Feb 15 (NW) Environmentalists have urged the Department of Wildlife Conservation to immediately investigate alleged irregularities and suspected poaching incidents inside Kumana National Park. According to concerns raised by visitors, several gunshots were reportedly heard on the night of Feb. 6 from areas near campsite grounds within the park. The following morning, safari tourists claim they observed two deer that had allegedly been shot and butchered near an internal access road. more..

Feb 15 (Island) Sri Lanka and Thailand have concluded negotiations on a landmark labour cooperation framework that will pave the way for the recruitment of 10,000 Sri Lankan workers under a pilot project approved by the Thai Cabinet. The development follows a series of virtual negotiations between officials of both countries to finalise two key bilateral instruments — a MoU on Labour Cooperation and an Agreement on the Employment of Sri Lankan Workers in Thailand. more..

Feb 15 (TM) Govt’s position on the proposed importation of 1,775 double cabs and utility vehicles remains unclear, with Opposition legislators alleging deliberate silence and Treasury officials confirming that at least part of the procurement process is awaiting Cabinet approval. MP Ravi Karunanayake said the administration had not publicly clarified the current status of the vehicle importation, despite earlier debate more..

Feb 15 (ST) SriLankan Airlines, which is scouting for a partner to either manage or invest in the debt-ridden state carrier, has received Rs. 25.2 billion through a capital infusion by the govt in Dec 2025. Advertisements have also been placed to appoint a new CEO after SriLankan Airlines CEO Richard Nuttall stepped down at the end of April 2025 to become President of Philippine Airlines. In a statement last week, announcing the holding of an extraordinary general meeting of more..

Feb 15 (AD) The individual who was critically injured in the shooting incident earlier today (14) in the Wadiyamankada area of Kalutara North has succumbed to his injuries after being admitted to Kalutara Teaching Hospital. A shooting incident was reported in the Wadiyamankada area, within the Kalutara North Police Division, this evening. An unidentified gunman opened fire on an individual on the road near the No. 01 railway station in Wadiyamankada. The victim, a 32-year-old more..

Feb 15 (AD) CEB has submitted a proposal to the Public Utilities Commission of SL (PUCSL) regarding an electricity tariff revision for the second quarter of this year. According to the proposal, CEB has requested an electricity tariff increase of 13.56% for the period effective from April 1 to June 30, the PUCSL said. In its proposal, the CEB states that the estimated total net generation for the April to June period is 4,578 GWh. more..

Feb 15 (DM) Meteorology Dept has issued a startling forecast for the next 36 hours, warning of heavy downpours, thundershowers, and localised storms across SL that could disrupt daily life and raise safety concerns. According to the bulletin released at 4 p.m. yesterday (13), Central, Uva, Eastern, and Northern Provinces, along with Polonnaruwa and Hambantota Districts, are expected to experience showers at times, with heavy falls exceeding 75 mm predicted in parts of more..

Feb 15 (TS) Bangladesh women’s ‘A’ team secured a narrow four-run victory over their Sri Lanka counterparts in their opening Group B match of the ongoing ACC Women’s Asia Cup Rising Stars 2026 at the Terdthai Cricket Ground in Bangkok on Saturday. After electing to bat first, Bangladesh got off to a flying start, courtesy of openers Ishma Tanjim (30) and Shamima Sultana (17), who added 48 runs before the partnership was broken by a run-out on the penultimate delivery of the powerplay. more..

Feb 15 (SO) A Republic, if you can keep it. This is a famous quote attributed to Benjamin Franklin on September 17, 1787, as he left the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. When asked by Elizabeth Willing Powel if the new nation was a Republic or a Monarchy, Franklin said the future of American democracy depends on active, informed citizenship. In other words, everyone is equal in a Republic, which Sri Lanka has been since May 22, 1972. But for a Republic to work, more..

Feb 15 (Island) There are few sweeter sights in sport than Australia being knocked off their perch. With a population no larger than Sri Lanka’s, they punch above their weight in everything from cricket to the Olympics to rugby. Success breeds envy and the Aussies have long dined at the top table. So, when they were served humble pie by Zimbabwe on Friday, there were more than a few quiet smiles around Colombo. Australia have earned a reputation for bit of arrogance. more..

Feb 15 (ST) However, these numbers and standings do not guarantee Sri Lanka a cakewalk into the Super Eights. Yes, they have beaten group rivals Ireland and Oman, but under very different circumstances. What lies ahead are the heavyweights of the group, Australia, who have yet to look like their usual selves, and Zimbabwe, unbeaten with two wins from two and playing with a confidence that could virtually seal a place more..

