Category: Daily Financial Times

For nearly three years now, the Red Sea has been effectively closed to routine commercial shipping. Since November 2023, Yemen’s Houthi movement has launched more than 190 attacks on merchant vessels transiting the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and what was once a corridor carrying 10-12% of world trade now sees daily transits collapse from a historical average of around 70 vessels to just 30-35. The result has been the near total diversion of Asia-Europe container traffic around the Cape of Good Hope – adding 10 to 15 days and 3,000 to 4,000 nautical miles to a typical voyage, pushing fuel consumption up by as much as 40%, and keeping freight rates 15 to 40% above pre-crisis levels even after the initial 2024 shock eased.

Sri Lankans following shipping news will already know this story from the demand side: Colombo has been one of the principal beneficiaries. But a second, less-discussed story has been developing in parallel, thousands of kilometres to the north – and it deserves Colombo’s attention too.

A new lane opens in the ice

Russia’s Northern Sea Route (NSR), running along its Arctic coast from the Bering Strait to Northern Europe, has quietly gone from a niche resource export corridor to a route now carrying scheduled international container services. On 10 August this year, Chinese carrier Haijie Shipping launched what it describes as the first regular weekly container service across the Arctic, sailing from Ningbo to the British port of Felixstowe in under 20 days – versus roughly 40 days by conventional routing. Russian operator Sea Legend and the Rosatom-backed Aurora Line have run comparable seasonal rotations, and South Korean interests have begun testing the corridor as well.

The numbers, while still small next to Suez, are moving in one direction.

Container transits on the NSR climbed from 7 voyages in 2023 to 24 in 2025, with more than 30 expected this year. Total NSR cargo – still dominated by Russian oil and LNG exports rather than transit containers – is on track to exceed 40 million tons in 2026, roughly 15% higher than the same period last year.

Behind this is real capital. Russia has now deployed its entire fleet of eight nuclear-powered icebreakers simultaneously for the first time, with three further vessels due by 2030 and a much larger Leader-class icebreaker, intended to enable genuine year-round navigation, already 30% complete.

Moscow has committed roughly $ 20-24 billion to Arctic port and communications infrastructure through 2035, and even India has entered the picture, negotiating construction of four ice-class vessels of its own with a first pilot voyage planned for 2027.

The commercial logic is straightforward on paper: the NSR can cut an Asia-Europe voyage by up to 40% in distance and around two weeks in time compared with Suez – and considerably more against the Cape of Good Hope detour that has become the default since 2023. One concrete example already in circulation: Chinese e-mobility firm Ninebot has reported shipping electric scooters to the Netherlands via the Arctic at roughly a third of the cost of overland China-Europe trucking.

Why it isn’t Suez’s replacement – yet

The caveats are substantial, and any assessment for Sri Lankan readers should be candid about them. The Arctic route remains strictly seasonal – this year’s scheduled container service ran for barely seven weeks, from 15 August to 3 October. War-risk and polar-navigation insurance premiums run five to ten times normal levels, reflecting patchy satellite coverage at high latitudes as much as any conflict risk. High ice-class vessels are scarce and expensive, and Western sanctions on Russian shipping interests have already delayed icebreaker construction and left several completed ice-class LNG carriers stranded at a South Korean shipyard. Independent analysts remain sceptical of Moscow’s own targets: cargo volumes on the NSR actually fell in 2025, well short of stated ambitions, before this year’s rebound.

Longer-range climate projections suggest the picture will change substantially over coming decades – recent modelling gives roughly an 80% probability that the Arctic Ocean will be nearly ice-free in summer by the mid-2030s, and the IPCC projects a summer ice-free Arctic before 2050.

But even optimistic industry assessments suggest only around 2% of global shipping volume might shift to Arctic routes by 2030, rising to perhaps 5% by 2050. A more direct polar shortcut, the Transpolar Sea Route – which would bypass Russian waters entirely – is not expected to be commercially viable before the 2040s at the earliest.

In short: the Arctic route is a genuine and growing seasonal alternative for time-sensitive, high-value cargo, not a wholesale substitute for the Suez corridor. Its trajectory will depend as much on sanctions, Russia’s relations with shipping nations, and the eventual resolution of the Red Sea crisis as on ice conditions themselves.

