Nov 11 (NW) Two of SL’s state-owned television broadcasters, the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC) and Independent Television Network (ITN), recorded combined losses of Rs. 203 million during the first six months of 2026, according to the Ministry of Finance. The Ministry’s Mid-Year Fiscal Position Report 2026 revealed that Rupavahini recorded a loss before tax of Rs. 166 million between January and June 2026, while ITN reported a loss of Rs. 37 million during the same period. more..

Nov 11 (NF) Just when motorists hoped lower fuel costs were on the horizon, a fresh question has emerged: if the govt has already stepped in with relief measures, why are some fuel prices still going up? Debate has grown after private fuel suppliers continued pressing for higher fuel prices, arguing that existing market conditions were becoming increasingly difficult to sustain. In response to those concerns, govt introduced a fuel subsidy aimed at easing some of the pressure faced by more..

Nov 11 (NW) Sri Lanka successfully conducted its first official demonstration of a pilotless passenger transport drone at Colombo Port City today, with Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation Anura Karunathilaka taking a ride aboard the aircraft. The demonstration marks a significant step towards introducing electric passenger transport drones in SL, with Deputy Minister Janitha Ruwan Kodithuwakku and more..

Nov 11 (DM) Serious questions have been raised over the Ministry of Health’s handling of the death of a child at the Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children in Borella, after post-mortem findings reportedly revealed that both kidneys had been removed during surgery, with hospital authorities yet to produce the organs. Dr. Chamal Sanjeewa, President of Medical Professionals' Alliance for Medical and Civil Rights, has accused the Ministry of failing to take adequate action over the incident, more..

Nov 11 (DM) Colombo’s drainage system, designed to handle around 30mm of rain an hour, was overwhelmed when nearly 100mm of rain fell within just two hours last Friday (6), causing flooding across several parts of the city. Deputy Director of Drainage and Water Supply at the CMC, Deepika Wijethilake, said the unusually heavy rainfall within a short period was the main reason for the flooding. "Our drainage system is designed to handle around 30mm of rain within an hour. more..

Nov 11 (TM) Lawyers representing the affected parties in the suspected Mandaitivu massacre and mass grave case, dating back to the 1990s, have urged the authorities to expedite investigations, expressing concern over delays in obtaining information and statements from military personnel who were stationed in the area at the time. The case was taken up yesterday before Kayts Magistrate Anifa Rajeev at the Kayts MC. more..

Nov 11 (NW) SLPP has expanded its overseas political activities with a gathering of party supporters in Seoul, South Korea, as part of efforts to strengthen its international network. SLPP representative Milinda Rajapaksa said the gathering was organised by young SL workers associated with Lotus Korea, despite challenges posed by their demanding work schedules. Rajapaksa said the SLPP had previously established overseas branches in London, Birmingham and Melbourne, more..

Nov 11 (NW) The Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court has ordered that the case filed by the CID against former President Ranil Wickremesinghe over the alleged misuse of public funds be taken up again on Dec 9. The order was issued when the case was taken up before the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court today. Former Prez Wickremesinghe appeared before court in connection with allegations of misusing more than Rs. 16.6 million in public funds during a visit to the UK in 2023. more..

Nov 11 (Island) Ven. Dimbulkumbure Wimaladhamma Thera, Anunayake of the Malwathu Chapter, has criticised successive governments for forgetting pre-election promises after coming to power, saying this has become a tradition in SL politics. He made these remarks on Monday when a delegation of the Development Officers’ Trade Union Alliance visited him and outlined their professional grievances. Thera observed that almost every govt made promises before taking office only to more..

Nov 11 (Island) Top Global SL Forum (GSLF) representative Yasus Dharmadasa said that Colombo based western diplomatic community remained mum over the NPP govt crackdown on protests, led by the Maha Sangha. Referring to the police action directed at the Viharamahadevi Park protest, demanding presidential pardon to Ven. Galagodaatte Gnanasara and the recent incident at Ruwanwelisaya, Dharmadasa said that those who had intervened on behalf of the Aragalaya more..

Nov 11 (DM) Credit extended to Sri Lanka's private sector reached Rs. 2.1 trillion during the first nine months of 2026, up from Rs. 1.9 trillion during the corresponding period last year, Central Bank officials told the COPF. The increase in private sector lending, inflation targeting and the stability of the banking system were among the key issues discussed at a recent COPF meeting held in Parliament under the chairmanship of more..

