Nov 18 (TM) SL expects to increase its tourist arrivals from China in the first quarter of the year, with the opening of a Consulate General office in Chengdu, Sichuan Province in China, Minister Vijitha Herath told parliament. “We expect next year, in the first quarter, to open a Consulate General office in the city of Chengdu, China. There are Consulate General offices operating in a few cities across China at present,” Herath said more..

Nov 18 (Island) The govt has been continuously demonstrating an ambivalence to the implementation of the 13th Amendment to the constitution under which the provincial council system has been established. In its election manifesto, the NPP said it did not agree that provincial councils were the answer to the ethnic conflict. However, it also recognised that the Tamil and Muslim communities believed the provincial council system was in their interests. more..

Nov 18 (Island) NPP govt is busy building walls of secrecy. It has already erected quite a few of them around vital pacts and MoUs it entered into with some foreign powers. This is in sharp contrast to what Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake and other JVP seniors asked the previous govts to do while they were Opposition MPs. They demanded that such agreements and MoUs be made public immediately. Opposition has called upon the govt to disclose the contents of a defence MoU more..

Nov 18 (GV) There is, quite rightly, a public outcry when a tusker is killed. There are probably less than two dozen mature tuskers left on the island, if that. This year over 350 wild elephants have been killed to date, with over 100 humans also succumbing to the conflict. Since 2010, almost 5,000 elephants have died and this number is continuing to rise. A recent census (final results still pending) conducted in 2024 estimated that there were between 6,000 and 7,000 wild elephants in Sri Lanka. more..

Nov 18 (CT) Ceylon Today commemorates its 14th anniversary today, at a time when print media stands at a pivotal moment, both for the nation and for the entire landscape of information and communication in SL. In a time when algorithms are shaping the very fabric of perceived reality, trapping citizens in echo chambers that dissolve the boundary between fact and fiction, print media and journalism stand as a sentinel against sensationalism and bias, delivering clear information unbiased, vetted, more..

Nov 18 (SO) The 36th commemoration of the JVP’s November Martyrs is not only a moment to remember its leaders who sacrificed their lives for the oppressed, including JVP founder Rohana Wijeweera, but also to reflect on the journey of the party they built. Over the decades, the long serving General Secretary of the JVP, Tilvin Silva has guided the party through imprisonment, political splits, and immense challenges, more..

Nov 18 (DM) Sex education has been a taboo topic in Sri Lanka. But perverseness strangely is not. A man could simply expose his private parts and harass a foreigner, and those who have been going to town against sex education are nowhere to be seen. But such incidents are enough proof to justify why this country needs comprehensive sex education. Every time the topic of sex education emerges, many influential people protest against the govt. They talk about more..

Nov 18 (TM) In next year’s (2026) Budget that has been presented, the Govt has allocated Rs. 5 billion to settle the outstanding arrears of statutory payments – EPF, ETF, gratuity allowances and taxes – owed by 10 State-owned enterprises (SOEs). Total arrears stand at Rs. 11 billion, a staggering amount that shows the deep financial struggles faced by these institutions. Among these SOEs are notable entities like Lanka Sugar Company Ltd, State Plantations Corporation, Rupavahini Corp, more..

Nov 18 (TM) Despite fuel price reductions and increments approved for welfare schemes over the last year, the cost of living (CoL) for the common man remains unbearable. The prolonged effect of such austerity has led to many questions about why the Govt has failed to provide the relief it promised, while seeking clarity about the State’s plans to address the issue. Following the double whammy of the Covid pandemic and more..

Nov 18 (ST) The Head of the Catholic Church in Lanka, Cardinal Ranjith Malcolm, in a pulpit blast last Sunday, made a scathing attack on govt plans to radically reform education and enthrone literature promoting LGBTQs as the third sex of the human species in school classrooms, with students brainwashed in their formative years to accept this freak deviation of nature as part and parcel of natural life. There were no three sexes of all species on earth that Noah boarded on his Ark before more..

Nov 18 (CT) The JVP held its 36th commemoration of November Heroes at the Viharamahadevi Open Air Theatre on Thursday (13). The stage arrangement – mise-en-scčne, the bright red painted background with a single large beaming figure of Rohana Wijeweera wearing a Che Guevara Beret with a white star (Che’s Beret star was deep red). The stage accommodated the party’s Politburo and Central Committee heavy wights. It was theatre for the core ranks of JVP veterans. more..

