Jan 12 (FT) The country’s tourism industry has begun 2026 on an optimistic note, with arrivals in the first four days of January surpassing 33,000, reflecting steady momentum at the start of the New Year. The country welcomed 33,076 tourists from 1 to 4 January, marking a 3% year-on-year (YoY) increase compared to the 25,620 arrivals registered during the same period in 2025. The growth was driven largely by increased arrivals from India, which emerged as the leading source market. more..

Jan 12 (Island) As SL quick Dushmantha Chameera turned 34 on Sunday in Dambulla, the team management’s birthday wish was simple and singular: that he stays off the injured list for the next few months. You can teach a cover drive, coach the forward defence, or even fine-tune a leg-spinner’s wrong’un. But raw pace? That’s God-given. You either have it or you don’t. SL have produced a fair few quicks who can crank it up close to Chameera’s speeds, but what separates the Negombo-born speedster more..

Jan 12 (ST) More than 2,000 CEB employees, many of them mid-career professionals, have opted for a Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) and yesterday complained to the Energy Minister that the management is “forcibly retaining” them in service by denying them permission to leave immediately. Meanwhile, Power Sector Reforms Secretariat (PSRS) Director General Pubudu Niroshan Hedigallage has submitted his resignation effective Jan 15, 2026, leaving what these employees say more..

Jan 12 (ST) SL’s draft National Electricity & Tariff Policy has generated intense debate, particularly following discussions at the Parliamentary Oversight Committee. Some in the industry say the policy is hurried or disconnected from broader energy objectives while others say the pressing issue is not policy direction, but the economic, legal, planning, and delivery assumptions underpinning implementation. This is pushing renewable energy investors to leave the country and invest elsewhere or close shop entirely. more..

Jan 12 (FT) Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) said it has identified those primarily responsible for the abnormal Wealth Trust Securities Ltd, prices on 7 January. “There may be other parties involved as well. We have summoned and questioned several individuals, reviewed records, and launched a full investigation,” SEC OIC Tushara Jayaratne said. “CSE took immediate corrective action. From 8 Jan onwards, investors can no longer place market orders on a security’s first trading day. more..

Jan 12 (FT) Sri Lanka has emerged from its economic crisis with valuations that are difficult to ignore and assets that are priced well below their long-term potential, creating what Hosking Partners Founding Partner Django Davidson described as a very compelling opportunity for patient investors. Hosking Partners is the largest foreign investor in SL’s capital market which built its portfolio during SL’s worst economic crisis, prompting Davidson at the outset more..

Jan 12 (FT) Total private sector borrowings in Nov 2025 peaked to Rs. 262.6 billion, the highest monthly figure yet for 2025, before the devastating Cyclone Ditwah hit the island. Oct 2025 was the second highest at Rs. 246.10 billion, followed by Rs. 236 billion in September, and Rs. 227 billion in August. Domestic banking sector credit to the private sector in November amounted to Rs. 262.6 billion, taking the outstanding private sector debt stock to Rs. 10 trillion, up 26% from a year ago, more..

Jan 12 (FT) Opposition MP Faiszer Musthapha warned Parliament that amendments to the Colombo Port City Economic Commission Act could create systemic risk, weaken banking regulation, and destabilise the domestic economy if left unchanged. Speaking during the debate on the Colombo Port City Economic Commission (Amendment) Bill, Musthapha said the proposed changes to offshore banking provisions marked a sharp departure from the existing regulatory framework under the Banking Act. more..

Jan 12 (FT) SL’s fragmented banking sector is limiting returns on capital (RoC) and constraining the growth of credit relative to the size of the economy, according to Hosking Partners Founding Partner Django Davidson. Speaking at a presentation on The Capital Cycle Way hosted with CT Smith Securities, Davidson said the large number of banks operating in the system has created structural inefficiencies, raising costs and diluting shareholder outcomes without materially improving access to long-term finance. more..

Jan 12 (FT) Non-debt options such as grant mobilisation and revenue enhancement measures such as time-bound solidarity taxes are critical to financing SL’s record Rs. 500 billion supplementary allocation for Cyclone Ditwah recovery, as additional borrowing will tighten already-constrained fiscal space, Verité Research said. In its report Rs. 500 billion Supplementary Allocation for Cyclone Ditwah Recovery Narrows Fiscal Space, Verité notes: “There are several non-debt options that more..

