Feb 14 (DM) A 45-years-old businessman who illegally brought a stock of mobile phones and tab computers worth Rs. 300 million was arrested by Customs officers at the BIA. The suspects is a businessman from Kotahena, Colombo 13, who travels overseas very often. He arrived at the airport on February 1 at 4:30 PM on Qatar Airways flight QR-654. However, his luggage was not on the same flight. However, later the businessman's luggage was sent to the BIA on a different flight. more..

Feb 14 (Island) Director of the National Eye Hospital in Colombo, Consultant Ophthalmologist Dr. Jayaruwan Bandara, has lodged a complaint with the Ministry of Health, alleging that a group, including the hospital’s chef and kitchen supervisor, forcibly entered his office and threatened him over an ongoing investigation. Dr Bandara said that he had questioned a kitchen inspector and two employees regarding the theft of food that occurred on 10 February. He said he believed that more..

Feb 14 (AP) A federal judge ordered the Trump administration on Thursday to temporarily lift a three-week funding freeze that has shut down U.S. aid and development work worldwide, citing the sweeping damage that the sudden shutdown has done to the nonprofits and other organizations that help carry out U.S. assistance overseas. The court ruling was the second to deliver a major setback for the Trump administration more..

Feb 14 (AD) CID has initiated an investigation into allegations that SLPP MP Namal Rajapaksa sat for the SL Law College examination in an unlawful manner. The complaint was filed by an organization named The Purawesi Balaya against Bribery, Corruption, and Waste, which claims that MP Rajapaksa unlawfully obtained his law degree with the assistance of two attorneys. The organization has called for a formal investigation into the matter, urging that appropriate legal action be taken, more..

Feb 14 (FT) With a packed audience including politicians, academics, researchers, media personalities and civil society leaders, the Budget symposium themed ‘Budgeting for the future – prioritising inclusion and equity’ was held last week. Coalition for Inclusive Impact (CII) Director and WFD Country Director Sanje Vignaraja delivering opening remarks said that the CII together with other stakeholders has organised the event to discuss the Appropriation Bill for 2025 that was presented more..

Feb 14 (TM) Sri Lanka will achieve the tax targets of the IMF through budget 2025, while the govt will have to balance relief for people, Bloomberg Economics said. Accordingly, it said that SL’s President Anura Kumara Dissanayake needs to accommodate two conflicting objectives in this year’s budget - providing relief to the crisis-weary population through tax cuts and more welfare spending as he promised, and sticking to the fiscal consolidation path set out by the IMF. more..

Feb 14 (EN) Supreme Court has ruled that clauses 2 and 3 of the Local Authorities Elections (Special Provisions) bill, in particular, are inconsistent with Article 12(1) of SL’s Constitution, Speaker of Parliament said. “The majority of the [3 judge] bench had held that the Bill read as a whole and in particularly Clauses 2 and 3 is inconsistent with Article 12(1) of the Constitution and can be only passed with the special majority required under paragraph (2) of Article 84,” more..

Feb 14 (CI) A shorthanded Australia will enter the Champions Trophy bereft of confidence and desperate for answers after a hefty 2-0 ODI series defeat to SL. SL's massive 174-run victory in the 2nd ODI in Colombo was set up by Kusal Mendis and captain Charith Asalanka powering them to 281. Kusal made 101 off 115 balls, and had strong partnerships with Asalanka and Nishan Madushka, before Australia were routed for just 107 more..

Feb 14 (AD) A forest fire that broke out yesterday (13) in the Ella Rock area, near the popular Ella tourist town, has rapidly spread across an area of around 20 acres by this morning, according to reports. DMC confirmed that around 10 acres of the forest reserve has already been destroyed in the blaze. The fire had broken out at around 4 p.m. yesterday in the Ravana Ella forest reserve, located within the Ella Police Division. However, authorities now suspect that the fire was set intentionally. more..

Feb 14 (AD) A vehicle belonging to Puttalam District NPP Parliamentarian Mohamed Faisal was involved in an accident in Wennappuwa this morning (14), resulting in the death of a motorcyclist. According to police reports, the accident occurred in the Haldaduwana area in Koswatta, while the vehicle was en route to the Parliament. Preliminary investigations indicate that the MP’s vehicle veered off the road and collided with a motorcycle approaching from the opposite direction. more..

Feb 14 (Island) The leader of Yuthukama civil society group Gevindu Cumaratunga said that the public should oppose former Speaker Karu Jayasuriya’s call for the implementation of the Yahapalana govt’s Orumithanadu federal proposals. Cumaratunga said that he was quite surprised and disappointed by the former Speaker’s move made in his current capacity as Chairman of the National Movement for Social Justice (NMSJ). more..

Feb 14 (TM) SSP Buddhika Manathunga stated that legal action will be initiated against Jaffna District Independent MP Dr. Ramanathan Archchuna in connection with the recent assault incident. He addressed questions regarding the lack of action over the matter, noting that his position as an MP does not grant him any special privileges or exemptions from the law. “Being an MP has not given him any special privileges or exemptions from the law. As a representative of the more..

