Dec 22 (DM) Dialog Axiata announced its partnership with Starlink to bring high-speed satellite internet solutions to empower businesses, institutions and underserved communities across the island. As an authorised agent for Starlink in Sri Lanka, Dialog will enable access to the world’s most advanced satellite technology, delivering high-speed, low-latency internet to areas beyond the reach of conventional network infrastructure and further strengthening digital connectivity landscape. more..

Dec 22 (FT) Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $ 3 million grant to help address water shortages in SL’s North Western and Uva Provinces by constructing modern pipe distribution network (PDN) systems. Project will provide irrigation to 877 hectares (ha) of farmland, supporting improvements in the country’s agriculture sector. Transforming Irrigation Systems for Improved Food Security Project is funded by the Japan Fund for Prosperous and Resilient Asia and the Pacific (JFPR) more..

Dec 22 (TM) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake said the country can move forward not through suspicion or distrust, but by fulfilling the responsibilities entrusted to everyone with determination and purpose. He emphasised that by properly fulfilling the responsibilities entrusted to the Govt, religious institutions, the security forces, and citizens, SL could be strengthened and rebuilt with the pride and honour reflected in its history. more..

Dec 22 (DM) Sectoral Oversight Committee (SOC) on Economic Development and International Relations has accelerated efforts to finalise the Microfinance and Credit Regulatory Authority Bill, which aims to provide a comprehensive overhaul of the industry and protect vulnerable borrowers from predatory practices. During a recent meeting in parliament under the chairmanship of MP Lakmali Hemachandra, the committee reviewed critical amendments to the legislation, more..

Dec 22 (DM) Finfluencing should not be looked at negatively; investors and potential investors should look at its positives and learn how to overcome the negatives, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Senior Prof. Hareendra Dissabandara stated at a recent online discussion on the stock market and social media. According to Prof. Dissabandara, ‘finfluencers’ are influencers who use social media to share financial and investing-related content. more..

Dec 22 (FT) Planters’ Association of Ceylon (PA) said that Regional Plantation Companies (RPC) moved swiftly to safeguard estate workers and surrounding communities following Cyclone Ditwah, activating emergency protocols, relocating families from high-risk areas, and restoring basic services in coordination with State authorities. It added that while access and essential support are being progressively normalised, more..

Dec 22 (CI) There was a little bit of rustiness as India returned to action 50 days after becoming ODI world champions, but not so much to prevent them from registering a dominant win in the first T20I against Sri Lanka in Visakhapatnam. Despite dew being a constant presence on a cool evening, India's spinners rallied to keep Sri Lanka's top order in check, even if they did not pick up wickets in a heap. In the end, Sri Lanka were restricted to 121 for 6. It was a below-par total, given that more..

Dec 22 (FT) Sri Lanka earned an estimated $ 1.4 billion from tea exports in the 11 months to Nov 2025, according to SL Customs data. The earnings were 13% higher than in the corresponding period of last year of $ 1.3 billion, supported by increased cumulative export volumes, despite a marginal decline in average Free On Board (FOB) values in rupee terms. Tea exports in Nov 2025 totalled 19.36 million kilos (Mnkg), down 0.71 Mnkg from 20.07 Mnkg in Nov 2024. more..

Dec 22 (CI) Opener Sameer Minhas blitzed his way to 172 off 113 balls, setting up Pakistan's demolition of India in the Under-19 Asia Cup final in Dubai. In response to Pakistan's 347 for 8, India folded for 156 in 26.2 overs. Minhas' knock was the highest individual score for Pakistan, and also, the highest individual score by any batter in a final in Youth ODIs. He hit 17 fours and nine sixes during his stay, and fell in the 43rd over, finishing with a strike rate of 152.21. more..

Dec 22 (TM) The Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) is back under the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. The unit, once the apex Counter-Narcotics agency in SL, has fallen low. Each time the PNB stumbles, the Police Department and the Public Security Ministry attempt to damage control and rotate Police officers from the same police community, replacing the heads as a band-aid measure to hold on to what little credibility the Bureau has left. However, the PNB continues to stumble, more..

