Mar 29 (ST) SL pays domestic staff for its ambassadors below the host countries’ minimum wage in at least 15 countries. Responses to a Right to Information request revealed that the salaries for Service Assistants approved by the Dept of Management Services for Jan to Dec 2024, ranged from USD 253 to USD 872 per month depending on the location. Unless these staff worked less than half time (20 hours per week) they could not have been paid legal minimum wage in host countries more..

Mar 29 (FT) A conference titled Riding the Indian Wave: World’s Fifth Largest Economy on SL’s Shores was held yesterday at ITC Ratnadipa Hotel, Colombo. This conference was hosted by Verité Research with the support of the Indian HC, Colombo and Hayleys Advantis. The day-long conference in its three sessions explored how SL can strategically leverage its proximity and connectivity to India – an emerging global economic powerhouse – to enhance exports, more..

Mar 29 (Island) Religious and civil society leaders have called upon Ven. Galagodatte Gnanasara Thera to share whatever information he claims to possess with regard to the Easter Sunday terror attacks and their masterminds. Lawyer Manoj Nanayakkara said Ven. Gnanasara Thera claimed to have information related to the terror attacks and the masterminds behind them. more..

Mar 29 (NF) Madushan Chandrajith, the convener of the Inter-University Student Federation, and the secretary of the Allied Health Sciences Graduates' Union have been remanded until the 4th of next month. This occurred when they were presented before the Maligakanda Magistrate's Court. The other 25 students who were arrested have been released on bail. They were arrested early this morning for engaging in a satyagraha in front of the Ministry of Health, violating a court order. more..

Mar 29 (ST) SL Temperance Association condemned a proposal by the Excise Dept to introduce a low cost alcohol claiming that it would help minmise the issue of illegal alcohol. The Association said that it was similar to the situation where some medical experts tried to bring Agricultural related proposals on restricting import of fertiliser. The Association noted that alcohol prices has been increasing in the past two years and in the event the govt wants to provide alcohol at low prices, more..

Mar 29 (ST) A billion-rupee direct purchase contract to buy classroom smartboards from China’s Huawei Technologies was rushed through at an unusually accelerated pace last year, with the procurement process being closed within a month, PM Harini Amarasuriya said. Purchase was made via SL State Trading Corporation (STC) without competitive bidding. Price quotations were called from a single supplier “based on unclear more..

Mar 29 (FT) Transparency International SL (TISL) welcomed the introduction of a new structural benchmark in the IMF’s Third Review Agreement, addressing gaps in implementing the asset declarations system under the Anti-Corruption Act of 2023. “This is a significant step toward ensuring public access to asset declarations—a long-standing reform for which TISL has strongly advocated,” it noted in a statement. The benchmark requires the CIABOC to remove excessive redactions, more..

Mar 29 (DN) All-rounder Chamindu Wickramasinghe delivered his career-best bowling figures of 5 for 54, as Jaffna struggled to 201 against Kandy in their NSL 4-day cricket fixture at the R. Premadasa Int'l Cricket Stadium, Colombo, yesterday. Kandy made a steady start in reply, reaching 67 for 1 wicket at stumps on Day 1. Jaffna opener Ravindu Rasantha played a fighting knock of 97 off 198 balls with 14 fours, narrowly missing out on his second century of the tournament. more..

Mar 29 (FT) Spa Ceylon, the world’s largest luxury Ayurveda chain, recently gained worldwide recognition for excellence in restorative skin wellness when its White Rice, and Bakuchiol ranges, dedicated to Well-Ageing skincare, received multiple accolades from the global beauty and wellness industry. Star products from both ranges were recognised on the international stage. Spa Ceylon’s Skin Smooth Bakuchiol – Retinol Alternative Age Refining Day and Night Facial Serum more..

Mar 29 (FT) SL Export Development Board (EDB) hosted the newly launched SheTrades SL Hub, marking a milestone in the country’s ongoing efforts to support women entrepreneurs. As the host institution, EDB, in collaboration with ITC SheTrades, uses the SheTrades Outlook (STO) tool to monitor the policy environment and assess its support for women entrepreneurs across SL. STO tool plays a pivotal role in addressing gender gaps in global trade landscape. more..

