Feb 2 (NW) Beijing Capital Airlines marked a significant milestone today in strengthening air connectivity between China and Sri Lanka with the inauguration of its direct flight service from Beijing Daxing International Airport to BIA, Colombo. The inaugural flight was welcomed in Colombo with an official ceremony at BIA, attended by key representatives from the aviation, tourism, and diplomatic sectors. The newly launched service will operate two weekly flights, more..

Feb 2 (DM) The exposition of sacred relics of the Buddha brought from the Indian state of Gujarat is to be conducted between February 4 and 11 at the historic Gangaramaya Temple in Colombo. The Exposition will be conducted around the clock in order for a maximum number of devotees to venerate them. This was decided at a special meeting held at the Colombo District Secretariat under the auspices of PM Dr. Harini Amarasuriya. Chief Prelate of the Gangaramaya Temple more..

Feb 2 (AD) The suspended Deputy Secretary General of Parliament and Chief of Staff, Chaminda Kularatne has arrived at the CIABOC to lodge a complaint. According to Chaminda Kularatne, the complaint will be lodged against the Speaker of House, Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne. Speaking to media on behalf of Chaminda Kularatne, attorney Mithun Dias stated that the complaint is not directed against the govt. more..

Feb 2 (DM) The Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court today ordered the CID to arrest and produce before court Shamindra Rajapaksa, the youngest son of former Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa, in connection with a magisterial inquiry into alleged financial fraud relating to the purchase of 14 Airbus aircraft for Sri Lankan Airlines. Meanwhile, the CID has named Shamindra Rajapaksa as the third suspect in the case. Former Sri Lankan Airlines CEO Kapila Chandrasena & his wife, Priyanka more..

Feb 2 (NW) A large protest was held in Vavuniya today opposing the govt’s decision to resume the Kivul Oya Reservoir Development Project. A large number of residents gathered to voice their concerns, with MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam and other representatives meeting officials to warn the Divisional Secretary of Nedunkerny about the potential consequences of proceeding with the project. Rasamanickam urged the District Secretary to relay a message to the President, more..

Feb 2 (EN) Revenue collected by SL Customs in Jan 2025 has exceeded the target by 45% or 72.3 billion rupees. Custom’s January revenue target has been set 160.2 billion rupees. But the revenue collecting body has collected 232.6 billion rupees, exceeding the target by 45% in the month. Customs has been accelerating container clearance since last month after Ditwah devastation hit usual activities more..

Feb 2 (NW) Chinthaka Hewapathirana of the National People’s Power (NPP) was elected Chairman of the Weligama Pradeshiya Sabha on Monday securing 22 votes in favour and 21 against. The vote followed a period of political uncertainty at the local authority after the former chairman, who was from the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), was murdered, leaving the leadership position vacant. At the time of the previous administration, the SJB had held control of the Pradeshiya Sabha. more..

Feb 2 (AD) The Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court today ordered that the drug stock worth over Rs. 03 billion, recently seized by the Sri Lanka Navy and brought to Dikkowita Fisheries Harbour, be referred to the Govt Analyst for examination and to call for an analytical report. The 263 kilogram narcotics haul, recovered from the possession of eleven fishermen, was presented before the court by the Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) under tight security, Ada Derana reporter said. more..

Feb 2 (FT) It begins the same way, every time. An adult man records intimate videos without consent. A woman pauses, unaware that the camera captures a private moment. This footage, originally meant to remain private, is uploaded onto social media. Within minutes, screenshots multiply across WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook,and Telegram. By the next day, hundreds had seen it.Dozens have shared it. In a culture where social media attention equates to social power, the humiliation is amplified. more..

Feb 2 (NW) Sri Lanka’s Protection of Occupants Bill, 2025 marks a significant shift in landlord–tenant law. Its core objective is to prevent unlawful evictions and to ensure that disputes relating to possession are resolved strictly through court process. The Bill is well-intentioned and socially protective in design. However, it also raises important legal and constitutional implications. Under section 2, the Bill applies to an occupant who is in lawful occupation of premises and more..

