Jan 19 (DM) Last week, Daily Mirror exclusively reported of yet another foreign investor pulling out of SL citing regulatory obstruction and arbitrary state action. China based Amber Adventures Private Limited, the country’s first cable car venture said it had officially pulled out of the Ambuluwawa Cable Car Project due to arbitrary and unlawful actions by state authorities including the suspension of construction by the CEA more..

Jan 19 (AD) A special traffic plan will be in place in Colombo during the upcoming SL-England cricket matches to be played at the R. Premadasa Cricket Stadium. Accordingly, SL Police announced the implementation of a special traffic management plan on 22, 24, and 27 January when the matches are due to be played at the Premadasa stadium. According to the Colombo Traffic Division, the measures are intended to minimize traffic congestion on roads surrounding stadium on match days. more..

Jan 19 (NW) Sri Lanka has secured a place among the world’s leading honeymoon destinations, with Galle ranked fifth in Tripadvisor’s 2026 Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best Honeymoon Destinations list. The rankings are based on the quality and quantity of traveler reviews submitted over a one-year period, reflecting real experiences shared by newlyweds from around the world. Galle was listed alongside globally renowned romantic destinations such as Bali in Indonesia, Mauritius, more..

Jan 19 (AM) A video circulating on social media has renewed attention on tensions between app-based taxi drivers and local taxi operators in SL’s tourism zones, after a police officer, reportedly attached to the Unawatuna Tourist Police, was seen warning a PickMe driver that ride-hailing vehicles were not permitted to wait or park on public roads. In the video, the officer states that such vehicles may only remain on private property, adding, “Don’t say another word or argue — this is the law. more..

Jan 19 (NW) A new flyover aimed at easing traffic congestion in central Colombo was opened to the public today at a total cost of Rs. 3.2 billion. Baladaksha Mawatha Flyover was declared open under the patronage of Transport, Highways and Urban Development Minister Bimal Rathnayake. The flyover is the third constructed under a broader project designed to reduce traffic congestion in and around the Colombo city limits. The structure allows one-way traffic from Galle Face toward more..

Jan 19 (AD) Extensive discussions have been held at a review meeting at the Presidential Secretariat pertaining to the progress of projects planned by the govt to promote a cashless economy in SL, including the digitalisation of govt institutions, promotion of QR transactions and the completion of the digital identity card project. A discussion to review the progress of projects implemented under the Ministry of Digital Economy in 2025 more..

Jan 19 (CI) Left-arm spinner Malinda Pushpakumara has become the fourth Sri Lankan to take 1000 first-class wickets, following in the footsteps of Muthiah Muralidaran (1374), Rangana Herath (1080) and Dinuka Hettiarachchi (1001). Pushpakumara, 38, last represented Sri Lanka in 2018; he achieved the feat while playing for Badureliya Sports Club against Moors Sports Club in the Sri Lanka Major League three-day tournament. Pushpakumara, who had started the game on 998 wickets, more..

Jan 19 (AD) Four Buddhist monks, including Ven. Balangoda Kassapa Thero, and six other individuals who were arrested and subsequently remanded for allegedly violating coastal conservation laws by placing a Buddha statue at the Trincomalee Bodhiraja Viharaya have been further remanded. Group has been further remanded until Jan 28 by the Trincomalee Magistrate’s Court. They were accused of placing a Buddha statue at the Trincomalee Bodhiraja Vihara on Nov 16, more..

Jan 19 (CT) SL’s first-ever cable car project at Ambuluwawa, developed under Amber Adventure with technical and product expertise from China Machine-Building Int'l Corporation (CMEC), is preparing to seek intervention from an International Arbitration Court in Singapore, citing unlawful threats, arbitrary regulatory actions, and a failure by SL authorities to protect the USD 12.75 million investment. Company officials said that more..

Jan 19 (AD) The present administration aims to advance the country’s development without theft or corruption, Minister Bimal Rathnayaka stated. He made these remarks during the handover ceremony of the Baladaksha Mawatha flyover in Colombo to the public. He said the country is dealing with an economic crisis which was a result of theft, destruction and mismanagement that ultimately led to bankruptcy. The Minister said the present administration is determined to overcome more..

