Mar 22 (ST) Overcrowding of prisons and staff shortages in jails are among the key issues faced by the Prisons Dept. Prisons across the country are overcrowded by more than 20,000 beyond the capacity while the department is short of nearly 850 male and female jail guards, Minister Harshana Nanayakkara said. Though the approved cadre of mail jail guards were 4,447 there were only 3,718 and thereby there is a shortage of 729 male guards. Female guards’ approved cadre is 594 but more..

Mar 22 (MB) With a single tusk that made him stand out, the majestic bull elephant Unicorn was a true king among the wild herds of Minneriya, a biodiversity hotspot in the island’s north-central region, globally known as the home of the world’s largest gathering of elephants. At dusk, Unicorn would often be seen alongside female elephants — a breathtaking sight that left an indelible impression on the visitors. more..

Mar 22 (CT) Although the Govt is envisioning export of medicines to the international market, local manufacturers believe that they still need to go a long way in terms of assuring quality standards and gaining international confidence on the quality assurance provided by the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) to achieve that vision, a new ADB publication said. The publication titled Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Assessment for Sri Lanka March 2025 more..

Mar 22 (Island) The police have digitized a vast database of criminal fingerprints, with a staggering 10 million fingerprints now available for investigative use. SSP Ruwan Kumara said that these digitized fingerprints can be accessed at any time, providing a valuable tool for swift and efficient investigations. The comprehensive database includes fingerprints dating back to 1914, with the earliest recorded print belonging to an individual identified as Davapaya. First female fingerprint was collected in 1924 more..

Mar 22 (PMD) A meeting between President Anura Kumara Disanayake and Admiral Samuel J. Paparo, Commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM), was held today (21) at the Presidential Secretariat. During the discussion, Admiral Paparo extended his best wishes to President Disanayake and the new government on their planned initiatives. He also acknowledged SL’s continued support in ensuring the security of the Indian Ocean region and maintaining more..

Mar 22 (CT) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake says that the bills to abolish the pension for Members of Parliament (MPs) and to amend the Presidents Entitlements Act will be introduced soon. He made these observations while delivering a statement in Parliament Friday evening, participating in the final day of the Third Reading debate on the 2025 Budget. Prez also stated that steps will be taken to reduce the existing insurance coverage for MPs from Rs. 1 million to Rs. 250,000. more..

Mar 22 (DM) Complications in fulfilling the requirements to include stipulated percentages of female and youth representation in lists, as well as lack of supporting documents of the contestants have led to a significant number of nominations lists from every political party getting rejected this time, Election Commission said. A number of nominations lists submitted on Thursday by almost every main political party and more..

Mar 22 (DM) A court order will be sought against the actions of non-registered safari jeep owners who are demanding entry to Yala National Park without proper registration or trackers, the Yala National Park, park warden, Manoj Vidyarathna said. This move comes after a heated argument broke out in front of the park between registered and non-registered jeep owners as the department continues its annual process of registering new jeep batches. Park warden also said that nearly 100 new more..

Mar 22 (DM) The Court of Appeal extended its previous order to maintain the status quo for former Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) Director Neville de Silva in connection with the Weligama hotel shooting incident. However, the extension does not apply to other petitioners involved in the case. This writ application was filed recently to prevent his arrest, and after hearing submissions from President’s Counsel Eraj de Silva, who appeared on behalf of Neville de Silva, more..

Mar 22 (HT) President Anura Kumara Dissanayake announced on Friday that PM Narendra Modi will visit the country on April 5. While speaking in Parliament, President Dissanayake also said that Indian PM Modi will finalise agreements made during his visit to Delhi last year. He also confirmed that the construction of the Sampur power plant in Trincomalee will begin during the Indian PM's visit. more..

Mar 23 (SO) Aviation is one of the hottest employment sectors right now, notwithstanding the current bad spell for airlines in terms of accidents. On the flip side, every accident leads to improvements in safety regulations and procedures to maintain flying as the safest form of transport. The aviation industry hit the nadir during the Covid-19 pandemic when around 90% of the commercial passenger flights ceased to operate. 5 years later, global passenger traffic is back to normal more..

Mar 23 (TM) The much-discussed inaugural Budget of the NPP Govt was passed with a thumping majority as anticipated last Friday. With all of the 159 members of the Govt voting aye for Budget 2025 and 45 Opposition MPs voting against it, 114-vote majority is the largest since J.R. Jayewardene’s UNP dominance in the post-1977 era. What is important is for the NPP to fulfil the people’s expectations by using this unprecedented mandate to usher in the change it promised, more..

Mar 23 (TM) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD) today (23) completes his first six months in office and the past months have undoubtedly been a whirlwind with many tests being thrown at him – some anticipated and some not. While facing the real challenges of holding office, AKD is now facing the challenge of holding his party together given the increasing pressure brought on his Govt by the return of the controversial more..