Mar 29 (SO) SL’s roads often serve a dual purpose not just as transport routes but also as makeshift drying yards for paddy during harvest seasons. This is a common sight, particularly in rural areas, where golden grains are spread across the asphalt to dry under the sun. While this traditional practice helps farmers cope with the lack of proper drying facilities, it has led to an increase in road accidents, posing risks to motorists and more..

Mar 29 (TM) On 12 March of this year, NPP Govt tabled the long-buried Report of the Commission of Inquiry into the Establishment and Maintenance of Places of Unlawful Detention and Torture Chambers at the Batalanda Housing Scheme in the Parliament, fixing dates for a Parliamentary debate. This sudden move, decades after the report was first compiled, has nothing to do with securing justice for the thousands of youths and workers who were abducted, tortured, and murdered more..

Mar 29 (Island) Uni students who campaigned very hard to ensure the JVP-led NPP’s victory in last year’s elections, may have thought they would be able to conduct a peaceful protest in front of the Health Ministry in support of a group of Allied Health Sciences graduates, without being arrested and hauled up before court. But they were in for a rude shock, yesterday, when the police swooped on the protesters and arrested 27 of them including several IUSF members for violating a court order more..

Mar 29 (CT) Sri Lanka is set to hold its long-delayed Local Govt Elections this May, marking an important moment for democracy at the grassroots level. However, an alarming development has emerged, an unusually high number of nomination papers have been rejected, raising concerns about the electoral process and the state of political preparedness in the country. Out of 2,550 nomination papers submitted, approximately 425 were rejected. more..

Mar 29 (ST) Yippee! Warella warella Sinhala Avurudu avilla! Already banks and retail stores are scrambling to offer new and innovative products all for the sake of profit. The bottom line being to make money. Of course, there is no harm in this but also spare a thought – more than loose change – to help the underserved communities in the country. Sri Lankans are known as a humane community – so help the needy too during these celebrations. Well today’s column came during a conversation more..

Mar 29 (CT) The recent imposition of sanctions by the UK Govt on four individuals for alleged human rights violations during the SL civil war has sparked considerable debate, both domestically and internationally. SL Govt has firmly opposed this unilateral action, arguing that such measures complicate ongoing national reconciliation efforts and the strengthening of domestic accountability mechanisms. Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath more..

Mar 29 (ST) On Feb 13, US President Donald Trump announced the Fair and Reciprocal Plan, aimed at addressing the country’s international trade imbalances through the implementation of reciprocal tariffs. It was suggested that these tariffs could take effect as early as April 1, 2025. Last week, local media reported that a SL delegation is set to visit the US to engage in discussions with the US Trade Office regarding the proposed reciprocal tariffs. Many experts have already commented that, more..

Mar 29 (CT) He was an excellent teacher, researcher scholar as well as an excellent communicator mainly in English. Though born and raised in an urbane middle-class family and educated in private schools in the English medium, he had a strong desire to discover his local indigenous traditions and customary practices by visiting villages and talking to lay people and Buddhist monks. He collected folklore and beliefs held by the indigenous Sinhalese literati. more..

Mar 29 (DM) Former Eastern regional commander of the LTTE is very much in the news again. Muralitharan, whose nom de guerre in the LTTE was Karuna, is among four Sri Lankans sanctioned last week by the UK for alleged human rights violations and abuses committed during the civil war. The other three sanctioned are former Navy commander Wasantha Karannagoda and ex-army commanders Shavendra Silva and more..

Mar 29 (DM) The British are facing a mid-life crisis. By the end of World War II Britain faced grave problems. The war had stripped Britain of virtually all its foreign financial resources, and the country had built up sterling credits—debts owed to other countries that had to be paid in foreign currencies—amounting to several billion pounds. Its economy was in disarray. Important segments of the economy like the railway and coal mines, were in bad repair and desperately short of new equipment. more..

Mar 29 (DM) The former special commander of the LTTE for Ampara and Batticaloa Districts, Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan, popularly known as Karuna Amman has also been imposed the same sanctions through the same announcement. Explaining his govt’s sanctions, Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs of the UK, David Lammy said in a statement on Monday that the measures, which include UK travel bans and asset freezes, target more..

