April 16, Colombo (LNW): Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) suppliers have recommenced distribution across the country following a brief pause during the New Year holiday period, signalling a return to normalcy in household energy supplies.
One major distributor confirmed that a substantial consignment—amounting to several thousand metric tonnes—has been released to the market via key storage terminals, with deliveries already under way to meet renewed consumer demand. Industry sources noted that logistical operations had been scaled back temporarily over the festive break but were swiftly reactivated.
Meanwhile, another leading supplier has also resumed its regular distribution schedule, assuring the public that inventories remain robust. Company officials indicated that existing reserves are sufficient to maintain consistent supply well into May, easing concerns over potential shortages.
With both major players restoring full operations, authorities and distributors alike have emphasised that LPG availability is expected to remain stable in the coming weeks, with no anticipated disruptions to distribution networks nationwide.
Domestic Gas Supplies Resume as Distributors Restore Operations
Rights Body Finds Serious Irregularities in Arrest of Former Prisons Chief
April 16, Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka’s national human rights watchdog has ruled that the arrest and subsequent suspension of former Prisons Commissioner General Thushara Upuldeniya were carried out in breach of his fundamental rights, raising concerns over due process within state institutions.
In its findings, the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) observed that the manner in which Upuldeniya was taken into custody failed to comply with established legal procedures. It further determined that his removal from official duties lacked a lawful basis, suggesting procedural lapses at multiple levels of authority.
Recommendations issued by the Commission in late March call for a thorough review of the conduct of senior investigative officials. The Inspector General of Police and the Secretary to the Ministry of Public Security have been instructed to assess the role played by the Criminal Investigation Department’s leadership and to take corrective action where necessary. Separately, the Ministry of Justice has been urged to re-examine the process through which the suspension was enforced.
The Commission has also stressed the importance of reinforcing legal safeguards, directing that a formal circular be issued to all relevant authorities reminding them to adhere strictly to constitutional provisions when carrying out arrests or disciplinary measures.
The inquiry was initiated following a complaint filed by Upuldeniya’s spouse in mid-2025, who alleged that her husband had been unjustly targeted and removed from office without proper justification, resulting in reputational harm and personal distress.
Upuldeniya had been taken into custody earlier that year in connection with allegations surrounding the release of an inmate from Anuradhapura Prison during the Vesak period. After being remanded, he was later granted bail under strict conditions, including restrictions on travel and access to prison facilities.
Concluding its review, the Commission held that the actions taken against him infringed constitutional protections relating to equality before the law and personal liberty. It has instructed the relevant authorities to implement its recommendations and report back by the end of April, underscoring the need for greater accountability and procedural integrity in the future.
Public Transport Services Gradually Regain Momentum After Holiday Lull
April 16, Colombo (LNW): Private bus operators across the island have begun scaling up services, with around half to three-fifths of the fleet expected to be on the roads from today, according to industry representatives.
Officials from the Lanka Private Bus Owners’ Association indicated that a full return to normal operations is likely by tomorrow as travel demand steadily improves following the festive period.
Association leadership noted that passenger turnout remained unusually low yesterday, despite it being a working day. Many buses reportedly ran with minimal occupancy, reflecting a slower-than-anticipated return of commuters after the New Year break.
In parallel, railway authorities have taken steps to strengthen train operations in response to the gradual rise in passenger movement. The Department of Railways confirmed that an expanded timetable is in effect from today, with roughly 120 train journeys planned.
Regular office trains are continuing to run during peak morning and evening hours to accommodate daily commuters. In addition, several supplementary services have been organised to manage increased travel over the coming days. Among them are special trains operating along the southern line, including services to and from Matara, particularly timed to cater to weekend travellers returning after the holidays.
Auspicious Time for Setting Out Urgent Matters Falls Tomorrow (April 17)
April 16, Colombo (LNW): The traditional schedule of auspicious timings linked to the Sinhala and Tamil New Year indicates that the moment deemed favourable for setting out on urgent matters falls tomorrow, April 17.
According to these customary guidelines, individuals are encouraged to begin such tasks at precisely 5:38 a.m., dressed in garments and adornments of a golden hue, symbolising prosperity and good fortune.
Looking ahead, the recommended time for resuming routine employment has been set for Monday, April 20, at 6:27 a.m. On this occasion, people are advised to wear white attire and ornaments, partake in milk rice beforehand, and commence their journey while facing south.
