Feb 24 (FT) Gulf Air, the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain, has increased flight frequencies between Bahrain and Colombo to 10 flights per week from daily operations. The enhanced schedule comes in response to heightened travel demand during the upcoming Ramadan and Eid festive season — traditionally a peak period for family reunions, leisure travel, and religious journeys. Operating double daily on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, the additional services are more..

Feb 24 (FT) As part of a joint initiative between the Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Ministry and the UN Development Program (UNDP), a special technical delegation visited SL from 16 to 20 Feb. Accordingly, a delegation from the UNDP and the UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) arrived in the country to support the design of a sustainable and financially responsible financing mechanism for micro, small and medium-scale industrialists and businesses affected by Cyclone Ditwah. more..

Feb 24 (DM) Despite the hype created regarding plans by two rice mill owners turned billionaires to purchase aircraft, none of them have so far approached the Civil Aviation Authority of SL (CAA) to secure the Air Operator Certificate (AOC), an official said. Billionaires Dudley Sirisena and Mithrapala Lankeshwara said that they intend to purchase helicopters for personal and commercial use. Anyone using aircraft for domestic and more..

Feb 24 (Island) Sri Lanka needs to build awareness, effective policies and encourage regional multilateral frameworks to develop a multi-pronged approach to secure its national interest and safeguard regional stability in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), as the region together with its seabed have become an area of strategic competition, former Assistant Chief Cabinet Secretary to former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe, Prof Nobukatsu Kanehara said. “Indian Ocean has been a maritime highway for millennia, more..

Feb 24 (TM) SL continues to shine as a premier beach destination in Asia, with Mirissa Beach and Bentota Beach earning prestigious spots on Tripadvisor’s 2026 Travelers’ Choice Awards Best of the Best Beaches list. Mirissa Beach secured fifth place, while Bentota Beach was ranked seventh, highlighting their popularity among travelers. Best of the Best designation is awarded to less than 1% of Tripadvisor’s listings and honors destinations that have consistently received outstanding more..

Feb 24 (Island) One day they were kings of the hill, brushing aside mighty Australia with two overs to spare and sending the faithful into raptures. The next, they were brought crashing down to earth, unable to bat out their 20 overs as England handed them a sobering reality check. Cricket, as ever, proved to be the great leveller, lifting you to the heavens on Monday and reminding you of your frailties by Sunday. The same fans who had burnt the midnight oil celebrating Australia’s exit more..

Feb 24 (FT) Inland Revenue Department (IRD) has introduced a Privilege Card scheme for individual taxpayers as a measure to recognise and reward those who meet specified compliance and payment criteria. Eligibility is based on compliance in the immediately preceding Year of Assessment (Y/A). An individual must have paid income tax equal to or greater than the eligible annual self-assessment payments for that Y/A. Eligible taxpayers are also required to have submitted their Return of more..

Feb 24 (FT) The IMF yesterday said sustaining reform momentum is critical for SL to move from crisis stabilisation to economic transformation, warning that recovery remains fragile despite tangible gains under the EFF. Delivering the keynote address at the Softlogic Stockbrokers Investor Forum 2026, IMF SL Resident Representative Dr. Martha Woldemichael said: “Task ahead is really to move from stabilisation to transformation.” more..

Feb 24 (FT) Batik Air will relaunch operations to SL from 30 March with four weekly flights between Colombo and Kuala Lumpur, restoring direct connectivity that industry stakeholders say will support tourism, trade, and cargo flows between the two countries. The relaunch was announced at an event in Colombo , attended by aviation, tourism, and diplomatic representatives. M&C Aviation Founder and President Charles Wijesundera, the airline’s general sales agent (GSA), said more..

Feb 24 (FT) Prime and Melwa, two SL business powerhouses, have joined forces to mark a defining milestone in SL’s most ambitious urban development initiative. The partnership has secured one of Port City Colombo’s best Marina front land parcels, spanning over four acres and overlooking the stunning Indian Ocean. The site is set to host a mega ultra-luxury apartment development, slated for completion within four years, ensuring that all apartments offer stunning direct marina more..

