Nov 18 (TM) The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the proposal to hold the Aqua Planet - Sri Lanka, International Expo - 2025 exhibition. The international event, which aims to bring together global fisheries professionals and enthusiasts, is scheduled to take place at the Lotus Tower in Colombo from 21 to 23 November 2025. The expo will highlight Sri Lanka's aquatic resources, focusing on sustainability, innovation, trade, and blue economy principles. more..

Nov 18 (NW) A discussion with Association of Medical Specialists (AMS) took place today at the Parliament, presided over by Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake. During the meeting, Prez stressed the importance of protecting the economic stability we have achieved and highlighted that rebuilding the country requires cooperation from all sides. He also noted that strengthening the health service remains a key priority of the govt and assured that the concerns raised will be addressed in a more..

Nov 18 (Island) Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickremaratne and Deputy Chairperson of Committees Hemali Weerasekara have asked the Office of Secretary General, Parliament, to discontinue fuel allowance they received as members of Parliament, in addition to the fuel allowance granted to members of the Cabinet and Deputy Ministers, respectively. The allowance paid from Parliament would be stopped from this month. more..

Nov 18 (TM) The Electricity Consumers Association (ECA) has raised concerns over a letter issued by the CEB that restricts solar power generation in several regions, questioning whether the move is aimed at draining reservoirs to justify emergency power purchases. A letter dated 17 September, sent in relation to renewable energy projects intended to be connected to the Ampara, Monaragala, Mahiyanganaya, and Vavunathivu grid substations, and which was seen by The Daily Morning, more..

Nov 18 (NW) The President said the govt’s policy is to build a defence force capable of responding to emerging technical threats, particularly in cyberspace, while also strengthening the country’s maritime and airspace security capabilities. He made these remarks while dismissing concerns that communal tensions or racist conflicts could escalate into armed conflict. He also outlined the support being extended to Sri Lanka’s security forces by India and the United States. more..

Nov 18 (ST) John Keells Holdings’ vehicle trading business has reported an after-tax profit of Rs 2.415 billion in the second quarter of the financial year 2025-2026 and sold more than 6,000 vehicles over two quarters. This is its share of the profit from the 50% owned subsidiary, JKCG Auto (Pvt) Ltd, which has a further 3,800 orders in hand. The business booked a Rs 33 million loss in the year before quarter. In the second quarter, more..

Nov 18 (AD) Veteran radio presenter and journalist Chithra Kumari Kalubowila has passed away at the age of 68, family sources confirmed. It is reported that she passed away while receiving treatment in hospital for an illness. Kalubowila, a distinguished figure in Sri Lanka’s radio industry, made an enduring contribution to the field over several decades. Details regarding funeral arrangements are to be announced in due course. more..

Nov 18 (AD) High Commissioner of India, Santosh Jha, has extended his best wishes to former President Mahinda Rajapaksa on the occasion of his 80th birthday which falls today (18). The greetings were conveyed by the Consul General of India, Mr. Harvinder Singh, who visited Rajapaksa’s residence, Carlton House in Tangalle this morning (18), on behalf of the Indian High Commissioner. In a Facebook post published afterward, former Prez Rajapaksa expressed his appreciation, more..

Nov 18 (Island) Opposition and SJB Leader Sajith Premadasa accused the police of overstepping their authority during Sunday’s tense standoff at the Sri Sambuddha Jayanthi Bodhiraja Vihara, in Trincomalee, warning that such conduct risked inflaming communal sensitivities. Raising the issue in Parliament, Premadasa cited Chapter Two of the Constitution, noting that while Buddhism is afforded the foremost place, the provision also safeguards the rights of all other faiths. more..

Nov 18 (AD) SL has signed a bilateral agreement with the Govt of Denmark to restructure USD 39 million of outstanding debt, marking a key milestone in the country’s External Debt Restructuring Process. SL’s entry into a bilateral agreement with the Govt of Denmark as part of the External Debt Restructuring Process marks a significant milestone, demonstrating the Govt’s continued commitment to successfully concluding the restructuring effort, restoring debt sustainability, and more..

Nov 18 (DM) As SL enters its peak tourism season, the govt has issued strict directives to police and relevant authorities to ensure the safety and wellbeing of foreign visitors. The move comes as the country anticipates over two million tourist arrivals by the end of 2025, Dy Minister Ruwan Ranasinghe said that Tourism Police Units nationwide have been instructed to intensify surveillance, strengthen patrols in tourist hotspots, more..