Mar 28 (Xinhua) The Me and China themed lecture was held on Wednesday at the China Cultural Center in Sri Lanka, highlighting the growing cultural and personal connections between the two countries. The event featured two key lectures. Ajith Dharmawardena, president of SL-China Buddhist Friendship Association, shared his personal journey in a talk titled Me and China: At Beijing Language Institute, reflecting on his experiences learning Chinese and life in Nanjing. more..

Mar 28 (AD) President Anura Kumara Dissanayake convened a high-level meeting today (28) at the Presidential Secretariat with senior officials from the Ministry of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation, as well as the Ministry of Urban Development, Construction and Housing. During the discussion, the Prez instructed the relevant officials to expedite the construction of the Mirigama-Kadawatha section of the Central Expressway, the President’s Media Division (PMD) reported. more..

Mar 28 (FT) Ceylinco Life has been voted the People’s Life Insurance Service Provider of the Year for a record 19th consecutive year winning the coveted SLIM-Kantar People’s Award in its category and securing the ultimate testament to consumer-driven recognition in SL. Presented by the SL Institute of Marketing (SLIM) in association with Kantar, the world’s leading marketing data and analytics company, the People’s Awards are based on consumer preferences as determined by, more..

Mar 28 (NW) UNP MP Ravi Karunanayake has accused two party members of sabotage, claiming they are destroying the party. MP said it is evident that these two members were intentionally destabilising the party. He further said Ranil Wickremesinghe has been taken hostage, allowing these two individuals to carry forward their activities. “I am the only member who is capable of sharing the UNP’s programmes in Parliament at present. However, they have shown that more..

Mar 28 (AD) Ministry of External Affairs of India has issued an official statement outlining PM Narendra Modi’s visit to Thailand and Sri Lanka next week. Issuing a statement, India’ External Affairs Ministry said that at the invitation of the PM of Thailand Paetongtarn Shinawatra, PM Shri Narendra Modi will visit Bangkok, Thailand from 3 - 4 April 2025 to participate in the 6th BIMSTEC Summit to be held on 4 April 2025, more..

Mar 28 (MB) Ella, one of Sri Lanka’s most popular tourist destinations, draws scores of foreign visitors who come to admire its natural beauty and marvel at engineering wonders like the famous nine-arched bridge, also known as the Bridge in the Sky. But in February, those visitors witnessed a very different scene — not the lush greenery they expected, but massive flames of orange and red engulfing the hills around Ella. more..

Mar 28 (NW) Minister Sunil Handunneththi drew an analogy between debt collection and personal relationships, stating that banks often forget the past contributions of borrowers when financial difficulties arise. He was addressing an event organized by the Regional Development Bank. “Debt can be like certain girls,” quipped Minister, drawing a comparison between bad debt and what he described as the behaviour of certain women. He claimed that banks often forget good deeds more..

Mar 28 (AD) Former SL cricketer and int'l umpire Kumara Dharmasena emphasizes that cricketers must comply with the country’s tax laws, stating that if taxes are required, players should adhere to legal obligations. Sharing his views on the matter, Dharmasena stated, “I personally believe that if there is a law in the country, we must respect it. If we are required to pay taxes, we should do so as law-abiding citizens.” He added that while he is unaware of the exact earnings of current cricketers, more..

Mar 28 (NW) The main suspect in the rape of a female doctor at the A'pura Teaching Hospital has been identified by the victim. Victim doctor had identified the suspect during an identification parade before A'pura Chief Magistrate Nalaka Jayasuriya. The identification parade had taken place at the official quarters of the A'pura Chief Magistrate today. The female doctor was raped inside her official quarters at the A'pura Teaching Hospital after being held at knife-point by suspect on 10 Mar. more..

Mar 28 (EN) SL’s National Immunization Summit 2025 opened on Friday with over 180 immunization and medical experts gathering to review the island nation’s immunization program and strengthen collaboration with UNICEF, WHO and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. “With a remarkable commitment to strengthening and updating national immunization plan, Sri Lanka remains at the forefront of best practices,” UNICEF said. UNICEF SL Representative Christian Skoog highlighted more..