Mar 10 (Island) Unity is not a virtue Sri Lankans, especially their elected representatives, are known for. This fact has been borne out once again by the ongoing argy-bargy over a census of some depredatory animals to be conducted on 15 March. A plan is reportedly underway to enumerate crop-raiding animals, such as monkeys, giant squirrels and peafowl, countrywide. Environmentalists, animal rights groups and the Opposition have dismissed the scheduled animal census as a hare-brained more..

Mar 10 (ST) Whatever possessed former Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe to flamboyantly claim that the report of the Commission of Inquiry inquiring into the use of the Batalanda Housing Scheme as an unlawful detention and torture chamber (1998-1990) was not formally on record, one would never know. This claim was made during an entirely ‘cringe-worthy interview’ by Al Jazeera’s Mehdi Hasan this week where the former President was barraged with allegations from safeguarding the Rajapaksas more..

Mar 10 (Island) In November last year, the American Institute for SL Studies (AISLS) organised a joint lecture on Ananda Coomaraswamy at the Int'l Centre for Ethnic Studies (ICES). Dr Janice Leoshko, of the Dept of Art and Art History at the Uni of Austin, Texas, and Dr Laura Weinstein, of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, spoke of the man, his life, and his work. They also reflected on the many paradoxes and contradictions underlying his views on the art, culture, and society of India and SL. more..

Mar 10 (AP) After leaving school, Jeewanthi Adikari was determined to pursue her studies in accounting, but her life took a different path when she began a three-month training program in hospitality. She has since worked in hotels throughout a career spanning more than two decades. Now 42, she is in charge of SL’s first resort fully operated and managed by women. It is an attempt to address gender disparities in more..

Mar 10 (FT) CoPF has approved a hike in excise duty on liquor but put the brakes on a proposed cigarette levy increase, citing concerns over its impact on Govt revenue. Move came during a heated session in Parliament, where lawmakers debated the implications of the new tax measures on 6 March. 5.9% excise duty increase on liquor, issued under Excise Notification No. 01/2025 was given the green light despite warnings that higher prices could push consumers toward illicit alcohol. more..

Mar 10 (AD) Two women and a one-year-old infant have died in a head-on collision involving a three-wheeler and a bus in the Galahitiyawa area of Madampe. Police said that nine people, including the driver, had been traveling in the three-wheeler at the time of the accident. The deceased were women aged 32, 36, and a one-year-old child, all residents of Minuwangoda and Ragama. Two other men, including the three-wheeler driver, along with two young boys and two girls, sustained injuries more..

Mar 10 (CI) New Zealand defended with all their might against heavy favourites India. But in the end, India had just too much quality and depth to end their second straight ICC tournament unbeaten. They now hold two of the four ICC trophies, having lost in the final of the other two. In the last three ICC tournaments alone, India have won 22 of their last 23 completed matches. On a tired pitch, run-scoring followed similar patterns. Having won a crucial toss - India have lost their last 15 ODI tosses more..

Mar 10 (FT) The CoPF last week renewed its call to expedite the establishment of the Casino Regulatory Authority, citing major loss of revenue to the State coffers. The matter was discussed during a session in Parliament on 6 March, chaired by Dr. Harsha de Silva, where lawmakers highlighted issues related to casino taxes. Committee Chair highlighted a major regulatory gap, where the CoPF had been working for years to establish a Casino Regulatory Authority. Dr. de Silva pointed out that more..

Mar 10 (SO) SL officials are set to meet representatives from China’s Export-Import Bank (Exim Bank) today (9) to discuss the resumption of the Central Expressway construction, Minister Bimal Rathnayake said. The discussions aim to restart the much-anticipated first phase of the Expressway project, which has faced significant delays in recent years. Section of Expressway from Mirigama was constructed with local funding & contractors. more..

Mar 10 (ST) SL’s N. Thangaraja brought home the bacon, clinching the coveted title at the ₹1 crore Ahmedabad Open Golf Championship at Kensville Golf and Country Club. 43-year-old, representing Royal Colombo Golf Club, secured a five-shot victory over India’s Yashas Chandra with a final total of eight-under 280. This win marks his fifth title on the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI), netting him a cheque of Indian Rupees 1.5 million and cementing his place as one of South Asia’s more..

Mar 10 (CI) Georgia Plimmer's maiden ODI hundred gave New Zealand a 2-0 series win over SL as they beat the visitors by 98 runs in the third ODI in Nelson. Batting first, NZ posted a formidable 280 for 6, for which the foundation was set by a 108-run stand between Plimmer and Suzie Bates at the top of the order. Bates fell for 53 but Plimmer carried on. After Emma McLeod fell cheaply, Plimmer added 60 for the third wicket with Brooke Halliday and 51 for the fourth wicket Maddy Green. more..

