Dec 15 (DM) Sri Lanka’s inbound tourism sector is witnessing a significant structural shift, as the international visitors increasingly bypass the traditional commercial hubs in favour of leisure destinations along the southern coast and hill country. Tourism spending is decentralising away from the capital, creating new economic frontiers for small businesses and local communities outside the Western province. more..

Dec 15 (DM) 27 persons, including the 26-year-old daughter of Kandy Deputy Mayor Ruwan Kumara of the NPP, who were arrested with narcotics following a police raid on a party organised through social media in Teldeniya, were released on bail. The raid was carried out in the early hours on Saturday (13) at a hotel near the Victoria Reservoir, where the event was being held. During the operation, police seized 4,134 milligrams of crystal meth (ice), 1,875 milligrams of hashish, more..

Dec 15 (NW) Oil spill near Colombo Port brought under control within eight hoursOil spill near Colombo Port brought under control within eight hours. An oil spill reported near the Colombo Port in the early hours of Dec 14 has been successfully brought under control, authorities said. Spill occurred near the crude oil unloading buoy belonging to CPC during unloading operations from the vessel MT ASP Avana. Incident was caused by a defect in a pipeline connected to the buoy. more..

Dec 15 (PMD) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake stated that the recent disaster dealt a severe blow to an economy that was being rebuilt steadily and systematically and that in the face of such a challenge, It is the duty of every citizen not to withdraw or remain in hopelessness, but to come together with unwavering determination to restore the nation. Prez paid heartfelt tribute to the SL Navy for its immense contribution during the disaster, particularly commending its courageous more..

Dec 15 (ST) The govt will present a supplementary estimate of Rs.1000 billion to Parliament when an emergency sitting of the House is held on Thursday (18). The special sitting of the House has been summoned by Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne at the request of PM Harini Amarasuriya under Standing Orders of Parliament to seek approval for the emergency funding needed for the relief work related to cyclone Ditwah. The relevant gazette was issued yesterday. Prez told Parliament on Dec 5 more..

Dec 15 (TM) The Commissioner General of Essential Services Prabath Chandrakeerthi said that nearly 7,000 people are currently sheltered in relief centres, and that steps would be taken to resettle them within two to three months. He said that 6,138 houses have been completely destroyed, and that resettling the affected families would take some time. The Commissioner General made these remarks yesterday more..

Dec 15 (FT) Workers’ remittances during the first 11 months have crossed the $ 7 billion mark, aided by a record $ 673.4 million inflow in Nov 2025. November inflow represents a robust 27% year-on-year (YoY) increase, extending a series of record monthly performances seen this year. Despite easing slightly from October’s $ 712 million, November’s inflows remained significantly stronger than historical benchmarks. Cumulatively, workers’ remittances for the first 11 months of 2025 surpassed more..

Dec 15 (FT) Aitken Spence Travels marked a significant milestone with the handling of The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection’s first call to the ports of Colombo and Galle on 14 and 15 Dec. This inaugural visit reflects Aitken Spence’s ongoing efforts to introduce world renowned, ultra-luxury cruise brands to Sri Lanka, elevating the country’s profile within the high-end global cruise travel segment, and establishing Sri Lanka as the ideal multiport destination for luxury travellers. more..

Dec 15 (FT) Sri Lanka’s tourism sector continued to struggle to translate rising visitor arrivals into stronger economic returns, with earnings in November 2025 falling sharply despite a record influx of tourists. Tourism earnings in November declined 8.5% year-on-year (YoY) to $ 251.6 million, highlighting a growing disconnect between arrival volumes and actual visitor spending. November performance also remains well below pre-crisis benchmarks. more..

Dec 15 (FT) EDB Chairman Mangala Wijesinghe last week declared that SL’s export sector is poised for an era of unprecedented expansion, driven by innovation, value addition and renewed policy momentum, and the future is one of limitless potential rather than incremental recovery. He made this assertion during his speech at the 27th Presidential Export Awards Ceremony held at the BMICH with the participation of PM Harini Amarasuriya and Ministers Dr. Anil Jayantha more..

Dec 15 (TM) Despite identifying over 84,000 houses, shops, schools, and religious buildings in high-risk landslide zones, NBRO has left a significant portion of high-risk areas unmapped. Of the 25,649 sq km selected for detailed mapping at a scale of 1:10,000, only 10,560 sq km had been surveyed as of the audit date. This leaves 15,089 sq km – potentially home to thousands of vulnerable structures – unassessed. more..

