Jan 19 (SO) Minister of Energy, Kumara Jayakody said that the Govt is committed to implementing the recommendations made by the PUCSL to reduce electricity tariffs, marking the first step in a broader Govt plan aimed at reducing tariffs by 30% over the next three years. The reduction will benefit households, hotels, and industries alike, with the Govt emphasising the importance of making electricity more affordable for all sectors. more..

Jan 19 (ST) Acting IGP Priyantha Weerasooriya has requested the mass transfer of 17 officers-in-charge (OICs) of police stations in the Western Province, but the National Police Commission (NPC) will ask him to provide further details outlining reasons for his request for the mass transfers. Transfer list includes OICs of several key police stations in the greater Colombo area. Of the list of OICs sent to the NPC by the Acting IGP, 17 are to be transferred on a supernumerary basis, more..

Jan 19 (DM) The Railways Dept has taken steps to suspend the services of a person attached to the Makumbura Multimodal Center who has been accused of being involved in the railway e-ticket scam. It has been revealed that the policeman has started a private company in the name of a relative of his, that issues train tickets and has booked e-tickets online through it. It has been reported that the tickets booked in this way have been sold to various individuals at higher prices. more..

Jan 19 (ST) The SJB is in the throes of a crisis, one more severe than issues that affect just a hundred-day-old NPP govt. What has weighed in heavily on its woes are strong allegations that an advisor to the party had made millions of rupees promising placements in the national list for wealthy businessmen. An exceptionally rich rice merchant from Polonnaruwa district had alleged that he paid a staggering Rs 500 million to secure a seat. more..

Jan 20 (DM) Whether one reads the newspaper, switches on the radio or watches social media, one topic dominates. They all have one criticism or the other of our four-month old regime. It started with the Speaker of the House and his claim of a doctorate. We all know even Mervyn Silva was awarded a doctorate. The electorate unfortunately, did expect a similar character would exist in a political party claiming to be squeaky clean as the JVP. That was our mistake. The crux of the matter was that more..

Jan 20 (TM) Mental health continues to be an awkward and avoided topic in Sri Lanka’s public discourse and at the policymaking level. Reports of youth, especially school-age teenagers, attempting self-harm or attempting to take their own life keep drawing spotlight back into this phenomenon which culturally many SL communities find unpalatable. National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) had recently said that it has received over 78,000 phone calls last year via a hotline set up to more..

Jan 20 (DM) Former LTTE Jaffna District Commander Sathasivamillai Krishnakumar alias Col Kittu was regarded as the uncrowned king of Jaffna in the mid-eighties of the twentieth century. The greater part of Jaffna peninsula was under LTTE control then. This state of affairs came in for a rude shock when an unknown person lobbed a bomb into the vehicle driven by Kittu. Incident which rocked Jaffna in 1987 more..

Jan 20 (CT) While policies are framed at the political level the support mechanism for policy planning and implementation are orchestrated through administrative structures. It is axiomatic that an overarching super ministry is given the responsibility for planning and implementing development projects and programs-this has generally been the case in SL and many other countries in the region. Prez of SL has taken over the responsibility for overall management of the ministry of finance, more..

Jan 20 (DM) There is an emerging international debate about what is at stake with GDP growth. In Sri Lanka, not just nationally, but even at the provincial level, GDP growth and contribution are attributed to economic success. However, the focus on GDP growth without considering the impact on employment and livelihoods, and for that matter social welfare more broadly, can lead to rising inequalities and even dispossession. SL’s economy needs to grow out of economic depression more..

Jan 20 (TM) Sri Lanka will be lifting its restriction on the importation of motor vehicles for commercial purposes in February after almost five years of having banned it. With the news of the lifting of restrictions, most vehicle importers have been advertising prices of brand new vehicles, requesting advances to be placed in order to reserve the vehicles. However, in a recent extraordinary gazette issued under Section 3 of more..

Jan 20 (FT) The state visit of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to China deepened the longstanding friendship between the two nations and further strengthened bilateral ties, as both sides explored new avenues for economic collaboration. Among the highlights of the visit were a series of discussions with leading global corporations in China, including representatives from BYD, signifying a shared commitment to innovation and sustainable development. more..

Jan 20 (CT) In SL’s political landscape, patriarchy continues to reign, stifling progress and marginalising half the population. Despite numerous global examples of women excelling as leaders, the country remains entrenched in toxic masculinity and male chauvinism, stubbornly resistant to the inclusion of women in politics. The recent European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) report highlighted the urgent need for increased female participation in SL politics, but more..

Jan 20 (ST) When Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake and his NPP Govt point an accusing finger at the Dept of the Attorney General asking as to why sensitive prosecutorial files get lost in the dust for several years, four fingers are pointed right back at them. The priority at hand is not to run around the political mulberry bush, or the tea bush, (as the case may be in this green and verdant land with the human species being most vile), bleating platitudes on the virtues of good governance. more..

