Feb 11 (TM) Transport and Highways Ministry has announced that it would appoint a committee headed by a retired judge to investigate alleged irregularities and long-standing grievances related to the Madatiyawala–Kurunegala stretch, which forms final segment of Mirigama –Kurunegala section of the Central Expressway, following complaints over house damage & unpaid or inadequate compensation. more..

Feb 11 (NW) The govt has approved a pilot project to introduce 10 air-conditioned, low-floor buses equipped with special facilities for persons with special needs. The initiative will be implemented using funds allocated under the Clean Sri Lanka Project, with the aim of improving accessibility and comfort in public transport. Procurement for the purchase of the 10 buses has already been completed, and the vehicles are expected to arrive in the country by Feb 15. more..

Feb 11 (AD) An Additional General Manager of the National Water Supply Board (NWSDB), Dharshana Medawatte and another individual who were arrested by the CIABOC on bribery charges have been remanded. The duo was remanded until Feb 20. The order was issued by Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga Bodaragama after considering submissions made by officials of the Bribery Commission and the suspects’ lawyers. The suspects were taken into custody over more..

Feb 11 (CT) Sri Lanka’s worsening air pollution crisis is being driven by a dangerous combination of local emissions and transboundary pollution, according to a new six-year longitudinal study released by the Institute for Ethical Research and Innovation (IERI). The study, which analysed air quality data from 2020 to 2026, warns that the country experiences hazardous pollution levels during the Northeast Monsoon due to more..

Feb 11 (FT) Govt sought to rest concerns of collecting money in schools by assuring that it has not given any authorisation for such activities. Minister Nalinda Jayatissa affirmed under NPP-led Govt no legal provision has been granted for collecting money in schools. He said stressing that the Govt has allocated funds for school development activities through Provincial Councils and the Central Govt. Noting that collecting money in schools has long been a common practice to support more..

Feb 11 (AD) State Vesak Festival for this year will be held at the Midellawala Purana Maha Viharaya in Thihagoda, Matara, according to the General Secretary of the All-Island Sasanarakshaka Bala Mandalaya, Most Venerable Mugunuwela Anuruddha Thero. Thero noted that the decision was taken at the third session of the newly established Buddhasasana Council formed by the present govt. The decision was made following a recommendation by the All-Island Sasanarakshaka more..

Feb 11 (NW) A meeting between spiritual leader of the Bohra community, His Holiness Dr Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin Saheb and Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake took place today (10) at the Presidential Secretariat. More than one million members of the Bohra community reside in several countries, including India, Pakistan, US, UK, Canada, SL and Australia. Engaging in a cordial discussion with Prez, His Holiness Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin Saheb commended programmes more..

Feb 11 (TM) In the wake of frequent discoveries of mobile phones, subscriber identity module (SIM) cards, and narcotics in Prison premises, the Prisons Department stated that a range of measures are being taken to prevent contraband from entering Prisons, including the installation of CCTV cameras and jammer systems. Prisons Commissioner A.C. Gajanayake said that inspections are carried out by Prison officers under the instructions of Prison superintendents, noting that such searches more..

Feb 11 (FT) SL has officially rolled out its Digital Nomad Visa (DNV), a new long-stay residence facility aimed at attracting foreign professionals who work remotely for overseas employers or clients, as part of a broader strategy to position the country as a preferred digital and lifestyle destination. The initiative, now live on the official website of the Dept of Immigration and Emigration, allows eligible foreign nationals to live and work remotely from SL more..

Feb 11 (NW) Chinese Ambassador Qi Zhenhong said China remains committed to deepening cooperation with SL and advancing a shared future between the two countries, as he addressed a Spring Festival gathering in Colombo. Speaking at the Celebrating Chinese New Year with Warmth and Joy event held at the Shangri-La Hotel Colombo, Ambassador Qi highlighted China’s economic progress, global role, and expanding partnership with SL, while extending New Year greetings more..

Feb 11 (CT) The Attorney General, yesterday, informed the Court of Appeal that the letter issued with the approval of the Chairman of the SL Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) to implement a tourism promotion project targeting the LGBTQ+ community in Sri Lanka had been withdrawn. This submission was made when the petition was taken up before President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Rohantha Abeysuriya. During proceedings, the President of the Court of Appeal queried more..

