Feb 24 (DN) Thurstan College created history in their first three day big match in the 62nd Battle of the Brothers when they beat Isipathana by 10 wickets at SSC grounds yesterday. This was Thurstan’s seventh victory of the series while skipper Thanuga Palihawadana was lucky to receive Blackham Wijewardena trophy with this victory which increased series tally to 7-4. Thurstanites had to get 51-run winning target and openers Dinal Induwara and Thanuja Rajapaksa reached their target more..

Feb 24 (DN) Nelson Mendis a well known Cricket Coach in Sri Lanka who has the honour of coaching thousands of students for more than six decades, launched his autobiography titled Disciplining Many at a function held at the Malalasekera Hall of Nalanda College, on Friday. Hemaka Amaarasuriya, Former Chairman of Singer (SL) Ltd, where mendis had worked after he left Nalanda College, graced the occasion as the Chief Guest while Former SL Cricket captain and ICC Match Referee. more..

Feb 24 (DM) SL’s legal liquor consumption declined by 9.5% Year-on-Year (YoY) in the first ten months of 2024, driven by a significant drop in hard liquor consumption following tax increases. Total legal liquor consumption fell to 27.2 million absolute litres during the period, down from 28.2 million absolute litres in the same period of 2023. Hard liquor consumption saw an 8.9% decline to 15.5 million absolute litres, while more..

Feb 24 (EN) China-backed Hambantota International Port said it has started dredging harbour basin and navigational channel to remove silt and maintain its original designed depth of 17 meters. “Routine maintenance dredging is essential to preserve operational efficiency and safety standards, hence the need for dredging and restoring our declared depths,” Ravi Jayawickreme, CEO of HIPS said. “This will ensure that we continue to accommodate large vessels safely and efficiently.” more..

Feb 24 (CT) Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala has stated that the Govt has not yet made any decision regarding the provision of Police officers for the security of MPs. The Minister emphasised that there has been no change in the policy followed by the Govt concerning the security of MPs. Requests had been made to provide Police security to MPs, and the Speaker had also informed the acting Inspector General of Police to review the matter and take appropriate action. more..

Feb 24 (Island) Sri Lanka cannot afford to stay in isolation and the two countries’ future is tied together even more than in the past, was the highlight of the keynote speech delivered by Santosh Jha, the High Commissioner of India to SL, at the Innovation Island Summit held at ITC Ratnadipa on 20 Feb 2025. “Like any other country, SL cannot afford to remain in isolation, and the futures of the two nations are more interconnected than ever before, the Indian HC pointed out, addressing the key event more..

Feb 24 (DM) The govt has launched an investigation to ascertain whether there is a certain hand behind the escalating underworld crimes or whether they are mere clashes among underworld gangs, Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake said. He told reporters in Kandy that the recent incidents pose no threats to national security or the lives of the general public. After visiting the Mahanayake Theras in Kandy, the Prez said underworld gangs have been nurtured with political blessings over the years and more..

Feb 24 (TM) Intelligence reports have revealed that certain groups are attempting to disrupt the ongoing investigations into the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks, according to Public Security Ministry Secretary Ravi Seneviratne. He stressed the Govt’s commitment to securing justice and stated that strong legal action would be taken against those obstructing the process. He also expressed gratitude to the Intelligence Division and the tri-forces more..

Feb 24 (AD) PM Dr. Harini Amarasuriya has emphasized that special attention will be given to the higher education of children with special needs under the supervision of the Ministry of Education. She made this statement during a meeting held in Parliament on Saturday (22) with representatives from various institutions advocating for the disabled community to discuss strategies for enhancing educational opportunities for individuals with special needs, PM’s Media Division said. more..

Feb 24 (AD) NPP MP Dr. Kaushalya Ariyaratne has expressed her strong objection regarding the unparliamentary language used by Deputy Minister Nalin Hewage towards SJB MP Rohini Kaviratne in Parliament. Expressing her views in a Facebook post, she added, “I was not present in the chambers today, but I later learned about the use of unparliamentary language toward a female opposition MP during the speeches. As a woman who stands firmly for feminist principles, more..

Feb 24 (ST) CEB last week started curtailing solar power output to the national grid by giving instructions to small-scale ground-mounted power producers to drop production between 11am and 1pm. It is not clear whether these instructions will be repeated today, as the producers were only notified verbally on the morning of Feb 16, 2025—when the first curtailment took place—to cut production by 50% each. All affected plants were over 10 MW in capacity, said Sameera Ganegoda, more..

Feb 24 (TM) GMOA has requested an immediate meeting with Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake to discuss the alleged reduction of several allowances, including those for extra duties, due to changes introduced in the 2025 Budget. Following the presentation of the 2025 Budget in Parliament last week, allegations have emerged that several allowances for health sector employees, including medical officers and nurses, will be reduced due to changes introduced in the Budget. more..

