Feb 6 (DM) Railways Dept has decided to cancel the reservation facility for third-class compartment seats on the Colombo Fort-Badulla and Thalaimannar trains, effective from Monday (10). However, these compartments will continue to operate as ordinary third-class compartments. Dept has decided to issue regular tickets for these compartments. Meanwhile, the decision to revise train ticket fares on the upcountry railway line has been suspended following instructions from more..

Feb 6 (AD) Minister Nalinda Jayatissa today revealed in Parliament a list of 43 names of MPs and former MPs who have allegedly received compensation from the govt for torched and damaged properties during the Aragalaya period in 2022 as well as the compensation received by them. He further claimed that the total amount of the compensation received by 43 MPs, former ministers and former MPs is over Rs. 1.224 billion. more..

Feb 6 (FT) Harry Jayawardena was laid to rest on Independence Day in Ja-Ela, marking the end of an era. More than just a businessman, Harry J was a force of nature. Much like Jack Welch, the legendary CEO of General Electric, he possessed an unmatched ability to execute strategies, transform industries, and make bold decisions with unwavering confidence. His leadership style was a blend of pragmatism, resilience, and an innate ability to anticipate economic and business trends more..

Feb 6 (AD) Ahimsa Wickrematunge, the daughter of slain journalist Lasantha Wickrematunge has called for the impeachment of Attorney General Parinda Ranasinghe over alleged gross abuse of power and neglect of duty in connection with the criminal proceedings on her father’s assassination. In a letter to the PM Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, she expressed concerns over the AG’s recommendation to discharge three individuals who had been named as suspects in the case filed at more..

Feb 6 (DM) Attorney General’s (AG) legal opinion on discharging three suspects, which recently sparked outrage on social and in mainstream media, was not related to the killing of Sunday Leader editor Lasantha Wickrematunge. Instead, it pertained to the abduction of Wickrematunge’s driver and the disappearance of his field notebook, sources at the AG's Dept said. Sources said that the confusion surrounding the AG’s letter to more..

Feb 6 (AD) High Commissioner of India to SL, Santosh Jha has met with former Prez Mahinda Rajapaksa at his official resident at Wijerama, Colombo and exchanged views. During the meeting held on Wednesday , the Indian High Commissioner and Rajapaksa have exchanged views on SL – India multi-faceted ties, including connectivity projects and the latest developments in SL. Posting on ‘X’, the former Prez said that SL is looking forward to continued cooperation between both nations. more..

Feb 6 (AD) Colombo Magistrate’s Court has recalled the arrest warrant issued against former State Minister Diana Gamage who has been charged with the violation of immigration and emigration laws. This order was issued after Gamage appeared before the court through a motion. The Colombo Magistrate’s Court has issued an arrest warrant against Diana Gamage. Colombo Chief Magistrate Thanuja Lakmali issued the warrant this morning to arrest and produce former State Minister more..

Feb 6 (AD) A 34-year-old suspect has been arrested while in possession of a foreign-manufactured firearm, ammunition rounds and heroin during a raid conducted by the Elpitiya Divisional Crimes Unit in the Wathurawela area of Kosgoda Police Division. The raid took place on the evening of Feb 5, based on a tip-off received by the police. During the raid, officers have seized 5.34 grams of heroin, a foreign-manufactured 9mm pistol, ten rounds of 9mm ammunition, and a magazine. more..

Feb 6 (CT) Minister Vijitha Herath, yesterday, told Colombo High Court Judge R.S. Sapuvida that he had filed a complaint against former Chairman of the Development Lotteries Board (DLB), Chandrawansa Pathiraja, in 2015 based on facts provided to him by the public. Giving evidence in Court against Pathiraja, he added that, as an MP in 2015, he received facts and complaints from the public about various individuals and incidents. He believed the information on this matter was so reliable that more..

Feb 6 (CI) Australia's trio of specialist bowlers toiled manfully during a see-saw day one against a fighting SL on a dry Galle surface that did not live up to the hype, but occasionally spun sharply and is expected to deteriorate significantly. By the end of 90 overs, the second Test was intriguingly poised after several shifts of momentum. SL's top-order built a strong platform to reach 93 for 1 before they lost 4 for 34 in more..

Feb 6 (NW) Aragalaya activist Dilan Senanayake has been appointed as a director of the National Youth Services Council (NYSC). The new Board of Directors of the NYSC was appointed yesterday (Feb. 5) at the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Sunil Kumara Gamage handed over the appointment letters. National Youth Services Council Chairman and Director General, Attorney-at-Law Supun Wijeratne, also attended the event. more..

Feb 6 (AD) The imported salt will be released to local markets starting today, the Lanka Salt Company in Hambantota said. Company’s Chairman, D. Nandana Thilake stated that as a result, salt prices in the local market will see a slight increase. However, he assured that this price hike will be reversed by March 2025, once salt imports are halted. The first shipment, consisting of 1,485 metric tons of salt imported from India, arrived in SL on Jan 27 to address SL’s salt shortage. more..

