May 7 (NF) The NPP has claimed a decisive victory in the Colombo Municipal Council, long considered a stronghold of the UNP. The NPP secured 48 seats with 81,814 votes, accounting for 36.92% of the total vote share. This marks the first time in decades that the UNP has lost control of Colombo’s most prominent local authority. The SJB followed with 29 seats and 58,375 votes, while the UNP managed only 13 seats with 26,297 votes, representing just 11.87% of the vote. more..

May 7 (FT) This is a rebuttal to the article titled Policy brief for Sri Lankan Govt: Call to re-evaluate wind energy strategies for sustainable future by Hiran Daluwatta (HD) that was published in the DFT on 21 April 2025. HD presents wind power in negative light with erroneous remarks and claims that wind energy is not the optimal solution for achieving long-term energy security for Sri Lanka. Responses to opinions expressed by HD are presented below: more..

May 7 (FT) In classrooms and corridors across Sri Lanka, children and young adults are learning something far more dangerous than what appears in textbooks. They are learning how to survive abuse—often inflicted not by strangers, but by peers. Bullying in schools, once brushed off as a normal part of growing up, has evolved into something far more sinister, and its consequences are irreversible. Lives are being lost. Futures are being erased. And we, as a nation, remain largely silent. more..

May 7 (TM) Voting in SL’s first LG Elections in nearly 7 years officially closed yesterday. Polling which had commenced at 7 am yesterday, came to a close at 4 pm. Voter turnout varied from district to district, with Colombo recording 52%, Gampaha 56% &Kalutara 61% in Western Province. In Central Province, Kandy 58%, Matale 62% & Nuwara-Eliya 60%. In Southern Province, Galle 63%, Matara 58% & Hambantota 61%. more..

May 7 (EN) India has made multiple missile strikes against targets which is said was linked to the killings of tourists in Indian administered Kashmir by suspected attackers from Pakistan. Indian forces targeted the headquarters of the banned Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba groups in the missile attacks against terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied-Jammu and Kashmir in the early hours of Wednesday. Targets included bases in Pakistan Punjab. more..

May 7 (EN) Ruling NPP is leading in most local authorities outside of the North of the island, but has failed to secure an overall majority of seats in a number of councils, results declared so far show. With around 196 out of 339 local bodies declared, Prez Anura Dissanayake’s NPP was leading in most, securing around 43% of the total votes declared. The main opposition SJB was polling around around 20%. In a number of local authorities in the South, the combined opposition outnumbered NPP. more..

May 7 (TM) The Socialist Peoples’ Forum, called for an end to ragging in State Universities and specifically for all student unions across public Universities including the IUSF and those with a political leaning to the JVP and FSP, to publicly declare an action plan to end ragging. Recently, an engineering student of the Sabaragamuwa University, committed suicide after severe ragging by members of the student body. more..

May 7 (CT) Ministry of Women and Child Affairs has confirmed that the NCPA has launched an investigation into the recent death of a 16-year-old schoolgirl in Kotahena, following allegations of sexual abuse and public humiliation. The girl, who had committed suicide, was reportedly a victim of sexual abuse at the hands of a male mathematics teacher at her former school in Bambalapitiya. Her parents have alleged that the child was later subjected to further trauma after more..

May 7 (FT) World Bank Group President Ajay Banga will visit SL today, marking the first Presidential visit to the country by a World Bank Group Prez in nearly 20 years. The visit comes at a critical moment, as SL continues its path toward economic recovery and seeks to build a more resilient, inclusive and private sector-led future. The visit follows an invitation from Prez Anura Kumara Disanayake, extended during a congratulatory call between the two leaders shortly after his appointment last November. more..

May 7 (DM) A man who tried to remove a precious stone fixed on the forehead of Devol Deviyo (deity) of ancient Seenigama Maha Devalaya, which is situated on an offshore islet in Seenigama, collapsed to his death last night. The police found the victim’s body collapsed on the foot of the statue inside the ancient Devalaya on the islet when they opened the doors this morning. The male who is yet to be identified was found only in his underwear and his face covered with a T-shirt as a mask. more..

