Jan 13 (TM) Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are to be allocated Rs. 95 billion in 2026 for subsidised loans by the govt, in order to incentivize more businesses, aid expansion, and support technology investments, Ministry of Finance, Planning & Economic Dev. Dept of Development Finance Dir. Gen. Manjula Hettiarachchi said. “This year we expect to provide a loan facility package with subsidised interest rates to SMEs. more..

Jan 13 (FT) Govt will unveil an inclusive National Housing Policy by March, aimed at addressing poverty alleviation, internal displacement caused by war, and post-disaster housing needs as climate-related catastrophes become more frequent. Deputy Minister T.B. Sarath said that past housing programs were often politicised, poorly planned, and disconnected from ground realities, failing to adequately reflect local preferences, community participation, and reconstruction practices. more..

Jan 13 (FT) Hambantota Int'l Port (HIP) has closed 2025 with a landmark performance, recording a 175% year-on-year increase in total cargo volumes despite what has been widely recognised as one of the most challenging years for the global port industry. HIP handled 8.24 million metric tons of cargo in 2025, up from 3.0 million metric tons in 2024, driven by sharp growth across container, RORO, and bulk cargo segments amid volatile trade flows, supply chain realignments, congestion more..

Jan 13 (DN) Team Blues continued their winning form when they beat Team Reds by 70 runs in their Women’s National Super League (WNSL) T-20 cricket fixture played at Thurstan grounds yesterday. Satya Sandeepani was the match winner scoring superb unbeaten fifty in 44 balls with 5 fours and a six followed by superb bowling with 2 for 8. Team Blues led by Harshitha Samarawickrama scored 134 for 6 wickets while Team Reds were bowled out for 64 in their 20 overs. more..

Jan 13 (FT) TiECON 2026, the flagship annual conference of the global TiE network, was hosted for the first time in Sri Lanka last week at Cinnamon Life. Organised by TiE Colombo under the theme Go Global: The Runway to the World, created a significant platform for local enterprises to engage with the international market. The event attracted 600 participants and 30 international experts to explore pathways for business expansion. The forum brought together a diverse audience, more..

Jan 13 (ST) Young motorsport sensation Yevan Ranasinghe David will enter the 2026 racing season with Kiwi Motorsport, as the Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Trophy in New Zealand flags off this weekend. After wrapping up his debut EuroFormula Open 2025 season in Monza, Italy, last October, Yevan now takes on the challenge of the four-round Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Trophy, NZ’s premier motorsport event, more..

Jan 13 (CT) A single mistake that was in a Grade 6 English textbook has ignited a huge firestorm in SL. What should have been a straightforward quality control issue has instead become a full-blown political crisis. This has raised urgent questions about accountability, democratic discourse, and the future of education reform in the country. Problem was a serious one. A website link in the new Grade 6 English module, intended for educational purposes, instead directed students to an adult content more..

Jan 13 (ST) It is mystifying as to why the NPP Govt sanguinely placed a draft Protection of the State against Terrorism Act (PSTA) before the SL public at the cusp of the dawning of a New Year, almost as if to pat itself on the back for a highly commendable act. That is so despite the contents of the draft law confounding any inclination towards congratulations at several incisive points. In a fourth reflection on the draft PSTA in these column spaces, I return to the question asked at the start of this uncomfortable exercise. more..

Jan 13 (Island) What began as a debate on the govt’s education reforms has descended into a dirty political war, with the propaganda brigades of both the JVP/NPP and the Opposition carrying out vilification campaigns against the key figures in the rival camps. Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, who is also the Minister of Education, has become a victim of a savage character assassination campaign, which no reasonable person will hesitate to condemn unreservedly. more..

Jan 13 (TM) From the very outset, Govt’s education reforms agenda has drawn criticism, concern and, in some quarters, outright alarm. Most recent controversy surrounding the Grade 6 English Language module has only deepened public mistrust. A printed link in a learning module that allegedly directed users to adult content is not a minor oversight. It is a grave lapse that strikes at the heart of public confidence in the education system and the institutions entrusted with shaping more..

Jan 13 (SO) Last Saturday (3), a group of Sinhala Nationalists tried to organise a march carrying a Buddha statue from Kankesanthurai (KKS) railway station to the highly contested Tissa Raja Maha Vihara premises situated about half a kilometre away. The organisers – prominent SLPP social media activists, publicised the event mostly via Facebook and Whatsapp. Their flyers and videos called on a pilgrimage to reestablish more..

