Dec 27 (EN) Inflation measured by the SL Christmas cake, widely acclaimed to be the world’s most delicious, rich, decadent and interesting confection of its kind, has risen by 4.4% in 2025, amid rupee depreciation, an analysis of retail prices show. The cost of 11 key ingredients rose to 15,180 rupees by 2025, up from 14,744 in 2024 with rupee inflating 5.3%. In the 12 month to November, the rupee fell from 290.90 rupees more..

Dec 27 (Island) Vegetable prices at the Peliyagoda Manning Wholesale Market surged to unusually high levels yesterday, raising concerns among consumers as the festive season drives up demand. The situation is expected to persist over the next few days, a spokesman for the Manning Market said. A sharp increase in the number of buyers visiting the wholesale market, ahead of upcoming festivities, had resulted in a sudden spike in demand, prompting wholesale traders to raise more..

Dec 27 (AD) Panadura North Police have arrested a total of seven youths for engaging in illegal motorcycle racing involving monetary bets. The suspects are residents of Moratuwa, Egodauyana, and Panadura, and are aged between 18 and 22 years. The arrests followed multiple complaints from local residents regarding high-speed motorcycle races conducted at night along the Old Galle Road. Residents reported that the activity caused severe public nuisance due to excessive noise. more..

Dec 27 (ABC) For Upul Rathgama, who grew up in Colombo, drowning once seemed like a distant danger — something that happened far from home, near the sea. Then it happened next door. "You can drown in two inches of water, not many people know this." Drowning is SL's second-leading cause of accidental death, after road accidents. Nearly 80% of those deaths occur not at beaches, but at homes & other waterways more..

Dec 27 (Island) Supporting families with medically supervised care for elderly individuals in the comfort of their own homes, SLT-MOBITEL and eChannelling PLC, in partnership with medical experts from Golden Years Care, have introduced eHomecare’, Sri Lanka’s first doctor‑led elderly‑care service. The pioneering initiative is designed to address a growing societal need. The service launched by eChannelling, Sri Lanka’s leading digital healthcare solutions provider, brings together more..

Dec 27 (AD) A Member of the PS representing the NPP has been arrested by Mundalama Police today (26) in connection with the alleged verbal abuse and intimidation of a female Grama Niladhari officer. The suspect is the elected representative for the Mangalaeliya Division of the Puttalam Pradeshiya Sabha. According to a complaint lodged by the Grama Niladhari officer, the incident dates back to Dec 5. She stated that while travelling by motorcycle on disaster management duties, more..

Dec 27 (NW) Fraud complaints have been lodged with the Kollupitiya Police against the organisers of the postponed Ne-Yo concert in Colombo. Two complaints — including one from Cinnamon Grand Colombo over unpaid dues — have been recorded against the organisers, Brown Boy Presents. The complaints are to be referred to the Colombo FIB for further investigations. Concert, scheduled for Dec 28 at the Sugathadasa Outdoor Stadium, was called off citing unforeseen circumstances. more..

Dec 27 (EN) Sri Lanka and Vietnam officials explored deeper ties in health, trade, and tourism sectors when they met officially this week, the government said. The discussions, held at the Ministry of Health and Mass Media, centered on strengthening the longstanding diplomatic relations between the two countries and exploring new avenues for bilateral cooperation. Vietnam’s Ambassador to SL, Trinh Thi Tam, commended the island nation’s recent progress across more..

Dec 27 (SO) Aarathi Ilango had long nurtured the dream of becoming a doctor since her childhood. Today, as a third-year medical student at the University of Jaffna, her growing fascination with psychiatry, coupled with the stories and struggles of people in the North in the post-war era had deepened her resolve to heal not just the body, but the mind. “When they see a film, song, or anything related to the war on television, old memories more..

Dec 27 (ST) Ride for Ceylon, the globally recognised endurance cycling initiative, announced details of its landmark 10th anniversary ride, set to take place from March 11 to 14, 2026. The four-day, event, which covers a distance of over 450kms is a charity cycling event that unites riders from around the world to conquer the journey from Colombo to Manipay, Jaffna, raising crucial funds for the Manipay Green Memorial Hospital. The 2026 Ride will kick off after its 10th annual gala more..

