Category: Daily Financial Times

Foreign investment in Government securities has risen to its highest level in nearly two years, with overseas investors continuing to increase their exposure to rupee-denominated Bonds, according to latest Central Bank of Sri Lanka data.

Foreign holdings in Treasury Bills and Bonds reached Rs. 130.96 billion as of 23 October, marking the highest level since 16 November 2023.

During the week ending 23 October, foreign investors purchased a net Rs. 606 million in Government securities.

Since 26 December 2024, cumulative inflows into Government Bills and Bonds amounted to Rs. 61.7 billion.

Though smoking presents as the notorious contributor to lung cancer, genetic factors, passive smoking, and air pollution are all contributors as well. Non-smokers, in fact, form a large segment of people who can develop this type of cancer, reveals Parkway Hospitals Singapore Senior Consultant, Medical Oncologist Dr. Wong Siew Wei.

‘The issue with lung cancer, especially in the Asian context, is a proportion of it is not related to cigarette smoking as a risk factor. There is a bit of a genetic component but it’s not well-described. For example, in countries like Singapore, Hong Kong and China, only about 10-15% of women patients would have a history of smoking. The other 80-85% have no issue of smoking, yet they have lung cancer. I believe in Sri Lanka if we have female lung cancer patients, chances are they have not smoked much as well.

‘The usual risk factor is still smoking. But outside of smoking, a lot of us don’t realise, family history, is a big one, and there is also passive smoking, and air pollution – all these increase your risk of lung cancer.’

Speaking at a press meet in Colombo, Dr. Wong further revealed, ‘In fact, there is radiation from the environment. You may say this is a clean island, but there is radiation from the soil. In some communities, they use biofuel for cooking, wood fuel, charcoal fuel – which raise your risk of lung inflammation, chronic lung illness like tuberculosis, and long-term infection of the lungs – all of which cause injury to the lungs and increase your risk of lung cancer as well.’

How do we pick up this cancer at an earlier stage?

The issue comes down to how we pick up this cancer at an earlier stage. Because this is not the typical segment of the population who would actively look out for lung cancer; unlike the smokers who would consider doing scans to check for cancer.

‘If we go back more than 12 years ago, the Europeans and Americans have proven that doing CT scans for high-risk groups, especially those who smoke a lot, will pick up more lung cancer cases at an earlier stage; that improves survival, compared to doing chest x-ray. If we only focus on screening smokers, we’re going to miss out on these people who never smoke. And they all come back with Stage 4 lung cancer before we find it. So the effort has been put into place to identify and catch lung cancer earlier in people who don’t smoke,’ he said.

‘How do we target them? One of the first groups we target is those with family history. Even though we don’t think there is a lot of genetic components in lung cancer, I think it does play a role in people who don’t smoke. People with first- or second-degree family members with lung cancer, we would be thinking about offering them CT scan using low-dose protocol, once a year, to screen for lung cancer.’

Dr. Wong is part of this program in Singapore that is partially funded by pharmaceutical companies and sponsored by him as well.

He says, hopefully this would pick up more cases, noting that in countries like Taiwan, the incidence of stage 4 lung cancer in women has dropped from 65% to 45% over a 10-year period, when they implemented this nation-wide exercise. Therefore, the more cases picked up at an earlier stage the more chances to cure the cancer.

New drugs

‘For many cancers there are lots of new drugs that we have to keep up with. And we are no longer just relying on chemotherapy. We still use a bit of chemotherapy but we have very good options for targeted therapy. That means we identify a specific target and using that information, we match the target to the correct treatment for each patient. Now we have at least nine targets that we look out for in lung cancer that have specific drugs that we use with high efficacy.’

How do they test for this? Routinely they would use a very sophisticated machine to test for all these mutations in one go. They don’t test for mutation A, followed by mutation B, followed by C, etc. because if they do it that way it will be take up too much time, and it will use up too much material for testing, the doctor explained.

