May 6 (GV) Women in Sri Lanka shun participating in politics for numerous reasons including hostility, harassment, threats, intimidation, violence and personal attacks on all fronts. While women consist 52 percent of the country’s population and 56 percent of the total voters, their representation in parliament is a meagre 5.8 percent consisting of 12 women out of 225 MPs. In the 2024 presidential election, there was not a single woman candidate among the 38 candidates. more..

May 6 (GV) Local Govt elections scheduled for May 6 give Sri Lankans the opportunity to once again take control of running their own affairs and restore democratic governance at the grassroots level. The vote, which should have taken place in 2022 and comes after many legal and political delays, will elect 8,711 representatives to 339 local authorities across the country. An estimated 17.3 million citizens are eligible to vote. The 2025 LG election will cost around Rs.11 billion for logistics, security, more..

May 6 (FT) Charith Dilshan (23) from Ihalagama, Gampola had his primary education at Gampola Buddhist College. After passing his O/Ls he had pursued A/Ls at the Peradeniya Central College, upon which he was selected to Technology Faculty of Sabaragamuwa University. Dilshan had been interested in pursuing a career in the IT field and had even developed his own graphics venture by the name Charith Graphics. more..

May 6 (Island) The local govt elections, long delayed and much anticipated, are shaping up to be a landmark political event. These elections were originally due in 2023, but were postponed by the previous govt of Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe. The govt of the day even defied a SC ruling mandating that elections be held without delay. They may have feared a defeat would erode that govt’s already weak legitimacy, with the Prez having assumed office through a parliamentary vote more..

May 6 (DM) Ragging in universities seems to have claimed another innocent life, that of 23-year-old undergraduate Charith Dilshan, a second-year student of the Dept of Engineering Technology at the Sabaragamuwa Uni. He allegedly committed suicide at his home in Gampola on April 29 due to ragging by the senior students of the university, according to his fellow students. Accordingly, four senior students have been arrested by the CID while a three-member committee has been appointed more..

May 6 (Island) Elections to 339 local govt (LG) institutions are set to take place today––at long last. The terms of the local councils, which were last elected in 2018, lapsed in 2022, but the then SLPP govt extended them by one year. In 2023, Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe derailed the LG polls by refusing to allocate funds. A legal battle resulted in Supreme Court ordering, last year, that LG elections be held soon. As many as 75,589 candidates are vying for 8,287 seats in local councils; more..

May 6 (GV) On May 6 SL will hold local govt elections for 339 councils, engaging over 17 million voters. Elections come at a pivotal moment for the NPP, which has seen a surge in support but now faces growing scrutiny over its governance and internal coherence. A key issue for voters is whether to prioritise party allegiance or the personal integrity of candidates. While the NPP campaigns on an anti-corruption, anti-waste platform, critics point to its internal contradictions, alleged compromises, more..

May 6 (SO) Ragging has long been a deeply rooted issue in SL's higher education system. While often dismissed as harmless pranks or initiation rituals, it has frequently escalated into serious psychological and physical abuse, leaving a dark and painful legacy across universities in the country. Charith Dayaratne, a 2nd-year student at the Faculty of Tech. & Eng., Uni of Sabaragamuwa, appears to be its latest victim. more..

May 6 (CT) Vietnam has risen from the ashes of war to become one of Asia’s most dynamic and resilient economies. Meanwhile, SL, despite similar beginnings, continues to face economic stagnation, fiscal distress, and developmental setbacks. The contrasting outcomes of these two nations—both of which experienced protracted conflicts, colonial rule, and periods of political turbulence—offer vital insights into ingredients of sustainable post-conflict recovery & long-term economic success. more..

May 6 (DM) Colombo’s working class— 50% of the city’s population—are central to its economy and vibrant culture, but have historically been marginal to Colombo’s development agenda. Following the end of the war, however, they came into sharp focus. The Urban Regeneration Programme (URP) classified 53% of Colombo’s population as living in ‘underserved settlements’ – a term strategically deployed to deliberately misrepresent working-class neighbourhoods as off-grid. more..

