Nov 9 (ST) Sri Lanka will meet India in their last final ‘Bowl’ fixture this morning after both teams failed to enter the main draw in the Hong Kong Sixes cricket tournament, which draws to an end at Mong Kok in Hong Kong today. SL who lost both their Group ‘D’ games against Hong Kong and Bangladesh on day one, came back strong winning both their ‘Bowl’ fixtures yesterday. However, SL has already secured a passage to the Bowl finals, having already won both their games in the segment, more..

Nov 9 (SO) Sri Lanka went down 0-3 to the defending champions Kyrgyzstan in the semi-final of the Central Asian Volleyball Association (CAVA) Women’s Under-19 Volleyball Championships at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium in Colombo yesterday. SL started the first set trailing 8-12 but quickly gained momentum, levelling at 14-all. The set went down to the wire with Kyrgyzstan narrowly taking it 26-24. In the second set, SL began strongly, scoring four straight points while Kyrgyzstan struggled, more..

Nov 9 (NW) Archbishop of Colombo Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith has voiced concern over what he described as an inappropriate sexual education program being prepared for inclusion in SL’s school curriculum next year. Speaking at the reopening of the renovated St. Stephen’s Church in the Meerigama–Kinadeniya area, Cardinal Ranjith said the initiative, set to begin in January under planned education reforms, is being developed under the influence of int'l organizations. more..

Nov 9 (ST) Eleven years ago, in the middle of a World Cup campaign, Dinesh Chandimal did something few Sri Lankan captains would have ever dared to do. He stepped aside. With his form deserting him and the team wobbling, he handed over the captaincy to Lasith Malinga midway through the ICC World T20 in 2014. What followed is now part of cricketing history as SL, under Malinga’s stewardship, stormed to their long-awaited global title in Dhaka. more..

Nov 9 (TM) Sri Lanka selectors on Friday (7) recalled hard-hitting middle-order batter Bhanuka Rajapaksa with pace bowler Eshan Malinga being in line to make his One-Day International (ODI) debut, as they named the two white-ball squads for the upcoming ODI series and tri-series also involving Zimbabwe in Pakistan. The Sanath Jayasuriya-coached side left the country last morning (8) after taking part in religious observances at the SLC Headquarters in Colombo. more..

Nov 9 (NW) The organisers of the Galle Literary Festival have announced that the 2026 edition of the event will be postponed. They said the decision was made to allow time to review and strengthen the festival’s organisational structure and to secure a sustainable path forward. “We know this isn’t the news many were hoping for, and trust us, we feel the same,” the statement read. Since its inception in 2007, the Galle Literary Festival has been one of SL’s most celebrated cultural events, more..

Nov 9 (EN) Sri Lanka’s central bank has tightened credit for private commercial vehicles by reducing the loans value banks and finance companies can give to customers, with effect from Nov 8, 2025. Under the new direction, loan to value ratio for commercial vehicles has been cut to 70% from 80%. For motor cars, vans and SUVs the ratio has been cut to 50% from 60%. Three wheelers remain at 50%. more..

Nov 9 (NW) Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath meets Dr. Sulaiman Al Habib Medical Group leadership in Saudi Arabia. Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath met with the top management of Dr. Sulaiman Al Habib Medical Services Group, one of the leading healthcare providers in the Middle East, during his official visit to Saudi Arabia. The Minister also undertook a brief tour of the group’s state-of-the-art medical facility, which is equipped with advanced technology and AI-driven systems. more..

Nov 9 (SO) Jayden de Silva of Stafford International School set the tone for a thrilling first day at the 30th Inter-International Schools Swimming Championship 2025 yesterday, breaking a 10-year-old Boys’ Under-16 100m backstroke meet record at the Sugathadasa Swimming Pool Complex. The 15-year-old national squad member clocked 1:04.25s to win gold, erasing the previous record of 1:05.84s set by Vihanga Perera of Gateway College, Colombo in 2015. more..

Nov 9 (AM) A disturbing incident was reported from the Horana Municipal Council Literature Festival, where a member of the organising committee allegedly spat into the water glass of veteran lyricist and National Library and Documentation Services Board Chairman Dr Rathna Sri Wijesingha. The festival, held on 31 Oct at the Horana Municipal Hall auditorium, had scheduled Dr Wijesingha’s keynote address for 3.30 p.m. He arrived 30 minutes early but was kept waiting for more than 3 hours, more..

Nov 9 (SO) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake presenting the first full-fledged Budget of the Govt in Parliament on Friday, said the Govt aims at achieving 7 percent economic growth in the coming years ensuring the benefits of economic growth trickles down to every citizen of the country. Presenting the 2026 Budget which is also the second Budget of the current administration. Prez said Govt aims at restoring the country’s pre-crisis economy by the end of this year, more..

