Mar 14 (AD) An elephant brought to participate in a Perahera (procession) held at a Hindu temple in Kotagala town, Hatton, has reportedly attacked and injured a person. The person injured in the elephant attack was admitted to the Kotagala Divisional Hospital, and the condition of the injured person is not critical, according to an official from the organizing committee of the procession. The incident took place yesterday (12) after the Hindu temple’s procession had ended, more..

Mar 14 (FT) SL’s tourism industry has drawn over 70,000 visitors during the first nine days of March, but the country faces an uphill battle to meet its ambitious monthly target of 302,803 arrivals. From 1-9 March, SL welcomed a total of 70,449 tourists, a notable increase from 60,7222 in the same period in 2024, whilst the daily average arrivals during the same time have also increased from 6,747 in last year to 7,828 in 2025. This has also propelled the year-to-date (YTD) arrivals to 563,427 more..

Mar 14 (DM) The animal census is not being conducted with the aim of obtaining 100% accurate data but rather as a survey to estimate the number of monkeys, giant squirrels and peacocks living in these areas, Deputy Minister Namal Karunaratne said. He said that the data obtained from the census is expected to be used to enhance agricultural productivity. "Sometimes, we may need to conduct another round of this survey, more..

Mar 14 (EN) A skilled worker shortage in the German labour market could be an opportunity for Sri Lankans, an official from the Delegation of German Industry and Commerce in SL (AHK SL) has said. “There is a skilled labour shortage and there are opportunities coming up, not only for India – there is an opportunity for the SL skilled workforce, to go there, gain enhanced knowledge and come back to SL,” Malintha Gajanayake, Head of Corporate Affairs/Export Promotions at AHK SL told more..

Mar 14 (FT) In a groundbreaking achievement for SL’s IT and electronics manufacturing industry, EWIS Colombo Ltd. this week successfully exported its first consignment of locally built laptops to Zimbabwe. This landmark event not only positions Sri Lanka as an emerging force in global IT hardware manufacturing but also highlights EWIS’s commitment to innovation, quality, and excellence on the international stage. EWIS is the country’s first and only local computer manufacturer. more..

Mar 14 (FT) The Sri Lanka-Japan Business Council (SLJBC) extended its sincere gratitude to the Govt for confirming the country’s participation in Expo 2025 Osaka. “This prestigious global event presents an invaluable opportunity to showcase Sri Lanka’s rich culture, heritage, and economic potential on an international stage,” the SLJBC said in a statement. “While our presence at the Expo will highlight Sri Lanka’s unique offerings, our primary focus should extend beyond exhibition. more..

Mar 14 (FT) Court of Appeal has declared that the Institute of Chartered Accountants of SL (CA SL) falls within the purview of the Right to Information (RTI) Act, No. 12 of 2016. The judgment, delivered on 6 March, marks a critical moment in the enforcement of citizens’ right to access information from professional bodies that perform public functions. The case arose when a petitioner sought information from CA SL under the RTI Act, which the institute refused, arguing that more..

Mar 14 (FT) The latest labelling and advertising regulations introduced by the Health Ministry along with the CAA regulations, which are in place have sparked widespread debate with industry stakeholders raising concerns practical implementation challenges and inconsistencies in regulatory enforcement. The multi-billion rupee local food and beverage industry has been at the forefront of these discussions, calling for exemptions more..

Mar 14 (FT) In a concerted effort to enhance awareness on the Govt’s digital economy policies, a special session was held at the Parliamentary committee complex, bringing together MPs from both ruling and opposition parties. The event aimed to outline the Govt’s strategic approach to digitalisation, a key focus area in its policy framework and national budget. Deputy Minister of Digital Economy Eranga Weeraratne, Secretary to Ministry of Digital Economy Waruna Sri more..

Mar 14 (ST) Last month, Sri Lanka presented its ninth periodic report to the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) where the progression and regression of women’s rights in the country were discussed and advised upon. The presentation has received mixed reviews with civil society representatives who attended the sessions in Geneva noting that the report ignored some poignant women’s issues in the country. more..

Mar 14 (ST) If events of this week are any indication, the issue of Indian fishermen poaching in SL waters is likely to figure prominently when Indian PM Narendra Modi makes an official visit to SL early next month. Moreover, judging by what one of the most senior govt figures told Parliament, NPP govt obviously believes India is not doing enough to prevent such poaching by its fishermen. Minister Bimal Rathnayake had some harsh words more..

