Mar 26 (FT) PM Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, yesterday joined an event hosted by the Australian High Commissioner Paul Stephens, to officially launch THRIVE – Together for Her: Resilience-building, Inclusivity, and Voices for Equality in SL. THRIVE is a five-year project implemented by UN Women and Chrysalis and funded by the Govt of Australia to advance gender equality and women’s empowerment in SL. The project will strengthen the economic and social resilience of women more..

Mar 26 (AD) Human rights activist, professor, and lawyer Prathibha Mahanamahewa emphasized the need for an investigation committee to review the proposal seeking the removal of IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon, who is currently in remand custody and suspended from his duties. Explaining the constitutional process for removing an IGP, Prof. Mahanamahewa stated, “When a proposal to remove the IGP is submitted, an investigation committee has to be appointed. more..

Mar 26 (Island) With less than 50 days to go for the ASBC Asian Under-22 and Youth Boxing Championships in May, Chairman of the Organising Committee, Tharanga Perera expressed his enthusiasm and confidence about Sri Lanka hosting this landmark event, marking the first major boxing championship since the Asian C'ships held in Colombo in 1967. “We have everything in place to ensure SL delivers a world-class tournament from May 12 to 23 at Sugathadasa Stadium,” more..

Mar 26 (Island) CEB has announced an international call for proposals to develop two 50 MW wind farm facilities in Mullikulam on a Build, Own & Operate (BOO) basis. The initiative aims to bolster SL’s renewable energy capacity, aligning with the govt’s strategy to increase the share of clean energy in the national grid. The bidding process, launched on behalf of the Cabinet Appointed Negotiating Committee, invites local and international project proponents to finance, design construct more..

Mar 26 (TM) Referring to the ongoing discussions on renegotiating agreements with foreign investors, including those in the energy sector, former Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe warned that such actions could make investors perceive Sri Lanka as an unreliable country to invest in. He warned that SL must do its best to protect investments and should not undo agreements reached, since it paints Sri Lanka as more..

Mar 26 (AD) A 69-year-old Buddhist monk has been found brutally murdered at a monastery in Kiralogama, within the Eppawala Police Division. According to police, a complaint was received at the Eppawala Police Station on the afternoon of March 25, 2025, reporting that the monk had been found murdered inside the monastery. The discovery was made by a visitor to the monastery and another monk from a different temple. Upon finding the slain monk, they immediately alerted the police. more..

Mar 26 (SLA) The 16th contingent of the SL Force Protection Company (SLFPC) is set to embark on its peacekeeping mission under the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). They presented a ceremonial salute to Lieutenant General Lasantha Rodrigo, Commander of the Army, at the parade ground of the Gajaba Regiment (GR) on 22nd March. The Chief Guest was warmly welcomed by Major General M.G.W.W.W.M.C.B Wickramasinghe, Chief of Staff. The Army Chief was then invited to receive more..

Mar 26 (FT) The ongoing debate over aviation safety and regulatory oversight has intensified with industry stakeholders and the Civil Aviation Authority of SL (CAASL) at odds over critical issues, particularly the boundary wall at Colombo International Airport in Ratmalana. Upon inquiry into the latest update on the issue, CAASL CEO Sagara Kotakadeniya confirmed to the Daily FT that a comprehensive report on the removal of the boundary wall has been submitted to Civil Aviation Ministry more..

Mar 26 (AD) The circular pertaining to the revision of salaries for the public sector employees has been issued in accordance with the 2025 Budget proposals. The relevant circular was issued today (25) to the Ministry Secretaries, Provincial Chief Secretaries, and Heads of Departments, with the signature of the Secretary to the Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils, and Local Government, S. Aloka Bandara. See the relevant circular below: more..

Mar 26 (TM) SJB is to support the Bills to abolish pension for MPs, and amend Presidents Entitlements Act, No. 4 of 1986. Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake recently said that the Bills to abolish the pension for MPs and to amend the said Act would be presented to the Parliament soon. When queried as to whether the SJB would support the move, SJB and Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa said that they would extend their support. more..

Mar 26 (AD) Chief Incumbent of Mihintale Rajamaha Viharaya, Ven. Dr. Walawahengunawewa Dhammarathana Thero, claims that a situation has arisen where the Prez’s advice and directives are not being carried out due to certain politically-affiliated groups from previous governments that are continuing to haunt the country’s state institutions. Thero further charged that certain officials are attempting to inconvenience the govt without implementing the instructions issued by Prez more..

Mar 26 (Island) SLPP General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam asked Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake to reveal his stand on UK sanctions on Admiral of the Fleet Wasantha Karannagoda, retired Generals Shavendra Silva and Jagath Jayasuriya and ex-LTTE Ampara-Batticaloa commander Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan, alias Karuna Amman. Former MP demanded that Prez Dissanayake, who is also the Defence Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces, more..

