Feb 22 (Island) SL police are known for their swift post-crime response, which however is selective in most cases. On Wednesday, they failed to protect an underworld character brought to the Colombo Magistrate’s court. Ganemulle Sanjeewa was shot while in the dock despite a heavy police presence at the court complex. Subsequently, he succumbed to his injuries in hospital. The assassin entered the courtroom, posing as a lawyer. In 2004, an underworld figure, Dhammika Amerasinghe more..

Feb 22 (CT) Met Dept forecast on Friday (21) that, while the ongoing sweltering weather over most parts of the country would continue for the next few days, there could be light rains after Sunday (23). When contacted to learn more about the ongoing blistering weather, Deputy Director of the Met Dept. Meryl Mendis said showers or thundershowers can be expected over most parts of the country after 23 Feb. more..

Feb 22 (FT) Jaffna-based 3axislabs is expanding its SL operations to meet growing international demand for its services. Having successfully delivered almost 50 projects to date, for clients in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Switzerland, Finland, and other countries, the firm is planning to increase its staff total to 50 in the near term, while also expanding its offices to accommodate them. Prompted by a surge in the company’s revenues, to Rs. 60 million in 2024, 3axislabs’ growth follows more..

Feb 22 (FT) Hatton National Bank (HNB) has unveiled its exclusive first World Elite Metal Mastercard, Club Elite introducing a new echelon of luxury banking to SL’s payment landscape. This invitation-only card, designed specifically for HNB Club Elite members, combines sophisticated metal design with premium global benefits. This Club Elite Card represents a significant advancement in SL’s premium banking sector, offering cardholders access to curated travel privileges, luxury more..

Feb 22 (DN) Paceman Rachintha de Silva produced his best figures of the season, taking 6 for 46 as Isipathana College were bowled out for 203 in their first innings against Thurstan College on the opening day of the 62nd Battle of the Brothers cricket encounter at the SSC grounds yesterday. At the close of the first day, Thurstan openers Dinal Induwara (15) and Thanuja Rajapaksa (6) had added an unbroken 23-run stand in 6 overs. Their task is clear: build a huge total in their more..

Feb 22 (FT) National Chamber of Exporters (NCE) commended the Govt on the presentation of the National Budget 2025. “NCE appreciates the Govt’s effort to present a Budget that approaches national development from multiple perspectives while providing a comprehensive road map for the country’s economic growth,” NCE said in a statement. The statement also said the following. As the leading chamber representing the exporters of SL, the NCE is proud to have contributed to more..

Feb 22 (CT) Prez Anura Dissanayake, in his capacity as Minister of Finance, Economic Stabilisation, delivered his inaugural Budget Speech in Parliament last Monday. He highlighted that this year’s budget is designed with core principles aimed at building an economy where every citizen is an active participant, stakeholder and beneficiary. The President projected a budget deficit of Rs 2,200 billion for the 2025 fiscal year, more..

Feb 22 (ST) The Court of Appeal has ruled in favour of the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) and its Professional Conduct Committee’s (PCC) move to impose a suspension on a medical practitioner found to have posed as a consultant radiologist without possessing the necessary qualifications to do so. The medical practitioner filed a writ petition in the Court of Appeal against the PCC’s decision to impose a one-year suspension on him, reduced to six months, after an inquiry found that more..

Feb 22 (Island) The Supreme Court has issued notices to Minister of Power and Energy Kumara Jayakody and several other respondents in connection with a fundamental rights petition alleging that the government is set to incur a loss exceeding Rs. 3 billion due to irregularities in the awarding of a solar power plant tender in Siyambalanduwa, Athimale. The petitioner claims that the CEB had called for tenders to more..

Feb 22 (FT) Colombo stock market yesterday posted a welcome rebound though closing the week marginally low. ASPI gained by 0.18% and the active S&P SL20 by 0.6%. For the week, the indices reported a loss of 0.3% and 0.6% respectively. Turnover on Friday was Rs. 3.5 billion involving 70.5 million shares. The average daily turnover for the week was Rs. 4.2 billion. After two days of losses, the bourse rebounded on Friday with positive sentiment and low market activity. more..

Feb 22 (DN) Unilever inaugurated its latest cereal and beverage food factory at the Sapugaskanda Lindel Industrial Park yesterday, marking the company’s largest investment in South Asia. The grand opening was held under the patronage of Minister Sunil Handunnetti. This state-of-the-art facility, Unilever’s fourth factory in Sri Lanka, represents a Rs. 3.8 billion investment. Construction began in 2023 and was completed within a year, with production commencing immediately. more..

