Jan 20 (ST) Burning the low-quality coal recently procured for the Lakvijaya coal power plant via a tender that is now the subject of corruption allegations will cause a sharp rise in the quantity of fly ash generated, thereby posing a severe threat to the environment, experts warned. Sample tests conducted by the Lakvijaya internal laboratory on the first consignment of 60,000 MT of South African coal—bought through India’s more..

Jan 20 (Geo) A collective batting effort, followed by Dulnith Sigera's four-wicket haul, led Sri Lanka to a commanding 106-run victory over Ireland in the 13th match of the ICC Men's U19 World Cup 2026 here at the Namibia Cricket Ground on Monday. Opting to bat first, Sri Lanka registered a formidable total of 267/5 in their 50 overs, courtesy of half-centuries from Chamika Heenatigala and captain Vimath Dinsara. Dinsara remained the top-scorer with an anchoring 95 off 102 deliveries more..

Jan 20 (Island) National Audit Office (NAO) has remained headless since last month. It was under an Acting Auditor General for about nine months from April 2025. The longstanding vacancy at the highest level of the supreme audit institution in the country and deplorable attempts being made to appoint a crony of the ruling party as Auditor General (AG) will severely erode the confidence of investors and donors. The post-Ditwah rebuilding programme requires donor assistance, which is not likely more..

Jan 20 (TM) Govt of Japan has allocated Rs. 18 billion (Yen 9.17 billion) to resume 75 Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) sub-projects across SL, almost 4 years after halting activities during SL’s economic crisis. “The Japanese Govt has decided to re-finance the Rural Infrastructure Development Project in Emerging-Regions (RIDEP) programme in the Northern, Eastern, North-Central & Uva provinces, which was halted due to more..

Jan 20 (DN) Charith Asalanka has retained the captaincy of the ODI team for the forthcoming England ODI series while two key bowlers Wanindu Hasaranga and Dushmantha Chameera have been for this series and selectors have recalled leg spin all rounder Dunith Wellalage and paceman Milan Ratnayake to focus on long term planning for 2027 ODI World Cup next year. Dushmantha Chameera has been rested form this ODI series due to a groin injury and to release his work load before more..

Jan 20 (EN) The toxic waters of Beira Lake are to be treated under an ambitious 2.5 billion rupee plan aimed at making it safer for swimming and other water sports, authorities announced today. An official heading a task force to clean up the highly polluted, colonial-era, man-made lake said most of the 192 illegal raw sewage dumping points which was blamed at one time for its foul smelling water, have been closed, and action is being taken against those discharging pollutants into iconic waterbody. more..

Jan 20 (DN) England cricket team led by Harry Brook arrived in Sri Lanka for a white-ball tour yesterday . England is scheduled to take on SL in three One Day Internationals (ODIs) and three Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) during the tour. The team arrived yesterday morning from Dubai on Emirates flight EK-650. Meanwhile, to welcome the England cricket team, a special reception was organized by SLC in collaboration with the SL Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB). more..

Jan 20 (Island) South Asia Gateway Terminal (SAGT) represents SL’s first large-scale, durable, and demonstrably successful Public–Private Partnership (PPP). Conceived in the mid-1990s and implemented amid intense political, labour, and security challenges, SAGT fundamentally altered the trajectory of the Port of Colombo and laid the foundation for all subsequent private-sector participation in SL’s port sector. This article is written from the perspective of one who participated more..

Jan 20 (FT) SL Apparel Exporters Association Chairperson Rajitha Jayasuriya has said revised rules of origin under the UK Developing Countries Trading Scheme (UKDCTS) have emerged as a game changer for the country’s apparel industry. She said the move has placed the country on a more competitive footing with least developed country (LDC) exporters, opening a significant opportunity to expand exports to UK more..

Jan 20 (FT) Hemas Holdings PLC announced a significant transformation drive; Project Fusion aimed at accelerating the Group’s growth through faster decision making, greater agility, and stronger data driven capabilities. This strategic initiative will unify core processes, digitise operational systems, and enable real time insight across the organisation, strengthening Hemas’ competitiveness in an increasingly dynamic market. Project Fusion represents a significant investment in more..

