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Home » NewsTea and sympathy: From Lanka to Iran
Of the many features that define the bond between Iran and Sri Lanka, tea holds a special place. Sanction-hit Iran remains a top market for Sri Lankan tea through an oil-for-tea deal. Sri Lankan Navy sailors are seen here offering tea to Iranian sailors rescued from a distressed ship in Sri Lanka’s Exclusive Economic Zone [...]
World oil prices soar; CPC readies emergency plans
Enough fuel stocks until August; plans to buy more from India; price hikes likely if war drags on By Damith Wickremasekara and Kapila Bandara With world oil prices soaring, the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) has drawn up emergency plans to ensure energy security. The plans include purchasing larger supplies from India, a senior CPC official said. [...]
Emergency coal purchase closing date extended; ‘genuine bidders’ stay out
By Namini Wijedasa
Lanka Coal Company (Pvt) Ltd (LCC) has extended its bid closing date for the emergency procurement of 300,000MT of coal, as an emergency hasn’t yet arisen, authoritative sources told the Sunday Times. The tender was floated on February 25, 2026, with a closing date of March 6. This has now been extended [...]
Iranian warship suffers engine trouble, anchored off Colombo port
The Iranian vessel IRIS Bushehr—now in the custody of the Sri Lankan government—remained yesterday at the outer anchorage of the Colombo port, with unresolved engine trouble reportedly preventing it from sailing to the Trincomalee harbour. On Thursday, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake announced that the government has formally taken charge of IRIS Bushehr and its crew [...]
Judge named to hear Energy Minister’s corruption case
By Ranjith Padmasiri
Colombo High Court Judge Rashantha Godawela has been assigned to hear the corruption case against Energy Minister Punya Sri Kumara Jayakody. The case, the first against a ruling JVP-NPP minister, is due to come up for hearing next week. The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) this week indicted [...]
Rescued Iranians to get 30-day visas
The 230 Iranian Navy personnel rescued by the Sri Lanka Navy from two distressed ships in Sri Lanka’s Exclusive Economic Zone will be issued 30-day visas, a Public Security Ministry official said. The group includes 32 Iranian Navy personnel rescued after their ship–IRIS Dena–was sunk by a US submarine and 208 on board the second [...]
Treasury denies Bribery Commission officials pay hikes
By Ranjith Padmasiri
The Treasury has left out a salary increase for the three Commissioners and the Director General of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC), despite the Parliament’s Committee on Public Finance recommending salary hikes for the last two years. With Parliament set to debate a resolution over cadre and [...]
Cancer Society Galle branch gives a helping hand to Iranian sailors
By Dilushi Wijesinghe
Essential supplies including clothing, food and other necessities were quickly provided to Iranian sailors at the Karapitiya Teaching Hospital who were rescued by the Sri Lanka Navy and the Sri Lanka Air Force. Karapitiya Hospital Director Dr. S.D.U.M. Ranga, told the Sunday Times that the community offered clothes, shoes, meals and dry [...]
Karapitiya hospital grapples with bodies
An unexpected influx of bodies following the sinking of Iranian frigate IRIS Dena posed a few challenges for the Karapitiya Teaching Hospital this week. “With the influx of bodies, our immediate concern was preventing decomposition until proper storage facilities arrived,” said Karapitiya Hospital Director Dr S.D.U.M. Ranga. “As a temporary measure, we had to place [...]
Overseas mail services rerouted from this week
By Ishu Bandara
International postal services are taking alternative measures to ensure mail delivery to the United States and European countries by shifting transit routes away from West Asia due to the ongoing regional conflict. West Asia has traditionally been an important transit hub for Sri Lanka’s mail, but airlines are now identifying new routes [...]
Conflict triggers flight cancellations and schedule shifts
By Dilushi Wijesinghe
Several flights between Sri Lanka and key West Asian destinations have been disrupted as airlines adjusted schedules following airspace closures linked to the ongoing conflict in the region. SriLankan Airlines confirmed that a number of services to and from some of these destinations were affected, with cancellations and schedule changes implemented as [...]
