Dec 19 (NW) PM Harini Amarasuriya says steps are being taken to abolish Executive Presidency, and the govt intends to draft a new Constitution. PM said that measures are underway to establish a parliamentary system of govt, including the appointment of a Prez without executive powers. She further stated that steps are currently underway to hold the Provincial Council elections, which have been stalled due to provisions in PC Elections more..

Dec 19 (AD) Bar Association of SL (BASL) expressed its deep concern regarding the treatment of an Attorney-at-Law who faced obstruction and hindrance while representing an Animal Welfare Association at an inquiry conducted by the Mayor of the Kaduwela Municipal Council, Ranjan Jayalal. As evidenced by audio recordings circulating on social media and reported by the media, the Mayor is heard claiming to be an Unofficial Magistrate, implying that he was exercising judicial more..

Dec 19 (FT) President’s statement that the current Disaster Management Act is flawed may have been a feint to divert attention away from his acts of omission on disaster risk reduction as the Minister responsible. But he was not factually incorrect. Aside from all else that must be done, it is important that the discussion on developing a new law starts now. The present law’s imperfections were caused by the inordinate rush of its enactment in 2005 intended to get external parties to fund more..

Dec 19 (EN) Official Credit Committee (OCC) which is involved with SL’s debt restructuring has agreed to the island nation’s proposal for the state-owned Srilankan Airlines’ debt repayment, Treasury Secretary Harshana Suriyapperuma said. SriLankan had issued a sovereign guaranteed US$ 175 million bond to raise cash as the firm made losses after the then Prez Mahinda Rajapasksa ousted Emirates as the managing shareholder. Airlines last month informed market that pending OCC approval, more..

Dec 19 (FT) Friday (12) was a special day for millions of Tamil movie fans. It was the 75th birthday of popular Tamil cinema actor Rajinikanth. The evergreen filmstar has in a film career spanning fifty years, acted in 172 films. He is currently working on his 173rd movie. Even as Rajinikanth fans celebrated the actor’s diamond birthday on a widespread scale, they were in turn provided with a special treat by their idol. A re-mastered version of the star’s 1999 film Padayappa more..

Dec 19 (FT) While the Govt and insurance industry regulator have urged insurers to expedite Ditwah-related settlements, Fitch Ratings has said that the exposure to flood and landslide risks were in fact limited. Motor insurance accounted for 46.8% of total general insurance premiums in the third quarter of 2025, remaining the dominant segment. Health insurance followed with a 15.2% share, while Strike, Riot and Civil more..

Dec 19 (NW) A delegation of the TNPF has met TN Chief Minister M.K. Stalin in Chennai and handed over a letter urging India to press SL to move away from its unitary state structure and adopt a federal system, the party said. TNPF leader and Jaffna District MP Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam said the delegation requested the TN Chief Minister to persuade India’s central government to exert pressure on Colombo, arguing that only a federal system would allow Tamils to fully enjoy more..

Dec 19 (FT) The Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Ministry disclosed new data compiled by the Industrial Disaster Support Centre (IDSC), highlighting the extensive impact of Cyclone Ditwah on the country’s manufacturing sector and underscoring the urgency of the relief measures now being rolled out. Accordingly, IDSC has received 29,649 data entries and inquiries related to disaster impacts, with information collection concluding after 2 p.m. on 16 December. more..

Dec 19 (TM) Citizens’ Power Against Bribery, Corruption & Waste organisation has lodged a complaint with the CIABOC, requesting a full investigation into the importation of allegedly substandard medicines and action against those responsible. Organisation’s Prez, Kamantha Thushara said complaint was filed following reports that two people had died after receiving a particular injection, which was withheld by NMRA. more..

Dec 19 (Island) The Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the United Nations in New York, under the leadership of Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Jayantha Jayasuriya, PC, marked the 70th anniversary of Sri Lanka’s membership in the United Nations through a series of activities, underscoring the country’s longstanding commitment to international cooperation, principled multilateralism, and inclusive global engagement, the Foreign Ministry said. more..