Jan 13 (Island) A positive feature of the govt that is emerging is its responsiveness to public opinion. The manner in which it has been responding to the furore over the Grade 6 English Reader, in which a weblink to a gay dating site was inserted, has been constructive. Govt leaders have taken pains to explain the mishap and reassure everyone concerned that it was not meant to be there and would be removed. They have been meeting religious prelates, educationists and more..

Jan 13 (DM) US Prez Donald Trump had several objectives in invading Venezuela and taking its Prez Nicolas Maduro and his wife hostage. One of the key aims was to prevent de-dollarisation of Venezuela’s foreign trade and to warn other countries against abandoning the US Dollar in favour of other currencies, especially Chinese Yuan. In 2018, Venezuela had announced that it would free itself from the dollar and started accepting Yuan, Euros, Roubles, and anything but US Dollars for oil. more..

Jan 13 (DM) The NMRA Act No. 5 of 2015 mandates the full-time presence of a qualified pharmacist for the operation of pharmacies. Initially, one pharmacist would operate several pharmacies in a given area, but they weren’t present at the pharmacy throughout the day. With pharmacy operations becoming just another money-spinning business, many illegal practices are also being encouraged. more..

Jan 13 (CT) When the current administration came into power, it was after a campaign promising an administration that is based on merit, efficiency & transparency. The people cast their vote with the trust that they, more than those before, would be willing to make the tough choices to bring forth the best possible outcome for the nation, and through doing so, ease the economic burden placed upon each citizen. Part of fulfilling this promise involves streamlining organisations operated by govt, more..

Jan 13 (DM) The education reforms which have been presented by the NPP Govt has eclipsed everything in politics in the country, with Opposition parties demanding the resignation of PM Dr. Harini Amarasuriya who is also the Minister of Education. However, except for the allegation that the Education Ministry has not discussed the reforms with the stakeholders, other allegations against the ministry and the minister seem to be either trivial or irrelevant or just imaginations which could have more..

Jan 12 (AD) Four persons have died in a road accident along the Paranthan–Mullaitivu road in Murasumoddai, Kilinochchi, this evening (12), police stated. The accident was a result of a head-on collision involving a private bus and a car in Murasumoddai. Police stated that the driver of the car and four passengers sustained serious injuries and were admitted to the Kilinochchi Hospital, where the driver and three of the passengers later succumbed to their injuries. more..

Jan 12 (Island) SJB has called on the govt to amend existing laws to enable female employees in the public sector to work from home, arguing that such a move would significantly boost women’s participation in the national economy. Participating in the debate on regulations under the Shop and Office Employees (Regulation of Employment and Remuneration) Act in Parliament last Friday, SJB MP Chaimndranee Kiriella said last week the concept of working from home had been successfully introduced more..

Jan 12 (NIP) Chief Minister M K Stalin stated that the new Constitution for the island nation, which reinforces a unitary state (Ekkiyarajya) mode, could further marginalise the Tamils by ignoring their aspirations for political autonomy. In his letter to PM Narendra Modi, Stalin urged the centre to initiate diplomatic steps at the highest level to safeguard the rights of SL Tamils. “Specifically, India should press for the inclusion of federal arrangements more..

Jan 12 (AD) Sri Lanka has requested the assistance of the govt of China to reconstruct roads, railways and bridges that were affected by Cyclone Ditwah. The request was made by Minister Vijitha Herath from Minister of Foreign Affairs of China Wang Yi. Minister Vijitha Herath met with the Chinese Foreign Minister during his brief visit to Sri Lanka this morning. While welcoming Minister Wang Yi, the Foreign Minister extended his appreciation to the govt and the people of China for more..

Jan 12 (TM) TNational Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol (NATA) is set to launch a special programme to raise awareness about illicit alcohol and address misconceptions surrounding its use. NATA Chairperson Dr. Ananda Rathnayake said that rumours about illicit liquor are spreading in the country, and the programme aims to provide accurate information to the public. He confirmed that, according to official statistics, there has been no rise in the use of illicit liquor, contrary to more..

