FAO appeal for $16.5 m for Cyclone Ditwah workNewsThe Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Headquarters in Rome on Thursday appealed for for international assistance of US$16.5 million to support the early recovery of livelihoods and food security for farming, livestock-keeping and fishing communities affected by Cyclone Ditwah in Sri Lanka. “This appeal focuses on early recovery interventions that are urgently needed to stabilise livelihoods and safeguard food production,” said Vimlendra Sharan, FAO Representative for Sri Lanka and the Maldives. The $16.5 million requirement reflects priority early recovery actions, designed to rapidly restore productive capacity and protect livelihoods. FAO also co-leads the Food Security and Livelihoods Sector alongside the World Food Programme and coordinates its response with the Sri Lanka Humanitarian Priorities Plan – Cyclone Ditwah. Without urgent donor support, hundreds of thousands of households risk missing an entire cultivation season, with lasting consequences for food security, nutrition and rural resilience, the FAO said.

Colombo bourse breaks another recordNewsThe Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) reached a new milestone on Wednesday (January 14) with the All-Share Price Index (ASPI) closing on 23,708.70 points, breaking the previous ASPI record of 23,659.70 set on November 12, 2025. On the previous trading day, January 13, the market closed with a daily average turnover of Rs. 6.07 billion compared to the daily average turnover of the last trading day of 2025 which stood at Rs. 5.18 billion, representing a 17.18 per cent increase. “The milestone reflects a robust investor confidence across the market, marking a definitive start to the 2026 trading year,” the CSE said in a statement.

Less vegetables on the plate – a cause for concern? As society has evolved beyond foraging and subsistence farming, modern households now rely on purchasing vegetables, making it increasingly challenging to sustain the traditional “multiple-curry” meal. Against this backdrop, the recent surge in vegetable prices has left much of society shocked and feeling helpless. Marking a significant increase in vegetable prices in recent history, a kilogram of vegetable was priced at Rs.1,000 by January 2024. As doctors and nutritionists emphasise, inadequate vegetable consumption can cause children to miss out on essential vitamins, minerals, and micronutrients critical for healthy growth.

Time to celebrate Thai PongalFeaturesBy Thilakshi BasnayakeThe "Thai Pongal" festival which falls this year on January 15 is celebrated with great enthusiasm by Hindus around the world, as well as in Sri Lanka. The Thai Pongal festival has been celebrated by Tamil Hindus since time immemorial and is a four-day festival. Patti Pongal / Mattu PongalNext comes the third day of Thai Pongal. Mattu Pongal is celebrated the day after Thai Pongal. The ‘Thai Pongal’ festival is all about fertility, gratitude, peace and harmony.