Feb 14 (CT) Lahiru Weerasekara, a youth activist and National Organiser of Youth for Change (YFC) criticised the stalwarts who established the Govt through protests yet attempted to suppress protests with State power. He said that the Govt has not been able to keep the election pledges such as reducing the VAT, reducing the prices of oil, increasing pensions, increasing the salaries of public servants, recruiting employees to the public service, etc. He added that the Govt attributed more..

Feb 14 (FT) On 20 Jan, a mom-entous event unfolded at the NIBM School of Business as they celebrated a monumental milestone – 50 years of pioneering education in SL. To commemorate this occasion, NIBM School of Business proudly signed a MoU with Unilever SL, marking a significant step in furthering the opportunities available to NIBM students. MoU, signed by Unilever SL HR Director Ajith Thomas and NIBM Director General Dr. D.M.A. Kulasooriya signals a new era of more..

Feb 14 (CT) Officials from Agriculture Dept and District Secretariat have highlighted that while the whitefly infestation, which had previously spread rapidly in the Northern Province, had subsided due to cold weather conditions, it has now begun to re-emerge. It was noted that the infestation is affecting not only coconut trees but also other crops. Over this issue, Northern Province Governor N. Vethanayagan has directed authorities to take immediate action to control the spread of whitefly infestation, more..

Feb 14 (EN) Active credit cards in SL rose by 2.8% or 53,045 in 2024. With SL’s economic recovery and strong promotions for credit cards amid falling interest rates. The number of active credit cards recorded 1,970,130 by end December, compared to 1,917,085 by the end of 2023. The number of active credit cards has increased by 19,076 in Dec 2024. Analysts said most banks have tied up with super markets & other vendors more..

Feb 14 (NW) A new National Sports Council was appointed Friday by Youth and Sports Minister Sunil Kumara Gamage to provide guidance on the development, promotion, and governance of sports in Sri Lanka. Former Sri Lanka rugby captain Priyantha Ekanayake has been named chairman of the council. Ekanayake has previously served as chairman of both the Sri Lanka and Asian Rugby Unions and has played professional rugby in New Zealand and Wales. more..

Feb 14 (AD) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake has appointed Most Ven. Dr. Gallelle Sumanasiri Thera as the Chancellor of Rajarata University. The official letter of appointment was presented to Most Ven. Dr. Gallelle Sumanasiri Thera this afternoon by the Secretary to the Prez Nandika Kumanayake. Most Ven. Dr. Gallelle Sumanasiri Thera, who has been appointed as the Chancellor of the Rajarata Uni, is the Chief Incumbent of Harankahawa Molagoda Rajamaha Viharaya. more..

Feb 14 (AD) Attorney General has filed indictments in the Colombo High Court against Yoshitha Rajapaksa, the second son of former Prez Mahinda Rajapaksa, and his grandmother Daisy Forrest Wickremesinghe under the Money Laundering Act. AG has filed the indictments against these defendants for failing to disclose how they acquired lands and properties at Sirimalwatta Uyana in Ratmalana and Dehiwala areas valued at more..

Feb 14 (NW) Two, including a social media activist, have been arrested for defrauding Rs. 2.9 million online under a fake account identified as Little Harts. The suspects had defrauded the public by collecting donations under the fake account. Investigations by the Computer Crime Investigation Division of the Police had led to the arrest of the two suspects yesterday. 28-year-old social media activist, identified as Dulan Maheshitha, was arrested in Pallivasalthurai area in Kalpitiya. more..

Feb 14 (NF) An expert committee has been appointed to overlook the process of cleaning the Beira Lake and submit recommendations for its development. Minister Anura Karunathilaka said that the committee will consist of 12 experts in the field. Despite several attempts to clean the lake, previous projects have not yielded successful results. The Minister revealed that 21 sewage channels in Colombo, including four major ones, currently flow into the Beira Lake. more..

Feb 15 (CT) Addressing the nation on the 77th Independence Day more than a week back, Prez Anura Kumara sought to make the people a part of the struggle to ‘attain comprehensive economic, social and cultural freedom’ and not just expectant beneficiaries after they had put him and his comrades in elected power last year. He dubbed it too Aragalaya, which has a context and content of its own in the nation’s contemporary social, political & economic history. more..

Feb 15 (ST) At a time that even the US wants to increase tariffs on imports, is there a problem if SL too increases its import controls to promote local production? This is a question that I received from a reader of my column. He had sent it referring particularly to my recent articles in this column on SL’s protectionist policies resulting in higher domestic prices of rice and other food stuff. If and when SL also develops to the US level in the future, we can then engage in this comparison more..

