Nov 6 (Island) National System Operator (NSO) has decided against seeking an electricity tariff increase for the Oct–Dec quarter, following an assessment of improved reservoir storage and expectations of above-normal rainfall. The decision, announced at the stakeholder consultation yesterday, represents a significant shift from the NSO’s original position, which sought a 2.88% increase for the final quarter of 2026. more..

Nov 6 (NW) The first Mini Incubation Centre established under a new programme by the Ministry of Science and Technology was opened in Mirigama on Wednesday, aimed at providing technological support to micro and small-scale entrepreneurs. The centre was inaugurated by Minister Chrishantha Abeysena at the Vidatha Resource Centre located within the Mirigama Divisional Secretariat premises. The initiative aims to provide modern technological facilities to micro & small-scale entrepreneurs more..

Nov 6 (FT) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake has warned that a powerful shadow State has emerged within SL, with drug traffickers and organised criminal networks allegedly using their financial resources to influence politicians, law enforcement officers, public officials and State institutions. Addressing a religious summit at Temple Trees to mark the first anniversary of the Govt’s national anti-drug operation, Prez said an underground criminal network had developed alongside more..

Nov 6 (FT) Govt has not added to the public’s tax burden and has instead moved to correct flaws in an unfair tax structure, Deputy Minister Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando said, rejecting claims by Opposition groups circulating on social media over eight recent measures. In a statement, Dr. Fernando said tax revenue is the primary source of funding for education, healthcare, development activity and infrastructure, and that the Govt had spent more..

Nov 6 (FT) The historic Nuwara Eliya Post Office is to be developed into a tourism promotion centre following its conservation, with Minister Nalinda Jayatissa describing the initiative as an investment in preserving national heritage while creating additional value for the tourism industry. Minister made the remarks yesterday, after laying the foundation stone for a new two-storey postal administration building within the post office premises, at an estimated cost of Rs78.34m. more..

Nov 6 (DM) The excise duty on liquor rose 27.1% to Rs.137.5 billion in the first half of 2026, from Rs.108.2 billion in the same period last year, as the liquor production climbed 13.3% and the new rules on the timing of the duty payments were introduced, as per the Finance Ministry data. The production increased to 19.7 million absolute litres, from 17.4 million absolute litres a year earlier. The ministry attributed the revenue growth to “the introduction of the new rules on the timing of duty payments more..

Nov 6 (DM) Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama ordered the remand of two suspects, including Jiffry Mohamed, till Nov 12 over an alleged illegal transfer of Rs. 190 billion to foreign countries under the pretext of importing goods into SL. When the case was taken up before court, the first and eighth suspects were produced before the court by prison officials. Officers of the FCID informed the court that objections to granting bail to the first and eighth suspects had been filed today. more..

Nov 6 (Island) Fishing boats could be exploited to smuggle weapons and narcotics. Such possibilities call for stronger maritime surveillance and closer cooperation between Colombo and New Delhi, Jayanath Colombage said. The Nov 2008 Mumbai attacks where gunmen hijacked the Indian trawler Kuber and used it to reach the city by sea, prove this point, Colombage added. He made these observations at an Ambassadors’ Round Table hosted by the Pathfinder Foundation more..

Nov 6 (TM) Sri Lanka is yet to finalise on how it will compensate for the govt revenue loss from the phased removal of the Cess and PAL paratariffs by 2029, which is to coincide with the introduction of mandatory SLS tyre standards effective from 2027 onwards; raised during a Committee on Public Finance meeting held recently. Speaking of the ongoing phased-out removal of CESS and PAL paratariffs, which SL is more..

Nov 6 (NW) A delegation from Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is expected to visit SL soon to share its experiences in party organisation and discipline with members of the JVP. The proposed visit was discussed during a meeting between JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva and Chinese Ambassador to SL Wei Huaxiang at the JVP HQ on Thursday. The meeting focused on decisions taken at the fifth plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the CCP, held in China on Oct 29. more..

Nov 6 (DN) Govt is working to expand cooperation with Germany and other international partners in advanced manufacturing, investment and trade with the aim of elevating SL’s industrial sector to the international stage, Deputy Minister Chathuranga Abeysinghe said. He made these remarks while attending the Top German Brands 2026 – The Ball Edition event, organised in Colombo by the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry in SL (AHK SL) & German Embassy, as the Chief Guest. more..

