May 15 (TM) Electricity Consumers’ Association (ECA) claimed that despite the establishment of six new companies following the dissolution of the CEB, there has been no improvement in efficiency or relief for electricity consumers. Commenting on the recent restructuring process, ECA General Secretary claimed the change had only affected the name and structure of the institution, with no visible benefits to the public. “The name of the CEB has changed, efficiency has not improved at all. more..

May 15 (TM) The Colombo High Court yesterday rejected a preliminary objection raised by the defence in a case filed against the son of former President and attorney Mahinda Rajapaksa, Yoshitha Rajapaksa, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, thereby allowing the trial to proceed. The ruling was delivered by Judge Udesh Ranatunga. Delivering the order, the Judge stated that the preliminary objection raised by the defence, claiming that the conspiracy charge against more..

May 15 (TM) Sports Minister Sunil Kumara Gamage says that the Govt is yet to hold official talks with the ICC on the setting up of the Cricket Transformation Committee (CTC) for SLC recently. However, he averred that unofficially the game’s global governing body based in Dubai was aware of the formation of the Eran Wickramaratne helmed CTC, and noted that the duration of the latter would be decided once and for all following official discussions with the ICC. more..

May 15 (FT) Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa yesterday strongly criticised the Govt’s proposed tax reforms, warning that a new clause under the tax law could unfairly criminalise ordinary taxpayers and small business owners over administrative errors. In a post shared via ‘X,’ Premadasa took aim at the proposed Clause 185A, alleging that the provision could turn routine compliance failures such as delayed tax return filings or registration lapses into criminal offences. more..

May 15 (ST) Train services to the upcountry remain severely disrupted due to delays in repairing the railway line which was badly damaged by Cyclone Ditwah. Railway officials said that the Upcountry and Matale railway lines have serious damages in 32 locations. Train operations on the Northern Line are continuing under speed restrictions, while passenger train services on the Upcountry Line have been limited only up to Rambukkana. Upcountry railway transportation has been disrupted due to more..

May 15 (FT) The term of office of the National Police Commission is scheduled to expire today, with the commission’s final meeting taking place yesterday. Despite the expiry of its official term, the current members are expected to continue performing their duties until new appointments are made. The present commission was appointed on 15 May 2023 and is chaired by retired Supreme Court Judge Lalith Ekanayake. Under constitutional provisions, President appoints the Chairperson and more..

May 15 (FT) Commercial Bank of Ceylon and its subsidiaries have become the first private sector banking group in Sri Lanka to exceed Rs. 3.5 trillion in assets, one of several achievements in a milestone-studded first quarter of 2026, the bank said. Building on its lending-centred record-breaking performance of 2025, the Commercial Bank Group posted total assets of Rs. 3.61 trillion as at 31 March 2026, a growth of Rs. 230 billion or 6.81% over the first three months of the year. more..

May 15 (DM) The dream of owning a home in SL is slipping further out of reach for everyday citizens, even as foreign money pours into the country’s luxury property market. While the economy shows signs of recovery and int'l investors are eagerly funding high-end apartments and hotels, local families are left facing a massive shortage of affordable housing. This growing divide between booming foreign investments and more..

May 15 (FT) Cabinet approved additional compensation payments for families affected by land acquisition linked to the Yan Oya Reservoir, which was developed to strengthen agricultural water supply in the North Central and Eastern regions. Following earlier Cabinet approval on 18 March 2024 to provide additional compensation in lieu of alternative lands to 614 selected families, authorities have already paid compensation to 540 eligible families identified by Horowpothana DS. more..

May 15 (DN) SL women’s cricket team is scheduled to play two warm-up games against Pakistan and the Netherlands ahead of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, which will be held in England from June 12 to July 5. SL women’s squad for the tournament has not yet been officially announced by SLC. However, preparations following a successful Bangladesh tour are continuing under new head coach Jamie Siddons and his support staff: Chamila Gamage (fast bowling), Sajeewa Weerakoon more..

May 15 (DN) Royal College and Ladies’ College emerged as the overall champions of the men’s open and women’s open categories respectively at the 36th Ranfer Regatta organised by the Colombo Rowing Club and sponsored by Ranfer Teas at the Beira Lake in Colombo recently. Royal College dominated the men’s open championship by collecting 48 points out of a possible 59 points, while Ladies’ College secured the women’s open title with an impressive tally of 40 points out of 59. more..

May 15 (DM) Sri Lanka is set to strengthen enforcement of its tax laws through proposed amendments that would allow authorities to prosecute taxpayers who fail to register, file returns or respond to official notices, tax experts said. The Inland Revenue (Amendment) Bill of 2026 introduces a new Chapter XVIIA on the Prosecution of Offences, including Section 185A, which lays out the legal process for instituting criminal proceedings against non-compliant taxpayers. more..

May 15 (FT) Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama yesterday ordered the CID to arrest and produce before Court any senior National Development Bank (NDB) officials found to have aided and abetted the alleged fraudulent misappropriation of Rs. 13.2 billion from the bank’s general ledger account. The Magistrate also directed the CID to submit a detailed report regarding recommendations issued by CB more..

