Feb 6 (NW) The Madras High Court on Thursday adjourned the hearing on MDMK general secretary Vaiko’s appeal against a tribunal order upholding the ban on the LTTE. The matter was postponed to Feb 16 after the Union govt sought more time ahead of the next hearing. A division bench of Justices Anita Sumanth and C. Kathir Kumar heard the case, and counsel for the Union government requested the adjournment, citing the need for the additional solicitor general to appear. more..

Feb 6 (EN) SL will not see another sovereign debt crisis and the island nation will start the repayment of unpaid external debts as scheduled, CB Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe said. He rejected 2028 phobia claimed by some with a narrative that the govt and Central Bank will not be able to meet the debt service payments which could lead to another debt restructure. Governor stressed that SL, historically, has maintained a strong reputation for meeting its debt obligations up until 2022, more..

Feb 6 (Island) Chairman of the Valvettithurai Urban Council and a kinsman of late Tiger Leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, M.K. Sivajilingam, has formally thanked members of the US Congress for their recent intervention on behalf of the Eelam Tamil people and appealed for the US to assume a leadership role in restoring the Tamil nation’s legitimate sovereignty. Appeal was made in a letter sent to members of US Congress, more..

Feb 6 (CT) SL’s banking sector recorded an extraordinary Rs 762 billion in profits before tax in 2023–2024, while the Govt earned Rs 295 billion in taxes from banks, even as thousands of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) collapsed under interest rates that surged to nearly 30%, Ceylon Federation of MSMEs has revealed. In an analysis titled From Crisis to Windfall: How SL’s Banks Profited While MSMEs Collapsed, Federation argues that the post-2022 economic shock more..

Feb 6 (SCMP) A South Korean governor has sparked outrage after he proposed importing Sri Lanka and Vietnamese virgins to help stem the population decline in provincial areas. Jindo county Governor Kim Hee-soo made the suggestion during a town hall meeting in South Jeolla to discuss an administrative merger of nine cities and counties in the province with Gwangju Metropolitan City. “Of the 89 regions facing declining populations nationwide, 20% are in South Jeolla province. more..

Feb 6 (NW) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake emphasised that the objective of the present Govt is to bring to an end the era in which the country’s economic gains were concentrated among a few families and a corrupt circle surrounding them and to ensure that the benefits of all economic achievements flow to the people who are at the very bottom of the country’s economy. Emphasising that the law will be enforced against all more..

Feb 6 (AD) In a historic first, a total of twenty newly-recruited female bus conductors have officially received their letters of appointment from the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB). The appointment ceremony was held today at the Makumbura Multimodal Transport Centre. The event was attended by Deputy Minister Dr. Kaushalya Ariyarathne, MP Samanmalee Gunasinghe, and SLTB Chairman, Sajeewa Kanakarathna. A new uniform was also introduced for the newly more..

Feb 6 (AD) The Supreme Court has determined that no provision in the Parliamentary Pensions (Repeal) Bill is inconsistent with the Constitution, and that it can be enacted by Parliament with a simple majority, Speaker of the House Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne stated. Announcing the Supreme Court’s decision, he added that the bill had been reviewed in accordance with Article 121(1) of the Constitution and was found to be fully consistent with constitutional provisions. more..

Feb 6 (DM) Sri Lanka has strengthened its preparedness to detect and respond to a potential outbreak of the deadly Nipah virus (NiV) with health authorities stepping up surveillance and laboratory readiness amid growing regional concerns. Medical Research Institute (MRI), the country’s premier laboratory, has upgraded its testing capacity with the latest technology to detect the Nipah virus, enabling early identification of suspected cases, according to an informed source at MRI. more..

Feb 6 (DM) A meeting to study the feasibility of introducing skydiving activities in Sri Lanka was held at the Ministry of Defence yesterday by Defence Secretary Sampath Thuyacontha (Retd) and a group of representatives of Skydive Sri Lanka. During the meeting, representatives of Skydive Sri Lanka made a detailed presentation introducing skydiving, highlighting its potential benefits as an adventure tourism activity, along with proposed operational aspects. more..

Feb 6 (DM) SL ranked 134 out of 180 countries in the latest Environmental Protection Index (EPI) report compiled by Yale and Colombia universities with a score of 38.8 out of 100 on their national efforts to protect environmental health. This shows that despite the effort of the govt’s Clean Sri Lanka initiatives, the country has a long way to go to get a higher global ranking in its cleanliness and its initiatives to protect the environment. more..

