It seems, however, it’s not only that government that is keen to assist the temples. Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, SLPP MP Namal Rajapaksa and Sarvajana Balaya MP Dilith Jayaweera have all announced they plan to assist the temples affected by the cyclone. “We exchanged views on challenges, opportuities & pathways from ADB, to strengthen resilience and sustainable growth,” his X post says. The inquiry revealed that the magistrate had organised an auction for the windows and windowpanes being held as court productions at his court premises. The proprietors were also relieved when the European leaders said they would defend Greenlands with all their collective might.

Soon a new Gold Refinery for economic renewal By Bandula Sirimanna View(s): View(s):Sri Lanka is actively exploring the establishment of a domestic gold refinery to address enduring shortages and high import taxes that have driven the gold trade underground. Due to over 45 per cent import taxes enforced under the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme, formal gold imports came to a standstill, fostering a black market. A local refinery aims to formalise this trade. The refinery is expected to import less refined gold from producing countries like South Africa, he disclosed. The cost of large refinery projects could be in the region of US$30 million-$50 million+ for robust industrial plants.

Sri Lanka to roll out RAMIS overhaul View(s):Sri Lanka’s Revenue Administration Management Information System (RAMIS) undergoes a, state-mandated modernisation to transform it from a largely administrative tool into a real-time, API-driven, and AI-enabled tax compliance system. It has prioritised upgrading to RAMIS 3.5 to enhance automation, analytics, and data-driven auditing. RAMIS is being linked via a Secure Web API to taxpayer ERP systems to enable real-time recording of transactions, a senior official explained. From January 2026, RAMIS will facilitate a new risk-based audit selection system that aims to limit officer discretion, add more transparency, and prevent corruption. 2,000 million has been allocated to establish a new IRD HQ to centralise operations and support the modernised RAMIS system.

Root masterclass drive England to level series By Champika Fernando cricket View(s): View(s):On a slow R. Premadasa surface that exposed every flaw in technique and temperament, England’s senior pro Joe Root delivered a masterclass in control to level the three-match ODI series 1-1 with a 5-wicket win, dragging Sri Lanka into a high-pressure decider on Tuesday. This was Root at his most authoritative, his dominance evident as he guided England in chasing 220 to keep the series alive. He batted with clarity, leaving Sri Lanka chasing shadows in a game that slipped away long before the result was sealed. At 219, Sri Lanka posted a total that asked questions but offered no threat. Sri Lanka must now respond under pressure, because right now, Joe Root is not just winning games–he is setting the terms.

Lecture on rainforestation farming View(s):The Genesis Thought Leadership Series continues with a timely lecture on sustainable land use in the humid tropics by Prof Friedhelm Goeltenboth, Honorary Professor of Tropical Ecology at the University of Hohenheim, Germany, and Scientific Advisor to NatureLife-International. Titled “Rainforestation Farming – an innovative new option for the humid tropics”, the lecture will take place at 5 pm on Thursday, January 29, at GENESIS: Dilmah Centre for Sustainable Future. Rainforestation Farming, a land-use system developed in the Philippines through a long-term collaboration between the University of Hohenheim and Visayas State University combines forest restoration with food security and income generation for rural communities. Prof Goeltenboth has more than 25 years of hands-on experience in tropical ecology, agroforestry, and landscape rehabilitation across Asia, including work in the Philippines, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Laos.

Is there life after the US dollar? There has never been a more appropriate moment to reflect on the dynamics that have kept the international monetary system relatively stable over the past half-century. In 2009, Zhou proposed exploring a global currency decoupled from the domestic concerns of any single issuer. Until then, China—the world’s largest exporter—had relied almost entirely on the dollar to invoice and settle its external trade. Reducing reliance on the dollar and diversifying away from a single reserve asset made sense for China then, and it still does.

The Grand, Ward Place recognised by National Construction Excellence View(s):Prime Lands Residencies’ “The Grand” – Ward Place, its landmark luxury apartment development in Colombo 7, was recently recognised at the Sri Lanka National Construction Awards, organised by the Construction Industry Development Authority (CIDA). MAGA Engineering is widely recognised as one of Sri Lanka’s leading engineering and construction firms, with a proven track record in delivering complex, large-scale developments across the country. The award reflects the high standards of engineering discipline, quality control, and professional execution demonstrated by MAGA Engineering in delivering “The Grand” – Ward Place to nationally recognised benchmarks. “The Grand” – Ward Place is fully sold out, having been successfully completed and handed over to its residents, marking a significant milestone for the development. The achievement further reinforces Prime Lands Residencies’ track record of delivering completed residential projects as promised.

Accountants are custodians of trust, says SC judge View(s):Accountants are not mere servants of profit, but custodians of balancing trust. They are appointed by and report to shareholders, said a senior Supreme Court Judge this week. The Supreme Court judge said accountants occupy a unique position as they serve their employers by contributing towards the implementation of business objectives, through maximising revenue, minimising expenditure, and thereby optimising profit. He noted that accountants must not be confined to supporting their employers make profits. Support to employers to achieve corporate business objectives should never be at the expense of wider national interests of the country.

Saunders hold Serendib to thrilling draw football View(s): View(s):Saunders FC made a remarkable comeback to level their FSL Champions League 2025/26 encounter against Serendib SC as both sides ended the clash following a 3-all thriller at the Racecourse yesterday. Serendib struck early through forwards Frimpong Yaw in the eighth minute and Mohamed Rahuman in the 17th minute, as they went on to take a healthy 2-0 lead at halftime. But Saunders struck with a stunner through defender Clauvice Franck in the 52nd minute, before forward Roger Phillippe struck a penalty in the 79th minute to level the scores at 2-all and lead the encounter to an exciting finish. Still following their attacking instincts Serendib fought back valiantly to gain control as they completed their mission with forward Vijayakumar Abishan striking their third goal in the 81st minute to lead by 3-2. But substitute forward Pathum Gimhana pulled a stunner out of nowhere when their game was on extra time to strike back and push Saunders to a thrilling 3-all draw.

