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Smoke rises from an energy installation in Fujairah, one of the seven emirates of the UAE, in what appeared to be the latest strike on Gulf petroleum facilities. The attack took place hours after the US struck Iran’s Kharg Island yesterday. AFP
Oil from India on G-G basis for two months, no tender
Fuel purchase requests receive positive responses from India, Russia By Damith Wickremasekera The government plans to forego stipulated tender procedures to secure fuel supplies for April and May from India on a government-to-government basis, a senior minister said. The decision has been taken in view of the worsening global energy crisis due to the ongoing [...]
Lanka declines to join UN resolution against Iran
Sri Lanka declined to join over 130 UN member states that co-sponsored a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution condemning Iran’s “egregious attacks” on its regional neighbours. The resolution was adopted on March 11, 2026. “We do not involve any country-specific resolution as a policy,” Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath said when asked for Sri Lanka’s [...]
Surcharge on used, modified vehicle duties removed
The government has decided to remove the surcharge of 50 per cent imposed on the import duty on used and modified vehicles from April 1 onwards, which is set to see a reduction in these types of vehicles, officials said. The government has rescinded a gazette notification issued by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in his [...]
Energy Minister to appear in court on March 27 to face charges
By Ranjith Padmasiri The Colombo High Court has issued notice to Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody ordering him to appear in court on March 27, when indictments in his corruption trial are to be served on him. The notice on Mr Jayakody has been issued on the order of High Court Judge Rashantha Godawela. Mr Jayakody [...]
Emergency coal purchase: Tender unawarded, controversial supplier also applies
By Namini Wijedasa The price bids of four companies competing to sell 300,000MT of emergency coal for the Lakvijaya power plant were examined this week, but the tender went unawarded, official sources said. Meanwhile, problematic coal supplier Trident Chemphar—which won the ongoing 2025-26 term tender—has again submitted an updated schedule to Lanka Coal Company (Pvt) [...]
Govt. arranges foreign company to tow IRIS Bushehr to Trincomalee harbour, says Minister
By Damith Wickramasekara A foreign company has been contracted to tow the Iranian naval vessel IRIS Bushehr to Trincomalee, Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath told the Sunday Times. The vessel was supposed to have been moved to Trincomalee harbour last week but has continued to remain at the outer anchorage of the Colombo port after having [...]
Fraud Bureau still awaits AG’s advice to name minister, deputy minister as suspects
By Ranjith Padmasiri The Colombo Fraud Bureau (CFB) has informed the Mount Lavinia Magistrate’s Court that it has 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 [...]
Gas supply to Lanka unaffected by West Asia war: Litro chief
By Tharushi Weerasinghe Sri Lanka’s domestic gas supply remains stable despite shortages affecting several countries in the region, a senior official from Litro Gas Lanka said. Chairman Channa Gunawardena said the state-owned gas company had moved from sourcing through OQ Trading, which relies heavily on West Asian supply, to the Swiss-based trading firm Geogas. The [...]
Fuel price increase begins to weigh on cost of living
By Kasun Warakapitiya Amid assurances of continuing fuel supplies and adequate stocks, public concern has grown over the price increase and the cost of living. Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) Chairman Janaka Rajakaruna and the government have assured there are no fuel shortages and stocks are adequate for 40 days. Two price revisions came in quick [...]
Supply jolts, higher global prices filter through to fertiliser
By Kapila Bandara The price of fertiliser has been climbing in global markets in the wake of disruptions to maritime traffic in the Straits of Hormuz, an essential corridor for global trade, and the implications are being felt in Sri Lanka at the retail level, while stocks are available for farmers. The Yala paddy growing [...]
Half a month’s fuel soaked up in 10 days
The Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) said it will ensure uninterrupted supply while explaining the fuel price increase. Chairman Janaka Rajakaruna said fuel was available for around 40 days, accounting for shipments due. Within the first 10 days of March, Sri Lankans have pumped 58,000 metric tonnes of diesel and 47,000MT of 92-octane petrol, which could [...]
Three months on, people displaced by Ditwah yearn for home
By Ishu Bandara More than a thousand people are still living in temporary displacement camps in the districts of Kegalle, Badulla and Nuwara Eliya, three months after Cyclone Ditwah. Many affected are still waiting for permanent housing solutions. Secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils, Local Government, and Labour, Aloka Bandara, [...]
The Sunday Times report finally brings light to Maspanna village hit by Ditwah
Three months after the Ditawah cyclone cut off the electricity supply to villagers of Galaniha area in the village of Maspanna in the Uva Paranagama electorate, power was finally being fully restored This follows a report in the Sunday Times of February 15 that highlighted the plight of the villagers. Uva Paranagama Gampaha Korala Development [...]
Spotlight on pathetic plight of children with rare diseases
By Kumudini Hettiarachchi Are they children of a lesser god, is the devastating concern of numerous parents scattered across Sri Lanka who are struggling to bring up their precious sons and daughters affected by Inherited Metabolic Disorders. The combined incidence of Inherited Metabolic Disorders worldwide is 1 in 784 or 1 in 1000, the Sunday [...]
Jaffna court issues interim order against construction of Jaffna stadium
Jaffna High Court this week issued an interim order against the construction of a proposed indoor stadium within the premises of the protected Jaffna Old Park complex overriding the earlier decision issued by the District Court to allow construction. The court held that the order will be in effect till the final determination of the [...]
Nugegoda court halts Scout Council’s Special General Meeting
By Ranjith Padmasiri The District Court of Nugegoda on Friday (13) issued enjoining orders restraining the holding of a Special General Meeting of the Sri Lanka Scout Council scheduled for March 14 at the Sri Lanka Scout Headquarters, at which elections were to be held to appoint office bearers for the 2026/2027 term. The election [...]
