Feb 19 (DM) SL Air Force is planning a major reinforcement of its fleet at a cost of US$ 18 mil (Rs.5.4 bil) by acquiring new aircrafts while overhauling the existing ones as it celebrates its 75th anniversary this year amid persistent challenges in maintaining them. Despite facing significant economic constraints and geopolitical hurdles, SLAF has announced a series of strategic acquisitions and overhauls, ranging from more..

Feb 19 (FT) IMF Managing Director Dr. Kristalina Georgieva visited the Central Bank of SL (CBSL) on Tuesday (17) during her visit to Sri Lanka. This coincided with the 75th anniversary of SL’s IMF membership as well as the CBSL’s 75th anniversary. Dr. Georgieva met CBSL Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe and senior officials. During this meeting, Dr. Weerasinghe expressed sincere gratitude to the IMF Managing Director and her team for the steadfast support provided under more..

Feb 19 (FT) Tourist arrivals from SL’s second largest source market could face short-term disruptions following a temporary technical issue affecting the delivery of Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) approval notices to travellers in the UK. SL High Commission in the UK announced that the disruption impacts ETA approval notices issued by the Dept of Immigration and Emigration in SL. In a notice, the Consular Section of the High Commission in London noted that the issue arose due to unforeseen more..

Feb 19 (Island) On a bright Colombo morning, beneath the polished lines of Cinnamon Life at City of Dreams SL, SL quietly redrew the contours of its global image. This was not merely a programme launch. It was a recalibration. For the first time, a SL-made food and travel series will premiere across South Asia on National Geographic — a platform synonymous with global storytelling. In a region where culinary diplomacy more..

Feb 19 (DN) SL will look to maintain their winning momentum when they face Zimbabwe in their final Group match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup at the R. Premadasa Stadium today, starting at 3.00 p.m. Both teams have already secured qualification for the Super Eight stage with unbeaten records and will be keen to finish the group phase on a winning note. SL have been in outstanding form, recording victories over Ireland, Oman & Australia. Zimbabwe, meanwhile, defeated Oman & Australia, more..

Feb 19 (DM) Energy Ministry is on track to award the contract for the construction of the aviation fuel pipeline from Muthurajawela to BIA in April 2026. The project, which involves the construction of a transfer pipeline and jet fuel storage tanks, is a critical step in securing the country’s aviation fuel supply chain. According to the latest progress reports filed by the ministry, the second round of bid invitations was successfully concluded, with the bids opening on Nov 14, 2025. more..

Feb 19 (EN) Sri Lanka imported seven high-quality Sahiwal bulls from Pakistan to support the island nation’s livestock and dairy development programme, officials said. The imports were facilitated through SriLankan Cargo with a special chartered freighter live animal shipment. The consignment of seven bovines travelled from Lahore to Colombo early this month for the Department of Animal Production and Health. The imported Sahiwal bulls are renowned for their superior genetics, more..

Feb 19 (FT) IMF Managing Director Dr. Kristalina Georgieva on Tuesday conveyed a message of solidarity and admiration to communities affected by Cyclone Ditwah, praising their resilience and the Govt’s swift response to the disaster. In a video message shared via her ‘X’ during her visit to Mawathura village in the Udapalatha Divisional Secretariat Division, one of the most sensitive zones impacted by the national disaster, to inspect the site of a landslide triggered during Cyclone more..

Feb 19 (AD) Chairperson of Lanka Sugar Company (Pvt) Ltd, Sandamali Chandrasekera, has resigned from her post with immediate effect citing pressure from certain local politicians. In a letter addressed to Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Sunil Handunnetthi, informing of her decision to resign, the Chairperson highlighted that Lanka Sugar Company, as a loss-making State-Owned Enterprise, operates more..

Feb 19 (FT) Belluna Lanka Ltd., the South Asian anchor of Belluna Co. Ltd., Japan, together with Sanken Overseas Ltd., has launched Project Granbell Hotel Ella, a planned hospitality development located in the Uva Province. The project represents a total planned investment of approximately Rs. 4 billion ($ 12.5 million) and reflects Belluna Lanka’s continued focus on strategic, long-term hospitality development across emerging destinations in Sri Lanka. more..

Feb 19 (AD) Five individuals arrested over attempting to enter the Southern Expressway near the Mattala Exit in a bus without seat belts and for obstructing police duties have been remanded by the Hambantota Magistrate’s Court. Magistrate ordered that the suspects be remanded until tomorrow. A video circulated on social media showing a group who arrived by bus near the Mattala Exit of the Southern Expressway behaving disorderly over a seat belt-related incident, more..