Feb 2 (DM) In the wake of recent global market trends where gold prices climbed past the USD 5,500 per ounce mark, the SL domestic gold market is currently sustained largely through auctions of pawned jewellery conducted by banks and financial institutions, as commercial gold imports have virtually halted due to prohibitive import duties. This change in the local supply chain comes amid significant fluctuations in the global market. more..

Feb 2 (TM) The rollout of education reforms for Grade One has so far proceeded smoothly, with no issues reported from education zones across the country. Education Ministry Secretary Nalaka Kaluwewa said that it was only a few days since the new reforms were implemented and the Ministry was not informed of any problematic situations. “Education zones have not reported any concerns related to the process. Few typing errors were identified in some materials at initial stage, more..

Feb 2 (Island) Protesting Development Officers continued their hunger strike near the Presidential Secretariat yesterday, for the 7th consecutive day.The protesters, who are members of Lanka School Development Officers’ Association, are demanding that they be absorbed into the teacher service as they have served as teachers in state-run schools for nearly seven years. Secretary of the Association, Viraj Manaranga, said the protesters were seeking an urgent meeting with Prez. more..

Feb 2 (TM) The GMOA has warned that it would intensify its ongoing trade union action from today by withdrawing from providing cover-up services in several hospital units across the country. GMOA Assistant Secretary Dr. Hansamal Weerasuriya said that although doctors are expected to receive a stipulated percentage as payment for cover-up services, those providing such services have not been paid at all. more..

Feb 2 (DM) A special Gazette notification has been issued, declaring several services such as supply of electricity, distribution of fuel and hospital services as essential services. Gazette notification has been issued by the Prez by virtue of the powers vested in him in terms of Section 2 of the Essential Public Services Act, No. 61 of 1979. Accordingly, following services have been declared as assential. 1. All services connected to the supply of electricity. 2. Supply or distribution of fuel, including more..

Feb 2 (AD) The Association of Medical Specialists (AMS) says that none of its members will engage in the trade union action to be staged by doctors from tomorrow. The association’s spokesperson, Dr. Ashoka Gunaratne, stated that its members will continue to carry out duties as usual tomorrow (02). Govt Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) had announced that it will intensify its trade union action from tomorrow, protesting the govt’s failure to respond positively to its demands. more..

Feb 2 (FT) A Gazette notification has been issued permitting the employment of women as janitorial and food service attendants during night-time hours, following amendments to the Shop and Office Employees (Regulation of Employment and Remuneration) Act. The regulations were issued by Labour Minister Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando through an amendment to the Act, expanding the categories of work women may undertake during night hours. Under the previous framework, more..

Feb 2 (ST) Attorney General’s Department Legal Officers’ Association has unanimously passed a resolution taking notice and expressing grave concern over the recent vituperative, unfounded, repeated personal attacks on Attorney General Parinda Ranasinghe. The resolution—adopted on Friday by the association under its president, Deputy Solicitor General Madhawa Tennakoon, and secretary, Senior State Counsel Mihiri De Alwis—states the attacks are clearly indicative of more..

Feb 2 (FT) The current account reached a $ 1.7 billion surplus in 2025, up 43.8% from a year ago on record workers’ remittances and higher services inflows despite a widening trade deficit. The current account maintained a surplus for the second consecutive month amounting to $ 45.2 million in Dec 2025, although declining from $ 81.7 million in Nov 2025. Sri Lanka maintained a current account surplus for much of 2025, more..

Feb 2 (DM) Knuckles’ Riverston tourist zone, a designated World Heritage area, has been reopened to local and foreign tourists under strict restrictions following the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah, Matale District Secretary, Prasanna Madanayake, said. Decision was taken at Matale District Coordinating Committee meeting held under the chairmanship of Dy Minister Gamage Dissanayake. Access to Riverston has been restored only for light vehicles as a precautionary measure more..

Feb 2 (Island) When a man’s house was flattened by a falling tree, the case was taken before King Kekille. In his wisdom, Kekille ruled that the owner of the tree was not at fault, but the man who planted it. He then went further down the rabbit hole, blaming the seller of the seed, producing a chain of logic so absurd it has lived on in folklore. SL’s national selection panel has now offered a modern-day re-enactment of that farce. Barely a fortnight ago, Dhananjaya de Silva could do no wrong more..

