Mar 6 (FT) Govt is also exploring alternative short-term sources for crude oil and refined petroleum products, against the backdrop of escalating unrest in the Middle East, Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said. “Potential procurement options under consideration include suppliers from Africa and the US,” he said at the weekly post-Cabinet meeting media briefing on Tuesday. At present, Sri Lanka sources most of its fuel supplies from India, Singapore, Malaysia & South Korea. more..

Mar 6 (DM) SL’s recent regulatory measures to introduce Domestic Dollar Bonds and widen investor participation represent two coordinated phases of a domestic foreign currency funding strategy aimed at strengthening liquidity and supporting sovereign debt management after the country’s restructuring, according to the Lanka Rating Agency (LRA). The agency said regulatory actions taken in Oct 2025 and Jan 2026 together form a structured mechanism to mobilise foreign currency already more..

Mar 6 (island) Operations at Sri Lanka’s main coal-fired power facility, the Lakvijaya coal power plant, suffered a significant disruption soon after a new shipment of coal was introduced, raising concerns over generation stability and environmental emissions. Energy analyst Dr. Vidura Ralapanawa said that the plant began using coal from Ship 11 on Wednesday, following confirmation from officials of the CEB. more..

Mar 6 (EN) Colombo Stock Exchange closed up on Thursday, with diversified financials leading turnover. ASPI closed up 1.13 percent, or 256.12, at 22,833.53. The S&P SL20 closed up 1.00 percent, or 63.80 points at 6,421.46. The market “has been broadly volatile due to global uncertainty created, so we’re seeing the market movement in a massive decline,” Dimantha Matthew, Chief Research and Strategy Officer at First Capital Holdings said. John Keells Holdings (up 2.37% at Rs.21.60), more..

Mar 6 (FT) A report by Himal Southasian has revealed that Ukraine-compiled data show the number of Sri Lankans killed fighting for Russia in the ongoing Russo-Ukraine war is at least 275 – the highest death toll for any South Asian country. The figure is far higher than that of 59 reported by the SL Govt in Feb 2025. The data comes from Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War (POW), a Govt body responsible for handling POWs & tracking foreign fighters. more..

Mar 6 (FT) Insurance companies have paid Rs. 13,344.9 million in claims related to Cyclone Ditwah, settling about 23% of the estimated insured losses reported so far, according to data released by Insurance Regulatory Commission of SL (IRCSL). As of 3 March, insurers had received 24,630 claims linked to the cyclone, with the estimated insured loss reaching Rs. 57,186.7 million. Motor insurance accounts for the majority of claims reported, with 15,935 cases filed, while non-motor more..

Mar 6 (NW) Authorities on Thursday carried out drug tests on bus drivers and conductors operating from the Bastian Mawatha long-distance bus terminal in Colombo as part of efforts to improve passenger safety and service quality in public transport. The program is being implemented by the Ministry of Transport, Highways and Urban Development in line with the govt’s National Drug Prevention Week campaign. Officials used a mobile testing unit from the National Transport Medical Institute more..

Mar 6 (FT) Govt has embarked on a major 3-year initiative to expand its fuel storage capacity and strengthen petroleum infrastructure, allocating Rs. 46.7 billion between 2025 and 2028 for new oil tanks, pipeline upgrades, and related facilities. Announcing the initiative Minister Nalinda Jayatissa said investment is aimed at improving the country’s energy security and increasing storage capacity to cushion against global supply disruptions. more..

Mar 6 (DN) Chairman of the Insurance Regulatory Commission of SL (IRCSL) Dr. Ajith De Mel said that moves will be taken promptly to streamline the motor insurance sector since it has been identified that a considerable amount of vehicles are running on roads without having a proper insurance policy. He was revealing this at the IRCSL, which has marked a significant milestone, celebrating 25 years of regulating and transforming SL’s insurance industry while outlining an ambitious roadmap more..

Mar 6 (NW) Minister Saroja Savithri Paulraj warned that the misuse of images on social media to harass, blackmail and extort money from women and children is a growing concern. Paulraj said the unauthorized use of photographs and personal images to threaten victims for financial gain has become a global challenge. She said discussions have been held with the Ministry of Digital Economy to strengthen cybersecurity laws and improve measures to address such online abuse. more..

