Feb 16 (TM) Bar Association of SL (BASL) has decided that its members will not appear before courts island-wide today in protest over the fatal shooting of a lawyer and his wife in Akuregoda. The decision was taken at a special general meeting convened in Colombo yesterday, where members deliberated on the implications of the attack. BASL President, Attorney Rajeev Amarasuriya said the move reflects more..

Feb 16 (FT) Sri Lanka witnessed a spike in private jet arrivals over the weekend as high-net-worth cricket fans and VIPs flew in for the much-anticipated India-Pakistan T20 World Cup encounter in Colombo. “We have accommodated around 15 private jets, mostly from India,” BIA Head of Airport Management Aruna Rajapaksa said, noting the surge began on Saturday night ahead of the marquee fixture at the R. Premadasa Int'l Cricket Stadium. Private jets are a rarity for SL. more..

Feb 16 (TM) Govt does not appear to be in any hurry to resolve issues affecting doctors and are dismissing ongoing trade union actions as politically motivated, said Assistant Secretary of the GMOA, Dr. Hansamal Weerasuriya. He said the GMOA is an apolitical trade union that was using various measures short of striking to draw the Government’s attention to its demands. However, he added, the Government has framed these measures politically, resulting in a deadlock as authorities seem more..

Feb 16 (FT) Economic policy think tank Verité Research said that the approval rating of the Govt polled at 65% in early February, in the latest round of its Gallup-style Mood of the Nation poll. With a ±3 percentage point error margin, the approval rating has remained statistically stable from the 62% polled a year ago. The disapproval rating remained low and unchanged from what it was in the previous poll in Feb 2025. more..

Feb 16 (TM) Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has said the Govt must explain to the country how Chicago-style killings are taking place even in high-security zones at a time when a state of emergency is in force and the tri-forces have been deployed to maintain law and order. Issuing a special statement following the shooting to death of a lawyer and his wife in the Akuregoda area, Premadasa said he was deeply shocked to hear of the murder and described the incident as another warning about more..

Feb 16 (AD) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake arrived at the R Premadasa Int'l Stadium in Colombo accompanied by high-level dignitaries to watch the India-Pakistan T20 World Cup encounter. Prez was accompanied by Ministers Vijitha Herath & Sunil Kumara Gamage. Chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Jay Shah, President of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) Shammi Silva and Mohsin Naqvi Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Mohsin Naqvi were also at the VIP box more..

Feb 16 (CT) A senior academic has called on the Govt to urgently amend the country’s firearms legislation and take decisive steps to seize illegal weapons in circulation, warning that failure to do so would allow street killings to continue unabated. Professor Prathibha Mahanamahewa made the remarks while commenting to the media on the recent shooting of a lawyer and his wife by two unidentified gunmen in the Akuregoda area. He said a significant number of illegal firearms more..

Feb 16 (FT) Justice and National Integration Minister Harshana Nanayakkara has instructed officials to expedite the establishment of special High Courts in former ministerial residences in Colombo, as part of efforts to accelerate key prosecutions under the Anti-Corruption Action Plan (2025–2029). The Minister issued the directives on Thursday (12) during an inspection visit of four official residences temporarily handed over to the Ministry by the Public Admin, PCs and LG Ministry. more..

Feb 16 (Island) Declaring that large-scale premeditated coal import fraud had caused massive losses, ex-Minister Champika Ranawaka has urged the CIABOC to deal with it, the way former Ministers Mahindananda Aluthgamage and Nalin Fernando were dealt with. The Colombo High Court Trial-at-Bar sentenced Aluthgamage and former Sathosa Chairman Fernando on 29th May, 2025, for 20 & 25 years RI, respectively, more..

Feb 16 (Island) For decades, SL has been globally revered as the Island of Gems, yet the industry has long grappled with a paradoxical challenge: while the SL soil yields the world’s finest stones, the local certification process has often struggled to command the same recognition in international markets. Stepping into this critical void is the Gemological Report of Ceylon (GRC). Located at No. 97, Galle Road, Colombo 3, this newly launched laboratory is on a mission to redefine the standards more..

Feb 16 (AD) PM Harini Amarasuriya has extended her warmest greetings to the Hindu community of SL and to devotees across the world on the occasion of Maha Shivaratri. She described the festival, also known as the Great Night of Shiva, as a profound symbol of the triumph of light over darkness and wisdom over ignorance, highlighting it as a time for deep reflection, spiritual discipline, and the pursuit of inner peace. PM emphasized that in SL’s multicultural and multireligious society, more..

