May 18 (AFP) A commando in an elite SL police unit, Sameera Dilshan has an unusual mission -- to reclaim farms poisoned by salt, a long-standing problem now accelerating due to climate change. Increasing salinity is slowly and steadily swallowing traditional rice paddies along the island's coastline, taking away the livelihood of generations of farmers. Two hours' drive of Colombo lies Katukurunda, one of the camps of more..

May 18 (ST) The writ application filed by SL cricket white-ball captain Charith Asalanka, and Sri Lanka Test captain Dhananjaya de Silva, and a separate writ application filed by Chamari Athapaththu, the captain of the national women’s cricket team will be taken up again on May 22 at the Court of Appeal. The hearing of the case took place on Thursday the Court of Appeal for consideration, where President’s Counsel Dr. Harsha Cabral and Counsel Nishan Premathiratne appeared on behalf more..

May 18 (CT) Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2025 has welcomed four SL cricketers as replacement players, injecting fresh talent and experience into the tournament. As teams look to strengthen their squads for the remainder of the season, the arrival of these players is expected to make a significant impact. Quetta Gladiators have made a strong move by signing two key players. Avishka Fernando has joined the squad, who is known for his aggressive stroke play and ability to provide quick starts. more..

May 18 (CT) Addressing the annual The Hindu Huddle Conversations in Bengaluru last week, former SL Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe said that India and Indians should reimagine the region beyond sub-continental South Asia. Then, and only then, could their nation become the third arm of a tri-polar world that has been in the making since the end of the Cold War. Wickremesinghe went on to say that India should go and grow beyond Pakistan-based cross-border terrorism to be able to more..

May 18 (FT) Attention is drawn to the following public announcement on 7 May 2025: Technical expert committee chaired by a Supreme Court judge is to study the need for new laws to establish an Independent Prosecutors office and recommend amendments to existing laws as needed – newsfirst.lk. Composition of the Committee, its detailed terms of reference, scope, limitations and objectives; as well as the proposed structure and focus for development of the reform strategy, more..

May 18 (ST) It was only the other day that Minister Vijitha Herath said how happy he was to see that Gary Anandasangaree had become Minister of Justice and AG of Canada. This week, Minister Herath had to summon Canadian HC and convey his Govt’s strong rejection of unfounded genocide allegations against SL following the construction of a monument in Canada that was dedicated to such purported genocide. more..

May 18 (ST) My dear Saroja, I didn’t think I will write to you so soon but I feel I should. This is after hearing you speak about the sad passing away of a schoolgirl under questionable circumstances, some of which comes under your watch. Your response received widespread disapproval and you may be wondering what went wrong. To begin with, it appears that when matters were first brought to the notice of the girl’s school, nothing much was done and the teacher at the centre of this issue more..

May 18 (ST) The skewed local govt election system has thrown up hung councils around the country, forcing mainstream political parties to desperately strike deals to form majorities, going back on their lofty pledges of yesteryear not to do so come hell or high water. The arrogant pledges from political pulpits not to strike deals with rogues from the other camp have to be set aside, as the election results have forced the parties to eat humble pie. Politics is, after all, the art of the possible and more..

May 18 (TM) The nucleus of the ruling NPP, the JVP, reached a milestone last week when it marked its 60th anniversary with a rally held on Wednesday (14) at the Viharamahadevi Open-Air Theatre. The event was held without much fanfare with JVP/NPP Leader, Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD) taking centre stage and making history as the first Prez produced by the JVP in its 60-year history. It was however noticeable more..

May 18 (TM) Almost two weeks after the LG Elections, it appears that Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake is yet to come to terms with the people’s verdict. In every speech made since, he has attempted to paint the results as a resounding victory for his NPP even though the results indicate a 34% decline in support compared with the Parliamentary Polls 6 months ago. Although attempting to show a brave face, it is apparent that the Prez is seething over the performance more..

May 18 (SO) Today, SL marks the 16th anniversary of the end of the Eelam War. The formal ceremony in this regard will be held at the War Heroes Memorial in Battaramulla tomorrow. Now it is marked along the lines of a remembrance day where we remember with gratitude the sacrifices made by members of the Tri Forces and Police/STF to bring peace to the Motherland by eradicating terrorism. The Nation is forever in their debt. Moreover, it is a day to remember all those who perished during more..

