Mar 29 (EN) SL Customs exceeded its monthly target for a third consecutive month, achieving the March target before the end of the month, official data showed. Customs’ March revenue target was set at 180.4 billion rupees. However, the revenue collecting body had already collected 184.8 billion rupees in the first 26 days of the month, exceeding the target by 2.4%. Customs has been accelerating container clearance since January after the devastation in November hit usual activities. more..

Mar 29 (AD) The Chairman of the CPC, D.J. Rajakaruna has announced that there will be no revision in fuel prices on March 31. The monthly fuel price revision usually takes place at midnight on the final day of each month. However, CPC Chairman D. J. Rajakaruna disclosed that there would be no monthly fuel revision at the end of this month. He stated that any future decisions regarding price adjustments would be made by the Govt, taking into account fluctuations in global crude oil prices. more..

Mar 29 (TM) The emergency tender that was moved to procure coal stocks in response to quality concerns over the coal supplies procured under the previous term tender process has been officially awarded to Taranjot Resources of India following a Cabinet decision. Five shipments carrying a total of 300,000 MT of coal are expected to arrive in SL shortly, according to Energy Ministry Secretary Udayanga Hemapala. more..

Mar 29 (NW) Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko is scheduled to visit Sri Lanka on March 3, to participate in the 11th round of Bilateral Political Consultations between SL and the Russia. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the visit is aimed at further strengthening longstanding diplomatic relations and enhancing cooperation between the two countries. During the consultations, officials are expected to discuss a wide range of areas including political engagement, more..

Mar 29 (ST) As shipments get cancelled and prices surge there is serious concern whether fertiliser stocks already ordered will ever make it in time for the Yala season. Already the Maha season has faced a 10% drop in yields and the country is running without a food security plan. “We don’t have a food security plan for Sri Lanka at the moment,” Peradeniya Uni Crop Science Prof. Buddhi Marambe said. In the midst of the current war the availability of fuel for farmers is crucial more..

Mar 29 (EN) An international cast will perform La Bamba! The Song of Veracruz at City of Dreams SL, this April, as a step by host Cinnamon Life toward positioning Colombo as a South Asian entertainment hub. The West End–licensed production brings together world-class performers from the UK, Europe, and North America alongside Sri Lankan talent, organizers said. “City of Dreams have positioned La Bamba! not just as a musical performance but as a strategic step toward more..

Mar 29 (AD) PM Harini Amarasuriya, stated that it is the govt’s objective to establish an education system that ensures every child has access to modern technological opportunities. PM made these remarks while attending the opening ceremony of the National Competition of the World Robot Olympiad (WRO), which aims to elevate the technological skills of Sri Lanka’s younger generation to international standards, held today (28) at Burhani Serendib College in Colombo, more..

Mar 29 (TM) SL’s agricultural sector faces renewed uncertainty as a crucial fertiliser shipment expected in April hangs in the balance amid escalating global tensions, raising concerns over supply stability and rising costs ahead of the Yala cultivation season. Deputy Minister Namal Karunaratne said a vessel carrying approximately 25,000 MT of urea from Oman – imported to SL through India – was scheduled to arrive in more..

Mar 29 (AD) Ambassador of Japan to SL, Akio Isomata and Secretary of Transport, Highways and Urban Development, Professor Kapila Perera signed a grant contract for a project, under the scheme of Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP), to provide eight large low-floor buses for public transportation. Govt of Japan has provided USD 362,476 (approx. Rs. 112 million) for the implementation of the project, which is developed following discussions held more..

Mar 29 (NW) Sri Lanka has been ranked the second most unaffordable housing market in Asia, according to a new report by The Economist. The report noted that cities across Asia are facing a growing shortage of affordable housing as rapid urbanisation drives millions of people into major urban centres. While countries such as India, Indonesia and the Philippines are experiencing fast city expansion, the supply of reasonably priced homes has failed to keep pace. more..

Mar 29 (ST) Star spinner Wanindu Hasaranga has landed himself in trouble after skipping the ongoing fitness programme without any explanation. Hasaranga, who missed most of the World Cup through injury, instead undertook skill training, inviting the wrath of the national cricket selectors, who have called for explanations from the High Performance Centre as to how the leg-spinner attended skill training without joining more..

