Mar 11 (AD) An 18-month-old toddler has died after reportedly falling into a pond located near the daycare centre where he had been under care. The deceased has been identified as a resident of the Kadamadiththa area in Medamulana. The child’s mother had handed him over to the daycare centre before leaving for her place of employment. It is stated that the manager of the daycare centre had later contacted and informed the mother to come to the Middeniya Kariyamadiththa Hospital. more..

Mar 11 (NW) Lanka eNews editor Sandaruwan Senadheera was arrested at the BIA upon his arrival in SL after 16 years abroad, according to reports. The arrest was carried out based on a warrant issued by the Gampaha Chief Magistrate’s Court in 2016 over allegations related to contempt of court. However, the exact case under which he was arrested has not been officially confirmed. Senadheera had left SL in 2010 following the arson attack on the Lanka eNews office more..

Mar 11 (NW) On the invitation of the Govt of SL, UN-flagged vessel R/V Dr. Fridtjof Nansen under the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is scheduled to arrive in Sri Lanka today to conduct a marine scientific survey. The survey will be conducted in SL's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in collaboration with Ministry of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources and NARA. R/V Dr. Fridtjof Nansen supports countries more..

Mar 11 (NW) The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has launched a five-year Sow and Grow project, supported by USD 10 million from the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), in partnership with the government of Sri Lanka. The project aims to strengthen Sri Lanka’s Thriposha programme by boosting the production of high-quality local maize and ensuring a reliable supply of Thriposha for children under five, as well as pregnant and breastfeeding women. more..

Mar 11 (AD) President of the Bar Association of SL (BASL), Attorney-at-Law Rajeev Amarasuriya, delivered a historic address at the Supreme Court of India in connection with a delegation of SL lawyers visiting India at the invitation of the Bar Association of India. The Indian Supreme Court No. 1 was presided by the Chief Justice of India, Honourable Surya Kant with Honourable Justices R. Mahadevan and Joymalya Bagchi. Chief Justice of India warmly welcomed the SL Delegation and more..

Mar 11 (AD) The bodies of 84 Iranian sailors, currently placed in two mobile cold storage units at the Galle National Hospital, have been ordered to be handed over to officials of the Embassy of Iran in Sri Lanka. The order was issued this morning by the Galle Chief Magistrate, Sameera Dodangoda. Accordingly, the Magistrate ordered the hospital’s director to release the remains to the Iranian embassy representatives. more..

Mar 11 (AD) The Officials’ Committee, appointed under the chairmanship of the Secretary to the PM to supervise the implementation of the decision taken by the Cabinet of Ministers on Mar 17, 2025 concerning non-commercial state institutions, has convened under the patronage of Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the Presidential Secretariat. Taking into consideration factors such as the failure of non-commercial state institutions to be updated in line with contemporary requirements, more..

Mar 11 (NW) PM Harini Amarasuriya met senior officials of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) at its headquarters in Manila, Philippines, yesterday, during which discussions were focused on strengthening development cooperation, reviewing ongoing projects, and exploring new opportunities for collaboration between SL and ADB. PM Amarasuriya first met with ADB President Masato Kanda. During the meeting, both sides reaffirmed the strong partnership between SL & ADB. more..

Mar 11 (TM) Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) purchased $ 461 million from the domestic foreign exchange market in February, according to the latest CB data. The report further noted that the Central Bank did not sell any US Dollars during the month, indicating continued efforts to accumulate foreign reserves. In January, the CBSL purchased $ 209.8 million from the domestic forex market while selling $ 9.5 million, resulting in a net purchase of $ 200.3 million for the month. more..

Mar 11 (DM) Former State Intelligence Services (SIS) Chief Suresh Sallay who is under detention order is running a risk of being infected with rat fever, MP Dayasiri Jayasekara said. “Sallay is kept in a small room on the fourth floor. Rats are said to be running all over the room. He is said to be sleeping on the ground. Rats are said to be running over his body. Also it was said that there is rat excreta all over his room. Sallay is running the risk of being infected with rat fever,” more..

