Nov 12 (Island) Investigations into a controversial consignment of concentrated nitric acid, detained by SL authorities, have reportedly uncovered additional barrels, beyond the four containers initially brought under scrutiny, with further investigations continuing to establish the full extent of the hazardous chemical stockpile. Environmentalist Chandana Jayakody said investigations conducted by them had revealed the presence of additional barrels of nitric acid, more..

Nov 12 (NW) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake, in his capacity as Minister of Finance, is scheduled to present the 2027 Budget in Parliament today. According to a statement issued by the Parliament, the Prez will deliver the Budget Speech, or the Second Reading of the Appropriation Bill for 2027, during the parliamentary sitting scheduled to commence at 1.30 p.m. The Budget Debate will be held over 26 days, from Nov 13 to Dec 14, with the Second Reading Debate scheduled from Nov 13 to 20. more..

Nov 12 (Island) President of Inter-University Trade Union Federation Ranga Meegoda has warned that growing suspicions are emerging over a possible conspiracy to undermine the country’s state university system under the incumbent govt. Speaking at a media briefing in Kandy on Tuesday, he said the govt continued to disregard severe shortages of academic and non-academic staff across state universities while pressing ahead with increased student intakes, thereby aggravating an already critical situation. more..

Nov 12 (Island) Ven. Balangoda Kassapa and two other monks, who had been staging a satyagraha near the Ruwanweliseya, in Anuradhapura, began a fast unto death at the site yesterday morning. They launched the hunger strike demanding the withdrawal of the proposed draft A'pura Sacred Area Development Plan and fulfilment of a pledge reportedly given by the Mahanayake Theras to secure the release of Ven. Galagodaatte Gnanasara. The satyagraha, launched by Ven. Balangoda Kassapa, other monks and more..

Nov 12 (Island) SJB yesterday acknowledged that the no-confidence motion against Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne, handed over to Secretary General of Parliament Kushani Rohanadeera and included in the Order Book on Oct 12, was no longer in the parliamentary process, following its rejection by the Speaker himself. SJB MP Ajith P. Perera said that the Opposition would have to bring in a new no-confidence motion. However, at the moment, the SJB was contemplating the possibility of complaining more..

Nov 12 (TM) SL’s record-breaking javelin thrower Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage has secured eighth place in the Men’s 2026 World Athlete of the Year rankings, earning international recognition following a remarkable season on the global athletics circuit. 23-year-old became the first SL athlete to be nominated for the prestigious Men’s World Athlete of the Year award organised by World Athletics. Pathirage was among 10 male athletes shortlisted for the honour more..

Nov 12 (ST) Hundreds of domestic cooking gas-related explosions in 2021, which also claimed several lives should be re-visited, a Parliamentary panel has suggested after hearing Litro Gas Lanka pleading the line that the gas mix was not changed, despite an inquiry finding that it had. The undisclosed inquiry findings were made public in April 2023 by the Sunday Times through the Right to Information Act. An eight-person committee chaired by the head of Moratuwa University’s more..

Nov 12 (Island) SL is stepping up efforts to develop the technical expertise required to enter the emerging green hydrogen economy, with four state universities joining an international collaboration to introduce a specialised Master’s degree programme in Hydrogen Enabling Technologies. The initiative, supported by the European Union (EU), is expected to strengthen the country’s academic, institutional and technical capacity to explore green hydrogen and green ammonia as potential components more..

Nov 12 (DM) Sri Lanka should factor the economic contribution of its forests, watersheds and coastal ecosystems into decisions on where to spend scarce public funds, ADB Country Director Shannon Cowlin said. She noted the services these assets provide to agriculture, fisheries, hydropower and tourism were only partly reflected in the information used to guide economic planning and investment. “For policymakers, natural capital accounting has value in its practical application. more..

Nov 12 (TM) Professor Manjula Ranagalage, a Professor of Environmental Management at Rajarata University, has been selected by The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) with the support of The Rockefeller Foundation, to participate in the TWAS Workshop on Heat-Health Science, which will be held in Trieste, Italy, from November 2 to 6, 2026. This workshop aims to broaden the scientific understanding of the relationship between high temperatures and human health. more..

