Nov 20 (DM) Sri Lanka marked World Children’s Day and the anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child with the official opening of Little Amaya – See Me, Hear Me, an immersive, interactive child-rights experience and art exhibition at the Lotus Tower. The initiative, led by UNICEF SL, together with the Department of Probation and Child Care Services (DPCCS) and the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA), was launched this morning in the presence of Emma Brigham, more..

Nov 20 (EN) CEB has got 153 bids to set up batter energy storage systems (BESS) in the grid which were now being evaluated, Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody said. The CEB tendered for sixteen 10MW/40MHh battery energy systems, as a build operate own system. “We have got a record setting 153 bids,” Minister Jayakoday told parliament. “We can get a price around 17 rupees a kilowatt hours to get power after charging a battery. The evaluation is ongoing so we cannot give an exact price.” more..

Nov 20 (AM) Five wildlife officials at the Kaudulla National Park have been interdicted for allowing safari jeeps carrying foreign tourists to enter the park without tickets and pocketing the admission fees. Director General of Wildlife, Ranjith Marasinghe, stated that legal action has also been initiated against 10 safari jeeps that entered the park illegally during this period. Additionally, the services of four volunteer guides at the park have more..

Nov 20 (NF) Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa issued a blunt challenge to the govt: stop talking and start acting against media institutions allegedly tied to the narcotics trade—a claim made by Prez Dissanayake in Parliament earlier this week. "It was said that the media sector in the country is connected to the drug trade. You don’t need to come to Parliament and say so. Arrest them. Enforce the law against them. If media institutions are engaged in drug trade, enforce the law against them" more..

Nov 20 (NW) Thirty kilograms of Kush cannabis, valued at approximately Rs. 150 million, have been discovered at the Central Mail Exchange in Colombo. The haul was recovered during an operation carried out by officers of the Police Central Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB). Police said the stock of narcotics was found inside a consignment at the mail exchange and has since been taken into custody. Further investigations are underway to trace the recipients & identify the network involved. more..

Nov 20 (DM) SL’s healthcare system has the opportunity to save up to GBP 8.2 billion in around 30 years, through comprehensive Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR), a medical expert on tobacco regulation declared recently. This amounts to Rs. 3.32 trillion, according to today’s exchange rate. Dr Rohan Sequeira, a leading consultant cardio-endocrine physician, also revealed that the healthcare sector spends around GBP 400m more..

Nov 20 (FT) SL will assume the Chairmanship of the Asia Tea Alliance (ATA) for 2026-2027, with Tea Small Holdings Development Authority (TSHDA) Chairman Nimal Udugampola taking on the role. Announcement coincides with Colombo hosting the 6th ATA Annual Meeting at Lotus Tower, on 27 Nov, convened by Solidaridad Asia Managing Director Dr. Shatadru Chattopadhayay, followed by the Asia International Tea Summit 2025 under the theme Tea Reimagined: Regenerative, Resilient, and more..

Nov 20 (TM) Instructions have been issued to police stations to initiate legal action against foreign nationals driving three-wheelers without valid licences, Police Headquarters stated. Authorities clarified that an international driving licence alone is insufficient. Foreigners must obtain a temporary licence from the Dept of Motor Traffic, provided their existing credentials cover the relevant category. Foreign nationals must obtain a temporary licence to drive three-wheelers more..

Nov 20 (CT) The ITAK delegation that met President Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the Presidential Secretariat said the discussions were open but not fruitful. According to ITAK MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam, the President responded to most of the key matters raised by the party with only, Let’s see. The talks focused on the proposed new constitutional reforms, the long-delayed Provincial Council Elections, and the recent Trincomalee incident. more..

Nov 20 (NW) Twelve classic SL films will be showcased at the Festival des 3 Continents in Nantes, France, from Nov. 21–29, as part of the France India SL Cinema Heritage project, the French Embassy in Colombo said. Supported by the French Embassy in Colombo, the program, titled On the Roads of the Golden Age of SL Cinema, celebrates the island’s cinematic legacy on an international stage. The Festival explores Sri Lankan cinema with an exceptional programme of rare works, more..

Nov 20 (DM) Nearly a quarter of a million vacancies are set to remain unfilled across SL’s public sector as the govt moves to limit new recruitments to the bare minimum for the upcoming fiscal year (2026). Cadre Information of Public Sector 2025 report, released alongside the fiscal position report, reveals that while the total approved cadre for the public sector is 1.325 million, the actual number of employees as of June 30, 2025, more..

