Jan 1 (NW) As we step into the New Year 2026, we do so as a nation that has shouldered the greatest reform programme and reconstruction effort in our modern history. Despite numerous challenges, the year 2025 laid the foundation for sustainable development rooted in our national aspirations. Among the significant economic achievements of the past year were the recording of the lowest budget deficit since 1977, the highest govt revenue more..

Jan 1 (CT) Minister K.D. Lalkantha accused media institutions in Sri Lanka of focusing excessively on negative developments while overlooking what he described as positive progress made by the govt. Addressing an event, the Minister claimed that media organisations which frequently report on setbacks and shortcomings in the country are themselves flawed institutions. “The media outlets that speak of upsets in the country are themselves upset institutions.” more..

Jan 1 (TM) T Environment Ministry is teaming up with the private sector to promote cloth bags as a sustainable alternative to polythene bags for the Sri Pada pilgrimage, as part of the Govt's plan to make Adam's Peak a polythene-free zone. Deputy Minister Anton Jayakody said that private sector sponsors have offered to provide cloth bags to replace polythene bags used by pilgrims. The Ministry has also enlisted media help to raise awareness about environmental precautions during pilgrimage, more..

Jan 1 (AD) A Gazette notification has been issued by Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake, establishing a Rebuilding SL Presidential Task Force. The 25-member task force has been formed to provide strategic leadership, coordination, a unified approach towards and oversight of all post–disaster rehabilitation, recovery and reconstruction matters following Cyclone Ditwah. PM Harini Amarasuriya has been appointed as the Chairman of more..

Jan 1 (DN) SL’s top-ranked squash star Ravindu Laksiri once again proved his class by winning his 13th consecutive Men’s Open title, while national women’s number one Chanithma Sinaly secured her second straight Women’s Open crown at the 45th Sri Lanka Senior National Squash Championship 2025 – PSA Satellite Event, organised by Sri Lanka Squash and concluded at the Air Force Squash Complex on Tuesday night. In the Men’s Open final, the undisputed national champion more..

Jan 1 (TM) Right to Information (RTI) Commission stated that although the RTI Act, No. 12 of 2016 provides it with a degree of independence to make staff recruitments, this has not been possible in practice due to limitations imposed by the Treasury, which controls funding. RTI Commission’s Director General (DG) K.D.S. Ruwanchandra said that public sector recruitments have been restricted by the Government, and that this has affected the Commission. He added that the issue is not unique more..

Jan 1 (Island) Bar Association of SL (BASL) has protested against the way the NPP/JVP govt promoted judicial officers (magistrates, district judges), judges of the High Court and the Court of Appeal. The BASL, in a letter dated 29 Dec, 2025, to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, with copies to the Chairman and members of the Constitutional Council, Chief Justice, Justice Minister and Secretary Judicial Service Commission, has emphasised that promotions must continue to more..

Jan 1 (Island) CHEC Port City Colombo (Pvt) Ltd., the master developer of Port City Colombo, reaffirms its commitment to attracting Foreign Direct Investments into SL, and delivering further infrastructure milestones, as the project enters a new era of commercial operations and vertical development. “Since its commencement in 2014, Port City Colombo’s strategic vision has always been centred on the betterment of the SL community and the advancement of the country’s economy,” more..

Jan 1 (FT) Indian has announced a doubling of financial commitment to three housing projects in the Northern and Southern Provinces. Diplomatic Letters to effect the revised assistance were exchanged by Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha and Housing Construction and Water Supply Ministry Secretary, L.B. Kumudu Lal at a ceremony held at the High Commission of India on 30 Dec 2025. Over 1,550 families will benefit more..

Jan 1 (FT) The country’s aviation sector has recorded a marked recovery and expansion during the first 11 months of 2025, with international passenger traffic, aircraft movements, and tourist arrivals all posting double-digit growth compared to the same period last year, according to the Ports & Civil Aviation Ministry. The Ministry said that from Jan to Nov 2025, international passenger movements reached 9.23 million, reflecting a 15.20% increase over the corresponding more..

Jan 1 (FT) Business Promoters & Partners Engineering Ltd., (BPPE) has issued the following Right of Reply to the article headlined ‘RTI exposes irregularities in SL water contracts involving Chinese SOEs – PMAC calls for accountability and urgent probe into unsolicited bids and inflated costs’ published in the Daily FT on 29 November 2025: We write on behalf of BPPE with reference to the above-titled article published on 29 November 2025, which makes reference to BPPE’s participation in more..

