Nov 14 (TM) With the increase in illegal drug use and abuse, particularly among the youth at various parties and events, SL authorities have introduced facial recognition technology in an effort to combat a potential epidemic. A total of 278 arrests occurred at six major youth parties and one concert in the Western Province alone in 2025, with methamphetamine (ice), Kerala cannabis, heroin, cocaine, narcotic pills, and illegal cigarettes more..

Nov 14 (DM) In his 2026 Budget Speech, Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake painted an optimistic picture of the economy, citing the steady recovery of state revenue and the restoration of macroeconomic stability. Yet, he did so with a cautious approach. He highlighted that govt revenue would be 16% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), thanks to improved tax collection and a broadening of the revenue base. Tax revenue from vehicle imports contributed to the state coffers. more..

Nov 14 (CT) This open letter submission is made taking account of the sustainable long-term interests of the government led by you, SL and its people. The budget speech 2026 recently delivered by you highlighted with much emphasis the critical need for visionary thought leadership driven timely change management; leading optimization of investments, sustainable growth of at least 7% per annum and the assurance of corruption and waste eliminated equitable good governance; more..

Nov 14 (CT) In a disturbing turn of events, senior govt figures have been accused of directly interfering in conservation efforts and obstructing officials attempting to remove unauthorised settlements and cultivation within protected forest and tank areas. Environmentalists warn that these actions are setting a dangerous precedent for the country’s fragile ecosystems and undermining the rule of law. more..

Nov 14 (GV) The issue explored in this article is the extent to which the narrative of debt trap diplomacy accurately explains the relationship between China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and Sri Lanka’s foreign policy autonomy. The BRI, launched in 2013, is China’s global development strategy aimed at enhancing trade and economic growth by connecting Asia, Europe and Africa through investments in infrastructure projects, including ports, highways and energy facilities. more..

Nov 14 (CT) The major part of the annual State revenue is generated through taxation. According to the recent Budget, which was historic as its deficit was kept to a record low, Govt has achieved satisfactory results in tax revenue generation. The Treasury is overflowing with revenue, according to some MPs who credited the Govt for this achievement, while others were not necessarily pleased by the feat. Opposition Leader, in particular, interpreted the result as a no-brainer, more..

Nov 13 (NW) The Supreme Court has scheduled a hearing for January 28 on a fundamental rights petition seeking an order to recover compensation from former ministers who allegedly received unlawful payments for damages to their homes during the islandwide unrest on 09 May 2022. The petition was filed by social activist and lawyer, Dr. Ravindranath Dabare, challenging the legality of the compensation granted in connection with the island-wide violence. more..

Nov 13 (NW) PM Harini Amarasuriya says creating professional journalists who recognize the responsibility and accountability of sharing accurate and faithful information has become a timely necessity. PM said significant harm is caused to society by misinformation, as many content creators spread false information for personal gain. “Today, digital and social media have grown to a level comparable to traditional or mainstream media. This is true not only globally but also in Sri Lanka. more..

Nov 13 (NW) Pakistan Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Thursday said Pakistan Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir facilitated the talks with Sri Lanka, resulting in the latter’s cricket team deciding to stay in Pakistan for the ongoing matches. Sri Lanka’s cricket board said late last night that its team’s ongoing tour of Pakistan will proceed, averting a crisis-like situation after reports about some players returning home more..

Nov 13 (TS) Practical demonstration on Integrated Fieldcraft showcasing counter-drone drills, movement through built-up areas, obstacle crossing and break contact drills were part of the ongoing eleventh edition of Joint Military exercise Exercise Mitra Shakti-2025 between India and SL, at Foreign Training Node, Belagavi, Karnataka, today. On Thursday, subsequent sessions focused on Cordon and Search Operations with a live demonstration highlighting the integration of new-generation more..

Nov 13 (DM) Claiming that the govt was bragging about stopping vehicle permits given to Parliamentarians, SLPP MP D.V. Chanaka said today MPs' vehicle permits were stopped by former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in 2020. He told Parliament that the Gotabaya Rajapaksa govt took a decision to stop issuing vehicle permits to MPs in 2020 and that no MPs received permits after 2020. The MP said only professionals such as doctors and engineers received the vehicle permits. more..

