Mar 28 (TM) Deputy Minister Susil Ranasinghe said that the relevant stakeholders would come together and develop a programme to expedite the release of lands for industrial purposes as a solution to the backlog of requests from both local and foreign investors. He said that there is a problem with the current system of releasing lands for industrial purposes. For example, he said that the Mahaweli Authority’s Business Development more..

Mar 28 (Island) In a country where cricket runs through the veins like curry through rice, one club has stood tall like a seasoned umpire through rain, shine, and political no-balls. Yesterday, at their hallowed turf in Borella, Tamil Union Cricket and Athletic Club — one of the elder statesmen of SL cricket — officially bowled off celebrations to mark a magnificent 125 not out. Founded way back in 1899, when Queen Victoria still ruled the roost and gentlemen played in flannels, more..

Mar 28 (DM) The establishment of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission is a matter of lively interest across our society at this time. Developments a few days ago at the international level make this issue immediately relevant to the national interest of SL. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Vijitha Herath, in his address at the 58th Session of the UNHRC in Geneva in February this year, expressed interest in the contours of a strong truth and reconciliation framework and more..

Mar 28 (FT) Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) President Simon Bittlestone is the 91st CIMA President and 9th Chair of the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, representing AICPA and CIMA. Simon is a business leader with experience in both private and public companies and in the US, UK, and Asian markets, and currently holds a portfolio of advisory and non-executive roles for several technology businesses, investment funds, and charities. more..

Mar 28 (FT) Growth in the last five years, growth in 2024, and optimism for 2025. These are some of the key findings from the Sweden-SL Business Council’s (SSLBC) 2025 Membership Survey. The results are also a reflection of the increasing interest in SL among Swedish companies. In two years, the number of members of the SSLBC has grown from 75 to 100. SSLBC Secretary General Leif I Ohlson said: “The results are encouraging. Our members have developed their business relations with more..

Mar 28 (TM) Ceylon Indoor Cricket Association (CICA) has been awarded the hosting rights for the 12th Indoor Cricket World Cup in 2025. This prestigious event comes after the successful hosting of the World Masters’ Series by CICA 5 months ago. Teams from Australia, NZ, SA, India, England, UAE, Singapore, USA, and host nation SL are set to compete in the World Cup, which will take place from 27 Sept to 5 Oct. more..

Mar 28 (Island) CIABOC arrested NDF MP Chamara Sampath Dassanayake yesterday over some alleged financial irregularities during his tenure as the Chief Minister of the Uva Province about nine years ago. The national anti-graft commission is often blamed for slumbering or netting sprats while sparing sharks when it deals with the corrupt. Its action against the likes of Dassanayake is welcome. The CIABOC, however, should explain why it let the grass grow under its feet for so long before taking action more..

Mar 28 (CT) Ayubowan, Vanakkam, Assalamu alaikum and Greetings to all. I acknowledge that our discussion occurs on the traditional lands of the First Australians – the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nation – the Traditional Custodians of this land. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present, and emerging, and the Elders of other communities. The substantial mandate granted to the new NPP govt reflects the aspirations of Sri Lankans for a better future and their disappointment with more..

Mar 28 (ST) Indian billionaire Gautam Adani’s billion dollar project to set up a network of power windmills in northern Lanka was first inked by Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe, with the power purchase price set at 8 dollar cents per unit for twenty years. Adani Group had first made a backdoor entry during the Gotabaya years in 2022, but its existence had been kept under wraps until a Sunday Times investigative report brought it to public light. JVP Anura Kumara had, on the eve of last year’s prez election, more..

Mar 28 (CT) UK Govt has recently imposed sanctions on four SL individuals allegedly responsible for serious human rights abuses and violations during the SL civil war, including extrajudicial killings, torture, and/or perpetration of sexual violence. The individuals include former SL Army Commanders Shavendra Silva and Jagath Jayasuriya, former Navy Commander Wasantha Karannagoda, and former military commander of the LTTE terrorist group, V. Muralitharan, more..

Mar 28 (SO) In a digital era where social media platforms shape public opinion and cultural narratives, a recent controversy has brought to light the challenges faced by Indigenous Veddah community. A satirical YouTube video has sparked outrage, leading the community’s leader, Uruwarige Vannila Aththo, to take legal action. The video’s misrepresentation of the Veddah people has ignited a debate on cultural respect, free speech & more..

