Mar 13 (EN) Sri Lanka is trying to set up an aircraft repair centre at Mattala Int'l Airport, Minister Bimal Rathanayake said. Sri Lanka had spent 36.5 billion rupees to build Mattala International Airport. The loss in the past 5 years was 38.5 billion rupees, he told parliament. “We are discussing with big international engineering companies whether we can set up an aircraft repair centre,” Minister said. “We have got some kind of greenlight on that.” SL had earlier called for foreign companies to set up more..

Mar 13 (DN) Lt Gen Lasantha Rodrigo, Commander of the Army, visited Abhimansala, wellness resort dedicated to differently-abled War Heroes in Anuradhapura. During his visit, he inspected the facility, taking time to personally interact with the residential War Heroes and inquired about their well-being. As a gesture of support, he distributed gift parcels containing essential items to each of the differently-abled War Heroes signifying the dedicative care towards the War Heroes. more..

Mar 13 (TM) Alcohol and Drug Information Centre (ADIC) organisation raised concerns about the Excise authorities' plans to introduce an inexpensive type of liquor. The anti-drug and -alcohol group noted that despite the opposition raised with regard to this move, during the meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on Public Finance recently, Excise Department re-introduced this proposal and mentioned that more..

Mar 13 (AD) The sister of the suspect linked to the sexual assault of a female doctor at the A'pura Teaching Hospital, along with another individual, has been arrested. Two suspects, a 37-year-old woman and a 27-year-old man, were taken into custody on Tuesday night in the Nidikumbayaya area of Galnewa. The suspect’s sister was arrested on charges of aiding him in evading capture, while the other individual was found in possession of a mobile phone allegedly stolen by the suspect. more..

Mar 13 (ST) The Supreme Court has expressed strong displeasure that its orders on five police officers including Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police (SDIG) Ranmal Kodithuwakku regarding an alleged assault had not been implemented by the National Police Commission (NPC) and other relevant authorities for more than seven months. The matter came to light after the NPC sent a letter to the Supreme Court on March 3 asking for a certified copy of the order it gave in August. more..

Mar 13 (FT) CEMS-Global USA’s 14th SL edition of its globally renowned Textile Series of Exhibitions spanning three days will begin today at SLECC, Colombo 10. CEMS-Global USA Group CEO S.S. Sarwar said the event will bring together leading industry players, showcasing textile and garment machinery, yarn, fabric, trims, accessories, dyestuff, and chemicals. The event is set to be a vital platform for SL’s apparel industry, fostering connections between manufacturers and global suppliers. more..

Mar 13 (TM) Ministry of Labour will first notify the 22,450 companies that have defaulted on Rs. 34.9 billion in Employees Provident Fund (EPF) payments since 2015 to settle their dues and will take legal action if they fail to comply. In response to a query by an Opposition MP, Ministry of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development recently informed the Parliament that 22,450 companies have defaulted on a total of Rs. 34.9 billion in EPF payments from 2015 to the present day (2025). more..

Mar 13 (EN) The sudden award of a tender for straddle carriers at a Sri Lanka state owned enterprise was a dramatic fraud carried out by a cabinet decision, Minister Bimal Rathnayake said. The current administration had decided to cancel a straddle carrier tender award by cabinet decision days before the last Prez election, for Sri Lanka Ports Authority to be used in the East Container Terminal due to clear fraud, Minister said. more..

Mar 13 (DN) SL’s boys’ Junior Davis Cup team sent a strong message with a ruthless 3-0 victory over Bhutan in their opening Group ‘E’ clash of the Davis Cup Juniors Asia/Oceania Pre-Qualifying tournament yesterday. From the very first serve, Sri Lanka dominated every aspect of the game, displaying superior skill, tactical awareness, and physical endurance. Sri Lanka’s top junior of St Peter’s College Mayooran Kubherane took control early, using his powerful ground strokes and more..

Mar 13 (ST) Keells has opened its first northern store in Jaffna. While this marks its first supermarket in Jaffna, Keells has been closely connected to the region since 2015. The Keells Collection Centre in Jaffna has been actively sourcing approximately 200,000 kg of fresh produce each month, ensuring a steady supply of high-quality goods while supporting local farmers, according to a company media release. Located in the heart of Jaffna Town near the Stanley Road and Clock Tower junction, more..