An alternative time is also provided later that morning at 6:50 a.m., allowing individuals to leave for work dressed in white or pearl shades after enjoying a more elaborate meal of milk rice prepared with ghee and sesame, accompanied by curd, ‘Aggala’, and other traditional sweetmeats, while facing east.
In addition to these observances, the schedule highlights an auspicious moment for environmental and agricultural activity. Planting tree saplings is recommended on Thursday, April 23, at 9:01 a.m. Participants are encouraged to wear golden-coloured clothing and face north during this act, which is seen as both culturally significant and symbolically tied to growth and renewal.
Health Officials Crack Down on Unsanitary Food Sales Ahead of Festive Season
April 16, Colombo (LNW): Authorities have launched widespread enforcement measures against hundreds of traders following a series of inspections carried out across the country in preparation for the Sinhala and Tamil New Year celebrations.
According to officials from the Public Health Inspectors’ Union, more than 400 vendors are now facing legal proceedings after being found in violation of food safety regulations. These actions stem from an extensive operation conducted over nearly two weeks, during which inspectors visited upwards of 12,000 retail outlets as part of close to 2,000 coordinated inspection drives.
The investigations uncovered numerous breaches, including the sale of food prepared or stored in unhygienic environments, as well as the circulation of expired consumables. Authorities expressed concern that such practices could pose serious health risks to the public, particularly during periods of heightened consumer activity.
Officials also indicated that this enforcement campaign is far from over. Similar inspection efforts are expected to intensify in the coming weeks, especially as the country approaches the Vesak and Poson festive periods, when food sales typically surge.
The union emphasised that maintaining food safety standards remains a priority, warning traders to adhere strictly to regulations or face further legal consequences.
Afternoon showers to further continue across SL (April 16)
April 16, Colombo (LNW): Showers or thundershowers will occur at several places in Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, Central, Uva and North-western provinces after 1.00 pm., the Department of Meteorology said today (16).
A few showers may occur in the coastal areas of Western and Southern provinces and Puttalam district during the morning too.
Fairly heavy falls above 50 mm are likely at some places in Sabaragamuwa province and in Galle, Matara, Kandy and Nuwara-Eliya districts.
Mainly fair weather will prevail over the other parts of the island.
Misty conditions can be expected at some places in Central, Sabaragamuwa, Northcentral and Uva provinces and in Galle, Matara and Kurunegala districts during the early hours of the morning.
The general public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimise damages caused by temporary localised strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.
Marine Weather:
Condition of Rain:
Showers or thundershowers are likely at several places in the sea areas off the coast extending from Chilaw to Hambantota via Colombo, Galle and Matara.
Winds:
Winds will be South-westerly or variable in direction. Wind speed will be (20-30) kmph.
State of Sea:
The sea areas around the island will be slight.
Temporarily strong gusty winds and very rough seas can be expected during thundershowers.
Sri Lankan student could be deported from UK after one-day student fee delay
Coventry University reported Navodya De Silva, 25, to Home Office after £8,000 arrived late, causing termination of visa
The Guardian: A Sri Lankan university student says her life has been ruined because a one-day delay in paying her tuition fees led to her being thrown off her degree course and put at risk of deportation.
Navodya De Silva, 25, secured a place at Coventry University to study international hospitality and tourism management, with overseas student fees for the three-year undergraduate course of £42,000.
Her father used his life savings to pay for the course. Sri Lanka is a popular destination for international tourists and her plan was to apply for senior-level tourism jobs in her home country after completing her UK degree.
Now, because of a delay with the fee payment processing system she has fallen foul of Home Office rules for universities that sponsor overseas students.
De Silva began her degree in October 2024 and completed her first year. The deadline for making the first payment for the second year of her studies was 6 October 2025. She transferred the required £8,000 payment on 3 October but due to a delay in her payment arriving into the university’s bank account, the university did not receive it until 7 October, one day after the deadline.
The university reported this delay to the Home Office and as a result she was unable to continue with her degree course and her study visa has been terminated. She has applied for further leave to remain in the UK and is awaiting a Home Office decision. If her application is refused she could be deported.
“The UK is one of the best countries in the world to do a university degree in. I thought that by studying here I would improve my chances of having a good career in the tourism industry in my home country,” she said.
