Jan 24 (DM) Colombo has been identified as the most difficult city globally for local income earners to purchase property in 2026, revealing a severe decoupling between asset prices and domestic wages. According to the latest Numbeo Property Investment Index, Sri Lanka’s commercial capital recorded a price-to-income ratio of 55.1, the highest figure among all 395 cities monitored worldwide. more..

Jan 24 (DN) PM Harini Amarasuriya and Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa have reached an agreement regarding the appointment of three civil society representatives to the Constitutional Council. PM and the Opposition Leader agreed to nominate Prof. Wasantha Seneviratne, Austin Fernando and Ranjit Ariyaratne as the civil society representatives for the Council. Parliamentary approval was granted for these three nominees and the Speaker will submit the names to Prez for appointment. more..

Jan 24 (Island) Electricity Consumers’ Association has raised serious concerns over the consultation process for the proposed National Electricity Policy, describing it as inadequate and legally questionable. National Secretary of the Association, Sanjeewa Dhammika, said he had been given only 30 minutes to present his views on the policy at a meeting held on Wednesday (21) at the Ministry of Power and Energy. He said that although six members had been appointed to National Policy Committee, more..

Jan 24 (CT) Delays in issuing licences for the appointment of authorised persons in the Colombo Port City were taken up for discussion at the Committee on Public Finance (COPF). The matter was discussed when the COPF met in Parliament recently, under the chairmanship of Dr. Harsha de Silva. Deputy Minister Chathuranga Abeysinghe and MPs Ravi Karunanayake, Ajith Agalawatte, M.K.M. Aslam, Nimal Palihena, more..

Jan 24 (FT) Surgical services have now resumed at the District General Hospital, Chilaw, following emergency repairs supported by UNFPA in the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah. The rapid restoration of critical sections of the operating theatre has enabled the hospital to safely recommence sterilisation procedures and resume surgeries, ensuring continued access to life-saving maternal and newborn care for hundreds of patients each month. In the immediate aftermath of Cyclone more..

Jan 24 (ST) NBRO has recommended that all construction projects be cleared from high-risk areas demarcated through boundary demarcation maps developed using satellite images following the landslides triggered by cyclone Ditwah in November. However, the areas and the corresponding landmass affected have not been confirmed, and this will take time, Dr Wasantha Senadeera, senior scientist of the NBRO said. Total number of landslides and natural disasters will be computed after verification. more..

Jan 24 (NW) Businessman Dudley Sirisena has issued a detailed statement explaining the controversy surrounding the import of his Rolls-Royce vehicle, saying he was not involved in any customs misdeclaration and had only purchased the car through an intermediary company. Sirisena said he had arranged all banking facilities, including letters of credit, and initially imported a Rolls-Royce Phantom 8 months ago, but later learned that cross-border import regulations had been more..

Jan 24 (Island) Five suspects, including former Minister Johnston Fernando and his two sons, who were arrested by the FCID, were further remanded until 30 January by the Wattala Magistrate’s Court yesterday. The former Minister’s sons Johan Fernando and Jerome Fernando, and two others, were arrested in connection with the alleged misuse of a Sathosa vehicle during Fernando’s tenure as Minister. Investigations are currently underway into the alleged misuse of state property, more..

Jan 24 (FT) Apparel exporters have welcomed early gains from the abolition of the Simplified VAT (SVAT) scheme and the transition to the Risk-Based Refund Scheme (RBRS), describing the timely release of VAT refunds as a positive and confidence-boosting development for the country’s largest export industry, while cautioning that consistency and deeper digital reform will be critical to sustaining momentum. more..

Jan 24 (FT) PM Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, together with Deputy Minister Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando, held meetings with members of the Swiss business community as well as SL business leaders and professionals based in Switzerland on the side-lines of the World Economic Forum in Davos. The engagements focused on strengthening partnerships, building confidence, and exploring practical avenues for collaboration to support SL’s economic recovery & long-term development. more..

Jan 24 (CT) Colombo’s strategic location and rising regional trade flows are underpinning strong demand for expanded port capacity, according to remarks by Gihan Cooray, Deputy Chairperson and Group Finance Director of John Keells Holdings (JKH), who highlighted the rapid ramp‑up of the JKH‑partnered Colombo West Container Terminal (CWCT) as evidence of SL’s transhipment potential. Addressing the First Capital PLC Investor Forum on Thursday, he said that Colombo has long required more..

