Mar 29 (DN) SL has completed debt restructure, honoured the IMF program and turned around economically seeing over 5% growth after 2 years of contraction. The country rating have got upgraded to CCC and is no longer in ‘RD’ with a very strong reserves back to USD 6 billion, three to half months imports capacity , a stable currency that has appreciated over last 18 months or so period ample liquidity in its banking system with a current market liquidity of about Rs 180 billion, more..

Mar 29 (DM) A senior consultant Oral and Maxillofacial (OMF) surgeon at the General Hospital Kegalle was brutally assaulted within the hospital premises earlier today (28). The attack was carried out by an individual who claimed that the specialist had made accidental contact with a pregnant woman while walking along the hospital pathway. The incident has sparked outrage among medical professionals with healthcare unions calling for immediate measures to prevent violence more..

Mar 29 (ST) Former heavyweights in local councils, youth and female candidates are contesting the local elections in a couple of months. Campaigns kicked off after nominations for 339 councils closed on Thursday, and the election commission fixed May 6 as polling day. NPP has launched its campaign aiming to further strengthen its hand, while the opposition is trying to deal a blow to the ruling party’s popularity and more..

Mar 29 (NW) Charith Silva, the creator behind the popular YouTube channel Wild Cookbook, has become the first SL content creator to surpass 10 million subscribers on the platform. Since launching his channel in 2020, Charith has uploaded over 600 videos, amassing more than 4 billion views. His unique outdoor cooking style and authentic SL recipes have drawn a global audience, setting a new benchmark in the local digital content space. This milestone marks a significant achievement more..

Mar 29 (NW) Comedy duo Blok & Dino have issued a public statement following reports that the Chief of Sri Lanka’s Indigenous Veddah community has lodged a complaint with the CID over one of their videos. The video, which went viral recently, drew criticism for allegedly mocking the Veddah community. In response, Blok & Dino clarified that the man featured is an impersonator who adopts a Veddah-inspired lifestyle, and not an actual member of the community. more..

Mar 29 (DM) The writ petition filed by Chamari Athapathu and Anushka Sanjeevani, the respective captain and vice captain of the women’s international team has also challenged the decision of the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) classifying them as employees of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC). The petition came up today and was listed to be taken up with the men’s cricketers' petition on April 03 before the Court of Appeal. The petitioners filed the petition seeking for notice to quash the decision more..

Mar 29 (CT) The Tamil people must not repeat the mistakes they made earlier in the upcoming LG Elections, said Eelam People’s Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF) Leader Suresh Premachandran, on 27 March, in Chavakachcheri, Jaffna. Premachandran made these remarks during an event organised to introduce the candidates who are contesting the upcoming LG Polls under the ‘Conch’ symbol of Democratic Tamil National Alliance (DTNA) in the Jaffna District. more..

Mar 29 (DN) It was revealed in the COPE that a private company named Savorite was issued Waiver of Registration (WoR) certificates to import 38 types of medicines in 2022 without the evaluation of the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA). The former Secretary to the Ministry of Health also informed the Committee that the former Minister of Health had given instructions to select this private company called more..

Mar 29 (PTI) For the first time, India and Sri Lanka are set to sign a major defence cooperation pact during PM Narendra Modi's visit to the island nation next week, a move that comes amid China's relentless attempts to increase its military influence over Colombo. The two sides are also likely to firm up a raft of other bilateral agreements including one on restructuring Sri Lanka's debt following talks between Modi and SL Prez Anura Kumara Disanayaka in Colombo on April 5. more..

Mar 29 (CT) Deputy Minister Chathuranga Abeysinghe said that if investors propose high rates, like in the Adani power project, his govt would not accept such proposals. “We won’t accept it. Projects must go through a competitive bidding process,” he said. He emphasised Sri Lanka’s strong renewable energy potential and expressed confidence that opening the market would highlight its benefits, particularly within the BIMSTEC region, where Sri Lanka aims to become a net energy exporter. more..

Mar 29 (FT) SL Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) is turning to digital storytelling in a bid to position itself as a year-round travel destination, with the new tourism campaign Sri Lanka, A Story for Every Season expected to generate over Rs. 32 million in media exposure and engage over 2.2 million travel enthusiasts worldwide. The unveiled on Thursday, marks SLTPB’s first large-scale summer-focused influencer initiative, partnered with more..

Mar 30 (SO) Sri Lanka, along with the rest of the world, continues to grapple with the lasting effects of Covid-19, exactly five years after the WHO declared it a global pandemic in March 2020. In hindsight, it is now clear that Covid-19 reshaped nearly every aspect of society, exposing deep vulnerabilities but also demonstrating resilience and adaptability. The technological breakthroughs made in the first year of the pandemic with regard to mRNA vaccine technology accelerated the treatment of more..