“I did my part properly, paying my fees before the deadline. It was out of my control that there was a delay in the university receiving my payment. I was a student who attended all my classes, got high marks and did all my assignments. I never expected this to happen. I’m in a state of shock and am so stressed.
“If I go back to Sri Lanka with no degree, having lost my father’s life savings, my life will be ruined, just because of a delay in the system for transferring a payment. This decision, based on just a one-day delay, is extremely harsh and disproportionate.”
Her lawyer, Naga Kandiah, said: “She is an international student from Sri Lanka whose parents have invested their life savings in her education in the UK. Despite a one-day delay in the university receiving payment it proceeded to report her to the Home Office, withdraw sponsorship, and trigger the curtailment of her student visa, resulting in severe and life-altering consequences.”
A Coventry University Group spokesperson said: “While we cannot comment on individual cases, all students have a six-week timeframe in which to make payment and complete enrolment and we issue clear guidance and reminders regarding deadlines to support students through the process.
“We are proud of our record in providing wide-ranging support for students but this is balanced with our responsibility to comply with UKVI rules regarding enrolment. We do not set those rules but we are required to enforce them.”
The Home Office has been approached for comment.
Subcontinent might see subdued monsoon as ‘super El Niño’ expected this year: weather expert
‘super El Niño’ expected this year: weather expert
KARACHI: The subcontinent might witness a subdued monsoon this summer as the warming El Niño weather phenomenon is expected to form later this year, according to a weather expert.
“We are expecting El Niño in the coming summer and it is expected to become ‘super El Niño’ by the end of August to September,” Pakistan Meteorological Department’s (PMD) spokesperson Anjum Nazir Zaigham told Dawn.
He noted that El Niño suppresses the summer monsoon in the subcontinent.
El Niño and its cooler sister La Niña are climate patterns in the Pacific Ocean that can affect weather worldwide.
El Niño and La Niña events occur every two to seven years, on average, but they do not occur on a regular schedule, according to the United States’ National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
In a report published yesterday, The Guardiannoted, “A strong El Niño would put 2027 in the running to break global heat records, and could produce a series of devastating effects, ranging from supercharged rainstorms to drought, depending on the region of the world.”
Last month, NOAA noted there was a 50- to 60-per cent chance of El Niño developing during the July-September period and beyond.
El Niño’s impact would be higher in 2027 than in 2026 if it develops in the second half of this year, according to Tido Semmler, a climate scientist at Ireland’s National Meteorological Service. “It takes time for the global atmosphere to react to the El Nino,” he said earlier.
Meanwhile, in a weather forecast issued on Wednesday, the PMD said “hot and dry weather was likely to prevail over most parts” of Sindh.
It forecasted “warm” weather today and tomorrow in Karachi, with the maximum temperature reaching 36 degrees Celsius today.
Humidity levels in the morning were expected to remain 80 per cent, before dropping to 40-50pc in the evening.
For Friday, the PMD predicted hot weather in the metropolis, with mercury surging to 37°C during the day and remaining between 24-26°C at night.
What is El Niño?
El Niño typically results in drier conditions across southeast Asia, Australia, southern Africa, and northern Brazil, and wetter conditions in the Horn of Africa, the southern United States, Peru and Ecuador.
The last El Niño occurred in 2023-2024, contributing to making 2023 the second-highest year on record and 2024 the all-time high.
El Niño can weaken consistent trade winds that blow east to west across the tropical Pacific. “Warm water is pushed back east, toward the west coast of the Americas,” NOAA notes.
This weakening warms the usually cooler central and eastern sides of the ocean, altering rainfall over the equatorial Pacific and wind patterns around the world.
The extra heat at the surface of the Pacific releases energy into the atmosphere that can temporarily drive up global temperatures, which is why El Niño years are often among the warmest on record.
DAWN
Passing the buck in Cooray’s style
By – Robinhood
April 16, LNW (Colombo):Thirteen point two billion rupees has vanished from NDB Bank. The public knows almost nothing about how. The Board has offered no press conference, no detailed explanation, no credible accountability statement. The silence from the institution’s leadership has been as damaging as the fraud itself.