Dec 27 (CI) Shafali Verma continued her superb form, cracking a 42-ball 79 as India brushed aside Sri Lanka once again to win the third T20I in Thiruvananthapuram and complete a series victory. The template was familiar and ruthlessly executed: win the toss, bowl, restrict Sri Lanka, and then stroll through the chase. Just as in the first two matches, India were clinical. Renuka Singh spearheaded the bowling, with support from Deepti Sharma, to keep Sri Lanka to 112 for 7 before more..

Dec 27 (CT) Our most beautiful and the biggest university campus in the country is almost destroyed by this natural disaster. It is extremely hard to witness this colossal damage done by this powerful storm followed by extensive floods. It is the responsibility of the govt to give utmost priority to restore the campus to original or better status while also giving priority to restore the lives of the people who were seriously affected. Uni of Peradeniya, formerly Uni of Ceylon, more..

Dec 27 (GV) The most devastating natural disaster to hit Sri Lanka in decades, Cyclone Ditwah, has forced the country into its most severe climate-related humanitarian crisis in recent memory. Sri Lanka is only beginning to recover and analysts are only now starting to review the disaster in its totality and examine its economic, health and agricultural impacts and the methods by which the country can pursue the challenging pathway that lies ahead. A study by Prof. Lakshman Galagedara, more..

Dec 27 (CT) Sri Lanka was the third country in Asia to establish a properly organised Municipal Council. That council is the Colombo Municipal Council, established in 1865. To put this in perspective, the first Parliamentary Election in Sri Lanka was held only in 1947. At that time, there were no second-tier representative bodies such as Provincial Councils. As a result, the Municipal Council effectively became the pioneering more..

Dec 27 (Island) The NPP govt has released a cordial diplomatic letter from Indian PM Narendra Modi to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, and gained a great deal of publicity for it as part of a propaganda campaign to boost Dissanayake’s image. Such moves are not uncommon in politics, especially in the developing world, where the heads of powerful states are deified and their visits, invitations and letters are flaunted as achievements of the leaders of smaller nations. more..

Dec 27 (CT) SL stands at a familiar and deeply troubling crossroads. The proposed Protection of the State from Terrorism Act, now made public by the govt, is not merely another piece of legislation open for debate. It is a warning sign that the country risks sliding back into an era marked by repression, fear, and the routine violation of fundamental rights. At a time when democracy in SL remains fragile and incomplete, this Bill poses a grave threat to the limited safeguards that citizens still possess. more..

Dec 27 (SO) At 65, Mohammad Hussein rises before dawn in Colombo’s outskirts, waiting at his usual junction for a contractor to hire him for the day’s labour. Some days he hauls bricks, others he digs trenches. The pay varies, between 1,500 to 3,000 rupees, depending on the work and the employer’s whim. “For people like me there is no stopping,” he said. “I will continue to work as long as I can. I have no savings. None of our family has savings.” Hussein’s story is not unique. more..

Dec 27 (TM) Recently, Sri Lanka faced its worst natural disaster in decades with cyclone Ditwah in late last month, causing massive floods and landslides that killed over 618 people, displaced 233,000, and destroyed 565 plus homes across 25 Districts, especially in Central Kandy and Badulla. The Kelani River flooding disrupted Colombo's roads, bridges, and power, straining emergency services and prompting aid from India, US, Pakistan, Australia, Nepal, Maldives & China, more..

Dec 27 (CT) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake urged all Sri Lankans to rise together as a nation to face the current challenges with courage and unity. In his Christmas Day message, he emphasised the need for renewed humanity through compassion, encouraging citizens to bring peace, joy, and hope into every home. “Christians around the world joyfully commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ with deep devotion today (25), marking more..

Dec 27 (TM) Income earning activities are adopted by street children as coping mechanisms. These include cleaning cars, buses and trains, working in small hotels, tea stalls and garages, disposing waste, begging, rag picking, any available work such as domestic and factory work, and vending. These findings were made in an article on Challenges and coping strategies of street children: Findings from a field study in the Colombo City which was authored by S. Hariharathamotharan, more..

Dec 27 (Island) For decades, SL has interpreted climate through a narrow lens. Rainfall totals, sunshine hours, and surface temperatures dominate forecasts, policy briefings, and disaster warnings. These indicators once served an agrarian island reasonably well. But in an era of intensifying extremes—flash floods, sudden landslides, prolonged dry spells within normal monsoons—the question can no longer be avoided: are we measuring the climate correctly, or merely more..

