Nar 19 (DM) Supreme Court ruled that a detention order issued by former Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa in 2020 under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) was unlawful and violated the fundamental rights of the petitioner. A three-judge bench delivered the verdict, ordering the State to compensate the petitioner with Rs. 100,000. The ruling was in response to a Fundamental Rights petition filed by Kanchana Priyadarshani Madurapperuma, a resident of Pokunuwita, Henagama. more..

Nar 19 (NW) SL govt is taking steps to regulate online hotel booking platforms, citing concerns over tax contributions from existing operators, Foreign Affairs and Tourism Minister Vijitha Herath said. Herath said the govt has initiated discussions with local companies to introduce multiple booking platforms to break the dominance of a single entity in the sector. He also noted that existing platforms, including Booking.com, operate in Sri Lanka without officially registering or contributing taxes. more..

Mar 19 (TM) Sri Lanka’s apparel and textile sectors are in the direct crosshair of US President Donald Trump’s trade tariffs, although the anticipated impact is currently at a lower level, Economic Development Deputy Minister Anil Jayantha Fernando said. Speaking at Parliament, he said that the US tariffs, which are based on the trade gap between the US and other trading countries, have put SL in an advantageous position more..

Mar 19 (ST) As of Monday (10) Letters of Credit (LC’s) worth US$150 million have been opened for the importation of vehicles from February this year, revealed President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Speaking at the 26th Anniversary of the Chamber of Young Lankan Entrepreneurs (COYLE) held at the Shangri-La Hotel in Colombo on Monday, Mr. Dissanayake said they were also closely monitoring the vehicle import data from the banking system on a daily basis. more..

Mar 19 (FT) The Govt has decided on a major reform initiative targeting over 100 non-commercial State institutions, following a comprehensive review conducted by a Cabinet-appointed officers’ committee. Minister Nalinda Jayatissa stated that the committee chaired by the Secretary to the PM has reviewed 160 institutions. The review process will extend to 36 higher education centres, including universities with the assistance of a specialised subcommittee comprising experts in the field. more..

Nar 19 (DN) Walasmulla Magistrate and Additional District Judge issued arrest warrants today (18) for two suspects, Thembili Lahiru and Backo Saman, who are currently believed to be hiding in Dubai. They are accused of masterminding the brutal murder of Middeniya Kajja and his two children at the Galpotthayaya Kadewatta intersection in Middeniya. The warrants were issued following a request from the OIC of the Middeniya Police, Chief Inspector Rohan Wickramasekera, more..

Nar 19 (DN) A former army major was arrested today (18) after allegedly behaving in a disorderly manner and verbally abusing hospital staff at the Nuwara Eliya District General Hospital, according to the Nuwara Eliya Police. The incident occurred when the former major, who had come to Nuwara Eliya for a holiday, fell and injured himself. Upon arriving at the hospital for treatment, the suspect reportedly had a disagreement with a hospital staff member during the admission process. more..

Nar 19 (TM) Ministry of Health stated that the Govt plans to import nearly 50 pharmaceutical drugs currently in short supply through a Govt-to-Govt approach, while suppliers have agreed to import the remaining medicines. It was recently reported that the ministry has given suppliers two weeks to confirm as to whether they can provide the essential drugs that are in short supply and which have no substitutes. more..

Mar 19 (Island) The govt has begun recovering funds obtained by former Lands and Land Development, Environment and Wildlife Resources Minister SM Chandrasena for the Janatha Lanka Chilli Marketing Limited (JLCML), which he headed, Parliament was informed yesterday. Agriculture, Livestock, Land, and Irrigation Minister Namal Karunaratne said that as the Chairman of JLCML, Chandrasena had obtained a loan of Rs. 1,275,000 from Mihintale Govijana Seva Bank in 2001. more..

Mar 19 (EN) R P H Fernando has been appointed as Commissioner General of the Inland Revenue Department, and H M D N K Wataliyedda has been appointed as Commissioner General of Labor, Minister Nalinda Jayatissa said. Fernando currently serves as Deputy Commissioner General of Inland Revenue and will be replacing W A S Chandrasekara who retired on Feb 28. The current Labor Commissioner General H K K A Jayasundara, who has completed 23 years of service more..

Mar 19 (TM) SJB MP Hesha Vithanage charged that IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon has been on the pay list of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC). He alleged that the sport’s local controlling body has on the sly looked into Tennakoon’s wellbeing, by forking out a monthly salary of Rs. 150,000, besides supplying other luxuries such as 200 litres of petrol, mobile phone and a laptop. “Isn’t this a clear case of corruption-ridden SLC more..

Mar 19 (AD) Speaker of Parliament, Jagath Wickramaratne, has announced a ban on the live broadcast of Jaffna District MP Ramanathan Archchuna’s statements on audiovisual and social media for the next eight parliamentary sessions, starting tomorrow. Accordingly, MP Archuna’s speeches in Parliament on March 20, 21, April 8, 9, 10, May 6, 7 and 8 will be barred from being broadcast live due to the controversial speeches made by him, Speaker announced more..