Mar 23 (CT) Sri Lanka is currently witnessing a historic moment, one that will be marked by the unprecedented frequency of Elections held within a short span. Many view the continual conduct of Elections as a triumph for democracy. However, while this may indeed be a victory, it is crucial for all those who cherish democracy to remember why such a constant cycle of Elections became necessary in the first place. The recent exchange between Mehdi Hasan, Al-Jazeera presenter more..

Mar 23 (CT) Batalanda has been the dominating word in the last two weeks in SL. While former Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe‘s name could not be divorced from the subject, his culpability, his alleged guilt and his alleged vicarious involvement in the cruel acts committed upon the victims who were brought to Batalanda during the ’87-’89 era were apparently mentioned in the now infamous Batalanda Report. However, Ranil Wickremasinghe was never alleged to have personally committed murder, more..

Mar 23 (ST) Former Minister Champika Ranawaka evoked the oft-quoted words of a leading figure in the Indian independence movement, Sarojini Naidu, to illustrate that the maintenance of public figures who outwardly appear simple may cost the taxpayer more than those who are actually outwardly extravagant. Ms. Naidu had famously commented that keeping Mahatma Gandhi in poverty was an expensive affair, stating that more..

Mar 23 (ST) My dear Anura sahodaraya, I thought of writing to you after listening to your 100-minute speech concluding the budget debate. As usual, you managed to hold the attention of your audience who listened to you without a whimper. That is despite this being a hectic week for you, what with the comings and goings of Deshabandu. The other reason why I wanted to write to you is that today, you reach the six-month mark of your term of office. I don’t know whether you are aware of this, more..

Mar 23 (ST) It was then the British Channel 4 exposé, and now it is the Al Jazeera interview that first roasted the Armed Forces and now a former Prez. In the process the local media also gets blamed for the lack of investigation skills and interviewing prowess for some to whom anything foreign is nothing like it. The Channel 4 documentary was debunked for containing fake video clips, but it was taken seriously by the UNHRC to crucify those who defeated terrorism through more..

Mar 23 (Island) Deshabandu Tennekoon, the suspended IGP, surrendered to the Matara Magistrate last Wednesday after leading the force he once headed on a merry chase for some 20 days, resulting in a lot of egg on the face of the police. He did so after unsuccessfully moving Court of Appeal earlier in the week seeking a writ order to prevent his arrest. This was obviously a last ditch attempt which failed. No doubt fearing that he could not hide for ever, Tennekoon turned up at the court house more..

Mar 23 (Island) Born April 29, 1935, Mr. Muttetuwegama served as a MP for over 12 years representing the Kalawana seat from the Communist Party from 1970 to 1981. Sarath began his Parliamentary career in 1970. A bright young Attorney- at- Law representing the Communist Party, he spoke so eloquently on many subjects and contributed very much to debates on Law and Justice. He was known for his eloquence in debate, being equally proficient in English & Sinhala. more..

Mar 23 (ST) Even months after their victories, SL’s Paralympic athletes are still waiting for their prize money promised by the authorities, with the National Sports Fund being declared empty. Among those affected are Paralympic athletes, World Paralympic Athletics Championship participants, wrestler Nethmi Ahinsa, and their coaches, who are entitled to 25% of the prize money. Paralympic javelin thrower Samitha Kodithuwakku, who won silver at the 2024 more..

Mar 23 (Island) Top order batter Kamil Mishara is in the form of his life – a golden run that has lit up domestic cricket like fireworks on a moonless night. The selectors have sat up and taken notice, and if his purple patch continues, a call-up to the national side when Bangladesh tour later this year seems not just possible but probable. The 23-year-old is stacking up runs like coins in a jackpot machine – one century after another, and importantly, converting them into towering scores that more..

Mar 23 (ST) Attorney General (AG) has filed an indictment at the Kandy High Court against Prem Thakkar, the owner of Galle Marvels, one of the six teams that competed in SL’s inaugural Lanka T10 League held in Pallekele last year. Thakkar, an Indian national, has been charged with enticing West Indies int'l cricketer Andre Fletcher to perform in a manner that affects the outcome of a game that Galle Marvels took part in. The AG’s Office filed the case last week at the Kandy High Court more..

Mar 23 (AD) Western Province North Crimes Division has arrested two suspects involved in an extortion racket of threatening businessmen over the phone and coercing them into transferring money online. The arrests were made in the early hours of March 21 in the Seenigalla East area, within the Deiyandara Police Division, following an investigation launched in response to multiple complaints. The suspects, aged 42 and 45, are residents of Deiyandara & Tissamaharama, more..