Mar 13 (DN) Two SL athletes based in USA on scholarship recently fared well in their events to take gold medals. Middle distance runner Tharushi Karunarathne and high jumper Ushan Thivanka performed well in USA with both of them getting good exposure before the key international events. Tharushi Karunarathne won the gold at American Athletic Conference (AAC) Indoor Track & Field Championship and guided Tulane Uni more..

Mar 13 (FT) National Advisory Committee, which operates with the aim of identifying problems faced by small and medium-sized entrepreneurs (SMEs) and providing sustainable solutions, recently launched its activities with its first session. The Committee’s operations commenced under the co-chairmanship of Finance and Planning Deputy Minister Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma and Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Deputy Minister Chaturanga Abeysinghe. more..

Mar 13 (DM) CFA Society SL announced Team A from the University of Kelaniya as the winners of the 18th edition of the CFA Institute Research Challenge Sri Lanka. This annual competition serves as a platform to nurture the talents of aspiring financial professionals. In this year’s finals, four outstanding teams—Uni of Colombo, Uni of Sri J'pura, and two teams from the Uni of Kelaniya—demonstrated their expertise in equity research and financial analysis, competing for the coveted title. more..

Mar 13 (DM) Unauthorised establishments built along the scenic Hiriketiya beach have caught the attention of locals. The Daily Mirror learned that these establishments had been built around January. The Hiriketiya beach is a public beach and a main attraction for locals and tourists who like to enjoy the beachside away from Galle. The establishments are similar to sheds built on rocks along the beach blocking the view that attracted visitors from far and wide. more..

Mar 13 (FT) Former Central Bank (CBSL) Governor Dr. Indrajith Coomaraswamy on Monday praised the banking regulator’s recent monetary policies, calling its efforts in stabilising the country’s macroeconomic environment remarkable. Delivering the first public lecture to mark the CBSL’s 75th Anniversary titled A New Paradigm in Macroeconomic Management, he lauded the swift, bold decision-making in times of crisis, which reinforced confidence in ongoing efforts to maintain economic stability. more..

Mar 13 (TM) Advocates for nat’l agri. policy, incorporating innovation, new tech, cultivation methods, better tools, adequate compensation, nat’l land-use plan among other suggestions. Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa proposed key reforms for agricultural development in the Parliament yesterday including highlighting the need to revitalise the country’s irrigation infrastructure, which, despite its scale, suffers from significant shortcomings. more..

Mar 13 (Island) Bread and Peace. This was a stirring demand taken up by Russia’s working women, we are told, in 1917; the year the world’s first proletarian revolution shook Russia and ushered in historic changes to the international political order. The demand continues to be profoundly important for the world to date. Int'l Women’s Day is continuing to be celebrated the world over, come March, but in SL very little progress has been achieved over the years by way of women’s empowerment, more..

Mar 13 (Island) No sooner had the International Women’s Day been celebrated on a grand scale here than a female doctor became a victim of sexual assault at the A'pura Teaching Hospital. That barbaric crime, which shook the conscience of the nation, points to the growing vulnerability of SL women. Numerous laws have been introduced and ways of means of tackling the scourge of sexual violence have been devised, but there has reportedly been no discernible decline in more..

Mar 13 (CT) The behavior of the opposition in the parliament is ludicrous to say the least but actually it is a tragedy. A tragedy because we really do not have a critical, constructive opposition which is a weakness in the democratic governance of a country. What is happening to the opposition? It is good to reflect on it and study it. My thesis is that the NPP govt is making the System Change happen. And they are serious about it. The opposition is unable to adapt itself to the new way of more..

Mar 13 (TM) Over the last decade, SL has faced droughts, flooding, and food security scares and is struggling to rise from an economic crisis. Water is the lifeblood of all things living on Earth, and SL has long neglected a once-robust network of arteries – ancient irrigation systems and a network of irrigation tanks which once fed and kept many parts of SL fertile and green. Water is at the centre of economic and social development. It influences whether communities are healthy places to live more..

Mar 13 (TM) The rain poured down heavily, turning narrow roads into muddy streams. Ten-year-old Dineth held his mother’s hand tightly as they watched the water rise near their home in Agalawatta in Kalutara. His schoolbag, packed and ready, lay untouched by the door. No school today, his mother sighed. It was not the first time. Every time the floods came, Dineth and his friends stayed home, missing lessons, exams, and the joy of more..