Jan 12 (TM) Discussions are ongoing between the Govt and the Indian High Commission regarding Phase IV of the Indian Housing Project, under which 4,700 houses are slated for construction across 18 districts, primarily targeting estate worker communities. Ministry of Plantation & Community Infrastructure Secretary Prabath Chandrakeerthi stated that approvals had already been granted for 2,056 houses, while more..

Jan 12 (NW) Chairman of the National Movement for the Protection of the Nation, Venerable Elle Gunawansa Thera, has sent a message to the President requesting that PM Harini Amarasuriya be removed from the post of Minister of Education and that a Cabinet reshuffle be carried out. In a memorandum addressed to Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the Thera pointed out that the unilateral education reforms proposed under the leadership of PM confirm that the country, more..

Jan 12 (DM) Sri Lanka has experienced more than 44,000 natural disasters, including minor ones, over the past decade from 2015 to 2025, forcing successive govts to spend over Rs. 30 billion on compensation for affected communities, Parliament was informed. Deputy Minister Anura Jayasekera, responding to an oral question raised by MP Kins Nelson, said the country recorded a sharp rise in disasters between 2015 and 2025, including droughts, floods, landslides and cyclones. more..

Jan 12 (NF) Arrangements have been made to hold the inaugural ceremony of the national programme Rebuilding Sri Lanka, which has been introduced to effectively steer the country’s rebuilding process, at the BMICH in Colombo, under the patronage of Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake. The programme is being implemented in response to the urgent need for a highly coordinated national recovery mechanism to address post-disaster recovery and rehabilitation activities arising from the more..

Jan 12 (ST) A Muslim terror group, formed in India in 2018 ahead of the Easter Sunday attack, is the latest addition to Sri Lanka’s list of proscribed organisations and designated persons, according to a revised Extraordinary Gazette released this week. The organisation, known as Super Muslim a.k.a. Sahabi Tharika, the newest addition to the list, is reported to have been operational in SL since 2019. With its address in Kalmunakudi, the entity is operating through a Telegram channel, more..

Jan 12 (AD) The govt is hoping to finalize the agreement related to the SINOPEC Oil Refinery Project in Hambantota in the first quarter of 2026. This was conveyed by Minister Vijitha Herath during a meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi during his brief visit to Sri Lanka. The meeting was held in a bid to further strengthen bilateral engagement and advance the Strategic Cooperative Partnership between the two countries, more..

Jan 12 (DM) The Sri Lanka Social Security Board (SSSB), operating under the Rural Development, Social Security and Community Empowerment Ministry, achieved its highest level of progress in history in 2025. Established 30 years ago to provide a pension system for workers in the unorganized sector, the Board reported a significant increase in new recruitments, with contributions rising 93% from Rs. 167.41 million in 2024 to Rs. 318.68 million last year. Minister Nishantha Premarathna more..

Jan 12 (Island) A surge in dengue cases has been observed across the country, Acting Director of National Dengue Control Unit, Dr. Kapila Kannangara says. 2,420 dengue patients had been reported from all parts of the country during the first nine days of the year. The highest number of dengue cases had been reported from the Western Province—1,317 patients. He added that 361 cases had been reported from Southern Province, 192 from Central Province & 165 from Sabaragamuwa Prov. more..

Jan 12 (DM) Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said that it will introduce a comprehensive programme to regulate the use of drones in SL, with particular emphasis on drones used for commercial purposes. Director General of CAA, Daminda Rambukwella, said that all drones with commercial value will be required to be registered under the new regulatory framework. He explained that the CAA is responsible for overseeing more..

Jan 12 (EN) Authorities are in talks to re-start Krrish Square, a controversial stalled high rise in SL’s capital initiated by an Indian group and six other stalled real estate projects. There are 11 stalled real estate projects linked to the UDA. “We started work on six of these last year,” Secretary to the Ministry of Housing, Construction and Water Supply L B Kumudu Lal said. “We will begin on the other five, but the biggest challenges is getting the valuation.” “We have got cabinet approval, more..

Jan 12 (NW) Sectoral Oversight Committee on Economic Development and International Relations has approved the proposed Microfinance and Credit Regulatory Authority Bill, subject to amendments. Committee said the recommended amendments were to safeguard the role of community-based financial societies. Meeting in Parliament recently under the chairmanship of MP Lakmali Hemachandra, the Committee emphasized the need to include a clear definition of more..