Jan 28 (CT) In what is being seen as a major setback to SL’s long-anticipated independent women’s rights watchdog, the Chairperson of the National Women’s Commission (NWC), Dr. Ramani Jayasundere, has tendered her resignation to Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake, amid mounting concerns over alleged attempts to undermine the Commission’s independence. When contacted by Ceylon Today, Dr. Jayasundere confirmed that she had stepped down from the position but more..

Jan 28 (NW) SL cricket great Sanath Jayasuriya faced the first ball under the newly installed floodlights at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) ground on Wednesday, marking a historic milestone for the iconic Colombo venue. The floodlights were officially opened by Sports Minister Sunil Kumara Gamage, with Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka bowling the inaugural delivery to Jayasuriya before the ceremonial friendly match between SSC and the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) Development team. more..

Jan 28 (AM) Supreme Court today directed the petitioner’s lawyers to take steps to issue notices on a group of respondents, including former Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa, in connection with a Fundamental Rights petition seeking the recovery of compensation allegedly paid unlawfully to former Ministers whose houses were set on fire following the violence of 9 May 2022. The petition was taken up before a SC bench more..

Jan 28 (EN) SL’s revenue collecting body initiated a special field observation program centered in Colombo and its suburbs, aimed at enhancing tax compliance in the island nation and formally expanding the tax base, Finance Ministry said. The Inland Revenue Department’s (IRD) effort primarily focuses on checking whether business establishments are properly registered with the IRD, ensuring that the information in existing tax files is accurate, identifying businesses and more..

Jan 28 (DM) PM Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, also serving as Minister of Education, emphasized that the govt believes no child’s education should be determined by their parents’ financial situation and that every child has the right to education. In a congratulatory message to children entering Grade 1 under the new education reforms, PM highlighted the govt’s commitment to creating measures that ensure equal educational opportunities for all. She stressed the importance of community input, more..

Jan 28 (DM) As outrage grows over explicit school-related content spreading unchecked online, the Govt is now considering restricting social media access for underage children, raising fresh concerns over digital freedom, censorship, and who ultimately controls what SL youth see online. Deputy Minister Eranga Weeraratne said discussions are currently underway to explore the possibility of imposing restrictions on social more..

Jan 28 (AD) The first Automated Border Control (ABC) electronic gates (e–gate) at the arrival terminal of the BIA will be officially opened from today, Dept of Immigration and Emigration has announced. The Chief Immigration and Emigration Officer, Jude Fernando confirmed that four electronic gates will be opened. The Ministry of Ports and Civil Aviation, in partnership with the Govt of Japan and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) launched the e–gate project. more..

Jan 28 (AD) An institutional review of the National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol (NATA) and the Jaffna Teaching Hospital was conducted at the Sectoral Oversight Committee (SOC) on Health, Mass Media and Women’s Empowerment. The committee met in Parliament on January 21 under the chairmanship of MP Dr. Nihal Abeysinghe, according to the Dept of Communication of Parliament. During the review of the National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol, more..

Jan 28 (AD) The GMOA has stated that its ongoing trade union action will be further intensified if the govt fails to provide a positive response to their issues within the next 48 hours. The decision was taken at a meeting of the GMOA Central Committee held today, during which the Executive Committee was granted full authority to determine future courses of action. Several key decisions were reached at the meeting, including the continuation of the current trade union action. more..

Jan 28 (NW) General Manager of Lanka Coal Company, Namal Hewage, stated that a fine of around USD 2.1 million has been imposed on a company responsible for supplying substandard coal. He revealed this while addressing a media briefing regarding the controversial coal import issue. He was responding to questions from journalists about concerns raised by former minister Champika Ranawaka, stating that the losses to the state exceed fines imposed in such more..

Jan 28 (AD) Despite an initially shock, the impact of Cyclone Ditwah which caused widespread devastation to several parts of the country is unlikely to affect SL’s economic growth in 2026, CB Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe has confirmed. He made this assertion based on data obtained from the month of December. Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe said SL’s GDP growth was projected to be between 4 to 5% in 2026 and it is unlikely that more..