Mar 10 (ST) National Construction Association of SL (NCASL) has protested to the Road Development Authority (RDA) that the bidding process to award Section 3 of the Central Expressway Project (CEP 3) is noncompliant with established procurement guidelines. The Association warns that the non-standard bidding documents and conditions of the contract have been used and that local bidders were requested “unreasonable more..

Mar 10 (Island) Emerging middle distance runner Lahiru Achintha of St. Aloysius’ College Rathnapura won an event double with a new national Under 18 record performance in the boys’ 3000 metres at the Second Selection Trial conducted by Sri Lanka Athletics at Diyagama. Lahiru Achintha clocked 4:02.38 seconds to win the Under 18 1500 metres on the final day of the meet on Sunday. His most remarkable feat however was the 8:46.01 seconds performance in the Under 18 3,000 metres. more..

Mar 10 (CI) SL cricketer Ashen Bandara was arrested on Saturday after it was alleged that he had assaulted his neighbour following a parking-related issue. He has since been granted bail, and is expected to appear in court on March 12. The incident occurred on Saturday in Piliyandala, where Bandara resides. Following an argument over a parked vehicle blocking the road, Bandara is alleged to have entered his neighbour's house and assaulted the individual. more..

Mar 10 (FT) SL foreign exchange (FX) market has successfully implemented an FX matching platform, as per the initiative taken by the Central Bank (CB) to foster a deeper FX market. This platform, which is accessible to all licenced commercial banks, National Savings Bank, and the CB, was introduced to enhance price discovery, and to promote greater transparency and efficiency in the domestic FX market. Accordingly, BMatch FX matching platform (BMatch) of Bloomberg was chosen by more..

Mar 10 (ST) Retired SC Justice Upali Abeyratne has resigned with immediate effect from the Right to Information (RTI) Commission through a communication addressed to Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Wednesday (4). He was the chairman of the commission. The reasons for the resignation are publicly unknown. Under Section 12(1) of the RTI Act, the RTI Commission shall consist of four commissioners and a chair appointed by Prez upon the recommendation of CC. more..

Mar 10 (DH) A day after the allotment of free land to former Sri Lankan cricketer Muttiah Muralitharan’s Ceylon Beverage sparked controversy in Jammu and Kashmir, it was revealed that the company has pulled out from an over Rs 1,650 crore investment in Kathua. The withdrawal was due to the expiration of incentives under the 2021 National Sector Industrial Policy, which ended in September last year. more..

Mar 10 (DN) IndiGo has announced the launch of daily direct flights between Tiruchirappalli (Trichy) in TN and Jaffna. It is scheduled to commence from 30 March. The new flights are being introduced to cater to the growing travel demand between the two regions by providing more options for business, leisure and religious travellers. IndiGo’s Global Head of Sales, Vinay Malhotra said, “We are delighted to expand our presence in SL with the launch of our exclusive Tiruchirappalli-Jaffna route. more..

Mar 10 (FT) The Solar Industries Association (SIA) last week urged the Government to halt further rooftop solar tariffs reductions, warning that such a move could jeopardise the industry’s growth and hinder Sri Lanka’s transition to renewable energy. The industry representatives highlighted severe consequences of tariff reductions, with SIA President Javid Kamil explaining that the industry would not be able to survive with unstable and unpredictable policies. more..

Mar 10 (DM) Sri Lanka’s confectionery industry is experiencing some sweet growth as it on an upward trajectory this year, supported by improving economic sentiment, consecutive festive seasons, and a forecasted increase in consumer spending following the salary hikes outlined in the national budget. Industry stakeholders noted that as the economy stabilises, sales of confectionery products have picked up, reflecting a shift in consumer confidence post-economic crisis. more..

Mar 10 (AD) Fifteen Indian nationals who were residing in the country without valid visas, in violation of immigration and emigration regulations, have been deported to Chennai, India. They had entered the country on free tourist visas issued at BIA in Katunayake. It has also been revealed that this group of Indian nationals had been working as carvers, while another set of individuals from the group had been participating in religious group propaganda in the Jaffna area. more..

Mar 10 (FT) The IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva on Friday congratulated Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake for his progressiveness and reiterated further support to SL. Georgieva made this observation during a virtual meeting with Dissanayake where SL’s recent progress in ensuring macro-economic stability was discussed along with necessary measures to address current and future challenges. more..

Mar 10 (Island) Police have restored security to YouTuber Chamuditha Samarawickrama after he brought to Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s notice what he called an imminent threat to his life from the underworld. Samarawickrema has alleged that Dubai-based Battuwatte Chamara was planning to kill him. Hiru anchor said he phoned Prez Dissanayake on Feb 19, the day after the killing of Aruna Vidanagamage alias Meegasare Kajja. NPP govt removed security provided to more..