Mar 26 (AD) The Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of SL (TRCSL) has dismissed media reports claiming it has decided to suspend the Starlink satellite broadband service, which has been planned to be implemented in the country. According to the Director General of TRCSL Bandula Herath, a dashboard system is required to carry out the necessary regulations for providing this service. more..

Mar 26 (FT) Sri Lanka’s economy has turned around from a contraction of 7.8% in 2022 to a +5.2% growth in 2024 which is the resilience of the country. An important point to note is that this comes at a backdrop of the IMF and World Bank projecting a growth of 3-3.3%. This is the power of brand SL that the world needs to comprehend. The export community contributed $ 16.7 billion whilst the tourism sector crossed a $ 3.1 billion performance which is a +53% growth over last year. more..

Mar 26 (FT) The Export Development Board (EDB) is targeting an ambitious $ 45 billion in export revenue by 2030, our country’s economic resilience hinges on its ability to transform these export earnings for the long-term. The synergy between the IT sector and climate initiatives offers a unique opportunity to cultivate new industries which can hold a comparative advantage on the global stage. Sri Lanka has a unique opportunity to become a leader in sustainability services. more..

Mar 26 (NW) Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has accused the govt of being influenced by a fuel cartel alleging that renewable energy projects are being deliberately obstructed. In a post on X Premadasa criticized the recent reduction in solar feed-in tariffs, calling it an act of absolute corruption with no economic logic. “I’ve never said this before. But it’s time we call it, the fuel cartel runs this government. Every renewable project is blocked or buried. Now they’ve cut solar tariffs. more..

Mar 26 (NF) SL Life Saving Association has reported renewed crocodile threats in the coastal areas of Dehiwala, Mount Lavinia, Ratmalana, Panadura, and Wellawatte. Fishermen have observed crocodiles roaming these coastal regions, raising concerns among locals and tourists. Recently, a crocodile was spotted in these areas, highlighting the ongoing threat. Yesterday, a group of fishermen captured a crocodile and handed it over to officials at the Bellanwila-Attidiya Wildlife Office. more..

Mar 26 (NW) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment & Tourism takes note of the Press Release dated 24th March, issued by the UK, Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) entitled “UK Sanctions for Human Rights Violations and Abuses during the Sri Lankan Civil War”. As stated in the press release, the UK government has imposed sanctions on four individuals, three of whom are former more..

Mar 26 (AD) Sri Lanka Police reported that an increase in the number of foreigner tourists visiting the country and driving three-wheelers has been observed. However, it has also been observed that three-wheelers driven by foreign nationals have recently been involved in several fatal and serious road accidents, police said. Accordingly, police investigations have revealed that many foreigners do not possess valid licenses or proper training to drive the three-wheelers in Sri Lanka. more..

Mar 26 (DM) The office of former Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe has sent us a clarification on the FactCheck published by Verité Research in our paper on March 21. This is what it says; We write regarding the above mentioned article which was published in your newspaper on the 21st of March 2025. The headline and the content of the article are false, and have been distorted to misrepresent the meaning of Former Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe’s statement. Contrary to the claim that more..

Mar 26 (AD) Former Prez Mahinda Rajapaksa has categorically denied the UK govt’s allegations of widespread human rights violations during SL’s military operations against the LTTE and called on the incumbent govt to resolutely stand by and defend former armed forces personnel who face persecution by foreign govts and organisations. Issuing a statement regarding the recent decision by the UK govt to impose sanctions including more..

Mar 26 (AD) Cabinet of Ministers has granted approval to cancel the liquidation of the Cooperative Wholesale Establishment (CWE), to rejuvenate it and recommence commercial operations. Minister Nalinda Jayatissa stated that the previous govt had decided to liquidate the CWE Act No. 47 of 1949 and to liquidate the said establishment. However, there is a possibility to perform a decisive role for the CWE in the implementation of govt roles within the market operation with the objective of more..

Mar 26 (DM) Colombo Chief Magistrate Thanuja Lakmali ordered the detention of two police constables attached to the Welikada Police and two other suspects for 48 hours to facilitate further investigations into an abduction, assault and robbery amounting to Rs. 1.6 million. The incidents occurred within the Keselwatta and Aduruppu Street police divisions recently. On March 10, an individual was abducted near a state bank in Keselwatta, during which Rs. 1.6 million was stolen from him. more..

