Nov 3 (NW) A proposal has been submitted to Parliament seeking the appointment of a Parliamentary Select Committee to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the 1983 Black July riots and their impact. Proposal was presented by NPP MP Thanura Dissanayake and seconded by fellow NPP MP Bhagya Sri Herath. According to the proposal, the committee would be tasked with conducting a comprehensive study of the tragic events of Black July 1983 and preparing more..

Nov 3 (DM) Cabinet has approved a Rs. 700 million project to develop the Hamilton Canal and surrounding aquatic environment as a tourist attraction. The project aims to promote nature-based and historical heritage tourism by developing coastal and marine environments in the Western Province, including the Negombo Lagoon and Hamilton Canal. Under the proposed development programme, the Hamilton Canal will be developed from the Queen's Island Jetty in the Negombo Lagoon up to more..

Nov 3 (NW) Cabinet has approved three contracts worth approximately Rs. 3.33 billion for the rehabilitation and improvement of road infrastructure damaged by Cyclone Ditwah. Bids were called under the National Competitive Procurement procedure to select contractors for the restoration of several damaged road sections. Following the evaluation of bids and recommendations of High-Level Procurement more..

Nov 3 (NW) Cabinet of Ministers has approved the awarding of a contract worth Rs. 1,318.3 million for the construction and improvement of three road sections along the Kandy–Jaffna (A9) road. The project covers the section of the A9 road between the 176+000 km and 179+000 km markers, under the national highway rehabilitation and improvement programme. A total of seven bids were received for the project. Based on the recommendation of the Cabinet-appointed Procurement Committee, more..

Nov 3 (NW) Tensions escalated in Parliament earlier today as Opposition MPs attempted to seize the ceremonial mace during a protest over the rejection of a no-confidence motion against Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne. Tense situation arose after Opposition MPs attempted to raise privilege issues, including the no-confidence motion submitted against the Speaker. Deputy Speaker Rizvie Salih informed Parliament that the privilege submissions had been received after 9 a.m. today and more..

Nov 3 (FT) Sri Lanka recorded its highest-ever monthly tourist arrivals in October, welcoming 168,625 visitors as demand strengthened ahead of the winter season, although the increase in visitor numbers has yet to translate into higher tourism earnings. October arrivals surpassing the previous monthly record of 165,193 set in 2025, marking a 2.08% year-on-year (YoY) increase. The performance lifted cumulative arrivals during more..

Nov 3 (TM) A SriLankan Airlines flight arriving from Melbourne, Australia, made an emergency landing at the BIA in Katunayake on 1 Nov night after smoke was detected in its cargo hold. However, the aircraft subsequently landed safely at the BIA, SriLankan Airlines Head of Corporate Communications Deepal Perera said. The aircraft, flight UL 605, arrived from Melbourne at approximately 10.38 p.m. on 1 Nov. The incident occurred around 15 minutes before the aircraft was scheduled to land. more..

Nov 3 (AD) PM Harini Amarasuriya has highlighted Sri Lanka’s commitment to universal healthcare and presented investment opportunities in climate-resilient agriculture and green port development at two high-level Commonwealth gatherings held in Antigua and Barbuda. The Prime Minister participated in the The Value of Vision – Global Summit for Eye Health and Exhibition and the Commonwealth Leaders and CEOs’ Summit during her official visit to attend the 2026 CHOGM. more..

Nov 3 (NW) Cabinet has approved two procurement contracts for medicines used in the treatment of kidney patients and life-threatening infections, valued at Rs. 990 million and USD 702,000, respectively. Approval has been granted to procure 1.1 million bags containing medication used in dialysis treatment for patients suffering from acute or chronic kidney failure. The medication is used to remove waste products and excess fluids from the bodies of patients undergoing dialysis. more..

Nov 3 (DM) The number of parliamentary seats allocated to the Colombo District has increased from 18 to 19, while the allocation for the Badulla District has decreased from nine to eight, according to the revised seat allocation announced by the Election Commission (EC). In a notice, EC stated that the number of MPs to be elected from each electoral district had been determined based on the Main Electoral Register for 2026 and the 2026 (1) Supplementary Electoral Register. more..

Nov 3 (DM) LAUGFS Gas has arranged three LPG shipments expected to arrive in Sri Lanka during November as the company seeks regulatory approval to resume domestic supplies through its Hambantota terminal. The first shipment from OQT is expected to arrive at Hambantota Port between Nov 12 and 14, while a Geogas shipment is scheduled to arrive at Colombo Port between Nov 15 and 17. A third shipment from OQT more..

