Dec 17 (AD) A foreign-manufactured firearm and a stock of ammunition have been recovered based on information revealed during the interrogation of an underworld gang member known as Kehelbaddara Padme, who is currently being held under a detention order. Officers of the CID uncovered that a firearm and other property belonging to the suspect had been concealed in the country under the custody of another organized criminal who is currently overseas. more..

Dec 17 (TM) A Police Sergeant has been interdicted for allegedly maintaining close contact with the female suspect, Nanda Kumar Thakshee, who is currently being held under a 90-day detention order (DO) in connection with the murder of organised crime figure Sanjeewa Kumara Samararatne, also known as Ganemulla Sanjeewa, at the Aluthkade court complex. Police investigations revealed that the Sergeant and the suspect exchanged gestures and communicated using sign language, more..

Dec 17 (TM) Plantation and Community Infrastructure Ministry stated Govt has a comprehensive plan to support estate sector families affected by Cyclone Ditwah and assured that all forms of relief and assistance would be provided without delay. Deputy subject Minister Sundaralingam Pradeep said that the Govt was already extending financial support to affected children through existing allowance schemes, more..

Dec 17 (NW) Minister of Power Kumara Jayakody says SL has prepared a draft National Electricity Policy as part of a broader national energy strategy aimed at meeting current and future needs while addressing sector challenges. A committee of experts,consisting of Prof. Mohan Munasinghe, Prof. Arulampalam Atputharajah, Prof. Wijendra Bandara, Dr. M.M. Gunathilaka, Engineer Shavindranath Fernando, and President’s Counsel Milinda Gunatilaka, was appointed by the Cabinet more..

Dec 17 (DM) SL construction sector recorded a robust double-digit growth of 12.2% in the third quarter of 2025, maintaining its recovery momentum and catalysing broader activity across the real estate and professional services sectors. According to provisional estimates, the construction industry generated Rs. 499.9 billion in Gross Value Added (GVA) at current prices during the quarter ending Sept 30, 2025. This performance secured a 6% share of SL’s total GDP for the period. more..

Dec 17 (DN) SL Under-19 team, captained by Vimath Dinsara, looks to maintain its winning momentum against Bangladesh in the final Group match of the Asia Cup today at the ICC Academy Grounds in Dubai. Both SL and Bangladesh recorded back-to-back victories to secure semi-final spots. SL tops the points table with a net run rate of 1.848, while Bangladesh sits second with 1.558. This match will decide the group leader ahead of the semi-finals. SL’s narrow two-wicket victory more..

Dec 17 (Island) The second edition of the National Short ‎Track Athletics Championships will be held at the 200 metres track of the Sugathadasa Stadium on Jan 3, 2026. The event scheduled for a 1 pm start is limited to a few track and field events generally held at indoor stadiums. It will be the first track and field event of the year and will be held when Sri Lanka Athletics is governed under a convening committee. ‎Sri Lanka Athletics is without an elected body after Sports Ministry’s attempt to conduct election more..

Dec 17 (FT) The anticipated tourism rebound is edging into its final, decisive stretch of 2025 with arrivals now firmly above 2.2 million as of first half of the month, but the arithmetic of the final weeks suggests the industry will need an exceptional December to meaningfully exceed its lower-end ambitions. SL welcomed 93,031 visitors in the first 2 weeks of Dec, a 4.2% increase from 89,317 recorded over the same period last yr. more..

Dec 17 (DM) Initial Public Offering (IPO) of Wealth Trust Securities Limited (WTS) opens today, inviting the public to subscribe for 71,548,244 Ordinary Voting Shares at an Issue Price of Rs. 7 per share. Through the Issue, WTS seeks to raise a total of Rs. 500,837,708, with the Company’s shares expected to be listed on the Diri Savi Board of the CSE. WTS is a Primary Dealer authorised by the Central Bank of SL, and is also licensed by the SEC as a Stock Broker (Debt) and Stock Dealer (Debt). more..

Dec 17 (ST) An elite 8-member team from the 2nd Commando Regiment of the SL Army spearheaded a dramatic rescue of a 3-month-old infant under extremely challenging conditions from the remote Meemure area. This 8-member team had found a 3-month-old infant and her grandmother while searching a house in the Karambaketiya village on Dec 3. Infant was in an extremely weak state at the time she was found as she had been separated from her mother and was in need of mother’s milk. more..

