Colombo Stocks Close Lower as Key Shares Decline; Turnover Tops Rs. 680 Million

Oct 20, 2026 2 weeks ago 2 min read
Colombo Stocks Close Lower as Key Shares Decline; Turnover Tops Rs. 680 Million

COLOMBO, October 20, 2026 — Colombo stock market indices closed lower as price declines in Dialog Axiata, Hatton National Bank and Hemas Holdings weighed on…

China Merchants’ Exit from US$392 Million Colombo Logistics Project Raises Investment Concerns

Oct 20, 2026 2 weeks ago 4 min read
China Merchants’ Exit from US$392 Million Colombo Logistics Project Raises Investment Concerns

COLOMBO, October 20, 2026 — China Merchants Port Holdings’ withdrawal from a US$392 million logistics development at the Port of Colombo has raised concerns over…

China’s Third-Quarter Growth Reaches 4.5%, Narrowly Beating Forecasts

Oct 20, 2026 2 weeks ago 4 min read
China’s Third-Quarter Growth Reaches 4.5%, Narrowly Beating Forecasts

BEIJING, October 20, 2026 — China’s economy expanded by 4.5% in the third quarter, slightly exceeding market expectations as strong exports helped offset weak domestic…

Sri Lanka’s 2027 Budget Expenditure Set to Rise 12.6% to Rs. 4.99 Trillion

Oct 19, 2026 2 weeks ago 3 min read
Sri Lanka’s 2027 Budget Expenditure Set to Rise 12.6% to Rs. 4.99 Trillion

COLOMBO, October 19, 2026 — Sri Lanka’s total government expenditure is projected to increase by 12.6% to Rs. 4.993 trillion in 2027, from Rs. 4.434…

Sri Lanka Records US$2.24 Billion in Tourism Earnings in First Nine Months

Oct 19, 2026 2 weeks ago 2 min read
Sri Lanka Records US$2.24 Billion in Tourism Earnings in First Nine Months

COLOMBO, October 19, 2026 — Sri Lanka generated US$2.245 billion in tourism earnings during the first nine months of 2026, although revenue from the sector…

Fitch Upgrades BOC, People’s Bank and Commercial Bank; Downgrades Cargills Bank

COLOMBO, October 31, 2026 — Fitch Ratings has upgraded the National Long-Term Ratings of Bank of Ceylon, People’s Bank and…

BIZ BREAKING

BUSINESS

DFCC Bank Partners with John Keells IT to Enhance Employee Banking Benefits

Sep 10, 2026 2 months ago 3 min read
DFCC Bank Partners with John Keells IT to Enhance Employee Banking Benefits

DFCC Bank has partnered with John Keells IT to introduce its Employee Banking Proposition to the company’s employees, providing access to a broader selection of…

GEM SRI LANKA 2027 Takes Its Global Ambition to Bangkok

Sep 9, 2026 2 months ago 4 min read
GEM SRI LANKA 2027 Takes Its Global Ambition to Bangkok

Sri Lanka’s premier gem and jewellery exhibition, GEM SRI LANKA 2027, has taken a significant step onto the international stage with its first official overseas…

Sri Lanka hosts 11 Asian nations to showcase JICA-backed farming success

Sep 8, 2026 2 months ago 2 min read
Sri Lanka hosts 11 Asian nations to showcase JICA-backed farming success

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Agriculture Department will bring 33 participants from 11 Asian countries to learn from Sri Lanka’s experience in…

ComBank takes Q+ digital payments drive to Jaffna ahead of Nallur Festival

Sep 8, 2026 2 months ago 6 min read
ComBank takes Q+ digital payments drive to Jaffna ahead of Nallur Festival

Canvasses more than 350 merchants and activates cashback campaign with 40+ Jaffna businesses as part of CBSL’s latest digital payments promotion Reaffirming its commitment to…

ECONOMY

MARKETS

NATION

Yala’s Drought Shows the Growing Cost of Climate Stress on Sri Lanka Tourism

Sep 8, 2026 2 months ago 3 min read
Yala’s Drought Shows the Growing Cost of Climate Stress on Sri Lanka Tourism

YALA, Sri Lanka, Sept 8 (Reuters) – Mugger crocodiles bask along the edge of the shrinking reservoir, waiting like everything else ‌in Sri Lanka’s drought-hit…

Reservoir levels fall near 50% amid dry spell

Sep 8, 2026 2 months ago 1 min read
Reservoir levels fall near 50% amid dry spell

Water levels in reservoirs across Sri Lanka have dropped to around 47.3% of total capacity amid prevailing dry weather, the Irrigation Department said. Major reservoirs…

Sri Lanka Tourism Faces Fresh Pressure as War Drives Up Energy Costs

Sep 8, 2026 2 months ago 5 min read
Sri Lanka Tourism Faces Fresh Pressure as War Drives Up Energy Costs

Sri Lanka’s tourism sector is facing a more challenging 2026 than initially anticipated, with the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) sharply revising down its…

India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh arrives in Sri Lanka

Sep 8, 2026 2 months ago 2 min read
India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh arrives in Sri Lanka

Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh arrived in Sri Lanka today (08) on a three-day official visit. Accordingly, he is scheduled to remain in Sri Lanka…

world

Handful of Men Have Almost Unlimited Power Over AI : UN Rights Chief

Sep 8, 2026 2 months ago 3 min read
Handful of Men Have Almost Unlimited Power Over AI : UN Rights Chief

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk has issued a stark warning over the rapid development of artificial intelligence, cautioning that inadequate regulation…

Panama Canal May Slash Ship Traffic Further as Powerful El Niño Intensifies

Sep 8, 2026 2 months ago 3 min read
Panama Canal May Slash Ship Traffic Further as Powerful El Niño Intensifies

Panama could impose further restrictions on ship traffic through the Panama Canal as a strengthening El Niño raises concerns over worsening drought conditions and declining…

Journalists missing in Indonesia after volcano mission

Sep 8, 2026 2 months ago 2 min read
Journalists missing in Indonesia after volcano mission

Indonesian teams were searching on Tuesday for seven people including five journalists who had gone missing while travelling to cover the eruption of Mount Anak…