May 17 (CT) Officers working at the grassroots level in child protection system allege that many school authorities are failing to support the operation of child protection committees, established nationwide to safeguard children from all forms of abuse. Ministry of Education issued Circular titled School Child Protection Committees: ‘Surekum Pawwa’ (The Shield of Protection), on 10 May 2011. It instructed all provincial chief secretaries, more..

May 17 (FT) The International Day of Vesak 2025 was celebrated by the Member States of UNESCO with a Symposium themed Buddhist Cosmopolitanism and Exchange along the Silk Road: Interplay between Buddhism and Trade in Ancient Asia, on the full moon day of Vesak of 12 May 2025 at UNESCO headquarters. The symposium was organised by the Permanent Delegation of Sri Lanka in association with UNESCO. more..

May 17 (AD) General Manager of SL Railways, Dhammika Jayasundara, announced that train services will be limited to short-distance routes such as Galle, Negombo, and Veyangoda today (17). Accordingly, all long-distance train services have been suspended, he said. This decision follows a one-day token strike launched by railway station masters at midnight yesterday in response to several unresolved demands. Chairman of the Railway Station Masters’ Union, Sumedha Somaratne, more..

May 17 (HRW) This Sunday (18), marks 16 years since the SL govt defeated the LTTE, ending an armed conflict that had raged for 26 years. But while the fighting has long been over, the battle for justice for Tamil women victims continues. Both sides in the conflict committed countless atrocities. Among the victims were female LTTE fighters and other Tamil women captured by govt soldiers before being stripped, sexually mutilated, and killed more..

May 17 (AD) More details have been revealed regarding the shooting incident that took place last evening (16) in front of a residence on Sumithrarama Road, within the Kotahena Police Division. According to police, two unidentified individuals on a motorcycle opened fire on a man and a woman who were standing in front of a residence and fled the area. Both victims sustained injuries in the incident and were admitted to the Colombo National Hospital for treatment of gunshot wounds. more..

May 17 (DM) Transport & Highways Ministry expressed their displeasure over the sudden train strike launched by SL Railways Station Masters' Union (SLRSMU), which caused inconvenience to the public. Ministry stated that the strike was launched based on two demands: promoting Station Masters every five years and halting measures for new recruitments. Communiqué further noted that Cabinet approval was granted at the beginning of this year for 909 recruitments to Railways more..

May 17 (DM) The govt will not accept sending of migrant workers to places in Palestine which are held by Israel, Minister Bimal Ratnayake said. He said that Sri Lanka continues to hold its stance for a free Palestinian State and said that SL will not approve of hostilities by Israel against Palestine. Responding to a question on MP Rauff Hakeem’s recent statement that SL should stop sending migrant workers to Israel, Minister said Hakeem had been in several govts as a Minister but more..

May 17 (CT) An amount of Rs 2.07 million was fraudulently siphoned from the toll revenue of the Southern Expressway by 16 officials who were on duty between 2021 and 30 August 2023, according to a senior officer at the Ministry of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation. The official said that the expressway’s toll system, which was initially introduced as a temporary measure in 2011, has continued to operate without adequate oversight or technological upgrades for over a decade. more..

May 17 (DN) Sri Lanka’s young boxing stars lit up the ring on the fifth day of the ASBC Asian Under-22 and Youth Boxing Championships at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium in Colombo yesterday, with three fighters storming into the semi-finals. Umayanga Mihiran, Asehan Karunanayaka, and Deshan Jayasundara produced superb performances to keep local hopes alive in front of an enthusiastic home crowd. more..

May 17 (DN) Central Bank of SL issued Circular No. 02 of 2025 on 7 May, mandating that all licensed commercial and specialised banks report any significant information technology or cybersecurity event that disrupts core banking functions, results in unauthorized access to customer data, or facilitates fraudulent transactions. The directive references Banking Act Direction No. 16 of 2021 on technology risk management and resilience, thereby embedding this requirement within an established more..

May 17 (AD) Former Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe says that the submissions made with reference to him in court today by the Counsel for the Bribery Commission is a wilful misleading of the Court and that he is consulting his lawyers regarding the action to be taken. The former Prez stated that the media reports highlighting submissions alleged to have been made in Court by the Counsel for CIABOC with reference to him, does not mention that the application to cancel bail already granted more..

