Feb 14 (AD) Attorney General has filed indictments in the Colombo High Court against Yoshitha Rajapaksa, the second son of former Prez Mahinda Rajapaksa, and his grandmother Daisy Forrest Wickremesinghe under the Money Laundering Act. AG has filed the indictments against these defendants for failing to disclose how they acquired lands and properties at Sirimalwatta Uyana in Ratmalana and Dehiwala areas valued at more..

Feb 14 (AD) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake has appointed Most Ven. Dr. Gallelle Sumanasiri Thera as the Chancellor of Rajarata University. The official letter of appointment was presented to Most Ven. Dr. Gallelle Sumanasiri Thera this afternoon by the Secretary to the Prez Nandika Kumanayake. Most Ven. Dr. Gallelle Sumanasiri Thera, who has been appointed as the Chancellor of the Rajarata Uni, is the Chief Incumbent of Harankahawa Molagoda Rajamaha Viharaya. more..

Feb 14 (NW) A new National Sports Council was appointed Friday by Youth and Sports Minister Sunil Kumara Gamage to provide guidance on the development, promotion, and governance of sports in Sri Lanka. Former Sri Lanka rugby captain Priyantha Ekanayake has been named chairman of the council. Ekanayake has previously served as chairman of both the Sri Lanka and Asian Rugby Unions and has played professional rugby in New Zealand and Wales. more..

Feb 14 (EN) Active credit cards in SL rose by 2.8% or 53,045 in 2024. With SL’s economic recovery and strong promotions for credit cards amid falling interest rates. The number of active credit cards recorded 1,970,130 by end December, compared to 1,917,085 by the end of 2023. The number of active credit cards has increased by 19,076 in Dec 2024. Analysts said most banks have tied up with super markets & other vendors more..

Feb 14 (CT) Officials from Agriculture Dept and District Secretariat have highlighted that while the whitefly infestation, which had previously spread rapidly in the Northern Province, had subsided due to cold weather conditions, it has now begun to re-emerge. It was noted that the infestation is affecting not only coconut trees but also other crops. Over this issue, Northern Province Governor N. Vethanayagan has directed authorities to take immediate action to control the spread of whitefly infestation, more..

Feb 14 (FT) On 20 Jan, a mom-entous event unfolded at the NIBM School of Business as they celebrated a monumental milestone – 50 years of pioneering education in SL. To commemorate this occasion, NIBM School of Business proudly signed a MoU with Unilever SL, marking a significant step in furthering the opportunities available to NIBM students. MoU, signed by Unilever SL HR Director Ajith Thomas and NIBM Director General Dr. D.M.A. Kulasooriya signals a new era of more..

Feb 14 (CT) Lahiru Weerasekara, a youth activist and National Organiser of Youth for Change (YFC) criticised the stalwarts who established the Govt through protests yet attempted to suppress protests with State power. He said that the Govt has not been able to keep the election pledges such as reducing the VAT, reducing the prices of oil, increasing pensions, increasing the salaries of public servants, recruiting employees to the public service, etc. He added that the Govt attributed more..

Feb 14 (TM) SSP Buddhika Manathunga stated that legal action will be initiated against Jaffna District Independent MP Dr. Ramanathan Archchuna in connection with the recent assault incident. He addressed questions regarding the lack of action over the matter, noting that his position as an MP does not grant him any special privileges or exemptions from the law. “Being an MP has not given him any special privileges or exemptions from the law. As a representative of the more..

Feb 14 (Island) The leader of Yuthukama civil society group Gevindu Cumaratunga said that the public should oppose former Speaker Karu Jayasuriya’s call for the implementation of the Yahapalana govt’s Orumithanadu federal proposals. Cumaratunga said that he was quite surprised and disappointed by the former Speaker’s move made in his current capacity as Chairman of the National Movement for Social Justice (NMSJ). more..

Feb 14 (AD) A vehicle belonging to Puttalam District NPP Parliamentarian Mohamed Faisal was involved in an accident in Wennappuwa this morning (14), resulting in the death of a motorcyclist. According to police reports, the accident occurred in the Haldaduwana area in Koswatta, while the vehicle was en route to the Parliament. Preliminary investigations indicate that the MP’s vehicle veered off the road and collided with a motorcycle approaching from the opposite direction. more..

Feb 14 (AD) A forest fire that broke out yesterday (13) in the Ella Rock area, near the popular Ella tourist town, has rapidly spread across an area of around 20 acres by this morning, according to reports. DMC confirmed that around 10 acres of the forest reserve has already been destroyed in the blaze. The fire had broken out at around 4 p.m. yesterday in the Ravana Ella forest reserve, located within the Ella Police Division. However, authorities now suspect that the fire was set intentionally. more..