Dec 19 (Island) SJB leader Sajith Premadasa accused the govt of having gagged the Meteorology Dept officials, who, he said, had been placed under virtual house arrest. He claimed that they had been barred from speaking to the media. Speaking in Parliament, Premadasa said withholding information from the public was unacceptable. He insisted that the Met Dept and international agencies had repeatedly issued warnings about extreme weather events between Nov 11 and 26. more..

Dec 19 (FT) The Civil Appellate High Court of the Western Province by Order dated 11 December 2025, refused to issue Leave to Appeal and Interim Orders against Home Lands’ landmark Pentara Residences project in Thummulla, Colombo. In refusing the interim reliefs sought with costs, the Civil Appeals Court held that the District Court was justified in declining to consider an enjoining order and in deciding to hear both parties on the application for interim injunction. more..

Dec 19 (DN) Transport and Highways Deputy Minister Dr. Prasanna Gunasena informed Parliament that train services to the North and East will be fully resumed from Jan 1, 2026. He also informed Parliament that steps have been taken to commence train services to Talaimannar from February 1, 2026. He made this statement while addressing the House during the debate on the current disaster situation in the country that took place in Parliament yesterday. more..

Dec 19 (TM) Public Health Inspectors’ Union (PHIU) stated they are continuing raids across the country to curb the sale of goods damaged by recent floods, and have already taken legal action against those involved. PHIU Secretary, D.S. Muthukuda said that PHIs have taken into custody stocks of goods that were damaged during the floods, cleaned, and then put back on sale. Legal proceedings have been initiated against the relevant individuals, and further action will be taken against anyone more..

Dec 19 (EN) SL is on track to get the first liquefied petroleum gas consignment from Swiss-based Geogas Trading, which had won an internally competitive bid, on Jan 5, Minister Vijitha Herath said. “There will be no shortage of LPG,” he said. “The agreements had been signed.” It has won a contract to supply 380,000 metric tonnes of LPG, plus or minus 20 percent, during 2026 to Litro Gas. Geogas won an international competitive tender by bidding 15 cents below the next bidder, more..

Dec 19 (FT) SJB MP S.M. Marikkar tore into the Govt’s Rs. 500 billion Supplementary Estimate for post-Ditwah recovery in 2026. “The estimates show an allocation of Rs. 250 billion for bridges, railways, roads and highways, irrigation, schools, and hospitals,” MP said, joining the debate at the special Parliamentary session to approve the Rs. 500 billion recovery spending plan. “However, the Sectoral Oversight Committee (SOC) I chair in this Parliament earlier this week was told that more..

Dec 19 (DN) Board of Investment of SL (BOI) has planned to attract about two billion US dollars of domestic and foreign investments in the country next year to strengthen the industrial sector, said BOI Chairman Arjuna Herath. He also stated that it was possible to bring in about US$ 1 billion of investment by the end of this year as targeted. Based on this year’s success, BOI of Sri Lanka has planned to bring in between US$ 1.5 and US$ 2 billion of investment next year (2026), and more..

Dec 19 (FT) Economic think tank Verité Research has cautioned that SL’s move to seek emergency financing from the IMF under the Rapid Financing Instrument (RFI) could prove costly in the current debt context, urging policymakers to weigh alternative funding options for post-cyclone recovery. In a detailed analysis, Verité Research Executive Director Dr. Nishan de Mel, a critic of SL’s handling of debt repayments during COVID-19 crisis more..

Dec 19 (ST) SL’s shipping economy is likely to face significant challenges following the 2025 flood catastrophe. The country’s ports, particularly the Port of Colombo, plays a crucial role in the nation’s economy, and the recent floods have caused substantial damage to some infrastructure and disrupted daily operations due to continued adverse weather, says Nilud Fernando, a professional in international shipping and logistics. He said “The country’s shipping economy is expected to more..

Dec 19 (DN) SL U-19, led by Vimath Dinsara, will look to bounce back when they face unbeaten India in the Asia Cup semi-final today at the ICC Academy Grounds in Dubai. India enter the contest as firm favourites based on their dominant performances, but SL’s bowling unit has shown enough form to pose a genuine challenge. SL recorded back-to-back victories over Nepal and Afghanistan through solid all-round displays, but their batting faltered in the final group match, resulting in a 39-run defeat more..