Nov 3 (DM) Centre for Environmental Justice today moved the Supreme Court seeking an order directing the authorities to formulate a mechanism to establish a govt-administered levy on single-use plastic and polythene bags, in a bid to curb increasing environmental pollution. Senior Counsel Ravindranath Dabare, appearing for the petitioners, told Court that the levies imposed on polythene bags by supermarkets are being directly credited to their respective accounts, without serving more..

Nov 3 (AD) The govt has removed the Special Commodity Levy of Rs. 65 per kilogram imposed on two categories of imported rice, effective from today. Tax exemption applies to specific HS codes covering raw rice and parboiled rice. The decision was announced through a Gazette notification issued by Prez in his capacity as Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development. The order has been issued under Section 2 of the Special Commodity Levy Act No. 48 of 2007. more..

Nov 3 (NW) Minister Nalinda Jayathissa has explained the govt’s decision to provide more than Rs. 104 million in sponsorship for the 63rd Asian Broadcasting Union (ABU) General Assembly held in Colombo. He said the funding was provided through SL Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) as part of its international tourism promotion activities. He clarified that the sponsorship was not a direct allocation from the Treasury more..

Nov 3 (DM) Cabinet has approved a proposal to prepare draft legislation to prohibit cluster munitions in SL, in line with the country's obligations under the International Convention on Cluster Munitions. SL signed the Int'l Convention on Cluster Munitions, also known as the Oslo Convention, on Feb 28, 2018. The Cabinet had previously approved the drafting of legislation necessary to implement the country's obligations under the Convention at its meeting held on March 19, 2019. more..

Nov 3 (TM) The Election Commission (EC) is working with the European Union (EU) and several other international organisations to obtain specialist personnel and resources needed for its work on digital technology and artificial intelligence (AI), which are difficult to secure through the Govt, EC Chairperson R M A L Rathnayake said. He said that the EC had signed a MOU with the organisations which had agreed to provide the human resource (HR) and other assistance required. more..

Nov 3 (DN) Cabinet has approved the award of a Rs. 2,025.73 million contract, excluding VAT, for the construction of a new building with modern facilities for the Faculty of Allied Health Sciences at the Uni of Jaffna. Contract has been awarded to Central Engineering Services (Pvt) Ltd, which was identified as the substantially responsive lowest bidder following a competitive bidding process. A total of eight bids were received for the project, which was approved by the Cabinet on Sept 15, 2026. more..

Nov 3 (NW) SL and Azerbaijan are set to sign a MoU aimed at modernising public service delivery and strengthening cooperation in public sector innovation. Cabinet has approved a proposal to sign the agreement between Azerbaijan’s State Agency for Public Service and Social Innovations and SL’s Ministry of Public Admin, PCs & LG. According to the Cabinet decision, the agreement is expected to be signed in conjunction with the UN Public Service Innovation Forum, scheduled to be held in more..

Nov 3 (NW) The Govt Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) has announced plans to stage protests at major hospitals across Sri Lanka over the next few days, citing salary and allowance issues, a shortage of doctors and healthcare workers, and concerns over repressive laws. In a statement, the GMOA said the protests aim to draw attention to several unresolved issues affecting doctors and the country’s free healthcare system. more..

Nov 3 (NW) The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the awarding of a contract for the Sampur–Kappalthurai Transmission Infrastructure Development Project, aimed at strengthening Sri Lanka’s electricity transmission network. According to the Cabinet decision, the contract has been awarded to the joint venture of Ceylex Engineering (Pvt) Ltd and Xingneng Electric Power Construction Co. Ltd for USD 4.15 million, EUR 0.78 million and Rs. 1,096.08 million, excluding taxes. more..

Nov 3 (Island) Police Department denied allegations that its officers demanded free bottles of liquor from licensed outlets, threatening legal action against SL Association of Liquor Licensees President Ajith Udugama for making what they called false and fabricated claims. ASP F.U. Wootler categorically rejected the allegations, saying legal action would be taken against Udugama for making false statements. He said police had recently observed attempts by various parties to tarnish Dept’s image more..

Nov 3 (NW) Deputy Minister Nishantha Jayaweera has urged the public not to queue at Inland Revenue Department (IRD) offices to obtain Taxpayer Identification Numbers (TIN), stating that alternative arrangements are being introduced to facilitate the process. He said the requirement to obtain TIN certificates had caused unnecessary public concern and urged people not to panic. He said the IRD would soon issue a special more..