Nov 17 (AD) The decision to remove the Buddha statue from the premises of the Sri Sambuddha Jayanthi Bodhiraja Viharaya in Trincomalee was taken as a precautionary measure, Minister of Public Security Ananda Wijepala stated in Parliament today. Minister noted that since police received information that the statue might be damaged, officers decided to remove it from the premises. A heated situation arose last night when police officers took steps to remove a Buddha statue more..

Nov 17 (AD) Four defendants including former Minister Keheliya Rambukwella, his son Ramith Rambukwella and his daughter have been served indictments before the Colombo High Court in two separate cases filed by the CIABOC. The indictments were served before the Colombo High Court Judge Mohamed Mihal. The charges were filed in two cases filed against Keheliya Rambukwella, his son Ramith Rambukwella, his daughter Amali Rambukwella and more..

Nov 17 (DM) SL’s wild elephant population has seen a 21% birthrate decline according to the latest consensus, compared with the last one conducted 13 years ago. Dept of Wildlife Conservation revealed the preliminary findings ahead of the official report, set to be released next week. According to the census, SL’s wild elephant population, as counted during the census, is 7,451 males, but the actual figure can be 8,000. more..

Nov 17 (CT) Minister Nalinda Jayatissa told Parliament that former Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe had appointed 39 presidential advisers, a number significantly higher than that of the current administration. He noted that Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake has appointed only five presidential advisers, marking what he described as a substantial cut in the size and cost of the Presidential Secretariat. Jayatissa tabled detailed data on salaries and allowances paid to more..

Nov 17 (Island) The NPP govt’s decision to establish an Office of the Public Prosecutor, in line with a UNHRC resolution, has hit a snag; the Legal Officers’ Association of the Attorney General’s Dept is opposing the creation of a separate prosecutorial office. Cabinet of Ministers, on 7 May, 2025, decided to set up a separate prosecutorial office. The Legal Officers’ Association has alleged that such a move would undermine the Dept’s independence, efficiency and professional standards. more..

Nov 17 (DM) With the key medical professional body declaring a trade union action from today, the patients are once again held to ransom, leaving them to face the fallout of stalled services. From today, doctors in hospitals island wide will limit several essential services, including issuing prescriptions for medicines to be purchased from external pharmacies and recommending laboratory tests to be conducted at private facilities. more..

Nov 17 (AD) Former Chairman of the Geological Survey & Mines Bureau (GSMB), Anura Walpola, has been granted bail by the Colombo Magistrate’s Court after being arrested earlier today by the CIABOC. Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama issued the order after considering submissions made by officials of the CIABOC and Walpola’s attorney. Accordingly, Magistrate ordered that the suspect be released on two sureties of Rs. 1 million each and imposed a foreign travel ban more..

Nov 17 (PCB) Pakistan, SL & Zimbabwe will compete in a seven-match T20I tri-series at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium from 18 to 29 Nov, marking the first-ever T20I tri-nation event to be staged in Pakistan. Each side will play four league matches, with the top two teams qualifying for the final scheduled on Saturday (29). All matches will begin at 6pm PST, while the toss will take place at 5.30pm. The hosts under the captaincy of Salman Ali Agha enter the tri-series with strong recent more..

Nov 17 (NW) Saudi Post (SPL) has issued a commemorative postal stamp to mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Sri Lanka and Saudi Arabia. Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Prince Faisal bin Farhan officially presented the stamps to the visiting Minister Vijitha Herath during the bilateral meeting held between the two Ministers of Foreign Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia in Riyadh on 9 Nov more..

Nov 17 (AD) Govt Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) has announced that following the discussion held with the President, an emergency Executive Committee meeting and a Central Committee meeting will be convened, during which future actions will be discussed. Speaking to media after the discussion held this morning at the Presidential Secretariat, the Secretary of the GMOA, Dr. Prabath Sugathadasa stated that a number of concerns were raised during the meeting. more..

Nov 17 (AFP) Sri Lanka is investigating allegations that two elephants gifted by Thailand have been subjected to cruel treatment at their homes in Buddhist temples, the environment minister said on Nov 17. Mr Dammika Patabendi said Bangkok raised concerns about the welfare of the two animals it presented to SL in 1980 and 2001 as symbols of close ties between the two Buddhist nations. “We have appointed a panel of vets more..

