Category: Daily Financial Times

Sri Lanka’s tourism sector posted a modest financial recovery in 2025, generating just over $ 3.2 billion in revenue, as slower growth in earnings exposed a widening gap between rising visitor numbers and tourist spending.

Despite highest-ever arrivals of over 2.36 million, tourism income increased by only 1.6% year-on-year (YoY), reflecting the impact of a downward revision in average per-day spending and intensifying concerns over the quality and value of tourism growth.

According to data released by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL), tourism earnings declined 14.8% YoY to $ 308.6 million in December, even as arrivals rose 4.2% to 258,928 visitors.

The December performance marked the fourth revenue contraction within six months, highlighting sustained pressure on foreign exchange inflows from the sector despite continued recovery in visitor volumes.

Revenue had already fallen 3% in July to $ 318.5 million and 8.2% in August to $ 258.9 million compared to the same months a year earlier, before showing only marginal improvements in the subsequent two months.

Officials said tourism revenue has consistently underperformed relative to arrivals since August 2025, after the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) revised daily per-tourist spending down to $ 148 from $ 171, based on a new survey. As a result, higher visitor volumes have not translated into proportionate income growth.

Tourist arrivals increased 15.1% YoY to 2,362,521 visitors, up from 2,053,465 in 2024, reflecting a strong recovery in volumes, but weaker yield per tourist.

Contrary to expectations, December arrivals increased despite severe impact from Cyclone Ditwah in the central districts of Kandy and Nuwara Eliya, indicating resilience in demand even amid local disruptions.

In comparison, tourism earnings in 2024 stood at $ 3.17 billion, marking a 53.2% jump from $ 2.07 billion in 2023, driven largely by the post-crisis reopening and recovery of the sector.

Tourism, which accounted for nearly 5% of Sri Lanka’s GDP at its peak in 2018, now contributes around 3% of the economy, after suffering successive shocks from the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the 2022 economic crisis.

Tourism earnings, estimated through the SLTDA surveys, have played a role in supporting domestic demand, with increased sector incomes contributing to higher imports and a gradual widening of the merchandise trade deficit as economic activity normalises.

Sri Lanka Tourism has set ambitious goals for 2026, aiming to attract 3 million visitors and generate $ 5 billion in revenue. The long-term vision targets 5 million arrivals and $ 8 billion in earnings by 2030.

Sri Lanka Expo 2026 will be held from 18 to 21 June at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH), organised by the Export Development Board and the Ministry of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development.

Persistent rain from morning forced the second T20 International between Sri Lanka and Pakistan to be abandoned without a ball bowled at the Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium yesterday.

The result somewhat gave hope for Sri Lanka to draw the three-match series if they can win the third and final match at the same venue on Sunday.

Coincidentally, on the same day (January 9) in 2007, the Sri Lanka v New Zealand 5th ODI was also abandoned without a toss at Hamilton.

Pakistan took a 1-0 lead when they won the first match by six wickets and yesterday’s rain probably prevented them from taking a winning lead.

Asked to bat first, Sri Lanka never really got going in the first T20I and lost wickets in regular fashion. A forceful 40 from Janith Liyanage did promise them a fighting score, but his dismissal led to a collapse and Sri Lanka slipped from 127-6 to 128 all-out. The paltry total was chased down without much sweat with opener Sahibzada Farhan making a 36-ball 51.

It has become a trend with Sri Lanka’s batting that it seems too reliant on the top order. Especially if Pathum Nissanka fails to give a strong start, the middle order lacks the ability to recover and finish well.

Many players have been tried out in the middle order to stop the rot, but nothing seems to have worked right. Whether it’s a personal one, one cannot be sure.

Sri Lanka skipper Dasun Shanaka lamented losing the toss that allowed Pakistan bowlers to make full use of a two-paced pitch to put the skids under the Lankan batters.

Pakistan’s head coach Mike Hesson described the win as a near-perfect game because they dropped a couple of catches in the field. Apart from that Pakistan’s team effort pleased the coach.