Feb 24 (ST) Major shipping lines have expressed interest in partnering with the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) to run the East Container Terminal (ECT)—but its agreement with the Adani-run West Container Terminal (WCT) prevents it from doing so. Agreement blocks the SLPA from directly or indirectly allowing a third party to operate any new facilities in the Colombo Port for seven years from the effective date of more..

Feb 24 (NW) Prez Anura Kumara Disanayake announced that a special exposition of the Sacred Tooth Relic will be held for the general public after the Sinhala and Tamil New Year. He stated that discussions regarding this event were held today (23) with the Chief Prelates (Mahanayaka Theras) of the Malwathu and Asgiriya Chapters. Furthermore, arrangements for the exposition were agreed upon with the participation of the Governor of the Central Province, the Kandy District Secretary, more..

Feb 24 (CT) The CID has requested the CIABOC to conduct an investigation into the awarding and procurement process of a 21-year tender granted to Epic Lanka Pvt Ltd for issuing passports. A written request submitted by CID states that the complaint lodged by the Federation of Trade Unions for Medical and Civil Rights also highlights allegations of data fraud within the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) and irregularities in the passport procurement process. more..

Feb 24 (FT) Govt’s approval rating rose sharply after the election, from 24% in July 2024 to 62% in Feb 2025, when the latest round of the Gallup style Mood of the Nation poll was conducted by Verité Research. For the first time since the economic crisis, a majority of the population (55%) feels that economic conditions in Sri Lanka are getting better. However, 47% still feel that the economy, as a whole, is in a poor condition. more..

Feb 24 (FT) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake, as Minister of Finance, presented his maiden Budget to Parliament on 17 Feb. In fact, it is not a Budget for the full year since the first three months of the year had been financed by the Govt through a temporary vote on account. In this arrangement, there were no new revenue or expenditure proposals, but the Govt just continued with the fiscal policy it had adopted in 2024 in terms of the Budget presented by the previous Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe. more..

Feb 24 (FT) The long-awaited Pandora’s box of the 2025 Budget proposal was finally opened by Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake on 17 Feb. Budget has sparked mixed reactions—both positive and negative—among the general public. Personally, I believe that no sensible Govt could have crafted a better Budget under such challenging circumstances. As a retired tax official and current tax consultant, my focus here is a critical view on the proposed amendment of mandatory more..

Feb 24 (AD) Police have released additional photographs of the female suspect wanted in connection with the shooting death of organized criminal Ganemulla Sanjeewa. The fatal shooting occurred on Feb 19 inside the Aluthkade No. 5 Magistrate’s Court. Police are now seeking public assistance in apprehending the individual who allegedly aided and abetted the shooter. The suspect, identified as Ishara Sewwandi, is a 25-year-old resident of 243/01, Negombo Road, more..

Feb 24 (NW) SL Railways Engine Drivers’ Union has condemned the accusations levelled against train engine drivers regarding incidents of deaths of elephants due to collisions. A representative of the SL Railways Engine Drivers’ Union said that several environmentalists and activists have made recent claims without researching well on the cause of train-elephant collisions. He explained that heavy-weight trains, transporting goods and fuel, especially from areas with elephants, more..

Feb 24 (EN) An increased number of complaints have been received by Human Rights Commission of SL (HRCSL), against Police officers, HRCSL said. Police officials met HRCSL officials to discuss critical human rights concerns related to SL Police last week. “HRCSL expressed concerns over the increasing number of complaints received against police officers, particularly regarding allegations of torture, arbitrary arrest and more..

Feb 24 (SLN) The SL Navy seized 05 Indian fishing boats and apprehended 32 Indian fishermen while they were poaching in Sri Lankan waters, during a special operation conducted in the sea area north of Mannar in the dark hours of 22 and wee hours of 23 Feb 25. The Navy continues to conduct regular patrols and operations in SL waters to curb illegal fishing practices of foreign fishing boats, taking into account the impact of those practices on the livelihood of local fishermen. more..

Feb 24 (FT) The manufacturing sector has kicked off 2025 with an improvement in January as against December, whilst the services industry has lagged, as per the SL Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI). Its compiler, the Central Bank of SL (CBSL), said the PMI for Manufacturing recorded an index value of 59.0 in January 2025, indicating a further expansion in manufacturing activities. All sub-indices contributed positively to this improvement. In Dec 2024, the index value was 57.2. more..

Feb 24 (NW) Deputy Minister Harshana Suriyapperuma says the USAID is yet to officially inform the Govt of Sri Lanka regarding the impact on its projects, following the executive order by US Prez Donald Trump on providing international aid. Deputy Minister said that USAID must inform of any freeze of funds, according to their agreement with the SL Govt. “USAID has not informed us in writing yet on what will happen to the money more..