Mar 14 (FT) The Supreme Court, on 11 March, dismissed the Leave to Appeal Application filed by Vidullanka PLC CEO Riyaz Mohamed Sangani, against the Court of Appeal’s order, which had been granted in favour of the Securities and Exchange Commission of SL (SEC). The case was heard before a three-judge bench comprising His Lordship Justice Yasantha Kodagoda, Justice Sampath Abayakoon and Justice Sampath Wijeratne. In 2023, pursuant to an application made by Sangani, more..

Mar 14 (FT) 99x Founder Mano Sekaram on Wednesday underscored the pivotal significance of entrepreneurship among women in enabling them to achieve financial independence and actively contribute to economic growth. Delivering the keynote speech at the Women’s Leadership Forum organised by the Women’s Chamber of Industry and Commerce of Sri Lanka (WCIC), he expressed discontent at the inadequate female labour force participation and business opportunities for more..

Mar 14 (DN) Two experienced coaches, Hyacinth Wijesinghe and P.D.N. Prasadi have been selected as the Netball Junior Head Coach and Assistant Coach respectively and they are expected to form a strong Junior team for the Asian Youth Netball Championship from June 14 to 21 in South Korea and for the World Youth Netball Championship from September 19 to 28 in Gibraltar. Both Hyacinth and Prasadi have lot of experience as senior team coaches. Hayacinth the expert coach more..

Mar 14 (CT) After a tough 2-0 series defeat in the three-match ODI series against hosts New Zealand, SL’s Women’s Team, led by Chamari Athapaththu, will look to shift focus and start afresh as they prepare for the first T20I of the 3-match series at Hagley Park South, Christchurch on Friday (14). SL Women’s Team had a challenging time in the ODI series, facing off against a dominant NZ side. Despite showing glimpses of their potential, Sri Lankans were outclassed in both matches, more..

Mar 14 (DN) National Super League (NSL) 4-Day cricket tournament commences today (13) with two matches. Galle will face Kandy, while Jaffna will take on Colombo in this 5-team competition conducted by SLC. NSL remains SL’s top domestic tournament, featuring a strong lineup of players from the recent Major Clubs Tournament. It is expected to be a highly competitive season with national players involved in all 5 teams. more..

Mar 14 (DM) Charismatic author and speaker Joyce Meyer once said, Teachers can change lives with the right mix of chalk and challenges. She wasn’t talking about reforms in education. The buzz word in SL’s education these days is reforms. And PM Harini Amarasuriya, who is also the Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Training has vowed to implement changes to education by the year 2026. These reforms would be made under five main pillars with introduction of a new syllabus more..

Mar 14 (DM) Though the film’s advertisers seem to have avoided this definition, what else is Rani except a biopic? Bio comes from biography, and pic comes from picture (film). A biopic is a film depicting or dramatising the life of a real person, contemporary or historical. Dramatising allows a degree of artistic license, though not distortion. Physical resemblance is not the key factor here. Actors playing real-life characters sometimes bear a striking resemblance to the actual person; often, they do not. more..

Mar 14 (Island) We have heard of power stations being retired when they outlive their efficiency and usefulness and/or become redundant or potentially dangerous. But SL is planning to make some power plants take a break, as it were, during the weekends. It has been alleged that a plan is underway to curtail renewable power generation during the weekends because the grid infrastructure cannot handle excess power, especially on Sundays, when there is a lower demand for electricity. more..

Mar 14 (TM) The rape of a lady doctor at the doctors’ quarters of the Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital on Monday night has shone a spotlight on safety and security within our public health sector, an issue, which has often been overlooked despite multiple complaints made in the past. While the actions of the law enforcement authorities to quickly nab the suspect who allegedly committed the heinous crime is praiseworthy, we must ask the question, why wasn’t anything done before to reduce more..

Mar 14 (TM) National security and the defence of the nation are once again in the public spotlight due to the recent crime spree and with the allocation for the Ministry of Defence being discussed in Parliament. Following a speech by Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake in Parliament as the Minister of Defence, it is apparent that the Govt will move forward with the reduction or rightsizing of the armed forces by 2030 with some changes more..