Both teams are using the series to finalise their 15-member squad for the T20 World Cup next month. Pakistan who plays all their matches in Sri Lanka came here to get used to the pitches, but unfortunately for them the intermittent showers have not allowed the curators to prepare pitches which are usually found in Sri Lanka. Most of the time the pitches prepared for this series have been under covers.

Sri Lanka’s work has been cut out as they were looking to use the series to finalise their 15 for the World Cup and have that squad play against England in the three-match T20I series starting later this month.

The first match against Pakistan was hardly a help for the national selectors to get the combinations right. Their one hope is the third and final game on Sunday for which they will be at the mercy of the weather gods.

Sri Lanka is currently confronting a national crisis of exceptional magnitude. Recent natural disasters have inflicted damage that surpasses even the devastation caused by the 2004 tsunami. While a comprehensive assessment is still underway, preliminary estimates place the economic losses at approximately $ 5.6 billion. This shock has occurred at a particularly vulnerable juncture as the country is still in the early stages of recovery from a profound economic collapse, thereby placing additional strain on an already fragile macroeconomic environment.

In such circumstances, political blame or partisan contestation offers little practical value. What is urgently required is a coordinated national response grounded in institutional accountability, policy coherence, and collective action. Recovery on this scale cannot be undertaken by the Government alone, it necessitates the active participation of Government, all agencies, public institutions, the private sector, civil society and affected communities.

The impacts of the disaster extend far beyond aggregate economic losses. Extensive damage to major road networks across several provinces has disrupted mobility, restricted access to essential services, and impeded relief and reconstruction efforts. Notably, many of the most severely affected regions are critical hubs for agriculture and tourism, with direct implications for national production, export earnings, and employment generation.

Agriculture has borne the brunt of the damage. Thousands of smallholder farmers have suffered the loss of crops, productive land, and income, severely undermining rural livelihoods and heightening risks to national food security. In the absence of timely and targeted interventions such as income support, rehabilitation of irrigation systems, and access to affordable credit, the long-term consequences for rural welfare and domestic supply chains could be substantial.

Although Sri Lanka’s recovery path will be complex and demanding, this crisis also presents an opportunity to address longstanding structural vulnerabilities. Through transparent governance, shared responsibility, and a strategic focus on restoring livelihoods alongside rebuilding resilient infrastructure, Sri Lanka can not only recover from the current shock but also lay the foundation for greater economic resilience and long-term stability.

Economically rebuilding Sri Lanka

A renewed and comprehensive discussion on Sri Lanka’s economic rebuilding is urgently required. Many of the areas affected by this tragedy are integral to the country’s primary sources of income and employment. As a result, the disaster has inflicted deep structural damage to key sectors of the economy. Agriculture has been particularly hard hit. Vast tracts of farmland have been destroyed, causing severe disruption to agricultural production. According to currently available data, approximately 300,000 hectares of cultivated land have been damaged, leading to the loss of a significant number of agriculture-related jobs. Compounding this crisis, many families in affected regions have lost their homes, further undermining rural livelihoods.

The tea industry, a cornerstone of Sri Lanka’s export economy, has also suffered extensive damage. Numerous tea factories have been destroyed by landslides, while large areas of tea plantations have been rendered unusable. These losses will inevitably reduce future tea production and export earnings. Moreover, many plantation workers have been displaced, losing both their homes and employment, with serious long-term social and economic consequences.

The disaster has also dealt a severe blow to small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs), which form the backbone of the domestic economy. Many urban retail establishments have been destroyed, while village-based industries including poultry farms and small manufacturing units have been wiped out. The cumulative impact of these losses poses a significant risk to economic recovery and employment generation in the months and years ahead. In sum, the economic damage caused by this disaster is extensive and multi-dimensional. Addressing it will require targeted policy interventions, sustained investment, and a coordinated national effort focused not only on rebuilding infrastructure, but also on restoring livelihoods and strengthening economic resilience.

