Feb 18 (NW) Former Prez Chandrika Kumaratunga visited former Presidential Secretary Saman Ekanayake, who is currently remanded at Magazine Prison. Kumaratunga said she does not usually visit prisons but described Ekanayake as a good person and a skilled administrator. “We need a skilled administrative service to run the country,” she said. Kumaratunga alleged that targeting administrative officials who are not politically aligned with a particular party began during the govt of J.R. Jayawardena more..

Feb 18 (Island) PM Dr. Harini Amarasuriya met with the Managing Director of the IMF, Dr. Kristalina Georgieva, at Temple Tress on the 17th of February. Dr. Georgieva, commended the Govt’s efforts in stabilizing the country’s economy and in managing recent economic and natural shocks. She noted that Cyclone Ditwah had caused severe impacts, especially on economically vulnerable communities, underscoring the importance of targeted support and resilience-building measures. more..

Feb 18 (Island) JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva yesterday maintained that the NPP govt was not under Indian pressure to hold the long delayed Provincial Council elections. Tilvin Silva said that neither the devolution nor terrorism issues had been discussed during his meeting with External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar and Deputy National Security Advisor Pavan Kapoor, in New Delhi. This was Tilvin Silva’s first visit to India. more..

Feb 18 (EN) Sri Lanka will host the inaugural meeting of the BIMSTEC Expert Committee on Public Finance and Monetary Policy in 2026, a govt statement said, as the regional bloc seeks closer coordination on macroeconomic stability. The proposal to establish the committee was first proposed by SL’s Foreign Minister in February 2024, on the sidelines of the 7th Indian Ocean Conference. The initiative aims to provide a platform for member states of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for more..

Feb 18 (DM) Health and Mass Media Ministry has allocated Rs. 1,500 million in this year’s budget to establish 250 new health and wellness centres islandwide. The initiative follows the successful implementation of a pilot project under which 42 centres were inaugurated in January across 21 districts during its second phase. An additional five centres were set up in 2025 under the first phase. The Kirinda Health and Wellness Centre in Kandy was declared the 43rd centre established under more..

Feb 18 (AD) Former Deputy Secretary General of Parliament, Chaminda Kularatne, has filed a writ petition before the Court of Appeal, seeking to nullify the decision to interdict him from duty without a fair inquiry, a reporter said. The Speaker of Parliament, the Secretary General of Parliament, Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, Leader of the House and Minister Bimal Rathnayake, and 14 others have been named as respondents in the petition. more..

Feb 18 (NW) In celebration of the holy month of Ramadan, 50 metric tons of dates donated by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to SL were officially handed over on Monday (16‑02‑2026) at the Saudi Embassy in Colombo. The handover was led by Saudi Ambassador to SL, Khalid bin Hamoud Al‑Qahtani. The donation, provided through the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief), was received by SL’s Deputy Minister of Religious and Cultural Affairs, Muneer Mulaffer. more..

Feb 18 (CT) Australia looked unstoppable at 100 in just 8.2 overs, dismantling SL’s bowling attack. The hosts had already lost Matheesha Pathirana to injury early in the match, Eashan Malinga before the series, and their strike bowler Wanindu Hasaranga after the opening game. Suddenly, the responsibility fell on Dushan Hemantha — a player who wasn’t even in SL’s initial T20 World Cup plans. When Hasaranga was rested ahead of the tournament, SL turned to Vijayakanth Viyaskanth more..

Feb 18 (AD) The suspects arrested in connection with the Akuregoda double murder had deleted data from their mobile phones following the crime, police stated. Meanwhile, the three suspects arrested over the fatal shooting of a lawyer and his wife in Akuregoda are scheduled to be produced before the Kaduwela Magistrate’s Court today (18). The victims were shot dead last Friday (13) in Thalangama, Akuregoda. Following the incident, 12 police teams were appointed on the instructions of more..

Feb 18 (CT) SJB MP Harshana Rajakaruna told Parliament yesterday that there were moves underway to remove Parliament Secretary-General Kushani Rohanadeera from office. He said he would table documents relating to the matter in the House. MP alleged that the current Govt, having interfered with the Attorney General’s Dept and the Judiciary, had now turned its attention to Parliament. Addressing the chamber, Rajakaruna said, “Just as the Deputy Secretary-General of Parliament more..

