Mar 14 (FT) Govt is committed to retaining SriLankan Airlines as the country’s national carrier, while pursuing operational improvements and exploring a possible strategic partnership to revive the airline. Responding to a question on the financial burden posed by the airline during a panel discussion at the LOLC Securities Forum, Deputy Minister Chathuranga Abeysinghe acknowledged that the carrier has been a significant cost to the Govt and the public but stressed that more..

Mar 14 (ST) There was a buzz and palpable excitement in this leafy neighbourhood suburb. The talk of the town was on the conflict in the Middle East or West Asia (as we Sri Lankans like to call it). Aldoris, the choon-paan karaya, had stopped his pastry-laden tuk-tuk at the gate where the trio had gathered. “Meda peradiga inna apey sahodara sahodariyanta mokakda wenna yanney (What will happen to our brothers and sisters in the Middle East),” asked Aldoris. “Api egollanta call dunna. more..

Mar 14 (Island) Some prominent astrologers are up in arms, claiming that the JVP-NPP govt has not officially recognised the list of traditional New Year auspicious times or the nekath seettuwa they have submitted. They have been holding press conferences and raking the govt leaders over the coals (pun intended) for what they describe as a sinister move to devalue the cultural significance of the Sinhala and Tamil New Year. All previous govts officially endorsed the nekath seettu, more..

Mar 14 (GV) When the immediate devastation of Cyclone Ditwah began to fade from headlines, the story of the disaster seemed to conclude in familiar terms: damaged infrastructure, destroyed crops, flooded homes and the enormous fiscal cost of recovery. Relief operations moved forward, reconstruction began and life in affected districts gradually returned to a fragile version of normal. But disasters do not end when the waters recede. The visible destruction of a cyclone, i.e., damaged roads, more..

Mar 14 (TM) World Consumer Day falls on 15 March every year and is celebrated worldwide under the leadership of Consumer International, the global body representing consumer organisations. The day is observed to demonstrate solidarity with citizens and to highlight the needs and grievances of consumers. Every citizen is a consumer at some stage of life, from birth to death. When a child is born, parents become consumers when purchasing essential items for the child. more..

Mar 14 (TM) With Sri Lanka witnessing a gradual but concerning rise in substance abuse among women, the situation is fast transforming into a growing public health concern that demands urgent attention from authorities. According to the Handbook of Drug Abuse Information in SL 2025 released by the NDDCB, the data indicate a clear upward trend in drug-related arrests over the past five years, rising steadily from 97,416 in 2020 to 228,450 in 2024. more..

Mar 14 (FT) I published two articles in 2016 and 2022 titled Are you ready for the next black out? Let us hope that the silver lining behind the calamity of 9 Feb, country-wide blackouts may hopefully have created the environment, commitment and preparation of the CEB to prevent any future island-wide blackouts. But recent events, both local and int'l, certainly may drive the CEB to impose power cuts in the not-so-far future. Further, breaking up of CEB into six different companies more..

Mar 14 (DM) Managing Director of the IMF Kristalina Georgieva last week said that SL now has a govt that people trust, and the country’s recovery is being powered by that trust which is a rare and valuable asset. On the other hand, after ten years of negative performance, SL recently had risen from 121st place to 107th place, a 14-place climb, on Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index for 2025. These are invaluable international acclaims that the NPP Govt has won in the recent weeks. more..

Mar 14 (DM) Some occupations, professions and jobs are decided by gender. But there are some male-dominated jobs even males find too hard to handle. Many men find dealing with the dead to be a somewhat scary and abhorrent task. But 19-year-old Sneha Nethra Kumari from Giriulla off Kuliyapitiya has taken up embalming as her profession. Going beyond just embalming the dead, young Sneha has made a name as a beautician of corpses. Though there are thousands of women more..

Mar 14 (DM) Faced with continuous losses and no end in sight of a turnaround at the loss-making CEB, Minister Kumara Jayakody ultimately issued an Extraordinary Gazette Notification earlier this month establishing six successor companies to transfer the functions and duties of the CEB. An effort to restructure the loss-making entity and cut its losses. Since its creation in 1969, CEB as it is commonly referred to, has been a chronic loss-making state-owned enterprise (SOE). more..