What this means for Colombo Harbour

This is where the story comes home. Colombo’s current boom is a direct byproduct of the Middle East crisis rather than of any change in the port’s own fundamentals. As mainline vessels bypass the Red Sea and swing around Africa, Colombo’s position just off the main east-west trunk route through the Malacca Strait – requiring only about a day’s deviation – has made it an increasingly attractive relay and waypoint hub, particularly for cargo bound to and from the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent.

Transhipment volumes rose roughly 30% year-on-year in early 2024 as the crisis took hold, and the Port of Colombo closed 2024 with a record 7.78 million TEUs in total throughput, a 12.1% increase on the previous year, with transhipment accounting for 81% of that volume. The surge has not been without strain: congestion and inter-terminal transfer delays have periodically resurfaced through 2025 and into 2026 as volumes have tested the port’s capacity even as expansion works – the Adani-led West Container Terminal and the Sri Lanka Ports Authority’s East Container Terminal extension – proceed to lift capacity toward a targeted 15 million TEUs by the end of this year.

An expanding Arctic route poses two distinct risks to that windfall, on two very different timelines.

In the near term, through the rest of this decade, the risk is modest. The NSR’s seasonal window, insurance costs, and limited ice-class capacity mean it cannot yet absorb meaningful volumes of the Asia-Europe and Asia- Middle East trade that currently passes near Colombo via the Cape. If anything, the more immediate threat to Colombo’s current volumes is a resolution of the Red Sea crisis itself: analysts expect that a normalisation of Suez transits would release roughly 6% of global vessel capacity currently tied up in the longer Cape routing back into the market, reducing the very rerouting traffic that has been filling Colombo’s terminals.

Over the medium-to-long term, however, the calculus changes. Should Arctic ice retreat continue on the trajectory current science suggests, and should Russia’s icebreaker and ice-class fleet investment continue at pace, the NSR could by the 2030s and beyond capture a growing share of container traffic that currently transits – or is diverted around – the Indian Ocean and Suez corridor. A structurally viable, faster Pacific-Atlantic link that bypasses the Indian Ocean altogether would, over time, reduce the volume of east-west mainline traffic passing Sri Lanka’s shores in the first place, independent of whatever happens in the Middle East. That is a slower-moving and more structural risk than anything the Red Sea crisis poses, and it is one Colombo’s planners would do well to start factoring into decade-scale capacity and investment decisions now, rather than treating current transhipment growth as a permanent feature of the trade map.

The takeaway

Colombo’s present good fortune and the Arctic’s slow emergence are, in a sense, two faces of the same underlying shift: global shipping is actively searching for ways to route around a Middle East that can no longer be assumed stable. For now, that search is filling Colombo’s berths. It is worth remembering that the same search, extended far enough north and far enough into the future, could eventually route around Colombo too.

Sri Lanka’s tourism recovery has lost momentum, with year-to-date (YTD) arrivals falling nearly 2% year-on-year (YoY) despite crossing the 1.5 million milestone, putting renewed pressure on the upwardly revised target of 2.7 million visitors for the year.

According to the latest arrival data from the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA), the country welcomed over 1.51 million visitors as of 27 August, compared to 1.54 million during the corresponding period of 2025, reflecting a shortfall of 29,961 visitors, or 1.9% YoY.

The comparison with the pre-pandemic benchmark is also revealing. Arrivals during the first eight months of 2018 amounted to about 1.58 million, indicating the 2026 figure remains around 4.1% below the corresponding pre-pandemic level.

India remains the dominant source market, accounting for 380,011 arrivals between 1 January and 27 August, followed by the UK with 148,598 and China with 99,875. Russia, Germany, Australia, and France are among the other major markets.

During the first 27 days of August, Sri Lanka received 173,878 tourists amid the Kandy Esala Perahera, compared with 178,969 during the same period last year, representing a 2.84% decline.

The highest single-day arrival figure for the month so far was registered on 8 August, when 7,732 tourists entered the country. However, average daily arrivals dropped to 6,440 from 6,626 in during the corresponding period of 2025. The August data similarly place India well ahead of other markets, with 41,781 visitors or during the first 27 days, followed by the UK (18,197), China (11,368), Germany (10,465) and France (10,333).