Mar 30 (CT) Few foresaw the skeletons of Batalanda come crashing down in a London television interview. There have been plenty of speculations about the intended purposes and commentaries on the unintended outcomes of Ranil Wickremesinghe’s Al Jazeera interview. The more prurient takes on the interview have been about the public dressing down of the former president by the pugnacious interviewer Mehdi Hasan. Only one person seems convinced that Mr. Wickremesinghe had more..

Mar 30 (TM) While Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD) and his JVP-led NPP Govt are trying to steer the country on its continuing economic recovery path without much disruption, several external factors – like the resurfacing of the controversial Batalanda Commission report during former Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe’s recent interview with Al Jazeera, and last week’s imposition of sanctions by the UK on 4 Sri Lankans more..

Mar 30 (FT) Author Ernest Hemingway had a simple formula for writing successfully. First, you sit in front of the typewriter. Then, you bleed all over the page. However the pioneer of terse functional prose that cut through prolixity and bombast alike had more sober thoughts. He admitted confessionally that there was no worse moment than waking to write in the morning and having to sit, staring at the blank page, for hours. Perhaps the National People’s Power govt can relate. more..

Mar 30 (ST) British Govt has gone the extra mile to showcase its duplicity when speaking of human rights. It is surpassing its own track record, seeing human rights with a Nelsonian eye. This week, it announced sanctions against four Sri Lankans directly involved in the downfall of an internationally banned terrorist group. In doing so, the minister making the announcement let the cat—or the tiger—out of the bag, as it were. He said he was doing so to honour an election pledge to his voters. more..

Mar 30 (ST) Police broke up a student protest outside the Health Ministry premises early Friday, arresting 27 of them. The protest had been organised by the IUSF, which alleged that the govt had curtailed Allied Health Sciences graduate intake to the public sector. Police had earlier obtained a court order from the Maligakanda Magistrate’s Court against the protest. The students, who had started a Satyagraha in front of the ministry, more..

Mar 30 (TM) One of the key issues raised by the collective Opposition as well as the Ranil Wickremesinghe-led Govt during campaigning for the Prez Election in September last year as well as the General Elections two months later was the so-called inexperience of the NPP to take on the role of governing SL. They pointed to the fragile state of the nation’s economy and the rapidly changing global order, where SL’s fate depended on skillful navigation of those rough seas, as key points more..

Mar 30 (ST) My dear Sajith, I thought of writing to you because you seem to be at the centre of a controversy every now and then these days, though you haven’t done anything yourself and have tried to stay out of the limelight. As the leader of the telephone party, you are always at the wrong place at the wrong time! A few days ago, we heard that Imthiaz had written to you saying he was resigning as chairman of your party. Being one of the very few politicians about whom no one speaks a bad more..

Mar 30 (EN) Some of SL’s debt restructuring deals which are in the final stages to be concluded very soon, Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said. India played a critical role as co-chair of the Official Creditors Committee and has been working with SL also in finalizing the debt restructuring agreements. SL, in principle, has finalized the restructuring of its bilateral debt and has inked the restructuring deals with Japan and China. It is yet to conclude the deals with other bilateral lenders. more..

Mar 30 (CT) The upcoming LG Elections are fast approaching, and the atmosphere is already charged with anticipation. While many among the masses may claim, We are not participating in these Elections, they will inevitably play a role as Election Day draws closer, their energy building like that of Usain Bolt at the starting line. This, truly, is the Election fever that sweeps through South Asia. It is a sign of a thriving democracy, fuelled by a populace that is deeply engaged and passionate. more..

Mar 30 (TM) While farmer associations warn of an impending rice shortage and price hikes in the country, the Govt has assured that the market will remain stable for the foreseeable future. Speaking in Parliament recently, Trade, Commerce, Food Security, and Cooperative Development Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe claimed that since the expected paddy harvest this year had diminished, the Govt may have to more..

Mar 30 (Island) Winding up the 2025 budget debate in his capacity of finance minister, Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake once again told the country that legislation to abolish MPs’ pensions is forthcoming, presumably in the short term although he has not specified when. However, opposition lawmaker Ravi Karunanayake has stolen a march on the president and his govt by bringing a private member’s motion to abolish pensions for parliamentarians which has already more..

Mar 30 (ST) Maliyadeva College captain Chandupa Abeysinghe’s patient century and bowler Thaveesha Balasooriya’s five-wicket haul were the defining performances in the drawn 41st Battle of the Rocks two-day big match encounter against St. Anne’s College, which concluded at the Welagedara Stadium yesterday. Winning the toss and electing to bat first, Maliyadeva posted a commanding first-innings total of 309 all out in 102.4 overs. Skipper Abeysinghe led from the front with more..