Dec 22 (DM) SL Customs has initiated a major technological overhaul of its vehicle clearance protocols to seal a loophole that previously allowed the tampering of motor vehicle data during registration. Move follows an inquiry by the COPA, which identified that the absence of a secure computerised network between SL Customs & DMT had left the door open for fraudulent modifications of vehicle specifications. more..

Dec 22 (DM) Chairman of the Board of Investment (BOI), Arjuna Herath has announced his decision to relinquish his role on Jan 31, 2026, marking the end of a pivotal tenure focused on structural reform. Herath, who assumed the chairmanship in Oct 2024, stated that he has requested the govt to release him to fulfill personal commitments that were postponed to undertake the leadership position. A former Senior Partner at Ernst & Young, Herath brought extensive corporate governance expertise to agency, more..

Dec 22 (FT) In a key appointment for the nation’s urban planning sector, M.G. Hemachandra, a seasoned development expert, has been named Chairman of the Urban Development Authority (UDA). Hemachandra brings extensive expertise from his tenure as a Senior Specialist and former Chief of Loan Projects at the JICA in SL. His career highlights include in-depth work in development policy analysis and formulation, economic development program and project design, more..

Dec 22 (Island) Maan Pharmaceuticals Ltd, the manufacturer of Ondansetron, which has been withdrawn from hospitals here pending a probe, is reported to have asked the SL health authorities to have the drug tested by an internationally accredited laboratory. The use of nine other Maan products too has been suspended in Sri Lanka over quality concerns. Maan’s reaction has come as no surprise; all companies ardently defend their products. However, its concerns should be heeded. more..

Dec 22 (GV) Some fates are written in broken promises. The UNP’s 1977 election manifesto acknowledged the existence of a Tamil ethnic problem, enumerated some of its root causes, promised to resolve it politically and highlighted the nexus between national economic development and the peaceful resolution of the grievances of the Tamil speaking people. “The UNP accepts the position that there are numerous problems confronting the Tamil-speaking people. more..

Dec 22 (SO) As SL grapples with the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah, long-standing weaknesses in disaster preparedness, climate adaptation and urban planning have once again come into sharp focus. Former Minister, Champika Ranawaka reflected on how successive Govts have handled disaster risk over the past two decades. He said the laws are often bypassed, how political short-termism undermines climate resilience, and more..

Dec 22 (ST) Parliament does not normally sit in December after the budget for the following year is passed, yet the unprecedented disaster brought on by Cyclone Ditwah forced lawmakers to return to the House for two more days this week to pass a Rs. 500 billion supplementary estimate to restore the livelihoods of those affected by the disaster. While there was agreement among both the govt and opposition parties on the urgent need to pass the supplementary estimate, there was still more..

Dec 22 (SO) When Cyclone Ditwah tore across Sri Lanka last month, it did far more than flatten homes, drown farmlands, and trigger deadly landslides. It collided head-on with a fragile economic recovery painstakingly rebuilt after the country’s worst financial crisis in history. The result has been a defining test not only for the Govt and people, but also for the international financial system that has invested heavily in the island’s stabilisation. In the weeks following the devastation, more..

Dec 22 (TM) In the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah, concerns are mounting over the legality and transparency of Govt funds created for disaster relief and reconstruction, particularly the Govt Disaster Relief Fund and Rebuilding SL Fund. Financial experts and Opposition members have raised questions about whether these funds, established outside the usual Consolidated Fund framework, comply with Public Financial more..

Dec 22 (Island) At a moment when the world is closely watching peace efforts linked to conflicts in Thailand and Cambodia, Gaza and Ukraine, a new book by Prof. G.L. Peiris revisits one of the most closely scrutinised peace initiatives of recent times: the negotiations between Govt of SL and LTTE. Titled SL Peace Process: An Inside View, the book is published by Vijitha Yapa Publications. Hardcover volume provides a scholarly, candid and first-hand account of the peace process that began in more..

Dec 22 (CT) Sri Lanka’s recent climate disasters did not come without warning. Scientists, environmentalists and disaster experts have spoken for years about rising risks in the hill country, stronger rainfall patterns, unstable land use and poor planning. Yet when disaster struck, many lives were lost, homes were destroyed, and thousands were displaced. The question we must now ask is not only what went wrong, but what happens next. Displacement is no longer temporary. more..

