May 14 (CT) A lasting solution to the ongoing cancellation of train services during extended holidays—caused by train drivers taking leave—is expected to take at least three more years under the current operational framework. Root of the issue lies in a persistent shortage of train drivers, which has led to the cancellation of at least 30 scheduled train services per day during extended holiday periods. A significant number of drivers typically take more..

May 14 (Island) Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) recently carried out a Fast Bowling Talent Search program in the Polonnaruwa District as part of its ongoing efforts to identify and nurture emerging cricketing talent across the country. The program, held at the Royal College Ground, Polonnaruwa, attracted over 60 promising young players—both boys and girls—including school cricketers of the district. Each participant underwent skill assessments to evaluate their fast bowling potential. more..

May 14 (DM) Sri Lanka’s loss-making national carrier, SriLankan Airlines, plans to add five new aircraft including two narrow-body planes to its fleet by March 2026, according to a top company official. In a recent interview with an Indian travel magazine, SriLankan Airlines’ Regional Manager for India, Bangladesh, and Nepal, Fawzan Fareid outlined the fleet expansion strategy. “We plan to add two narrow-body aircraft between April and June 2025, bringing the total to 13, followed by more..

May 14 (DM) Controversial female primary tutor Hayeshika Fernando, who is still at large over an assault involving a youth, is wanted by three police teams, the police said. Reputed among Grade Five scholarship students as Teacher Amma (mother teacher) for her private tuition classes, Fernando started evading arrest since last week, when a youth was hospitalised in Negombo over assault charges. more..

May 14 (FT) HNB said it continued its growth trajectory in Q1 2025, recording a YoY growth of 49% in Group Profit After Tax (PAT) and a 64% growth in Bank PAT with Group and Bank PAT at Rs. 11.1 billion and Rs. 10.2 billion, respectively. Bank’s Net Interest Income (NII) grew by 7.7% YoY to Rs. 23.7 billion during the first quarter in the backdrop of lower interest rates compared to the corresponding period of 2024. Despite the loan book growing by Rs. 159 billion YoY, interest income recorded more..

May 14 (FT) SLT Group has reported a Profit After Tax (PAT) of Rs. 2,001 million for the first quarter ended 31 March, a surge from Rs. 156 million in Q1 2024, reflecting effective financial management and improved operational efficiency. SLT Group demonstrated strong performance for the first quarter of 2025, with revenue increasing 3.4% to Rs. 27,851 million. The growth was primarily driven by Mobitel’s contribution of increased revenues while SLT PLC revenue remained stable. more..

May 14 (FT) SL Institute of Directors (SLID) has unveiled its newly enhanced IT Governance Masterclass for Board Directors, a timely and critical initiative designed to equip today’s corporate leadership with the strategic insight needed to oversee technology in a rapidly evolving digital world. With businesses increasingly reliant on technology to drive growth, innovation, and resilience, the role of the board in providing effective oversight of IT strategy, risk & compliance more..

May 14 (FT) The American Chamber of Commerce in Sri Lanka (AmCham SL), in collaboration with the US Embassy, has launched the second edition of the AmCham Bootcamp 2025. The initiative continues to serve as a premier mentorship and professional development platform for young Sri Lankan talent, fostering leadership, career skills, and industry exposure. The Bootcamp pairs 20 promising mentees—drawn from both public and private universities across diverse disciplines, more..

May 14 (SO) 2025 LG Elections were marked by a notably low voter turnout, particularly among the youth. Despite over 17.1 million eligible voters and more than 75,000 candidates vying for 8,287 seats across 339 local bodies, the overall participation was just over 60%, with urban centres such as Colombo recording a mere 57% turnout. This decline in youth engagement is perplexing, especially considering more..

May 14 (Island) The 2025 LG elections in SL were expected to cement the NPP as the country’s emergent political force. However, the results delivered a more complex picture. Despite months of rising public frustration with traditional parties, the NPP saw a surprising loss of momentum—shedding over 2.3 million votes compared to their strong showing in the 2024 elections. This electoral drop has puzzled analysts and frustrated supporters, raising critical questions about political more..