Dec 15 (NF) The guidelines related to providing disaster relief have been issued by Ministry of Defence. The circular pertaining to the govt's accelerated relief program, intended to restore the lives of the people affected and shattered by the Cyclone Ditwah, was issued on the 6th of December. Ministry of Defence, through the circular issued to all District and Divisional Secretaries, has notified that these guidelines are being released to implement the Disaster Relief & Restoration program. more..

Dec 15 (DN) Teen prodigy MF Muhammad of Zahira College delivered a stunning performance, slashing 3 full seconds off the long-standing mark held by double Olympian Matthew Abeysinghe, and smashed the nearly decade-old men’s 200m breaststroke senior national record on the 4th day of the National & Junior National Short Course Swimming C'ship at Isipathana College yesterday. 17-year-old clocked a brilliant 2:16.04 to claim gold in the men’s 200m breaststroke. more..

Dec 15 (Island) With just six weeks to go for the World Cup that Sri Lanka will co-host, the ground appears to be shifting under the selectors’ feet. Moves are underway to replace former opening batter Upul Tharanga as Chairman of Selectors, the latest in a series of shake-ups that have gathered pace alarmingly close to the showpiece event. First came the reshuffling of the coaching staff. Then there were strong signals that captain Charith Asalanka could be moved aside. more..

Dec 15 (TM) SL’s domestic income growth in 2026 is to be driven by tourism and favourable monetary policy, amidst projected downside risks such as global supply chains disruptions and external market instability, Mastercard Economic Institute (MEI) said, in its Economic Outlook report for 2026. “SL’s underlying economic momentum remains robust, supported by private consumption, investment, low inflation, strong remittances, rising tourism receipts and accommodative monetary policy,” more..

Dec 15 (FT) As the Govt engages in post-Ditwah recovery efforts, for which it is seeking an additional Rs. 550 billion spending bill along with additional IMF financing, data for the first 10 months of 2025 showed SL’s fiscal performance continued to strengthen, with the Budget deficit contracting by nearly 60% from a year ago and the primary surplus exceeding Rs. 1.6 trillion. Budget deficit for the first 10 months of 2025 reached Rs. 455.77 b more..

Dec 15 (NW) Railway lines across Sri Lanka have suffered severe damage due to landslides and flooding caused by the prevailing disaster situation, authorities said. Minister Bimal Rathnayake visited the Balana section of the Upcountry railway line to inspect damage caused by ground subsidence at several locations, which has disrupted rail services in the area. Officials said multiple sections of the track have been affected due to land slips, and restoration work will commence once more..

Dec 15 (FT) Total private sector borrowings in October 2025 spiked to a record Rs. 246.10 billion, resulting in the total outstanding amount reaching Rs. 9.76 trillion, up 24.1% from a year ago. This is the highest monthly private sector borrowing this year after Rs. 236 billion in September, followed by Rs. 227 billion in August. According to the latest Central Bank of SL (CBSL) data, domestic banking sector credit to the private sector in October amounted to Rs. 247.7 billion. more..

Dec 15 (DN) Dilmini Kumarage, the only female athlete in SL’s nine-member contingent, stole the limelight by winning two gold medals in the Under-17 F40/41 Shot Put and Discus Throw events at the Asian Youth Para Games, which concluded yesterday in Dubai. SL finished the meet with five medals, with Dilmini opening the gold medal tally. A student of Sir John Kotelawala Maha Vidyalaya, Kurunegala, she is coached by school PTI Athula Seneviratne. She won the Shot Put with more..

Dec 15 (FT) SL–Maldives Business Council (SLMLBC) has extended its deepest appreciation to the Govt and the people of the Maldives for the extraordinary solidarity and generosity extended to SL in the aftermath of the recent cyclone. SL received approximately $ 2 million in financial assistance and $ 1.2 million worth of tuna cans, contributed collectively by the Govt of Maldives, private sector institutions, Maldivian citizens & SL expatriate community in Maldives. more..

