- International Cricket Council names Sri Lanka’s Chamari Athapaththu as the ICC ODI International Women’s Cricketer of the Year 2023.
- Group of SLPP MPs calling themselves the “New Alliance” to launch a campaign to support UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe’s candidature at the forthcoming Presidential election: their inaugural rally to be held on 27th January.
- Jagath Priyankara who is next in the list of Puttalam district winning candidates at the 2020 Parliamentary Election is set to fill the MP seat left vacant after State Minister Sanath Nishantha’s death: Priyankara is a member of the National Freedom Front led by MP Wimal Weerawansa.
- Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera says a group connected to a political party is posting insulting posts on State Minister Sanath Nishantha’s tragic death, using “fake” accounts: observers say thousands of such fake accounts are being continuously used for quite some time by this political party to boost their image as well as insult others.
- Deiyannadara Magistrate issues Detention Orders until 27th January for the suspect arrested from Akuressa over the killing of five persons at Beliatta.
- SL Legislators seek State Finance Minister Shehan Semasinghe’s intervention as SL workers in the Maldives have to rely on “Undiyal” to send their remittances home: this is in response to Maldivian banks limiting dollar sales to customers amidst a forex shortage in that country.
- Health workers excluding doctors in state-run hospitals await a resolution to their demand for an additional allowance similar to that of doctors: warn that a failure to resolve the issue could result in trade union action disrupting services: set 1st February as the fresh deadline for the Govt to meet their demands.
- Govt to introduce amendments to the Penal Code to institute rape of male children as a criminal offence: amendments to also include strengthening laws on constitutional rape of females.
- President Ranil Wickremesinghe outlines his vision to make SL a major global player in the confectionery industry; stresses the potential for “Made in SL” chocolates.
- US Ambassador to SL Julie Chung says the new “On-line Safety Act” will jeopardize democratic values and undermine the economic growth that SL needs: says the US urges SL to prioritize transparency and ensure that legislation does not stifle the voices of its people.
