Feb 22 (DM) The output of solar energy has increased due to the high level of sunlight in the country, and if the trend continues, the national grid will find it difficult to support it. Sri Lanka currently facing dry conditions and increased temperatures in the coming months will impact energy levels as energy contributed by solar panels will increase. This could be highly cost-effective however if this continues to increase the load on the national grid will be too much to support more..

Feb 22 (EN) Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister has expressed regrets for not proceeding with an Integrated Field Exercise (IFE) under the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said citing the new govt’s priority for domestic challenges. Sri Lanka announced in 2023 that it had ratified the agreement the country signed in 1996. Soon after signing the agreement in 1996, an auxiliary seismic station was set up in Pallekele, Kandy. more..

Feb 22 (FT) A top economist this week raised concerns over the Govt’s revenue and taxation policies, particularly its overestimated approach for Excise duties on cigarettes. Verité Research Executive Director Dr. Nishan de Mel criticised the persistent overestimation of tax revenue from the cigarette industry, pointing out that actual collections have consistently failed to meet the projected outcomes outlined in the Budget. more..

Feb 22 (DM) A shooting attempt in the Negombo area failed this afternoon when the gunman's firearm malfunctioned, police said. The intended target was the eldest son of Chaminda, alias Miris Anthony, and the attack was allegedly planned near a shop owned by the family. According to police, two individuals on a motorcycle approached the location and attempted to open fire. However, the weapon failed to discharge prompting the suspects to escape the scene. more..

Feb 22 (DM) At the Colombo Tea Auction this week, less activity from Iran continued to impact the tea prices, in general. The auction offerings were barely maintained and totalled 5.8 M/Kgs. There was fair demand. The Ex-Estate offerings were similar to last and totalled 0.9 M/Kgs. Improved activity was seen for the better teas, whilst the prices for the teas at the lower end of the market were barely maintained, with the poorer types often difficult of sale. The Best Western BOP/BOPFs gained by more..

Feb 22 (DN) Unilever inaugurated its latest cereal and beverage food factory at the Sapugaskanda Lindel Industrial Park yesterday, marking the company’s largest investment in South Asia. The grand opening was held under the patronage of Minister Sunil Handunnetti. This state-of-the-art facility, Unilever’s fourth factory in Sri Lanka, represents a Rs. 3.8 billion investment. Construction began in 2023 and was completed within a year, with production commencing immediately. more..

Feb 22 (FT) Colombo stock market yesterday posted a welcome rebound though closing the week marginally low. ASPI gained by 0.18% and the active S&P SL20 by 0.6%. For the week, the indices reported a loss of 0.3% and 0.6% respectively. Turnover on Friday was Rs. 3.5 billion involving 70.5 million shares. The average daily turnover for the week was Rs. 4.2 billion. After two days of losses, the bourse rebounded on Friday with positive sentiment and low market activity. more..

Feb 22 (Island) The Supreme Court has issued notices to Minister of Power and Energy Kumara Jayakody and several other respondents in connection with a fundamental rights petition alleging that the government is set to incur a loss exceeding Rs. 3 billion due to irregularities in the awarding of a solar power plant tender in Siyambalanduwa, Athimale. The petitioner claims that the CEB had called for tenders to more..

Feb 22 (AD) Maharagama Police have arrested a woman believed to be the girlfriend of the shooter who carried out the assassination of notorious underworld figure Sanjeewa Kumara Samararathne, alias Ganemulla Sanjeewa. Following her arrest, she has been handed over to the Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) for further investigation. The suspect, Gimhani Tharushika Dewmini, a 23-year-old resident of Polwatta, Maharagama, was apprehended at a spa in Pannipitiya. more..

Feb 22 (ST) The Court of Appeal has ruled in favour of the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) and its Professional Conduct Committee’s (PCC) move to impose a suspension on a medical practitioner found to have posed as a consultant radiologist without possessing the necessary qualifications to do so. The medical practitioner filed a writ petition in the Court of Appeal against the PCC’s decision to impose a one-year suspension on him, reduced to six months, after an inquiry found that more..

Feb 22 (CT) Prez Anura Dissanayake, in his capacity as Minister of Finance, Economic Stabilisation, delivered his inaugural Budget Speech in Parliament last Monday. He highlighted that this year’s budget is designed with core principles aimed at building an economy where every citizen is an active participant, stakeholder and beneficiary. The President projected a budget deficit of Rs 2,200 billion for the 2025 fiscal year, more..

