Nov 7 (NW) Minister Vijitha Herath has defended the government’s sponsorship of the 63rd Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) General Assembly, saying it was aimed at promoting SL’s tourism industry through international media networks rather than supporting a private television channel. Minister said the decision to host the 2026 summit in Sri Lanka had been made at the ABU General Assembly held in Türkiye in 2024, more..

Nov 7 (DN) Deputy Minister Dr.Anil Jayantha Fernando said Rs.98 billion has been allocated by the govt so far to provide fuel subsidies and that the possibility of continuing these subsidies beyond the coming month is currently being examined. He said that since the onset of the conflict in the Middle East, appropriate measures have been taken to secure fuel supplies and maintain price stability and that fuel prices are adjusted monthly in accordance with the fuel pricing formula. more..

Nov 7 (NW) A Cabinet paper has been submitted to the Cabinet of Ministers to reclaim the management of SL Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT) in Malabe under the Mahapola Higher Education Scholarship Trust Fund, Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe informed Parliament yesterday (5). Minister said the govt had investigated details regarding the institute over the past two years after coming into power, leading to complaints being lodged with CIABOC and CID. more..

Nov 7 (FT) Nearly 30 years since the project was first mooted, the National Single Window for Trade, an online portal intended to replace duplicated paper filings to Customs, quarantine, port and other agencies with a single submission, went live this week with two export sectors admitted and no timetable published for the rest. A private sector exporter created the first Customs Declaration (CusDec) through the platform on launch day more..

Nov 7 (NW) A group of 10 airport managers from Airport and Aviation Services (SL) (pvt) Limited (AASL) will travel to India for a specialised capacity-building programme at the Indian Aviation Academy in New Delhi. According to the Indian High Commission in Colombo, the programme will be held from Nov 16 to 27, 2026, providing participants with an opportunity to learn international best practices in the aviation sector and exchange professional expertise. more..

Nov 7 (FT) Export-oriented manufacturers can obtain tax concessions on imported raw materials and machinery under the Temporary Importation for Export Processing (TIEP) scheme through the Industry Ministry, Minister Sunil Handunnetti said. The facility is aimed at supporting businesses engaged in manufacturing goods for overseas markets by reducing the tax burden on inputs and equipment required for export production. Responding to a question during his more..

Nov 7 (Island) SJB Leader Sajith Premadasa yesterday accused the Govt of interfering in the legislature by pressuring the Opposition to amend the no-confidence motion submitted against Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne. Premadasa said the Opposition had been informed that the motion would be taken up for debate only if certain clauses were amended, describing the move as unconstitutional. He said the Opposition had the right to submit a no-confidence motion & determine its contents, more..

Nov 7 (NW) A 50-year-old specialist surgeon attached to the Polonnaruwa Hospital was killed in a road accident involving a car and a tipper truck in Minneriya on Friday. The accident occurred in the evening near the 39th km post on the Polonnaruwa-Habarana Road. The car, travelling from Minneriya towards Habarana, collided with a tipper truck approaching from the opposite direction. Both drivers sustained injuries and were taken to the Habarana Hospital, where the car driver more..

Nov 7 (FT) Frontline Socialist Party (FSP) has challenged Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s commitment to amend the proposed Organised Crime Act, arguing that the changes he outlined are merely superficial and fail to address the fundamental threats the legislation poses to democratic rights and civil liberties. FSP Edu Secy Pubudu Jayagoda said Prez’s remarks at a meeting with religious leaders at Temple Trees more..

Nov 7 (DM) In a rare move that prioritises an offender’s reformation and rehabilitation over a lengthy custodial sentence, the Court of Appeal has reduced a 10-year rigorous imprisonment sentence imposed on a young man convicted of raping his girlfriend when she was under 15 years of age to two years, taking into consideration that he was only 19 at the time of the offence and is now a married father of a young child. A two-judge Bench comprising Justices P. Kumararatnam and more..

Nov 7 (AD) Heavy rainfall occurred across the island this evening (6), resulting in the inundation of roads in several areas, including in and around Colombo city, causing disruptions to traffic movement. Police report that severe traffic congestion has developed on several major roads in Colombo—including the area from Kollupitiya along Galle Road, as well as in Borella, Maradana, and Armour Street. It is reported that vehicular movement has been hindered due to several roads becoming submerged more..

