Feb 3 (ST) Presidential Secretariat this week agreed before the Right to Information Commission to release information regarding the allocation of state-owned vehicles to its staff. The information required to be released includes the name and designation of officials using them as well as the make, model and vehicle numbers. Secretariat had previously refused to release the information which was sought in July last year through more..

Feb 3 (DM) Finance Ministry has confirmed it will honour its agreement with the Indian company supplying the security stickers for the liquor bottles until Jan 2027, despite the repeated concerns raised by the COPA regarding the widespread circulation of counterfeit stickers. While the COPA had flagged violations in the agreement and noted that the sticker management process was failing to effectively curb the tax leaks, finance officials have advised against terminating the contract more..

Feb 3 (NW) Health and Mass Media Minister and Chief Govt Whip in Parliament, Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa, has issued a letter of demand seeking Rs. 1 billion in damages from former Western Provincial Council member Ajanta Niroshan Padukka over what he describes as false and defamatory statements. The letter of demand has been sent through Attorney-at-Law Sampath Yalevaththa and relates to remarks made by Niroshan Padukka during a media briefing held on or around Feb 1, 2026. more..

Feb 3 (TM) The decision taken by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to forgo the testy fixture against bitter rivals India at the R. Premadasa Int'l Cricket Stadium in Colombo on 15 Feb in the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, could deprive Sri Lankans of witnessing a marquee clash on home soil. Pakistani Govt on a post on its official X account on Sunday (1) stated that it had granted approval to the Pakistan team to head to Sri Lanka for more..

Feb 3 (DN) A two-day national workshop aimed at formulating a National Action Plan for SL’s cooperative movement commenced Friday (30) at the National Cooperative Development Institute in Polgolla, bringing together senior cooperative officials from across the country. The workshop, organized by the Department of Cooperative Development, was attended by Provincial Cooperative Development Commissioners, along with Deputy and Assistant Commissioners more..

Feb 3 (FT) Pathfinder Foundation (PF) convened its Seventh Diplomatic Dialogue, themed Unlocking SL’s Mineral Sector – Opportunities for Sustainable Investment and Strategic Partnerships, bringing together Colombo-based diplomats, govt officials, academics, think tank representatives, and business leaders. The dialogue forms part of PF’s ongoing effort to position SL as a credible participant in global critical mineral supply chains by linking the country’s mineral endowment to policy reform, more..

Feb 3 (Island) There has been no let-up in pro-govt propagandists’ social media attacks on Attorney General (AG) Parinda Ranasinghe. AG’s Dept Legal Officers’ Association has raised concerns over unfounded and baseless personal attacks on AG Ranasinghe and some other officers of his department. A resolution unanimously adopted by the association at a special general meeting on 29 Jan 2026, states that the attacks appear to be part of a coordinated effort to pressure AG & more..

Feb 3 (DN) England won the T-20 series with one game to spare but SL team want to end the series ona a high note today at the same venue Pallekele which is more important before the forthcoming T-20 World Cup which will commence on Feb 7. SL set a challenging target of 190 in the second game on Sunday but rain interrupted. England were 57 for 2 wickets off 7.2 overs and lost 75 minutes as game resumed at 10.40 pm with a revised DLS target of 168 off 17 overs which meant more..

Feb 3 (FT) Govt has set a minimum net worth or financial capability threshold of $ 50 million for interested parties seeking to participate in the divestiture of Canwill Holdings Ltd, according to clarifications issued by the Finance, Planning and Economic Development Ministry. The requirement is set out in the minutes of the Pre-Expression of Interest (Pre-EOI) meeting held on 21 Jan, released as a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) more..

Feb 3 (Island) Hype around educational reforms has abated slightly, but the scandal of the reforms persists. And in saying scandal, I don’t mean the error of judgement surrounding a misprinted link of an online dating site in a Grade 6 English language text book. While that fiasco took on a nasty, undeserved attack on Minister of Education and PM Harini Amarasuriya, fundamental concerns with the reforms have surfaced since then and need urgent discussion & mechanism for further analysis more..

Feb 3 (FT) SL–UK Chamber of Commerce in London (SLUKCC), in collaboration with the SL High Commission in London (SLHC), hosted a panel discussion on the theme Building Stronger Trade Bridges between SL and UK. The focus of the discussion was on enhancing bilateral trade and economic ties between SL and UK. In his opening remarks, SLUKCC President Eranga Pathirage emphasised the Chamber’s pivotal role in connecting businesses, institutions, more..