Mar 28 (Island) Former Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe’s recent combative Head-to-Head interview with British-American Mehdi Hasan on Al Jazeera has opened a can of worms. As to why Hasan raised the Batalanda Prez Commission report, during a 49-minute interview conducted at the London’s Conway Hall, with a clearly pro LTTE audience, remains a mystery. This must be yet another notorious way to show how even-handed they are as in the case of its coverage of more..

Mar 28 (DM) During a recent parliamentary debate, Minister Sunil Senavi, emphasised the need for Sri Lanka to establish a Truth and Forgiving Commission. He further referenced the views of former South African President Nelson Mandela, highlighting the importance of achieving national unity. Minister’s statement evoked controversy, primarily because of the term forgiving as many argued that it is the right of the victim to know the truth along with the legal framework more..

Mar 28 (TM) Tea plantation workers are raising the alarm about the rapid informalisation of labour in the tea industry, noting its harmful effects on labour rights and the economic growth of the sector. Ceylon Workers’ Red Flag Union (CWRFU) Deniyaya representative Yapahuwage Geetha Kumari said the issue began in 2017 when Regional Plantation Companies (RPCs) based in the south (known for low-country tea) slowly more..

Mar 28 (TM) With the island’s worst economic crisis and political upheaval in the rear-view mirror, the Govt of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake set an ambitious goal for Sri Lanka’s tourism sector, aiming to welcome over 2.5 million visitors in 2025. Backing the effort with a Budget allocation of Rs. 500 million, the Govt has moved to prioritise infrastructure development, industry promotion, and the introduction of a digital ticketing system to enhance the visitor experience. more..

Mar 28 (DM) Ceylon Tea still has the potential to be in the global news. This time around what we hear of news from the tea world is a little negative. The latest news reaching us informs that SL has been overtaken by India in terms of tea exports. According to the Tea Board of India, Bharat has exported 254 million kgs of tea in 2024, the feat threatening SL’s position in tea in the world. India-SL rivalries may not be severe as the rivalries between India and Pakistan, but this is a welcome news more..

Mar 27 (NW) SLPP MP Namal Rajapaksa says former Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake should not have been impeached under the Mahinda Rajapaksa regime. Shirani Bandaranayake had corruption charges levelled against her by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa following some of her legal rulings which were against his govt. She was removed from her post as Chief Justice in January 2013 after being impeached on the recommendation of a parliamentary committee. more..

Mar 27 (NF) Colombo High Court Judge Aditya Patabendige has acquitted former ASP Kulasiri Udugampola, who was accused of revealing sensitive information about military intelligence officers residing at the Millennium City housing complex in Athurugiriya. The officers were reportedly conducting operations to safeguard SL's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Delivering the verdict, Judge Patabendige stated that the prosecution failed to prove charges against Udugampola beyond more..

Mar 27 (NF) A recent survey conducted by Family Health Bureau of the Ministry of Health has revealed that 18% of school children in SL are suffering from various mental health issues. The survey, which covered over 2,500 students aged 13 to 17 across the country, was conducted in collaboration with the Ministry of Education. Survey, carried out between Sept and Oct 2024, involved 78 questions across 10 health-related topics. more..

Mar 27 (CT) Regulations have been issued to implement a pricing mechanism for medicines (Pricing Mechanism for Medicines under Regulations No. 01 of 2025). The Minister of Health and Mass Media, issuing regulations under Section 142 read with subsection (04) of Section 118 of the National Medicines Regulatory Authority Act, No. 5 of 2015 in consultation with the Pricing Committee of National Medicines Regulatory Authority, noted that the regulations would include pricing mechanism more..

Mar 27 (NW) The Sri Lanka Police has felicitated a youth who had attempted to rescue a 19-year-old girl who was abducted in the Davulagala area in Gampola in January. The youth, who had sustained several injuries in the incident, was recognized for his heroic rescue attempt. Video footage emerged of the girl being kidnapped by a group in a van on 11 January, with many social media users praising the youth for his brave attempt to rescue the schoolgirl. At the time, Police investigations more..