May 6 (TM) CEB is facing an increasingly dire financial crisis, with mounting losses and a delayed tariff revision proposal that has set the stage for an intense clash with the PUCSL. Sources suggest that the failure to submit timely tariff proposals is exacerbating an already precarious situation, as the utility’s cash flow continues to decline. CEB Chairman Dr. Tilak Siyambalapitiya confirmed that the board was yet to submit more..

May 6 (TM) Given Sri Lanka’s history, few occurrences alarm or shock the public. However, the murder of a 19-year-old yesterday morning seems to have touched a nerve, with many, asking a question that has been on the lips of Sri Lankans for decades: When will the gun violence stop? Although the citizenry has been seeking an answer for this question for over 50 years, no govt up-to-date has been able to effectively address the issue. Gun crime is a universal problem, more..

May 6 (CT) Minister Bimal Rathnayake announced a new initiative to curb and potentially prevent bribery and corruption taking place at the Department of Motor Traffic office, which includes the installation of several CCTV cameras in all DMT premises, while promoting a culture of zero tolerance towards bribery and other unethical conduct. During the announcement, he likened the long-entrenched practices of corruption to a cancer that needs to be eradicated. more..

May 5 (AD) A complaint has been filed with the CID against Thusitha Halloluwa, former Acting Director of the National Lotteries Board (NLB) and former Director General of Public Relations to former President Ranil Wickremesinghe, regarding an allegedly defamatory and false statement made against Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Acting on the instructions of the President, Attorney-at-Law Akalanka Ukwatta lodged the complaint last night, according to a statement issued by the PMD. more..

May 5 (TM) The Ceylon Teachers' Union (CTU) has urged the Govt to take urgent action to curb the ongoing wave of violence in the country, noting that it is also affecting the functioning of schools and the education of children. There has been a noticeable rise in shootings and other violent crimes across the country in recent months. CTU President Priyantha Fernando said that the wave of violence in the country has also spilled over into the schools at present. more..

May 5 (TM) Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious, and Cultural Affairs stated that no final decision has been made about an annual exposition of the Sacred Tooth Relic. This despite reports that a discussion regarding an annual Tooth Relic exposition was held amongst the stakeholders. A special exhibition of the Sacred Tooth Relic was held from 18 to 27 April. During it, Central Province Governor S.B. Abayakoon more..

May 5 (CI) The Bangladesh men's team will tour SL for two Tests, three ODIs, and two T20Is, in June and July. The Tests will be both teams' first fixtures in the 2025-27 World Test Championship cycle, and will be played in Galle and the SSC (Colombo). Two of the ODIs will be played in Khettarama (Colombo), and one in Pallekele, before the T20 series goes on something of a tour, starting in Pallekele and moving to Dambulla before coming back to Khettarama for the final match of the tour. more..

May 5 (DM) The 25% quota for women in local authority elections, introduced in 2017 to improve women’s representation, is likely to be defeated by two flaws in its implementation, Verité Research said. First, parties and independent groups that receive less than 20% of the total votes in a local authority area are not required to meet the women’s quota, Verité Research said. It said, secondly, direct ward (DW) seats account for 60% and proportional representation (PR) seats account for 40% more..

May 5 (EN) SL’s state revenues grew 18% 760.7 billion rupees in the two months to Feb 2025, but current spending followed closely behind, growing 15% to 791.3 billion rupees. Tax revenue grew 18% to 760.7 billion rupees. SL opened vehicle imports in Feb 2025, which is expected to boost revenues, but state worker salaries were also raised from April which will push up spending. Car imports were seen picking up in March and April with more letters of credit being opened. more..

May 5 (MoD) The prestigious UN Peacekeepers' Medal Awarding Parade for military Observers deployed in the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINUSRO) was held on 30 April. Special Representative for Western Sahara and Head of MINURSO Alexander Ivanko, together with Force Commander Major General Md Fakhrul Ahsan, presided over the ceremony of awarding the UN Medal to MINURSO Military Observers (UNMOs). A total of 19 UNMOs from 17 countries were recognized for their service more..

May 5 (DM) Sri Lankan musical group Knights has secured the runner-up position at the Battle of the Bands – International competition held in Mumbai, India. The band returned to SL this morning, arriving at the BIA. This year’s edition of the competition - broadcast by Doordarshan - was the first to feature international acts, following three years of Indian-only participation. Bands from Mauritius, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Singapore, Russia, SL, Nepal, Spain & UK took part in the contest, more..