Jan 1 (FT) Pioneering business magazine LMD has announced that its Sri Lankan Of The Year (SLOTY) for 2025 is racing prodigy Yevan David. David is the youngest since LMD’s annual award was presented to the late Lakshman Kadirgamar back in 1994. “At the ripe young age of 18, when most teenagers are discovering the outlines of their aspirations, David has already carved his name into the international motorsport arena,” said LMD. “Yevan David’s trajectory is a signal of a new generation more..

Jan 1 (FT) During the year 2025, SL Coast Guard (SLCG), with the assistance of other stakeholders, has taken into custody illegal narcotics worth over Rs. 370 million along with 71 suspects. The SLCG has been collaborating closely with the SL Navy, Police, Police Narcotics Bureau, State Intelligence Service, and the STF, sharing information during anti-drug operations. As a result, significant quantities of illegal narcotics were seized, including over 5 kilograms of ICE more..

Jan 1 (EN) In 2025, Sri Lanka navigated a turbulent path under the new NPP govt, balancing economic stabilization post-2022 crisis with reforms, only to be derailed by the catastrophic Cyclone Ditwah in late November. Drawing from EconomyNext’s extensive reporting—focused on economy, business, and policy — the year saw optimism in tourism and growth forecasts, IMF-backed progress, and fiscal gains, but more..

Jan 1 (NW) Let us face challenges and wisely overcome them ! There is no doubt that the New Year 2026 will be a challenging year for our motherland. From today onward, we must all resolve to recognize this reality clearly and to act by giving precedence to intellect over emotion. The economic, social, and political challenges we have faced in the aftermath of an unexpected and catastrophic situation have now expanded to a new dimension. It is evident that these challenges cannot be more..

Jan 1 (EN) SL’s inflation was 2.1% in the 12 months to Dec 2025, with prices rising 1.2% in the month. Colombo Consumer Price Index rose 1.2% in December to 195.8 points from 193.4 points in November. Consumer prices have risen 3.4% over 39-months from September 2022, when the CB’s deflationary policy stated to show up in the balance of payments. In 2025 prices fell absolutely from 192.6 points in January to 191.2 to April and the index started to climb slightly as the rupee depreciated. more..

Jan 1 (EN) Sri Lanka Customs has earned 870 billion rupees from vehicle imports, with year end collections expected to be around 2,545 billion rupees by the last week of December, Customs spokesman Chandana Punchihewa said. SL customs was initially given a target of 2,115 billion rupees, which was revised up to 2,231 billion rupees, he said. “The target also incorporated the expected revenues from vehicles,” Punchihewa said in a video statement. more..

Jan 1 (NW) As we move forward to the New Year of 2026, it is timely to reflect on the year 2025 that has passed. The year 2025 can be granted as a year having made a number of decisive and progressive steps with a people oriented govt. I am confident that, within a new political culture, we were able to strengthen transparency in state governance and lay the foundation for an efficient and corruption free public service. We can be satisfied with the progress achieved in several key areas during 2025, more..

Jan 1 (FT) Deputy Minister Namal Karunaratne said compensation amounting to Rs. 4,983 million has been paid to 67,460 paddy farmers whose cultivations were damaged by Cyclone Ditwah. A total of 148,464 paddy farmers have submitted claims for crop losses, covering an affected extent of 71,110 hectares. Of these, 10,801 farmers who had also cultivated additional crops received their compensation last Friday. Rs. 3,381.4 million of the total compensation has been paid in cash more..

Jan 1 (FT) Macksons Tiles Lanka Ltd, (Macktiles) has achieved a significant milestone with its first export of tiles to Australia, marking an important step in the company’s international expansion and Sri Lanka’s growing presence in value-added manufacturing. Manufactured using premium Sri Lankan raw materials and produced with advanced Italian technology, Macktiles products reflect a commitment to precision engineering, durability, and global quality standards. more..

Jan 1 (FT) Evergreen Group situated in Horangalla, Thalgaswala in Galle district has produced and sold the highest quantity of tea for a group in Sri Lanka in 2025 selling 10,379,568.00 kilos thus establishing it as the largest tea producing private group for the eighth consecutive year. Aruna de Silva is the Chairman of Evergreen Group of Companies. The overall operations are spearheaded by Deputy Chairman Senal de Silva, Director Minul de Silva, Director Rekadahena Plantations more..