May 7 (DM) SL continues to stand tall in the high human development category. However, latest data by the UN shows that the momentum is slowing, with regional peers closing in fast. Human Development Report 2025, placed SL in the 89th rank out of 193 countries. This is down from the 88th position it held in 2022. SL recorded a HDI score of 0.776. Despite being placed in the high human development segment, the report highlights how the country has lost ground, slipping eight ranks since 2015. more..

May 7 (FT) As a key step toward renewing SL’s eligibility for the European Union’s GSP+ trade concession scheme, PM Harini Amarasuriya on Monday held key discussions with EU European External Action Service Head of South Asia Division Charles Whiteley that underscored the Govt’s reform agenda and commitment to deepening ties with the region. High-level meeting, which took place during EU’s latest monitoring mission more..

May 7 (NW) Prez Anura Kumara Disanayake returned to the island this afternoon (6) via a special aircraft of the Vietnamese govt, concluding his successful three-day official visit to Vietnam. Visit was undertaken at the invitation of the Prez of Vietnam, Luong Cuong. During the visit, Prez Disanayake held official bilateral talks with Prez Cuong and engaged in wide-ranging discussions with senior leaders of Vietnam on matters of mutual interest, covering bilateral, regional, int'l more..

May 7 (NW) Sri Lanka held its 2025 Local Govt election today to choose members for Municipal Councils, Urban Councils, and Pradeshiya Sabhas, which oversee services such as garbage collection, park maintenance, and local road upkeep. Under Sri Lanka’s Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) system, introduced in 2017, voters select a political party or independent group in their local ward. Seats are then distributed based on the overall share of votes each party receives. more..

May 7 (ST) The percentage of students who have qualified to enter university based on the GCE (A/L) 2024 results shows a marginal improvement compared to recent years. According to an analysis, 177,588 students, or 64.73% of those who sat the exam, have qualified to apply to enter university, which is an improvement considering the last few years’ results. In 2021, the percentage that qualified to enter university was 62.8%, while in 2022 the figure was 63.2%, and in 2023, 64.3&. more..

May 7 (ICC) Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has brought on board a seasoned Indian coach to lead a specialised fielding camp. Former India fielding coach R Sridhar is set to lead a 10-day fielding camp in SL, the country's cricket board announced on Tuesday (6). The program, aimed to elevate the fielding standards of SL Cricketers, will kick off on May 7 and will feature men’s and women’s national squads, Emerging squads, Premier Club players, National U19 team and Women’s ‘A’ team. more..

May 7 (TM) Following reports of a water leak at the Nine Arch Bridge during periods of heavy rainfall, Department had initiated an investigation into the same. Railways Dept has confirmed that there is no issue with the Nine Arch Bridge in Ella, and that regular inspections are being carried out to ensure its safety and quality. When queried regarding its outcome, Railways General Manager Dhammika Jayasundara said that more..

May 7 (TM) SL’s interest payments are expected to stay above 50% of govt revenue till 2027 while external vulnerabilities continue to reduce with reserve building, Moody’s said. Moody’s said that central govt debt is expected to remain at 99% of GDP in 2025 and reduce to 96% in 2026, with interest payments taking up 60% of govt revenue in 2025, 56% in 2026 and 52% in 2027. In a special report on Ghana, Surinam, Zambia and SL, Moody’s said govt debt is declining in all 4 countries, more..

May 7 (DN) SL U-19 bounced back with a much-needed win over Bangladesh U-19 in the 5th match of the six-match Youth ODI series played Monday at SSC Grounds. However, the visitors still lead the series, 3-2 and sixth and final ODI is going to be very vital for SL Youth team to equal the series . The deciding final game (6th ODI) will be played tomorrow at the Colts grounds. Two bowlers paceman Kudagas Mathulan and leg spinner Viran Chamuditha were fifth game changers taking more..

May 7 (FT) Sri Lanka on Monday saluted the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for being a massive strength during and post-crisis thereby enabling stability followed by recovery and growth. The expression of appreciation was at the opening day of ADB’s 58th Annual Meeting in Milan, Italy. “Govt of SL is thankful to ADB for the assistance and guidance provided to Sri Lanka in the country’s economic recovery process more..

May 7 (Island) Smearing opponents has become the dominant form of electioneering in SL. All political parties unflinchingly resort to mud-slinging during election campaigns, and they are quite adept at making lies indistinguishable from the truth. They float various claims and counterclaims, and leave the public confused and unable to make informed decisions in elections. One of former Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe’s close aides, Thusitha Halloluwa, created quite a stir on the eve of LG polls. more..

