Nov 1 (Island) SL cricket legend Kumar Sangakkara’s racist allegation against Ryanair has ignited a social media debate over discrimination, while an airline that had nothing to do with the controversy apologised to him. Responses to Sangakkara’s post on Wednesday saw X users divided, with many expressing solidarity while others questioned his choice of an ultra-low-cost carrier and whether he expected to be treated like a more..

Nov 1 (NW) Supreme Court has ruled in favour of D. Samson Industries (Pvt) Ltd (DSI) in a trademark dispute with Wealth Footwear Industries (Pvt) Ltd over the use of a similar logo on flip-flops. A 3-judge bench comprising Justices Janak De Silva, Menaka Wijesundera and Sampath Wijeratne overturned an earlier Commercial High Court order refusing to grant an interim injunction against Wealth Footwear. The ruling, delivered on Oct 29, concerns DSI’s popular Waves brand of slippers, more..

Nov 1 (SO) Sri Lanka will host the International Optimist Dinghy Association (IODA) Asian and Oceania Sailing Championship 2026 from December 12 to 19 at the Port City in Colombo. The Colombo Port City is one the major maritime hubs of the Indian Ocean and provides an exceptional setting for both world-class racing and an unforgettable adventure. Top international sailors from over 20 countries are set to participate in Sri Lankan waters in this regional championship. more..

Nov 1 (NW) Former Minister of Justice Ali Sabry, PC, has paid tribute to the late senior lawyer and NPP Executive Council member Lal Wijenayake, praising his commitment to judicial independence and his willingness to oppose the govt’s 22nd Constitutional Amendment despite his political affiliation. In a tribute following Wijenayake’s passing, Sabry described him as a man who remained faithful to his principles, even when they conflicted with the position of his own political movement. more..

Nov 1 (SO) Govt will position agriculture and agribusiness at the centre of SL’s transition towards a production-based economy, calling for a shift from low-value commodity production towards higher productivity, value addition, export growth and better incomes for rural communities, PM Harini Amarasuriya said on Friday. Govt of SL, in partnership with World Bank Group and Int'l Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), on Friday launched SL AgriConnect Joint Implementation Plan, more..

Nov 1 (CI) A masterclass hundred from Fakhar Zaman in another final and a searing 61 off 31 balls from No. 7 Arafat Minhas saw Pakistan speed to a target of 326 with nine balls and three wickets remaining in the tri-series final against SL to clinch the trophy. Along the way, there had also been Saad Baig's 74 off 75 deliveries adding serious heft to Pakistan's innings, as he and Fakhar raised Pakistan up from 14 for 2 with149-run stand. more..

Nov 1 (ST) The 28th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) begins today in St. John’s, Antigua and Barbuda with Sri Lanka represented by the PM. The 56 member-states of the (British) Commonwealth represent a quarter of the world’s sovereign states and 2.7 billion people, half of them, however, in one country. This year’s summit, as almost always, will be attended by the British monarch, King Charles III, playing customary ceremonial role as head of the group. more..

Nov 1 (ST) My dear Anura sahodaraya, I thought of writing to you because there appears to be some issues that are bothering even those who supported the maalimaawa. Of course, there is no one else to write to as well, because no one seems to be able to do anything at all about such matters, unless one writes to Tilvin sahodaraya himself! To start with, those who were worried about the PTA were at first relieved when they heard that it was to be repealed. It was, after all, a promise made by more..

Nov 1 (Island) Recent elections in Brazil, Serbia and Isreal, with the mother of all elections – US midterm elections during a Trump presidency – due next Tuesday, are symptomatic of both national choices as well as their global constraints and implications. In addition, the selection of the next UN Secretary General has taken a new turn in New York, further underscoring the shifting sands of geopolitics. In the era of Trump there is only room for cynical transactionalism & dystopic dysfunctionality. more..

Nov 1 (Island) Sri Lanka’s executive presidency has lasted for nearly half a century despite promises to abolish it. All political parties have pledged to deep-six it since 1994. The SJB has renewed its call for the abolition of the executive presidency. SJB leader Sajith Premadasa has called upon the JVP-led NPP govt to fulfil its election pledge to end the executive presidency. The NPP election manifesto, A Thriving Nation, A Beautiful Life, promises to abolish the executive presidency. more..

Nov 1 (SO) A fresh debate has emerged over the Anuradhapura Sacred City, following the publication of a new plan focusing on the conservation of its heritage and the improvement of infrastructure. There is a need to establish clearly what the plan entails and what it seeks to achieve. In this interview with the Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs, Dr. Hiniduma Sunil Senevi, he explained more..

Nov 1 (SO) Kavantissa, widely admired as the tallest tusker to have roamed Sri Lanka’s forests, is dead – a loss brought about, the circumstances suggest, by the negligence and incompetence of those entrusted with his protection. His death once again underscores how little we have learnt from history, not only in wildlife conservation, but in many other spheres of national life. A dark and distressing history continues to repeat itself, with little sign of change. more..

Nov 1 (TM) In less than a fortnight, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake will rise in Parliament to present the 2027 Budget. Much of the attention will, quite rightly, be on taxes, salaries, and the fiscal targets agreed with the International Monetary Fund. However, there is one matter the public should watch with equal care: whether the Govt intends to fund, and finally fix a date for, the Provincial Council (PC) Elections that are now years overdue. Provincial administrations run schools, more..

Nov 1 (TM) For a Govt that rode to power on the promise of a different political culture, the past week offered an uncomfortable lesson. It is one thing to set the standard from the Opposition benches and quite another to live by it from the Treasury benches. Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s administration spent much of the last seven days defending its own conduct on the very questions it once pressed on others, more..

Nov 1 (TM) The influence exerted by the Maha Sangha in SL politics and Sinhala Buddhist society has deep historical roots. The perception that the Maha Sangha places rulers on the throne and deposes them has been built over centuries. However, the firm stance taken by the NPP Govt, led by Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake, on the issue of once again granting a pardon to BBS General Secretary Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera, who is serving a prison sentence, marked more..

Nov 1 (SO) The deaths of two men following their detention by the Police, in separate incidents in Homagama and Kobeigane within days of each other, have once again brought into sharp focus a deeply troubling question about policing in SL: What happens to a person once he is taken into custody? An arrest does not strip a person of his fundamental rights. Regardless of the offence suspected, a person’s right to life, dignity and protection from torture does not end at a Police station. more..