was subjected to a comprehensive security search upon arrival,” SriLankan Airline said in a statement. more..

May 4 (ST) Next week (May 7), on the eve of Vesak, Sotheby’s, the well-known British-founded brokers of fine arts, collectibles, and jewellery, will auction a collection of more than 300 sacred Buddhist relics unearthed in 1898 from the ancient Piprahwa stupa in present-day Uttar Pradesh, India, amidst an outcry of dissent and condemnation from Buddhist groups in the UK and elsewhere. These artefacts comprise gemstones originally more..

May 4 (AD) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake departed for Vietnam a short while ago, commencing his official state visit to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. At the invitation of the Prez of Vietnam, Luong Cuong, Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake is undertaking a state visit to Vietnam from May 4 to 6. This visit marks the celebration of 55 years of diplomatic relations between SL and Vietnam and is expected to further strengthen the long-standing bilateral ties between the two nations. more..

May 4 (DM) A bold anti-corruption initiative has been officially launched at Dept of Motor Traffic (DMT), marking a significant step toward transparency and accountability in one of the country’s most publicly accessed institutions, Minister Bimal Rathnayake said. Under the slogan Zero Tolerance – No Bribing!, the campaign aims to eradicate long-standing corrupt practices that have plagued the DMT for years. In a major move, CCTV cameras are set to be installed within the next few weeks, more..

May 4 (AD) Anudi Gunasekara, a Sri Lankan model and social activist, is set to represent Sri Lanka at the 72nd edition of the Miss World pageant, scheduled to take place in Hyderabad, Telangana, India, on 31 May 2025. A passionate advocate for social change, Gunasekara’s Beauty with a Purpose project, titled Saheli, focuses on addressing period poverty in Sri Lanka. Her initiative aims to improve menstrual health and hygiene for underprivileged women and girls across the country. more..

May 4 (Island) Ministry of Education, Higher Education, and Vocational Education has launched a recruitment initiative aimed at addressing critical shortages in university academic staff across the country. Deputy Minister Dr. Madura Seneviratne said that the recruitment process is being implemented at the university level to ensure that pressing needs are addressed efficiently and in alignment with institutional priorities. The move comes in response to growing concerns more..