Feb 9 (FT) Total outstanding private sector borrowings increased 25.2% to an eight-year high of Rs. 10,212 billion in 2025, nearly doubling from touching Rs. 5,561.4 billion in 2018. Total outstanding private sector borrowings from domestic banking units increased 27.4% to Rs. 9,630 billion, with total credit from overseas banking units declining 2.4% to Rs. 581.8 billion. Net credit to the Govt was up 0.2% to Rs. 8,285.2 b in 2025, more..

Feb 9 (AD) Colombo High Court today has postponed the hearing of the case filed against Yoshitha Rajapaksa and his grandmother Daisy Forest, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, until April 24. The case was taken up before Colombo HC Judge Rashmi Singappuli. State Counsel, Oswald Perera representing the complainant, informed the court that the special medical report regarding whether accused Daisy Forest is mentally fit to attend the trial has more..

Feb 9 (NW) International Cricket Council (ICC), Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and Dialog Axiata PLC (Dialog), ICC’s Media Rights partner in Sri Lanka, have generated strong momentum ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 through a series of fan engagement initiatives. The campaign has delivered high-impact on-ground experiences, innovative digital activations and nationwide anticipation as co-hosts Sri Lanka prepare to begin their campaign against Ireland in Colombo on Sunday. more..

Feb 9 (CI) Sometimes you can be a victim of your own success and the way Kamindu Mendis lit the Test format alight, you did expect the guy to start crushing white-ball cricket no sweat as well. The component parts of an excellent T20I player have always been there. He's had the big leg-side heaves in his game since his U-19 days, gets after spin, and in the field he'll rock any hot zone, pulling off the kinds of outfield catches more..

Feb 9 (AD) Jaffna Magistrate’s Court is scheduled to announce its decision regarding the third phase of excavations at the Chemmani mass grave on March 16. The case related to the Chemmani mass grave was taken up today at around 9:30 a.m. before Jaffna MC. During proceedings, a review was conducted on the ongoing excavation process at the mass grave site. Court was informed that steps had already been taken to remove rainwater that had accumulated in the excavated areas. more..

Feb 9 (NW) A shooting targeting a candidate contesting the Kalutara Municipal Council election from the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) has failed for the second time, police said. Police said the incident occurred on the night of February 7, when an unidentified gunman attempted to open fire at the candidate in the Kalutara area. No injuries were reported. The target of the attack has been identified as Bandula Prasanna, a candidate contesting the Kalutara MC election from the SJB. more..

Feb 9 (TM) Minister of Trade, Wasantha Samarasinghe, announced that steps would be taken to provide free life insurance coverage to consumers who spend over Rs. 10,000 within a month at cooperative sales outlets. Speaking to the media following a programme held in Anuradhapura, Minister said the coverage would have a value of over Rs. 300,000. He further said that all members of cooperatives would also be eligible for life insurance coverage. more..

Feb 9 (AD) Asian Development Bank (ADB) has appointed Shannon Cowlin as its new Country Director for Sri Lanka. She has assumed office in Colombo today. Cowlin has over 26 years of professional experience, including 13 years with ADB. Her expertise spans investment project operations, policy engagement, and knowledge work across the fields of energy, climate, the environment, air quality, public health, and the energy–food–water nexus. Most recently, she served as more..

Feb 9 (Island) A 150-hectare site near the Kalu Ganga Reservoir in Matale District has been earmarked for Sri Lanka’s first-ever holding centre for Toque Macaques, the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) announced. The centre will feature water, food, and security facilities, providing a safe environment to manage macaques that cause damage in nearby communities. Matale District Development Committee has more..

Feb 9 (EN) Sri Lanka’s state finances are improving with people’s incomes recovering to almost pre-crisis levels, but the new International Monetary Fund loan exposes the fragility of the flexible inflation targeting, flexible exchange rate regime. With possible headwinds from renewed inflationary policy from the Fed, and the May rate cut, it is not at all a rosy 2026 that Sri Lanka is facing. This column was written in the last week of December and published in the January 2026 issue of Echelon Magazine. more..

Feb 9 (DM) Supreme Court has sentenced an attorney-at-law to three years’ imprisonment after finding him guilty of contempt of court. Court imposed a three-year term of imprisonment on respondent attorney Priyantha Jayathunga, with the sentence deemed to run from July 1, 2024, as he has been in remand custody in connection with the incident since that date. The contempt charges relate to allegations that, while appearing in a Supreme Court matter, the respondent more..

