Nov 26 (CT) In a bid to circumvent legal restrictions abroad, pro- LTTE Tamil diaspora activists have reportedly been using versions of the organisation’s insignia that are only slightly altered, making them appear similar to the original while attempting to avoid scrutiny from foreign authorities, an informed source said. It came out in the wake of recent developments in Canada and the UK, where pro-LTTE diaspora members remain active. more..

Nov 26 (CT) The Cabinet of Ministers has approved compensation for 184 workers affected by the closure of textile operations in Thulhiriya and Pugoda, Cabinet Spokesman Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa announced yesterday (25). He said the decision includes 15 former employees of Kabul Lanka (Pvt) Ltd., Thulhiriya, who had not previously received compensation after the company shut down. These workers had submitted appeals requesting the same relief granted to their former colleagues. more..

Nov 26 (Island) The SL Press Association (SLPA), the country’s oldest organisation of journalists, will mark its 70th anniversary today (26) with a commemorative convention and the D. F. Kariyakarawana Memorial Journalism Awards at the Hilton Colombo. Established on 9 October 1955, the Association will celebrate the milestone by felicitating ten distinguished veterans of the print and electronic media in recognition of their longstanding service to the profession. more..

Nov 26 (AD) Colombo Magistrate’s Court today ordered that seven suspects arrested in connection with the smuggling of nearly 376 kilograms of heroin and crystal methamphetamine (Ice) into SL off the coast of Tangalle, be remanded until Dec 9. The order was issued against seven defendents, including a former Pradeshiya Sabha member who contested the local govt elections under the SJB party. The suspects were produced before Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga Bodaragama by more..

Nov 26 (DM) Health authorities say that about 10 places in the country are making Madana Modaka illegally. These factories use too much hemp, more than what is allowed by law. Officials say these places misuse the annual registration certificate they get from the Ayurvedic Department. They pretend to follow the correct rules but secretly make the medicine in the wrong way. Health authorities say that real Madana Modaka must be made exactly according to the approved recipe, more..

Nov 26 (NW) Dept of Irrigation has issued flood warnings for areas in the vicinity of the Heda Oya Basin, Kumbukkan Oya Basin and Mahaweli Basin. The flood warning for the Heda Oya Basin, valid until 3.30 pm on Nov 28, is as follows; Due to heavy rainfall received last night in parts of Ampara and Monaragala districts, there is a possibility of flooding in low‑lying areas around Heda Oya, particularly in Siyambalanduwa and Lahugala DS divisions. more..

Nov 26 (EN) A team of Sri Lankan healthcare businesses, organized by AHK Sri Lanka, has visited MEDICA 2025, an international trade fair for the global medical industry, in Düsseldorf, Germany. The delegation included representatives from Dimo Lifelines, Hayleys Lifesciences, Technomedics, AJ Medichem International, and Hemas Hospitals. They met Messe Düsseldorf to explore global trade fair trends and business opportunities, AHK Sri Lanka said in a statement. more..

Nov 26 (DM) A 24-year-old SL national in Bengaluru has fallen victim to an online sextortion racket involving an unidentified individual who first contacted him through Instagram. According to a case filed by the police, the unknown person met the victim, a student, on Instagram and gradually developed an online friendship. The individual later contacted the victim on WhatsApp. The victim alleged that during the video calls, the accused secretly took his personal photos and private videos without his consent. more..

Nov 26 (EN) Sri Lanka’s tourism revenue has been lower since August this year compared to arrival after the relevant authority revising down per day tourism spending, top Central Bank officials said. The SLTDA estimates that per day revenue based on a survey. The revenue from tourism, which accounts for nearly 3 % of the island nation’s economy, edged up 0.3% in October despite a 21.5% jump in arrivals, the official data showed. more..

Nov 26 (AD) SL’s rupee can move both ways, CB Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe said, as concerns rose over the depreciation of the rupee in 2025 amid record external current account surpluses and falling budget deficit. “I want to emphasize that under the current exchange rate regime, the exchange rate can move both ways,” Governor said after the November monetary policy decision. “It is not a one way movement. We have seen even in the last couple of weeks, some depreciation. It has turned around and is stable.” more..

Nov 26 (AD) Dept of Irrigation has issued a Red flood warning for the downstream areas of the Gal Oya. As per the warning, the capacity of the Senanayake Samudraya in Inginiyagala, Ampara has reached its peak due to heavy rainfall received in the upper and middle catchment areas of the Gal Oya Basin. Furthermore, owing to the intense rainfall recorded over the past 24 hours in the area, Gal Oya river downstream of the Senanayake Samudraya will be under the risk of major flooding more..

