Mar 21 (SO) On Dec 10, 2025, former Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal emerged from the Colombo High Court a free man, cleared in the case widely known as the 2012 Greek Bond scandal. Yet, his freedom came with a caveat: a Rs. 1.84 billion fine that remains unresolved. Cabraal had been indicted by the CIABOC for allegedly causing a massive loss to the Govt of SL through controversial purchase more..

Mar 21 (SO) For more than a century, Sri Lanka’s plantation sector has shaped the country’s landscapes, economy, and international identity. From the mist-covered tea estates of the central highlands to the rubber-growing regions of the wet zone, plantations have long been symbols of productivity and export success. Generations of Sri Lankans have depended on these landscapes for livelihoods, and the world has come to associate them with the country’s heritage. more..

Mar 21 (DM) Elections to the Legislature of the South Indian State of Tamil Nadu has been announced by the Election Commission of India. Tamil Nadu will go to the polls on April 23 to elect 234 members to it’s Legislative assembly. Counting of votes would commence on May 4. Tamil Nadu voters number approximately 5.67 crore. Of these 2.77 crore are males and 2.89 crore are female. There are 7,617 transgender voters. India is our closest neighbour and within India, more..

Mar 21 (TM) Energy politics is nothing new to Sri Lanka. In 1971, when the India-Pakistan war broke out, an oil-tanker with a full capacity of refined petroleum got stuck in the Indian Ocean in close proximity to SL. As the ship could not enter Indian, West Pakistani or East Pakistani ports, the Singaporean oil company that owned the shipment offered it to Sri Lanka at a highly subsidised price. The Cabinet of Ministers of PM Sirimavo Bandaranaike’s Govt discussed this offer, but more..

Mar 21 (FT) SL today is not merely facing a crisis—it is confronting the cumulative cost of missed opportunities and flawed judgments over time. What we are witnessing is not an isolated downturn, but the gradual consequence of decisions taken without sufficient foresight, depth, and strategic clarity. The present condition of the country, therefore, must be understood not simply as a moment of difficulty, but as the outcome of a pattern—one where opportunities were overlooked, undervalued more..

Mar 21 (SO) For thousands of Sri Lankan families, the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) was more than a workplace. It was where careers were built, homes were paid for and lives were shaped. “I joined the CEB as a young technician,” recalled one long-serving CEB employee who asked not to be named. “My children grew up with this job. The house we live in today, their education, everything came through the CEB. more..

Mar 21 (DM) American Wild West, brings to mind of jeans clad cowboys shooting from the hip and gun-toting white Americans on horseback hunting down Native Americans armed with bows and arrows. It paints pictures of horse-drawn wagons filled with white colonists heading west to violently capture/takeover so-called uninhabited lands traditionally owned by native populations. One is put in mind of the setting up of border towns where violent gunfights decided who or what was more..

Mar 21 (GV) The trial has begun in the case presently termed as the main case into the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks at a High Court Trial at Bar in Colombo. Several victims testified to the attack and about loss of lives and injuries. This is a good time to reflect on court cases and related matters in relation to seeking justice for 2019 Easter Sunday bombings just under seven years after the attacks. The targets included two Catholic churches in the Archdiocese of Colombo, Zion church in Eastern province more..

Mar 21 (TM) Sri Lankans usually await fuel price changes on the last day of each month, as it has become a new normal. However, on Tuesday (10), an unannounced price hike of about 8% was observed despite assurances that adequate stocks were available, leading to public criticism and displeasure. As a result of this recent revision, the rising cost of living has created a knock-on effect across multiple industries. more..

Mar 21 (DM) Following the Govt’s announcement last week that Wednesday would be a holiday in order to reduce fuel consumption in the country in the face of escalating conflicts in the Middle East, certain health sector trade unions had demanded a holiday allowance for their members as they are not entitled to that holiday. Rationale behind this demand is not that they are going to lose anything due to the Govt’s decision, but that employees of other sectors are enjoying this holiday while they are not. more..