Feb 22 (DM) At the Colombo Tea Auction this week, less activity from Iran continued to impact the tea prices, in general. The auction offerings were barely maintained and totalled 5.8 M/Kgs. There was fair demand. The Ex-Estate offerings were similar to last and totalled 0.9 M/Kgs. Improved activity was seen for the better teas, whilst the prices for the teas at the lower end of the market were barely maintained, with the poorer types often difficult of sale. The Best Western BOP/BOPFs gained by more..

Feb 22 (DM) A shooting attempt in the Negombo area failed this afternoon when the gunman's firearm malfunctioned, police said. The intended target was the eldest son of Chaminda, alias Miris Anthony, and the attack was allegedly planned near a shop owned by the family. According to police, two individuals on a motorcycle approached the location and attempted to open fire. However, the weapon failed to discharge prompting the suspects to escape the scene. more..

Feb 22 (FT) A top economist this week raised concerns over the Govt’s revenue and taxation policies, particularly its overestimated approach for Excise duties on cigarettes. Verité Research Executive Director Dr. Nishan de Mel criticised the persistent overestimation of tax revenue from the cigarette industry, pointing out that actual collections have consistently failed to meet the projected outcomes outlined in the Budget. more..

Feb 22 (EN) Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister has expressed regrets for not proceeding with an Integrated Field Exercise (IFE) under the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said citing the new govt’s priority for domestic challenges. Sri Lanka announced in 2023 that it had ratified the agreement the country signed in 1996. Soon after signing the agreement in 1996, an auxiliary seismic station was set up in Pallekele, Kandy. more..

Feb 22 (DM) The output of solar energy has increased due to the high level of sunlight in the country, and if the trend continues, the national grid will find it difficult to support it. Sri Lanka currently facing dry conditions and increased temperatures in the coming months will impact energy levels as energy contributed by solar panels will increase. This could be highly cost-effective however if this continues to increase the load on the national grid will be too much to support more..

Feb 22 (DM) The govt will soon enter into an agreement on debt restructuring with Hungarian Export Credit Insurance Pvt Ltd (HECIPL), which will include the loan concessions, under the debt restructuring exercise. This week, Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake, in his capacity as Finance and National Policies Minister, sought the approval of the Cabinet to proceed with the agreement, which aims to revise the outstanding debts and provide a loan concession to SL. more..

Feb 22 (FT) An individual named Gayan Wickramathilake, who allegedly maintained the OnmaxDT database — a pyramid scheme in SL, has been arrested by the CID in Dubai for the alleged fraudulent pyramid scheme. Wickramathilake was brought back to SL yesterday. OnmaxDT is among nine entities that were banned by the Central Bank of SL in Aug 2023 for engaging in pyramid schemes. The private firm was found to be allegedly involved in a pyramid financial fraud of $ 100 m in SL. more..

Feb 22 (ST) The high taxes imposed on imported vehicles have dashed the hopes of purchasing a vehicle. While there has been a liberalisation of imports of vehicles, problems in the importation of Japanese vehicles have been brought into focus by the Lanka Vehicle Importers Association. Up to Feb 2025, the market for secondhand vehicles in Sri Lanka is seeing firm price directions due to changes in policy. more..

Feb 22 (FT) Women and Child Affairs Minister Saroja Paulraj presented the progress made since the submission of SL’s 9th periodic report to the UN Committee on Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) in Geneva on 13 Feb. Outlining notable progress achieved, notable achievements in decision making roles including in Parliament, Minister Paulraj underlined the Govt’s commitment to upholding the rights of women and girls and in advancing gender equality across all sectors, more..

Feb 22 (AD) The two assailants arrested following last night’s shooting in Kotahena, have been shot dead by police officers when they allegedly tried to grab a gun and escape while being taken to recover hidden weapons. A Police Constable (PC) was also injured in the incident, according to the Police Media Spokesman. The suspects had attempted to snatch a firearm from a police officer and open fire while leading officers to the location of their hidden weapons, he claimed. more..

Feb 22 (CT) The CEB is preparing to launch the Maha Oya Pumped Storage Hydropower Project, known as Pumped Storage Power Plants (PSPP), its first-ever Water Battery, located in Aranayake and Nawalapitiya. This groundbreaking 600 MW project will store surplus renewable energy from solar and wind sources, ensuring grid stability. The initiative supports SL’s ambitious target of generating 70% of its electricity from more..

Feb 23 (SO) We have heard the slogan trade, not aid which suggests that it is trade that can develop a country, not monetary largesse from foreign countries. Total world trade amounted to US$ 33 trillion last year, according to the World Trade Organization (WTO). But trade is not a one-way street. A country cannot export thousands of products and refrain from buying anything at all from other countries. In this globalised world, that would in any case be impossible. more..

