Dec 10 (FT) Intrepid Travel Asia–Australia Managing Director Natalie Kidd said Sri Lanka must urgently decide the kind of tourism future it wants and embed strong systems of sustainable destination management if it is to protect its natural assets, strengthen competitiveness and fully capitalise on rising global demand. Kidd, who leads operations for the world’s largest adventure travel company across over 120 destinations, said SL already possesses more..

Dec 10 (NW) PM Harini Amarasuriya has stated that there will be no permission granted for unauthorized constructions within the Colombo District, nor any form of residential developments that endanger the public by being carried out under the guise of a development agenda. The Prime Minister made these remarks while addressing the media at the conclusion of the Colombo District Disaster Management Committee meeting held at the Colombo District Secretariat yesterday (09). more..

Dec 10 (EN) Sri Lanka’s daily egg output has slumped around 30% after Cyclone Ditwah killed around 500,000 layer chicken Ajith Gunasesekera, President of the All Island Poultry Association said. In Sri Lanka usually consumes around 900,000 eggs are consumed, but lately production had risen to around 110,000 leading to reduced prices, he said. Due to strong production retail egg prices ranged around 22 to 25 to 28 rupees based on size and farmgate prices 21 to 22 rupees. more..

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Dec 10 (FT) Cyclone Ditwah, which swept across SL at the end of November, caused massive damage to the country, the extent of which need not be mentioned here, as all are aware of it by now. Heated arguments went on among many parties with regard to how this destruction could have been mitigated and who should take responsibility. Although there may have been shortcomings in several aspects of how we responded to Ditwah, this article highlights a critical area that urgently requires attention more..

Dec 10 (FT) Disasters, irrespective of God-made or man-made do more than destroy lives, properties and infrastructure; they expose the strength or weakness of a nation’s governance. Two decades apart, SL has confronted two major calamities that demanded emergency funding and decisive leadership: the Helping Hambantota episode of 2004, which became a national scandal, and the Rebuilding SL Fund of 2025, established in response to the devastating floods and landslides of Nov 2025. more..

Dec 10 (TM) It is everyone’s responsibility to act with proper supervision during the resettlement of the people, according to Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Prez has also instructed all officials and the relevant sectors to complete necessary repairs before 31 Dec, by utilising the allocations given by the Govt for infrastructure development and not to return any part of the allocations under any circumstances. more..

Dec 10 (AD) Flight Lieutenant Eranga Ekanayake, the co-pilot of the SL Air Force Bell 212 aircraft that crashed into the Gin Oya in Lunuwila, Wennappuwa, has stated in court that both the main pilot and he realized there was a technical defect in the aircraft before it crashed. He made this statement before the Marawila Magistrate’s Court during the inquiry into the crash that resulted in the death of the main pilot. Bell 212 helicopter of the SL Air Force, which was engaged in relief operations more..

Dec 10 (DM) A total of 73,000 kilograms of vegetables were transported from the Nuwara Eliya Economic Centre to Colombo on the 9th, following a major demand from Colombo-based buyers, the centre’s manager said. He said that another 73,000 kg had also been sent to Colombo the previous day (8), reflecting steady demand from wholesalers. According to the manager, the stocks dispatched included a range of vegetables commonly used in Chinese cuisine. more..

Dec 10 (EN) Sri Lanka is borrowing US$ 30 million from the World Bank to strengthen the electricity grid to accommodate more renewable energy, the Finance Ministry said. Renewable energy is intermittent and money has to be spent to maintain grid stability and reduce the risk of cascading failire, to accommodate electricity that flows in the opposite direction and also to bring renewable power from remote locations. SL’s grid capacity has “hindered the utilization renewable energy presenting more..

Dec 10 (NW) Sri Lanka Railways announced that several train services will resume from tomorrow (10) following repairs carried out between Ambepussa and Alawwa. The disruption occurred when an old brick arch culvert near the Bujjomuwa railway station collapsed and was swept into the Maha Oya, creating a 45-foot gap beneath the track and blocking the train services on the main, nothern and eastern lines. As a result, train services were limited to the Colombo Fort–Ambepussa. more..