Feb 14 (CI) A shorthanded Australia will enter the Champions Trophy bereft of confidence and desperate for answers after a hefty 2-0 ODI series defeat to SL. SL's massive 174-run victory in the 2nd ODI in Colombo was set up by Kusal Mendis and captain Charith Asalanka powering them to 281. Kusal made 101 off 115 balls, and had strong partnerships with Asalanka and Nishan Madushka, before Australia were routed for just 107 more..

Feb 14 (EN) Supreme Court has ruled that clauses 2 and 3 of the Local Authorities Elections (Special Provisions) bill, in particular, are inconsistent with Article 12(1) of SL’s Constitution, Speaker of Parliament said. “The majority of the [3 judge] bench had held that the Bill read as a whole and in particularly Clauses 2 and 3 is inconsistent with Article 12(1) of the Constitution and can be only passed with the special majority required under paragraph (2) of Article 84,” more..

Feb 14 (TM) Sri Lanka will achieve the tax targets of the IMF through budget 2025, while the govt will have to balance relief for people, Bloomberg Economics said. Accordingly, it said that SL’s President Anura Kumara Dissanayake needs to accommodate two conflicting objectives in this year’s budget - providing relief to the crisis-weary population through tax cuts and more welfare spending as he promised, and sticking to the fiscal consolidation path set out by the IMF. more..

Feb 14 (FT) With a packed audience including politicians, academics, researchers, media personalities and civil society leaders, the Budget symposium themed ‘Budgeting for the future – prioritising inclusion and equity’ was held last week. Coalition for Inclusive Impact (CII) Director and WFD Country Director Sanje Vignaraja delivering opening remarks said that the CII together with other stakeholders has organised the event to discuss the Appropriation Bill for 2025 that was presented more..

Feb 14 (AD) CID has initiated an investigation into allegations that SLPP MP Namal Rajapaksa sat for the SL Law College examination in an unlawful manner. The complaint was filed by an organization named The Purawesi Balaya against Bribery, Corruption, and Waste, which claims that MP Rajapaksa unlawfully obtained his law degree with the assistance of two attorneys. The organization has called for a formal investigation into the matter, urging that appropriate legal action be taken, more..

Feb 14 (AP) A federal judge ordered the Trump administration on Thursday to temporarily lift a three-week funding freeze that has shut down U.S. aid and development work worldwide, citing the sweeping damage that the sudden shutdown has done to the nonprofits and other organizations that help carry out U.S. assistance overseas. The court ruling was the second to deliver a major setback for the Trump administration more..

Feb 14 (Island) Director of the National Eye Hospital in Colombo, Consultant Ophthalmologist Dr. Jayaruwan Bandara, has lodged a complaint with the Ministry of Health, alleging that a group, including the hospital’s chef and kitchen supervisor, forcibly entered his office and threatened him over an ongoing investigation. Dr Bandara said that he had questioned a kitchen inspector and two employees regarding the theft of food that occurred on 10 February. He said he believed that more..

Feb 14 (DM) A 45-years-old businessman who illegally brought a stock of mobile phones and tab computers worth Rs. 300 million was arrested by Customs officers at the BIA. The suspects is a businessman from Kotahena, Colombo 13, who travels overseas very often. He arrived at the airport on February 1 at 4:30 PM on Qatar Airways flight QR-654. However, his luggage was not on the same flight. However, later the businessman's luggage was sent to the BIA on a different flight. more..

Feb 14 (FT) Sri Lanka’s premier political party representing the Tamils of the Northern and Eastern Provinces is the Ilankai Thamil Arasuk Katchi (ITAK) known in English as the Federal Party (FP). ITAK is currently the third largest party in Parliament with eight seats. 75-year-old party lost two of its senior most leaders within a span of eight months. Former Trincomalee district MP Rajavarothayam Sampanthan passed away more..

Feb 14 (DM) SLPP briefed U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung on the SLPP’s proposal for a Parliamentary Select Committee to investigate into the use of USAID funds by both registered and unregistered NGOs in SL, with a focus on ensuring transparency in the allocation of U.S. taxpayer resources. The SLPP made these remarks during a meeting with Ambassordor Chung and SLPP representatives including Namal Rajapaksa at the SLPP Headquarters today. more..