The latest figures suggest that the tourism sector has largely stabilised after the steep declines earlier in the year, but has yet to regain the growth trajectory recorded during the first two months.

The latest YTD performance leaves Sri Lanka needing about 1.18 million additional arrivals between 28 August and the end of December to reach the authorities’ full-year target of 2.7 million.

This would require an average of roughly 295,700 arrivals a month over the remaining four months, substantially above the monthly pace recorded so far in 2026.

The challenge is particularly significant because the strongest months so far have been January and February, when arrivals exceeded 277,000 each. The subsequent monthly performance has been considerably lower, with June and July recording 124,551 and 196,845 arrivals, respectively.

The authorities are nevertheless targeting 2.7 million arrivals and around $ 4.2 billion in tourism revenue in 2026, compared with 2.36 million arrivals and about $ 3.2 billion in earnings in 2025.

The medium-term ambition is considerably more aggressive, as Sri Lanka aims to exceed 3 million arrivals next year and build tourism revenue towards $ 10 billion by 2030.

Industry analysts opined that the key question now is whether the traditional final-quarter peak can generate enough additional traffic to close the sizeable gap between the current arrival trajectory and the Government’s 2.7 million target.

Australian low-cost carrier Jetstar last week launched its first direct service between Sri Lanka and Australia, opening a new year-round air link that is expected to add over 100,000 low-fare seats annually between Colombo and Melbourne.

The inaugural service landed at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) on 25 August, with the first Colombo-Melbourne flight departing shortly afterwards, marking Jetstar’s entry into the Sri Lankan market.

The three-times-weekly wide body service is being positioned as a lower-cost alternative to existing connections between the two countries, where passengers have traditionally had to transit through a third country.

Jetstar CEO Stephanie Tully said the airline had already seen strong demand for the new route, particularly given Victoria’s large Sri Lankan community.

‘We’re so excited to be able to begin operating to Sri Lanka and to give Sri Lankans and Australians a low-cost connection between our two countries,’ Tully said.

The airline is offering introductory one-way fares from Colombo to Melbourne from Rs. 67,770, with the promotional sale running until today (31), subject to availability and applicable travel dates.

The route is being operated year-round rather than being confined to the peak travel season, potentially providing Sri Lanka with a more consistent source of inbound capacity during the tourism industry’s softer months.

Hayleys Advantis Deputy Managing Director Shano Sabar said the service addressed a longstanding capacity gap between Sri Lanka and Australia.

‘Until now, travelling between Colombo and Australia has meant connecting through a third country at a higher cost,’ Sabar said, adding that the three weekly widebody services would provide capacity through the off-season as well as peak periods.

Beyond Melbourne, the service also gives Sri Lankan travellers access to Jetstar’s Australian and New Zealand network, including Sydney, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Tasmania, Auckland and Queenstown, with a single onward connection.

For Sri Lanka’s tourism industry, the new route comes as authorities seek to strengthen air connectivity and diversify source markets amid a renewed push to lift tourist arrivals.

Jetstar will operate the route using Boeing 787 Dreamliners. The airline has begun refurbishing its 787 fleet with upgraded economy and business-class cabins, Wi-Fi and other enhancements, while the aircraft’s upgraded configuration is designed to support longer-haul operations.

The new connection is expected to cater to both visiting-friends-and-relatives traffic and leisure demand, while giving Australian and New Zealand travellers a direct, lower-cost gateway to Sri Lanka.

London, United Kingdom – Sulaiman and Kasim Khan have not heard their father’s voice in almost six months.

The last time they spoke to Imran Khan, the imprisoned former Prime Minister of Pakistan and cricket legend, was over Eid al-Fitr in March. The call lasted 20 minutes.

‘We don’t know how much time we have to speak,’ Kasim, 27, told Al Jazeera in London. ‘Usually it’s around the 20-minute mark. He frantically asks about our lives and gives us advice. But when we ask about him, he very quickly shuts it down. He doesn’t seem to want to talk too much about how he is.”

‘You know, it is what it is,’ Kasim recalled him saying.

