Mar 24 (CO) An animal-lover who runs a charity helping street dogs and cats is celebrating reaching a huge milestone. Laura Kearns is trustee of Lucas Helps Dogs – a small charity ran by two friends who organise spay, neuter and rabies vaccination clinics. The pair are celebrating after sterilising their 1,000th animal and vaccinating the same number against rabies in SL. Laura, communications consultant at R&Co Communications and former editor of the Leamington and Stratford Observers, more..

Mar 24 (DM) Initial investigations have revealed that Yoshitha Rajapaksa was not involved in the brawl that took place at the Octopussy nightclub on Park Street in Colombo over the weekend. The Slave Island Police launched investigations after a group accompanying Yoshitha Rajapaksa was involved in a clash outside the nightclub on Friday. The altercation was recorded on CCTV cameras. A bouncer from the club was injured during the incident and is currently receiving medical treatment. more..

Mar 24 (TM) Ministry of Health stated that they are working to improve safety within hospital premises while also recognising the need for some flexibility in entry, as people may require immediate access to hospitals in genuine emergencies. Concerns about the safety of hospital staff and patients have been raised following the recent sexual assault of a medical officer in her quarters at the A'pura Teaching Hospital, more..

Mar 24 (DM) MPs in both govt and the opposition exhibited their sporting skills at an indoor sports programme held in the Parliamentary complex for the fifth year in succession recently. Event was organized by Deputy Minister Sugath Thilakaratne and MP Nalin Bandara together with Serjeant-at-Arms Kushan Jayaratne. SLPP MP D.V. Chanaka emerged victorious at the snooker tournament while SJB MP Rohana Bandara was runner up. MP Bandara excelled in pool as well. more..

Mar 24 (TM) President of the Medical and Civil Rights Professional Association of Doctors (MCPA), Dr. Chamal Sanjeewa has sent a letter of demand (LOD) to Health Ministry's Secretary, demanding a sum of Rs. one billion over a suspension letter issued despite the former leaving public service in Sept 2024. Dr. Sanjeewa stated that he had left the public service in September 2024 due to his involvement in active politics and had not drawn a salary as a public servant since. more..

Mar 24 (EN) Coral colonies have started to grow across Hambantota port which are now being nurtured and studied through a research project, its China-backed operating company said. The port said eco-conscious policies of being a green port has provided a sanctuary for the natural growth of different species of coral along the port’s breakwaters and on the artificial island. Port was dug out of dry land & later flooded with sea water. more..

Mar 24 (TM) The ICTA announced that motorists will soon be able to settle traffic fines through the Govpay platform. ICTA Board Member Harsha Purasinghe confirmed that the groundwork for this initiative is complete, and an agreement will be signed soon. Govpay, an official online platform for Govt payments, already serves services like taxes, fines, and utility bills. Since its launch, Govpay has expanded to include 25 Govt organizations, with more being added weekly. more..

Mar 24 (AD) Govt Printing Dept has commenced printing ballot papers for 12 districts in preparation for the upcoming Local Govt Elections. According to Govt Printer, the office has received the necessary information from 12 districts where the nomination process has been completed. He noted that data from the remaining districts is expected in the coming days. In addition to ballot papers, Govt Printing Dept has also begun printing postal ballots and official election notices. more..

Mar 24 (Island) Vice Chancellor of NSBM Green University, Prof. E. A. Weerasinghe, said that the govt should take punitive measures against those chosen for foreign scholarships in case they violated bond conditions. Tougher action was required to discourage public servants and academics from brazenly violating the trust placed on them, top administrator said yesterday, after receiving Japanese Graduates’ Alumni Association of SL (JaGAAS) lifetime awards 2025 at the BMICH more..

Mar 24 (AD) The Committee on High Posts has recommended the appointment of former Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya, PC, as SL’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York. The committee has made this decision during its meeting held in Parliament on Friday. Meanwhile, the Committee on High Posts has also approved the nominations to appoint two Ambassadors and a High Commissioner. Accordingly, the nominations of Mahinda Dasa Ratnayake, to be appointed as more..

Mar 24 (AD) The Sub-Committee of the COPE has disclosed that SL Youth Services (Pvt) Ltd, a subsidiary of the National Youth Services Council, had registered as a supplier and submitted price quotations to the council itself at higher rates. The matter emerged at the COPE Sub-Committee meeting chaired by MP Chandima Hettiarachchi, which met recently in Parliament to review the Auditor General’s reports for more..

