Jan 13 (AD) The Committee on Public Finance has instructed the officials of the Welfare Benefits Board to amend the existing criteria to make the Aswesuma Welfare Benefits Payment Scheme more effective. Since various issues have arisen in relation to the existing 22 criteria used to determine the eligibility of individuals for the current Aswesuma Welfare Benefits Payment Scheme, officials were instructed to take measures to select future Aswesuma beneficiaries under new criteria, more..

Jan 13 (NW) Sri Lanka’s export recovery faces fresh uncertainty following a sweeping trade warning issued by US Prez Donald Trump, which could expose Sri Lankan exports to an additional 25% tariff due to the country’s trade links with Iran. Arutha Research Policy Think Tank said Iran remains one of the top ten buyers of Sri Lankan tea, importing around 9,800 metric tonnes every month, making it a significant market for the island’s key agricultural export. more..

Jan 13 (AD) A decision has been taken to defer the implementation of the proposed education reforms related to Grade 6 until 2027, Minister Nalinda Jayatissa has stated. The decision was taken during yesterday’s Cabinet meeting held under the patronage of Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake. The Minister noted that considering the issues surrounding the Grade 6 English module and several other matters, the govt has decided to more..

Jan 13 (NW) Cabinet has approved a proposal to provide underutilized lands and properties to suitable investors for optimal utilization, following the prescribed procurement procedure. This decision follows the approval granted at the cabinet meeting in June 2025, under which action is currently being taken to dispose of underutilized lands and properties identified under stage one of the SL State Plantation Corporation, Janatha State Development Board, and Elkaduwa Plantation Company, more..

Jan 13 (EN) State officials and undergraduates are offered fellowships in Geospatial Artificial Intelligence in a bid to strengthen disaster risk reduction, climate resilience, and emergency preparedness. GeoAI for Disaster Resilience Project is supported by the U.S. Embassy in SL and was conceptualized as a public service initiative by SL U.S. State Dept alumni Novil Wijesekara and Aslam Saja, with funding secured through Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF) global grant competition. more..

Jan 13 (AD) A meeting between Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake, PM Harini Amarasuriya and representatives of teachers’ trade unions was held this afternoon at the Presidential Secretariat. At the meeting, the teachers’ trade union representatives stated that they accept the necessity of the new education reforms being implemented by the Govt and pointed out that the Grade 6 curriculum needs to be revised. more..

Jan 13 (NW) Cabinet has approved an increase in the minimum purchasing prices for Samba and Keeri Samba paddy, following a recommendation by the Price Committee to encourage cultivation of these varieties in upcoming seasons. During the 2025 Yala season, the Paddy Marketing Board purchased Nadu, Samba and Keeri Samba at Rs. 120, Rs. 125 and Rs. 132 per kilogram, respectively. Price Committee, appointed by the Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land & more..

Jan 13 (DM) A video showing a motorcyclist attacking several moving vehicles using an object along the Kaduwela–Colpetty road was arrested by the Welikada Police. The video is circulating widely on social media. Police said the incident occurred on the evening of Jan 12 and the officers from the Welikada Police Station pursued the suspect and arrested him shortly afterwards. They said at least four vehicles were damaged by the suspect. The 29-year-old suspect, a resident of Ragama, more..

Jan 13 (CT) The Australian Border Force has provided two advanced high-technology scanners to SL Customs. The official handover ceremony took place yesterday at the Kankesanthurai Port. During the event, Australian High Commissioner Matthew Duckworth formally handed over the scanners to SL Customs Director General Seevali Arukgoda. Senior officials, including Customs Director General Paul Edwards and officers from the Australian HC, were also present at the ceremony. more..

Jan 13 (EN) SL is now at a dangerous phase where growth is picking up and the macro-economist are looking to deny monetary stability to the general public and business with high inflation targets and currency depreciation. The fall of the rupee 2025, amid record current account surplus, the holy grail of the Mercantilist macro-economists, has exposed a deep flaw in the operating framework of the central bank, which then leads to high prices, voter unhappiness and political unrest. more..

Jan 13 (FT) Housing, Construction and Water Supply Ministry Secretary Kumudu Lal Bogahawatta said the country’s construction industry is grappling with a severe workforce shortage, with around 20,000 vacancies currently available for immediate employment. He revealed that several major construction companies have formally requested the Government many times to permit the recruitment of at least 7,500 more..

Jan 13 (NW) U.S. Embassy in SL has announced an additional $2 million in U.S. humanitarian assistance to support communities affected by Cyclone Ditwah, bringing total U.S. assistance for the response to $4 million. According to a US Embassy statement, this new funding builds on $2 million in U.S. assistance announced in Dec 2025 within 72 hours of the cyclone’s landfall, underscoring the US’ commitment to providing timely, effective support to communities impacted by the disaster. more..

