Jan 31 (FT) There is a high level of public satisfaction in the response of Governmental and non-Governmental agencies in the aftershock of Cyclone Ditwah, and with Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake in particular, according to a recent survey conducted by Social Scientists’ Association (SSA), Colombo. The objective of the study was to learn citizens’ perceptions of institutional responsiveness following Cyclone more..

Jan 31 (FT) Digital Economy Deputy Minister Eranga Weeraratne said that the Ministries of Education, Women and Child Affairs, and Digital Economy are planning to initiate a national assessment and policy review on the impact of social media on children. Deputy Minister emphasised that the initiative is expected to be advanced by giving due consideration to the insights of experts across all relevant fields, including child protection, education, health, mental health, cyber security, more..

Jan 31 (Island) Flawed, poorly planned and rushed education reforms could widen inequalities between urban and rural schools, teachers’ unions warned, criticising govt’s newly launched education reform programme, despite its formal inauguration earlier in the day. Union leaders said essential resources needed to implement the reforms, including teachers’ guides, have yet to be issued, raising serious concerns over how educators are expected to deliver lessons under new framework. more..

Jan 31 (DN) More than 60% of bus drivers engaged in passenger transport services on several short-distance routes in Colombo and its suburban areas are driving under the influence of narcotics, Minister Bimal Ratnayake said. However, the Govt has not conducted a full study in this regard and that this data was provided by the Bus Associations. Speaking to the media after the establishment of the Kandy District Transport more..

Jan 31 (AD) Gangodawila Magistrate Ruwanthika Marasinghe today (30) ordered the CID to record statements from teachers trained using the controversial education module and to conclude investigations without delay. CID is investigating the inclusion of a website considered inappropriate for children in the Grade 6 English subject module introduced under the new education reforms. The matter was reported to the Gangodawila Magistrate’s Court by the CID, and officers today updated more..

Jan 31 (FT) In line with the Govt’s program to build a clean, transparent and corruption-free public service, a workshop to brief heads of 250 state institutions that have been instructed to establish Internal Affairs Units was held this week at the auditorium of the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute, under the patronage of Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake. As the first phase of this program, Internal Affairs Units were previously established in 106 state institutions more..

Jan 31 (FT) Govt has made several key decisions to accelerate tourism development. A meeting to this effect was held yesterday between Minister Vijitha Herath and members of the Presidential Task Force responsible for implementing the SL Tourism Development Program. The discussion focused on the progress of introducing a digital entry pass to streamline access to tourist attractions for foreign visitors, as well as on measures to expedite the processing of tourist visas. more..

Jan 31 (AD) President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has decided to hold discussions with a group of School Development Officers who are currently staging a hunger strike in front of the Presidential Secretariat, demanding permanent employment. The decision was conveyed to the protesters today (30) by Director General of Public Relations at the Presidential Secretariat, Dharmasiri Gamage. Accordingly, the discussion has been scheduled for 6.00 p.m. on 03 February 2026. more..

Jan 31 (CT) CEB employees are at a crossroads, facing severe financial, professional, and psychological hardship due to delays in the Board’s restructuring process and the Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS), according to the Ministry of Power & Energy. The VRS, which was gazetted by the Govt last year, comes amid growing uncertainty for nearly 23,000 employees. Govt’s plan to restructure the CEB involves forming more..

Jan 31 (FT) Common wealth Enterprise and Investment Council (CWEIC) Chairman Lord Marland of Odstock will undertake an official visit to SL on 9 to 10 Feb. The visit underscores the CWEIC’s commitment to supporting SL’s economic trajectory and fostering deeper integration within the Commonwealth’s global trade network. During his two-day mission, Lord Marland is scheduled to call upon Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake to discuss the ongoing economic recovery and more..

Jan 31 (EN) Colombo Consumer Price Index based headline inflation, year-on-year, accelerated in January 2026 after remaining at the same level for three consecutive months, central bank said. “Headline inflation (Y-o-Y) was recorded at 2.3% in Jan 2026 compared to 2.1% in Dec 2025, broadly in line with CB’s near-term projections,” CBSL said. Widely-watched Colombo Consumer Price Index rose 0.6% in January to 197.0 points from 195.8 points the previous month. more..