Nov 18 (Nw) Minister Ananda Wijepala says the Police have uncovered links to certain politicians following the arrest of Ishara Sewwandi, the chief suspect in the murder of underworld figure Ganemulla Sanjeewa in February this year. The minister said that a deep investigation into those connections is necessary, and that the Police Department is actively pursuing this. Minister Wijepala further said that information related to the underworld has been revealed through more..

Nov 18 (DM) Minister Chandana Abeyratne yesterday signalled a possible change in the govt’s policy on providing official residences to ministers and senior state officials. He told Parliament that ministers or deputy ministers may be allocated official housing upon request, subject to an assessment of whether such requests are justified. Responding to an oral question raised by Opposition MP Chamara Sampath Dassanayake, Minister revealed that Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne more..

Nov 18 (ST) Animal rights activists are sceptical of the proposal in the budget to introduce services and facilities to take care of street dogs as well as burial and cremation of pets. The proposal is being seen as impractical and as an initiative which would be used to create an animal-loving image of the President. The govt has admitted setbacks in resolving the monkey pest issue and the human-elephant conflict. more..

Nov 18 (DM) The Animal Welfare Coalition (AWC) has accused authorities of state-sanctioned animal cruelty in Thumpane, alleging that large groups of monkeys have been kept in cages for days without food or shelter. In a letter to Central Province Governor Prof. Sarath Abeykoon, the AWC said disturbing video footage circulating on social media shows terrified monkeys including dead and dying animals crying inside overcrowded cages while exposed to heavy rain and harsh sunlight. more..

Nov 18 (NW) Coast Conservation and Coastal Resource Management Dept (CC&CRM) has issued an official clarification regarding the tense situation reported near the Sri Sambuddha Jayanthi Bodhiraja Viharaya in Trincomalee, stating that the incident stemmed from long-standing violations of coastal regulations rather than a religious dispute. The chief incumbent of the Viharaya had been granted a temporary licence for a small welfare shop measuring approximately 127 square feet, more..

Nov 18 (NW) Cabinet of Ministers has granted approval to present the Parliamentary Pensions (Repeal) Bill to Parliament for its consent. Policy approval for repealing the Parliamentary Pensions Act No. 1 of 1971, which governs pensions for MPs, was granted at the Cabinet meeting held on 16 June 2025. In line with the govt’s policy vision of A Prosperous Country – A Beautiful Life, and the promise made to all Sri Lankans who supported that vision, a draft bill was prepared by more..

Nov 18 (AD) A writ petition has been filed in the Court of Appeal requesting the issuance of an order to prevent the demolition of a portion of the Trincomalee Sri Sambuddha Jayanthi Bodhiraja Viharaya. The petition has been submitted by the chief incumbent of the temple, Venerable Trincomalee Kalyanawansa Wansa Tissa Thero. Director General of the Department of Coast Conservation, Minister of Environment and the Secretary of the Ministry of Environment more..

Nov 18 (AD) If police committed any wrongdoing while removing a Buddha statue that had been placed at a temple premises in Trincomalee, an investigation will be conducted and necessary action will be taken, Minister Nalinda Jayatissa stated. He noted that there is a possibility of creating a distorted or misleading picture of what actually happened, when individuals starts to questioning separate incidents of the full chain of events. more..

Nov 18 (AD) The NPP today established power in the Seethawaka Pradeshiya Sabha, over six months after the conduct of the Local Govt (LG) election. At the May Local Govt election, no party or independent group was able to secure more than 50% of the total number of seats required to establish control in the Seethawaka PS. At the election, the NPP — which currently holds governing power — won 23 seats, while the remaining 24 seats were divided among all opposition parties. more..

Nov 18 (DM) The Cabinet of Ministers has approved an amendment to the Shop and Office Servants (Regulation of Service and Remuneration) Act, allowing women over 18 years of age working as food and beverage servers in commercial hotels and restaurants to be employed during night hours, after 6 p.m. and before 6 a.m. The decision aims to support the operational needs of the hospitality sector while ensuring formal protections for women working night shifts. more..

Nov 18 (BI) Sri Lankan influencer Geeth Sooriyapura’s Instagram feed shows off his lavish lifestyle. He and his friends flash expensive-looking watches, dine at a five-star seafront hotel, and film videos at a sleek modern apartment with a pool. He claims to have made his money – $300,000 of it – by running Facebook pages, including some which push racist, Islamophobic and anti-migrant posts aimed at British audiences. more..

