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..

Feb 21 (DM) It has been brought to the attention of the Daily Mirror and Lankadeepa that some websites and social media pages are misusing the Daily Mirror and Lankadeepa online logos with an intention to deceive the general public. These online platforms shows articles which have not been authored by any journalists of the Daily Mirror or Lankadeepa and redirects to various third party websites which are not in any way connected to the Daily Mirror, Lankadeepa or Wijeya more..

Feb 21 (FT) SL Export Development Board (EDB), the host institution of SheTrades SL Hub, in collaboration with the International Trade Centre (ITC), successfully conducted a two-day training on Branding and Digital Marketing under the SheTrades Commonwealth+ program, funded by UK International Development. The training, held on 13 and 14 Feb, in Colombo, was designed to enhance the branding, social media presence, and digital marketing capabilities of 40 export-oriented more..

Feb 21 (CT) KIST is proud to announce its partnership with the Scaling Up Nutrition People’s Forum (SUNPF) for Sri Lanka's first-ever Fruit Festival, taking place on 21 and 22 Feb 2025 at the Colombo Public Library premises, with free entry for all attendees. This event will emphasise the importance of incorporating local fruits into daily life and highlight the sustainable practices driving SL’s agricultural sector. “As a member of the Cargills Group, KIST has long been committed to more..

Feb 21 (NW) The body of a man with gunshot wounds had been found on the Uswetakeiyawa beach in Ja-Ela based on an anonymous call received by the Police this morning. Accordingly, officials from the Pamunugama Police had inspected the Morganwatte beach in Uswetakeiyawa where they had found the body. The body had been found with gunshot injuries, while the Police had seized 09 empty bullets and a live bullet from a T-56 firearm nearby. Preliminary investigations have more..

Feb 21 (PMD) President Anura Kumara Disanayake stated that govt’s aspiration is to elevate Sri Lanka, currently not a competitor in the field of innovation, to a comparable status with other countries, emphasizing that digitalization will play a crucial role in achieving this objective. Prez highlighted the necessity of implementing significant transformations within the innovation sector to meet these goals. more..

Feb 21 (AD) Ven. Dr. Gallelle Sumanasiri Thero, who was appointed as Chancellor of the Rajarata Uni on 10 Feb, has tendered his resignation from the position. In his resignation letter sent to the President’s Secretary, Thero has stated that if his appointment to the position has caused distress to anyone, disagreement, or disruption to the peace that should prevail within the Maha Sangha, he considers the peace within the Maha Sangha to be more supreme than holding such a position. more..

Feb 21 (AD) The CEB says that it is making significant progress toward launching the Maha Oya Pumped Storage Hydropower Project, SL’s first-ever Water Battery. This groundbreaking 600 MW initiative will store excess renewable energy from solar and wind sources, ensuring grid stability and supporting SL’s goal of generating 70% of its electricity from renewables by 2030. The project, located in Aranayake and Nawalapitiya, will feature two reservoirs connected by a 2.5 km tunnel, more..

Feb 21 (TM) Sri Lanka’s reliance on domestic market borrowing will remain high in 2025, mainly through treasury bonds (T-bonds) as it looks to finance the budget by Rs. 2.1 trillion through non-bank borrowing, Standard Chartered Global Research said. The 2025 fiscal deficit target of 6.7% of GDP translates to a net financing requirement of Rs. 2.2 trillion, an 8% increase from 2024’s revised estimate of Rs. 2.04 trillion. more..

Feb 21 (NW) Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne says complaints on the actions of Jaffna District MP Archchuna Ramanathan will be forwarded to the Parliament’s Privileges Committee for further action. Speaker said the special committee appointed under the leadership of Deputy Chairperson of Committees MP Hemali Weerasekera has investigated and submitted its recommendations. He further said the committee comprised NPP MP Hemali Weerasekera, Minister Vijitha Herath, more..

Feb 21 (FT) What started as a simple food truck rolling through the streets of Colombo has become something much bigger. Crepe Runner, SL’s favourite crepe brand, has officially gone global. With branches now open in India and Qatar, two successful outlets already thriving in the Maldives, and big plans to hit the Philippines soon, the journey has only just begun. This isn’t just another QSR story. It’s about taking Sri Lankan flavours, culture, and hustle to the world stage. more..

Feb 21 (AD) Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court has ordered to remand until March 7, the police officer arrested in connection with the investigations into the murder of notorious underworld figure Sanjeewa Kumara Samararathne, alias Ganemulla Sanjeewa. Additionally, the court has ordered the detention and interrogation of the driver who allegedly transported the suspected shooter. A police officer attached to the Negombo Police Station was arrested yesterday over his alleged links with Ishara Sewwandi, more..

Feb 21 (NW) Opposition MP Chamara Sampath Dassanayake slammed authorities for making the shooter involved in the murder of underworld kingpin Ganemulla Sanjeewa a hero. Addressing the Parliament, MP criticised the manner in which media related to the incident was handled, where inappropriate pictures of the gunman had been shared online. “Do not let them share pictures of the gunman. Look at the pictures, the criminal seems to be displaying affectionate behaviour with more..

Feb 21 (ST) A midst a continuing diplomatic spat over Sri Lanka’s right to claim an extended continental shelf beyond the 200 nautical miles Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) a local expert has called for a Task Force of knowledgeable persons to make representations on behalf of the country at relevant international forums. He underscored the importance of working with India to secure its maritime claims. more..

Feb 21 (Island) Health Professionals’ Association has announced plans to take strong professional action unless the recent govt decision to reduce overtime and leave entitlements for full-time and part-time medical and nursing staff. This ultimatum came during a meeting held in Colombo on Feb 19, where several health workers’ unions gathered to discuss the implications of the budgetary changes. Ravi Kumudesh, President of the Health Professionals’ Association, said that more..

