CIABOC decides to probe complaint against SpeakerNewsSimultaneously, CIABOC will investigate Parliament’s suspended officialBy Ranjith PadmasiriThe Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) has decided to initiate a probe into a complaint lodged by Parliament’s suspended Deputy Secretary General Chaminda Kularatne against Speaker Dr Jagath Wickramaratne. The Sunday Times learns that the CIABOC has also decided to investigate a complaint lodged by an individual named R. Kannan, who accuses Mr Kularatne of committing the offence of corruption. He has claimed that the procedure whereby Mr Kularatne was appointed Deputy Secretary General of Parliament was wrong. Read more in yesterday's Sunday Times edition hereYou can share this post!

England exploit on Sri Lanka’s batting woes ahead of T20 World Cup By Ishan Samaraweera cricket View(s): View(s):When England arrived in Sri Lanka for the white-ball tour, expectations were of two closely-contested series. With three each of ODIs and T20Is, the tour was important for both teams no only as an opportunity to test their strengths for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, but also a testing ground for the 50-over World Cup to be held in 2027 in the Africas. Leading up to the ODI series, Sri Lanka had enjoyed an impressive record during the recent five years, notably with 11 consecutive series wins at home. Yet again, Sri Lanka faltered against spin in the T20 series, to suffer their 11th consecutive defeat against England, enduring a disappointing series, as England celebrating a convincing away win. Now, England heads confidently to the T20 World Cup, while Sri Lanka still face unresolved issues.

Property owners, landlords raise concerns about draft law View(s):Govt. Some legal counsel argue that “conceptually, it is not a bad law” and might even be called progressive. They maintain that the Roman Dutch law anyway affords tenants protections; and that introducing this new legislation “confuses matters”. “Imagine a family of four, and the landlord wants the property for some reason or another,” he explained. The law will curtail that, but it must strike a balance.”The Roman-Dutch law does require a court order to evict a tenant.

David embracing World Cup in return from injury cricket View(s): View(s):Australian blaster Tim David is preparing to be eased back into the T20 side during the opening stages of the World Cup as he steels himself for maximum impact towards the pointy end of the global tournament. David showed no signs of the hamstring injury that ended his Big Bash season at Australia’s training session on Friday, launching all comers – including the Aussie quicks and a handful of local spinners – to every corner of the Colombo Cricket Club Ground. More than a dozen balls ended up on the roof of the Gymkhana Club lounge directly behind the sightscreen at the suburban ground as David and teammate Marcus Stoinis had hospitality staff and this reporter constantly ducking for cover.

Tourism body’s unit against illegal guides missing in action By Wasantha Ramanayake View(s): View(s):The Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority’s (SLTDA) enforcement unit members have not met since it was formed in October last year, the Sunday Times learns. He even called upon registered tour operators not to hire illegal guides saying doing so would lead to cancellation of their licenses. The tour operators, who hire illegal guides call him to ask about the legality of tourist police checking licenses. The very same well-known tour operator in question, questioned the language competencies of the licensed tour guide lecturers. “This would pave the way for unqualified people who lack the formal training to engage as tourists guides.

Sri Lanka’s broken promise! Nearly a half a century later, now Sri Lanka is facing an unprecedented economic, social and environmental crisis. The “open economy” introduced in 1977 marked a decisive break from Sri Lanka’s closed, state‑dominated system. Policy reversalsThe third factor shaping Sri Lanka’s open‑economy reform process can be seen across two distinct periods: 1995–2005 and post‑2005. Ultimately, the IMF reform agenda laid bare this reality: eliminating corruption vulnerabilities was a pre‑condition for unlocking Sri Lanka’s growth potential.

Event Management sector officially recognised as an industry View(s):The Event Management Association (EMA) of Sri Lanka has been officially recognised as an industry, a development announced at its 7th Annual General Meeting (AGM) held recently. Highlighting the association’s recent triumphs, Mr. Caldera revisited several key projects – the Hadagasma Concert: A landmark event. Newly elected President, Saliya Weerasekera said that following years of persistent advocacy, the Event Management sector has finally attained formal recognition as an industry. “Formal recognition as an industry opens doors to structured growth, better regulation, and the economic respect our sector deserves,” said Mr. Weerasekera. He said it is time to elevate the industry and set gold standards in everything that this sector does.

Medical charity dinner View(s):‘Healing Hands’, the Medical Charity Dinner of the Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA), will be held on Saturday, February 21, at 7.30 pm at the Imperial Court of the Cinnamon Lakeside Hotel, Colombo. It will feature the popular band ‘Misty’ and the evergreen ‘Lanerolle Brothers’. With the motto of ‘Help us to heal those affected by Cyclone Ditwah’, the SLMA is seeking support from generous people. The plea is to form a table of 10 and lend a hand for this worthy cause. To book tickets priced at Rs 12,000 or for more information, please call the SLMA office on: 011-2693656 or on: 077 7769123.

Cathedral Pola on February 15 View(s):The Cathedral Pola, the annual fundraiser of the Cathedral of Christ the Living Saviour, will take place on Sunday, February 15, from 9.30 am to 2 pm at the Cathedral premises on Bauddhaloka Mawatha, Colombo 7 (next to the BMICH). The Cathedral Pola is open to all. A wide array of attractive stalls with food, home-made goodies, clothing, jewellery, linen, plants, flowers, vegetables and much more has been organised. There’s also a raffle draw with attractive prizes from hotel stays to gift vouchers and a host of fun activities for the kids too – games and karaoke and face painting – to make it an ideal opportunity to enjoy a relaxed morning with the family.

