Feb 14 (ST) With nearly 400,000 official vehicle licence plates well overdue, Department of Motor Traffic (DMT) is preparing to resume issuance following Cabinet approval to award the task to a private firm, Commissioner General of Motor Traffic, Kamal Amarasinghe said. South Asian Technologies (Pvt) Ltd has been selected to produce and issue licence plates, paving the way to clear a vast backlog that has frustrated vehicle more..

Feb 14 (FT) The ASPI ended up 0.24% or 57.33 points at 23,709.84 and the S&P SL20 was up 0.29% or 19.21 points at 6,618.73. Turnover was over Rs. 8.5 billion on nearly 191.4 million shares traded. Foreign investors were net sellers on a net outflow of Rs. 986.2 million. During the week, the ASPI fell 92.12 points, or 0.39% while the S&P SL20 gained 4.01 points or 0.06%. The net Foriegn outflow was Rs. 2.9 billion, compared to an outflow of Rs. 5 billion the previous week. more..

Feb 14 (FT) Hayleys Group said it has delivered a robust performance amidst persistent global volatilities and environmental disruptions during the first nine months of the financial year ending 31 March 2026, achieving a 16% y-o-y increase in Consolidated Revenue to Rs. 421.40 billion. Consolidated Profit After Tax amounted to Rs. 14.02 billion for the 9-month period, underpinned by the sustained performance of the Group’s domestic businesses and complemented by more..

Feb 14 (FT) The ninth edition of the Boat & Marine Show organised collectively by the Chamber of Marine Industries of SL (CMISL), SL Export Development Board (EDB), Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Ministry was held successfully from 30 Jan–1 Feb 2026 at Port City, Colombo which showcased the country’s capabilities in marine tourism, recreational boating, yachting and boat building which are mainly focused on exports. EDB, in collaboration with the industry more..

Feb 14 (FT) Export Development Board (EDB) had a high-level meeting with Honorary Consul of SL to Hong Kong Hung Chiu Wah Derek during his recent visit to SL. The meeting was chaired by the EDB CEO Mangala Wijesinghe and attended by Directors, highlighting the strategic importance of Hong Kong as a key export destination and gateway to East Asian and global markets. Discussions centred on expanding trade collaboration, strengthening buyer-seller linkages, more..

Feb 14 (FT) Central Bank of SL (CBSL) yesterday released its bi-annual Monetary Policy Report – Feb 2026, setting out updated baseline projections for inflation and economic growth following the Jan 2026 monetary policy round. According to the report, headline inflation will continue to accelerate and move towards the target of 5% in second half of the year, supported by gradually strengthening demand conditions. more..

Feb 14 (FT) SL was rudely awakened by Cyclone Ditwah in Nov 2025. Ditwah brought intense rainfall and destructive winds and widespread flooding and landslides inundating more than 1.1 million hectares of the country’s land area. Over 576,626 families and 2,054,535 individuals were affected, with 627 deaths. More than 4,517 houses were destroyed. Over 16000 kms of roads were flooded including 278 kms of railway tracks. More than 50% of people in these affected areas were already poor with more..

Feb 14 (DN) Thambithurai Muthukumarasamy, a SL student activist turned human rights lawyer, who,later in life, shone as a top functionary of Amnesty International in the US, died on Jan 19 at Washington DC, mourned by rights workers across the world. He was 76. As a member of the Tamil Student Movement, Muthukumarasamy part of the radicalised youth milieu which responded to systematic discrimination and State violence by seeking new political pathways beyond more..

Feb 14 (ISland) A nine-day protest by beach seine fishers against a ban on the use of tractor-mounted winches to haul their nets was called off yesterday following a discussion with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. The protesting fisherfolk had been demanding a meeting with the President, but in vain. Why did the President wait for nine days to invite them to a discussion? He could have stepped in to have the fishers’ protest called off on the first day of agitation itself. more..

Feb 14 (CT) Seven years after the carnage of Easter Sunday shattered lives and shook the nation’s conscience, SL still waits for judicial closure. Govt’s renewed focus on expediting the long-delayed trial into the 2019 terror attacks signals a recognition, belated though it may be, that justice deferred risks becoming justice denied. It is understood that the authorities have moved to ensure that the Special High Court established to hear the case is provided with the necessary facilities to more..

