Colombo, March 19, 2026 —Opposition MP and President’s Counsel Faiszer Musthapha on Thursday urged the government to act swiftly to attract global capital relocating from conflict-affected regions, warning that Sri Lanka risks missing a rare strategic opening if it remains slow, rigid, and overly constrained by policy orthodoxy. Speaking during a parliamentary debate, Faiszer Musthapha said rising instability in parts of the Middle East was already prompting investors to seek safer destinations

After Jaffna Monitor published its editorial on Sunday questioning Batticaloa District MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam’s decision to invoke Sri Lanka’s Online Safety Act against dozens of Tamil critics, media figures, and political actors, the lawmaker telephoned this office to present his version of events. Speaking at length, Mr. Shanakiyan defended his decision to seek relief through the courts and described what he said was a prolonged, coordinated campaign of personal defamation directed not on

COLOMBO — March 15 — The government on Sunday reinstated the National Fuel Pass (QR code) system, requiring motorists to present a registered QR code in order to obtain fuel at filling stations, as authorities move to regulate distribution and maintain supply stability. The Ministry of Power and Energy said the measure came into effect at 6:00 a.m. on March 15, and that fuel will not be issued at any station without a valid QR code linked to a registered vehicle. The system, first introduced d