Newspaper
The Island
SL marks 70 years of UN membership in New York
The Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the United Nations in New York, under the leadership of Sri Lanka's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Jayantha Jayasuriya, PC, marked the 70th anniversary of Sri Lanka's membership in the United Nations through a series of activities, underscoring the country's longstanding commitment to international cooperation, principled multilateralism, and inclusive global engagement, the Foreign Ministry said.
1 min |
December 19, 2025
The Island
Poltergeist of Universities Act
The Universities Act is back in the news - this time with the present government's attempt to reform it through a proposed amendment (November 2025) presented by the Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education, Harini Amarasuriya, who herself is a former academic and trade unionist.
6 min |
December 19, 2025
The Island
Tourist arrivals satisfactory - SLTDA
In spite of the devastation caused by cyclone Ditwah, the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) has reported a considerable number of tourist arrivals.
1 min |
December 19, 2025
The Island
LAUGFS Rubber clinches Silver at NCPC Awards 2025 for Cleaner Production Excellence
LAUGFS Rubber, a subsidiary of LAUGFS Holdings, has been recognised with the Silver Award in the Rubber Industry sector under the large category at the National Cleaner Production Awards (NCPC) 2025, which stands as the highest recognition awarded within the sector this year.
1 min |
December 19, 2025
The Island
1132nd RO Water purification plant opened at Mahinda MV, Kauduluwewa
A project sponsored by Perera and Sons (P&S) Company and built by Sri Lanka Navy
2 min |
December 19, 2025
The Island
TISL, civil society flay NPP govt. for holding up Auditor General's appointment
Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL), Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and several other activists have censured President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and his government over their failure to finalise the appointment of a new Auditor General.
4 min |
December 19, 2025
The Island
Kaveethra bags eight wickets as Mahanama record innings win
Venura Kaveethra completed a match bag of eight wickets as Mahanama registeted an innings and 62 runs victory over Lumbini in the Under 19 Division I tier A tournament match at Mattegoda on Thursday.
1 min |
December 19, 2025
The Island
Dialog Launches Sri Lanka's Largest 5G Network, Connecting Over 1.5 Million Subscribers
In a significant step towards advancing Sri Lanka, Dialog Axiata PLC announced the commercial launch of Dialog 5G Ultra, marking a major milestone in the country's digital evolution and its transition into the 5G era.
3 min |
December 19, 2025
The Island
FIFA World Cup 2026 winners' prize money doubles to $50m
The winner of the FIFA World Cup 2026 will receive a record jackpot of $50m, football's global governing body says.
1 min |
December 19, 2025
The Island
Trans-Atlantic ties face Trump threat
Quietly hitting back at the US for its claims of Europe 'decaying' and its leaders 'weak,' the EU indefinitely froze $246 billion of Russian assets held by it.
4 min |
December 19, 2025
The Island
People- pleasing
I: sounds like a harmless trait, even a virtue: being agreeable, helping others, avoiding conflict.
2 min |
December 19, 2025
The Island
India's Russian oil imports to remain steady despite sanctions
India's oil imports from Russia are expected to remain steady in December despite US sanctions on Moscow's top two producers, RT reported quoting Reuters on Wednesday.
1 min |
December 19, 2025
The Island
UN chief calls for restraint, immediate de-escalation in Caribbean
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for restraint and the immediate deescalation of the situation in the Caribbean, a UN spokesperson said.
1 min |
December 19, 2025
The Island
Modi emphasises role of Global South in address to Ethiopia's Parliament
South's rise is not aimed against anyone and envisions a world with access to technology, respect for sovereignty, shared prosperity and a global governance structure that reflects contemporary reality.
2 min |
December 19, 2025
The Island
Japan provides USD 2.5 mn for Ditwah relief efforts
Japan on Tuesday (16) announced an Emergency Grant amounting to 2.5 million USD through the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Programme (WFP) to Sri Lanka in response to the devastating damages caused by the cyclone, according to a press release issued by the Japanese embassy in Colombo
1 min |
December 19, 2025
The Island
Environmental damage now a direct threat to telecom operations, SLT chief warns at 2026 calendar launch
Environmental destruction is no longer an abstract environmental concern but a direct business risk, Sri Lanka Telecom/Mobitel Chairman Dr. Mothilal de Silva warned, as the national telecom giant launched its 2026 corporate calendar linking climate change, marine degradation and network stability.
