The 2025 General Certificate of Education (G.C.E.) Advanced Level Examination will begin tomorrow at 2,362 examination centers nationwide, the Department of Examinations announced. All question papers have been delivered to the centers, with police deployed at each location to ensure security. The exams will continue until December 5, with 340,525 students eligible to sit for the tests. A special program has been arranged to handle any emergencies during the examination period. Incidents can be reported to the Disaster Management Center at 117, or directly to the Department of Examinations at 1911. Additionally, the National Examination Emergencies Operations Unit, located at…
The Sri Lankan Report
The Welfare Benefits Board has announced that the annual Aswesuma data updates have now begun. The board stated that families and individuals receiving or eligible for Aswesuma in 2023 must complete these updates for the first time. However, updating information is not mandatory for applicants who have submitted grievances or appeals for Aswesuma in 2024, as their details have already been verified. The board emphasized that, during the verification process, it is essential to have the national ID and an active mobile phone number for each family member. Updates can be made online via a computer or smartphone by visiting…
ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka has to integrate with the region and look outward to grow, Deputy Industries Minister Chathuranga Abeysinghe said in a post-budget forum with Deloitte, in partnership with Echelon Magazine. One of the measures announced in the budget was to phase out so-called para-tariffs, which mushroomed after a 25-page gazette put up trade barriers in November 2004, after money printing led to currency depreciation and high inflation. “Now, for us, a small country to grow, the most important thing is how far you integrate with the regional economy,” Deputy Minister Minister Abeysinghe said. “Now, if you really take Sri…
Foreign Worker remittances to Sri Lanka increased to US $712 million in October 2025, up 21.2% from US $587.7 million in October 2024, according to the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL). Cumulative inflows for January–October 2025 rose 20.1% to US $6.52 billion, compared with US $5.43 billion in the same period in 2024. The post Worker remittances surge past US$ 6 billion in 2025 appeared first on Newswire.
A five-year-old boy from Dalugama, Kelaniya, has died after drowning in a hotel swimming pool in the Avudangawa area, within the Sigiriya Police Division. Police said the incident occurred on the evening of November 8 while the child was swimming with his parents. He was rushed to the Dambulla Hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries while receiving treatment. The body has been placed at the Dambulla Hospital mortuary. Sigiriya Police have launched further investigations into the incident. (Newswire) The post 5-year-old boy drowns in hotel swimming pool appeared first on Newswire.
A pilot project to install “Plastic Loops” in major canals of Colombo to trap plastic waste was launched on November 7 near the Nawala canal in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte. The initiative is implemented under the national “Clean Sri Lanka” programme with financial support from the “PLEASE” project. The move aims to prevent plastic pollution flowing through Colombo’s urban waterways into rivers and ultimately the ocean — a growing environmental concern in the capital. Officials note that plastic debris released into the 14 main canal networks and interlinked waterways in the Colombo region has been a major cause of blockages during…
Two suspects have been arrested after police recovered a firearm and ammunition from a car that ignored police orders to stop in the Alwis Town Junction area of Wattala on the morning of November 8. According to police, officers from the Wattala Police Station gave chase after the vehicle sped away, eventually stopping it and discovering a pistol and a magazine hidden under the driver’s seat. Preliminary questioning revealed that the firearm was being transported to be handed over to another individual, who was later arrested in the Mabole area. Both suspects, aged 33, are residents of Jaffna. Wattala Police…
WEATHER FORECAST FOR 09 NOVEMBER 2025 Issued at 05.30 a.m. on 09 November 2025 Showers or thundershowers will occur at most parts of the island after 1.00 p.m. Fairly heavy falls above 75 mm are likely at some places in Uva, Southern, Sabaragamuwa and Central provinces and in Ampara district. Showers may occur in Western and Southern provinces and Puttalam district in the morning too. The general public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers. The post Weather today: Above 75mm rain in some areas appeared first…
WEATHER FORECAST FOR 09 NOVEMBER 2025 Issued at 05.30 a.m. on 09 November 2025 Showers or thundershowers will occur at most parts of the island after 1.00 p.m. Fairly heavy falls above 75 mm are likely at some places in Uva, Southern, Sabaragamuwa and Central provinces and in Ampara district. Showers may occur in Western and Southern provinces and Puttalam district in the morning too. The general public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers. The post Weather today: Thundershowers after 1 pm appeared first on…
