Feb 21 (FT) In his spirited Budget speech, Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake described the priority for the first Budget of the NPP Govt as thus: “Mass struggles and last year’s election saw people asserting their political rights. What is necessary is for economic rights to be similarly asserted. This is the philosophy of this Budget.” As the Prez rightly pointed out, a national Budget is not merely a technocratic exercise of allocating State funds to various ministries for the year, more..

Feb 21 (AD) Middeniya Police are conducting further investigations into a triple murder that occurred in the Middeniya Police Division on February 18, in which a father and his two children were killed following a shooting incident. Three suspects, including a police constable, have been arrested in connection with the incident that resulted in the deaths of three individuals, including a six-year-old girl and a 9-year-old boy, on Tuesday night. Police said that during the investigations, more..

Feb 21 (EN) SL has not taken a decision to change vehicle taxes that have already been announced, Minister Anil Jayantha said. “The govt has not taken decision to reduce the taxes, or reduce prices,” Minister Jayantha said explaining comments made at a post-cabinet briefing Thursday about vehicle taxes in the future. “What we can say is the we have progressively relaxed the imports, in three stages for goods, public transport and cars. We have clearly indicated the taxes. more..

Feb 21 (FT) Ever bought a pair of abibas slides from Pettah? Or some Colvin Klean underwear? No harm if you have (reputational harm doesn’t count). But how safe would you feel buying the abibas version of a heart medicine? They appear the same, and objectively fulfil the same function – they’re just manufactured in unregulated conditions at a fraction of the cost. So, are they truly identical? This is the fundamental question when it comes to generic medicines versus brand-name drugs. more..

Feb 21 (NW) Number Portability Service for mobile phones will be implemented in SL from next June, officials from the Ministry of Digital Economy said during a meeting with the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Digital Economic Affairs. Ministerial Consultative Committee on Digital Economic Affairs discussed the possibility of mobile phone users regaining the same mobile phone number they used when changing their more..

Feb 21 (EN) SL has become a signatory to a UN agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ), its Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. “Joining the BBNJ Agreement will enhance SL’s potential to receive assistance for capacity-building projects, transfer of technology, and knowledge sharing in the country’s efforts in marine conservation.” SL signed the agreement at the UN HQ in New York on Thursday. more..

Feb 21 (Island) Health Professionals’ Association has announced plans to take strong professional action unless the recent govt decision to reduce overtime and leave entitlements for full-time and part-time medical and nursing staff. This ultimatum came during a meeting held in Colombo on Feb 19, where several health workers’ unions gathered to discuss the implications of the budgetary changes. Ravi Kumudesh, President of the Health Professionals’ Association, said that more..

Feb 21 (ST) A midst a continuing diplomatic spat over Sri Lanka’s right to claim an extended continental shelf beyond the 200 nautical miles Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) a local expert has called for a Task Force of knowledgeable persons to make representations on behalf of the country at relevant international forums. He underscored the importance of working with India to secure its maritime claims. more..

Feb 21 (NW) Opposition MP Chamara Sampath Dassanayake slammed authorities for making the shooter involved in the murder of underworld kingpin Ganemulla Sanjeewa a hero. Addressing the Parliament, MP criticised the manner in which media related to the incident was handled, where inappropriate pictures of the gunman had been shared online. “Do not let them share pictures of the gunman. Look at the pictures, the criminal seems to be displaying affectionate behaviour with more..

Feb 21 (AD) Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court has ordered to remand until March 7, the police officer arrested in connection with the investigations into the murder of notorious underworld figure Sanjeewa Kumara Samararathne, alias Ganemulla Sanjeewa. Additionally, the court has ordered the detention and interrogation of the driver who allegedly transported the suspected shooter. A police officer attached to the Negombo Police Station was arrested yesterday over his alleged links with Ishara Sewwandi, more..

Feb 21 (FT) What started as a simple food truck rolling through the streets of Colombo has become something much bigger. Crepe Runner, SL’s favourite crepe brand, has officially gone global. With branches now open in India and Qatar, two successful outlets already thriving in the Maldives, and big plans to hit the Philippines soon, the journey has only just begun. This isn’t just another QSR story. It’s about taking Sri Lankan flavours, culture, and hustle to the world stage. more..

Feb 21 (NW) Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne says complaints on the actions of Jaffna District MP Archchuna Ramanathan will be forwarded to the Parliament’s Privileges Committee for further action. Speaker said the special committee appointed under the leadership of Deputy Chairperson of Committees MP Hemali Weerasekera has investigated and submitted its recommendations. He further said the committee comprised NPP MP Hemali Weerasekera, Minister Vijitha Herath, more..

