Mar 18 (DM) Nawaloka Hospitals today commissioned South Asia’s first Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven Canon Vantage Orian MRI scanner. This state-of-the-art system reinforces Nawaloka Hospitals’ reputation as a pioneer in medical innovation and advanced patient care. This strategic investment, along with a complete upgrade of the radiology diagnostic system, amounts to USD 4.5 million—underscoring Nawaloka’s commitment to advancing healthcare through cutting-edge more..

Mar 18 (NW) Writ petition filed by the two national cricket captains taken up for support before the Court of Appeal challenging arbitrary classification. The Petitioners, Charith Asalanka and Dhanajaya De Silva as the respective captains of the One Day International and Twenty20 cricket teams and the Test Cricket Team, had their petition taken up before the Acting President of the Court of Appeal Justice M.T.M. Lafar more..

Mar 18 (FT) SL Export Development Board (EDB) has taken a significant step towards fostering the growth of SL’s boat building and boating industry by taking initiatives to develop a comprehensive regulatory framework. This framework aims to enhance the sector’s potential, driving it forward with greater int'l competitiveness. To ensure effective understanding and collaboration, the EDB organised awareness creation sessions for both public and private sector stakeholders more..

Mar 18 (DM) Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA) marks its 12th anniversary today but the under-utilised facility continues to struggle with financial losses and minimal airline traffic, renewing calls for a strategic overhaul. Opened on March 18, 2013, MRIA was intended to be the country’s second international gateway. However, despite its modern infrastructure, it has failed to attract sustained airline operations, with major carriers pulling out, due to low passenger demand. more..

Mar 18 (NW) SJB Chairperson and former MP Imthiaz Bakeer Markar has resigned from his position as SJB Chairman. He has stepped down from the chairmanship while remaining a member of the party. The exact reason for his resignation is not yet known. In December, Imthiaz Bakeer Markar called on the party leadership to initiate a comprehensive reorganization of the SJB. He said the party needed to strengthen its connection more..

Mar 18 (FT) SL’s tourism industry is gaining momentum, with the Govt unveiling an ambitious vision to position the country as a top global destination. Deputy Minister Ruwan Ranasinghe recently outlined a strategy that combines inclusive development, int'l collaboration, and strategic branding to transform the industry, whilst preserving SL’s rich cultural heritage. He said the series of global accolades in early 2025 has reaffirmed SL’s growing stature on the world travel map. more..

Mar 18 (MB) Monkeys were expected to be among the chief culprits identified as Sri Lanka carried out a nationwide survey on March 15 of crop-raiding animals. But in a small village near the Sinharaja Forest Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, an unusual population of langurs has captured attention, becoming a local tourist attraction. Purple-faced langurs (Semnopithecus vetulus) are found only in SL and typically have a black coat with distinctive facial markings. more..

Mar 18 (DM) While issuing an island-wide incident summary, the Disaster Management Center (DMC) today reported that four persons from the Moneragala, Anuradhapura and Hambantota districts were killed in elephant attacks between March 10 and 13. A total of seven persons have been killed, and 214 individuals from 60 families in ten districts have been affected by natural disasters. The remaining deaths occurred in Galle (2) & Puttalam (1) due to drowning & falling trees. more..

Mar 18 (CT) UNP Chairman Wajira Abeywardena claimed that the third chapter of the Batalanda Commission report indicated that a total of 1,960 UNP members were murdered by the JVP during the 1987 and 1988 insurgency. Abeywardena stated that the report highlighted the alarming extent of damage caused to State properties by the JVP. He also pointed out that the commission report noted the significant threat posed to the lives of politicians and the severe and continuous deterioration of more..

Mar 18 (DM) While dismissing the writ petition filed by IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon, the Court of Appeal yesterday observed that it is regrettable that the head of the police department, who possesses extensive knowledge of the law, hid for several days to prevent his arrest and this would not only undermine the judiciary but also tarnishes the reputation of the police department. Court of Appeal’s two-judge bench, comprising more..

Mar 18 (CT) Environment Minister Dhammika Patabendi stated in Parliament that despite the existence of more than a hundred environmental laws in the country, SL has failed to become environmentally friendly. He highlighted that the current govt has allocated the largest budget in history to the Ministry of Environment and is planning to amend the Environment Act very soon. Furthermore, he mentioned that regulations would be amended accordingly, with plans to more..

Mar 18 (NW) Uruwarige Wannila Aththo, the leader of the Indigenous population known as Veddas, says he plans to take legal action against comedians Blok & Dino over a YouTube program he claims misrepresented the Indigenous Vedda community. He said the program was made for commercial purposes at the expense of his community’s heritage, distorting their language and traditions. He said his attempts to contact the creators and request the removal of the video were unsuccessful. more..