Feb 6 (DN) SL joined the Global Platform for Access to Childhood Cancer Medicines, a global initiative led by WHO and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital to expand access to affordable, quality-assured cancer medicines for children. The milestone was marked at the Ministry of Health & Mass Media with the signing of a Letter of Agreement between Govt of SL and WHO, in the presence of Minister of Health and Ministry officials, cancer care professionals & advocates. more..

Feb 6 (AD) Deputy Minister Aravinda Senarath, informed Parliamen that the govt has completed all necessary arrangements to commence the purchasing of paddy. Paddy warehouses in most districts have already been opened, and future operations have been planned in accordance with the expected harvest volumes. Deputy Minister further noted that the process of systematically converting paddy stocks purchased during the previous season into rice and releasing them more..

Feb 6 (NW) The decisions and judgments delivered within the Supreme Court complex serve as a mirror that clearly reflects the justice, democracy, and the rule of law in SL, PM Harini Amarasuriya said. PM made these remarks while participating in the ceremony to handover the refurbished Supreme Court complex for judicial proceedings, following its modernization with assistance from the Govt of China. more..

Feb 6 (AD) Chamithri Rambukwella, eldest daughter of former Minister Keheliya Rambukwella, has been arrested by officers of the CIABOC. The arrest was made in connection with investigations into allegations of aiding and abetting the laundering of funds illegally accumulated by her father, commission said. Accordingly, CIABOC officers arrested Chamithri Rambukwella at around 1:15 p.m. today, in the Aluthkade area of Colombo. Commission has confirmed that more..

Feb 6 (CT) A war hero, rendered differently-abled during the conflict against terrorists, commenced a fast unto death in front of the Galenbindunuwewa Police Station yesterday, alleging that the Police were involved in a fraud that led to the loss of all his property. The incident created a tense situation in the area and attracted a large crowd to the site. Retired Sergeant N.H. Kulathilaka, a resident of Palugollagama, Megodawewa, bearing number 401131, who had been partially sighted and more..

Feb 6 (DM) A special rehearsal was conducted to assess whether SL Air Force helicopters could land on the open ground behind the Kandy President’s House. Residents of Kandy were somewhat alarmed yesterday as Air Force helicopters were seen flying over the city for nearly two hours, prompting many to inquire about the situation. Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake is scheduled to visit Kandy today, during which he is expected to commence two development projects in the city. more..

Feb 6 (BBC) Sri Lanka have written to the Pakistan Cricket Board asking them to reverse their refusal to face India in their T20 World Cup group. The fixture, the biggest and most lucrative in the global game, is due to be played inColombo on 15 Feb but Pakistan's govt has said the team will not play the Group A game. PM Shehbaz Sharif said on Thursday the decision was made to support Bangladesh, whose request for their games to be switched from India was rejected by the ICC. more..

Feb 6 (TM) Colombo Port is expected to see an expansion of its container throughput by 6.5 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in 2026, with the inclusion of the West Container Terminal (WCT) and East Container Terminal (ECT) into service, and the expansion of the JCT-5 terminal, Dy Minister Janitha Kodithuwakku said. “We know that we expect to include both the Western/Eastern terminals into service this yr. more..

Feb 6 (DM) Conducting tuition classes targeting candidates sitting for the 2025 (2026) GCE O/L Examination will be prohibited from midnight on February 11. The Dept stated that organising and conducting subject-oriented lectures, seminars, workshops, or classes related to the exam period will not be permitted. The printing of examination-oriented papers, distribution of so-called guess questions, and publicity through electronic media, posters, and banners will also be banned. more..

Feb 6 (NW) Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment & Tourism Vijitha Herath hosted a special dinner reception at Cinnamon Grand for the diplomatic corps in Colombo. Heads of Missions resident in and concurrently accredited to Sri Lanka, representatives of international organizations based in Colombo and senior government officials were present at the event. The event was held to mark the 78th Anniversary of Sri Lanka’s Independence. Welcoming the distinguished gathering, more..