Jan 13 (EN) Un-bundling of CEB in to multiple companies is expected to cost 10.6 billion rupees in lost economies of scale, the CEB has said in a tariff filing. Under the pre-transition structure, when CEB functioned as a single integrated utility operating under six licenses, electricity consumers benefitted from a voluntary reduction in the legitimate Return on Assets amounting to 10.6 billion rupees within the allowed revenues of distribution licensees, in the July 2024 tariff revision. more..

Jan 13 (SM) A plan by one of Sri Lanka's most revered multi-faith temples to auction off a large portion of its gold reserves has ignited a controversy that reaches far beyond questions of money. The Ruhunu Maha Kataragama Devalaya—sacred to Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims, and the island's indigenous Vedda community—has announced it will sell nearly 70 % of its gold holdings to support the govt's Rebuilding SL fund. more..

Jan 13 (NW) Minister Nalinda Jayatissa said there will be no Cabinet reshuffle despite protests against the govt’s education reform program. Responding to questions from journalists on the Satyagraha campaign launched by Wimal Weerawansa, Jayatissa said yesterday’s Cabinet’s decision to defer some reforms is unlikely to affect the ongoing protest. “Wimal Weerawansa is free to continue his campaign, as long as it does not obstruct the activities of the Education Ministry, more..

Jan 13 (Island) The NPP govt has issued a new extraordinary gazette renewing and extending Sri Lanka’s long-standing ban on the LTTE and several Tamil diaspora organisations and individuals, continuing to designate them as terrorists. The gazette, published recently, replaces a previous gazette issued in May 2025 and reaffirmed the proscription of a wide range of Tamil political and advocacy bodies operating around the world, alongside dozens of named individuals. more..

Jan 13 (Island) SLFP Chairman Nimal Siripala de Silva announced that 17 out of the 18 court cases filed against the party have now been concluded, with only the case involving Dayasiri Jayasekara remaining. The Chairman made these remarks in Kandy on Friday after paying homage to the Sacred Tooth Relic and calling on the Most Venerable Mahanayake and Anu Nayake Theros of the Malwathu and Asgiri Chapters. “We are currently rebuilding the SLFP. more..

Jan 13 (FT) SL’s tea industry registered only marginal growth in 2025, with production inching up 0.54% year-on-year (YoY) to 264.1 million kilograms (MnKg), underscoring the sector’s continued struggle to regain momentum amid deep-rooted structural pressures. An industry report, citing official data from the Sri Lanka Tea Board noted that while the overall output showed nominal growth, the performance masked sharp structural challenges faced by the sector during the year, more..

Jan 13 (ANI) Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) confirmed that there will be no auction for the sixth season of the Lanka Premier League (LPL). The board confirmed that a player draft will take place on March 22. "During the draft, franchises will select both SL and overseas players for the upcoming season of SL's premier domestic T20 tournament," SLC confirmed. The upcoming season of LPL was originally slated to be held from more..

Jan 13 (TM) Following reports the Director General (DG) of the Power Sector Reforms Secretariat (PSRS), Pubudu Niroshana has resigned, the Electricity Consumers’ Association (ECA) stated the Govt should take immediate steps to ensure the continuity of the reform process. ECA General Secretary, Sanjeewa Dhammika said the Secretariat remains essential to completing the restructuring of the CEB, noting that a significant amount of work is yet to be done. He pointed out that more..

Jan 13 (CT) Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala has warned that tens of thousands of people may have to be deployed to protect human lives if the escalating human-elephant conflict cannot be brought under control. Speaking at the Kurunegala District Coordination Committee meeting on 11 January, the Minister said, the situation is worsening by the day and stressed that it is unacceptable for people’s lives and livelihoods to continue to be destroyed. more..

Jan 13 (CT) COPA has stressed the urgent need for a centralised and continuously updated database containing comprehensive information on antiquities and archaeological excavations across SL. The issue was discussed when COPA met on 6 Jan under the Chairmanship of MP Kabir Hashim to examine the AG’s Reports for 2021, 2022 and 2023 relating to the Dept of Archaeology, along with dept’s current more..

Jan 13 (NW) A new digital card system will be introduced to supply fuel for vehicles belonging to govt institutions, starting with a pilot project at the Presidential Secretariat. The move aims to enhance transparency, reduce manual intervention, and enable efficient reimbursement through online banking systems. The digital card system, developed by Bank of Ceylon in collaboration with the CPC, is expected to streamline fuel distribution for state-owned vehicles. more..