Mar 14 (ST) When our masterminds in the Agriculture and Livestock Ministry asked the nation to stand by on the forthcoming Saturday for the launch into a strategic exercise that would not only keep Sri Lanka Clean but keep the brains of our national thinkers ticking as efficiently as a Rolex watch, one thought sprang to mind. Who is the genius in the political or bureaucratic frontline who, in his/her first flush of enthusiasm to contribute his widely known brain cells, more..

Mar 14 (CT) The SLBC management has reduced 10-15 minutes from 7 PM to 8 PM, traditional airtime given to Muslims during the holy month of Ramadan. This reduction of time is made to accommodate one of the prime-time news bulletins normally aired at 6:00 PM. One may wonder why SLBC must bring the 6:00 PM news bulletin to 7:00 PM. It is important to note that the 6:00 PM news is adjusted to accommodate the Islamic programs on Ramadan’s breaking of fasting. more..

Mar 14 (DM) Former Minister Malik Samarawickrama, who has now retired from politics, remains optimistic about the current govt. Samarawickrama said that the Govt’s actions show that they are on track and that the people shouldn’t expect the regime to deliver overnight. He also reiterated the fact that there are enough promising young people in the opposition from all parties and that they must get together and form an alliance. more..

Mar 14 (CT) Despite accounting for roughly 18% of the country’s GDP and employing about 30% of the workforce, the agriculture sector remains one of the least invested in, researched, and strategised sectors of the country’s economy. While production depends not just on the manpower invested but also on various other factors, the fact that almost one-third of the country’s workforce contributes only 18% to the GDP shows how the agriculture sector still lacks innovation, modernisation & research. more..

Mar 14 (Island) Al Jazeera’s Head-to-Head presenter Mehdi Hasan and former Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe, in an interview recorded in February but released last week, dealt with the conclusion of the war against the LTTE in 2009 without referring to the origins of terrorism here, while prolonging the narrative we were the bad guys throughout and not a word about the LTTE and how it terrorised this country for about 30 years. The chosen audience at London’s Conway Hall, more..

Mar 13 (Island) Minister Bimal Ratnayake called on Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne to look into the possibility of taking action against the former Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, former Deputy Speaker Ajith Rajapaksa, and former Deputy Chairman of Committees Angajan Ramanathan for alleged excessive use of vehicles and fuel during their tenures. Ratnayake said that following his exposure on 23 Feb, more..

Mar 13 (DM) SL's legal initiative for securing compensation for its worst ever maritime disaster through litigation in Singapore is in limbo because of counter legal action challenging the process in the UK. The X-Press Pearl incident is the worst maritime disaster to strike Sri Lanka. It has had a significant impact on SL’s sensitive coastal environment, local communities and the economy. The event continued to unfold after a cargo ship carrying chemicals caught fire off the coast of SL, more..

Mar 13 (Island) Consumers have brought to the notice of the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka an attempt by the Ceylon Electricity Board to curtail the generation of renewable electricity, especially by mini-hydro power producers during the weekends. They suspect that this is yet another ploy by the CEB to push for emergency power purchases and to support the production of electricity through diesel generation that is also highly injurious to people’s health. more..

Mar 13 (CNT) There are endless things to consider when moving to another country. What is the culture like? How easy is it to find work? How are the transport links? How happy are the locals? And for families hoping to move abroad, there are even more questions – think safety, healthcare, or education systems, for example. Remitly, an American remittance company helping users send money worldwide, has launched a new more..

Mar 13 (FT) Ceylon Chamber of Commerce hosted a distinguished gathering of diplomats and business leaders at An Evening with Diplomats on 10 March at the Cinnamon Grand, Colombo. The event, attended by a high-profile audience, provided a unique platform for the private sector to network and explore new business opportunities in an increasingly globalised economy. Chief Guest for the evening was the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment & Tourism Vijitha Herath. more..

Mar 13 (AD) NPP MP Aruna Panagoda stated in Parliament that a decision has been made to relocate the growing deer population found across several GN Divisions around the Homagama town area to a more suitable habitat. According to him, the number of deer in the area is estimated to be between 1,500 and 2,500, and they have been causing significant damage to farmers’ crops and property. “There has been a large deer population in five to six Grama Niladhari Divisions more..