Feb 6 (LBC) Tributes have poured in for the beautiful 24-year-old who was just four days into her holiday when she began vomiting, suffering from nausea and breathing difficulties. McIntosh was staying at the Miracle Colombo City hostel when her symptoms began to show. The hotel has since been closed by investigators. It has been claimed that the room next to her had been fumigated for bedbugs just before she died. more..

Feb 6 (CT) MPs will now be required to pay Rs 2,000 per day for breakfast, lunch, and tea, as announced yesterday. Although the increase in food prices in Parliament was set to take effect from 1 February, Parliament met for the first time this month only yesterday. Deputy Minister Gamagedara Dissanayake brought this matter to the attention of the House on 23 January, while addressing Parliament. He explained that the price for breakfast at the Parliament canteen is now Rs 600, more..

Feb 6 (DM) Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) today honored veteran batsman Dimuth Karunaratne for reaching the remarkable milestone of 100 Test matches. Karunaratne, who achieved this feat during the ongoing Test series against Australia, was felicitated in a special ceremony held just before the commencement of the second Test. The event was graced by Jayantha Dharmadasa, Vice President of Int'l Cricket, SLC; Sanath Jayasuriya, Head Coach of the SL National Men’s Team; more..

Feb 6 (NW) A protest organized by the Young Journalists’ Association was staged opposite the Attorney General’s Dept this afternoon, demanding justice in investigation into the assassination of journalist Lasantha Wickrematunga in 2009. The organizers called for the AG’s resignation and demanded transparency regarding the orders to release three key suspects in the Lasantha Wickrematunge murder case. On Jan 27, Attorney General Parinda Ranasinghe informed more..

Feb 6 (DM) SriLankan Airlines has introduced a game-changing Artificial Intelligence (AI) chatbot named Yaana, designed to enhance customer support and transform the way passengers interact with the airline. By leveraging advanced AI and Natural Language Processing (NLP) technologies, Yaana efficiently handles a wide range of passenger inquiries. Developed in collaboration with CodeGen International (Pvt) Ltd, Yaana is now live on SriLankan Airlines’ corporate website. more..

Feb 6 (TM) Speaker of the Parliament, Jagath Wickramaratne said that he would issue a ruling within a week on the Parliamentary Opposition's request to increase their representation in Parliamentary committees. It was recently reported that the Opposition is to refrain from appointing representatives or officially participating in several Parliamentary committees, including the Committee on Parliamentary Business, more..

Feb 6 (AD) Renowned Sri Lankan scientist Prof. Neelika Malavige has been appointed as the President-Elect of the International Society for Infectious Diseases (ISID), a prestigious global organization dedicated to advancing research and responses to infectious diseases. She will assume the presidency in 2027, with each term lasting two years. A distinguished Professor in the Dept of Immunology and Allied Medical Sciences at the Uni of Sri J'pura, she holds a medical degree more..

Feb 6 (EN) SL will explore possibilities of securing a credit line to purchase Murban crude oil from the UAE during the visit of Prez Anura Kumara Disanayake, two sources said. Prez Disanayake will visit the UAE from Feb 10-13 at the invitation of UAE Prez Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan to participate in the World Govt Summit 2025. Prez will address the World Govt Summit 2025 in Dubai and hold bilateral discussions with Prez Bin Zayed Al Nahyan on a range of areas of mutual interest. more..

Feb 6 (TM) Catholic Church expressed confidence that the current Govt will deliver justice regarding the Easter Sunday attacks of 2019, noting that no political interference has been reported in the investigations thus far. These comments were made by the Catholic Church Spokesperson Rev. Father Cyril Gamini Fernando yesterday. However, he emphasised that the Church will continue to pressure the authorities to more..

Feb 6 (NW) Parts of a Toyota Land Cruiser Prado vehicle, allegedly used by former Puttalam District UNP MP Shantha Abeysekara and suspected to have been illegally assembled, was seized by the Illegal Assets Investigation Unit early this morning. It has been reported that the former MP is currently missing, preventing investigators from obtaining a statement regarding the vehicle. Authorities received information that the former MP was using an illegally assembled Prado, prompting an investigation more..

Feb 6 (AD) It was disclosed in the Parliament today that a total of 3,477 wild elephant fatalities have occurred in Sri Lanka over the past nine years. Minister of Environment Dr. Dammika Patabendi presented the figures in a report detailing the ongoing human-elephant conflict in the country. The report indicated that between 2015 and 2019, a total of 1,466 wild elephants lost their lives, while the number rose to 2,011 fatalities from 2020 to 2024. In addition, Minister reported that more..

Feb 7 (ST) A retired friend of mine here was overjoyed when the organisers of the Mustangs Enclosure announced the dates of the next Royal-Thomian match. He could catch two for the price of one. Go a few days earlier and watch the Aussies at play smashing the white ball, red ball, and any other ball like crazy politicians smashing coconuts at religious places. That double take was not all that was in the kitty. My friend was happy he had something new to take home as gifts and more..