Sports Diary for this week - January 15-21SportThe Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) Major League Tournament and the SLC Invitational Tier ‘B’ 3-Day Tournament for 2025/26 will continue this week as well with a combined card of 12 matches over the weekend. The SLR-Maliban Club Rugby League 2025/26 will continue with a card of four matches this weekend as well while the FSL Champions League 2025/26 football tournament also continues with a card of six matches through the weekend at the Racecourse ground. The Women’s National Super League T20 2026 will come to an end with the final set to be played at the P. Sara Oval ground on Saturday (17). In addition, happenings in sports around the world are also listed. Local SportsThursday (15)Cricket:ICC Men’s Under-19 World Cup 2026India vs USA at Bulawayo (1:00pm)Zimbabwe vs Scotland at Harare (1:00pm)Tanzania vs West Indies at Windhoek (1:00pm)Women’s National Super League T20 2026Greens vs Greys at Colts (9:30am)Blues vs Reds at Colts (2:00pm)Friday (16)Cricket:SLC Tier ‘B’ 3-Day Tournament 2025/26Leo CC vs Galle CC at Welisara (10:00am)Malay CC vs Kandy Customs at BRC (10:00am)Ragama CC vs Navy SC at Salawa (10:00am)Moratuwa SC vs Negombo CC at Moratuwa (10:00am)SSC vs Army SC at SSC (10:00am)United Southern vs Sebastianites at Saliyapura (10:00am)ICC Men’s Under-19 World Cup 2026England vs Pakistan at Harare (1:00pm)Australia vs Ireland at Windhoek (1:00pm)Afghanistan vs South Africa at Windhoek (1:00pm)Football:FSL Champions League 2025/26Group round matches at Racecourse (4:00pm and 8:00pm)Cycling:Lanka Ride 2026 covering 440kms from Colombo and back (9:00am)Saturday (17)Cricket:SLC Major League Tournament 2025/26Chilaw Marians vs Bloomfield at Galle (10:00am)Colts vs Panadura SC at CCC (10:00am)Police SC vs CCC at NCC (10:00am)Badureliya SC vs Moors SC at Colts (10:00am)BRC vs NCC at Maggona (10:00am)Tamil Union vs Ace Capital at Dambulla (10:00am)SLC Tier ‘B’ 3-Day Tournament 2025/26Leo CC vs Galle CC at Welisara (10:00am)Malay CC vs Kandy Customs at BRC (10:00am)Ragama CC vs Navy SC at Salawa (10:00am)Moratuwa SC vs Negombo CC at Moratuwa (10:00am)SSC vs Army SC at SSC (10:00am)United Southern vs Sebastianites at Saliyapura (10:00am)Women’s National Super League T20 2026Final at P. Sara Oval (9:45am)ICC Men’s Under-19 World Cup 2026Bangladesh vs India at Bulawayo (1:00pm)Sri Lanka vs Japan at Windhoek (1:00pm)Rugby:SLR-Maliban Club Rugby League 2025/26Police SC vs Army SC at Police Park (3:30pm)CR&FC vs Air Force SC at Longdon Place (3:30pm)Football:FSL Champions League 2025/26Group round matches at Racecourse (4:00pm and 8:00pm)Cycling:Lanka Ride 2026 covering 440kms from Colombo and back (9:00am)Sunday (18)Cricket:SLC Major League Tournament 2025/26Chilaw Marians vs Bloomfield at Galle (10:00am)Colts vs Panadura SC at CCC (10:00am)Police SC vs CCC at NCC (10:00am)Badureliya SC vs Moors SC at Colts (10:00am)BRC vs NCC at Maggona (10:00am)Tamil Union vs Ace Capital at Dambulla (10:00am)SLC Tier ‘B’ 3-Day Tournament 2025/26Leo CC vs Galle CC at Welisara (10:00am)Malay CC vs Kandy Customs at BRC (10:00am)Ragama CC vs Navy SC at Salawa (10:00am)Moratuwa SC vs Negombo CC at Moratuwa (10:00am)SSC vs Army SC at SSC (10:00am)United Southern vs Sebastianites at Saliyapura (10:00am)ICC Men’s Under-19 World Cup 2026New Zealand vs USA at Bulawayo (1:00pm)Zimbabwe vs England at Harare (1:00pm)Afghanistan vs West Indies at Windhoek (1:00pm)Rugby:SLR-Maliban Club Rugby League 2025/26Kandy SC vs Havelocks SC at Nittawela (3:30pm)Sri Lions SC vs CH&FC at Longdon Place (3:30pm)Football:FSL Champions League 2025/26Group round matches at Racecourse (4:00pm and 8:00pm)Cycling:Lanka Ride 2026 covering 440kms from Colombo and back (9:00am)Monday (19)Cricket:SLC Major League Tournament 2025/26Chilaw Marians vs Bloomfield at Galle (10:00am)Colts vs Panadura SC at CCC (10:00am)Police SC vs CCC at NCC (10:00am)Badureliya SC vs Moors SC at Colts (10:00am)BRC vs NCC at Maggona (10:00am)Tamil Union vs Ace Capital at Dambulla (10:00am)ICC Men’s Under-19 World Cup 2026Pakistan vs Scotland at Harare (1:00pm)Sri Lanka vs Ireland at Windhoek (1:00pm)South Africa vs Tanzania at Windhoek (1:00pm)Tuesday (20)Cricket:ICC Men’s Under-19 World Cup 2026Bangladesh vs New Zealand at Bulawayo (1:00pm)Australia vs Japan at Windhoek (1:00pm)Wednesday (21)Cricket:ICC Men’s Under-19 World Cup 2026England vs Scotland at Harare (1:00pm)Afghanistan vs Tanzania at Windhoek (1:00pm)World SportsThursday (15)Tennis:WTA/ATP in Adelaide, AustraliaATP in Auckland, New ZealandWTA in Hobart, AustraliaGolf:PGA Tour's Sony Open in HawaiiEuropean Tour's Dubai InvitationalFigure Skating:European Championships at Sheffield, EnglandMotor Sport:Dakar Rally in Saudi ArabiaFootball:Africa Cup of Nations hosted by MoroccoRest dayFriday (16)Tennis:WTA/ATP in Adelaide, AustraliaATP in Auckland, New ZealandWTA in Hobart, AustraliaGolf:PGA Tour in HawaiiEuropean Tour's Dubai InvitationalAlpine Skiing:Men's World Cup super-G at Wengen, Swit