Nov 26 (FT) With the 30 Nov tax deadline looming, SL’s tax professionals are not just racing against time they are quietly safeguarding the integrity of the nation’s fiscal system. Their desks are full, their phones never stop ringing, and their evenings often stretch late into the night. But their work in this busy season is only one part of a much bigger role. Today, tax professionals are also essential guardians of ethical tax behaviour and public trust in SL’s tax system. more..

Nov 26 (FT) On 15 Oct, SL Customs announced that it had collected Rs. 2,470 million in a single day — the highest ever recorded by the agency. As of that date, cumulative customs revenue in 2025 reached Rs. 1,867 billion. This achievement invites a deeper examination: is this a fortuitous one-time spike, or a signal of improved governance, better processes, and structural change? What are the drivers, and what does it bode for SL’s fiscal health and tax policy environment? more..

Nov 26 (AD) Central Bank has maintained its policy rate at 7.75% in a Nov 2025 decision, a statement said saying it will help reflate the economy to 5%. SL’s rupee had depreciated steadily in 2025, amid record current account surpluses and reduction in budgets, helping push up prices of imported goods, amid strong credit growth. “Recent depreciation pressure on rupee has subsided with improvement in foreign exchange liquidity,” more..

Nov 26 (AD) Chief of the Army Staff of India General Upendra Dwivedi is scheduled to embark on a two-day visit to Sri Lanka from Dec 1–2, marking a significant milestone in India–SL defence cooperation. Visit comes amid a steady rise in high-level military engagements between the two nations, reinforcing mutual trust, strategic alignment and growing operational synergy. Indian army spokesperson stated that the upcoming visit aims to reinforce India’s Neighbourhood First policy more..

Nov 26 (DM) A suspected man questioned over bombings that killed 269 people in SL is seeking asylum in the UK. The unnamed asylum seeker, from SL, was arrested over allegations that he was involved in the 2019 Easter bombings in the country. The blasts killed six Britons, including a mother and her two children. The man, who has been granted anonymity, left SL in 2022 after being arrested and released on bail over the attacks, in which suicide bombers targeted luxury hotels and churches. more..

Nov 26 (AD) The highest amount allocated for education in history has been made in the 2026 budget, enabling the present govt to formulate educational policies, plans and establish institutional structures for the sector, Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated. She also emphasized that financial allocations alone are insufficient unless they are supported by a strong institutional framework for effective policy implementation. more..

Nov 26 (DM) Adverse weather conditions have killed ten people and affected more than 1,790 people and 504 families in Ratnapura, Kegalle, Badulla, Matara, Hambantota, Galle, Gampaha, Kalutara, Kilinochchi and Jaffna Districts have been affected by the adverse situation data put out by the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) by yesterday evening. Some 16 people belonging to five families in Ratnapura District have been evacuated and have been provided with temporary shelters. more..

Nov 26 (DM) Sri Lanka is set for several more days of unsettled weather, with the Met Dept warning of continued showers and thunderstorms across most parts of the island. Cloudy skies will prevail islandwide, while showers or thundershowers are expected at times in the Northern, North-Central, Eastern & Uva Provinces, as well as in the Hambantota & Matale Districts. “Heavy rainfall exceeding 100 mm is likely in parts of the Eastern, North-Central, Uva & Southern Provinces, more..

Nov 26 (DM) Capital market regulator, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has escalated its enforcement drive as it yesterday issued its first-ever scam alert. It named Blue Ocean Securities Ltd as an unlicensed and unauthorised operator posing a direct risk to investors as it is operating entirely outside the law. SEC declared that Blue Ocean Securities is not licensed to trade securities in SL and that its Chief Analyst and Assistant are not registered investment advisors. more..

Nov 26 (SO) Govt will distribute Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) tracking devices to small-scale and multi-day fishing vessels under its A Nation United: Eradicating the Menace of Narcotic Drugs program, Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources Minister Ramalingam Chandrasekaran said. He said plans were under way to procure and install VMS units on 50,000 small boats and 7,000 multi-day vessels. The Budget has allocated Rs. 12 billion for the fisheries sector, he added. more..

