Dec 19 (TM) SL female sumo wrestlers won the Bronze Medal in the Open Weight category at the Commonwealth Sumo Cup 2025 held in Moscow, Russia. The athletes met Minister of Sports Sunil Kumara Gamage on Thursday, where he congratulated the team on their achievement and assured continued support for future international competitions in 2026. Discussions also focused on promoting sumo in SL, enhancing athlete development, and providing int'l more..

Dec 19 (PMD) A discussion on the restoration of religious, cultural and archaeological sites affected by Cyclone Ditwah was held yesterday at the Presidential Secretariat under the patronage of Minister Dr. Hiniduma Sunil Senevi, with the participation of the Most Venerable Mahanayaka Theras of the three Chapters and other religious leaders. Addressing the meeting, Minister stated that more than one thousand religious, cultural & archaeological sites across the country had more..

Dec 19 (CI) Dasun Shanaka will be SL's T20I captain until the end of the forthcoming T20 World Cup. The move to replace Charith Asalanka as captain in the format had been bloated by the previous selection committee under Upul Tharanga, whose term expired this month. But new chief selector Pramodya Wickramasinghe confirmed that Shanaka would lead the team as he announced the preliminary squad for the tournament. more..

Dec 19 (CT) Cyclone Ditwah has caused severe damage to the country’s transport infrastructure, with 572 sections of Category A and B roads under the Ministry of Transport completely destroyed, Deputy Minister of Transport Prasanna Gunasena told Parliament. Deputy Minister said the Ministry of Transport was the institution that suffered the highest level of damage as a result of the cyclone. He noted that the total length of damaged roads amounts to 1,450.64 kilometres. more..

Dec 19 (CT) MP Namal Rajapaksa expressed gratitude to all volunteers who have come forward to assist at a time when the country is facing a major disaster. Speaking in Parliament, Rajapaksa noted that many people rendered helpless by the disaster are still residing in relief camps, highlighting the continued suffering of affected communities. He accused the Govt of attempting to normalise the scale of destruction through its public statements, rather than addressing the seriousness of more..

Dec 19 (EN) Around 58,340 hectares of paddy lands in Trincomalee and Batticaloa alone were affected by floods brought on by Cyclone Ditwah, according to data maps compiled by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation and Dept of Agriculture. The maps show flood-affected areas of paddy, vegetables, and other field crops, with the most significant damage concentrated in several major agricultural districts. New data from the Department of Agriculture, compiled with FAO support, more..

Dec 19 (AD) Measures have been taken to suspend the official duties of Dr. Rukshan Bellana, who served as the Deputy Director of the Colombo National Hospital. The relevant letter has been issued under the official letterhead of the Ministry of Health and Mass Media. According to preliminary investigations carried out by the Ministry, Dr. Bellana, while serving as a government official in a position of responsibility, is alleged to have made statements through various media platforms more..

Dec 19 (AD) Committee on Public Finance (CoPF) has approved a supplementary estimate of Rs. 500 billion to restore the livelihoods of those affected by the sudden disaster. Accordingly, the supplementary estimate is scheduled for approval in Parliament today. The above approval was granted yesterday at a meeting of the CoPF held under the chairmanship of MP Dr. Harsha de Silva. more..

Dec 19 (AM) Independent MP Ramanathan Archchuna raised a complaint in Parliament, expressing outrage over what he described as the lack of food available at the parliamentary canteens. Raising a point of order, Archchuna said that when he went to the canteen to have a meal, only red rice and gravy were available. “I went to the canteen to eat and there were only red rice and gravy. What is this? How are we supposed to eat like this? What kind of Parliament is this? more..

Dec 19 (FT) Sri Lanka’s tourism sector is being steered towards a more integrated, community-focused, and strategically branded future, with revenues from Tourism Development Levy (TDL) continuing to rise and a renewed policy emphasis on positioning the country under a single national brand, Minister Vijitha Herath told Parliament. Minister revealed that TDL generated Rs. 2.58 billion in 2024, while collections for the period from Jan to Sept 2025 have already reached Rs. 2.4b more..

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 (NW) UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe says he is prepared to step down from the party leadership at any time if his position becomes an obstacle to unity between UNP and SJB. During Wednesday’s Executive Committee meeting at Sirikotha, the UNP headquarters in Pitakotte, Ranil Wickremesinghe stated he would have no objection to stepping down as party leader if a merger with the SJB is agreed upon. 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..