Feb 21 (EN) SL has become a signatory to a UN agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ), its Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. “Joining the BBNJ Agreement will enhance SL’s potential to receive assistance for capacity-building projects, transfer of technology, and knowledge sharing in the country’s efforts in marine conservation.” SL signed the agreement at the UN HQ in New York on Thursday. more..

Feb 21 (NW) Number Portability Service for mobile phones will be implemented in SL from next June, officials from the Ministry of Digital Economy said during a meeting with the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Digital Economic Affairs. Ministerial Consultative Committee on Digital Economic Affairs discussed the possibility of mobile phone users regaining the same mobile phone number they used when changing their more..

Feb 21 (FT) Ever bought a pair of abibas slides from Pettah? Or some Colvin Klean underwear? No harm if you have (reputational harm doesn’t count). But how safe would you feel buying the abibas version of a heart medicine? They appear the same, and objectively fulfil the same function – they’re just manufactured in unregulated conditions at a fraction of the cost. So, are they truly identical? This is the fundamental question when it comes to generic medicines versus brand-name drugs. more..

Feb 21 (EN) SL has not taken a decision to change vehicle taxes that have already been announced, Minister Anil Jayantha said. “The govt has not taken decision to reduce the taxes, or reduce prices,” Minister Jayantha said explaining comments made at a post-cabinet briefing Thursday about vehicle taxes in the future. “What we can say is the we have progressively relaxed the imports, in three stages for goods, public transport and cars. We have clearly indicated the taxes. more..

Feb 21 (AD) Middeniya Police are conducting further investigations into a triple murder that occurred in the Middeniya Police Division on February 18, in which a father and his two children were killed following a shooting incident. Three suspects, including a police constable, have been arrested in connection with the incident that resulted in the deaths of three individuals, including a six-year-old girl and a 9-year-old boy, on Tuesday night. Police said that during the investigations, more..

Feb 21 (FT) In his spirited Budget speech, Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake described the priority for the first Budget of the NPP Govt as thus: “Mass struggles and last year’s election saw people asserting their political rights. What is necessary is for economic rights to be similarly asserted. This is the philosophy of this Budget.” As the Prez rightly pointed out, a national Budget is not merely a technocratic exercise of allocating State funds to various ministries for the year, more..

Feb 21 (TM) The driver of the van used by the gunman in the murder of organised crime and drug-trafficking suspect Sanjeewa Samararatne alias Ganemulla Sanjeewa to flee towards Puttalam, has also been arrested by Police. This was confirmed by the Minister Ananda Wijepala during yesterday’s Parliamentary session. Further, the Colombo Crimes Division has informed the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court (MC) that more..

Feb 21 (DM) Following the death of six elephants at the 141-mile post on the Gal Oya-Hingurakgoda railway track last night, a special discussion was held in Parliament by the Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation Ministry to determine measures to prevent future collisions with elephants. During the discussions, several key decisions were made, including clearing both sides of the railway tracks in high-risk areas to improve visibility, utilising the latest digital technologies, ditectly involving more..

Feb 21 (NW) Vavuniya High Court has sentenced SDIG of the Sabaragamuwa Province, Lalith Jayasinghe to four years of rigorous imprisonment. The sentence was issued when the case regarding aiding the escape of Mahalingam Shashikumar, also known as Swiss Kumar, the prime suspect in the murder of a schoolgirl in Jaffna, was taken up for hearing today. SDIG Lalith Jayasinghe is accused of helping Swiss Kumar evade arrest in the case over the rape & murder of Sivaloganathan Vithiya, more..

Feb 21 (DM) Former Prez Maithirpala Sirisena had spent Rs. 50 million for an official tour to the USA back in 2018, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Employment Arun Hemachnadra told Parliament. “Former Prez Sirisena had taken 77 persons on this tour which included a total of nine Ministers including the then First Lady. The official delegation had 28 members, two protocol officers, 13 security officers & 28 media personnel. more..

Feb 21 (DM) SL Automobile Association in Japan (SLAAJ) has filed a written complaint with the Controller General of the Import and Export Control Department, SL, alleging that a certain company is attempting to import vehicles manufactured in 2022, violating the restriction on importing vehicles produced after Jan 15, 2023. According to the complaint, importer is pressuring the three Japanese agencies responsible for issuing vehicle quality certificates to falsify manufacturing dates, more..

Feb 21 (TM) Police is seeking public assistance to arrest a female suspect wanted in connection with aiding and abetting in the Wednesday murder of organised crime suspect Sanjeewa Kumara Samararatne alias Ganemulla Sanjeewa inside the Number Five Magistrate's Court in Aluthkade. She is the one who has brought the revolver used in the shooting to the Courts Complex and handed it over to the suspected assassin, the latter who has since been arrested. Her details are as follows: more..

Feb 21 (Island) Two shooting incidents could not be described as collapse of national security, Minister of Public Security Ananda Wijepala told Parliament. Making a special statement to the House, Minister said: “We regret these unfortunate incidents. The govt has taken severe measures following these incidents. Investigations are in progress and I assure you that there is no threat to national security.” “Those who now clamour about national security during the times they ruled the country, more..

Feb 21 (Island) CCD sources said that the assassin who gunned down Ganemulle Sanjeewa had made three calls abroad while fleeing to Kalpitiya after the killing. The calls had been made to three Lankan underworld characters known as Kehelbaddara Pathme, Commando Salintha and Achintha living overseas. Suspect identified as Samindu Kandanaarachchi, a resident of Maharagama, has told the investigators that he had carried out the contract killing for a fee of Rs 15 million. more..