Nov 18 (DM) Sri Lanka is yet to reach any final agreement to be inked with the US on reciprocal tariffs, and discussions are still underway regarding the matter, Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath said. He said that SL and the US have had 17 rounds of discussions so far. The Minister said SL was able to get the tariffs reduced from 44% to 20% through discussions and added that the US Prez Donald Trump, in an order issued on Nov 13, brought some food items exported by SL to zero tariff. more..

Nov 18 (DM) Claiming that some 30 to 40 Winter Charter flights have to be cancelled within a week due to the delay in expansion of the passenger terminal at the BIA, Deputy Minister Ruwan Ranasinghe said today if those flights could have been accommodated, SL could have reached the target of 3 million tourist arrivals this year. Minister told Parliament that SL recorded two million tourist arrivals yesterday, whereas two million tourist arrivals were recorded in Dec 26 last year. more..

Nov 18 (FT) In April 2021, we received news that the SL Govt had banned palm oil imports and ordered the uprooting of oil palm trees to be replaced with rubber trees (Gazette No. 2222/13). The main reason given was palm oil’s negative social and environmental impacts, based on a disputed 2018 report. Interestingly, it wasn’t an outright ban on all palm oil. The policy had a critical, and damaging, loophole: it specifically prevented the import of crude palm oil, the raw ingredient used by more..

Nov 18 (FT) And so it begins. Familiar murmurs. Rote grumblings. In 2021, we suffered the Regional Plantation Companies’ (RPC) and Planters’ Association of Ceylon’s (PAC) familiar whining, when workers agitated to increase the minimum daily wage to Rs. 1,000. We listened to their tiresome litany of complaints again in 2024 when attempts were made to increase the minimum wage to Rs. 1,350. On both occasions the RPC and PAC declared that increasing wages would make more..

Nov 18 (Island) The removal by the police of a Buddha statue from a famous temple plunged Trincomalee into turmoil, on Sunday. Police stepped in amidst tension over an attempt by the Coast Conservation Department to take action against a building near the Sri Sambuddha Jayanthi Bodhiraja Vihara, in Trinco. Monks of the temple and devotees staged a protest, claiming that they were restoring a Dhamma school building. more..

Nov 18 (NW) President Anura Kumara Dissanayake called on the Govt Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) to support the continued maintenance of economic stability, during a meeting held this morning (17) at the Presidential Secretariat. The discussion was convened following a request by the GMOA. During the meeting, Prez asserted that while the economy, which had collapsed in 2022, has now been stabilised, preserving that stability remains a key priority of his govt. more..

Nov 18 (AD) The Chief Prelate of the SL Amarapura Maha Nikaya, Most Venerable Karagoda Uyangoda Maithri Murthy Thero, has sent a letter to the Prez regarding the incident in which police removed a Buddha statue from a temple premises in Trincomalee. The letter states that the Sri Sambuddha Jayanthi Bodhiraja Viharaya in Trincomalee has been in existence since 1951 and is a duly registered temple under the Department of Buddhist Affairs as a temple belonging to more..

Nov 18 (TM) GMOA will continue its trade union action until a concrete plan and a timeframe on implementing the Govt’s response to doctors’ demands are declared. GMOA Media Spokesperson Dr. Chamil Wijesinghe said, where he stressed the importance of the Govt’s promises being implemented. GMOA informed that following the discussion held with Prez yesterday, an emergency Executive Committee was convened. more..

Nov 18 (DM) The Govt’s latest decision to raise the plantation workers’ wages has been made without any consultations with industry personnel, senior representative of the plantation sector said while asserting the move could impact the output. He said the proposed wage increase should have been linked to productivity. “Over the course of many years, we have observed that every time a wage increase is given, around 10,000 estate workers stop working regularly,” he asserted. more..

Nov 18 (EN) Sri Lanka’s manufacturing sector expanded in October, registering a value of 61.0 on the Purchasing Managers Index compiled by the central bank, up from 55.4 in September. “This increase was broad-based, with all sub-indices contributing positively to this expansion,” CBSL said. The expansion in the New Orders sub-index was driven by the manufacture of food & beverages sector, with many companies receiving production orders for the upcoming festive season. more..