Dec 22 (DM) Chairman of the Board of Investment (BOI), Arjuna Herath has announced his decision to relinquish his role on Jan 31, 2026, marking the end of a pivotal tenure focused on structural reform. Herath, who assumed the chairmanship in Oct 2024, stated that he has requested the govt to release him to fulfill personal commitments that were postponed to undertake the leadership position. A former Senior Partner at Ernst & Young, Herath brought extensive corporate governance expertise to the agency, more..

Dec 22 (FT) In a key appointment for the nation’s urban planning sector, M.G. Hemachandra, a seasoned development expert, has been named Chairman of the Urban Development Authority (UDA). Hemachandra brings extensive expertise from his tenure as a Senior Specialist and former Chief of Loan Projects at the JICA in SL. His career highlights include in-depth work in development policy analysis and formulation, economic development program and project design, implementation, and post-evaluation. more..

Dec 22 (Island) At a moment when the world is closely watching peace efforts linked to conflicts in Thailand and Cambodia, Gaza and Ukraine, a new book by Prof. G.L. Peiris revisits one of the most closely scrutinised peace initiatives of recent times: the negotiations between Govt of SL and LTTE. Titled SL Peace Process: An Inside View, the book is published by Vijitha Yapa Publications. Hardcover volume provides a scholarly, candid and first-hand account of the peace process that began in Sattahip, more..

Dec 22 (Island) Maan Pharmaceuticals Ltd, the manufacturer of Ondansetron, which has been withdrawn from hospitals here pending a probe, is reported to have asked the SL health authorities to have the drug tested by an internationally accredited laboratory. The use of nine other Maan products too has been suspended in Sri Lanka over quality concerns. Maan’s reaction has come as no surprise; all companies ardently defend their products. However, its concerns should be heeded. more..

Dec 22 (SO) As SL grapples with the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah, long-standing weaknesses in disaster preparedness, climate adaptation and urban planning have once again come into sharp focus. Former Minister, Champika Ranawaka reflected on how successive Govts have handled disaster risk over the past two decades. He said the laws are often bypassed, how political short-termism undermines climate resilience, and what structural reforms are needed to rebuild more safely. more..

Dec 22 (ST) Parliament does not normally sit in December after the budget for the following year is passed, yet the unprecedented disaster brought on by Cyclone Ditwah forced lawmakers to return to the House for two more days this week to pass a Rs. 500 billion supplementary estimate to restore the livelihoods of those affected by the disaster. While there was agreement among both the govt and opposition parties on the urgent need to pass the supplementary estimate, there was still significant disagreements more..

Dec 22 (SO) When Cyclone Ditwah tore across Sri Lanka last month, it did far more than flatten homes, drown farmlands, and trigger deadly landslides. It collided head-on with a fragile economic recovery painstakingly rebuilt after the country’s worst financial crisis in history. The result has been a defining test not only for the Govt and people, but also for the international financial system that has invested heavily in the island’s stabilisation. In the weeks following the devastation, more..

Dec 22 (TM) In the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah, concerns are mounting over the legality and transparency of Govt funds created for disaster relief and reconstruction, particularly the Govt Disaster Relief Fund and the Rebuilding Sri Lanka Fund. Financial experts and Opposition members have raised questions about whether these funds, established outside the usual Consolidated Fund framework, comply with the Public Financial Management Act. more..

Dec 22 (GV) Some fates are written in broken promises. The UNP’s 1977 election manifesto acknowledged the existence of a Tamil ethnic problem, enumerated some of its root causes, promised to resolve it politically and highlighted the nexus between national economic development and the peaceful resolution of the grievances of the Tamil speaking people. “The UNP accepts the position that there are numerous problems confronting the Tamil-speaking people. The lack of a solution to their problems more..

Dec 22 (CT) Sri Lanka’s recent climate disasters did not come without warning. Scientists, environmentalists and disaster experts have spoken for years about rising risks in the hill country, stronger rainfall patterns, unstable land use and poor planning. Yet when disaster struck, many lives were lost, homes were destroyed, and thousands were displaced. The question we must now ask is not only what went wrong, but what happens next. Displacement is no longer temporary. more..