Feb 3 (EAR) As Sri Lanka grapples with uncertainty over the long-delayed provincial council elections, a fresh argument has surfaced in the political arena. General Secretary of ITAK, M.A. Sumanthiran, has raised suspicions that the JVP may be considering a path that aligns the country with China’s governing model. His remarks, delivered during a recent interview with a private television channel in Jaffna, have intensified discussion about the future direction of SL’s political landscape. more..

Feb 3 (TM) The revelation that children in SL are engaging in illegal labour while wearing school uniforms should unsettle every conscience. It is not merely a tactic to avoid detection. It is a quiet indictment of a system that has allowed economic desperation to erode the most basic promise we make to children: that school is a place of learning, not a disguise for survival. According to Ministry of Labour, children under the age of 18 are being sent to work instead of school, some even more..

Feb 3 (SO) On the morning of Jan 24, 2006, Subramaniyam Sugirdharajan was waiting for the bus near the Governor’s Secretariat in Trincomalee. It was around 6 a.m. Two men on a motorcycle fired at him from close range. Sugirdharajan died on the spot. The attackers escaped, despite the area being under heavy military and police presence. Sugirdharajan, widely known as SSR, was 35 years old. more..

Feb 3 (CT) PM Dr Harini Amarasuriya urged the importance of ensuring that all children should be given equal access to education and that govt strategic plans should not deprive students of educational opportunities due to economic hardship. However, this is easier said than done. It is often acknowledged that good policies often become deprioritised because they are most often bad for politics. This is true for economic reforms, as we have seen in the past. more..

Feb 3 (GV) Sri Lanka has suffered five decades of violent conflict, a tsunami, Covid-19 and an economic crisis, resulting in severe mental health consequences. According to consultant psychiatrist Dr. Madhushani Dias, about 30% of adults are suffering from mental health issues. Up to 40% of adolescents are grappling with problems like anxiety and depression, often worsened by economic stress and high stigma. Among students aged 13 to 17, more than one in five reported loneliness more..

Feb 3 (CT) Milk production in flood-affected areas of the Eastern Province—particularly in Trincomalee District—has dropped significantly due to heavy rainfall associated with Cyclone Ditwah. Decline is mainly attributed to a severe shortage of animal feed following the destruction of extensive grazing lands. In addition, a large number of dairy cattle, especially buffaloes, were washed away or died as a result of the floods. more..

Feb 3 (DM) Sri Lanka stands at a critical juncture in its educational history. NPP Govt has embarked on what it calls a transformational reform of the country’s education system, scheduled for implementation starting in 2026 with Grades 1 and 6. The vision is ambitious: shift from the traditional exam-oriented system to a student-centered, practical learning model emphasising holistic development, digital literacy, and vocational training. The budgetary allocation to education more..

Feb 3 (DM) The appointment of a new Auditor General has now been over politicised and caught in an egocentric conflict between the ruling NPP and the Opposition parties. The NPP’s tendency towards rejecting or ignoring any suggestion by the Opposition and the desire on the part of the Opposition parties to see that any name recommended by Prez Anura Kumara for the post of Auditor General being rejected by the Constitutional Council (CC) is very clear. more..

Feb 2 (AD) A protest organized by the School Development Officers’ Association commenced this morning in front of the Presidential Secretariat, citing the lack of solutions to their long-standing grievances. Association stated that the protest is being conducted with the support of civil society representatives. Ongoing hunger strike launched by the association outside Prez Secretariat has now reached its eighth consecutive day. The protest, which initially began as a Satyagraha, more..

Feb 2 (AD) The Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) has decided to conduct a series of awareness programs for police officers, focusing on anti-human trafficking laws, the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment Act, and effective investigative techniques. The decision has been taken after the Bureau observed an increase in foreign job seekers falling victim to human trafficking and various financial scams orchestrated via social media and other platforms. more..

Feb 2 (DM) Bishops of the Church of Ceylon have expressed deep concern over the govt’s decision to introduce a new anti-terrorism law urging the immediate repeal of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and the withdrawal of the proposed Protection of the State from Terrorism Bill (PSTB). Bishops said they were deeply disturbed by the move of the NPP govt to bring in what they described as another version of more..