Mar 30 (EN) SL’s current foreign exchange earnings made up of exports, remittances and gross services which includes tourism, totaled US$ 2,265 million in Feb 2025, exceeding imports by US$ 701 million. Exports were US$ 1,052 million, remittances were US$ 548.1 million, gross services were US$ 664.5 million. Total current foreign exchange earnings were US$ 138 million or 6.4% higher in Feb 2025 from a year ago. Among gross services inflows were US$ 367 mil of tourism earnings more..

Mar 30 (TM) With less than 50 days to go for the Asian Boxing Confederation (ASBC) Asian Under 22 and Youth Boxing Championships in May, Organising Committee Chairman Tharanga Perera expressed his enthusiasm and confidence about SL hosting this landmark event, marking the first major boxing championship for the nation since the Asian C'ships held in Colombo in 1967. “We have everything in place to ensure SL delivers a world-class tournament from 12 to 23 May more..

Mar 30 (ST) On Monday (31), with no one daring to contest his authority, Shammi Silva will reassume the presidency of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) for an unprecedented fourth consecutive term. This so-called election is nothing more than a ceremonial process, a rubber-stamping of Silva’s dominance over the cash-rich institution. His uncontested rise speaks volumes—not about his popularity, but about the entrenched power more..

Mar 30 (Island) Sri Lanka have been on a wild goose chase for a genuine seam-bowling all-rounder – someone who can lend balance to the side and tilt the scales in our favour. Yet, despite scouring the length and breadth of our cricketing landscape, success has remained as elusive as a Test win in Australia. Sure, we’ve unearthed a handful of spin-bowling all-rounders over the years, but let’s face it – they’re about as effective overseas as a canned fish on Unawatuna beach. more..

Mar 30 (TM) Prioritising educating the general public to avoid anonymous online burner shops is more effective than attempting to take punitive measures against such fraudulent e-commerce businesses, according to the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA). CAA Chairman stated that the CAA could not of its own volition investigate and take action against any e-commerce businesses violating consumer rights, adding that it could only take action when a complaint was made by the public. more..

Mar 30 (ST) Residential land values of Colombo have risen by high double-digit rates in the second half of 2024, while high-priced condo deals increased in the third quarter. Prices and purchases have been rising in an environment of falling market interest rates accompanied by an easing monetary policy cycle (two policy rate cuts adding to 75 basis points in 2024) and healthier macrofinancial conditions. more..

Mar 30 (ST) Sunday Times Deputy Editor–Investigations Namini Wijedasa has been selected as one of the recipients of the US Secretary of State’s 2025 International Women of Courage (IWOC) Award. This year’s IWOC Awards ceremony will be hosted by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and First Lady Melania Trump next week at the US State Department in Washington D.C. US State Dept’s citation of Ms. Wijedasa reads as follows: “Namini Wijedasa, an award-winning more..

Mar 30 (DM) The rationale followed by the govt in selecting suitable persons for new diplomatic postings are questionable as one NPP candidate who has been defeated in the General Election has been appointed as a head of one SL mission abroad, a SJB MP alleged yesterday. “NPP candidate Mahindadasa Ratnayake who contested the General Election from the Colombo District has been appointed as the head of the SL mission in Cuba,” SJB MP Mujibur Rahman alleged. more..

Mar 30 (DM) Frontline Socialist Party (FSP) lashed out at the govt for planning to close down state institutions or to privatise them. National Organiser of FSP-affiliated Govi Aragala Viyaparaya Wimal Waththuhewa said that Mahaweli Authority, Cashew Corporation, Paddy Marketing Board and National Post Harvest Management Institute are among 166 that are earmarked for winding up or privatisation. “A review report on 166 state institutions has been already submitted to cabinet on March 17, more..

Mar 30 (EN) SL and Sweden officials held a meeting to discuss opportunities, challenges, and cooperation in the food processing sector. It was organized by the EDB and Business Sweden, with Team Sweden comprising the Embassy of Sweden, Consul General of Sweden in SL and the SL Food Processors Association. Sofia Högman, Trade & Invest Commissioner of Sweden to India, said there was “potential of combining SL’s agricultural strengths with Sweden’s cutting-edge food more..

Mar 30 (DM) A top-level committee appointed by the government has identified a dozen state institutions either to be liquidated or done away with, with state involvement in management of them. Report compiled by the committee comprising various Ministry Secretaries has reviewed the status of over 160 state institutions and made recommendations on their future. Committee has recommended liquidation of SL Mahaweli more..