DIFFERENT PRIORITIES IN THE SINHALA AND TAMIL PRESS |
Tamil Headlines
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Virakesari: Saman Ekanayake remanded until Feb 11; Ranil’s UK visit was not a state tour; the magistrate announces that the evidence presented is satisfactory | The Trincomalee Buddha statue issue: Buddhist monk and others continue to be remanded Thinakaran: “Coal corruption: A fine of USD 2.1 million recovered from the relevant company” – General Manager of the Lanka Coal Company Namal Hewage | The Ditwah disaster: The IMF team completes the assessment |
Thinakkural: The case against Ranil: Indictment soon; the court informed that the London trip was not official | “Canada fully supports the establishment of a federal system of governance in Sri Lanka” – The Canadian high commissioner assures ITAK leaders | Former President Ranil’s secretary, Saman Ekanayake, remanded until Feb 11 Thamilan: Ranil to be investigated at a Trial-at-Bar! Charges to be filed in March: The Attorney General’s Department announces | The Kalmunai Secretariat case postponed | Former Secretary Saman remanded |
Sinhala Headlines
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Lankadeepa: Ranil’s trip to England: Former Secretary to the President Saman Ekanayake, remanded; orders issued to obtain a statement from the university via email | Compensation irregularities of the Aragalaya period: Orders issued for six, including Gotabaya Rajapaksa, to appear in court Divaina: Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s secretary, Saman Ekanayake, remanded: “There is sufficient information to rule that Ranil’s trip to Britain was not an official one; a case will be filed against Wickremsighe following indictment” – Additional Solicitor General Dileepa Peiris states on behalf of the AG | “My client is only a servant of the state” – Ekanayake’s attorney states | A large number of Ranil’s supporters gather outside the court Mawbima: The court case on Ranil’s trip to London: Former Secretary to the President Saman Ekanayake remanded | The CEB Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) keeps getting postponed: 2,000 employees stranded
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Dinamina: Ranil Wickremesinghe to face the court in March: London trip investigations to conclude within a month; Secretary Saman Ekanayake remanded – The attorney general informs the court | “A fine of USD 2.1 million on the company that sent substandard coal” – General Manager of the Lanka Coal Company | Notices issued to Gotabaya Rajapaksa over allegedly receiving compensation illegally Aruna: Allegation against Ranil Wickremesinghe over the misuse of state funds: The former secretary to the president remanded; a proposal to appoint a three-judge bench for Wickremesinghe’s case Anidda: This paper is published only on Fridays |
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TAMIL PRESS PRIORITIES |
Photo credits: The Island
“Exert pressure to implement a federal system similar to that of Canada” – ITAK requests the Canadian high commissioner | “A federal constitution is best suited for the country; we emphasised this to the Canadian high commissioner” – Suresh Premachandran
Thinakkural, Virakesari
ITAK Leader C.V.K. Sivagnanam and General Secretary M.A. Sumanthiran met with Canadian High Commissioner Isabelle Martin in Jaffna. During the meeting, the ITAK leaders requested Canada to exert pressure on the Sri Lankan government to establish a federal system, citing the Canadian Supreme Court’s judgment on federalism as a model.
Thinakkural: The Canadian high commissioner assured that Canada will support the ITAK’s stance that a federal system of government should be established in Sri Lanka.
Thinakkural also reports that Democratic Tamil National Alliance (DTNA) Spokesperson Suresh Premachandran stated that he emphasised the suitability of a federal constitution for the country during a meeting with the Canadian high commissioner.
“Shiranthi’s Siriliya bank account frozen; the Rajapaksas’ financial irregularities will come to light” – Sunil Watagala
Thinakaran Deputy Minister Sunil Watagala stated that the application form for the Siriliya account has gone missing. He mentioned that an investigation will determine whether the document was lost accidentally or deliberately removed to obstruct inquiries into alleged financial fraud involving the Rajapaksas. The deputy minister noted that the account was operated by Shiranthi Rajapaksa during the tenure of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa. |
The Kalmunai Secretariat case postponerThamilan Yesterday (28th), the Court of Appeal took up the petition filed by former MP T. Kalaiarasan regarding the status of the Kalmunai North Sub-Divisional Secretariat. Appearing for the petitioner, President’s Counsel M.A. Sumanthiran argued that the institution has operated as a fully-fledged divisional secretariat since 1993 with cabinet approval and a staff of over 250, and urged the court to officially recognise its status. Former State Minister H.M.M. Harees and former Kalmunai Municipal Council Member M.A. Khalilur Rahman appeared as intervenient petitioners, represented by President’s Counsels Sanjeewa Jayawardena and Faiszer Musthapha. The court postponed further hearings on the petition and related cases filed by social activists to July 8. |
“Do not push the Ditwah housing project onto India as well” – A request by Mano Ganesan
Virakesari
Leader of the Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) MP Mano Ganesan asserted that the housing project for plantation workers affected by Cyclone Ditwah must be implemented under the Ministry of Disaster Management’s national scheme valued at Rs. 5 million, rather than being offloaded to India.
Ganesan warned the government that excluding plantation workers from the national relief provided to the majority community in areas such as Anuradhapura and Kurunegala amounts to “apartheid”.
Ganesan also stated that the Indian High Commission had clarified that the Indian Housing Project, which is estimated at Rs. 2.7 million per unit, is distinct from the disaster relief housing. He emphasised that plantation workers are Sri Lankan citizens and must be included in the government’s relief housing and land allocation schemes.
