May 4 (NF) Seven MoUs covering multiple sectors were exchanged between Sri Lanka and the Maldives today at the President’s Office in Colombo, in the presence of SL Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Maldivian Prez Dr. Mohamed Muizzu. Marking a new chapter in SL-Maldives relations, the agreements focus on strengthening cooperation in the fields of health, sports, tourism, education and defence. more..

May 4 (NW) SriLankan Airlines is continuing to operate without permanent leadership in its top two positions, raising concerns over governance and strategic direction at a time of heightened global uncertainty driven by the Middle East crisis. The state-owned carrier has been without a confirmed full-time Chairman and CEO, with interim arrangements in place instead of long-term appointments. The Govt has yet to take a decision on the Chairman position following more..

May 4 (CT) Fort Magistrate Isuru Neththikumara, last week (29 April), ordered the CID to re-name former Navy Commander and Chief of Defence Staff Ravindra Wijegunaratne as the second suspect in the case concerning the abduction and disappearance of eleven Tamil youths in Colombo and its surrounding areas, stating that advising the release of a suspect despite the existence of sufficient evidence to indict him constitutes a miscarriage of justice. In the case filed on more..

May 4 (NW) The President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Tô Lâm, will undertake a State Visit to Sri Lanka from 07-08 May 2026. According to SL’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the visit takes place at the invitation of Prez Anura Kumara Disanayaka following his State Visit to Vietnam in 2025 to commemorate the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Sri Lanka and Vietnam. more..

May 4 (EN) Tourist arrivals into SL fell 24.8% in April 2026, official data showed, as continued conflict in West Asia and higher fuel prices took a toll on SL's visitor numbers. Total arrivals dropped to 135,643 from 174,608 in the same time last year. India (42,645), China (10,544) and UK (10,425) remained the top sources of visitors to SL. There were 8,247 visitors from Israel from Jan 1 to April 30. SL has set an ambitious target of 3 mil arrivals for 2026, after missing the goal last year. more..

May 4 (TM) Dept of Meteorology has announced that the country is expected to experience developing El Niño conditions during the upcoming southwest monsoon season, which spans from May to September. Dept Director General Athula Karunanayake explained that these conditions are likely to influence the monsoon, leading to a reduction in rainfall and changes in wind patterns after May 15. more..

May 4 (Island) In line with the 2026 Vesak Poya Day, the Swarnabhivandana 2026 Sacred Relic Veneration ceremony, organized by the Sri Sudarshanarama Temple, Kiribathgoda under the guidance of the Chief incumbent of the temple, and the Head of the Department of Pali and Buddhist Studies at the University of Ruhuna and a Senior Lecturer Ven. Makola Mangala Nayaka was held on 3rd of May with the participation of Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya. more..

May 4 (CT) National Dengue Control Unit of Ministry of Health has reported a concerning surge in Dengue cases, with 25,082 cases recorded within a short span since January this year. Community Medical Specialist Dr Prashila Samaraweera has identified several regions as primary hotspots in the Western Province, which are vulnerable to the breed Aedes Aegypti mosquitoes. A significant number of Dengue cases have also been identified in the Southern Province, especially Matara and more..

May 4 (CT) The recent report issued by the National Audit Office has unveiled a staggering inefficiency in SL’s industrial land management, revealing that a total of 2,618.8 acres of land owned by Board of Investment (BOI) currently remain dormant. This vast expanse of latent land is divided into two distinct categories: 1,833.69 acres situated within 13 established BOI zones and industrial parks, and an additional 785.11 acres of more..

May 4 (DM) SriLankan Airlines has secured two major accolades in the South Asia category at the PAX International Readership Awards 2026 held recently in Hamburg, Germany. The airline was recognised for Best Overall Passenger Experience and Most Improved Airline, with winners selected through votes cast by PAX’s global readership. The Best Overall Passenger Experience award acknowledges airlines that deliver exceptional onboard services across key areas such as more..

May 4 (TG) On International Workers’ Day (1), residents of Keppapilavu in Mullaitivu staged a renewed protest demanding the release of lands that remain under SL military occupation, nearly two decades after the end of the armed conflict. The demonstrators, comprising Tamil families from the area, reiterated their longstanding demand for the return of lands seized by the SL military in 2009 to establish a large-scale camp. For over 17 years, Keppapilavu residents have sustained more..

