A new train service named ‘Ella Odyssey Nanu Oya’ will commence today (10), operating from Nanu Oya to Badulla railway station.

The General Manager of Railways, Dhammika Jayasundara, says that the new train service has been introduced due to high demand from both local and foreign tourists.

He also mentioned that the train will depart from Nanu Oya to Badulla at 08:10 a.m. daily, excluding Tuesdays, and from Badulla to Nanu Oya at 01:00 p.m.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake is scheduled to pay an official visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) today (10).

He will undertake the visit to the UAE from February 10 to 13, 2025, at the invitation of UAE President Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan to participate in the ‘World Government Summit 2025’.

Minister Bimal Rathnayake expressed his belief that the Election Commission will take steps to hold the Local Government (LG) elections either in the second or fourth week of April 2025.

He made this statement while speaking to the media in Jaffna.

The Minister also stated that all parties have jointly submitted the Draft Bill to Parliament for the amendment of the Local Authorities Elections Act to conduct the LG elections.

“With the agreement of the leaders of all parties, the government has submitted a draft bill to Parliament regarding the re-conduct of the local government elections. Currently, various parties have filed several petitions in court. However, we believe this will not pose a significant obstacle to holding the elections,” he added.

Minister Rathnayake further said, “The court will give its verdict when it decides, but the court has a limited number of days to do so. Therefore, we hope the Election Commission will hold the elections in the second or fourth week of April.”

He also stated that the government aims to hold the Provincial Council Elections in the Northern Province and across Sri Lanka without further delays.

The process for submitting appeals for the re-scrutiny of the 2024 Grade 5 Scholarship Examination results begins today (27).

The Department of Examinations said that it is possible to apply for the re-scrutiny of the results online.

The results of the 2024 Grade 5 Scholarship Examination were released last Thursday (23).

Accordingly, applications will be accepted online from today (27) until February 6, according to the Commissioner General of Examinations, Amith Jayasundara.

He further stated that “This is not a re-scrutiny of results. It is a consideration of appeals. This is not a process of charging money from candidates. We are considering appeals submitted by principals. Therefore, we ask principals to submit appeals only for results that seem unbelievable.”

It is better for former President Mahinda Rajapaksa to leave his residence before he is asked to do so, Cabinet spokesman Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said today (Jan. 21).

Speaking at the weekly Cabinet briefing, Dr. Jayatissa stated that the people have given a mandate to the government to abolish privileges of politicians and ease the politicians’ burden on the people.

He explained that according to the provisions of the Presidents’ Entitlements Act, former Presidents or their widows are entitled to one-third of their salary.

“Although Mr. Rajapaksa was not in the Parliament that passed this Act, he had been in several governments and therefore, should understand its provisions… If he understands this, it is better for him to leave on his own accord without waiting until he is told to vacate the residence,” he said.

The first round of talks between the United National Party (UNP) and the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) to explore the possibility of working together in the future, has been successful.

Representatives from both parties state that they agreed to contest the upcoming elections under a united front.

At the previous general elections, the UNP and SJB contested separately, and as a result, representatives and party members from both sides repeatedly pointed out that they were unable to achieve significant victories. 

Given the situation, there were strong calls from both parties to reunite.

Accordingly, representatives from the UNP and SJB met at a private hotel in Colombo last night to initiate discussions on working together once again. 

UNP members Ruwan Wijewardene, Thalatha Athukorala, Gayantha Karunathilaka, Harshana Rajakaruna, and several others participated in the discussion.

Vice President for the South Asia Region of the World Bank Martin Raiser paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya at the Parliament of Sri Lanka to discuss the country’s key development priorities. 

The meeting centered on education, gender equality, and regional inclusivity, highlighting the needs to address national challenges and drive sustainable progress, the Prime Minister’s office said.

A major focus of the discussion was enhancing access to quality education, particularly through the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sector. Both parties emphasized the importance of aligning TVET with mainstream education to create diverse career pathways for students, it added.

Another critical topic was gender equality in the workforce. Both parties recognized the need for policy interventions and support systems to enhance women’s inclusion in economic activities.

The discussion reinforced the mutual commitment of Sri Lanka and the World Bank to collaborate on sustainable solutions that enhance education, gender equity, and regional development.

The meeting was attended by senior officials from the World Bank, including David Sislen, Regional Country Director for Nepal, Maldives, and Sri Lanka, along with senior Sri Lankan government representatives, including Pradeep Saputhanthri, Secretary to the Prime Minister, Sagarika Bogahawatta, Additional Secretary to the Prime Minister, Samantha Bandara, Director General of the Department of External Resources, Dharshana M. Perera, Senior Director-General for Economic Affairs (Bilateral) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Lashinka Dammullage, Director of the Southeast Asia & Central Asia Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Vijitha Herath states that the government plans to provide vehicles for all 225 Members of Parliament in the near future. 

He clarified that MPs will no longer be granted permits to import vehicles.  

The minister made these remarks during his appearance on “360°” current affairs programme on TV Derana last night (20).

Explaining the decision, Minister Herath stated, “The government will take steps to ensure all MPs are provided with vehicles, eliminating the need for individual vehicle import permits.”

While highlighting plans to embark on an official visit to the Middle East in February, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake outlined that the discussions will aim to bolster Sri Lanka’s energy and economic sectors.

Speaking at a public meeting, the President detailed ongoing discussions regarding the import of petroleum and the establishment of an oil refinery in collaboration with India.

Highlighting plans for an oil refinery, the President revealed that the project would be developed in partnership with India, with aspirations of exporting petroleum globally.

“We will join hands with the Indian company and build an oil refinery,” the President stated. “ We will refine the oil and store it in these warehouses and sell it to the world.”

He also briefed on the agreement with India to construct the Sampur power plant. “The ownership of the power plant is 50% to 50%. Earlier, electricity was to be provided at USD 07 cents per unit. We concluded negotiations to buy it at USD 5.97 cents. Now we are building that power plant,” he noted.

The President further elaborated on the status of the 99 oil tanks in Trincomalee. “We took 24 tanks and gave 14 to the IOC, leaving 61 more oil tanks,” he said, emphasizing the strategic importance of these facilities for the proposed refinery.

Commenting on fuel prices, the President acknowledged that while diesel prices have fallen below Rs. 300 under his administration, further reductions are not immediately feasible on a monthly basis due to financial constraints.

“The Petroleum Corporation owes Rs. 900 billion. The debt is paid on the basis of each liter of fuel sold. The excise duty will be removed once the debt is paid,” he explained.

Non-Refundable Loan from China

The President also highlighted ongoing infrastructure projects supported by China, including the construction of a conference hall in the Colombo Port City, financed through a grant of USD 1.2 million, and an oil refinery in Hambantota.

Anti-Corruption 

Addressing concerns over corruption, President Dissanayake assured the public that legal action against alleged wrongdoers is progressing.

“The work has now started. Cases are being filed vigorously,” he stated. “Previously, the files were hidden in the Attorney General’s Department. Cases are being filed quickly, don’t worry. Several cases will be concluded by the end of January”, he added.

Indian High Commissioner in Sri Lanka – Mr. Santhosh Jha has met with National Convener of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) – Namal Rajapaksa.

According to the Indian High Commission in Colombo, they had exchanged views on the multi-faceted issues, ranging from ongoing development projects, investments, economic revival of Sri Lanka and other areas of mutual interest.