Jan 13 (DM) Currency exchange counters have been established within the customs area of the arrivals terminal at the BIA, to facilitate the foreign exchange requirements of arriving passengers. With the redevelopment of the arrivals terminal under the airport’s development programme, a need arose to relocate the existing currency exchange counters. However, as no agreement could be reached on the monthly fees applicable for operating the counters at the newly allocated locations, more..

Jan 14 (CT) When the govt appointed a committee led by Rienzie Arsekularatne, Senior President’s Counsel, to draft a new law to replace the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) as promised by the ruling NPP, the writer, in an article published in this journal in July 2025, expressed optimism that, given Arsekularatne’s experience in criminal justice, he would be able to address issues from the perspectives of the State, criminal justice, human rights, suspects, accused, activists & victims. more..

Jan 14 (DM) Nearly sixteen years after the guns fell silent, SL’s North and East remain trapped in a quiet but devastating crisis. It is not a crisis of war, but of neglect. While Colombo continues to attract investment, opportunity and attention, vast districts in the North and East are still starving for meaningful economic activity. Roads may exist, elections may come and go, but livelihoods remain fragile and hope wears thin. Successive govts have spoken at length about reconciliation, more..

Jan 14 (TM) US Ambassador to SL Julie Chung will depart SL this week after a 4-year tenure in Colombo. Having been the top US diplomat on the island during some of its most turbulent times, Chung, one of the most visible and active US diplomats stationed in Colombo in recent times, sat down with The Sunday Morning for an interview to discuss bilateral relations between the two nations. Q: What was your first impression of SL when you more..

Jan 14 (DM) As of early this week, the Islamic Republic of Iran had slaughtered over 600 protesters, terrorising with brute force into submission another cycle of widespread protests against the repressive theocratic regime. Regime sources put the death toll as high as 2000. As open-air morgues overflowed, Donald Trump, who threatened to start shooting if the regime unleashed violence against protesters, has failed to live up to his words, though he says the military option more..

Jan 14 (ST) I cannot remember when America was great the last time. One cannot be great again unless one was great earlier. That must surely penetrate this trumpeter unless there is an urgent case to be made for a massive transfusion of grey matter. One never knows these days with all sorts of technological innovations that even seem to produce devices that could remove your clothes without even a by-your-leave from you. One can quite understand our civilised bunch back home getting jittery more..

Jan 14 (TM) With the end to last year just a few days ago, it may be safe to say that SL’s economy is back on its feet. After five per cent growth in 2024, expansion continued in 2025, with inflation under control, and stability returning. But, with one in four Sri Lankans still facing poverty and natural disasters not sparing us, recovery is not yet shared by all. As we step into this year, can business turn stability into momentum? more..

Jan 14 (CT) When Minister Ananda Wijepala warns that we may soon need 10,000 people deployed merely to watch over villages and fields from elephant attacks, it is tempting to treat the remark as yet another dramatic headline in SL’s unending human-elephant conflict. However, the real drama lies not in the suddenness of this appeal but in the chronic policy inertia that has allowed this disaster to unfold day by day. That elephants roam villages by 7:00 a.m. is not evidence of a new threat more..

Jan 14 (TM) SL’s economic recovery has never been a straight road. Just as the country begins to find its footing after years of crisis, unexpected shocks remind us how fragile that progress still is. Cyclone Ditwah is one such shock. Its impact on infrastructure, livelihoods and public finances cannot be brushed aside, and pretending that existing economic targets remain untouched would be both unrealistic and irresponsible. CB Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe’s comments this week more..

Jan 14 (Island) The police have warned of an escalation in online financial scams. There have been numerous complaints of such frauds, and fraudsters often offer online employment opportunities, investment schemes or other financial benefits, luring victims into transferring money to their accounts, police have said. The commonest online scams in Sri Lanka, according to cybersecurity warnings during the past two years, are deceptive loan schemes, phishing links, more..

Jan 14 (Island) For decades, Sri Lanka’s leopard numbers have been debated, estimated, and contested, often based on assumptions few outside academic circles ever questioned. One of the most fundamental was that a leopard’s spots never change. That belief, long accepted as scientific fact, began to unravel not in a laboratory or lecture hall, but through thousands of photographs taken patiently in the wilds of Yala. At the centre of that quiet disruption stands Milinda Wattegedara. more..

Jan 14 (DM) Some 300 brand new vehicles have been stranded at the Hambantota Port for more than six months, with individual importers complaining that SL Customs is demanding taxes amounting to nearly three times the original value of the vehicles to secure their release. Vehicle owners say they had complied with all prevailing import regulations at the time of purchase, but Customs has since imposed additional levies, including a surcharge of more..