Nov 6 (Island) Sri Lanka’s batting frailties have resurfaced ahead of the two match Test series against Pakistan, leaving Head Coach Gary Kirsten with a few knots to untangle before the opening game next week. The tourists suffered another top order wobble in their warm up game in Islamabad, slipping to 64 for five before the lower order came to the rescue. Having been reduced to 40 for three in the first innings, they would have hoped for a steadier start second time around. more..

Nov 6 (FT) Dialog Axiata marked the completion of its restoration initiative at Divisional Hospital, Kothmale, gifting the hospital a fully equipped Emergency Treatment Unit (ETU). Featuring state-of-the-art medical equipment, the new facility will strengthen emergency treatment services and improve access to timely medical care for patients in Kothmale and surrounding communities. The initiative forms part of Dialog’s broader LKR 420 million post-Ditwah recovery programme to more..

Nov 6 (GF) Nandalal Weerasinghe has served as governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka since April 2022, delivering his trademark steady post-crisis stewardship amid new external supply shocks. In Global Finance’s October Central Banker Report Cards, he received a B+. He achieved macroeconomic stabilization after SL’s 2022 financial crisis, and perhaps most tellingly, headline inflation—which had been negative or near zero more..

Nov 6 (Island) The third annual National Convening on Recognizing Unpaid Care Work was recently held in Colombo under the theme From Policy to Community-driven Solutions: Engaging Communities to Share Unpaid Care Responsibilities. Organized by The Asia Foundation and the Women and Media Collective (WMC) with support from Global Affairs Canada, the event brought together govt officials, diplomats, civil society leaders, and private sector stakeholders to address the disproportionate more..

Nov 6 (DN) A five-wicket haul by Kaushika Kumarasinghe and an unbeaten half-century by opener Rehan Peiris guided Sri Lanka to a nine-wicket win over Malaysia in their opening Under-19 Asia Cup match at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground in Oman yesterday. Sri Lanka, chasing a target of 89, lost their captain Viran Chamuditha early when the experienced opener was dismissed for a duck off the third ball of the first over. He was trapped leg-before-wicket by paceman Nagineshwaran more..

Nov 6 (Island) Public Utilities Commission of SL (PUCSL) has raised serious concerns over the inclusion of generation capacity costs in the proposed electricity tariff revision for the fourth quarter of 2026, declaring that such costs should not be passed on to electricity consumers. In a presentation made at a public consultation on the proposed tariff revision at the BMICH in Colombo yesterday, the regulator described more..

Nov 6 (ST) SL Customs has announced plans to auction individual spare parts of 60 illegally assembled vehicles that were caught during police raids. Customs Director Chandana Punchihewa said that the decision was taken by the higher management following comprehensive technical evaluations conducted by the Dept of Govt Analyst and RMV. Both authorities confirmed that the illegally assembled vehicles fail to satisfy national roadworthiness standards and cannot legally more..

Nov 6 (NW) In a landmark milestone for SL’s luxury real estate and eco-tourism sectors, Bhoomi Realty Holdings, a member of Prime Group, officially laid the foundation stone for its visionary development, Rozella: The Ceylon Estate, on Oct 22. As Sri Lanka’s first dedicated agro-tourism villa project, this prestigious venture introduces an unprecedented lifestyle and investment concept. Nestled in the world-famous Hatton-Rozella region, perched amidst emerald, mist-covered mountains more..

Nov 6 (FT) Hemas Holdings said it delivered a strong second quarter, with revenue growing 17% year-on-year (YoY) to Rs. 37.8 billion as all four sectors recorded growth, led by hospitals (+19.3%) and consumer brands (+18.3%). EBITDA rebounded to Rs. 4.5 billion, up 10.5% YoY and nearly double the first quarter. Group earnings more than doubled from 1Q to Rs. 2 billion. For 1H FY27, the strong second quarter turned a 14.1% EBITDA decline at the end of 1Q into growth of 0.9%, more..

Nov 6 (FT) What happens when different traditions, diverse stories, transformative ideas, cross-cultural conversations and intergenerational hope come together on shared platforms? This December, Colombo will host a cultural gathering that seeks to answer that question through the universal languages of music, literature, heritage and human connection. The Festival of Sacred Sounds of South Asia and Friends 2026, presented by Mindful Collective Expressions (MCE) more..