At the center of that silence sits Sriyan Cooray, the bank’s Chairman and one of Sri Lanka’s most recognisable rugby figures. Cooray built his reputation on the field and in the stands at CR and FC, the club he has championed with visible passion for years. That passion, unfortunately, does not appear to have extended to the governance of the institution he chairs.
Sources familiar with the bank’s internal operations indicate that Cooray used his position to pressure the bank’s marketing division into securing a long-term sponsorship arrangement for CR and FC. If accurate, that is not a minor lapse in judgment.
That is a textbook conflict of interest, a chairman directing institutional resources toward an organisation he personally involved and publicly champions.
The contrast is difficult to ignore. The same energy and follow-through that Cooray reportedly applied to securing that sponsorship deal was never applied to the risk controls that should have caught a fraud building quietly inside his own institution. A 290 million rupee irregularity surfaced in January. No total audit followed. No public reckoning came. The damage compounded to 13.2 billion.
Rugby teaches its players one principle above all others, that is when the team is losing, the captain does not pass the ball and look away. Cooray has spent decades understanding that.
His depositors are still waiting for him to apply it and the Central Bank of Sri Lanka is passing the ball too happily.
Did NDB Board mislead Bond Investors?
By Adolf
Serious questions are now being raised about whether investors in the recent sustainable bond issued by National Development Bank PLC were adequately informed of material developments within the bank before the issue was launched. The matter has sparked debate within financial circles, with some investors and analysts calling for a thorough and transparent investigation.
Bond Issue
NDB launched and opened subscriptions for a Basel III–compliant Green, Social, Sustainability and Sustainability-Linked (GSS+) bond on 10 March 2026, raising approximately LKR 16 billion. The bond was oversubscribed on the opening day, reflecting strong investor appetite and confidence in the bank’s reputation and financial standing. The issue was also notable as one of the largest thematic sustainable bond offerings in Sri Lanka’s banking sector, aimed at financing environmentally and socially responsible projects. Such projects typically include renewable energy, climate-resilient infrastructure, and other initiatives aligned with environmental, social, and governance (ESG) objectives. The strong investor response indicated confidence in the credibility of the institution and the disclosures accompanying the bond issue. However, in the weeks following the issuance, concerns began to emerge within the market regarding governance issues and possible financial irregularities linked to the bank’s operations. Analysts and market observers have suggested that certain warning signals may have been known internally as early as January or February 2026. If that is the case, an important governance question arises: whether the board and senior management had knowledge of material risks prior to the bond issuance and whether such information should have been disclosed to investors before raising funds from the market.
Downgrade
The situation has been further complicated by credit rating downgrades affecting several of the bank’s financial instruments, which have unsettled investors who subscribed to the bond. In capital markets, transparency and timely disclosure of material information are fundamental principles that underpin investor confidence.As a result, some investors are reportedly considering legal and criminal action against the chairman and members of the board of directors, arguing that they may have been misled about the bank’s internal situation at the time of the bond issuance. If material information was knowingly withheld, critics argue that this could constitute a breach of fiduciary responsibility owed to investors and the market.
CBSL failed
Beyond the responsibilities of the board, attention is also turning to the role of regulators. Institutions such as the Central Bank of Sri Lanka and the Colombo Stock Exchange have a critical fiduciary and statutory duty to safeguard market integrity and ensure that the investing public is kept properly informed of material developments affecting listed entities and financial instruments.Calls are now growing for the Criminal Investigation Department to examine the circumstances surrounding the events leading up to the bond issue and to determine whether any violations of disclosure, governance, or financial regulations occurred. At the same time, market participants expect regulators to communicate transparently with the public and investors if material concerns arise.
Conclusion
The episode has reignited a broader discussion on corporate governance, regulatory vigilance, and investor protection in Sri Lanka’s financial sector. Banks operate on public trust, and both boards and regulators carry a shared responsibility to ensure transparency, accountability, and the timely disclosure of information that may materially affect investor decisions. Ultimately, the outcome of any investigation will determine whether this episode represents a governance lapse, a regulatory oversight, or a misunderstanding. Regardless of the final findings, the case underscores a critical principle: confidence in capital markets depends not only on the conduct of corporate boards but also on the vigilance and fiduciary responsibility of regulators to keep the investing public fully informed. In the final analysis, it is evident that no investor would have invested even a single rupee had they been aware of the alleged underlying issues associated with the reported Rs. 13.2 billion fraud.