Three years have passed since Khan, 73, was imprisoned in Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail. He has faced more than 100 legal cases since his 2022 ouster in a vote of no confidence, including charges of bribery, leaking State secrets and illegally selling State gifts. He denies all of the accusations against him.

All but one of his convictions have been suspended or overturned, with appeals pending.

Khan’s family and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party believe the charges are politically motivated.

Two of his sisters, Uzma and Noreen, were recently allowed to see him. They said it was their first visit in months.

‘They were both quite disturbed by how agitated he was. He’s been mentally tortured with this solitary confinement,’ Sulaiman, 29, said.

‘His heart rate spikes considerably in his cell. He’s having palpitations due to severe anxiety,’ said Kasim. ‘He’s the most calm, mentally strong person I’ve ever known by a considerable margin. To hear he’s facing anxiety, it’s unfathomable.’

Khan’s lawyers reported in February that he had lost 85% of the vision in his right eye.

‘He was still wearing an eye patch when he saw our aunt the other day,’ Sulaiman said. ‘For 10 months he wasn’t allowed any visitors. Apart from that brief visit from his sisters, none of the other orders have been followed.’

Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB), in a statement, categorically rejected the allegations that Khan has been subjected ‘to punitive solitary confinement, cruelty or deprivation’.

The statement added that ‘the convicted prisoner is not a person held under executive detention’.

‘His imprisonment follows convictions by courts of competent jurisdiction after judicial proceedings, and he remains entitled to pursue all remedies available to him under Pakistani laws,’ it said, concluding that ‘the convicted prisoner is also permitted home-cooked food, exercise equipment and is provided appropriate dietary facilities’.

Claims that he has been completely isolated or denied contact with his family are also not borne out by official prison records, the statement added.

On 18 August, a three-judge Supreme Court bench ruled that Khan be moved to the private Shifa International Hospital within two days, that he be granted weekly family visits and twice-weekly calls with his sons, and ordered that his personal physician and sister, both doctors, be allowed to take part in his medical care. Earlier, a cardiac board review found Khan had fluctuating blood pressure and anxiety, attributed to limited contact with his family.

But he was instead taken to a Government hospital, PIMS, for a brief check-up before returning to jail on 20 August. Khan’s party has since filed a contempt petition.

‘These Government doctors are essentially told what to say,’ said Sulaiman. ‘We want him independently checked, so we have proof. What are they hiding?’

‘The establishment currently has absolute power. Any efforts by the Supreme Court seem ineffective,’ said Kasim. ‘We’re just trying to make as much noise as possible.’

The MIB said reports of Khan’s ill health were ‘not supported by prison or medical records’.

It said Khan has undergone 30 medical examinations since his imprisonment began ‘in addition to regular examinations by the prison doctor’ and that doctors had recently concluded that he appears ‘oriented, stable and without any recorded acute or unmanaged deterioration’.

Support for Khan’s release has come from the United Nations, Amnesty International, politicians in Washington and London, and 21 former cricket captains.

‘We’re hoping the UK could make a difference,’ said Kasim. ‘Our father lived here a long time, and he’s always spoken very highly of England.’

Their mother, Khan’s ex-wife Jemima Goldsmith, has called on Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband for help, saying Khan has ‘endured three years of solitary confinement’ in what has become a ‘human rights emergency’.

She said their sons, who are British citizens, have been denied visas and warned they risked arrest if they travelled to see Khan, calling the situation ‘a human-rights emergency’.

Khan’s sons last met him in November 2022 after an assassination attempt on his life.

‘We have plans, but we can’t disclose exactly what they are, because anything we say publicly is often very quickly intercepted by those in Pakistan,’ Kasim said.

‘Now is the toughest time, the bleakest it’s looked. But at least there’s more attention now,’ Sulaiman added. ‘We’re lucky to have good friends and a strong family unit who keep us sane.’

The MIB also denied claims that Khan has been isolated or denied contact, saying, ‘Records show approximately 198 interview sessions involving more than 900 visitor entries. These include his sisters, family members, lawyers, doctors, political representatives and other approved visitors.’

It described his prison conditions as humane, saying the facilities allow for ‘sleeping, sanitation and exercise’.

