Jan 28 (AD) Despite an initially shock, the impact of Cyclone Ditwah which caused widespread devastation to several parts of the country is unlikely to affect SL’s economic growth in 2026, CB Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe has confirmed. He made this assertion based on data obtained from the month of December. Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe said SL’s GDP growth was projected to be between 4 to 5% in 2026 and it is unlikely that the trajectory will deviate going forward. more..

Jan 28 (NW) Lanka Premier League (LPL) Dambulla Thunders franchise owner Thamim Rahman has pleaded guilty in a high-profile match-fixing case and was fined Rs. 24 million, with a five-year suspended prison sentence imposed by the Colombo High Court on Wednesday. HC Judge Udesh Ranatunge delivered the sentence, marking one of the highest fines imposed under SL’s Prevention of Offences Relating to Sports Act No. 24 of 2019. Rahman was indicted over allegations that he attempted to pressure a player more..

Jan 28 (DM) Given the impact of cyclone Ditwah, which caused US $ 4.1 billion damage, SL is to seek redress from the European Union in its evaluation of the country’s eligibility for GSP+ trade facility under the new criterion that will come into effect after 2027, an official said. The market in the European Union (EU) currently absorbs more than 24% of the country’s total exports. SL is presently under observation by the EU authorities for the extension of the GSP+ trade facility more..

Jan 28 (AD) The team from the IMF which arrived last week on a fact-finding mission has indicated that there would be no changes to the agreement relating to the Extended Fund Facility programme being implemented with SL during a meeting with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. A meeting between IMF representatives, who arrived in SL to assess the damage caused by Cyclone Ditwah, and Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake more..

Jan 28 (AD) The first Automated Border Control (ABC) electronic gates (e–gate) at the arrival terminal of the BIA will be officially opened from today, Dept of Immigration and Emigration has announced. The Chief Immigration and Emigration Officer, Jude Fernando confirmed that four electronic gates will be opened. The Ministry of Ports and Civil Aviation, in partnership with the Govt of Japan and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) launched the e–gate project. more..

Jan 28 (FT) Colombo will come alive with vibrancy and festivities as Salam Ramadan, SL’s foremost Muslim cultural event, returns for a second successful year to Green Path (Ananda Coomaraswamy Mawatha), from 27 Feb to 1 March, from 5 p.m. to 12 midnight each evening. This unique three-day event will take place during the holy month of Ramadan, under the patronage of the Office of the Governor of Western Province and Mayor of Colombo. Joining hands as more..

Jan 28 (TM) Sampath Bank PLC has received regulatory approval to enter the wealth management business through a wholly owned subsidiary, marking an expansion of the bank’s non-interest income activities, the bank disclosed to the market. In a filing made in accordance with the Listing Rules of the Colombo Stock Exchange, Sampath Bank said the approval was granted by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka following a decision by the bank’s Board of Directors. more..

Jan 28 (DM) Cabinet approval has been granted to move ahead with plans to restore the Calido beach, Kalutara lagoon and the mouth of the Kalu Ganga following severe coastal erosion triggered by flood mitigation measures implemented in 2017. According to the Cabinet decision, erosion occurred after the Calido sandbar at the Kalu Ganga mouth was cut open to control flooding during the severe floods experienced that year. The move caused the sandbar to be completely washed away, more..

Jan 28 (FT) SL’s land market maintained solid growth in 2025, with the Colombo suburbs and Western Province districts emerging as key drivers, according to the latest Land Price Index (LPI) 2025 published by LankaPropertyWeb (LPW). The 2025 index shows that Colombo 1-15 recorded a 4% year-on-year (YoY) increase in average land prices per perch, reaching Rs. 12 million, while the Colombo suburban areas saw a stronger more..

Jan 28 (NW) Board of Investment (BOI) organized a dedicated investment forum to present structured business opportunities in Keragala, Gampaha District (Western Province), and Sooriyawewa, Southern Province, positioning them as emerging University Towns. The event brought together local and foreign investors, senior officials from the BOI, and Ministry of Higher Education to explore prospects in SL’s education sector, leveraging SL’s strong literacy rates and ongoing reforms. more..

