Mar 27 (ST) When 32-year-old teacher Sajeewanie (name changed) borrowed Rs. 5,000 from an online quick loan agency for her wedding, she did not expect it to destroy her life. A mere week after she took the loan, she owed the agency Rs. 6,900 (with interest). To pay them back, she started taking out more loans from other online agencies at exorbitant interest rates. When she couldn’t cover the entire amount she owed, more..

Mar 27 (CT) The govt’s recent decision to revise rooftop solar feed-in tariffs has sparked widespread debate, with industry experts, politicians, and concerned citizens questioning the wisdom of such a move. While energy policy must evolve in response to changing market conditions, any changes should prioritise long-term sustainability, economic stability, and fairness. Unfortunately, the proposed reduction in solar tariffs threatens to undermine the very progress SL has made in its more..

Mar 27 (GV) UK govt has announced sanctions on 3 top former war time military commanders and a former LTTE commander accused of serious human rights violations and abuses such as extra judicial killings, torture and sexual violence. The sanctions aim to seek accountability for war crimes and to prevent a culture of impunity. Financial sanctions involve the freezing of monetary and non-monetary assets (e.g. property or vehicles) and ensuring that no assets are made available to them. more..

Mar 27 (TM) After decades of stalled projects, SL is once again pushing forward with plans to tap into its vast offshore oil and gas reserves, valued at an estimated $ 267 billion. As the country is yet to recover from the severe economic crisis it experienced a few years ago and as a solution to mounting debt, Govt is moving to finalise contracts for exploration in the Mannar Basin. However, concerns persist over whether this will be more..

Mar 27 (DM) Sri Lankans are generally impatient by nature. We have paid the price for this; mostly at elections. And the individuals who have capitalised on this nature are the politicians. But is there scope to change this nature in us? There is an advertisement carried on the television about how short-lived dreams of migrating can be when one tries to reach Australia by boat. And the final catch-phrase in this advertisement is don’t be in a hurry to make your last journey. more..

Mar 27 (Island) On the morning of 21 March, 2025, a Chinese-built K-8 jet trainer aircraft of the SL Air Force (SLAF) crashed at Wariyapola. Fortunately, the two pilots ejected from the aircraft and parachuted down to safety. A team of seven has been appointed to investigate the accident. Their task is to find the cause behind the cause, or the root cause. Ejecting from an aircraft usually has physical and psychological repercussions. The crew involved in the crash are the best witnesses, more..

Mar 27 (Island) Former Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe has reportedly said Sri Lanka’s economy still needs intensive care, and much more remains to be done to ensure its full recovery. He has emphasised the need for the incumbent govt to tread cautiously on the economic front and secure foreign investment to sustain growth momentum. He has been critical of the manner in which prospective foreign investment in the power and energy sectors is handled under the current dispensation. more..

Mar 27 (CT) The relationships between Sinhalese Buddhists in the south and Northern Tamils were already fragile and seemed extremely unstable. Suspicion on both sides of the racial equation grew exponentially brittle in the wake of the Sinhala Only Bill passed during the Bandaranaike regime in the mid fifties. Recruitment to govt service was based on one’s ethnicity rather than on pure merit of educational qualifications. Sinhalese political leaders envied highly educated Tamils and more..

Mar 27 (SO) Katchatheevu is a small, uninhabited island between India and SL in the Palk Strait. Though it spans just 1.15 square km, it has a rich history shaped by colonial rule, diplomatic agreements and strong cultural ties. For generations, fishermen from Tamil Nadu (India) and northern SL have used its waters for their livelihood, making it a neutral meeting point. Island’s name comes from the Tamil words Katchal (barren) more..

Mar 27 (TM) Projections made by entities like the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) predict marine vessel traffic, especially maritime freight transport, will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 3.6% through to 2050. They also predict that air cargo will see the most rapid growth by mode, and all transport lanes will face major challenges. As such, the sea lanes that ply Indian Ocean Region and traverse SL’s littorals will see a threefold increase by 2050. more..

Mar 27 (DM) The sale of substandard, unhygienic food in unregulated food establishments is not a new phenomenon in SL. But the fact that many such establishments continue to operate in broad daylight is quite concerning given the fact that it makes people vulnerable to various non-communicable diseases and food-borne illnesses. In SL, the Food Act, No. 26 of 1980, is the primary legislation governing food control, aiming to ensure the availability of safe, wholesome, and more..

