Mar 1 (EN) SL’s construction sector activity spiked in Jan 2026, registering a value of 75.0, up from the previous month’s 67.1, on a Purchasing Managers Index compiled by the central bank. This was the index’ second-highest reading on record after the peak of 75.7 in July 2020, CBSL said. Firms reported increased project activity during the month, driven by the commencement of new projects in the new year, the central bank said. SL has also commenced reconstruction work after more..

Mar 1 (AD) Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (Ceypetco) has announced a revision of fuel prices effective from midnight today (28). Accordingly, the price of Auto Diesel has been increased by Rs. 4 to Rs. 281 per litre, and the price of Super Diesel has been increased by Rs. 6 to Rs. 329 per litre. Meanwhile, the price of Petrol 92 Octane has also been increased by Rs. 1 to Rs. 293 per litre. However, there will be no change in the prices of Kerosene and Petrol 95 Octane, the CPC said. more..

Mar 1 (TM) The Govt has activated emergency response mechanisms and suspended outbound flights to the Middle East following a sharp escalation of military hostilities in the region, as nearly one million Sri Lankans living and working there face growing uncertainty. The Govt’s emergency measures follow a major escalation in regional conflict after the US and Israel launched coordinated strikes on Iran in an operation named Operation Epic Fury yesterday. more..

Mar 1 (DM) Department of Immigration and Emigration has announced a special concession for foreign nationals stranded in Sri Lanka following the cancellation of Middle East–bound flights effective from February 28, 2026. The Controller General of Immigration and Emigration stated that passengers who are unable to depart the country within the validity period of their visas due to the flight suspensions may face legal and administrative difficulties. To mitigate these challenges, more..

Mar 1 (SO) Nemindu Akmeemana hit a solid century and Osanda Pamuditha hammered a fighting half century as Nalanda College made a strong reply on the second day of their 96th Battle of the Maroons Inter-School Big Match against traditional rivals Ananda College, which continued at the SSC Grounds in Maitland Place yesterday. The pair came together at a vital stage of the innings when the Nalandians were in a spot of bother and were under some kind of pressure after having lost 3 wickets for 62 runs more..

Mar 1 (ST) With Head Coach Sanath Jayasuriya expected to step down from his position, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has begun discussions with several foreign candidates to fill the impending vacancy. SLC confirmed that formal negotiations are currently underway and that an official announcement will be made once the process is completed. “We have been negotiating with a few foreign coaches,” confirmed SLC CEO Ashley de Silva. “We cannot reveal their identities at this stage, but more..

Mar 1 (TM) SL Customs has moved to temper expectations of a quick turnaround in the operationalisation of the proposed Customs examination yard in Kerawalapitiya, pointing to the need to develop the land and surrounding infrastructure. SL Customs Director Chandana Punchihewa stated that there were serious doubts as to whether the proposed examination yard in Kerawalapitiya could be operationalised as quickly as reported. He opined that the commencement of operations at the Kerawalapitiya more..

Mar 1 (CI) As SL were tanking their must-win Super Eights match of the men's T20 World Cup 2026 at Khettarama, fans in a packed Khettarama stadium began ironically chanting for New Zealand. Irony tends to come naturally to SL fans, like sarcasm, and self-deprecation, as well as supporting other teams now, because for 12 years no senior national side from Sri Lanka has made a global tournament final, and if you like watching cricket you have no choice but to find another outlet for your hopes. more..

Mar 1 (Island) Those of us who have earned our bread and butter from this grand old game have a duty to guard its gates. Cricket has been our benefactor; we cannot now let the grass grow under our feet and drift into mediocrity. Wednesday night’s painful exit from the T20 World Cup left 35,000 fans at the ground shell-shocked, while millions more switched off their televisions hoping it was all a bad dream. SL are better than this. When Pramodya Wickramasinghe and Dasun Shanaka were brought back to spearhead more..

Mar 1 (ST) SL cricket is in disarray. We are facing a serious decline in the sport that we all love, and the slide appears to be continuing. I say this with responsibility and concern, certainly not with anger. I have seen SL cricket at its strongest and at its most vulnerable, and what worries me most today is the gradual disappearance of standards and cricketing identity. The recent defeats to Zimbabwe, England and NZ show that we did not lose because they were better opponents, but more..