Feb 9 (DM) The govt has initiated discussions among relevant line ministries to assess the impact of social media use on children, ahead of any possible future regulatory measures, an official said. Ministry of Digital Economy held a meeting on Saturday with PM Harini Amarasuriya, who is also the Minister of Education. Representatives from Health Ministry and Ministries of Child & Women Affairs also participated. more..

Feb 9 (AD) A discussion on regulating school student transport services was held today under the patronage of PM Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, with the participation of officials from the National Transport Commission and the Ministry of Education. The authority for regulating school student transport has been vested with the National Transport Commission, and as the relevant draft of regulations have already been prepared, discussions were held on the provisions contained in these drafts more..

Feb 9 (NW) Sri Lanka post-match press conference. Reporter: Kamindu, we saw that our top order struggled a bit to bat, how did you adjust yourself to the wicket, for your inning? Kamindu Mendis: Yeah, I think we thought that it will be a good wicket, but it was not an easy wicket to bat. I think before everything number 3 and 4 got a good start for us. Gave a good contribution. Kusal Mendis played well. So, I think his inning was very important for us to get this total to the board. more..

Feb 9 (FT) Why was Saman Ekanayake, former Secretary to ex-Prez Ranil Wickramasinghe arrested by the CID and remanded by Colombo Fort Magistrate till 11 Feb? His arrest on 27 Jan 2026 was allegedly for disbursing Rs.16.6 million in public funds for the then Prez's London visit, claimed by the prosecution as a private visit. Wouldn't spending public funds on subpar coal purchase by the Energy Minister mean the same or more? With more direct culpability in importing substandard coal with more..

Feb 9 (FT) On this occasion of the issue of the Classic’25 magazine by the Association of Public Administration of the Uni of Sri J'pura, I will use the opportunity to discuss the need for introducing wider reforms to the country’s educational system. It was the editors of Classic’25 who paved the path for me to do so. Writing an explanatory note on the cover page of the magazine, the editors have declared that education is the best bridge to the city, implying city as the future and non-city as more..

Feb 9 (TM) With a specific law in force and a court case currently pending, Ministry of Fisheries stated that it is unable to accede to demands by madela net fishermen to lift the ban on the use of tractor-mounted winches. Secretary to the Ministry Dr. Kolitha Jinadasa said the Ministry’s position is constrained by the Madela Net Fishing Regulations of 1984, as amended, which were issued under the main fisheries law and more..

Feb 9 (DM) Govt Radiological Technologists’ Association (GRTA) has decided to call off the trade union action that was scheduled to commence today, following the Health Ministry’s move to implement key recommendations related to the Maligawatta Kidney Hospital inquiry. The decision was taken, after authorities issued written orders to temporarily transfer the Deputy Director of the Maligawatta Kidney Hospital, in line with recommendations contained in the interim investigation report. more..

Feb 9 (AD) The digitalizing and decentralizing the President’s Fund through Divisional Secretariat offices has led to a 59% increase in medical assistance applications within one year. In 2025, a total of 5,277 applications were received by the President’s Fund. A total of 3,313 applications were received in 2024 and 3,456 applications in 2023. As a result of the digitalization and decentralization process, the number of applications in 2025 increased by 1,964 compared to 2024. more..

Feb 9 (NW) The inaugural ceremony for the distribution of mobile library vehicles to ten selected local govt authorities in the Western Province, under Arunu Dora National Reading Promotion Programme implemented in parallel with the Clean Sri Lanka National Programme, was held this morning (7) at the Presidential Secretariat. Under the first phase of the project, ten mobile library vehicles equipped with modern facilities, more..

Feb 9 (FT) Indian Acting High Commissioner to SL Dr. Satyanjal Pandey said India’s rapid economic expansion, coupled with its continued engagement with open trade and investment, offers Sri Lanka a rare opportunity to anchor recovery and long-term growth in a volatile geoeconomic environment. Addressing policy thinkers, diplomats, and business leaders at the inaugural Colombo Geoeconomics Conference (CGC) 2026, organised by the Centre for Law and Security Studies (CLASS) and more..

Feb 9 (NW) Human Rights Commission of SL (HRCSL) has expressed serious concern over what it describes as growing threats to freedom of expression in the country, particularly the targeting of journalists through police investigations into alleged defamation. Commission cited the recent summoning of journalist Tharindu Jayawardena for a police inquiry without disclosure of reasons, later revealed to be linked to complaints over his reporting on alleged corruption involving public funds. more..

