Mar 25 (TM) As SL readjusts to the reintroduction of fuel rationing under a QR-based distribution system, essential public services like healthcare are facing concerns about sustaining operations with restricted mobility. Since 15 March, a weekly fuel quota has been imposed islandwide based on vehicle types: motorcycles are limited to 5 litres, cars and three-wheelers to 15 litres, vans & special purpose vehicles to 40 litres, lorries to 200 l more..

Mar 25 (TM) When International Energy Agency Executive Director Fatih Birol warns the world has already lost 11 million barrels of oil per day, surpassing the combined shocks of the 1970s, it is not a technical observation. It is an indictment. His most damning line should not be ignored. “The depth of the problem was not well appreciated by the decision makers around the world.” That is not a throwaway remark. It is a blunt admission that those in charge failed to read the signals, more..

Mar 25 (GV) With the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, SL finds itself at a particularly vulnerable juncture as it carefully navigates a fragile economic recovery. Labour migration offers jobs to counteract the lack of opportunities within the economy. Related micro-level remittances prevent households from dipping back into poverty. Similarly, on a macro level these remittances, of which about 50% come from Middle East countries, help build foreign reserves, stabilise the economy and pay for more..

Mar 25 (SO) SL is currently facing its second major crisis within four months following Cyclone Ditwah, amid the ongoing US–Israel war on Iran. While crises are not new to the country, successive Govts have often faced criticism from Opposition parties over their handling of emergency situations. SJB MP Dayasiri Jayasekara, a vocal critic of the Govt, has alleged that NPP administration lacks a clear more..

Mar 25 (DM) The shockwaves of the Middle East war that was started by the US and Israel by launching unprovoked attacks on Iran on Feb 28 ripple through almost every country in the world. Going by statements made by the leaders, SL is going to face a dire situation due to the very short time gap the country was left with to prepare for this shock. The changing stances on the part of American Prez Donald Trump on the conclusion of the war seem to make it difficult leaders more..

Mar 25 (DM) High-flown diplomatic verbosity and larger-than-life personal egos are not necessarily prerequisites for striking a principled foreign policy position and being recognised for it, though most leaders and policy pundits in this part of the world tend to think otherwise. Last week, as the chattering classes in Colombo were assessing the eloquence of Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath’s English, SL proved yet again that a small nation, navigating a geopolitical tsunami, more..

Mar 24 (NW) Cabinet has approved the award of a contract to upgrade passenger facilities at the Colombo Fort Railway Station to MAGA Engineering (Pvt) Ltd. The project includes the removal of existing footbridges at the Maradana and Bambalapitiya ends and the construction of new bridges with access for persons with special needs. It also covers the development of new ticket counters integrated with the bridges and the construction of a 3-storey service building, more..

Mar 24 (EN) Cabinet has approved the setting up of yet another committee, this time for the development of the energy economy as there has been a slowdown in investment in that sector, minister Nalinda Jayatissa said. “The energy economy has been identified as a priority sector, but there has been a slowdown in investment in that sector due to the weaknesses in integration between the main economic sectors,” Jayatissa said. “The Govt has recognized the importance of exploring more..

Mar 24 (AD) Formal govt-level talks have already begun to secure fuel supplies from Russia, according to Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa. He said that the govt is currently focusing on the possibility of obtaining fuel through intergovernmental agreements, and that the relevant govt-level discussions have already commenced. He also mentioned that the Russian Deputy Energy Minister is scheduled to visit SL soon, and more..

Mar 24 (DM) The Colombo Commercial High Court has issued several interim injunctions against Blue Ocean Legand Pvt Ltd, Blue Ocean Waves and Link Engineering, which are companies affiliated to the property developer Blue Ocean Group. In an action filed by Horton Realty Pvt Ltd, it was alleged that the Blue Ocean Group of Companies had agreed to transfer 13 apartment units of a condominium development situated at 19th Lane, Kolllupitiya pursuant to a master agreement signed more..

Mar 24 (AD) Commissioner-General of Essential Services, Prabhath Chandrakeerthi, has issued comprehensive guidelines aimed at optimising fuel consumption across state-owned vehicles. According to the Commissioner-General, public sector currently maintains a fleet of approximately 92,000 operational vehicles. The guidelines note that if each vehicle conserves at least one litre of fuel per day, the total daily saving would amount to 92,000 litres. This could translate into a more..