Nov 20 (EN) Sri Lanka has received 20 responses from investors to construct a build operate transfer (BOT) refinery at the Sapugaskanda petroleum complex, Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody said. Expressions of interest for the 100,000 barrel per day refinery closed in Sept 26, he said. “Now the evaluation of the expressions of interest is in the last stages,” Minister Jakody told parliament. “As the next stage, Requests for Proposals will be called under the govt procurement system.” more..

Nov 20 (AD) SLBFE Chairman, Kosala Wickramasinghe, stated that the bureau aims to establish a pool of 5,000 Sri Lankans who have completed Japanese language training within 2026. He made this statement during a meeting held yesterday between the SLBFE’s top management and a delegation of heads of Japanese company that have recruited Sri Lankans for employment in Japan. The primary purpose of the Japanese delegation’s visit is to explore the potential more..

Nov 20 (AD) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake says his goal is to prevent children from becoming victims of the drug menace, and that a govt has now been formed that will not provide political protection to any criminal. He asserted that not a single criminal or individual connected to the drug network will receive political protection. Prez stated this during the ceremony to launch the Southern Provincial Programme of the more..

Nov 20 (DM) The order placed for a vehicle for the Lanka Electricity Company (LECO) Chairman has been cancelled and an inquiry has been launched into the order of the vehicle, Power and Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody said today. Responding to an allegation by MP Ravi Karunanayake, the Minister told Parliament that the vehicle had been ordered by the LECO officials without the knowledge of former Chairman Janaka Aluthge while he was out of the country. more..

Nov 20 (NW) MP D.V. Chanaka questioned the govt today on contradictory statements by its ministers on the requirements to obtain a Police clearance certificate. MP Chanaka said that yesterday, Minister of Public Admin accepted that there was a requirement for a certificate from the Public Security Committee of an area for a person to obtain clearance certificates from the Police. “This morning we have Ministers Nalinda Jayatissa and Ananda Wijepala saying that it is not a requirement,” more..

Nov 20 (EN) Sri Lanka has increased female representation in parliament from 5 to 10 percent in the last election, the delegation representing the Indian Ocean island at the Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU) forum on gender equality was told. Among the delegates was Kushani Rohanadeera the Secretary General of Parliament. Oshani Umanga, Member of Parliament, told the forum that Sri Lanka had made significant strides in increasing women’s political participation. more..

Nov 20 (TM) A recent survey conducted by an organization representing transgender sex workers has revealed that between 25% and 30% of transgender sex workers in the country are addicted to drugs. Many transgender individuals choose sex work after being sidelined by their families and excluded from their homes due to their gender identity. This perceived occupational freedom contributes to the addiction of narcotics, including crystal meth (ice), heroin & cannabis. more..

Nov 20 (TM) Local three-wheeler driver unions reiterated their clarion call for the relevant transport authorities to regulate the sector in the wake of a recent, highly publicised, incident of a foreign female tourist travelling as a passenger in a three-wheeler being harassed by another three-wheeler driver. Two incidents of sexual harassment of female foreign tourists came to light in recent days. In the first incident, a female foreign more..

Nov 20 (DN) SL’s Deputy Minister of Sports, Sugath Thilakaratne, arrived in Pakistan this morning (19) on an official mission initiated under the directive of the Minister of Sports. The visit comes in response to an invitation extended by the Pakistani govt, with Thilakaratne set to attend matches of the ongoing SL–Pakistan–Zimbabwe Tri-Nation T20 Series. During his stay, he will meet with members of the SL squad to uplift morale and offer direct encouragement as tournament progresses. more..

Nov 20 (EN) SL has connected 800 MegaWatts of solar power to the national grind mostly made up of rooftop units, Minister Kumara Jayakody said. “In 2024 only 533MW of solar power was connected,” he said. “Already by October we have connected 800MW of solar. It is mainly rooftop with a small amount of ground mounted solar.” “We may be able to get 900MW to 1,000MW of solar by year end.” The NPP had given an election promise that 2,000MW of solar energy would be more..