May 4 (FT) The Sri Lanka–Nepal Business Council (SLNBC) was launched at Cinnamon Lakeside Hotel yesterday, marking a significant milestone in strengthening economic cooperation between Sri Lanka and Nepal. The SLNBC envisions becoming a catalyst for sustainable trade and investment across the Nepal–SL corridor. The council aims to unlock existing and future business opportunities through strong public-private partnerships (PPPs), fostering shared prosperity between the two nations. more..

May 4 (TG) New human skeletal remains, including those believed to belong to children, were uncovered on Friday during the fifth day of the third phase of excavations at the Chemmani mass grave site (May 1) in Jaffna. Three additional sets of remains were identified during excavation work at the Chemmani Siththuppaathi site, bringing the total number of skeletal remains uncovered to 244. Of these, 240 have now been fully exhumed, while cleaning, documentation and preservation processes more..

May 4 (FT) The morning sun casts a golden hue over the village of Meetiyagoda, nestled a few kilometers inland from SL’s southern coast. Pavithra Madushani hops on her bicycle for a quick ride to her job at Jaith Ceylon Cinnamon, a home-based factory where women like her peel cinnamon–a centuries-old occupation that used to be open only to men. Nearing the gates of the company–a small-scale exporter of this more..

May 4 (AD) The Supreme Court today decided to dismiss, without hearing, a petition filed by the leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), Rauf Hakeem, and its General Secretary, Nizam Kariapper. The duo had filed the petition requesting an order directing the National Election Commission to inform Parliament that they are members of the SLMC. After considering the petition that was submitted, the Supreme Court accordingly ordered that it be dismissed, more..

May 4 (NW) Sharks International 2026 conference was inaugurated today at the BMICH, marking the first time the prestigious global gathering has been hosted in Sri Lanka. The event brings together researchers, conservationists, and govt officials from over 80 countries. Addressing the event, Deputy Minister Anton Jayakody, highlighted SL’s pivotal role in marine conservation and the urgent need for global cooperation to protect threatened marine species. more..

May 4 (NW) President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has reaffirmed that the strong steps taken towards national unity will not, under any circumstances, be reversed. The President further emphasized the need for a country in which Sinhalese, Tamil and Muslim communities live together in harmony and brotherhood. He made the remarks while addressing Kamban Festival held at Ramakrishna Hall in Wellawatte on Sunday. more..

May 4 (AD) Long-distance passengers will in future be required to pay only a nominal fee of around Rs. 30 when reserving seats through the online booking system, Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development Bimal Rathnayake has announced. Speaking at a media briefing held at the Ministry of Transport today to raise awareness on the online seat reservation system for long-distance travel, Minister said the initiative was launched as a pilot project with private bus operators. more..

May 4 (DM) Minister Bimal Rathnayake defended the appointment of Eran Wickramaratne as Chairman of the Cricket Restructuring Committee, while dismissing concerns over political differences and stressing the need for capable leadership in reviving the sport. Responding to questions over selecting a figure outside the govt’s political alignment, the Minister said the decision was based purely on merit and not ideology. “Cricket doesn’t have to be left-wing,” Rathnayake said, more..

May 4 (FT) Senior Professor Nalin Abeysekera, a former Dean of Management at the Open University of SL, is no longer physically present among us. But his name, his legacy, and some of the physical characteristics unique to him that he displayed in social relations will remain in our hearts forever. His name is marked by several distinguishing unique to Nalin identity tags. One is that he is renowned for his prolific bilingual work in English and Sinhala. His papers in both languages have more..

May 4 (FT) In Greek mythology, Cassandra was a Trojan priestess dedicated to the god Apollo and fated by him to utter true prophecies, but never be believed. Cassandra warned the Trojans about the famous wooden horse left behind by the Greeks, but was not believed. The horse was pulled into the city. The warriors hiding inside jumped out in darkness, killed the guards and opened the gates to the waiting attackers. The evidence of its continuation in SL is in the photographs of more..

