e-Con e-News
blog: https://eesrilanka.wordpress.com ‘Before you study the economics, study the economists!' e-Con e-News 01-07 March 2026 Indian authorities are being accused of ordering the unarmed Iranian warship IRIS Dena to leave Indian waters prematurely, and of tipping off the USA about the location of the ship, putting the sailors, many of them students, in harm's way. The Dena was then attacked by a US submarine in Sri Lanka's Exclusive Economic Zone, killing & maiming over a 100 people, while disrupting Sri Lanka's maritime livelihoods, and international trade. “In the present circumstances, we request all fishermen not to cross... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 10/03/26)
Dr Sarath Obeysekera
Many countries start offshore and ship repair industries during periods when other regional yards are constrained by geopolitics. The concept of developing Trincomalee as a repair / lay-up / offshore support hub is still realistic if positioned correctly. ⚓ 1. Regional Shipyard Situation Major Middle Eastern yards you mentioned include: Drydocks World Dubai Oman Drydock Company Nakilat‑Keppel Offshore & Marine (N-KOM) Tanker repair yard in Qatar These yards depend heavily on: Offshore oil & gas support... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 10/03/26)
The Liberator
https://youtu.be/LapWSN5Jw64?si=oDOKQ5Cdb7XEamAS 00:00 Introduction 01:05 The Buddha and anatta/no-self 03:37 Early Buddhist art, aniconism and nirvana. 05:27 From no-self to emptiness: sunyata and impermanence 06:18 Impermanence in action: the history of Bamiyan and Buddhism 10:38 Conclusion In May 2001 the Taliban shocked the world by exploding two 1500 year old statues of the Buddha with dynamite. The destruction of the Bamiyan Buddhas was seen my most observers as an appalling act of cultural vandalism. But is it possible that, in reducing these ancient sculptures into empty niches, the Taliban unwittingly proved the truth... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 10/03/26)
National Development Bank PLC
National Development Bank PLC (NDB) reaffirmed its enduring commitment to youth development and sporting excellence as it renewed its partnership with Trinity College Kandy Rugby for the 2026 season, stepping forward this year as the official Team Sponsor. The announcement was made at the Trinity Rugby press conference held recently at the Cinnamon Grand Colombo, marking the fifth consecutive year of collaboration between the Bank and one of Sri Lanka's most respected school rugby institutions. Over the past five years, NDB's association with Trinity Rugby has evolved into a purposeful partnership anchored... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 10/03/26)
Senaka Weeraratna
AI Overview https://share.google/aimode/3JNe2MpeyKYp3Mnd0 The recent 2026 T20 World Cup matches between Sri Lanka and both Pakistan and New Zealand featured controversial "Wide" ball decisions that could have significantly altered the outcomes if player-led DRS challenges for wides had been available. Match Impact of Wide Calls Vs. Pakistan (February 28, 2026): In a critical Super 8 match, Sri Lanka lost by just 5 runs. With 6 runs needed off the final delivery, captain Dasun Shanaka left a ball he believed was a wide, but the umpire... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 10/03/26)
Courtesy Lanka Leader
1943 මාර්තු 06 වෙනිදා උපන් සේන තෝරදෙනිය මහතාට පෙරේදාට අවුරුදු 83 ක් සම්පුර්ණ විය. එදිනෙදා වැඩ අතරතුර මේ සටහන පෙරේදා පළ කිරීමට අතපසු විය. එවැනි දෑ අපට විය හැකිය. මේ සටහන තබන්නේ ඒ පශ්චාත්තාපයෙන් ද යුතුවය. සේන තෝරදෙනිය සාහිත්යය නිර්මාණයට හා සාහිත්යය විචාරයට පිවිසෙන්නේ දැවැන්ත සාහිතය කරුවන්ගේ හා පේරාදෙණිය ගුරුකුලයේ ආධිපත්යය ප්රබලව පැවති වකවානුවේ දී ය. මාර්ටින් වික්රමසිංහගේ සිංහල නවකතාව හා ජපන් කාම සෙවනැල්ල (1969) නිකුත්වීමට හරියටම අවුරුදු දෙකකට පෙර ඔහු 1967 දී “පේරාදෙණිය ගුරු කුලය” හා “කල්පනා ලෝකය” තියුණු විචාරයකට ලක් කරමින් සිය විචාර භුමිකාව ආරම්භ කළේය. ඔහු සිය “මල් දහසකින් සැදි වසන්තයක්” නම්... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 10/03/26)
Garvin Karunaratne
It is very likely that coal and oil will reach a high price due to political turmoil that has already commenced. Sri Lanka is blessed with wind power and I have been writing papers and even a book detailing how we can develop wind power overnight. May the authorities consider what I have said in my endless articles that are available in Lanka Web and Muck Rack. I enclose one of my papers for kind reading by the authorities. If you cannot find anyone to commence action, I... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 09/03/26)