Nov 9 (EN) Sri Lanka’s plans to remove so-called para-tariffs, and the introduction of a higher 30% duty band is not aimed at getting any additional revenue, Treasury Secretary Harshana Suriyapperuma said. The budget for 2025 said a 30% rate will be added to the current import duty bands of 0%, 10%, 15% and 30%. The intention was to progressively eliminate so-called para tariffs including an import CESS, PAL and SCL more..

Nov 9 (TM) The Police is awaiting a report from the CID ahead of expediting the process of extraditing Singapore-based former Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) Arjuna Mahendran, Police Media Spokesman ASP F.U. Wootler said. This is pursuant to a notice issued by former Colombo Chief Magistrate Thanuja Lakmali on 23 August for Mahendran, who has been named as a suspect in the 2015 CBSL bond scam, to appear before the said court on 26 Sept. more..

Nov 9 (EN) Sri Lanka should control the pressure on the exchange, President Anura Kumara Disssanayake said, presenting a budget for 2026, as the so-called ‘flexible’ exchange rate weakened steadily over 2025, amid current account surpluses. “We saw two billion rupees of imports in September,” President Dissanayake said. “There are inputs for export and also machinery. We have to capture exports. “So we have to control the pressure on the dollar. We have some time.” more..

Nov 9 (ST) With the govt’s proposal to reduce the registration threshold of the Value Added Tax and the Social Security Contribution Levy, some 25,000 to 30,000 new tax files are expected to be opened, targeting revenue of over Rs 150 billion. The 2026 budget has proposed that the annual thresholds of the VAT and the SSCL be reduced from Rs 60 million to Rs 36 million. In turn, small and medium business entities, including grocery shops under the tax net, will now be forced to register more..

Nov 9 (ST) The Vatican’s Secretary for Relations with States, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, fell ill in Sri Lanka while on a visit to commemorate 50 years of relations with the Holy See. Archbishop Gallagher, who arrived in SL on Nov 3, met with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, PM Harini Amarasuriya and Foreign Affairs Minister Vijitha Herath, but he could not carry out the rest of the engagements due to his sudden illness. The 72-year-old Vatican official more..

Nov 9 (TM) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s Budget proposal of Rs. 12,500 million for vehicles and machinery for Govt institutions has sparked a parliamentary firestorm, with allegations that the rushed tender to procure 1,775 automatic diesel double cabs circumvents procurement norms and enriches a select few companies. The controversy erupted yesterday during the opening of the Budget debate when SJB MP more..

Nov 9 (TM) Following the announcement of the Govt’s 2026 Budget by Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake in his capacity as Minister of Finance, most economists, business chambers, and associations have expressed the view that the Budget is largely agreeable. However, many have pointed out that the reform agenda proposed in the 2026 Budget largely echoes the initiatives outlined in the 2025 Budget. Therefore, the general consensus is that the most appropriate yardstick to more..

Nov 9 (SO) Sri Lanka’s Budget 2026, presented by Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Friday (7), arrives at a pivotal juncture for the island nation, still grappling with the aftermath of its 2022 economic collapse. As the second fiscal plan under the NPP administration, it embodies a blend of continuity in economic reforms and fresh initiatives aimed at fostering stability and inclusivity. The document reflects the Govt’s commitment to adhering to international obligations, more..

Nov 9 (ST) On Friday morning, ahead of the presentation of the NPP’s first full budget to Parliament, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake held a special Cabinet meeting to brief ministers on what was in store for the country. The meeting was called to get Cabinet approval for his Budget proposals. The mood was upbeat with the sense that the Govt has delivered on its most important promises to the public by cutting waste & curbing corruption. more..

Nov 10 (DM) Three years ago, Sri Lanka was on its knees. Queues for fuel snaked for kilometres, electricity cuts plunged homes into darkness, and the shelves of pharmacies and supermarkets lay bare. It was not only an economic collapse — it was a collapse of confidence, governance, and faith. People felt abandoned by the very system meant to protect them. As 2025 draws to a close, the picture looks very different. The economy, once in free fall, is slowly finding its balance. more..

Nov 10 (TM) The Govt is visibly pushing their act tough on crime policy, much to the satisfaction of the masses and newsrooms across the media spectrum. Most Sri Lankans are impressed by the Govt’s efforts in their first year. Unfortunately, in the past and even today, most counter narcotics operations have been hijacked by a Governmental-Political mindset of Show the public we are doing something. The focus seems to be on the photo opportunity, rather than the success of prosecution. more..

Nov 10 (DM) Mahendra Percy Rajapaksa, known to his country and the world at large as Mahinda Rajapaksa, will celebrate his 80th birth anniversary on Nov 18, 2025. In a political career spanning more than five decades, Mahinda Rajapaksa has served as MP, Cabinet Minister, Leader of the Opposition, PM and Executive Prez. Medamulana Mahinda, as he is referred to at times, is a colourful politician who has been more..