Feb 18 (AD) Maithree Wickremesinghe, the wife of former Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe, has been notified to appear before the FCID on Feb 20. This was revealed by the CID when the case related to the alleged misappropriation of public funds by former Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe was taken up before the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court today. The CID has issued summons to record a statement from former first lady Maithree Wickremesinghe in connection with the ongoing investigation more..

Feb 18 (FT) Board of Hatton National Bank PLC has decided to appoint Suresh Kumar Shah as its Chairperson with effect from 1 April 2026 upon the retirement of incumbent Chairperson Nihal Jayawardene PC after the conclusion of the AGM on 31 March 2026. Shah is currently on the HNB Board as an Independent Non-Executive Director. He is a Fellow Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of SL. He has served as Chief Executive Officer of two listed entities and has been closely involved in more..

Feb 18 (DM) In the wake of lawyers urging the government to ensure their security in dispensing their professional duties, Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala said yesterday the govt will take steps to ensure security of lawyers and investigating officers after assessing threats to their lives based on intelligence reports. Minister told Parliament that steps have been taken to provide security to judges who could be under threat of the criminals adding that security has been provided to more..

Feb 18 (SO) The widespread availability of anti-Rabies vaccines in Govt hospitals had helped reduce the number of Rabies deaths to 14 last year, Public Health Veterinary Services (PHVS) Director Dr. Niroshan Gamage said. Despite this progress, the number of dog bite cases remain high, according to PHIs. Around 500 people seek hospital treatment for dog bites daily, with the Western Province including Colombo and Gampaha districts, reporting the highest numbers, more..

Feb 18 (DM) The staff of the Badulla District Secretariat, the Divisional Secretariat and representatives of civil society organizations yesterday staged a protest in front of the District Secretariat against the transfer of District Secretary Panduka Sri Prabhath Abeywardene to the Ministry of Public Administration. More than 500 protestors participated. They pointed out that the District Secretary Panduka Abeywardene was a popular official in the district more..

Feb 18 (AD) Former Secretary to the President Saman Ekanayake has been granted bail by the Colombo Magistrate’s Court. Accordingly, Colombo Fort Magistrate ordered Saman Ekanayake be released on two surety bails amounting to Rs. 20 million each. The bail request was by President’s Counsel Kalinga Indatissa on behalf of Saman Ekanayake. He was arrested and remanded in relation to the case filed over the alleged misuse of public funds involving former Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe. more..

Feb 18 (FT) Sri Lanka stands at a defining moment in its economic recovery. Engagement with the IMF has anchored a programme of fiscal consolidation, debt restructuring, and structural reform intended to restore macroeconomic stability. Considerable emphasis has rightly been placed on revenue mobilisation, expenditure discipline, and restructuring of major State-Owned Enterprises. Yet one pillar of long-term stability demands equal — if not greater — attention: the strength, transparency, more..

Feb 18 (FT) The discussions on food security in Sri Lanka have traditionally centered on one dominant question: how to produce more food. Increasing overall production, expanding cultivated areas, and improving yields have long been considered the primary pathways to ensuring national food availability. Yet recent experiences have revealed a more complex reality. There have been seasons when production levels were reasonably stable, but food prices continued to rise, more..

Feb 18 (FT) IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva yesterday met Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake, with discussions focusing on SL’s economic recovery, post-disaster assistance and the next phase of the IMF-supported reform program. The engagement signalled a shift in emphasis from crisis stabilisation towards higher growth, governance reform and rural economic transformation, as the country moves beyond more..

Feb 18 (NW) Deputy Minister Prasanna Gunasena says the Govt will send Army personnel overseas for training if railway unions prevent plans to train them locally as locomotive drivers for emergency deployment. He said the proposal involves training 20 serving Army soldiers to operate locomotives strictly for use during emergency situations to ensure uninterrupted rail services. “If they do not allow the training to take place here, we will send them overseas and provide the necessary training,” more..

Feb 18 (DM) Health officials say their hands are often tied when it comes to taking action against unhygienic food outlets, as many customers who raise concerns on social media fail to lodge formal complaints. The issue came into focus following a viral video in which a diner claimed he found what appeared to be a small snake-like head in a rice and curry meal at the Pilawoos restaurant. Video triggered widespread public concern and debate over food safety standards. more..