Dec 15 (FT) Sri Lanka’s struggle to revive large-scale manufacturing industries affected by Cyclone Ditwah came under spotlight recently at a high-level review involving the Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Ministry and top corporates. The progress and challenges of Sri Lanka thus far were reviewed at the meeting bringing together leading companies under a public-private partnership framework chaired by more..

Dec 15 (Island) The manner in which the govt succeeded in mobilising support from the international community, immediately after the devastating impact of Cyclone Ditwah, may have surprised many people of this country, particularly because our Opposition politicians were ridiculing our inexperienced govt, in the recent past, for its inability to deal with the int'l community effectively. However, by now it is evident that the govt, with the assistance of the int'l community and more..

Dec 15 (ST) A grief stricken SL citizenry caught up in the immediate aftermath of a deadly cyclone that cracked the country’s green and verdant hills with potentially irreversible impact, cruelly swallowing up entire villages and their sleeping inhabitants like some giant medieval monster, was rocked by a cyclonic storm of legal consequences this week. That when the national media headlined the story of the acquittal of a former Governor of the CB indicted by the CIABOC for a 2011/2012 decision by more..

Dec 15 (Island) The govt hurriedly launched a social media campaign on Friday to gain political mileage out of the arrest of NPP MP Asoka Ranwala involved in a road accident. Its propagandists boasted that the rule of law had been restored, and everyone was now equal before the law. But they were left red-faced when Ranwala was granted bail soon afterwards. Worse, it was revealed that the police had not made Ranwala undergo an alcohol test immediately after the accident on Thursday more..

Dec 15 (TM) In the aftermath of the cyclonic storm Ditwah, SL once again confronts a familiar but unresolved challenge. That is disaster response that prioritises immediate relief while neglecting the systems people need to rebuild their lives. As floodwaters recede and landslide risks subside, the real crisis for many affected families is not only the loss of homes and livelihoods, but also the loss of access to services and support. Across some of the worst flood affected & landslide prone areas, more..

Dec 15 (TM) SL’s education system is among the casualties of Cyclone Ditwah, with severe damage to school and preschool infrastructure, while some have been converted into shelters, disrupting the resumption of learning nationwide. According to UNICEF’s SL Situation Report of 5 Dec, “Over 1,185 schools across all nine provinces are located in flood-affected areas, affecting the learning of over half a million children.” more..

Dec 15 (DM) Cyclone Ditwah tore through Sri Lanka with a frightening force, leaving behind washed-out villages, broken roads, drowned fields, and thousands of families trying to rebuild their lives from the mud. But as the waters recede and statistics slowly replace human stories, one uncomfortable truth remains pertinent. Disasters like Ditwah do not fall from the sky fully formed. They are shaped long before the clouds gather, and the damage they cause is written into more..

Dec 15 (DM) There is a familiar sinking feeling Sri Lankans experience every time news breaks about a politician involved in a road accident or public incident allegedly linked to alcohol. It does not shock anymore. It is weary recognition, another headline, another explanation, another promise that the law will take its course. And then, almost inevitably, silence. The recent accident involving MP Asoka Ranwala has once again forced the country to confront an uncomfortable truth. more..

Dec 15 (DM) Ambuluwawa’s iconic tower is under fresh scrutiny after Cyclone Ditwah triggered deadly landslides across the central highlands. Rockfalls, cracked roads and years of ignored warnings have intensified fears about the mountain’s stability. Officials raised these concerns directly with Prez last week, prompting a call for a full geotechnical audit. At the centre of the controversy is the Ambuluwawa Trust Act more..

Dec 15 (CT) Sri Lanka is facing a health crisis on top of a humanitarian emergency. As the country grapples with the aftermath of devastating floods caused by the recent monsoon and Cyclone Ditwah, another threat has emerged: a sharp rise in dengue fever cases. It is a wave that now risks drowning our recovery efforts in suffering, sickness and strain on an already fragile health system. The country has recorded 47,371 dengue cases and 24 dengue-related deaths so far in 2025. more..

Dec 15 (DM) The following is a keynote address delivered by Prof. G.L. Peiris at the Int'l Research Conference of the Faculty of Law, Uni of Colombo held on Dec 12. One of the great challenges of modern public law is to reconcile traditional principles relating to the rule of law and the separation of powers with the exigencies of crises which threaten the destruction of society itself. To what extent must protective mechanisms developed by systems of law over the ages give way more..