Mar 26 (NW) Popular musician Iraj Weeraratne appeared before the Cyber Crimes Division of the CID this morning, following a summons issued to him. Speaking to the media, Iraj said he believes the CID summoned him over a recent video he published on his YouTube channel on March 25, in which he made several allegations against Sudath Thilakasiri. He claimed that his video exposed what he described as a fraudulent request made in relation to donations for Temple of the Tooth more..

Mar 26 (AD) Case filed by Bribery Commission against former Minister Johnston Fernando and two others was taken up for hearing once again before the Colombo High Court toda. The case has been filed by the Bribery Commission, alleging that the trio caused financial losses to the govt by unlawfully engaging the employees of the Cooperative Wholesale Establishment (CWE/Lanka Sathosa) in political activities during Fernando’s tenure as the Minister of Cooperatives and Internal Trade. more..

Mar 26 (MB) In July 2023, heavy rains continued in southern Sri Lanka for days, soaking the lush greenery of the village of Hapugala in Galle. Amid the downpour, journalist and naturalist Sajeewa Wijeweera received an unexpected call — not from the wild, but from just across his garden. His wife, Sirangika Lokukaravita, had spotted something strange emerging from the wet soil: a vivid red mushroom with a bulbous base, bizarre and more..

Mar 26 (DM) The Govt expects to remove the economic targets from the Economic Transformation Act (ETA) and bring in a new state-owned enterprises (SOE) and public-private partnership (PPP) law, Senior Advisor to Prez Duminda Hulangamuwa said. He said that the govt is expecting to amend the ETA by removing the economic targets mentioned in the first chapter of the Act and also remove the Office for Int'l Trade & National Productivity Commission. more..

Mar 26 (DM) Nearly 40 donors have already been registered at the sperm bank of the Castle Street Hospital for Women in Colombo, Hospital Director Dr. Ajith Kumara Danthanarayana said. The hospital receives continuous telephone inquiries daily regarding sperm donation and provides the necessary information to those interested. The first-ever sperm bank at Castle Street Hospital for Women in Colombo was launched on Dec 4, marking a significant advancement in more..

Mar 26 (Reuters) Central Bank kept its key policy rate unchanged for a second consecutive meeting on Wednesday to underpin the island nation's economic recovery from its worst financial crisis in decades. Overnight policy rate, introduced in November, was held at 8% - as expected by a majority of economists polled. "Given the economic fundamentals of growth, inflation, and private sector credit growth, the monetary board did not more..

Mar 26 (CT) Suspended IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon, currently in remand custody, has been granted permission to receive food prepared at his home while being detained at Dumbara Prison in Kandy. Prison Commissioner confirmed that this special permission was effective from 24 March. Tennakoon is in remand in connection with a shooting incident near a hotel in Weligama. He surrendered to Court nearly 20 days after an arrest warrant was issued in connection with more..

Mar 26 (TM) The case filed by Provincial Rugby Football Unions on Contempt of Court charges against Director General (DG) of the Sports Ministry Shemal Fernando, which was convened on Monday (24) was deferred to 2 April. The Provincial Rugby Unions have filed the case against the Sports Ministry DG, who is also the Competent Authority (CA) for Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR), after the DG had reneged on his guarantee to Court to hold the AGM of SLR, on 21 January. more..

Mar 26 (AD) The cause of SL Air Force (SLAF) training aircraft crash in the Wariyapola area has not yet been determined, Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa stated. Journalists questioned whether Minister Bimal Ratnayake’s recent claim that the crash was due to pilot error was appropriate, given that the official committee report had not been released yet. In response, Dr. Jayatissa clarified that while the report on the aircraft itself had been received, the report on the crash was still pending. more..

Mar 26 (AD) The proposal submitted by ruling party MPs seeking the removal of suspended IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon from office has been included in the relevant supplement to the Order Book of Parliament. According to parliamentary procedure, the proposal will first be taken up for discussion in the Parliamentary Affairs Committee. Following this, it is scheduled for debate in Parliament after five days. A vote will then be held, requiring the support of at least 113 MPs more..