Mar 21 (Island) Trouble is said to come in threes. For Sri Lankans, it seems to come in multiples of three. Close on the heels of crippling fuel price hikes, speculation is rife that electricity tariff increases are on the cards. The govt is said to be contemplating another round of fuel price hikes as well. JVP/NPP talked the talk in the run-up to the 2024 elections, but it is now unable to walk the walk. In fact, the sobering economic reality has compelled it to do the very antithesis of more..

Mar 20 (NW) Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanka Bodaragama today granted permission to the Bribery Commission to record a statement from former MP and former Chairman of the Housing Development Authority, Duminda Silva, on March 23. Silva is suspected of accepting a bribe to grant bail to Dematagoda Ruwan, a large‑scale drug trafficker arrested for earning illicit money. Although Colombo Additional Magistrate Lahiru Silva had earlier, on March 13, allowed the Bribery Commission to more..

Mar 20 (NW) State-owned supermarket chain, Lanka Sathosa, has rolled out a special island‑wide sales promotion from today, aimed at providing consumers with essential food items and goods at reduced prices during the upcoming Sinhala and Hindu New Year festive season. According to the Ministry of Trade, operating under the theme Avurudu Siri from Sathosa, the program offers discounts of up to 40% on 600 categories of essential goods. Customers making purchases above Rs. 2,500 will more..

Mar 20 (AD) President Anura Kumara Dissanayake today provided a clarification on domestic fuel prices in light of rising crude oil prices in the global market and subsequent fuel price increases in other countries, triggered by the ongoing crisis in the Middle East. Prez highlighted that Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) currently supplies 57% of the country’s fuel requirements, while the remaining 43% is supplied by private sector. more..

Mar 20 (NW) High Commissioner of India, Santosh Jha, visited the Udappuwa village during his visit to Puttalam District on Tuesday, during which he paid respects at the Udappuwa Sri Parthasarathy Temple and interacted with the people of the village. The residents of this Udappuwa village trace their roots to Akkamadam and Thangachimadam in Rameshwaram in Southern India. During the interaction with the Indian HC, the residents conveyed that their ancestors came to SL more..

Mar 20 (TG) Students at the University of Jaffna staged a protest and boycotted lectures today, as SL police interrogated student leaders over a demonstration held at the campus last month to protest against Sri Lanka’s Independence Day. The demonstration follows a series of escalating actions by the occupying SL police, as they interrogated staff and students over last month’s protest. On February 4th students had replaced the lion flag with a black flag as an act of protest. more..

Mar 20 (AFP) Sri Lanka refused permission to the United States to station two of its warplanes at a civilian airport in the island’s south in early March, Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake said on Friday. The request was turned down to maintain SL’s neutrality and ensure its territory was not used for any military purpose that could help or hinder either side, he told parliament. Indian Ocean nation was drawn into consequences of the war more..

Mar 20 (TP) SL Ambassador to Qatar Sithra Khan Azard, has expressed deep appreciation to Qatar’s leadership for ensuring the safety and well-being of the SL community in the country during the ongoing tensions in the Gulf region. In a statement yesterday, the ambassador conveyed the gratitude of the Govt of SL to Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and the Govt of Qatar for the comprehensive measures taken to protect approximately 140,000 SL nationals residing in the country. more..

Mar 20 (DM) UNP MP Ravi Karunanayake raised a series of questions in Parliament seeking clarity on the current state of Sri Lanka’s aviation sector, including airline operations, passenger volumes, airport capacity, and the collection of embarkation taxes. Addressing the Minister of Civil Aviation, the MP highlighted the growing importance of air connectivity amid the country’s increasing reliance on tourism, trade, and international passenger traffic. Karunanayake requested more..

Mar 20 (NW) SLC wishes to announce that players who have requested to participate in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 will be issued a No Objection Certificate (NOC) only upon successfully passing SLC’s mandatory Physical Performance Test. At present, SLC is conducting an 8-week specialized physical training program for all nationally contracted players. This initiative aims to enhance players’ physical performance standards in preparation for upcoming int'l assignments. more..

Mar 20 (DM) Cabinet has approved new regulations allowing the allocation of special vehicle registration numbers from 50,000 to 100,000 for all vehicles, excluding motorcycles, motor tricycles, and motor tricycle vans. Decision follows an amendment to earlier rules published in the Extraordinary Gazette Notification No. 2470/14 on Jan 5, 2026, which revised the 5th Oct 2023 Gazette regulations. Under the new provisions, a fee of Rs 1,000,000 will be charged for each special number allocated more..