Mar 29 (ST) Kamil Mishara struck his eighth first class century – a well-composed 160 off 159 balls, while Lahiru Udara (94) and Niroshan Dickwella hit half-centuries to see NCC reach 383-7 against Colts at stumps on day one of the SLC Major League Super Eight match which began at Pallekele yesterday. After being put into bat, NCC openers Dickwella and Udara put on a rapid 105 runs for the opening wicket in just 18.3 overs before Dickwella departed. Mishara, who then joined Udara, more..

Mar 29 (TM) Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR) President Pavithra Fernando is firmly of the view that SL will not be mentally-scarred when facing the New Zealand U85 kg team next month and maintained that the Tuskers would be better for the experience. “I don’t think so. In fact, we performed exceedingly well against both South Korea and UAE last year and this time around the players have gone through a very grueling domestic club season and there will be two practice matches against more..

Mar 29 (Island) Teachers’ trade unions are protesting against what they describe as a political witch-hunt against some of their members who did not attend a meeting chaired by PM and Minister of Education Dr. Harini Amarasuriya in Tangalle on Sunday (15). Many seats in the Tangalle Municipal Council auditorium, where the meeting was held, were left empty by no-shows. Trade unions have taken exception to a letter sent by the Tangalle Zonal Education Office to the school principals more..

Mar 29 (Island) Many would argue that had SL gone into the recent World Cup with all their big guns fit and firing, they might have reached the semis. That’s the popular line doing the rounds. But if we are calling it as we see it, this campaign was heading for a collapse even before the first ball was bowled. Reappointing Dasun Shanaka as captain was a gamble, lacked foresight and in the end created divisions within the team. The decision to bring back Pramodya Wickremasinghe as Chairman more..

Mar 29 (ST) Teacher unions have condemned the Tangalle Zonal Education Director’s move to call for explanations from teachers who had failed to attend a meeting chaired by PM and Education Minister Harini Amarasuriya at the Tangalle Urban Council premises. Ceylon Teachers’ Union (CTU) General Secretary Joseph Stalin expressed dismay at the decision, noting that the meeting was held on March 15, more..

Mar 29 (ST) The match was stopped early due to bad light and at the stoppage Royal were on 291-6 having faced 46 overs and the required target during stoppage was 276 which they had already achieved. Royal, in pursuit of 314 runs, were steady progress after openers Hirun Liyanaarachchi and skipper Rehan Peiris gave the side a sedate start of 36 runs. This followed with Liyanaarachchi who was joined by Vimath Dinsara to share 50 runs for the second wicket before they were separated. more..

Mar 29 (Island) US Navy’s sinking of an Iranian frigate IRIS Dena just off SL’s southern coast has done more than disturb the waters of the Indian Ocean. It has jolted a small island nation into the gravitational pull of a geopolitical drama that is no longer confined to Tehran’s crumbling political architecture. Sri Lanka did not seek this moment. Yet history has a habit of choosing its bystanders, and the detonation beneath the waves has now placed Colombo at the fault line more..

Mar 29 (ST) My dear JR seeya, I am writing to you now because your name is in the news once again, almost 30 years after you departed and reached the Land of No Return. Not many of our leaders will be remembered decades after they leave so I suppose you could be proud that you have left a lasting legacy, be it good or bad. Why you are being talked about suddenly is because Anura sahodaraya has decided that the bed reserved for you at that hospital that bears your name, be open to anyone. more..

Mar 29 (TM) As Sri Lanka steps into April and the traditional New Year season, a time usually defined by renewal, reunion, and quiet optimism, the national mood is anything but celebratory. Instead, the country finds itself once again navigating a familiar but deeply unsettling terrain – one marked by rising costs, fragile supply chains, and a creeping sense that the stability so painfully restored after the economic collapse remains dangerously reversible. For ordinary Sri Lankans, more..

Mar 29 (CT) Govt’s position with regard to the Iranian ship that was attacked by the US two weeks back continues to haunt the NPP Govt. Amid heightened tensions running through the diplomatic circles in Colombo following the explosive statement made by the Iranian Ambassador to Colombo, Dr. Alireza Delkhosh, on Monday, that the Iranian ships were in SL waters on Colombo’s invitation, Govt continued to hide behind its stand of neutrality. more..

