IndiGo, India's leading low-cost airline, has solidified its position as the largest foreign carrier operating out of Sri Lanka. The airline currently operates 54 weekly flights connecting Sri Lanka to four major Indian cities: Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Mumbai. These flights serve two key destinations in Sri Lanka—Colombo and Jaffna—highlighting IndiGo's commitment to enhancing connectivity between the two nations.

Sri Lanka's tea industry is projected to experience cautious growth in 2025, according to an analysis by Forbes and Walker Tea Brokers. This outlook comes after several years of declining production, with expectations of a tight supply of Orthodox Large Leaf teas due to a production shortfall in India in 2024.

The United States and the United Kingdom have jointly imposed extensive sanctions on Russia's oil industry, intensifying efforts to curtail revenue streams that support Moscow's military actions in Ukraine. These measures, announced on January 10, 2025, represent some of the most significant actions taken against Russia's energy sector to date.

The U.S. Supreme Court appears poised to uphold a law that could lead to a nationwide ban on TikTok due to national security concerns over its Chinese ownership. The Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act (PAFACAA), signed into law by President Joe Biden in April 2024, mandates that TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, divest from the app by January 19, 2025, or face a ban in the U.S.

Meta and Amazon have recently announced significant reductions in their Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, aligning with a broader trend among major U.S. corporations to reassess such programs. This shift comes amid changing political landscapes and increasing scrutiny of DEI efforts.

UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves has embarked on a significant visit to China, aiming to strengthen economic ties and enhance trade relations between the two nations. This trip marks the first official visit by a UK Chancellor to China in nearly a decade.

Traders have raised concerns about mill owners not supplying rice at affordable prices, just as Sri Lankans prepare to celebrate Thai Pongal, a harvest festival of great cultural significance. The escalating rice prices threaten to dampen the festivities for many households.

Major U.S. corporations are making substantial contributions to President elect Donald Trump's inauguration fund, with Boeing and Google each donating $1 million. Boeing, which has a history of supporting presidential inaugurations, stated that this donation continues its bipartisan tradition.

Effective January 11, 2025, the Ceylon Tobacco Company (CTC) has raised cigarette prices in response to an increase in Excise Duty. The prices for Capstan and John Player cigarettes have risen by Rs. 5 per stick, while the 83mm Gold Leaf brand has seen an increase of Rs. 10 per stick.