Feb 24 (ST) Operational information released by the Lakvijaya coal power plant (LVP) continues to reveal that a majority of South African coal shipments that have arrived—after being purchased under the latest tender via India’s Trident Chemphar Ltd—do not meet the minimum criteria for use in the plant. But the data still contradicts reports from Cotecna (an independent laboratory that is collecting samples at unloading port in Norochcholai more..

Feb 24 (CI) Sri Lanka could play their 2026 T20 World Cup semi-final at home, if they make it to that stage, depending on who they play against and who else qualifes. If SL are drawn to meet anyone other than India, and if Pakistan do not make the semi-finals, R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo will host the match in what appears to be a change to the ICC's original schedule announcement and the tournament playing conditions. In a communication to all stakeholders after the Super Eights were finalised, more..

Feb 24 (Island) Mexican military on Sunday killed a drug lord, described as the most powerful cartel leader in Mexico. Nemesio Ruben Oseguera Cervantes aka El Mencho perished in a clash with the Mexican armed forces backed by US intelligence. Mencho was known the world over for his well-established drug distribution network. Members of the slain criminal’s cartel went berserk, torching vehicles and fuel stations in several parts of Mexico. They also blocked some highways with more..

Feb 24 (FT) Hayleys Solar has completed a 4,036 kW solar photovoltaic (PV) installation for Pussalla Meat Producers Ltd. across six farm locations, supporting the company’s transition to renewable energy and advancing sustainability within SL’s poultry sector. Pussalla Meat Producers is a leading poultry producer in SL, operating across the entire value chain, from breeding and feed production to processing and island-wide retail. The newly implemented solar installation plays more..

Feb 24 (FT) The Postgraduate Institute of Management (PIM), Sri Lanka’s pioneering business school, is set to host the landmark PIM Green Digital Summit 2026 on 26 February 2026. The summit is designed as a premier platform bringing together business leaders, academics, postgraduate and doctoral students, and professionals from across sectors to explore how sustainability and digital transformation are being meaningfully translated into practice. more..

Feb 24 (FT) SL’s top bankers last week revealed that the 2022 sovereign and currency crisis permanently altered how they manage risk, forcing a decisive shift away from concentrated sovereign exposure, collateral-heavy lending, and complacency over foreign currency liquidity. Speaking at the 36th anniversary convention of the Association of Professional Bankers of SL (APB), industry leaders described the crisis as a structural reset rather than a temporary shock. more..

Feb 24 (FT) British High Commissioner Andrew Patrick and Deputy Minister Chathuranga Abeysinghe recently visited apparel logistics and quality assurance facilities North of Colombo to witness shipments being prepared for export to the UK. The visit follows reforms to the UK’s Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS) which came into force on 1 Jan 2026. These changes enable SL manufacturers to source fabrics globally while maintaining duty-free access to the UK market, more..

Feb 24 (CT) As citizens, we must realise that this country will never develop into a state of peace and prosperity so long as the evil of racism and racist attitudes persist among the people. Sociological and anthropological studies show that prejudice against others is an innate human trait in its crude form. Therefore, to single out the Sinhala people alone as racists will be unfair because these attitudes are prevalent even among the Tamils and Muslims. more..

Feb 24 (Island) The visit by IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva to Sri Lanka was widely described as a success for the govt. She was fulsome in her praise of the country and its developmental potential. The grounds for this success and collaborative spirit go back to the inception of the agreement signed in March 2023 in the aftermath of Sri Lanka’s declaration of international bankruptcy. IMF came in to fulfil its role as lender of last resort. The govt of the day bit the bullet. more..

Feb 24 (ST) Following the brutal killings of Attorney-at-Law Buddhika Mallawaarachchi and his wife Nisansala last Friday the 13th, the President of the Bar Association of SL, Rajeev Amarasuriya, issued a statement last Saturday, summoning the membership to a Special General Meeting to be held the following day, Sunday (15). ‘The last time such a special meeting was held,’ he told the media, was 14 years ago when Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake’s impeachment crisis was at its height. more..

Feb 24 (CT) Shanakiyan Rasamanickam, a young and outspoken MP from the Eastern Province representing the ITAK, is known for his principled stance on Tamil rights, land issues, and minority development. Speaking to Ceylon Today, he addressed the controversy surrounding MP S. Shritharan, stressing that ITAK’s call for Shritharan to step down from the Constitutional Council is a moral and political decision aimed at upholding party values, rather than a legal or punitive action. more..

