Mar 6 (ST) A musical event at Diyasaru Park in Sri J'pura kotte, yesterday (1) drew widespread criticism over the damage that the ecosystem was being exposed to. A progressive house music party organised by an event company advertised as Sky Gardens took place at the unique biological study park that is home to rare and migratory species. The Sunday Times visited the site of the party and found an area of the park more..

Mar 6 (TM) SL’s maritime destiny has long been forged by pragmatic decision-making and visionary leadership. For decades, SL Navy has balanced long-term national interests with the pressing demands of technology, intelligence, and operational logistics. However, as regional and global dynamics evolve at an unprecedented pace, a new era demands that we reassess our naval strategy. Challenges are clear: outdated shipboard systems, stalled indigenous shipbuilding projects, more..

Mar 6 (Island) Sri Lanka is no doubt a land like no other––for racketeers and fraudsters. Trade Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe has told Parliament, in answer to a question from SJB MP Chaminda Wijesiri, that substandard coconut oil unfit for human consumption has flooded the local market. He has made no revelation. That coconut oil produced by some companies is substandard is public knowledge, but ordinary people consume it for want of a better alternative. more..

Mar 6 (FT) Marking 55 years of diplomatic ties, Vietnam and SL are set to deepen their cooperation across multiple sectors, while celebrating their longstanding friendship with a series of special events throughout 2025. Ambassador of Vietnam to SL Trinh Thi Tam outlined the historical milestones and future prospects of the relationship. “As Vietnam and Sri Lanka celebrate this diplomatic milestone, we are looking ahead to a future of strengthened economic, cultural & political ties to reinforce more..

Mar 6 (FT) MAS Holdings, South Asia’s largest apparel manufacturer, recently marked a significant milestone in its global expansion by breaking ground for its first facility in the state of Odisha, India. This strategic initiative builds on MAS’ long-standing presence in India while strengthening its regional production capabilities and giving it a strong foothold to access the fast-growing Indian retail market. The ceremony was attended by MAS Holdings GCEO Suren Fernando, more..

Mar 6 (TM) SL’s listed companies’ corporate earnings grew by 19% year-on-year (y-o-y) in the 4th quarter of 2024, driven by reduced finance cost and improved economic activities. Corporate earnings of listed companies grew by 19% y-o-y to Rs. 218 billion in the fourth quarter. Earnings growth was primarily driven by benefits through reductions in net finance costs, increased economic activities and performance in banking sector. more..

Mar 6 (DM) Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has recently raised concerns about a growing trend of investment schemes promoting offshore market opportunities. The regulator cautioned the public about a rise in unsolicited calls from individuals, claiming to represent international stockbroker firms, offering to facilitate investments in shares of companies traded in offshore jurisdictions, with promises of guaranteed high returns. “The SEC does not regulate or grant licences to anyone more..

Mar 6 (FT) Institute of Environmental Professionals SL (IEPSL) recently announced its 17th AGM and Annual Technical Sessions, Eco-Convergence 2025, scheduled to be held on 27 March. This timely discussion on the latest developments in environmental conservation and sustainable development will be themed, Empowering Environmental Professionals for a Sustainable Future. This prestigious event will bring together leading environmental professionals, more..

Mar 6 (DM) The fear of taxation may be contributing to the recent increase in cash circulation, highlighting Sri Lanka’s long journey towards a less cash-dependent society. According to the latest (3Q24) Payment Bulletin of the CB, the currency in circulation grew by 19.7% year-on-year to Rs.1.33 trillion. “Unfortunately, despite all these digital innovations and initiatives, we still see cash usage increasing. more..

Mar 6 (DM) The cricket sensation, known for his ambidextrous bowling and left-handed batting skills, has been the talk of the town ever since his engagement to Nishni last April. Contrary to earlier media reports that erroneously announced his marriage, the couple’s wedding ceremony took place at the prestigious Monarch Imperial hotel. Family sources have revealed that the poruwa ceremony involved rituals performed by the bride, groom, and their families). more..

Mar 6 (Island) Equiped with a strong batting lineup and a formidable bowling unit Royal are the firm favourites when they meet arch rivals S. Thomas’ in the historic 146th Battle of the Blues starting at the SSC ground today. In the Under 19 Division I Tier ‘A’ cricket quarter-final, which served as a virtual dress rehearsal for this encounter, pitting the two rivals against each other for the first time outside the Battle of the Blues, Royal proved beyond doubt that they were the stronger team more..

