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..

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..