Nov 11 (TM) National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) has taken steps to introduce a national code of guidelines to ensure child protection in SL. The initiative aims to minimise various forms of abuse against children. NCPA Director Shanika Malalgoda stated that the Authority receives nearly 10,000 complaints relating to child abuse annually. The need for such guidelines had arisen due to the increasing number of challenges affecting children's safety, including sexual abuse, cruelty, more..

Nov 11 (NW) Govt plans to introduce the Metro Bus service in Jaffna next year as part of its efforts to expand the public transport service beyond Colombo, Deputy Minister of Transport Prasanna Gunasena said. He said preliminary discussions have already been held with relevant state institutions, including Road Development Authority, Provincial Transport Authority and SL Police, regarding the implementation of the service and selection of suitable routes in Jaffna. more..

Nov 11 (AD) SL Police have raised concerns over a significant increase in fatal and serious road accidents reported across the country, attributing many of the incidents to excessive speeding and reckless driving. Police Media Division said such incidents were largely caused by motorists who disregard traffic regulations, demonstrate a lack of consideration for the safety of other road users and place human lives at risk through negligent more..

Nov 11 (DM) Police have seized a container carrying approximately 5.7 million illegal cigarettes worth more than Rs. 600 million during a raid at a private container yard in Sedawatta. Raid was carried out on November 10 by officers of the Western Province North Crimes Division. The container, which had been imported from Dubai, was found to contain cigarettes of the Manchester brand, with an estimated market value exceeding Rs. 600 million. Two suspects, residents of Ja-Ela and more..

Nov 11 (NW) Minister Saroja Savithri Paulraj has expressed her condolences over the death of popular social media personality Nayomi Chan, who reportedly died due to complications during childbirth. According to her family, Nayomi Chan passed away following complications related to childbirth. Minister Paulraj expressed her deep sorrow over Nayomi Chan’s passing, highlighting her efforts to use her social media popularity to create a positive impact on society, more..

Nov 11 (NF) SL has been entrusted with a key leadership role in regional health cooperation after Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa was elected Chair of the first BIMSTEC Health Ministers’ Meeting currently being held in Colombo. Appointment came at the opening session of the summit, which got underway on Wednesday morning, bringing together health ministers and senior representatives from the seven BIMSTEC member states: SL, India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Myanmar, more..

Nov 11 (EN) Sri Lanka has launched a pilot project to replace its century-old business name registration process with a simplified, unified system that cuts registration time to just five days. The Simplified and Unified Business Name Registration (BNR) pilot was launched in Anuradhapura on Nov 10. The programme is being carried out by the Ministry of Industries and Entrepreneurship Development in partnership with the Chrysalis institute and provincial councils. more..

Nov 11 (NW) First wholesale sales centre of the Cooperative Wholesale Establishment (CWE), rebranded as National Sathosa, was officially opened in Matara today, marking a key step in the govt’s efforts to revive the state-owned wholesale supplier. Centre, located at No. 31, Rahula Mawatha, Matara, aims to provide essential food items at reasonable wholesale prices while ensuring fair prices for local farmers. more..

Nov 11 (NW) Ministry of Foreign Affairs has sought public assistance to identify a SL national believed to have been residing in Italy since at least 2009. In a public notice issued today, Ministry said it was seeking information to establish the identity of the individual and locate his family members or known contacts. Individual may be one of two persons identified as Gamage Sunil Sarath, born on Feb 8, 1961, in Maradana, or Fernando Noel Vianie Kumara, born on June 28, 1963, in Negombo. more..

Nov 11 (CI) If Pakistan thought they had gone into the third day of the Rawalpindi Test in a position of strength, SL showed across three dispiriting sessions for the home side how dangerous it can be to underestimate the visitors' lower middle order. Across a ruthless day of Test match batting, SL lost just the one wicket, adding 288 runs to their overnight score. Dhananjaya de Silva batted the whole day, and finished unbeaten on 167, just six runs away from matching his career best. more..

Nov 11 (NW) Minister K.D. Lal Kantha has rejected Kaduwela Mayor Ranjan Jayalal’s remarks which appeared to encourage private companies to provide festive gift parcels to public-sector employees. Responding to Jayalal’s controversial remarks, Minister Lal Kantha said the Bribery Act contains provisions prohibiting public officials from accepting gifts, stressing that even a cup of tea could be considered a bribe under more..