When they get material for lung cancer testing, usually it’s a small sample and they have to use it in a very careful way. That’s where the gap lies in countries that have not developed their health system very well. ‘I’ve been speaking to some of the contacts here in Sri Lanka; I think to do this kind of test in the country itself it’s not so well-established – they are relying on regional countries to help run these tests. This would be problematic because logistically we have to have the specimen shipped around, there’s more waiting time. There’s a chance the specimen gets lost along the way. So the local patients have a huge challenge in this regard.’

‘There are other ways we can overcome this in Singapore – sometimes we test for these mutations using blood drops – we draw a few drops of blood, then from the blood we try to identify DNA that belongs to the cancer; if we can find them, we can run the same algorithm, we can get the same information. The accuracy is very high but the chance of picking up the mutation, because we’re detecting small fragments of DNA in the blood – it’s about 80-85% for stage 4 cancer. So finding targets matching with the best effective drugs helps.’

Then they have other classes of drugs – like immunotherapy; it has been used for more than six years in Singapore. And in recent years they are seeing a newer class of drugs. For example, they have antibodies which will stick to certain targets in the cancer but these antibodies are engineered with strong chemotherapy attached to it. When it is engineered that way doctors can deliver very potent chemotherapy directly to where the cancer cells are sitting, without causing too many side effects to the patients. These are a few types of new therapeutic paths that they have access to in Singapore, which will change how they improve the patient’s outcome.

How you use these drugs

The other thing that is very big in any cancer is how you use these drugs. ‘We may have very good drugs but how we use it is very important. If you use it too late, the patient never benefits from it. So we are getting smarter in how we use this drug, especially in early stage lung cancer. For lung cancer patients who are suitable for operation, a proportion of them will be recommended for treatment using drugs and immunotherapy, prior to surgery. And that’s been proven to improve the outcome as well.

‘For this to happen we have to work very carefully with our lung specialists, our surgeons, we have to capture these cases early so that they have the chance to benefit from the correct type of drugs – because the same drugs we deliver after chemotherapy, paying the same amount of money, the benefit may be less. So timing is very important – just like when you’re cooking, you put a different type of ingredient or at the wrong timing the dish will turn out differently.

The other way we are also learning is how much drugs we have to give to achieve the optimal outcome.’

Sometimes they may only have to give the drugs for one year, sometimes they have to go for two years. So newer generation drugs will tell how much to give this.

‘Obviously, there are pros and cons – if we give too little they won’t get any benefit, but we are getting smarter at doing this.’

Oncologists will head towards a more precise drug delivery with technology advancement. In situations like breast cancer or lung cancer doctors are using specialised tests, a bit like Artificial Intelligence to tell them which patients are at higher risk of relapse after chemotherapy, and which one of them will benefit from using chemotherapy or other drugs. With this kind of information, eventually they will move to a new lung cancer treatment phase and will be able to reduce giving drugs to everyone – the doctors can select who are the higher risk ones and give it to them, and keep the lower risk patients away from it.

Gastrointestinal cancer – what are the organs involved and what’s going on there?

Dr. Wong’s areas of expertise include prostrate, kidney, bladder, upper gastrointestinal, and lung cancers. He was asked about the gastrointestinal tract and the issues therein.

The whole gastrointestinal tract – starts from the mouth, the oesophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, bile duct, gall bladder, liver – all of these are considered gastrointestinal; and all of these can have cancer. And with different risk factors, he explained.

Liver cancer in a lot of Asian countries is related to Hepatitis B infection, while in Western countries it’s Hepatitis C because of drugs and other risk factors. ‘For liver cancer, Asian countries may have more experience in treating it because we see a lot more Hep B patients in our population. We are learning to treat this cancer better, using immunotherapy, and directly injecting treatment into the liver. All these will improve the patient’s outcome.’

Does Hepatitis infection have a long-term effect on the liver, and does it cause cancer?