Dec 21 (ST) NPP govt led by Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake is now beyond the period where it can any longer blame teething problems for its missteps in governance. One year into office, there are questions if the NPP is genuinely committed to accountability and transparency as it claims to be. The ongoing debate over the appointment of a new AG is a case in point. The post has been vacant since April 2025 after more..

Dec 21 (AD) A special discussion was held today (20) at the Presidential Secretariat under the patronage of Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake to review district-level plans aimed at restoring the lives of citizens under the Rebuilding Sri Lanka programme and to examine challenges that have emerged during implementation. The meeting included Secretaries of Ministries responsible for defence, agriculture, irrigation, water supply, fisheries, transport, housing and construction, more..

Dec 21 (AD) India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is set to visit Sri Lanka next week, a trip coming at a time when Delhi immediately reached out to its neighbour amid ongoing recovery from one of the country’s worst natural disasters in decades. The visit follows India’s swift and extensive humanitarian response to Cyclone Ditwah, which struck SL on 27 November, triggering catastrophic floods and landslides that have claimed over 500 lives and affected millions. more..

Dec 21 (NW) CID has launched a wide-ranging probe into allegations that sensitive surveillance data used to track drug-smuggling vessels operating in the high seas has fallen into the hands of narcotics traffickers. The investigation was initiated on the instructions of the IGP, following information that data from the Vessels Monitoring System (VMS) — used to monitor multi-day fishing vessels and boats suspected of transporting more..

Dec 21 (EN) SL will pay cattle farmers up to two million rupees for cross-bred animals that were lost in the Cyclone Ditwah, and lesser amount for other cattle, Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake said. “If someone lost a cross-bred cow, we will give them 200,000 rupees,” Prez told parliament, seeking approval to spend 500 billion rupees extra for cyclone relief in 2026. “We will give up to two million rupees for 10 cows. Even if more is lost we will only give 2 million. We have to put a cap. more..

Dec 21 (ST) The CID team involved in investigations into the alleged misuse of Rs. 16.6 million in state funds by former President Ranil Wickremesinghe to attend his wife’s graduation ceremony at a UK university has been summoned to the Attorney General’s Dept on Monday. The discussion with the team that returned from the UK is aimed at reviewing the progress of the case and providing necessary directions. Special attention will be focused on the available evidence in the case. more..

Dec 21 (SO) Following a landslide during cyclone Ditwah, officers of the NBRO carried out a thorough inspection of Ambuluwawa on Friday, with the survey lasting over seven hours from around 11 a.m. The team started at the main entrance of Ambuluwawa, examining cracks in several parts of the mountain as well as subsidence and fissures along the road leading to the site. They then visited the areas where major landslides had occurred and carried out assessments along the routes leading to more..

Dec 21 (AD) Governor of the CB Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe says that the public should be very mindful when obtaining relief money and bank loans provided by the govt for those affected by the disaster. Participating in a program held in Kandy today (20), Governor said that it is the duty of the public to manage the loans and relief they receive. Speaking at the event, he said that the govt has allocated a large amount of funds to provide relief to those affected by the disaster. more..

Dec 21 (TM) GMOA demanded that the Cabinet take responsibility for the importation of contaminated medicines from India, following serious safety concerns and reports of deaths linked to injectable medicinal drugs supplied by one supplier. GMOA Spokesman Dr. Chamil Wijesinghe said that several patients at the National Hospital, Kandy had developed similar patterns of infection after receiving ondansetron, supplied by more..

Dec 21 (NW) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Friday outlined a wide-ranging disaster recovery and livelihood restoration programme in Parliament, announcing the largest supplementary estimate in recent history as the govt moves to rebuild communities affected by recent floods and landslides. Presenting a Rs. 500 billion supplementary estimate, Prez said the funds would be deployed without increasing the national debt ceiling & with safeguards to manage inflation more..

Dec 21 (TM) Despite reports of damage to agricultural land across the country caused by Cyclone Ditwah, there will be no resulting shortage of rice in the market and any shortage of vegetables will only last for a couple of months, the Deputy Minister of Trade, Commerce, and Food Security has claimed. Deputy Minister of Trade, Commerce, and Food Security R.M. Jayawardana stated that they did not expect a significant food shortage in the market as a result of Cyclone Ditwah. more..

