Mar 6 (TM) Deputy Minister Anton Jayakody said the Govt is considering de-designating areas within gazetted forest reserves in the N&E Provinces where hospitals, schools and other public institutions are located, in a move aimed at resolving long-standing land disputes. He said the move would not affect overall forest density, as new forest areas are being gazetted under govt’s Wanaspathi programme. more..

Mar 6 (NW) Minister Ramaligam Chandrasekar has ordered an immediate investigation into the boat accident reported in Jaffna, directing the SL Navy and all relevant agencies to determine the causes of the tragedy. Minister extended condolences to the families of the victims and assured them that the govt will provide relief and support. He also requested a comprehensive report on whether the vessel was seaworthy, if passenger limits were exceeded, and whether maritime safety more..

Mar 6 (DM) A recent survey has revealed that the retirement of police officers due to the burden of work has been increasing and that it affected the police service. DIG Renuka Jayasundara said the retirement of officers at the age of 55 has increased and that it created a shortage of officers. Addressing the District Coordinating Committee, the DIG pointed out that several officers have been recommended for light duty on medical grounds and that they should be subject to further medical examinations. more..

Mar 6 (AD) Colombo High Court has ordered the case filed against former Minister Johnston Fernando and two others, over deploying of Sathosa employees for political activities, be called again for further examination of evidence on March 18, 2026. The case was taken up today before Colombo High Court Judge Mohamed Mihal, Ada Derana reported. Former Minister Johnston Fernando and former Operational Director of Sathosa, Mohamed Shakir, who are currently in remand custody more..

Mar 6 (NW) SL Police have instructed all police stations to monitor businesses involved in the import, sale and repair of drones and their spare parts amid concerns over potential threats to national security. Police Headquarters said the move comes amid concerns that drones or unmanned aerial vehicles could be used to gather sensitive information related to national security or to carry out possible terrorist attacks. olice noted that the import, trade and operation of drones in SL more..

Mar 6 (TM) Minister of Justice Harshana Nanayakkara, announced that the appointment of Justices of the Peace (JPs) will no longer be based on political considerations. He explained that a new mechanism has been established to handle complaints regarding JPs, and a system is being developed to compile data on all JPs across the country. This database will enable verification of an individual’s status as a Justice of the Peace more..

Mar 6 (NW) U.S. Embassy in Colombo has clarified that a recent social media post regarding U.S. citizens in SL was not a travel alert or advisory, after several media outlets reported it as such. The embassy said the post was a routine message intended to remind U.S. citizen travelers in SL that the government had issued visa extensions and to provide information on how the embassy could assist Americans facing issues such as visa expirations or flight cancellations. more..

Mar 6 (DM) Global shipping costs have started to rise following the Israel-US conflict in Iran as the Strait of Hormuz being closed by the Iranian authorities for passing ships containing all sorts of trade to Asia. Sri Lanka’s import and export sector will also bear the brunt of rising shipping costs as insurance for ships increase and route changes incur more delays, an official from the Essential Food Commodities Importers and Traders Association said. more..

Mar 6 (Island) Public Utilities Commission of SL (PUCSL) has warned of a possible risk of power cuts due to the use of inferior quality coal affecting generation capacity at the Lakvijaya Power Plant, according to a recent commission report. PUCSL said the risk to the continuous electricity supply was assessed based on the peak demand forecast submitted by the CEB for 2026. Analysis assumed that hydropower plants more..

Mar 6 (Island) Library facilities at Uni of Peradeniya have been suspended, with main libraries across seven faculties remaining closed, disrupting academic activities of students. Libraries in the Faculties of Medicine, Science, Agriculture, and several other faculties are among those affected by the closure, leaving students preparing for examinations in a state of distress. Many students have reportedly been forced to continue their academic work outdoors, including under more..

Mar 6 (DM) The Sri Lankan Meteorology Department has issued an official advisory warning of a significant rise in the heat index today (6), particularly affecting Sabaragamuwa Province and several nearby districts. The advisory includes a colour-coded map and table outlining potential health risks, ranging from fatigue and dehydration to more severe conditions such as heat stroke. Officials are urging residents to take precautions to prevent heat-related illnesses. more..

Mar 6 (NW) SL’s official reserve assets have surpassed the USD 7 billion mark for the first time since Aug 2020. At the end of Feb 2026, reserves stood at USD 7,284 million, reflecting a 6.6% increase compared to USD 6,832 million in January. Bulk of the reserves came from foreign exchange holdings, which rose from USD 6,687 million to USD 7,057 million during the month. CB’s gold reserves also recorded a sharp rise, climbing 83.4% from US$ 109m in Jan to US$ 200m in Feb. more..

Mar 6 (DM) CIABOC has filed indictments before the Colombo High Court against former Deputy Procurement Manager of Lanka Fertilizer Company Limited and present Minister of Power, Kumara Jayakody, over an alleged act of corruption. The indictments state that while serving as the Deputy Procurement Manager of the company in 2016, the accused had allegedly caused an unlawful profit and benefit to a private company through a carpet contract relating to the warehouse premises more..

Mar 6 (ST) As illegal development activity on Mandaitivu linked to the Jaffna International Cricket Stadium of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) was halted by the country’s environmental watchdog, a powerful call went out from conservationists to cancel the project forthwith, as it was the worst site, with a disastrous fallout economically, environmentally and on the livelihoods of people living there. “Find an alternative area more..