Feb 16 (NW) Colombo Public Library has launched an islandwide book donation campaign titled 100 for 100 to mark its 100th anniversary, aiming to collect books for 100 libraries across SL. Colombo Mayor Vraie Cally Balthazar said the initiative was conceived as a way to ensure the centenary celebrations make a meaningful contribution to society. “Last December, our public library completed 100 years of service to the community. As we prepared to celebrate this historic milestone, more..

Feb 16 (EN) In a diplomatic maneuver that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago, Tilvin Silva, the General Secretary of the JVP and the ideological heavyweight behind Sri Lanka’s ruling NPP, concluded a landmark 8-day official visit to India this week. The visit, from February 5-12, marks the first time the veteran Marxist leader has set foot on Indian soil, signaling a definitive end to the party’s decades-long anti-India stance. Accompanied by a high-level delegation, more..

Feb 16 (TM) Environmentalists are preparing to initiate fresh legal action against the Govt over what they describe as a failure to operationalise a conservation fund to receive revenue collected from plastic shopping bag charges, despite a Supreme Court settlement requiring such a mechanism. They alleged that, as a result, private retailers were retaining substantial profits, roughly estimated at up to Rs. 50 million per day, more..

Feb 16 (FT) Gross official reserves amounted to $ 6.82 billion as at end-January, down a marginal 0.15% from a month ago, while gold reserves increased 26% to $ 109 million. Foreign currency reserves amounted to $ 6.68 bil, with gold assets at $ 109 million, reserves with the IMF at $ 4 mil, and Special Drawing Rights at $ 32 mil. Gross official reserves were down slightly from $ 6.83 billion as of end-Dec 2025 when gold reserves stood at $ 86 mil & IMF Special Drawing Rights at $ 1 mil. more..

Feb 16 (DN) Sri Lanka is expected to continue winning momentum when they meet Australia today in their T-20 World Cup group fixture at the Pallekele Int'l Cricket Stadium, commencing at 7pm. SL already had back to back wins over Ireland and Oman expected to get their third victory which will make sure of their place in super eight stage but Zimbabwe’s fighting victory over Australia gave them big pressure and they must win today to have expectations of the second round. more..

Feb 16 (FT) IMF Managing Director Dr. Kristalina Georgieva yesterday declared that Sri Lanka is definitely on the path to success and expressed support for the country’s journey towards a more stable, inclusive, and prosperous future. “I come in solidarity with the Sri Lankan people who have demonstrated remarkable resilience in the face of the many challenges from recent years,” Dr. Georgieva told the Daily FT ahead of her more..

Feb 16 (FT) Macktiles has launched Macktiles Australia in Victoria, marking a major milestone for Sri Lankan manufacturing and a strategic entry into one of the world’s most design-aware, specification-led building markets. Backed by Macksons Holdings Group, Macktiles is positioned as Sri Lanka’s largest turnkey tile manufacturer, with scale and integration that have made it a leading force in the domestic category. Macktiles’ manufacturing capacity expanded significantly more..

Feb 16 (CI) Australia have no room for error now. Mathematically they won't be eliminated with a defeat against Sri Lanka, but it would leave them needing something close to a miracle. For Sri Lanka, the stakes aren't quite as high, but with a confident Zimbabwe as their last opposition in the group stage they would ideally not want to leave their fate uncertain. A win would lock them into the Super Eights. T20 World Cups hold an odd position in Australia men's cricket. more..

Feb 16 (Island) SL’s athletics fraternity bids adieu today to one of its finest champions, Olympian Kosala Sahabandu, who passed away on Saturday (14) at the age of 76 after a period of illness. ‎Regarded as one of the greatest athletes to emerge from the island, Sahabandu brought honour to the nation through outstanding performances on the regional and international stage. He was a member of the SL quartet that clinched the 4×400 metres relay gold medal with a Games record at more..

Feb 16 (FT) Board of Investment of SL (BOI) will host the Sri Lanka Investment Forum 2026 on 30 March at Cinnamon Life, Colombo, under the theme of investing in SL’s green and connected future. Organised in partnership with the European Union (EU), the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), the Forum will present SL’s investment landscape with a focus on sustainability, technology-driven growth, economic recovery. more..