‘There are quite a few types of Hepatitis virus – we have Hepatitis A, B, C, D, and even E. Hepatitis A, we get it from food. Usually the patient is sick for a few days and then he recovers. Hepatitis B is very different. We have tablets to control this virus but the virus can never be 100% cleared from the liver. It may be hiding in the liver cells, despite you taking the antivirus tablet. While you’re on the anti-virus tablet the virus does not get out into the blood that much, the person is not infectious, unlikely to pass on the Hep B to someone else. But it is still hiding in there.

‘So because it stays in the liver, there is long-term damage to the liver cells DNA and over time this can lead to cancer; especially if there are other problems happening in the background, like alcohol consumption, things that can stress out the liver cells. Those are the usual situations that we encounter in Asian patients. It is common. Typical liver cancer patients in Asian countries are Hep B patients. So Hep B is unique.

‘Hep C is more common in Western countries, but the drugs that we have against Hepatitis C work quite effectively. It can completely eradicate Hep C virus from the body. It is Hep B that causes a lot of problems,’ Dr. Wong explained.

Other conditions can cause liver injury. In Western countries they have fatty liver, where the fatty acids in the body create a lot of stress on the liver cells and over time, after many years, through long-term inflammation and scarring, it can lead to cancer as well, he added.

The doctor was asked about the reason behind the presence of jaundice in a patient. He explained that jaundice results from any condition that stresses out the liver significantly; it can be liver injury from paracetamol overdose, to severe Hepatitis A infection, to a lot of cancers inside the liver itself, to even blockages of the bile duct because of stones or cancer pressing on the bile ducts.

Signs of liver cancer

Asked if there are any symptoms of liver or lung cancer that we can look out for, Dr. Wong replied, ‘The issue is you don’t get symptoms at an early stage. If you have a 2 cm spot sitting in your lungs, usually the patient won’t feel anything. That’s where cancer screening is important – for people who don’t feel anything; who feel normal; we need to pick up the cancer when it’s small; if we pick up the cancer when it’s big, usually it’s already Stage 3 or even 4 cancer when it’s too late. By the time someone has pain in the back of the chest or is coughing out blood, usually the cancer is quite big.

‘For the liver, just like for the lungs, we don’t have signs in its early stage. If you have a 2 cm tumour sitting in your liver, you’re not going to feel it. Then by the time you feel it, it’s usually very advanced. With a sick liver, you will feel tired, and there’s a lack of appetite. When it’s very big, your liver will swell, there will be changes in the abdomen, and you may turn yellow – those are very late signs. By the time the pain starts in the liver, it’s usually quite late. The chance of cure is lower.’

Dr. Wong added that they have new treatment but the chance of cure is a lot less than if the cancer was identified earlier, and reiterated that that’s why for certain risk groups, like for Hepatitis B patients, in Asian countries, doctors recommend ultrasound of the liver every six months, as part of screening. They screen people who don’t have symptoms. Once you have symptoms, it’s usually a bit late, he cautioned.

Horana Plantations PLC, part of Hayleys Plantations, has launched the Tea Shade Development and Ecological (T-SHADE) Restoration Project, an initiative to measure, monitor and monetise carbon credits leveraging shade trees in Sri Lanka’s tea estates.

The first such initiative in Sri Lanka’s plantation sector to be registered under the Verified Carbon Standard (Verra Project ID 5571), the pilot phase has already restored 55 hectares across Gouravilla and Mahanilu Estates.

Hayleys Plantations Managing Director, Dr. Roshan Rajadurai said, ‘T-SHADE represents a powerful new model for sustainable value creation in the plantation sector. By integrating shade tree restoration with carbon credit generation, we are demonstrating how Sri Lanka’s tea estates can deliver both commercial and environmental value. Our goal is to create estates that are more resilient, productive, and globally competitive, while re-positioning Sri Lanka as a global leader on impactful, sustainable climate action.’

With 7,094 shade trees having already been planted, the project lays the foundation for a 40-year program that is expected to sequester more than 22 million tonnes of CO2 while at the same time, enhancing tea quality, soil fertility, and community livelihoods.