Mar 14 (DM) In an era where space exploration is no longer limited to a few powerful nations, SL youth now stand at the gateway of a global scientific revolution. This is an attempt to inspire and empower young minds in SL to explore the wonders of astronomy and space science by showing how world-class knowledge is now accessible to anyone with curiosity and ambition. At the heart of this global movement is Manjula Gayan, Co-founder and Chief Technical Officer of the Book a Scientist more..

Mar 13 (DN) The PAFFREL organisation and the March 12 Movement pointed out that 87% of the Govt budget expenditure has been utilised by the end of 2025, indicating a significant step forward in fiscal progress. This was revealed at the launch of the second semi-annual monitoring report prepared by the PAFFREL organisation and the March 12 Movement, monitoring the implementation of the current Government policy statement, held at the BMICH yesterday March 12. more..

Mar 13 (AD) PM Harini Amarasuriya participated as the Chief Guest in the special event organized to commentate the International Mother Language Day 2026 today at the New Arts Theatre of the Uni of Colombo. The event was held under the theme Languages Unite: Diverse Voices, Shared Humanity. The event was jointly organized by the High Commission of Bangladesh and the Ministry of Education of SL with the support of the UN, SL Scout Association, and SL Girl Guides Association, more..

Mar 13 (DM) Recent economic and natural disasters in the past five years have affected the country’s food security with 2 million individuals having been affected by severe damages to homes, crops, food supplies and critical infrastructure. Entire communities have been left isolated or without basic services, and over 200,000 people were displaced from their homes. Food insecurity increased more than fivefold from 2019 to 2025, more..

Mar 13 (wsws) Socialist Equality Party (SEP) and International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) in Sri Lanka have spoken to workers and university students about the implications of the criminal US-Israeli war against Iran and the urgent need to build an anti-war movement based on international socialism. The brutal US-Israeli war of extermination, now in its second week, is aimed at subjugating Iran and placing its resources under Washington’s domination. more..

Mar 13 (Island) Frontline Socialist Party (FSP) y accused the govt of trying to award another tender to the Indian company that supplied low-grade coal to the Norochcholai Power Plant and failed to deliver the stipulated amount of coal according to schedule. The allegation was made by the Education Secretary of the Progressive Socialist Party, Pubudu Jayagoda said. He said that in Sept 2025, the govt had awarded a tender to the Indian company Trident Chemphar to supply 25 coal shipments more..

Mar 13 (AD) Nearly 200 kilograms of seized narcotics related to concluded cases were destroyed by SL today at the incinerator located at Lactowatte, Wanathawilluwa. The destroyed stock included drugs linked to cases that had been concluded at the Colombo High Court and the Balapitiya Magistrate’s Court. Additionally, case materials connected to nearly 1,500 cases at the Govt Analyst’s Department were also destroyed during the operation. more..

Mar 13 (DM) Two officials attached to the Fire and Emergency Rescue Division of the Trincomalee Municipal Council have been arrested for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs. 20,000. According to the CIABOC, a Fire Officer (Officer-in-Charge) and a firefighter were arrested following a complaint made by a resident of Kantale. Investigations revealed that the suspects had allegedly demanded Rs. 40,000 to issue a fire safety certificate for 2026 to a tourist restaurant located in Kantale town. more..

Mar 13 (NW) Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe has ordered streamlining the operations of Ayurvedic Spas, to prevent the operation of brothels under the guise of spas. During a meeting with officials from the Ayurvedic Dept, Police and Pradeshiya Sabhas, Minister Samarasinghe was informed of a practice where companies register as Ayurvedic Spas or ordinary companies, but operate as brothels. Discussions were also held on the lack of sufficient laws and proper procedures for regulation, more..

Mar 13 (AD) SL Computer Emergency Readiness Team (SL CERT) has issued a public advisory urging people to exercise caution when engaging with online advertisements as the festive season approaches. Senior Information Security Engineer at SLCERT, Charuka Damunupola, stated that several incidents of online scams have already been reported to the organisation during the first two months of this year. He noted that with the upcoming festive season—particularly the Sinhala and more..

Mar 13 (EN) Sri Lanka will host the 23rd edition of Colombo Fashion Week (CFW) this summer, focusing on positioning the capital as a high-end city tourism hub centered on fashion, lifestyle, and global glamour, organizers said. The initiative aims to transform Colombo into a high-spending destination, mirroring global powerhouses like Milan, Dubai, and Singapore. “Historically, fashion weeks work closely with city tourism in major capitals, like Milan or Venice. more..