Feb 22 (FT) National Chamber of Exporters (NCE) commended the Govt on the presentation of the National Budget 2025. “NCE appreciates the Govt’s effort to present a Budget that approaches national development from multiple perspectives while providing a comprehensive road map for the country’s economic growth,” NCE said in a statement. The statement also said the following. As the leading chamber representing the exporters of SL, the NCE is proud to have contributed to more..

Feb 22 (DN) Paceman Rachintha de Silva produced his best figures of the season, taking 6 for 46 as Isipathana College were bowled out for 203 in their first innings against Thurstan College on the opening day of the 62nd Battle of the Brothers cricket encounter at the SSC grounds yesterday. At the close of the first day, Thurstan openers Dinal Induwara (15) and Thanuja Rajapaksa (6) had added an unbroken 23-run stand in 6 overs. Their task is clear: build a huge total in their more..

Feb 22 (FT) Hatton National Bank (HNB) has unveiled its exclusive first World Elite Metal Mastercard, Club Elite introducing a new echelon of luxury banking to SL’s payment landscape. This invitation-only card, designed specifically for HNB Club Elite members, combines sophisticated metal design with premium global benefits. This Club Elite Card represents a significant advancement in SL’s premium banking sector, offering cardholders access to curated travel privileges, luxury more..

Feb 22 (FT) Jaffna-based 3axislabs is expanding its SL operations to meet growing international demand for its services. Having successfully delivered almost 50 projects to date, for clients in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Switzerland, Finland, and other countries, the firm is planning to increase its staff total to 50 in the near term, while also expanding its offices to accommodate them. Prompted by a surge in the company’s revenues, to Rs. 60 million in 2024, 3axislabs’ growth follows more..

Feb 22 (CT) Met Dept forecast on Friday (21) that, while the ongoing sweltering weather over most parts of the country would continue for the next few days, there could be light rains after Sunday (23). When contacted to learn more about the ongoing blistering weather, Deputy Director of the Met Dept. Meryl Mendis said showers or thundershowers can be expected over most parts of the country after 23 Feb. more..

Feb 22 (Island) SL police are known for their swift post-crime response, which however is selective in most cases. On Wednesday, they failed to protect an underworld character brought to the Colombo Magistrate’s court. Ganemulle Sanjeewa was shot while in the dock despite a heavy police presence at the court complex. Subsequently, he succumbed to his injuries in hospital. The assassin entered the courtroom, posing as a lawyer. In 2004, an underworld figure, Dhammika Amerasinghe more..

Feb 22 (DM) Sri Lanka has been recognised as a country with the potential to become its own brand. However, strategic experts opine that in order to become a futuristic country, Sri Lanka should first eliminate corruption in the bureaucracy. These are the remarks made by Prof. Henrik von Scheel who is known as one of the most influential futurists of this century. He is the architect of the 4th Industrial Revolution and his work has been applied to over 24 national economies more..

Feb 22 (FT) A recent economic discussion program on a major television channel hosted a panel that included two economists, a representative of the SME sector and three MPs, one of whom is a high-net worth individual, owner of the TV station and a former Prez Candidate. Over two and a half hours, the conversation took in a myriad of topics related to the economy: monetary policy, money printing, interest rates, taxation, along with the usual accompanying hand-wringing and more..

Feb 22 (CT) The tragic collision between the Colombo-Batticaloa Meenagaya Intercity Express Train and a herd of wild elephants on Wednesday night, highlights a crisis that has been growing for years. The deaths of six elephants—representing the largest single loss of life in such an incident—have once again drawn attention to the ongoing human-elephant conflict in SL. This calamity, occurring near the 140 km post between Minneriya and Galoya railway stations, within the Kaudulla Forest more..

Feb 22 (CT) The judiciary is the primary institution responsible for upholding the law. The duty of ensuring its security mainly falls upon the Ministry of Public Security & Ministry of Justice and Prisons. Due to failures in carrying out these responsibilities properly, a tendency has emerged where individuals who should be subjected to the judicial process instead fall victim to extrajudicial killings. It is important to recognise that more..