Feb 21 (TM) Sri Lanka’s reliance on domestic market borrowing will remain high in 2025, mainly through treasury bonds (T-bonds) as it looks to finance the budget by Rs. 2.1 trillion through non-bank borrowing, Standard Chartered Global Research said. The 2025 fiscal deficit target of 6.7% of GDP translates to a net financing requirement of Rs. 2.2 trillion, an 8% increase from 2024’s revised estimate of Rs. 2.04 trillion. more..

Feb 21 (AD) The CEB says that it is making significant progress toward launching the Maha Oya Pumped Storage Hydropower Project, SL’s first-ever Water Battery. This groundbreaking 600 MW initiative will store excess renewable energy from solar and wind sources, ensuring grid stability and supporting SL’s goal of generating 70% of its electricity from renewables by 2030. The project, located in Aranayake and Nawalapitiya, will feature two reservoirs connected by a 2.5 km tunnel, more..

Feb 21 (AD) Ven. Dr. Gallelle Sumanasiri Thero, who was appointed as Chancellor of the Rajarata Uni on 10 Feb, has tendered his resignation from the position. In his resignation letter sent to the President’s Secretary, Thero has stated that if his appointment to the position has caused distress to anyone, disagreement, or disruption to the peace that should prevail within the Maha Sangha, he considers the peace within the Maha Sangha to be more supreme than holding such a position. more..

Feb 21 (PMD) President Anura Kumara Disanayake stated that govt’s aspiration is to elevate Sri Lanka, currently not a competitor in the field of innovation, to a comparable status with other countries, emphasizing that digitalization will play a crucial role in achieving this objective. Prez highlighted the necessity of implementing significant transformations within the innovation sector to meet these goals. more..

Feb 21 (NW) The body of a man with gunshot wounds had been found on the Uswetakeiyawa beach in Ja-Ela based on an anonymous call received by the Police this morning. Accordingly, officials from the Pamunugama Police had inspected the Morganwatte beach in Uswetakeiyawa where they had found the body. The body had been found with gunshot injuries, while the Police had seized 09 empty bullets and a live bullet from a T-56 firearm nearby. Preliminary investigations have more..

Feb 21 (CT) KIST is proud to announce its partnership with the Scaling Up Nutrition People’s Forum (SUNPF) for Sri Lanka's first-ever Fruit Festival, taking place on 21 and 22 Feb 2025 at the Colombo Public Library premises, with free entry for all attendees. This event will emphasise the importance of incorporating local fruits into daily life and highlight the sustainable practices driving SL’s agricultural sector. “As a member of the Cargills Group, KIST has long been committed to more..

Feb 21 (FT) SL Export Development Board (EDB), the host institution of SheTrades SL Hub, in collaboration with the International Trade Centre (ITC), successfully conducted a two-day training on Branding and Digital Marketing under the SheTrades Commonwealth+ program, funded by UK International Development. The training, held on 13 and 14 Feb, in Colombo, was designed to enhance the branding, social media presence, and digital marketing capabilities of 40 export-oriented more..

Feb 21 (DM) It has been brought to the attention of the Daily Mirror and Lankadeepa that some websites and social media pages are misusing the Daily Mirror and Lankadeepa online logos with an intention to deceive the general public. These online platforms shows articles which have not been authored by any journalists of the Daily Mirror or Lankadeepa and redirects to various third party websites which are not in any way connected to the Daily Mirror, Lankadeepa or Wijeya more..

Feb 21 (AD) India and SL held a meeting to strengthen ties between both the countries in the areas of critical minerals, exploration, and mining. The discussions focused on fostering bilateral cooperation in mineral exploration and mining, particularly in securing critical minerals essential for both nations’ economic and industrial growth, the Ministry of Mines said. Union Minister of State for Coal and Mines Satish Chandra more..

Feb 21 (EN) Sri Lanka is expecting about 1.2% of gross domestic product in taxes from vehicle imports in 2025, Minister Anil Jayantha said. Vehicle imports will also contribute to other economic activities he said. SL has budgeted total revenues to go up to to 4,960 billion rupees in 2025 (15% of GDP) from 4031 billion in 2024 (13.4% of GDP). Tax revenues are expected to go up by up 885 billion rupees from 4,031 billion rupees (13.4% of GDP) to 4,590 billion rupees (13.9% of GDP). more..

Feb 21 (DM) The Colombo High Court today rejected the preliminary objections raised by former Governor of the Central Bank, Ajith Nivard Cabraal and four others in connection with a case involving the purchase of Treasury Bills in 2012. The defence had challenged the maintainability of the indictments filed against them. However, Colombo High Court Judge R.S.S. Sapuvida ruled to proceed with the indictments after dismissing the preliminary objections raised by the defence. more..

