Nov 7 (ST) 2024 National Census by the DCS, reveals a rapidly ageing population and notable ethnic shifts. While the country continues to grow numerically, these structural changes present challenges for economic planning, social policy, and regional development. SL’s population has grown from 20.359 million in 2012 to 21.781m in 2024, but behind this growth rate of 0.5% lies a set of profound demographic changes. more..

Nov 7 (FT) JAT Holdings declared that its Rs. 800 million worth acquisition of globally respected coatings brand Mirotone (NZ) Ltd, holds significant upside for higher earnings growth in tandem with greater market access. Established in 1935, Mirotone (NZ) Ltd, is the market leader in industrial wood coatings across NZ. The total transaction, comprising the purchase consideration and committed reinvestment for growth, represents a strategic investment exceeding 4 mil AUD more..

Nov 7 (FT) In celebration of Global Entrepreneurship Month 2025, nVentures and TiE Colombo Chapter are joining forces to launch Founder’s Table, a first-of-its-kind initiative designed to create authentic one-on-one connections between emerging entrepreneurs and seasoned business leaders. Through this program, 20 high-potential founders will each be paired with an experienced mentor for an in-person meal and deep conversation during November — turning traditional event format more..

Nov 7 (ST) The infrastructure projects at the National Eye Hospital (NEH) have been further delayed due to technical issues and the need to comply with laws and regulations, causing increased inconvenience to elderly patients who visit the hospital daily from all parts of the country. Last week, concerns were raised about overcrowding and the shortage of lenses for patients scheduled for surgery at the NEH. This issue was also highlighted in a research report published in the International more..

Nov 7 (TM) SL’s Appropriation Bill/Budget for next year (2026), slated to be tabled in the Parliament today, comes at a time when the country is in the midst of a series of crucial economic undertakings. They range from anti-corruption efforts to restructuring State-owned enterprises (SOEs), improving exports and tax revenues, and cutting down on public expenditure, and the Budget will therefore not just be a financial document but also a test of how well SL can balance its obligations more..

Nov 7 (DM) A man who had spent 8 years in prison under a death sentence for drug trafficking was acquitted by the Court of Appeal, which found that the raid and recovery of productions in the case had not met the test of probability. Court of Appeal two-judge bench comprising Justice P. Kumararatnam and Justice Pradeep Hettiarachchi set aside the conviction and death sentence imposed by Colombo HC more..

Nov 7 (DN) Host nation SL produced a spirited performance to overpower formidable Kyrgyzstan 3-0 in their final first-round match of the CAVA Women’s U-19 Volleyball Championship, organized by the SL Volleyball Federation, at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium yesterday. SL, cheered on by a lively home crowd, won in straight sets 25-19, 27-25, 25-22 after a series of tense rallies and determined comebacks. With this victory, the young Lankans secured the second spot in the first-round more..

Nov 7 (Island) Partisan politics has spared hardly anything in this country, with politicians striving to gain political mileage out of everything. It is therefore not surprising at all that the so-called national programmes end up being mere political campaigns and run out of steam with the passage of time. Operation Yukthiya, launched by the previous govt with the ambitious goal of neutralising the underworld, is a case in point. Rajapaksa govt branded its political opponents as traitors, more..

Nov 7 (Island) Women & Child Affairs Minister Saroja Savithri Paulraj recently proudly declared that the national election wins, secured by the NPP last year, transformed the country for the better by elevating all citizens, irrespective of race or religion, as equals before the law enforcers?. The first Tamil MP, elected from the Matara District ever, Paulraj said that the Tamil community greatly feared whether justice would be done if members of the community visited police stations. more..

Nov 7 (ST) POSCO Holdings Inc. stands among the world’s largest steel producers. Over the years, it has evolved into a diversified industrial conglomerate, expanding its portfolio beyond steel into battery materials, energy, lithium, nickel, hydrogen, and construction. In 2024, POSCO reported annual revenue of US$53 billion—more than half of Sri Lanka’s GDP. With a workforce of approximately 45,000 employees operating across more than 50 countries, more..