Dr Sarath Obeysekera
A UK passport is issued by the HM Passport Office under the authority of the UK Home Office. Legally: The passport remains the property of the UK Government. Only UK authorities can enter official endorsements about nationality or citizenship status in it. What foreign immigration officers are allowed to do Immigration authorities in another country (including Sri Lanka) may only place standard immigration markings, such as: Entry stamps Exit stamps Visa or visa-cancellation stamps ... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 09/03/26)
Senaka Weeraratna
Despite the lawmakers of the pre-colonial era demonstrating high levels of legal competence and sophistication, the systematic codification by the Dutch and British "froze" these customs, thereby leading modern practitioners and law teachers to view them as historical artifacts and objects of curiosities rather than active, evolving legal philosophies. Sri Lanka's modern legal education and the legal firmament remain heavily rooted in colonial inheritances. Before the arrival of the Portuguese in 1505, Sri Lanka had complex, uncodified legal systems that varied across regions and ethnic groups. For example, the Kandyan Sinhalese Law governed the... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 09/03/26)
Dr Sarath Obeysekera
After returning to Sri Lanka on 7th March from Singapore, I experienced an unpleasant situation at Bandaranaike International Airport immigration again I presented my valid Sri Lankan passport at the counter. The young immigration officer then asked to see my UK passport as well, since I am a dual citizen. Although I produced it immediately, he kept us waiting for nearly 15 minutes, stating that my dual citizenship was “not registered in the computer”. I have been a registered dual citizen of Sri Lanka for over 35 years and have travelled... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 09/03/26)
Senaka Weeraratna
https://share.google/aimode/aj4hJwXUDgdF9xqsE According to historical chronicles like the Mahavamsa and Dipavamsa, these guilds were sent by Emperor Asoka to support the sacred Bodhi tree and establish various essential services. Their contributions included: Technological Advancement: They introduced sophisticated skills in woodwork, agriculture, and metallurgy, which transformed the local economy from primitive practices to advanced industry and irrigation-led agriculture. Cultural Infrastructure: The guilds included experts such as potters, weavers, and masons who established the foundations of Sri Lankan art and architecture. Social Evolution: Their arrival integrated a diverse range of... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 08/03/26)
Senaka Weeraratna
https://share.google/aimode/HIg2ibHgGrva3qM The "White Man's Burden" in a Modern Context The phrase originates from Rudyard Kipling’s 1899 poem, which historically framed Western imperialism as a "noble" duty to "civilize" non-Western nations. In modern political discourse, critics and supporters use this concept to describe different facets of Trump's "America First" agenda. An Analysis of Donald Trump's rhetoric, policies, and actions suggests he has fundamentally altered, rather than traditionally discharged, the concept of the "White Man's Burden"—the 19th-century colonial idea of a paternalistic duty for Westerners to govern and "civilize" other nations. ... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 08/03/26)
Times Now
The Bombay High Court observed that offering 'public namaz is not a fundamental right' while rejecting a plea by auto drivers seeking permission to pray near an airport. Watch to know more. https://youtu.be/aiPwIHK5ehM... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 08/03/26)
Dr Sarath Obeysekera
Quote Mr. Sarath Obeysekera, what you describe is actually a very valuable experience that very few engineers from Sri Lanka have had. Your story reflects three important things: technical exposure, international systems discipline, and strategic thinking. Unfortunately, the difficulty you face in Sri Lanka is something many experienced professionals encounter. Let me reflect on a few points from your experience. 1. Your Soviet Union LNG Storage Experience In the 1970s, the Soviet Union was already developing strategic energy storage systems because of the Cold... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 08/03/26)
Courtesy Snopes