Feb 11 (AD) The verdict in the case pertaining to the murder of former MP Amarakeerthi Athukorala is scheduled to be delivered today. On 14 Jan, Gampaha High Court Trial-at-Bar deferred the announcement of the verdict in the ex-MP Amarakeerthi Athukorala’s murder case until today. Polonnaruwa District MP and his security officer, a Police Constable, were reported dead amidst the unrest in the Nittambuwa area during the nationwide incidents of violence on May 9, 2022. more..

Feb 11 (TM) Govt of SL will hold an investor call today, in line with the disclosure requirements attached to its macro-linked bonds and governance-linked bonds. According to the scheduled agenda, the call will feature a presentation on the Debt Report published on 31 Dec 2025, alongside updates on fiscal, macroeconomic, and governance developments that are relevant to the performance-linked features embedded in the bonds. The briefing is intended to provide investors with visibility more..

Feb 11 (TM) SL is to repeal the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and seek amendments to the Online Safety Act (OSA) in its bid to reapply for the GSP+, which provides preferential duty-free access to the 27-nation European Union (EU) bloc, Minister Vijitha Herath said, on his official X account. “I expressed deep appreciation for the EU’s GSP trade facility, which have been vital for SL’s economic growth & conveyed our interest in more..

Feb 11 (Island) Atlas Axillia, together with the generous contributions of its employees, donated exercise books and learning equipment worth Rs. 7 million to support children affected by recent disasters and those from underprivileged backgrounds in the Badulla District. The donated materials were distributed with the facilitation of the Chief Secretariat Office of Uva Provincial Council, supporting over 1,800 schoolchildren at the start of the new academic term. more..

Feb 11 (FT) The Cabinet approved presenting amended Colombo Port City (Development Control) Regulations to Parliament for approval, in line with Section 71(4) of the Colombo Port City Economic Commission Act No. 11 of 2021. Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said the revised regulations are intended to better align development controls with evolving planning requirements and investment expectations within the Port City, while maintaining regulatory clarity and consistency. more..

Feb 11 (ST) Protection of Occupants Bill (POB) presented to parliament recently has caused alarm among landlords and property owners that renting or leasing out their premises now runs a higher risk of them not being able to dislodge tenants, even errant ones. Some legal counsel argue that conceptually, it is not a bad law and might even be called progressive. But they insist it must be changed to remove ambiguities, lacunas more..

Feb 11 (FT) Colombo Port City offshore banking framework has been materially tightened under recent legislative changes, with access to offshore banking licences now restricted to foreign-incorporated banks, according to a new analysis by Ernst & Young SL. In a tax alert on the Colombo Port City Economic Commission (Amd) Act, No. 1 of 2026, EY said the amendment introduces significant changes to Part VIII of the Port City Act, which governs offshore banking business more..

Feb 11 (FT) Sri Lanka is seeking to position itself as a convening platform for impact investing in South Asia as more than 200 delegates from home and abroad gathered in Colombo yesterday for the inaugural Lanka Impact Investment Summit 2026 (LIIS), against the backdrop of persistent structural financing gaps in the domestic economy. The two-day summit, organised by the Lanka Impact Investing Network (LIIN) and Global Steering Group for Impact Investment SL, brings together more..

Feb 11 (Island) The fall of the once mighty West Indies has been steep across formats, yet in T20 cricket they still land the odd knockout punch. Sri Lanka, too, have slipped from the heady days when they were perennial contenders at ICC events and nowhere is the decline more glaring than in the shortest format. Still, old pros refuse to write them off. Nasser Hussain has tipped the islanders to spring a surprise while Jason Gillespie pencilled them in as semi-final material. more..

Feb 11 (DM) SL Chamber of Small and Medium Industries (SLCSMI) has unveiled a comprehensive blueprint for a Rs. 300 billion Bad Bank to rescue the nation’s embattled small and medium enterprise (SME) sector. The proposal, which aims to absorb toxic assets and restructure an estimated Rs. 460 billion in non-performing loans (NPLs), calls for a mixed funding model that notably includes a levy on commercial bank profits alongside unutilised balances from the EPF and ETF. more..

