Feb 13 (AD) The office of the Superintendent of Police in Panadura has initiated an investigation following a complaint that a father-of-one, who was arrested by Wadduwa Police, died after vomiting blood at home following his release on police bail. The deceased, Samitha Dilshan, a 24-year-old father-of-one and a resident of the Thalpitiya area in Wadduwa, passed away under these circumstances. The police stated that he was arrested by Wadduwa Police in connection with a vehicle accident, more..

Feb 13 (HT) Climate change-induced gale-force winds, erratic monsoons, and a turbulent sea are now hindering the smooth operation of the India-SL ferry service, which was resumed with much fanfare 17 months ago. Remained in suspended animation for 41 years due to the civil war that ravaged the neighbouring island nation, the age-old sea route was rejuvenated under the joint auspices of PM Modi and then SL Prez Ranil Wikramsinghe. Since its formal launch on Oct 14, 2023, more..

Feb 13 (NW) The Legal Officers’ Association of the Attorney General’s Department has expressed concern over what it says are factually incorrect and misleading media reports regarding legal advice issued by the Attorney General on Jan. 27. In a statement, the association emphasized that proper procedures were followed in advising the discharge of three suspects. It said the decision was made based on all relevant material facts and legal considerations, asserting that more..

Feb 13 (TM) Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs is set to convene a discussion with the relevant ministries, including the military forces, regarding the controversial Tissa Viharaya in Kankesanthurai (KKS). Ministry Secretary A.M.P.M.B. Atapattu stated that the ministry is working to clarify certain confusions related to the temple, given its sensitivity to national unity. He explained that while more..

Feb 13 (AD) CCTV camera footage has surfaced showing Jaffna District MP Ramanathan Archchuna assaulting an individual at a hotel in Jaffna. The incident had occurred following a heated argument at the hotel last night (11). The injured individual, who was attacked with a plate by the MP, has been referred for surgery. Reports indicate that the altercation between the MP and the victim was recorded on a mobile phone by MP Archchuna himself. more..

Feb 13 (DM) Oracle Corporation expressed its willingness to support SL’s digitalization by providing Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI). Announcement was made during the World Governments Summit held in the UAE yesterday (11). Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake met with the Executive Vice Chairman of Oracle Corporation Mike Sicilia. The discussion focused on SL’s digital transformation, the adoption of fintech services, and cloud infrastructure to enhance economic & governance efficiency. more..

Feb 13 (EN) Attorney-General, country’s chief prosecutor, has reversed his earlier decision to discharge three key suspects in the Lasantha Wickrematunge assassination case amid calls for his impeachment. In a dramatic U-turn, AG Parinda Ranasinghe instructed the CID through Senior Assistant Solicitor General Rohantha Abeysuriya that they should not proceed with his instructions dated 27 Jan. more..

Feb 13 (FT) In May 2021, Govt of SL (GOSL) introduced a swift and sudden ban on the importation of all chemical fertilisers, pesticides and herbicides. The administration of then Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa had hoped that this policy of compelling the nation’s farmers to go organic almost overnight – no more subsidised fertiliser – would save State coffers up to US$ 400 million on imports annually. With the implementation of such an abrupt ban, farmers island-wide began to face more..

Feb 13 (FT) Sri Lanka, an island nation strategically located at the crossroads of maritime trade routes, shares a deep and enduring relationship with its closest neighbour, India. Rooted in history, culture, and economic ties, this relationship has evolved into a partnership of strategic significance. In fact, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Vijitha Herath, recently stated that India has always stood by Sri Lanka as a close friend. The govt of PM Narendra Modi, through his Neighbourhood First policy and more..

Feb 13 (EN) Profits at SL’s Digital Mobility Solutions Lanka Plc grew 38% to 292 million rupees in the Dec 2024 quarter as revenues surged amid higher usage. PickMe revenues surged 40% to 1,524 million rupees in the December quarter and operating expenses rose 20% to 464 million rupees. “This revenue growth was primarily driven by a rise in platform usage, with a higher number of users contributing to increased volume,” the firm told shareholders in the quarterly accounts. more..

Feb 13 (DM) A tense situation was reported at the Government Printing Department after a confrontation between a security officer and several employees. The altercation began when the security officer reportedly denied employees permission to leave the premises to purchase food from outside, after they refused to eat at the canteen. During the dispute, the security officer allegedly retrieved a knife from the guardroom and threaten the employees and trade union leaders. more..

Feb 13 (EN) India’s Adani Group has decided to withdraw its wind power deals with SL, the company said in a letter to the island nation’s BOI, after Colombo’s recently elected govt was preparing to renegotiate the project for a lower price. SL’s new govtlast month said it will start discussion with Adani Group over a new power purchase agreement and expected the selling price to the state-run CEB be below 6 US cents per kilowatt-hour from more..