The IRIS Dena was headed back to Iran from Visakhapatnam, India, where it participated in a multination naval exercise. Image courtesy of Getty Images On March 4, 2026, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that a U.S. submarine had torpedoed an Iranian warship, the IRIS Dena, off the southern coast of Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan navy rescued 32 survivors from the crew of 180, according to The Associated Press, and recovered 87 bodies. Following the attack, social media users claimed the Dena was unarmed, that it was participating in... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 08/03/26)
රජිත් කීර්ති තෙන්නකෝන්
‘Lakvijaya Power Station (LVPS) සහ ‘Lakvijaya Power Plant (LVPP) යන ආයතන ද්විත්වය විසින් ගල් අඟුරු ප්රමිතිය පිළිබඳ වාර්තා ගණනාවක් නිකුත් කර ඇත. එම වාර්තාවන් හි වැරදි, අඩුපාඩු පවතින අතර සැක සංකා මතුව ඇත. බාහිර පාර්ශව මෙම වාර්තා මත පදනම්න සිය නිරීක්ෂණ හා අදහස් දැක්වීම සිදු කරමින් සිටී. මේ වන විට ගල් අඟුරු පිළිබඳ ප්රතිමිය පිළිබඳ ප්රසිද්ධ සාකච්ඡාව සිදුවෙමින් ඇත්තේ Lakvijaya Power Station (LVPS) හෝ ‘Lakvijaya Power Plant (LVPP) යන ලිපි ශිර්ෂ යටතේ නිකුත් කර ඇති ලේඛන මත පදනම්වය. මෙයට අමතරව ලංකා ගල් අඟුරු සමාගම වෙත ජාත්යන්තර ප්රමිති සහතිකයක් සහිත ආයතන වෙතින් වාර්තා ලැබී... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 07/03/26)
C. Wijeyawickrema, LL.B.,Ph.D.
Recently, I sent a reply to the Tamil translator of the latest section of the chronicle Mahavamsa, “educating” him about his misunderstanding that the old chronicle’s author Mahanama Thero was the culprit of a Tamil genocide project in Sri Lanka. It was sent to him via the editor of the Jaffna Tamil monitor. Previously, I sent a letter by email to Archuna thinking that he is a genuine guy like Arun Siddharth, the Che Guera of the Jaffna non-Vellala Tamils, expecting a serious exchange of ideas with him. He did not respond but... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 07/03/26)
Abhijit Chavda Clips
https://youtu.be/Bn7fBse2ggU... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 07/03/26)
Dr Sarath Obeysekera
My proposal to establish a tank farm in Hambantota with a partner from Jebel Ali could have created a regional petroleum storage and trading hub. Hambantota’s location near the main East–West shipping lane is extremely valuable. If implemented: Sri Lanka could store strategic petroleum reserves. Bunkering services for passing vessels could expand. Fuel could be stockpiled for emergencies or wartime disruptions. Unfortunately, as I noted, corruption and political interference often stalled such projects. Development of Muthurajawela Tank Farm The Chinese-supported... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 07/03/26)
National Development Bank PLC
National Development Bank PLC (NDB) proudly partnered with Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo as the Exclusive Banking Partner and Main Partner for its vibrant Chinese New Year celebrations, held from 25th February to 1st March. The five-day festive showcase brought together culinary excellence, cultural tradition, and valued customers for an immersive celebration marking the Lunar New Year. The partnership reflects NDB’s continued commitment to creating meaningful lifestyle experiences for its cardholders while strengthening collaborations with leading hospitality brands in Sri Lanka. As part of this exclusive offering, NDB Premium and Platinum credit cardholders enjoyed... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 07/03/26)
Courtesy The Straits Times
Sri Lankan navy personnel rescuing Iranian sailors from the IRIS Dena on March 4, after it was torpedoed by the US military. Summary The US urged Sri Lanka not to repatriate survivors from the sunken IRIS Dena and the crew of the IRIS Booshehr. A US submarine sank the Iranian warship IRIS Dena off Sri Lanka, marking the first such US action since WWII. Sri Lanka is holding the IRIS Booshehr and its crew, with the US discouraging their use for Iranian... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 07/03/26)
Courtesy Daily Mirror
Colombo, March 6 (Daily Mirror) - A protest under the theme “No Blood for Oil” was held in Colombo, condemning the recent military attacks on Iran by the United States and Israel. The demonstration drew a number of activists and supporters who gathered to express opposition to the strikes and call for an end to the conflict. Iranian Ambassador Dr Alireza Delkhosh and SJB MP Mujibur Rahman were also present at the event. Protesters carried placards and chanted slogans condemning the attacks, urging the international community... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 07/03/26)