The country has adequate essential commodities: Importers and traders association
By Nidarshani Wickramasinghe
The prices of essential commodities may increase if the conflict in West Asia continues, despite adequate stocks being available, Food Commodities Importers and Traders Association said. The association’s secretary P. Subramaniam said the country currently has sufficient stocks of essential commodities. He said even if Sri Lanka is unable to import essential [...]
Lankans in UAE adapt to sirens and falling debris
By Dilushi Wijesinghe
As Iranian missiles and drones targeted military and infrastructure facilities in the United Arab Emirates, fear-stricken Sri Lankans shared their horrifying experiences with the Sunday Times. They recounted their stories hours before Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian apologised to neighbouring states, saying Tehran would not attack them “unless attacked first”. UAE-based Sri Lankan [...]
War spills over to jobs in Gulf states
By Sajeniya Sathanandan
The Association of Licensed Foreign Employment Agencies (ALFEA) firmly believes that instability in West Asia will cause job losses, but the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) is optimistic and says there will be no loss of jobs although departures of workers are being delayed. ALFEA Secretary M F M Arshad [...]
Global shipping line unloads at Sri Lanka ports, concerns of congestion
The global shipping line MSC will unload 6,500 containers meant for West Asia at the Hambantota Port, as there is currently no clearance for passage to the Gulf, shipping sources said. Meanwhile, pressure is likely to grow on Sri Lanka’s existing stocks of bunker fuel for ships, as demand for global supplies skyrockets. “There is [...]
Sri Lanka Air Force 75th anniversary show not to be missed
Today will be the final day to witness the special air show and exhibition at the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) Base Ratmalana held in celebration of its 75th anniversary. Offering the public a rare opportunity to witness aerial displays and learn about the country’s aviation capabilities, the programme includes a special aerial display by [...]
Laugfs-Litro rivalry adding fuel to gas scarcity
By Sajeniya Sathanandan
The cooking gas scarcity continues into its third week, largely affecting households and small-scale businesses despite government assurances of an uninterrupted supply. Long queues were seen across the country, with some outlets closing their shutters. Litro Gas dealers said they are receiving fewer supplies than their order, while Laugfs Gas PLC noted [...]
Mayday, mayday: How US-Iran conflict unfolded in Sri Lanka’s economic zone
By Tharushi Weerasinghe
The sinking of the IRIS Dena by a US submarine just 19 nautical miles from Sri Lanka’s shore in its Exclusive Economic Zone has forced Colombo to navigate one of the most complex diplomatic and legal crises in its recent history, with pressure mounting from Washington not to repatriate Iranian survivors and [...]
Kachchativu: A memorable feast despite logistical challenges and surge in pilgrims
By S Rubatheesan
After years of dreaming, Roshani Fernando finally reached the St Anthony’s feast on the Kachchativu islet last week, describing the journey as her prayers finally being answered. But her journey was not without challenges. She travelled hundreds of kilometres from her southern residence to the northern tip and waited for more than [...]
Minister calls for immediate probe into fatal Jaffna boat capsizing
Fisheries Minister Ramaligam Chandrasekar, has called for an immediate investigation into the boat accident reported in Jaffna on Friday, where two devotees were killed when their boat capsized in the Jaffna sea. At least twelve persons were rescued, and two others were admitted to the Jaffna Teaching Hospital after being rescued by the Navy and [...]
India’s deafening silence in the face of “zone of peace” being blown to bits
By Nirupama Subramanian in New Delhi
When Prime Minister Narendra Modi jetted off to Tel Aviv for an official visit from February 25 to 26 at the invitation of his “friend” and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he and his foreign policy advisers might not have expected that the US-Israeli war on Iran, launched two [...]
