Nov 2 (ST) The Govt will present a welfare-oriented budget for next year while factoring in additional expenditure due to the ongoing crisis in West Asia and the possible impact of El Nińo, a senior govt official said. Budget 2027 will include a pay hike for public sector employees, with salaries expected to increase by Rs 20,000 for those in the lowest scales and up to Rs 80,000 in the higher scales, he said. more..

Nov 2 (TM) Met Dept warned fishing and naval communities against venturing into specified deep-sea areas as Cyclone Murasu is expected to intensify and bring strong winds and rough seas. In a warning issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre at 3 p m yesterday, the deep depression over the south-eastern Bay of Bengal had intensified into a cyclone named Murasu. The system was located near latitude 12.1° North and longitude 85.3° East at 11.30 a.m. yesterday. more..

Nov 2 (AD) Ceypetco has announced a revision of fuel prices, effective from midnight today (1). Accordingly, the price of Auto Diesel has been increased by Rs. 5 to Rs. 397 per litre, and the price of Super Diesel has been increased by Rs. 15 to Rs. 543 per litre. Meanwhile, the price of Petrol 92 Octane has been increased by Rs. 10 to Rs. 424 per litre and Petrol 95 Octane has also been increased by Rs. 15 to Rs. 490. Meanwhile, price of kerosene also remains at Rs. 285 with no price change. more..

Nov 2 (FT) President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has pledged further tax cuts in next month’s Budget, saying the reductions would be made without jeopardising the Govt’s revenue target. Addressing the National Convention of the National Intellectuals Organisation (NIO) at the P.D. Sirisena Grounds in Maligawatta, Prez said the Govt had met its revenue targets, unlike in the past, when projected State income was not fully realised. more..

Nov 2 (NW) SL Police have sought public assistance to identify and arrest a suspect wanted in connection with the shooting death of a restaurant owner in Soysapura, Mount Lavinia. Restaurant owner was shot dead on Oct 20, and investigations are being conducted by the Mount Lavinia Divisional CIB. Police have released CCTV images and video footage of a suspect believed to be connected to the killing. Members of the public with information about the suspect have been requested to contact more..

Nov 2 (PMD) Appointment letters were presented to 2,819 trainee nurses from the 2020 student nursing cohort, who completed the three-year Higher Diploma course at nursing colleges under the Ministry of Health and Mass Media, recruiting them to the health service as Grade III nursing officers. The ceremony was held at Temple Trees this morning (1), under the patronage of Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake. The 2,819 nursing officers appointed today had sat GCE A/L Level exam more..

Nov 2 (Island) Salary and wage rates for workers across Sri Lanka experienced positive growth up to Sept 2026, with the informal private sector significantly outpacing public sector adjustments. According to data from the Central Bank’s Statistics Department, the Nominal Wage Rate Index for the informal private sector (2018=100) rose to 213.3 in Sept 2026, marking a notable 10.3% increase compared to 193.3 recorded in the same month of the previous year. more..

Nov 2 (ST) The revised State-Owned Enterprise (SOE) Act will enable loss-making state enterprises to go public on the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE), a deputy minister said. Sri Lanka will divest and restructure its SOEs to eliminate commercial distortions, Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning Prof. Anil Jayantha said, addressing the Capital Market Industry Forum on Tuesday titled From Resilience to Sustainable Growth: The Future of Sri Lanka’s Capital Market. more..

Nov 2 (TM) Litro Gas Lanka is discussing with LAUGFS Gas PLC the possibility of supplying Litro gas cylinders to LAUGFS customers amid continuing difficulties in obtaining supplies, as the company assures its own customers of uninterrupted availability, it is learnt. Litro Gas Lanka Chairman Channa Gunawardana said that discussions were underway to identify a solution to ensure an adequate supply of gas, more..

Nov 2 (Island) A decade ago, in a bid to revive SL cricket, Thilanga Sumathipala was willing to give Chandika Hathurusingha a blank cheque. He even changed the board’s constitution to allow the Head Coach to serve as a national selector. The current administration seems willing to give Gary Kirsten a similarly free hand. Good on them. Judging by the performances in Pakistan, he appears to be pulling the right strings. Often, it is the simple things that go unnoticed. more..

Nov 2 (FT) The country spent $ 1,871 million on motor vehicle imports during January-September, Central Bank of SL (CBSL) data showed, about 10% of the $ 18.7 billion spent on merchandise imports in the period. “Expenditure on motor vehicle imports, including both personal and commercial vehicles, amounted to $ 188 million in Sept 2026, representing a 34.4% decline compared to Sept 2025,” the CBSL said in its External Sector Performance report for September, more..