Nov 10 (CT) A year after the leftist NPP coalition won an unprecedented supermajority in SL’s Nov 2024 parliamentary elections—with support from both the majority Sinhala and minority Tamil communities—it has fallen short in terms of delivering on its sweeping promises. As the first party to govern SL outside the two-party system, NPP during its election campaign promised to eliminate corruption, revive the economy, invest in public education, introduce a new constitution devolving power to regions, more..

Nov 10 (ST) Prez A.K. Dissanayake launched his Govt’s newest campaign – an all-out war on narcotics, seeking the support of the entire nation to wipe out the menace of toxic drugs that has reportedly seeped into every nook and corner of the country. According to Narcotics Police guesstimates, hundreds of thousands of Sri Lankans are addicts. This new crusade comes hot on the heels of the Govt’s Clean Sri Lanka campaign and a counter Opposition drive that accuses more..

Nov 10 (SO) Presenting Budget 2026 in Parliament, President and Finance and Digital Economy Minister Anura Kumara Dissanayake said on Friday that all Govt payments will be moved into the digital sphere in due course. Prez said the Govt is taking decisive steps to build a digital economy. He said steps will be taken to introduce a Digital Economy Act. The Digital Economy Bill, now being formulated, will pave the way for the creation of more..

Nov 10 (CT) SL is a land blessed by history. From the ancient city kingdoms of A'pura and Polonnaruwa to the rock temple complex of Sigiriya, our terrain is softened by ruins and relics that echo a past of splendour. Yet, for far too long, this precious cultural and archaeological inheritance has been treated as an afterthought rather than a priority. Now, with the 2025 National Budget of SL offering fresh allocations to the Dept of Archaeology (Rs 341 mil recurrent and Rs 1,706 mil development) more..

Nov 10 (Island) Underworld killings have resumed, after a brief lull, giving the lie to the NPP politicians’ claim that the recent arrests of some criminals, such as Kehelbaddara Padme, have dealt a paralysing blow to the underworld. Such arrests are no doubt essential and welcome, but voids they create in the underworld do not last long, for there are many dangerous criminals vying for supremacy. Amidst media reports of a series of successful anti-drug raids in this country, disturbing news has more..

Nov 10 (DM) Three years ago, Sri Lanka was on its knees. Queues for fuel snaked for kilometres, electricity cuts plunged homes into darkness, and the shelves of pharmacies and supermarkets lay bare. It was not only an economic collapse — it was a collapse of confidence, governance, and faith. People felt abandoned by the very system meant to protect them. As 2025 draws to a close, the picture looks very different. The economy, once in free fall, is slowly finding its balance. more..

Nov 10 (Island) A landmark Indo–Lanka Policy Dialogue on Regional Environmental Cooperation, held recently at the Uni of Colombo, has charted a bold new path for strengthening bilateral environmental collaboration between the two neighbours. The event, jointly organised by Faculty of Law & Centre for Environmental Law and Policy (CELP) of the Uni of Colombo in collaboration with the Commonwealth Legal Education Association (CLEA) and Amity Law School, more..

Nov 10 (TM) Govt’s proposal to remove the Special Commodity Levy (SCL) imposed on imported coconut oil and palm oil will damage the domestic coconut oil industry, local producers claim. Govt has noted that the policy, scheduled to be implemented from April 2026, where the SCL on imported oil will be replaced with the general tax structure, including the VAT and Social Security Contribution Levy (SSCL), intends to create more..

Nov 10 (FT) Ceylon Chamber of Commerce said the Budget 2026 maintains a clear trajectory of policy predictability, fiscal consolidation, and disciplined debt management, continuing the stability required for Sri Lanka’s medium-term reform agenda. “This consistency is critical for sustaining a transformative growth trajectory that is underpinned by low inflation, stable interest rates and renewed investor confidence,” it said in a statement. With economic recovery driven primarily by more..

Nov 10 (FT) Ceylon Federation of MSME President Mahendra Perera criticised the 2026 Budget for failing to provide relief to struggling micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and warning that the reduction of the VAT threshold and lack of credit access could further strain both enterprises and consumers. Perera said while the Government had introduced several new loan schemes for MSMEs, there was no meaningful support for businesses that have suffered losses over the past five years. more..

Nov 10 (FT) Hemas Holdings’s consolidated earnings in 2Q of FY26 rose by 36.6% to Rs. 2.1 billion compared to the corresponding quarter of the previous year, driven by robust revenue growth across all its business sectors. This growth in revenue, together with sustained operating margins, contributed to a 13% increase in operating profit which grew to Rs. 3.5 billion. Further, net interest cost decreased by 78.9% during the quarter benefitting from reduced interest rates and more..

Nov 10 (CT) Free Trade Zone Manufacturers Association (FTZMA) has raised concerns over the increasing number of vessel omissions at the Port of Colombo, warning that the situation is severely affecting Sri Lanka’s exporters and undermining the country’s status as a regional shipping hub. In a letter to the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Aviation, the FTZMA said that the frequent skipping of Colombo by mainline operators in recent months has created production bottlenecks, more..