Chinese youth arrested for stealing Lankan’s woman passenger’s cashNewsA Chinese national who stole cash from a Sri Lankan passenger on a flight from Dubai to Colombo was nabbed by the Police shortly after the flight landed, Police said today. The woman had complained to the Katunayake police who in turn had examined the CCTV footage in the Airport. The woman had identified one of the Chinese nationals who had travelled with her on the same flight as a person suspected to have stolen the cash and gold items. Police tracked the man in a short while to a hostel run by a Chinese woman in Negombo and arrested him and detected the stolen items. OIC of the Airport Police Mr. Elmo Malcom Pate directed the investigations.

Chinese Dragon Café opens flagship outlet in GalleBusinessChinese Dragon Café (CDC), one of Sri Lanka’s most recognisable names in Chinese cuisine, continuing its legacy as a pioneer in Chinese cuisine and opened its latest outlet in Galle, marking a new chapter in the restaurant’s long-standing presence across the island. Chinese Dragon Café established in 1942 by a Chinese couple in Bambalapitiya, CDC has grown from a humble neighbourhood eatery into a trusted household name, with outlets in key urban areas including Mount Lavinia, Nugegoda, Rajagiriya, Pelawatta, Wattala, Kandana, Kaduwela and Jaffna. The Galle opening demonstrates CDC’s commitment to bringing its signature Chinese cuisine to more regions across the island. Chinese Dragon Cafe also caters to evolving customer needs through services such as free delivery, event catering, corporate meals for training and events and online ordering. We’re excited to serve the community and look forward to becoming a familiar name in the area.” With this new launch, Chinese Dragon Café reaffirms its commitment to expanding and sharing authentic Sri Lankan Chinese flavours across Sri Lanka.

Industry sets clear goals at Inaugural Sri Lanka Fintech Summit 2025BusinessThe inaugural Sri Lanka Fintech Summit 2025, held recently, marked a decisive step in shaping the country’s modern, inclusive, and investment-ready digital economy. It also attracted several leading international and local fintech experts, investors, global fintech influences and startups fulfilling a clear objective of the industry. Chaired by Damith Pallewatte, CEO of Hatton National Bank, the opening roundtable mapped Sri Lanka’s Vision 2030 for digital banking. Implementing and expanding the national digital ID for banking and payments was recognized as a key enabler of inclusion and innovation. The fourth roundtable, Harnessing Digital Assets and CBDCs, was chaired by Sandun Hapugoda, Country Manager for Mastercard Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

Grade 6 educational reforms postponed to next yearNewsCabinet Spokesman Minister Dr Nalinda Jayatissa said a decision has been made by the Cabinet not to implement the Grade 6 educational reforms this year and to postpone them until 2027. Educational reforms proposed for Grade 1 will be implemented this year without change. The Academic Affairs Board of the National Institute of Education is expected to take disciplinary action against officials responsible for the incident where a web address directing students to an adult website was published in the Grade 6 English module. The relevant education reforms will continue to be implemented in the future based on human resource development, infrastructure development and administrative reforms, assessment and evaluation processes, curriculum development and public awareness and promotion. You can share this post!