Jan 20 (FT) Permia Sensing, a precision agriculture company using AI, bioacoustics sensing and aerial image to protect and increase yields in coconut, oil palm and dates, has been named a winner of the UAE FoodTech Challenge 2026 at Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week held recently. Permia Sensing was selected from an initial pool of 1,215 submissions across 113 countries, progressing through the Challenge’s competitive stages to reach the final round, where 10 finalists more..

Jan 20 (CT) Sri Lanka stands at a historical crossroads where education is no longer just a social welfare service but the primary driver of economic complexity. NPP govt was elected on a clear mandate to transform an archaic, 20th-century system into one fit for the 21st century. As PM Dr. Harini Amarasuriya emphasized in her recent exclusive interview, this transformation was a cornerstone of the manifesto that secured both presidential and general election victories. more..

Jan 20 (CT) Although a majority of Sri Lankans are part of the agricultural industry to sustain their livelihoods, the country remains facing several challenges to its food security, which has only compounded following the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah. If authorities do not take effective action as soon as possible to ensure the nutritional needs of SL citizens, the next decade could result in an increase in several public health issues, mainly caused by rise of non-communicable diseases. more..

Jan 20 (CT) The entire world is focused on the long march of Buddhist monks in America, hoping for world peace. These monks, in their journey of Walk for Peace, are sharing the universal values of truth and compassion found in Buddhist teachings with the world. Many people have come to realise that the noble teachings of Gautama Buddha serve as a catalyst for world peace. It is a challenge to do such a task more..

Jan 20 (DM) US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace (BOP) for the rehabilitation of post-war Gaza could turn out to be a pie in the sky, with opposition to it coming from both hardliners and liberals. Israel has objected to the participation of Turkey and Qatar in the board; human rights advocates have criticised Trump’s decision to put the infamous Tony Blair as its chief executive; and neither Hamas nor Israel has made a commitment to demilitarise Gaza. more..

Jan 20 (DM) US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace (BOP) for the rehabilitation of post-war Gaza could turn out to be a pie in the sky, with opposition to it coming from both hardliners and liberals. Israel has objected to the pg/2026/01/19/the-unfinished-fight-for-justice-in-the-prageeth-eknaligoda-case/more..

Jan 20 (TM) A comprehensive review of Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Act, including proposed amendments to modernise and facilitate the regulation of drones, is expected to be completed within the next six months, Deputy Minister Janitha Kodithuwakku said. The move by the Govt signals a shift towards a more enabling regulatory framework for the rapidly expanding unmanned aviation sector. more..

Jan 20 (ST) From the moment I heard that one of the three stooges who has turned a part of the White House into a dance hall has been awarded a special Venezuelan Peace Prize, Machiavelli’s words came to mind. “It is not titles that honour men but men that honour titles.” So when Venezuela’s opposition leader was said to have honoured Donald Trump with a quickly turned-out Nobel Peace Prize, it seemed appropriate enough. But for one missing link. Had the opposition leader pointed out more..

Jan 20 (DM) Over the years the US and the West has been in the habit of imposing tariffs, sanctions and other economic pressures on particular countries whose policies they claimed were not in keeping with a rules-based international order. The US has taken the lead in this sphere. It has unilaterally imposed tariffs on different states ranging from Russia to China to smaller non-NATO nations for refusal to comply with US demands. US and EU also imposed sanctions on Russia for more..

Jan 19 (DM) SLPP MP Namal Rajapaksa said the govt must fulfill its promises and modernize the country instead of focusing on narrow political interests. He made these remarks while speaking at the opening ceremony of a youth conference organized by the SLPP youth wing. Rajapaksa said the country should strengthen its economy, protect its culture and religion, and prepare young people to compete in the modern world. “Modernizing the country does not mean destroying our more..

Jan 19 (Island) Individuals who maintained telephone contact with former ministers and politicians currently in the Welikada Prison are likely to face legal action, following the recovery of mobile phones during a special prison raid on Friday night. Prison authorities conducting the raid had led to the recovery of mobile phones, chargers, and other telephone paraphernalia from the prison ward housing high-profile inmates. Justice and Prisons Minister Harshana Nanayakkara told more..

Jan 19 (DM) Attorney General informed the Supreme Court that the govt has issued a fresh Gazette Extraordinary revoking an earlier notification that altered the boundaries of the Vidattaltivu Nature Reserve to facilitate an aquaculture project. Attorney General submitted to court that the Gazette Extraordinary No. 2463/47 dated Nov 21, 2025, had been formally issued to revoke the previous Gazette No. 2383/05 more..