Mar 10 (DM) Deputy Minister Sunil Watagala said that if IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon continues to evade court proceedings, his movable and immovable assets will be freezed in accordance with legal provisions. He said the assets can be freezed under the circular already issued by Acting IGP Priyantha Weerasuriya. He made these remarks during a ceremony in Modara. Earlier, police said that legal action will be taken against anyone found assisting IGP Tennakoon in evading arrest. more..

Mar 10 (EN) A medical officer in Eastern Sri Lanka who has come to the notice of authorities over alleged links to an extremist Islamic group denies any violent intentions and says the state can arrest him if he has broken any laws. He rejects charges of extremism, though locals in the area say he and his followers have unorthodox views which has led to disputes with a mainstream Muslim group in the area. more..

Mar 10 (FT) President Anura Kumara Dissanayake or AKD promised in his election manifesto that his Government will “actively promote fields such as science and technology, research, education, culture, art, cinema, music, philosophy, and sports at the state, corporate, and individual levels”.1 Regarding health services, this was elaborated as introducing mechanisms to identify, manage, and treat chronic non-communicable diseases.2 Cancer was one such non-communicable disease. more..

Mar 10 (FT) We were supposed to have become a rich country decades ago. At Independence many predicted that Ceylon would become the Switzerland of the East. Instead communal strife, corruption and misguided economic policy held us back. Every decade had its share of self-inflicted economic wounds. The 1950s saw the emigration of many of the nation’s best and brightest due to Sinhala Only – depriving us of our leaders at the crucial moment of our country’s rebirth. more..

Mar 10 (DM) S. Thomas’ College regained the Rt. Hon. D.S. Senanayake Memorial Shield after six years - winning the 146th Battle of the Blues encounter by five wickets on Saturday courtesy of what has been widely described as a 'sporting declaration' from their arch rivals Royal College. Royal College declared their second innings at 215-8 setting up Thomians a run chase of 233 in 42 overs - a modest target on a Day 3 wicket at the SSC, which probably is SL's best batting turf. more..

Mar 10 (AD) Minister Anura Karunathilaka revealed that a substantial salary increase will be made for university academic and non-academic staff under the public sector employee salary revision. Minister emphasizing that the new salary structure would significantly benefit university professionals. According to Minister Karunathilaka, the salary of a senior professor, which currently stands at Rs. 139,075, will see an increase to Rs. 237,530 as the new basic salary. more..

Mar 10 (AD) Former Governor of the CB, Dr. Indrajith Coomaraswamy, addressed allegations regarding the surge in Int'l Sovereign Bond (ISB) borrowings during his tenure that led to the country’s debt default, clarifying that much of the debt was used for liability management and to avert an earlier default. He responded to claims that his administration’s borrowing policies contributed to SL’s eventual default. more..

Mar 10 (AD) Former IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon has filed a writ petition with the Court of Appeal seeking an order preventing his arrest. The petition, filed through his legal representatives, has requested that an interim injunction be issued to stay the arrest warrant issued against him by the Matara Magistrate’s Court. The Matara Magistrate’s Court had recently issued a warrant for the arrest of the former IGP in connection with a shooting incident that took place in front of the W15 Hotel more..

Mar 10 (DM) Some 22,450 institutions have failed to pay EPF to its employees since 2015 to date, it was disclosed in Parliament. These details which were tabled by the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development in response to an oral question raised by MP Nalin Bandara Jayamaha revealed that these institutions had defaulted a total of Rs 34, 989,162, 957,81 ( Rs 34.9 billion) during the period by refraining from paying EPF to their employees. more..

Mar 10 (NW) Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has emphasized the need for an education system that meets the demands of the international labour market while strengthening free education. MP Premadasa said the current education system requires significant reform and urged a review of whether the country’s education methodology produces global citizens. He highlighted that 70% of a child’s brain more..

Mar 10 (AD) Internationally acclaimed American singer Aloe Blacc has arrived at BIA this morning (10) for a three-day visit to Sri Lanka. Aloe Blacc, who has topped music charts in 22 countries and is a nominee for the prestigious Grammy Awards in the US, is visiting Sri Lanka at the invitation of Professor Gomika Udugamasooriya, Senior Advisor to the Prez. The purpose of his visit is to engage in discussions regarding the initiation of an investment project in SL’s health sector. more..

Mar 10 (NW) Basnayake Nilame of the Ruhunu Kataragama Maha Devalaya, Dishan Gunasekara says he was questioned by the CID today regarding a house built for former Prez Mahinda Rajapaksa in Kataragama. Dishan Gunasekara said the house was built by a person named Wimalaratne and was funded by the then Chief Incumbent of the Kataragama Kiriwehera Temple. Stating that the person who built the house is currently unwell and the then Chief Incumbent of Kataragama more..