Mar 31 (PMD) Under the Clean Sri Lanka Programme, the first phase of the Urban Forest Project was launched this morning (30) near the Kelaniya Bridge in Peliyagoda. This initiative was implemented in collaboration with S-lon Lanka (Pvt) Ltd, a subsidiary of The Capital Maharaja Group, aligning with the Tree Guardian project. It also coincided with today’s (30) Zero Waste Day, further reinforcing its environmental significance. Guided by the Presidential Secretariat, more..

Mar 31 (FT) SL’s current account balance more than doubled in February to $ 359 million month-on-month (MoM) from January, though year-on-year (YoY) it was lower. In Jan 2025, the balance was $ 130.2 million, reflecting Feb 2025 performance was higher by 176%, whilst in February last year, it was $ 395 million. The higher surplus in February was mainly driven by a narrowed trade deficit. The merchandise trade deficit contracted in Feb 2025 to $ 411.3m compared to $ 732.7m in Jan 2025. more..

Mar 31 (TM) Cricketing analysts have predicted that the incumbent Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) President Shammi Silva is expected to return to office for a third consecutive two-year stint, as the 2025-27 election of office bearers to SLC, is set to go ahead at Cinnamon Grand, Colombo this morning (31). At the election he will only face a friendly fire from members of his own camp, analysts review. Today’s AGM will be supervised by more..

Mar 31 (PMD) Eid-ul-Fitr, celebrated by Muslims worldwide after a month of fasting and upon sighting the new moon, holds great significance in the Islamic religious calendar. Fasting during Ramadan, one of the five pillars of Islam, embodies the values of sacrifice, self-discipline and simplicity by distancing oneself from worldly desires. This period serves as a reminder of the importance of generosity towards those suffering from hunger and as an opportunity for self-restraint and spiritual growth more..

Mar 31 (ST) Recognising SL arduous journey in cinema battling with 26-year long civil war and economic crisis and many more, the Korean Film Archive (KOFA) screens a selection of Sri Lankan films some of which are landmarks in country’s cinema history. Organised by Cinematheque attached to the KOFA, Sri-Lankan Film Screening Programme under the title Scars of Paradise, Light Beyond started on March 27 will go on till April 16 at Cinematheque 2 of the Koran Film Archives. more..

Mar 31 (EN) Indian PM Narendra Modi will launch delayed Sampur power project in SL’s port district of Trincomalee during his visit next week, Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said. The deal was first signed in 2006 as a 500 MW coal power plant, but has been changed to LNG in 2016 and now to solar power plant as requested by SL govts. Indian Foreign Secretary Misri confirmed that groundbreaking of Sampur energy project more..

Mar 31 (DM) Govt Physiotherapy Officers' Association (GPOA) strongly condemns the inhumane attack and alleged illegal arrest of Allied health Sciences graduates. The GPOA in a statement says as follows; Allied Health Degree Courses in Physiotherapy, Medical chemical Science, Pharmaceuticals, Radio Therapy, and Nursing were introduced in 2005/2006 at Peradeniya, Sri J'pura, Jaffna, Colombo, Ruhunu and Eastern Campuses to meet more..

Mar 31 (EN) Sri Lanka ran a current account deficit in the last quarter of 2024, and reserves were run down to repay debt, official data shows, after large volumes of money were printed to push down interbank rates by a few basis points in the period. SL’s imports surged in Dec 2024 in particular, after three months of excess liquidity from being injected to bring to the middle of a policy corridor or single policy rate. The liquidity was injected to push down interbank rates and undermine a scarce more..

Mar 31 (ST) A groundbreaking proposal by an engineer/entrepreneur is being considered by the govt for the digital TV project, top officials said. B.A.C. Abeywardana, Chairman of Television and Radio Networks (TV Lanka), has proposed three cost-effective alternatives to JICA’s proposed US$ 114 million proposal, aiming to implement SL’s Terrestrial Digital Television Broadcasting project—originally proposed by JICA in 2014—at just 7% of the cost quoted, potentially saving more..

Mar 31 (ST) The Court of Appeal (CoA) has ordered Shemal Fernando, the Director General of Dept of Sports Development of the Ministry of Sports, to physically appear in court on April 3, 2025 as the respondent of contempt of court, with regard to the now stagnated election of Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR). As Competent Authority of SLR, Fernando had called in for the long overdue election of SLR following a court ruling, but after one of the nominees, Lasitha Gunaratne, filed a case more..