Nov 7 (SO) In a significant victory for the Trade Union Movement, the Court this week ordered the reinstatement of the Termination of Employment of Workmen Act (TEWA) across the country to safeguard workers’ rights. Following the ruling, four Gazette notifications issued by Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake on July 14, which had exempted four companies operating under the Colombo Port City Economic Commission more..

Nov 7 (GV) The term post-war state in the title of this article is based on the fact that in 2009 territory of the post-colonial SL state was consolidated through military means. I argue that it is important to take this event into account in understanding challenges for progressive politics in SL at present. In order to explain the basis of this assumption, I begin by clarifying how we understand the state. The conventional notion of the state analyses the state as a concrete self-contained entity more..

Nov 7 (CT) A little over a year has passed since the election of the incumbent Govt, and many of the changes promised prior to the elections have been fulfilled or are on course to be fulfilled. However, not all promises can be granted overnight, as most require time. On the other hand, while waiting is not necessarily an issue for the public, since we are well-practised in patience, particularly when it comes to tolerating political conduct, patience does require some promising signs for the public to more..

Nov 7 (CT) Despite leaving behind the shackles of his past, Emil, who has been searching for his mother in SL for 25 years, still carries with him the memories of a time long gone. He is now in Sweden. A mother, as every mother does, once cradled him in her arms. That was on the fertile soil of SL. As with all mothers, she faced many hardships, struggling through difficulties as she gave birth to him. Often, when her son cried, more..

Nov 7 (DM) Drug addiction is a complex condition that affects individuals physically and psychologically. To fully comprehend this condition, it is essential to examine the interplay of biological, environmental, and social influences that contribute to its onset and progression, as well as to inform effective treatment strategies. Drug addiction is a chronic, relapsing brain disorder. Addiction is recognised as a complex and persistent condition that affects the brain, more..

Nov 7 (DM) Today is the budget day. The NPP govt, under the leadership of Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake, will present its second maiden budget today when the country is at a critical juncture between hard-won stabilisation and the promise of sustainable growth. The past two years have been spent under the IMF programme, with the focus on restoring macroeconomic balance. SL went for the IMF programme in March 2023 under the previous govt. The current economic stabilisation more..

Nov 6 (AD) The Colombo High Court today ordered that the case filed by the Attorney General against Yoshitha Rajapaksa, and his grandmother, Daisy Forrest, alleging offences under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, be called for a pre-trial conference on Nov 12. The case was taken up before High Court Judge Udesh Ranatunga, said Ada Derana reporter. During the proceedings, the prosecution handed over several documents related to the case to the defence. more..

Nov 6 (DM) Science and technology are vital forces shaping Sri Lanka’s sustainable future, noting that the govt is taking significant steps to enhance support for these sectors, Science and Technology, Professor Chrishantha Abeysena Minister said. He made these remarks while serving as Chief Guest at the Awards for Science Popularization 2025, held recently at the Medicine, University Faculty of Colombo. The event, organized by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under more..

Nov 6 (AD) Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa has said that SL has a special relationship with India and that has to be enhanced, has to be promoted and built upon. Opposition Leader Premadasa is currently in India, and earlier met with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar. Opposition Leader pointed that “India has been the single largest donor to the tune of US$ 4.2 billion in providing more..

Nov 6 (AD) President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has reviewed the final draft of the 2026 Budget proposals. The budget review took place at the Presidential Secretariat. Secretary to the Ministry of Finance, Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma, was also present at the occasion. This will be the second budget of the current govt, and it is scheduled to be presented to Parliament tomorrow President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, in his capacity as the Minister of Finance. more..

Nov 6 (CT) About 85% of the business community in Anuradhapura town has expressed their willingness to remove unauthorised structures attached to their business premises, said A'pura Mayor Navaratnaraja Karunaratne. He made this statement while responding to public concerns raised by councillors at the monthly meeting of the A'pura Municipal Council held on Tuesday. Mayor said that the Municipal Council had acted in the interests of around 85% of the business owners more..

Nov 6 (DN) Marking a significant milestone in SL’s journey to eradicate leprosy, the National Leprosy Conference commenced this morning at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel, Colombo, under the patronage of Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake. The roadmap outlining the strategy to eradicate leprosy from SL within the next decade was launched during the event. Organised by Ministry of Health with the collaboration of more..