Jan 19 (EN) Sri Lanka is looking to set up a refinery in the island, as imports are not taking place amid large border taxes and trade restrictions, Chairman of the National Gem and Jewellery Authority S P Chaminda said. “We are looking into setting up a gold refinery in the country,” he said. “We can then sell it to our businessmen, give some to the central bank and re-export the rest.” SL freely imported gold up to 2018 when money printed by the central bank for flexible inflation more..

Jan 19 (SLN) SL Navy swiftly responded to bring ashore an ill fisherman and transfer him to hospital, for urgent medical attention this morning. The fisherman was aboard a multiday fishing trawler on the high seas off the south coast and Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) Colombo coordinated the retrieval of the fisherman. The multi-day fishing trawler Sinusha (IMUL-A-2195GLE), with seven crew from Galle, was fishing approximately 474 nautical miles south of SL on 25 Dec 25 more..

Jan 19 (NW) Sajith Premadasa has rejected media reports claiming there is a deadlock between the govt and the opposition over the appointment of 3 civil society representatives to the Constitutional Council. Premadasa described the newspaper report as false and baseless, stating that it was a fabricated story that undermined journalistic standards. Report alleged that PM Harini Amarasuriya and Opposition Leader had failed to agree on the names of 3 civil society members to be appointed to the CC. more..

Jan 19 (CT) Nearly 2,200 employees of the CEB who have opted for the Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) have appealed to Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake for urgent intervention, warning that continued delays in gazetting the Appointed Date for power sector restructuring have left both workers and successor companies in limbo. In a letter dated 16 January 2026, addressed to the Prez, the VRS applicants said more..

Jan 19 (AD) A decision has been taken to launch a continuous island-wide trade union action starting January 23, GMOA has announced. The GMOA noted that the decision was taken during its Executive Committee meeting held today (19). The Association noted that the govt through the 2026 budget proposals have failed to provide solutions to the real problems faced by doctors and the broader health sector, causing considerable dissatisfaction within the medical community. more..

Jan 19 (FT) Two Special Determination petitions have been filed before the Supreme Court contesting the constitutionality of proposed legislation to abolish pensions granted to MPs. The Bill, titled Parliamentary Pensions (Repeal) Bill, was tabled in Parliament on 7 January 2026 by the Minister of Justice and National Integration. One petition has been submitted by former MPs M.M. Premasiri, Nawarathne Banda, Nishantha Deepal Gunasekara and Saman Siri Herath, more..

Jan 19 (EN) New active credit cards in Sri Lanka increased by 10,785 in November last year, data showed, as the country’s economic recovery and lower interest rates help boost the usage of them. The number of total active credit cards recorded 2,144,202 by end November, compared to 2,133,417 by end October, showing an increase of 0.5% in the month. The active credit cards have risen by 6.8% or 135,746 in the first 11 months of last year, more..

Jan 19 (NW) Ten-year-old Taavi Samaraweera of SL continued his rapid rise in world table tennis by winning the Under-11 title at the World Youth Contender tournament in Bahrain, securing his first international gold medal of 2026. The top-ranked Under-11 player in the world produced a calm and confident performance in the final, defeating Bahrain’s Yusuf Albanna to clinch the championship. The victory marks a significant milestone in Samaraweera’s young career and more..

Jan 19 (EN) Browns Beach Hotels has said the company will delist from the Colombo Stock Exchange, having made arrangements with majority shareholders Melstacorp and Aitken Spence Hotel Holdings to buy back shares from minority shareholders at an exit offer price of 30 rupees. In a stock exchange filing, Browns Beach Hotels said the business has been experiencing sustained losses over a period of time due to challenges faced by the tourism industry since 2019 (Easter Sunday more..

Jan 19 (FT) SL today stands at a critical juncture in its energy transition. Once lauded for its rapid adoption of rooftop solar and renewable technology, the country’s policy landscape has shifted in ways that risk undermining hard-won gains, destabilising investor confidence and jeopardising national sustainability commitments. This shift has sparked robust debate among energy specialists – most notably Dr. Vidhura Ralapanawe, a leading voice in renewable energy advocacy more..

Jan 19 (FT) The prestigious economist and CB’s former Economic Research Director, Dr Nimal Sanderatne has ventured into exploring issues relating to development in the form of a compressed thesis titled Development Not By Economics Alone: Non-Economic Factors in Development published by the Gamani Corea Foundation of which he had been a former Chairman. His latest publication challenges readers to revisit the concept of development which has become an issue not only for more..