Feb 22 (GV) I was feeling extremely lucky to be part of the SL NGO delegation representing Women’s Action Network (WAN) at the 9th periodic review of the Convention for the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). After restless weeks of drafting our shadow report and memorising CEDAW committee members’ names to brief and lobby them to help them review the govt’s progress, which is our responsibility as civil society in the CEDAW review, I was not ready for the lack of prepardness more..

Feb 22 (DM) Three days after the so-called shocking murder in the courtroom at the Colombo Magistrate’s Court, the alleged killer has been taken into custody, the man behind the killing identified but the female suspect linked to the killing still roams free. The lady has been identified, but has not been taken into custody. But are ordinary Lankans shocked at what has happened? In the villages, in the slums and in the tea and rubber estates of our country, where over 80% of our people live, more..

Feb 22 (DM) Notorious drug trafficker and criminal gang leader Sanjeewa Kumara Samararathne known as Ganemulla Sanjeewa, was shot dead in the No. 5 Magistrate’s Court within the Hulftsdorp Court Complex this week. The suspected assassin was arrested in the Paalaavi area of Puttalam. It was announced first that the arrested person was 34-year-old Azman Sherifdeen. Subsequently Public Security Minister more..

Feb 22 (DM) The killing of Ganemulle Sanjeewa, who is described as an underworld leader at a courtroom of the country’s main Hulftsdorp court complex on Wednesday was not the first of its kind. The officer in charge of the Weerangula police station and his uncle was killed inside the Attanagalla Magistrate court in early 1990. In another incident, Dammika Amarasinghe, a witness of a case involving a high-profile businessman was shot dead within a Hulftsdorp court house more..

Feb 22 (CT) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD) and his NPP ministerial team are a mixed group of different shades of leftists. But AKD is the most experienced of them in parliamentary politics and from the beginning he had been insisting on maintaining stability and advocated pragmatism as the guide to reach the final objective of system change. After all system change is a process and not an overnight transformation. That pragmatic approach has now become a crucial criterion more..

Feb 21 (Island) Minister Dr Nalinda Jayatissa told Parliament on Tuesday that the govt would soon publish information of frauds and the names of those who benefited from the frauds that took place in the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation. “We will submit a report on how the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation was made a loss-making entity and how the ministers of that time were involved. We will reveal all,” Dr Jayatissa said in response to a question raised by SJB MP Dayasiri Jayasekera, more..

Feb 21 (AM) ITAK MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam has urged President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to take immediate steps to release military-occupied lands in the Eastern Province and investigate past atrocities committed by the notorious Tripoli Platoon. Speaking at the inaugural meeting of the Parliamentary Advisory Committee on Defence, chaired by the President at the parliamentary complex yesterday, Rasamanickam raised these concerns. more..

Feb 21 (NW) A decision was made to appoint a special COPE subcommittee to investigate irregularities that have taken place in the National Youth Services Council and its affiliated institutions in the past. This decision was taken during a meeting of the COPE, held yesterday at Parliament Chaired by MP Nishantha Samaraweera, to review the Auditor General’s reports related to the National Youth Services Council more..

Feb 21 (DM) The Colombo High Court today rejected the preliminary objections raised by former Governor of the Central Bank, Ajith Nivard Cabraal and four others in connection with a case involving the purchase of Treasury Bills in 2012. The defence had challenged the maintainability of the indictments filed against them. However, Colombo High Court Judge R.S.S. Sapuvida ruled to proceed with the indictments after dismissing the preliminary objections raised by the defence. more..

Feb 21 (EN) Sri Lanka is expecting about 1.2% of gross domestic product in taxes from vehicle imports in 2025, Minister Anil Jayantha said. Vehicle imports will also contribute to other economic activities he said. SL has budgeted total revenues to go up to to 4,960 billion rupees in 2025 (15% of GDP) from 4031 billion in 2024 (13.4% of GDP). Tax revenues are expected to go up by up 885 billion rupees from 4,031 billion rupees (13.4% of GDP) to 4,590 billion rupees (13.9% of GDP). more..

Feb 21 (AD) India and SL held a meeting to strengthen ties between both the countries in the areas of critical minerals, exploration, and mining. The discussions focused on fostering bilateral cooperation in mineral exploration and mining, particularly in securing critical minerals essential for both nations’ economic and industrial growth, the Ministry of Mines said. Union Minister of State for Coal and Mines Satish Chandra more..