Mar 11 (TM) Govt should avail of more measures to cushion the impact of a more significant, incoming global oil price shock on the local economy, by utilising its cash reserves for subsidies, adjusting taxation, or making cash transfers to critical select groups of the population, CoPF Chairperson Harsha de Silva said, responding to the CBSL Governor’s comments on accommodating the price shock through SL’s inflation space, de Silva said: more..

Mar 11 (AD) The Welfare Benefits Board of Sri Lanka has announced that the allowance for the month of March for beneficiaries of the first phase of the Aswesuma Program will be credited to their respective bank accounts tomorrow (12). According to the Board, the funds will be distributed among 1,408,635 families. A total sum exceeding Rs. 11,179,801,250.00 is set to be deposited into the bank accounts of these first-phase beneficiaries, the Board said. more..

Mar 11 (NW) A student has died after collapsing during a practice run at an inter‑house sports meet of a school in the Buttala area. Police said that the deceased was a 15‑year‑old student studying in Grade 11 at the same school. The student had been taking part in a marathon event, running towards Buttala along with a group of other children from near the Katugahakolaniya tank on the Buttala–Badalkumbura road, when he suddenly collapsed. Afterwards, the student was admitted to more..

Mar 11 (NW) SLPP MP Namal Rajapaksa says the 2019 Easter attacks investigation must not be diverted toward political rivalries or geopolitical agendas. Rajapaksa stressed that while a fair, transparent, and impartial inquiry is essential to deliver justice to victims and their families, recent developments raise concerns about credibility and objectivity. He noted that attempts to single out respected military officers such as Maj. Gen. more..

Mar 11 (AD) CID has launched an investigation into the killing of underworld gang leader Makandure Madush, who was shot dead by two unidentified gunmen while in the custody of the Colombo Crimes Division (CCD). According to the CID, statements will be recorded from the officers who had taken Madush to Maligawatte on the day of the incident. Madush was killed on October 20, 2020, when two unidentified gunmen opened fire in Maligawatte. At the time, officers from CCD had taken him more..

Mar 11 (AD) A Police Constable attached to the Kosgoda Police Station has been arrested over allegations that he fraudulently obtained more than Rs. 600,000 using the bank card of a suspect who had been arrested and remanded in connection with heroin trafficking charges. The arrest was carried out by the Galle District Crimes Division. The police said the police constable in question had allegedly used the money to purchase a motorcycle as well as several goods from a supermarket. more..

Mar 11 (EN) National carrier SriLankan will increase its frequency to Australia from August this year to cater a growing demand in the sector, the company said in a statement. SriLankan Airlines will increase its weekly service between Colombo and Melbourne to 10 flights, effective from August 2, this year with the addition of three more scheduled flights. The move comes in response to growing demand and evolving market dynamics, the Airlines said in a statement. more..

Mar 11 (ANI) After the successful conclusion of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, ICC has confirmed the final allocation of the tournament's USD 11.25 million players' prize money pool, following the record-breaking increase in ICC prize money introduced in 2024. The champions of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, India, will receive USD 2,639,423, while the runners-up, NZ, will take home USD 1,422,692. South Africa, on the other hand, will get USD 1,005,577 and more..

Mar 11 (DM) While some countries are taking various measures to reduce fuel consumption amidst sky-rocketing fuel prices due to the tension in the Middle East, Minister Nalinda Jayatissa said yesterday Sri Lanka is not expecting to reduce fuel consumption by contracting economic activities. Minister told the weekly Cabinet briefing that the govt is expecting to maintain continuous fuel supply in the country. more..

Mar 11 (AD) The electricity sector trade unions have decided to call off the ongoing strike action launched by them based on several demands, following a discussion with relevant authorities. The trade unions action was called off after the union representatives signed an agreement following talks held this evening with the Commissioner General of Labour and the management of the newly established electricity sector companies. During today’s meeting, more..

Mar 11 (NW) Committee on Parliamentary Business has decided that the Parliament will convene from March 17 to 20. The decision was made during a meeting of the committee held on March 6 under the chairmanship of Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne. Agenda for Tuesday (17); From 9.30 am to 10 am, time has been allocated for parliamentary business mentioned under Standing Order 22 (1–6). From 10 am to 11 am, time has been allocated for questions requiring oral answers, more..

