Mar 20 (TM) Sports Minister Sunil Kumara Gamage, making the concluding speech on the third reading of the 2025 Budget Proposals linked to the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports on Tuesday (18) said that his ministry will never intervene in the election of office bearers of any sports institution. He said that instead what his ministry will do is to work towards the betterment of sportsmen and women while developing the overall sports sphere. more..

Mar 20 (CT) A rare species of mushroom, which is considered one of the most unique in the world, has been discovered at a journalist’s residence in Hapugala, Galle, according to the Ceylon Journal of Science. This mushroom species was first discovered in Malaysia, and later reported in Madagascar. Prior to this, it had been documented in Sri Lanka in 1919 at the Peradeniya Botanical Gardens among fungi. After a long gap, this species was reported again in Sri Lanka in 2023, more..

Mar 20 (Island) In the absence of Aruna Dharshana, Kalinga Kumarage is shouldering an extra burden in living up to the reputation of Asian Champions in the 4×400 metres relay when the World Indoor Championship commences in Nanjing China on Friday. The men’s 400 metres is Sri Lanka’s biggest strength in track and field events though two javelin throwers currently dominate world athletics top lists for the 2025 season. With the track and field season still in its start, more..

Mar 20 (EN) US Dept of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has added SL-based Marine Solution Pvt Ltd to its Specially Designated Nationals (SDNs) list of individuals and companies that US persons are prohibited from dealing with, the US Embassy in SL said. “OFAC has added SL-based Marine Solution Pvt Ltd to the SDN list for its role as the registered owner and technical manager of the Barbados-flagged SHANNON II, which has shipped Iranian oil,” embassy said. more..

Mar 20 (DM) Claiming that the expected paddy harvest this year had diminished by 5 million metric tonnes, Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe said yesterday the government may have to import rice again to meet the demand. He told Parliament that the estimated paddy harvest this year was 2.9 million metric tonnes and that it has reduced to 2.4 million metric tonnes due to adverse weather conditions and floods. more..

Mar 20 (ST) The tragic accident at the Fox Hill Supercross event in April 2024, which resulted in nearly 10 fatalities and over 20 injuries, prompted immediate investigations by both the SL Army and the SL Automobile Sports (SLAS). Army appointed a 7-member committee led by a Major General to probe the incident, focusing on factors such as spectator safety and track standards. Similarly, the SLAS initiated an independent more..

Mar 20 (Island) Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s recent interview with Mehdi Hasan on Al Jazeera’s ‘Head-to-Head’ series has caused controversy, both in and outside Parliament, over the role played by Wickremesinghe in the counter-insurgency campaign in the late’80s. The National People’s Power (NPP) seeking to exploit the developing story to its advantage has ended up with egg on its face as the ruling party couldn’t disassociate from the violent past of the JVP. more..

Mar 20 (Island) The police have found their head at long last, but they’ve lost face. Their much-publicised manhunt for IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon came a cropper. Having been in hiding for 20 days, he surrendered to Matara Magistrate’s court yesterday and was remanded. Govt sought to save face by claiming, in Parliament, yesterday that Tennakoon had surrendered while a CID team was in Matara to obtain a court order to freeze his assets. It also said CID had conducted a thorough search more..

Mar 20 (ST) The daily news segment of a local television station has a slot for what is called happy news which features fun and happy stories. Borrowing from this concept, my contribution today for this segment is the news that Sri Lanka has been established as a country with the lowest terror threat in the world. Happy news indeed, when considering that not so long ago (before 2009), the country was labelled as a dangerous place to visit owing to a brutal war which had killed more..

Mar 20 (CT) In an era where information is just a click away, democracy, once considered the pinnacle of governance, is increasingly under strain. Around the world, political manipulation, media influence, and public apathy are accelerating the erosion of democratic norms (Freedom House, 2022). The platforms that promised to democratise information are now being weaponised, leaving citizens vulnerable to misinformation, polarisation, and disengagement. more..

Mar 20 (TM) Even as the Govt plans to amend the Penal Code to ban all forms of corporal punishment National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) has highlighted that a number of procedural and cultural barriers prevent the creation of a society with zero tolerance for violence against children. NCPA Director Sajeewani Abeykoon said plans were afoot to amend Section 308A of the Penal Code. The existing provisions criminalise cruelty against more..

Mar 20 (DM) The past few years has seen a spike in serious criminal activity in our country. Statistics reveal that in 2021 alone, 522 murders were reported. More recently between 2024 and the first few months of this year, 66 persons were killed in over 100 incidents reported across the country. Of these, 13 deaths occurred in organised crime-related shootings involving the underworld over the last three months alone. Police have reportedly arrested more than 50 suspects in connection with more..

Mar 20 (CT) The recent protest held by the Unemployed Graduates’ Association at Polduwa Junction near the Parliament access road, with the powerful slogan Job (employment) is a right, raises an important and thought-provoking question. Is the right to employment enshrined in SL law, or is it merely an aspirational demand born out of frustration from a generation of graduates struggling to find stable work? Currently, SL’s legal framework does not guarantee employment as a fundamental more..

Mar 20 (CT) At dawn one day, a group of insurgents stormed a village in a sudden raid. They spotted a few terrified children hiding behind a tree and prepared to execute them. Witnessing this, their mother desperately pleaded with the militants, begging them not to harm her children and instead take her life if necessary. One of the insurgents handed a firearm to one of the children and commanded him to aim at his mother and more..

Mar 20 (DM) The govt recently launched the first phase of the formulation of a national policy on Early Childhood Education & Development (ECED). The new initiative aims to establish a comprehensive policy that applies across central and provincial govts, which is accessible to all children, offering a structured approach to early childhood education, and complements wider educational reforms. While the shift from a fragmented policy approach to a unified, holistic one is always welcome, more..

Mar 20 (DM) The mouse hunt on former IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon concluded yesterday when he surrendered to the Matara Magistrate Court after evading arrest for more than two weeks. In February this year, the Matara Magistrate Court issued an arrested warrant on the former IGP and eight others in connection to a fatal shooting that took place in Weligama in December 2023 which claimed the life of a Police sergeant while injuring a sub-inspector of Police. more..

Mar 19 (NW) An 18-member delegation from the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) undertook a two day visit to Sri Lanka aimed at fostering collaboration and development in the automobile industry between the two nations. The delegation’s visit from 17-18 March 2025 aims to further strengthen the economic partnership between India and Sri Lanka. The delegation included representatives from leading Indian vehicle manufacturers across all segments, more..

Mar 19 (DN) The Govt has decided to increase the monthly allowance provided to kidney patients by Rs.2,500 effective from April. This allowance will rise from Rs.7,500 to Rs. 10,000. Additionally, the monthly allowance for senior citizens will also be increased by Rs. 2,000, moving from Rs. 3,000 to Rs. 5,000, according to Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa. Minister elaborated that the payments for allowances under this scheme for individuals with disabilities, kidney patients, 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..

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 (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 (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 (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 (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 (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 (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 (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) 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 (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 (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 (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 (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..