May 19 (DM) The govt and the opposition are in a race against time to rope in members to form administrations at the local authorities – MCs, UCs and PSs- where a single party has been unable to secure 50% or more of membership at the May 6th election. The local authorities’ election was conducted to elect members to 339 councils. The ruling NPP emerged as the largest party, leading in 267 local bodies. more..

May 19 (DM) Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) continued its bullish momentum, recording substantial volumes and turnover as the market closed above the 16,300 mark. The rally was primarily driven by positive developments in global trade relations-most notably, a deal between US and China on tariff restructuring, along with a new tariff agreement between the US and the UK. These agreements bolstered investor sentiment across global equity markets and are expected to more..

May 19 (DN) Sri Lanka’s boxing team faced tough competition in the semifinals of the Asian Boxing Confederation (ASBC) U-22 Boxing Championships at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium in Colombo yesterday. Despite their brave efforts, the Sri Lankan boxers were unable to secure spots in the finals. However, their performances ensured that they walked away with an impressive six bronze medals, concluding the day with a total of 11 bronze medals in the tournament. more..

May 19 (AD) A total of 15.1% of Sri Lankans lost their jobs due to the impact of the economic crisis in 2023, according to the Department of Census & Statistics. The data from the Dept also indicated a higher percentage of males lost either their main and/or secondary jobs due to the economic crisis compared to females. Meanwhile, the Census Department highlighted that during this period, 60.5% of households in the country experienced a decrease in their monthly income. more..

May 19 (FT) Dialog Axiata has announced a $ 100 million investment to further strengthen Sri Lanka’s digital infrastructure. With cumulative investments now exceeding $ 3.37 billion, Dialog reaffirms its commitment to inclusive connectivity, superior service delivery, and advancing the nation’s digital future. The premier connectivity provider and a member of the Dialog Axiata Group, the entity is Sri Lanka’s largest Foreign Direct Investor (FDI) operating under the guidance of the BOI. more..

May 19 (CT) In recent weeks, SL has witnessed an unusual yet critical shortage of a basic household commodity: salt. Once considered an abundant and low-cost staple on kitchen shelves, salt is now at the centre of a national supply chain crisis, with prices skyrocketing and public frustration mounting. Behind this alarming situation lies a tale of bureaucratic delays, import mismanagement, inadequate market regulation and more..

May 19 (FT) As the global workforce evolves at an unprecedented pace, universities are under mounting pressure to align academic training with the realities of the modern job market, experts warned last week. Speaking at a panel discussion hosted by ESOFT Uni (ESU), industry leaders, educators, and academics spotlighted the growing disconnect between institutional instruction and employment needs-a gap that carries immense consequences for both economic progress more..

May 19 (FT) Spa Ceylon, the world’s largest luxury Ayurveda chain, continued its success streak for global recognition by winning ‘Best New Personal Care Product’ at the prestigious Natural and Organic Beauty Innovation Awards 2025, held recently in the UK. Spa Ceylon won for its newly released ForestVeda Soothing and Calming Balm, with four other finalist entries at the Awards, which took place on the sidelines of the Natural and Organic Products Expo 2025. more..

May 19 (ST) In SL’s electoral history, the first signs of tension on the political horizon appear more often than not at the ground level when seemingly monolithic majorities crack with the fissures inevitably widening if left untreated, spreading out to the national level as the Centre collapses within itself. To put it in another way, as much as egoistic Colombo would like to think that it dictates the political story to lesser stars orbiting its core, the lesson is in the reverse. more..

May 19 (FT) The recent article published, 7 May in Daily FT, under the title Wind power: Essential element of renewable energy mix for Sri Lanka, shared by Mayura Botejue (a.k.a. ‘MB’), makes a passionate case for the primacy of wind in Sri Lanka’s renewable energy transition. While MB certainly raises some valid points in general however, on the other hand, his well-written piece clearly omits critical nuances required for a holistic understanding of not only SL’s energy but more..

May 19 (SO) The armed conflict which lasted for almost three decades between Govt Forces and LTTE was known as the Eelam War. The conflict broke out in 1983 and concluded in 2009. Today, SL marks the 16th anniversary of this event. During this time span, the war was temporarily stopped thrice due to international pressure to engage in peace negotiations. Since the mid 1970s there was friction and hostility more..