Feb 9 (NW) Toronto police have arrested a Sri Lankan influencer, charging him with four counts of criminal harassment following a series of incidents involving the non-consensual filming of strangers. Police allege the 45-year-old man repeatedly approached individuals in public spaces across Toronto, filming them in ways that caused them significant discomfort. He was taken into custody on Dec 10, 2025, and recently appeared at the Ontario Court of Justice on Feb 4, 2026. more..

Feb 9 (TM) Dept of Posts has announced an increase in postal charges with effect from today. Accordingly, the minimum postal charge has been revised to Rs. 70. In addition, the fee for registered letters will be increased by Rs. 20, rising from Rs. 110 to Rs. 130. There have been reports the Postal Dept is not generating sufficient income to sustain its services and was exploring measures to improve financial viability, including revising tariffs and expanding revenue-generating services. more..

Feb 9 (TM) Ongoing trade union actions are to intensify following the Govt’s continued failure in fulfilling agreements that were previously reached in order to resolve issues faced by part of the State health sector’s human resources, the GMOA warned. GMOA Assistant Secretary Dr. Hansamal Weerasuriya, reiterated that future trade union action would be determined following the meeting taking place on Wednesday (11). more..

Feb 9 (FT) Fort Magistrate’s Court has discharged a criminal complaint filed by CC Trust Ltd, against Asia Capital, ruling that the Court lacked jurisdiction to proceed with the matter. The case, bearing no. MC Fort 36569/24, was instituted by CC Trust alleging criminal breach of trust in relation to a sum of $ 5,999,965, with an alternative charge of dishonest misappropriation under Section 389 of the Penal Code. The proceedings were initiated under Section 139(1) of the Criminal Procedure Code, more..

Feb 9 (FT) Dialog Axiata has announced strong financial results for the 2025 financial year (FY25), with mobile, fixed line, and digital pay TV businesses recording a positive core revenue growth of 16% year-to-date (YTD). Group headline revenue reached Rs. 179.6 billion, up 5% YTD, despite the continued strategic scaling down of a low-margin international wholesale business. In the fourth quarter of 2025, revenue was recorded at Rs. 46.5 billion up 2% quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) and more..

Feb 9 (ST) A World Bank delegation visiting SL next month will discuss plans to revive a string of projects that were stalled due to the 2022-23 economic crisis. Minister Vijitha Herath said that stalled projects—including those in education, highways, and other infrastructure—as well as new projects, would be discussed with the visiting WB team, with the intention of completing them in the next five years. Team is expected to discuss devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah & assistance required by SL. more..

Feb 9 (DM) Russia is turning to South Asia, including SL, to address a widening labour shortage that has been exacerbated by the war in Ukraine and long-term demographic shifts. A report by Bloomberg highlights that Russian recruiters are aggressively scouting for workers in SL, India, and Bangladesh as Moscow faces its most severe workforce crisis in decades. With an estimated need for 11 million additional workers by the end of the decade, the Russian economy is pivoting away from more..

Feb 9 (FT) SL’s foreign exchange earnings from tourism edged lower in January despite recording its highest-ever monthly increase in visitor arrivals, highlighting persistent pressure on per-capita spending even as the sector seeks to regain its pre-crisis footing. Tourism revenue fell 6% YoY to $ 378.5 million in Jan 2026. However, January experienced a 23% increase compared with Dec 2025, reflecting winter holiday season. more..

Feb 9 (ST) The Tourism Ministry is set to submit next week the Cabinet paper for approval of the tourism promotion campaign to be carried out at a cost of Rs. 5 billion. SL Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) Chairman Buddhika Hewawasam said that the initial approval from Cabinet for the promotional campaign will be for Rs.5 billion which will cover 12 foreign markets. The paper that has been discussed with the relevant stakeholders is to be submitted to Cabinet next week, he said. more..

Feb 9 (DM) Raising questions on the extension of the state of emergency by another month, the opposition yesterday queried as to whether such laws are necessary to provide relief to those who are affected by the Ditwah Cyclone. Speaking during the parliamentary debate on the emergency, Opposition MP Dayasiri Jayasekara raised concerns over the activation of Section 19 of the Public Security Ordinance through the latest gazette notification. “Section 19 bans the spreading of rumours more..