Nov 7 (NW) The Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) inaugurated the newly renovated Open Air Theatre at Viharamahadevi Park today (6) featuring upgraded amenities designed to better support artists, performers and audiences. Led by Colombo Mayor Vraie Cally Balthazaar and municipal officials, the project places a strong emphasis on improving the backstage experience. Key upgrades include the refurbishment of dressing rooms and attached washrooms, which have been equipped with more..

Nov 7 (TN) Sri Lanka delivered a timely warning ahead of their upcoming Test series against Pakistan, registering a convincing 142-run victory over the PCB Patrons XI in their three-day warm-up match at the Islamabad Club Oval on Friday. Chasing a challenging target of 254, the PCB Patrons XI were dismissed for just 111 in 27.1 overs, falling well short of the required total as Sri Lanka’s bowlers produced a clinical performance. Keshara Nuwantha spearheaded the visitors’ attack, more..

Nov 7 (ST) SL’s solar industry has warned that new regulations could undermine private investment, threaten jobs and make solar installations less attractive to users, following the discontinuation of net metering and net accounting schemes for new rooftop connections. A Ministry of Energy directive on Sept 11 requires new connections and extensions of existing agreements to operate under the net plus scheme. more..

Nov 7 (FT) Colombo stock market yesterday recovered from a sharp early trading slide to close on the up and extend a rally into a fourth session. During the week, ASPI gained 5.44% and the active S&P SL20 was up 5.2% as the market gained over Rs. 381 billion in value. Yesterday, ASPI ended up 0.52% or 109.35 points at 21,239.65 and S&P SL20 gained 0.26% or 15.50 points to 6,045.38. Turnover was over Rs. 2.8 billion on nearly 112 million shares traded. Foreign investors were net sellers on more..

Nov 7 (NF) SL authorities have delivered a major blow to organized crime with the arrest of notorious underworld figure and alleged drug trafficker Manoj Muthukumar, better known as Kaivaru Muthu, following his deportation from Sharjah. The CID took the suspect into custody at BIA in the early hours of Friday after he was deported to SL from the UAE. International Red Notices had been issued for Muthukumara's arrest, leading to his detention in Sharjah for more..

Nov 7 (AD) Thailand has approved plans to recruit workers from Sri Lanka to address labour shortages, with an initial target of 10,000 workers following a bilateral labour agreement signed earlier this year. Julapun Amornvivat, labour minister, said on Friday that the Foreign Workers Management Policy Committee had approved the recruitment of Sri Lankan workers under an existing MOU between the two countries. more..

Nov 7 (Island) Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF) is calling on the authorities to test a reported claim that Sri Lanka could be losing more than US$50 million a year in foreign exchange through Colombo Port charging arrangements before any changes are made to the rules that exporters rely on. The claim was made by the Ceylon Freight & Logistics Association (CEYFFA), whose General Secretary, Inam Caffoor, raised it at a press conference reported in the Sunday Island more..

Nov 7 (DM) The slide in oil prices after the Democrats’ sweep of the US Congress and a hung parliament in Israel is set to trim SL’s fuel import bill and ease pressure on the rupee and interest rates, provided progress towards reopening the Strait of Hormuz holds, First Capital Research (FCR) said. Following the escalation of US-Israel operations against Iran earlier this year, “2026 has become a year in which geopolitics has driven the pricing of risk,” research arm of Janashakthi Group more..

Nov 7 (Island) The Communist Party of SL has warned that ‘Israel and other foreign powers are planning to establish spaceports on Sri Lanka’s East Coast’ and claimed ‘the NPP govt is getting involved in US space domain activities’ (The Island, Oct 29). Whether these warnings warrant serious consideration or not, certain immutable facts relating to SL’s policy of a neutral state cannot be ignored. One such fact that has guided this govt is its foreign policy of neutrality requires more..

Nov 7 (FT) Daraz Sri Lanka will launch its 11.11 Big Boss Sale on 10 November at 8 p.m., bringing shoppers deals across electronics, fashion, beauty, groceries and home essentials. Running through 21 November, Daraz’s biggest sale of the year brings together more than 120 brands and 11 banking and finance partners, with voucher savings, card discounts and flexible payment options. The campaign opens with Brand Rush Hour, from 8 p.m. on 10 November to 2 a.m. on 11 November. more..

