Feb 23 (Island) Environmental groups have raised fresh concerns over increasing levels of coal ash generated at the Norochcholai Coal Power Plant, warning of serious environmental and public health risks if proper disposal mechanisms are not urgently implemented. CEJ Chairman Hemantha Withanage, in a strongly-worded comment, said the growing volume of ash was being treated as a blessing by authorities, while, in reality, it posed a major ecological threat. more..

Feb 23 (TM) Although the GMOA was engaged in several trade union actions over the past two months — most recently refraining from submitting essential data to the Ministry — Deputy Minister of Health Dr Hansaka Wijemuni said the broader medical community continues to provide uninterrupted services to patients. Speaking to The Daily Morning regarding the Ministry’s position on the ongoing trade union measures, he said nearly 90% of the demands put forward by the GMOA were financial in nature. more..

Feb 23 (TM) The Central Environmental Authority (CEA) has instructed that all construction activities related to the proposed Jaffna International Cricket Stadium and Sports Complex on Mandaitivu Island be halted until the environmental approval process is completed. CEA Director General Kapila Mahesh Rajapaksha said the Authority had issued a Project Outline Report (POR) to Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) as part of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) procedure. more..

Feb 23 (Island) Only one MP has chosen not to receive the salaries and allowances entitled to MPs, PM Harini Amarasuriya revealed in Parliament last Thursday, shedding light on the financial perks enjoyed by members of the Tenth Parliament. Speaking on Thursday PM outlined the full range of pay and allowances provided to parliamentarians. According to Dr. Amarasuriya, MPs receive a monthly allowance of Rs. 54,285, an entertainment allowance of Rs. 1,000, more..

Feb 23 (CT) Minister Vijitha Herath, underscored the Govt’s commitment to advancing the national policy framework, A Thriving Nation – A Beautiful Life, under the leadership of Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment & Tourism on Thursday hosted a Media Networking Reception in Colombo, last Friday bringing together more than 175 journalists and media professionals representing a broad spectrum of local and international media institutions. more..

Feb 23 (DM) The debate in Parliament on the alleged purchase of inferior quality coal yesterday led to the disclosure that the deal has cost the govt approximately Rs 7.9 billion. SJB MP S. M. Marikkar, who is also the Chairman of the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Infrastructure Development and who moved the debate, said SL govt has suffered losses amounting to Rs 7.9 billion as a result of purchasing eight shipments of coal. “The losses incurred from the first shipment are Rs 595.1 million, more..

Feb 23 (AD) The govt has announced a comprehensive review of long-standing laws across multiple sectors, with plans to amend outdated statutes and regulations to better align with present-day needs. The Minister Prof. Chandana Abayarathna made the announcement while addressing the inaugural session of a programme introducing legal reforms to public officials. Minister said cabinet approval has already been granted on two occasions, under the leadership of the President, more..

Feb 23 (AD) A 90-day detention order has been obtained to question the suspected gunman arrested in connection with the killing of a lawyer and his wife in Akuregoda, the Homagama Divisional Crime Investigation Bureau said. The detention order has been issued under the provisions of the Prevention of Terrorism Act, enabling investigators to detain and interrogate the suspect for an extended period. The suspect was arrested in Delduwa, Ambalangoda by a team of officers yesterday, following more..

Feb 23 (TM) The container congestion at the Colombo Port is expected to be cleared by today (22) if importers and their agents work cooperatively with SL Customs and show up in order to clear their items. As of 12.30 p.m. yesterday (21), three passes for food containers were pending at the North Container Terminal (NCT) gate. Meanwhile, a total of 258 passes were issued from Wednesday (18) to Saturday (21), with the highest number issued on Friday (136 passes) more..

Feb 23 (Island) When Bathiya & Santhush took their seats alongside Rohit Sachdev, CEO and Founder of Soho Hospitality, at a recent press briefing in Colombo, it seemed at first like a courtesy appearance. Moments later, it became the headline: the duo were introduced as co-investors in Charcoal Tandoor Fire Grill’s Colombo debut. That revelation that Bathiya and Santhush are not merely endorsing but co-owning the restaurant venture alongside Sanken Lanka, the company behind the more..

Feb 23 (NW) The Oxford Union has cancelled a planned speaking event featuring SLPP MP Namal Rajapaksa, following backlash from Tamil student groups and campaigners. The Cambridge Union had previously cancelled his scheduled appearance, citing security concerns linked to planned protests. According to UK student newspaper Cherwell, Oxford Union President Katherine Yang said the decision was taken after concerns were raised about students’ ability to participate freely. more..

