May 12 (DM) After months of intense competition, emotional moments, and exceptional culinary performances, Sanjula Manoj has emerged as the winner of the inaugural season of MasterChef Sri Lanka, earning the title of Sri Lanka’s first-ever MasterChef. The highly anticipated grand finale brought together the season’s top contestants in one final culinary showdown, where creativity, precision, and composure under pressure were put to the ultimate test. Manoj impressed the judges more..

May 12 (AD) More than 35,000 kilograms of fish were harvested from the Udawalawa Reservoir over just two days — May 9 and 10. The total value of the catch amounted to Rs. 10.9 million. Officials attributed the record-breaking harvest to heavy rainfall in the upper catchment areas of the reservoir, including Balangoda, which caused water levels in the Walawe River to rise significantly. The catch consisted of 27,030 kilograms of Catla, 7,430 kg of Mrigal, and 1,009 kg of Tilapia. more..

May 12 (TM) Treasury is to bear 100% of the voluntary retirement scheme (VRS) compensation for employees attached to two newly established successor companies following the restructuring of the CEB. In addition, 50% of the compensation for employees attached to two other post-CEB restructuring companies will also be borne by the Treasury. The total amount needed to compensate 1,896 employees is Rs. 8.5 billion. more..

May 12 (FT) Ceylon Chamber of Commerce will lead a senior corporate delegation to Mumbai for the India–SL Business Forum tomorrow, held in partnership with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). The delegation brings together the leadership of some of SL’s most prominent companies, representing a broad cross-section of the economy. Participants include Chairpersons, CEOs, and Managing Directors from leading firms in banking, manufacturing, energy, logistics, tourism, more..

May 12 (DM) The Court of Appeal has held that where a Marriage Certificate is produced for the purpose of establishing a marital status in an administrative matter, such certificate constitutes prima facie proof of the existence of the marriage, and accordingly, no administrative authority or officer has the power to determine the validity or invalidity of such marriage in the absence of a decree or declaration issued by a competent court. The ruling was delivered by more..

May 12 (Island) Over 7 years after making an initial complaint of sexual harassment against her research supervisor, Dr. Udari Abeyasinghe, then a temporary lecturer and now a senior lecturer at the Uni of Peradeniya, has been finally served justice. On May 8, Supreme Court made the following directions regarding Udari’s fundamental rights case: 1st Respondent (her research supervisor) is prohibited from accepting more..

May 12 (FT) World’s bestselling author and Founder of Directive Communication Psychology Arthur Carmazzi is set to conduct a full-day workshop titled Reset the Brain on 19 June at the Monarch Imperial. The highly interactive and energetic workshop is an opportunity for companies to empower their employees to grow themselves and the organisations. For individuals, Carmazzi will help them become successful people-centric professionals in their work life. more..

May 12 (DN) National men’s cricket team is in the process of appointing a new captain for both the ODI format and Twenty20 format. After considering five names proposed for the same, experienced Kusal Mendis has been proposed as the new captain for the white ball format (ODI and T-20 formats). New men’s team head coach Gary Kirsten is working hard with the players in preparation for the forthcoming West Indies tour and he is keen to have one captain for the white ball format. more..

May 12 (FT) DFCC Bank delivered a strong financial performance for the period ended 31 March 2026, underscoring the robustness of its strategy, disciplined execution, and the resilience of its balance sheet. Loan and deposit portfolios recorded sustained growth of 5% and 7%, respectively, compared to 31 Dec 2025, reflecting calibrated credit expansion and funding optimisation. As a result, total assets increased by 3% to Rs. 884 bil and total liabilities grew by 4% to Rs. 777 bil. more..

May 12 (FT) Famed media industry figure Rayynor Silva yesterday further strengthened his foothold in the financial services industry, upping his stake in Seylan to 10% from 6% with an investment of Rs. 1.2 billion. The market yesterday saw 26.7 million voting shares of Seylan Bank exchanging hands at a price of Rs. 103 per share for Rs. 2.77 billion. It closed the day at Rs. 106.25, up by Rs. 0.25. The seller was National Development Bank (NDB), which, as at 31 March 2026, more..