Feb 13 (DM) The Association of Veterinarians for Humane Management of Animal Population is encouraging the public to celebrate this Valentine’s Day (February 14) by providing food and water to starving stray dogs as they are our closest, most adorable, tail-wagging friends. Dr. Chamith Nanayakkara, an advisor to the association, told the Daily Mirror that as dogs have always been humans’ best friends, it is time we spare a little effort to care for them in return. more..

Feb 13 (NW) Water supply has been disconnected to the guards’ division at former Prez Mahinda Rajapaksa’s official residence on Wijerama Mawatha in Colombo 7. The water supply has been disconnected due to the failure to settle an outstanding bill amounting to Rs. 300,000. However, the water supply to the area in the property in which the former prez resides has not been affected. A representative of the former Prez said the water bills for the said property are paid by more..

Feb 13 (CT) The number of new child and adolescent cancer patients diagnosed in Sri Lanka annually exceeds 1,000, according to Consultant Community Physician Dr. Suraj Perera. Addressing the media in view of International Childhood Cancer Day on Saturday (15), Dr. Perera stated that, according to the 2021 National Cancer Registry, 1,032 child cancer cases were diagnosed that year. more..

Feb 13 (AD) Supreme Court’s determination on the petitions filed against the Local Authorities Elections (Special Provisions) Bill is expected to be presented in Parliament tomorrow, during a special Parliamentary sitting. The call on the said special Parliamentary Sitting has been announced through the Extraordinary Gazette Notification No. 2423/04, issued by the Speaker on Feb 10. Accordingly, the Parliament will convene at 9:30 a.m. tomorrow, and the Speaker has informed all MPs to attend. more..

Feb 13 (CT) During a meeting of the Consultative Committee of the Ministry of Trade, Commerce, Food Security, and Cooperative Development, it was revealed that Rs 37 million from the Mahapola Trust Fund had not been returned due to political decisions. These unreturned funds are part of the Rs 97 million allocated previously. The Committee announced that an investigation will be launched to determine the reasons behind this issue. During the session, MPs raised concerns about more..

Feb 13 (EN) In a bid to fix interbank rates to within a few basis points, which leads to excess liquidity, external instability and can bring a second sovereign default closer, SL’s central bank has claimed that the Bank of England had a single policy rate since its inception. “The Bank Rate of the Bank of England, one of the oldest policy rates in the world, has remained a single policy interest rate since its inception in 1694,” the central bank says in its Market Operations report more..

Feb 13 (NW) A meeting to discuss the Action Plan of the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus was held recently (Feb 7) under the patronage of PM Harini Amarasuriya and the Chairperson of the Caucus, Minister of Women and Child Affairs Saroja Savitri Paulraj. The Caucus discussed the possibility of enhancing women’s representation by achieving 25% women’s representation at the Provincial Level. Accordingly, the Caucus looked at the mechanisms of bringing in amendments to the prevailing more..

Feb 13 (NW) Several Opposition political parties have called on the National Election Commission to postpone LG election until after the April New Year. Opposition parties, including the SJB & SLFP, made a written request from Election Commission, citing various reasons. SLFP MP Dayasiri Jayasekera said that election campaigning activities will be affected as the 2025 Budget will be presented in Parliament this month. more..

Feb 13 (NW) Former SL captain Arjuna Ranatunga criticised current cricket players lacking essential skills and blamed franchises for the international game suffering. Ranatunga elaborated on his argument by saying that his 1996 Lankan team would easily defeat the current Indian team in India. “When I was captaining in the early 90s, you look at that batting order as a player… Gavaskar, Vengsarkar, Amarnath. We couldn’t get them out twice…Azharuddin, Tendulkar, Vinod Kambli, more..

Feb 13 (TM) The People’s Struggle Alliance Party (PSA) yesterday pointed out that the non-implementation of the recommendations issued to address various technical issues affecting the power generation process of the Lakvijaya Coal Power Plant in Norochcholai is one of the key concerns that came to light with the islandwide power outage that occurred on 9 February. Alliance’s member Tharindu Uduwaragedara said that when similar power outages occurred in 2020, 2021 and 2023 more..

Feb 13 (DM) Sri Lanka’s vehicle tax structure has come under renewed scrutiny, with tax experts warning that the imposition of the value added tax (VAT) on top of an already VAT-inclusive excise duty has resulted in a tax on tax scenario, making the system unfair and unnecessarily burdensome. Tax professionals this week highlighted that the composite excise tax structure, introduced in 2014, more..

Feb 13 (NW) The inaugural event of the Face to Face: Meet the Minister program, organized by the Ministry of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development, aimed at meeting regional industrialists and entrepreneurs beyond Colombo, addressing the issues they face, and strengthening the production economy, was held at the Hambantota District Secretariat on Wednesday (12). The Face to Face: Meet the Minister program has been launched based on a concept more..