Nov 2 (FT) Govt rejected all bids for a $ 100 million dollar-denominated Bond offered to local and diaspora investors after bidders sought yields of about 12%, a clear sign of the cost Sri Lanka will face when it returns to international capital markets, former CB Deputy Governor Dr. W.A. Wijewardena said. Speaking at CA SL’s 28th Annual Tax Oration on Thursday, Dr. Wijewardena said the Treasury had issued the bond to test the market and had planned to increase it to $ 300 million. more..

Nov 2 (FT) SL is set to strengthen its int'l air connectivity for the European winter tourism season, with several airlines introducing new services or increasing capacity on routes linking the island with Russia, France, Central Asia and Switzerland. Flights operated by Russia’s Azur Air to MRIA are scheduled to commence today (2), while French carrier French Bee is expected to begin services to BIA in December via the Maldives. S7 Airlines is also scheduled to launch direct flights from Siberia more..

Nov 2 (TM) The recent dip in SL’s apparel export revenue is the result of external macroeconomic pressures and weaker consumer spending in key Western markets rather than domestic operational failures, according to Deputy Minister Chathuranga Abeysinghe. He added that the Govt was working to diversify market reach while ensuring that trade concessions such as the EU GSP+ remained protected. more..

Nov 2 (DN) Muditha Lakshan smashed a blistering a 16-ball 52, but SL fell agonisingly short as Hong Kong pulled off a thrilling one-run win in their seventh-place play-off at the Hong Kong Cricket Sixes tournament in Mong Kok, Hong Kong, yesterday. It was not the finish SL had hoped for after arriving at the tournament with ambitions of making a strong impression. Their campaign began on a bright note with a one-wicket win over Bangladesh, but defeats to Scotland & Oman more..

Nov 2 (ST) The smooth corporate handoff of HSBC Sri Lanka’s retail banking portfolio to Nations Trust Bank (NTB) with the approval of the Central Bank has hit a wall of consumer friction. While the Rs. 18 billion deal may have been considered a business transaction in boardrooms, the reality is, thousands of the nation’s highly paid professionals including doctors, engineers, pilots, and corporate executives find themselves embroiled in an expensive administrative hassle. more..

Nov 2 (FT) Govt said it will look to stronger tax administration and compliance, rather than new or higher tax rates, for its near-term revenue gains as it targets tax revenue of at least 17% of GDP by 2031. “In the near term, emphasis should be placed on increasing the productivity of existing taxes through stronger administration, rather than relying primarily on new or higher tax rates,” Finance, Planning & Economic Dev more..

Nov 2 (FT) RS Rock Holdings hosted a high-level UK SL Investment Promotion Networking Event at Dover Marina Hotel and Spa, Tapestry Collection by Hilton, on 22 Oct, bringing together senior SL Govt representatives, diplomatic officials, investors and UK business leaders to explore opportunities for bilateral trade and investment. Among the distinguished guests were HC of SL to UK Nimal Senadheera, and Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe, who headed the visiting Govt delegation. more..

Nov 2 (DM) TEDxColombo, one of the most prominent and long-standing TEDx events in SL, announced the 14th edition of its flagship event, scheduled for Sunday (29), at the iconic Temple Trees. Known for pushing boundaries and sparking dialogue, TEDxColombo 2026 promises another unforgettable day of insight, inspiration and bold new ideas - brought to you by a carefully curated lineup of speakers that truly embody this year’s theme - challenging the way we see the world, more..

Nov 2 (FT) Chamber of SL Entrepreneurs (COYLE) concluded its I AM Leadership Forum 2026 at Cinnamon Grand last week, bringing together entrepreneurs and business leaders for an evening of personal stories, shared experience and dialogue on leadership. Held under the theme My Story. My Journey, the forum reflected COYLE’s broader vision for 2026 of Bridging Generations. Building Futures, creating space for established and emerging entrepreneurs to learn from one another. more..

Nov 2 (FT) Diversified Sri Lankan conglomerate Sunshine Holdings PLC (CSE: SUN) reported strong top-line and bottom-line growth during the six months ended 30 Sept 2026 (1HFY27), recording a consolidated revenue of Rs. 40.2 billion, an increase of 24.4% year-on-year (YoY). The Group’s profit after tax (PAT) increased by 44.3% YoY to Rs. 3.7 billion, supported by the resilience of the Group’s diversified portfolio across Healthcare, Consumer and Agribusiness. more..