Feb 19 (TM) A much-sought-after international rugby sevens referee from Hong Kong, Crag Chan, is scheduled to control the winner takes all grand finale of the Cup segment of Maliban Inter-Club League Rugby Tournament between CR and FC and Kandy SC at Longden Place under floodlights on Saturday (21). Currently a Performance Referee for the Hong Kong China Rugby (HKCR), Chan, was also the first Chinese referee to officiate on the Men’s World Rugby Sevens Series four years ago. more..

Feb 19 (DM) Ceylon Tea production slipped in January 2026 from a year earlier, as the weaker output from the low-grown areas outweighed the gains at the higher elevations, industry data showed. Tea production totalled 20.68 million kilogrammes in January, down 0.78 million kilogrammes, from 21.46 million kilogrammes in the same month last year. The high and medium-grown regions recorded an increase, while the low-grown output fell by 0.97 million kilogrammes compared with Jan 2025. more..

Feb 19 (FT) Vehicle registrations peaked in Jan 2026, reaching an all-time high of 55,365 units following the lifting of restrictions early last year, up from 48,525 units in Dec 2025, which was then a near-decade high. According to data, transport-related imports accounted for 70.6% of total imports, amid firmer construction activity and steady credit flows. Two-wheelers dominated the market, representing 64.17% of total registrations. more..

Feb 19 (Island) Gateway College, a pioneer in international school education in Sri Lanka, is set to host the prestigious International Schools’ Athletics Championship (ISAC 2026) at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Stadium Diyagama over the weekend. First held in 2001, ISAC has evolved into the flagship sporting event on the international schools’ calendar, showcasing the athletic excellence of students from 22 leading international schools across the country. more..

Feb 19 (Island) SL became the first side from Group ‘B’ to punch their ticket to the Super Eight stage of the T20 World Cup, getting the job done with a game to spare and ticking the qualification box in clinical fashion. While they still have Zimbabwe to contend with in their final league outing today, the bigger fish to fry awaits on Sunday, a heavyweight rematch against England at Pallekele. Earlier this month, England handed SL a humbling 3-0 whitewash in a bilateral series at the same venue. more..

Feb 19 (TM) Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) has outlined the current status of Sri Lanka’s elephant population and the ongoing efforts to mitigate the escalating human-elephant conflict (HEC), as recent weeks have seen a surge in fatalities on both sides. DWC Director General (DG) Ranjan Marasinghe revealed that the Dept has set a 5-year timeline to conduct a comprehensive elephant census. more..

Feb 19 (FT) Fcode Labs, a global product innovation and engineering company, has made a strategic investment in Bunamo, a Europe-based coffee-centric startup building a digital platform for coffee enthusiasts. Alongside the investment, Fcode Labs partnered with Bunamo to design and engineer a scalable product that brings together home baristas, professional roasters, and coffee brands in one connected experience. Through the collaboration, Fcode Labs worked closely with Bunamo’s more..

Feb 19 (Island) Ambassador of Switzerland to SL Dr. Siri Walt paid a courtesy call on PM Dr. Harini Amarasuriya on the 17th of Feb at the Temple Trees. Welcoming the Ambassador of Switzerland to SL the PM briefed the Ambassador on her recent visit to Davos to participate in the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting noting that the series of high-level bilateral meetings held on the sidelines of the Forum, along with two important industry visits provided valuable insights for SL’s economic more..

Feb 19 (FT) SL’s construction sector has entered a period of cost stabilisation, with Colombo maintaining one of the most competitive construction cost positions in the Asian region, according to the latest Ceylon Institute of Builders (CIOB) SL Construction Cost Report 2025 – Colombo, prepared by VFORM Consultants. Annual report provides updated benchmarks across six major building categories and confirms that Colombo ranks among the lowest-cost construction markets in Asia, more..

Feb 19 (DN) SL’s electricity sector is undergoing a critical transformation, as the country seeks to balance affordability, reliability and sustainability while accelerating its transition towards renewable energy. With ambitious green energy targets, ongoing restructuring of the CEB and continuing debates over tariffs and coal procurement, the sector remains at the centre of national policy discussions. Deputy Minister of Power Arkam Ilyas spoke candidly about the Govt’s reform agenda, more..

