Nov 4 (FT) SL’s economy is on a strong footing on the back of fiscal discipline and significantly higher Govt revenue, and is well placed to gain as frontier markets enter a new cycle of global investment, executives of Capital Alliance Holdings (CAL) and Asia Frontier Capital Ltd, (AFC) said. Speaking at a media briefing on CAL’s acquisition of a 51% stake in the Hong Kong-based fund manager, Group CEO Kanishke Mannakkara said more..

Nov 4 (FT) John Keells Holdings PLC (JKH) yesterday said profit attributable to equity holders of the parent rose 213% to Rs. 5.17 billion in the second quarter of 2026/27, from Rs. 1.65 billion a year earlier, while Group profit before tax (PBT) increased 2% to Rs. 7.95 billion from Rs. 7.8 billion. Group profit after tax (PAT) of Rs. 5.82 billion was an increase of 39% over the Rs. 4.20 billion recorded in the corresponding quarter of the previous financial year. more..

Nov 4 (FT) Bank of Ceylon (BOC) said its debenture issue of up to Rs. 30 billion, the largest in Sri Lanka, had been oversubscribed, with applications exceeding Rs. 30 billion. The State-owned bank initially offered up to 100 million debentures at an issue price of Rs. 100 each to raise up to Rs. 10 billion. It had the option to issue a further 100 million debentures to raise up to another Rs. 10 billion in the event of an oversubscription of the initial issue, and a further 100 million to raise up to more..

Nov 4 (ST) SL’s approach to fiscal stabilisation is shifting from immediate crisis management to structural corporate overhaul. Recent internal assessments of the Treasury show that the NPP govt has successfully shifted its liabilities through the creation of a balance sheet, moving more than Rs. 100 billion in debt from its business enterprises to the state balance sheet. This is not an ideology of state ownership but rather a strategy aimed at making heavily indebted public utilities more..

Nov 4 (Island) A surplus built on unbuilt roads is not a fiscal achievement. It is a postponement. In September, the headlines were cheerful. Sri Lanka’s govt posted an overall Budget surplus of Rs 9.5 billion for the first half of 2026, against a deficit of Rs 405.6 billion a year earlier. For a country that defaulted barely four years ago, the word surplus carries almost magical weight. Magic lasted one month. In July alone the govt ran a deficit of Rs 119 billion, wiping out the half-year gain. more..

Nov 4 (DM) The banks were urged to look beyond today’s creditworthy clientele and lend to small merchants on the strength of their digital payment records, as the policymakers addressed the CEOs Night that opened the inaugural SL FinTech Festival 2026 in Colombo yesterday. Organised by the FinTech Forum SL in collaboration with the Digital Economy Ministry, invitation-only evening at Shangri-La Colombo drew more..

Nov 4 (FT) Seylan Bank expressed a bullish outlook for both SL and the industry, hinting at much higher growth for the Bank on the strength of the foundation laid in recent years and achievements including surpassing the Rs. 1 trillion assets mark. “There are a lot of positives in terms of the country’s macroeconomic fundamentals, and if interest rates remain as they are, and with 4% to 5% GDP growth and private sector resilience, we are bullish about 2027 as well as SMEs, retail business and more..

Nov 4 (DM) The death of the tusker Kavantissa has triggered an outpouring of grief, anger, and—inevitably—accusation. Social media is full of armchair experts, and mass media give them airtime—people who have never stood near a wounded wild elephant. In the rush to assign blame, a far more complex truth has been lost: treating a five-to-six-tonne wild animal in the field is one of the most dangerous and medically constrained tasks in veterinary science. more..

Nov 4 (TM) No discussion about foreign policy is complete without acknowledging geopolitical realities. The world is entering an era often described as the great fragmentation, creating growing uncertainty and instability in international affairs. Recently, at the Bay of Bengal Conversation in Bangladesh, several geopolitical experts discussed the major crises shaping global politics today. The event was organised by the Centre for Governance Studies. more..

Nov 4 (Island) Congress-led Indian Opposition is staging protests to crank up pressure on the Modi govt to abandon a sweeping revision of electoral rolls. Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise is reported to have removed more than 130 million names from voter lists, and the Opposition claims that millions of minority voters, especially Muslims, and economically disadvantaged communities could be disenfranchised as a result. The Opposition is demanding the restoration of deleted names more..