Mar 13 (DM) In light of the prevailing high temperatures across the country and a recent incident where a 15-year-old student died while training for a school sports event in Buttala, health authorities have urged schools to avoid allowing students to take part in outdoor sports and physical activities during the hottest hours of the afternoon. A Grade 12 student of Dutugemunu National School, had been training for a marathon event more..

Mar 13 (AD) CIABOC informed the Colombo Magistrate’s Court today that investigations into former State Minister Shasheendra Rajapaksa and other suspects, who are currently out on bail in connection with a corruption allegation, have been concluded. When the case was taken up, Shasheendra Rajapaksa and the other suspects, who are released on bail, appeared before the court. During the proceedings, officials from the Bribery Commission informed the court that more..

Mar 13 (AD) According to the Ministry of Rural Development, Social Security & Community Empowerment, one-fourth of SL’s population is currently living in poverty. Minister Upali Pannilage stated that nearly 80% of those affected by poverty reside in rural areas, emphasizing that rural poverty should be eradicated first. Minister noted that the causes of poverty should be identified within each Grama Niladhari Division and that representatives of the Community Development Councils more..

Mar 13 (AD) Sri Lanka Police says that it has received several complaints regarding incidents where individuals employed in domestic service have allegedly stolen valuables such as gold, cash, foreign currency, and other property from the households in which they were employed. In view of these incidents, SL Police seeks to raise public awareness and provide guidance to help prevent such occurrences, more..

Mar 13 (TM) Colombo Port City Economic Commission (CPCEC) should regularly convene with the Board of Investment (BOI), with the intention of courting companies within the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) to consider relocating their offshore ancillary companies within other economic zones in the country, CPCEC Chairperson Harsha Amarasekera said. “Now that our regulatory framework is up, the Act amendment is up, the regulations are up and the tax incentives more..

Mar 13 (RG) Three young Bermudian cricketers, Aaron Paynter, Keegan Jones and Isaiah O’Brien, have missed out on an opportunity to tour SL as a result of the conflict in the Middle East. Paynter, Jones and O’Brien were scheduled to travel to the Asian country with the Ontario Cricket Academy from March 11 to 25 for T20 and 50-overs matches. However, the trip has been called off because of the conflict involving US, Israel & Iran, which has resulted in travel disruption across the region. more..

Mar 13 (NW) Sri Lanka has begun discussions with Russia to secure fuel supplies as concerns grow over disruptions to global energy supply chains due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Minister Vijitha Herath held an urgent meeting today with Russian Ambassador to SL Levan S. Dzhagaryan at the Foreign Ministry to discuss the possibility of purchasing Russian oil. The discussions come following the removal of sanctions that had previously restricted purchase of Russian oil, more..

Mar 13 (FT) The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce brought together Sri Lanka’s business, diplomatic, and government communities, hosting a high-level networking evening recently at the Cinnamon Grand, Colombo. Foreign Affairs and Foreign Employment Acting Minister Arun Hemachandra, attended as the Chief Guest. The event welcomed Ambassadors, High Commissioners, and Consuls General representing nearly 50 countries, alongside representatives from key State institutions. more..

Mar 13 (DM) Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodagamage observed that due to loopholes in actions carried out by state financial institutions under the Foreign Exchange Act, money in SL is being transferred overseas through cryptocurrency transactions. Accordingly, the Magistrate stated that immediate steps should be taken to prevent such activities and to educate the public and directed that the Central Bank more..

Mar 13 (Island) PM Harini Amarasuriya stated that the Govt believes investments in education should be encouraged to develop highly skilled human resources essential for rebuilding the country, adding that the scholarship programme is a national initiative that reflects the country’s future vision. PM made these remarks while attending the inauguration ceremony of the scholarship programme that provides opportunities for students who excelled in the 2024 GCE A/L Exam more..

Mar 13 (FT) The Export Development Board (EDB) recently convened a high-level meeting with key industry stakeholders to discuss the challenges faced by exporters shipping goods to the Middle East amid the ongoing conflict in the region. The meeting focused on identifying measures that the EDB, together with other relevant institutions, could introduce to support exporters and ensure the smooth continuation of export operations during the current period of geopolitical uncertainty. more..