Nar 19 (FT) Following the Parliamentary debates on the Women’s Ministry budget allocation commencing 8 March, fears are being raised within Muslim communities that reform of the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act (MMDA) is an attack on our identity, culture and religion. Whilst it is easy to understand why a minority that was targeted in recent years by chauvinist politics will be fearful of agendas to harm their interests, such fear mongering is counter-productive and against the actual interests of more..

Mar 19 (DM) A lecturer from Kelaniya Uni died, and six others, including his wife and children, were seriously injured in a fatal accident at Boyawalana on the Central Expressway last night. The victim, Dr. Gunendra Gayantha (45), was a senior lecturer at Kelaniya Uni and a resident of Makola South. The injured were admitted to Meerigama Base Hospital. Four of them, in critical condition, were transferred to the Colombo National Hospital, while another was taken to Watupitiwala Base Hospital. more..

Mar 19 (NW) Minister of Public Security Ananda Wijepala today briefed the Parliament on the items found during an inspection of suspended IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon’s house in Hokanadara yesterday. Addressing the Parliament today, Minister Wijepala said CID officials had inspected the house as part of investigations into Tennakoon, who has been evading arrest. Minister Wijepala said the CID officials had found 795 foreign liquor bottles and 214 wine bottles. more..

Mar 19 (AD) Supreme Court today dismissed a fundamental rights petition filed by former Prez Mahinda Rajapaksa, challenging the govt’s decision to reduce his security detail to 60 personnel without proper evaluation. The Court issued this order after considering the details of the petition filed on behalf of Mahinda Rajapaksa. The case was initially taken up for consideration on Feb 6, with the SC deciding to reconvene on March 19, more..

Nar 19 (FT) SL Police is once again under scrutiny, with former IGP Deshabandu Thennakoon missing after the Matara Magistrate’s order for his immediate arrest over a shooting incident in Weligama in 2023. The court’s ruling establishes that the deployment of CCD officers in this matter was unauthorised and that Thennakoon, along with eight other officers, conspired to commit murder. The sight of the former IGP fleeing from the very institution he is supposed to lead is both ironic and tragic. more..

Mar 19 (DM) A young woman of Waikkala in Wennappuwa had been stabbed to death on Tuesday night (18) allegedly by her lover. The suspect was taken into custody by Wennapuwa police. The victim Nimalaka Silva (20) was the younger in a family of two children. She had been in love with the young man for about five years but the latter’s suspicion on her had resulted in constant altercations between them. Investigations revealed that the young woman annoyed by more..

Mar 19 (AD) The former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Deshabandu Tennakoon has appeared before the Matara Magistrate’s Court this morning (19). Matara Magistrate’s Court had previously ordered the arrest of eight former officers of the Colombo Crimes Division (CCD), including former IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon, and named them as suspects in the shooting incident that occurred in front of the W15 Hotel more..

Mar 19 (CT) The annual feast of St. Anthony’s Shrine in Katchatheevu, held on 14 and 15 March, drew a large number of devotees from across India and SL. Event saw the main mass led by prominent clergy, including the Bishop of Sivagangai Diocese in India, Rt. Revd. Dr. Lourdu Ananthan, Vicar General of Jaffna Diocese, Very Revd. Fr. P.J. Jebaratnam, Revd. Fr. Ciswan de Croos from Colombo Archdiocese, Parish Priest of Rameswaram in India, Revd. Fr. Ashok and Parish Priest in Delft, more..

Mar 19 (NW) Maria Benanza, a German national has placed a deposit to contest the Local Govt Elections from the Matale District. It is reported that the woman has obtained Sri Lankan citizenship and is eligible to contest the election. Maria Benanza is set to contest for the Galewala Pradeshiya Sabha as a candidate from an independent group. After placing the deposit, Benanza told the media she was contesting with the hope of bringing changes to Sri Lanka. more..

Mar 19 (AD) The former IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon, who appeared before the Matara Magistrate’s Court this morning, has been ordered remanded until tomorrow (20) by the court. Tennakoon had surrendered to the Matara Magistrate’s Court earlier today after evading arrest for nearly 20 days. Matara Magistrate’s Court had previously ordered the arrest of eight police officers including former officers of the Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) and former IGP more..

Mar 19 (FT) Food safety is a top priority for Sri Lanka in terms of public health and economic development, where capacity building and advocacy, in addition to effective policies and regulations, are necessary, stressed experts at a recent knowledge-sharing session. This knowledge-sharing session was hosted by the European Union (EU)-funded BESPA project (Mainstreaming Standards-Based Best Practices for Agri-Food Sector Development), implemented by the FAO more..