May 17 (ST) Investigations into the death of Charith Dilshan, the Sabaragamuwa University student believed to have been the victim of extreme ragging, are continuing. 10 arrests have been made so far. Four of the suspects were arrested and produced in the Balangoda Magistrate’s Court on Monday, and six were arrested and produced in the same court on Tuesday. The suspects, all third-year students from Sabaragamuwa, are in remand until their next court date on 16 May. more..

May 17 (FT) A new study by Sri Lankan researchers has found that only one in five adults with high blood pressure in SL have their condition under control, highlighting the need to strengthen detection and treatment of SL patients with high blood pressure. Just published in the international journal BMC Public Health, the study analysed data from over 6,300 adults across the country, collected by the SL Health and Ageing Study (SLHAS). The SLHAS is a SL research initiative led by more..

May 17 (Island) The FSP demanded an immediate termination of what it called a secretive and dangerous defence agreement signed between SL and India, during Indian PM Narendra Modi’s 05 April visit. FSP Education Secretary Pubudu Jagoda described the agreement as a betrayal of the nation and a crime against the people, urging the govt to invoke Article 12 of the deal and exit it with the required 3 months’ notice. more..

May 17 (FT) Dialog Axiata said it has delivered a strong performance across Mobile, Fixed Line, Digital Pay TV and Tele-infrastructure businesses recording a positive revenue growth of 4% Year on Year (YoY) to reach Rs. 43.3 billion for Q1 2025. On a Quarter on Quarter (QoQ) basis, revenue declined by 5% owing to conscious scaling down of low margin int'l wholesale business amounting to Rs. 1.7 billion for Q1 2025. Group Core Revenue was recorded at Rs. 41.4 billion for Q1 2025, more..

May 17 (FT) In its May edition, pioneering business magazine LMD reports: “Businesspeople have downgraded their hopes of brighter economic prospects, compared to a month ago.” “A notably cautious economic and business outlook has settled over corporates, with PepperCube Consultants reporting a more tempered perspective in biz circles. This is in line with the mighty fall in business confidence in April,” it notes. LMD adds: “Latest LMD Business Confidence Index (BCI) survey, more..

May 17 (CT) In an embarrassing lapse of foresight and logistical planning, Dept of Motor Traffic (DMT) is once again under fire as the country faces a renewed shortage of vehicle number plates—crippling the vehicle registration process and inconveniencing thousands of vehicle owners nationwide. This is not the first time the department has found itself mired in controversy over basic operational functions, but this latest more..

May 17 (FT) The Ajahn Brahm Society of SL (ABSSL) has announced the arrival of Ven. Ajahn Brahm in Sri Lanka. Many, both Buddhists and non-Buddhists, know him and have listened to his addresses made on earlier visits, including his 2023 public talk at the BMICH, which was attended by over 4,000 people. Ven. Ajahn Brahmavamso, popularly known as Ajahn Brahm, is the Head Abbot of Bodhinyana Monastery in Serpentine, Perth. He was a pupil of the famous Thai forest monk more..

May 17 (ST) As Chikungunya, the mosquito-borne viral disease, is spreading fast in Sri Lanka and severely affecting many adults, it would be good to have a safe vaccine, an expert said on Friday, urging however that strong data should be available before any decision is taken. Reiterating that safety is of paramount importance, Prof. Neelika Malavige looked closely at the first vaccine produced to protect adults against Chikungunya caused by the virus – CHIKV. more..

May 17 (FT) A new luxury care facility for seniors, Grand Leisure Care and Wellness Resort, has officially opened its doors in Kochchikade, Negombo, offering a fresh approach to aged care in SL. The resort has been designed to international standards, and brings together comfort, medical support, and wellness to create a place where seniors can enjoy life. Unlike traditional elderly care homes in the country, Grand Leisure is built like a resort. It is warm, welcoming, and thoughtfully designed. more..

May 17 (FT) Sinopec marked a significant milestone in its operations in Sri Lanka with the successful hosting of the first Clean Sri Lanka Open Day, held on 16 May, 2025, at the newly renovated Dilly fuelling station in Nawala. The event marked the commencement of Sinopec’s formal participation in the Clean SL Project; a nationwide strategic initiative that targets a cleaner environment and fosters shared moral commitment. Sinopec joined the Clean SL Project to support more..