Nov 20 (EN) SriLankan Airlines has restructured its defaulted bonds with a 15% haircut which will exchange for cash and a 4% amortizing government bond, a Singapore stock exchange filing said. “We are very pleased to have finally reached an agreement with the Ad Hoc Group of Bondholders, allowing us to now look to the future of our Company with greater optimism,” Chairman of SriLankan Airlines Sarath Ganegoda said more..

Nov 20 (AD) SL Police announced that vehicular movement will be restricted due to a public rally scheduled to be held on Friday (21) at the Ananda Samarakoon Open Air Theatre, within the Mirihana Police Division. The special traffic and security plan has been implemented to ensure the safety of Members of Parliament, dignitaries, political party leaders, representatives, supporters, and the public attending the rally. Accordingly, from 2.00 p.m. until the conclusion of the rally, more..

Nov 20 (AD) A team of experts attached to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of the US Department of Commerce and the Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command (NMOC) has arrived in Sri Lanka to help expand the country’s hydrographic mapping skills. Experts from the NOAA and the NMOC arrived for a new project with Sri Lankan partners to expand the country’s hydrographic mapping skills, according to US Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung. more..

Nov 20 (FT) Sri Lanka’s poultry industry stands today as one of the most advanced agribusiness sectors in the country—technologically modern, fully self-sufficient, and supported by decades of investment in hatcheries, breeder farms, feed mills, broiler operations, and processing facilities. Yet in spite of this strength, the industry is stagnant. Much of the national capacity remains underutilised, profitability has weakened, and the sector is unable to expand into export markets. more..

Nov 20 (FT) Despite the 2/3rds parliamentary majority which guaranteed the Budget’s passage, neither Prez AKD nor PM Harini attended COP 30 in Brazil. JVP-NPP skipped BRICS, SCO & COP 30, but signed a Defence Partnership MoU with the USA (National Guard, Coast Guard, US Dept. of War), while the US has amassed a huge force and is militarily targeting Venezuela, blowing-up people in boats in the Caribbean and Pacific, accusing them without a shred of evidence of being drug more..

Nov 20 (TM) The Amarapura Buddhist Sect stated that the newly established Buddha Sasana Council – which brings together the secretaries of all chapters of the Buddhist sects – will compile a detailed report on land related disputes involving Buddhist temples across the country. Secretary of the Sect, Ven. Balapitiye Siri Seevali Thera said that the secretaries of the three main Buddhist sects – Siam, Ramanna, more..

Nov 20 (DN) UNICEF SL Representative Emma Brigham welcomed the strong focus on child rights in the Govt’s priorities and messaging in a tight fiscal space. However she noted that around four in ten children in SL are deprived of at least two indicators of the Multidimensional Poverty Index. Multidimensional Poverty Index measures poverty beyond income, capturing multiple deprivations in areas such as health, education and living standards, including access to clean water, more..

Nov 20 (NW) Sri Lanka has revised several fees related to the issuance of driving licences for both citizens and foreign nationals, following new regulations issued under the Motor Traffic Act. According to the Extraordinary Gazette No. 2463/04 dated 17 Nov 2025, the fee for issuing a driving licence to a Sri Lankan citizen who already holds a foreign licence has been set at Rs. 30,000. The fee for a foreign national in the same category has been set at Rs. 60,000. more..

Nov 20 (TM) In the wake of Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake stating in Parliament that certain evidence linked to 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks was destroyed, Police stated that it is yet to receive specific information on what material was lost or who was responsible for the same. ASP F.U. Wootler said that no information related to the alleged destruction of evidence had been received thus far. “This matter is currently with CID. more..

Nov 20 (AD) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake says he held a meeting with a delegation of MPs from the TNA, this afternoon (19) at the Presidential Secretariat following a request made by the party. He said the discussions focused on the Provincial Council elections and the need for a new Constitution. Dissanayake said he emphasized that the Govt believes the longstanding issues faced by the people of the N&E Provinces can no longer be resolved through outdated political solutions. more..

Nov 20 (FT) Emigrate workers› trade fair organised by the SL bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) with Varieties of products stalls of emigrate workers will be held on 20 Nov 2025 at Diyatha Uyana. This event is being held to commemorate the 40th anniversary of SLBFE’S founding. The fair offers reasonably priced goods from emigrant workers who are successfully operating their businesses after arriving in Sri Lanka and it is organised by the reintegration division of SLBFE. more..