Mar 19 (DM) With a delegation from the European Union expected at the end of next month, the govt is hard-pressed for the fulfilment of obligations including the repeal of the Prevention of Terrorism Act and the amendment of the Online Safety Act to qualify for GSP+ under the new guidelines being worked out, Daily Mirror learns from diplomatic sources. The govt is also required to improve anti-corruption measures. more..

Mar 19 (CT) An audit report issued by the National Audit Office revealed that a sum of Rs 12.5 million, provided to the Zonal Irrigation Office-Galle in 2021 to cultivate coconuts on a 30-acre plot of land, remained unutilised in the account. Coconut Development Board had granted Rs 1.5 million to the Zonal Irrigation Office-Galle to cultivate 30 acres of abandoned paddy fields with coconuts at Kosgoda, Hagalla in Ahungalla. According to the report, the office utilised Rs 1.8 million for more..

Mar 19 (DN) The Milk Powder Importers’ Association has decided to increase the price of imported milk powder from 4.7% from April 1. Accordingly, a 400-gram packet will see a price hike of Rs. 50, while a 1-kilogram packet will rise by Rs. 125. Additionally, the price of a 400-gram packet, currently sold at Rs.1,050 in the market, will increase to Rs.1,100. Similarly, the price of a 1-kilogram packet, which is currently Rs. 2,625, will rise to Rs. 2,750. Global milk powder prices have been steadily rising more..

Mar 19 (TM) The Govt stated that only a section of the health sector is engaging in protests for political benefits, while measures have been taken to increase the basic salary of health professionals Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said that the Govt has allocated Rs. 110 billion to increase the salaries of public servants. He also mentioned that Rs. 330 billion will be allocated from Jan 2027 onwards for salary increments. more..

Mar 19 (DN) SL all-rounder Dasun Shanaka has joined the Delhi Capitals squad ahead of the 18th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), which is set to begin on March 22. Shanaka has reportedly been brought in as a replacement for England’s Harry Brook, who is serving a two-year IPL ban. Shanka first time joined IPL in 2003 for Gujarat Titans team. He also led the Champions Hambantota Bangla Tigers at the inagural Lanka T-10 tournament but was not able to get chance more..

Mar 19 (NF) Batalanda Commission report has brought to light numerous grave crimes that were once buried in the sands of time. The discussion on these serious crimes, which occurred between 1988 and 1990, resurfaced following questions posed to former President Ranil Wickremesinghe during Al Jazeera's Head to Head program. This report, allegedly kept in a dark room at the Presidential Office, was recently tabled in Parliament. A debate on the report is now scheduled for April 10. more..

Mar 19 (DM) A contempt of court application filed against former Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe has been withdrawn before the Court of Appeal. The case, brought forward by Attorney-at-Law Dimitri Shiraz Augustus Pietrangeli, challenged Ranasinghe’s alleged contemptuous behaviour during a parliamentary session on Nov 8, 2023. During the hearing, counsel for the petitioner requested to withdraw the application, leading to the dismissal of the petition without costs. more..

Mar 19 (Island) UN Resident Coordinator Marc-André Franche emphasized that Sri Lanka’s ongoing path of economic recovery and reforms need a more responsive, accountable public service, improved service delivery, economic modernization, and strengthened social dialogue at both national and local levels. The UN official asserted that social dialogue is key to SL’s economic recovery and social cohesion. UN Resident Coordinator was addressing the 2nd steering committee meeting more..

Mar 19 (SLC) Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) wishes to categorically deny and strongly refute the baseless and false allegations made by MP Hesha Withanage during the Parliamentary debate on the Appropriation Bill. MP Withanage alleged that SLC has paid a sum of Rs. 150,000/= as a salary to Deshabandu Tennakoon, then IGP, and further claimed that SLC had provided him with a laptop, mobile phone, and other perks as per more..

Mar 19 (AD) Former IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon has reportedly been taken to the maximum security prison in Angunakolapelessa. He has been detained in a normal ward at the prison, according to prison sources. Tennakoon, who appeared before the Matara Magistrate’s Court this morning, has been ordered remanded until tomorrow by the court. He had surrendered to the Matara Magistrate’s Court earlier today after evading arrest for nearly 20 days. Matara Magistrate’s Court had previously more..

Mar 19 (NW) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake met with representatives of nursing unions and specialist medical doctors to discuss concerns affecting the health sector. Discussing concerns with the Nursing Union, Prez acknowledged the financial constraints faced by the govt but emphasized the administration’s commitment to addressing key demands. He highlighted measures including an increase in the minimum salary by Rs. 15,000, adjustments to overtime allowances, and more..

Mar 19 (DN) Chinese Ambassador to SL Qi Zhenhong said the Export-Import Bank of China (EXIM) had incurred a loss of over US$ 7 billion, due to restructuring of SL’s debt. Zhenhong said his country does not boast or shout about its assistance to SL and as thus such details are not in the public domain. While China EXIM Bank sat outside of the Official Creditor Committee (OCC), it was notably the first bilateral creditor to finalise the debt more..