Mar 24 (DM) Govt has decided to continue the concessional loan scheme introduced to create new entrepreneurs, with Rs. 750 million allocated in the 2026 Budget to further implement the programme. Steps are to be taken to create 50,000 entrepreneurs within five years by providing financial facilities and guidance to youth. As part of this initiative, Rs. 500 million was allocated under the 2025 Budget to introduce a concessional more..

Mar 24 (NW) The Cabinet has approved the continuation of a program to provide sanitary napkins to schoolgirls in 2026, aimed at ensuring uninterrupted education. The initiative will cover about 1.05 million adolescent girls studying in Grades 6 and above in all govt schools, as well as in govt-approved special schools. Under the program, each student will receive vouchers worth Rs. 1,440, issued as two vouchers of Rs. 720 each, Minister Nalinda Jayatissa said. more..

Mar 24 (NW) Sri Lanka’s Cabinet has approved a major project to develop playgrounds in govt schools across the country, aiming to boost student participation in sports and promote physical, social, and mental well‑being. Officials noted that the exam-centred education system and lack of adequate facilities have limited student involvement in sports, while also hindering the identification of talented athletes capable of performing at national and international levels. more..

Mar 24 (AD) Colombo High Court has ordered that the case filed by the CIABOC against MP Chamara Sampath Dassanayake be taken up on April 30, 2026. The case was taken up today before Colombo High Court Judge Ravindra Premaratne. After considering the facts presented, High Court Judge ordered that the case be called on April 30 for a pre-trial conference. The case has been filed against MP Chamara Sampath over allegations that, during his tenure as Chief Minister of Uva Province more..

Mar 24 (AFP) SL ordered street lights, neon signs and billboard lighting to be switched off from Tuesday as part of measures to cut energy consumption by 25% to tackle supply shortages. Minister Nalinda Jayatissa said all state institutions had been asked to reduce the use of air conditioning as the Middle East war entered its fourth week, driving up oil and gas prices. SL has already raised fuel prices by a third since the bombing in Iran started, triggering retaliatory attacks more..

Mar 24 (AD) Cabinet has granted approval for a proposal aimed at promoting QR code-based digital payments by ensuring that no additional charges are levied on either the sender or the receiver for transactions valued below Rs. 5,000. The govt has identified the promotion of a digital economy as a national priority, with a view to enhancing economic efficiency, financial inclusion, and transparency. more..

Mar 24 (NW) Presidential Suite at the Sri J'pura General Hospital, which until now had been reserved exclusively for the use of the Executive President, was opened today for medical treatment of the general public. Following instructions given by Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake, Ministry of Health, together with the hospital administration, made this decision. Sri J'pura General Hospital was built in 1984 as a major aid project of the Japanese govt, with a capacity of 1,000 beds. more..

Mar 24 (UCAN) Buddhists and Christians across SL have paid tribute to Jesuit scholar Father Aloysius Pieris, widely known as Father Aloy, remembering him as a bridge-builder in interreligious dialogue who dedicated his life to unity, justice and understanding. He died at 91 after a long illness. His funeral was scheduled for March 24. Pieris, founder of the Tulana Research Centre, promoted dialogue on faith, culture and social change. He also co-founded a center for hearing-impaired education more..

Mar 24 (AD) Asian Development Bank (ADB) has agreed to increase the allocation approved for Sri Lanka for this year from USD 380 million to USD 480 million and to promptly release USD 200 million in view of the prevailing situation. This was conveyed during a meeting held this afternoon at the Presidential Secretariat between Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake and a delegation led by President of the ADB, Masato Kanda, who is currently more..

Mar 24 (DM) The Director General of Civil Aviation of the Bhutan Civil Aviation Authority, Kinley Wangchuk, paid a courtesy visit to Capt. Daminda Rambukwella, Director General of Civil Aviation and CEO of the Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka (CAASL), to discuss opportunities for aviation development and training collaboration. During the meeting, Mr. Wangchuk shared suggestions and proposed operational plans aimed at strengthening international scheduled passenger services. more..

Mar 24 (TM) A group of activists visited the Presidential Secretariat Colombo today seeking to hand over a petition calling for the resignation of Shammi Silva, Chairman of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC). Organisers said the petition, which has gathered thousands of online signatures, urges the Chairman to step down immediately in the interest of the sport, citing recent concerns over the administration of the board. The group stated that the petition was addressed to the Prez and more..