Shade cover is essential to protect tea leaves from sun scorch, reduce soil erosion, and improve soil health, creating better conditions for higher quality and more resilient crops. The project also opens the door for Sri Lanka’s plantation sector to access international carbon markets.

Through the initiative, every tonne of carbon dioxide captured by the project can be certified and sold as a carbon credit, generating new revenue streams that can be reinvested into estate communities while also contributing to foreign exchange earnings for the country.

The initiative was formally registered under Verra earlier this year, providing international credibility and ensuring that project impacts are transparently measured. Over its 40-year crediting period, T-SHADE is projected to cover up to 100,000 hectares across the tea sector. For the first five years alone, the pilot areas are expected to generate 342 tonnes of carbon offsets, demonstrating early climate gains while the project scales.

Alongside its environmental objectives, T-SHADE brings important social and economic benefits. The project has already created jobs in nurseries, planting, monitoring, and carbon auditing, with women and youth also being trained to take on new roles in ecological monitoring and data-driven decision-making.

By involving workers and smallholders through the Tea Smallholdings Development Authority, the project ensures that benefits are broadly shared across the value chain.

Technology also plays a central role in the model, with barcode-based monitoring and real-time data tracking applied to both planting and plucking. These innovations will enable more efficient resource use, accurate harvest cycles, and long-term improvements in productivity. As the project is currently in its baseline year, yield and tea quality impacts will be tracked and published transparently in the years ahead, ensuring accountability and credibility.

Horana Plantations PLC Director/CEO Johann Rodrigo said, ‘We are proud to be the first Sri Lankan RPC to engage with the T-Shade program. Each shade tree planted through this program is a step toward healthier soils, stronger communities, and more resilient tea. With our sister companies, we are striving to make Pure Ceylon Tea a model for sustainable growth and shared value across the plantation sector.’

T-SHADE has been developed in partnership with Earth Systems, which provided project design, registration, and carbon accounting. The Tea Research Institute is contributing agronomic expertise, while the National Institute of Plantation Management supports training and capacity building. The Tea Smallholdings Development Authority is working to integrate smallholder growers into the initiative.

By linking ecological restoration with carbon finance and global sustainability frameworks, Hayleys Plantations aims to create a model of climate-smart plantation management that can be scaled across Sri Lanka’s estate sector. T-SHADE positions the country’s tea industry as a producer of high-quality Ceylon Tea and a global leader in regenerative agriculture.

Top professional Dr. Gishan Illangakoon has been appointed to the Board of SMB Finance PLC as an Independent Non-Executive Director.

Dr. Illangakoon is a multifaceted banking and finance professional with over 32 years of progressive experience across retail, MSME, corporate banking, project finance, trade, risk management, and sustainable finance.

He has held senior leadership positions in both international and local financial institutions, including Hatton National Bank (Sri Lanka), Barclays Bank (UAE), United Arab Bank (UAE), and MCB Bank (Pakistan-Sri Lanka Operations). He also served as Chief Executive Officer of Pan Oceanic Bank, Solomon Islands, where he successfully led strategic initiatives in business development, credit risk governance, sustainability integration, and institutional capacity building, and strengthening financial resilience.

As the former Vice President of the Association of Banking Sector Risk Professionals (Bankers’ CRO Forum – Sri Lanka), he contributed significantly to enhancing risk management frameworks and governance standards within the banking sector, and collaborated closely with regulators on consultation papers and policy recommendations to advance prudential supervision.

Dr. Illangakoon holds a PhD in Management from the Management and Science University (MSU), Malaysia, and an MBA from the University of Wales, United Kingdom. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Bankers (FIB) and a Fellow of the Chartered Professional Managers (FCPM), holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Business and Financial Administration from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka, and is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (UK) as well as the Association of Professional Bankers (Sri Lanka).