Jan 31 (EN) Sri Lankans should be extra vigilant on investments in crop cultivations with higher returns as many people had ended up in such unregulated investment to find out they are also similar to illegal pyramid schemes, Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe said. In recent years, SL has witnessed a surge in unregulated investment schemes targeting agricultural lands, often luring investors with promises of land ownership and assured monthly incomes in signed agreements. more..

Jan 31 (DM) A former Deputy Speaker is alleged to have received Rs.200,000 as compensation, claiming that his business establishment was damaged during the recent disaster. This transpired during the Ratnapura District Coordinating Committee that met yesterday under the chairmanship of MP Shantha Padmakumara. Chairman pointed out that compensation paid to the owners of small-scale businesses has been paid to the wrong individuals, whose business more..

Jan 31 (ST) It is a first not just for the flag-bearing Liver Transplant Programme of the National Hospital of SL (NHSL) but also for the state health sector. First adult living donor liver transplant – securing part of a liver from a person and implanting it in a critically-ill person – has been done this month at the NHSL bringing hope for the poorest of the poor who cannot afford this life-saving surgery. Most people who face end-stage liver failure more..

Jan 31 (DN) Central Province Governor Prof. Sarath Abhayakoon with officials received the ICC T-20 Men’s Cricket World Cup trophy in front of the Sri Dalada Maligawa yesterday. A large crowd gathered in Kandy city to catch a glimpse of the Trophy during its visit. SLC organised the tour to display the trophy in several major cities across the country, with support from the Central Province Tourism Dept. In a notable highlight of the Kandy leg, officials transported the trophy by boat more..

Jan 31 (CI) Former SL allrounder Shehan Jayasuriya is set to make his USA debut at the 2026 T20 World Cup. The 34-year-old, who bats left-handed and bowls offspin, has been named in USA's 15-man squad for the tournament, which is set to begin in India and SL on Feb 7. Jayasuriya, who played 12 ODIs and 18 T20Is for SL from 2015 to 2020, is one of two players in the squad who are yet to earn their first USA caps. The other is the 29-year-old Peshawar-born legspin-bowling allrounder more..

Jan 31 (CI) Sam Curran bounced back from a bruising opening spell to claim a memorable hat-trick, while Adil Rashid served notice of his World Cup readiness with another commanding performance, as England sealed a rain-shortened victory in the first T20I against SL in Pallekele. After persistent rain had forced a 90-minute delay, thus reducing the series opener to a 17-overs-a-side contest, it later returned with England just more..

Jan 31 (FT) As SL navigates the fragile transition from economic stabilisation to sustainable growth, a critical question emerges: what will drive the nation’s relevance in a competitive global economy over the next half-century? Beyond immediate recovery lies the longer, harder task of building a modern, resilient, and high-value economic model. It is in this context that Port City Colombo must be understood, not as a mere real estate venture or a short-term stimulus, but as a foundational platform more..

Jan 31 (FT) Colombo stock market ended the week in the red amidst profit taking, elevated turnover and foreign selling. ASPI closed down 0.37% or 88.58 points at 23,812.31 and the active S&P SL20 was down 0.22% or 14.51 points to 6,641.15. During the week, ASPI lost 144.2 points and the S&P SL20 lost 8.35 points. Net foreign outflow during the week was over Rs. 2.36 billion. Yesterday, turnover was nearly Rs. 9.2 billion, around 40% higher than the average, on over 211.5 million shares traded. more..

Jan 31 (FT) Hayleys Agriculture Holdings Ltd. reaffirmed its commitment to transforming the Sri Lanka agriculture industry at the Jaffna International Trade Fair 2026, which was held from 23 to 25 January at the Muttraweli Grounds in Jaffna. The company’s presence at the exhibition underscored its focus on bringing modern agricultural technology and value-added agricultural products closer to farming communities, particularly in the Northern Province, while reinforcing its position as more..

Jan 31 (FT) SL’s apparel industry marked a milestone with its first country pavilion at Source Fashion 2026. The exhibition was held from 13 to 15 Jan at Olympia London, one of Europe’s leading apparel sourcing events. The pavilion was officially inaugurated on 13 January with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. High Commissioner of SL in the UK Nimal Senadheera and UK’s Trade Envoy to SL Lord Hannett of Everton OBE presided over the event. Apparel & fashion industry representatives, more..