Nov 2 (EN) Sri Lanka's external current account returned to a deficit in September 2026 after recording a surplus a month earlier, even as merchandise export earnings rose, according to data released by the central bank. Current account posted a deficit of US$ 128 million in September, compared with a surplus in August. Cumulative current account deficit for the first nine months of 2026 stood at US$ 420 million. more..

Nov 2 (Island) Tamil cattle farmers stage a round-the-clock vigil during a protest over alleged land encroachment at Batticaloa in Eastern Province. Tamil cattle farmers stage a round-the-clock vigil during a protest over alleged land encroachment at Batticaloa in Eastern Province Ambalavar Nallathambi Velayutham, a farmer and leader of an indigenous community, points to his disputed paddy field at Kunjankulam village in Batticaloa, Eastern Province. more..

Nov 2 (TM) A decisive legal battle has intensified in Sri Lanka’s political and social circles. The Protection of the State from Terrorism Bill (PSTB), proposed by the Govt to replace the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act, No. 48 of 1979 (as amended) (PTA) which has faced severe criticism over human rights (HR) violations for more than three decades, has caused grave concern and fear among the general public, trade unions (TUs) and legal experts. more..

Nov 2 (Island) The Opposition is seeking help from all quarters to tame the JVP-led govt, which has been bulldozing its way through. While its leaders are urging Colombo-based foreign diplomats to pressure the government to mend its ways, some Opposition activists are turning to deities and demons in the hope of invoking supernatural punishment on government leaders. The past few weeks have seen protesters resorting to occult practices, including chanting vas kavi, more..

Nov 2 (DM) The contemporary world is highly interconnected not only with economic activities through digitalisation but also Taxation, Finance, and many more things. Internationally, Registration of Taxation or having a Taxpayer Identification Number, is a primary requirement for doing various activities in the world. Doing business locally or internationally, especially Imports, Exports and digitalised business with providing services operating across jurisdictions are desired documentary more..

Nov 2 (ST) William Sami Étienne Grigahcine, known by his stage name DJ Snake, an internationally acclaimed French DJ and record producer who is in Sri Lanka for the two-day Senter Music Festival at Port City Colombo held a meeting with Minister Vijitha Herath. During the meeting, the Minister extended his appreciation to DJ Snake and the other international artists for accepting the invitation to perform in Sri Lanka and more..

Nov 2 (TM) For three weekends running, the streets of France have filled with people who say they can no longer make ends meet. What began in September as a protest by school pupils over crumbling classrooms and unfair university admissions has since grown into a broader revolt against the cost of living. On 24 Oct alone, French Interior Ministry counted more than 400,000 demonstrators, while the CGT trade union claimed close to twice that number. more..

Nov 2 (ST) This week’s death of a young man in the custody of the Homagama Police custody reportedly due to assault raises anew, grave fears regarding enhanced powers of arrest and custody conferred on the police by SL’s Organised Crimes Bill. Preliminary medical findings indicate that he suffered broken ribs and head injuries leading to suspected bleeding in the brain. Senior police officers have admitted that he had been assaulted while being held at the Police Crime Division prior to being placed in a cell. more..

Nov 2 (SO) Arecent statement by PHU leader Udaya Gammanpila at a press conference concerning Anuradhapura Sacred Area development plan has sparked considerable controversy and fuelled unfounded public fears. Referring to the plan published through an Extraordinary Gazette, Gammanpila alleged that the Govt was pursuing an anti-Buddhist conspiracy aimed at destroying the Sacred City of A'pura. more..

Nov 2 (CT) I voted for AKD. A profound sense of letdown compels this essay. In search of solace, I find myself turning to the old poets for refuge. It is a terrible thing when the dawn you so long-awaited deliver nothing but the same old midnight. I fervently hope that within the ranks of the 159 NPP parliamentarians, there remain at least a few who have read Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn’s The Gulag Archipelago & The Red Wheel. It is in that hope that I recall his timeless warnings in this essay. more..

Nov 2 (DM) The drama at the Vihara Maha Devi Park, demanding Prez Dissanayake either resign or release from prison Gnanasara Thera whose pardon was revoked by a court of law, is apparently over. Reverend monks who were staging a satyagraha, threatening not to leave the protest site unless their demands were met, have packed up and left. Satyagraha leaders announced that the Mahanayaka Theras (chief prelates) of the three Nikayas had informed them that more..