Feb 19 (TM) Over 85,000 individuals categorised as poor and extremely poor under the Aswesuma welfare benefits scheme stand to lose their Aswesuma benefits due to the failure to update their information on time for the annual review. Welfare Benefits Board Chairman Nimal Kotawalagedara said the process to update information on Aswesuma beneficiaries started on 20 Nov 2025, but so far, 56,547 beneficiaries in poor category more..

Feb 19 (FT) TWC Capital Ltd, the corporate financial advisory arm of TWC Holdings, acted as the exclusive buy-side financial adviser to CBL Group on its acquisition of PT Tri Jaya Tangguh Indonesia (TJT), a large-scale coconut processing facility in Indonesia, with an investment exceeding $ 25 million. This transaction marks TWC Capital’s third cross-border mergers and acquisitions advisory mandate in the past two years, reinforcing its growing reputation for executing complex more..

Feb 19 (DM) The recent decision by the Bar Association of SL (BASL) to stage a nationwide boycott of court proceedings following the tragic murder of Attorney-at-Law Buddhika Mallawarachchi and his wife has reignited a crucial debate: Do lawyers have the right to hold the justice system hostage to express their grievances, no matter how legitimate those grievances might be? The question took a sharply ironic turn at a BASL press conference in Colombo, where a journalist more..

Feb 19 (Island) Parliament has earned notoriety for Dorothy Dixers or pre-arranged questions that the ruling party backbenchers ask ministers to help highlight the govt’s achievements and tear the Opposition to shreds. This practice is not peculiar to SL, but here the situation has manifestly got out of hand. NPP MPs are always given ample time to ask free-kick questions, which are legion, but the govt frontbenchers invariably obstruct the Opposition members who throw curveballs more..

Feb 19 (DN) Sri Lanka’s coastline is generally where fishing villages have long shaped their own rhythms of life. One element of that life is maadel, the beach seine, that once stood as both livelihood and ritual. It was more than a method of catching fish. It was choreography. At the call of Hoyiya, hoyiya, odi helei heleyiya, two lines of men would grip either end of a net cast into the sea and begin the slow, muscular work of hauling it ashore. Their voices kept time. So did the waves. more..

Feb 19 (SO) Mohanavathani works at a small hotel in Velanai, earning Rs. 1,500 a day. She did not take the job to build savings. She took it to repay the debts of her husband, Koneshwaran, a fisherman who committed suicide three months ago after struggling with mounting loans. The couple has 3 children. The youngest is in Grade 6. The two older children have taken up work to help repay the family’s debts. “My husband’s last loan was more..

Feb 19 (DM) A recent news item read that an Acting Registrar of Births and Deaths attached to the Alayadivembu Divisional Secretariat in Akkaraipattu was arrested for allegedly accepting Rs. 500 as a bribe to issue a birth certificate. Incidents of this nature reminds people that the system hasn’t really changed even after all these years. For some it maybe a laughable fact that a govt official even accept a Rs. 500 bribe. But accepting a bribe is an offense and therefore, more..

Feb 19 (CT) It should be made very clear from the start the suggested permanent commission or an office for review of the justice system is not one geared towards punishment of any of the offenders. Neither is it one where there would be direct powers to implement its own recommendations, where it makes such recommendations for improvements. The purpose of a permanent commission or something like ombudsman office with adequate powers to engage in a constant review of more..

Feb 19 (TM) More than 2,700 drivers were arrested for drug-related offences in January, according to the Police Traffic Management & Road Safety Division, marking a significant increase compared to the 427 arrests recorded during the entirety of 2025. Authorities state that the rise reflects intensified enforcement operations, expanded roadside inspections, and closer coordination with medical authorities. more..

Feb 19 (TM) SL’s housing conversation has taken a decisive turn. Faced with an escalating cost of living and a property market that appears increasingly detached from the realities of household income, the Housing and Construction Ministry has signalled its readiness to work with the Land Ministry and Urban Development authorities on regulatory reform. The proposal to install a pricing regulator reflects a growing anxiety that land and housing are drifting beyond the reach of ordinary citizens. more..

Feb 19 (CT) Indian Ocean region stands at a strategic crossroads. In an era marked by fractured geopolitics, rapid technological upheaval and the erosion of long-standing global norms, former Indian High Commissioner to SL and National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon has delivered a stark message: the multilateral system can no longer be relied upon to resolve transnational threats or security challenges. If the established global order is faltering, nations of the Indian Ocean must more..