Jan 28 (NW) Lanka Premier League (LPL) Dambulla Thunders franchise owner Thamim Rahman has pleaded guilty in a high-profile match-fixing case and was fined Rs. 24 million, with a five-year suspended prison sentence imposed by the Colombo High Court on Wednesday. HC Judge Udesh Ranatunge delivered the sentence, marking one of the highest fines imposed under SL’s Prevention of Offences Relating to Sports Act No. 24 of 2019. Rahman was indicted over allegations that he attempted more..

Jan 28 (DM) Given the impact of cyclone Ditwah, which caused US $ 4.1 billion damage, SL is to seek redress from the European Union in its evaluation of the country’s eligibility for GSP+ trade facility under the new criterion that will come into effect after 2027, an official said. The market in the European Union (EU) currently absorbs more than 24% of the country’s total exports. SL is presently under observation by the EU authorities for the extension of the GSP+ trade facility more..

Jan 28 (AD) The team from the IMF which arrived last week on a fact-finding mission has indicated that there would be no changes to the agreement relating to the Extended Fund Facility programme being implemented with SL during a meeting with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. A meeting between IMF representatives, who arrived in SL to assess the damage caused by Cyclone Ditwah, and Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake more..

Jan 28 (AD) Court of Appeal has ordered the Jaffna Municipal Council to submit a report on the measures taken to reduce air pollution in the Jaffna area. The order was issued when a writ petition filed by Dr. Uma Sugi Nadarajah, a resident of Jaffna requesting court to issue directives to curb air pollution in Jaffna, was taken up for hearing. The petition was heard before a bench of Court of Appeal judges comprising President of the Court of Appeal Justice Rohana Abeysooriya more..

Jan 28 (FT) Colombo will come alive with vibrancy and festivities as Salam Ramadan, SL’s foremost Muslim cultural event, returns for a second successful year to Green Path (Ananda Coomaraswamy Mawatha), from 27 Feb to 1 March, from 5 p.m. to 12 midnight each evening. This unique three-day event will take place during the holy month of Ramadan, under the patronage of the Office of the Governor of Western Province and Mayor of Colombo. Joining hands as more..

Jan 28 (TM) Sampath Bank PLC has received regulatory approval to enter the wealth management business through a wholly owned subsidiary, marking an expansion of the bank’s non-interest income activities, the bank disclosed to the market. In a filing made in accordance with the Listing Rules of the Colombo Stock Exchange, Sampath Bank said the approval was granted by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka following a decision by the bank’s Board of Directors. more..

Jan 28 (DM) Cabinet approval has been granted to move ahead with plans to restore the Calido beach, Kalutara lagoon and the mouth of the Kalu Ganga following severe coastal erosion triggered by flood mitigation measures implemented in 2017. According to the Cabinet decision, erosion occurred after the Calido sandbar at the Kalu Ganga mouth was cut open to control flooding during the severe floods experienced that year. The move caused the sandbar to be completely washed away, more..

Jan 28 (FT) SL’s land market maintained solid growth in 2025, with the Colombo suburbs and Western Province districts emerging as key drivers, according to the latest Land Price Index (LPI) 2025 published by LankaPropertyWeb (LPW). The 2025 index shows that Colombo 1-15 recorded a 4% year-on-year (YoY) increase in average land prices per perch, reaching Rs. 12 million, while the Colombo suburban areas saw a stronger more..

Jan 28 (NW) Board of Investment (BOI) organized a dedicated investment forum to present structured business opportunities in Keragala, Gampaha District (Western Province), and Sooriyawewa, Southern Province, positioning them as emerging University Towns. The event brought together local and foreign investors, senior officials from the BOI, and Ministry of Higher Education to explore prospects in SL’s education sector, leveraging SL’s strong literacy rates and ongoing reforms. more..

Jan 28 (FT) IT is now said Govt's decision to close schools with less than 50 pupils, noticed through Circular 34/2025, will be implemented this year. This would mean that 1,506 schools will be shut down. Closing schools with a few pupils has been a topic for some years. There were schools closed in the past, with little notice. Often it was simply said they wound up. Here is a reason why I want Govt authorities to speak to parent-teachers, before deciding to close schools. more..

Jan 28 (AD) Former Secretary to the President Saman Ekanayake has been remanded until February 11 by the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court. Ekanayake has been remanded in relation to the case filed against former President Ranil Wickremesinghe over the alleged misuse of Rs. 16.6 million in public funds during a visit to the UK in 2023. Saman Ekanayake appeared before the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court today. more..