Nov 11 (NW) Trincomalee Magistrate’s Court has issued an arrest warrant against Ven. Balangoda Kassapa Thera for failing to appear before court in connection with a case involving the alleged unauthorised installation of a Buddha statue along the Trincomalee coastline. The warrant was issued by Trincomalee Magistrate M.S.M. Samsudeen when the case was taken up for hearing today. The Magistrate ordered that Ven. Balangoda Kassapa Thera be arrested and produced before court. more..

Nov 11 (FT) Govt serves as the primary governing institution responsible for providing public goods, enforcing law and order, ensuring economic stability, and advancing national development goals. To carry out these wide-ranging economic and social functions, the sovereign state must systematically raise revenue through taxation, duties, and non-tax channels, and strategically deploy these financial resources across public institutions. The execution of these fiscal responsibilities more..

Nov 11 (FT) On 12 Nov the President, Finance Minister, will present the 2027 Budget to a Parliament. The public that have grown used to fiscal good news have plethora of expectations. The numbers justify some of that optimism. In the first eight months of 2026, revenue and grants came in at Rs. 4,002 billion, an increase of 21% year-on-year and 75.5% of the annual estimate, when a pro-rata basis it would have been 66.7%. Treasury ran an overall surplus of Rs. 35 billion for the period more..

Nov 11 (AD) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake today reviewed the final document containing the proposals of the 2027 Budget at the Presidential Secretariat, ahead of its presentation to Parliament tomorrow. The Secretary to the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma, was also present at the occasion. The government has made significant progress across several key sectors of the economy despite facing domestic and more..

Nov 11 (TM) People's Power against Bribery, Corruption, and Waste organisation yesterday lodged a complaint with the CIABOC over a statement made by the Kaduwela Municipal Council (MC) Mayor Ranjan Jayalal, claiming that the matter would serve as a litmus test of whether the CIABOC is prepared to independently investigate allegations involving politicians affiliated with both the Govt and the Opposition. more..

Nov 11 (NW) Central Bank has clarified that Ernst & Young (E&Y) SL remains eligible to audit licensed banks, despite restrictions imposed on two of its audit partners following the disclosure of an internal fraud at National Development Bank (NDB). In a statement issued on Tuesday, Central Bank said it had requested E&Y not to assign the Engagement Partner and Quality Assurance Partner involved in auditing NDB’s financial statements to any licensed bank audit engagements. more..

Nov 11 (Island) Rising middle-distance runner Lahiru Achintha produced yet another remarkable int'l performance to win the silver medal in the men’s 1500 metres at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Senegal on Monday. ‎Achintha clocked 3:59.08 in a closely contested final, finishing just 0.35 seconds behind Ethiopia’s Wabi Seblega, who won the gold medal in 3:58.73. Spain’s Alex Sangil took the bronze in 3:59.70. After setting the pace of the race leading the first two laps, more..

Nov 11 (NW) SL’s major state-owned enterprises (SOEs) recorded a combined profit of Rs. 259.3 billion during the first six months of 2026, compared to Rs. 227.8 billion during the corresponding period in 2025, according to the Ministry of Finance. The increase of Rs. 31.5 billion, or approximately 13.8%, reflects improved overall financial performance despite losses at several state institutions and economic pressures arising more..

Nov 11 (TM) Met Dept stated that data indicates that an atmospheric disturbance over the south-east Bay of Bengal is expected to develop into a low-pressure area and subsequently intensify into a depression. Director General of the Dept, Ajith Wijemannage stated that its impact is likely to affect the island from 15-17 Nov. Accordingly, rainfall is expected to increase in Northern, North-Central & Eastern Provinces. However, he added that sufficient data is currently unavailable to issue precise more..

Nov 11 (DN) Four people were killed and 60 others injured in a fatal head-on collision between two buses in the Rambewa area of Anuradhapura yesterday morning, according to A'pura police. Four fatalities were reported at the Rambewa Hospital. Among the 60 injured individuals are 40 men and 20 women. The accident occurred when a SLTB bus travelling from Mullaitivu to Colombo was attempting to overtake a Colombo-bound private bus from Vavuniya while speeding, more..