A passionate researcher, writer, and trainer, Dr. Illangakoon has published numerous technical papers, research articles, and thought pieces in international journals, universities, and national publications. He is a regular contributor to daily national papers, covering topics such as socio-economic development, risk management, sustainable finance, and climate change, and has submitted several policy proposals to government bodies focused on economic development and financial sector reforms.

He is also the creator of the ‘ABCDE Framework – Basics for Success’, an original concept for personal and professional development built on Attitude, Behaviour, Commitment, Discipline, and Execution, promoting a values-driven approach to leadership and sustainable success.

Dr. Illangakoon’s strategic foresight, regulatory insight, and cross-regional leadership experience make him a value-adding independent voice in advancing strong governance, risk culture, and sustainability-driven growth within corporate and financial institutions.

Sri Lanka and Australia have signed bilateral agreements to restructure around $ 39 million in outstanding debt, marking another milestone in Sri Lanka’s ongoing efforts to restore debt sustainability and strengthen its economic recovery following the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) reached with the Official Creditor Committee (OCC).

The signing ceremony took place yesterday at the Finance Ministry, where Treasury Secretary Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma signed on behalf of the Government of Sri Lanka.

The documents were formally exchanged with Australia’s High Commissioner-Designate to Sri Lanka Matthew Duckworth.

Under the agreement, the Government of Australia has agreed to reschedule Sri Lanka’s outstanding debt obligations through a constructive bilateral process, offering relief that supports the country’s medium-term fiscal and economic reform agenda.

In a statement issued by the Finance Ministry, the Government expressed gratitude to the Government of Australia for its continued support and cooperation, describing the agreement as a reflection of the enduring and friendly relations between the two nations.

The Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT) has reasserted its growing global research presence after six of its academics were recognised as World’s Top 2% Scientists in the Stanford-Elsevier ranking system.

The major academic achievement was recently celebrated at the NH Collection Colombo. The event marked a significant moment of pride for the institution bringing together over 100 guests including officials from SLIIT, academics, and representatives from the corporate sectors.

This recognition is a celebration of individual achievement and the institution’s success in building a world-class research ecosystem that generates impactful knowledge, particularly in areas critical to the nation’s future, such as sustainable energy, technology, automation, food sciences, health, and biosciences.

The Stanford-Elsevier World Top 2% Researcher list is regarded globally. The ranking is precisely compiled by Stanford University using rigorous data from Elsevier’s Scopus database. An analysis that ranks scientists across 22 broad scientific fields and 174 sub-fields, ensuring that influence is assessed fairly regardless of the researcher’s discipline.

The Science-Metrix classification system, identifies scholars worldwide who have made significant contributions to their fields. The rankings account for both single-year achievements and career-long impact, reflecting the breadth and longevity of a researcher’s influence on global scientific advancement.

The ranking is based on citation data updated to the end of 2024. The category Single-Year Impact (2024) list, features six distinguished scholars:

SLIIT, the Faculty of Humanities and Sciences Associate Prof. Charitha Jayaruk.

SLIIT, the Faculty of Humanities and Sciences Prof. Dhanushka Udayanga.

SLIIT, the Faculty of Computing Dr. Bhagya Nathali Silva.

SLIIT, the Faculty of Engineering Prof. Dush Jayakody.

SLIIT, the Faculty of Engineering Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost Prof. Nimal Rajapakse.

SLIIT, the Faculty of Engineering Prof. Priyan Dias.

Further strengthen the university’s legacy of sustained excellence, the prestigious career-long list, which recognises enduring contributions over a researcher’s entire body of work.

Speaking about the strategic vision driving this research success and highlighting the university’s crucial role in the national economy, SLIIT Vice Chancellor Prof. Lalith Gamage offered a strong endorsement of the academics’ work and the institution’s commitment to high-calibre research, stating, ‘This achievement reflects our efforts in advancing research and generating new knowledge. The high-impact publications and pioneering work of our academics have set new standards in their fields. We remain committed to fostering an environment that encourages transformative ideas and impactful discoveries.’