Mar 18 (CT) During the budget Committee Stage debate on the environment sector and related topics, Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa presented several key proposals in Parliament aimed at advancing the environmental and wildlife sectors. He emphasised the need for a national environmental system assessment to raise public awareness about the value of biodiversity within the country’s ecosystem. more..

Mar 18 (AD) Cabinet has greenlighted the amendments to Aswesuma welfare benefit scheme. The Aswesuma welfare benefit scheme, which was implemented from July 01, 2023, was amended for the last time by the Extraordinary Gazette Notification No. 2415/66 dated 2024.12.21, Minister Nalinda Jayatissa said. He also noted that according to the provisions allocated in the 2025 Budget, Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal submitted by the President in his capacity as more..

Mar 18 (EN) Sri Lanka is preparing a tariff for state-run CEB for solar power with battery, where electricity will be supplied during the night peak, as part of efforts to boost renewables, Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody said. “It is likely to be a promotional tariff,” Minister Jayakody told parliament. “We would like investors to come for that. We will make it profitable for them. “They can charge the battery during the day and supply to our grid during the night.” more..

Mar 19 (CT) The recent statement of Environment Minister Dhammika Patabendi paints a picture of a nation finally waking up to the dire state of its environment. After years of laws, bans, and policies that have done little beyond filling govt reports, SL now seems to be making its most ambitious attempt yet to turn things around. But does a bigger Budget and new legal frameworks guarantee a greener future, or are we once again standing at the edge of empty promises and bureaucratic delays? more..

Mar 19 (GV) NPP outlined its vision for strengthening the local dairy industry in its policy statement, A Prosperous Country, A Beautiful Life. However, four months after the new govt took office, it has yet to provide a solution to the ongoing crisis faced by dairy farmers in Mylathamadu in Batticaloa. The primary issue confronting dairy farmers is the acquisition of traditional grazing lands by external crop cultivators. For centuries these grasslands have served as vital feeding grounds for cattle. more..

Mar 19 (CT) If evidence emerges that the death of a three-year-old boy following a kidney-related surgery at the Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children was caused by the negligence of the hospital staff, perpetrators should be arrested and produced in Court. This was the directive given by Colombo Additional Magistrate Harshana Kekunawela on 11 March, while issuing a magisterial order regarding the child’s death. more..

Mar 19 (DM) The history of Presidential Commissions in Ssri Lanka is one of brazen political opportunism and travesty of justice. They were the oft-deployed tools in the govt’s arsenal before local and international outcry, as an eyewash and distraction from its grim human rights record. As a general rule, they are toothless and devoid of powers to take legal action against perpetrators. Very presidents who established presidential commissions had rarely followed up with more..

Mar 19 (DM) My tenure of office as Vice Chancellor of the Uni of Colombo coincided with the most turbulent period in the history of the university system in our country. There was a near-total collapse of all systems, and the cost in terms of the loss of life, destruction of public and private property and disruption of all sectors of national life, was exorbitant. As this time of upheaval drew to a close, the Govt, in Oct 1989, appointed a Presidential Commission to examine, more..

Mar 19 (TM) In recent years, SL has made significant strides in incorporating Renewable Energy (RE) into its national grid, with rooftop solar playing a crucial role. However, concerns about grid instability, exacerbated by power blackouts and variable energy generation, have raised questions about the future of rooftop solar in the country. These challenges have sparked speculation that Govt may take measures more..

Mar 19 (TM) SL motorists and pedestrians often face challenges when navigating SL’s complex road networks after dark as many invariably have to move through patches where street lights are not functioning. This predicament, although common, has now become a norm for road users despite the safety and security issues it creates. How long do we, as taxpayers, have to face these challenges? A majority of private vehicles on the road have already paid their dues in taxes, which ought to see more..

Mar 19 (Island) Some health sector trade unions launched a 24-hour strike yesterday, aggravating the suffering of the sick who visited the state-run hospitals seeking treatment. The protesting workers have said they were left with no alternative but to resort to trade union action as the Health Ministry had not heeded their grievances, the main being that their take-home salaries will decrease despite the government’s claim that it has granted them pay hikes. more..

Mar 19 (ST) It was the day after the Ides. The Ides of March, that is, the one that got Julius the Genius straight in the solar plexus. But this was long, long after. Actually, it was the Year of our Lord Monkey Two Thousand and Twenty Five. It was the year when the governing high and mighty and their intellectual busybodies started counting coconuts instead of dollars, and the presiding marvels from the International Monkey Survivalist Fund (IMF for short, but certainly not for long, more..

Mar 19 (Island) Though Sri Lanka has a new government, its first budget for 2025 remains within the conditions and targets of the ongoing IMF programme (which will continue until the end of 2027). A major shortfall in the budget is the lack of a developmental thrust, which is essential for the country to grow out of the current crisis. Rather than discussing the minutiae of the budget, it is worth looking at how Sri Lanka got into this situation by making the same mistakes over and over again. more..

