Dec 30 (NW) Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) says work towards building the Jaffna International Cricket Stadium (JICS) in Mandaitivu, Jaffna, is currently ongoing and progressing as planned. SLC said that construction activities at the ground were temporarily halted due to the Ditwah Cyclone, which disrupted the scheduled work program, including the first trial game that was scheduled to be played on 14th January 2026. Work has now resumed, and the trial game will be played following more..

Dec 30 (Island) Reports received by us from tea brokers, Colombo Tea Traders’ Association (CTTA) and other sources indicated that, by and large, the local tea sector has been spared by the recent weather havoc. The CTTA said that although Cyclone Ditwah affected parts of SL, production, sales, and exports of tea continued without interruption. Clearly, report said, the well established and highly coordinated industry network was fully geared to confront these issues. more..

Dec 30 (TM) The Vedda Chieftain, Uruwarige Wannila Aththo said that if the Govt continues to disregard the rights of indigenous people despite SL being a signatory to the relevant UN convention, Vedda community would be compelled to inform the UN that their rights are not being protected in the country. He said that Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake had visited their village on 9 August to mark the World Indigenous People's Day more..

Dec 30 (Island) Aviyana Ceylon, SL’s upcoming ultra-luxury seven-star hospitality project, has stepped decisively into the country’s high-end sports tourism space by coming on board as the principal sponsor of the prestigious Eagles’ Monsoon Cup Golf Tournament 2026, in partnership with the SL Air Force (SLAF). The international-standard golf tournament is scheduled to be held on Jan 11, 2026, and is expected to attract diplomats, corporate leaders, high-net-worth individuals and more..

Dec 30 (CI) After three low scores, three tosses lost and three heavy defeats, SL gave hosts India more of a fight in the fourth T20I on Sunday when they finally got to chase a target instead of setting one. They got somewhat close thanks to contribution from batters apart from Chamari Athapaththu. With their confidence running a little higher, they would want to sign off from this five-match tour with one win as the preparations for the T20 World Cup, which is less than six months away, heat up. more..

Dec 30 (ST) Sales of fireworks hit an all-time low this year following the devastation of Cyclone Ditwah as well as the effects of sustained campaigns. Sellers believe sales were low mostly because of the disaster. Hundreds are mourning the loss of loved ones. Some are rebuilding their lives. Apart from that, the views about celebrations have changed over the years and are also influenced by those such as animal rights activists who more..

Dec 30 (TM) A Bill aimed at curbing organised crime will be presented to the Parliament within the course of next month (January 2026), according to the Public Security Ministry. The Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Ananda Wijepala said: "We will be presenting a Bill aimed at curbing organised crime to the Parliament in January. It is expected to introduce tougher penalties and longer prison terms for organised crimes through this Legislation." more..

Dec 30 (DN) Blue Ocean Group of Companies has reinforced investor confidence and regulatory credibility by securing Board of Investment (BOI) approval for three premium luxury residential developments located in some of Colombo’s most prestigious addresses. The combined investment for these projects exceeds USD 16 million, underscoring the Group’s strong financial standing, governance standards, and long-term commitment to Sri Lanka’s real estate sector. more..

Dec 30 (FT) Total container volumes handled by the Colombo Port rose 7.1% year-on-year (YoY) to 6.92 million 20-foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) in the first 10 months of 2025, supported by a strong expansion in domestic container traffic, even as transhipment activity continued to account for the bulk of throughput and remain central to Colombo’s regional hub role. Transhipment container volumes increased 5.1% YoY to 5.52 million TEUs during the Jan–Oct period, up from 5.25 mil TEUs a year earlier. more..

Dec 30 (FT) SL Export Development Board’s (EDB) National Packaging Centre (NPC) recently hosted an awareness workshop on EU Food Labeling Legislation at the EDB premises. Over 110 exporters and potential exporters participated and obtained the knowledge on European Union market requirements, gained an understanding of the background and application of EU food labelling laws, mandatory components of EU food labelling and implement current EU food labelling legislation more..