Mar 26 (DM) SL’s apparel exporters are expressing serious concerns that the impending abolition of the Simplified Value Added Tax (SVAT) system could lead to a significant downturn in their export earnings, potentially exceeding US$1 billion. This apprehension stems from the anticipated increase in finance costs associated with exports under the proposed new system. Inland Revenue Department (IRD) is currently in final stages more..

Mar 26 (DM) The wife of Dr. N.D.G. Gayantha, Head of the Psychology Unit at the Department of Philosophy, Uni of Kelaniya, also succumbed to her injuries while receiving treatment at the hospital today. The tragic accident occurred on the Central Expressway on March 18 while Dr. Gayantha was returning from a trip to Nagadeepa, Jaffna, with his wife and three young children. The van, travelling from Kurunegala towards Mirigama, lost control and crashed on to a lorry ahead. more..

Mar 26 (Island) The SJB has accused the govt of overpromising and under-delivering, and urged the public to keep this in mind when they vote at the upcoming local govt (LG) elections. Former SJB MP Prof. Charitha Herath said that the ruling party has failed to fulfill almost all of its promises made during the last two elections. He said that the people voted for the NPP based on these promises, but now, the NPP, as the governing party, has shown little concern for what it had pledged. more..

Mar 26 (EN) Central Bank saw no room for a monetary policy rate reduction during its latest Monetary Board policy meeting despite the current deflation, its Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe said. CB chief’s comments came after the Bank held the key monetary policy rate unchanged, as widely expected. SL has witnessed deflation since Sept 2024, but the Central Bank has been maintaining the key Monetary Policy measure, more..

Mar 26 (NW) Former Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe has urged the govt to rethink the investment deal with India’s Adani Group, emphasising the losses SL could face due to the rejection of such a project. Addressing an event, Ranil Wickremesinghe pointed out that it was essential for SL to launch the Adani Group’s renewable energy project. “I met Indian PM Modi to discuss the Adani project. He inquired how much Sri Lanka can offer. As I am not an engineer or well-versed in this subject, more..

Mar 26 (EN) SL’s steady credit growth has been reflecting the country’s economic recovery, CB Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe said. The credit growth measured in percentage which was negative in January has turned to positive in February and higher than the same month in 2024, the CB data showed. Weerasinghe said the January fall was due to seasonal effects. “Every year December, there’s a sharp increase in credit as usual. Seasonal effect is for business, people get loans for credit. more..

Mar 26 (DM) Colombo Chief Magistrate Thanuja Lakmali ordered the detention of two police constables attached to the Welikada Police and two other suspects for 48 hours to facilitate further investigations into an abduction, assault and robbery amounting to Rs. 1.6 million. The incidents occurred within the Keselwatta and Aduruppu Street police divisions recently. On March 10, an individual was abducted near a state bank in Keselwatta, during which Rs. 1.6 million was stolen from him. more..

Mar 26 (AD) Cabinet of Ministers has granted approval to cancel the liquidation of the Cooperative Wholesale Establishment (CWE), to rejuvenate it and recommence commercial operations. Minister Nalinda Jayatissa stated that the previous govt had decided to liquidate the CWE Act No. 47 of 1949 and to liquidate the said establishment. However, there is a possibility to perform a decisive role for the CWE in the implementation of govt roles within the market operation with the objective of more..

Mar 26 (AD) Former Prez Mahinda Rajapaksa has categorically denied the UK govt’s allegations of widespread human rights violations during SL’s military operations against the LTTE and called on the incumbent govt to resolutely stand by and defend former armed forces personnel who face persecution by foreign govts and organisations. Issuing a statement regarding the recent decision by the UK govt to impose sanctions including more..

Mar 26 (DM) The office of former Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe has sent us a clarification on the FactCheck published by Verité Research in our paper on March 21. This is what it says; We write regarding the above mentioned article which was published in your newspaper on the 21st of March 2025. The headline and the content of the article are false, and have been distorted to misrepresent the meaning of Former Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe’s statement. Contrary to the claim that more..

Mar 26 (AD) Sri Lanka Police reported that an increase in the number of foreigner tourists visiting the country and driving three-wheelers has been observed. However, it has also been observed that three-wheelers driven by foreign nationals have recently been involved in several fatal and serious road accidents, police said. Accordingly, police investigations have revealed that many foreigners do not possess valid licenses or proper training to drive the three-wheelers in Sri Lanka. more..