Feb 13 (NW) A discussion took place yesterday between the Swiss Ambassador to SL, Dr. Siri Walt, and Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa at the Opposition Leader’s Office in Colombo. During the meeting, Premadasa requested the Swiss govt’s maximum possible assistance for renewable energy generation projects in SL. He praised Switzerland’s 2023 legislation for transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable energy, describing it as a historic step in addressing climate change. more..

Feb 13 (MoD) In a swift and heroic operation, SL Coast Guard (SLCG) lifesavers successfully rescued 11 individuals who were dragged away by powerful rip currents at Panadura Beach on 12 February at approximately 1710 hrs. However, one person remains missing, and observations are ongoing. The incident occurred when 12 individuals, aged between 12 to 20 years, were caught in a strong rip current and pulled 150 to 200 meters away from the shore. Recognizing the imminent danger, more..

Feb 13 (DM) The 11th contingent of the SL Army Medical Corps (SLAMC) has embarked on its mission to serve at the Level-2 SRIMED Hospital under the UN Peacekeeping Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) on Thursday (13). Commanded by Lt Colonel R.M.D.B Rajapaksha of the SLAMC, with Lt Colonel K.D.P.D.E.A Wijesinghe as the Second-in-Command, the contingent comprises 64 military personnel, including 16 Army Officers, 2 Naval Officers, and 46 Other Ranks. more..

Feb 13 (Island) Chairman of the Public Representations Committee on Constitutional Reforms (PRCCR) Lal Wijenayake said that former Speaker Karu Jayasuriya, in his current capacity as the Chairman of the National Movement for Social Justice (NMSJ), intended to initiate a dialogue with the NPP govt to explore the possibility of advancing the constitutional proposals unveiled during the Yahapalana administration. more..

Feb 13 (CI) 6 for 33 vs India, second ODI, Colombo. SL hadn't won a bilateral ODI series against India since August 1997. They came into this one having lost each of their last six ODIs against India. They came in on the back of losing two unloseable games in a 3-0 T20I defeat. This SL side had finished ninth out of ten teams at the 2023 World Cup, and had missed out on qualifying for the 2025 Champions Trophy. In the soil of Khettarama, however, lay a possible route to redemption. Spin. more..

Feb 13 (CI) 195 not out vs South Africa, third ODI, Potchefstroom. It could not have been scripted better. Athapaththu made history with a career-best score in a record chase. No team in women's ODI cricket had ever successfully chased a score above 300 before, and SL had never even scored 300 in an ODI innings. Ten days before the match, Athapaththu had hinted at international retirement with a series of cryptic social-media posts, but those thoughts were shelved as she set about dismantling more..

Feb 13 (EN) A fringe SL group protested in front of the US Embassy in capital Colombo and urged US President Donald Trump to investigate if the USAID funding was used to oust former leader Gotabaya Rajapaksa through mass protests. Coalition Against Partition of SL, a little known fringe group with dozens of people who claimed to be patriots also urged Trump to take action against current US Amb. for promoting LGBTQ more..

Feb 13 (DM) Since its independence, Sri Lanka has been a recipient of bilateral and multilateral grants, which have supported a range of initiatives such as knowledge transfers, health and education improvements, infrastructure development and vital humanitarian assistance. However, detailed information on these grants has not been widely accessible. To fill this gap, Verité Research has developed an interactive report visualizing data on all formal grants received by more..

Feb 13 (AD) The CID has informed the Colombo Magistrate’s Court today that it has taken steps to seek the Attorney General’s advice regarding legal action against a group of suspects, including SLPP MP Namal Rajapaksa, over the charges of money laundering. The case, pertaining to the allegations that Rajapaksa committed an offence under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act by investing in NR Consultancy (Pvt) Ltd. an amount of Rs. 15 mil, allegedly earned through illegal means more..

Feb 14 (CT) Cancer might not be the most notorious non-communicable disease (NCD) in the world in terms of fatalities but it surely is the most–feared one. Following closely behind cardiovascular diseases, cancer is responsible for the second most deaths worldwide due to NCDs and it is a disease dreaded by many. An oncologist confirming your fears is one of the worst news one can receive but even worse is hearing a child or an adolescent being diagnosed with cancer. more..

Feb 14 (CT) Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD) and the NPP were not voted into power to desecrate the sacred soil of justice. Their primary duty and responsibility was, is and will be upholding the rule of law without any discrimination towards any sect, men, women and children. Theirs is an onerous assignment and an unforgiving mission. Should they choose, willy nilly, to deviate from that path, the rage and wrath of the people would be unstoppable and it should be so. more..