May 14 (Island) It never rains but it pours. Less than 48 hours after Sunday’s tragic accident, where an SLTB bus careened off a winding road and plunged down a precipice near Kotmale, killing 22 passengers and injuring 35 others, a private bus veered off the road, injuring 30 passengers, in Kandy, on Monday night. Thankfully, there were no fatalities. The mishap has been attributed to a brake failure. The Grim Reaper has been in overdrive on Sri Lankan roads. more..

May 14 (GV) Every year on the second Sunday of May Mother’s Day rolls around complete with soft focus advertisements, heartfelt social media tributes and the ceremonial gifting of flowers and breakfast in bed. At first glance, this celebration of mothers appears innocent, even noble. But if we scratch beneath the surface, we begin to see something more insidious: a powerful mechanism of manufactured consent, reinforcing a hegemonic narrative of motherhood rooted in sacrifice, more..

May 14 (ST) On a Vesak full moon day in the far-off northern plains of India over twenty-five centuries ago, the rising sun sheds its tender early morn light upon the scene of a royal litter emerging from the gates of Kapilavasthu, capital of the ruling Shakya clan. At the centre of this royal convoy, borne aloft on a golden palanquin, sits the queen of the domain. She is accompanied by her sister and guarded by a retinue of royal attendants. With the blessings of her husband, the king, more..

May 14 (CT) A society cannot progress if violence becomes the default response to crime. Justice must be pursued through due process, not vigilantism, and the Govt must prioritise rehabilitating individuals from destructive paths towards becoming contributors to SL’s development. Organised crime was responsible for 56 of the 103 shootings that claimed 45 lives in 2024—a staggering figure. Alarmingly, we may be approaching similar more..

May 14 (CT) It was in the early hours of Sunday morning that tragedy struck once again on one of Sri Lanka’s winding mountain roads. An SLTB bus travelling from Kataragama to Kurunegala via Nuwara Eliya veered off the Kandy – Gampola – Nuwara Eliya main road and plunged down a steep precipice at Gerandi Ella, Ramboda. With 77 passengers on board, this marks the deadliest road accident since the catastrophic train-bus collision at Yangalmodara in Apr 2005, which claimed 41 more..

May 14 (TM) Another week, another headline. 22 people were killed and more than 30 injured in a devastating bus accident at Gerandi Ella, Ramboda. In the same week, a bus crash in Welimada left one person dead and 20 others injured. These are not isolated incidents, nor are they shocking anymore. They are part of a grim and predictable pattern, one that demands immediate, comprehensive, and honest intervention. SL’s public transport system, particularly its bus network, seems to be in more..

May 14 (SO) On May 14, 1965, a group of revolutionary-minded youth, led by comrade Rohana Wijeweera, founded the Movement which would later become the JVP. Emerging amidst growing disillusionment with the traditional left, the JVP was influenced by global liberation movements, including the Cuban Revolution and Maoist insurgencies in Asia. It represented a new political current in SL – an alternative to the declining credibility of more..

May 14 (DM) During the 11 months up to January this year, SL recorded 2,937 crimes against children, including 1,526 cases of rape and 544 instances of serious sexual abuse. Western Province reported the highest number of incidents (489), with A'pura district leading with 173 cases. Study shows 35% of the children live in a single-parent family or under another guardian, more than 60% of the parents have low education, 74% of the families are in debt and 77% of the fathers use drugs. more..

May 14 (DM) The analysis of electoral trends demands thoughtful consideration of which comparative baselines yield the most meaningful insights. When examining the recently concluded LG election results, compelling evidence suggests that the 2024 presidential election results provide the most appropriate analytical foundation—significantly more so than either parliamentary elections or the previous 2018 LG elections, where SLPP demonstrated convincing dominance. more..

May 13 (Island) The CEB is in one of the strongest hydro storage positions in recent memory, but it has mismanaged key hydropower complexes, causing an increase in oil-powered electricity generation and and costs. Energy expert Dr. Vidura Ralapanawe has raised serious concerns over CEB’s operational decisions, particularly the skewed use of the Mahaweli and Laxapana hydropower complexes. more..

May 13 (DM) Japanese Ambassador Akio Isomata raised concerns about high taxation in Sri Lanka on automobile imports from Japan. Delivering his remarks at a roundtable meeting last week, ambassador said there is high taxation on electric vehicles being imported from Japan compared to those coming from another country. In case Sri Lanka considers a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Japan, he said high taxation on vehicles from Japan should be discussed. more..