Dec 17 (FT) Sri Lanka’s tea production declined in November 2025, reversing the marginal gains seen a month earlier, although cumulative output for the year to date remained ahead of last year’s levels. Provisional data show November production at 21.45 million kilos (Mnkg), a decrease of 1.28 Mnkg from 22.73 Mnkg recorded in Nov 2024. All elevations recorded negative variances year-on-year. Compared to November 2023, however, output increased by 1.67 Mnkg from 19.78 Mnkg. more..

Dec 17 (CI) SL has named a young squad for the forthcoming T20Is against India, bringing in the likes of 17-year-old ambidextrous spinner Shashini Gimhani, 23-year-old seamer Kawya Kavindi, while 19-year-old Rashmika Sewwandi has also been named. Captain Chamari Athapaththu also has some experienced hands in her ranks for the series, with spinner Inoka Ranaweera, 39, also in the squad, alongside a top order that has now had significant exposure at the top level. more..

Dec 17 (ST) Amid mounting public concern over the agricultural impact of Cyclone Ditwah and fluctuating market prices of paddy and field crops, experts insist that SL will not face an imminent food shortage. Despite an estimated loss of more than 100,000 hectares of paddy and over 11,000 hectares of other field crops following the cyclone, CEO of HARTI Prof. A.L. Sandika said food security was not under threat. more..

Dec 17 (Island) Charles Sturt Uni is expanding its international presence with a new campus in SL, opening doors for students to access globally recognised Australian qualifications closer to home.  The campus will be delivered in partnership with Prospects Education. Students will initially be offered courses in business and early childhood education, with disciplines such as information technology, psychology, engineering and health earmarked for future expansion.  more..

Dec 17 (FT) SL’s technology services sector (including IT, BPM & tech services) is entering a phase of pay normalisation, with companies moving away from crisis-era salary hikes and sharpening their focus on performance- and skill-based rewards, according to SLASSCOM Compensation and Benefits Survey Report 2025. The survey, covering IT, BPM and tech-enabled businesses, shows incremental budgets settling into more sustainable levels, even as competition for skilled more..

Dec 17 (Island) Colombo Port is always in the news for the wrong reasons. More than 300 container trucks loaded with cargo are waiting within its premises due to a clearance delay, according to a report we published yesterday. The Container Transport Vehicle Owners’ Association has urged the govt to take action to eliminate the port delays forthwith. It has warned that there will be a shortage of essential commodities soon if delays persist. Additional expenditure incurred by more..

Dec 17 (DM) SL, once envisioned as a potential economic powerhouse in South Asia, has navigated a tumultuous path since its independence in 1948. The narrative has shifted from one of high promise being second only to Japan in economic metrics post-independence to one dominated by economic mismanagement, deep-seated corruption, political instability, and catastrophic events. Recurrent crises, from insurrections and the Easter Sunday attacks to the devastating economic collapse of 2022, more..

Dec 17 (CT) Sri Lanka’s National Physical Plan (NPP) was conceived as the country’s highest-level spatial blueprint—a long-term, technocratic roadmap intended to guide land use, infrastructure, environmental conservation, and regional development across a 30-year horizon. Instead of responding to political winds, it was designed to be the compass that directs govts, ensuring that the country’s physical growth remains coherent, more..

Dec 17 (ST) If the satirical writing of the British poet who penned the words above is not appreciated by those in this country, at least his thoughts have proved to be prophetic even centuries later. Over the years the words of Alexander Pope have shown that we in SL seemed determined to follow the first words of Pope’s saying but not the rest of what he said in that sentence: “Whate’er is best administered is best.” For those in this country who followed SL’s political antics but wisely kept away from it, more..

Dec 17 (CT) It has been several days since the accident involving the former Speaker of the Parliament and NPP MP Asoka Ranwala, and while expressing concern over the safe recovery of those injured from the collision, information revealed regarding the actions of the Police in investigating the particulars of the case paint a picture that is not helpful for the NPP Govt and its administration. Of course, matters are made worse when considering the fact that the incident involved Ranwala, more..