Mar 31 (TM) In light of reports on proposals to reduce the tariff paid to rooftop solar generators, Solar Industries Association (SIA) is warning of the risk of a potential electricity tariff hike. If the reduced tariff discourages the rooftop solar industry, the association notes that it would result in oil and thermal sources having to bridge the gap. However, a highly-placed source at Ministry of Energy said that proposed reduction of tariff more..

Mar 31 (ST) A significant ruling by the Supreme Court on 18th March (Madurapperuma v Kelum Sangeeth, Sub-Inspector of Police and Others,) has cast a pale of doubt over a range of detention orders issued by former Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa under Section 9 (1) of SL’s highly critiqued Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). This interpretation of relevant constitutional provisions by the Court, taken beyond the legal parameters of this case, points (once again) to the need to replace the PTA by more..

Mar 31 (CT) The forthcoming Local Govt Elections scheduled for 6 May 2025 would no doubt be a popularity test for the four months old NPP Govt even though most issues involved in that election would be specific to those localities and the candidates contesting also would be prominent personalities from those areas. LGEs are usually a contest to choose personalities rather than parties. It is therefore doubtful whether the AKD effect which played a crucial role in NPP’s historic victory more..

Mar 31 (Island) JVP/NPP administration has sought to handle crop-raiding monkeys exactly the way SL govts deal with their political opponents—throwing them into prison. While the Opposition is complaining that some of its members are being arrested and remanded at the behest of the powers that be, the government has unveiled a plan to relocate monkeys in Kandy to some aits in reservoirs in the Central Province. Environmentalists and animal rights groups have already started more..

Mar 31 (Island) Following independence from Britain, both India and SL emerged as leaders of the Non-Aligned Movement, which sought to advance developing nations’ interests during the Cold War. Indeed, the term non-alignment was itself coined by Indian PM Jawaharlal Nehru during his 1954 speech in Colombo. The five principles of the Non-Aligned Movement are: “mutual respect for each other’s territorial integrity and sovereignty; mutual non-aggression; mutual non-interference in more..

Mar 31 (SO) With Local Govt elections scheduled for early May, political parties across SL are gearing up for a contest that could reshape grassroots governance. Among them, the Ceylon Workers’ Congress (CWC), led by Jeevan Thondaman, is seeking to reclaim ground following a disappointing performance in the Nov 2024 General Elections. Thondaman speaks about the setbacks faced by his party, controversial rejection more..

Mar 31 (CT) The recent 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Myanmar, which has claimed over 1,600 lives and caused widespread destruction, serves as a tragic reminder of the vulnerability of cultural heritage sites in the face of disasters. Thailand, too, has suffered, with many lives lost and heritage sites at risk. Among the casualties are ancient Buddhist temples, royal palaces, and ruins that have stood for centuries. While human lives must naturally take precedence during such crises, more..

Mar 31 (TM) The devastating magnitude 7.7 earthquake which struck Myanmar last Friday (28) impacted a number of other countries in the periphery, including Bangladesh, India, Laos, Thailand, and China. A global relief effort is underway to assist the war-ravaged, junta-led Southeast Asian nation, which borders the Indian Ocean. International media reports indicate that the search for survivors continues in Myanmar, where 1,700 people have been confirmed dead more..

Mar 31 (SO) On March 24, UK Govt’s Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) announced its decision to impose sanctions on four Sri Lankans, including three top former military officials. Announcing the decision, UK said it was sanctioning figures responsible for serious human rights violations and abuses during the war in Sri Lanka. In imposing the sanctions, UK Secretary of State for Foreign, more..

Mar 31 (DM) A majority of women are employed in SL’s apparel industry which is a main contributor to the GDP. Feminist Economics analyses the gendered workings of the economy, including inequalities in employment and wages. The 2020s is turning out to be a decade of great unravelling of the global order much like the 1930s. The Great Depression of the 1930s and the aggravation of the debt crisis in countries like Germany, paved the way for rise of fascism & tremendous destruction more..

Mar 31 (DM) In 1849 the French writer Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr penned the phrase plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose; translated into English it means the more things change, the more they stay the same. This makes us remember with nostalgia the Prez elections on 21 Sept 2024 and the parliamentary elections of 14 Nov 2024. Then prez candidate AKD, promised to change the existing corrupt political system and the political culture of this country and provide a clean govt. more..