Jan 31 (FT) SL must pursue a big bang reform agenda to convert its post-crisis stabilisation into durable, investment-led growth, former ADB Institute Research Director Dr. Ganeshan Wignaraja said, warning that incremental reform would leave the economy exposed to renewed shocks. Delivering the keynote address at the Asia Securities Investor Conference 2026, Dr. Wignaraja said SL’s recent recovery, while credible, remained more..

Jan 31 (DM) Dr. Rohan Edrisingha in his illuminating essay Federalism: myths and realities makes the following observation – It is significant to note that long before Tamil political leaders advocated federalism, the young S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike in the mid 1920’s and the Kandyan Sinhalese representatives before the Donoughmore Commission in the late 1920’s were advocates of a federal SL. The Kandyan Sinhalese proposed a federal Ceylon with three provinces including more..

Jan 31 (CT) The recent intervention by the four Mahanayake Theras regarding the appointment of the Auditor General has reignited a perennial debate in SL politics: what is the appropriate role of the Buddhist clergy in governance? History shows that while the Sangha serves as the nation’s moral compass, success lies in counseling rather than intervening or requesting. This article explores the delicate balance required to maintain a comfortable zone between prelates and govt, more..

Jan 31 (Island) The govt has ignored the ultimatum given by the GMOA. Its intransigence will only drive the protesting doctors to intensify their trade union action, causing more suffering to patients. The govt has launched a propaganda campaign to turn public opinion against the GMOA by claiming that the doctors are demanding pay hikes with no heed for the economic difficulties caused by Cyclone Ditwah. It has stretched the truth to bolster its claims, suppressing the fact that protesting doctors more..

Jan 31 (CT) One of my favourite writers is Chinua Achebe, and A Man of the People remains one of his most unsettling novels. There is a line in it that refuses to age: The people were always the first to be fooled, and the last to know. It is a sentence that should make us uncomfortable, especially when we speak so confidently about democratic choice and popular sovereignty. Elections are often celebrated as moments of collective wisdom, yet Achebe reminds us that they can also be moments of more..

Jan 31 (TM) As the Govt reconsiders the direction of its education reform programme following a series of problematic developments, the Education Ministry has announced plans to open the reform process to public discussion in the coming days. The move comes amid criticism over the content of certain modules printed under the reform plans, limited consultation with teachers and principals, and questions surrounding more..

Jan 31 (DM) SL has since independence continuously remained a democratic state. Despite four attempts (thrice by insurgent groups and once by a group of military officers) to change the nature of the state, the people of this country have either by design or by the hand of God, managed to retain its basic democratic structure. The four pillars of democracy --Legislature, Executive, Judiciary & Media -- which create a system of checks and balances, (ensuring free & accountable govt) more..

Jan 31 (DM) There are several promises which the NPP gave during the last Prez and Parliamentary elections, but cannot keep as a govt -- at least for the moment. One of them is replacing the current Constitution with a new one. Nine months have elapsed since PM Harini Amarasuriya told parliament that her govt has two urgent priorities before commencing the process of formulating a new constitution for the country. While answering a question by ITAK MP Shanakiyan more..

Jan 31 (CT) A remark made recently by Minister K.D. Lalkantha, that while the Govt had secured political power, it had yet to capture State power, lingered in the public imagination far longer than perhaps was intended. It was not dismissed as an offhand comment or rhetorical flourish. Instead, it was widely read as a candid articulation of a deeper political impulse: the desire to bring the machinery of the State firmly under control of ruling coalition. more..

Jan 31 (CT) SL’s consideration of a ban on social media use and smartphone ownership for children under the age of 12 places the country within a rapidly growing global debate on how far govts should go in protecting young people from the harms of the digital world. While the proposal remains at a preliminary discussion stage, its very emergence reflects a broader international shift away from viewing unrestricted digital access as inevitable, and towards recognising childhood as more..

Jan 31 (Island) According to the SL Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA), over 130,000 tourists have arrived in the country during the first 15 days of this year. Impressive, indeed, but how many of them make up the big spending list, or were the majority backpackers? Of course, we need both – the big spenders and the backpackers – but, as one knowledgeable source said, it’s better to have 10 tourists spending 1000 dollars (per day) than 1000 tourists spending 10 dollars (per day)! more..