Nov 13 (NW) The Ministry of Sports has announced that the Lanka Ride 2025 Cycling Tour, organized for the first time in history, will be held from 18- 20 December 2025. The media briefing to announce the Cycling Tour, which is jointly organized by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Lake House Group, Dept of Sports Development, and the Cycling Referees’ Association, was held today at the Sports Ministry yesterday. more..

Nov 13 (NW) Sri Lanka cricket’s solidarity gesture has drawn an emotional response from Pakistan’s national players, who released a video on Thursday expressing heartfelt gratitude to the Sri Lankan team and SLC for continuing the ODI series in Rawalpindi despite security concerns. In the video message, several Pakistan players thanked the SL squad for remaining in the country after Tuesday’s explosion in Islamabad and urged local fans to fill the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium more..

Nov 13 (Island) Serious concerns have emerged in Parliament over alleged irregularities in the handling of a sexual harassment inquiry involving several staff members of the legislature’s Information Systems and Management Dept. Parliament employees ask why standard disciplinary procedures have been ignored in the case, with female complainants reportedly facing penalties while some culprits continue to enjoy privileges. A special committee, chaired by former HC Judge Sujatha more..

Nov 13 (Island) After a week of typical British rain, on Sunday 2 Nov 2025 the clouds parted, and a glorious Autumnal sun rose splicing together the blue skies over the historical and beautiful city of Oxford, England. University of Oxford SL Society students Leo, Ethan, Pradeep, Niorla, Taya, and others clad in distinctive neon yellow vests bearing the Solar Village SDG emblem on their backs, gathered outside the prestigious Saïd Business School of the Oxford University, more..

Nov 13 (CT) Minister of Ports & Civil Aviation, Anura Karunatilaka, told Parliament that the NPP Govt has successfully maintained State revenue at 16% of the Gross National Product (GNP). Speaking during the Budget debate, the Minister highlighted that the Govt’s key challenge was to strengthen the national economy while ensuring that the benefits of economic growth are equitably distributed among all citizens. “As a country, our challenge is to strengthen the economy on the one hand. more..

Nov 13 (DM) Sri Lanka’s public health sector is showing signs of deep unrest, with two major doctors’ unions warning that continued government inaction could soon lead to nationwide protests or even strikes. Both the Association of Medical Specialists (AMS) and the GMOA have voiced growing frustration over what they call years of neglect, broken promises, and worsening conditions in the healthcare system. more..

Nov 13 (TM) Health Ministry expressed concerns that although the World Health Organisation (WHO) considers antimicrobial resistance (AMR) one of the top 10 global health threats, SL is yet to understand its gravity as a society. Ministry Secretary Dr. Anil Jasinghe made these remarks during a media briefing by the Ministry’s Health Promotion Bureau. The discussion had been organised to mark the World Antimicrobial Awareness Week which is observed annually from 18 to 24 Nov. more..

Nov 13 (DM) While admiring govt's decision to allocate Rs. 5,000 million to increase the wages of the plantation workers, TPA MP Palani Digambaram today urged opposition MPs such as Namal Rajapaksa and Nizam Kariapper not to oppose the allocation of state funds for the matter. MP told Parliament that some opposition MPs, including SLPP MP Namal Rajapaksa and SLMC MP Nizam Kariapper were against allocation of tax money to increase wages of plantation sector workers. more..

Nov 13 (NW) One in every five adults in Sri Lanka is living with diabetes, and one in three of them is at risk of developing eye-related complications, according to SL’s health authorities. Dr. Kapila Banduthilaka, Consultant Ophthalmologist at the National Eye Hospital, said in SL, the prevalence of diabetes among adults is estimated to be between 23% and 30%. “Recent data shows a 73% increase in general diabetes cases. more..

Nov 13 (CT) Deepening bilateral cooperation between SL and Latvia in consular and legal affairs, the two countries have signed an Agreement on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons. The agreement was signed at the High Commission of SL in New Delhi. It was signed by Juris Bone, Ambassador of Latvia to India and concurrently accredited to SL, and Mahishini Colonne, High Commissioner of SL to India. The accord enables the transfer of sentenced persons between SL and Latvia more..

Nov 13 (DT) Pakistan’s Army Chief, Field Marshal General Syed Asim Munir, has assured full security to the visiting SL cricket team, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said on Thursday. The assurance came after SL officials raised concerns following recent security incidents in Islamabad. Naqvi said the matter was personally discussed with SL leaders. Naqvi added that the SL President directly contacted Pakistani authorities, and both sides reviewed security arrangements in detail. more..