Feb 16 (CI) On Friday night, Colombo splashed a warm, pastel sunset across the western sky as Pakistan's men trained under lights. On Saturday, a rainbow twinkled into existence at twilight, as India's evening training at Khettarama began. Colombo is far from the biggest metro among this World Cup's destinations, but it is the only city boasting two separate venues. This week, in the lead-up to India vs Pakistan, more..

Feb 16 (Island) High Commissioner of SL to Pakistan, Rear Admiral Fred Senevirathne, met Dr. Zeelaf Munir, Chairperson of the Pakistan Business Council (PBC), in Karachi on Feb. 6 and urged a high level visit of Pakistani business people to SL, a news release from the High Commission said. Dr. Munir, who also serves as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of English Biscuit Manufacturers (EBM), leads Pakistan’s premier business policy advocacy body, which plays more..

Feb 16 (FT) When India hosts the forthcoming AI Impact Summit on 18-20 Feb, it will do so with clarity of purpose. Artificial Intelligence is not an abstraction for us. It is a tool. A capability. A responsibility. And above all, an opportunity to reshape development pathways for those who have too often been rule-takers in technological revolutions. India’s position is straightforward: AI must be leveraged as a force for global good. It must expand human agency, not narrow it. more..

Feb 16 (Island) SLPP MP Namal Rajapaksa has called for a special presidential commission to investigate undisclosed funds received by various individuals and organisations linked to Aragalaya. One may recall that Aragalaya ceased to be a genuine, leaderless people’s protest campaign after being hijacked by some political forces with hidden agendas. Now that a sinister move to pressure the then Speaker of Parliament to violate the Constitution at the height of Aragalaya more..

Feb 16 (TM) SL’s electricity sector has become a space where economics, political pledges, and the daily worries of citizens collide. What should be a predictable exercise of setting tariffs that reflects costs while protecting consumers has instead unfolded as a cycle of hope, relief, frustration, and uneasy compromise. When the NPP Govt took office in late 2024, it rode a tide of public expectation. After years of economic strain, many looked for relief in the parts of life that hurt the most. more..

Feb 16 (CT) Civil Aviation Authority of SL (CAASL) has released its preliminary report on the aircraft crash at Lake Gregory in Nuwara Eliya on 7 Jan, issued on 10 Feb, confirming that the aircraft sustained substantial damage following gusty crosswinds and a failed go-around during landing. However, aviation experts said that the findings raise significant questions, particularly regarding the accuracy of wind data, as there is more..

Feb 16 (Island) SL awoke on the morning of 13 Feb, to the quiet passing of Professor Tissa Vitarana at his home in Nawala. With him departs not only a towering figure in science and public life, but also a rare national conscience—one that insisted, often against prevailing currents, that science, technology, and innovation must serve the people, the nation, and the future. I had known Prof Vitarana from my early childhood and vividly recall his visits to our home in the 1970s and 1980s more..

Feb 16 (ST) Nineteen Buddhist monks and a dog called Aloka have kept America enthralled on the sidewalks watching the unique spectacle of a marathon parade unfold on its streets, carrying nought but the message: What the world needs now is peace: inner peace. Their silent prayer for inner peace, whispered in every step of their 2300-mile-long walk, has kept Americans spellbound as they followed, from county to county across eight states, the pilgrims’ progress to Washington DC. more..

Feb 16 (TM) Ministry of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources has warned fishermen protesting against the Govt’s ban on the use of tractor-mounted winches for madel (seine net) fishing that the restriction will not be lifted under any circumstances, as the practice has been proven to cause serious damage to marine resources. While expressing willingness to engage in dialogue, authorities stress that environmental more..

Feb 16 (CT) The assassination of Attorney-at-Law Buddhika Mallawarachchi and his wife, W.A. Nisansala, in Akuregoda on 13 February is not merely another violent crime. It is a brazen execution carried out in broad daylight, in a high-security zone near military headquarters, that strikes at the foundations of the rule of law. According to the Police, the couple were shot dead inside their vehicle at around 5:00 p.m. in the car park of a supermarket in Thalangama, Akuregoda. more..

Feb 16 (GV) A group of monks, led by veteran trade unionist Muruththettuwe Ananda Thero, is planning to hold a sangha convention on February 20. They feel insulted and ignored by the powers that be. And they want to save rata, jathiya, agama, sanskruthiya and hediyawa from the powers that be. Since SL is a democracy (however flawed), monks too enjoy the freedom of peaceful assembly guaranteed to all citizens by Article 14(1)(b) of the Constitution. Hopefully, NPP/JVP govt will bear this truth more..