Barberyn Resorts go chemical-free for mosquito controlBusinessWorld’s first Ayurveda Resort chains’, Barberyn Reef Ayurveda Resort Hospital has replaced traditional chemical pesticides with gentle, insecticide-free biogents mosquito traps to prioritise eco-conscious travelers and the environment. “The transition to eco-friendly mosquito traps aligns with our broader sustainability goals and assure our international guests that safety and sustainability can go hand in hand,” said Dr. Asanga Rodrigo. “Even global hospitality giants have partnered with us to implement this sustainable mosquito control system. We are encouraging its implementation across Sri Lanka’s hospitality sector. This will be a major boost to Sri Lanka’s image as a safe and eco-friendly travel destination,” Cooke added.

Earthfoam dominates 2025 awards season with five major national honorsBusinessEarthfoam Private Limited, Sri Lanka’s leading natural and organic latex-based mattress, topper, and pillow manufacturer and exporter, has emerged as a standout performer in the 2025 national awards season, securing five prestigious titles across multiple industry platforms. These recognitions reflect Earthfoam’s excellence in value addition, agricultural innovation, sustainability, and export performance in Sri Lanka’s natural rubber sector. In addition, the company received a Merit Award in the Dry Rubber Product sector at the 27th Presidential Export Awards, further affirming its role as a key contributor to Sri Lanka’s export economy. These latest recognitions follow Earthfoam’s earlier success as Best Exporter – Lifestyle Products at the Presidential Export Awards 2022/23, underscoring consistent excellence over the years. The company’s manufacturing process is supported by Sri Lanka’s largest GOLS-certified organic rubber farm network, consisting of more than 1,200 farms spread across 10,000 acres.

However, the international bodies stressed that the unfinished audit does not constitute sufficient justification to continue postponing elections. The IOC and OCA said they hoped the forensic audit would be concluded in time, with a comprehensive report submitted and any necessary remedial action taken before the elections. Reiterating an earlier directive issued on January 15, 2025, the IOC and OCA also took a firm stance on eligibility and ethical conduct. This requirement, the IOC and OCA indicated, leaves no scope for procedural deviations or unilateral interpretations of the rules governing Sri Lanka’s Olympic administration. Until the elections are held, the IOC and OCA confirmed they will continue to recognise Surendran Subramaniam as President of the NOCSL, together with the current Executive Board.

Sri Lanka launches first-ever Smart Bus Ticketing SystemNewsSri Lanka has taken a historic step forward with the launch of its first Smart Bus Ticketing System, enabling passengers to pay fares using contactless cards, digital wallets, and QR payments. For decades, CBA has been at the forefront of Sri Lanka’s digital transformation efforts—bringing modern, global-standard technologies that have strengthened the nation’s digital infrastructure. Speaking to the media at the launch, Sardha Fernando, Managing Director of CBA, stated: “This is not just a ticketing upgrade—it is a complete digital evolution of public transport in Sri Lanka. “By introducing a state-of-the-art open-loop transit payment platform, we are proving that Sri Lanka can not only embrace but also successfully operate advanced digital ecosystems. Above: Advancing public transport with digital bus ticketing — CBA, in partnership with SLTB and Nimbus Venture.

Accident kills four in Mullaithivu- Paranthan roadNewsA fatal accident killed four persons and left one critically injured when their speeding car veered off from Mullaithivu- Paranthan road today evening after colliding with a bus. The victims, employees of a farm are from Viswamadhu, Mullaithivu. All four victims were pronounced dead on admission to Kilinochchi Teaching hospital. Another passenger with critical injuries are admitted to the hospital. You can share this post!

AG’s Dept divided on filing charges against RanilNewsBy Ranjith PadmasiriTwo different opinions have been put forward within the Attorney General’s Department on indicting former President Ranil Wickremesinghe on his alleged misappropriation of Rs. 16.6 million in state funds during a visit to the UK. The different opinions relate to whether there is sufficient evidence for an indictment or if the evidence is insufficient based on the CID investigations on the matter. The Sunday Times learns that Deputy Solicitor General (DSG) Wasantha Perera, who had been supervising the probe for the AG’s Department, has stepped down from these responsibilities owing to differences of opinion regarding the investigation. Read more in yesterday edition of the Sunday Times hereYou can share this post!