Embassy marks Iran’s 47th National Day View(s):As millions of Iranians held nationwide rallies to celebrate the 47th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution on Wednesday amid threats of a new wave of attacks by the United States, the embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran held a reception at the ICT Hotel in Colombo. Iranian ambassador Dr Alireza Delkhosh explained how the 1979 Islamic Revolution led by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini overthrew the US-backed regime and how the spirit of the revolution has enabled the country to resist the imperial aggression. Media and Health Minister Nalinda Jayatissa represented the government at the reception attended by ministers, political figures, diplomats and journalists. “Today, the Islamic Republic of Iran is stronger than ever and fully prepared to respond to any external military threat. “Iran and Sri Lanka share long-standing historical and civilizational ties that date back thousands of years.

Housing bill exposes foundational problems View(s):Hardly has the dust settled on the Government having been forced to go back to the drawing boards on its planned education reforms; it has now agreed to do the same on the proposed Protection of Occupation Bill it hoped to introduce. The Communist Party Housing Minister Pieter Keuneman of the 1970-77 ULF Government introduced a Rent Act to have rent control. The new Housing Minister R. Premadasa began massive housing schemes, especially in Colombo and Greater Colombo, for those who couldn’t afford private housing. Since the Jayewardene-Premadasa era, there has been a visible slackening in public housing programmes. Successive governments unfortunately left it to the private sector to invest in housing, which is presently on a hectic upward trajectory.

SLAP, SLSI partner to elevate Sri Lanka’s printing industry standards View(s):A discussion was held at the headquarters of the Sri Lanka Standards Institution (SLSI) in Colombo, marking a milestone in the journey to transform Sri Lanka’s printing industry through internationally recognised standards and sustainable practices. The meeting focused on finalising a strategic collaboration project proposal between SLSI and the Sri Lanka Association of Printers (SLAP), aimed at uplifting the printing sector to the next level during the 2025–2030 period. Representing SLAP at the meeting were Eng Janaka Rathnakumara, President of the Sri Lanka Association of Printers; Nishantha Perera, First Vice President; Dinesh Mervin, Executive Committee Member; Leonard Edward, Manager – SLAP; and Anusha Kannangara- Secretary of SLAP. Once successfully implemented, the pilot phase is expected to serve as a replicable national framework for broader rollout across the printing sector. Both parties expressed confidence that this collaboration will not only strengthen institutional ties between SLAP and SLSI but also contribute meaningfully to Sri Lanka’s industrial development, sustainability agenda, and global competitiveness.

Unprecedented security cordon for India-Pakistan clash View(s):President orders tough measures at NSC meeting for arch rivals’ T-20 encounter; thousands of security personnel to secure stadium and surrounding areasBy Damith WickramasekaraUnprecedented security measures are in place for today’s high-profile T20 World Cup match between India and Pakistan at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, in his capacity as Minister of Defence, convened a special meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) yesterday solely to discuss security arrangements for today’s game. A group of 750 Sri Lankan Army personnel have also been placed on standby near the stadium. The vast security operation for the India-Pakistan game began last evening with a search operation around the vicinity and within the stadium. “The special security operation will continue until the last spectator leaves the stadium after the match,” the source emphasised.

Taking on a different role View(s):Yomal Senerath-Yapa meets Natasha Jayetileke here with the Emma Rice Theatre Company to train young actorsNatasha Jayetileke is back ‘home’, taking a break from the footlights, the cameras and all that whirlwind back in London as a British actress. She has come a long way since 2008, when The Sunday Times first featured her as a 26-year-old making her mark in the West End. Being with the Emma Rice Theatre Company has allowed her to “diversify” (a favourite word). She played the role of a mother (Mrs. Bhamra) in the famous ‘Bend it like Beckham: the Musical’ and just two years later Emma Rice made her play a teenager! We’d love to be back to share more.”Workshops and more The Emma Rice Theatre Company (formerly Wise Children) is created and led by multi-award winning director Emma Rice.

Suryakumar says India-Pakistan ‘not just another game’ t20 WC 2026 View(s): View(s):India captain Suryakumar Yadav admitted on Saturday that no matter how much his team tried to prepare for Sunday’s T20 World Cup clash against Pakistan as “just another game”, it would be much more than that. “It’s a big platform, obviously,” Suryakumar told reporters in Colombo, venue for Sunday’s massive Group ‘A’ showdown. The game was only confirmed as going ahead late on Monday night after the Islamabad government made a U-turn on its order to boycott the blockbuster Group ‘A’ game. “But at the end of the day, we try to keep things simple and try to execute our best game. Suryakumar said dashing opener Abhishek Sharma has recovered well from a stomach bug and was likely to play.

“I am home wherever I live’ Indran Amirthanayagam talks to Yomal Senerath-Yapa about how politics and poetry are intertwined in his life View(s): View(s):I meet Indran Amirthanayagam in a café thick with espresso and the Monday morning din of people mingling business with pleasure. The poet in young Indran was cajoled out in Hawaii which evoked memories of Ceylon – the palms, the fruits, the sea. Apart from English, Indran writes poetry in French, Spanish, Portuguese and Haitian Creole. “I am at home wherever I live, and I make it home by learning the language and writing in that language.” When he keeps away from one language for some time he feels lost and unhappy. Every week, Indran writes a Spanish poem for the newspaper El Acento, and a French poem for the Haitian newspaper Haiti en Marche.