Feb 24 (NW) A report by the National Audit Office has revealed that the physical existence of 176 out of 257 vehicles registered under the Ministry of Finance has not been confirmed. According to reports citing information from the Dept of Motor Traffic for the year 2023, the existence of these vehicles could not be verified. The report also noted that no information was submitted for 99 of these vehicles. Chief Accounting Officer informed auditors that efforts are underway more..

Feb 24 (TM) Acting IGP Priyantha Weerasuriya revealed that 58 organised criminal gangs and approximately 1,400 individuals linked to them have been identified across SL. Acting IGP disclosed that 17 shooting incidents and 5 hacking deaths have occurred this year, with investigations into all 17 shooting cases completed. He also confirmed that members of both the police force and the Tri-Forces were found involved in some of these incidents, resulting in the arrest of 11 personnel. more..

Feb 24 (FT) In a demanding banking landscape, DFCC Bank said yesterday it has demonstrated resilience and strength, achieving robust financial performance in 2024. The bank recorded significant growth across key financial metrics, including total assets, loan portfolio, deposit base, and profitability, with profit after tax increasing by a notable 16%. This underscores DFCC Bank’s unwavering commitment to sound financial management and long-term growth. Amidst improvineived-29667-complaints-in-2024/more..

Feb 24 (FT) In a demanding banking landscape, DFCC Bank said yesterday it has demonstrated resilience and strength, achieving robust financial performance in 2024. The bank recorded significant growth across key financial metrics, including total assets, loan portfolio, deposit base, and profitability, with profit after tax increasing by a notable 16%. This underscores DFCC Bank’s unwavering commitment to sound financial management and long-term growth. Amidst improving liquidity conditions more..

Feb 24 (TM) SL will have Rs. 3.8 trillion worth of short-term securities maturing in 2025, which requires the govt to manage short-term liquidity pressure while over 21% of the total debt will have interest rate changes within the year. In its Medium Term Debt Management Strategy, the Finance Ministry said that Treasury bills (T-bills) worth Rs. 3,827.16 billion are maturing in 2025, significantly increasing forecasted debt service obligations for this yr. more..

Feb 24 (Island) Bandarawela Police on Saturday took into custody 123 live rounds of ammunition concealed in a bag inside a bus. The stock of live ammunition was found in a small metal box inside a bag placed on the overhead rack, police said. Acting on a tip-off received by the Bandarawela Police, a bus travelling from Colombo to Badulla was stopped near the Bandarawela bus stand in the Bandarawela Police Division on Saturday afternoon. During the subsequent search they found the bag more..

Feb 24 (Island) The Election Commission (EC) had received only two complaints regarding inaccuracies in the mandatory campaign income and expenditure reports submitted by candidates for the Nov 2024 general election, Commissioner General of Elections Saman Sri Ratnayake said. He said 8,821 candidates contested the election, of whom 1,064 had failed to submit their income and expenditure reports, adding that the EC was now working with the police to file cases against them. more..

Feb 24 (AD) A tragic train collision that killed seven wild elephants in the Gal Oya area on Feb 20 has reignited concerns over railway safety and conservation efforts. Wildlife Conservation Society alleges that the driver of the Meenagaya train which was involved in a tragic train collision that killed seven wild elephants in the Gal Oya area on Feb 20 was a 67-year-old whose certification from Public Service Commission more..

Feb 24 (ANI) A day after the SL Navy seized 5 barges from Palk Bay sea on charges of crossing the IMBL and 32 fishermen were arrested, fishermen in Rameswaram went on an indefinite strike demanding the release of all the fishermen and boats detained by SL Navy, fishermen's association said. 32 fishermen were arrested on Sunday, and their boats were seized, creating turmoil among the fishermen of Rameswaram. Since last January, 18 boats have been seized by the SL Navy, more..

Feb 24 (Island) Hungry Islander’s Studio, SL’s first-ever culinary studio, opened its doors to experience existing and numerous team-building activities with a culinary twist for individuals of all ages, genders, from corporate events to parties. Located at the heart of Colombo, Hungry Islander’s Studio is well-equipped to accommodate 30 individuals. The studio interior screams vibrance, bold and fun filled hues and has stainless steel countertops for food preparations and more..

Feb 24 (DM) Two incidents of cattle theft were reported from Galewatte, Udugampola in Jan 2025. One cow, who had been blinded in one eye, was stolled on Jan 25. Two days later two more cows were stollen from a separate farm in the same area. Even though the owners had complained to the Gampaha Police, no information regarding the perpetrators had been gathered so far. A total of 575 cows were stolen between 2023 and 2024. Following these incidents the former more..