Feb 14 (TM) For much of the past two years, Sri Lanka’s property market has been spoken about in extremes. On one end are headlines declaring Colombo the most unaffordable city in the world to buy a home. On the other are confident assertions that real estate has emerged as one of the economy’s clearest post-crisis recovery stories. Both are true, and the uncomfortable reality is that they are true at the same time. more..

Feb 14 (GV) Foreign Minister recently stated that the country should seek compensation from former imperial powers for the economic destruction caused by colonialism while also expressing intentions to reclaim Sri Lankan artifacts currently held in British museums. While the question of cultural restitution deserves serious and nuanced discussion, the broader claim of colonial-era economic destruction requires closer scrutiny. At first glance, this argument appears persuasive. more..

Feb 14 (DM) Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely, is an aphorism. It warns that holding high authority, especially without checks and balances, leads to immoral behaviour. Today, our NPP led govt, which was voted into power with a two-thirds majority, is in this position. Having promised to abolish all oppressive legislation, the people now find govt enacting legislation to protect itself from the people! NPP govt having failed to live up to its pre-election promises, more..

Feb 14 (CT) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake has placed the rule of law at the very centre of his administration’s political and moral agenda, declaring that no country in which the rule of law has collapsed has ever achieved genuine or sustainable development. Addressing the Central Province leg of the national anti-drug campaign, A Nation United, in Nuwara Eliya, he warned that where law and order disintegrate, criminal elements inevitably rise more..

Feb 14 (DM) After ten years of negative performance, Sri Lanka has risen from 121stplace to 107th place on Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index for 2025. It is a 14-place climb, as the places are decided from minimum corrupt country to maximum corrupt country. The country has earned 3 points more than its previous year’s score, indicating the highest jump in the survey in its history. Yet, it remains below the global average score which stands at 42. more..

Feb 14 (DM) Rule of Law is considered as a concept consisting of predominant principles required to be followed in the process of making and implementation of laws in democratic states. It is a changing concept as interpreted by some experts in constitutional law and political science through the passage of time on the evaluation of values attributed to law. The main characteristic of Rule of Law as defined by Dicey in his work Law Of The Constitution, Wade and Phillips in their work more..

Feb 13 (NW) Minister Sunil Handunneththi said the Laksala retail network earned a profit of Rs. 109 million in January. The minister added that Laksala’s ten outlets generated Rs. 921 million in sales revenue in 2025. Speaking at the opening of the eleventh Laksala store in Negombo, the minister noted that the network, established in 1964, has contributed significantly to the promotion of local handicrafts. The new Negombo outlet focuses on supporting the tourism sector. more..

Feb 13 (DM) Vehicle Importers’ Association of SL (VIASL) has announced that a 2.5% tax will be imposed on imported vehicles starting from April 1, 2026. VIASL spokesperson Arosha Rodrigo said the tax was approved under the 2026 Budget and clarified that it will not apply to vehicles currently undergoing the clearing process. The levy will be collected directly by Sri Lanka Customs. Rodrigo said that the tax would have a considerable impact due to the high value of vehicles. more..

Feb 13 (NW) Executive Committee Member of the Jana Aragalaya Alliance, Nuwan Bopage, says that appeals are expected to be filed regarding the death sentences imposed on 12 accused in the case related to the assault and killing of former MP Amarakeerthi Athukorala and his security officer. Nuwan Bopage stated this while participating in a press conference convened in Colombo by a group of Aragalaya activists. more..

Feb 13 (AD) Three individuals have been sentenced to death today (13) by the Kalutara High Court in connection with the 2008 Waskaduwa murder case. The case involves the murder of Chaminda Kumara, a resident of the Littleton Watta area in Waskaduwa, who was attacked to death with a knife at a funeral in October 2008. The suspects were taken into custody by the Kalutara North Police and produced before the court. Following a preliminary examination of evidence at the Kalutara more..

Feb 13 (NW) Satyagraha campaign launched by a group of Maadel (seine) fishers in front of the Presidential Secretariat has been called off, after nine days. It is reported that the decision was taken following a discussion held this afternoon with the Prez. The satyagraha campaign was launched by a group of fishermen demanding the removal of the ban on tractor-mounted winches for Maadel (seine net) fishing. The protest, which began on 5 Feb in front of the Presidential Secretariat, more..