Feb 2 (FT) Total assets of the finance company sector rose 44% year-on-year (YoY) to Rs. 2.77 trillion as at end-December 2025, driven by a sharp expansion in lending, according to latest data released by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL). Total loans increased 56% to Rs. 2.22 trillion during the year. On the funding side, sector deposits grew 19.8% to Rs. 1.26 trillion, while borrowings expanded by 178% to Rs. 849 billion. Equity capital rose 13.4% YoY to Rs. 62.8 billion. more..

Feb 2 (AM) Traders operating SL’s leading economic centres have formally conveyed their opposition to a Govt decision to remove five major economic centres from their existing administrative structure and place them under a newly established company. The objections were raised during a discussion held yesterday (31) at the Dambulla Economic Centre, chaired by the Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe. During the meeting, traders were informed of the Govt’s plan to establish a new company, more..

Feb 2 (FT) John Keells Stock Brokers (JKSB) has tipped that ASPI will reach 28,000 this year. This forecast is contained in JKSB’s Equity Market Outlook 2026 released recently. The ASPI on Friday stood at 23,812 points. Noting that with the current administration quite convincingly sticking to the economic reforms that were necessitated by the current IMF program, JKSB said it is quite confident that 2026 more..

Feb 2 (FT) The South Asia Regional Conference of the World Federation of Consuls (FICAC) will kick off today in Colombo, reaffirming SL’s role as a regional hub for diplomacy, trade, and tourism. The conference, which runs until 4 February at Cinnamon Life, brings together honorary consuls, senior diplomats, Govt officials, business leaders, and international stakeholders. Organised under the auspices of the FICAC, the global body supporting consular practice and int'l cooperation, more..

Feb 2 (AD) Another Development Officer who was staging a hunger strike opposite the Presidential Secretariat has been hospitalized. Accordingly, six officers who were part of the hunger strike were admitted to hospital after falling ill. Hunger strike launched by a group of Development Officers opposite the Prez Secretariat— demanding that they be absorbed into the teacher service —continues today (1) for its seventh day. Union of All Ceylon School Development Officers launched more..

Feb 2 (FT) Right to Information Commission (RTIC) has directed the External Affairs Ministry to release a $ 54.8 million loan agreement between Govt of SL and China Development Bank (CDB), ruling that the public interest in disclosure outweighs claims of confidentiality linked to the debt restructuring process. In a decision dated 28 Jan, Commission ordered the release of the loan agreement relating to Katana Water more..

Feb 2 (FT) The SL Economic Association (SLEA) is set to host its Annual International Conference on 6-7 Feb. This landmark event, themed Tansforming the Services Sector for Economic Revival in SL, comes at a critical juncture as the country moves beyond stabilisation towards a phase of long-term structural transformation. The inauguration of the conference will take place at 4 p.m. on 6 February at BMICH, Colombo. PM Harini Amarasuriya will grace the occasion as the Chief Guest, more..

Feb 2 (FT) HNB PLC recently backed the TiECON Sri Lanka 2026 as its Platinum Sponsor, reinforcing its commitment to supporting Sri Lankan entrepreneurs as they scale beyond local market entry and compete internationally. Through this partnership, HNB backed a summit designed to drive practical, execution-led conversations between founders, investors, mentors, and industry leaders. Hosted at Cinnamon Life, Colombo, TiECON SL 2026 convened ecosystem under the theme more..

Feb 2 (FT) Visa, a global leader in digital payments, together with National Development Bank PLC (NDB Bank), has launched Card Present Connect (CPC), an in-person digital payment acceptance solution powered by Cybersource, Visa’s open payment platform that supports both online and offline transactions. As one of the leading global payment gateways within Visa Acceptance Solutions for businesses, Cybersource delivers secure payment processing that covers int'l card schemes. more..

Feb 2 (DM) India-based prop-tech company Fracspace announced its strategic entry into the SL market this week with the unveiling of Altaira, a 26-acre ultra-premium hospitality and residential development in Bulathkohupitiya. Project, branded with the tagline Above the Clouds, represents a commitment of over Rs. 5 billion and marks the Hyderabad-headquartered firm’s first large-scale footprint in Sri Lanka. The development is situated 1,100 metres above sea level more..