Mar 5 (FT) SJB MP S.M. Marikkar in Parliament launched a scathing attack on the Govt, accusing it of presiding over massive financial losses in a controversial coal procurement process, misleading the public on cost-of-living relief, and attempting to deflect attention from alleged wrongdoing. In a hard-hitting speech, Marikkar claimed that a report by PUCSL pointed to a total loss of Rs. 8,497 m from nine coal shipments. more..

Mar 5 (AD) ASP Rohan Olugala has officially assumed duties today as the Director of the Central Anti-Vice Striking Unit in Panadura. In addition to his current position, ASP Olugala will also head the STF–attached unit tasked with seizing illegal narcotics and preventing organized crime across the island. ASP Olugala has previously led numerous local and international police operations aimed at apprehending high-profile criminals and bringing them to justice. more..

Mar 5 (EN) Sri Lanka will set up a committee appointed by the Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation which will decide on maize prices in the country, minister Nalinda Jayatissa said. “Due to various problems that have arisen in the past, it has been decided that a formal methodology should be developed for the import of maize,” Jayatissa told reporters. Cabinet had approved a proposal for the committee to be set up. “It was decided to import maize more..

Mar 5 (DM) Several bodies of Iranian sailors killed in the sinking of the warship IRIS Dena are being kept on ice outside the Karapitiya Hospital mortuary after the facility exceeded its storage capacity, hospital sources said. The bodies, which were brought ashore following the maritime disaster off SL’s southern coast, were transported in trucks to the hospital in Galle. With the mortuary unable to accommodate the large number of remains, authorities temporarily placed more..

Mar 5 (NW) SLC wishes to announce the appointment of former Australian cricketer Jamie Siddons as the Head Coach of the SL National Women’s Team. Siddons has served as the head coach of the Bangladesh National Men’s Team from 2007 to 2011, marking his highest level of int'l coaching experience. A Level 3 qualified coach, Siddons has also served as Head Coach of the South Australia Cricket Team (Redbacks) from 2015 to 2020 and Head Coach of the Wellington more..

Mar 5 (AD) A retired officer of the SL Air Force (SLAF) has filed a Fundamental Rights petition challenging the 90-day detention order on arrested former head of the State Intelligence Service (SIS), Major General (Retired) Suresh Sallay, under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. Minister of Defence, the Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, Secretary to the Ministry of Public Security, IGP, and CID have been named as respondents in the petition, more..

Mar 5 (Island) Lawyers and building conservators have raised a major legal alarm over the planned demolition or radical modification of the historic Dining Hall at S. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia. Experts contend that the project, part of the school’s Phase IV Senior Quadrangle development, violates several statutory provisions designed to protect national heritage. Prominent public interest litigator and environmental law specialist, Dr. Ravindranath Dabare, known for his role more..

Mar 5 (EN) With over 18% already aged 60 and above — and one in four projected to be 60 or older by 2041 — SL population is rapidly ageing. IF harnessed effectively, the elderly population and the related Silver Economy have great potential to contribute to SL's economy. An Institute of Policy Studies blog analyses the challenges and the possibilities for SL to reap demographic dividends by unlocking the potential of the ageing population and the related Silver Economy. more..

Mar 5 (AD) Sports Minister Sunil Kumara Gamage says the government is considering transferring the administration of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) to an interim committee in the future, as part of efforts to address long-standing issues in the country’s cricket administration. Minister stated that Sri Lanka Cricket has faced a continuous decline since winning the 2014 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. more..

Mar 5 (NW) Police Illegal Assets Investigation Division has frozen property worth around Rs. 300 million, believed to have been purchased with money earned from drug trafficking by an organized criminal. The suspect, who was recently brought back to SL from overseas, is alleged to have bought assets under his daughter’s name using proceeds from narcotics trafficking. Following a complaint, the Police’s Illegal Assets Investigation Division launched an investigation. more..

Mar 5 (Island) NPP MP M.K.M. Aslam accused several Opposition members of hypocrisy, alleging that some who now expressed concern over civilian casualties in the Middle East had remained silent when SL Muslims faced violence in the past. Aslam said certain MPs were shedding tears over the suffering of Muslims amid the ongoing escalation of violence in the Middle East, but had failed to speak out when Muslims were attacked in Dharga Town, Beruwala, while they were in govt. more..