Feb 11 (FT) The Govt plans to table three key investment-related bills by March or April to strengthen investor protection, establish a formal public-private partnership framework and reform State-Owned Enterprises, Senior Economic Adviser to the Presidential Duminda Hulangamuwa said, outlining the administration’s approach to generating growth and attracting private capital. Delivering the keynote address at more..

Feb 11 (Island) If SL’s tourism story were a corporate income statement, the top line would satisfy any minister. Arrivals went up 15.1%, targets met, records broke. But walk down the statement and the story darkens. Revenue barely budges. Per-visitor yield collapses. The money that should accompany all those arrivals has quietly vanished, or, more accurately, never materialised. This is not a recovery. It is a volume trap, more tourists generating less wealth, with policymakers more..

Feb 11 (ST) When Donald Trump ordered troops into Venezuela and captured the country’s president and his wife, taking them to New York under custody, the world stood in shock. Not that the world thought such a loudmouth as President Trump was incapable of such callous disregard for international law and civilised conduct. Rather, he was too well known since his first term in the White House for his greed for power and assets—never mind whose it is. That was unquenchable. more..

Feb 11 (Island) Today’s front-page photo in this newspaper shows former Prez Mahinda Rajapaksa and Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath in conversation at a Chinese New Year reception in Colombo on Monday. This picture speaks volumes. Its significance and irony may not have escaped astute political observers familiar with SL’s political marriages of convenience during the past several decades. JVP made a public show of its antipathy towards Rajapaksas to win elections in 2024. more..

Feb 11 (TM) Sri Lanka continues to live with one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the world, rooted in sections of the Penal Code enacted in 1883. This colonial-era law criminalises abortion in almost all circumstances, allowing it only when the life of the pregnant woman is at risk. Nearly 150 years later, the country is still governed by legal assumptions formed in a very different world. The cost of this inaction is borne by women and girl children, particularly survivors of rape, more..

Feb 11 (TM) The sinking of the MV X-Press Pearl in June 2021 stands as the most severe environmental disaster in the recorded history of SL. Singapore-flagged container vessel caught fire off the western coast while carrying a cargo that included hazardous chemicals and plastic nurdles, triggering extensive marine pollution and long-term ecological damage. While emergency response operations ended years ago, legal and more..

Feb 11 (GV) Efforts by several govts to amend labour laws in ways that primarily benefit employers have repeatedly been defeated due to strong opposition from trade unions. Current govt has also presented labour law amendments prepared along similar lines but these proposals have again faced resistance from trade unions. As a result a committee has been appointed to review and reconsider the previously drafted amendments, which were widely seen as employer-friendly. more..

Feb 11 (DM) Cricket is more than just a sport in South Asia. It is part of everyday life. Families gather around the television, friends debate over players and entire cities celebrate victories together. For many people, cricket brings joy and unity. That is why the recent boycott involving India and Pakistan during the ICC T20 tournament in Colombo in 2026 has disappointed fans across the region. Sports should bring people together, not divide them. Cricket, often called a gentleman’s game, more..

Feb 11 (SO) It begins, as so many modern crises do, not in a dark alley or behind closed doors, but behind a screen, glowing quietly in a teenager’s hand during a school interval, in a classroom corner, or late at night under the covers. The recent controversy surrounding a student at a prominent school and their inappropriate use of social media has reignited a fierce debate over the feasibility of restricting Smartphone access more..

Feb 11 (DM) In a viral video, the owner of a beachside restaurant in Tangalle was seen refusing to serve a group of locals. The man justifies his refusal, claiming that his establishment serves only foreigners. The original poster, a British Sri Lankan, laments that he had not encountered such racism even in the UK. “This guy refuses to serve us because we are brown. We are locals, and he says we don’t serve locals. There is nobody else in this restaurant. I get so much pressure on me, more..

Feb 11 (CT) School transport in Sri Lanka has for far too long existed in a grey zone, moving thousands of children every morning and afternoon with little scrutiny, limited accountability, and an almost casual acceptance of risk, and therefore the recent high-level discussion held at the PM’s Office on regulating school student transport services, although welcome, also exposes how overdue this conversation truly is. When authorities speak of regulation today, it is not that more..