‘He receives separately prepared meals, including meat, chicken, fruit, milk, nuts, juices and bottled water,’ it said. ‘At the same time, access to a prisoner cannot be used as a platform for unrestricted political communication or political activity from inside prison.’

Khan had kept his sons out of the limelight, and neither sought a life in front of the cameras.

Kasim held the Government responsible for their father’s deteriorating health.

‘Where is the humanity in not allowing someone to receive basic health checks or treatment? It’s the pettiness, the petty torture techniques, not allowing him to have books, phone calls with his children, keeping him for 23 hours in an isolated cell,’ he asked.

‘If they reject any claims of mistreatment, prove it. Bring him to an unbiased doctor and hospital, and show the medical reports. It puts our minds at ease, and shows the people of Pakistan that their elected leader is healthy.’

But he continues to believe in his father’s strength.

‘If there’s hope that anyone can remain resilient through this period, it’s him, even though it’s so brutal in these conditions,’ said the younger brother.

National Savings Bank Group (NSB) recorded resilient core banking performance during the first six months of 2026, supported by stronger net interest income, a notable expansion in fee-based earnings and continued growth in loans and advances. The results demonstrate the Bank’s capacity to maintain business momentum while navigating cost pressures and volatility in market-related income.

The Bank reported total operating income of Rs. 45.8 billion for the period, an increase of 3.1% compared with Rs. 44.5 billion in the corresponding period of 2025.

Net operating income increased by 2.3% to Rs. 49.1 billion from Rs. 48 billion reported a year ago, providing a stable foundation for the Bank’s operations and customer-focused growth agenda.

Net interest income rose by 5.5% year-on-year (YoY) to Rs. 44.2 billion, compared with Rs. 41.9 billion in the first half of 2025. This improvement was supported by a 4.7% reduction in interest expenses to Rs. 54.5 billion, despite a marginal moderation in interest income to Rs. 98.6 billion. The result reflects disciplined balance-sheet management and the Bank’s continued focus on maintaining a sustainable funding and asset mix.

The Bank also achieved substantial growth in fee-based earnings. Net fee and commission income increased by 37% to Rs. 1.40 billion, from Rs. 1.02 billion a year earlier. The increase underlines the growing contribution from transaction-led services and the Bank’s ongoing efforts to broaden non-interest revenue through customer-centric and digitally enabled banking solutions.

Profit before Tax (PBT) amounted to Rs. 22.6 billion, compared with Rs. 24.1 billion in the first half of 2025, while profit after tax (PAT) stood at Rs. 13.4 billion, compared with Rs. 14.7 billion. The moderation in profitability principally reflected higher operating costs and the lower contribution from trading and derecognition gains. Personnel expenses increased to Rs. 13.8 billion from Rs. 11.5 billion, while other operating expenses rose to Rs. 4.3 billion from Rs. 4.1 billion.

Despite these pressures, the Bank preserved a substantial earnings base and continued to invest in the people, systems and service capabilities required to improve operational resilience and the customer experience. Income tax for the period amounted to Rs. 9.14 billion, while VAT and the Social Security Contribution Levy on financial services together exceeded Rs. 7.29 billion. In addition, the Bank declared a dividend of Rs. 7.4 billion to the Government as its sole shareholder. Accordingly, NSB’s total contribution to the Government through dividends, taxes and levies amounted to Rs. 23.8 billion, underscoring the Bank’s significant contribution to public finances and national development.

NSB Chairman Dr. Harsha Cabral, PC said: ‘The first-half results reflect the resilience of NSB’s core business model and the enduring confidence placed in the Bank by generations of Sri Lankans. Our priority remains the prudent stewardship of public savings, while supporting productive economic activity, financial inclusion and sustainable national development.’

NSB’s total assets increased by 2.1% during the first six months of the year to Rs. 1.87 trillion, from Rs. 1.83 trillion at end-December 2025. Loans and advances recorded a strong 9.1% expansion to Rs. 601.01 billion from Rs. 550.83 billion, demonstrating the Bank’s continued support for the financing needs of individuals, households and eligible institutional customers within its mandate.

