Jan 28 (Island) SJB-led Opposition made a public display of collecting signatures for a no-confidence motion (NCM) against PM and Education Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya over the govt’s flawed educational reforms, but it has since got cold feet. Not all Opposition parties have endorsed the NCM in question. Some bigwigs of the JVP/NPP govt with a two-thirds majority are now daring the Opposition to go ahead with the NCM. Dr. Amarasuriya herself has taunted the Opposition, in Parliament, more..

Jan 28 (Island) The impact of Cyclone Ditwah was asymmetric. Rains and floods affected the central hills more severely than other parts of the country. Rebuilding process is now proceeding likewise in an asymmetric manner in which the Malaiyaha Tamil community is being disadvantaged. Disasters may be triggered by nature, but their effects are shaped by politics, history and long-standing exclusions. Malaiyaha Tamils who live and work on plantations entered this crisis already disadvantaged. more..

Jan 28 (SO) Protecting future Govts from tobacco related harm demands decisive transparent action that is firmly protected from tobacco industry interference. Accordingly, the Alcohol and Drug Information Centre (ADIC) calls upon policymakers and all relevant stakeholders to place public health above all commercial interests to expedite the establishment and effective implementation of critical tobacco control more..

Jan 28 (ST) As Americans stand on the sidewalks in towns, cities and counties to watch, enthralled, the walk for peace by a small train of Buddhist monks as they traverse through states, something strange is astir. The message conveyed by this small band of silent evangelists, beating a noiseless drum, has struck the very heart and gripped the soul that lay in the gutter amidst the toxins and waste of affluence to answer the primordial call for peace and come alive and rise with hope. more..

Jan 28 (DM) My colleague Kelum Bandara’s interview on Tuesday with Erik Solheim, the Norwegian peace envoy, stirred my memories of the peace process. Then, as a young journalist, I covered the peace process from its outset, from Ranil Wickremesinghe’s signing of a ceasefire agreement during an impromptu visit to Vavuniya, to the brutal conclusion of the war in Vella Mullivaikall, eight years later. The answers I sought in the interview were why the peace process failed. more..

Jan 28 (DM) Erik Solheim, a Norwegian diplomat and former Cabinet minister best known in Sri Lanka for his role as the chief international facilitator of the SL peace process during the 2002–2006 ceasefire talks, shared his views about the pitfalls of the process . Also, in his current role as an international commentator and adviser on climate change, geopolitics and sustainable development, he said SL has enormous potential for more..

Jan 28 (CT) The recent Court developments related to the X-Press Pearl disaster suggest that while one chapter of the legal story may be closing, the more difficult chapter of environmental recovery and public accountability is still being written, and it is this second chapter that will ultimately determine whether justice is truly felt beyond the courtroom. State has indicated that steps have been taken to restrict the movement of certain corporate officials connected to the vessel’s local operations, more..

Jan 28 (DM) We have already seen how Constantino de Sa, perhaps the ablest Portuguese captain general to arrive here, worked hard to stabilise the Portuguese position in the coastal and low-country areas under their control before finally setting off to invade Kandy. Conquest of the troublesome kingdom in the hills would have pleased the viceroy of Goa as well as the king of Portugal, and consolidated his position as Jaffna was already under his control. After putting down a plot to hand over more..

Jan 27 (NW) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake today slammed the opposition for shifting its stance on the govt’s education reforms. Addressing an event in Gampola, President Dissanayake said the govt cannot be distracted from its commitment to progress, regardless of attempts to build false narratives. “I saw one person who was majorly opposing these reforms, now asking us why it was stopped,” the President said, taking a swipe at Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa over more..

Jan 27 (DN) Dept of Railways has launched a new simulator-based training programme for newly appointed train drivers, using a state-of-the-art facility established at the German Technical Training Institute in Ratmalana. The initiative marks a major step toward modernising railway training and improving operational safety. The training programme commenced yesterday following an investment of €1.1 million and is designed to significantly enhance both the quality and more..

Jan 27 (AD) The govt has had to allocate an additional Rs. 220 billion in 2026 to fund basic salary increases granted to doctors and the entire public service, Cabinet Spokesperson and Minister of Health Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa stated. Minister noted that expenditure on the salary increases is expected to rise to Rs. 330 billion in 2027. Minister Jayatissa said the govt granted a salary increase this month more..