Nov 13 (NW) Five new envoys have presented their credentials to President Anura Dissanayake at the Presidential Secretariat. Three Ambassadors and two High Commissioners presented their Letters of Credence to the President this morning. The envoys who presented their credentials are: Ms. Isabelle Marie Catherine Martin, High Commissioner of Canada. Mr. Wiebe Jakob De Boer, Ambassador of Netherland. Mr. Matthew John Duckworth, High Commissioner of Australia. more..

Nov 13 (AD) Commissioner General of Agrarian Development, Dhammika Ranatunga, says that there is no reason for concerns regarding delays or non-receipt of the fertilizer subsidy for the Maha cultivation season. He stated that the Dept of Agrarian Development possesses adequate funds to fully implement the subsidy program. The fertilizer subsidy program for the Maha season was launched on Nov 31, under which each paddy farmer will receive a financial subsidy of Rs. 25,000. more..

Nov 13 (DM) In what appeared to be another instance of multi-billion rupee waste of taxpayers’ money, more than 2700 govt buildings, constructed in the past, remain abandoned or not being used properly, according to the budget speech delivered by Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Prez, in his speech, said these buildings had been identified as educational buildings, hospitals, textile industry buildings, more..

Nov 13 (FT) The much-anticipated I AM COYLE Leadership Forum was held this week, bringing together some of Sri Lanka’s most respected businessmen to inspire and celebrate their creativity, resilience, and spirit of enterprise. Organised by the Chamber of Lankan Entrepreneurs (COYLE), this year’s forum featured a panel of three leading business figures from Sri Lanka: Sirocco Group Managing Director Suren Chandraratna, Nihal Hettiarachchi and Co and RHN Ventures more..

Nov 13 (EN) SL’s top officials held discussions to enhance inter-agency coordination and implement technological solutions to ensure real-time monitoring of fishing vessels with an aim to curb illegal fishing by local and foreign vessels as well as to prevent drug trafficking, the govt said. The move comes as the govt has started a campaign to eradicate drug menace with large amount of drugs being trafficked through fishing vessels amid continuous poaching by Indian fishing vessels more..

Nov 13 (DM) SL Animal Welfare Association has warned that the number of street dogs in the country has increased to between two and three million. The association said this uncontrolled rise has led to around 250,000 dog bite cases being reported every year. Champa Fernando, Secretary of the Kandy Association for Community Protection through Animal Welfare (KACPAW), said the situation is becoming very serious. more..

Nov 13 (NW) Commissioner General of Elections Saman Sri Ratnayake has announced his retirement from the post and the state service today. Issuing a statement, Saman Sri Ratnayake said he had served as a state official for the last 34 years. He was appointed as the Commissioner General of Elections on 16th Oct 2019. Saman Sri Ratnayake extended his gratitude to all former and current Presidential Secretaries, officials from various state institutions, former and current ministers and MPs, more..

Nov 13 (AD) Colombo Additional Magistrate Lahiru Silva today issued a warrant for the arrest of the former Executive Director of the National Lotteries Board (NLB), Thusitha Halloluwa for failure to appear before the court over an incident involving a false complaint. Halloluwa allegedly filed a complaint claiming that a group of people had opened fire on the vehicle he was travelling in in the Narahenpita area. The suspect failed to appear in court when the case was called today, more..

Nov 13 (FT) The defining characteristic of SL’s economy is its foreign debt burden compounded by its debt repayment burden. Any rational leader of a country which has a foreign debt burden like SL’s, regards the country’s economy as in a debt trap. By contrast, AKD sees a debt playpen. He kept punctuating his Budget speech with the rhetorical query: Where’s the crisis? What is the crisis? Which crisis? He’s a debt-denier, the economic counterpart of a climate-change denier. more..

Nov 13 (FT) The economic and social crises of 2022 marked a turning point in SL’s modern history. They forced the nation to confront an uncomfortable truth: our constitutional framework—designed to centralise political power—has long contributed to national decline. Out of that turmoil emerged a renewed call for genuine constitutional reform—a demand for a fair, people-centred system built on peace, prosperity, and zero tolerance for corruption. The current govt was elected on this mandate more..