May 13 (Island) Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK) Secretary M.A. Sumanthiran has said the results of the just concluded local govt elections have dispelled the myth of an “Anura wave” and reaffirmed the enduring strength of Tamil nationalism in the North-East. Speaking at a press briefing, Sumanthiran extended his gratitude to the voters across the North and East, who supported ITAK, allowing it to emerge victorious in several of the contested local councils. more..

May 13 (EN) SL’s loans to private businesses surged to 173 billion rupees in March, up from 105.5 billion rupees in February, while govt credit also expanded. In SL private credit usually expands in March ahead of the April New Year. SL’s private credit has expanded by 1,036 million rupees in the 12 months to March. In the 12 months to March 2024, private credit expanded by only 240 billion rupees, allowing foreign debt to be more..

May 13 (AD) Salt Producers’ Association has raised concerns over a shortage of salt in the local market, attributing the situation to a delay in the arrival of imported stocks. Chairman of the Association, Ganaka Amarasinghe, said that although the govt had approved the importation of 30 metric tons of salt, shipment has been delayed. As a result, a shortage has emerged in the market, affecting both availability and pricing. However, Amarasinghe assured that the shortage is expected to be more..

May 13 (TM) NPP government will not deviate from the IMF programme as promised during the election campaign, despite concerns on raising electricity tariffs, Finance and Planning Deputy Minister Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma said. He said that the IMF programme requires certain measures to be followed, but as a country, it needs to be understood that the cost recovery measures have to be implemented by institutions that engage in commercial business. more..

May 13 (TM) Ruling NPP stated that while discussions have already begun with individual representatives to form administrations in LG bodies where they (NPP) lack a majority, they would however not enter into coalitions with parties with opposing political views. In the LG Elections, the NPP won the majority in 339 LG bodies, but failed to secure more than 50% of the total representation in many of them, as Opposition political parties and indpt. groups collectively surpassed NPP. more..

May 13 (ST) The Cabinet will next week consider a proposal to reduce the tariffs for all renewable energy-based (RE) electricity supply to the national grid. If approved, Energy Ministry’s memorandum will allow the CEB to significantly lower the prices paid for every unit of electricity generated under all new private rooftop solar, mini-hydro, wind, ground-mounted solar, biomass and municipal solid waste contracts. For the first time, a tariff is also proposed for rooftop solar and more..

May 13 (TM) In the wake of increasing road accidents across the country, Ministry of Transport & Highways stated that an action plan to prevent road accidents, prepared collectively by 16 line institutions, will be implemented within the next two months. A sharp rise in road accidents has been observed, the most recent one being when a SLTB bus veered off the Nuwara Eliya–Gampola main road and plunged down a precipice on more..

May 13 (AD) A large consignment of Kush cannabis, illegally brought into SL by a British national woman who arrived from Bangkok, Thailand, has been seized by SL Customs. The narcotics were discovered during a special raid conducted by Narcotics Control Unit of SL Customs. Seizure took place this afternoon (12), during a targeted inspection of suspect’s luggage as she attempted to pass through Customs upon arrival in SL. Total weight of the confiscated narcotics is 46 kg, more..

May 13 (ANN) About a million women workers in key export sectors will lose their job and income if the 44% tariffs imposed by US Prez Donald Trump come into force at the end of the 90-day pause. SL's main export industries such as apparel, tea, gems, rubber & cinnamon, which employ mostly women, will be the most affected by the new tariffs since the US market is one of their most lucrative. Apparel workers reproach the govt for its lethargic attitude and failure to consider concerns of workers more..

May 13 (DM) Upon the critical need to ensure a legally mandated 25% quota for women’s representation in local govt bodies, following the recent local authority elections, Mannar Women’s Development Federation sent an urgent letter to the Election Commission (EC). The letter, endorsed by over 30 ground level groups, outlines key concerns about compliance with the quota, highlights areas where gaps persist, and urges the EC to take immediate steps to fulfill its legal obligation more..

May 13 (AD) A total of 388 inmates have been released from prisons across the island today (May 12) under a special state pardon granted by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in view of Vesak Poya Day, the Department of Prisons has announced. Prisons Spokesman Gamini B. Dissanayake stated that accordingly, 384 male inmates and four female inmates serving time for minor offences were granted a state pardon, in accordance with Article 34 of Constitution more..