Mar 5 (DM) Nearly 35,000 new cancer cases and 19,145 cancer-related deaths are reported annually in SL, placing cancer among the leading causes of mortality in the country, according to data published by the National Cancer Control Programme in 2022. Addressing the 78th AGM of SL Cancer Society (SLCS), President of the SLCS, Anoja Karunaratne, said cancer remains a major public health challenge globally as well as in SL, with a significant impact on individuals, families & national health system. more..

Mar 5 (NW) Minister of Fisheries, Ramalingam Chandrasekar, has requested all fishing communities in the country not to engage in fishing activities beyond SL’s maritime boundary. He pointed out that this decision was taken considering the risky situation prevailing within int'l maritime boundaries. Minister made the statement while speaking in Parliament regarding the Iranian warship that was sunk by a US attack and another Iranian vessel currently positioned within SL’s maritime more..

Mar 5 (Island) The final investigation report on the alleged sexual harassment of a female officer, attached to Parliament, was tabled in the House yesterday, with findings concluding that no such harassment had occurred. Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne informed the MPs that the report was presented during yesterday’s sitting and that a copy had been placed in the Parliamentary Library for reference. more..

Mar 5 (Island) Dept of Wildlife Conservation has failed in its management of electric fences erected to curb human–elephant conflict, and the system cannot be treated as a universal remedy, Environmental Scientist Hemantha Withanage said. Withanage charged that many electric fences installed across the country lack scientific planning, proper technical standards and sustained maintenance. “Electric fences are not a cure-all. You cannot resolve human–elephant conflict more..

Mar 5 (FT) There is not a single person who has ever walked in this earth has been spoken well of by everyone. This includes even the great reformers like Gautama Buddha, Prophets Jesus and Mohammed. Each of them had those who envied them, spoke ill of them or disliked them. The world witnessed both mourning and joyous celebrations throughout Iraq on the execution of the Iraqi Prez Saddam Hussein by hanging on 30 Dec 2006. He was convicted of crimes against humanity more..

Mar 5 (AD) The second Iranian vessel is also not currently within SL’s territorial waters, but is located in the Exclusive Economic Zone close to SL’s maritime boundary, according to Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa. Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa revealed that another Iranian ship was positioned near the Port of Colombo. Responding to this, Minister stated that the govt possesses far more info more..

Mar 5 (EN) Sri Lanka is set to establish a new independent regulatory body to oversee the microfinance and moneylending sector, in a bill presented to parliament this week to amend the Microfinance Act No. 06 of 2016, Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning Anil Jayantha said. “As you know, even though various efforts were made through the Microfinance Act No. 06 of 2016, it still had been unable to regulate the microfinance industry within those existing frameworks,” more..

Mar 5 (AD) SJB MP Nalin Bandara claims that two coal grinding machines (pulverizers) at the Norochcholai Power Plant have become inoperative. Speaking in Parliament today, the MP alleged that as a result of this one unit of the power plant is currently operating at a reduced capacity. He further noted, “There is a serious situation at the Norochcholai Power Plant. Two coal grinding machines have stopped functioning. Because of this, one plant is operating at a lower capacity. more..

Mar 5 (TM) The NBRO announced that air quality has worsened once again across several parts of SL today. The organization cited wind patterns and pollution originating from South Asian countries as key factors contributing to the current conditions. This morning, Chilaw recorded the highest Air Quality Index (AQI) at 167, significantly above the safe threshold of below 50. Other areas experiencing elevated pollution levels include Battaramulla (AQI 160), Galle (AQI 154), more..

Mar 5 (FT) When the United and Israel flex their military muscles against Iran, the world divides itself with practised precision: those who exclaim, About time! – and those who sigh... Not again? The question ricocheting from Washington to Wellawatte is disarmingly simple: Does Iran have a nuclear weapons program? Or is it the ghost of another question that haunted us not so long ago: Did Iraq have weapons of mass destruction? We know how that blockbuster ended: more..