Mar 6 (EN) SL has officially set March 9, 2026, as the date for the full implementation of the SL Electricity Act, No. 36 of 2024, paving the way for the structural unbundling of the state-run CEB. In an Extraordinary Gazette issued on Thursday, Minister of Energy Punya Sri Kumara Jayakodi announced that the provisions of the new act will come into operation next Monday (9). The move follows the completion of several key milestones required for the power sector transition, including more..

Mar 6 (NW) Presidential Task Force for Rebuilding Sri Lanka convened yesterday (at the Presidential Secretariat under the patronage of PM Harini Amarasuriya, during which extensive discussions were held on nationwide recovery and reconstruction efforts following Cyclone Ditwah. Task Force, established to coordinate relief, rehabilitation, and long-term development, reviewed the progress of the Rebuilding Sri Lanka initiative and foreign assistance received for the dedicated fund. more..

Mar 6 (RT) Sri Lanka sees potential BRICS membership as strategically appealing, PM Harini Amarasuriya has told RT India in an exclusive interview. The island nation, which is recovering from an economic and humanitarian crisis that plunged the nation into chaos in 2022, sees the bloc as a platform to spur its economic growth, Amarasuriya said. “We are a small country. If we want to meet the targets we have set for ourselves in terms more..

Mar 6 (EN) Sri Lanka’s debt is on a sustainable trajectory, the finance ministry secretary told an investor call regarding several series of international bonds issued by the govt. “The completion of the debt restructuring has placed Sri Lanka’s debt on a sustainable trajectory, below the targets set by the IMF DSA,” Harshana Suriyapperuma was quoted as saying in the presentation. Sri Lanka scheduled the investor call to present the Debt Report and relevant fiscal and other developments. more..

Mar 6 (NW) A mobile cold storage unit valued at Rs. 2.2 million has been donated by the Galle business community to the National Hospital in Galle to assist in storing the bodies of victims recovered from the Iranian vessel incident off SL. The donation was made after authorities faced difficulties storing the large number of bodies recovered following the maritime tragedy, as the hospital’s existing mortuary capacity was insufficient. Iranian authorities are expected to repatriate the bodies to Iran. more..

Mar 6 (FT) Assessing the rights and wrongs of war or making prognostications on the outcome may entertain. But an analysis of SL’s strengths and position in the world will make it evident that SL cannot influence or shape the events unleashed by Netanyahu-Trump. We can only try to understand them, develop scenarios, and work to minimise the negative impacts on our citizens. The last time Sri Lanka had to evacuate citizens from a conflict zone, we had to rely on the kindness of India. more..

Mar 6 (FT) On 22 July 2025, the SL Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) gave an undertaking before the Supreme Court of SL to recruit and operationalise a Special Enforcement Unit within three months to act against unregistered, unlicenced tour guides and operators. The commitment was clear: existing law would be enforced. SLTDA Chairman Buddhika Hewawasam, thereafter reiterated in an article published in the Daily Mirror on 19 Oct 2025 that SLTDA more..

Mar 6 (AD) President Anura Kumara Dissanayake today announced the stance of the Govt of SL pertaining to the ongoing Middle East conflict. President said Sri Lanka will remain neutral during the conflict between the US and Iran in the Middle Eastern region. The Prez, however noted, the govt will continue to fulfill its international obligations and take necessary steps on humanitarian grounds. He said that the commitment of all parties more..

Mar 6 (DM) Israel–Iran conflict has now directly reached Sri Lanka’s maritime region, forcing the country to deal with complex diplomatic, humanitarian and security challenges as fighting in the Middle East spills into the Indian Ocean. On the sixth day of the crisis, Sri Lanka is simultaneously managing the aftermath of the sinking of an Iranian warship within its Exclusive Economic Zone, responding to the presence of another Iranian naval vessel near its waters, more..

Mar 6 (DM) US-Israeli war against Iran entered its sixth day with fighting spreading across multiple fronts in the Middle East and beyond, as Tehran continued launching missile and drone attacks while Washington and its allies expanded military operations. Inside Iran, the humanitarian toll continued to climb while political uncertainty deepened following the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iranian state media said the death toll from the conflict had risen to 1,230 more..

Mar 6 (Island) Sri Lanka’s parliament became a secondary battleground yesterday as the sinking of the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena ignited a fierce debate over national sovereignty, regional maritime priciples, and the govt’s perceived strategic paralysis. While the Navy’s rescue of 32 sailors was initially painted in shades of heroism, Opposition MPs have now unfurled a narrative of missed warnings and geopolitical betrayal. more..

Mar 6 (TM) Freezer facilities at the Karapitiya Teaching Hospital in Galle are insufficient to store the bodies of Iranian sailors recovered after a naval vessel sank in waters south of SL, Chief Govt Whip Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa told Parliament. He confirmed that 87 bodies recovered by SL Navy personnel have been brought ashore and placed at the hospital, creating an urgent need for additional cold storage facilities. Jayatissa said the Govt does not possess large-capacity freezer units more..

Mar 6 (FT) Central Depository Systems Ltd, (CDS), a subsidiary of the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE), has reached a milestone as total registered accounts surpassed the 1 million mark. This achievement coincides with the approach of the organisation’s 35th anniversary in September, marking three and a half decades of providing depository infrastructure for the SL capital market. Since its inception in 1991, CDS has held the distinction of being the first depository in the South Asian region. more..

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..