Mar 1 (CI) Sahibzada Farhan's record-breaking hundred and Fakhar Zaman's blazing 84 off 42 balls gave Pakistan a five-run win over Sri Lanka in Pallekele but it wasn't enough to put them in the T20 World Cup semi-finals. It was New Zealand who became the second team from Group 2 to qualify for the knockouts. After being sent in, Pakistan needed to win by about 65 runs to qualify, and for a large part of their innings, they were in business. Having made three changes more..

Mar 1 (Island) Excerpts from the speech of the Chairman of the Communist Party of SL, D.E.W. Gunasekera, at the 23rd Convention of the Party. This is not merely a routine gathering. Our annual congress has always been a decisive moment in SL’s political history. For 83 years, since the formation of our Party in 1943, we have held 22 conventions. Each one reflected the political turning points of our time. Today, as we assemble for the 23rd Congress, we do so at another historic crossroads more..

Mar 1 (Island) Janith Madushanka de Silva alias Podi Lassi, a dangerous underworld character, who was arrested in India, was brought back to SL yesterday. On watching his arrival at the BIA, Citizen Perera must have uttered the same words as Mr. Bumble in Oliver Twist: The law is an ass. Criminals are caught, released and caught again. Arresting an underworld figure is no walk in the park. It takes months of meticulous planning to nab powerful criminals protected by private armies. more..

Mar 1 (FT) Contents of this article are excerpts from an address delivered by the undersigned on 31 Jan 2026 at the SL Student Association of Japan at the Embassy of SL under the auspices of the Conference Chair, Sr. Prof. N.S. Cooray of Int'l University of Japan and graced by the Chief Guest, Ambassador of SL to Japan, Prof. Janak Kumarasinghe as well as other distinguished speakers. “Sustainable Development is the development that meets the needs of the present without compromising more..

Mar 1 (SO) Why are Perodua and Proton the preferred cars in Malaysia? It is a rich country and here are the comparisons. Malaysia’s GDP per capita is US $ 12,000 in contrast to ours which stands at US $ 4,500. But yet, 60% of cars used in that country are made locally. In a rich country, why don’t people prefer imported cars? Costs, and protectionism are two of the key factors, and that’s for starters. Consumers have to pay far less for a car made in Malaysia, sometimes less than half of more..

Mar 1 (ST) Following SL’s disastrous exit from the Super Eight round of the World T20, social media has exploded with criticism and mockery of the country’s cricket team. The humiliating exit hurts all the more given that SL is co-hosting the tournament with India, and had they qualified for the semi-final, they would have had the added advantage of playing that game on home soil as well. However, after two horrendous defeats against England and NZ, SL was left with playing more..

Mar 1 (ST) My dear Dasun and the cricket team, I am writing to you when cricket fans are shocked with your performance at the T20 World Cup. In a tournament where all our games are being played on home soil, we have been booted out already. What has happened to the game 30 years after we won a World Cup is the talk of the town. I am not at all surprised. The way in which the game was being run in the country, it would be a miracle if we made it to the semi-finals. We lost three T20 games in a row to more..

Mar 1 (ST) War was what everyone expected during the charade of diplomatic negotiations between the US and Iran on the latter’s nuclear programme. When was the only question, and it came yesterday while the diplomats were still at the table. Dogged at home by the Epstein files; a Supreme Court decision against his global tariffs war; besieged by fellow citizens opposing his immigration policies; and dipping in the opinion polls, the US President has taken up the common strategy adopted by more..

Mar 1 (TM) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD) and his JVP-led NPP Govt are continuing their rollercoaster ride of governing the country, with the Opposition parties also gradually gathering steam in their attacks against the Govt. While Prez AKD will mark one-and-a-half years in office this month, there has been an increase in Opposition attacks on the Govt, especially in holding those in high offices accountable to the pledges made to the people. more..

Mar 1 (TM) In moments of national tragedy, language matters. Words like rebuilding, solidarity, and national effort carry emotional weight. They appeal to collective memory, shared suffering, and the instinct to help. Yet in SL’s long and painful history of disasters, both natural and man-made alike, such language has too often been weaponised to obscure uncomfortable truths. Given this backdrop, the controversy surrounding the so-called Rebuilding Sri Lanka initiative, more..

Mar 1 (SO) Just when the world thought that South Asia had become relatively stable, war has flared up between former allies Pakistan and Afghanistan. For several months, the two countries have traded allegations of cross-border terrorism and witnessed tit-for-tat clashes. Islamabad’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has said the two neighbours, who share a long, porous border were waging open war, while the Afghan Government called for dialogue to resolve the conflict. more..