Nov 7 (ST) Vehicle owners have flagged low-grade and counterfeit motor spare parts as a major concern as the govt proposes periodic fitness tests for transport vehicles. Nimal Ameresekere, secretary general of the Association of Container Transports (ACT), said the proposed move would be rendered useless without addressing root causes. At present, there is not much regulation for spare parts. When asked, SL Standards Institute (SLSI) more..

Nov 7 (FT) Jinasena Ltd, has launched its Fire and Safety Projects Division, marking a strategic expansion into the fire protection and safety sector. The move extends the company’s established engineering expertise into SL’s commercial, industrial & institutional infrastructure, with a comprehensive range of fire detection, protection and suppression solutions. Jinasena Ltd, Managing Director, Shani Jinasena said: “Responsible building and infrastructure development has always more..

Nov 7 (TM) Diplomatic goodwill must be matched by appropriate facilities, veterinary care and sustained professional management. After all, our shared natural history and future are at stake. India and Sri Lanka have long drawn upon their shared history, religious traditions and strategic geography to strengthen their relationship. Yet one dimension remains relatively unexplored: their natural heritage; the two countries share similar wildlife and environmental conditions. more..

Nov 7 (Island) Those who welcomed the 2024 regime change, hoping that the new govt would do everything possible to improve their lot, must be gnashing their teeth. Powerful rice millers have become a law unto themselves, determining prices according to their whims and fancies, with the govt doing precious little to rein them in. Importers of essential commodities do as they please. State institutions are no better. They too fleece the public. Fuel prices are revised arbitrarily and more..

Nov 7 (FT) My article, Beyond the Robe: Sangha, Rule of Law and Monastic Accountability, published on Saturday, 24 October examined the relationship between Buddhist monastic discipline, institutional responsibility and the rule of law. Subsequently the Daily FT reported that the UNP has demanded an immediate Presidential pardon for Ven. Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thera. This would be the second Presidential pardon, that the UNP will be associated with. more..

Nov 7 (DN) Proposed development of the Anuradhapura Sacred City has emerged as a subject of intense public and political debate. Questions are being raised about its objectives, implications and impact on the country’s religious and cultural heritage. While the Govt maintains that the initiative is part of a long-standing effort to preserve and develop the ancient city through an integrated heritage programme, opposition groups and more..

Nov 7 (DM) People across the world were glued to the media to see the outcome of the U.S. midterm elections. The US, as the global economic powerhouse with unmatched military might, can make an impact across the world with just a stroke of the pen. The Israeli-U.S. war on Iran left countries such as SL reeling, with little choice in the matter. It was a bitter experience. Prez Donald Trump was tested for his actions at the midterm elections. What happened to his party was not merely a more..

Nov 7 (DM) The midterm election results were more of a wake-up call for both Democrats and Republicans than merely a means of sending new members to the US legislature. The American people have spoken, and they have spoken through the ballot box more loudly than the voices of dissent that erupted in Paris and other major European cities weeks ago. In Paris, the youth-led protests reflected public anger against politicians and turned unruly. In the US, however, it was a silent and more..

Nov 7 (TM) Missing financial records, some of them a decade old, are holding up the Govt’s plan to shut down its dormant State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs), with only one company closed more than a year after the Cabinet gave the exercise a 12-month deadline. An official attached to the Finance Ministry’s SOE Reform Unit (SOERU) handling the closures said that a State company he identified as the Natural Resources company was more..

Nov 7 (TM) The Speaker of Parliament is traditionally regarded as the guardian of the dignity, impartiality and integrity of the Legislature. They are expected to stand above party politics, protect the rights of both Govt and Opposition Members and ensure that Parliamentary rules apply equally to everyone. Hence, it becomes a major embarrassment at the august House when the Speaker Dr Jagath Wickramaratne faces a no-confidence motion containing 50 allegations more..

Nov 7 (FT) Among the many expectations placed on a national Budget, taxation policy occupies a particularly important position. This consideration assumes even greater significance in a country where the prevailing tax rates are already relatively high, placing a considerable burden on individuals, households and business alike. The legitimacy of taxation rests not merely on the authority of a Govt to impose taxes, but on the reasoning, fairness and public purpose behind such decisions. more..