May 5 (AD) A man who was imprisoned for 14 days after his mobile phone rang inside the Embilipitiya Magistrate’s Court has died while in custody under controversial circumstances, prompting allegations from his family and triggering investigations by prison authorities. The individual, who had reportedly arrived at the court premises to post bail in a case filed over traffic violations, was detained for allegedly violating the decorum of the courtroom when his phone rang during proceedings. more..

May 5 (DM) An organized gang capturing stray dogs in villages around the Moragahakanda reservoir and along the Elahera road has raised serious concerns among local residents, who suspect the animals are being slaughtered for meat. Y.M.S. Bandara (56), a social worker and representative of the Ambana Farmers’ Organization, stated that numerous pet dogs belonging to families displaced by the Moragahakanda reservoir project have gone astray after their owners relocated. more..

May 5 (Island) FSP has alleged that NPP govt, too, like its predecessor, was creating a situation where medicines can be purchased at higher prices outside tender procedures. The Education Secretary of the FSP Pubudu Jayagoda alleged that the NPP Cabinet was planning to endorse the Health Ministry move. Jayagoda alleged that NPP had adopted a strategy similar to that of Keheliya Rambukwella to procure medicines. more..

May 5 (NW) Sri Lankans will be able to witness one of the greatest annual meteor showers, the ETA Aquarids, early tomorrow morning (6). According to Astrophysicist Gihan Weerasekara, meteor showers will be visible between 4 am to 5 am. He further said that up to 50 meteors per hour could be witnessed during this period. -What is the ETA Aquarids meteor shower? The debris that makes the ETA Aquarids meteors come from Halley’s Comet, which can only be seen from Earth once every 76 years. more..

May 5 (FT) Bangladesh High Commissioner Andalib Elias recently held discussions with Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) Chairman Sirimewan Ranasinghe to discuss ways to deepen collaboration between the ports of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, with the aim of streamlining bilateral trade. During the discussions, the SLPA Chairman outlined the ongoing development projects at the Port of Colombo (POC), particularly the progress of the Colombo East International Terminal. more..

May 5 (NW) Vietnamese President Luong Cuong warmly welcomed Prez Anura Kumara Disanayake during an official ceremony held in Hanoi this morning, marking the commencement of a state visit from May 4–6. Prez Anura Dissanayake was accorded a ceremonial welcome with full military honours upon his arrival at the Presidential Palace of Vietnam this morning. SL and Vietnam has agreed to co-operate in the fields of agriculture, more..

May 5 (CT) It has come to light that photojournalist Lahiru Harshana removed a photograph of Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake, which had been published on his personal Facebook page, due to external pressure to do so. According to reports received by us, some form of influence or request to remove the said photograph had been made through a third party by the President’s Media Division. While attempts are being made to verify the truth of this claim, the stance of the FMM is that more..

May 5 (CT) Khaled El Enany, a former Egyptian Minister and candidate for the post of Director-General at UNESCO, is currently in Sri Lanka on a three-day official visit. During his stay, he is scheduled to hold discussions with high-profile government officials, including the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Cultural Affairs. He is also expected to meet with intellectuals, journalists, academics, and representatives of cultural and educational institutions in SL, more..

May 5 (AD) The former Additional Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, Mahesh Gammanpila, who was granted bail in connection with a major corruption investigation this afternoon, has been remanded again over his failure to meet the bail conditions. Gammanpila was taken into custody over allegations of involvement in the importation of a consignment of substandard organic fertilizer from a Chinese company during the tenure of the previous administration, which reportedly caused more..

May 5 (PMD) At the invitation of Luong Cuong, President of Vietnam, Prez Anura Kumara Disanayake, who is currently on a state visit to Vietnam, extended an open invitation to Vietnam’s leading conglomerate, Vingroup, to explore investment opportunities in SL’s real estate and tourism sectors. While congratulating the Vingroup for their achievements and for building a diversified global brand, Prez invited Vingroup to consider investing in real estate & tourism sectors. more..