Dec 21 (ST) NPP govt led by Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake is now beyond the period where it can any longer blame teething problems for its missteps in governance. One year into office, there are questions if the NPP is genuinely committed to accountability and transparency as it claims to be. The ongoing debate over the appointment of a new AG is a case in point. The post has been vacant since April 2025 after more..

Dec 21 (AD) A special discussion was held today (20) at the Presidential Secretariat under the patronage of Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake to review district-level plans aimed at restoring the lives of citizens under the Rebuilding Sri Lanka programme and to examine challenges that have emerged during implementation. The meeting included Secretaries of Ministries responsible for defence, agriculture, irrigation, water supply, fisheries, transport, housing and construction, more..

Dec 21 (AD) India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is set to visit Sri Lanka next week, a trip coming at a time when Delhi immediately reached out to its neighbour amid ongoing recovery from one of the country’s worst natural disasters in decades. The visit follows India’s swift and extensive humanitarian response to Cyclone Ditwah, which struck SL on 27 November, triggering catastrophic floods and landslides that have claimed over 500 lives and affected millions. more..

Dec 21 (NW) CID has launched a wide-ranging probe into allegations that sensitive surveillance data used to track drug-smuggling vessels operating in the high seas has fallen into the hands of narcotics traffickers. The investigation was initiated on the instructions of the IGP, following information that data from the Vessels Monitoring System (VMS) — used to monitor multi-day fishing vessels and boats suspected of transporting more..

Dec 21 (EN) SL will pay cattle farmers up to two million rupees for cross-bred animals that were lost in the Cyclone Ditwah, and lesser amount for other cattle, Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake said. “If someone lost a cross-bred cow, we will give them 200,000 rupees,” Prez told parliament, seeking approval to spend 500 billion rupees extra for cyclone relief in 2026. “We will give up to two million rupees for 10 cows. Even if more is lost we will only give 2 million. We have to put a cap. more..

Dec 21 (ST) The CID team involved in investigations into the alleged misuse of Rs. 16.6 million in state funds by former President Ranil Wickremesinghe to attend his wife’s graduation ceremony at a UK university has been summoned to the Attorney General’s Dept on Monday. The discussion with the team that returned from the UK is aimed at reviewing the progress of the case and providing necessary directions. Special attention will be focused on the available evidence in the case. more..

Dec 21 (SO) Following a landslide during cyclone Ditwah, officers of the NBRO carried out a thorough inspection of Ambuluwawa on Friday, with the survey lasting over seven hours from around 11 a.m. The team started at the main entrance of Ambuluwawa, examining cracks in several parts of the mountain as well as subsidence and fissures along the road leading to the site. They then visited the areas where major landslides had occurred and carried out assessments along the routes leading to more..

Dec 21 (AD) Governor of the CB Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe says that the public should be very mindful when obtaining relief money and bank loans provided by the govt for those affected by the disaster. Participating in a program held in Kandy today (20), Governor said that it is the duty of the public to manage the loans and relief they receive. Speaking at the event, he said that the govt has allocated a large amount of funds to provide relief to those affected by the disaster. more..

Dec 21 (TM) GMOA demanded that the Cabinet take responsibility for the importation of contaminated medicines from India, following serious safety concerns and reports of deaths linked to injectable medicinal drugs supplied by one supplier. GMOA Spokesman Dr. Chamil Wijesinghe said that several patients at the National Hospital, Kandy had developed similar patterns of infection after receiving ondansetron, supplied by more..

Dec 21 (NW) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Friday outlined a wide-ranging disaster recovery and livelihood restoration programme in Parliament, announcing the largest supplementary estimate in recent history as the govt moves to rebuild communities affected by recent floods and landslides. Presenting a Rs. 500 billion supplementary estimate, Prez said the funds would be deployed without increasing the national debt ceiling & with safeguards to manage inflation more..

Dec 21 (TM) Despite reports of damage to agricultural land across the country caused by Cyclone Ditwah, there will be no resulting shortage of rice in the market and any shortage of vegetables will only last for a couple of months, the Deputy Minister of Trade, Commerce, and Food Security has claimed. Deputy Minister of Trade, Commerce, and Food Security R.M. Jayawardana stated that they did not expect a significant food shortage in the market as a result of Cyclone Ditwah. more..