Several strategic measures can be proposed to support Sri Lanka’s economic rebuilding at this critical juncture. Rather than viewing the disaster solely as a setback, it should also be approached as an opportunity to strengthen foreign exchange earnings and enhance economic resilience.

A key priority must be the generation of dollar-denominated income. Under the theme ‘Buy Sri Lanka, Made in Sri Lanka,’ a coordinated international promotion campaign should be implemented through Sri Lankan embassies and diplomatic missions. This initiative should particularly target the Sri Lankan diaspora and foreign communities, encouraging the purchase of locally manufactured and agricultural products. At this stage, the focus must shift from earning rupee-based income to expanding foreign currency inflows by identifying and developing new export-oriented income streams.

Revitalising the agricultural sector is essential to economic recovery. This requires the restoration of damaged farmlands, irrigation systems, dams, and tank embankments, along with the rapid provision of essential infrastructure and facilities. Farmers must be supported through targeted financial assistance, rehabilitation grants, and timely seed and fertiliser programmes to enable them to return to cultivation. Improving living standards in rural communities is only possible by restoring livelihoods and strengthening the agricultural economy. Fundamentally, farmers are asking for access to their land and water once these are restored.

Creating new employment opportunities is both time-consuming and costly. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the Government to provide the necessary support to re-engage farmers in the agriculture sector which remains one of the most effective ways to generate widespread employment and income.

In addition, SMEs which have been severely affected by the disaster, require urgent support. The Government’s Budget proposals to offer loan subsidies, grace periods of six to twelve months on existing loans, and low-interest financing under recovery grant schemes are timely and necessary. Effective implementation of these measures will enable affected businesses to rebuild operations, preserve employment and contribute meaningfully to the broader economic recovery.

The approach Sri Lanka has traditionally adopted during times of crisis relying on foreign loans or appealing for ad hoc assistance from individuals and institutions abroad is no longer sustainable. The assumption that external aid alone can support recovery has proven ineffective. Instead, Sri Lanka must actively invite foreign countries and investors to capitalise on the investment opportunities available within the country as a means of strengthening the economy.

It is important to expand and diversify market access for domestically produced goods. Existing trade agreements with several partner countries have not yielded their anticipated outcomes and persistent trade imbalances continue to constrain external sector performance. Addressing these structural weaknesses requires timely policy intervention and a more strategic approach to trade engagement. Within this context, strengthening economic and trade relations with India should be treated as a strategic priority. India represents one of the world’s largest and most dynamic markets, accounting for nearly one-third of the global population and ranking among the fastest-growing major economies. For Sri Lanka, deeper integration with the Indian market offers significant opportunities for increase exports, value-chain participation, and investment linkages.

To fully leverage this potential, Sri Lanka must adopt proactive measures to position itself as a credible and reliable trading partner. This includes improving product standards and certification, enhancing trade facilitation mechanisms, and actively promoting Sri Lankan goods within the Indian market through targeted export promotion and institutional cooperation. A recalibrated trade strategy focused on market access, competitiveness, and regional integration will be essential to strengthening Sri Lanka’s external resilience and supporting long-term economic recovery.

At this critical juncture, Sri Lanka should extend a hand of partnership to India to engage in constructive dialogue on expanding market access and deepening trade and investment cooperation. Such engagement could play a key role in revitalising export growth and foreign exchange earnings. Finally, it must be emphasised that the private sector has a crucial role to play in attracting foreign investment and increasing foreign exchange inflows. Creating an enabling environment for private operators through policy stability, regulatory clarity, and investment-friendly frameworks will be essential to ensuring sustainable economic recovery and long-term growth.

Rebuilding a collapsed social environment

The human cost of the disaster is deeply tragic. In many affected areas, entire families, along with their possessions, have been washed away by massive flash floods or buried beneath landslides, while in other locations, only a few children or adults have survived. Rebuilding the lives of these broken and displaced families is one of the most urgent and critical responsibilities facing the Government.