Dec 21 (DM) Court of Appeal directed SL Customs (SLC) to release a further 166 BYD vehicles detained by Customs, subject to the furnishing of the relevant bank guarantees and corporate guarantees. The order was made by Court of Appeal President Justice Rohantha Abeysuriya and Justice Priyantha Fernando when three writ petitions filed by John Keells CG Auto (Pvt) Ltd were taken up for hearing. The petitions concern a dispute relating to the motor capacity of certain BYD vehicle models more..

Dec 21 (ST) Office of Missing Persons (OMP) has requested that the govt seek int'l expertise to recover bodies buried in landslides and to track persons reported missing following the Cyclone Ditwah disaster, a commissioner from the office said. OMP Commissioner Mirak Raheem said that the office had urged the govt to request int'l teams specialising in the recovery of missing people’s remains following landslides so that families could conduct funeral rites with due dignity for the dead. more..

Dec 21 (ST) Pramodya Wickremasinghe’s return as Chairman of Selectors is not about nostalgia or sentiment. It is about continuing a plan that was cut short in 2023. While that plan appeared to fail in public, he believes it was quietly laying the groundwork behind the scenes. The same decisions that once cost him his job are now being seen as the reason Sri Lanka can look beyond merely surviving and start planning seriously for 2027. more..

Dec 21 (NW) Under the direction of the Secretary Defence, Sampath Thuyacontha, a dedicated Public Assistance Helpdesk will be established commencing on 21 Dec, in the Galle Face area, located in front of the Presidential Secretariat. This initiative is a response to the significant increase in public gatherings during the ongoing seasonal period. Helpdesk is being set up through a coordinated effort of Tri-Forces, ensuring a unified, responsive & visible presence on the ground. more..

Dec 21 (EN) SL may spend about 1,000 billion rupees on Ditwah relief and recovery over three years, Deputy Treasury Secretary A K Seneviratne has said. In Dec 2025, about 75 billion rupees is being spent on Ditwah relief with 50 billion rupees in re-allocated spending approved by parliament, Seneviratne told the COPF. For 2026, a 500 billion rupees in extra spending was approved by parliament on Friday. Among the funds would be 115 bil rupees to strengthen slopes on key roads. more..

Dec 21 (NF) The railway line from Badulla to Ambewela had been disrupted at several points due to landslides caused by the recent disaster, halting train operations. This morning, train services resumed on this line for the first time in 23 days, following a ceremonial event marking the occasion. A large number of local and foreign tourists arrived at the Badulla Railway Station this morning to participate in the inaugural journey. The event was attended by Minister Samantha Vidyaratne, more..

Dec 21 (Island) A five star 100-room Maldivian resort hotel property controlled by Browns Investments has been disposed for USD 57.5 million, Browns Investment said. The company had previously disclosed in September that the deal was in the pipeline pending completion of precedent conditions. The property. Barcelo’ Whale Lagoon Maldives, belonged to Browns Ari Resort (Private) Ltd, a subsidiary of Browns investments, was purchased by ASB Hotel Properties Maldives Private Ltd. more..

Dec 21 (CT) Severe congestion at the Port of Colombo has once again highlighted structural weaknesses in SL’s cargo clearance system, with the long-delayed Container Inspection Centre (CIC) at Kerawalapitiya emerging as a critical missing link. Ceylon Today obtained a copy of the final report on the Container Inspection Centre, Kerawalapitiya, dated 22 Oct 2022 and supported by the ADB. Report explicitly warned that unless more..

Dec 21 (CI) India return to T20Is with the afterglow of a maiden ODI World Cup title at home. But the spotlight now shifts to the shortest format. The first T20I against SL in Visakhapatnam marks the start of a five-match series that makes up nearly half of India's limited build-up to the 2026 T20 World Cup in England. With just 11 T20Is scheduled before that tournament, India will be eager to build momentum and rhythm ahead of the global event. Since their group-stage exit at the 2024 T20 WC, more..

Dec 21 (NW) The SLPP had initially planned to field prominent businessman Dhammika Perera as its presidential candidate at the 2024 election, party’s General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam said. He said the SLPP had completed all preparations to nominate Perera as its candidate, but the businessman declined the offer at the last moment. According to Kariyawasam, Perera had agreed to contest the election and arrangements — including official ceremonies and consultations with more..