Mar 11 (AD) The trade unions currently engaged in strike action in the power sector have demanded a 40% salary increase, and if that demand is granted, electricity tariffs may have to be increased by around 100%, according to Nusith Kumaratunga, the Chairman of the National Transmission Network Service Provider (Pvt) Ltd. Kumaratunga made these remarks while addressing a media briefing today organized by more..

Mar 11 (DM) Amid concerns among parents about a shortage of medicines for children, the health authorities have denied that there is any serious shortage at the hospitals. Lady Ridgeway Hospital Director Dr Pradeep Wijesinghe said there is no critical shortage of Ethosuximide, as claimed by unions. “I strongly reject these claims. There is no acute shortage of Ethosuximide at Lady Ridgeway Hospital. If anyone says otherwise, they should provide details. We are ready to check & more..

Mar 11 (NW) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake has warned that SL is facing an external economic shock due to the ongoing war in the Middle East, urging the public and businesses to respond collectively to manage its impact. Key points from his remarks: 1. The President said the Middle East conflict has disrupted global supply chains, creating economic pressure on many countries including SL. 2. He noted that global crude oil prices have increased by about 42% since early March, more..

Mar 11 (FT) In the quiet border town of O’Smach, Cambodia, authorities recently uncovered one of the most sophisticated scam operations the region has ever seen. The abandoned compound revealed rooms staged to look like international police stations, counterfeit uniforms, and stacks of forged documents, all meticulously designed to convince victims that they were under investigation. But beyond the physical deception lies a deeper, more insidious story, the emotional and more..

Mar 11 (FT) Sri Lanka is currently in the vice grip of fear-driven administrative inertia, and this is proving to be a serious obstacle to economic recovery and a tangible barrier to the smooth functioning of the everyday life of citizens. When the fear of a future audit, a commission of inquiry, mudslinging on social media, et cetera, outweighs the perceived benefit of taking a calculated risk in the best interests of the country, machinery of state grinds to a halt. In the context of more..

Mar 11 (Island) CEB Engineers’ Union (CEBEU) warned that uncertainty surrounding the ongoing restructuring of the CEB had forced many employees to refrain from performing their regular duties, raising concerns about potential disruptions to electricity sector operations. The engineers’ union said the current situation had arisen due to what it described as either deliberate actions or extreme negligence in implementing more..

Mar 11 (DM) Drug trafficking, fraud and trade-based money laundering are Sri Lanka’s most significant money laundering threats, while warning that terrorist financing risks have increased, the latest national risk assessment released by the Financial Intelligence Unit of SL revealed. The assessment, coordinated by the FIU of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, found that Sri Lanka’s overall national money laundering (ML) risk remains at a medium level, unchanged from the previous review. more..

Mar 11 (NW) Former CB Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal has rejected social media claims that he paid Rs. 1.84 billion in connection with the Greek bond case. Cabraal had earlier stated that he did not agree to the condition requiring him to deposit Rs. 1,843,267,595.65 and maintained his innocence. Colombo High Court had released Cabraal on conditions after the CIABOC withdrew indictments against him under the Bribery Act. As part of the arrangement proposed by the BC, more..

Mar 11 (DM) The SL govt has signaled a strong commitment to expanding public-private partnerships (PPPs) within the healthcare sector, aligning with industry leaders who view collaborative governance as the key to unlocking the country’s medical potential. Policymakers and private healthcare executives emphasised at the healthcare summit that deeper integration is required to manage rising costs, more..

Mar 11 (DN) The convener of the Central Province Drinking Water Bottle Manufacturers Association, Sapumal Kumara, emphasizes the bottled water industry has a huge potential to boost as a foreign reserve generation industry. To reach this target it should find new foreign markets, where there is a scarcity of drinking water supply. However he empathised that some of the bottled water available in the market in this country contains dead water that has no minerals. more..

Mar 11 (Island) Swiss Ambassador in Colombo Dr Siri Walt has appreciated the position taken by the government regarding the situation in the Middle East. Dr. Walt said so when she met the Chief of Staff to the President, Prabath Chandrakeerthi, yesterday morning (10). During the meeting, discussions focused on the current economic situation in Sri Lanka, as well as the prevailing circumstances arising from the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. more..