Jan 28 (FT) Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week SL (MBFWSL) has officially announced the dates for its 2026 edition, taking place from 7–11 Oct 2026 at Cinnamon Life at City of Dreams, welcoming the global fashion community home to Colombo. The announcement reaffirms the platform’s ambition to position SL firmly on the international fashion and creative industries calendar. Presented by AOD and powered by DIMO, the only authorised agent for Mercedes-Benz in SL, MBFWSL continues to more..

Jan 28 (AD) Former Secretary to the President Saman Ekanayake has been remanded until February 11 by the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court. Ekanayake has been remanded in relation to the case filed against former President Ranil Wickremesinghe over the alleged misuse of Rs. 16.6 million in public funds during a visit to the UK in 2023. Saman Ekanayake appeared before the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court this afternoon. more..

Jan 28 (DM) Claiming that the attention of the govt has been drawn to the circulation of videos on social media, involving a leading school in Colombo, Cabinet Spokesman Minister Nalinda Jayatissa said the govt will adopt a regulation process if media and social media do not self-regulate voluntarily on matters concerning privacy and identity of individuals. Minister told the weekly briefing to announce cabinet decisions that the Online Safety Act is badly needed in situations like this. more..

Jan 28 (DM) Lieutenant Koyan Chamitha of the SL Navy’s elite Special Boat Squadron (SBS), the first Sri Lankan to complete the U.S. Navy SEAL basic training and earn the coveted SEAL Trident, passed away in the early hours of today at the Walisara Wardroom. Last year, Lieutenant Chamitha made history by becoming the first Sri Lankan to complete the rigorous SEAL basic training conducted by the Naval Special Warfare Basic Training Command of US Navy, marking a significant milestone. more..

Jan 28 (FT) IT is now said the JVP/NPP Govt's decision to close schools with less than 50 pupils, noticed through Circular 34/2025, will be implemented this year. This would mean that 1,506 schools will be shut down. Closing schools with a few pupils has been a topic for some years. There were schools closed in the past, with little notice. Often it was simply said they wound up. Here is a reason why I want Govt authorities to speak to parent-teachers, before deciding to close schools. more..

Jan 28 (FT) My interest in trade agreements arose while working on my PhD in Canada in 1982-1985. Having been immersed in the protectionist/State-centric discourse that pervaded SL in the 1970s, I was intrigued that the Canadian Govt was pressing for a bilateral agreement with the more powerful and much larger US. The Canada-US Free Trade Agreement (CUFTA) that was signed in 1987 was the first to include services trade. Given the cultural protectionism that was pervasive among more..

Jan 28 (TM) Former Chairperson of the Lanka Coal (Pvt) Ltd Company, who was involved in the processes related to the importation of coal consignments for electricity generation, is to be summoned before the Parliamentary Sectoral Oversight Committee on Infrastructure & Strategic Development. This review took place when the Committee met in the Parliament recently under the Chairpersonship of S.M. Marikkar. more..

Jan 28 (Island) Chief Prelates of the Malwathu, Asgiriya, Amarapura and Ramanna Nikayas, in a joint letter addressed to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, has expressed concern over the protracted delay in appointing a permanent Auditor General. The Chief Prelates have said that the appointment of an outsider as the Head of the National Audit Office (NAO) responsible for ensuring transparency and accountability in public finances will be inappropriate. more..

Jan 28 (TM) Housing, Construction & Water Supply Ministry said they are planning to provide more affordable apartment complexes for residents in Colombo, competing against the private sector with the intention of making the City more affordable. Deputy Minister T.B. Sarath said the Govt is planning to build apartments with affordable prices in Colombo in competition with the private sector. "Further, in this year’s Budget, we have allocated money to build 3,000 houses for lower more..

Jan 28 (NW) Governor of the Western Province and Presidential Special Envoy for Foreign Investment, Hanif Yusoof, went live today on Channel News Asia (CNA) from Singapore, where he spoke on SL’s economic recovery and the role of Port City Colombo as a key driver of the country’s next phase of growth. The Special Envoy addressed a range of questions from CNA, including SL’s post-crisis economic stabilisation, more..

Jan 28 (FT) Amid growing criticism that micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) affected by Cyclone Ditwah were not receiving adequate recovery support, Economic Development Deputy Minister Nishantha Jayaweera and Finance Ministry officials recently conducted a seminar for MPs on the Govt’s initiatives to date. According to the Parliament Secretariat, Finance Ministry officials pointed out that the Govt has addressed the biggest challenges faced by MSMEs: more..