May 12 (DM) Sri Lanka’s appetite for wheat, the island’s second staple food, is on a steady upward trajectory, fuelled by a recovering economy and a booming tourism sector but yet to reach the pre-crisis levels. According to the latest report by the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, the country’s total wheat consumption for the 2026/2027 marketing year (July-June) is forecast at 1.1 million metric tonnes. more..

May 12 (DM) From the thunder of cavalry charging across open fields, from mighty battleships ruling the seas to jet aircraft streaking across the skies, each era has transformed how nations project power. Every leap in technology has rewritten the rules of conflict. The sword gave way to the musket. The musket yielded to the machine gun. The horse was replaced by the tank, the battleship by the aircraft carrier, the bomber by the missile. And with each transformation, the battlefield itself more..

May 12 (TM) The resignation of Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody came after several weeks of controversy over his Ministerial role. The controversy sharpened when Jayakody was indicted by the CIABOC for a transaction that he was involved in 10 years ago as a Govt official in Fertiliser Corporation. Other issue was the Govt’s purchase of substandard coal from a new supplier. Jayakody’s resignation followed the appointment of a Special Presidential Commission of Inquiry (CoI) to investigate more..

May 12 (Island) The death of the most important suspect in the Sri Lankan Airlines Airbus deal has drawn intense public speculation. Kapila Chandrasena the former CEO of the heavily loss-making national airline was found dead under circumstances that the police are still investigating. He had recently been arrested by the CIABOC in connection with the controversial Airbus aircraft purchase agreement signed in 2013. Police investigations are continuing into the cause of more..

May 12 (TM) The people are once again being told to tighten their belts. Electricity tariffs have gone up yet again, and as always, the public is expected to absorb the shock while State institutions trade blame and excuses. This latest revision may officially spare 95 per cent of consumers on paper, but that does not mean they will escape its consequences. That is the deception at the heart of this announcement. In an economy still recovering from collapse, every increase in energy costs more..

May 12 (TM) Geographical Indication (GI) recognition for agricultural products can improve global recognition for exports while ensuring niche market reach and premium prices, especially by differentiating the certified products in the international market. SL’s first-ever GI certification was for Ceylon Cinnamon. While the country is currently taking steps to achieve this recognition for other products like golden pineapple and more..

May 12 (DM) Capturing power at an election two years after forming a political party is no doubt an incredible achievement even by a highly popular film star. However, Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar popularly known as Thalapathy (Commander) Vijay, who was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu on Sunday after securing support from several small parties, now enjoys an absolute majority in the State Assembly; but he seems to be heading towards a political muddle. more..

May 12 (GV) Sri Lanka is undergoing one of the most significant demographic transitions in its modern history. According to the 2024 Census conducted by the DCS, women now make up the majority of the national population while the country is simultaneously facing declining birth rates, an ageing society and increasing economic pressure. These changes are not isolated developments. Together, they point toward what can be described as the feminisation of the population. more..

May 12 (SO) Amid growing public debate on governance, accountability, and administrative efficiency, Minister of Public Admin, PCs and LG Prof. Chandana Abeyratne addressed a wide range of pressing national issues in this interview from allegations of financial irregularities to disaster compensation and electoral delays. Q: From the outside, it appears that the State Administrative Service is undergoing a serious crisis. more..

May 12 (ST) There is a disturbing miasma of what the Grecians pithily called hubris pervading the JVP led NPP Govt. The classical old tales tell us that this insolence is, more often than not, followed by nemesis; that is punishment for excessive arrogance. In a political sense, (or what passes for politics in this country these days), much of the Govt’s conceit is due to a performing Opposition that it remains confident, will not challenge them on the streets and more..

May 12 (Island) US President Donald Trump yesterday rejected Iran’s response to his peace proposal. He wants the conflict ended on his own terms, but Iran is not amenable to that idea. Oil prices have gone up again. The economic cost of the US-Israeli war on Iran is incalculable, as is obvious. There has been a welcome pause in the conflict, thanks to a fragile ceasefire, but economies across the world are still reeling due to a global energy crisis. more..

