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..

Nov 11 (ST) Traders at People’s Park, in Pettah, Colombo were among those badly affected in the city after floodwaters inundated their shops. They blamed the authorities for their failure to maintain drains and called them to ensure that similar situations do not happen again. Downpours caused widespread flooding in several parts of Colombo in a very short while; at People’s Park, floodwater reached the shops 2 hours after the rain began, rising to 5 feet in basement-level shops, more..

Nov 11 (Island) Committee for Protecting Rights of Prisoners (CPRP) has brought to Health Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayathissa’s attention the fast spreading measles among inmates at the Welikada, Magazine, and the Colombo Remand Prisons. Top CPRP spokesperson Senaka Perera said that the deteriorating situation had even disrupted court proceedings. Civil society activist blamed the developing situation on the failure on the part of prison administration to meet basic medical more..

Nov 11 (TM) National Building Research Institute (NBRI) has identified and processed approximately 75 buildings and structures within the CMC limits for critical structural integrity audits following reports of structural distress, said Dammika Kahahengoda of Structural Engineering Research & Project Management Division at NBRI. He said that a subset of the 75 inspected structures was found to have more..

Nov 11 (FT) Cabinet has approved four road development and rehabilitation contracts worth Rs. 9.1 billion, covering national highway improvements and the restoration of roads damaged by Cyclone Ditwah. Three contracts under the National Highway Widening and Improvement Program have a combined value of Rs. 8.33 billion, while the fourth, valued at Rs. 763.98 million, covers rehabilitation and improvements to road sections in the Nawalapitiya area affected by the cyclone. more..

Nov 11 (NW) A group of fuel station owners affiliated with Sinopec, RM Parks and Lanka IOC staged a silent protest outside the World Trade Centre in Colombo on Tuesday, alleging that the companies were failing to provide adequate fuel supplies to their filling stations. The protesters later gathered outside the Presidential Secretariat, where they submitted a letter outlining their grievances. They also took steps to submit letters to CPC, Chinese Embassy & Indian HC, seeking intervention more..

Nov 11 (Island) There are no free lunches in the competitive telecom arena, and Dialog Axiata’s commanding market position is the hard-earned result of relentless, calculated capital deployment over three decades. Addressing the media at a forum held Monday at the Cinnamon Grand, Dialog Axiata Group Chief Executive Supun Weerasinghe dismantled any lingering misconceptions about the company’s industry footprint, delivering a blunt reality check to critics. more..

Nov 11 (CI) The second Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka has been moved from Lahore to Rawalpindi, where the first Test is currently ongoing. The PCB announced the decision was being taken due to prevailing weather conditions. Lahore is currently engulfed in severe seasonal smog, which affects parts of India and Pakistan between October and December. At the time of writing (Nov 10), Lahore has the worst air quality of any city in the world, according to IQAir, more..

Nov 11 (AD) Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) has decided that no electricity tariff revision will be implemented for the fourth quarter of 2026. The Commission said its review of cost data submitted by National System Operator (NSO) initially indicated a 2.88% increase in the cost of electricity supply for the final quarter of the year. However, the NSO submitted revised cost data on Nov 9. more..

Nov 11 (FT) Treasury yesterday said the Govt of Japan has agreed to provide grant assistance amounting to ¥ 1 billion (Rs. 2.08 bil) under its Official Security Assistance (OSA) Program 2026 to further strengthen the defence and maritime surveillance capabilities of the SL Navy. Exchange of Notes pertaining to this grant assistance was signed on 10 Nov by Treasury Secretary Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma on behalf of Govt of SL, and Ambassador of Japan Akio Isomata more..

Nov 11 (DM) Shangri-La’s two SL hotels more than tripled their after-tax profit to US$ 6.8 million in the first half of 2026, as the occupancy at Shangri-La Colombo and Shangri-La Hambantota climbed sharply, even while SL’s tourist arrivals dipped, interim results filed by Hong Kong-listed parent Shangri-La Asia Limited showed. The profit, which reflects the parent’s 90% stake in both properties, compares with US$ 1.9 million a year earlier, while the hotel revenue rose 7.7% to US$ 21 mil, more..

Nov 11 (ST) Last Sunday’s fuel price increase further pushed up the cost of living ahead of Budget 2027, which is to be presented to Parliament on Nov 12. Consumer price inflation has shot up to 8.3% within a span of a few months. Prices of food, transport, and medicine have increased. There are shortages of LP gas as well as fuel in some filling stations. People expect poverty and the increasing cost of living to be addressed. more..

Nov 11 (Island) SL Under-19 team were eliminated from the 2026 ACC Under-19 Asia Cup after going down to Afghanistan by 106 runs in their final Group B match at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground in Oman on Monday. Sri Lanka, a five time finalist, needed a victory over Afghanistan to keep their semi-final hopes alive. However, Afghanistan proved too strong as they posted 275 runs before dismissing SL for 169 in 34.1 overs. Kithma Withanapathirana provided resistance in Sri Lanka’s chase, more..

Nov 11 (NW) A 27-year-old woman has been found dead with injuries inside a tourist cabana in the Magastota area of Nuwara Eliya, with Police launching investigations to locate her boyfriend, who is suspected of involvement in the murder. The deceased has been identified as Piumi Dilshani, a resident of Ampara. According to Police, the woman had arrived at the cabana with her boyfriend on November 7 and booked accommodation after making the required payment. more..