Jan 28 (AD) A 28-year-old man has died after being shot during a private party held in the Tsunamiwatta in Ambalangoda. The victim sustained gunshot injuries after being shot by two unidentified individuals while attending the gathering. He was admitted to the Balapitiya Hospital for treatment, where he succumbed to his injuries. The deceased was a resident of Galaboda. The motive for the shooting has not yet been identified, and police suspect that a pistol-type firearm was used more..

Jan 28 (DM) Professor Chandana Jayaratne, head of Dept of Physics at the Uni of Colombo has stated that videos purporting to show Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs) are regularly submitted to him and associated scientific institutions in SL. He made these remarks in response to a video circulating on social media that allegedly shows a UFO following a shrimp farmer in Iranawila. According to the footage, a blinking object believed to be a UFO was sighted near the VOA transmission centre more..

Jan 28 (AD) SL has launched a voluntary drug rehabilitation program with vocational training support to help people addicted to narcotics recover and reintegrate into the workforce, Commissioner General of Rehabilitation Brigadier M.S. Amith has stated. He said participants will undergo a structured three-month rehabilitation process that includes counseling, supervision and recovery support. After completing treatment, they will receive vocational training to develop practical skills more..

Jan 28 (Island) The SJB strongly criticised the govt over the suspension of Deputy Secretary General of Parliament Chaminda Kularatne, alleging that the procedure adopted was flawed, unlawful and in violation of established parliamentary traditions. Former Chief Opposition Whip Lakshman Kiriella said the Speaker had no authority, under Parliamentary practice, to remove or suspend a senior parliamentary official without more..

Jan 28 (DM) SL health authorities are closely monitoring developments following the detection of a cluster of Nipah virus infections in India’s eastern state of West Bengal, amid heightened surveillance measures across parts of Asia. A senior Health Ministry source said the situation is being closely observed and that necessary precautions are already in place. “SL is on alert and continues to monitor the regional situation very carefully. At present there is no immediate threat, more..

Jan 28 (TM) Police are maintaining close surveillance over the prevalence of drug abuse among schoolchildren, ASP F.U. Wootler has stated. He noted that organised networks are distributing drugs such as Mava and babul under the pretext of selling popsicles, cotton candy, toffees, biscuits and sweets to schoolchildren within close proximity of schools. He emphasised that stringent action is being taken against those involved in such illicit activities, noting that 11 suspects have more..

Jan 28 (ST) SL is set to strengthen its presence on the global sports tourism map with the hosting of IronMan 70.3 Colombo on Feb 22, marking a six-year hiatus since the last event. This int'l franchise endurance event is being organised by Serendib Multisport (Pvt) 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 SL as a credible destination for high-value int'l sporting more..

Jan 28 (Yahoo) The second ODI between Sri Lanka and England became a talking point for reasons beyond the result. England’s victory was followed by debate around the playing surface, a familiar theme whenever touring sides struggle in subcontinent conditions. Comments made after the match quickly travelled, prompting a response from one of SL’s most respected former players. For Angelo Mathews, the discussion struck a nerve that extends far beyond one game or one series. more..

Jan 28 (FT) BOI Chairman Arjuna Herath said SL must push through structural reforms to attract between $2 bil and $2.3 bil in foreign direct investment, stressing that the country cannot compete with the scale of fiscal concessions offered by other investment destinations. Herath said SL does not have the fiscal space to match concession-heavy regimes deployed by larger and better-capitalised economies, and must instead more..

Jan 28 (NW) England star batter Joe Root praised SL’s Pavan Ratnayake after the young batter’s standout century in the third ODI, calling him a player with a bright future in int'l cricket. Ratnayake struck a top-class 121 in a high-pressure chase as SL pursued England’s massive 357 for 3, powered by Root’s unbeaten 111 and Harry Brook’s explosive 136. Despite his efforts, SL fell short, handing England a 2-1 series victory and ending SL’s 12-series unbeaten home ODI run since 2022. more..

Jan 28 (ST) The govt on Friday suspended Standing Orders before naming three civil society members to the Constitutional Council, prompting the Opposition to point out that parliamentary tradition had been violated in how the appointments were made. PM Harini Amarasuriya presented the three names to Parliament on Friday afternoon after Standing Orders were suspended. Once the names were approved in Parliament, it was announced that they would be forwarded to the President. more..