Dec 10 (FT) United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has called on int'l partners to provide affordable financing and recovery instruments for SL, warning that the country cannot absorb additional debt to rebuild after Cyclone Ditwah, which flooded 1.1 million hectares and exposed 2.3 million people nationwide. Organisation said recovery efforts now hinge on targeted external support to prevent the disaster from deepening into more..

Dec 10 (DM) Colombo Stock Exchange delivered a powerful rebound on Tuesday, with ASPI surging over 400 points, marking the 8th highest single-day gain in market history. Index maintained a strong upward trajectory throughout the session, fueled by renewed investor confidence and broad-based buying momentum across sectors. Capital Goods sector led market activity, generating LKR 1.11 Bn in turnover with 19.71 Mn shares traded, reflecting heightened interest from both retail & more..

Dec 10 (NW) Ministry of Women and Child Affairs has issued a warning to the public about fraudulent messages circulating on WhatsApp, Facebook, and other social media platforms, falsely claiming to provide post-disaster relief for those affected by Cyclone Ditwah. According to the ministry, these messages often request personal information under the pretense of offering aid. Officials stressed that all legitimate data collection for disaster relief is carried out through official government channels more..

Dec 10 (NW) NOLIMIT has pledged Rs. 60 million to support disaster relief and recovery efforts in the wake of Cyclone Ditwah, which triggered severe flooding and landslides across SL and displaced large numbers of families. Company announced that its contribution includes both financial assistance to the govt and extensive on-ground support in affected areas. As part of the pledge, Rs. 15 million has been officially donated to the Govt of SL to assist urgent national recovery initiatives. more..

Dec 10 (Reuters) Russia has sent a planeload of humanitarian aid to SL after the island nation was struck by Cyclone Ditwah in late November, Russia's RIA news agency reported, citing Shobini Gunasekera, Colombo's ambassador to Moscow. "A plane carrying 35 tonnes of humanitarian aid has already departed for SL," Gunasekera said, adding that it was expected to arrive on Wednesday. Ditwah, which was SL's deadliest natural disaster since the devastating 2004 tsunami, more..

Dec 10 (FT) The external debt stock reached $ 37,238 million at end-Sept 2025, rising $ 100 million from the previous quarter. Although SL remains locked out of international capital markets it continues to access and service loans from multilateral agencies such as the World Bank and ADB. Sri Lanka settled $ 1.36 billion in external debt servicing in the first half of 2025, covering 55% of the $ 2.45 billion due for the full year, more..

Dec 10 (DN) Deputy Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Chaturanga Abeysinghe said that competition is an essential factor for the development of a sector since with the increases of the competitiveness in a sector it can be observed that its quality and productivity also increase, and the price of goods and services can be expected to decrease. Therefore, the quality and the productivity of the transportation sector will also increase by becoming more competitive. more..

Dec 10 (TM) Global trade supply diversion is likely not to impact Sri Lanka, however, supply chain disruptions are to be expected as Sri Lanka is a major producer of intermediary goods, CB Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe said at the SL Economic and Investment Summit held last week. “The only thing we need to monitor is the overall trade supply chain diversion. The exports from Asia, despite tariffs, still exports from China and all these markets are increasing at a very high phase,” more..

Dec 10 (CT) As the floodwaters of Cyclone Ditwah slowly recede and the rains finally ease, the devastation left behind reveals itself in layers. Homes are damaged, lives are disrupted, and entire communities are struggling to return to a sense of normalcy. However, what emerges most visibly across the landscape is the sheer volume of waste that has washed over the country. This includes plastic, polythene, household debris and all the forgotten fragments of our daily consumption. more..

Dec 10 (DN) SL U-17 team fought back strongly to level the one day series when they beat Bangladesh U-17 by 6 wickets in the second game played at Chattogram yesterday. SL team led by Rehan Peiris lost the first game by 78 runs at this same venue but they showed superb all round performance to win the second game to keep the series alive and deciding third game will be played on Friday (12) at the same venue. SL chasing a target of 195 made a brisk start adding 30 runs in just three overs more..

