Seven Sri Lankan cricketers will take part in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season, with three players securing contracts at Tuesday’s mini-auction, while the remaining four were retained by their respective franchises.
At the auction, Pathum Nissanka was signed by Delhi Capitals, while Wanindu Hasaranga was picked up by Lucknow Super Giants. Fast bowler Matheesha Pathirana was also bought at the auction, with Kolkata Knight Riders securing his services.
The other four Sri Lankan players will return to the tournament after being retained by their teams. Delhi Capitalsretained Dushmantha Chameera, while Royal Challengers Bengaluru opted to retain Nuwan Thushara.
Meanwhile, Sunrisers Hyderabad retained two Sri Lankan players — Kamindu Mendis and Eshan Malinga — continuing the franchise’s confidence in Sri Lankan talent ahead of the upcoming season.
The Japanese government has decided to provide an emergency grant of US$2.5 million to Sri Lanka in response to the severe humanitarian situation caused by recent cyclone-related disasters, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegiannounced on Tuesday.
The grant will be channeled through international aid agencies to support humanitarian assistance efforts, including the provision of food, daily necessities and other essential relief items for affected communities.
Landslides and flooding triggered by a cyclone that struck Sri Lanka in late November have resulted in the deaths of more than 600 people, causing widespread damage and displacement across several parts of the country.
Speaking at a press conference, Minister Motegi said Japan would continue to extend “seamless support to our long-time friend, Sri Lanka” to ensure the earliest possible recovery and reconstruction of the disaster-affected areas.
He also noted that a Japanese disaster relief medical team returned home earlier on Tuesday after providing approximately 1,250 medical treatments over a period of about two weeks in Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka’s Road Development Authority (RDA) has incurred an estimated loss of Rs. 75 billion following widespread damage to roads and bridges caused by recent disaster conditions across the country, officials revealed before a parliamentary committee.
Officials from the Ministry of Transport and Highways and Urban Development informed the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Infrastructure and Strategic Development that preliminary assessments show damage to 316 roads and 40 bridges under the RDA’s authority. They said approximately Rs. 190 billion would be required to fully rehabilitate the affected infrastructure.
The disclosures were made at a committee meeting held on December 11 at Parliament, chaired by MP S.M. Marikkar, which focused on reviewing the disaster’s social, economic and environmental impacts.
The committee chair noted that assessments of damage to railway lines and regional roads are yet to be completed and stressed the need for the ministry to take the lead in establishing a proper mechanism to allocate funds for the rehabilitation of regional road networks.
Officials also said plans are underway to secure a Rs. 2 billion loan from the World Bank, with additional funding expected from other institutions to support recovery efforts.
Meanwhile, the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) reported losses of around Rs. 20 billion due to disaster-related damage. CEB officials said discussions are ongoing with the World Bank to obtain funding assistance. However, the committee chair urged the board to seek grant funding instead of loans, warning that borrowing could eventually lead to increased electricity tariffs.
The Lanka Electricity Company (Pvt) Ltd. reported losses of approximately Rs. 252 million, stating that repair costs could be met through existing budgetary allocations without the need for additional external funding.
The National Water Supply and Drainage Board estimated losses at around Rs. 5.6 billion, with damage reported to 156 water supply schemes. Officials said all affected schemes have since been restored following maintenance work. The Ministry of Housing, Construction and Water Supply added that efforts are underway to obtain grant assistance from the Asian Development Bank for rehabilitation work.
Emphasizing the importance of disaster preparedness, the committee chair said the Sectoral Oversight Committee remains ready to support relevant ministries and institutions in strengthening resilience against future disasters.
The meeting was attended by MPs Nalin Bandara Jayamaha, Ajith P. Perera and Asitha Niroshana Egoda Vithana, along with senior government officials.
Under the influence of the Easterly wave, the prevailing showery conditions over the Northern and Eastern parts of the island are expected to continue further during the next few days.
Showers will occur at times in Northern, North-Central, Eastern, Uva and Central provinces. Heavy falls above 100 mm are likely at some places in Eastern and Central provinces and in Badulla and Polonnaruwa districts.
Showers or thundershowers may occur at several places in the other areas of the island after 1.00 p.m. Fairly heavy falls above 75 mm are likely at some places in these areas.
Strong winds of about (40-50) kmph can be expected at times over Eastern slopes of the central hills, Northern, North-central and North-western provinces and in Trincomalee, Hambantota and Monaragala districts.
Misty conditions can be expected at some places in Sabaragamuwa and Central provinces and in Galle and Matara districts during the early hours of the morning.