Mar 20 (DM) In a significant ruling, Supreme Court of SL has held that the recognition of a foreign judgement granting a divorce in SL must strictly comply with domestic statutory provisions, thereby limiting the grounds for divorce to adultery after marriage, malicious desertion, or incurable impotence at the time of marriage. Court further clarified the legal framework governing the recognition of foreign divorce decrees under more..

Mar 20 (DM) World Happiness Report 2026 has flagged serious concerns about how social media is affecting young people’s wellbeing around the world. According to the report, happiness levels among youth in North America and Western Europe have dropped noticeably over the past 15 years, a period that also saw a sharp rise in social media use. While the link isn’t simple, the findings suggest that heavy usage plays a significant role. Data from 47 countries show that teenagers who spend more..

Mar 20 (DM) Information has been received from some districts that consumers have doubled the amount of fuel they usually purchase and some filling stations have doubled the amount they sell daily, Minister Bimal Rathnayake said. He said such a scenario would create issues. He said the QR code was introduced in order to save fuel for an emergency and not because of any shortage of fuel. Minister accepted that those who have obtained new phone numbers have found it difficult to more..

Mar 20 (EN) Most govts have encouraged electric cars by offering generous tax concessions, but President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has highlighted how the supposedly green vehicles are actually powered by highly polluting coal and diesel. In an address to the nation on the impending energy crisis following the Middle East war, Dissanayake spoke about the added strain on the national electricity grid from electric vehicles. more..

Mar 20 (AD) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake stated in Parliament today that immediate licenses have been granted to five private companies to supply fuel specifically for exporters in SL. He noted that these companies had previously informed the Govt of their ability to meet the fuel requirements of exporters in Sri Lanka, following which the licenses were issued promptly. President further clarified that these private companies are not authorized to supply fuel to the general market more..

Mar 20 (IANS) India's High Commissioner to SL, Santosh Jha met Sri Lanka's Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation K D Lal Kantha on Thursday, discussing opportunities for collaboration to increas, especially usage of cost effective technology to boost farmer’s incomes. They also spoke about regional and global developments. In a statement shared on X, the Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka wrote, "High Commissioner Santosh Jha met Hon K.D. Lal Kantha, more..

Mar 20 (AD) CIABOC informed the Colombo Magistrate’s Court today that it has concluded investigations into corruption allegations involving former Minister Manusha Nanayakkara. The commission officials informed this when the case was taken up today before Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama. During the proceedings, CIABOC officials stated that the investigative phase of the case has now been completed. They further noted that more..

Mar 20 (NW) The inaugural meeting of the Cabinet Committee appointed to ensure the systematic functioning of the public service has held discussions on maintaining the uninterrupted operation of the public service while effectively managing energy resources, in light of the challenges that have arisen due to the prevailing conflict situation in the Middle East. According to the President’s Office, the first meeting of the Cabinet Committee was held on Thursday more..

Mar 20 (EN) Soon after the US and Israel started bombing Iran on Feb 28, SL’s booming stock market took a hit. The bourse has plunged 12.7% so far through March 20, erasing 1.07 trillion rupee worth capital in just 14 days. It plunged over 5% with a temporary trading halt when it opened for trading for the first time on March 3 after the attack. The market has been waiting for some good news from both local and external fronts. more..

Mar 20 (AD) Minister Nalinda Jayatissa says that the govt’s primary objective is to provide uninterrupted power supply and that all necessary measures for this are being taken by the govt. He noted that prices of all commodities in the world market have increased, including coal. Minister further said: "Our main goal is to provide continuous electricity. We are following all the necessary measures for that. There are variations in electricity consumption from month to month." more..

Mar 20 (DM) Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) siad that fuel distribution to dealers will continue uninterrupted tomorrow and the day after, despite circulating rumors of a potential shutdown. The Managing Director of the CPC, Mayura Neththikumara clarified today that no decision has been made to close filling stations over the weekend. He addressed ongoing speculation regarding a Saturday closure, explaining that such rumors likely stem from the corporation's more..