Feb 2 (DM) IMF has queried as to why the CEB failed to make submissions to the Public Utilities Commission of SL (PUCSL) for electricity price revision in time, an informed source said. PUCSL had instructed the CEB to submit its tariff revision proposal by Nov 14, 2025. However, the CEB only submitted it on Dec 29— well past the deadline — and the submission contained errors and deficiencies. PUCSL asked for corrections by Jan 8, 2026, but CEB could not provide a revised, more..

Feb 2 (AD) Peliyagoda Manning Market has officially launched a digitalization initiative with a new online payment system. The move aims to make the market’s daily financial transactions more organized and efficient. The system was inaugurated today under the patronage of Minister r of Transport, Highways & Urban Development Bimal Rathnayake, Deputy Minister of Digital Economy Eranga Weerarathna and Deputy Minister of Urban Development Eranga Gunasekara, more..

Feb 2 (DM) The social media hype over the latest leaked video incident relating to a student and teachers of a prominent school in Colombo has been described as harmful and unhealthy. The extent to which social media page admins had gone to create memes, cartoons and other material by extracting videos and photos of victims highlights the need for stringent laws to safeguard victims who face online violence and harassment. more..

Feb 2 (Island) Plantation companies are expected to spend more than 6 billion rupees to fund their share of a landmark wage increase for estate workers, largest in the sector’s 200-year history. Govt on Friday signed an agreement with regional plantation companies to raise the daily wage of plantation workers from Rs. 1,350 to Rs 1,750. Under the deal, companies will contribute Rs 200 per worker a day, with the govt providing the remaining Rs 200. The revised wage will take effect on 10 Feb. more..

Feb 2 (NW) The govt is committed to removing settlements encroaching on tank reserves to protect the country’s irrigation systems, Minister K. D. Lal Kantha said, emphasizing a firm stance despite protests and political pressure. Speaking at the launch of a cascade management committee handbook under the World Bank–funded Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project, Lal Kantha said encroachments remain the main obstacle in renovating and protecting tank reserves and more..

Feb 2 (DM) A total of 49 prisoners are eligible to benefit from a special Presidential Pardon, which will take effect on Feb 4, in view of the 78th National Independence Day, Prisons Commissioner A.C. Gajanayake said. He said the special pardon has been granted by the President under the powers vested in him by Article 34 of the Constitution. Under the terms of the pardon, eligible prisoners will receive a one-week reduction of their sentence for every year of imprisonment already served. more..

Feb 2 (NW) A series of immediate steps to secure and integrate a vast quartz deposit in Kotikambokka, Monaragala district, into the national economy is underway, following a field visit to the area, Minister Sunil Handuneththi said. Preliminary scientific assessments estimate the deposit at approximately 0.31 million metric tons, spanning an area of about 700 meters. The Kotikambokka quartz deposit is considered one of SL’s most significant untapped mineral resources, minister said. more..

Feb 2 (TM) Govt of India has proposed a total of 4 billion Indian Rupees in grants and loans to SL through the 2026/27 Budget. India’s annual budget made a fresh bet on the country’s manufacturing sector as Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman laid out priorities for Asia’s third-biggest economy and pledged to accelerate growth amid a volatile global environment. The budget for the next fiscal year will focus on structural reforms more..

Feb 2 (DM) Shiranthi Rajapaksa and SLPP MP Namal Rajapaksa have been summoned to appear before law enforcement authorities tomorrow. Shiranthi is required to appear before the FCID at 9:30 a.m., while Namal is instructed to appear before the CID on the same day. The latest summons were issued after Shiranthi Rajapaksa failed to appear on a previously scheduled date. Shiranthi Rajapaksa had earlier been summoned to provide a statement before the FCID on Jan 27. more..

Feb 2 (FT) The US dollar index, coded DXY, stood at 98.59 in December 2025. The decline in the index refers to a depreciation of the dollar and an increase, the opposite. Thus, the level at end-2025 recorded a depreciation of the currency by 11% from its high level of 111.21 in 1971 and 38% from the peak of 158.49 in 1985. When President Donald Trump assumed his second term in January 2025, designated as Trump 2.0, the index value was 108.2 as shown in Figure I. more..