Feb 18 (TM) Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala yesterday rejected claims the death of attorney-at-law Buddhika Mallawarachchi signifies a breakdown in national security or the rule of law. Minister dismissed what he described as attempts to frame the shooting as a broader security crisis. "This is an isolated incident and does not pose a threat to national security or the rule of law," Wijepala stated, counteracting suggestions the event more..

Feb 18 (AD) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who departed SL to attend the AI Impact Summit 2026 at the special invitation of Indian PM Narendra Modi, arrived at the Indira Gandhi Int'l Airport, New Delhi, this afternoon (17). Prez Dissanayake was warmly received at the airport by Minister of State Shri Raj Bhushan Choudhary and other officials. The AI Impact Summit 2026, to be held in New Delhi, focuses on the responsible use of Artificial Intelligence for the benefit of humanity. more..

Feb 18 (CT) A 67-year-old Hungarian tourist was killed in an elephant attack in the Sigiriya–Pidurangala area on Sunday (15), Police said. The victim was identified as Professor Joe Anten, who had been visiting Sri Lanka on holiday. Residents in the area chased the elephant away following the attack and transported the injured tourist by three-wheeler to an ambulance stationed near the office of the Central Cultural Fund for visitors. However, as no driver was present, more..

Feb 18 (DN) Australia captain Mitchell Marsh accepted that his side was outplayed in all three departments by SL in the T-20 World Cup at Pallekele. Well played SL; they outplayed us. We know that we can make big scores but just lost our way towards the back end, added Skipper Marsh who played his first game after recovering injury. Australia reached 104 for no loss after 8.2 overs and finished 181 all out. Marsh said the failure to capitalise on the strong start paid the price. more..

Feb 18 (NW) The Cabinet has approved new reimbursement guidelines to accelerate the Communication to the Village (Gamata Sannivedanaya) national project aimed at expanding 4G broadband coverage islandwide. SL Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (TRC), which implements the project under the Finance Act No. 11 of 2004, has so far facilitated the construction of 83 communication towers in underserved areas through a cost-sharing mechanism with more..

Feb 18 (AD) Locomotive Operating Engineers Union has called off the strike that was scheduled to commence from midnight today (17). Secretary of the Union Dimuthu Edirisinghe said the decision to suspend the strike was taken following the govt’s move to temporarily halt the plan to provide train driver training to SL Army officers. The strike was announced in protest against a move to begin training a group of military officers as more..

Feb 18 (FT) The Cabinet of Ministers on Monday approved the next phase of the Urban Regeneration Project aimed at providing improved housing for underserved communities in Colombo, with funding support of $ 158 million from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). The project is being implemented by the Urban Development Authority (UDA) under Govt guidance to address the housing needs of families currently living in low-facility settlements within Colombo city. more..

Feb 18 (FT) BIOFACH, being the world’s largest and most influential international trade fair dedicated to the organic sector, provides a vital global platform for countries to promote their certified organic products and strengthen their presence in international markets. Recognising this importance, Sri Lanka will participate in BIOFACH 2026, to be held in Nuremberg, Germany, from 10-13 Feb 2026, with a strong national presence organised by the SL Export Development Board (EDB) more..

Feb 18 (AM) Uni of Kelaniya has decided to suspend all student activities within the university premises and student centres after 10 pm, based on a Supreme Court order, Vice Chancellor Professor Nilanthi de Silva announced. According to a statement issued by the VC, the decision was taken by the Anti-Ragging Committee on 16 Feb and came into effect yesterday (17). The statement further noted that legal action would be initiated against any attempts to act in violation of the directive. more..

Feb 18 (DN) Sri Lanka will play their first T-20 World Cup super eight game against England on February 22 at Pallekele, commencing at 3pm. After eight wickets victory over Australia, SL came on top of the ‘B’ group to ensure the super eight stage presence with 6 points (three wins in a row). The match between Zimbabwe and Ireland which was scheduled to be played yesterday at Pallekele from 3 pm was delayed by rain and finally abandoned at 5.30 pm. Two teams shared one point each more..