- The state’s Sinhala and Tamil New Year festival “Wasath Siriya – 2023” held in a grand manner at the Shangri-La Green premises in Colombo, with the participation of President Ranil Wickremesinghe and a large number of local and foreign people: Event organised by President’s Senior Adviser on National Security and Chief of Staff Sagala Ratnayake and President’s Secretary Saman Ekanayake.
- The European Union and the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation launch a four million euro (approx. Rs. 1.5 billion) initiative to improve the efficiency and sustainability of paddy farming in Sri Lanka.
- Sr. Prof. Ven. Uthurawala Dhammarathana Thero appointed as the new Chairman of the SLPP: Ex SLPP Chairman Prof. G.L. Peiris calls the appointment ‘unlawful’: Party Chief ex President Mahinda Rajapaksa calls Peiris ‘a mad man.’
- The Chief Prelates of all three Buddhist Chapters urge the President to remove the ‘unsuitable clauses’ in the proposed Anti-Terrorism Bill through “a panel of experts after a broad dialogue with society focusing on the existing problems and public needs of the country”; stress the ATA restricts the people’s right to independent expression and peaceful protest.
- Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe says a lawsuit will be filed in a foreign country against the damage caused by the MV X-Press Pearl disaster occurred on May 19, 2021; adds two foreign law firms will be contacted in this regard.
- 4,000 cruise tourists arrive in Sri Lanka in two Cruise ships during the New Year season, as part of the GOSL’s initiative of promoting and development of Cruise Tourism Marketing Plan: Tourism Minister Harin Fernando says the aim of the Tourism Development project is “to turn the cruise segment into a top-five source of tourist revenues for the country”: Ministry sources add seventeen cruise ships set to arrive in the island this year.
- Ruling Party MPs to meet on Monday at the President’s Office under President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s chairmanship: The parliamentary debate on the IMF’s EFF and the vote expected to be discussed at the meeting: A senior minister tells media that attention will also be paid to the delay in the evaluation of GCE AL answer scripts.
- BOI announces its Customs Declarations (CUSDECS) system is a major breakthrough to “simplify and streamline the procedures for investors”: The sole objective of this system is to provide a speedy service to BOI’s valued enterprises through processes that have been simplified and streamlined to improve business conditions in Sri Lanka.
- SLPP MP Attorney-at-Law Wasantha Yapa Bandara says the proposed ATA paves the way for the Police to legally operate torture chambers similar to that of Batalanda; asserts anyone criticising the government can be labelled as a ‘terrorist’ under the provisions of the bill.
- The government is mulling changing the name of the “Colombo Lotus Tower” to “Colombo Tower” by dropping “Lotus” from the name, in what sources believe as a move to rid the tower of being constantly described as yet another Rajapaksa white elephant.