Deposits, the principal source of funding for NSB, increased by 1.5% to Rs. 1.63 trillion from Rs. 1.61 trillion. The sustained growth in the deposit base reflects continued public confidence in the Bank and provides a stable platform for its savings-led business model. The Bank’s financial position remained sound, with total shareholders’ equity increasing by 4.1% to Rs. 123.91 billion from Rs. 119.05 billion. Retained earnings rose by 12.4% to Rs. 52.34 billion, further strengthening the Bank’s capacity to support future growth and absorb potential shocks.

NSB Acting General Manager/CEO Rohana Bandara Weerakoon said: ‘Our focus is on translating the Bank’s trusted savings franchise into sustainable customer value. The growth achieved in lending, fee income and shareholder’s equity is encouraging. We will continue to strengthen digital access, service quality, cost discipline and risk management while delivering on NSB’s national mandate.’

The Bank’s profitability indicators continued to reflect the strength of its core banking activities, although higher operating expenses moderated overall returns. The net interest margin improved to 4.81% from 4.74% at the end of 2025, demonstrating an improvement in the Bank’s core interest spread. Return on assets before tax remained broadly stable at 2.46%, compared with 2.48%, while return on equity stood at 22.30%, compared with 25.08% at the end of 2025.

Asset quality improved during the first half of 2026. The net Stage 3 loans ratio declined to 2.05% from 2.52% at the end of 2025, indicating a reduction in net impaired credit exposures relative to the loan portfolio. At the same time, the Stage 3 impairment coverage ratio strengthened to 59.77% from 58.54%, reflecting improved impairment coverage against Stage 3 loans.

NSB maintained capital buffers comfortably above the applicable regulatory minimum requirements. The Tier 1 capital ratio stood at 19.72%, compared with the regulatory minimum of 8.5%, while the total capital ratio stood at 21.1%, well above the minimum requirement of 12.5%. These ratios demonstrate the Bank’s capacity to absorb potential risks while supporting continued business growth.

The Bank also maintained a strong liquidity and stable funding position. The all-currency liquidity coverage ratio stood at 311.88%, substantially above the statutory minimum of 100%, reflecting the availability of sufficient high-quality liquid assets to meet short-term liquidity requirements. The net stable funding ratio stood at 196.17%, also comfortably above the regulatory minimum of 100%, demonstrating the stability of the Bank’s longer-term funding profile.

The UN World Food Program (WFP), together with the Rural Development, Social Security and Community Empowerment Ministry, last week handed over agricultural equipment valued at nearly Rs. 22 million to farmers and school meal suppliers participating in the Home-Grown School Feeding (HGSF) program in the Nuwara Eliya District.

To date, the WFP has also invested more than Rs. 92 million to support the implementation and expansion of the HGSF across the district.

The equipment package comprises water tanks, garden hoses, sprayers, crates, and fencing materials, all designed to boost local food production and enhance the capacity of farmers and school meal suppliers supporting Sri Lanka’s National School Meal Program.

Funded by Michael Kors through the WFP, the HGSF program connects schools with local producers, strengthening rural livelihoods, particularly for women, while children receive nutritious meals that support their health, learning, and future potential.

Heritance Hotels and Resorts has partnered with the CCC Foundation as the Official Hospitality Partner of the 2026 1333 Bikeathon, supporting the Foundation’s efforts to increase awareness of mental wellbeing and the 1333 Mental Health Helpline across Sri Lanka.

Now in its 13th year, the 1333 Bikeathon will take riders on a 1,333-kilometre journey across 13 cities, concluding on World Suicide Prevention Day on 10 September. Along the route, riders will engage with communities and help raise awareness of mental health, suicide prevention and the support available through the 1333 helpline.

This year’s partnership will be brought to life by Heritance Hotels and Resorts through the message ‘Make It Matter’-a call to recognise that every action, however small, can help extend the reach of an important cause. Through the campaign, Heritance Hotels and Resorts will support the riders, amplify awareness of the helpline and encourage people to reflect on their own wellbeing and that of those around them.

‘Supporting the CCC Foundation and the 1333 Bikeathon reflects our belief that businesses have a responsibility to meaningfully address social issues and contribute to the communities they serve,’ said Aitken Spence PLC Chairperson Stasshani Jayawardena.