Mar 26 (EN) SL’s steady credit growth has been reflecting the country’s economic recovery, CB Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe said. The credit growth measured in percentage which was negative in January has turned to positive in February and higher than the same month in 2024, the CB data showed. Weerasinghe said the January fall was due to seasonal effects. “Every year December, there’s a sharp increase in credit as usual. Seasonal effect is for business, people get loans for credit. more..

Mar 26 (NW) Former Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe has urged the govt to rethink the investment deal with India’s Adani Group, emphasising the losses SL could face due to the rejection of such a project. Addressing an event, Ranil Wickremesinghe pointed out that it was essential for SL to launch the Adani Group’s renewable energy project. “I met Indian PM Modi to discuss the Adani project. He inquired how much Sri Lanka can offer. As I am not an engineer or well-versed in this subject, more..

Mar 26 (EN) Central Bank saw no room for a monetary policy rate reduction during its latest Monetary Board policy meeting despite the current deflation, its Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe said. CB chief’s comments came after the Bank held the key monetary policy rate unchanged, as widely expected. SL has witnessed deflation since Sept 2024, but the Central Bank has been maintaining the key Monetary Policy measure, more..

Mar 26 (Island) The SJB has accused the govt of overpromising and under-delivering, and urged the public to keep this in mind when they vote at the upcoming local govt (LG) elections. Former SJB MP Prof. Charitha Herath said that the ruling party has failed to fulfill almost all of its promises made during the last two elections. He said that the people voted for the NPP based on these promises, but now, the NPP, as the governing party, has shown little concern for what it had pledged. more..

Mar 26 (DM) The wife of Dr. N.D.G. Gayantha, Head of the Psychology Unit at the Department of Philosophy, Uni of Kelaniya, also succumbed to her injuries while receiving treatment at the hospital today. The tragic accident occurred on the Central Expressway on March 18 while Dr. Gayantha was returning from a trip to Nagadeepa, Jaffna, with his wife and three young children. The van, travelling from Kurunegala towards Mirigama, lost control and crashed on to a lorry ahead. more..

Mar 26 (DM) SL’s apparel exporters are expressing serious concerns that the impending abolition of the Simplified Value Added Tax (SVAT) system could lead to a significant downturn in their export earnings, potentially exceeding US$1 billion. This apprehension stems from the anticipated increase in finance costs associated with exports under the proposed new system. Inland Revenue Department (IRD) is currently in final stages more..

Mar 26 (AD) The proposal submitted by ruling party MPs seeking the removal of suspended IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon from office has been included in the relevant supplement to the Order Book of Parliament. According to parliamentary procedure, the proposal will first be taken up for discussion in the Parliamentary Affairs Committee. Following this, it is scheduled for debate in Parliament after five days. A vote will then be held, requiring the support of at least 113 MPs more..

Mar 26 (AD) The cause of SL Air Force (SLAF) training aircraft crash in the Wariyapola area has not yet been determined, Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa stated. Journalists questioned whether Minister Bimal Ratnayake’s recent claim that the crash was due to pilot error was appropriate, given that the official committee report had not been released yet. In response, Dr. Jayatissa clarified that while the report on the aircraft itself had been received, the report on the crash was still pending. more..

Mar 26 (TM) The case filed by Provincial Rugby Football Unions on Contempt of Court charges against Director General (DG) of the Sports Ministry Shemal Fernando, which was convened on Monday (24) was deferred to 2 April. The Provincial Rugby Unions have filed the case against the Sports Ministry DG, who is also the Competent Authority (CA) for Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR), after the DG had reneged on his guarantee to Court to hold the AGM of SLR, on 21 January. more..

Mar 26 (CT) Suspended IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon, currently in remand custody, has been granted permission to receive food prepared at his home while being detained at Dumbara Prison in Kandy. Prison Commissioner confirmed that this special permission was effective from 24 March. Tennakoon is in remand in connection with a shooting incident near a hotel in Weligama. He surrendered to Court nearly 20 days after an arrest warrant was issued in connection with more..

Mar 26 (Reuters) Central Bank kept its key policy rate unchanged for a second consecutive meeting on Wednesday to underpin the island nation's economic recovery from its worst financial crisis in decades. Overnight policy rate, introduced in November, was held at 8% - as expected by a majority of economists polled. "Given the economic fundamentals of growth, inflation, and private sector credit growth, the monetary board did not more..

Mar 26 (DM) Nearly 40 donors have already been registered at the sperm bank of the Castle Street Hospital for Women in Colombo, Hospital Director Dr. Ajith Kumara Danthanarayana said. The hospital receives continuous telephone inquiries daily regarding sperm donation and provides the necessary information to those interested. The first-ever sperm bank at Castle Street Hospital for Women in Colombo was launched on Dec 4, marking a significant advancement in more..