Nov 4 (EN) Cabinet has approved a proposal to buy 100 motorcycles with an engine capacity of 125cc and 50 three-wheelers for the STF, so it can raid criminals minister Nalinda Jayatissa said. “So that it can efficiently and effectively carry out duties such as curbing the menace of drugs and suppressing organized underworld groups,” Jayatissa said. Of the 314 motorcycles currently available to carry out the duties assigned to the force, about 90% are more than 10 years old and more..

Nov 4 (DM) The audit of the Dept of SL Railways for 2024 revealed that 49% of train journeys (58,693 trains) were delayed last year, highlighting serious issues in the punctuality of train operations. Of the 125,036 planned journeys last year, including intercity, express, mixed, passenger, freight trains, and rail-buses, only 119,731 were operated, and just 61,038 trains ran on time. In addition, 5,305 trains or 4.2% of scheduled journeys, were cancelled. more..

Nov 4 (DM) One Galle Face, the leading shopping complex in SL, is continuing to deliver unparalleled family, shopping, dining and entertainment experiences as it celebrates its 6th anniversary in November. During 2025, One Galle Face continued to cement its reputation as a premier lifestyle destination, earning significant recognition both locally and internationally. The mall was recently honoured with the title of Most Admired Shopping Center of the Year at the SL Leadership more..

Nov 4 (DM) Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa met India’s Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman at the Ministry of Finance in New Delhi for discussions on deepening bilateral economic cooperation and regional integration. Minister Sitharaman commended Sri Lanka’s natural endowments and human talent, noting the importance of building on these strengths through closer engagement with India’s dynamic economy. She said SL industries could grow faster more..

Nov 4 (CT) The Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration (Ombudsman) has launched an investigation into a complaint lodged by an officer of the Human Rights Commission of SL (HRCSL) against the institution’s senior management, alleging violations of her fundamental rights. The complaint was filed by Ayanthi Shiromani, an Officer attached to the Commission, who claimed that administrative decisions made by the HRCSL had infringed upon her fundamental rights. more..

Nov 4 (NF) The Cabinet has granted policy approval to recruit female officers for key operational roles within the SL Railways Dept, breaking a 165-year tradition. Historically, the posts of Railway Engine Driver, Train Controller, and Station Master have been exclusively held by male officers. Female officers were recruited only for the Supervisory Manager role, and that too only in 2012 and 2015. Under the government’s new economic and social reform agenda, steps are being taken to more..

Nov 4 (DM) Sri Lanka is planning to open international tenders during the first week of next month, calling for bids for oil and gas exploration and development in the Mannar Basin. The govt earlier invited tenders to select a consultancy firm with expertise to manage the int'l bidding process for upstream petroleum development. However, an official of the Petroleum Development Authority said that the govt will proceed to more..

Nov 4 (CT) SLPP General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam said that any political group that chooses not to participate in the opposition rally scheduled to be held in Nugegoda on 21 Nov cannot claim it to be a policy-based decision. Speaking at a media briefing held at the SLPP HQ, he said that if a political party avoids or criticises the rally, it would only indicate that such a party has a hidden deal with the Govt or is engaged in business or contractual dealings with it. more..

Nov 4 (AD) Former Chairman of the Ceylon Fisheries Corporation (CFC), Lalith Daulagala and three other officials have been arrested by officers of the Bribery Commission. Suspects have been arrested in connection with the alleged incident of purchasing a vacuum packaging machine with a high capacity, capable of vacuum packaging 2,000 kg of fish per hour, for the CFC in 2020, outside the procurement process and when there was no need for such a vacuum packaging machine. more..

Nov 4 (EN) SL’s central bank has bought US$ 177.3 million from people in Sept 2025, a month in which an external current account deficit was recorded for the first time in the year. Post World War II central banks which print money to cut rates, rejecting classical economics, usually blame current account deficits for forex shortages and depreciation, reverting to beliefs held by classical Mercantilists that the trade deficit more..

Nov 4 (AD) Former Secretary to the Ministry of Finance Charitha Ratwatte has been granted bail after being produced before the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court today. He was taken into custody earlier in the day, at around 8:25 am, by the CIABOC. Ratwatte, who also served as a Senior Advisor to a former PM, was arrested in connection with an ongoing investigation into the procurement of five temporary storage houses in 2015. It is alleged that the temporary storage houses were more..

Nov 4 (NW) Visiting Secretary for Relations with States and International Organisations of the Holy See, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, has revealed that he and His Holiness the Pope admire the progress Sri Lanka has made, particularly in advancing peace and unity among all ethnic and religious communities. Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher further said that, based on this progress, Pope Leo XIV may consider a visit to Sri Lanka in the near future. more..