Mar 27 (TNN) Finally, Indian tea industry, which has been reeling under problems for years, has something to cheer about. According to data, India has exported 254 million kg of tea in 2024, thus becoming the second-highest exporter in the world. While Kenya retained the first spot in global tea exports, India surpassed SL to take the second spot. Kenya exported over 500 Mkg of tea in 2024. In 2023, India and SL were neck-in-neck more..

Mar 27 (NF) The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), with funding support from the Government of Japan and in collaboration with the Ministry of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources and the National Aquaculture Development Authority of Sri Lanka (NAQDA), officially inaugurated and handed over the upgraded hatchery and three live fingerling bowzers at the NAQDA Aquaculture Development Center in Inginiyagala, Ampara. more..

Mar 27 (EN) SL’s central bank has urged SME borrowers to contact their banks before March 31 to get loan relief measures. These include rescheduling of credit facilities up to a period of 10 years, extending the time to commence repayments based on the capital outstanding, waiving off unpaid interest subject to conditions, and providing new working capital loans. However, only a limited number of borrowers had approached licensed banks to avail themselves of these benefits more..

Mar 27 (EN) SL unit of Standard and Chartered has said they are looking to sell their wealth and retail banking business in the island nation. “As part of Standard Chartered’s Group strategy, we are exploring the sale of our Wealth & Retail Banking (WRB) business in SL, subject to regulatory approvals,” Standard Chartered SL CEO Bingumal Thewarathanthri was quoted. This was in line with the parent company’s commitment to “concentrating resources where the Group has the most, more..

Mar 27 (EN) SL – France Parliamentary Friendship Association was re-established for the Tenth Parliament to strengthen cordial relations between the two countries. Minister Saroja Savithri Paulraj was elected as the chairperson of the association. Charge d’affaires of the French Embassy in SL Marie-Noelle Duris highlighted the potential for collaboration between the two countries in areas such as culture, education, tourism, economy, women’s rights, gender equality & HR. more..

Mar 27 (TM) Govt stated that it is not prepared to maintain certain State institutions, which were established decades ago to provide specific services, in their original form, but seeks to reform these institutions in line with present-day needs. Minister Nalinda Jayatissa stated that most of these institutions were established in the 1960s and 1970s to offer services that were not provided by the private sector. more..

Mar 27 (CT) Deputy Minister of Transport, Prasanna Gunasena, revealed that 333 Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) bus drivers have been impacted by political appointments, which resulted in them being assigned to non-related duties. Speaking on the issue, the Deputy Minister stated that SLTB drivers and conductors had been diverted from their primary roles due to political interference. In response, the SLTB has decided to reassign these drivers and conductors to their original duties. more..

Mar 27 (DM) SL is grappling with an increase over sleep- related problems, raising concerns as 63% of schoolchildren are not getting enough sleep, Physician Dr. Chiranthika Vithanage said. She said that sleep is important for health, and 8.2 % of schoolchildren aged 16 - 17 have a sleep duration of 4 hours or less. She stated that students have reported serious motor veical injuries or being hit by a motor vehical ,with 6.6% females and 16.4% of males experiencing this during past 12 mo more..

Mar 27 (AD) Sri Lanka’s investment environment needs diversification to provide better opportunities for both the public and corporations, Governor of the CB Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe stated while addressing the Invest Sri Lanka forum held today. Highlighting the limited investment options available to the general public within the country, he emphasized the need for expanding capital markets and allowing SOEs more..

Mar 27 (TM) Ministry of Health has instructed the relevant officials to urgently fill vacancies of administrative officials in the ministry and hospitals, with a special focus on making permanent appointments in place of acting officials. Deputy Minister of Health Dr. Hansaka Wijemuni said that many key administrative positions of the ministry are currently held by acting officials, with some officials having to oversee several departments at once. This, he said, has led to a noticeable more..

Mar 27 (TM) PM and Education Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya emphasised that since only 35% of women participate in the paid workforce, it is necessary to find ways and means to ensure that women have opportunities to contribute towards the economy through employment opportunities and equal pay while acknowledging and recognising unpaid work and unpaid care work, which are often disproportionately carried out by women. The Premier made these remarks while more..