Nov 16 (ST) As the govt grapples with the challenges that beset the ruling party, several opposition parties are readying for a showdown with a planned public rally at Nugegoda on Friday. While the SJB, has decided, amidst severe internal discussions, to opt out of the joint rally, anti-govt effort has brought together an interesting mix of political forces, giving credence to the saying There are no permanent enemies and no permanent more..

Nov 16 (AD) Several transfers and appointments involving high-ranking police officers have been made as per a decision of the National Police Commission (NPC). Accordingly, Senior Deputy Inspectors General of Police (SDIG) Sanjeewa Dharmaratne has been transferred from the post of Senior DIG in charge of the Western Province to the post of Senior DIG in charge of Police Administration. Senior DIG S.C. Medawatte has been transferred from post of Senior DIG more..

Nov 16 (ST) A five-member CID team has left for the UK to probe the authenticity of the invitation letter allegedly sent by the University of Wolverhampton to former Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe, but the visit has gone ahead without informing or the instructions of the Attorney General. AG’s Dept had been kept in the dark regarding the CID team’s UK visit, and no instructions from the Attorney General had been sought by senior CID officers in charge of the probe prior to the team’s departure. more..

Nov 16 (TM) Govt is yet to decide whether it will proceed with the previous administration’s Expression of Interest (EOI) or call for new EOIs internationally from strategic investors for the joint development of the Trincomalee Oil Tank Farm in partnership with Trinco Petroleum Terminal Ltd (TPTL). It has been over a year since TPTL invited EOIs. In July last year, TPTL, a Joint Venture (JV) between CPC) and LIOC under more..

Nov 16 (AD) A Gazette notification has been issued amending the maximum retail prices (MRPs) imposed for canned fish, effective from today (15). CAA, through this Extraordinary Gazette, has updated the MRPs for various types of canned fish. The order, issued under Section 20(5) of the Consumer Affairs Authority Act, No. 9 of 2003, prohibits any local manufacturer, packer, distributor, or trader from selling, displaying, or offering for sale canned fish above the specified MRPs. more..

Nov 16 (AD) An interim report containing proposals and ideas for establishing the necessary framework and formal institution to develop a structured salary scheme and enhance professionalism in the public service was presented to the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Public Admin, PCs and LG by the Chairman of the appointed subcommittee, MP Chandana Sooriyarachchi. This was presented during a meeting of the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Public Administration, more..

Nov 16 (ST) There seems to be ambiguity on the granting of a wage hike to estate workers as smallholders complain they have not been informed as to how they need to increase the pay as proposed in the budget. The government has come to an agreement with the Regional Plantation Companies (RPCs) to increase wages of estate workers by paying an additional Rs.200 from the RPCs and another Rs.200 from the govt. Kalutara and Galle Smallholders Tea Estate more..

Nov 16 (ST) SL’s tourism industry is hoping this winter there could be a 20-25% growth in arrivals but the overall numbers for the year is expected to fall short of the 3 million target. Industry officials point out that they continue to exert pressure on the authorities to carry out the necessary marketing campaigns as required to improve the number of arrivals. It was observed that while the budget has looked at expanding the services and improving the infrastructure development like more..

Nov 16 (AD) Extended discussions were held at the COPE regarding the delay in construction activities of the East Container Terminal of the Colombo Port and the circumstances that arose due to the delay of the entire project. These discussions took place at the meeting held on Nov 13 in Parliament under the chairmanship of MP Nishantha Samaraweera, Chair of COPE, in order to examine AG’s Reports for the years 2022 & 2023 more..

Nov 16 (DM) UNP has raised concerns over a remark made by Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the 36th Il Maha Viru Samaruma, claiming that a key comment was deliberately excluded from the official record of the event. According to the UNP, Prez’s statement that a crown did not fall on our head by drifting down a drain was delivered during his speech at the commemoration but was not included in the official press release titled Remarks by Comrade Dissanayake at 36th Il Maha Viru more..

Nov 16 (AD) Senior DIG Lalith Pathinayake, who had been serving as the Acting Senior DIG in charge of the Police Administration Division, has reportedly been removed from the position by the National Police Commission, pending disciplinary action. However, Lalith Pathinayake will continue to serve as the Senior DIG in charge of the Central Province. Meanwhile, the National Police Commission has approved the appointment of Senior DIG Sanjeewa Dharmaratne, who is in charge of the WP, more..