Mar 19 (FT) SL’s economy achieved a complete turnaround in 2024 posting a 5.4% growth as against a contraction of 2.3% in 2023. Turnaround was driven by Industry and Services sectors which grew by 11% and 2.4% as opposed to contraction of 9.2% and 0.2% in 2023. Agriculture sector managed to grow by only 1.2% in comparison to 2.6% in the previous year. Agriculture, Industry & Services contributed their share to the GDP more..

Mar 19 (FT) Ahead of the LG polls, Cabinet of Ministers at their meeting on Monday approved the provisions of fertiliser subsidies to farmers cultivating during the 2025 Yala season. Accordingly, the Govt will subsidise fertiliser costs as, Rs. 25,000 per hectare for paddy cultivation, with a maximum subsidy covering of two hectare per farmer and Rs. 15,000 per hectare for other field crops grown on paddy land, as determined during seasonal meeting also capped at two hectares per farmer. more..

Mar 19 (FT) Growing uncertainties on the future of global trade as President Trump seeks to impose reciprocal tariffs make programs such as the EU’s GSP+ more significant for small exporters such as SL. With a reported visit by EU representatives to assess GSP+, it is important to note that in the absence of the current tariff preferences, SL will face a tariff increase up to Most Favoured Nation (MFN) levels, likely resulting in export losses and associated negative labour market effects. more..

Mar 19 (FT) The Cabinet of Ministers on Monday approved the launch of a procurement process to select consultants for the Electricity Sector Strengthening and Renewable Power Consolidation Project, backed by funding from the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The project aims to address rising electricity demand by upgrading the transmission and distribution networks managed by the Lanka Electricity Company Ltd., (LECO) and the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB). more..

Mar 19 (FT) Some of the best brains in the industry have been appointed to the latest Tourism Advisory Committee by Minister Vijitha Herath. The Committee is established under Section 32 of the Tourism Act No. 38 of 2005. Its mandate is to advise the Govt on strategic and sustainable tourism development, enhancing the growth of the tourism industry in line with the National Tourism Policy. The new Committee brings together various industry leaders, professionals and stakeholders more..

Mar 19 (ST) The strident wake-up call in SL’s state hospitals has regrettably followed a heinous crime, even though security and safety issues have been dogging the state health sector for decades. A woman doctor at the A'pura Teaching Hospital was sexually assaulted on Monday night in hospital quarters, eliciting major protests not just from doctors and other healthcare personnel but also from all rational men and women. more..

Mar 19 (ST) Gateway College’s Vishan Ranatunga and Lindsay Girls’ School’s Ranliya Wood stole the spotlight at the Junior Open Squash Tournament, clinching the Under-19 Boys’ and Girls’ titles in the 11-day event that concluded at the Air Force Squash Complex in Ratmalana on Sunday. Vishan proved his supremacy on the court, outplaying St. Joseph’s College’s Mohomed Rilwan in the final to emerge as champion. The battle for third place saw Royal College’s Prathap Sudharkaran edge past more..

Mar 19 (DN) Sri Lanka marked the 2025 International Recycling Day at the Ministry of Environment today (18), with the theme Recycling Heroes, which recognizes the contributions of individuals, organizations, and activities promoting recycling for a sustainable planet and green future. The event was organized by the Director of the Environmental Pollution Control and Chemicals Management Unit, Mahinda Werahera, under the patronage of the Minister of Environment, more..

Nar 19 (Island) Sri Lanka Athletics has invited India, the Philippines and the Maldives for next month’s Relay Championships conducted by SL Schools Athletics Association in a bid to provide the men’s 4×400 metres relay quartet with a chance to reach qualifying standards for the World Relays. Currently SL men’s 4×400 metres relay team is within the required ranking position to compete at the prestigious World Relays taking place in more..

Mar 19 (DM) SL’s women entrepreneurs now have a greater opportunity to unlock access to finance with the launch of the WE Finance Code in the island nation yesterday. This makes SL one of the first pilot countries to introduce the initiative. The WE Finance Code, a global commitment funded by the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative (We-Fi), aims to enhance women’s access to finance and support their economic empowerment. Code is tailored to address SL’s key priorities for women more..

Mar 19 (DN) SL athlete Aruna Dharshana was placed third in 400m at the Sydney Track Classic held in Sydney on Saturday. Aruna, a Paris Olmpian is expected to get world athletic qualification. He finished the race in 46.12 seconds which was his seasonal best timing. This Sydney competition was held as a Challenger event in the world Athletic Continental championship series. Australian athlete Thomas Reynolds was the first with 45.75 seconds while New Zealander Lex Revell Lewis more..