ECONOMYNEXT – Vietnam Airlines is planning to fly direct to Sri Lanka from August 2026, connecting Colombo to Ho Chi Minh City of the South East Asian nation, an official said. Vietnam Airlines will fly three times a week to Ho Chi Minh City, General Manager for India, Nguyen Trung Hieu said. Sri Lanka’s Hayleys group is the General Sales Agent. Direct flight to Vietnam has been a long-standing request of the Sri Lankan business community and travel agents. Vietnam Airlines was part of a delegation accompanying the visit of Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Phan Thi Thang to…
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ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka’s Securities and Exchange Commission that it has not licensed an entity called ‘Gladius South Asia’ to operate as a market participant in within or outside the country. Contrary to claims made by claims made by ‘Gladius South Asia’, the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority has confirmed hat it has not registered the firm either, the SEC said. “The Securities and Exchange Commission of Sri Lanka (SEC) wishes to inform the public that “Gladius South Asia” is not licensed by the SEC to operate as a Market Participant within or outside Sri Lanka,” the Sri Lanka market watchdog…
ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka is borrowing 30 million US dollars from the World Bank to strengthen the electricity grid to accommodate more renewable energy, the Finance Ministry said. Renewable energy is intermittent and money has to be spent to maintain grid stability and reduce the risk of cascading failire, to accommodate electricity that flows in the opposite direction and also to bring renewable power from remote locations. Sri Lanka’s grid capacity has “hindered the utilization renewable energy presenting significant technical challenges, therefore, the proposed project has been formulated to enhance the infrastructure facilities to facilitate the grid integration of renewably…
ECONOMYNEXT – The United States has provided Sri Lanka two C-130CJ Hercules aircraft, and equipment including two bowsers and military personnel to help with Cyclone ditwah disaster relief. “The US contingent will provide vital transportation and logistics support in areas identified by the Disaster Management Centre,” the President’s media unit said. “The United States contingent will provide logistics capacities needed to transport humanitarian supplies to affected communities in the Northern, Eastern and Central regions.” A formal handover took place this afternoon (07) at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) with The support officially received on behalf of the Sri Lankan government…
The Railways Department announced that several office trains on the Main Line will resume operations from tomorrow (10), following the completion of urgent repair work in the Bujjomuwa area.
The price of beans at the Dambulla Dedicated Economic Centre has surged past Rs. 1,000 per kilogram, while the centre simultaneously reports a gradual decline in the price of carrots.
Australia has enacted a world-first ban on social media for users aged under 16, causing millions of children and teenagers to lose access to their accounts.
The Colombo Stock Exchange delivered a powerful rebound on Tuesday, with the ASPI surging over 400 points, marking the 8th highest single-day gain in market history. The index maintained a strong upward trajectory throughout the session, fueled by renewed investor confidence and broad-based buying momentum across sectors.
A total of 73,000 kilograms of vegetables were transported from the Nuwara Eliya Economic Centre to Colombo on the 9th, following a major demand from Colombo-based buyers, the centre’s manager said.
A two-week programme to restore irrigation systems severely damaged by Cyclone Ditwah began today (9) in the Badulla District, aimed at ensuring water networks are fully functional ahead of the upcoming Maha cultivation season.
National Organizer of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Namal Rajapaksa today claimed that the difficulties faced by the public during the recent disaster have been worsened by the lack of coordination among government institutions.
The European Union has allocated up to 1.8 million euros (around LKR 640 million) to support relief efforts in Sri Lanka following the recent floods. This includes 500,000 euros channelled through the Disaster Response Emergency Fund of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to provide urgent shelter, food and other essential assistance. Alongside financial support, the EU is sending in-kind relief through its Civil Protection Mechanism. Germany has contributed 4,600 shelter items, while France is dispatching more than 3,400 emergency supplies. Italy is deploying a team of engineering experts to assist with recovery work and infrastructure…
In a significant gesture of solidarity and support, a relief cargo from the United Arab Emirates has been officially received in Sri Lanka, President’s Media Division (PMD) said.
The Ministry of Women and Child Affairs has urged the public to beware of fraudulent messages circulating on social media claiming to offer relief to those affected by Cyclone Ditwah.
Sri Lanka Railways announced that several train services will resume from tomorrow (10) following repairs carried out between Ambepussa and Alawwa. The disruption occurred when an old brick arch culvert near the Bujjomuwa railway station collapsed and was swept into the Maha Oya, creating a 45-foot gap beneath the track and blocking the train services on the main, nothern and eastern lines. As a result, train services were limited to the Colombo Fort–Ambepussa. The damaged section was cleared today (09 December 2025) with support from volunteer teams and labour provided by the Sri Lanka Army. Railway technical crews stabilised the…
A two-week programme to repair irrigation systems damaged by Cyclone Ditwah commenced today (9) in the Badulla District, with the aim of restoring water management networks ahead of the upcoming Maha cultivation season. According to the Irrigation Department, 1,020 irrigation systems, including tanks, canals, bunds and anicuts, were affected across the district following heavy floods and landslides triggered by the cyclone. The initiative will run from 9 to 23 December, covering 50 major work sites. The repair work is being carried out as a joint voluntary operation involving personnel from the Sri Lanka Army, Sri Lanka Air Force, the Special…
The European Commission said Tuesday it will look into whether Google is breaking the EU’s competition rules by not paying publishers enough or by setting unfair conditions to keep their content out of the search engine’s AI-generated summaries. “We are investigating whether Google may have imposed unfair terms and conditions on publishers and content creators, while placing rival AI models developers at a disadvantage,” Teresa Ribera, the European Commission’s executive vice-president for competition affairs, said in a statement. What do EU investigators want to know about Google’s AI results? If publishers and other content creators are fairly remunerated for their data, including YouTube videos, that is used to train…
The Ceylon Teachers’ Union (CTU) has called on the government to implement an immediate concessional relief program for teachers and principals affected by the recent disaster. CTU General Secretary Joseph Stalin said many educators have been severely impacted and are struggling with financial burdens, including outstanding loans. Stalin added that the Suraksha insurance scheme which is currently operational, could be used to support students, although details on available benefits remain unclear. He urged the government to provide financial relief to educators, including loan concessions or cancellations for those impacted. (Newswire) The post CTU calls for loan relief for disaster-affected teachers…
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has intensified its emergency operations in Sri Lanka in response to Cyclone Ditwah, backed by an AUD 1.5 million contribution from the Government of Australia. The funding enables WFP to provide life-saving fortified food and cash assistance to families severely affected by the disaster. The first airlift of fortified biscuits from WFP’s humanitarian hub in Dubai has already arrived, with up to 67 metric tonnes expected in the coming days. Initial distributions of fortified biscuits have been dispatched to Nuwara Eliya and Kegalle, with additional deliveries underway in Badulla and Kandy, districts among…
The Ministry of Women and Child Affairs has issued a warning to the public about fraudulent messages circulating on WhatsApp, Facebook, and other social media platforms, falsely claiming to provide post-disaster relief for those affected by Cyclone Ditwah. According to the ministry, these messages often request personal information under the pretense of offering aid. Officials stressed that all legitimate data collection for disaster relief is carried out through official government channels — specifically, the District and Divisional Secretariats, with assistance from field officers, including those from the ministry and Grama Niladhari officers. The public is urged not to share personal…