Nov 11 (FT) CIC Holdings said it reported a consolidated revenue of Rs. 42.91 billion for the first half of the financial year 2026/27 (1H27). Group maintained steady top-line growth of 3.06% and achieved a strong bottom-line expansion, with Profit After Tax (PAT) increasing by 16.72% to Rs. 3.79 billion. This is compared to Rs. 3.25 billion in the corresponding period of the previous year, notwithstanding Agri cluster movements shifting from the second quarter to the third quarter more..

Nov 11 (Island) The seizure of 471 kg of crystal methamphetamine, or ICE, concealed inside a container, at the Port of Colombo, is being rightly treated as a significant Customs success. Yet the seizure should also provoke a more uncomfortable question. How long can SL continue trying to secure a 21st century trading hub with an inspection system designed around methods that belong to another era? The answer cannot simply be more inspections, more paperwork or more officials opening more..

Nov 11 (FT) SL’s ability to move beyond its current growth potential will depend less on monetary policy and more on Parliament’s willingness to drive politically difficult structural reforms, CB Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe told lawmakers, drawing support from both Govt and Opposition representatives at a CoPF meeting. Pushing back against the expectation that the CB should deliver higher economic growth, more..

Nov 11 (FT) The Cabinet of Ministers has approved entering into financing agreements with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to secure $ 200 million for a sector development program aimed at strengthening access to finance for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). The financing comprises a $ 100 million policy-based loan from the ADB’s ordinary capital resources and a further $ 100 million through a financial intermediation loan component. more..

Nov 11 (DM) Facing modern educational challenges, Olympiad mathematics serves as a powerful intellectual catalyst that goes beyond the limitations of mere rote memorisation and the following of traditional procedures, fostering high-level cognitive development. Thinking framework cultivated among students through mathematical Olympiad training nurtures essential skills required to achieve success in future academic pursuits and diverse fields such as STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, more..

Nov 11 (TM) A farmer in rural Sri Lanka can borrow money on their phone in minutes. The app is simple, the cash arrives at a tap, and the reminders follow them everywhere. What it hides are the fees, the interest, and the harassment that begin when they fall behind. According to the World Bank, six in 10 of the country’s 1.65 million smallholder farmers already depend on informal lenders, largely because formal credit is so hard to reach. Online gambling works the same way: more..

Nov 11 (SO) Deepavali celebrates light over darkness. Of good over evil. Of fierce Shakthi (woman power) over toxic masculinity. The traditional pictures in Sri Lankan Hindu mythology to depict the story behind this shows Sathyabhama – the wife of Lord Krishna with her foot on the neck of the Demon King Narakasura. Males could not subdue him. So Krishna could not either. Therefore he handed the deed to Sathyabhama. In Hindu mythology, the demons are called Asuras. more..

Nov 11 (TM) It is no secret that a considerable degree of discontent has emerged within Sri Lanka’s Buddhist community, particularly among a significant section of the Buddhist clergy and the Sinhala Buddhist nationalist constituency. The situation, which intensified following the removal of the robes of the BBS organisation’s General Secretary, Venerable Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thera, has been further aggravated by more..

Nov 11 (ST) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake indulged in a two-step dance with opponents of the Organized Crimes Bill (OCB), when he pronounced this Thursday that his Govt was open to consultations and amenable to reasonable revisions to the draft. I say two-step in that, despite the appearance of major concessions being made in a familiarly choreographed presidential performance, this is not the case in reality. Prez said that, the period of time that a suspect is permitted to more..

Nov 11 (CT) Minister Nalinda Jayatissa has reportedly declared that no member of the NPP is involved in bribery, corruption or fraudulent activity, adding that the party stands prepared to take disciplinary action should allegations against its members be substantiated. Congratulations, Minister. But congratulations must be accompanied by a warning. For nearly two years, NPP has occupied the commanding heights of Sri Lanka’s political establishment. more..

Nov 11 (SO) Former Minister of Power and Energy Patali Champika Ranawaka has held the Ministry’s then Secretary, M.M.C. Ferdinando, responsible for the failure to unload two coal shipments imported during the rough-weather season in 2012, insisting that his role as Minister was confined to providing policy direction. Giving evidence before the Special Presidential Commission of Inquiry investigating coal imports and related transactions, more..

Nov 11 (Island) The Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) on the electoral system for Provincial Council (PC) elections has sought the views of several political parties on the electoral system to be adopted. Representatives of the EPRLF, EROS Democratic Front and EPDP recently appeared before the committee and presented their respective proposals, according to media reports. Appointed in Feb 2026, the PSC was initially required to submit its report within three months. more..

Nov 11 (DM) As in all other issues, NPP govt is attempting to put the blame for last Friday’s floods in Colombo city on the previous govts, especially certain mayors and ministers of former govts. Conversely, all Opposition parties and their supporters seem to be overjoyed by the floods, and are ridiculing the current govt as if this was the first major flashflood in the city. From our point of view, both parties are somewhat justifiable in their stance, while both share the blame. more..