Mar 30 (ST) First came the bombshell revelation: Kapila Chandrasena, the former CEO of SriLankan Airlines, pocketed a staggering US$ 2 million in bribes from aircraft manufacturer Airbus. Now, he and his family reside comfortably in Australia, while investigators scramble to untangle the legal web for his extradition. The audacity of this scandal left the nation reeling. But the turbulence did not end there. The national carrier’s cumulative losses over more..

Mar 30 (ST) Three state agencies have launched investigations into how the UK-based Lyca Group had acquired 12 local media institutions. The Attorney General informed the Supreme Court (SC) that the Defence Ministry has instructed the State Intelligence Service to conduct a comprehensive investigation over the matter. Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Sumathi Dharmawardena told court that the office of the IGP has informed the AG that the CID has sought the assistance of more..

Mar 30 (TM) The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the Indo-Lanka electricity grid connectivity project is likely to be signed this weekend during Indian PM Narendra Modi’s visit to Sri Lanka, as confirmed by Energy Ministry Secretary Prof. Udayanga Hemapala. While several landmark projects between India and Sri Lanka are expected to be discussed during the Indian PM’s visit, the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) deal has not materialised yet, according to him. more..

Mar 30 (TM) A prominent telecommunications company in SL has written off a substantial sum of Rs. 77.71 million in telecommunication tax dues as bad debts, according to the latest audit report by the National Audit Office (NAO) on the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC). This amount, which includes taxes collected from three private companies under the said prominent company, was originally intended to be paid more..

Mar 30 (NW) The first-ever export consignment of canned fish produced in Sri Lanka was officially flagged off yesterday at the Ocean Food factory premises in Madurankuliya. The event was held under the patronage of State Minister Ratna Gamage. This shipment of canned fish is being exported to the United Arab Emirates. It marks the first time that canned fish manufactured in Sri Lanka is being sold in an international market, the Government Information Department said. more..

Mar 30 (ST) SL will find it hard to meet the increased demand for coconuts during the Sinhala and Tamil New Year due to low crop production this year. But importing coconut kernel has helped fill this gap. Chamber of Coconut Industries President said that while March/April will not be producing the traditionally higher yields, authorities have agreed to import coconut kernel for the production of coconut cream and coconut milk powder to fill the gap created as a result of low production. more..

Mar 30 (Island) Religious and civil society leaders have called on Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake to begin implementing the recommendations outlined in the Special Presidential Commission that investigated the Easter Sunday terror attacks without further delay. Addressing a press conference held at the Centre for Society and Religion in Colombo, Lawyer Manoj Nanayakkara stated that 71 months have passed since the Easter Sunday attacks, yet justice has not been served for the victims. more..

Mar 30 (DM) Two SC judges have recused themselves from hearing an appeal filed relating to former Navy Commander Wasantha Karannagoda. When the matter came before a SC 3-judge bench, Justice A.H.M.D. Nawaz and Justice Priyantha Fernando announced that they would refrain from hearing this matter. Justice Nawaz informed that he would refrain from hearing this matter since he was a member of the bench relating to the original writ application, while he was serving as a judge more..

Mar 30 (DM) A top-level committee appointed by the government has identified a dozen state institutions either to be liquidated or done away with, with state involvement in management of them. Report compiled by the committee comprising various Ministry Secretaries has reviewed the status of over 160 state institutions and made recommendations on their future. Committee has recommended liquidation of SL Mahaweli more..

Mar 30 (EN) SL and Sweden officials held a meeting to discuss opportunities, challenges, and cooperation in the food processing sector. It was organized by the EDB and Business Sweden, with Team Sweden comprising the Embassy of Sweden, Consul General of Sweden in SL and the SL Food Processors Association. Sofia Högman, Trade & Invest Commissioner of Sweden to India, said there was “potential of combining SL’s agricultural strengths with Sweden’s cutting-edge food more..

Mar 30 (DM) Frontline Socialist Party (FSP) lashed out at the govt for planning to close down state institutions or to privatise them. National Organiser of FSP-affiliated Govi Aragala Viyaparaya Wimal Waththuhewa said that Mahaweli Authority, Cashew Corporation, Paddy Marketing Board and National Post Harvest Management Institute are among 166 that are earmarked for winding up or privatisation. “A review report on 166 state institutions has been already submitted to cabinet on March 17, more..