Nov 16 (NW) Leader of the House, Minister Bimal Rathnayake said in Parliament this afternoon (15) that officiala from parliament secretariat traveling abroad more frequently than necessary. He noted that while some officials have made multiple foreign trips, they have not presented a single effective proposal for the benefit of the country. Rathnayake added that although there are capable officers in Parliament, many have never visited a foreign country. more..

Nov 16 (NW) Police have appealed for public assistance to identify a suspect wanted over an incident in Arugam Bay, where a foreign woman reported an attempt of sexual assault. According to police, the woman had posted a video online showing the suspect engaging in indecent sexual behaviour, prompting the Pottuvil Police to begin investigations into the incident, which reportedly occurred on the 25th. Police urged anyone with information on the suspect to contact more..

Nov 16 (SI) For decades, the Tamil minority has looked towards federal states as a model for governance. This autumn, a delegation of SL lawmakers and political decision-makers visited Switzerland to gain insight into the country’s political system. Will SL’s left-wing govt now push ahead with power-sharing? It is fascinating to see how everything is organised from the bottom up in Switzerland, says Chandima Hettiaratchi. more..

Nov 16 (DM) A 28-year-old former soldier, suspected of fatally stabbing a 16-year-old schoolgirl, has reportedly taken his own life by hanging himself, police said. The victim has been identified as Hewage Malki Dilrukshi, a Grade 10 student from Panwilatenna, Millagahamula in Gampola. The teenager had been in a romantic relationship with the deceased former soldier. Investigations revealed that the suspect had allegedly committed the murder after becoming suspicious that more..

Nov 16 (ST) SL head into the third and final ODI in Rawalpindi today knowing the series is already out of reach, but with an equally important objective at hand: testing their bench strength. After a narrow 6-run defeat in the opening clash and a heavy 8-wicket loss on Friday, the visitors are mulling significant changes as they search for answers before their next international assignments. Despite several batters getting starts, SL’s innings have repeatedly lacked the substance authority needed to more..

Nov 16 (ST) It was supposed to be just another ODI in Rawalpindi–the usual noise, and competition between two neighbours bound by history, heartbreak, and cricket. But on Tuesday, as the Sri Lankans played Pakistan, a suicide blast just a few kilometres away from the stadium turned a cricket series into a diplomatic crisis. Twelve people were killed, 27 more were injured, and within hours the echoes of that explosion had reached more..

Nov 16 (CT) Sri Lanka Badminton (SLB) successfully concluded the National Umpire Refresher and Accreditation Courses 2025, held on 8 and 9 Nov at the Uni of Colombo Auditoriums. Covering all 9 Provinces across the Country, programme saw the participation of over 66 New Candidates in the National Umpire Accreditation Course – aimed at Enrolling Fresh Umpires – and 70 Experienced Umpires in the Refresher Course, designed to Update and Enhance more..

Nov 16 (CI) A new global tournament, the ICC Women's Emerging Nations Trophy, involving eight teams from four continents, will be played from Nov 20 to 30 in Bangkok. Thailand, Papua New Guinea, Netherlands, UAE, Scotland, Namibia, Tanzania and Uganda will take part in the inaugural edition. The trigger for the tournament, an ICC statement said, was the success of the recent ODI World Cup in India and SL, where more than 500 million viewers in India were recorded and there was also more..

Nov 16 (TM) International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) by its award dated 2 Nov 2025 has dismissed the claims for damages submitted by the previous developer of the Bambalapitiya Flats redevelopment project and awarded the National Housing Development Authority (NHDA) costs amounting to $ 484,500. On 18 May 2017, the NHDA entered into a PPP agreement with the previous developer of the Bambalapitiya Flats redevelopment project, more..

Nov 16 (Island) No other cricketing nation has been battered by terrorism quite like Sri Lanka. The civil war erupted barely two years after we gained Test status and an armed insurrection simmered in the south. Killings were rampant, a President, Ministers, military commanders and activists were all consumed by the violence. Curfew was as routine as a morning roll call and schoolchildren travelling by bus or train were drilled to watch out for suspicious parcels. more..