Photo courtesy of Ishankha Singha Arachchi The story of the women of the South, who have been struggling for justice for their forcibly disappeared loved ones for 36 long years, remains one of the most tragic chapters in Sri Lanka’s history. Despite countless obstacles, shifting political tides and the indifference of successive governments, their fight for truth and accountability continues with unwavering determination. These women, now frail with age, still carry photographs of their missing sons, husbands and brothers, walking from one government office to another, from one protest to the next, demanding answers that never come. They now place…
ECONOMYNEXT – When my mother was transferred to a leading boys’ school in Colombo, she instantly turned heads. Latha Jayasinghe was the first short-haired teacher the students had seen in a generation. Teachers then had the privilege of enrolling their children in the same school where they taught, and that is how both my brother, Lakal, and I ended up at what many mockingly called “Mariyakade Central” — but which was arguably the best in the country. Students at Ananda addressed women teachers as “Madam” (and male teachers as “Sir”), and my mother soon became known among the 6,000-strong student…
ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka foreign reserves were 6,216 million dollars in October 2025, down 27 million dollars from a month earlier and is down 256 million US dollars from a year earlier. Sri Lanka’s central bank has been unable to increase gross reserves from around October 2024, though it has increased net reserves, by settling its reserve related liabilities to the Reserve Bank of India and the International Monetary Fund. In the last currency crisis, the central bank cut rates and not only used up its reserves, but also borrowed through swaps and payment arrears to RBI to run inflationary…
Colombo — Archbishop of Colombo Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith has voiced concern over what he described as an “inappropriate sexual education program” being prepared for inclusion in Sri Lanka’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 international organizations. He said the new curriculum aims to introduce sexual education from Grade 6, with teachers being trained and seminars organized. “Is this really education? Isn’t it the parents’ responsibility to teach…
American delivery firms UPS and FedEx have temporarily grounded part of their fleets of cargo planes after a mid-take-off crash in Kentucky on Tuesday left at least 14 people dead.
The Department of Meteorology has issued an advisory warning of thundershowers accompanied by severe lightning in several parts of the country, including the North-western, Uva, Central, and Sabaragamuwa provinces, as well as the Anuradhapura, Mannar, Ampara, and Hambantota districts.
The Central Bank of Sri Lanka has revised the maximum loan-to-value (LTV) ratios applicable for vehicle leasing facilities. According to the new guidelines, the maximum leasing percentage for commercial vehicles has been set at 70%, while the maximum for private vehicles has been limited to 50%.
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. He noted with satisfaction the significant contribution of Sri Lankans to the development of technology utilized by the Dr. Sulaiman Al Habib Group through their development centre in Colombo.…
The 20th edition of “Ninnada”, the inter-school media festival organised by the Media Circle of D. S. Senanayake College, Colombo, concluded successfully on November 7 at the Temple Trees, marking the event’s 20th anniversary. The competition, held earlier on August 23, drew participation from over 200 schools and 2,500 budding student journalists from across the island. Former Election Commission Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya attended the awards ceremony as the chief guest. Mahamaya Girls’ College, Kandy, emerged overall champion of the 2025 competition, while Richmond College, Galle, claimed the runner-up title. The Kairia Balika Vidyalaya, Colombo, media unit was named Most…
The organisers of the Galle Literary Festival have announced that the 2026 edition of the event will be postponed. In a statement, 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 Sri Lanka’s most celebrated cultural events, drawing writers, readers, and thinkers from around the world to the historic city of Galle.…
The 2026 Budget is a Betrayal of Promises, Built on False Narratives and ‘Joke’ Allocations – Harsha
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka – November 8, 2025 – In my detailed response to the 2026 budget speech, I exposed a government that has not only failed to deliver on its core election promises but has presented a budget that is a betrayal of the very people who voted for it. While I acknowledge the government has maintained the macro-economic stabilization achieved by the previous administration, I must challenge its complete lack of any plan for economic growth. This budget is not a “system change”; it is “the same old thing” wrapped in a new flag. 1. The “1 Trillion Rupee”…