Feb 13 (NW) Ministry of Transport has announced plans to introduce the Lanka Metro Transit bus service as a solution to the severe traffic congestion currently prevailing in Colombo city, during a meeting with Prez Anura Kumara Disassanayake. The necessary infrastructure for the project is already being prepared, and buses are expected to arrive in the country by August this year. The pilot project will initially operate along more..

Feb 13 (DM) The first phase of the first school term for 2026 concluded today, Ministry of Education announced. Ministry announced that all govt and govt-approved schools will be closed for the term break from today until March 2. The second phase of the first term is scheduled to commence on March 3 and will continue until April 10. Meanwhile, the O/L Exam for 2025 is set to begin on Feb 17. Dept of Examinations stated that the examination will be conducted from Feb 17 to Feb 26. more..

Feb 13 (DM) Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation Anura Karunathilaka has resigned from the Select Committee of Parliament to look into and report to Parliament on the release of 323 containers from the Port of Colombo without undergoing mandatory physical inspection and submit its proposals and recommendations. Committee Chair Minister of Justice and National Integration informed this to the committee when it met in the Parliament complex recently. The Chair informed the committee more..

Feb 13 (NW) The Embassy of Sri Lanka in Washington, D.C., welcomed the Walk for Peace on 10 Feb, as a group of Buddhist monks continued their walk across the US advocating world peace. The initiative drew participation from people across the US and abroad. The Embassy joined a dana organized by the SL community in the DMV area at the National United Methodist Church, where more than 200 Buddhist monks were present. Traditional SL cuisine was served at the event. more..

Feb 13 (EN) Sri Lanka is now emerging from a peacetime (Latin America style) external sovereign default triggered by extreme macro-economic policy to target potential output with the help of unsound money and high inflation. Sri Lanka has had two years of rare stability as the central bank missed its inflation target, and growth has returned to around 4 to 5%. As growth recovers in the stability provided, Sri Lanka again faces the threat of depreciation and external trouble as more..

Feb 13 (Island) Former Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris has warned that the proposed Protection of the State from Terrorism Act (PSTA) will deal a severe blow to civil liberties and democratic rights, particularly media freedom and the overall freedom of expression. Prof. Peiris said the proposed legislation at issue had been designed not to protect people from terrorism but to protect the State. Prof. Peiris said that the proposed law would sound more..

Feb 13 (DM) The Vehicle Importers’ Association of SL (VIASL) has reported a surge in demand in the local vehicle market, driven mainly by rising vehicle auction prices in Japan. VIASL Secretary Usman Ali said that market prices for popular mid-range vehicles with engine capacities between 1,000 cc and 1,500 cc, such as the brand-new Honda Vezel and Toyota Raize, have increased due to strong local demand. In contrast, while there is steady interest in low-engine-capacity vehicles more..

Feb 13 (AD) Two persons including a woman are reported dead following a shooting incident in Akuregoda. Two persons who were inside a vehicle near a supermarket were shot and killed by unidentified gunmen. The shooting has been carried out using a T-56 assault rifle while both victims were killed on the spot. The identities of the gunmen and the motive behind the shooting have not yet been determined. Thalangama Police are continuing further investigations into the incident. more..

Feb 13 (DM) Days after business tycoon and rice mill owner Dudley Sirisena sparked interest by hinting that he wanted to purchase a helicopter for his personal use, another major figure from the country’s agri-business industry Mithrapala Lankeshwara said he plans to purchase a private jet for his travels as well as for commercial use. Mithrapala Lankeshwara, the rice-mill owner-turned-billionaire behind Rathna Sahal more..

Feb 13 (NW) European Union (EU) and Sri Lanka convened the 27th Session of the EU–SL Joint Commission in Colombo on Thursday (12), reaffirming their commitment to strengthening bilateral ties. Held in a friendly and open atmosphere, the meeting reviewed the state of relations and featured wide‑ranging discussions on governance, reconciliation, human rights, trade, development cooperation, education, fisheries, maritime collaboration, environment, more..

Feb 13 (DM) A video circulating on social media has sparked controversy after a man claimed he found a baby snake in a rice and curry plate served to him at the Pilawoos restaurant in Bambalapitiya. The video shows what appears to be a small snake-like head in the meal. The individual who posted the video claimed that it was discovered while he was dining at the popular eatery this morning (12). However, the management of Pilawoos Bambalapitiya strongly denied the allegation stating more..