Feb 21 (NW) A decision was made to appoint a special COPE subcommittee to investigate irregularities that have taken place in the National Youth Services Council and its affiliated institutions in the past. This decision was taken during a meeting of the COPE, held yesterday at Parliament Chaired by MP Nishantha Samaraweera, to review the Auditor General’s reports related to the National Youth Services Council more..

Feb 21 (AM) ITAK MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam has urged President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to take immediate steps to release military-occupied lands in the Eastern Province and investigate past atrocities committed by the notorious Tripoli Platoon. Speaking at the inaugural meeting of the Parliamentary Advisory Committee on Defence, chaired by the President at the parliamentary complex yesterday, Rasamanickam raised these concerns. more..

Feb 21 (Island) Minister Dr Nalinda Jayatissa told Parliament on Tuesday that the govt would soon publish information of frauds and the names of those who benefited from the frauds that took place in the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation. “We will submit a report on how the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation was made a loss-making entity and how the ministers of that time were involved. We will reveal all,” Dr Jayatissa said in response to a question raised by SJB MP Dayasiri Jayasekera, more..

Feb 22 (CT) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD) and his NPP ministerial team are a mixed group of different shades of leftists. But AKD is the most experienced of them in parliamentary politics and from the beginning he had been insisting on maintaining stability and advocated pragmatism as the guide to reach the final objective of system change. After all system change is a process and not an overnight transformation. That pragmatic approach has now become a crucial criterion more..

Feb 22 (DM) The killing of Ganemulle Sanjeewa, who is described as an underworld leader at a courtroom of the country’s main Hulftsdorp court complex on Wednesday was not the first of its kind. The officer in charge of the Weerangula police station and his uncle was killed inside the Attanagalla Magistrate court in early 1990. In another incident, Dammika Amarasinghe, a witness of a case involving a high-profile businessman was shot dead within a Hulftsdorp court house more..

Feb 22 (DM) Notorious drug trafficker and criminal gang leader Sanjeewa Kumara Samararathne known as Ganemulla Sanjeewa, was shot dead in the No. 5 Magistrate’s Court within the Hulftsdorp Court Complex this week. The suspected assassin was arrested in the Paalaavi area of Puttalam. It was announced first that the arrested person was 34-year-old Azman Sherifdeen. Subsequently Public Security Minister more..

Feb 22 (DM) Three days after the so-called shocking murder in the courtroom at the Colombo Magistrate’s Court, the alleged killer has been taken into custody, the man behind the killing identified but the female suspect linked to the killing still roams free. The lady has been identified, but has not been taken into custody. But are ordinary Lankans shocked at what has happened? In the villages, in the slums and in the tea and rubber estates of our country, where over 80% of our people live, more..

Feb 22 (GV) I was feeling extremely lucky to be part of the SL NGO delegation representing Women’s Action Network (WAN) at the 9th periodic review of the Convention for the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). After restless weeks of drafting our shadow report and memorising CEDAW committee members’ names to brief and lobby them to help them review the govt’s progress, which is our responsibility as civil society in the CEDAW review, I was not ready for the lack of prepardness more..

Feb 22 (CT) The judiciary is the primary institution responsible for upholding the law. The duty of ensuring its security mainly falls upon the Ministry of Public Security & Ministry of Justice and Prisons. Due to failures in carrying out these responsibilities properly, a tendency has emerged where individuals who should be subjected to the judicial process instead fall victim to extrajudicial killings. It is important to recognise that more..

Feb 22 (CT) The tragic collision between the Colombo-Batticaloa Meenagaya Intercity Express Train and a herd of wild elephants on Wednesday night, highlights a crisis that has been growing for years. The deaths of six elephants—representing the largest single loss of life in such an incident—have once again drawn attention to the ongoing human-elephant conflict in SL. This calamity, occurring near the 140 km post between Minneriya and Galoya railway stations, within the Kaudulla Forest more..

Feb 22 (FT) A recent economic discussion program on a major television channel hosted a panel that included two economists, a representative of the SME sector and three MPs, one of whom is a high-net worth individual, owner of the TV station and a former Prez Candidate. Over two and a half hours, the conversation took in a myriad of topics related to the economy: monetary policy, money printing, interest rates, taxation, along with the usual accompanying hand-wringing and more..

Feb 22 (DM) Sri Lanka has been recognised as a country with the potential to become its own brand. However, strategic experts opine that in order to become a futuristic country, Sri Lanka should first eliminate corruption in the bureaucracy. These are the remarks made by Prof. Henrik von Scheel who is known as one of the most influential futurists of this century. He is the architect of the 4th Industrial Revolution and his work has been applied to over 24 national economies more..