The Government must take the lead in designing a comprehensive programme to support survivors with particular attention to orphaned as well as displaced children and vulnerable adults. Beyond immediate relief, it is essential to establish long-term and sustainable mechanisms to secure their future. Such efforts must be grounded in an understanding of the broader social environment in which these individuals will rebuild their lives. Providing stability and a sense of belonging can help ease the psychological trauma caused by sudden loss, displacement, and separation from family and community.

This moment also presents a critical opportunity to strengthen psychological health services in disaster-affected regions. Trauma counselling, psychosocial support, and community-based psychological health interventions should be introduced as an integral part of the recovery process. At the same time, protecting livelihoods must remain a priority. The reconstruction of destroyed villages should be guided by comprehensive social assessments to ensure that resettlement and rehabilitation efforts are both humane and sustainable.

In this context, the role of religious and community institutions such as village temples, churches, and mosques is particularly significant. These institutions can play a vital role in restoring community cohesion, providing emotional support, and helping rebuild social life in affected areas. While economic recovery is essential, equal attention must be given to the role of faith and community structures in restoring mental well-being and social stability. When resettling affected villages, reconstruction must be carried out in a manner that safeguards livelihoods while also respecting environmental conditions and the cultural and religious ties of the communities. Sustainable resettlement cannot be achieved without preserving the social fabric and traditional ways of life of displaced populations.

Like many countries around the world, Sri Lanka is now more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change than ever before. As communities are resettled and lives rebuilt, these emerging climate risks must be carefully measured. The situation highlights the urgent need for a national strategic plan to address climate change and disaster resilience. A comprehensive, cross-sectoral study should be initiated without delay to guide long-term adaptation and risk mitigation efforts.

Institutional reform is also essential. The Disaster Management Centre must undergo a thorough strengthening and modernisation to meet present-day challenges. Similarly, the Meteorological Department should be restructured and technologically upgraded to align with global best practices. Establishing stronger links with international weather and climate data services, and improving early warning and forecasting capabilities, will significantly reduce the risk and impact of future disasters.

While the destruction caused by the crisis cannot be reversed, every possible measure must now be taken to safeguard the country’s future. In doing so, the Government has an opportunity to earn not only public trust but also the collective goodwill of the nation. The challenge it faces is conceptually straightforward yet immense in scale: to build a sustainable, equitable, and innovative economy for future generations without repeating the mistakes of the past.

Achieving this objective will depend on genuine collaboration between the Government, the private sector, and the public. Only through shared responsibility and coordinated action can lasting recovery be secured. At this critical juncture, Sri Lanka does not require temporary remedies or superficial reforms. Rather, the country urgently needs a deep, comprehensive, and transformative approach to national development.

ARTRA Trail 2026, taking place at the Lionel Wendt Gallery in Colombo (6 to 12 January) and across Galle Fort (23 to 25 January) primarily revolves around the poignant and timely exhibition, ‘Silenced’ curated by Azara Jaleel.

Featuring the works of 15 contemporary artists of importance, this group exhibition responds to erasure, reflecting the shifts within the socio-political context of Sri Lanka from the 1980’s to the 2020s. The showcased works respond to this question through memory, materiality, marginalised identities and sites of resistance wherein their act of ‘creating’ in itself transforms their works as means to combating what has been lost through the years.

The experience unfolds in Colombo from 16 to 22 January, beginning with an opening night followed by artist discussions with Menika van der Poorten, Marco Manamperi, and Gayan Prageeth.

The program continues with Sujeewa Kumari, Layla Gonaduwa, Kesara Ratnavibhushana, Sanjeewa Kumara, Hathi Mohamed, and Malki Jayakody, concluding with a panel and Magazine Launch. ARTRA Trail then moves to Galle from 23 to 25 January, featuring artist walks with Kesara, Layla, Venura Madurapperuma, and Marco Manemperi, alongside exclusive Art and Culinary and exhibitions.