May 15 (FT) SL Export Development Board (EDB) has entered into a strategic partnership with Janathakshan GTE Ltd, to strengthen biodiversity conservation, sustainable land management and climate-resilient livelihoods, while creating new export opportunities for rural producer communities. The collaboration was formalised through the signing of a MoU with EDB Chairman Mangala Wijesinghe and Janathakshan CEO and Executive Director Janaka Hemathilaka signing the agreement more..

May 15 (FT) Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) Group said it has posted a strong start to the year, posting double-digit revenue growth and significantly higher profitability in the first quarter of 2026 compared to the previous year, driven by notable gains in operating profit and net earnings and a sustained demand for broadband (internet) services. The Group’s results signal a decisive turnaround and significant momentum heading into the rest of the year, the telco said. more..

May 15 (FT) Central Bank of SL (CBSL) Economic Research Department Director Dr. Lasitha Pathberiya stressed the need for SL to sustain structural reforms and strengthen economic resilience, warning that rising global volatility and recurring shocks were becoming a permanent feature of the economic landscape rather than temporary disruptions. Presenting CBSL’s SL Economic Review 2026, Dr. Pathberiya said more..

May 15 (SO) Mehewara Piyasa building complex of the Dept of Labour in Narahenpita appears to represent the future of SL’s public service; modern architecture, digital service counters, and the interiors designed to project efficiency and professionalism. In fact, it is the tallest Govt building constructed to date. But, behind this impressive façade lies a very different reality for many citizens. An Accessibility Audit Report has revealed that despite the building’s modern design, more..

May 15 (Island) Politics is full of unexpected twists and turns. No sooner had newly elected TN Chief Minister Joseph Vijay punched above his weight to win a crucial trust vote in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly to consolidate his power than he had to roll back the appointment of an astrologer as an Officer on Special Duty (OSD) due to protests. One of the first few things Vijay did after being sworn in as Chief Minister was to appoint famous astrologer Radhan Pandit Vettrivel, as an OSD. more..

May 15 (SO) In the dry plains on the outskirts of Jaffna lies Chemmani, a place whose name has become inseparable from one of the darkest chapters of SL’s war. For decades, Chemmani has stood as a painful symbol of enforced disappearances, wartime abuses, and unanswered questions that continue to haunt families across the North. Chemmani first entered the national and int'l spotlight in 1998, at the height of the armed conflict between the SL military and the LTTE. more..

May 15 (TM) SL’s free healthcare system has long been one of the few institutions this country could genuinely be proud of. While politicians argued, govts changed, and the economy stumbled from one crisis to another, ordinary people still had something precious to rely on: the ability to walk into a State hospital and receive treatment regardless of wealth, class, ethnicity, or political connection. That did not happen by chance. It was built over decades through political vision, public investment, more..

May 15 (CT) The recovery of a mounted leopard skin, a spotted deer skin and live rounds of ammunition during a raid in Attawilluwa Puttalam by the STF and Wildlife officials, at a property reportedly linked to a former DIG, is clear evidence that the illegal wildlife trade is still rampant in SL. SL leopard (Panthera pardus), though strictly protected under the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance (FFPO) are still a part of illegal wildlife trade. more..

May 15 (CT) What is it like to be a Sri Lankan, living in his own country today? How stable is his job, how affordable is his living and how is his family keeping up with dashed hopes and forgotten loyalties? The answers might not be palatable. Yet, looking back, a couple of years at least, he is certainly in a more hopeful place. In the context of the current, real-world perspectives, his life involves a slow-paced, often scenic lifestyle, but one punctuated by high living costs and navigating a challenging, more..

May 15 (ST) SL’s famed Nuwara Eliya tea – the champagne of teas – is quietly losing ground to potato. As last week’s Sunday Times reported, the tea industry is facing a significant decline as large swathes of tea‑planted land are being cleared for vegetable cultivation like potatoes, carrots, and leeks. We do not have to rush to declare whether this is right or wrong based on our opinions or emotions. The more useful question is not is this good or bad? but more..

May 15 (SO) The upscale neighbourhoods of Colombo 3, an area synonymous with old money and political power, became the scene of a grim discovery on Friday (8). The body of Kapila Chandrasena, the man who once held the keys to SL’s most powerful State-owned enterprises, was found dead in his residence. While the Police said that the death is currently ruled as a suspected suicide, timing and heavy legal clouds more..

May 15 (DM) SL’s farmers are facing a double whammy due to unseasonal weather patterns and rising global tensions due to the US-Iran conflict. SL imports more than 90% of its fertiliser requirements, especially urea from Iran. Iran’s urea production is built on its abundant, low-cost natural gas feedstock, making it one of the most cost-effective producers globally. In 2024, up to 30% of global fertiliser trade passed through Strait of Hormuz from Persian Gulf to export markets around the world, more..

May 15 (DM) The fisheries dispute between SL and India remains an irritant in bilateral relations, affecting not only diplomacy between the two neighbours but also the livelihoods and emotions of the Tamil people living in the Northern Province. At a time when SL is attempting to deepen economic cooperation with India and benefit from regional integration, the unresolved fisheries issue remains a political and humanitarian flashpoint capable of generating distrust on both sides of Palk more..

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..