Nov 4 (SO) Growing concerns over stray animal populations, rabies and animal welfare have reignited debate in Jaffna over how best to address these issues. Sri Lanka, it is said, is lagging behind the rest of Asia in terms of animal welfare, although certain concrete steps like the Animal Welfare bill have recently passed, finally. In the meantime, the Northern province, due to the long drawn out civil war, lags even behind more..

Nov 4 (ST) Sri Lanka is now expected to be a transformative economy. And that claim must be projected through the numbers. The numbers must show that, among other things, development financing is also getting diverted towards productive and globally competitive economic sectors. SL’s commercial-bank credit to the private sector has rebounded strongly in recent months, rising by 24% over the 12 months to July 2026. The expansion amounted to Rs. 2.44 trillion in new lending. more..

Nov 4 (CT) Lal Wijenayake passed away in Kandy on the evening of 31 October 2026, at the age of 86. With him goes one of the last of a generation of SL lawyers who believed that a law degree was a licence to serve, not merely to practise. The tributes came quickly and from every direction. Prez paid his last respects in Kandy. The Bar Association, the Centre for Policy Alternatives and the Lawyers Collective issued statements. Old comrades from the Left wrote of him in the press. more..

Nov 4 (TM) In recent years, intermittent fasting has emerged as a popular health and nutrition trend, particularly among people seeking to lose weight and manage diabetes. In Sri Lanka, where obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases are growing public health concerns, interest in this eating pattern has increased. Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) account for approx 83% of all deaths in SL. more..

Nov 4 (DM) Yes, I am ready to stand as a single-issue presidential candidate. I will serve for six months only, within which time I will abolish the Executive Presidency and institute a parliamentary system by constitutional methods. The roots of bribery, corruption, nepotism and bad governance lie in the Executive Presidency.” Those words, spoken by the Rev. Maduluwave Sobitha Thero in 2014, captured a conviction that had been growing for years and has never been properly settled: more..

Nov 4 (DM) Two custodial deaths have rocked the NPP govt, amidst allegations by opposition parties and local and human rights activists that the govt is giving increased powers to the police to detain individuals for anextremely long duration through new laws. In one incident, 29-year-old Ishara Harsha Kumara, a resident of Kiriwaththuduwa, died under suspicious circumstances while in the custody of the Homagama Police Station on Oct 25. The medical report on the suspect who died while more..

Nov 3 (NW) A proposal has been submitted to Parliament seeking the appointment of a Parliamentary Select Committee to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the 1983 Black July riots and their impact. Proposal was presented by NPP MP Thanura Dissanayake and seconded by fellow NPP MP Bhagya Sri Herath. According to the proposal, the committee would be tasked with conducting a comprehensive study of the tragic events of Black July 1983 and preparing more..

Nov 3 (DM) Cabinet has approved a Rs. 700 million project to develop the Hamilton Canal and surrounding aquatic environment as a tourist attraction. The project aims to promote nature-based and historical heritage tourism by developing coastal and marine environments in the Western Province, including the Negombo Lagoon and Hamilton Canal. Under the proposed development programme, the Hamilton Canal will be developed from the Queen's Island Jetty in the Negombo Lagoon up to more..

Nov 3 (NW) Cabinet has approved three contracts worth approximately Rs. 3.33 billion for the rehabilitation and improvement of road infrastructure damaged by Cyclone Ditwah. Bids were called under the National Competitive Procurement procedure to select contractors for the restoration of several damaged road sections. Following the evaluation of bids and recommendations of High-Level Procurement more..

Nov 3 (NW) Cabinet of Ministers has approved the awarding of a contract worth Rs. 1,318.3 million for the construction and improvement of three road sections along the Kandy–Jaffna (A9) road. The project covers the section of the A9 road between the 176+000 km and 179+000 km markers, under the national highway rehabilitation and improvement programme. A total of seven bids were received for the project. Based on the recommendation of the Cabinet-appointed Procurement Committee, more..

Nov 3 (NW) Tensions escalated in Parliament earlier today as Opposition MPs attempted to seize the ceremonial mace during a protest over the rejection of a no-confidence motion against Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne. Tense situation arose after Opposition MPs attempted to raise privilege issues, including the no-confidence motion submitted against the Speaker. Deputy Speaker Rizvie Salih informed Parliament that the privilege submissions had been received after 9 a.m. today and more..