May 19 (Island) The police are investigating an incident where Thusitha Halloluwa, a top aide to former Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe, was attacked by two unidentified gunmen on Saturday night in Colombo. The attackers shot at his vehicle and assaulted him and a lawyer travelling with him before making off with a file containing some vital documents, the victim has said. No breakthrough had been made in the police probe at the time of going to press. more..

May 19 (CT) Among the most persistent threats to public health in SL today are mosquito-borne diseases, especially dengue and chikungunya. While the country has successfully eradicated malaria – a remarkable public health achievement that earned recognition from the WHO in 2016 – new challenges have emerged in the form of rapidly rising cases of other diseases carried by mosquitoes. These diseases, though preventable, continue to claim lives and cause suffering, largely due to more..

May 19 (CT) For years, Sri Lankans have helplessly witnessed a disturbing rise in fatal public transport accidents. The tragedies—caused by speeding, drunk driving, driver fatigue, roadside hazards, and sheer negligence—went largely unchecked. It was a cycle of ignorance and inaction. But the bottom line is the need for a proper outlook and plan executed to avoid such untimely deaths. The devastating crash of a SLTB bus more..

May 19 (CT) At last, the long-awaited LG Elections, which former Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe and before him the Rajapaksa Govt avoided for fear of exposing their growing unpopularity among voters, have proved that the seven months old NPP govt, amidst all negative propaganda and baseless accusations levelled by a dispirited and policy bankrupt opposition, continues to command respectable support all round the country. True, there has been a swing against NPP which is normal for more..

May 19 (DM) Restructuring is often a top down process. The Board of Directors may want to restructure a company by laying off workers. A Govt may decide to restructure State Owned Enterprises (SOEs) by privatising them. The IMF may demand that a country restructure its debt by imposing austerity measures. Furthermore, such painful measures are justified as necessary for integration with better institutional and economic structures. But what if the problem lies with powerful actors more..

May 18 (ST) While the local council elections are over, the tussle over who will form the administration of more than 150 councils where no party or group has an outright majority continues, with no clear picture yet on who will ultimately triumph. Opposition parties have been exploring how they can support each other to form administrations in local councils where the combined number of opposition members is greater than more..

May 18 (ST) The 16th National War Heroes Commemoration Ceremony will be held on Monday (19) at the National War Hero Cenotaph in Sri J'pura, Kotte, from 4 pm to 6 pm. A series of island-wide community welfare programmes will also be carried out by armed forces, Police and Civil Security Dept in view of the War Hero Commemorations. Deputy Minister of Defence Major General Aruna Jayasekara (Retd) is expected to represent Prez Anura Kumara at the event. more..

May 18 (ST) Dept of Immigration and Emigration is struggling with a backlog of more than 3,000 dual citizenship applications piled up over the past few months, with some papers submitted more than seven months ago remaining unattended. At least 1,000 of these applications have got the all clear from the relevant authorities, including clearance from the Police and the State Intelligence Service (SIS), but the applications have stalled at the department level, the Sunday Times learns. more..

May 18 (TM) CEB has submitted a tariff revision proposal to the PUCSL, seeking an 18.3% increase in electricity tariffs for the last seven months of this year. This significant hike is aimed at addressing a forecasted revenue shortfall of Rs. 42.2 billion, equivalent to 18.3% of the total estimated revenue for this period. As stated by the CEB, the shortfall is driven by rising operational costs, legacy debt, and regulatory challenges, more..

May 18 (ST) The Govt, acting on an IMF recommendation, is planning to cut massive tax breaks and duty exemptions for strategic development projects including the Colombo Port City. Strategic Development Project Act (SDPA) passed in parliament in 2008, provides tax incentives for large projects deemed strategic. Colombo Port City projects are included under this Act. However the Finance Ministry now plans to limit the duration of tax holidays granted under more..

May 18 (SO) Amendments to electricity tariffs will be carried out in a cost reflective way and not in a manner that will burden the masses as projected by those seeking to gain political mileage and fulfill their personal and political agendas, said a senior official of the Energy Ministry. Responding to media reports that there would be an electricity tariff hike in the range of 25% to 35% he said, no decision has been made with the figure as yet. According to certain media reports more..