Jan 24 (FT) AirAsia continues to strengthen connectivity between Sri Lanka and Thailand with the introduction of three additional weekly flights (Wed, Fri, Sun) between Colombo (CMB) and Bangkok (Don Mueang - DMK) for the Winter 2025/26 season. The new services are in operation providing travellers even greater flexibility and choice when planning their trips. With the addition of these frequencies, AirAsia now operates 10 weekly flights between Colombo and Bangkok. more..

Jan 24 (Island) The revenue that was earned from the tourism sector in 2025 was US $ 3.2 billion, which is a significant drop compared to the 2018 figure, which is US$ 4.3 billion, a top tourism sector specialist said. "Comparatively there is a revenue deficit of US $ 1.2 billion, which we cannot be satisfied with at any cost," Island Leisure Lanka founder chairman Chandana Amaradasa said. Amaradasa made these observations at a Rotary Club joint meeting organised by more..

Jan 24 (DM) Concerns have been flagged regarding the incumbent govt’s draft National Electricity Policy which had been tabled with the objective of ensuring an efficient electricity supply at cost-effective prices. However, according to industry stakeholders and energy experts, imposing mandatory time-of-use tariffs for solar power users, removing feed-in tariffs and removing cross-subsidies are certain proposals that could more..

Jan 24 (FT) Colombo stock market ended the week on a new year high with the benchmark index 43.49 points away from the 24,000 milestone. ASPI closed yesterday 0.60% on the up, gaining 142.74 points to 23,956.51 and the active S&P SL20 ended 0.48% or 31.65 points on the up at 6,649.50. Market turnover was over Rs.10.5 billion on nearly 256 million shares traded. Foreign investors were net sellers on a net outflow of Rs 82.1 million. Bourse showed a positive sentiment on the back of heightened more..

Jan 24 (Fox) A burgeoning Australian U-19s pace attack has steamrolled SL in yet another brutal World Cup display, winning by nine wickets in Namibia on Friday evening. After winning the toss and electing to field, the reigning champions smelt blood from ball one to take a trio of wickets in a six-ball stretch that left the Lions reeling at 3/3 after just 20 balls. Only two partnerships from there on reached double figures, and even then, none surpassed the 12 put on for the fourth wicket more..

Jan 24 (Island) Charith Asalanka faced the media for the first time since being stripped of SL’s T20 captaincy and there was no bitterness in his tone. Instead, he sounded like a man choosing to play with a straight bat, pragmatic, reflective and determined not to let emotions drag him into more trouble after a bruising few weeks. Asalanka has long been earmarked for leadership. Groomed for the role for more than a decade, more..

Jan 24 (FT) Sri Lanka is set to strengthen its presence on the global sports tourism map with the hosting of IRONMAN 70.3 Colombo on 22 February 2026, marking a six-year hiatus since the last event. This international franchise endurance event is being organised by Serendib Multisport Ltd., in partnership with Port City Colombo and Shangri-La Colombo. The event represents a strategic effort to position Colombo as an active lifestyle hub and Sri Lanka as a credible destination for more..

Jan 24 (FT) SL’s tourism industry experienced record-breaking growth in 2025 with over 2.36 million arrivals, as unconventional markets outpaced traditional powerhouses in growth. Despite traditional markets like India, the UK, and Russia retaining their dominance in terms of total arrivals, a deeper analysis of year-on-year (YoY) growth trends revealed intriguing shifts, with new markets showcasing noteworthy increases. Pakistan emerged as the standout performer, more..

Jan 24 (NW) A SL-origin UK national has been arrested by the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) police for allegedly facilitating another person’s travel to the UK with his visa and boarding pass. The accused, Kandiya Rajagopal, had given his visa and boarding pass to his friend Sharushan Kunasekaran, who used them to travel to the UK. Rajagopal, who was waiting for a flight at the Passenger Exchange area, reported that he had lost his documents and tried to obtain replacement papers. more..

Jan 24 (FT) An investor forum organised by the Colombo Stock Exchange and the Securities and Exchange Commission was held in Dubai on Thursday at the Sheraton Grand Hotel. It was in association with the Embassy of SL in UAE and the Consulate General of SL in Dubai and Northern Emirates. The forum was addressed by Deputy Minister Chathuranga Abeysinghe, CB Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe, SL’s Ambassador to the UAE Prof. Arusha Cooray, SEC Chairman more..