Dec 19 (DM) Number of vehicles registered with the Motor Vehicles Dept in Nov slid to 43,810 units, from 48,081 units in Oct. This is as the sharply higher demand seen during the initial months of reopening vehicle imports is fizzling while people will have to put up higher upfront payments for the vehicles they now want to purchase from November onwards. With Nov data, SL has seen 311,592 vehicles being registered in first 11 months. more..

Dec 19 (FT) The Airport and Aviation Services (SL) Ltd, (AASL) has registered a strong financial turnaround in 2025, posting a profit of Rs. 19.06 billion, reflecting an increase of Rs. 5.02 billion compared to the previous year. This was revealed during the company’s 2025 progress review meeting conducted under the patronage of Minister Anura Karunathilaka, with the participation of Deputy Minister Janitharuwan Kodithuwakku and Ministry Secretary W.W.S. Mangala at BIA. more..

Dec 19 (NW) Cricket legend Mahela Jayawardena has issued a public warning against fraudulent advertisements circulating on social media that use artificial intelligence to falsely portray him endorsing financial schemes. He said the advertisements are completely fake and urged the public not to fall victim to such scams. “Please do not believe these things. I have nothing to do with any investment or financial promotions. These videos are created using AI and are meant to mislead people,” more..

Dec 19 (Island) Sri Lanka stands on the brink of an economic transformation, powered not by traditional exports, but by the vast, untapped mineral wealth lying beneath its soil and off its shores. According to a comprehensive new business report launched by the Pathfinder Foundation in collaboration with the Australian Trade and Investment Commission, on 17th Dec in Colombo, Sri Lanka’s mineral sector holds a staggering unrealised export potential of up to USD 2 billion. more..

Dec 19 (DM) SL’s hospitality sector is witnessing a swift return to normalcy following the passage of Cyclone Ditwah, with industry leaders confirming that operational disruptions were minimal and booking trends are already rebounding. The sentiments were expressed at a media briefing at the Crystal Lounge, Nüwa, City of Dreams Sri Lanka, to announce the launch of the One Love Reggae Festival. Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts Chief Operating Officer Kamal Munasinghe more..

Dec 19 (FT) The Govt yesterday raised approximately Rs. 10 billion from SL’s 5G spectrum auction, with Dialog Axiata PLC and SLT-Mobitel, a unit of Sri Lanka Telecom, emerging as the sole bidders and being awarded spectrum licences. The spectrum certificates were handed over at a ceremony attended by Digital Economy Deputy Minister Eranga Weeraratne and TRCSL Director-General Bandula Herath. more..

Dec 19 (EN) Sampath Bank said it plans to issue up to 200 million debentures to raise a total of 20 billion rupees. Basel III compliant-Tier 2, listed, rated, unsecured, subordinated, redeemable debentures and/or Green and/or Sustainability Bonds with a non-viability conversion feature will be issued at 100 rupees each. The debentures will be issued in one or more issuances within two years from the date of obtaining shareholder approval at an Extraordinary General Meeting, the bank said. more..

Dec 19 (GV) As a country seeking to address the legacy of its past war and armed conflicts, SL must roll back the overbroad and dangerous laws that have been repeatedly abused to the detriment of its citizens. The Prevention of Terrorism Act of 1979 (PTA), which has wreaked havoc in the lives of Sri Lankans, particularly minority communities, for 45 years, is the most emblematic of these laws. Successive govts have been under domestic and int'l pressure to repeal this draconian law. more..

Dec 19 (Island) Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has accused the govt of interfering with the ongoing disaster relief programmes. Speaking in Parliament, he produced what he described as documentary proof to support his claim that disaster victims were required to have their applications for compensation endorsed by the heads of the Prajashakthi committees controlled by the JVP apparatchiks. Several other Opposition MPs have levelled the same allegation against govt in Parliament. more..

Dec 19 (Island) During a discussion at the RCSS in Sri Lanka on 9 Dec, Dr. Neil DeVotta, Professor at Wake Forest University, North Carolina, USA commented on the “gravity of a geopolitical contest that has already reshaped global politics and will continue to mould the future. For Sri Lanka – positioned at the heart of the Indian Ocean, economically fragile, and diplomatically exposed- his analysis was neither distant nor abstract. It was a warning of the world taking shape around us” more..