Nov 3 (FT) Sri Lanka recorded its highest-ever monthly tourist arrivals in October, welcoming 168,625 visitors as demand strengthened ahead of the winter season, although the increase in visitor numbers has yet to translate into higher tourism earnings. October arrivals surpassing the previous monthly record of 165,193 set in 2025, marking a 2.08% year-on-year (YoY) increase. The performance lifted cumulative arrivals during more..

Nov 3 (TM) A SriLankan Airlines flight arriving from Melbourne, Australia, made an emergency landing at the BIA in Katunayake on 1 Nov night after smoke was detected in its cargo hold. However, the aircraft subsequently landed safely at the BIA, SriLankan Airlines Head of Corporate Communications Deepal Perera said. The aircraft, flight UL 605, arrived from Melbourne at approximately 10.38 p.m. on 1 Nov. The incident occurred around 15 minutes before the aircraft was scheduled to land. more..

Nov 3 (AD) PM Harini Amarasuriya has highlighted Sri Lanka’s commitment to universal healthcare and presented investment opportunities in climate-resilient agriculture and green port development at two high-level Commonwealth gatherings held in Antigua and Barbuda. The Prime Minister participated in the The Value of Vision – Global Summit for Eye Health and Exhibition and the Commonwealth Leaders and CEOs’ Summit during her official visit to attend the 2026 CHOGM. more..

Nov 3 (NW) Cabinet has approved two procurement contracts for medicines used in the treatment of kidney patients and life-threatening infections, valued at Rs. 990 million and USD 702,000, respectively. Approval has been granted to procure 1.1 million bags containing medication used in dialysis treatment for patients suffering from acute or chronic kidney failure. The medication is used to remove waste products and excess fluids from the bodies of patients undergoing dialysis. more..

Nov 3 (DM) The number of parliamentary seats allocated to the Colombo District has increased from 18 to 19, while the allocation for the Badulla District has decreased from nine to eight, according to the revised seat allocation announced by the Election Commission (EC). In a notice, EC stated that the number of MPs to be elected from each electoral district had been determined based on the Main Electoral Register for 2026 and the 2026 (1) Supplementary Electoral Register. more..

Nov 3 (DM) LAUGFS Gas has arranged three LPG shipments expected to arrive in Sri Lanka during November as the company seeks regulatory approval to resume domestic supplies through its Hambantota terminal. The first shipment from OQT is expected to arrive at Hambantota Port between Nov 12 and 14, while a Geogas shipment is scheduled to arrive at Colombo Port between Nov 15 and 17. A third shipment from OQT more..

Nov 3 (DM) Centre for Environmental Justice today moved the Supreme Court seeking an order directing the authorities to formulate a mechanism to establish a govt-administered levy on single-use plastic and polythene bags, in a bid to curb increasing environmental pollution. Senior Counsel Ravindranath Dabare, appearing for the petitioners, told Court that the levies imposed on polythene bags by supermarkets are being directly credited to their respective accounts, without serving more..

Nov 3 (AD) The govt has removed the Special Commodity Levy of Rs. 65 per kilogram imposed on two categories of imported rice, effective from today. Tax exemption applies to specific HS codes covering raw rice and parboiled rice. The decision was announced through a Gazette notification issued by Prez in his capacity as Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development. The order has been issued under Section 2 of the Special Commodity Levy Act No. 48 of 2007. more..

Nov 3 (NW) Minister Nalinda Jayathissa has explained the govt’s decision to provide more than Rs. 104 million in sponsorship for the 63rd Asian Broadcasting Union (ABU) General Assembly held in Colombo. He said the funding was provided through SL Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) as part of its international tourism promotion activities. He clarified that the sponsorship was not a direct allocation from the Treasury more..

Nov 3 (DM) Cabinet has approved a proposal to prepare draft legislation to prohibit cluster munitions in SL, in line with the country's obligations under the International Convention on Cluster Munitions. SL signed the Int'l Convention on Cluster Munitions, also known as the Oslo Convention, on Feb 28, 2018. The Cabinet had previously approved the drafting of legislation necessary to implement the country's obligations under the Convention at its meeting held on March 19, 2019. more..

Nov 3 (TM) The Election Commission (EC) is working with the European Union (EU) and several other international organisations to obtain specialist personnel and resources needed for its work on digital technology and artificial intelligence (AI), which are difficult to secure through the Govt, EC Chairperson R M A L Rathnayake said. He said that the EC had signed a MOU with the organisations which had agreed to provide the human resource (HR) and other assistance required. more..