Dec 28 (ST) The sudden phone call from India’s External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar last week saying he was coming to SL as his PM Narendra Modi’s special envoy must have taken the SL govt by surprise. Minister Vijitha Herath was in Parliament, where the govt was voting on additional funds for the recovery process from Cyclone Ditwah, when he was sent a note that his Indian counterpart was wanting to get through to him urgently. more..

Dec 28 (TM) Eligible prison inmates across SL have not been granted the customary amnesty on Christmas Day in the first-ever such instance in the country’s history this year due to delays in providing additional information related to the inmate list submitted to the Ministry of Justice, according to Prisons Commissioner Jagath Weerasinghe. Responding to an inquiry on why the traditional pardon had not been granted, Weerasinghe said the request for additional information more..

Dec 28 (TM) Sri Lanka is likely to enter 2026 without an auditor general, as President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has yet to submit a new nomination following the repeated rejection of his previous nominees, highlighting an escalating standoff between the Govt and the Constitutional Council (CC). A CC member said that, as of yesterday (27), no name had been forwarded to the council for the post after it rejected the President’s nominee for the third time. more..

Dec 28 (TM) The National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) is awaiting responses from overseas laboratories regarding whether they can conduct the necessary tests on ondansetron, the expected timelines for such reports, and other relevant details, following a request from an Indian pharmaceutical company. This, amidst the NMRA’s attempt to establish WHO-accredited laboratory facilities to improve sovereign testing capacity more..

Dec 28 (AD) The legendary SL singer Latha Walpola has passed away today (27). She was 92-years old at the time of her passing. Born in Mount Lavinia in 1934, legendary singer Latha Walpola made her debut on Radio Ceylon in 1946 at the age of 12. She had recorded more than 10,000 songs during her career, including songs in foreign languages. Latha Walpola is also revered as the eternal Queen of Songs in SL cinema. She made her playback singing debut in 1953 with the film Eda Ra, more..

Dec 28 (EN) SL’s vehicle sales fell across categories by 9.7% in November, declining for the second month, though there was a pick-up in Japanese used vehicles, an analysis of vehicle registry data shows. Total vehicles registered fell by 4,271 units to 43,810 in November, from 48,081 in October and 48,897 in September. Used car registrations rose to 2,910 in November from 2,817 but was down from the peak of 3,461 in September. Brand new motor car registrations fell from 836 to 781. more..

Dec 28 (AD) CID has obtained a 72-hour detention order to further question former Minister Douglas Devananda, who was arrested yesterday in connection with a missing pistol, said police. Devananda, who was arrested by the CID, was produced before the Gampaha Magistrate’s Court today (27). He was taken into custody last evening (26) by CID officers in connection with an incident in which his personal firearm reportedly fell into the hands of members of an organised criminal more..

Dec 28 (ST) A joint official committee consisting of SL and Indian officials will be entrusted with handling India’s US$450 million post-disaster reconstruction package, a senior govt official said. The joint committee would decide on reconstruction projects to be carried out, purchases to be made under the Indian credit line and deployment of manpower from India to expedite projects, the official said. The joint committee will work under three time frames to complete the projects more..

Dec 28 (NW) Colombo Mayor Vraie Cally Balthazar on Saturday detailed the process behind the preparation of the Colombo Municipal Council’s 2025 budget, which is set to be resubmitted for a second reading on Dec. 31 after it was defeated during a council vote on Dec 22. In a statement issued following the setback, mayor said the budget was not merely a collection of figures but a document reflecting council’s performance more..

Dec 28 (DM) Vehicle Importers’ Association of SL (VIASL) has called on the govt to revise the pricing and tax structure for low engine-capacity vehicles to make them more affordable, particularly for middle-income consumers. VIASL President Prasad Manage said the revision should focus on the 1,000cc category, including models such as the Alto, Wagon R, Yaris, and Hustler. “These are vehicles primarily purchased by middle-class citizens. Such vehicles should be encouraged and made more..

Dec 28 (AD) Colombo-Kandy main road, which was temporarily closed at the Pahala Kadugannawa area due to landslides, has been reopened after an interim solution was implemented, the National Building Research Organization (NBRO) said. However, NBRO Director General Asiri Karunawardena stated that motorists should strictly adhere to advisories issued by the NBRO when using this road during the rainy season. He noted that preliminary investigations more..