She added: ‘Mental wellbeing is an essential part of living a healthy and fulfilling life, yet conversations around it are still often overlooked in many communities and for some the perceived stigma is very real. The 1333 Bikeathon is a powerful reminder that taking a journey – both physically and emotionally – can create space for reflection, connection and renewal. Through ‘Make It Matter’, we hope to encourage greater awareness of mental wellbeing, inspire open and meaningful conversations, encourage asking for help and rally communities across Sri Lanka to support this important cause and the riders carrying its message.’

For Heritance Hotels and Resorts, hospitality extends beyond the experiences created for guests. It also means contributing meaningfully to the people and communities connected to the destinations in which the brand operates.

The partnership with the CCC Foundation reflects this commitment by bringing together the reach of hospitality and the power of collective action to support a cause that affects individuals, families and communities throughout the country.

Heritance Hotels and Resorts invites Sri Lankans, travellers, communities and partners to support the 1333 Bikeathon. Every kilometre ridden, conversation started and story shared can help someone recognise that support is available.

New Anthoney’s Farms, Sri Lanka’s pioneering producer of antibiotic free poultry, has been honoured on the global stage at Soy Connext 2026, the flagship summit of the US Soybean Export Council (USSEC), held from 5 to 7 August at the Hyatt Regency Chicago.

The recognition came during a dedicated sustainability session that brought together a record turnout of more than 800 delegates, the largest in the event’s history. New Anthoney’s Farms was named among global sustainability leaders for its use of the Sustainable U.S. Soy and Fed with Sustainable U.S. Soy labels, standing alongside honourees from the Americas, Greater China and Southeast Asia in what was one of the strongest showings yet for South Asia.

The recognition carries particular weight for New Anthoney’s Farms. In 2023, the company became the first in the South Asia region to secure the Sustainable U.S. Soy licence, verified under the U.S. Soy Sustainability Assurance Protocol. That early move has since made the company a reference point for USSEC when discussing what responsible sourcing looks like in practice, a distinction reflected in the sustainability credentials of Anthoney’s Feeds, the group’s feed milling arm, which underpins the antibiotic free standard the company was built on.

‘This recognition reflects a commitment we made years before it became an industry conversation,’ said New Anthoney’s Farms CEO Neil Suraweera. ‘Sustainable sourcing and profitability were never competing goals for us. They always were the same goal, and our customers see that in every bird we raise.’

The Chicago honour adds to a year of milestones for New Anthoney’s Farms. The company marked its 40th anniversary in 2026, was named Best Exporter in the Processed Food Category at the 26th Presidential Export Awards organised by the Sri Lanka Export Development Board, and finished as first runner-up for Best Stall in the Food and Beverage category at ProFood ProPack. The company also secured up to $ 10 million in investment from the International Finance Corporation, including support from the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program, to expand production capacity by up to 70%.

Sri Lanka remains the world’s largest containerised buyer of US soybean meal, importing roughly 255,000 tonnes in 2025 to feed an animal feed industry producing close to 1.3 million tons annually, with poultry as its largest customer. New Anthoney’s Farms’ standing at Soy Connext reflects the growing weight of Sri Lanka’s poultry sector within that global supply chain.

The International Cricket Council’s (ICC) recent decision to deprive Sri Lanka of international hosting rights sends a clear message: political interference in the administration of sport will carry serious consequences.

Yet this raises an unavoidable and deeply troubling question: Why was the same principle not applied to Sri Lanka Rugby?

World Rugby suspended Sri Lanka Rugby in May 2023, publicly citing governance concerns and a breach of its Bye-Laws relating to political interference. However, the process that followed appeared to move in the opposite direction.

World Rugby and Asia Rugby subsequently participated in a governance process involving the Ministry of Sports, the National Olympic Committee and selected parties. This process ultimately paved the way for changes to the Sri Lanka Rugby Constitution and a restructuring of its administration.

The central issue is not whether rugby required reform. Every sporting body must be accountable. The real issue is whether those constitutional changes were introduced lawfully, transparently and with the valid approval of Sri Lanka Rugby’s legitimate voting membership. I maintain that they were not.