Jan 28 (DM) Claiming that the attention of the govt has been drawn to the circulation of videos on social media, involving a leading school in Colombo, Cabinet Spokesman Minister Nalinda Jayatissa said the govt will adopt a regulation process if media and social media do not self-regulate voluntarily on matters concerning privacy and identity of individuals. Minister told the weekly briefing to announce cabinet decisions that the Online Safety Act is badly needed in situations like this. more..

Jan 28 (DM) Lieutenant Koyan Chamitha of the SL Navy’s elite Special Boat Squadron (SBS), the first Sri Lankan to complete the U.S. Navy SEAL basic training and earn the coveted SEAL Trident, passed away in the early hours of today at the Walisara Wardroom. Last year, Lieutenant Chamitha made history by becoming the first Sri Lankan to complete the rigorous SEAL basic training conducted by the Naval Special Warfare Basic Training Command of US Navy, marking a significant milestone. more..

Jan 28 (FT) Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week SL (MBFWSL) has officially announced the dates for its 2026 edition, taking place from 7–11 Oct 2026 at Cinnamon Life at City of Dreams, welcoming the global fashion community home to Colombo. The announcement reaffirms the platform’s ambition to position SL firmly on the international fashion and creative industries calendar. Presented by AOD and powered by DIMO, the only authorised agent for Mercedes-Benz in SL, MBFWSL continues to more..

Jan 28 (FT) My interest in trade agreements arose while working on my PhD in Canada in 1982-1985. Having been immersed in the protectionist/State-centric discourse that pervaded SL in the 1970s, I was intrigued that the Canadian Govt was pressing for a bilateral agreement with the more powerful and much larger US. The Canada-US Free Trade Agreement (CUFTA) that was signed in 1987 was the first to include services trade. Given the cultural protectionism that was pervasive among more..

Jan 28 (TM) Former Chairperson of the Lanka Coal (Pvt) Ltd Company, who was involved in the processes related to the importation of coal consignments for electricity generation, is to be summoned before the Parliamentary Sectoral Oversight Committee on Infrastructure & Strategic Development. This review took place when the Committee met in the Parliament recently under the Chairpersonship of S.M. Marikkar. more..

Jan 28 (Island) Chief Prelates of the Malwathu, Asgiriya, Amarapura and Ramanna Nikayas, in a joint letter addressed to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, has expressed concern over the protracted delay in appointing a permanent Auditor General. The Chief Prelates have said that the appointment of an outsider as the Head of the National Audit Office (NAO) responsible for ensuring transparency and accountability in public finances will be inappropriate. more..

Jan 28 (TM) Housing, Construction & Water Supply Ministry said they are planning to provide more affordable apartment complexes for residents in Colombo, competing against the private sector with the intention of making the City more affordable. Deputy Minister T.B. Sarath said the Govt is planning to build apartments with affordable prices in Colombo in competition with the private sector. "Further, in this year’s Budget, we have allocated money to build 3,000 houses for lower more..

Jan 28 (NW) Governor of the Western Province and Presidential Special Envoy for Foreign Investment, Hanif Yusoof, went live today on Channel News Asia (CNA) from Singapore, where he spoke on SL’s economic recovery and the role of Port City Colombo as a key driver of the country’s next phase of growth. The Special Envoy addressed a range of questions from CNA, including SL’s post-crisis economic stabilisation, more..

Jan 28 (FT) Amid growing criticism that micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) affected by Cyclone Ditwah were not receiving adequate recovery support, Economic Development Deputy Minister Nishantha Jayaweera and Finance Ministry officials recently conducted a seminar for MPs on the Govt’s initiatives to date. According to the Parliament Secretariat, Finance Ministry officials pointed out that the Govt has addressed the biggest challenges faced by MSMEs: more..

Jan 28 (AD) A 28-year-old man has died after being shot during a private party held in the Tsunamiwatta in Ambalangoda. The victim sustained gunshot injuries after being shot by two unidentified individuals while attending the gathering. He was admitted to the Balapitiya Hospital for treatment, where he succumbed to his injuries. The deceased was a resident of Galaboda. The motive for the shooting has not yet been identified, and police suspect that a pistol-type firearm was used more..