Nov 6 (Island) Dr. Saman Weerasinghe has been awarded the Order of Friendship (Orden Druzhby) by Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin, in Moscow. The honour, one of Russia’s highest civilian distinctions, recognises his decades of dedication to strengthening diplomatic, cultural, and economic ties between SL and Russia. Russian Embassy said: “Dr. Weerasinghe is the only Asian recipient of the award in 2025, marking a proud milestone for SL’s global diplomatic presence. more..

Nov 6 (EN) As SL prepares to unveil its 2026 budget on Friday this week, Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake faces perhaps the most defining moment of his one-year old administration. The budget will be more than a fiscal plan. It will be a test of political credibility for a govt that came to power promising a clean break from the corruption, inefficiency, and economic mismanagement that plunged the country into its worst financial crisis in 2022. In SL, budgets are not viewed as more..

Nov 6 (Island) SJB has accused the NPP govt of creating a cartel of food importers at the expense of local farmers. Alleging that the politically connected, large-scale importers had access to inside information, such as imposition of duties/levies, SJB Matale District MP Rohini Kaviratne said the govt had given them free rein. Addressing a gathering, in Matale, recently, MP Kaviratne claimed that the govt had changed the import polices related to food items for the benefit of a few importers. more..

Nov 6 (EN) UN Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO) has helped 7 countries, including Sri Lanka, get US$ 5.8 million from the Kunming Biodiversity Fund (KBF) to integrate biodiversity into agrifood systems and drive action under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF). In SL, the funding will help with the prevention and control of invasive alien species for enhanced biosecurity. The projects will help the Cook Islands, Madagascar, Mexico, Nepal, SL, Türkiye more..

Nov 6 (DM) Inside Dubai’s Wafi City stands a place that quietly moves the world. The world’s largest visa application centre, operated by VFS Global, spans 150,000 square feet and processes up to 10,000 applications daily. Here, technology meets diplomacy, precision meets empathy, and every passport tells a story of ambition. Within its glass walls, global mobility unfolds not as chaos, but as choreography, a living system powered by more..

Nov 6 (NW) The US State Department has warned that the Diversity Visa (DV) 2027 entry registration period is not yet open, urging the public to ignore fraudulent online claims suggesting otherwise. In a statement, the depat said it is aware of individuals and services falsely claiming that DV-2027 entry is open or that they can increase a person’s chances of being selected. This is not true, the notice said. It added that official DV-2027 registration dates and any updates to the process will more..

Nov 6 (NF) Police Life Saving Division reports that 230 individuals have lost their lives due to drowning across SL so far this year. The majority of the victims are young people. While tragedy struck many families, there was also hope — 195 lives were saved from drowning incidents during the same period, including 135 SL nationals and 60 foreign individuals, thanks to timely interventions and rescue efforts. However, the nation was shaken once again yesterday when five young men from more..

Nov 6 (CT) GMOA stressed the need to include a comprehensive and sustainable programme aimed at revitalising the free health service, while addressing the issues faced by doctors and the hospital system, in the upcoming Budget 2026. GMOA Secretary, Dr. Prabath Sugathadasa, observed that, amidst the country’s economic and political instability, over 2,000 doctors have already left SL due to inadequate salaries, more..

Nov 6 (AD) A decision has been taken by the Mannar Citizens Committee to continue its protest demanding that construction of wind power plants in the Mannar District be halted and that no permission be granted for mineral sand mining around Mannar Island. The protest launched by the residents of Mannar has now continued for nearly 100 days. Representatives of the committee stated that while they appreciate the govt’s decision not to proceed with any new wind power projects in Mannar, more..

Nov 6 (DM) Minister Sunil Handunnetti yesterday said that those accepting Aswesuma benefits should be ashamed, describing it as legal begging. Speaking at a public meeting, the Minister stressed that poverty eradication should not depend on long-term welfare schemes but on finding sustainable solutions. “Aswesuma beneficiaries should be ashamed. It is like begging legally. If we want to develop as a nation, we must move away from this dependency mentality,” Handunnetti said. more..