Dec 28 (AD) Disaster Management Centre (DMC) has stated that it has initiated preparedness measures in anticipation of increased rainfall forecast by the Department of Meteorology. Director General of the DMC, Sampath Kotuwegoda, stated that relevant authorities have already been notified to remain on standby in this regard, including naval personnel, aircraft units and boat teams. According to the Dept of Meteorology, a wave-like wind flow is expected to affect the country from Dec 29, more..

Dec 28 (NW) SL police have seized 133 mobile phones and other prohibited items during a series of search operations conducted at the Boossa High-Security Prison. The seizures were made during 72 search operations carried out at the prison between Jan 1 and Dec 26, police said. In addition to mobile phones, officers recovered 159 SIM cards, 110 phone chargers, 122 data cables, 56 hands-free devices, 12 mobile phone batteries, 3 knives, 2.85 grams of heroin & 40.012 grams of tobacco. more..

Dec 28 (TM) Measures will be adopted to prevent the exploitation of Govt endorsements in future, Deputy Minister of Tourism Ruwan Ranasinghe said, as investigations continue into the cancelled Ne-Yo Live in SL concert, with key organisers allegedly absconding. Responding to an inquiry made by The Sunday Morning amid mounting public anger over the aborted concert, Ranasinghe said the incident had exposed gaps in more..

Dec 28 (DM) Appointment letters for 62 Dental Surgeons will be handed over at a special ceremony at the main auditorium of the Ministry of Health on Monday (29) under the patronage of Health Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa. Dental Surgeons have completed five years of undergraduate education at medical faculties in SL and recognised foreign universities, followed by a one-year compulsory training programme under the supervision of specialist and senior doctors at more..

Dec 28 (Island) The voter census activities for the year 2026 are scheduled to commence on 1st Feb 2026, the People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) announced. PAFFREL stated that, as in previous years, census officers will not visit every household. They will only visit households relevant to updating the “A” and “Aa” lists, which include newly added and removed names. Only households from which voter information is to be collected will be visited. more..

Dec 28 (ST) SSC have left out Kusal Mendis and Dasun Shanaka from their playing XI for the SLC Major Club Tier ‘B’ 3-day match, against Negombo CC despite both players requesting to be considered for selection. The decision follows their move to leave the domestic tournament earlier in the season to take part in franchise cricket in Dubai. SSC had informed its players that they would not be permitted to feature in overseas franchise leagues during the ongoing domestic campaign, more..

Dec 28 (TM) The lack of initiative by public service officers in kickstarting construction projects could hinder the anticipated turnaround of SL’s construction industry, despite the favourable conditions created by the increased capital expenditure in the 2026 Budget and anticipated reconstruction efforts following Cyclone Ditwah. Chamber of Construction Industry of SL (CCI) CEO Nissanka Wijeratne stated that on paper, both the capital expenditure allocated under 2026 more..

Dec 28 (ST) Former captain Charith Asalanka, Matheesha Pathirana, Dunith Wellalage and Dhananjaya de Silva are set to be recalled for the three-match home T20 Int'l series against Pakistan next month. The squad is also expected to include young off-spinner Traveen Mathews, whose recent exploits have caught the selectors’ eye. Asalanka’s return is the most closely watched. The left-hander played no part in the recent Tri-Series more..

Dec 28 (Island) SL’s selectors have a long history of springing surprises that leave the public blinking in disbelief. Some in the present generation may find it hard to imagine that in 1968, three members of the national selection panel picked themselves for a tour of England, dumping popular Ceylon captain Michael Tissera in the process. All hell broke loose. Chandra Schaffter resigned in protest, calling out an unprecedented farce. The govt stepped in, introduced the Sports Act and more..

Dec 28 (SO) SL’s tax to GDP ratio (a key economic indicator showing a country’s total tax revenue as a percentage of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP), calculated as (Total Tax Revenue / GDP) x 100) which trials the global and the regional figure is to be closed in by addressing tax avoidance and evasion in the coming years according to a senior official of the Finance and Planning Ministry. “Govt hopes to increase tax revenue as a percentage of the GDP to around 20% more..