Nov 12 (AD) Minister Vijitha Herath says that SL national Anojan Sivarasa, who was facing charges in Saudi Arabia, has been released as the Public Prosecution of Saudi Arabia has decided to discontinue the case against him. The death sentence imposed on Sivarasa had recently been overturned by the Supreme Court of Saudi Arabia. Minister said that Anojan no longer has a case against him in a Saudi court and that although he currently remains in custody he is expected to be brought back more..

Nov 12 (Island) National Eye Hospital observed World Keratoconus Day on Nov. 10, highlighting advanced diagnostic and treatment options available to help young patients maintain clear vision and secure stable futures. Keratoconus – a progressive eye condition that causes the cornea to thin and bulge into a cone-like shape – poses a growing threat to young people across the island. Speaking on the impact of the disease, Dr. Kusum Ratnayake noted that the condition predominantly impacts children and youth, more..

Nov 12 (FT) Dialog Axiata said it posted a group revenue of Rs. 144 billion for the first nine-months of 2026, representing a year-to-date (YTD) growth of 8% underpinned by robust performance across the mobile, fixed and digital pay television businesses. On a quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) and year-on-year (YoY) basis, group revenue grew 1% and 6% respectively to Rs. 48.5 billion in 3Q 2026, supported by growth in data and home broadband revenues. Group EBITDA) grew 20% YTD to Rs. 75.8 billion, more..

Nov 12 (FT) Prez and Finance Minister Anura Kumara Dissanayake is expected to present an investment-oriented 2027 Budget in Parliament today, with some relief for masses impacted by the tough stabilisation measures of the past two years, climate change and the Middle East conflict. As hinted by the President and his Ministers in recent weeks, the Pay As You Earn threshold is set to be adjusted upwards again and no new taxes or rate increases are expected, more..

Nov 12 (FT) The Gardiner Group has acquired The Pickle Island, a SL pickleball venture focused on developing the sport and its growing community, marking its entry into the country’s emerging sports and recreational leisure market. With seasoned investor and entrepreneur Aravinda de Silva joining as a partner, the acquisition represents the first step in what the Group describes as a broader investment strategy to build a portfolio of diversified leisure businesses in Sri Lanka. more..

Nov 12 (FT) Deputy Minister Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando yesterday described the 2027 Budget, to be presented today by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, as a long-term economic transformation plan aimed at moving Sri Lanka towards upper-middle-income status. He said the Budget would set out a phased pathway, supported by strategies, specific actions and priority-based resource allocations, to take the country beyond economic stabilisation towards sustained transformation. more..

Nov 12 (FT) Haycarb PLC, has delivered a strong financial performance for the six months ending 30 Sept, recording revenue of Rs. 40.6 billion, up 42% year-on-year, while profit before tax increased 75% to Rs. 4.0 billion. Attributable Profit to shareholders grew 98% to Rs. 2.5 billion, with earnings per share increasing to Rs. 8.41. Group strengthened its position in gold recovery and water treatment applications through increased market penetration and product development initiatives, more..

Nov 12 (FT) WindForce PLC recorded solid financial growth during the first half of FY2026/27, while advancing major solar, wind and battery energy storage investments that will significantly expand its renewable energy portfolio. Consolidated revenue for the six months ended 30 Sept 2026 increased to Rs. 5.61 billion from Rs. 4.68 billion a year earlier. Gross profit rose to Rs. 3.21 billion, while profit after tax reached Rs. 1.86 billion, compared with Rs. 1.77 billion in the corresponding period. more..

Nov 12 (CI) In the pantheon of SL batting, the uppermost tier remains sacred, guarded by the legacies of Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Sanath Jayasuriya, and Aravinda de Silva. So to say Kusal Mendis has breached that inner sanctum might be rightly considered blasphemy in some quarters. But as he passed 13,000 international runs on Wednesday, he took one further step towards quietening the naysayers, as it unequivocally placed him in elite company among SL greats, more..

Nov 12 (Island) In Parliament last week, Deputy Minister Anil Jayantha responded to MP Ravi Karunanayake’s question regarding the future of SL exports to the EU market by stating that, “It is expected to examine and report on possible options for securing long-term and sustainable market access to the EU through a deeper economic arrangement, including a possible comprehensive trade agreement, in the event of SL graduating from the GSP+ scheme if it is classified as an upper-middle-income country more..