Reclaiming the past is one of the key features of ‘Silenced’. The exhibition features the photography of Menika van der Poorten, whose work documents the ‘disappearing past’ of the Eurasian community. By making long-overshadowed family archives ‘insistently visible,’ she resists the omission of minority histories.

Additionally, Gayan Prageeth explores national trauma through visual references to pivotal moments in Sri Lankan history, including the 1983 Black July violence and the 2022 Aragalaya. His work captures a sense of continuous unrest and political rupture whilst Anusha Gajaweera utilises his Hammer and Nails series to process the ‘dark well of violence’ stemming from the Civil War and recent global crises, using stark imagery to reflect the threat of brutality. Exploring the urban landscapes woodcut prints of Venura Madurapperuma, ARTRA’s Emerging Artist | Best of 2025

capture the ‘panic and fear’ of contemporary life, while Chathurika Jayani reinterprets urban skylines through a surrealist lens, questioning what cities like Galle and Colombo choose to remember or erase.

Interdisciplinary artist Sujeewa Kumari uses colonial remnants and broken objects to examine the layering of collective memory, while Layla Gonaduwa explores the shifting idea of ‘home’ through mixed-media processes. Marco Manamperi’s bold digital works confront state and social censorship through unapologetic political critique. Drawing from pop culture and internet aesthetics, he utilises irony to probe Sri Lanka’s ideological currents – from corruption to media literacy. In a climate of suppressed dissent, his subversive compositions act as a vital catalyst for justice.

Rajani Serasinghe’s mosaic works respond directly to the question, ‘What was left behind?’ using materiality itself as both subject and method. Her practice centres on broken, discarded, and seemingly purposeless objects: fractured cups and saucers, shattered porcelain dolls, damaged chairs. These fragments, once functional and intimate parts of domestic life, are reassembled into carefully constructed mosaics, transforming loss and rupture into sites of reflection and continuity.

Serasinghe’s choice of medium is integral to her approach. Working with salvaged glass, ceramic, and porcelain, she repurposes materials that bear the marks of use, damage, and abandonment. Rather than concealing their fractures, she foregrounds them, allowing cracks and irregularities to remain visible within the composition. In doing so, she treats objects as vessels of memory – carriers of personal history, domestic ritual, and individual identity. The mosaic form enables these fragments to persist beyond their original function, granting them a renewed presence and purpose.

The group exhibition ‘Silenced’, supported by Lionel Wendt Memorial Fund and ARTRA Magazine marks another milestone for ARTRA, which has consistently showcased artists who push boundaries. Notable past features include Mohamed Hathi’s ‘Resilience and Resistance,’ addressing systemic misogyny, and Malki Jayakody’s exploration of ‘Colourism’ alongside ‘Brutality Within’, that explored the works of Koralagedara Pushpakumara Interplaying material and metaphor his collection of striking abstract works, that delves into the suffering and violence that eclipsed the nation amidst the Civil War in the 1990s.

The link between earth and man is a seamless fabric which wraps life and death in a swath. Although this is an everyday fact, it is however only after a serious confrontation with nature that most humans realise this.

Sri Lanka is still recovering limbs and decomposed bodies from beneath the collapsed mountain rubble. The number of those dead is estimated to be around or over 600. The technical reason given from a geological perspective is that the rainfall this year was the highest in recent times and that the continuous rain for over three days, recording over 500 millimetres per day, caused the destabilisation of the deep soil. The entire Central Province saw hitherto unthinkable phenomena where human eyes witnessed massive mountains come tumbling down, dragging humans and houses with them. Amongst the mayhem, however, there were some incredible stories of how nature acted in some instances. Before we narrate one such incident, let us contemplate the linguistic difference between two words that describe the natural world.

