Amari Colombo has been honoured as Sri Lanka’s Leading Business Hotel 2025 at the World Travel Awards (WTA), Asia and Oceania Gala Ceremony held in Hong Kong in October 2025. This prestigious accolade recognises the hotel’s exceptional standards of service, contemporary design, and its position as a benchmark for business hospitality in Sri Lanka. The glittering ceremony, held in partnership with Hong Kong International Airport and InterContinental Grand Stanford Hong Kong, brought together the region’s most distinguished travel and hospitality brands to celebrate excellence across Asia and Oceania. “We are truly delighted and honoured to be recognised as Sri Lanka’s…
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The Sri Lankan Rupee has depreciated further against the US Dollar today (16), compared to Wednesday. According to the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, the buying rate of the US Dollar has increased from Rs. 299.07 to Rs. 299.15, while the selling rate has also increased from Rs. 306.56 to Rs. 306.64. The Sri Lankan Rupee has also depreciated against a basket of foreign currencies, including Gulf currencies. (Newswire) The post Today’s CBSL official exchange rates appeared first on Newswire.
Sri Lanka is charting an ambitious course to position itself as a regional leader in the digital economy, building its competitiveness on governance, data protection and artificial intelligence (AI) and defining “trust” as its national value proposition.
Colombo Dockyard yesterday disclosed it would proceed with its planned Rs.12.93 billion rights issue, once the shareholder approvals are obtained but announced a change in the transaction structure.
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya has departed from the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) on an official visit to India, airport officials confirmed.
Nepal and Oman have secured two of the three available places in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 Asia/East Asia-Pacific Qualifier in Oman on Wednesday. The two teams clinched their spots to the tournament taking place in India and Sri Lanka with guaranteed top three finishes in the tournament log ahead of their Super Six stage clash on Thursday, with one more spot still available. Oman and Nepal are in first and second place respectively with unbeaten records in their three completed matches, with only the net run rate separating them.…
ECONOMYNEXT – A group of 10 foreign investors, including from India, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Oman, have toured the Colombo Port and Port City, the country’s Export Development Board said, coinciding with the country’s Voyage Sri Lanka 2025 Marine Summit. “The delegation explored opportunities across various sectors, including marine and offshore services, and boat manufacturing.” The marine summit, organized by the EDB, is taking place at the Kingsbury Hotel, Colombo and facilitates discussions on sustainable practices, cutting-edge technologies, and investment opportunities in these sectors. “The summit focuses on Sri Lanka’s expertise in marine and aquaculture services, as well as its…
Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya kicked off her official visit to India with a meeting with the Indian Minister of External Affairs, S. Jaishankar. Commenting on the meeting, Jaishankar said he was pleased to meet Sri Lankan Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya in New Delhi this morning. “Discussed India’s continued support to Sri Lanka and strengthening our cooperation in education and capacity building,” he added, in a post on ‘X’. Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya will be in India until 18th October, during which she will hold several high-level meetings, including with the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi. She is also set…
Photo courtesy of VOA Eighty year-old Gopal Sandanam, a Malaiyaha Tamil, was born in Hammeliyawatte in the Baddegama division in Galle district in 1945. He had started working on the estate when he was 14 years and had continued working until he was 77 years. His parents are among those who are buried in the cemetery on the estate to which he has no access now after it was sold. He has never been to school. His wife Thekkamalai Thangai had been living in Hammeliyawatte since 1949. She also worked on the estate. She recalls riots in 1980s where Tamils…
Minister of Justice Harshana Nanayakkara says new projects by the ministry should be based on public access to justice, and not on the convenience of lawyers. The Justice Minister expressed these views yesterday (15) while participating in the inauguration of the newly constructed Puttalam Court Complex, which was built at a cost of Rs. 202 million. “Lawyers, please do not get angry with me. I am a lawyer too. When constructing buildings, we are not looking at how convenient it is for lawyers. But, the ability of the people to access justice should be considered when constructing court buildings,” he…
The Sri Lankan Rupee remains steady against the US Dollar at commercial banks in Sri Lanka today (16 Oct), compared to Wednesday. At Seylan Bank, the buying rate of the US Dollar has increased from Rs. 299.55 to Rs. 299.70, while the selling rate has also increased from Rs. 305.05 to Rs. 305.20. According to NDB Bank, the buying and selling rates of the US Dollar have increased from Rs. 299.70 to Rs. 299.75 and from Rs. 306.20 to Rs. 306.25, respectively. People’s Bank reports that the buying rate of the US Dollar remains unchanged at Rs. 299.51, while the…
ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka’s services sector expanded at a slower rate in September 2025, with a Purchasing Managers Index compiled by the central bank registering 58.7, from 68.9 in August. Business activities continued to expand in the month, supported by strong performance in wholesale and retail trade, the central bank said. “Business activities related to financial services also continued to improve, underpinned by increased lending activity.” New businesses rose at a slower rate in September, registering 65.2 from 66.8 in August, due to expansions observed in wholesale and retail trade, and financial services related activities. Employment rose at a slower…
The Colombo Additional Magistrate’s Court has called for a Government Analyst’s report regarding the quality of whitening creams produced and distributed by a company run by Sri Lankan model Piumi Hansamali, it was reported. According to media reports, the order was issued by Colombo Additional Magistrate Nuwan Kaushalya yesterday (15) to the Department of Criminal Investigation’s Illegal Assets and Intellectual Property Investigations Division. The Government Analyst’s report has been called for to verify whether the creams distributed by Hansamali’s company are safe for human use. It is reported that the Illegal Assets and Intellectual Property Investigations Division had made a…
The United National Party (UNP) has taken steps to appoint a three-member committee to hold discussions with the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB). The committee comprises UNP Deputy Leader Ruwan Wijewardene, UNP General Secretary Thalatha Atukorale, and Presidential Counsel Roland Perera. The United National Party reiterates its position that all political parties should come together on a common platform to safeguard Sri Lanka’s democratic multiparty system. (Newswire) The post 3-member UNP committee appointed for SJB talks appeared first on Newswire.
ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka’s manufacturing sector expanded slightly in September, registering a value of 55.4 on the Purchasing Managers Index compiled by the central bank, from 55.2 in August. The growth in the New Orders and Production sub-indices were attributed to the manufacture of textiles and apparel sector, CBSL said. The Stock of Purchases sub-index recorded an expansion, driven by the “planned accumulation of inventory in preparation for upcoming production targeting the festive season”. However, the Employment sub-index fell in the month, with many firms highlighting “difficulties in retaining and attracting skilled workers”. Suppliers’ Delivery Time continued to lengthen during…
Parliament is scheduled to convene from 21 to 24 October, per a decision taken during a recent meeting of the Parliamentary Business Committee, chaired by Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne. Accordingly, on each sitting day, the time from 9:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. will be allocated for parliamentary business listed under Standing Order 22, items 1 to 6. From 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., time will be reserved for questions requiring oral answers, followed by questions under Standing Order 27(2) from 11:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. On Tuesday, October 21, 2025, from 11:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Parliament will debate the regulations…
The first session of Sri Lanka’s fifth Trade Policy Review (TPR) at the World Trade Organization (WTO) commenced in Geneva, Switzerland, on Wednesday (15). The session, to be held until 20th October 2025, is led by a delegation headed by Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development, Wasantha Samarasinghe. During the session, Sri Lanka was given the opportunity to engage in a broad discussion on its economic development goals, with special focus on trade, tariffs, services, and investment policies. According to Minister Wasanatha Samarasinghe, the review of the new government’s economic policies before WTO member states is considered…
US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured him India would stop purchasing oil from Russia, calling it a “big step” toward isolating Moscow economically. India has become one of the largest customers for Russian seaborne crude since Western governments imposed sanctions after Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. “I was not happy that India was buying oil, and he assured me today that they will not be buying oil from Russia. That’s a big step. Now we’re going to get China to do the same thing,” Trump told reporters at a White House event.…
Sri Lanka is experiencing a stronger-than-expected economic rebound but the challenge now is turning this post-crisis recovery into long-term, structurally driven growth, according to the Institute of Policy Studies’ (IPS) ‘Sri Lanka: State of the Economy 2025’ report.
Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) Leader MP Mano Ganesan says the government’s recent programme to issue house and land deeds to plantation beneficiaries in Bandarawela was merely the distribution of ‘Letters of Intention’. “The JVP government held a grand event at Bandarawela, with much fanfare, claimed to have issued house & land deeds to 2,000+ plantation beneficiaries under the Indian Housing Grant Project. But in reality, no new houses, no land identified, no foundations laid. Only “Letters of Intention”, he said. He further said that in an act of deception, the hill country Tamil (Malaiyaha) politicos of the government distributed 234…