Feb 14 (AD) Ministry of Power and Energy has announced that steps have been taken to end the daily power cuts imposed to manage the electricity demand following the recent island-wide power outage. The outage, which occurred on Sunday, triggered the protocol system of the Norochcholai Power Plant, shutting down all three generators and causing a 900-megawatt loss to the national grid. In response, the CEB implemented island-wide power cuts, lasting one-and a-half hours on Feb 10 more..

Feb 14 (FT) 77th Independence Day saw SL more in dependence than independent. TN fishermen invade our territorial waters, disobey our Navy, and when they sustain injuries while grappling with the legitimate navy in waters where they are acting as pirates, our closest friend India summons our diplomats and issues a stern admonition though we are defending our own waters from predators who deprive our citizens of nutrition, and our fishermen, especially in the North, of their catch and more..

Feb 14 (FT) The new NPP Govt finds itself navigating a delicate diplomatic tightrope between two Asian powerhouses—global powerhouse China, pouring billions into SL infrastructure, and resurgent neighbouring economic power, India, deeply concerned about security implications of SL aligning too closely with its rival, China. The new administration must maintain perfect balance: lean too far toward Beijing’s Belt and Road ambitions and risk alarming New Delhi; more..

Feb 14 (DM) Hours after news broke out that Adani Green Energy, founded by Indian billionaire Gautam Adani, had decided to withdraw its wind energy project from SL, Daily Mirror learns that both the Indian side and SL govt had decided to go in for another set of discussions next week, signaling that the deal may not be entirely off. Informed sources said that it is highly likely that both Indian & SL sides will meet behind closed doors more..

Feb 14 (NF) Deputy Minister of Transport and Highways, Prasanna Gunasena says that construction of the first phase of the Central Expressway, which had been halted, will begin in the next two months. The Deputy Minister said that approval from the China Exim Bank is awaited for the loan installment related to the project. He added that, the construction is set to resume as a result of discussions held during President Anura Kumara Dissanayake's official visit to China. more..

Feb 14 (AD) A preliminary discussion on the final phase of drafting the Budget 2025, which is scheduled to be presented to Parliament on Feb 17, was held this afternoon (13) at the Presidential Secretariat under the leadership of Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake. The discussion was attended by Ministers K.D. Lalkantha, Wasantha Samarasinghe, Anil Jayanta Fernando, Secretary to the Prez Nandika Kumanayake, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance Mahinda Siriwardana, more..

Feb 14 (CT) Port Joint Trade Union Alliance (PJTUA) has raised concerns over several critical issues affecting Colombo Port’s operations, urging authorities to take immediate action. They claim that the ECT Master Plan—developed in collaboration with leading global firms such as Camco and Navis—is being arbitrarily altered by the newly-appointed Managing Director of the Port. Co-Convener Shamal Sumanaratne expressed more..

Feb 14 (DN) Minister Kumara Jayakody, announced that there will be no daily power cuts starting today. The recent power disruptions were caused by a system imbalance that resulted in all three generators at the Norochcholai Coal Power Plant going offline last Sunday. In response, CEB imposed a one-and-a-half-hour power cut on Monday and Tuesday to manage the electricity demand. On Wednesday, CEB implemented a one-hour power cut as a precaution due to prevailing more..

Feb 14 (Island) Former Vanni District MP Kulasingam Thileepan, who represented the EPDP, was arrested by the Tamil Nadu police in India on 12 Feb. Former MP had travelled from SL to Chennai and was attempting to obtain a visa to travel to a European country using a forged passport when he was apprehended in Kochi, Kerala. Investigations revealed that, in addition to the passport he submitted for travel to Europe, he possessed another passport, which he had used to travel more..

Feb 14 (AD) The Kalutara Disaster Management Unit confirmed that the fire at the perfume manufacturing factory in Horana has been completely brought under control. Fire brigade units from Colombo and Kalutara Municipal Councils, along with the Horana fire brigade, were deployed to extinguish the blaze. The fire broke out last evening at the perfume manufacturing factory, a cinnamon-based perfume manufacturing facility in the Boralugoda BOI Industrial Estate, Horana, more..

Feb 14 (Island) Sri Lanka has advanced capabilities to treat paediatric cancers, surpassing many other hospitals in South Asia, according to Dr. Mahendra Somatilaka, a specialist in paediatric oncology at the Apeksha Hospital at Maharagama. He made these remarks during a media briefing on 12 Feb. Dr Somatilaka highlighted that paediatric cancers could manifest in various forms, with the three most common being blood cancers, brain tumours, and bone or muscle-related cancers. more..