Nov 4 (EN) Sri Lanka’s Cabinet of Ministers has approved a proposal to obtain USD 100 million from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to implement the Sustainable Tourism Sector Development Programme (STSDP) in the country, the government said. Out of this ADB loan, USD 70 million will be obtained from concessionary general capital resources and USD 30 million from permanent general capital resources, the government said in its cabinet decision document. more..

Nov 4 (DM) The govt plans to offer local investors the opportunity to participate in the country’s cannabis cultivation project, which has so far been limited to foreign companies, Deputy Minister of Health Hansaka Wijemuni said. He noted that only foreign investors have been selected under strict conditions by the BOI for the initial phase of the project. These investors are expected to sign MoUs later this year, with cultivation activities scheduled to begin next year. more..

Nov 4 (FT) SJB commended the Govt’s ongoing anti-drug campaign and said it will support making the country a drug-free nation, but accused Prez Anura Kumara Disanayake’s administration of politicising State sector appointments and protecting corrupt officials. MP Mujibur Rahman said the SJB would fully support the national program to eradicate drugs and rescue the country’s youth from addiction. more..

Nov 4 (AD) Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) has decided not to attend the rally scheduled to be held in Nugegoda on Nov 21 with the participation of several opposition political parties. Leader of the TPA, MP Mano Ganesan said they fully support the initiative taken by a group of opposition parties to hold a rally against the govt despite not attending the said event. Opposition parties, including the SLPP, SLFP, UNP and several other factions announced the launch of a joint campaign more..

Nov 4 (DM) A probation officer was arrested yesterday by the Ampara Division Women and Children’s Bureau on suspicion of rape of two underage girls in a Home for the Children in Dehiattakandiya in Ampara. A police team under the OIC of the Women and Children’s Bureau, CI Dayani Gamage, had carried out the raid. She said the suspect had raped one of the girls and sexually abused the other. The Matron of the Children’s Home, who received information on the more..

Nov 4 (CT) Supreme Court has dismissed three consolidated writ applications challenging the legality of ex parte asset-freezing orders issued by the CIABOC under the Anti-Corruption Act, No. 9 of 2023. The applications were filed by Kusum Priyadharshini, the wife of former minister Keheliya Rambukwella; Isuru Polgasdeniya, Rambukwella’s son-in-law; and Chandula Rambukwella, his daughter. more..

Nov 4 (AD) More than 1,200 individuals have been arrested yesterday under the launch of the nationwide operation to eradicate drugs from the country under the theme Nation United – National Drive, aimed at eradicating narcotics from the country. A total of 1,264 suspects have been arrested during 1,273 raids conducted across the island. Investigations into illegally acquired assets have been initiated against one individual while further investigations are being carried out more..

Nov 4 (AD) Cabinet has approved the proposal presented to implement the Road Protection Action Plan - 2025-2026, to improve the quality of road infrastructure and minimize road accidents. According to currently available data, SL is encountering a serious and recurring issue with road accidents and loss of life and the annual death rate has been reported as 11.2 per 10,000 persons. This exceeds the recommended and UN-approved protection limit for the second global action more..

Nov 5 (DN) Il Poya holds spiritual significance in the Buddhist calendar, marking transformative moments in the evolution of the Dhamma. This sacred full moon day commemorates the prediction of the future enlightenment of Metteyya (Maitreya) Bodhisattva, the next Buddha-to-be, and the passing away of the Arahant Sariputta Thera, revered as the Dharmasenapati. As the final observance during the three-month monsoon retreat, Il Poya also celebrates the Devarohana festival, more..

Nov 5 (FT) For King Dutugemunu there is no rest. With distressing regularity, he is summoned in the service of an ambitious politician, a divisive policy or a violent act. The latest instance of necromancy occurred when monk Galagoda-Atte Gnanasara visited Mahinda Rajapaksa in Medamulana, the homeless ex-president. The NPP promised to scrap the Presidential Entitlements Act in its manifesto, and forgot it until the party’s setback at the May 2025 Local Govt election. more..

Nov 5 (DM) Dear Opposition, The opposition has announced a major rally on Nov 21, as a first warning to Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake, demanding that he fulfills the election pledges made to the nation. They say the protest is also to oppose any attempts to suppress opposition parties. While such demonstrations allow the opposition to stay relevant and heard, the question we must all ask is — is this really the right time? more..

Nov 5 (CT) The opposition—both within and outside Parliament—remains united by a single, obsessive goal: to discredit, destabilize, and, if possible, topple the legally elected govt. In pursuit of this ambition, they organize frequent protests, marches, and rallies across the country. Their latest attempt, the so-called Voice of the People (Mahajana Handa) scheduled for 21 Nov, is presented as a mass uprising against govt policies. But the symbolism behind this date reveals their real intention. more..