Dec 10 (ST) SL’s apparel industry is facing a severe adverse impact in the aftermath of the cyclone that hit the country last week as 20% of their workers in the flood affected areas are still finding it hard to get back to normal. Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF) Deputy Chairman Felix Fernando said that while about 15 large factories have been directly impacted about 20% of the industry’s workforce in the affected areas were facing the floods. more..

Dec 10 (FT) National Sales Average (NSA) of tea increased in November on both a month-on-month and year-on-year basis. The NSA for the month was Rs. 1,198.39 ($ 3.91), up Rs. 21.25 and $ 0.04 from October’s average of Rs. 1,177.14 ($ 3.87). Compared with November 2024, when the average was Rs. 1,137.22 ($ 3.89), NSA recorded an increase of Rs. 61.17 and $ 0.02. Cumulative NSA for Jan–Nov 2025 was Rs. 1,164.97 ($ 3.88), a decline of Rs. 63.49 and $ 0.17 against more..

Dec 10 (DM) Export of prawns, which has been a lucrative business that brings in much needed foreign exchange to SL, has come to a standstill due to the disaster situation that had hit the nation, two industrialists in the Puttalam District said. Sarath Rodirigo who is an owner of one prawn farm in Puttalam said that nearly 90% of the farms have got washed away by flood waters. “We have suffered the worst losses since 2016, as an unexpected amount of water came took our farms to the sea,” more..

Dec 10 (EN) Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) that it has not licensed an entity called Gladius South Asia to operate as a market participant in within or outside the country. Contrary to claims made by claims made by Gladius South Asia, UK’s Financial Conduct Authority has confirmed hat it has not registered the firm either, the SEC said. “SEC wishes to inform the public that Gladius South Asia is not licensed by the SEC to operate as a Market Participant within or more..

Dec 10 (Island) Grama Niladharis (GNs) are up in arms, claiming that the JVP/NPP politicians and their lackeys are interfering with disaster relief programmes. SL United Grama Niladhari Association (SLUGNA) President Nandana Ranasinghe said that JVP/NPP politicians and their supporters were meddling with the ongoing disaster relief operations at all levels and even obstructing the GNs. He claimed that the political authority had sent letters to the District and Divisional Secretaries, more..

Dec 10 (TM) Grama Niladhari (GN) Officers’ Alliance has threatened to resort to trade union (TU) action if GN officers are continuously obstructed from carrying out their duties independently during the relief distribution process for those affected by the disaster. Prez of the Alliance Nandana Ranasinghe stated that pressure is being exerted by various factions on GN officers as they attempt to carry out the relief distribution process independently. more..

Dec 10 (FT) The 13th edition of EXCON 2025, the world’s third-largest construction equipment exhibition organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), opened yesterday at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC), Bengaluru, and will conclude on 13 Dec. The event also attracted two SL companies, LAUGFS Rubber and OTR Enterprise Solutions, both exporters of tyres and steel rims for large-scale automobiles. Both companies are looking to expand their more..

Dec 10 (ST) It’s not the best of times for the Govt. It’s the worst. There will not be a rich nation in the foreseeable future, nor will there be a beautiful life for its citizens. The promises made and the grandiose plans still to be laid had been disposed of by the malevolent gods of fate. The people had played the Grand Lotto with their ballots and lost their entire stakes. Wave after wave of a cyclonic wind accompanied by a torrential rain hit landfall on the southern coast of the island more..

Dec 10 (Island) On Friday, 5th Dec, ITN’s Hathweni Peya turned its spotlight on road safety, a subject as urgent as it is lethal. True to the grand tradition of SL television panels, the discussion featured a consultant neurosurgeon and a professor representing the road safety subcommittee. Yet, conspicuously absent were voices that could have grounded the debate in lived reality: a traffic police representative, a Transport Ministry official armed with hard statistics, more..

Dec 10 (GV) While climate change is a long term global challenge, its impact on Sri Lanka is both severe and immediate. Researchers point out that the increase in sea surface temperatures in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea caused by global warming has significantly raised the frequency and intensity of cyclones. Due to its geography and population density, SL’s terrain is highly vulnerable to monsoon related floods and landslides. In recent decades, frequency and magnitude of flood more..