Jan 24 (DN) SL all-rounder Dunith Wellalage dedicated his Player of the Match award to his late father following his match-winning all-round performance in the first ODI against England at the R. Premadasa Stadium. “My father gave me immense support to reach this level. His dream was to see me play for the national team. I am sure he is watching me somewhere, and I dedicate this Player of the Match award to him,” said Wellalage, more..

Jan 24 (Island) At the northern boundry of Anuradhapura, where the Malwathu Oya curves through scrubland and forest and the wilderness of Wilpattu National Park presses close, the vast rock outcrop of Tantirimale rises quietly from the earth. Spread across nearly 200 acres within the Mahawilachchiya Divisional Secretariat Division, this ancient monastic complex is more than a place of worship. It is a layered archive of Sri Lanka’s deep past — a place where prehistoric life, more..

Jan 24 (TM) In this season of greetings and goodwill, the growing hopes of a truce between the UNP and the SJB seems to be gathering momentum. Especially among the younger generation of activists, who are at the buddies or machang leve. The two warring factions across the board seem to have realised the folly of picking each other’s wounds on the one hand and the synergetic effects of the strengths of being together as a single party on the other. more..

Jan 24 (Island) Doctors launched a 48-hour token strike yesterday in protest against what they have described as the govt’s failure to implement a six-point agreement reached between GMOA and Ministry of Health. They are demanding that their allowances be increased and a separate service minute be introduced for the state sector doctors, among other things. Govt has claimed that the doctors’ demands are unreasonable, and the strike did not cripple the state health institutions. more..

Jan 24 (DM) The officialdom does not seem to be desiring or strong enough to topple the Govt as what Nandana Gunathilake predicted. Nor does the Opposition provide them the necessary outside assistance for the onslaught within. Yet, their activities definitely help the Opposition to build up a negative public opinion about the Govt. Nandana Gunathilake, who shouldered the rebuilding of the JVP after a bloody crackdown of it by the UNP Govt in the late eighties passed away on Jan 18. more..

Jan 24 (TM) With the rapid expansion of private schools across SL, concerns have been growing about regulatory oversight, quality of education, infrastructure, and student well-being in such institutions. While private schools have emerged as an alternative to the highly competitive public education system, parents are increasingly protesting that some institutions prioritise revenue raising over delivering quality education and more..

Jan 24 (CT) In Sri Lanka, weekly news stories, especially those circulating on social media, have become something of a ritual. One week, a celebrity dominates the conversation; the next, a member of the NPP govt finds themselves in the spotlight, sometimes for little more than a humorous or awkward public appearance. Last week, however, the focus fell on the Attorney General, whose perceived partiality towards the former President who appointed him, as well as delays more..

Jan 24 (CT) When Canada’s PM Mike Carney spoke at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland last week, his words struck a chord far beyond the alpine conference halls. He spoke plainly about the failure of the rules based international order and warned that middle powers can no longer afford to sit quietly on the sidelines. In a fractured world, he said, countries that are not at the table risk being on the menu. For nations like Sri Lanka, this is not a distant theory. It is lived reality. more..

Jan 24 (CT) President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s remarks in Jaffna on Buddhist pilgrimage practices ignited a debate that rapidly spilled beyond theology into the charged terrain of nationalism, identity and power. Speaking on a Poya day, the President stated that travelling to Jaffna to observe sil while bypassing sacred sites such as the Sri Maha Bodhi was not virtue, but hatred, arguing that such journeys were more..

Jan 24 (DM) On a humid morning in a small govt school outside Kurunegala, a teacher waits patiently as ten-year-old Isuru tries to read a sentence aloud. The words come slowly. He struggles with letters, mixes up sounds, and looks down in embarrassment. Until recently, his teachers thought he was simply lazy. It was only after a visiting education officer noticed signs of dyslexia that Isuru received special support. Today, he reads better, smiles more, and most importantly, more..

Jan 24 (DN) Poverty is not just a lack of income; it is a deprivation of basic capabilities, observed Amartya Sen. Poverty is not merely the absence of income. It is the absence of security, access, opportunity, dignity, and voice. It is shaped by education, health, livelihoods, infrastructure, safety, social protection, geography, climate, markets, and governance. When these interlinked factors interact across space and time, poverty ceases to be a problem that can be solved through a single programme or more..