Feb 15 (Island) Some 800 km East of Bhutan is the city of Varanasi in India. In the 2566th year of the Buddhist era, human beings – members of the species Homo sapiens sapiens – total some eight billion individuals and still increasing. There is an estimated total of over two million separate species of animals, plants and microorganisms, with humans evidently poised at the pinnacle of evolution, on a planet that is 4.500 million years old. Today humans comprise a species ill at ease with itself, more..

Feb 15 (Island) There is already a substantial and growing corpus of analytical work criticising the proposed anti-terror laws, which are no less draconian than the PTA they are expected to replace. What the campaigners for democracy and good governance expected of the JVP-led NPP was the abolition of the PTA and not another set of bad laws in its place. Unsurprisingly, many legal experts have voiced serious concern over the proposed Protection of State from Terrorism Act. more..

Feb 15 (ST) Hardly has the dust settled on the Govt having been forced to go back to the drawing boards on its planned education reforms; it has now agreed to do the same on the proposed Protection of Occupation Bill it hoped to introduce. It is always good when a govt heeds public opinion and does not bulldoze its way through with bad reforms or bad laws, but it is equally disconcerting when it exposes itself as rushing through reforms or legislation that are ill-conceived—half-baked or overcooked. more..

Feb 15 (ST) My dear Jay Shah and the ICC, I thought of writing to you even though you must be very busy preparing for the game between India and Pakistan in the T20 World Cup in Colombo tonight. That is because of all the fuss that preceded the game and how we here in Paradise seem to have played a role in ensuring the game was played. For a while, it looked as if this World Cup will be all about boycotts and protests rather than cricket. Probably partly upset at India playing host to their more..

Feb 15 (ST) A former Indian Foreign Service officer and now India’s Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister, Hardeep Singh Puri, who is in the middle of a political storm after his name figured prominently in the Epstein files, is no stranger to Sri Lankans. Mr Puri, who served as the First Secretary (Political) at the Indian High Commission in Colombo from 1984 to 1988, was one of the main actors directly involved in the negotiations around more..

Feb 15 (TM) Chairperson of the National Women’s Commission (NWC) resigned less than four months after being appointed. Reports claim her resignation was due to a lack of communication from the Presidential Secretariat, resources, and institutional support from the Govt. In the consequent uproar, civil society held the Govt responsible for failing to provide the needed resources to the NWC, whereas those defending the Govt pointed to the protracted process of setting up any State institution more..

Feb 15 (GV) In the autumn of 2025, when the world felt fragile and restless, 19 Buddhist monks began a journey that appeared simple yet carried profound meaning. From Fort Worth, Texas they turned towards Washington DC and began to walk. They named their journey Walk for Peace at a time when the world was witnessing dehumanization in Palestine, war between Russia and Ukraine, armed conflicts in various parts of Africa, disputes over civil rights, religion and caste in India and more..

Feb 15 (TM) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD) and his JVP-led NPP Govt are riding quite high these days due to several recent positive developments. Key among them are the continued support pledged by a high-level delegation that visited Sri Lanka, which indicates an acknowledgement of the economic policies of the Govt, and SL’s overall improvement in the Corruption Perceptions Index 2025, which is in line with more..

Feb 15 (TM) The verdict delivered on Wednesday by the Gampaha High Court Trial-at-Bar in the murder of former MP Amarakeerthi Athukorala marks one of the most consequential judicial moments in post-‘Aragalaya’ Sri Lanka. Twelve individuals have been sentenced to death for the killing of Athukorala and his Police security officer. Four others received suspended sentences. Twenty-three were acquitted for lack of evidence. It is, by any measure, a historic judgment. more..

Feb 15 (CT) In politics, there is the grand language and there are the simple words. As they say in North America, you don’t need a $20-word or $50-word where a simple $5-world will do. There is also the formal and the functional. People of different categories can functionally get along without always needing formal arrangements involving constitutional structures and rights declarations. The latter are necessary and needed to protect the weak from the bullies, especially more..

Feb 14 (CT) Data provided by the Ministry of Energy revealed that while the fines imposed on the coal supplier, Trident Camphor, for shipment 1 exceeded the projected losses, the fines imposed on shipments 2, 3, and 4 can scarcely cover the projected losses, which run to a massive Rs 2.2 billion. The total fines for these three ships amount to only a meagre Rs 392 million. Speaking at Sectoral Oversight Committee meeting more..