Jan 20 (Island) The Public Utilities Commission of SL (PUCSL) has endeared itself to the people immensely by directing the CEB to lower the power tariffs by an average of 20%. It was a case of Hobson’s choice for the NPP govt, which insisted that a substantial electricity price reduction would not be possible within the next three years although it promised, before last year’s elections, to slash power tariffs by as much as 30% in the near future. Opposition has mockingly asked more..

Jan 20 (ST) Sri Lanka Badminton (SLB) will optimistically step into 2025 after their shuttlers made the country proud with an approximate tally of 11 medals at international series held throughout 2024, bolstering Sri Lanka’s standard in badminton after many seasons. Sri Lanka won two gold, three silver and six bronze medals at eight international events in 2024. But the climax of the untiring efforts of SLB more..

Jan 20 (FT) A new high-performance tractor tyre has been launched by CEAT Kelani Holdings in time for the harvest phase of the Maha cultivation season, in another demonstration of commitment to the agriculture sector. Appropriately tagged 13.6 – 28 PUDDLE XL TT 12PR, this innovative new cross-ply tyre is designed specifically for agricultural tractors, and offers enhanced features to make farming and tractor operations easier and more efficient, the company said. more..

Jan 20 (ST) Chanithma Sinaly of Sirimavo Bandaranaike Vidyalaya secured her second national title at the 44th National Squash Championship, which concluded last Sunday at the Air Force Squash Complex in Ratmalana. With this victory, Sinaly reached the highest world ranking of her career, climbing to world No. 175, surpassing her previous best of No. 180. 19-year-old, who won the Women’s Open title in 2022, had to settle for runner-up last year, losing a hard-fought match to more..

Jan 20 (FT) Tradekins Ltd, a leading global compliance consultancy, and Shippers’ Academy Colombo, a premier logistics and shipping education provider, have officially signed a MoU to collaborate on enhancing industry standards in trade compliance, logistics education, and supply chain best practices. The partnership aims to develop and deliver capacity-building programs, compliance training, and thought leadership initiatives to empower industry professionals in South Asia more..

Jan 20 (ST) Colombo Port is losing its competitiveness as vessels bypass Colombo due to delays in turnaround time and the lax attitude of related government agencies involved in clearing containers that have been piling up, directly affecting SL’s main transshipment business at the port. Shipping industry officials pointed out that currently there is a berthing delay of two to three days since there is no capacity and only few berths available as a result of which vessels bypass Colombo more..

Jan 20 (ST) Nearly half of the positions at the Attorney General’s Dept are vacant, with the severe shortage in staff making even the performing of day-to-day activities a challenge, according to a report tabled in Parliament. According to the AG’s Dept, as of Dec 31, 2023, Dept had an approved cadre list of 1,295. However, just 671 of those positions were filled, leaving a staggering 624 vacancies, amounting to 48% of the dept’s workforce. more..

Jan 20 (FT) The tourism industry is witnessing a remarkable surge, welcoming over 112,000 visitors in the first two weeks of January, setting an optimistic tone for Sri Lanka’s trajectory in 2025. A total of 112,415 tourists visited the country, reflecting a 21.11% year-on-year (YoY) growth, compared to the 92,821 arrivals registered during the same period in 2024. This also pushed the daily average arrivals growth by 21.12% YoY to 8,030 from 6,630 in the corresponding period last year, more..

Jan 20 (ST) Sri Lanka has agreed to support China on issues related to Xizang (Tibet) and Xinjiang and link both of these issues to the One-China policy. Xizang, or Tibet, was the one-time home of the Buddhist spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, when it was annexed by China in 1951. The Dalai Lama, who was then the head of state and the government in Tibet from the age of 15, fled to India after Chinese troops marched into the Himalayan territory nestled between India and China. more..

Jan 20 (TM) Petroleum sector Trade Unions (TUs) are calling on the Govt to reduce fuel prices by 12%, citing concerns over recent changes in the pricing formula. United Trade Union Alliance Convenor Ananda Palitha said that the current pricing structure deviated from the original agreement made in 2022 with the IMF. Under the agreement, Govt was supposed to absorb the debt of the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) more..

Jan 20 (DM) The govt announced its plans to strengthen the connection between financial markets, including capital markets, and the real economy, while integrating advancements in emerging technologies. This comes as limited fiscal capacity constrains its ability to fully invest in development initiatives. Minister of Labour, Prof. Anil Jayantha Fernando, while delivering the keynote at the Colombo Investor Symposium 2025 by First Capital Holdings in Colombo last Friday, more..