Deputy Minister: Laws being amended for tougher drug penalties
Amendments are being drafted to introduce heavier penalties for drug-related offences, according to Deputy Defence Minister Major General (Retd) Aruna Jayasekara. He made the remarks after inspecting the latest drug and arms haul detected by the Sri Lanka Navy. The Navy seized the haul weighing more than 654 kg, along with several firearms, after intercepting [...]
All eyes on Southern Coast as debris and spills from IRIS Dena trigger pollution scare
By Tharushi Weerasinghe Debris and pollutants from the IRIS Dena, the Iranian vessel torpedoed by a US Submarine 19 nautical miles away from Sri Lanka’s southern coast, washed up on beaches along the southern belt last week. Orange slicks lapped at the beaches of Hikkaduwa and Dodanduwa and oil barrels washed ashore Meanwhile an influx [...]
A chunk of airport revenue evaporates from cancelled flights
By Dilushi Wijesinghe The shutdown of airspace across parts of West Asia due to the war has significantly disrupted Sri Lanka’s aviation sector, with experts warning of sharp declines in flights, revenues, and tourist arrivals. Industry officials say the ripple effects are being felt across the board, from higher insurance premiums and rising fuel costs [...]
CEB no more: New power structure endures operational birthing pains
By Niranjala Ariyawansha Following the declaration of the date on which the transfer of assets and liabilities of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), Sri Lanka’s largest and most critical long-standing utility, to six new companies from March 9, there has been operational disarray due to serious flaws and inadequate planning, the Sunday Times learns. According [...]
Dambulu Oya reservoir’s floating solar panel project on hold, says Mahaweli Authority
Pix and text by Kanchana Kumara Ariyadasa The Sri Lanka Mahaweli Authority’s Board of Directors has decided to temporarily suspend permission granted to a private company to instal floating solar panels on the Dambulu Oya reservoir in Ibbankatuwa. The project, which planned to cover 18 acres of the water surface, is on hold until the [...]
Hot weather to persist till May; heat advisory issued
By Jayanie Madawala The prevailing hot weather affecting several parts of the country is expected to continue until next week, with elevated temperatures likely to persist until May, the Meteorological Department warns. The country is experiencing sunny to partly cloudy conditions, with scattered clouds and occasional passing showers, particularly in the afternoons or evenings. The [...]
Alert against liver cancer
Specialists call for early screening for better prevention and early treatment By Kumudini Hettiarachchi The largest solid organ in the human body, the liver is essential for many a function. Located beneath the rib cage in the right upper abdomen, the liver removes toxins from the body’s blood supply, maintains healthy blood sugar levels, regulates blood [...]
War makes US$6m dent in March tourism, carving hole in revenue target
By Wasantha Ramanayake The US-Israeli war against Iran has cost Sri Lanka US$6 million so far in March, the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) has estimated. It said the Rs 3 billion tourism revenue target for 2026 would be missed if the war continued. Arrivals would be 15% to 20% less than the initial [...]
Power, AC and record room in containers
Justice minister assesses Kandy court complex restoration process By L.B. Senaratne A plan to fully restore the Kandy Courts complex, damaged by flooding after Cyclone Ditwah in November last year, was discussed at a meeting convened by Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara with judges, parliamentarians, and officials on Thursday. The meeting took place during the minister’s [...]
Former SriLankan head files motion against Bribery DG for threatening him to implicate politicians
By Ranjith Padmasiri Former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SriLankan Airlines Kapila Chandrasena has filed a motion before the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court accusing Director General of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) Ranga Dissanayake of threatening him to implicate politicians over the controversial 2013 Airbus deal. In a motion filed [...]
Colombo court issues warrant for witness in former minister’s Monarch apartment case
By Ranjith Padmasiri The Colombo High Court has issued an open warrant to arrest and produce a witness in the case filed by the Bribery Commission against former minister and current parliamentarian Ravi Karunanayake regarding his residency at an apartment located at Monarch Residencies while he was Minister of Finance, from February 12 to September [...]
Quick action by armed forces saves major damage to biodiversity-rich Diyagama forest
By Tharushi Weerasinghe A fire that broke out in the Diyagama forest has destroyed a section that contained endangered and endemic butterflies. The fire was seen by Diyagama resident and researcher Lahiru Jayawickrema who noticed the blaze when he was walking past the forest. “I called the other researchers I work with and Major General [...]
Admired tusker transformed into specimen of historical value
By Nidarshani Wickramasinghe The owner of tusker Nedungamuwe Wijaya Raja, Ayurvedic physician Harsha Dharmawijaya and its mahout ‘Kalu Mama’ are delighted that the tusker who died four years back has been preserved and is being displayed at the National Museum of Natural History. The team that recreated the Indian tusker for display also takes some [...]
12-day blaze damages tank; contained before reaching Ramsar wetland
By Hiran Priyankara Jayasinghe A fire that burned for nearly 12 days has damaged the Maiyawa tank system within the Anawilundawa Ramsar Wetland, according to wildlife officials. They said that the fire had spread from a vicinity close to the cultural centre and spread to the Maiyawa tank system. Wildlife officials believe the fire may [...]
By hook or by crook
By Hiran Priyankara Jayasinghe The National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA) recently commenced a multi-agency field investigation in the seas off the North Western province on the use of tractor-mounted winches for ma-del (beach seine) fishing, following protests by environmentalists and some others that the practice was harmful. Senior scientist at NARA Aruna [...]
International Quds Day: Iran stands by Palestine amid war
By Dr Alireza Dalkesh, Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran The last Friday of the holy month of Ramadan was designated as Quds Day several decades ago by the Founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran. This designation, more than being a mere political statement, was a call for the international community to pay [...]