Close eye on possible pollution from sunken Iranian warship
By Kasun Warakapitiya
Police in Hikkaduwa and Meetiyagoda yesterday recovered fuel barrels and other items suspected to be from the Iranian war ship sunk off the south coast. A senior official from the Meetiyagoda police said that one barrel that was found in their coastal area was handed over to the navy, while another barrel [...]
Enter third independent accredited lab to test coal samples from the Trident Chemphar shipments
By Namini Wijedasa
Energy officials this week received a strong directive from an all-party Parliamentary committee to commission “without further delay” a third independent accredited lab to test coal samples from the Trident Chemphar shipments. On Tuesday, the Lakvijaya coal power plant (LVP) switched completely to South African coal imported via India’s Trident Chemphar. This [...]
Only we know the hazards we face from ash emissions, say residents
Text and pix by Hiran Priynkara Jayasinghe The day to day lives of those living in Puttalam district are affected as more ash particles have been emitting from the Norochcholai Lakvijaya power plant in the past few days. They complained that the situation has been aggravated with the reported use of sub-slandered coal to generate [...]
Topics from the tropics at conference on skin health
The burden of skin diseases is increasing at an alarming rate in tropical regions where nearly 40% of the world’s population lives. It is in this important context that the Second International Conference on Tropical Dermatology – ICTD 2026 on ‘Topics from Tropics’ – will be held in Sri Lanka from March 11-14. “Tropical dermatological [...]
SC judge petitions Karnataka court for removal of ‘defamatory’ Google links
Supreme Court Justice A H M D Nawaz has petitioned the High Court of Karnataka in Bengaluru, India, asking it to direct Google India to remove links to what he claims are defamatory articles published in 2015 and 2020 by Lankan websites Colombo Telegraph and Lanka eNews. Indian media reported on Thursday that the court [...]
Fraud Bureau awaits AG’s advice on naming Minister Samarasinghe in building fraud case
By Ranjith Padmasiri
The Colombo Fraud Bureau (CFB) has informed the Mount Lavinia Magistrate’s Court that it is yet to receive advice from the Attorney General on whether to name Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe and two others as suspects in the case involving the alleged fraudulent leasing of a building belonging to the National Workers’ Congress [...]
Court of Appeal affirms private broadcasters come under RTI Act
Court backs RTI Commission ruling, points to public interest duties of broadcasters Commission directed Hiru TV to provide information on verification process, but upheld right to protect source By Ranjith Padmasiri In a noteworthy development securing the ‘right to know’ of citizens under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, the Court of Appeal has affirmed [...]
PSTA more draconian than PTA, warn Muslim civil society groups in letter to President
Fourteen Muslim organisations, in a joint letter to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, have pointed out that the draft Protection of the State from Terrorism Act (PSTA) is more draconian than the existing Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act (PTA), which the ruling National People’s Power in its election manifesto pledged to abolish without referring to [...]
SLAF helps University of Peradeniya with aeronautical engineering studies
By L B Senaratne
The University of Peradeniya has taken the lead in offering aeronautical engineering studies. Professor Primal Fernando, Head of the Electronics Division, said that they had requested the Commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force to donate an aero engine for the Faculty of Engineering on their 75th anniversary to open up [...]
Calls to break barriers facing women and girls in Science
By Malaka Rodrigo
On her retirement day, emeritus professor Savitri Gunatilleke recalled how, coming from a conservative family background, she had to overcome several barriers as a woman to become one of Sri Lanka’s pioneers in rainforest ecology. After graduating in 1969 from the University of Ceylon (now University of Peradeniya), she travelled to Aberdeen [...]
Beyond the storm: UNFPA and New Zealand partner to deliver critical care for women and girls post-Cyclone Ditwah
By Phuntsho Wangyel, UNFPA Representative a.i. in Sri Lanka, and David Pine, High Commissioner of New Zealand to Sri Lanka When Cyclone Ditwah struck Sri Lanka in November, it did more than flood homes and destroy infrastructure. It disrupted lives and fractured families, leaving thousands of women and girls vulnerable to the invisible impacts of [...]