Jan 20 (AD) More information has come to light regarding the shooting incident that occurred at Siripala Mawatha in Mount Lavinia today (19), which claimed the life of a youth. The victim of the shooting incident, identified as a 24-year-old resident of Badowita, succumbed to his injuries while receiving treatment at the Kalubowila Hospital. It is also reported that the victim was a close associate of the notorious underworld figure known by the alias Kos Malli, who is currently more..

Jan 20 (DN) The 15-year-old leg spinner Chamodi Munasinghe had fine figures of 3 for 5 while Dahami Sanethma stroked 52 ball 55 with 5 fours to emerge as the star performers as SL recorded an easy 139 run victory against Malaysia in their ICC Women’s U-19 T-20 World Cup opener yesterday in Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia chasing the target of 163 were bowled out for just 23 in 14.1 overs the lowest total ever in under 19 women’s T-20 World Cup. SL were on top from the beginning after invited to bat more..

Jan 20 (AD) Veteran journalist and former Editor of Ravaya newspaper, Victor Ivan has passed away at the age of 75. He had reportedly passed away while receiving treatment at a hospital, where he had been admitted for several months due to an illness. A prominent investigative journalist, political critic, theorist and social activist, he was also an author of several books. A Marxist rebel in his youth, Victor Ivan later became the Editor of the controversial Sinhalese newspaper Ravaya. more..

Jan 20 (Island) Authorities have launched an investigation into the disappearance of over 70 assault rifles from an undisclosed Army camp.The police confirmed that two of the missing T-56 assault rifles had been recovered. A 47-year-old Civil Defence Force (CDF) member has been arrested in connection with the incident. Acting on information from the suspect, police recovered a T-56 with 11 rounds of ammunition in Kotawila, more..

Jan 20 (EN) SL’s cost of living will rise to the 5 to 7% target, in the second half of 2025, the central bank has said, ending falling price it has achieved under broadly deflationary monetary policy since the second half of 2022. Amid deflationary policy the central bank allowed the exchange rate to appreciate, bringing down prices absolutely, which is not usual under IMF programs. In the age of inflation involving the invention of indiscriminate open market operations and currency debasement, more..

Jan 20 (DM) Despite recent actions, Railways Dept has revealed that groups involved in the online seat reservation racket continue to operate through the booking system. These groups now manage to reserve all available seats within just 30 seconds, a reduction from the previous 42 seconds. A senior department official explained, “Before the seats for Colombo Fort to Badulla were fully booked, all seats from Kandy to Nanuoya on the same train were also sold out today (19).” more..

Jan 20 (DN) Former Minister Vijith Wijayamuni Soysa was arrested yesterday (19) by the Special Task Force for Anti-Corruption in Walana, Panadura, in connection with an investigation into an illegally assembled lorry. The arrest followed six hours of questioning by the task force, according to a senior police official. The investigation revealed that the lorry in question had fraudulent engine and chassis numbers, and was allegedly being used by the former Minister. more..

Jan 20 (CT) President Anura Kumara Dissanayake announced that his next official visit will be to the UAE, following an official invitation from the UAE Govt. Prez confirmed that the Govt would explore the possibility of importing fuel through a govt-to-govt agreement, which could be advantageous to Sri Lanka. Prez Dissanayake also revealed that 73 T-56 assault rifles from an Army camp had fallen into the hands of underworld groups, raising serious concerns about national security. more..

Jan 20 (FT) The recently announced decision by Public Utilities Commission of SL (PUCSL) to reduce electricity tariffs by an average of 20% was widely lauded by various sectors, which see the move as a much needed lifeline. Among the most affected are the hotel industry, exporters, manufacturers, and spice producers, which have highlighted the significant impact of tariff cuts on their operations and more..

Jan 20 (DM) NPP MP Dharmapriya Dissanayake said that all MPs will soon be provided with new vehicles. Speaking to reporters during an inspection of the North Western Province Mechanical and Equipment Authority in Kurunegala, MP said that a minister or MP requires a vehicle to carry out their duties—this is undeniable. “We expect all MPs to receive new vehicles. To date, MPs have not been allocated any official vehicles. An agreement has been reached to provide vehicles to MPs. more..

Jan 20 (DN) Meteorology Dept reports continuous rainfall for the next 24 hours in Northern, North-Central, Eastern, Uva, and Central provinces, with cloudy skies and showers or thundershowers expected. Heavy showers (100 mm) are likely in Eastern and Uva provinces and Matale, Nuwara-Eliya and Polonnaruwa Districts. Showers or thundershowers will occur at several other places. Fairly strong winds (30-40 kmph) are expected at times over the Eastern slopes of Central hills more..

Jan 20 (AD) President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has reiterated his commitment to completely eliminating the corrupt politics in the country, as promised to the people. He made these comments delivering a strongly worded speech while addressing a public gathering in Kalutara, today (19). Prez participated in an interactive meeting held at the Pakistan Sports Ground in Wettumakada, Katukurunda, Kalutara. more..