Mar 29 (ST) US President Donald Trump, universally condemned for what he called his four-day excursion in Iran – starting a war he doesn’t know how to finish – is offering a strategic withdrawal while at the same time sending an armada to invade Iran. No acknowledgement, of course, that he has eaten humble apple pie or bitten off more than he can chew. International columnists are questioning his mental health, some pointing to his morning tweets calling for an Armageddon more..

Mar 29 (CT) The situation involving the Dept of Motor Traffic (RMV) and the subsequent arrest of its Commissioner General, Kamal Amarasinghe, serves as a stark and sobering reminder of the deep-seated complexities of institutional corruption. For a govt that ascended to power on the bedrock of transparency and the promise of a system change, this development is more than a mere scandal; it is a profound blow to its credibility and its stated commitment to good governance. more..

Mar 29 (TM) That the ongoing conflict in the Middle East has dealt a severe blow to Sri Lanka amidst an economic recovery process is evident by the increasing threats faced by the nation, including further limitations to fuel supplies, electricity cuts, and water cuts. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD) and his JVP-led NPP Govt undoubtedly have their work cut out for them, with their foreign policy also being put to the test. more..

Mar 29 (CT) Iran’s attack last week on Diego Garcia proved its military strategy of using its capabilities as a deterrent and to maintain its leverage successful. Washington today sits seriously challenged in its response, having realised Iran’s capabilities hitherto unknown to the world. As global stocks fell and oil prices rose once again on Friday in response to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, the indications look very bleak as the conflict completes a month. Price of Brent crude rose by over 4%, more..

Mar 29 (SO) The Iran War has just crossed the one-month mark, with diplomatic efforts apparently under way to resolve the conflict. The United States (US), with or without the knowledge of Israel, its main ally in the war, has forwarded a 15-point plan to bring peace to the Middle East, while Iran insists on meeting several conditions to cease its attacks on Israel and neighbouring Gulf countries and to end the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Even more than the War itself, more..

Mar 28 (EN) Top Gulf airlines have not responded to Sri Lanka’s call to use the island nation’s Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA), Deputy Civil Aviation Minister said. Janitha Ruwan Kodithuwakku said the state-run Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has informed Gulf airlines to use the airport. “We have informed them to use the airport, but so far, no one has expressed any willingness to do so,” Deputy Minister said. more..

Mar 28 (FT) Amid mounting fuel pressures linked to the Middle East crisis, the Govt has begun facilitating supplies for manufacturing firms, with over 2,500 requests already recommended through a structured distribution system. Industry Ministry Secretary Thilaka Jayasundara said 2,551 requests from manufacturing companies had been forwarded to the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) as of Thursday, following a data collection drive to assess energy needs across the sector. more..

Mar 28 (NW) Fuel transportation will resume as normal from Saturday (28) after the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) agreed to a 25% increase in inter-provincial transport charges, the Lanka Petroleum Private Tanker Owners’ Association said. The decision follows discussions on Friday (27) between tanker owners and senior CPC officials. Association Chairman A.M.H. Adhikari said tanker owners had requested the 25% hike, which was approved during the meeting. more..

Mar 28 (Island) SL Red Cross Society (SLRCS) said that it was stepping in to help Sri Lankans reconnect with loved ones affected by the recent escalation of hostilities in Iran and other parts of West Asia. An SLRCS statement said: In response to the recent escalation of hostilities in Iran and other countries, SLRCS is providing support to people in Sri Lanka who are unable to contact their loved ones in affected regions, through its more..

Mar 28 (NW) Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has arrested Commissioner General of Motor Traffic Kamal Amarasinghe over an alleged vehicle registration irregularity, police said. According to sources, the arrest was made following an investigation into suspected irregularities linked to the registration of a vehicle at the Department of Motor Traffic. Kamal Amarasinghe is expected to be produced before court following questioning, while further investigations are ongoing. more..

Mar 28 (DM) Claiming that the El Niño phenomenon and positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) phenomenon are likely after June, Additional Director General of the Dept of Meteorology Ajith Wijemanne warned that SL could face a drought situation in July and August if El Niño and IOD phenomenon got activated. El Niño phenomenon is neutral at present and that El Niño phenomenon is likely in SL after June. "There is a 10-20% possibility of El Niño phenomenon after June. more..