May 4 (FT) A Bill to amend the Value Added Tax (VAT) Act, No. 14 of 2002 proposes sweeping changes to SL’s indirect tax regime, widening the tax base, extending VAT to cross-border digital services, and strengthening enforcement, according to a May 2026 tax analysis by KPMG SL. Issued on 29 April, the Bill introduces revisions across registration thresholds, sector-specific provisions, administrative processes, and more..

May 4 (AD) The President of the Maldives, Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has arrived in Sri Lanka on an invitation extended by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. He was accompanied by the First Lady, Sajidha Mohamed and a delegation of around 20 senior officials. The delegation arrived at the BIA, at 5:33 p.m. aboard SriLankan Airlines flight UL-116 from Malé. PM Dr. Harini Amarasuriya and a delegation were present at the airport to welcome the visiting President and his team. more..

May 4 (DM) The police have arrested at least 120 foreign nationals during a raid at a location on Meda Welikada Road in Rajagiriya. The group was taken into custody following reports of their involvement in large-scale illegal financial transactions and other illicit operations conducted within the country. The arrested suspects represent a diverse range of nationalities, including citizens from China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Madagascar, Philippines, Thailand, and Cambodia. more..

May 4 (FT) In seizing opportunities in a Look East strategy amidst tensions elsewhere, Japanese Ambassador Akio Isomata last week urged SL to walk the talk and not talk the talk. “The crux of the matter for SL exporters is seizing opportunities with action. We cannot afford to continue to talk the talk. We really need to walk the talk,” Ambassador Isomata told a forum titled Exports to Japan: Seizing the Opportunity more..

May 4 (ST) The government is set to form a 400-member cohort of digital transformation champions, to be known as the Public-Impact Champions Network (PIC-Net), comprising senior state officials to implement its ambitious digital transformation efforts. These champions, handpicked from 95 govt offices, including ministries, state-owned enterprises (SOEs), and provincial councils, will be recruited to establish PIC-Net and strengthen digital transformation across the public sector. more..

May 4 (DN) The building and land where the Mahindananda Foundation was located in Nawalapitiya was officially handed back to the Railways Department on Saturday by the Foundation’s Secretary Chamika Dharmathilaka. It was alleged that the land and premises which was on a lease for nearly 25 years, had been used by Mahindananda Aluthgamage for his political and other activities. The Railways Department had issued a written notice to the Foundation’s more..

May 4 (AD) The Free Lawyers Organisation has called for an investigation through the Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) into the alleged misappropriation of US$2.5 million from the Treasury. The request has been made in writing to COPA Chairman MP Kabir Hashim. The organisation stated that although a written complaint was previously submitted to the Speaker of House regarding the incident, no response has been received to date. more..

May 4 (AD) Former Prez Mahinda Rajapaksa has not received any official notice or communication from the CIABOC regarding the Airbus transaction, his media spokesman Attorney Manoj Gamage said. Issuing a statement, Attorney Gamage clarified that no formal notification has been issued by the Bribery Commission in relation to the matter. He further stated that recent remarks made by the incumbent President regarding anticipated court rulings amount to prejudging judicial decisions more..

May 4 (DM) SL activist Oshala Herath has released a series of screenshots purportedly showing WhatsApp exchanges between the Director of the State Intelligence Service (SIS) and the Defence Ministry Secretary, allegedly warning of a possible terrorist attack prior to April 21, 2019. According to the screenshots, the messages indicate that intelligence shared by a foreign counterpart had identified plans by Zahran Hashim and more..

May 4 (TM) Health & Mass Media Ministry Secretary Dr. Anil Jasinghe said that he was unable to comply at this stage with a request to conduct a psychological autopsy on Finance Ministry official Ranga Rajapaksa who allegedly died by suicide following suspension from service. He said that no further decision could be taken until the post-mortem report prepared by a four-member forensic panel is finalised. He stressed that there could be no question of bias, noting the examination had more..

May 4 (TM) The National Agrarian Unity has accused the Govt of causing a financial loss of US$ 250 million per agricultural season by purchasing fertiliser from Middle Eastern suppliers at higher prices, despite cheaper alternatives being available. The organisation’s President Anuradha Tennakoon said that SL has the option of sourcing urea from countries such as Kazakhstan at significantly lower rates. “We have learned from reliable sources that Kazakhstan is willing to supply fertiliser more..