Jan 12 (CI) Dasun Shanaka clobbered 34 off 9 balls, Kusal Mendis, Kamil Mishara, Dhananjaya de Silva, Charith Asalanka and Janith Liyanage all chimed in with quick runs, and Sri Lanka raced to 160 for 6 in 12 overs, but Pakistan still made them sweat. The match had been shortened to 12-overs-a-side after rain forced a delay of two hours and 20 minutes. A wet outfield also made bowling significantly more difficult, with both spinners and seamers struggling to grip the ball. more..

Jan 12 (Island) This summary document is based on an exemplary webinar conducted by the Bandaranaike Academy for Leadership & Public Policy. I participated in the session, which featured multiple speakers with exceptional knowledge and experience who discussed various aspects of incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) into the education system and other sectors. There was strong consensus that this issue must be addressed early, before the nation becomes vulnerable to external actors seeking more..

Jan 12 (Island) Corruption has eaten into the vitals of Sri Lanka’s power and energy sectors to such an extent that one wonders whether ‘C’ in the initialisms of the CEB and the CPC stands for Corrupt. Pressure is mounting on the govt to cancel a questionable coal tender which is causing staggering losses to the state. We reported on the coal scam at issue about three months ago, turning the spotlight on the fraudulent procurement of substandard coal. more..

Jan 12 (CT) The explicit support demonstrated by the Sinhalese Buddhist community in SL for Israel during the war in Gaza stands in stark contrast to the anti-Israeli mass rallies organized by leftist, liberal, and Muslim groups within the country. This persistent support for Israel, even as the state faces widespread international criticism for its military actions in Gaza, suggests the presence of a significant ideological motivation. In the Indian context, pro-Israeli sentiment is often more..

Jan 12 (TM) The Rebuilding Sri Lanka Fund, established following the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah in late 2025, has now accumulated Rs. 5.7 billion, according to the fund’s Management Committee Convenor G.M.R.D. Aponsu. “The total amount in the Rebuilding SL Fund as of today is Rs. 5.7 billion,” Aponsu said, noting that the figure was updated daily through reports provided by officials responsible for managing the accounts. “This is not a static figure. more..

Jan 12 (TM) In several parts of SL’s hill country today, classrooms have stopped being places of learning and have become places of refuge. Desks are pushed aside, blackboards ignored, and families sleep on classroom floors while children wait at home for schools to reopen. This is not merely the aftermath of a natural disaster. It is the visible outcome of a deeper governance failure: the inability, or unwillingness, to move people permanently out of known danger even when the law, the data & the warnings are clear. more..

Jan 12 (CT) Cervical cancer remains one of the most serious threats to women’s health in SL, even though it is largely preventable. Current data show that around 1,200 new cases of cervical cancer are diagnosed each year in SL, and hundreds of women lose their lives to the disease annually despite the availability of vaccines and screening services that could drastically reduce this burden. Cervical cancer is caused primarily by the human papilloma virus (HPV), a sexually transmitted infection more..

Jan 12 (TM) SL is largely self-sufficient in terms of its national food requirements through domestic production. However, if SL is serious about ensuring the food security of the Nation in the coming decades, the State and the public need to address vulnerabilities of the domestic agricultural ecosystem and our consumption patterns. SL produces between 75-80% of its national food requirements, while being near self-sufficient in rice production. Domestic food production is something within the Govts' control, more..

Jan 12 (SO) NDF MP Faiszer Musthapha has pushed for several law reforms ranging from no-fault divorce to amendments in the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act (MMDA), judicial modernisation, and financial sector regulation. He discussed why SL’s family laws are outdated, and why political hesitation has stalled reform for decades. Q: You have proposed several legal reforms in the recent weeks. One of them is the introduction of no-fault divorce. more..

Jan 12 (ST) The debates during Parliament’s first sitting week for 2026 may have been about other topics, but it meant no difference as the roll-out of the NPP govt’s controversial new education reforms dominated proceedings. Controversy, which has been heightened by the recent discovery that the Grade 6 English Language module textbook contains a web address directing students to a gay chat website, has put the govt on the defensive just days before the reforms are officially introduced for students in Grades 1 and 6. more..

Jan 12 (DM) The dawn of 2026 marks a watershed moment in modern history. The traditional Pax Americana that defined the post-WWII era has fractured, replaced by a volatile landscape of unilateralism and aggressive protectionism. Under the leadership of President Donald Trump and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, a series of unprecedented diplomatic and military maneuvers has catalysed a global realignment. The central question now facing scholars and policymakers alike is no longer whether more..