December 16, Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka’s inbound tourism sector is recording steady gains in arrivals, but provisional November–December 2025 data suggests the industry remains caught in a structural earnings dilemma. Despite a visible post-crisis recovery in visitor numbers, foreign exchange inflows are struggling to regain the momentum seen before 2020.
SLTDA provisional estimates show that total arrivals for the final two months of 2025 exceeded 465,000, marking a modest improvement over the same period in 2024. Europe, Russia and India remain the dominant source markets, while long-stay travellers continue to account for a growing share of arrivals.
Yet tourism earnings for the period are estimated at US$ 760–800 million, only marginally higher than last year and well below pre-crisis seasonal benchmarks. Central Bank trend data indicates that this gap is largely driven by declining per-visitor spending rather than demand weakness.
The average tourist now spends approximately US$ 148 per day, reflecting a shift toward backpackers, regional travellers and remote workers who prioritise affordability and lifestyle experiences. While this demographic supports occupancy and length of stay, it compresses margins for operators and limits tax and foreign exchange yields for the economy.
Geographically, spending patterns are shifting decisively. Colombo’s dominance as the primary tourism transaction hub has eroded, while leisure destinations particularly in the south are capturing a rising share of visitor expenditure. Ella has emerged as the second-largest tourism spending hub, while Ahangama and Weligama have recorded some of the fastest growth rates nationally.
This decentralisation has accelerated in the aftermath of the 2025 cyclone and floods, which disrupted parts of the southern coastline. Rather than deterring travellers long-term, the disaster prompted a reorientation toward sustainable and community-led tourism. Small operators leveraged social media, flexible pricing and experience-based packages to restore demand within weeks.
Economists argue that this trend presents both opportunity and risk. On one hand, the spread of tourism income beyond Colombo supports small businesses, rural employment and external stability. On the other, the continued erosion of spending power raises questions about the sector’s ability to finance infrastructure, debt servicing and climate adaptation.
To address this imbalance, industry stakeholders advocate a recalibration of promotion strategies. Instead of focusing primarily on arrival targets, Sri Lanka must reposition itself as a value-dense destination, promoting premium wellness tourism, curated nature trails and heritage-based experiences with higher pricing power.
With GDP growth forecast to ease in 2026, tourism remains a key buffer for the balance of payments. Whether it can deliver meaningful economic returns will depend not on how many visitors arrive but on how much value each visitor brings.
December 16, Colombo (LNW): India’s swift disaster relief operation in Sri Lanka following Cyclone Ditwah illustrates how humanitarian assistance has become a cornerstone of New Delhi’s regional strategy. While the medical and material support delivered under Operation Sagar Bandhu addressed urgent needs, the operation also signalled India’s intent to institutionalise its role as South Asia’s primary crisis responder.
The centrepiece of the mission was the deployment of a full-fledged mobile field hospital with a 78-member Indian Army medical and logistics team to Mahiyanganaya. Equipped to function independently, the hospital filled a critical gap as local facilities struggled with patient surges, damaged infrastructure, and supply shortages. The Indian High Commission noted that the hospital was configured to deliver rapid, high-volume care in disaster-hit zones, reflecting lessons drawn from earlier regional emergencies.
The medical outcomes were significant: over 7,000 patients treated, hundreds of procedures completed, and complex surgeries performed in a temporary setup. Yet the operation’s broader significance lay in its integration of medical, logistical, and technical assistance. The repair of Sri Lanka’s damaged fibre-optic backbone by Indian Army specialists restored communication links essential for emergency coordination, governance, and economic activity.
India’s decision to combine personnel withdrawal with the delivery of 25 tonnes of relief supplies including medicines and dry rations highlighted a layered assistance model that prioritises continuity even after frontline teams depart. Sri Lankan authorities publicly acknowledged the scale and efficiency of the support, reinforcing perceptions of India as a dependable partner rather than a transactional donor.
From a geopolitical perspective, the operation aligns with India’s “Neighbourhood First” and “Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR)” doctrines. In a region increasingly shaped by strategic competition, disaster response has emerged as a soft-power instrument that builds influence through trust and responsiveness rather than financial leverage alone.
For Sri Lanka, the assistance provided immediate relief at a time of fiscal stress and climate vulnerability. For India, it reinforced strategic depth in the Indian Ocean and demonstrated operational readiness unmatched by other regional actors. As extreme weather events become more frequent, such interventions may increasingly define regional leadership not through rhetoric, but through boots, beds, and bandwidth delivered when it matters most.