SINHALA PRESS PRIORITIES |
Photo credits: Newswire
Retired Air Chief Marshal Harsha Abeywickrama resigns as the chairperson of Airport and Aviation Services
Lankadeepa, Divaina, Mawbima, Aruna
The Ministry of Ports and Civiil Aviation announced yesterday (28th) that Retired Air Chief Marshal Harsha Abeywickrama has stepped down from his position as the chairperson of the Airport and Aviation Services Sri Lanka (AASL) (Private) Ltd. Abeywickrama was appointed to the post in October 2024.
Aruna highlights that a senior official of the AASL stated that Abeywickrama resigned from his position due to political pressure exerted after he disregarded requests to grant religious leaders and special individuals permission to enter the Katunayake Airport premises at any time. Company sources have further noted that a letter addressed to the minister of ports and civil aviation, written under the letterhead of the Sri Lanka Mahabodhi Society, was also among the reasons that influenced the resignation.
The national ceremony to introduce new education reforms to Grade 1 to be held todayDivaina, Dinamina The national ceremony to introduce new education reforms to Grade 1 will be held today (29th) at the Gunasekara Vidyalaya in Athurugiriya, Colombo. The event is to be held under the patronage of Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Higher Education, and Vocational Education, Harini Amarasuriya. The national ceremony to officially enrol Grade 1 students and the implementation of Grade 1 education reforms will be held at the school as part of the process to introduce new education reforms. |
Easter Sunday attack: “No evidence to form a case against Shani” – The AG informs the SCLankadeepa The attorney general (AG) informed the Supreme Court (SC) that CID Director Shani Abeysekara will not be arrested regarding complaints filed against him before the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court and the Kuliyapitiya Magistrate’s Court. These complaints alleged that Abeysekara failed to take action concerning suspects of the Easter attacks. The AG stated that there is insufficient evidence to file a case against him. This was notified when two Fundamental Rights (FR) petitions filed by Abeysekara were taken up for consideration before the SC. |
223,645 tourists have arrived within the first 25 days of 2026
Dinamina
Adding a new boost to the tourism industry, 223,645 foreign tourists have reportedly arrived in Sri Lanka during the first 25 days of 2026. The Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority points out that the highest number of tourists arrived from India, the UK, Russia, Germany, France, China and Australia. The highest number of tourists during this period arrived in the country on January 15, totalling 10,483.
COMMON PRIORITIES: SINHALA & TAMIL PRESS |
Photo credits: Newswire
Ranil’s trip to England: The former secretary to the president, Saman Ekanayake, remanded; orders issued to obtain a statement from the university via email
Lankadeepa, Divaina, Mawbima, Dinamina, Aruna, Virakesari, Thinakaran, Thinakkural, Thamilan
Additional Solicitor General Dileepa Peiris informed Fort Magistrate Isuru Netthikumara yesterday (28th) that a case will be filed against former President Ranil Wickremesinghe before a Trial-at-Bar by the end of March, 2026. The case involves the alleged misappropriation of public property during a trip to London to attend his spouse’s graduation ceremony. Dileepa Peiris further stated that he has made this proposal to the Attorney General (AG).
The magistrate also ordered the former secretary to the President, Saman Ekanayake, to be remanded until February 11 after he surrendered to the court. Ekanayake served as the government’s financial officer and approved the payment of Rs. 16.6 million in state funds for a group of 10 individuals, including Ranil Wickremesinghe, to attend the graduation ceremony.
The Bodhiraja Vihara incident in Trincomalee: 10, including Ven. Kassapa Thera, remanded for the third time
Divaina, Mawbima, Dinamina, Aruna, Virakesari, Thinakkural, Thamilan
The Trincomalee Magistrate’s Court has ordered four Buddhist monks, including Ven. Balangoda Kassapa Thera, and six other individuals to be remanded futher until February 2. The group was arrested following allegations that they violated Coastal Conservation Laws by installing a Buddha statue at the Trincomalee Bodhiraja Viharaya.
The legal proceedings had been initiated based on a complaint lodged by the Department of Coast Conservation and Coastal Resource Management. The department alleges that a Buddha statue was placed and an unauthorised structure was erected within the coastal protection zone in the Trincomalee town.
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Common priorities: Additional stories
1. The IMF delegation meets the president: “The fifth IMF review was delayed due to Cyclone Ditwah” – The chief of the IMF delegation states – Lankadeepa, Mawbima, Dinamina, Thinakaran, Thinakkural, Thamilan
2. Compensation irregularities of the Aragalaya period: Orders issued for six, including Gotabaya Rajapaksa, to appear in court –Lankadeepa, Divaina, Dinamina, Aruna, Thinakkural, Thamilan
3. The trade union battle of the doctors continues: No solutions yet for the problem | Doctors give 48 hours to the government: Will intensify the fight if there is no mediation – The GMOA – Lankadeepa, Divaina, Dinamina, Thinakkural
4. “Will impose a fine of USD 2.1 million on the company for the substandard coal” — The general manager of the Lanka Coal Company – Divaina, Dinamina, Aruna, Thinakaran
5. “An economic growth that exceeds 4% to 5% can be attained in 2026” – The CBSL governor– Dinamina, Thinakaran
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