Nov 3 (EN) Sri Lanka’s Cabinet has approved awarding a multi-currency contract to a joint venture between Ceylex Engineering (Pvt) Ltd and Xingneng Electric Power Construction Co Ltd to upgrade the Kolonnawa Grid Substation for the island’s first utility-scale battery energy storage facility. The procurement covers the development of a 100 MW/100 MWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) designed to stabilize the power grid as more renewable power is integrated. more..

Nov 3 (FT) When Nuwan Jayawardena asked me, as an academic, what I made of his views in The expert shortage we are building, published on 1 Oct, I did not need long to answer. I agree with him. He writes as a CFA charterholder and a practitioner who hires; I write after twenty years in the lecture hall, including my years as Head of the Department of Finance at USJ. We have arrived at the same place through different doors. His central sentence deserves to be pinned on the noticeboard more..

Nov 3 (AD) Colombo Magistrate’s Court has ordered the release on bail of SLPP MP Namal Rajapaksa, who had been remanded in connection with the controversial Krrish deal. Accordingly, Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama ordered the release of accused on a cash bail of Rs. 100,000 and three personal sureties of Rs. 5 million each. The Magistrate also imposed an overseas travel ban on the parliamentarian and warned him against intimidating or influencing witnesses. more..

Nov 3 (FT) Every month, salaried Sri Lankans see tax leave their payslip before they see their pay. For them, the debate on income tax relief is a question of whether the household budget balances after food, transport, school fees and loan instalments. Govt has indicated a proposal to raise the monthly tax-free threshold from Rs. 150,000 to Rs. 200,000 as revenue strengthens, with the timing and design still under discussion, and its stated medium-term policy is to lower tax rates more..

Nov 3 (FT) Govt’s Budget swung to a surplus of Rs. 9.5 billion in the first half of 2026 from a deficit of Rs. 405.6 billion a year earlier, as a surge in revenue and lower execution of capital expenditure outpaced spending growth, while Govt debt stood at Rs. 32 trillion, or 88.8% of estimated GDP. This is according to the Finance, Planning and Economic Development’s Mid-Year Fiscal Position Report released yesterday under more..

Nov 3 (NW) Chevaan Daniel, Group Director of the Capital Maharaja Group, has reportedly been elected Vice President of the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU), becoming the first Sri Lankan to hold the position. The appointment marks a significant milestone for Sri Lanka’s broadcasting industry, with Daniel securing a leadership position in one of the world’s largest broadcasting organisations. The development comes as SL hosts the 63rd ABU General Assembly and more..

Nov 3 (DN) The Sabaragamuwa Provincial programme to recognise outstanding students who excelled at the 2025 GCE A/L Exam, under the President’s Fund initiative to honour high achievers at district level, was held on Sunday at the Ratnapura District Secretariat. The programme aims to recognise and encourage the dedication and achievements of these students, who represent the country’s future human capital. Accordingly, 20 students from each subject stream more..

Nov 3 (FT) SL must move its revenue administration from a reactive, crisis-driven model to a modern, risk-based and digitally enabled one if the tax gains that doubled revenue to 15.4% of GDP since 2021 are to endure, IMF said, with the next phase of revenue mobilisation dependent on compliance, data and enforcement rather than higher tax rates. The findings are contained in the IMF Fiscal Affairs more..

Nov 3 (FT) Colombo Permanent High Court Trial-at-Bar has fixed the CB Bond case against former Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran and several co-accused for a pre-trial conference on 28 Jan, 2027. The three-judge bench, presided over by Judge Priyantha Liyanage, made the order when the case was taken up yesterday. Perpetual Treasuries Ltd., (PTL) Directors Arjun Aloysius, Geoffrey Aloysius and Kasun Palisena, former CB Deputy Governor P. Samarasiri, Muthuraja more..

Nov 3 (FT) Investigations have been launched after a tusker was found dead with its left tusk cut off and removed in a forested area in Kahatagasdigiliya, Dept of Wildlife Conservation said. Wildlife officers discovered the carcass on Sunday in a forested area adjoining a paddy field near the Kayagollewa tank, within the Meeminnawala GN Division. Officials believe the tusker died about a week before it was found. Preliminary observations suggest the left tusk was cut off with a weapon more..