Jan 19 (TM) Although the Govt promised to reveal the truth behind the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks within specific timeframes, Catholic Bishops Conference of SL (CBCSL) charged that progress in the related investigations remains very slow. CBCSL Spokesperson, Rev. Fr. Jude Chrishantha Fernando said the Govt including Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake had repeatedly announced deadlines, including 2-week and more..

Jan 19 (DM) Right to Information (RTI) Commission has directed the Presidential Secretariat to release information relating to the vehicle registration numbers of vehicles handed over to the Secretariat following the conclusion of the tenure of former President Ranil Wickremesinghe, as well as the names of the Ministries and Departments to which these vehicles were subsequently allocated. The RTI Commission directed the Secretary to the President, Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, more..

Jan 19 (NW) suspects in connection with a video circulated on social media that allegedly shows a woman being forcibly stripped, Police Media Division said. The main suspect, a 43-year-old businessman from the Fairfield area in Borella, was arrested on Jan. 18 while hiding at a hotel in Hikkaduwa police said. Two additional suspects, aged 44 and 55 and residents of the Eheliyagoda area, were also taken into custody on charges of aiding and abetting the main suspect and concealing evidence. more..

Jan 19 (Island) The govt is under mounting pressure to release a foreign laboratory report on the controversial coal consignment imported for the Lakvijaya Power Plant, with the FSP accusing the authorities of political interference and tender manipulation. FSP Education Secretary Pubudu Jagoda demanded an immediate explanation for the delay in disclosing the report from a Dutch laboratory, Cotecna, more..

Jan 19 (AD) National Gem and Jewellery Authority (NGJA) has announced a revision to the taxation methodology for importing rough gemstones, aiming to provide relief to industry stakeholders and support the country’s goal of achieving $1 billion in annual gem export earnings. Chairman of the NGJA, S.P. Chaminda stated that the revised measures will offer significant assistance to gem importers. During the press briefing, the NGJA Chairman explained the details of the new system: more..

Jan 19 (DM) SL’s automotive sector witnessed a significant shift in 2025, with electric vehicles (EVs) capturing 10% of total passenger vehicle imports following the lifting of prolonged import restrictions. A total of 64,556 cars and SUVs were imported during the year, driven by a strong surge in pent-up demand that had accumulated while the market was closed. The market rebound was initially led by the high-end segment, which resulted in a higher proportion of EV imports immediately more..

Jan 19 (AD) The official website related to the Rebuilding Sri Lanka national programme has been launched under the patronage of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. The primary objective of the initiative is to build an organized and trustworthy process by bringing together the general public, the private sector and the international community onto a single platform to rebuild Sri Lanka following the devastation caused to the country by cyclone Ditwah, more..

Jan 19 (NW) The Central Bank of Sri Lanka has outlined the key security features of the Rs. 2,000 commemorative currency note issued to mark its 75th anniversary. According to the Central Bank, the note includes multiple advanced security features to help the public easily verify its authenticity. When held up to the light, the Lion with Sword watermark and the complete see-through image can be clearly seen, along with micro text embedded in the design. When the note is tilted, more..

Jan 19 (FT) President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has met 10 of his key election promises by Nov 2025, while 10 more are in progress, nine have shown no progress, and one has failed, according to the latest update of the Anura Metre manifesto tracker. The assessment monitored 30 key promises made in the 2024 Presidential Election manifesto and includes the 2026 Budget, but was completed prior to Cyclone Ditwah. more..

Jan 19 (FT) Govt last week launched the national program, Rebuilding Sri Lanka, a comprehensive initiative designed to coordinate the nation’s recovery from the extensive devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah. Meeting was held on 13 January at the BMICH under the patronage of Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake. The Rebuilding Sri Lanka program will be financed through a multi-pronged strategy. This includes the re-purposing of existing projects, the strategic re-allocation of funds, more..

Jan 19 (FT) The liquidator of The One Transworks Square Ltd, has invited offers for the Krrish Building project, a large-scale mixed-use development in Colombo, which is currently under liquidation. The project has been marketed as a strategic investment opportunity comprising luxury hotels under The Ritz and JW brands, branded residences, office space, and high-end retail within a single landmark development. According to the project summary, the development consists of more..