Dec 30 (DM) SL’s tourism authorities have set an ambitious revenue target of US $ 4.5 billion for 2026, aiming to attract 2.7 million visitors by shifting focus toward high-spending demographics and untapped geographical markets to overcome the recent revenue stagnation. The announcement follows a historic milestone on Dec 29, when SL welcomed its highest-ever number of tourist arrivals in a single calendar year, surpassing more..

Dec 30 (DM) The first budgets presented by Chairmen and Mayors of several local govet bodies including the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) representing mainly the NPP have been defeated. However, only the CMC budget made headlines as it happened when the NPP captured the council in May. The defeat of budgets in these councils wasn’t surprising, writing was on the wall for all these budgets from the beginning, given the way these councils were instituted seven months ago. more..

Dec 30 (Island) SL Customs is on cloud nine, boasting that it has set a revenue record. It says it has raised more than Rs. 2,497 million, which is in excess of the targets set by the govt for the current year. An increase in state revenue is certainly a very positive development, but how that goal has been achieved should be revealed to the public. There have been exponential tax increases and they have enabled the govt to boost its revenue significantly. Customs Dept has been able to meet more..

Dec 30 (GV) This year began following the NPP’s electoral victory, signaling a decisive shift away from corrupt political elites towards a more hopeful future, built on social justice and economic relief for the working class. However, as the year comes to a close, the excitement of the NPP’s electoral triumph has dissipated, facing the reality of a nation still grappling with its past and an increasingly volatile future – particularly in the wake of the recent devastation of Cyclone Ditwah. more..

Dec 30 (ST) I was nicely snuggled up on my sofa watching another episode of my favourite comedy series for the year, when I heard a loud incessant banging on my door. I feared it would break down my door. ‘Okay, okay, I’m coming, I’m coming,’ I yelled over the TV din, ‘no need to break the door.’ As I got up from the sofa, I realised I had been so enwrapt in my comedy show that I had even forgotten Santa’s yearly visit on Christmas Eve. Glancing at the wall clock, I noticed more..

Dec 30 (TM) SL’s energy security vulnerabilities have been well documented over the last decade. Nevertheless, challenges with ageing infrastructure and the failure to modernise it continue to pose a risk to the supply of fuel to the island nation. Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) will fully replace the crude oil transfer hose involved in the recent oil spill at the Colombo Port within the first week of Jan 2026, more..

Dec 30 (CT) After the multiple landslides reported throughout the mountainous regions of the island, authorities have begun initiatives to reassess the safety of human activity in slope areas and regions of high altitude. This includes areas such as Kadugannawa, according to reports. Unfortunately, the decision comes too little, too late. Of course, the blame should not be limited to the current administration. For years, the issue surrounding landslides in mountainous regions such as more..

Dec 30 (DM) Sri Lanka was not ready for Cyclone Ditwah, both in terms of the intensity of rainfall and winds, and also in terms of infrastructure. Even though Sri Lanka discussed about incorporating disaster-resilient infrastructure post-Tsunami, many of these discussions remained in black and white. In this backdrop, hydrology experts underscore the fact that Sri Lanka should prioritise on proactive planning, resilient infrastructure and community readiness, at least now. more..

Dec 30 (TM) SL’s debt settlement, completed in 2024 after nearly two years of negotiations following the country’s 2022 default, has come under renewed discussion in the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah. The debate was revived after a group of more than 120 int'l economists, including Nobel Prize winner Joseph Stiglitz, called for SL’s external debt payments to be suspended and for fresh restructuring talks to be initiated, more..

Dec 30 (TM) This week, SL’s Police authorities responsible for traffic control and road safety made a significant announcement – motorists found driving under the influence of alcohol or engaging in reckless driving will face action under applicable criminal laws, in addition to penalties under traffic regulations. Police noted that driving under the influence remains one of the leading causes of serious road accidents in SL. The urgency of this move is underscored by alarming statistics. more..

Dec 30 (Island) In the immediate aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah, the govt has moved swiftly to establish a Presidential Task Force for Rebuilding SL with a core committee to assess requirements, set priorities, allocate resources and raise and disburse funds. Public reaction, however, has focused on the committee’s problematic composition. All eleven committee members are men, and all non-government seats are held by business personalities with no known expertise in more..