Jan 27 (EN) Sri Lanka is offering land in Colombo to investors for a high-rise mixed development project, and land near Gregory Lake in Nuwara Eliya for recreational activities aimed at attracting foreign tourists, minister Nalinda Jayatissa said. Urban Development Authority land on Baladaksha Mawatha, Colombo 3, measuring 0.42 hectares, is to be given on a 99-year long-term basis to potential investors for a high-rise mixed development project, Jayatissa said. more..

Jan 27 (FT) Ambeon Capital PLC yesterday said it has entered into Share Sale and Purchase Agreement to acquire a 51.11% controlling stake in Harischandra Mills PLC involving 918,118 shares from a consortium of investors through its subsidiary, Ambeon Essentials Ltd., but did not disclose a price. The share price of Harischandra Mills soared after the announcement, closing up by Rs. 1,396.25 or 25% to Rs. 6,982 with 3,166 shares traded, generating a turnover of nearly Rs. 22 million. more..

Jan 27 (AD) Cabinet Spokesman Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa detailed the reasons behind the suspension of the Deputy Secretary General of Parliament and Chief of Staff, Chaminda Kularatne from his post. Speaking at the weekly Cabinet media briefing, Minister Jayatissa stated that an inquiry committee was appointed last year to investigate the issues surrounding the appointment of Deputy Secretary General of Parliament more..

Jan 27 (DM) Nearly 30% of Sri Lanka’s adult population is affected by mental health problems, Consultant Psychiatrist Dr Madhushani Dias said. Addressing aprogramme held in Colombo yesterday, Dr Dias said a significant proportion of those suffering from mental health issues are elderly persons aged 60 or 65 and above. She noted that Sri Lanka’s elderly population is increasing rapidly, but social awareness regarding mental health problems faced by older adults remains low, more..

Jan 27 (CT) A special delegation consisting of five Anunayake Theras of the Burma Ramanna Maha Nikaya (Chapter) arrived on the island on 21 January, further strengthening the long-standing religious ties between the Sri Lanka Ramanna Maha Nikaya and Myanmar (Burma). This visit, which is being carried out under the full sponsorship and guidance of the Bauddhaloka Foundation, is set to mark several important milestones in the religious history of the country. more..

Jan 27 (AD) Former Acting Deputy Director of the National Hospital of Colombo, Dr. Rukshan Bellana has left the CID a short while ago after recording a statement, Ada Derana reporter said. He appeared before the CID this morning (27) following a notice requesting a statement from him regarding an incident involving a death threat. Recently, the Ministry of Health suspended Dr. Bellana from his duties as Acting Deputy Director of the National Hospital of Colombo. more..

Jan 27 (EN) Sri Lanka is looking for investors to develop 13.57 acres of land close to the Waters’ Edge hotel in Battaramulla as a Frolic Island, minister Nalinda Jayatissa said. “The cabinet approved a proposal to call for expressions of interest to develop 9 plots of land on both sides of Diyawanna Oya for public recreational projects,” Jayatissa said. The land will be offered to investors on a long term lease basis, he said. Urban Development Authority planned to implement more..

Jan 27 (AD) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake stated that a special authority will be established this year to ensure the protection of the Central Highlands. Prez made these remarks while attending the inauguration of the Godanagamu Adhishtanaye Sanhinda national programme, which aims to rapidly restore religious sites damaged by Cyclone Ditwah and make them available for worship and other religious activities. more..

Jan 27 (Island) Youtuber Dharmasri Kariyawasam, through his counsel Sawani Rajakaruna, has sent a letter of demand to Minister Dr Nalinda Jayatissa, seeking Rs 2 bn in damages for falsely contradicting his programme that dealt with the importation of Ondansetron. AAL Rajakaruna, in her letter, dated 17 Jan, on behalf of Kariyawasam, has said that in spite of the Minister demanding one billion in damages for alleged false and defamatory declarations made by the Youtuber, more..

Jan 27 (AD) Select Committee of Parliament appointed to look into and report to Parliament on the controversial release of 323 containers from the Colombo Harbour without undergoing mandatory inspection has decided to meet every Wednesday. Weekly meetings are scheduled to commence at 2 p.m. to conduct its investigations, Dept of Communication of Parliament. The decision in this regard was taken at the inaugural meeting of the Committee, held under the Chairmanship of... more..