Wolverhampton Uni. yet to respond to CID queries View(s):Ranil’s caseBy Ranjith PadmasiriMail sent by the Criminal Investigations Department to the Wolverhampton University in the United Kingdom, seeking information about former President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s visit to the university, has failed to draw a response so far. The CID sent a set of questions by email on February 4 and also by airmail – EMS Speed Post – addressed to Wolverhampton University Secretary Christine Fraser and to an assistant executive. Mr Ekanayake’s counsel, Kalinga Indatissa, told courts that the estimates approved had been prepared by the then Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner in the UK, Saroja Sirisena. Additional Solicitor General Dileepa Peiris told courts that the university was yet to respond to the questions.

Catch the last day of the Ceylon Lit Fest View(s):The HSBC Ceylon Literary and Arts Festival or ‘Festival on Beira’ as this edition has been dubbed opened on Friday and has Colombo milling not just with books and the arts but a scintillating mix of “something for everyone” – whatever intellectual wavelength you are on. There were on Friday and yesterday engrossing conversations and discussions on rugby to scandal at the Moghul court; French travel writing on Ceylon to British theatre; how Homer is relevant to us today to the author whose books gave rise to the much talked about Bridgerton TV series …. The Imperial Court of the Cinnamon Lakeside had never packed such a punch – the conversations are passionate and the intellectual takeaway delicious and exciting. There’s also the arts festival and the children’s fest to make a beeline to…If you feel like expanding your horizons and getting ignited by buzzing ideas, head now to the Cinnamon Lakeside to catch the last day of the HSBC Ceylon Literary Festival…For the full programme and more information, please see:ceylonliteraryfestival.comShare This Post FacebookTwitterEmail × Send Email to FriendSend Please enter valid email WhatsappDeliciousDiggGoogleStumbleuponRedditTechnoratiYahooBloggerMyspaceRSS

Bonus issue for HDFC workers View(s):Workers at the HDFC bank protested on Friday in front of the Ministry of Finance over the non-payment of the annual bonus. Pic by Priyanka SamaraweeraHitad.lk has you covered with quality used or brand new cars for sale that are budget friendly yet reliable! Now is the time to sell your old ride for something more attractive to today's modern automotive market demands. Browse through our selection of affordable options now on Hitad.lk before deciding on what will work best for you!

Big power outbursts and our geopolitical pains View(s):When President Trump made his audacious outburst of 21st-century imperialism one night in Venezuela’s capital, some leaders near and far quickly wrote ‘finis’ to their illustrious careers. Sri Lanka was playing an important role in the movement then. The essence of the treaty was to ban big powers bearing nuclear and heavy military arsenals from entering the Indian Ocean and establishing military bases in Indian Ocean littoral states. Since the Indian Ocean proposal was very much in the news and the proposal was still being canvassed, I asked her what I thought was a very personal question. I left the press briefing convinced that India need not dominate the Indian Ocean under the IPZP.

It signalled that India had marked out Mr Dissanayake as the country’s possible future president with an NPP majority government. The Indian Prime Minister did not take long to reciprocate the visit and undertook a state visit to Sri Lanka in April 2025. He was accompanied by NPP MPs Kitnan Selvaraj and Ilankumaran Karunanathan, JVP’s Central Committee Member Janaka Adhikari, JVP’s Media Unit Head Hemathilaka Gamage and the party’s International Relations Department member Kalpana Madhubhashini. The icing on the cake, as far as JVP-India relations are concerned, is Tilvin Silva agreeing to visit India as its guest. A Colombo District non-Buddhist MP had claimed that he will “handle the Buddhist revival”, but some Buddhist MPs had shut him down, saying he should instead look after his own multi-religious constituency.

Two killed, three injured in shooting incidents yesterday View(s):Two people were killed and three injured in two separate shooting incidents in Colombo and Kalutara last evening, police said. In one incident four people were shot and injured inside a saloon in Jinthupitiya. The other three were in critical condition at the Intensive Care Unit of the Colombo National Hospital, police said. Police said the shooting was connected to gang rivalry and four police teams have been deployed to investigate the incident. Share This Post FacebookTwitterEmail × Send Email to FriendSend Please enter valid email WhatsappDeliciousDiggGoogleStumbleuponRedditTechnoratiYahooBloggerMyspaceRSS

New tax holidays up to ten years for investors View(s):The government has announced fresh tax holidays ranging from six to ten years for new investors in tourism, manufacturing, agriculture, and educational technologies, according to a new Treasury circular. Under the circular issued by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in his capacity as Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, potential investors are expected to invest US$50 million to US$300 million with minimum local job creation requirements ranging from 100 to 250. For tourism and any other leisure-related new investments, the minimum investment is fixed at USD 300 million with tax holidays up to ten years. The investors are exempted from Corporate Income Tax (CIT) during the tax holiday period. Share This Post FacebookTwitterEmail × Send Email to FriendSend Please enter valid email WhatsappDeliciousDiggGoogleStumbleuponRedditTechnoratiYahooBloggerMyspaceRSS

An event to mark Sri Lanka’s 78th Independence Day was organised by the Sri Lanka High Commission in South Africa recently. Diplomats and Sri Lankans living in South Africa attended the event. Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner in South Africa, Air Chief Marshal Udeni Rajapaksa, addressed the event.