Feb 24 (GV) It has been 36 years since the murder of Richard de Zoysa, an internationally known journalist, artist, political and cultural critic and human rights activist. In the early hours of February 18, 1990, a group of men abducted him from his home in front of his mother. His body was later found on February 19, 1990 on the beach at Koralawella, Moratuwa. A formal investigation into de Zoysa’s death, which drew international attention, was repeatedly demanded. more..

Feb 24 (CT) For years, scholars and legal professionals have pointed out the archaic nature of SL’s legal environment, which has been of significant detriment to the people of Sri Lanka and the State administration. When a nation’s laws fail to be relevant and applicable to the modern context, it creates a situation where compliance is required, but its reality becomes nonsensical: From the prices described as fines, to laws that feel out of place in modern-day sensibilities, more..

Feb 24 (TM) When Dudley Sirisena, one of SL’s most prominent rice mill owners, publicised images of a recently acquired high-end luxury vehicle and a video of him touring the Singapore Airshow, scouting helicopters and business jets, some raised questions about rising rice prices and the growing gap between powerful industry players and ordinary consumers. For many families struggling to manage daily food expenses, the sight of conspicuous wealth linked to the rice trade more..

Feb 24 (DM) US President Donald Trump is to deliver the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress today (Tuesday), February 24. The address is critical because – (a) He would be making it after a disruptive first year that produced more controversies than successes. (b) The general elections will be held on November 3, when voters nationwide will decide all 435 House of Representatives seats, 33 Senate seats, and 36 Governorships, as well as thousands of state and local officials. more..

Feb 24 (DM) Almost three months have elapsed since the disastrous Cyclone Ditwah swept the country claiming around a thousand lives, including those who are claimed to be missing. Those who sacrificed their lives in this calamity taught hundreds of lessons both to the people and to the authorities and some of them had been taught during the similar past disasters and repeated this time as well. Yes, they taught, yet, did we grasp the gravity of those lessons properly and more..

Feb 23 (IC) SL’s consumer price inflation slowed in January, according to data released by the country’s statistics department on Monday. The National Consumer Price Index showed prices rose 2.4% year-on-year in January, down from a 2.9% increase recorded in December. The index captures broad retail price inflation across the country and is typically released approximately three weeks after the end of each month. The deceleration in inflation marks a continuation of country’s efforts to more..

Feb 23 (CI) Afghanistan will host Sri Lanka for the first time in March for a multi-format white-ball series, with three ODIs and three T20Is to be played in the UAE from March 13 to 25. The T20I leg of the tour will be played in Sharjah on March 13, 15 and 17. The ODI leg will be played in Dubai on March 20, 22 and 25. The T20I series will start just five days after the T20 World Cup ends on March 8. The ODI series will end just one day before both the IPL and PSL get underway on March 26. more..

Feb 23 (TM) Govt cash reserves had dipped below its lower limit threshold of Rs. 1 trillion in Dec 2025, as it had made more than Rs. 500 billion in payments during the month, Deputy Secretary to the Treasury A.K. Seneviratne informed the COPF during its last meeting. “In December we made payments valued more than Rs. 500 billion, which included a Rs. 45 billion payout for the senior citizens; restructuring of SriLankan Airlines more..

Feb 23 (CT) Govt plans to recruit more than 23,000 teachers within this year to address shortages in schools and reduce long-standing issues related to teacher transfers, PM Dr. Harini Amarasuriya said. She made the remarks at a meeting of the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Education, Higher Edu & Vocational Edu held recently. PM also said approval has already been granted for the recruitments and that steps are being taken to complete the process before end of the year. more..

Feb 23 (NW) MAS Holdings has announced plans to cease garment manufacturing operations at its Methliya plant in Thulhiriya and repurpose the facility to expand fabric manufacturing capacity, citing a prolonged contraction in global apparel demand. In a communication to employees on February 19, management informed staff that the Methliya premises, located within the MAS Fabric Park in Thulhiriya, will be converted to strengthen knitting, dyeing and finishing capabilities. more..