Feb 28 (Island) SJB Leader Sajith Premadasa raised serious concerns over the Govt’s importation of substandard coal, warning that its use has resulted in inefficient electricity generation, increased equipment damage and significant financial losses to the State and consumers. He said the SJB had exposed details regarding the importation of inferior-quality coal, prompting what he described as an admission by Govt more..

Feb 28 (AD) CID has obtained a 90-day detention order to question former state intelligence chief Major General (Retd) Suresh Sallay, the police said. Former Head of the State Intelligence Service (SIS) Major General (Retired) Suresh Sallay was arrested on Wednesday by CID officers in connection with the investigations into the Easter Sunday terror attacks. Police said he was arrested under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) based on evidence related to the 2019 Easter Attacks Bombings. more..

Feb 28 (AD) The Gampaha High Court has formally served indictments on a group of defendants, including former Minister Mervyn Silva and former state minister Prasanna Ranaweera, in connection with an alleged land fraud case. The case relates to the alleged illegal sale of state-owned property through the use of forged deeds. The two former parliamentarians, who had previously been released on High Court bail, appeared before the court today to be served the indictments. more..

Feb 28 (DM) SL exporters could soon experience a measure of relief following a recent US Supreme Court ruling that struck down the reciprocal tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Although the US administration swiftly invoked Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, to maintain the elevated duties, the transition is expected to lower SL’s overall effective tariff rate in the US market from more..

Feb 28 (FT) Second Round of Bilateral Political Consultations between SL and Finland was held on 25 Feb in Helsinki, marking an important step in further strengthening the longstanding and cordial relations between the two countries and reflecting the enduring friendship that has characterised bilateral ties since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1954. A key highlight of the consultations was the signing of a MoU on the Establishment of a Political Consultation Mechanism more..

Feb 28 (CT) SL faces a mounting public health challenge as rabies continues to claim lives, with health authorities calling on the public to act without hesitation following any animal exposure. Dr. Athula Liyanapathirana from the Ministry of Health’s Epidemiology Unit issued a stark warning, saying the disease leaves absolutely no margin for delay once a person has been exposed. He made clear that once a patient begins showing clinical symptoms, survival becomes impossible. more..

Feb 28 (AD) A three-month memorial almsgiving ceremony was held today (27) at Pamunupura, Batamulla, in remembrance of those who lost their lives due to the landslide that affected over five kilometres in Nelummala village, Minipe Divisional Secretariat Division in the Kandy District. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake also participated in the event. The landslide, triggered by Cyclone Ditwah, claimed the lives of 31 individuals from 13 families in Nelummala village. more..

Feb 28 (CT) Customs officers on Friday launched a trade union action over promotions and salary increments that have remained pending for six years. However, the work-to-rule campaign was later suspended following intervention from the President’s Office. Officers reported for duty wearing black armbands and vacated office premises from 12 noon onwards. By 12.30 pm, Customs offices were completely deserted, with no staff remaining on duty. Trade union representatives held a meeting more..

Feb 28 (FT) PM Dr. Harini Amarasuriya this week reaffirmed SL’s commitment to deepening ties with India, stating that as the country moves towards sustainable growth, it welcomes investors and tourists who contribute to strengthening economic and cultural relations. She made the remarks while addressing a special celebration and dinner reception organised by the SL India Society to mark 77th Republic Day more..

Feb 28 (Island) JVP-NPP govt is practising the very antithesis of what it promised workers during its election campaigns. Pledging to look after workers’ interests, the JVP/NPP leaders said there would be no need for labour struggles under an NPP govt. But they are now emulating their predecessors who mismanaged labour issues and suppressed trade unions. The govt has locked horns with the GMOA. They are engaged in a contest of attrition, which is not likely to end any time soon, more..

Feb 28 (FT) SL marked a milestone in its tourism and digital economy journey on Thursday with the ceremonial issuance of its first Digital Nomad Visa (DNV), officially welcoming Ukrainian national Darya Gordiyenko and her spouse Yaroslav Kovalchuk to the island. The event, organised by the SL Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB), was held at the Silk Route Arrival Lounge at the BIA. Officials described the issuance of the first visa as more than the launch of a new entry category, more..