Feb 14 (CT) Regional Director for Asia and Pacific of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Tao Ma, is in Sri Lanka on an official visit aimed at strengthening bilateral relations, enhancing cooperation between the ICAO Asia-Pacific Regional Office and SL, and supporting preparations for the upcoming ICAO audit. Tao Ma, speaking at an event held at the Civil Aviation Authority of SL (CAASL) on Friday (13), commended Sri Lanka’s aviation sector for its strong performance more..

Feb 14 (AD) The Attorney General informed the Supreme Court that all measures have been taken to recover arrears of excise duty from alcohol manufacturing companies that have defaulted on payments. Additional Solicitor General Nerin Pulle, appearing for the Attorney General, made this announcement during a Fundamental Rights petition filed by social activist Sanjaya Mahawatte, seeking an order to recover excise duty arrears from defaulting alcohol manufacturers. more..

Feb 14 (AJ) For Indian cricket fans travelling to Sri Lanka this weekend, the opportunity to watch their team take on archrivals Pakistan in the T20 World Cup has come at the cost of inflated airfares, soaring hotel prices and a long wait for matchday tickets. But these are mere sacrifices that thousands are willing to make to witness the most heated rivalry in the sport as it unfolds on Sunday at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. more..

Feb 14 (DN) Sri Lanka Women, led by experienced campaigner Anushka Sanjeevani, will take on Bangladesh Women in their opening match of the Women’s Asia Cup Rising Stars T20 Tournament today at the Terdthai Cricket Ground in Bangkok, Thailand. Asian Cricket Council’s ‘Asia Cup Rising Stars’ Women’s Twenty20 Tournament for emerging players began yesterday in Bangkok, with Pakistan defeating Nepal in the opening fixture. The eight participating teams are divided into 2 groups. more..

Feb 14 (NW) The Department of National Zoological Gardens marked the 51st anniversary of the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, highlighting its role in Asian elephant conservation and announcing the launch of a new welfare-focused facility. Established in 1975 by the Dept of Wildlife Conservation, the orphanage began with five rescued calves—Kumari, Nila, Kadira, Vijaya, and Mathali—and has since grown into one of the country’s most prominent conservation institutions. more..

Feb 14 (FT) Delivering Prof. A.D.V. de S. Indraratna Memorial Oration at the Annual Sessions of the SL Economic Association (SLEA), Senior Professor of Economics and SLEA Vice President Prof. O.G. Dayaratna-Banda offered a blunt assessment of Sri Lanka’s economic predicament, arguing that the country remains trapped by ideology, institutional inertia, and an unwillingness to change, despite repeated crises. “We are very good at advising and telling others what to do,” he said. more..

Feb 14 (FT) The ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup has triggered a spike in daily tourist arrivals with numbers tipped to rise further in view of tomorrow’s blockbuster contest between arch rivals India and Pakistan in Colombo. The latest statistics by SLTDA for the first 12 days of the month shows there were 124,460 visitors, up 19% year-on-year (YoY). This has also pushed year-to-date (YTD) arrivals to 401,787, up 12.5% compared to the corresponding period last year. more..

Feb 14 (CT) Cabinet decision was taken in June 2025 to merge all 18 economic centres in SL and transfer 100% of their shares to a State-owned company, Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe said. Minister added that steps had been taken on several occasions to inform the management of the economic centres and the relevant trade associations about this decision. He further stated that there was no decision to transfer more..

Feb 14 (NW) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake is scheduled to attend the India–AI Impact Summit 2026, which will be held in New Delhi from 16 to 20 Feb. According to a press release issued by India’s Ministry of External Affairs, the summit is being hosted by the Government of India and will bring together global leaders, policymakers, innovators and experts to deliberate on the future of Artificial Intelligence (AI). The event is anchored on three key themes — People, Planet and Progress — more..

Feb 14 (EN) A team of women-led businesses are showcasing the island nation’s export offerings, from Ceylon cinnamon and tea to coconut-based products, and hot sauces made from scotch bonnet chilli peppers, across London, Manchester, and Yorkshire. Supported by the UK–SL trade mission and the SheTrades SL Hub, the businesswomen are now strengthening their engagement directly with the UK market through the trade initiative focused on advancing tangible business linkages, more..