Dec 26 (AD) The commercial economy has gradually transformed Christmas into yet another occasion focused on financial gain, rather than its true spiritual meaning, the Archbishop of Colombo His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith has stated. Archbishop of Colombo emphasized that the public must clearly understand that Christmas is not meant to be a money-making festival, but a time to reflect on faith, humility and compassion. more..

Dec 26 (TM) Buddhasasana, Religious & Cultural Affairs Ministry has stated that it is actively working to identify the land ownership of the Tissa Viharaya in Kankesanthurai (KKS), but claims that its progress was disturbed by an organised group with intentions to disrupt national unity. Deputy Subject Minister Gamagedara Dissanayake said the Ministry is collaborating with Land Ministry to solve the longstanding dispute. He alleged that a group was led consciously to create conflict at the site. more..

Dec 26 (Island) As the curtain prepares to fall on SL’s tea trading year, the penultimate auction of 2025 has painted a picture of a market grappling with headwinds. The sale, catalogued in the aftermath of the disruptive Cyclone Ditwah, presented 6.0 million kilograms to the trade, but was met with a predominantly bearish sentiment, casting a reflective shadow over the year’s closing. The High and Medium Grown offerings, particularly from the Ex-Estate sector, set a cautious tone. more..

Dec 26 (EN) SL will commemorate this year’s National Safety Day today to remember the victims of the 2004 tsunami and those who lost their lives in the recent Ditwah Cyclone, the govt said. Arrangements have been made to hold interfaith prayer events centered around the District Secretariat in all districts of the country,. A 2-minute silence will be be observed from 9.25 am to 9.27 am today, in memory of those who lost their lives more..

Dec 26 (DM) The Govt has taken further steps to strengthen a child-friendly transport system by translating key policy commitments into action, Minister Saroja Savitri Paulraj said. Addressing an official ceremony to hand over vehicles to the Provincial Probation and Child Protection Services Departments at the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs, Sethsiripaya, Battaramulla yesterday (24),Minister said that 2025 is a year in which many promises made under the policy vision more..

Dec 26 (AD) The SL Aviation Unit operating under the United Nations (UN) mandate in the Central African Republic (CAR) has successfully carried out a critical Casualty Evacuation (CASEVAC) mission, under extremely hostile and volatile conditions. The mission has been launched in response to an urgent request to evacuate two UN personnel who had sustained combat-related injuries in the Zemio area. Accordingly, the evacuation has been conducted using a Mi-17 helicopter (UNO 325P). more..

Dec 26 (NW) Officer-in-Charge of the Criminal Division of the Gampaha HQ Police has been arrested on allegations of bribery, CIABOC said. Arrest followed a complaint made by a businessman from the Dandugama area in Ja-Ela. The suspect is accused of demanding a bribe of Rs. 300,000 and three-quarter gold sovereigns in exchange for refraining from taking legal action and failing to produce the complainant before court in connection with allegedly stolen gold jewellery. more..

Dec 26 (NW) Deputy Minister Sunil Watagala, has filed a defamation lawsuit in the Kaduwela District Court against SLPP activist Mahinda Pathirana, seeking compensation of Rs. 10 billion. The case alleges that false and defamatory statements made by Pathirana caused serious harm to Watagala’s reputation. According to the plaint, the Deputy Minister claims that the statements were made deliberately with the intention of discrediting him personally and damaging his political career. more..

Dec 26 (FT) The tourism sector has gathered pace through December, welcoming 154,609 visitors in the first 21 days of the month and lifting year-to-date (YTD) arrivals to over 2.25 million (2,258,202). The latest data from point to strengthening momentum as the peak season unfolds, even as the numbers underline how demanding the year-end targets remain. Arrivals have risen steadily week by week. more..

Dec 26 (CT) The SL Working Journalists’ Association (SLWJA) has strongly condemned the Govt’s attempt to suppress freedom of expression and press freedom through Police action, including the unlawful summoning of journalist Tharindu Jayawardena to the Gampola Police Station in connection with his journalistic work, and the request made by the SL Police to the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of SL (TRCSL) to cancel the broadcasting licence of Hiru Media Network. more..

Dec 26 (DN) Hakgala National Botanical Garden has been reopened for tourists from yesterday, following an expedited programme initiated under the guidance of the Environment Ministry and the efforts of the National Botanical Gardens Dept staff. This reopening was carried out in compliance with the relevant recommendations and instructions provided by the NBRO and DMC. Due to the emergence of hazardous ground conditions, certain areas, specifically pond area near the entrance more..