Feb 6 (AD) The resumption of construction on the Gatambe Flyover in Kandy, which had been halted for several years, commenced this afternoon under the patronage of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. The project, which commenced in 2021 with financial assistance from a loan provided by the Hungarian govt, carries an estimated cost of Rs. 14.37 billion. However, amid the recent economic crisis, Hungarian loan more..

Feb 6 (AM) A senior activist of the SLPP has sought to clarify controversy surrounding the National Identity Card (NIC) number recorded in a bank account linked to the Siriliya Saviya project, a social welfare initiative run by Shiranthi Rajapaksa. Mahinda Pathirana said the account in question had been opened using Shiranthi Rajapaksa’s passport, as she had not carried her National Identity Card at the time. He explained that she neither had the NIC with her nor could recall the number more..

Feb 6 (NW) Former SL captain Mahela Jayawardene has urged the national team to ignore outside criticism and focus on its strengths ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, expressing confidence in the squad’s experience and talent despite recent struggles. Jayawardene said Sri Lanka still has a strong and experienced bowling attack capable of making an impact at the World Cup, noting that performances in the build-up should not define a team’s chances in a global tournament. more..

Feb 6 (FT) Sri Lanka has finally discovered a new unit of measurement in criminal law: the overnight transit. Not a Bond scam. Not a vanished port. Not a procurement that evaporated billions. A stopover. At the centre of this legal theatre is Ranil Wickremesinghe, arrested, remanded, hospitalised, ICU-warded, passport impounded—and now hovering in the legal purgatory between prosecution and political performance. The charge? Misuse of public funds. The alleged crime? more..

Feb 6 (FT) The proposed Protection of Occupants Bill, 2025 is clearly well-intentioned. Preventing harassment and unlawful eviction is a legitimate public objective. Yet good intentions do not always produce good law. If enacted in its present form, this Bill risks being deeply counter-productive, undermining both the rental market and the very tenants it seeks to protect. Sri Lanka is no longer living in the 1972 era of the Rent Act and statutory tenancy. more..

Feb 6 (AD) As part of ongoing reconstruction efforts following Cyclone Ditwah, India has dispatched a consignment of 10 Bailey Bridges to SL to support the restoration of critical connectivity infrastructure in affected areas. The shipment arrived in Colombo from Visakhapatnam onboard INS Gharial, and Acting High Commissioner of India to SL, Dr. Satyanjal Pandey, formally handed over more..

Feb 6 (DM) SL business tycoon Dudley Sirisena has sparked fresh interest in the aviation sector after hinting that a brand-new helicopter could soon be brought to SL. Speaking while attending the Singapore Airshow 2026, Sirisena said he hopes to make his long-time dream of introducing a modern helicopter to the country a reality in the near future. He made these remarks in an interview with the YouTube channel at the exhibition. Sirisena noted that he closely studies helicopter technology more..

Feb 6 (AD) A SL passenger who arrived at the BIA has been arrested for allegedly attempting to smuggle a consignment of Kush valued at over Rs. 20 million into the country. Police stated that during interrogation following the arrest, it was revealed that two other individuals had been waiting near a supermarket in Negombo to transport the narcotics consignment to the Mannar area. Accordingly, officials attached to BIA Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) arrested the 2 suspects this morning. more..

Feb 6 (FT) The CID today informed the Colombo Magistrate’s Court of several key facts uncovered in connection with Attorney-at-law Thamara Kumari Abeyratne, who has been arrested and detained on suspicion of aiding and abetting the murder of underworld figure Sanjeewa Kumara Samararatne, alias Ganemulla Sanjeewa. These details were presented when the case against the suspect was taken up before more..

Feb 6 (AD) Archbishop of Colombo, His Eminence Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith has urged the govt to establish an institution named the Muthurajawela Development Authority to protect the Muthurajawela wetlands. Cardinal stated that the natural drainage system of the Gampaha District has been formed through the Muthurajawela wetlands. He warned that if unauthorized constructions continue in the area, there is a risk of severe flooding occurring again in the Gampaha District in future. more..

Feb 6 (AD) SJB MP Palani Digambaram has raised concerns that plantation workers may not receive the recently announced daily wage increase of Rs. 400. He stated that plantation companies are now demanding that workers collect 25 kg of tea leaves per day in order to qualify for the increment of their daily wage, up from the previous requirement of 20 kg. Digambaram noted, “Regarding the salary of estate workers, the govt has stated that Rs. 400 will be added to their daily wage, to be paid on more..