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..

Jan 27 (FT) Sri Lanka today is not suffering only from an economic crisis. It is suffering from a system crisis. Across the country, we see delayed projects, stalled investments, struggling businesses, rising unemployment, declining public services, and increasing dissatisfaction among citizens. While much attention is given to financial indicators such as debt, inflation, and reserves, far less attention is given to a deeper issue that silently drains national value every day: our systems are outdated, more..

Jan 27 (FT) SL’s globally renowned gem and jewellery industry has received a timely boost with the introduction of a revised tax calculation method for gem imports. The new framework for applying the Social Security Contribution Levy (SSCL) and Value Added Tax (VAT) is expected to ease the financial burden on importers, revive declining import volumes, and strengthen the country’s gem export performance. The announcement was made by National Gem and Jewellery Authority (NGJA) more..

Jan 27 (Island) Chamindra Kularatne, the suspended Deputy Secretary General of Parliament and Chief of Staff, has told the Opposition that he will seek the intervention of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), Association of Secretaries General of Parliament (ASGP) and UNHRC. Kularatne has also declared his intention to move the Court of Appeal against suspension more..

Jan 27 (NF) MP Namal Rajapaksa was summoned to the CID today (26) to provide a statement regarding ongoing investigations into Kehelbaddara Padme, a member of an organized crime syndicate. However, Police confirmed that Rajapaksa has requested a one-week extension to appear, as he is currently on an official trip to India. In a separate development, Shiranthi Rajapaksa, wife of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, has been summoned to the Police FCID tomorrow. more..

Jan 27 (FT) Trade unions representing employees of the CEB have warned of strict industrial action if the Govt fails to address a series of demands related to employee rights, salaries, and the ongoing restructuring of the national power utility. In a letter addressed to Power Minister Kumara Jayakody, the unions said they had consistently supported efforts to strengthen the CEB and had worked closely with successive administrations, including the current Govt, to ensure more..

Jan 27 (DM) A tale of contrasting velocities has emerged in the Port of Colombo, with the private sector-led Colombo West International Terminal (CWIT) rapidly outpacing the state-managed East Container Terminal (ECT) in 2025, prompting renewed calls from industry heavyweights to open the latter for private investment. While the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) celebrated the commissioning of ECT’s third berth last week, more..

Jan 27 (NW) SL recorded 1,375 road accidents in the first 25 days of 2026, with 147 fatal crashes claiming the lives of 155 people, highlighting ongoing concerns over road safety in the country. DIG in charge of Traffic Control and Road Safety, W.P.J. Senadheera, said the figures underscore the persistent dangers on SL’s roads, particularly during peak travel periods and holiday seasons. Road safety advocates say the early-year statistics reflect long-standing structural issues, more..

Jan 27 (FT) Colombo High Court yesterday ordered that the case filed against former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando and former IGP Pujith Jayasundara be taken up again on 23 March. The case, instituted by the Attorney General, was called before the Colombo High Court during yesterday’s proceedings. Both Fernando and Jayasundara appeared before Court when the matter was taken up. They are accused of criminal negligence and failing to prevent the Easter Sunday more..

Jan 27 (DM) Former United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Executive Director Eric Solheim asserted that Sri Lanka must look beyond visitor numbers and focus on pricing its unique environmental assets higher to drive economic growth. Speaking on the potential of the tourism sector during a recent visit to Sri Lanka, Solheim highlighted that while the industry is a primary job creator globally, SL has yet to fully monetise its natural and cultural resources effectively. more..

Jan 27 (Island) The clink of cutlery, youthful laughter and the unmistakable energy of ambition filled the SLIIT Campus in Malabe as the Colombo Academy of Hospitality Management (CAHM) officially unveiled CAHM-7 Star Junior Chef Season 1, a pioneering national culinary competition designed to ignite the dreams of Sri Lanka’s next generation of chefs. CAHM chairman Errol Weerasinghe said the initiative was born out of a pressing need to attract young talent into what he described as more..

Jan 27 (FT) Insurance Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (IRCSL) has intensified its national effort to ensure the expeditious settlement of insurance claims following the catastrophic impact of Cyclone Ditwah. Working in close collaboration with all 14 licenced general insurers, IRCSL has established a unified mechanism to provide expeditious financial relief to affected families, households, businesses & property owners. more..

Jan 27 (FT) Delegation of German Industry and Commerce in SL (AHK SL) successfully organised the SL National Pavilion at Grüne Woche, the world’s largest B2C trade fair for food, beverages, and agriculture, currently taking place in Berlin, Germany. Grüne Woche attracts over 400,000 int'l visitors annually and serves as a premier global platform connecting producers, traders, and consumers. This year’s exhibition holds special significance as Grüne Woche celebrates its 100th anniversary, more..

Jan 27 (TP) Sri Lanka registered a hard-fought win over Afghanistan in their first Super Six encounter of the ICC Men’s U19 World Cup 2026, played today (26) at Bulawayo. After winning the toss, Sri Lanka opted to bowl first and were rewarded with a disciplined bowling performance that kept Afghanistan to a manageable total of 193. The Lankan bowlers applied consistent pressure, denying the Afghan batters the freedom to accelerate despite a few resistance efforts. more..