He also mentioned about the university’s focus to increase its global research influence, aiming to raise the number of globally-ranked academics from six to at least 20. He highlighted the institution’s commitment to providing extensive support to researchers and students, specifically mentioning the provision of scholarships for talented individuals experiencing financial difficulties. This institutional backing and the public honouring of these achievements are crucial for keeping the academic body motivated.

Prof. Gamage further noted that the presence of SLIIT scholars on this global list is a testament to the institution’s success in producing research with global significance while remaining keenly focused on solving local and regional challenges.

SLIIT Chancellor Prof. Lakshman Rathnayake gave a powerful insight into the university’s financial commitment to national development. He revealed that, despite operating as a non-state, not-for-profit entity that reinvests its revenue into education and research, the institution is one of the major tax payers to the nation. He affirmed, ‘In the last financial year, we gave Rs. 1.5 billion rupees as taxes to the Government,’ a figure that illustrates SLIIT’s dedication to its role as a key economic stakeholder in Sri Lanka.

Speaking on the strategic plan to further strengthen SLIIT’s global research presence, he stressed the vital importance of capacity building. He noted that while the resources were in place, they needed enhancement to facilitate high-level research. The university, which currently maintains a relatively small number of PhD students, aims to scale up to an annual intake of 100 to 200 PhD students.

Prof. Rathnayake explained that achieving this goal requires strong encouragement. The institution’s plan is to recruit at least 100 PhD students next year by offering attractive scholarships which was practiced in many foreign countries. He emphasised that expanding the research base through students is critical, as the existing academic staff alone cannot meet the research demands.

He strongly highlighted the necessity of external partnerships to sustain high-calibre research. He stated that in order to enhance its research profile, SLIIT needs to collaborate with foreign universities to expand its network and actively seek foreign funding for research. He justified this by explaining that local funding amounts are currently too low to adequately support the university’s high-profile research programmes.

SLIIT Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor Prof. Nimal Rajapakse articulated the ultimate, long-term institutional aspiration: ‘Our goal is to become one of the top 1,000 universities in the world,’ he declared, adding the aspirational vision, ‘In fact, our goal is one day to become the Harvard of Sri Lanka.’

The event concluded with a crucial panel discussion, a highly anticipated segment that featured the recognised researchers alongside institutional leaders. During the discussion, the panellists offered insightful reflections on their research journeys, all emphasising the paramount role of collaborative and interdisciplinary work in achieving global academic recognition.

They discussed how breaking down conventional academic boundaries allows researchers to tackle complex, real-world problems with greater efficiency and innovation. The panel discussion fundamentally reinforced the vital role universities play in not only distributing knowledge but also in advancing scientific inquiry and innovation that is directly relevant to societal needs.

The segment ultimately highlighted SLIIT’s unwavering commitment to fostering a robust research culture a culture that actively encourages knowledge creation aimed at directly addressing both national priorities and pressing global challenges. This holistic, growth oriented philosophy ensures that SLIIT’s academic success translates into tangible, positive impact both at home and abroad.

In a landmark step for regional environmental collaboration, the South Asia Co-operative Environment Program (SACEP) inaugurated its new regional headquarters in Colombo recently, reaffirming its role as South Asia’s leading intergovernmental platform for collective environmental action.

The inauguration ceremony was graced by Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya as Chief Guest and Environment Minister Dr. Dhammika Patabendi alongside diplomats, development partners and representatives from SACEP’s eight member countries.

In her key note address, Prime Minister Dr. Amarasuriya underscored the urgency of joint regional responses to the growing environmental crises confronting the region.

‘Sri Lanka has always been a strong advocate of the green economy and today marks an important milestone in our shared journey toward a sustainable future,’ she said.