Nov 12 (Island) Deputy Minister Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando has urged the public not to assess Budget 2027 solely on the basis of welfare benefits or tax concessions. They should instead consider its overall economic direction and the transformation it seeks to achieve, he has said, noting that what really matters is how it proposes to transform the economy, expand production, attract foreign investment and create employment opportunities. Making a special statement on govt’s third budget, more..

Nov 12 (DN) These days, a glance at the sky over Colombo and many other parts of the island reveals an unusual sight: swarms of small white and yellow butterflies moving in the same direction. Phenomenon has been observed across several parts of the capital, including Cinnamon Gardens, Borella, Nugegoda, Boralesgamuwa, Wellawatte & Kirulapone. Similar flights have also been reported in other districts, including Gampaha, Ratnapura and Galle. Butterfly flights appear to be most noticeable between 9 am and 4 pm. more..

Nov 12 (TM) Recent remarks by Tamil political representatives in New Delhi, raise an intriguing question: Is Tamil nationalism increasingly seeking legitimacy through an appeal to Hindutva? "Hinduism is being deliberately targeted in SL's North and East," said the Leader of the ACTC, Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam while addressing a conference in New Delhi on 28 Oct. Participants at the event also met India's Union Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman. more..

Nov 12 (DM) The scales remain unbalanced: intercepted drugs on one side, the tools of justice on the other, while families and the next generation wait for the system to deliver. The three months from Aug to Oct 2026 produced a stark set of numbers: roughly 22,000 heroin cases, nearly 29,000 methamphetamine cases, more than 13,000 cannabis cases, and hundreds of kilograms of heroin and methamphetamine seized. These figures sit against a longer backdrop of large maritime more..

Nov 12 (ST) In SL, a person earning more than Rs. 150,000 a month falls into the 6% marginal income tax bracket. But when that monthly income rises just by Rs. 210,000 (reaching Rs. 360,000), marginal tax rate climbs sharply to 36%, highest rate in the tax schedule. Marginal tax rate is simply the rate that applies to the last rupee earned. What stands out in SL’s tax structure is how quickly these rates rise. First step is a 12-point jump from 6% to 18% and the opening 6% band is Rs. 83,333 a month. more..

Nov 12 (TM) Every few months, this newspaper and its contemporaries publish another grim set of figures on child abuse. We carry the statistics, we quote the officials and we write the editorials. Yet, almost without fail, the figures climb again. So, as the NCPA prepares to introduce a national code of guidelines on child protection, it is worth asking a blunt question: why, after so much reporting and so many promises, can Sri Lanka still not keep its children safe? more..

Nov 12 (TM) In the early hours of 27 Sept 2012, student leaders Janaka Bandara, known as Mathalan, and Sisitha Priyankara, known as Tokka, were travelling on a motorcycle along the Kandy Road in Imbulgoda, Gampaha. They were on the ground, collecting handouts and pasting posters to build public support for a protest march approaching Colombo. They were killed in a suspicious accident. The march began in Kandy on 24 Sept and was scheduled to reach the capital on 28 Sept. more..

Nov 12 (TM) When Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake presents Budget 2027 in Parliament today, he will be doing so for the last time with the IMF looking over his shoulder. SL's four-year Extended Fund Facility is due to end in March, and the Fund has made its next tranche of about $ 345 million conditional on a Budget presented in line with programme parameters. After that, the discipline that has steadied the economy since 2023 will no longer be imposed from Washington. It will have to be chosen in Colombo. more..

Nov 12 (CT) Anuradhapura, the enduring crucible of our Grand History and Noble Kings has today turned into an amphitheater for a comic opera staged by a disparate and desperate opposition. In a frantic bid for survival, a strange coalition of the Rajapaksas, Ranil Wickremesinghe, Sajith Premadasa, and Dilith Jayaweera have all lined up to present themselves as the new champions of the saffron robe. Of all the opposition mandarins, Sajith Premadasa stands out as the most eloquent reservoir of hogwash, more..

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..