May 11 (CT) Following the arrest of Deputy Mayor of Kurunegala M. Ashardeen Moinudeen by officials of the CIABOC over the charge of allegedly soliciting a bribe from a businessman, he has been suspended from party membership by the high command of the ACMC, said Rushdie Habeeb, Director of Legal and Constitutional Affairs. Moinudeen was arrested by CIABOC officers at a hotel in the Battaramulla area recently over the charge of allegedly soliciting Rs 3 million from the said businessman more..

May 11 (Island) Minister KD Lalkantha invoked the views of Soviet revolutionary leader Vladimir Lenin on women’s emancipation while addressing the opening of a new state-run childcare facility in Battaramulla last week. Speaking at the inauguration of the Little Roots daycare centre and preschool at the Govijana Mandiraya premises Lalkantha said women could not achieve true liberation while remaining burdened by household responsibilities such as cooking, cleaning and childcare. more..

May 11 (CT) A massive fire broke out at the Jaffna Teaching Hospital’s drug storage facility around 1 a.m. yesterday (9), destroying medicines and other essential supplies worth over Rs 1 billion. Police have cordoned off the area and launched investigations to determine the cause of the blaze, NPP MP for the Jaffna District and former Director of the Jaffna Teaching Hospital Dr. Sri Bavanandarajah said. Tri-Forces personnel, along with the CID more..

May 11 (Island) UNP Vice President and Kandy District Leader, Navin Dissanayake, on Saturday, stressed that any proposed merger between the UNP and the SJB must be carried out formally rather than in an ad hoc manner. Dissanayake said a structured framework was essential to ensure the successful reunification of the two parties ahead of future elections. “A formal mechanism must be established for the unification of the UNP and the SJB. This process cannot be confined to more..

May 11 (AD) SL Police have announced that strict legal action will be taken against vehicles fitted with unauthorized modifications and excessively noisy exhaust systems, as part of ongoing efforts to improve road safety and enforce traffic regulations across the country. Police Media Division stated that ensuring traffic discipline and protecting the lives of all road users remain among their primary responsibilities. Authorities have observed a growing number of vehicles more..

May 11 (TM) Cabinet has approved a proposal to appoint a group of MP as District Coordination Officers covering all districts in the country with the aim of strengthening coordination in the health sector. The relevant Cabinet paper had been submitted by the Minister Nalinda Jayatissa. The move is aimed at bringing preventive and treatment services closer to the people more efficiently, minimising shortcomings in the health system more..

May 11 (DM) Authorities have temporarily suspended all sand mining permits in the Mannar District following concerns over the manner in which permits were being issued in the district. The decision was reached during a special meeting held yesterday at the Mannar District Secretariat with the participation of govt officials and sand business owners. Chairman of the District Development Committee and Deputy Minister of Co-operative Development, Upali Samarasinghe, said more..

May 11 (TM) The proposed reduction of the VAT registration threshold to Rs. 36 million per annum is part of the Govt’s broader effort to recover revenue losses following the sweeping tax cuts introduced in 2020, with further threshold reductions expected in the future, according to tax experts. Tax expert and KPMG SL Principal – Head of Tax and Regulatory Suresh Perera explained that the proposed amendments to the VAT Act would reduce the current threshold from Rs. 60 million to more..

May 11 (DM) Director General of Health Services has suspended the services of two doctors over the death of an infant at the Trincomalee District General Hospital. The disciplinary action follows a preliminary investigation into the tragic death of the newborn at the hospital on April 9. The investigation was launched after allegations surfaced regarding medical negligence during the delivery. According to the inquiry, a doctor at the hospital had reportedly made six urgent telephone calls to more..

May 11 (DM) Heavy rainfall experienced across the country could lead to rising water levels in reservoirs and increased spill operations in the coming days, the Irrigation Department warned. Director of Irrigation Lasantha Sooriyabandara said authorities have already begun releasing water from several reservoirs identified as reaching critical levels due to the prevailing weather conditions. He said around 65% of the total reservoir capacity in the country has already been filled. more..