Dec 29 (TM) Sri Lanka will host one of the largest Indo–SL collaborative events when India Week 2026 takes place from 20 to 30 March, 2026, bringing together leaders from business, culture, tourism and innovation. Organised by the Indian Alliance, the festival will be held across Colombo, Kandy & Jaffna. India Week aims to celebrate over 2,500 years of shared history and friendship between the two nations, while fostering new opportunities in trade, investment, technology, education, more..

Dec 29 (NW) Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa today participated in the donation of medical equipment worth Rs. 2.8 million to the Aralaganwila Regional Hospital in Polonnaruwa under the SJB’s Husma program. The donated medical supplies included five patient monitors, one syringe pump, and one infusion pump. Addressing the event, Opposition Leader said govt has no vision, program, or roadmap to rebuild the country, and instead is focused on abolishing democratic rights. more..

Dec 29 (FT) Govt and its humanitarian partners will coordinate on a $ 35 million Humanitarian Priorities Plan (HPP) for victims of Cyclone Ditwah. So far, the Govt has received $ 20 million of funds, most of which have been channelled through the UN by its development partners. Nearly 1.2 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance in the aftermath of the cyclone. The humanitarian response will address more..

Dec 29 (NW) Kandy Municipal Council has decided to ban pavement trading in the city from Jan 1. Mayor Chandrasiri Wijenayake said the decision was taken to protect the beauty of the city and ease congestion for the hundreds of thousands of people who visit Kandy. “Although the council passed the relevant resolution about 6 months ago, we did not implement it immediately, considering the difficulties pavement traders would face. Instead, we gave them until Dec 31, more than 5 months, more..

Dec 29 (EN) New active credit cards in SL increased by 16,039 in October this year, data showed, amid the country’s economic recovery and lower interest rates. The number of total active credit cards recorded 2,133,417 by end October, compared to 2,117,378 by end September, showing an increase of 0.76% in the month. The active credit cards have risen by 6.2% or 124,961 in the first 10 months of this year. Active credit cards rose by 4.8% or 91,371 in 2024 with SL’s economic recovery more..

Dec 29 (AD) DIG in charge of Traffic Control and Road Safety W.P.J. Senadheera, has stated that motorists found driving under the influence of alcohol or engaging in reckless driving will face action under criminal law in addition to traffic regulations. DIG Senadheera said that the number of road accidents this year has increased compared to last year. Pointing out driving under the influence of alcohol is a major factor behind more..

Dec 29 (DM) Cyclone Ditwah has left in its trail an unprecedented humanitarian and economic crisis involving all 25 districts. Sri Lanka will be hard pressed to get out of this crisis unless leaders from all sections of the polity demonstrate mature leadership and superior management skills devoid of corruption and partisan politics. Given our collective track record, it will be a miracle for this to come to pass. Ditwah has impacted more than two million of our fellow citizens in numerous ways. more..

Dec 29 (Island) A 25-member delegation of dairy farmers from Sri Lanka visited India from 14–20 Dec, to participate in a specialised Training and Capacity-Building Programme. The delegation represented dairy farmers from across SL. The programme was organised pursuant to the announcement made by PM of India, Narendra Modi, during his visit to SL in April 2025, under which India committed to offering 700 customised training slots annually for SL professionals, she mentioned. more..

Jan 29 (Island) Against the continuing controversy over Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake holding up the appointment of Auditor General, a group of NAO personnel recently attended a capacity-building programme in India. The Committee on Public Finance, Bar Association of SL and Transparency International have strongly criticised President Dissanayake over the delay in finalising the appointment due to his nominee not being acceptable to the Constitutional Council. more..

Jan 29 (NF) The NBRO reports that several regions across Sri Lanka are experiencing a dip in air quality, attributed to seasonal weather patterns and wind-borne pollutants. Sarath Premasiri, Chief Scientist of NBRO’s Air Pollution Management Unit, explains that winds originating from India have transported particulate matter into Sri Lanka, elevating the Air Quality Index (AQI) in many areas. Current PM₂.₅ measurements (last 24 hours) reveal a mixed scenario across the country: more..