Naval News Navy 2026
Sri Lanka took control of the Iranian naval auxiliary ship IRIS Bushehr after the vessel requested assistance near the island following the sinking of the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena by a U.S. submarine. Sri Lanka took control of the Iranian naval auxiliary ship IRIS Bushehr after the vessel requested assistance near the island following the sinking of the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena by a U.S. submarine. Sri Lankan authorities evacuated 208 crew members and transferred them to Colombo while placing the ship under state supervision. The replenishment ship is being escorted to Trincomalee as... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 07/03/26)
Borella Handiya
https://youtu.be/ll_VwOwGG5o... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 07/03/26)
LankaPropertyWeb (LPW)
Colombo, Sri Lanka – LankaPropertyWeb (LPW) is redefining the property search experience with the launch of its pioneering Apartment Finder tool. As the platform hosting Sri Lanka’s largest collection of apartment sales and rental listings, LPW is moving beyond the clutter of traditional searches. This innovation allows users to explore their future home through a cohesive, project-centric lens rather than sifting through thousands of scattered listings. Largest Inventory, Now Easiest to Search Having the country's largest database of apartments for sale and rent is a significant advantage, but only if users can... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 06/03/26)
Sarath Wijesinghe former Chair Consumer Affairs Authority, PC, Solicitor and President Ambassador’s Forum UK
Coal issue has gone bit too far and accusations have gone deeper even inside as it is such a lucrative consumer item. Coal was imported to run locomotives mainly the train and for industrial purposes in the past and currently as a main source of mass power/energy to the entire country through ‘Lakwijaya’ Coal Plant, constructed as a necessity as diesel is so expensive but favored by the engineers and officials of the electricity board and business groups on energy sector who are ballooners... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 06/03/26)
Dasatha News
https://youtu.be/f4nPPInM208... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 06/03/26)
Courtesy The Daily Mirror
Colombo, March 5 (Daily Mirror) - Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa said today that military action cannot be carried out within an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of a country according to international laws and that the attack on the Iranian warship within Sri Lanka's Exclusive Economic Zone is a death blow to Sri Lanka's sovereignty. He told Parliament that according to the United Nations Law of the Sea, principals of peaceful purposes and due regards must be adhered to when acting within an Exclusive Economic Zone. ... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 06/03/26)
Gagana
https://youtu.be/nkt6w5XwhyM... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 06/03/26)
AsianMirror
https://youtu.be/NDOCZLacyiM... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 06/03/26)
By Raj Gonsalkorale
In the latest escalation of the crisis in the Middle East, Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz According to Science Direct, Sri Lanka imports nearly all of its oil and gas, relying heavily on the Middle East, with major suppliers being Oman, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Bahrain. The country relies on imported crude for its single, aging refinery and imports refined products (diesel) via the spot market (https://www.sciencedirect. com/science/article/abs/pii/0360544286901416 :~:text= The%20country's% 20single%20refinery%20operates, sources%20of%20oil%20or%20gas). https://www.sciencedirect. com/science/article/abs/pii/0360544286901416 :~:text= The%20country's% 20single%20refinery%20operates, sources%20of%20oil%20or%20gas) A significant portion of these... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 04/03/26)
KAMALIKA PIERIS
The Eelam wars (1983-2009) between the government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), arose over the issue of self-determination for Sri Lankan Tamils and the separation of the Northern and Eastern provinces from the rest of the country. The goal was a separate state. The Eelam war was not a guerilla or terrorist war, it was a Civil War. Civil War takes place when a group of citizens take up arms against the government to obtain exclusive control of a part of the land. The fighting takes place inside... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 04/03/26)