Nov 17 (DM) The audit of the Dept of Motor Traffic for the year 2024 has revealed that the govt incurred losses of over Rs.134 million in the printing of driving license cards. The audit found that while the SL Army purchased license cards in 2022 at Rs.311 per card for the Werahera printing facility, it later entered into an agreement with a private company to print the cards at Rs.576 each. This decision was made without inviting competitive bids or following proper procurement procedures. more..

Nov 17 (DM) Opposition MP Chaminda Wijesiri, while firing allegations against ruling party members, said a certain deputy minister lives in an apartment valued Rs.500 million, and asked who donated it to him. However, he did not mention the deputy minister’s name. He said this Deputy Minister had been retained by the JVP for court cases. “How did this Deputy Minister purchase this apartment? Who had given him the apartment? Did Arjun Aloysius give him the apartment?, Or was it from more..

Nov 17 (NW) Sri Lanka welcomes two millionth tourist for 2025, signalling strong rebound in arrivals. Sri Lanka on Monday marked a major milestone in its post-crisis tourism recovery, welcoming its two millionth visitor for 2025 — a French couple who arrived at BIA on 17 Nov. The SLTDA said the country is now on track to reach at least 2.3 million tourist arrivals this year, moving closer to its annual target of 2.5 million. more..

Nov 17 (AD) The govt today signed loan agreements to obtain US$ 300 million from the Asian Development Bank (ADB). Loan Agreements were signed between the govt and the ADB at the Treasury in Colombo by Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, on behalf of the govt of SL and Takafumi Kadono, Country Director of ADB SL Residence Mission, on behalf of the ADB. The govt held discussions with more..

Nov 17 (CT) Minister Nalinda Jayatissa, on Saturday, presented to Parliament a detailed breakdown of foreign travel undertaken by former Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe and the expenditure incurred by Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake since assuming office. According to figures tabled in Parliament, former Prez Wickremesinghe undertook 24 foreign trips between 2022 and 2024, accompanied by a total of 385 individuals, at a combined cost exceeding Rs 1 billion. more..

Nov 17 (DM) ITAK has demanded the immediate resignation of all Tamil members of the NPP, including Trincomalee District MP and Deputy Foreign Minister Arun Hemachandra, following the govt’s handling of a Buddha statue installation in Trincomalee. A tense situation arose on Tuesday night when a group attempted to place a Buddha statue at a Dhamma school within a temple in the area. Police were deployed to defuse the situation, and the statue was subsequently removed more..

Nov 17 (AD) SL Police have issued a statement regarding video footage showing unrest connected to the removal of a Buddha statue from the premises of the Sri Sambuddha Jayanthi Bodhiraja Viharaya in Trincomalee. According to the Police, following the incident, fabricated stories are being circulated widely on various media platforms. A media statement was issued to clarify the accurate account of the incident. SL Police observed a potential for tensions between communities arising from more..

Nov 17 (NW) A discussion aimed at formulating a systematic programme to address the issues faced by local big onion farmers was held this morning at the Presidential Secretariat. It was held under the patronage of Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land & Irrigation, K.D. Lal Kantha, together with the Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development, Wasantha Samarasinghe. Minister K.D. Lal kantha more..

Nov 17 (NW) Founder of the SLPP Basil Rajapaksa is due to appear before the Matara Magistrate’s Court on Friday (21), in connection with a case involving the alleged illegal acquisition of land using Rs. 50 million in unlawfully obtained funds. However, it remains uncertain whether the former minister will return to Sri Lanka for the hearing. Rajapaksa’s legal team in May told the court he is receiving treatment in the US for spinal and nerve complications following a fall from a chair. more..

Nov 17 (AD) Former Minister Mervyn Silva today pleaded not guilty to the charges filed before the Colombo High Court by the CIABOC, which accuse him of illegally acquiring assets while serving as a minister. The case filed by the Bribery Commission against the former minister over the alleged unlawful acquisition of assets was taken up today before Colombo HC Judge Mohammed Mihal. During the hearing, Mervyn Silva, through his counsel informed court that he pleads not guilty to the charges. more..