Jan 19 (NF) PM Harini Amarasuriya embarked on an official tour to Switzerland this morning, marking a significant diplomatic and economic engagement for SL as she attends the 56th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF). High-profile global summit will take place from today until Jan 23 in Davos–Klosters, bringing together more than 3,000 world leaders, including heads of state, CEOs of major multinational corporations, leading policymakers, and pioneers in more..

Jan 19 (DM) The SL Railway Station Masters' Association (SLRSMA) has announced plans to launch immediate trade union action over prolonged delays in implementing the approved recruitment scheme for their service. Association Chief Secretary R.M.S. Kasun Chamara Jayasekera said the action was prompted by the failure of authorities to submit the required copies of the amended recruitment scheme for the signature of the Secretary of the Public Service Commission, as well as more..

Jan 19 (DM) Last week, Daily Mirror exclusively reported of yet another foreign investor pulling out of SL citing regulatory obstruction and arbitrary state action. China based Amber Adventures Private Limited, the country’s first cable car venture said it had officially pulled out of the Ambuluwawa Cable Car Project due to arbitrary and unlawful actions by state authorities including the suspension of construction by the CEA more..

Jan 19 (AD) A special traffic plan will be in place in Colombo during the upcoming SL-England cricket matches to be played at the R. Premadasa Cricket Stadium. Accordingly, SL Police announced the implementation of a special traffic management plan on 22, 24, and 27 January when the matches are due to be played at the Premadasa stadium. According to the Colombo Traffic Division, the measures are intended to minimize traffic congestion on roads surrounding stadium on match days. more..

Jan 19 (NW) Sri Lanka has secured a place among the world’s leading honeymoon destinations, with Galle ranked fifth in Tripadvisor’s 2026 Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best Honeymoon Destinations list. The rankings are based on the quality and quantity of traveler reviews submitted over a one-year period, reflecting real experiences shared by newlyweds from around the world. Galle was listed alongside globally renowned romantic destinations such as Bali in Indonesia, Mauritius, more..

Jan 19 (AM) A video circulating on social media has renewed attention on tensions between app-based taxi drivers and local taxi operators in SL’s tourism zones, after a police officer, reportedly attached to the Unawatuna Tourist Police, was seen warning a PickMe driver that ride-hailing vehicles were not permitted to wait or park on public roads. In the video, the officer states that such vehicles may only remain on private property, adding, “Don’t say another word or argue — this is the law. more..

Jan 19 (NW) A new flyover aimed at easing traffic congestion in central Colombo was opened to the public today at a total cost of Rs. 3.2 billion. Baladaksha Mawatha Flyover was declared open under the patronage of Transport, Highways and Urban Development Minister Bimal Rathnayake. The flyover is the third constructed under a broader project designed to reduce traffic congestion in and around the Colombo city limits. The structure allows one-way traffic from Galle Face toward more..

Jan 19 (AD) Extensive discussions have been held at a review meeting at the Presidential Secretariat pertaining to the progress of projects planned by the govt to promote a cashless economy in SL, including the digitalisation of govt institutions, promotion of QR transactions and the completion of the digital identity card project. A discussion to review the progress of projects implemented under the Ministry of Digital Economy in 2025 more..

Jan 19 (CI) Left-arm spinner Malinda Pushpakumara has become the fourth Sri Lankan to take 1000 first-class wickets, following in the footsteps of Muthiah Muralidaran (1374), Rangana Herath (1080) and Dinuka Hettiarachchi (1001). Pushpakumara, 38, last represented Sri Lanka in 2018; he achieved the feat while playing for Badureliya Sports Club against Moors Sports Club in the Sri Lanka Major League three-day tournament. Pushpakumara, who had started the game on 998 wickets, more..

Jan 19 (AD) Four Buddhist monks, including Ven. Balangoda Kassapa Thero, and six other individuals who were arrested and subsequently remanded for allegedly violating coastal conservation laws by placing a Buddha statue at the Trincomalee Bodhiraja Viharaya have been further remanded. Group has been further remanded until Jan 28 by the Trincomalee Magistrate’s Court. They were accused of placing a Buddha statue at the Trincomalee Bodhiraja Vihara on Nov 16, more..