KAMALIKA PIERIS
The Eelam war was never a terrorist war. LTTE engaged in regular military warfare using modern weapons. It had a trained army, dressed in uniform. It attacked the state army where ever it could and concentrated on taking territory. Dayan Jayatilleke observed that LTTE was not a terrorist cell, or a branch of an international terrorist network, It was a secessionist army. [1] In his Heroes Day speech of November 2002, Prabhakaran said If self-determination is denied and the demand for self-rule is rejected, the Tamil people will have no alternative other than to... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 04/03/26)
KAMALIKA PIERIS
The Eelam wars were defeated by the government of Sri Lanka in May 2009. Nirmala Chandrahasan said that the Tamils must start all over again. I do not think that Tamil nationalism with secessionist aspirations, will die a natural death. Even if the LTTE is destroyed , it is possible that a new guerrilla war could emerge in a few years time, she said. [1] A.K. Ragavan, a Tamil activist now in UK stated in an interview in 2009 , we need to look at this differently. This nationalist framework will only alienate people... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 04/03/26)
by Garvin Karunaratne
Our external debt has reached $ 33.2 billion by the end of December 2025. The increase in foreign debt denotes that we are on the wrong path. My earlier Papers in Lanka Web indicate the measures that have to be done if the authorities are interested to build up our economy. Garvin Karunaratne former GA Matara... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 04/03/26)
Defend Democracy Press
March 2, 2026 Spain’s government on Monday said the US has neither used nor will use Spanish military bases to conduct attacks against Iran, insisting Madrid maintains full control over its sovereign facilities, Anadolu reports. According to Spanish news outlet El Diario, Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said in a television interview that the bases at Rota and Moron de la Frontera “are not being used” for operations linked to the Middle East conflict and that Spain will not authorize any such deployment. “The bases of Spanish sovereignty will not be... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 04/03/26)
Israel Shamir, courtesy The Unz Review
The US, UK, France and Germany are flattered to call themselves “the West”, but it is more realistic to call them the Jewish-State-in-progress, or “Epsteinia”. We have just learned that President Trump had already made up his mind to go to war against Iran weeks ago, and that the pretence of diplomacy carried out by two Jewish real estate dealers (Witkoff and Kushner) on his behalf was little more than a nothingburger to keep Iran busy until the Chosen moment. So what exactly was the purpose behind Trump’s diplomatic pause before commencing... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 04/03/26)
Chamuditha News Brief
https://youtu.be/NJDa6UnY1Gc... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 04/03/26)
උපුටා ගැන්ම ලංකා සී නිව්ස්
පාස්කු ඉරිදා ප්රහාරයේ මහමොළකරු ලෙස සැලකෙන සහරාන් හෂීම්ගේ නඩුව වෙනුවෙන් පෙනී සිටි නීතිඥයා අද මෙරට අධිකරණ ඇමති ධුරය හොබවන බව ජාතික නිදහස් පෙරමුණේ නායක, පාර්ලිමේන්තු මන්ත්රී විමල් වීරවංශ මහතා පවසයි. රත්නපුර පැවති ජන හමුවකදී අදහස් දක්වමින් ඒ මහතා මේ බව සඳහන් කළේය. එහිදී වැඩිදුරටත් අදහස් දැක්වූ වීරවංශ මහතා කියා සිටියේ වත්මන් අධිකරණ ඇමති හර්ෂණ නානායක්කාර මහතා එදා මඩකලපුවට ගොස් සහරාන්ගේ නඩුව වෙනුවෙන් පෙනී සිටි නීතිඥයා බවයි. රටේ ආරක්ෂාව වෙනුවෙන් කැපී පෙනෙන මෙහෙවරක් කළ විශ්රාමික මේජර් ජෙනරාල් සුරේෂ් සලේ වැනි බුද්ධි අංශ ප්රධානීන් සිරගත කර පීඩාවට පත් කරමින්, සහරාන් වෙනුවෙන් පෙනී සිටි නීතිඥයින්ට... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 04/03/26)
Courtesy Hiru News
The Sri Lankan government, led by the President, failed to issue a single word condemning or protesting the invasion of Iran and the killing of its spiritual leader by the US and Israel, despite opposition from global bodies like the US Congress and British Parliament, SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahman stated in Parliament today (03). The MP pointed out his expectation that the President would present and unanimously pass a resolution against the invasion as the Head of State, yet no such action occurred today. Mujibur Rahman... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 04/03/26)