Mar 6 (DN) Bloomfield will meet NCC in the final of the Major Clubs cricket tournament comducted by SLC which will commence today as a four day game at R. Premadasa International cricket Stadium, commencing at 10 a.m. Bloomfield, led by Nipun Karunanayake, qualified for this final as Group ‘A’ leaders and they recorded 4 outright wins in this tournament while rest of the matches ended in draws to maintain an unbeaten record also obtained 104.76 points. more..

Mar 6 (FT) The Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA) has announced the establishment of the AI Advisory Committee, marking a significant milestone in the country’s artificial intelligence (AI) journey. The newly formed Committee convened for its inaugural meeting recently and is set to play a crucial role in implementing SL’s AI Strategy, aligning it with the broader Digital Economy Strategy. Established to provide strategic guidance & operational support, more..

Mar 6 (TM) A survey conducted by Alcohol & Drug Information Centre (ADIC) has revealed that 54% of women struggle with the alcohol consumption of others, while many are victimised by industry tactics. ADIC has conducted a survey to investigate the impact of alcohol consumption on women, focusing on the strategies employed by alcohol companies to target and normalise alcohol use among women. more..

Mar 6 (FT) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake yesterday announced plans to implement structural reforms within SL Customs to create an institutional framework that meets modern requirements. Prez made these remarks during a discussion held with the senior officials of Sri Lanka Customs at the Presidential Secretariat, relating to the Budget 2025 and institutional restructuring. The discussion also addressed critical issues such as inefficiencies, fraud, corruption, and public dissatisfaction more..

Mar 6 (DM) The ongoing Champions Trophy is the first ICC tournament in decades that SL are not taking part. The island nation's poor showing in the last fifty over World Cup meant that any chances of qualifying for the Champions Trophy 2025 was gone. Apart from the minnow-bashing in Zimbabwe a couple of years ago where Sri Lanka won a qualifying round to seal their spot in the 2023 which could be considered an ICC event, they have won nothing significant in the last decade. more..

Mar 6 (CT) Additional Solicitor General Nerin Pulle, PC, told the Supreme Court on Tuesday that the captain and crew were responsible for the X-Press Pearl disaster due to their negligence. Additional Solicitor General Nerin Pulle, appearing on behalf of the Attorney General, told the Court that the compensation for the disaster should be claimed from the crew and their shipping company. He also said the Govt has taken all required measures to claim the compensation. more..

Mar 6 (DM) One died and three others including the ASP Eastern Province State Intelligence Service were injured when the motorcar transporting the ASP collided with another motorcar at Dodangoda passing Welipenna changeover on the Southern Expressway. The driver of the other motorcar A.B.Rizvan from Kalutara North died in the incident. The inured including the police driver, the ASP and a passenger in the other motorcar were admitted to the Kalutara general hospital at Nagoda. more..

Mar 6 (ABC) Pick up a packet of tea from any major brand at the supermarket and you’ll likely see labels promising consumers the tea inside is ethically sourced. Certification schemes like Rainforest Alliance and Fairtrade are meant to ensure tea workers are paid a minimum wage, have safe working and living conditions and can access basic necessities like clean drinking water on tea estates. But do they? more..

Mar 6 (AD) Acting IGP Priyantha Weerasuriya has issued a circular to increase the reward for traffic police personnel who detect traffic violations by 25%. Accordingly, Acting IGP has informed senior officers, including Senior DIGs and OICs, through the circular to increase the reward currently being paid to the traffic police personnel by 25%, effective from Feb 1. The increased reward will be paid to Traffic OICs engaged in field duties, Inspector-rank officers engaged in both traffic & office duties, more..

Mar 6 (DN) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake expressed that Sri Lanka has the potential to become an attractive tourist destination through well-planned urban development that transcends traditional construction methods. Prez Dissanayake made this statement during a discussion with officials of the National Physical Planning Dept at the Presidential Secretariat, today (5). Prez directed officials to develop city planning initiatives that embody SL identity in their implementation. more..

Mar 6 (Island) Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said that given the significant salary increases granted throught the latest Budget, it would be unfair for doctors to resort to trade union action. He reaffirmed that the govt remained open to discussions on issues within the healthcare sector. Minister addressed concerns raised by the GMOA, noting that its Secretary had announced plans for a strike over alleged reductions in allowances. more..

Mar 6 (FT) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake, serving as Minister of Finance, proposed in his Budget speech to Parliament on 17 Feb 2025, to withdraw the tax exemption previously granted to profits and income derived by companies from the export of services and foreign sources. Instead, he proposed subjecting them to a concessionary tax rate of 15%. The objective of this article is to highlight the Govt’s self-contradictory tax policy regarding foreign exchange inflows. more..