Feb 23 (ST) With business travel growing alongside MICE events, SL has secured a bid to host the prestigious US-based International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP)’s 34th World Congress in Colombo in around June 2027. MICE stands for Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions. “We had 13 proposals to host this conference from across the world. However the IASP board had made it clear that they wanted the host to come from a lower and middle income country. more..

Feb 23 (ST) Indian PM Narendra Modi raised the progress and delays of ongoing Indian projects in SL when he held a meeting on Friday with Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake on the sidelines of the AI Impact Expo 2026 held in New Delhi. Minister Vajitha Herath said that Mr Modi had inquired about the Indian-funded projects and investments during the talks. He said that the Indian PM had inquired if additional assistance was needed in the wake of the destruction caused by Cyclone Ditwah and more..

Feb 23 (TM) SL has completed the technical evaluations for the proposed Terminal 2 at the BIA and handed them over to the JICA, with the process expected to conclude by around August this year, according to the Ministry of Ports and Civil Aviation. Deputy Minister Janitha Kodithuwakku stated that after the current Govt had assumed office, discussions with JICA had been conducted and tenders had been called for the project with two Japanese contractors having submitted bids. more..

Feb 23 (FT) OMICRON recently officially launched the CPX 200 ecosystem, a compact multifunctional test set for commissioning, maintenance, and condition assessment of medium- and high-voltage assets, at a special event held at the Galadari Hotel, in collaboration with its local partner, Olex Projects Ltd. Event brought together representatives from the CEB, LECO, and many other leading organisations within SL’s power and industrial sectors. OMICRON has maintained a strong presence in SL since the early 2000s, more..

Feb 23 (FT) Global Steering Group (GSG) for Impact Investment Japan Chief Executive Officer Masataka Uo framed impact investing as part of a broader transformation of capitalism itself. Addressing the first-ever Lanka Impact Investment Summit 2026 in Colombo recently, he said: “Promoting impact investing is not only about creating new financial products. It is about creating a new form of capitalism.” Referring to Adam Smith’s invisible hand theory, he added: “Today, we need to activate more..

Feb 23 (FT) More than 20 pieces of legislation are at various stages of review and are expected to be implemented within the year, Treasury Secretary Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma said last week, outlining the reform agenda set out in the 2026 Budget. With the Govt earning acclaim for stabilising the economy and creating buffers that are now helping the country absorb Ditwah-related shocks, the focus on the reforms agenda is intensifying, particularly those related to more..

Feb 23 (ST) SL veteran badminton players won an impressive tally of 25 medals at the IMGA Open Masters Games Abu Dhabi 2026, pocketing nine each of gold and silver medals and an addition of seven bronze medals. SL shuttlers were among the top performers of the multi-sport event annually organised and conducted by the International Masters Games Association, where over 25000 athletes of above 30 years competed under 38 different sports disciplines during Feb 6 and 15 in Abu Dhabi. more..

Feb 23 (DN) Former SL Captain Kumar Sangakkara joined with two other former SL cricketers Russell Arnold and Angelo Mathews for the SL – England T-20 cricket super eight game’s int'l cricket commentary yesterday at the Pallekele Cricket Stadium. This is the first time three SL cricketers present at the commentary box. Angelo Mathews who got retired from Test cricket last year still involving domestic cricket and for the first time he joined the international cricket commentary in this T -20 World Cup. more..

Feb 23 (CMC) Jannillea Glasgow’s brave effort with the bat fell just short for the second consecutive match, as Sri Lanka Women recorded a tense 14-run win over West Indies Women on Sunday, to clinch their One Day International series with a match remaining. Glasgow struck an even half century, her second of the series, but West Indies Women were dismissed for 194 in 48 overs in pursuit of SL’s total of 208 in 47.1 overs at the National Stadium. It gave the visitors an unassailable 2-0 lead more..

Feb 23 (CI) SL's batters could have taken better options, according to Vikram Rathour, after the hosts crashed to 95 all out against England, chasing 147. Rathour has been the side's batting consultant since January, but SL have been a modest T20 batting side for years now, falling short of the Super Eight in the last T20 World Cup, and having had to qualify for the two previous iterations. And still, in front of a full house in Pallekele, and with a relatively low total to chase, more..