‘The escalating degradation of our precious water bodies, ecosystems and soils-driven largely by pollution and plastic waste-poses a grave concern. The plastic crisis in our seas remains one of the most pressing challenges of our time, particularly in a region that is home to nearly a quarter of the world’s population. Our response must be collaborative, unified and rooted in resilience. Through SACEP, we can strengthen cooperation and lead South Asia toward a cleaner, greener and more sustainable future.’ She further added.

Since its establishment in 1982, SACEP has brought together the nations of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka to address pressing environmental challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, marine litter, waste management and trans boundary pollution.

The project was made possible through the Government of Sri Lanka’s generous allocation of land as the host country and financial assistance from The World Bank under the Plastic Free Rivers and Seas for South Asia (PLEASE) Project.

The new headquarters marks a major achievement in this journey. The modern facility, located in Colombo 05, spans approximately 1,610 square metres and has been designed in line with LEED gold certification standards, reflecting a strong commitment to sustainability and environmental innovation. Equipped with solar panels that generate 20% of its total energy needs, the building features inclusive spaces, a 100-seat auditorium, modern office areas and state-of-the-art meeting rooms to facilitate dialogue and regional cooperation.

Highlighting the significance of regional collaboration Environment Minister Dr. Dhammika Patabendi said, ‘SACEP stands as a remarkable example of how South Asian countries can come together to tackle shared environmental challenges. This new facility will strengthen our ability to generate solutions and promote environmental stewardship across the region.’

World Bank Principal Country Officer Victor Navaranjan Antonypillai emphasised the global urgency of addressing plastic pollution and waste management.

‘This new SACEP headquarters shines as a light for generations to come. With over 11 million tonnes of plastic entering our seas and counting, the challenge before us is immense. As we move toward an electric future, we must also ask ourselves-how will we responsibly dispose of the batteries from the electric vehicles? Each of us has a duty to be the change for a greener tomorrow. The World Bank remains committed to supporting these regional efforts and extends its gratitude to the Government of Sri Lanka for its steadfast partnership,’ he said.

SACEP Director General Norbu Wangchuk noted, ‘This new headquarters is more than just a building-it is a symbol of partnership, purpose and shared responsibility. We are deeply grateful to the Government of Sri Lanka and The World Bank for their unwavering support as we open a new chapter in SACEP’s journey.’

The event concluded with a tour of the facility, showcasing its modern design and sustainable features. As SACEP embarks on this new era from its permanent home in Colombo, it stands as a beacon of regional cooperation dedicated to turning shared vision into on the ground action and protecting South Asia’s natural heritage for generations to come.

Sri Lanka’s rising golf star, Kaya Daluwatte, made history by winning the Bronze medal in the Girls’ Golf event at the Asian Youth Games 2025 held at the Royal Golf Club in Bahrain.

Last week, former French President Nicolas Sarkozy began serving a five-year prison sentence after being convicted of conspiring to illegally raise campaign funds from Libya. Sarkozy, who led France from 2007 to 2012, is the first former French head of state in modern times to serve a custodial sentence. His conviction sends a powerful message that no one, not even a president, is above the law. It is a reminder that justice, when applied impartially, strengthens democracy rather than weakens it.

For Sri Lanka, this should be an uncomfortable yet necessary moment of reflection. Our own record of holding leaders accountable for corruption, abuse of power, and grave human rights violations is abysmal. Despite overwhelming evidence of wrongdoing, not a single president of Sri Lanka has ever faced justice for their alleged crimes. The impunity enjoyed by those who have held the country’s highest office continues to corrode public trust in the judiciary, the rule of law, and democracy itself.