A national sporting constitution cannot be rewritten through political pressure, administrative convenience or the wishes of outside individuals. Any amendment must follow the existing constitution, Sri Lankan law, due process and the democratic rights of the recognised voting members.

If those requirements were bypassed, the resulting constitution cannot be legitimised merely because international or regional rugby officials participated in the process.

This reveals an alarming contradiction.

The ICC insists that Sri Lanka Cricket must manage its affairs autonomously and without Government interference. World Rugby itself suspended Sri Lanka Rugby for alleged political interference. Yet World Rugby and Asia Rugby later accepted a process in which Government representatives were directly involved in determining the future governance structure of Sri Lanka Rugby.

Political interference cannot be illegal on the day a suspension is imposed and acceptable on the day a constitution is rewritten.

Either sporting autonomy is a genuine international principle, or it is merely a weapon applied selectively against particular administrations and individuals.

Sri Lankan rugby has suffered enormously through suspensions, court disputes, administrative instability, mounting liabilities and the marginalisation of its legitimate stakeholders. Players, clubs and supporters have paid the price while those responsible for the governance crisis have escaped proper scrutiny. That must end.

Fully independent inquiry

I call for a fully independent inquiry into:

The circumstances surrounding the suspension of Sri Lanka Rugby.

All communications between the Ministry of Sports, World Rugby and Asia Rugby.

The authority under which the constitutional review was conducted.

Whether every constitutional amendment followed the required legal and voting procedures.

The identities and interests of those who proposed, promoted and approved the changes.

Whether Sri Lanka Rugby’s legitimate membership was pressured, bypassed or denied its democratic rights.

Whether World Rugby and Asia Rugby applied their political-interference rules consistently and impartially.

If such an inquiry is formally constituted, I am prepared to appear before it and provide clear documentary evidence supporting these concerns.

This is not a personal battle. It is about protecting the independence, legality and future of Sri Lanka Rugby.

Rugby public deserves more

The rugby public deserves more than carefully worded international statements. It deserves the complete documentary truth.

If the ICC can defend the autonomy of cricket by taking decisive action, World Rugby and Asia Rugby must explain why the governance of Sri Lankan rugby was treated differently.

There cannot be one law for cricket and another for rugby. There cannot be one definition of political interference for those in power and another for those removed from office.

Sri Lanka Rugby does not belong to a minister, an international official, a temporary committee or any politically connected individual.

It belongs to its lawful membership, its clubs, its players and the people of Sri Lanka.

Let an independent inquiry begin. Let every document be produced. Let every decision-maker answer under oath.

The evidence-not influence, politics or institutional power-must now determine the truth.

The factual foundation includes the ICC’s statement that Sri Lanka Cricket had failed to operate autonomously and without Government interference, resulting in the 2024 Under-19 World Cup being moved, and World Rugby’s own statement that SLR was suspended over governance concerns and political interference. World Rugby/Asia Rugby later confirmed that the constitutional review group included Ministry representatives.

The Coalition for Inclusive Impact (CII), at the request of the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK), has conducted a special training program for the party’s local government representatives from Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Vavuniya, Mannar and Mullaitivu.

The program brought together Mayors, Chairpersons, Vice-Chairpersons and Councillors and focused on strengthening their practical knowledge and capacity to govern and manage local authorities effectively.

Key areas included revenue generation and financial sustainability, preparation and implementation of by-laws, powers and responsibilities of Mayors and Chairpersons, powers vested in local councils, administrative procedures, planning and project implementation.

The sessions also covered ITAK’s political ideology and principles and how they could be translated into effective, accountable and people-centred local governance.

University of Jaffna Department of Law Lecturer Kosalai Mathan and local government federations representative Pradeep provided legal, institutional and practical guidance to participants.

ITAK President C.V.K. Sivagnanam, General Secretary M.A. Sumanthiran, Parliamentary Group Leader Shanakiyan Rasamanickam, former Batticaloa Mayor and ITAK Central Committee Member T. Saravanabavan and MP Dr. Sathiyalingam were among those who attended.

ITAK said strengthening the capacity of elected local government representatives was essential to enable councils in the North to make full use of their powers and deliver effective, transparent and accountable governance.