Mar 6 (FT) SL experienced deflation for the fifth consecutive month in Jan 2025, with the Colombo Consumer Price Index (CCPI)-based headline inflation (y-o-y) remaining in the negative territory. Deflation is characterised by a decline in the aggregate price level of an economy, as measured by a consumer price index, compared to the same period a year ago. The aggregate price level represents a weighted average of the prices of goods and services consumed by more..

Mar 8 (AD) Sri Lanka Police state that former IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon is missing and is evading arrest. Speaking at a press conference held today, SSP Buddhika Manathunga urged the public to report any information regarding his whereabouts to the CID. Furthermore, the Police Spokesman emphasized that any individual assisting the former IGP in evading arrest, despite a pending warrant, will also face legal action under Article 209 of the Penal Code. more..

Mar 8 (NW) Batticaloa District MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam has raised concerns regarding an alleged conspiracy linked to certain key former state officials, including a prominent former govt minister. MP questioned if the govt was aware of a meeting that had taken place at a business place belonging to a prominent former minister two days before the court order to arrest suspended IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon. “This is a serious issue. Former Director of Military Intelligence Brigadier more..

Mar 8 (NF) Former Minister Mervyn Silva has been arrested in connection with a land fraud investigation. The arrest, carried out by the CID, took place at his residence in Battaramulla, where he was arrested along with another person. Another suspect was arrested in connection with the detention of former Minister Mervyn Silva on Thursday. This brings the total number of suspects in custody to three. more..

Mar 8 (EN) European Union (EU) and the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development are helping Sri Lanka launch the three-year CIRCULAR Economy in the Food Sector Programme, to tackle food and plastic waste, with a 15 million euro grant. “Our 15 million euro grant contribution for CIRCULAR shows the EU’s commitment to support the Govt of SL and partners in creating a safe environment for businesses to thrive,” EU Ambassador Carmen Moreno said more..

Mar 6 (FT) TCabinet of Ministers at their meeting on Monday approved the adoption of the Pohosath Ratak – Lassana Jeewithayak (A Wealthy Country – A Beautiful Life) policy statement as the Govt’s policy framework. The policy declaration was presented with the aspiration of sustainable economic growth and development, with the aim of a GDP of $ 120 billion face value in 2030 through a strong production economy. According to the Govt, it is categorised under four main sectors more..

Mar 8 (EN) The IMF is not to judge the govt needs to identify resources to provide public services, but that has to be done within the targets of the bailout package, the global lender said. Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s govt has vowed not to reduce the size of the public sector, compared to what former prez Ranil Wickremesinghe administration committed to the IMF. Successive govts in the past have said the IMF more..

Mar 8 (EN) As part of International Women’s Day2025 celebrations, the High Commission of India in Sri Lanka organized a karate session for school girls in Colombo. “Marking #IWD2025, 300 girls at St. Paul’s Girls’ School, Milagiriya learned self-defense & self-belief!” the High Commission said. Organised by the High Commission and Indian Council for Cultural Relations’ Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre, the session sought to foster empowerment, confidence, resilience in girls. more..

Mar 8 (DM) The Catholic Church in Sri Lanka today expressed their displeasure regarding the actions of students of Royal College in Colombo, calling it an insult to the cross which Christians consider sacred. National Director of Education, the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka and National Education Director Archdiocese of Colombo, General Manager of Catholic Schools Fr. Gemunu Dias, in a letter to the Principal of the school expressed his displeasure on the matter. more..

Mar 6 (NW) The GMOA says nearly 20 doctors are representing the ruling party in Parliament, slamming them for not speaking up regarding the issues affecting the health services. GMOA Spokesman, Chamil Wijesinghe told the media that the NPP doctors have not spoken up with regard to the issues faced by doctors in Sri Lanka, at present. “Apart from 3 or 4 of them, the rest were in active service until last October. They know the depth of the issues faced by doctors. more..

Mar 6 (AD) Sri Lanka has been ranked 91st in the latest Henley Passport Index, which assesses global passport strength based on visa-free travel access. This marks an improvement of five places for Sri Lankan passport, from its previous ranking of 96th in 2024. According to the 2025 ranking issued by Henley & Partners, Sri Lankan passport holders can travel to 42 countries without a visa. SL shares the 91st position with Iran and Sudan on the list, which features a total of 99 rankings. more..

Mar 6 (EN) Vehicles that have been granted permission to be imported into SL must be registered within 90 days, Ministry of Finance has told the CoPF. Vehicle imports have been allowed under certain conditions, ministry officials said. These conditions have been imposed “in view of encouraging the revival of normal economic activities and safeguarding the economic stability of the country, while taking into account more..