Mar 24 (DM) Former Deputy Minister V.Muralitharan and former State Minister C. Chandrakanthan have joined the Eastern Tamil Alliance party formed in Batticaloa. They joined that party and signed the Memorandum of Understanding yesterday. Shivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, who faced setbacks in the parliamentary elections, has formed a party called the Eastern Tamil Alliance with former State Minister Sathasivam Wiyalendran targeting this year’s Local Govt elections. more..

Mar 24 (EN) Sri Lankans are consuming more sugar than the prescribed amount leading to tooth decay in the population, with only 50 percent brushing teeth twice a day, the country’s Dental Association has said. “In our country sugar intake is very high, a person eats about 34kg of sugar a year, when the World Health Organization recommends 10kg a year,” consultant dental surgeon Nilantha Ratnayake, Assistant Secretary of the Sri Lanka Dental Association told reporters. more..

Mar 24 (NW) A mistake at the hands of the training pilots had resulted in the recent crash of a SL Air Force aircraft, Minister of Civil Aviation Bimal Rathnayake said. Speaking to reporters, Minister said he had requested and received a copy of the investigation report by the specially appointed technical committee probing the crash. He further clarified that per the report, the aircraft and engines were well-maintained and not old. more..

Mar 24 (AD) Deputy Minister of Labour Mahinda Jayasinghe disclosed that nearly 22,450 companies have failed to contribute to the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF). He made this statement today during the assumption of duties by H.M.D.N.K. Wataliyadda, a special grade officer of the SL Administrative Service, as the new Commissioner General of Labour. Dy Minister further stated that the outstanding EPF contributions from these companies are estimated at Rs. 36 billion. more..

Mar 24 (Island) SLMC General Secretary Nizam Kariapper, MP, yesterday said that the NPP govt owed an explanation as to why it continued to ignore indiscriminate Israeli attacks on Gaza. MP Kariapper pointed out that a statement, dated March 21, issued by Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Ministry, while expressing deep concern over the deteriorating conditions in Gaza, requested all sides to avoid any action that would lead to further escalation of the situation. more..

Mar 24 (FT) Bank of Ceylon (BOC) launched BOC Flex, its new mobile banking app, on 21 March at Lotus Tower Colombo, to provide customers with a more advanced and user-friendly digital banking experience. The event was attended by Chief Adviser to the Prez on Digital Economy Dr. Hans Wijayasuriya, BOC Chairman Kavinda de Zoysa, General Manager / CEO Russel Fonseka, and the Corporate and Executive Management of BOC. The new app introduces an expanded suite of more..

Mar 24 (EN) Sri Lanka and Thailand will hold the sixth round of bilateral political consultations on Tuesday (25) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand in Bangkok. It will be the first bilateral political consultation meeting under Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake-led ruling NPP govt. The consultations will be co-chaired by Aruni Ranaraja, Secretary at SL’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Eksiri Pintaruchi, the Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs of Thailand. more..

Mar 24 (NW) Minister Bimal Rathnayake and Deputy Minister Prasanna Gunasena inspected the development work of the Potuhera–Rambukkana section of the Central expressway yesterday. Minister Rathnayake stated that the section is expected to be completed by the end of 2026. He instructed construction companies and RDA to minimize inconvenience to residents during the development process. more..

Mar 24 (DM) Election Commission (EC) has dismissed requests from several political parties to reconsider the rejection of nominations for the upcoming LG elections. EC Chairman R.M.A.L. Rathnayake said that the nominations were rejected in accordance with the Election Act and cannot be reconsidered under any circumstances. “All rejections were made strictly following legal provisions and there is no possibility of revisiting or reversing those decisions for the EC,” more..

Mar 24 (CT) The University of Kelaniya mourns the loss of Chair and Senior Professor Neelakshi Premawardhena of the Dept of Modern Languages, Uni of Kelaniya, who passed away on 21 March 2025, at the age of 59 years. Professor’s remains will lie at the Faculty of Science premises, Uni of Kelaniya from 9.00 a.m. to 10.00 a.m. on 24 March 2025 to allow for final tributes, and will be available for public viewing at the Jayaratne Funeral Parlour from 2:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. more..