Brother Trump and Brother Hitler View(s):By Grzegorz Kwiatkowski, PROJECT SYNDICATE, EXCLUSIVE TO THE SUNDAY TIMES IN SRI LANKAGDAŃSK – In 1939, the German writer Thomas Mann published his essay “Hitler”, in which he rejected the comforting myth of Adolf Hitler as a superhuman monster. Instead, Mann portrayed Hitler as a mediocre, lazy failure whose destructive power stemmed precisely from his ordinariness. He called Hitler “brother” to underscore the fact that fascist demagoguery relies on impulses that exist within us all. Rather, he insisted that figures like Hitler rise to power when those dark impulses are repeatedly fed and rewarded. To be sure, the struggle against the dark impulses that animate Trumpism is never-ending.

Dr Newton A Peiris elected trustee of German Dharmaduta Society View(s):Dr Newton A Peiris was elected unanimously by the members of the German Dharmaduta Society (GDS) to act as a trustee and fill in a vacancy on the board of trustees at a special general meeting (SGM) of the society held on Sunday, January 25, at the auditorium of the Organization of Professional Associations (OPA) in Colombo. Dr Peiris holds academic qualifications such as MA, LLB, PhD, MBIM, MIM, gathered while studying in Prague, Berlin and London (Cambridge University). The two meetings were well attended and chaired by the Major General Sardha Abeyratne, president of the GDS. Ven K Sri Rewatha Thero, the head monk of Scotland’s Buddhist Vihara situated in Glasgow administered pansil and delivered an anusasana. Shenali Waduge, the newly appointed vice president of GDS, delivered the vote of thanks at the conclusion of the day’s events.

Sri Lanka Press Association launches book View(s):‘Pathrakala Prasadini’, a book on mass communication, with a collection of articles by 20 senior scholars and veteran journalists, was published in line with the 70th Anniversary Conference of the Sri Lanka Press Association and the D F Kariyakarawana Memorial Journalism Awards in November 2025. SLPA President Kurulu Koojana Kariyakarawana presented a copy of the book to Ms Popova in the presence of SLPA Secretary General Tilak Senanayake and Vice President P M Senaratne. A panel discussion was held with Dr Kalansooriya and Right to Information Commission of Sri Lanka Chairman Daya Lankapura. A memento was also presented to the chief guest by SLPA officials during the launch. Senior academics, media veterans, Head of Finance Russian House Aleksandra Shalaginova and SLPA members participated at the event.

5-year fixed placement for new teacher recruits View(s):Teachers recruited from among development officers and graduates who qualify after sitting the competitive examination will be given a fixed 5-year placement in a school with no room for transfer within those years, Deputy Minister of Education Dr Madhura Senevirathna said. He said the placements will be based on subject needs in schools as well as existing vacancies. However, the newly recruited teachers will have the option of requesting a placement in a school in close proximity to their homes and where there are vacancies. Around 23,000 teachers will be recruited from among the development officers, graduates and those passing out from teacher training colleges, “but there will be no bulk recruitments, ” he said. A teacher survey is planned, he said, to make appointments and transfers more efficient and to have a data bank of teachers.

Outstanding success for Gateway at Sri Lanka Indoor Rowing Nationals View(s):Gateway College recorded a stellar performance at the Sri Lanka Indoor Rowing Nationals 2026, held on January 30 and 31 at the Diyawanna Rowing Centre, with an event count of five golds, four silvers, and a bronze. Gateway athletes demonstrated exceptional skill, determination, and teamwork that reaffirmed the school’s growing prominence in the national rowing scene. The Under-14 Girls’ Relay team of Siyara Rajakaruna, Shehaya Pathirana, Devasha Edirisinghe, and Griyada Hapukotuwa followed suit with a dominant gold-medal performance. The Under-16 Mixed Relay team—Shehaya Pathirana, Siyara Rajakaruna, Ometh Pathirana, and Yumeth Godage—added another gold to the tally. Further success came in the Under-23 Mixed Relay, where Jaanya Kumarawadu, Sehasa de Silva, Manuga Wijesinghe, and Aaron Wimalasena clinched silver.

MMCA Sri Lanka opens ‘Three Songs of Ceylon’ View(s):The Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Sri Lanka (MMCA Sri Lanka) opened a pop-up exhibition titled ‘Three Songs of Ceylon’ on January 23. ‘Three Songs of Ceylon’ takes as its starting point ‘The Songs of Ceylon’ (1934), a film commissioned by the Ceylon Tea Propaganda Board under British colonial rule. The exhibition is generously supported by Park Street Mews, Goethe Institut Sri Lanka, Fulbright Sri Lanka and American Institute for Sri Lankan Studies. The MMCA Sri Lanka is supported by the John Keells Foundation and the MMCA Sri Lanka Founding Patrons. More information about ‘Three Songs of Ceylon’ and public programmes can be found via the MMCA Sri Lanka website www.mmca-srilanka.org, or on Facebook at The Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Sri Lanka and Instagram at @mmcasrilanka.