Jan 27 (CT) The Disaster Management Centre (DMC) has confirmed that a total of 173 individuals remain unaccounted for following landslides and floods triggered by Cyclone Ditwah. Of those reported missing, 69 are from the Kandy District, 38 from the Kegalle District, and 32 from the Nuwara Eliya District. The DMC said, the death toll from the disaster has risen to 649, with the highest number of fatalities recorded in the Kandy District, where 243 people lost their lives. more..

Jan 27 (FT) Colombo District Additional District Judge Geethani Wijesinghe recently dismissed a case filed by National Film Corporation (NFC) against Film Lanka Ltd. The NFC by a plaint filed on 22 June 2012 had instituted action against a company called Film Lanka Ltd., and claimed Rs. 12,301,570 together with interest from 2010, claiming that the Defendant company, which is operating cinemas Cine City, was liable to pay a levy in terms of certain gazettes and statutes and more..

Jan 27 (Island) Ambassador of the UAE to SL, Khaled Nasser Al Ameri, met Minister of Power & Energy Kumara Jayakody yesterday to review progress on bilateral energy cooperation and explore new avenues for collaboration, with a strong focus on regional energy security and strategic infrastructure development. The high-level discussion centred on the implementation status of understandings reached in recent years, more..

Jan 27 (NF) Shiranthi Rajapaksa, wife of former Prez Mahinda Rajapaksa, has informed the FCID that she will be unable to attend the summons scheduled for today. Attorney representing the former first lady has requested a two-week extension on her behalf, citing personal reasons for her absence. She had been summoned in connection with ongoing investigations into alleged financial irregularities involving an account operated under the name Siriliya during Mahinda Rajapaksa’s more..

Jan 27 (NW) A group of Opposition MPs have joined a Parliamentary delegation to inspect the controversial coal consignment that recently arrived at the Norochcholai Coal Power Plant. In a video message, opposition MP Ajith P. Perera said that the team has arrived at the Norochcholai Coal Power Plant on a fact-finding mission related to the controversial coal consignment. “There is an issue regarding the quality of the imported coal. Several issues stem from this substandard more..

Jan 27 (NW) Minister Nalinda Jayatissa criticized the opposition and certain media outlets over their stance on the govt’s stalled education reforms. Responding to a question from journalists on whether the reforms could be implemented this year, Jayatissa accused some TV channels of promoting the views of opposition MPs — including Dilith Jayaweera, Sajith Premadasa, Namal Rajapaksa & Wimal Weerawansa more..

Jan 27 (CT) Ceylon Teachers’ Union (CTU) has made an official complaint to the Secretary of the Northern Provincial Ministry of Education regarding certain school principals who, without the approval of the Ministry of Education or the Secretary of the Northern Provincial Ministry, have been improperly conducting examinations organised by the Field Work Center (FWC) in Thondamanaru, often referred to as FWC Jaffna. These actions involve the misuse of official school time & Govt more..

Jan 27 (NW) A group of women have staged a protest blocking the main road in Mihintale against illicit liquor in the area. The protesting women claimed that men in the area were addicted to illicit liquor, which was ruining families. Claiming that this was also affecting the education of young children, the women said their hard-earned income was being used by the men to consume illicit liquor. “Ten men from our village have died due to illicit liquor. Five more are ill. more..

Jan 27 (AD) The Kelanitissa Combined Cycle Power Plant should be operated in order to compensate for the electricity generation loss suffered by the national power grid due to the importation of substandard coal, energy experts have stated. It is reported that the electricity generation capacity that can currently be supplied to the national grid has dropped significantly because the coal imported into the country does not more..

Jan 27 (AD) SL Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE), operating under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment, and Tourism, has announced a target to deploy 310,000 SL workers for overseas employment in 2026. According to the Bureau, Kuwait has the highest demand, with a projected intake of 77,500 workers. Other major destinations and their respective targets include the United Arab Emirates (63,500), Qatar (44,000), and Saudi Arabia (31,000), along with 17 other more..

Jan 27 (CT) Representatives of Sri Lanka’s trade, logistics, shipping, freight forwarding, Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier (NVOCC) and export–import associations have jointly urged the Government to institutionalise regular Time Release Studies (TRS) as a national trade facilitation tool, warning that the lack of periodic, data-driven measurement continues to conceal systemic delays and inefficiencies in the cargo clearance process. In a joint letter dated 26 January, more..