Mar 13 (CT) On 21 August 2024, Ceylon Today’s editorial, titled Lessons for Sri Lankans from the Indian Supreme Court, addressed the horrific rape and murder of a postgraduate doctor at Kolkata’s R.G. Kar Medical College. In that editorial, we warned how similar the working conditions faced by female healthcare workers in Sri Lanka are to those in India and emphasised the need for immediate action to prevent such tragedies in our country. We highlighted how female healthcare workers more..

Mar 13 (DM) Two days after gala Int'l Women’s Day events concluded, a dark day dawned in SL when a female doctor was allegedly sexually assaulted at the A'pura Teaching Hospital on Monday (10). The incident was revealed by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa in Parliament who raised concerns about the safety of females employed in the public service. The fact that a female doctor was threatened with a knife by an outsider before allegedly sexually assaulting her inside her more..

Mar 13 (SO) In a ground-breaking shift that could herald a new era for women’s reproductive rights, SL is on the brink of redefining its longstanding abortion laws. Traditionally, abortion in the country has been strictly prohibited except when necessary to save the mother’s life, a stance enshrined in the Penal Code under Sections 303 to 307, which prescribe severe penalties of up to twenty years in prison or hefty fines for any violations. more..

Mar 13 (DM) There is a war-like situation growing in the Palk Straits. It is a battle for fish and livelihood, especially affecting our Northern fisher communities. The demarcation of the maritime boundary agreements of 1974 and 1976 between India and Sri Lanka made it illegal for fishermen from either side to cross over into each other’s waters to fish. But large Indian trawler vessels keep aggressively entering our sea-space. The bottom trawling methods they use denude fish stocks and more..

Mar 13 (DM) Just the other day, this writer read somewhere in the social media a fantastic saying, Earlier weapons were manufactured to fight wars. Now wars are manufactured to sell weapons. A saying like this goes on to underscore the need to have strong advertising and propaganda arms to convince people, when they become voters. It’s amazing how our politicians have influenced the thinking of people. This is why we reiterate time and time again that advertising is acceptable, more..

Mar 12 (DM) Despite initial reluctance and grievances from farmers regarding selling paddy to the govt, the Paddy Marketing Board (PMB) has purchased paddy amounting to 42,124 kg paddy from the farmers. A senior official told Daily Mirror that the paddy was collected from Ampara, Anuradhapura, Gampaha, Hambantota, Kurunegala, Polonnaruwa, Puttalam and Trincomalee. The harvest, which is part of the Maha Season yield, has been gathered since February 10. more..

Mar 12 (DM) Court of Appeal today reserved its order on the writ petition filed by IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon until March 17. In his writ petition, Deshabandu Tennakoon sought an order to stay the arrest warrant issued by the Matara Magistrate. Matara Magistrate had previously ordered Tennakoon’s arrest in connection with the Weligama shooting incident. Two-judge bench of Court of Appeal, comprising Justices Mohamed Laffar and Sarath Dissanayake, heard the case and more..

Mar 12 (NF) There is a memorial located in Buddhiyagama, in Weeraketiya, Tangalle, located in the south of SL. This, buried under the sands of time, involves a person who was a focal point in the Batakanda Commission Report. He was Attorney-at-Law Wijeyadasa Liyanarachchi. A lawyer, human rights activist, and a skilled orator in the political arena. During the 88/89 period, he appeared in court without charging any fees more..

Mar 12 (DM) National Dangerous Drugs Control Board has expressed growing concern over the escalating drug addiction issue among youth in SL. Specialist Dr. Indika Wanninayake said that the use of prescription medications is on the rise, with around 150 different types of drugs being used as substitutes for illegal substances. These medications, including painkillers prescribed for cancer patients and other medical conditions, are increasingly being misused by addicts. more..

Mar 12 (AD) An officer of SL Customs and two others have been arrested by officers of the Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) for attempting to smuggle a stock of illegal cigarettes into the country. The suspects were apprehended at BIA while trying to smuggle in foreign-manufactured cigarettes worth Rs. 9 million. A businessman and his assistant, who had transported the consignment, arrived at BIA from Dubai. Customs officer, using his official identity card, attempted to remove the cigarettes more..