2 min |
December 19, 2025
The Island
Construction sector shares prove their investor attractiveness
The CSE kicked off on a positive note yesterday but later retail and institutional participation decreased due to investor pessimism on the country's economic prospects.
2 min |
December 19, 2025
The Island
200 km of damaged elephant fences in Polonnaruwa reactivated; urgent repairs underway this week
More than 200 kilometres of electric elephant fencing damaged by Cyclone Ditwah in the Polonnaruwa Wildlife Zone have already been restored, as authorities race this week to rebuild sections that were completely destroyed, amid growing concerns over elephant deaths and escalating human-elephant conflict.
1 min |
December 19, 2025
The Island
Australia have the urn in their sights as England self-destruct again
Australia have not yet officially retained the Ashes, but it already seems a matter of \"when\" not \"if\" after England's challenge wilted in the heat on day two in Adelaide.
4 min |
December 19, 2025
The Island
Navy seizes 149 kilos of cannabis in double cab at Pudumathalan
During a search operation in the Pudumathalan area of Mullaitivu on Wednesday (17) the navy took into custody a double cab with over 140kgs of foreign-origin cannabis made ready for transportation, navy headquarters said.
1 min |
December 19, 2025
The Island
Devon Conway 178 not out and Tom Latham 137 grind West Indies to dust in Mount Maunganui
The Bay of Plenty lived up to its name but only for New Zealand.
4 min |
December 19, 2025
The Island
South Asia’s first-ever Reggae Music Festival “ONE LOVE 2026” set to ignite Bentota
NUWA Sri Lanka Hosts Star-Studded Press Conference to Kick-Off the Road to the Festival
2 min |
December 19, 2025
The Island
Unlocking Sri Lanka's hidden wealth: A $2 billion mineral opportunity awaits
Sri Lanka stands on the brink of an economic transformation, powered not by traditional exports, but by the vast, untapped mineral wealth lying beneath its soil and off its shores.
2 min |
December 19, 2025
The Island
US-CHINA RIVALRY: Maintaining Sri Lanka's autonomy
During a discussion at the Regional Center for Strategic Studies (RCSS) in Sri Lanka on 9 December, Dr. Neil DeVotta, Professor at Wake Forest University, North Carolina, USA commented on the \"gravity of a geopolitical contest that has already reshaped global politics and will continue to mould the future.
7 min |
December 19, 2025
The Island
Police seize fifth trawler suspected to have been purchased with drug smuggling proceeds
Another trawler, valued at over Rs. 50 million, allegedly belonging to Sehan Sathsara (Dehi Bale), who is described as a leading drug trafficker in the country, has been taken into custody by the Police Illegal Assets Investigation Unit.
1 min |
December 18, 2025
The Island
Expert: Lanka destroying its own food security by depending on imported seeds, chemical-intensive agriculture
Sri Lanka is dismantling its own food security at seed level, says Anuka De Silva, an agroecological farmer and land rights activist, warning that policy-driven dependence on imported seeds and chemical-intensive agriculture has pushed the country into a dangerous corner.
2 min |
December 18, 2025
The Island
Gampola town confronted with over 10,000 tonnes of uncollected garbage despite help from outside
More than 10,000 tonnes of garbage have accumulated in the Gampola town area following the recent flooding, and steps are currently being taken to remove it, Central Provincial Local Government Commissioner Chamila Attapattu has said.
1 min |
December 18, 2025
The Island
Seaspan and Ceyline Shipping celebrate 20 years of partnership excellence
Seaspan Corporation Pte. Ltd., the world's largest independent charter owner and operator of containerships, and Ceyline Shipping Limited, Sri Lanka's market leader in Seafarer Recruitment & Placement Services, are celebrating two decades of transformative partnership that has elevated Sri Lanka's maritime industry on the global stage.
1 min |
December 18, 2025
The Island
Janashakthi Finance appoints Sithambaram Sri Ganendran as CEO
Janashakthi Finance PLC, formerly known as Orient Finance PLC and a subsidiary of JXG (Janashakthi Group), announces the appointment of Sithambaram Sri Ganendran as the Chief Executive Officer.
1 min |
December 18, 2025
The Island
Officials of NMRA, SPC, and Health Minister under pressure to resign as drug safety concerns mount
Mounting concerns over drug safety and regulatory oversight have triggered strong calls from medical professionals and trade unions for the resignation of senior officials at the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) and the State Pharmaceutical Corporation (SPC), following patient deaths, allegedly linked to the administration of Ondansetron injections.
3 min |