Nov 5 (ST) Geneva has been a regular rat trap for SL ever since this small nation began to attract international attention, especially from human rights activists and well-organised and well-financed organisations targeting offenders round the globe. Just on one occasion, shortly after SL finally overcame the LTTE, a well-armed Tamil separatist fighting force that held power in a substantial part of the north and east of the country. That was almost immediately after the military victory when more..

Nov 5 (CT) The CID is currently grappling with an intense workload, as it probes several high-profile and controversial incidents that have gripped national attention. Among these is the investigation into the murder of Weligama PS Chairman, Lasantha Wickramasekara. Multiple investigative teams from the Southern Province have joined forces on this case, which has now been officially handed over to the CID by the IGP. more..

Nov 5 (TM) Despite large-scale development plans, Sri Lanka still faces a deeply concerning reality as 1,000s of families continue to live without basic toilet facilities. According to the DCS, last year’s Census, more than 13,000 families, representing about 0.2% of the country’s 6.1 million households, still defecate in open areas. This is not merely a matter of statistics. It is a matter of human rights (HR). Access to toilets is directly linked to a person’s health, safety and dignity. more..

Nov 5 (Island) It is said that the purpose of education is not just to accumulate facts or acquire knowledge but to develop problem-solving skills and critical thinking abilities, but in Sri Lanka the education sector itself has become a problem, as evident from the ongoing battle between the govt and teachers’ trade unions over the proposed education reforms. Teachers, principals, politicians and policymakers themselves seem to lack problem solving skills and critical thinking abilities. more..

Nov 5 (CT) The inauguration of the Ihala Kaniyama water control structure and culvert bridge in Nawagiri Aru, Batticaloa, under the Waari Mahima – Ape Urumaya national irrigation programme, was presented as another step towards strengthening the country’s agriculture sector. Built at a cost of Rs 45 million, this project is expected to enable the cultivation of an additional 500 acres of land, where farmers will now be able to grow three harvests a year, including paddy & supplementary crops. more..

Nov 5 (DM) SL rulers, whether indigenous or European, used soldiers from India in addition to local levies. This was due to a shortage of manpower in the island in comparison with India. Given its much bigger population, India had a vast reservoir of military labour. Indian military labourers were peasants who would volunteer to fight for others for the money that it brought in. Indian soldiers who fought in SL, except those who came as part of the IPKF in 1987, were mostly from more..

Nov 5 (FT) Planters’ Association of Ceylon (PA) is urging the Govt to act swiftly to lift the ban on oil palm cultivation, warning that with each passing day, the losses to the nation keep growing. The PA noted that an estimated amount of over $ 175 million has been spent on edible oil imports between 2021 and 2025 when the ban on oil palm cultivation first commenced in April 2021. It also noted that SL continues to more..

Nov 5 (FT) Tax Credit for Digitalisation and Compliance Investment. This measure encourages enterprises, particularly small and medium-sized businesses, to modernise their operations through technology. RKMT proposes a two-year tax credit of up to 25% for investments in e-invoicing systems, ERP platforms, certified accounting software, and cybersecurity tools. The move is designed to reward firms that invest in accuracy, transparency, and efficiency, strengthening the foundation for more..

Nov 5 (FT) Central Bank of SL and Credit Information Bureau (CRIB) yesterday launched the Secured Transactions Register (STR), introducing a new legal and digital framework that allows movable assets to be used as collateral for loans, especially for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). The event, held at the Shangri-La Hotel in Colombo, also marked the official commencement of operations of the Secured Transactions Registration Authority (STRA), established under more..

Nov 5 (FT) Voyage Sri Lanka 2025, the international marine summit organised by the SL Export Development Board (EDB), has concluded, recording a massive success. Held on 16 Oct, at the Kingsbury Hotel in Colombo, the event surpassed expectations, drawing over 250 local and overseas delegates from about six countries. Building on the momentum from its inaugural edition in 2024, this year’s summit, under the theme Unveiling the Blue Economy Potential of Sri Lanka, solidified more..

Nov 5 (FT) Tata Power Renewable Energy Ltd CEO Sanjay Banga yesterday underscored how well-designed Public–Private Partnership (PPP) models have transformed India’s power sector and could offer valuable lessons for SL as it finalises its own PPP framework. Delivering the keynote at the PPP: Partnership and Prosperity for People forum High Commission of India in collaboration with the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC) in Colombo, Banga drew on India’s seven decades of experience more..