Nov 21 (CT) Educational qualifications of politicians and the manner in which some of the politicians have acquired those qualifications have been a hot topic for decades. The latest of such is the controversy surrounding SLPP MP Namal Rajapaksa’s law degree, which has come to light following a statement made by Minister Nalinda Jayatissa in Parliament. However, it is not the first time the educational qualifications of the said MP have come under scrutiny. more..

Nov 21 (ST) Last week we examined a compelling issue in SL’s historical budgetary practices. SL has followed a deeply flawed formula in managing govt revenue and expenditure. On the revenue side, SL adopted an East Asian–style taxation system, which produced relatively low tax yields for the govt. On the expenditure side, however, it embraced Western-style high spending. This mismatch has proven disastrous. A nation that generates limited tax revenue must necessarily maintain more..

Nov 21 (SO) For 76 years since Independence, Sri Lanka has struggled to build a cohesive national identity. Successive Govts have spoken of unity and reconciliation, launched campaigns, slogans and cultural initiatives. Yet, for many Sri Lankans, the idea of a single, inclusive nation remains an aspiration rather than reality. Several leaders have tried to foster a sense of togetherness through national programs. more..

Nov 21 (FT) SL Business Council UAE (SLBC), under the Dubai Chamber of Commerce will begin its 35th Anniversary celebrations in 2026 with the launch of the inaugural SLBC EXPO Pavilion 2025, scheduled to be officially inaugurated today, at 2 p.m. at Pullman Dubai Creek City Centre. Chief Guest will be Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the UAE Prof. Arusha Cooray and Guests of Honour are SLBC Eminent Senior Advisers, Farook Kassim and Gamini Kannangara. more..

Nov 21 (TM) The debate between the Police and tourism service providers about whether foreign tourists driving three-wheelers for travel purposes is legal has sparked a conversation in the society. This discussion points to both legal concerns as well as safety concerns. Recently, the Police issued a reminder to foreign tourists that driving any vehicle in the country without a valid int'l driving permit (IDP) or a domestic driving licence from their home country is prohibited. more..

Nov 21 (TM) The alcohol industry is strongly linked with the tourism industry in the country, and therefore, harm reduction approaches rather than total absenteeism, should be advocated by the health and education authorities as a realistic goal to promote population health. Moreover, effective alcohol control policies need to be developed based on scientific evidence considering gender, age, ethnicity & income variations of alcohol users more..

Nov 21 (GV) During a recent discussion with members of the Islamic community in Mawanella, an elderly Muslim woman shared a thought that captured the essence of SL’s long struggle toward reconciliation. “Women have a leading role to play in peace and in reducing violence,” she said. “Peace is not only for men. Maybe war is men’s work but peace is for all.” Her words, shaped by decades of witnessing conflict and coexistence, remind us that women have always carried the weight of more..

Nov 21 (DM) President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, in his recent remarks to Parliament, outlined how the government acted on specific intelligence to pre-empt what could have been a terrorist attack in Arugam Bay. He described how security authorities had received advance information about a potential plot targeting this internationally renowned tourist destination and convened urgent meetings—even at 1.00 a.m.—to make rapid decisions and deploy preventive measures. more..

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..