We have the word ‘Soba Dahama’ in Sinhala that encompasses the ancient-most understanding of what nature is – and is linked to how we understand the spiritual. ‘Soba’ means natural and ‘Dahama’ means a path of wisdom/understanding, generally linked to the ‘religious’. It is strongly connected to the Buddhist perspective of cause and effect (action/karma) as understood in the Buddhist path. A layman’s interpretation of ‘Soba Dahama’ could be the ‘natural cosmic law’ that encircles all of consciousness in this universe. In comparison, the parallel word ‘parisaraya’ – ‘environment’ – describes natural surroundings in a rather impersonal sense.

This is, however, not how some humans see the natural world.

Take the case of 11-year-old Yasith Hansaka, his mother G. M. Anulawathee and her family, living in close proximity to the Lovers Leap waterfall in Nuwara Eliya. The dwelling of this family is a solid but simple brick structure that is still in the making. There is a slab laid for the upstairs unit, which the family estimates to finish in about 15 or 20 years, hoping to begin the home tourism concept in it. The family is known for being very conscious of not polluting the earth and also for their meritorious activities – they have been housing a displaced neighbour for over a month now and habitually help anyone in need without expecting anything in return.

This family had an experience that could be only described as ‘miraculous’ when the natural stream running behind their property gushed in full force right into their house. In a manner that can never be logically comprehended, it was met with a counter water direction from another segment of that stream. The water direction then changed and was precisely led, as if by careful planning, away from the house. Nothing in that entire property was harmed – except for some soil disturbance.

Here is what Anula had to say when she showed the visible marks on the earth of how the two waterways emerged.

‘It was late in the night of November and it was raining extremely heavily. Suddenly, we heard a huge sound – it was the soil and water crashing all around. I shouted to the two children – aged 11 and 16 – to just run and save themselves, yelling that the mountains were crashing. They ran outside. I stood still for a second and, even with a pounding heart, remembered the Lord Buddha. My mind was made up – I resigned to listen to the cycle of karma that seemed to be embodied in what I saw and heard. I had no hope that our lives would be spared. The entire stream below, linked with the network of waterways connected to the large waterfall, seemed to have a power that was so frightful that I get goose bumps recalling it.

There was no way that the house would not have got engulfed. I screamed again for the children to keep running. Soon after, I cannot believe what I saw – another path opened as if directed by an earth- or heaven-based hand and manoeuvred the seemingly wrathful invasion away from the house, touching the walls but not beyond that. I cannot to date understand it. In legend, we hear of giants of Lanka cutting waterways – it was like that. I cannot explain it to you. The stream below was like a monster – it was swirling everywhere. It completely washed away the house of a neighbour, a female living alone in one of the adjoining houses. She has been living with me for the past few weeks. I told her to stay here and share our food until she finds alternative housing.’

Anula assists in the earning of the daily bread for her family by cooking the morning vegetarian nutritious meal for a national school in Nuwara Eliya. This is the meal that the school provides to the children. Anula has a contract with the school administration for the provision of the cooked food for the younger students. Her home premises has a considerable land space – all used for the cultivation of vegetables, without resorting to synthetic/poisonous fertiliser. Her two children, when they return from school, tend to the garden, which has several edible vegetables, fruit and flowers.

‘I treat what I do as a meritorious responsibility, as it involves the lives of young children. When I buy from the market, I take care to choose vegetables that have not been contaminated with poison. Every day, I use at least two vegetables from my garden to cook for the children for the meal I prepare. I am happy when I do this, as I know for sure that there is no health threat by consuming them. I am now committed more than ever before to engage in all my actions with the realisation that it is only ‘kusal’ (good deeds) that is our true wealth.’

This is what young Yasith Hansaka, known for his close association with nature and extreme generosity, had to say (his parents dread taking him as a shopping assistant – because he will insist that much of the grocery money be distributed to all those asking for alms).

