Jan 15 (DN) The transformation of the Hingurakgoda runway is currently in progress to meet international standards and accommodate widely utilised A320 and Boeing 737 aircraft operations. After extensive consultations with key stakeholders, SLAF was entrusted with the design and construction of the runway. Road Development Authority (RDA) has been assigned to review SLAF’s designs and provide consultations, while the Civil Aviation Authority and Airports and Aviation SL will more..

Jan 15 (DM) The digital National Identity Cards (NICs) will be issued by this month, Digital Economy Deputy Minister Eranga Weeraratne said. He said as part of the initiative, all new NICs will be converted to a digital format. The shifting of digital NICs aims to alleviate the significant delays that have been plaguing the current system of issuing identity cards. However, the Deputy Minister also revealed that the total cost of implementing the digital identity card system s estimated at Rs. 20 billion. more..

Jan 15 (TM) A recent report by the National Audit Office for 2023 has revealed severe lapses in the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) and the Medical Supplies Division (MSD) of the Ministry of Health, with regard to the quality, safety, and efficacy of the medicines provided to the public. According to the said report, the NMRA, established under the NMRA Act, No. 05 of 2015, is tasked with ensuring the safety more..

Jan 15 (NW) SL’s journalist groups have raised concern over the govt’s decision to enter into agreements with Chinese media institutions during Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s state visit to Beijing. Several media forums expressed concern after the govt last week said proposals were approved for partnerships with Chinese media outlets aimed at capacity building. SL Working Journalists Association (SLWJA) Chairperson Duminda Sampath criticized the move, more..

Jan 15 (DM) In response to growing concerns over the scarcity of red rice in the local market, Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development Wasantha Samarasinghe has assured the public that the situation will soon improve. Making a special statement to the media, Minister blamed previous administrations for the crisis. He attributed the problem to years of mismanagement, emphasizing that better policies could have prevented the current predicament. more..

Jan 15 (DN) Sri Lanka’s junior tennis stars Annaya Norbert, Sahansa Damsiluni, Eliza Kahagalla, Damsath Peiris, and Revaan Amarasinghe advanced confidently in their respective categories on day two of the ITF Asia Under-14 and Development Championship. The tournament, featuring players from 10 countries across South Asia, Southeast Asia, and East Asia, runs from January 13 to 17 at the Sri Lanka Tennis Association clay courts in Colombo. more..

Jan 15 (FT) Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo is set to host an extraordinary celebration of authentic Chinese cuisine and culture from 20 to 22 Jan. The Chinese Food Festival will bring together renowned chefs, traditional performances, and immersive culinary experiences, creating an unforgettable event for food enthusiasts and cultural aficionados alike. This three-day festival promises to take guests on a gastronomic journey through the rich flavours and traditions of Chinese cuisine. more..

Jan 15 (Island) As many as 4,000 operatives of India’s top spy agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), are currently engaged in operations in SL, FSP has claimed. Addressing a seminar titled Is India the Big Brother?, FSP’s Propaganda Secretary Duminda Nagamuwa alleged that the RAW operatives were facilitating India’s predatory projects aimed at seizing control of critical national assets, including oceans, energy, more..

Jan 15 (FT) High Commission of India in Colombo and the Consulate General of India in Jaffna distributed festive kits at a series of celebratory events ahead of the auspicious festival of Pongal, while the Assistant High Commission of India in Kandy and the Consulate General of India in Hambantota distributed assistance based on the requests from local institutions and families. In the Northern Province, Pongal kits were distributed among beneficiaries at events held at more..

Jan 15 (TM) First Capital expects publicly listed company (PLC) earnings to increase by 22% in 2025 with the main index expected to reach 17,000 by year end. Accordingly, First Capital said that its fair value target for the All Share Price Index (ASPI) has been upgraded to 17,000 with a stronger earnings outlook of 22% for 2025. It said that Sri Lanka’s resurgence from the crisis continues to remain strong while potentially healthy growth in disposable income improves purchasing power. more..

Jan 15 (DN) “Our preparation is very high, and we have a very strong squad taking part in the ICC Under-19 Women’s T-20 World Cup, which will commence on January 18 in Malaysia,” said Sri Lanka team’s skipper Manudi Nanayakkara. “I have to play a key role as captain, and this is a new responsibility. Our team commitment is very high going into this major event,” added skipper Manudi Nanayakkara of Princess of Wales’ more..