Mar 24 (AD) Colombo High Court today acquitted former Minister Udaya Gammanpila and businessman Sydney Jayasinghe of charges related to the alleged criminal misappropriation of Rs. 21 million. The charges stemmed from accusations that they had sold shares of a company owned by Australian businessman Brian Shaddick using a fraudulent Power of Attorney. After a lengthy trial, Colombo HC Judge Namal Balalle more..

Mar 24 (AD) A scheme involving the importation of luxury vehicles under the guise tractors, orchestrated by officials from the Dept of Motor Traffic (DMT) using forged documents, has been uncovered during the latest Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) meeting. It was further revealed at the COPA meeting held on March 22 that the same officials had also violated licensing conditions for 158 vehicles imported under the pretext of being designated for religious institutions. more..

Mar 24 (NW) Three overseas diplomats appointed to Sri Lanka presented their credentials to Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo today. Accordingly, Govt of the State of Palestine with the concurrence of the Govt of SL has appointed Ihab I.M. Khalil as Ambassador of Palestine to SL based in Colombo. Govt of Nepal with the agreement of the Govt of Sri Lanka has appointed Purna Bahadur Nepali as Ambassador of Nepal to SL based in Colombo. more..

Mar 24 (FT) Despite SL’s remarkable achievements in education and gender equality indicators, female labour force participation remains alarmingly low. Women account for nearly half of the population; however, their participation in the labour market is considerably lower, at a rate of 33%, than that of their male counterparts. The gender disparity within the workforce constitutes a significant economic and social challenge that, if overlooked, will persist in hindering the advancement of our nation. more..

Mar 24 (FT) Sri Lanka could have been a beneficiary of exporting to USA under its Generalised System (or Scheme) of Preferences or GSP which expired on 31 December 2020. GSP, established in 1974, had a dual purpose: supporting economic growth and development in developing countries and supporting US jobs and helping American companies to remain competitive. The first is direct and obvious because it will help developing countries to have market access in more..

Mar 24 (DM) Elon Musk's Starlink satellite broadband services will be on hold in Sri Lanka until it guarantees the right for the govt agencies to secure data or communication details in case of issues related to national security. Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of SL, the telecommunications regulator. issued a licence to Elon Musk's Starlink, the satellite unit of SpaceX, to provide the country with satellite more..

Mar 24 (AD) Police have identified the suspects linked to a violent altercation involving a group accompanying Yoshitha Rajapaksa outside a nightclub at Union Place, Colombo last night (22). According to police, the incident occurred following a dispute between a group of individuals accompanying Yoshitha Rajapaksa, the son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, and a security guard at the establishment. The disagreement had escalated into an assault on security guard. more..

Mar 24 (NW) Sri Lanka has established its first-ever sperm bank at the Castle Street Hospital for Women in Colombo, offering new hope for individuals and couples facing fertility challenges. A sperm bank is a facility that collects, stores, and provides donated sperm for use in fertility treatments such as artificial insemination or IVF. It is widely used around the world to assist individuals and couples, including those with male infertility issues or single women seeking to conceive. more..

Mar 24 (CT) Police have reported a significant increase in gun violence across SL, with 27 shooting incidents recorded since 1 Jan 2025. These incidents have resulted in the deaths of 22 people, with several others injured. The key shooting incidents that have occurred over the past three months include: 4 January (Weligama): A 26-year-old man was killed in a shooting attack targeting a group of five people walking in Valliwela more..

Mar 24 (ST) The recent USAID freeze on funding to institutions and communities across the world has resulted in hundreds of job losses in SL with humanitarian organisations scratching their heads wondering how to fund their projects. According to Rohana Hettiarachchi, Executive Director of the PAFFREL, more than 400 workers have lost their jobs in addition to 250 consultants. Mr. Hettiarachchi is a member of the Civil Society Organisations (CSO) Collective, a network of 400 org more..

Mar 24 (TM) Police stated that three suspects wanted in connection with the attack on a security guard at a nightclub in Colombo by a group that arrived with Yoshitha Rajapaksa and his wife have left their areas of residence, and that Yoshitha Rajapaksa is not among the suspects. Kompanna Vidiya Police launched an investigation into an incident of a security guard at a nightclub in Colombo being assaulted by a group that had arrived with Rajapaksa, his wife on Saturday. more..