‘It was raining and very cold. I was fast asleep. I suddenly was woken up by many sounds – the rain, all of the trees and mountains, and the waterfall-linked stream below seemed to be shouting. Then I heard my mother screaming for us to run. It was raining heavily. I ran out of the room and ran out of the house to the garden and then to the road. There I saw mayhem. Everyone was yelling and running all over. It was pitch darkness. The electric wires were affected and the lights were gone.’

This child then runs to the garden and shows me how the ‘miraculous’ two waterways were created by nature to save their house and their lives.

I then pat him on the head and jovially ask him something his mother had shared with me – that 12 years ago she had gone to a religious place of worship and made a vow for a son. She had by then a daughter. The male child she yearned for so much was subsequently born. As a baby, he would tug at her hand and ask her why she called him from ‘the heavens’ when he was with the ‘gods’, happily eating fruits. This, she says, occurred many times from the age he could speak up to when he was about five years old. To date, Yasith dislikes meat acutely and prefers only vegetarian meals and loves to eat fruits, often plucking the fruits that grow in their garden. He loves to eat them right under the trees.

So what has young Yasith learnt from this?

‘Appo, I never knew mountains and streams can be so tough. I will never hurt them even slightly. I will be very, very careful not to dirty them with trash or rubbish. I usually get very angry when people throw their garbage into the streams. See, you can see everywhere, even in this garden, the periphery, how the litter thrown by people into the stream had got washed out. I once got very angry when I went down to the stream to bathe and saw a man (a paint baas) polluting the whole stream by washing all the paint cans and brushes in the stream. The whole stream became multi-coloured and we could not bathe for a whole day. I scolded him.’

With this, his face turns beetroot red and he clenches his little fist.

Soon, I leave this house and walk around the hills and see the destruction of several homes. As I walk, I think of the horrific fate of so many families in Kandy and the Central Province when the mountains crushed and annihilated life instantly. What comes to mind is how all the ancient sages and enlightened beings of yore directly worked with nature, which ensured their spiritual progress and physical well-being, providing for them abundantly nutritious food and clean water. Mountains, forests and streams were never the enemies of enlightened beings but rather the opposite – they were protectors and benefactors, reciprocating the same loving-kindness and respect these sages gave to all of nature.

Oil prices edged higher in early Asian trading yesterday, extending gains from the previous session as markets continued to factor in rising geopolitical risks across major producing regions and critical shipping lanes.

At the time of reporting, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was trading at about $ 58.27 a barrel, up 0.85% or 49 cents. On Thursday, both WTI and Brent surged more than 3%, with Brent approaching the $ 62-per-barrel level.

Venezuela remained central to the risk premium after the US stepped up enforcement against sanctioned oil flows, seizing two Venezuela-linked tankers in the Atlantic on Wednesday. One of the vessels, operating under a Russian flag following a name change, was intercepted after weeks of pursuit. Market participants viewed the move, particularly the boarding of a tanker ostensibly under Russian protection, as a strong signal to so-called shadow fleets used to bypass sanctions.

Concerns over Iran also intensified, with protests spreading across the country and triggering a nationwide internet shutdown. Oil markets have grown wary that escalating unrest could prompt a supply disruption, especially after US President Donald Trump earlier warned that the US would intervene if peaceful protesters were harmed by the Iranian authorities.

The US this week announced its withdrawal from the Colombo Plan as part of a broader decision to exit a wide range of international organisations, conventions, and treaties deemed to be contrary to US interests, according to a memorandum issued by the White House.

The decision was formalised in a directive signed by US President Donald J. Trump, instructing all US executive departments and agencies to take immediate steps to withdraw from specified organisations following a review conducted by the Secretary of State under Executive Order 14199, issued on 4 February 2025.

The Colombo Plan Council is listed among 35 non-UN organisations from which the US will withdraw, alongside bodies covering climate change, energy, democracy, development finance, cyber expertise, and migration. The memorandum states that the US will cease participation in or funding to the listed organisations to the extent permitted by law, with further reviews ongoing.