Nov 6 (ST) Gross disregard of the Police Ordinance and Human Rights Commission guidelines and recommendations had led to ill-treatment of people held in police custody, a human rights expert said. Nimal Punchihewa, lawyer and former commissioner of the Human Rights Commission of SL (HRCSL), said that although laws and regulations are available in the Police Ordinance as well as circulars issued by the IGP more..

Nov 6 (Island) In every tea shop, in every office, and on every street during the last election, one sentence was heard again and again: 76 years of national curse. It was shouted in anger. And it was not without reason. Corruption, incompetence, lawbreaking, and callous disregard for human dignity had brought public trust to its lowest point. But in that anger, are we throwing away the good with the bad? Because society, deep down, is not asking for revolution alone. It is asking for more..

Nov 6 (TM) How should one understand post-war Tamil politics in the North? To observers outside the Northern political arena, Tamil politicians often appear committed to defending Tamil rights and advancing the aspirations of their community. Yet, the reality is far more complex. In the 17 years since the defeat of the separatist armed struggle, Tamil politics has frequently been marked by fragmentation, inconsistencies, competing agendas, and demands that often appear detached more..

Nov 6 (Island) The midterm battle has been lost and won in the US. Republicans are licking their wounds while Democrats are painting the town red. Prez Donald Trump is making a feeble attempt to flex his executive muscles in a bid to save face, claiming that he has veto power, which he will not hesitate to use if push comes to shove. True, the President retains his veto even when his party controls neither chamber of Congress. Congress can override a presidential veto only with more..

Nov 6 (DM) For nearly two years, supporters of both the UNP and SJB have been eagerly anticipating the formation of an alliance between the two parties. In this context, remarks made over the weekend by UNP Leader and former Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe regarding alliance-building would have undoubtedly left the supporters of both parties stunned and disappointed. He stated that a UNP and SJB alliance does not spell victory and emphasised that to win the next election, they must win over 8 m more..

Nov 6 (DM) Every morning, hundreds of thousands of SL women set out for work. They board crowded buses to garment factories in Katunayake and Biyagama, take their places at bank counters and hospital wards, teach in our schools, pluck tea on our estates and staff the offices of both the public and private sectors. They are, without exaggeration, the backbone of our economy. Yet, far too many of them carry an additional burden that more..

Nov 6 (DM) SL College of Pharmacy Professionals (SLCPP) brings together pharmacists with postgraduate qualifications working across different areas of the profession. As we celebrated the World Pharmacists Day recently, SLCPP wishes to take readers along the journey of a medicine - from its early discovery and development to its eventual use by patients by highlighting the many roles pharmacists play along the way. A pharmacist is much more than the person behind more..

Nov 6 (CT) America has delivered a formidable electoral rebuke to Donald Trump. What had been unfolding before the electorate’s eyes—political retribution, controversies surrounding personal enrichment, extravagant displays of presidential grandeur and an increasingly bitter argument over the character of American govt—has now found expression at the ballot box. From Texas to Kansas, from South Carolina to the industrial heartland, Democratic victories have penetrated territory more..

Nov 6 (TM) The Middle East conflict has sent shockwaves across the globe, disrupting oil markets and maritime trade as restrictions on the Strait of Hormuz threaten vital energy supplies and the Houthis intensify attacks on shipping routes. The widening conflict has also raised security concerns across the region, with attacks on strategic infrastructure and threats involving religiously significant sites adding to tensions. more..

Nov 6 (DM) In roughly nine out of every ten journalist killings worldwide, nobody is held accountable. The International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, observed every year on Nov 2, is meant to stop such impunity and indifference on the part of the State and also Society. The day commemorates the murder of two French radio journalists, Ghislaine Dupont and Claude Verlon, in Mali on Nov 2, 2013 when they were reporting for their station RFI. Since 1993, more than 1,700 journalists have more..

Nov 6 (DM) The 2026 US midterm polls held on Nov 3 produced a series of historic firsts across the country. Women and candidates in minorities broke longstanding barriers in races for governor and Congress flipping seats in Republican strongholds. Keisha Lance Bottoms became the first Black woman governor in US history defeating Republican businessman Rick Jackson in Georgia. Former US Interior Secretary Deb Haaland became the first Native American woman to secure a seat. more..