Feb 23 (CI) England have jumped to the top of Group 2 of the Super Eight with a dominant, Net Run Rate-boosting 51-run win over SL in Pallekele. In pursuit of what should have been a manageable target of 147, the hosts were snuffed out for 95 in an error-strewn innings that continued a grim 12-match losing streak to England, who lead Pakistan and NZ by a point after their washout on Saturday. Yet again, Will Jacks came to the fore - only this time with the ball. more..

Feb 23 (Island) The govt has introduced two Bills, namely, Rent (Repeal) Bill and Protection of Occupants Bill which – if enacted – will have the effect of radically reforming the rent laws of our country. These two Bills were gazetted in Sept 2025 and tabled in Parliament on 20th Jan. Although several petitions were filed before the Supreme Court, challenging the constitutionality of these Bills, Attorney-General informed the court that the two Bills would not be proceeded with in their present form, more..

Feb 23 (Island) The JVP-NPP govt is in overdrive trying to defend the indefensible. Its MPs and propagandists are all out to mislead the public into believing that the procurement of coal from a new company for the Norochcholai power plant has been free from malpractice. Theirs is a Sisyphean task. The Opposition has produced a recent report issued by the CEB to support its argument that the last eight shiploads of coal were low quality and have caused huge losses to the state coffers. more..

Feb 23 (ST) It is doubtful that anyone, including academics and politicians, emotionally calling upon Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake to issue a presidential pardon for the twelve accused sentenced to death for the brutal killing of a MP and his security officer in the thick of the aragalaya (peoples’ protest) in 2022, had actually taken the time, trouble and the energy to read the majority verdict of the Trial-at-Bar of the Gampaha High Court. No such considered scrutiny appears to have taken place. more..

Feb 23 (CT) From the time the search for reconciliation began after the end of the war in 2009 and before the NPP’s victories at the presidential election and the parliamentary election in 2024, there have been four presidents and four gots who variously engaged with the task of reconciliation. From last to first, they were Ranil Wickremesinghe, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Maithripala Sirisena and Mahinda Rajapaksa. They had nothing in common between them except they were all different from more..

Feb 23 (CT) Thirty-eight years completed on 16 Feb since the assassination of Vijaya Kumaratunga — an actor adored by millions, a politician of growing influence, and a figure many regarded as a rare humanist in a time of brutality. Even today, questions linger. Who truly killed Vijaya? What was gained by silencing a man so widely loved? Among his admirers, another question still surfaces with quiet anguish: how could anyone bring themselves to murder someone like him? more..

Feb 23 (CT) The call by the Committee for Protecting Rights of Prisoners (CPRP) for dedicated detention facilities for transgender individuals demands serious and measured consideration. Its Chairman, Attorney-at-Law Senaka Perera, has urged the authorities to establish distinct sections within prisons to accommodate transgender detainees, rather than defaulting to the conventional male or female wards. At present, most transgender individuals who are arrested are placed in male wards, irrespective of their gender identity. more..

Feb 23 (TM) President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s address at the recent AI summit in India, was both timely and ambitious. He spoke of a future shaped by artificial intelligence, digital innovation, and technological self-reliance. He emphasised that Sri Lanka must not remain on the margins of this transformation, but actively participate in shaping it. It was a speech that resonated with optimism, particularly for a country seeking renewed momentum after years of economic strain. more..

Feb 23 (TM) “How a society treats its most vulnerable is always the measure of its humanity.” The words, spoken by former Ambassador of the UK Mission to the United Nations (UN) Matthew Rycroft at a 2015 Security Council debate on children and armed conflict, resonate far beyond the chambers of the UN. In Sri Lanka, they carry particular weight. Children remain among the most vulnerable in society, yet the systems designed to protect them are under severe strain. more..

Feb 23 (DM) Sri Lanka can no longer treat climate change as a distant issue discussed only at global conferences. It is unfolding before our eyes. From increased rainfall and stronger winds to deadly landslides and floods, the weather patterns we once relied on are changing rapidly. Lives are being lost. Homes are being destroyed. Yet as a country, we still seem to be reacting instead of preparing. In recent years up to 2026, Sri Lanka has experienced repeated natural disasters. more..

Feb 23 (DM) Parliament has embarked on an ambitious reform of long-standing political privileges, sparking intense debate over fiscal responsibility, fairness, and the future of the public service. In recent months, lawmakers have moved to abolish both parliamentary pensions and state-funded entitlements for former presidents, measures aimed at curbing perceived excesses and reshaping political culture. Minister Harshana Nanayakkara presented the Presidents’ Entitlements (Repeal) Bill, more..