Mar 24 (NW) Minister Nalinda Jayatissa declined to respond to remarks by Iranian Ambassador to SL, Alireza Delkhosh, who said the warship IRIS Dena had visited the island at the invitation of SL authorities. Jayatissa was responding to questions from journalists on the envoy’s comments, which come amid heightened tensions involving Iran, US and Israel. “We will continue as a neutral nation. Protecting our neutrality, we will do all that we can. I am not prepared to respond to his comments. more..

Mar 24 (DM) The Illegal Assets Investigation Division has frozen properties and financial assets worth over Rs. 30 million linked to suspected drug trafficking activities. The assets were frozen following an investigation conducted into a female suspect residing in the Colombo 14 area, who is believed to have accumulated significant wealth through illegal narcotics operations. Acting on a complaint, investigators carried out a detailed probe into her financial transactions, more..

Mar 24 (DM) Sri Lanka is ranked 79th out of 193 countries in the world in 2026 for ease of doing business due to growing confidence in its regulatory environment, signalling a positive growth in business confidence. SL also ranked 100 in the world for global power and influence in the world according to Global Soft Power Index (GSPI) by Brand Finance. SL was ranked in 2026 with a score of 33.8/100 in global soft power, more..

Mar 24 (DM) A writ application filed by SriLankan Airlines, challenging the determination of the Assistant Commissioner of Labour relating to salary reductions implemented in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, including those affecting pilots, has been dismissed by the Court of Appeal. In its judgment, the Court of Appeal held that the Labour Officer had acted within his jurisdiction. SriLankan Airline Pilots’ Guild lodged a complaint with the Commissioner of Labour on March 2, 2021, more..

Mar 24 (NW) SL Police has issued a public advisory warning citizens about methods used by criminals to rob money, gold, and other valuables through theft, abduction, and force. The advisory emphasizes vigilance to prevent falling victim to such crimes. Police noted that despite continuous efforts to maintain public safety, negligence or lack of awareness has led to serious incidents, including recent cases in Kokkadichcholai, where two women were abducted, drugged, robbed of jewellery more..

Mar 24 (EN) Sri Lanka has recorded a surplus in the current account of the budget after 38 years in 2025, central bank data showed as tax revenues surged and current spending was kept in check. The central bank strongly by to keep spending down by keeping inflation low despite some depreciation of the currency, especially in the latter part of the year. Tax revenues surged 36% to 5,049 billion rupees in 2025 partly helped by more..

Mar 24 (NW) The govt says liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) supplies will remain sufficient in the coming months, based on scheduled shipments by both state and private suppliers. Minister Nalinda Jayatissa said Litro Gas is expecting a 22,000 metric tonne shipment on March 28, followed by another 22,000 metric tonne shipment in April. Private supplier Laugfs Gas has informed the govt of two shipments—8,000 metric tonnes on March 30 and 31, and 21,000 metric tonnes on Apr 25-27, more..

Mar 24 (AD) Colombo Magistrate’s Court has ordered the release on bail of former Chairman of SriLankan Airlines Nishantha Wickramasinghe, who was arrested by the CIABOC on charges of corruption. Wickramasinghe, who was arrested by the Bribery Commission earlier today, was presented before Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama. According to officials from the Bribery Commission, between 2012 and 2014, while Civil Aviation Minister Piyankara Jayaratne was allocated fuel more..

Mar 24 (FT) Some conversations arrive at exactly the right moment. Last week's workshop on SL's electric bus transition was one of them. Convened by the UK as part of our Green Cities Infrastructure and Energy Program and delivered in close partnership with the Ministry of Transport and the United Nations Development Program, it brought together the full range of voices needed to turn ambition into action: policymakers, bus operators, regulators and development partners. more..

Mar 24 (FT) When we were studying Economics at the Uni of Ceylon, Prof. Buddhadasa Hewavitharana told us When America sneezes, SL catches a cold. Sixty years later on 2 April 2025, American President Trump announced a broad package of import duties across the world. Trump sneezed. SL caught Bronchitis. Now, Trump together with Netanyahu waged war against Iran. America sneezed; SL caught Pneumonia. We have been sneezing, shivering running from one economic doctor more..