Jan 1 (FT) Steeped in history, spirituality, and culture, the Gangaramaya Temple has long been a cornerstone of Colombo’s religious and cultural identity. Now, with the ambitious Temple City Project, this historic precinct is set to be transformed into a world-class tourist and cultural landmark, redefining Colombo’s position on the global tourism map. Located in Hunupitiya, Col 2, Gangaramaya Temple precinct is more than a sacred site—it is a living museum of SL’s heritage. more..

Jan 1 (Island) The recent wave of pharmaceutical tragedies in Sri Lanka, as well as some others that have occurred regularly in the past, has exposed a terrifying reality: our medicine cabinets have become a frontline of risk and potential danger. In recent months, the silent sanctuary of SL’s healthcare system has been shattered by a series of tragic, preventable deaths. The common denominator in these tragedies has been a failure in the most basic promise of medicine: more..

Jan 1 (Island) The CID arrested EPDP leader and former minister Douglas Devananda last Thursday in connection with an ongoing investigation into a pistol issued to him by the Army way back in 2001 allegedly ending up in the underworld. It has claimed that information elicited from Makandure Madush, a notorious criminal, led the police to the weapon hidden in a shrub in Weliweriya. Devananda is one of the battle-scarred ex-Tiger combatants who courageously stood up to the LTTE and helped defeat it. more..

Jan 1 (DM) Astrology - In my humble opinion, astrology is the logic behind the planets and their movements. Astrology is all about the planetary positions in your natal chart and facilitates the study, reading and offering predictions for your life journey. To prepare your natal chart, your full name, the names of your parents, your time of birth, and the place of birth are required. Numerology is the logic behind numbers. Numerology is based on your date of birth. more..

Jan 1 (CT) SL’s national electricity policy draft reflects a necessary shift in thinking, away from the concept that power systems can be managed by simply adding more generation and leaving the rest under markets or operator judgement. This transformation is not ideological. It reflects lived experience. Repeated system stress, blackouts, fiscal shocks and increasing climate volatility have revealed the limits of energy-only thinking in action. SL’s power system was generally stable for many years. more..

Jan 1 (CT) The year 2025 has emerged as a defining one for both international and domestic politics in SL, profoundly shaped by Cyclone Ditwah, which battered the island nation of 21 million people. In its aftermath, Ditwah triggered an unprecedented wave of global solidarity, with donations in cash and kind pouring in from around the world—including India, whose substantial support has yet to be fully accounted for, according to its High Commission in Colombo. more..

Jan 1 (CT) SL has been here before — often, and at great cost. Each time the language of national security has been used to justify exceptional laws; democratic safeguards have weakened, public trust has frayed, and ordinary citizens have borne the consequences. The proposed Protection of the State from Terrorism (PSTA) Bill threatens to entrench that legacy rather than end it, despite repeated assurances that the long-reviled Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) would finally be abolished. more..

Jan 1 (DM) SL ended 2025, a year that could have been much worse, on a positive note. The ravages of Cyclone Ditwah, which killed over 600 people, scores still missing, and the infrastructure damage estimated at $ 4 billion, had been a fatal blow at the end of the year. Still, in 2025, SL had avoided the worst. The year began with the inexperienced and untested NPP at the helm of the govt. Comparative international experience — from the post-Hassina mayhem in Bangladesh to the Arab Spring more..

Jan 1 (TM) The tragic terrorist attack at Bondi Beach on 14 December, which claimed the lives of 16 individuals and injured dozens more during a Hanukkah celebration, has once again forced the global community to confront the devastating reality of targeted, extremist-linked violence. As Australia mourns this recent loss and investigators delve into the radicalisation of the suspects involved, a critical question compels SL as well: does SL require a more robust, more..

Jan 1 (TM) 2025 was a challenging year for Sri Lanka and the world. All indicators point to 2026 being equally or more challenging than the one we’ve endured. Globally, we have a divided international community. The globe is once again rife with armed conflict and the threat of more violence. The rules-based international order, once championed by many nations which we considered global leaders, is today being dismantled by them. Power dynamics across the planet are changing, and with it, more..

Jan 1 (DM) If there are two lessons that 2025 taught us, that happens to be the uncertainty of life and survival of the fittest. These lessons, however, are not confined to last year but to many years, decades and centuries that have passed. Cyclone Ditwah that ravaged through several parts of the country made people realise these two lessons in a brutal manner. Prior to November, many victims that were buried under mud wouldn’t have expected to die as a result of extreme weather conditions. more..