Dec 28 (TM) It has been almost a month since Cyclone Ditwah bruised Sri Lanka. The heavy rains have ceased, flood water levels have receded, and those displaced by the disaster cling to hope, some while living in temporary shelters. In the seeming calm, the nation slowly awakens to a new year around the corner. The whole country appears to be coming back to life gradually. According to DMC reports, 66,132 people are still residing more..

Dec 28 (Island) Pressure is mounting on Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake to ensure that an Auditor General is appointed without further delay. But he has remained unmoved. He is determined to wear down the Constitutional Council (CC) and appoint one of his party loyalists as Auditor General. The CC has rejected his nominees—and rightly so; they are not eligible. Former Executive Presidents went all out to railroad the CC into rubber-stamping their decisions. more..

Dec 28 (Island) A telling Christmas cartoon in a Canadian newspaper shows the American Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents apprehending and attacking Santa Claus as he lands in the US presumably without a visa. For their part, ICE agents have gone a step worse and got one of their men to be a fake Santa, with an ICE logo, in an advertisement that promises US immigrants a payment of $3,000 and free flight home for Christmas if they would voluntarily more..

Dec 28 (SO) The devastating natural disaster caused by Cyclone Ditwah, which struck Sri Lanka from Nov 17 and continued into the first week of December, triggered one of the largest international humanitarian responses the country has witnessed in recent decades. While the cyclone caused immense human, economic, and infrastructural damage, it also highlighted the strong international standing and diplomatic credibility of SL under the Govt led by Prez Anura Kumara. more..

Dec 28 (CT) The arena of SL politics has for some time been largely influenced by the rule of the jungle. Also, it has been mostly characterized by the notion that the end justifies the means. Political actors are masters of duplicity. Grinning mugs imploring support in the run-up to elections, promising sun, moon, and heaven in return, turn into hubristic frowns once comfortably ensconced in office. Once the rain ceases, the umbrella is no longer needed has been the tragic reality. more..

Dec 28 (ST) When India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar visited the country this week, his office allocated time from his busy engagement with Tamil political leaders from North and Upcountry. For some time now, this has been the norm whenever a top-ranking official from the neighbouring country visits. During these discussions, northern political leaders regularly express concerns and aspirations, particularly more..

Dec 28 (ST) My dear Vraie, I thought of writing to you after hearing that the first budget of the maalimaawa chaps at the CMC was defeated by 3 votes. You spoke after that, close to tears, telling your fellow councillors that what was really defeated was not the maalimaawa’ chaps budget, but the budget of their conscience. Vraie, you shouldn’t be shocked by what happened at all. In fact, it was quite predictable. It is quite surprising the powers that be in Pelawatte didn’t see it coming. more..

Dec 28 (ST) The year 2025 of the Gregorian calendar ends next week—a year of mixed happenings and emotions for the people swept asunder by a devastating natural disaster, over and above a delicate economy. Factor in a fledgling govt desperate to make a mark despite the odds that include political setbacks at elections and then Cyclone Ditwah. Last year, we separated the mixed bag of events of that year, and so we will summarise it for 2025. The Good: The Govt continued more..

Dec 28 (TM) As the curtains draw on another year and the nation gears to welcome another undoubtedly challenging year, Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD) and his NPP Govt will have to brace for a new year with amplified challenges due to the need for balancing post-Ditwah rebuilding efforts and the ongoing economic recovery path. Balancing these two challenging issues would be a challenge for any govt in power and more..

Dec 28 (TM) SL’s much-touted economic recovery has always rested on fragile ground, sustained less by resilience than by a narrow window of fiscal discipline, external goodwill, and public endurance. Cyclone Ditwah has now brutally exposed just how thin that margin truly was. While headline projections still speak of stabilisation and growth, the underlying numbers tell the more sobering story of a country walking a tightrope between recovery and relapse, with the climate disaster threatening to more..

Dec 28 (SO) With 2025 ending in a few days, the entire world is focused on what 2026 will be like. Perhaps, the biggest challenge facing the world is resolving the Ukraine War, which will enter its fourth year in February if no solution is found before then. US Prez Donald Trump is due to meet Ukrainian Prez Volodymyr Zelensky today (Sunday) in Florida at Mar-a-Lago, a.k.a. the Winter White House to discuss the 28-Point Ukraine Peace Plan. Confirmation of planned top-level talks more..