Dec 17 (CT) Cabraal went on TV and said he was unconditionally discharged by the Court (නිදොස් කොට නිදහස්). Another YouTuber SL LEADERS (Abeetha Edirisinghe) watch at least from 5th minute, confirms the same story. He calls Cabraal at the 5th minute in the video, and Cabrral answers immediately and says he was unconditionally discharged by the Court (නිදොස් කොට නිදහස්). The real situation can be extracted from the Actual court record, as quoted in Bharatha more..

Dec 17 (DM) As SL heads into the post-disaster reconstruction phase following Cyclone Ditwah, the govt seems clueless about how to proceed. Its pre-disaster response had been lacklustre; its response in the immediate aftermath commendable, but where it matters most for the long-term recovery, it lags. The devastation has been extensive, though an exact estimate of the damage and cost of reconstruction is not yet established. Other than the immense human loss; 640 dead, over 200 more..

Dec 17 (SO) Cyclone Ditwah has compelled SL to deal with the realities of climate change, disaster preparedness, and development planning. While the immediate focus has been on rescue and relief, experts warn that the scale of destruction points to deeper structural and environmental vulnerabilities. CEO Dr. Chinthaka Perera of the Uni College of Batangala, affiliated to Uni of Vocational Technology (UoVT), more..

Dec 17 (DM) There was a time when evenings in SL homes were filled with sound. The clatter of plates being set on the table, the familiar arguments over homework, a mother calling out to children to wash their hands before dinner, a father asking about school. These moments were imperfect, sometimes chaotic, but they were real. Today, many of those sounds have faded, replaced by an uncomfortable silence broken only by the tapping of fingers on screens. Across Colombo and even beyond, more..

Dec 17 (TM) Increasingly, the world has witnessed a surge in natural disasters and emergencies, from devastating floods and wildfires to severe storms and unforeseen health crises. Sri Lanka has faced its share of these tragedies. As our climate and region become increasingly unpredictable, there is a pressing need for communities and individuals to be proactive in their preparedness. The cornerstone of this preparedness lies not only in Govt action but in the collective responsibility of more..

Dec 16 (NW) Former SL cricketer Pramodya Wickremasinghe has been appointed Chairman of the National Cricket Selection Committee, Ministry of Sports said on Tuesday. The appointment was announced in an official press release issued by the ministry, which confirmed that a new five-member national selection committee has been constituted. The other members appointed to the committee are Indika de Saram, Tharanga Paranavithana, Vinothan John & Rasanjali de Alwis. more..

Dec 16 (AD) The newly appointed High Commissioner of Canada to Sri Lanka, Isabelle Catherine Martin, has conveyed Canada’s condolences over the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah and reaffirmed Canada’s readiness to extend further support to Sri Lanka during the recovery process. The High Commissioner made these observations when she paid a courtesy call on PM Dr. Harini Amarasuriya on Monday at Temple Trees, the PM’s Office said. more..

Dec 16 (AD) Cabinet has approved a series of MoU between SL universities and foreign institutions to strengthen academic cooperation, research collaboration and knowledge exchange. The approvals include agreements involving Uni of Peradeniya, Uni of Kelaniya and Uni of Vavuniya with institutions in China, Japan and India, covering areas such as climate change, environmental pollution, antimicrobial resistance, informatics more..

Dec 16 (wsws) It is with great sadness that the Socialist Equality Party reports that two longstanding party comrades died on Saturday. We pay tribute to their intransigent fight over decades for the perspective of Trotskyism in the Sri Lankan working class. We extend our condolences to their family members. Comrade Leela Balasuriya passed away on Saturday morning, Dec 13, after losing consciousness. She had been bedridden for three months after a fall caused by a sudden more..

Dec 16 (AD) Another shipment of dry rations has been brought from India to provide relief to people affected by the cyclone Ditwah. The supplies were brought to SL by a C-17 aircraft belonging to the Indian Air Force. The relief consignment includes 15 tons of dry rations and 10 tons of medicines. Additionally, a shipment of 50 tons of dry rations was brought to the country yesterday aboard the Indian Coast Guard vessel Shaurya. The supplies were officially handed over at the port more..