Mar 5 (TM) Sri Lanka’s ambitions for stability, economic progress, and its longstanding diplomatic push to see the Indian Ocean Region remain a Zone of Peace faced an unpleasant shock yesterday morning when an Iranian warship sank off the southern coast. International media reports that a US Navy submarine torpedoed the vessel. The incident brings to Sri Lanka’s doorstep the dynamic war which is being waged by Israel, more..

Feb 5 (DM) As the Israel–Iran conflict enters its fifth day, Sri Lanka is managing growing economic, aviation, diplomatic and security repercussions from the crisis. While geographically distant from the war zone, Sri Lanka’s strong labour, tourism, trade and aviation ties with the Middle East mean developments in the region are producing significant ripple effects, from stock market volatility and flight cancellations to maritime rescue operations in Sri Lankan waters. more..

Feb 5 (DM) Israel–Iran war has entered its fifth day with sustained air strikes, expanding missile exchanges and mounting casualties across the Middle East, as the conflict widens into a regional crisis with global economic consequences. The confrontation began with coordinated US–Israeli strikes on Iranian military, nuclear and leadership targets on Saturday. Tehran responded with waves of ballistic missiles and drones targeting Israel and US military facilities across the Gulf, more..

Mar 5 (TM) A report by the Public Utilities Commission of SL (PUCSL) has revealed that the use of recently imported coal at the Lakvijaya Power Plant in Norochcholai led to reduced electricity generation, increased coal consumption, higher fly ash discharge and elevated noxious gas emissions, while creating operational concerns including potential non-compliance with Environmental Protection Licence (EPL) conditions. more..

Mar 5 (FT) Cabinet Spokesperson and Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa yesterday said Sri Lanka must neither serve as an intermediary for hostile interests nor become a victim of the escalating conflict in the Middle East, stressing that the country’s position is firmly anchored in peace and diplomacy. He underscored that Sri Lanka stands ready to support efforts aimed at ending hostilities, whether through formal diplomatic channels or other appropriate interventions. more..

Feb 5 (NW) At least 109 Sri Lankans are stranded at an airport in Saudi Arabia, while another 22 remain stranded at an airport in Oman amid disruptions linked to the conflict in the Middle East, Minister Vijitha Herath said. He said some of those stranded in Oman may have already returned to SL on an Oman Air flight that arrived early Wednesday. Minister said the govt is working in line with security restrictions imposed by the affected countries and safety measures implemented by airlines. more..

Feb 5 (NW) Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath and Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa visited the Iranian Embassy in Colombo on Wednesday to express condolences following recent developments linked to the ongoing conflict in the region. Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath met with the Iranian Ambassador and conveyed SL’s sympathy to the Iranian people, following the reported death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The minister extended his deepest condolences more..

Mar 5 (DM) SL’s corporate sector faces a patchwork of opportunities and risks as the March 2026 conflict in Iran sends shockwaves through global energy markets, shipping routes and domestic financial flows, according to First Capital Research. Ripple effects are already reshaping the business dynamics, presenting short-term gains for some while testing resilience across the board. Shipping disruptions are creating immediate winners. The rerouted vessels increase traffic through more..

Feb 5 (Island) Judge of the SC Justice Kumudini Wickramasinghe has recently presented a stark analysis of the legal profession’s gender disparity, noting that in spite of women entering the legal field in substantial numbers, their representation dwindles at senior levels. She has highlighted critical statistics and the fact that only two women currently serve in the SC, none in the Court of Appeal, and that there has never more..

Mar 5 (FT) Norway State Secretary/Deputy Foreign Minister Andreas Motzfeldt Kravik signalled a push for a modern, forward-looking partnership with Sri Lanka, emphasising stronger trade, maritime cooperation, and green energy collaboration. In an exclusive interview during his two-day official visit, Kravik said the visit was aimed at setting new priorities and revitalising political engagement after several years without a high-level Norwegian delegation. more..

Mar 5 (Island) At its 2026 Social Sustainability Programme Kick-Off, the UN Global Compact Network Sri Lanka convened business leaders to advance the translation of global ambition into practical corporate action on inclusion, integrity and human rights. On 24 Feb, the UN Global Compact Network Sri Lanka (Network Sri Lanka) convened business leaders at Barefoot Garden Café for its 2026 Social Sustainability Programme Kick-Off, delivered in collaboration with Good Life X. more..