Mar 6 (FT) Janith Madushanka, also known as Podi Lassie, a notorious underworld figure and drug trafficker accused of multiple murders, was brought back to SL from India on Friday. Police said he left the island in 2024 after being released on bail, even though a court had imposed a travel ban on him. He was later taken into custody by Indian authorities in Mumbai on Jan 16, for entering the country illegally. more..

Mar 6 (TM) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake has been investing his political capital in going to the public to explain some of the most politically sensitive and controversial issues. At a time when easier political choices are available, Prez is choosing the harder path of confronting ethnic suspicion and communal fears. There are three issues in particular on which the Prez’s words have generated strong reactions. These are first with regard to Buddhist pilgrims going to the North more..

Mar 6 (AD) PM Dr. Harini Amarasuriya has stated that establishing a National Care policy is essential in achieving a fair society where it values women’s labour and a care economy. PM made these remarks in Parliament on March 5, expressing her views on the proposal submitted by the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus advocating for the development of a National Care Policy. Elaborating further, PM stated: “On this International Women’s Day, I am truly pleased to have more..

Mar 6 (FT) Ericsson has signed an agreement with Dialog Axiata to deploy its 5G Radio Access Network (RAN) across Sri Lanka. Announced at the 2026 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona earlier this week, Ericsson will supply products and solutions from its 5G RAN portfolio, such as Massive MIMO antenna-integrated radio AIR 3219 for the 3.5 GHz band deployment, and high-performing 5G RAN software, such as the Ericsson 5G advanced solution real-time AI powered automation. more..

Mar 6 (FT) Transparency International SL (TISL) expressed serious concern following the passage in Parliament on Wednesday of the Microfinance and Credit Regulatory Authority Bill. The law, which was anticipated to correct serious regulatory failures and protect vulnerable borrowers, falls significantly short of that objective, TISL claimed in a statement. In response to the 2024 Bill Challenge filed by TISL and others, the Supreme Court (SC) determined that all entities conducting more..

Mar 6 (FT) SL’s fiscal position strengthened markedly in 2025, with the Govt recording a primary surplus of Rs. 1,776.3 billion, more than 2.7 times the Rs. 649.6 billion surplus reported in 2024, as stronger revenue collection and restrained expenditure significantly reduced the Budget deficit. Overall Budget deficit narrowed sharply to Rs. 724.4 billion in 2025, a 64.5% year-on-year (YoY) contraction from Rs. 2,039.9 billion in 2024, more..

Mar 6 (TM) The incident where an Iranian warship sank off SL’s southern coast after what the US later acknowledged was a submarine torpedo strike, should force us to confront an uncomfortable truth. The Indian Ocean has never been the peaceful maritime commons that diplomatic language would like to suggest. It has always been a theatre where global powers project influence and compete for control. Sri Lanka has long tried to resist that reality. In 1971, under PM Sirimavo Bandaranaike, more..

Mar 6 (Island) Only about 35 crew members of an Iranian frigate survived a torpedo attack by the US, off Galle, on Wednesday. More than 100 Iranians are believed to be dead. SL Navy and Air Force rescued the survivors and brought ashore about 85 bodies of the victims of the US attack. Sinking of the Iranian naval vessel, IRIS Dena, which was on a non-combat mission, and the brutal act of killing so many naval personnel, thousands of km away from the conflict zone, must be condemned more..

Mar 6 (ST) Last week, on the invitation of the Welfare Benefit Board, I attended a workshop at the SL Foundation Institute and delivered a guest lecture. The topic was unusual and rarely discussed: the current challenges of SL’s welfare state. It struck me that we seldom hear about the challenges of maintaining a welfare state. The very subject felt like a challenge in itself. For decades, we have grown accustomed to enjoying its benefits—almost like a free lunch—hearing only the positive side. more..

Mar 6 (DN) The judgment in Morgan Engineering (Pvt) Ltd. vs. L.H.M.B.B. Herath (SC APPEAL 214/12), delivered by Justice Sripavan, serves as a critical examination of the statutory limitations and the legislative intent behind the State Lands (Recovery of Possession) Act No. 7 of 1979. The central issue before the Supreme Court was whether the Court of Appeal erred in misinterpreting the Act to allow a monthly tenancy to serve as a defence against ejectment from State land. more..