Feb 7 (TM) Govt yesterday revealed in Parliament the extent of the compensation payouts the previous Govt meted out to their members who became victims of arson and assault during the 2022 aragalaya flare-up. The scale of the compensation provided, and the parity of what has been paid in the past to citizens who lost their households due to natural and man-made disasters beggars belief. This revelation about how the former Govt, which was made up of the SLPP and with the UNP's more..

Feb 7 (DM) As the investigations into the Easter Sunday attacks continue, high ranking defence officials probing the case have revealed that travel bans on some former high ranking State Intelligence Service members has been imposed to prevent them from leaving the country. These officials who wished to remain unnamed said that they were in touch with whistleblower Azath Maulana - the former Coordinating Secretary to more..

Feb 7 (CT) Attorney General Parinda Ranasinghe unleashed a bolt from the blue when he sent a letter dated 27th of Jan 2025 to Mt. Lavinia Magistrate informing that the AG’s Dept would not pursue further action against three suspects arrested and subsequently enlarged on bail in connection with the murder of senior journalist and fellow lawyer Lasantha Wickrematunge on Jan 8, 2009. In this regard, it has to be taken into consideration that Premananda Udalagama, a former more..

Feb 7 (DM) SL is a country where many of its gruesome murders have faded into history without culprits being brought to book. The film Rani is the latest of many films that have been made in this island when justice has been delayed or denied. From Lasantha Wickrematunge to Wasim Thajudeen and Vijaya Kumarathunga and even JVP founder Rohana Wijeweera were subject to bloody murders. Some of these murders are likely to fuel the imagination of scriptwriters who can pen more..

Feb 7 (TM) Amidst criticisms of mismanagement and funding inequalities under past govts, President’s Fund is making a transformative shift to a fully digital system. President’s Fund has long been regarded as a crucial mechanism for providing financial relief to those in dire need, particularly in the areas of healthcare, education, and social welfare. Board of Governors of Prez’s Fund recently more..

Feb 7 (CT) SL’s Govt and public services are notorious for its bureaucratic lethargy. Getting bounced back in between desks, being subjected to frowns and grunts, being scrutinised for the lack of knowledge of the process and having to wait several business days to accomplish the task after pulling through all the hostility is a rather taken-for-granted reality in public sector. To be fair though, the public sector lagging behind in efficiency & productivity – especially before the private sector – more..

Feb 7 (TM) The rice processing industry is the largest agro-based industry in the country, turning more value of product than any other industry. Rice is the staple food of the people in Sri Lanka and it is the livelihood of the majority of farming families. The production of paddy has occupied an extremely important place in the agriculture sector. On average, from 2019 to 2023, 771,792 hectares (ha) were cultivated during the Maha season and 462,665 ha during the Yala season, more..

Feb 7 (FT) Hatton National Bank (HNB) announced the successful acquisition of full ownership of Acuity Partners Ltd, whilst rebranding the entity as HNB Investment Bank, reinforcing its commitment to offering a more integrated and sophisticated suite of financial solutions to transform the country’s financial landscape. On 20 January 2025, HNB PLC declared the conclusion of the purchase of the remaining 50% stake in Acuity Partners Ltd, from DFCC Bank for Rs. 6.5 billion. more..

Feb 7 (FT) EU, through the UNIDO-implemented BESPA-FOOD project, is supporting SL’s coconut industry in implementing a comprehensive 10-year strategic plan and a roadmap aimed at transforming the sector into a $ 2 billion export powerhouse. Ministry of Plantation and Community Infrastructure recently convened key public and private sector stakeholders, including Coconut Development Authority (CDA), Coconut Research Institute (CRI), Coconut Cultivation Board (CCB), more..

Feb 7 (ST) National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) has started verifying prices directly with global pharmaceutical manufacturers whenever it notices significant discrepancies between the rates quoted for certain drugs by local suppliers (intermediaries) and their regional/domestic prices. The regulator is also expediting the approval of new registrations for suppliers and manufacturers to break more..

Feb 7 (Island) Following Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s visit, first to India and then to China, Foreign Policy analysts and Commentators of repute have cautioned the NPP govt the need to exercise BALANCE particularly in respect of its relations with India and China. The question is how balancing could be the guiding policy in SL’s relations with India and China, when balancing is only a strategy? For instance, is the prospect of a 200,000 barrels a day refinery by China in Hambantota more..

Feb 7 (Island) Prez Donald Trump has apparently inherited from his father a propensity to acquire real estate. What he did as a real estate tycoon before becoming the US Prez has not caused much concern to anyone except some of his political rivals, but the problem is that old habits die hard; he, even as the US President, has not stopped eyeing land that belongs to others. Prez Trump has expressed his desire to acquire Greenland. He is apparently dreaming of something like the Louisiana more..