May 7 (ST) SL risks losing its membership of the Open Govt Partnership (OGP) – a global initiative to secure commitments from govts to promote open govt, combat corruption and improve governance – as it has not submitted the mandatory OGP action plan or indicated a desire to stay on. Membership will expire next week. "Should the Govt of Sri Lanka fail to submit an action plan within the next year or work with the Steering Committee to establish a clear roadmap for its delivery, more..

May 7 (FT) Visa applications from nationalities thought most likely to overstay and claim asylum in the UK could be restricted under a new govt crackdown. Under Home Office plans, first reported in the Times, people from countries such as Pakistan, Nigeria and Sri Lanka may find it more difficult to come to the UK to work and study. Ministers believe there is a particular problem with those who come to the UK legally on work or study visas and then lodge a claim for asylum – more..

May 7 (FT) Channel 17 (CH17) Loyalty, Sri Lanka’s pioneering rewards and loyalty management company, launched its first international franchise operation in the UAE, in strategic partnership with FinWin Group. CH17 Privilege CEO Jumar Preena said: “This extension of our services to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is the result of our recent tie-up with CHEC Port City Colombo to promote down-town duty free shopping for all in-bound visitors both locals and foreigners. more..

May 7 (ST) Kandy Municipal Council is still grappling with the segregation of nearly 500,000 kilograms of garbage, after a 10-day exposition of the Sacred Tooth Relic. Over 10 days, 630,000 kilograms of waste was left behind by pilgrims. Kandy’s Municipal Commissioner, Indika Abeysinghe said that efforts have been intensified to segregate the garbage and manage it in Kandy itself. A final decision is due in upcoming weeks. more..

May 7 (DN) Local rugby fans received good news as Kandy Sports Club’s star playmaker and leading points scorer of the season, Tarinda Ratwatte, has returned to the national squad after recovering from injury. The experienced centre has been named in the 25-member SL squad for the second and final match against the touring New Zealand Under-85kg team, which will take place on Saturday (10) at the Racecourse Stadium. SL Rugby Selection Committee, led by Sudath Sampath, more..

May 7 (Island) The recent massacre of 25 Indians and one Nepali at Pahalgam in Kashmir attracted international attention. Amidst the war on Gaza, Israeli air strikes on selected targets in the region, particularly Syria, Russia-Ukraine war, and US-UK air campaign against Houthis, the execution-style killings at Pahalgam, in the Indian-administered Kashmir, caused concerns over possible direct clash between nuclear powers India and Pakistan. Against the backdrop of India alleging more..

May 7 (ST) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayaka’s ringing claim during the NPP May Day rally at the Galle Face Green this Thursday that his Govt had established the Rule of Law in Sri Lanka would be exceedingly funny if it was not so bizarre. That claim is refuted particularly by the uncouth sight of NPP party cadre, ferried in by buses to Colombo for the May Day rally, parking on the Southern Expressway and having their lunches with gusto while camping on the side of the expressway lane. more..

May 7 (CT) It was reported yesterday how a 19-year-old Municipal Council employee was shot dead in a brazen attack near the intersection of the Mount Lavinia–Coastal Road on Monday. The youth was sweeping a by-lane around 6:35 a.m. when two unidentified men on a motorcycle approached him and opened fire. While the victim reportedly had past involvement in drug-related activity and links to a known trafficker, the sheer brazenness of the attack is what raises much alarm. more..

May 7 (SO) With Sri Lanka’s economy heavily reliant on a narrow band of exports such as apparel and tea, recent tariff threats from the US have exposed a structural vulnerability that has long haunted the nation’s trade profile. For Deputy Minister of Economic Development Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando – a technocrat-turned-politician with deep roots in development economics and industrial policy – crisis is also an inflection point. more..

May 7 (GV) Among the many human rights violations that have occurred in the country in recent decades, the abduction and killing of Dharmaratnam Sivaram, also known as Taraki, stands out. Investigating this case and bringing the perpetrators to justice was an election promise of the NPP government. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said that Sivaram’s case was among a select number of human rights violations currently under investigation. April 28 marked 20 years since Sivaram was killed. more..