Mar 6 (TM) Sri Lanka Railways (SLR) is currently facing a policy standstill after a Govt decision to train 20 military personnel as locomotive drivers was suspended following severe trade union backlash. On 17 Feb, the Locomotive Operating Engineers’ Union threatened to launch a strike from midnight, protesting the inclusion of Army personnel in a training programme for newly recruited train drivers. more..

Mar 6 (Island) Sexual education is a vital component of holistic education, contributing to physical health, emotional well-being, gender equality, and social responsibility. Despite its importance, sexual education remains a sensitive and often controversial subject in many societies, particularly in culturally conservative contexts. In SL, discussions around sexuality are frequently avoided in formal and informal settings, leaving young people to rely on peers, social media, or more..

Mar 6 (CT) Will the arrest of SL’s former intelligence chief Major General Suresh Salley in the last week of the month, in connection with the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks that killed nearly 270 people, bring to a closure of cases pending for the last seven years? I am not too sure because Gen Salley’s arrest is under the PTA, with investigators claiming there is adequate evidence linking him to the bombings. When I look at the loose ends left in the Easter Sunday attack cases for last 7 years, more..

Mar 6 (SO) The horrific Easter Sunday attacks of 2019, which brutally claimed the lives of 300 innocent civilians including foreigners and left 500 more injured, remain etched as one of the darkest and most devastating chapters in Sri Lanka’s history. The sheer cruelty of that day shook the nation to its core, leaving deep scars on the hearts of its people and sending shockwaves across the global community. more..

Mar 6 (DM) Last Saturday, the US and Israel without the sanction of the UNSC imposed an unlawful war on Iran — the only Middle Eastern nation that stands up to Western and Israeli hegemonic designs. This was not because of a breakdown in the treacherous Trump administration’s talks with Iran, but rather because of a breakthrough. Iran had agreed to a total freeze of its nuclear programme and even consented to include a never ever clause regarding weaponisation. more..

Mar 6 (DM) The arrest of former intelligence chief Suresh Sallay, has sparked intense debate and concern across the country. While any allegation of wrongdoing must be examined carefully and impartially, the circumstances surrounding the action against Sallay raise serious questions about whether the process is being driven by credible evidence or by political motivations. If the latter is the case, it risks turning a serious legal process into an act of victimisation. more..

Mar 5 (NW) CID has informed the Colombo Magistrate’s Court that retired Major General Suresh Sallay, who is being detained and questioned under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), has been named as the third suspect in the investigation related to the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks. The CID told Colombo Magistrate Isuru Neththikumara today that Sallay was arrested on 25 Feb 2026 in connection with the incident, and that he is currently being detained and questioned for 90 days more..

Mar 5 (NW) Iran has informed SL that it wishes to repatriate the bodies of its sailors who died when an Iranian naval vessel sank following a torpedo attack by a U.S. submarine in the Indian Ocean near SL. Deputy Minister Hansaka Wijemuni said nearly 90 bodies recovered from the incident have been brought to the Karapitiya National Hospital in Galle. He said the Iranian govt has officially notified SL authorities that the remains should be returned to Iran, and arrangements for the repatriation more..

Mar 5 (DM) Power behind the throne is a phrase that is generally used to refer to someone who doesn’t hold an official leadership position, but is actually the one who effectively wields control. The phrase is generally used in the context of politics and/or governance to describe someone who is influentially on par with the official leader in practice and has a great deal of control in decision making. Different countries at different times have more..

Mar 5 (AD) A female attorney, convicted of preparing forged deeds, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison by the Colombo High Court today (05). The order was issued by Colombo High Court Judge Lanka Jayaratne following a lengthy trial. However, the ruling stated that the sentence is to be served within six years. The Attorney General had filed indictments against the accused lawyer on two charges, including preparing forged deeds for more..

Mar 5 (AD) The Cabinet of Ministers has granted approval to publish in the Govt Gazette the draft bill seeking to repeal the Chief of Defence Staff Act No. 35 of 2009. The initial decision to prepare the draft bill in question had received approval at the Cabinet Meeting held on Feb 24, 2025. Accordingly, the Chief of Defence Staff (Repeal) Draft Bill, which has been prepared in three languages by the Legal Draftsman, has received Attorney General’s clearance. more..