December 16, Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka’s record-breaking remittance inflows have emerged as a crucial stabiliser for its external sector, even as they expose the economy’s growing dependence on overseas labour. With US$7.2 billion received in the first 11 months of 2025, migrant workers have once again become the country’s financial lifeline, cushioning pressure on reserves and supporting currency stability.
The rebound reflects both policy correction and social reality. After the Central Bank normalised exchange rate policy and tightened monetary conditions from April 2022, the incentive to remit through informal channels faded. As interest rates rose sharply, credit demand slowed and money printing declined, restoring confidence in formal banking channels. This shift alone redirected a significant share of remittances back into the official system.
At the same time, outward migration accelerated. Thousands left the country amid inflation, tax hikes, and limited job prospects following the crisis. While this expanded the remittance base, it also entrenched a pattern where domestic consumption and external payments are increasingly funded by incomes earned abroad rather than productivity at home.
The government’s strategy now focuses on institutionalising this inflow. Proposals in the 2026 Budget to offer housing finance and pension benefits to migrant workers aim to lock in remittance loyalty. However, critics argue that incentives cannot offset deeper concerns such as weak growth, slow private investment, and skills erosion. Looking ahead, remittance inflows are expected to remain resilient in the near term, particularly during festive periods and as more professionals migrate. But the longer-term outlook depends on global labour demand and Sri Lanka’s ability to retain talent. A sudden slowdown in remittances would quickly expose structural weaknesses, underscoring the need to convert this temporary cushion into a bridge toward sustainable, export-led growth
December 16, Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka’s latest request for rapid IMF financing has reopened an uncomfortable debate over whether the country is relying too heavily on crisis-driven bailouts while struggling to honour reform commitments tied to long-term recovery. As the IMF prepares to consider a US$200 million Rapid Financing Instrument, questions are mounting over the government’s ability—and willingness to deliver on the Extended Fund Facility programme.
The Fund has signalled flexibility in light of cyclone-related devastation, acknowledging the urgent need for liquidity to fund humanitarian assistance, reconstruction, and balance-of-payments support. Yet this flexibility has limits. The decision to push the Fifth Review of the EFF into 2026 underscores the IMF’s caution, as it seeks clarity on economic damage, fiscal adjustments, and reform continuity.
Sri Lanka’s EFF programme is anchored on tight fiscal discipline, revenue mobilisation, and politically difficult structural changes. These include electricity tariff rationalisation, stronger tax administration, public finance transparency, and governance reforms. Progress has been mixed, with several benchmarks either delayed or partially implemented.
The transition to the NPP-led government has added another layer of uncertainty. While the administration has publicly reaffirmed commitment to IMF engagement, policy signals have occasionally diverged from agreed reform paths. Mixed messaging on energy pricing, state intervention, and fiscal consolidation has unsettled both investors and development partners.
The IMF has made clear that emergency funding should not dilute reform momentum. The postponed December 2025 Board meeting served as an implicit warning that programme credibility matters as much as crisis response. The upcoming IMF mission in early 2026 will scrutinise whether Sri Lanka has met quantitative targets set throughout 2025 and complied with structural benchmarks extending into the New Year.
Central to this assessment will be the 2026 Budget, expected to demonstrate alignment with IMF parameters on spending control, electricity cost recovery, and revenue performance. Failure to meet these benchmarks could weaken the case for future disbursements, even if short-term emergency aid is approved.
For Sri Lanka, the challenge is no longer just economic stabilisation but trust restoration. Repeated appeals for flexibility, without corresponding reform delivery, risk donor fatigue. The IMF’s decision on the RFI may offer short-term relief but sustained international support will depend on whether reform promises finally translate into action.
It is with deep sorrow that I share the passing of one of my dearests and most trusted friends of many years, Lakshman Balasuriya. He left us on Sunday morning, and with him went a part of my own life. The emptiness he leaves behind is immense, and I struggle to find words that can carry its weight.
Lakshman was not simply a friend. He was a brother to me. We shared a bond built on mutual respect, quiet understanding, and unwavering trust. These things are rare in life, and for that reason they are precious beyond measure. I try to remind myself that I was privileged to spend the final hours of his life with him, but even that thought cannot soften the ache of his sudden and significant absence.
Not too long ago, our families were on holiday together. Lakshman and Janine returned to Sri Lanka early. The rest of the holiday felt a bit empty without Lakshman’s daily presence. I cannot fathom how different life itself will be from now on.