May 18 (FT) Colombo stock market ended the shortened-trading week on a bullish note with improved turnover on the back of return of investor optimism. During the week, ASPI gained by 2.9% and the active S&P SL20 by 3.5%. Average daily turnover was Rs. 3.67 billion. In contrast, the indices gained by only 0.4% last week with turnover averaging Rs. 2 billion. On Friday, ASPI gained by 0.4% and the S&P SL20 by 0.5%. Turnover was Rs. 3.11 billion involving 153.8 million shares. more..

May 18 (AD) A special training workshop was held today (17) at the President’s Media Centre (PMC) for officials in charge of implementing activities related to the President’s Fund across Divisional Secretariats in the Western Province. Programme aimed to further enhance the decentralization of the services of the President’s Fund at the divisional level. This workshop brought together subject officers from all Divisional Secretariats in the Colombo, Kalutara and Gampaha districts, more..

May 18 (DM) The govt today refuted reports regarding the second phase of the vehicle sale conducted through a tender process by the Presidential Secretariat on May 15, claiming that all procedures related to this sale were carried out in accordance with the Asset Management Circular 05/2024. Presidential Secretariat said in a statement that the tender sale adhered to the govt's open tender procedure, with the announcement more..

May 18 (TM) The long-awaited $ 3.7 billion mega-scale oil refinery project in Hambantota, led by Chinese energy giant Sinopec, is facing further delays as an agreement on tax concessionieving the salt shortage, a stock of 2,800 MT of salt is expected by tomorrow, according to Ministry of Trade, Commerce & Food Security. Deputy Minister R.M. Jayawardana said: “We were informed that 2,800 MT of salt, an order which was placed earlier, will arrive by Monday.” A price reduction was also expected, while noting that slight delays could still occur. He said that upon the arrival of stocks, units which were currently sold at Rs. 400 could be brought down to the Rs. 100 mark. more..

May 18 (AD) Two unidentified men on a motorcycle have opened fire at a vehicle carrying the former Executive Director of the National Lotteries Board (NLB), Thusitha Halloluwa, and his lawyer at Dabare Mawatha in Narahenpita earlier today. No casualties or injuries were reported from the shooting incident, according to the police. However, it was later revealed that Halloluwa was assaulted following the incident and was subsequently admitted to hospital with injuries. Additionally, more..

May 18 (AD) PM Harini Amarasuriya stated that the development of a country depends on the productive contribution its citizens make towards the nation. The inauguration ceremony for the launch of the National Productivity Awards Competition 2025/2026 was held at the main hall of Temple Trees, under the patronage of the PM. During the event, the competition for the Education Sector was declared by PM Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, while for the Public Sector by Minister Sunil Handunnetti, and more..

May 18 (TM) The much-anticipated amendments to the Online Safety Act (OSA) will be tabled in Parliament within a month, according to Minister Ananda Wijepala. A committee comprising officials from the Ministries of Public Security, Mass Media, and Justice was initially tasked with drafting changes to the controversial legislation. Following extensive deliberations, the draft had been handed over to the Ministry of Mass Media for further refinement, and subsequently to the Ministry of Justice for more..

May 18 (TM) The long-awaited $ 3.7 billion mega-scale oil refinery project in Hambantota, led by Chinese energy giant Sinopec, is facing further delays as an agreement on tax concessions between the Govt and Sinopec is yet to be finalised. Ministry of Energy Secretary Udayanga Hemapala, confirming the delay of the project, said: “Govt called for Requests for Proposal (RFPs) and only four were received. more..

May 18 (EN) Foreign investors sold $4.6 million dollars worth Sri Lanka government securities in the week ended on May 15. The selling comes after two straight weeks of buying. The rupee has fallen slightly since Donald Trump’s tariff declaration while global investors have been shifting to safe-havens like gold. Globally investors have largely been a positive in the week, as they cheered a tariff truce between US and China that greatly reduces the risk of a global recession. more..

May 18 (TM) Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR) Competent Authority (CA) Shemal Fernando has said that he will make an official request via the Sports Minister tomorrow from National Men’s Rugby Team Head Coach Sanath Martis to reconsider his recent decision to resign. Fernando, who is also the Director General (DG) of Sports, stated that it was most unfortunate that Martis had decided to quit his post. The veteran coach, who was serving voluntarily, quit his post in the past week more..