Nov 26 (FT) SL’s export sector continues to show strong resilience, registering over $ 14.43 billion in total exports during the first 10 months of 2025, a 6% year-on-year (YoY) growth, despite month-on-month export earnings was flat. The latest figures, showed a steady upward trajectory in both merchandise and services exports, despite growing competitiveness and uncertainties in the global markets. more..

Nov 26 (NW) A range of essential services of the Registrar General’s Dept were provided to the public under the Happy Nation – Clean Sri Lanka special village-to-village community service programme, currently being implemented across district secretariat divisions. The special mobile service initiative, carried out under the guidance of Registrar General S. Jaladeepan, is being coordinated through district secretariats as part of the govt’s Clean Sri Lanka programme to improve more..

Nov 26 (FT) Cabinet of Ministers on Monday approved authorising the CEB to proceed with long-delayed Norochcholai–Wariyapola Transmission Development Project execution and initiate formal negotiations with Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) to obtain the required financing. The project, identified as a top priority under the CEB’s Long-Term Transmission Plan 2025–2034, is designed to strengthen the main transmission backbone between Puttalam and Wariyapola more..

Nov 26 (CI) India have been grouped with Pakistan; Sri Lanka with Australia and Ireland; England with West Indies and Bangladesh; and New Zealand with Afghanistan and South Africa at the 2026 Men's T20 World Cup in February and March. The tournament, co-hosted by India and SL, begins on Feb 7 and ends on March 8, with the marquee India-Pakistan fixture scheduled for Feb 15 at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. ICC revealed the groups and fixtures at an event in Mumbai on Tuesday. more..

Nov 26 (Island) 23rd DSI Supersport Schools Volleyball Championship concluded successfully, celebrating the remarkable talent and enthusiasm for volleyball among young athletes. Held on 15-16 Nov 2025 at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium in Colombo, SL’s No. 1 footwear brand partnered with the SL Volleyball Federation and the Schools’ Volleyball Association of the Education Ministry to organise this prestigious tournament, which holds a significant place in the history of the sport. more..

Nov 26 (ST) A bill to regulate non-banking lending institutions is to be introduced, with penalties for non-compliance including fines of up to Rs five million, up to five years’ imprisonment, or both, upon conviction in a magistrate’s court. The proposed Microfinance and Credit Regulatory Authority Bill was published by Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake in his capacity as Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development. more..

Nov 26 (DN) Chairman of the Palm Oil Industry Association of SL (POIA) Dr. Rohan Fernando highlighted that it is the high time for lifting the 2021 ban on oil palm cultivation, since the Association widely regards the ban as an unscientific, ad hoc policy decision. Addressing the 6th AGM of the POIA in Colombo on Monday (25), he added that Sri Lanka’s continuing ban on oil palm cultivation, imposed in 2021, remains one of the most debated agricultural policies in recent years. more..

Nov 26 (DN) SL Under 19 cricketers are getting ready for the ICC under 19 men’s cricket world cup which will be played from January 16 to Feb 6, 2026 in Zimbabwe and Namibia. The 16 teams have been divided into four groups and SL in Group ‘C’ with Ireland, Japan and defending champions Australia. SL’s first game will be against Japan on January. 17 Their next opponent will be Ireland (Jan 19) followed by Australia Jan 23). Chairman of the National Junior Selection Committee Vinothen John more..

Nov 26 (FT) Tourism Minister Vijitha Herath called on hotel operators and tourism-related investors to accelerate development outside the Western Province, stressing that Budget 2026 has allocated substantial funds to improve national infrastructure, including highways and domestic airports, to support regional tourism growth. Speaking at the Tourist Hotels Association of SL (THASL) AGM, Minister noted that more..

Nov 26 (FT) The Hotels Association of SL (THASL) outgoing President M. Shanthikumar on Monday in his final address to Govt and members called for stronger global promotion, clearer regulations and investment-friendly policies to safeguard the sector’s future. Delivering his final speech before handing over leadership to Asoka Hettigoda at THASL’s 60th anniversary Shanthikumar said the dominance and contribution of formal-sector hoteliers cannot be underestimated, noting that more..

Nov 26 (FT) SL Tourism Hotels Association (THASL) President-elect Asoka Hettigoda on Monday endorsed the Govt’s target of $ 8 billion in tourism earnings by 2030, but said the industry should push even further to achieve its full economic potential. “THASL is proposing an ambitious, but attainable goal of $ 10 billion revenue by 2030. Achieving this will require annual arrivals growth of around 20%, taking SL to six million visitors, alongside a 30% increase in per-night spending through a shift more..