Jan 15 (ST) Govt has decided that 50 luxury official residences set aside for cabinet ministers will be utilised for other purposes that will bring revenue to the state. No minister in the current govt would move into the luxury residences, Minister Ananda Wijepala said. Instead, they would be used by other govt departments or utilised for tourism purposes, he added. CIABOC is to be allocated one of the residences as it has requested new premises owing to space constraints in the present building. more..

Jan 15 (FT) SL’s passport slipped one rank in the Henley Passport Index 2025, landing at 96th place, according to the latest rankings. SL shares the 96th spot with South Sudan and a visa-free score of 44. Despite the slip in position, it is still an improvement from its rankings of 100th in 2023, 102nd in 2022 and 107th in 2021. The Henley Passport Index, considered the most authoritative ranking of global passports, assesses the number of destinations their holders can access without prior visas. more..

Jan 15 (FT) Proving it is no different to previous regimes, Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake-led Govt too has resorted to sin taxes to boost revenue. Prez Dissanayake, in his capacity as the Finance Minister revised the excise duties on alcohol and cigarettes, widely known as sin taxes. The pre-2025 Budget hike comes despite the country in 2024 achieving its highest Govt revenue. In the first 11 months of 2024, Govt revenue and grants rose year on year by Rs. 893 billion to Rs. 3.66 trillion. more..

Jan 15 (FT) The Sri Lanka – Malaysia Business Council was inaugurated on 23 Feb, 1994 under the aegis of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce at the request of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Board of investment of Sri Lanka. The main objective of this council is to promote joint ventures in trade, tourism and services between SL and Malaysia. In accordance with the constitution, High Commissioner of Malaysia in Sri Lanka Badli Hisham Adam, is the Patron of the Council. more..

Jan 15 (FT) Vehicle Importers Association of SL (VIASL) President Prasad Manage clarified that while the Govt’s gazette notification highlights excise duty structure, the final tax on vehicles will depend on multiple layers of taxation and additional costs. “Govt’s excise duties for vehicle imports range between 200% and 300%, with some vehicles facing taxes as high as 400% or 500%,” he said. Manage explained that these figures represent more..

Jan 15 (Island) Sri Lankan voters excel themselves in executioner style of voting; getting rid of failed govts with humiliating defeats and installing new govts with massive majorities, in spite of the near impossibility of such with the prevailing proportional representation system of voting! The last two elections, perhaps, are the best examples and it is pretty obvious that the voters do so because they live in hope. Unfortunately, their hopes are dashed in no time! more..

Jan 15 (Island) Wildfires in the US, engulfing parts of Southern California, have left the world agape. They have already claimed 24 lives and gutted countless properties including 12,000 houses and caused an economic loss of over USD 150 billion so far. Besides, thousands of wild animals are believed to have perished in the blazes. The environmental cost of the unfolding wildfires is said to be incalculable. Particle pollution has added another dimension to the catastrophe, more..

Jan 15 (CT) In recent times, SL has faced a series of natural calamities, notably landslides and floods, leading to significant loss of life and property. Despite the NBRO issuing early warnings, a concerning trend has emerged where the public’s apparent insensitivity to these alerts. This apathy not only endangers individual lives but also hampers collective disaster management efforts. The NBRO’s issuance of level one yellow watch landslide warnings for multiple DS divisions more..

Jan 15 (TM) There has been much said and reported about food insecurity in SL over the last five years, the combined effects of global disruptions, Covid-19 and the ongoing economic crisis exacerbated a growing issue, which today is a matter which needs to be addressed with a whole of Govt approach, and urgently. Even though the food security crisis of 2022 and 2023 may seem distant today, the realities of food insecurity which is continuing has been echoed by State and non-state actors alike. more..

Jan 15 (TM) Energy Ministry is awaiting official communication of the Cabinet’s decision on the memorandum it submitted, which proposes to appoint a review committee to regularise the implementation of Renewable Energy (RE) projects received through the Expression of Interest (EOI) process. The EOI process was initiated in 2021 under Cabinet approval and aimed to expedite RE projects to meet energy demands sustainably. more..