This culture of immunity did not begin or end with the Rajapaksas. Every former president has skeletons in their political closets. The much-discussed Chemmani mass grave, uncovered during President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga’s tenure, remains a stark example of how justice has been silenced. The mass grave, discovered in the late 1990s, contained the remains of civilians allegedly killed by the military during the conflict in Jaffna. Yet, investigations were abruptly halted in 1998 after only a few bodies were unearthed. No inquiry has ever been conducted into the command responsibility of this atrocity. Two decades later, justice remains buried alongside the victims.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s time in office was marred by multiple allegations of corruption and abuse of power, from the ‘Helping Hambantota’ scandal to election-related payments reportedly made to the LTTE, a designated terrorist organisation. His administration stands accused of widespread human rights violations, war crimes during the final stages of the civil war, and systematic intimidation of journalists and political opponents. His brother, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who later ascended to the presidency, has likewise been accused of involvement in extrajudicial killings, including that of journalist Lasantha Wickrematunge, and of overseeing brutal wartime atrocities.

Maithripala Sirisena, hailed briefly as a reformer, faces accusations of negligence over the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks, negligence that cost hundreds of innocent lives. Reports of corruption involving his family further tarnish his tenure. President Ranil Wickremesinghe, for his part, has long faced accusations of misusing public funds and protecting those implicated in the Central Bank bond scam, a financial scandal that shook the country’s confidence in its political leadership.

Yet through all of this, Sri Lanka’s justice system has remained silent, paralysed by political interference and fear. The law’s reach stops conveniently short of the Presidential Secretariat. Investigations are stalled, files go missing, commissions of inquiry are reduced to theatre, and victims are denied even the hope of accountability. It is a system that punishes the powerless while protecting the powerful.

As Nicolas Sarkozy begins his prison term, Sri Lanka must confront its own moral and legal failures. Our presidents, past and present, must face the same standard of justice as any citizen. This is particularly ironic given that Sri Lanka’s Executive Presidency was modelled in part on the French system, a system that has just proven its ability to hold even its former head of state to account. France’s judiciary has shown courage where ours has shown complicity. The contrast could not be more glaring.

The global travel media giant Lonely Planet has announced its prestigious annual list of destinations under the ‘Best in Travel 2026’ publication, naming Jaffna among the Best Cities to Visit in 2026.

This recognition marks a significant milestone for Sri Lanka, reaffirming the country’s growing appeal as a diverse, authentic and sustainable travel destination. The selection of Jaffna highlights not only the city’s cultural and historical richness, but also the success of Sri Lanka’s continued efforts to promote its regional diversity.

Lonely Planet, the world’s most trusted name in travel publishing, publishes the ‘Best in Travel’ series annually, celebrating 30 of the most inspiring destinations across the globe. The destinations are chosen by Lonely Planet’s network of editors, writers and travel experts, focusing on innovation, sustainability and unique visitor experiences. Every year these expert analysts explore the most remote areas of the world in search for unparalleled locations to include in ‘Best in Travel’ list.

The Italian-language edition of Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2026 was officially unveiled on 22 October, at a high-profile press event held at Identità Golose Milano, organised by Lonely Planet Italia. The event was attended by Italian mainstream media representatives, travel influencers, content creators, tour operators and industry professionals from across Italy. Representing ‘Sri Lanka Tourism’, the Consulate General of Sri Lanka in Milan contributed to the occasion by offering a selection of signature dishes from Jaffna for the luncheon that followed the event and by arranging a guest speech introducing the destination during the press briefing.

This recognition is expected to contribute significantly to enhancing Sri Lanka’s tourism visibility in the international tourism arena. It also serves as a valuable endorsement for the country’s ongoing efforts to promote regional tourism development and community-based travel experiences in lesser-known destinations.

As one of the world’s most trusted and influential travel media brands, Lonely Planet’s recommendations reach millions of readers, travellers and industry professionals across both digital and print platforms. Inclusion in the Best in Travel list not only validates the destination’s unique attractions, authenticity and visitor experience, but also serves as a powerful marketing endorsement that can boost tourist arrivals, strengthen brand positioning and attract new partnerships within the global travel industry.

Representing Sri Lanka Tourism, the Consul General of Sri Lanka in Milan Dulmith Waruna and the Minister Counsellor (Commercial) Tharaka Botheju graced the official ceremony held in Italy targeting the Italian travellers and tour operators.