Jan 11 (ST) The fallout from the govt’s scandal-plagued education reforms shows no sign of abating, especially as new controversies arise almost daily with allegations of yet more errors or questionable content being found in the modules designed for students of Grades 1 and 6, for whom the reforms will be first introduced this year. Much of the blame from opposition parties, trade unions and others who oppose the reforms are being more..

Jan 11 (DM) The energy companies from countries such as Qatar and India have already shown interest in participation in the exploration and development of hydrocarbon resources (oil and natural gas) in four blocks of the Mannar basin, official of Sri Lanka Petroleum Development Authority said. International bidding would be launched very soon with a six-month period for prospective global energy companies and national oil companies of different countries to make their submissions. more..

Jan 11 (AD) The low pressure area over the Gulf of Mannar in SL is weakening further. Therefore, the influence of this system on the island’s weather is further gradually reducing. The warning issued to prevent fishing and naval activities in the deep and shallow sea areas off the coast extending from Colombo to Trincomalee via Puttalam, Mannar and Kankasanthurai is withdrawn, it said. The warning issued to prevent multi-day fishing boats and naval activities in the deep southwest Bay more..

Jan 11 (TM) Amid growing controversy over coal imports for the Lakvijaya (Norochcholai) Power Plant, sealed samples from a recently unloaded 60,000 MT of coal shipped from South Africa by the newest Indian coal supplier have been sent to India’s Cotecna, a testing, inspection, and certification services provider, according to the Lanka Coal Company (LCC). LCC General Manager Namal Hewage said that Cotecna was more..

Jan 11 (AD) PM Harini Amarasuriya stated that the Govt has commenced necessary measures to maintain preschool education under a framework, align preschool education with a unified curriculum, conduct teacher training in a systematic manner, and ensure quality standards. PM made these remarks today (10) at the Temple Trees, participating in the launch of the National Communication Programme for Child Health Promotion, aimed at promoting social and behavioural change (SBCC) more..

Jan 11 (NW) Two protests were held today (10) in Matugama, turning the town into a focal point for opposing demonstrations. A protest organized by women govt supporters condemned the atrocities targeted at women by the opposition. The protest was attended mainly by women, with several female MPs from NPP govt also participating. Meanwhile, another protest was organized by the combined opposition, opposing the harm caused to children through challenges to free education and more..

Jan 11 (EN) Sri Lanka’s official remittances rose 43.2% to a record monthly high of US$ 879.1 million in December 2025, while the total in the last year also reached an all time peak of US$ 8,076.2 million from a year ago, central bank data showed. Last month’s remittances surpassed the island nation’s previous monthly peak remittances of US$ 812.7 million hit in December 2020. The country’s previous annual record high remittances were US$ 7,164 million hit in 2017. more..

Jan 11 (EN) SL’s foreign exchange revenue from tourism in Dec 2025 fell 14.8% from a year ago to US$308.6 million, the central bank said. The island nation’s tourism revenue has been lower since August last year compared to arrival after the relevant authority revising down per day tourism spending, officials have said. The monthly revenue showed a fall for the fourth time in the last six months. It has been falling in July and August before rising marginally in the next two months. more..

Jan 11 (ST) Two different opinions have been put forward within the AG’s Dept on indicting former Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe on his alleged misappropriation of Rs. 16.6 million in state funds during a visit to the UK. The different opinions relate to whether there is sufficient evidence for an indictment or if the evidence is insufficient based on the CID investigations on the matter. Deputy Solicitor General Wasantha more..

Jan 11 (NW) Govt will take all necessary steps to resume train services to Kandy within a year, Deputy Minister Prasanna Gunasena said. The railway track stretch from Rambukkana to Peradeniya has suffered the most damage due to the Ditwah disaster, and repairs are estimated to cost around US$ 74 million. “To restore the Peradeniya bridge, commonly known as the Yaka Palama, alone will cost about US$18 million. Therefore, restoring this track involves a huge cost. more..

Jan 11 (NW) An activist group announced plans to launch an indefinite protest outside Education Ministry on Monday, demanding the withdrawal of new education reforms and calling for the resignation of the education minister. The protest, organized by the group Adults Standing for Children, is scheduled to begin at 9 am on Jan 12, according to the group’s convener, NFF leader Wimal Weerawansa. Weerawansa said parents from across SL are invited to join the continuous sit-in, more..