Feb 23 (TM) The mountain has laboured and brought forth a mouse. This old Greek proverb going back to Aesop two-and-a-half millennia ago basically describes the new Govt’s maiden Budget that was presented in Parliament by the Minister of Finance last Monday. NPP regime’s first proper budget, though essentially interim in nature as it only covers the period from April to Dec 2025, came about amidst an immense sense of anticipation stemming from the mountain of promises made during more..

Feb 23 (TM) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD) and his Govt last week passed a key milestone with the presentation of the much-awaited and decisive Budget for 2025. The 2025 Budget sets the course for the country for this year, while also indicating that JVP-led NPP Govt has decided to proceed with the economic recovery path set by the previous Ranil Wickremesinghe Govt without causing disruptions to ongoing programme, more..

Feb 23 (CT) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake has delivered an excellent first budget. It could easily be described as the best budget so far this century and presented in the most dire economic circumstances in SL’s modern history. Following his consummate performance in parliament, the President waded into a post-budget forum and joined the country’s economic experts to dissect new Govt’s maiden budget, as headlined by the Daily FT, one of the sponsors of the event. more..

Feb 23 (ST) JVP-NPP Govt’s maiden budget was debated this week in Parliament with as little on its content and as much on the political ideology of the ruling party. It was a confused mix all round. Govt MPs were straining to justify why the once-upon-a-time Marxist party was now sailing with the Washington-based IMF and its reform programme initiated by their predecessor govt for the economic recovery of the country since its bankruptcy in 2020. Opposition benches were, on the other hand, more..

Feb 23 (ST) In the age of social media, comments by public figures made in the past can always come back to haunt them at a later date. This has already been the case with the Deputy Defence Minister, retired Major General Aruna Jayasekara. In the aftermath of the most recent shootings, a clip that went viral on social media showed the deputy minister telling those who do not know national security to meet him with more..

Feb 23 (ST) My dear Namal baby, I thought I must write to you, even though it is only three weeks since I wrote to Mahinda maama. That is because you seem to be in the news for all the wrong reasons. You are seen meeting American ambassadors while also being accused of misappropriating millions and cheating at law exams! You need to have a better grasp of what your party members are up to, Namal baby. One moment, pohottuwa stalwart Sarath, formerly of the Civil Defence fame and more..

Feb 23 (CT) The traditional response to the question of what defines a diplomat is often phrased as follows: “A diplomat is someone who can tell you to go to hell in such a way that you actually look forward to the trip.” On the surface, this statement seems to carry a negative implication. However, its underlying message highlights that a truly skilled diplomat, even when conveying a harsh or unpleasant message, does so with such finesse and charm that the recipient is left feeling as more..

Feb 23 (Island) A lot of wisdom dawns after the fact; and this is what we have seen in the James Bond-style drama that unfolded in Hultsdorf on Wednesday when a high-profile prisoner, Ganemulla Sanjeewa described as an underworld kingpin, was shot dead in the dock by a gunman disguised as a lawyer. A woman accomplice, also pretending to be a lawyer, had smuggled in the revolver used for the shooting. This, ironically, was hidden in a copy of the Criminal Procedure Code hollowed out more..

Feb 23 (Island) Commencing with Premakeerthi de Alwis in 1986 and concluding with Lasantha Wickrematunge in 2009, 40 accredited SL journalists and media personnel, 31 of them of Tamil, have been murdered or died violently. Of these, 31 occurred between April 2004 and March 2009, during the Mahinda Rajapaksa tenure, initially as Prime Minister and then as President. His younger brother Gotabaya, later president himself, was the Defence Secretary of SL from 2005 to 2015. more..

Feb 23 (SO) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake presented the Govt’s maiden Budget highlighting its role beyond revenue and expenditure planning. He described it as a blueprint for economic transformation, aiming to empower citizens rather than merely facilitate participation. He stressed the need to lift barriers that prevent citizens from reaching their economic potential, citing factors such as geographical disadvantages, disability and more..

Feb 23 (SO) Sri Lanka claimed the bronze medal in the Women’s Junior 10m Air Pistol Team event, while Umaya Kumarasiri accounted for a new National Record at the Asian Rifle/Pistol Cup 2025 held at the SAT Shooting Range in Bangkok, Thailand. Sri Lanka secured third place in the Women’s Junior 10m Air Pistol team event, represented by Thisangi Geethma, Reinya Ranasinghe and Vinuthmee Seneviratne, who displayed great spirit to earn podium finish. more..

Feb 23 (Island) Champions Trophy, one of cricket’s biggest showpiece events is underway in Pakistan and Dubai, but conspicuous by their absence are Sri Lanka – a team that once punched above their weight at ICC tournaments. For the first time since Anura Tennekoon led Sri Lanka to their maiden ICC event, the 1975 Prudential World Cup in England, the men’s team has failed to make the cut. How did Sri Lanka end up missing out on a tournament of the magnitude of the Champions Trophy? more..