Jan 15 (CT) Writing contemporary history is one of the most challenging undertakings; penning down a reportage as and when things start to unfold is relatively simple, yet when one begins to pass judgments and offer opinions about the same episodes of societal events might look easy; but making it authentic and intellectually sturdy is a near impossibility. Your writing becomes blurry and might tend to be more prejudicial and would be ridiculed by history itself. more..

Jan 15 (DM) SL has witnessed a remarkable political transformation. Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD) has been elected as the country’s President. His party, JVP, leads NPP coalition. Just four years ago, the JVP held only three parliamentary seats with 3% of the popular vote. Today, it controls the presidency and commands a two-thirds parliamentary majority. Prez AKD, as he is commonly known, has achieved something unprecedented in SL politics: unified support across traditional more..

Jan 15 (SO) The SJB, finds itself at a pivotal crossroads. Following a series of electoral defeats, this week the party’s leadership convened for its first management meeting for 2025 to make crucial decisions that could shape its political trajectory. Central to the SJB’s restructuring efforts is a 12-point proposal introduced by its Chairperson, Imthiaz Bakeer Markar. He reflected on the challenges faced by the SJB and more..

Jan 15 (DM) Speaking on the role of the Royal Air Force (RAF) during World War II, controversial British war-time PM Winston Churchill praised the efforts of Britain’s air wing, saying never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few. He was referring to the RAF’s role in saving Britain from Nazi Germany. That we quote Churchill however, does not mean that we hold this man in high esteem. Churchill is on record as praising Aryan stock and insisting more..

Jan 15 (DM) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s state visit to Beijing, his second overseas visit since assuming office, is a case of continuity of the SL foreign policy. However, more than any of his predecessors, he is in a position to strike the right equilibrium in Sri Lanka’s relations with its two most important foreign relations- China and India- and harness them to turbocharge the local economy. During the visit, he will hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Qiang and more..

Jan 14 (TM) Ministry of Health Secretary Dr. Anil Jasinghe, has announced that the Govt is focusing on the establishment of several laboratories to test medicines in the near future. Dr. Jasinghe also indicated that an investigation is planned into recent allegations regarding the importation of medicines by a blacklisted company. It was recently revealed tha SPC tender board had allegedly awarded a tender to purchase more..

Jan 14 (AD) Police successfully apprehended Mohammed Nassar, a 31-year-old resident of Kahatapitiya in Gampola, who abducted an 18-year-old schoolgirl at Daulagala, Kandy, on Jan 11. The duo was located near the Ampara Bus Stand on a luxury bus scheduled to depart for Kandy this morning (13). Police had traced the suspect’s location through analysis of his mobile phone data, which revealed his presence in the Ampara Police Division. Acting on this information, more..

Jan 14 (TM) The Ministry of Plantation, and Community Infrastructure is currently exploring the possibility of shifting from the current daily wage system to monthly salary payments for plantation workers. Plantation workers, who play an important role in the country's tea and rubber industries, often face low wages and difficult working conditions. Deputy Minister Sundaralingam Pradeep said that plantation workers' salaries should match the current cost of living. more..

Jan 14 (TM) Amidst the ongoing talks on setting purchase prices for paddy, farmers’ groups raised concerns about the public sector’s ability to purchase and store adequate stocks of paddy. They urged the relevant authorities to pay attention to methodically improving the capacity of storage facilities owned by the public sector. National Agrarian Unity organisation Prez Anuradha Thennakoon said that although it is said that more..

Jan 14 (PMD) Thai Pongal festival, also known as the Harvest Festival, is observed with profound reverence by Tamil and Hindu communities worldwide. This significant occasion is dedicated to expressing gratitude to the Sun, the Earth, rain, and cattle for their indispensable contributions to a bountiful harvest. This festival is celebrated on the first day of the month of Thai according to the Tamil calendar. Festival marks commencement of Sun's northward journey, referred to as Uttarayana. more..

Jan 14 (TM) A total of 19 local and international civil society organisations advocating for the protection of the press and media freedoms including the freedom of expression, and the right to information, have requested Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake in writing to, reopen or initiate impartial and swift investigations to ensure accountability in cases of violence against the press under previous govts, and to ensure that law enforcement agencies end the harassment & intimidation of journalists. more..