Feb 15 (TM) A dearth of evaluators and a lack of regulation of driving schools are creating challenges for the Dept of Motor Traffic (DMT), which experts say is contributing to dangerous roads. DMT Assistant Commissioner Sujeewa Tennakoon noted that on any given day, an evaluator oversaw about 40 trials, which included verification of identity, estimation of training, verification of documents and medical documents, more..

Feb 15 (TM) According to recent Govt statements, all State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) are set to undergo reforms to improve governance and prevent corruption. The Boards of Directors of SOEs are to determine whether continuation, reforms, or private capital are necessary. In this context, the nature of anti-corruption reforms to be implemented and the measures to ensure sustainability are critical concerns. Minister Nalinda Jayatissa stated that in order to implement governance and more..

Feb 15 (DM) Truth, the idiom goes is often stranger than fiction. Our country seems to embody this truism. Days ago we were jolted when media reported the Attorney General -whose independent status has withstood numerous changes as per the Constitution- advised law enforcement authorities that there was insufficient evidence to prosecute the three persons accused of abducting the driver of - Lasantha Wickrematunge- Editor of the now defunct Sunday Leadernewspaper. more..

Feb 15 (DM) The first part of this article published last week briefly outlined the history of SL’s national anthem being sung in Tamil. In this second and final part, the focus would be on the regress and progress of the national anthem rendition in Tamil over the years. As stated earlier the Tamil national anthem issue is in a sense symptomatic of the escalating ethnic crisis in SL. All things changed utterly in SL as the ethnic conflict escalated more..

Feb 15 (ST) Ven Wathawana Sirisumana Nayake Thera was conferred the title Deputy Chief Sangha Nayake of the Kotte Raja Maha Vihara Chapter of the Kotte Sri Kalyani Samagri Dharma Maha Sangh Sabha of the Siam Sect yesterday at the Siam Royal Temple. Born on Apr 15, 1958 in Imaduwa, Galle, he was ordained at the age of 10 years under the tutelage of Ven Wathawana Dharmarama Nayake Thera at the Sri Saddharama Purana Vidyalaya. Thera continued his monastic education more..

Feb 15 (DM) A bizarre situation has arisen in the country where Opposition parties fear to speak about the past while the ruling NPP fears to speak about the present. This is clearly evident during the talk-shows telecast in various TV channels. The politicians of the Opposition parties during these talk-shows are very fond of discussing the current issues on the rice prices, coconut shortage and the island-wide power outage that happened last Sunday after which a short power-cut more..

Feb 15 (Island) Norochcholai coal-fired power plant, which came to a standstill on Sunday due to an emergency grid shutdown across the country, shuddered back into life yesterday, feeding the starved grid. CEB announced that there would be no more power cuts. The public, troubled by planned power outages, which are as problematic as unplanned ones, must have heaved a sigh of relief. However, there is no guarantee that the problems that caused the Norochcholai plant shutdown more..

Feb 15 (Island) TNPF leader and MP Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam has been summoned to appear before the Mallakam Court on 14 Feb for allegedly organising a protest in Jaffna in defiance of a court order. The court order was issued following information received by the Kankesanthurai Police that a group led by MP Ponnambalam was planning to stage a demonstration in front of the Tissa Rajamaha Viharaya in Kankesanthurai. The order explicitly prohibited any form of protest within more..

Feb 15 (ST) Dengue mosquitoes from the past as old as the 1920s, a colony of cockroaches from the present, snow-white rabbits, a flock of sheep ensconced within premises in the very heart of bustling Borella, along with state-of-the-art machines, advanced technology and trailblazing work and research. The Medical Research Institute (MRI), soon to have a name-change to the National Reference Laboratory Centre for Bio-medical more..

Feb 15 (FT) SL’s tourist arrivals have shown a strong growth, rising 17% year-on-year (YoY) in the first half of February with 115,043 visitors welcomed. This has also propelled the year-to-date arrivals surpass 370,000 tourists in the first 14 days, marking a 20% YoY increase compared to the same period in 2024. The daily arrival average climbed to 8,849 visitors from 7,573 during the same period last year. Industry analysts opined that if the current pace continues, SL could see just over 250,000 arrivals in Feb more..

Feb 15 (FT) Colombo stock market yesterday ended the week on the up thanks to a strong uptick in indices amidst improved turnover. ASPI and active S&P SL20 gained by 2% thereby enhancing the week’s increase to 1.2% and 0.9% respectively. Earlier in the week the indices were bearish. Turnover yesterday was Rs. 5 billion, above the week’s average of Rs. 3.2 billion. Brokers and analysts welcomed the rebound ahead of the 2025 Budget to be presented on Monday by Prez more..

Feb 15 (FT) The Hayleys Group has maintained its strong growth momentum during the first nine months of the financial year ending 31 March 2025, recording a 53% y-o-y increase in Profit Before Tax to Rs. 22.52 billion. Performance was upheld by improvements in the core results of several key verticals as the Group leveraged its diversity to remain resilient to external challenges as well as ongoing focus on operating efficiencies and effective management of finance costs. more..