He was gentle and a giant in every sense of the word. A deeply civilised man, refined in taste, gracious in manner, and extraordinarily humble. His humility was second to none, and yet it was never a weakness. It was strength, expressed through kindness, warmth, and dignity. He carried himself with quiet class and had a way of making everyone around him feel at ease.
Lakshman had a very dry, almost deadpan, sense of humor. It was the kind of humor that would catch you off guard, delivered with too straight a face to be certain he was joking, but it could lighten the darkest of conversations. He had a disdain for negativity of any kind. He preferred to look forward, to see possibilities rather than obstacles.
He was exceptionally meticulous and had a particular gift for identifying talent. Once he hired someone, he made sure they were cared for in unimaginable ways. He provided every resource needed for success, and then, with complete trust, granted them independence and autonomy. His staff were not simply employees to him. They were family. He took immense pride in them, and his forward-thinking optimism created an environment of extraordinary positivity and a passion to deliver results and do the right thing.
Lakshman was also a proud family man. He spoke often, and with great pride, about his children, grandchildren, nephews, and nieces. His joy in their achievements was boundless. He was a proud father, grandfather, and uncle, and his devotion to his family reflected the same loyalty he extended to his colleagues and friends.
Whether it was family, staff, or anyone he deemed deserving, Lakshman stood by them unconditionally in times of crisis. He would not let go until victory was secured. That was his way. He was a uniquely kind soul through and through.
Our bond was close. Whenever I arrived in Sri Lanka, it became an unspoken ritual that we would meet at least twice. The first would be on the day of my arrival, and then again on the day I left. It was our custom, and one I cherished deeply. We met regularly, and we spoke almost daily. He was simply a top-class human being. We were friends. We were brothers. His passing has devastated me.
Today I understood fully the true meaning of the phrase ‘priyehi vippayogo dukkho’ — (ප්රියෙහි විප්පයෝගෝ දුක්ඛෝ) ‘separation from those who are beloved is sorrowful.’
My thoughts and prayers are with Janine, Amanthi, and Keshav during this time of profound loss. Lakshman leaves behind indelible memories, as well as a legacy of decency, loyalty, and quiet strength. All of us who were fortunate to know him will hold that legacy close to our hearts.
If Lakshman’s life could leave us with just one lesson, that lesson would be this. True greatness is not measured in titles or possessions, but in the way one treats others: with humility, with loyalty, with kindness that does not falter in times of crisis. Lakshman showed us that to stand by someone, to believe in them, and to lift them up when they falter, is the highest of callings, and it was a calling he never failed to honour.
December 16, Colombo (LNW): As images of foreign aircraft unloading relief supplies dominate social media, a misleading narrative has emerged that Sri Lanka has received an unprecedented wave of international assistance following Cyclone Dithwa. The reality, however, is far more alarming. Despite widespread publicity, actual foreign aid received so far accounts for only 0.17% of the estimated cost of rebuilding the devastation caused by the cyclone.
According to Essential Services Commissioner Prabath Chandrakirthi, Cyclone Dithwa has inflicted damage requiring between USD 6–7 billion for reconstruction. Taking the midpoint estimate of USD 6.5 billion, Treasury Secretary Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma confirmed that as of 13 December, total assistance received both domestic and foreign amounted to only USD 11 million. Even if this entire sum is generously treated as foreign aid, the shortfall remains staggering.
The contrast with Sri Lanka’s experience during the 2004 tsunami is striking. At that time, the estimated reconstruction cost was USD 1.5 billion, of which nearly USD 1.3 billion, or 87%, was mobilised through foreign assistance. The current collapse to 0.17% is not a marginal decline but a catastrophic failure of disaster diplomacy and international engagement.
A critical factor behind this gap appears to be weak policy action and poor communication by the current NPP-led government. During the tsunami, then Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar personally engaged the international community, facilitated global media coverage, and ensured that the scale of the tragedy resonated worldwide. Today, despite written appeals, the government has failed to convene a major international donor conference or generate global urgency through sustained international media engagement.
This failure raises serious questions about leadership capacity. While the President is widely recognised for strong rhetoric and stated willingness to work for the country, effective governance demands more than speeches. “Walking the talk” requires strategic diplomacy, coordinated messaging, and credible engagement with donors.
The confusion between relief aid and reconstruction aid has further distorted public understanding. Goods arriving by air are immediate relief, not rebuilding funds. Even this assistance is far lower than in 2004, reinforcing concerns that Sri Lanka is being left dangerously exposed due to weak international outreach.