Customs sticks to rule and importers won’t re-export delayed salt cargo By Nidarshani Wickramasinghe View(s): View(s):While Sri Lanka Customs and importers of salt continue to lock horns over the fate of around 1,700 containers held at the Colombo Port for more than six months, the government is yet to offer a solution to either party. “They could be mixed and used as coconut fertiliser, but even that would need approval from the National Fertiliser Secretariat,” Mr Punchihewa said. Customs said it was instructed to re-export the goods, but that the importers have refused to do so. Another challenge is that, to auction the salt, Customs or SLPA will have to intervene to get clearance from both the SLCI and Health Ministry food inspectors that the salt is suitable for use. Mr Subramaniam admitted that the salt held up was loaded at ports past the June 10 deadline.

Sri Lanka’s EIAs fall behind in reporting social impacts, says report View(s):A new study on Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) in Sri Lanka finds that the overall quality of reporting on how development projects affect people—including identifying the social effects, predicting, evaluating and mitigating them before major decisions are made—is low and often fails to safeguard local communities. The addressing of social impacts is primarily governed by project-specific Terms of References (ToRs) issued by Project Approving Agencies (PAAs). Approximately 45% of EIA reports contain no explanation of the methodology used to identify or evaluate social impacts. Suggestions to address issue The study lists several recommendations to address the low quality of social impact reporting in Sri Lankan EIAs. Establish an annual monitoring and evaluation mechanism to assess the reporting quality of EIAs over time.

Liver transplants – another first by NHSL in the state sector By Kumudini Hettiarachchi Recipient of new liver segment from adult living donor prepares to go home View(s): View(s):It is a first not just for the flag-bearing Liver Transplant Programme of the National Hospital of Sri Lanka (NHSL) but also for the state health sector. “Donor safety was ensured with a thorough and comprehensive assessment of all systems such as the heart, lungs and liver,” says Consultant Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary & Liver Transplant Surgeon, Dr. Prabath Kumarasinghe. Since its launch in 2017, the NHSL’s Liver Transplant Programme has performed 67 transplants after securing livers from cadaveric donors. The Liver Transplant Programme’s ‘firsts’ include paediatric liver transplant; split-liver transplant; liver transplant for Budd-Chiari Syndrome; redo liver transplant; dual organ transplant; and ABOi transplant, in addition to the usual transplants. A split-liver transplant is a surgery where a single liver from a deceased donor is divided to provide a portion to two recipients, commonly an adult and a child; a liver transplant for Budd-Chiari Syndrome (BCS) is a cure for this rare vascular liver disease; and a redo liver transplant is a second liver transplant to replace a failing or previously transplanted liver.

Hundreds of weevil species likely endemic, researchers find By Malaka Rodrigo View(s): View(s):Once a familiar household pest, the damage caused to grain by the rice weevil, called ‘gulla’ in Sinhala, has largely reduced, yet scientists have recorded 264 related species in Sri Lanka. New species continue to be discovered, including in Sri Lanka, and according to Ms Wijesinghe, about 175 species could be endemic or potentially endemic to Sri Lanka. The near disappearance of rice weevils from rice is therefore no mystery. While grain-feeding weevils shaped public memory, most weevil species are not pests at all. Sri Lanka is home to hundreds of species associated with forest trees, vines, shrubs, palms, grasses, and even aquatic plants.

Macquarie University’s Open Day in Colombo View(s):Founded in 1964 to offer students, staff and partners a more flexible alternative to the prevailing university model, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia is now reaping the rewards of its innovative, interdisciplinary approach. Macquarie University’s Open Day in Colombo Saturday, 7th February 1pm, Shangri La Hotel will offer students the opportunity to hear directly from professional and academic staff about the benefits of studying at Macquarie and in Sydney, Australia. Our Open Day willprovide students the opportunity to have their queries answered and to meet our academics for in-depth information about our courses. A feature of our Open Day will be toshowcase the many generous scholarships offered to Sri Lankan students. Registration to attend our Open Day is compulsory – https://events.mq.live/mq-sa-open-day-2026-colombo/If you have any queries related to Open Day, please email Tharuka.Dissanayake@mq.edu.auShare This Post FacebookTwitterEmail × Send Email to FriendSend Please enter valid email WhatsappDeliciousDiggGoogleStumbleuponRedditTechnoratiYahooBloggerMyspaceRSS

to outsource certain healthcare tests and diagnostics By Bandula Sirimanna View(s): View(s):The government is not privatising outright its health diagnostics facilities in state hospitals but rather choosing to adopt a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model to outsource selective medical testing and treatment facilities in their hospitals, according to Finance Ministry officials. A new Public-Private Partnership (PPP) will be formed by the ministry to substitute the existing National Agency for Public-Private Partnership (NAPPP) to implement such government initiatives and projects. Although 80 government hospitals currently have dialysis services, it has been observed that the existing facilities are insufficient to meet increasing clinical demand. As a consequence, taking into consideration the difficulties encountered by the kidney patients the requirement to expand dialysis services has been recognised. The Cabinet Memorandum cited financial limitations for purchasing high-cost equipment and complex, time-consuming procurement procedures as reasons for shifting to this model.