Mar 23 (ST) The 73rd death anniversary of the country’s first PM D.S. Senanayake was commemorated yesterday at the Independence Square. The event organsied by the D.S. Senanayake Memorial Society brought together relatives, guests and former govt officials to honour the leader who played a pivotal role in SL’s independence movement. Floral tributes were laid at the statue of Mr. Senanayake by his grandsons, former ministers Ruwan Wijewardene and more..

Mar 23 (TM) Three years after the tender was awarded, CEB has commenced negotiations to revise the draft Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Sahasdhanavi Ltd, a special-purpose project company created by Lakdhanavi Ltd. This company was created for the development of the second 300 MW Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) power plant in Kerawalapitiya. These negotiations are focused on revising the initial draft PPA that more..

Mar 23 (DM) Several political parties are to seek court intervention in Jaffna due to the confusion in accepting the nominations for the upcoming LG Elections 2025. According to the Returning Officer, Jaffna District Maruthalingam Pratheepan, 148 parties and 27 independent groups handed over the nominations in Jaffna District and among them, 136 party nominations and 10 Independent groups were rejected due to various reasons. This created a tense atmosphere near District Secretariat. more..

Mar 23 (AD) Police have uncovered new details regarding the double murder that occurred last night (21) in front of the Devundara Sri Vishnu Devalaya in Devinuwara, with investigations pointing to notorious criminal Shehan Sathsara, infamously known as Bale Malli, as the prime suspect behind the crime. The shootings were allegedly carried out as a result of a dispute between the two victims, identified as Pasindu Tharaka (29) and Yomesh Nadeeshan, and Bale Malli. more..

Mar 23 (ST) The BIA Phase II expansion project has been in the eye of controversy in recent days after the most recent tender process raised serious concerns about fairness, transparency, and the integrity of SL’s public procurement system. Highly questionable extension was granted to the bidding process, allegedly to favour one bidder, which has evoked widespread criticism for undermining the integrity of more..

Mar 23 (DM) World Vision Lanka and World Vision Canada recently launched a CAD 5 million project funded by the Govt of Canada through Global Affairs Canada (GAC) to address the adverse effects of climate change on agriculture communities in the dry zone of SL and to build their resilience. The project titled Access Sri Lanka is a 4-year project (2024-2028) that will directly support nearly 24,000 individuals from 5,640 households in Welikanda (Polonnaruwa district) & Rideemaliyadda more..

Mar 23 (AD) GMOA has welcomed the 2025 Budget, stating that it offers a favorable resolution to concerns over payments for doctors’ additional duties. Dr. Chamil Wijesinghe said the budgetary provisions have addressed a key issue that had sparked widespread concern within the health sector in recent weeks. There had been speculation that allowances for health professionals would be slashed under the new budget proposals, leading to unrest within the sector. more..

Mar 23 (Island) Appeal Court last week set a date for July 30 to review of a petition seeking the annulment of an order previously issued by the court that prevented the summoning of former Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa as a witness in the case regarding the disappearance of social activists Lalith Weeraraj and Kugun Muruganandan. The case is currently being heard at the Jaffna Court. The petition, filed by the association of relatives of missing persons during the war, seeks a fresh order more..

Mar 23 (TM) The renewable energy developers shortlisted through an Expression of Interest (EOI) process in 2021 by the then Govt have been presented with two options to move forward with 49 proposed projects following a review by an expert committee. The committee, appointed in January to assess the Cabinet memorandum issued on 26 December 2024, has provided these options to ensure that the projects comply with the SL Electricity Act No.20 of 2009. more..

Mar 23 (TM) Two months after the lifting of the ban, the Finance Ministry says the vehicle import trend is in line with the Govt’s expectations and is confident of receiving the expected tax income of nearly Rs. 300 billion. Ministry of Finance Secretary Mahinda Siriwardana stated that around Rs. 300 billion was expected to be raised from excise taxes, VAT, and other taxes on vehicle imports within this year. more..

Mar 23 (Island) Sunrise Senior Foundation (SSF) has welcomed a move by the govt to offer an extra three per cent interest on deposits by senior citizens with effect from July 2025 which would help to improve the income levels of this category of society. “Senior citizens who depend on interest income have been suffering in recent years after the sharp fall in interest rates to single digit levels and the latest move by the govt will alleviate some of the suffering of this segment of the population more..

Mar 23 (Island) Air Force Commander Air Marshal Bandu Edirisinghe has appointed a special investigation committee to probe the cause of a crash involving a K-8 trainer jet earlier yesterday. The aircraft, used for advanced pilot training, crashed in the Wariyapola area of Kurunegala during a routine training exercise. The K-8 aircraft, which is assigned to the No. 05 Fighter Squadron at the SLAF Base in Katunayake, took off at approximately 07:27 AM from the base. more..