Nov 16 (ST) The key focus of the visit undertaken by a delegation of a 12-member cross-party delegation of MPs to Switzerland recently was Swiss federalism and the interaction between different political levels in Switzerland, according to Swiss media. A report on the visit published in swissinfo.ch, the international online service of the SBC, has brought to light some of the secret discussions held in the past on touchy topic more..

Nov 16 (Island) The exam format to enter Royal changed with an exception to the rule in 1959 to favour the powerful. SWRD Bandaranaike, the Prime Minister was assassinated in Sept 1959. It was stated that Anura, his son, was too stressed to sit the Entrance Exam two months later. The test was still held, and they took in carte- blanche all 140 from RPS. 35 were taken from outside RPS tosatisfy the 80:20 ratio. Thus there were five forms of 35 each in 1960 as compared to the norm of four forms. more..

Nov 16 (Island) Budget 2026 is under intense scrutiny. It is being viewed through various lenses, and opinion is divided thereon, as is the case with all budgets in this country, where political battles pass for economic debates. A section of the business community has praised the NPP government’s budget, and its positive response will surely go a long way towards building investor confidence. However, not all economic analysts are well-disposed towards the budget. more..

Nov 16 (ST) My dear Ramith, I thought of writing to you because everyone is talking about how you gave the finger as you left court this week. We know ‘giving the finger’ is an obscene way of showing contempt and saying I don’t care. Still, I can’t understand why there is such a fuss about your actions. Let me explain. You had just been charged in court with failing to show how you acquired assets worth over 290 million rupees in less than two years when you were your Papa Keheliya’s more..

Nov 16 (TM) It increasingly appears that the NPP Govt, emboldened by the spoils of power and the illusion of permanence that power often brings, is engaged in a calculated attempt to fortify its political base by reaching into constituencies traditionally loyal to the Opposition. This effort is neither subtle nor accidental. It is an unmistakable acknowledgement that the NPP’s electoral success was not a triumph of ideology or leadership charisma; rather it was a rebellion vote – more..

Nov 16 (TM) The 2026 Budget presented by Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake and his JVP-led NPP saw its second reading being passed in Parliament by an unprecedented majority of 118 votes, with 160 votes in favour, 42 votes against, and eight abstentions on Friday. Several Opposition members also voted in favour of the Govt’s Budget. Opposition MPs Jeevan Thondaman (CWC) as well as Mano Ganesan, P. Digambaram, and more..

Nov 16 (GV) The 2026 budget proposal to uplift plantation workers through higher daily wages is a positive step. Yet the decision to grant attendance incentives directly from the govt raises deeper questions about governance, equality and the autonomy of private enterprise. This article argues that fair wages must be ensured through law and tripartite consultation, not political intervention, to protect both workers’ dignity and private sector independence. more..

Nov 16 (CT) When we reflect on the JVP’s journey from its formative years in the late 1960s to its current role as a leading force in govt — alongside its NPP partners — one striking shift becomes clear. In its early decades, the party openly championed class conflict. It emphasised the struggle between workers and peasants on one side, and the ruling classes on the other. Class collaboration was denounced, even despised, within its ranks. Today, however, the picture is very different. more..

Nov 16 (CT) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s presence at the 36th Il Maha Viru Samaruma this week carried a symbolism that reached beyond ritual commemoration. It was the first time a Head of State attended the November Heroes’ remembrance — a memorial rooted in the trauma, sacrifice, and unresolved moral questions of the 88/89 insurgency. For Dissanayake, now in the seat of executive authority, it marked a personal & political more..

Nov 16 (ST) Entering into its second year, the NPP Govt is showing a habit of rolling back its pre-election promises—and making no bones about it. Its second budget last week made it clear that this administration will follow the IMF script to the letter, notwithstanding impassioned pledges that it would amend it once in power. On the contrary, the Govt is veering full speed in a direction opposite to what it promised in its manifesto, which is not necessarily a bad move. more..

Nov 16 (SO) SL marked the 36th November Heroes Commemoration on Nov 13. The JVP that once stood outside the State, and even in violent confrontation with it, is now the central pillar of the Govt. The party, long associated with rebellion, idealism and sacrifice, is today responsible for policy, governance and the reconstruction of a country emerging from bankruptcy. November Heroes Commemoration reminds the country of the thousands of young people who more..