The Colombo Plan, headquartered in Colombo, is one of the region’s longest-standing intergovernmental development organisations, having commenced operations in July 1951 following a Commonwealth conference held in Colombo in 1950. Its mandate focuses on human resource development and South-South cooperation across South and Southeast Asia, with membership having expanded to 28 Governments.

The US has historically been one of the Colombo Plan’s largest contributors, aiding initiatives in education, drug demand reduction, public policy, climate and environmental initiatives, and capacity building across the Asia-Pacific region.

Sri Lanka hosts the Colombo Plan Secretariat under a host country agreement that provides privileges and immunities through a Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of Sri Lanka. The organisation currently operates four core programs, including the Drug Advisory Program, Gender Affairs Program, Program for Environment and Climate Change, and the Capacity Building Program.

The US withdrawal comes at a time when outgoing US Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung serves as the incumbent President of the Colombo Plan Council, the organisation’s 79th, a role that rotates annually among member States. The Council, comprising resident heads of diplomatic missions in Colombo, meets quarterly to guide policy and oversee implementation.

The White House memorandum also lists a wide range of UN bodies from which the US will withdraw or cease funding of, including the UN Conference on Trade and Development, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, UN Women, the UN Population Fund, and several UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) regional commissions.

The directive authorises the Secretary of State to issue further implementation guidance and confirms that the memorandum will be published in the US Federal Register. It notes that withdrawals will be carried out subject to applicable law and the availability of appropriations, and that the review of US participation in other international organisations remains ongoing.

The Havelock Sports Club produced a powerful performance to end CH and FC’s unbeaten run, recording a commanding 39/5 victory in their Inter-Club ‘A’ Division Rugby League encounter played at Havelock Park last evening, which was also their annual encounter for the Y. C. Chang Trophy.

The Park Club outfit crossed for six tries, adding three conversions and a solitary penalty to the visitors’ single try. At the short breather, Havies led 13/5.

From the opening exchanges, the hosts dictated terms with aggressive defence, quick recycling, and sharp ball movement, leaving CH struggling to impose themselves on the game. Udesh Madushanka and Azmir Fajudeen were outstanding for the Park Club.

The Havies forwards once again set the tone with a dominant display. Their cohesion with the three-quarter line ensured sustained pressure throughout the match.

In the back division, too, winger Jayathu Rajarathna and Yehan Bulathsinghalage were omnipresent, with Mohamed Rifan increasing the speed in the later. Fly-half Samuel Maduwantha, usually reliable with the boot, endured an off day early on but recovered later to make a valuable contribution.

CH missed an early penalty through Janith Chandimal and, moments later, Havies struck first with a try from Rajarathna. A Maduwantha penalty extended the lead before CH responded with their only score, and Chandimal finishing off a sweeping three-quarter move.

The second half belonged entirely to Havelock SC, with tries from Dehan Senaratha, Rajarathna, Janidu Wijerathne, and Rifan. Maduwantha found his rhythm, slotting two conversions and a penalty, while Bulathsinghalage added one conversion.

This emphatic win not only halted CH and FC’s impressive run but also underlined Havelock SC’s growing confidence and title ambitions.

Havies will carry strong momentum as they travel to the central hills next weekend to face defending champions, Kandy SC.

Referee Ishanka Abeykoon officiated the encounter.

Turkish Airlines has upgraded its Istanbul-Colombo operations with the introduction of the Airbus A350-900 wide-body aircraft, marking an enhancement to capacity and on-board standards on the route.

The deployment of the A350-900 represents a step-up in passenger comfort and operating efficiency on the Sri Lanka-Trkiye air link, strengthening long-haul connectivity between Colombo, Istanbul, and the airline’s wider global network.

The new-generation aircraft brings improved fuel efficiency, advanced cabin technology, and a higher-quality in-flight experience, aligning the Colombo service with Turkish Airlines’ latest long-haul fleet standards.

The upgrade is expected to further reinforce Colombo’s role as a regional aviation gateway while enhancing travel options for both inbound and outbound passengers.