Cabinet approves proposed electricity sector reforms bill

The Cabinet has approved the proposed electricity sector reform bill today, Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera said.

Japan condemns Yemen’s Houthi rebels hijack of cargo ship in Red Sea

Japan has strongly condemned the hijacking of Japanese-operated cargo ship Galaxy Leader in the Red Sea by Iran-backed Houthi rebels.

Mage Rata organization president arrested for dashing coconuts in front of CID

The president of the Mage Rata organization, Sanjaya Mahawatta, was arrested after protesting in front of the Criminal Investigation Department this afternoon, the police said.

Napoleon Bonaparte’s hat sells for €1.9m at Paris auction

A hat belonging to Napoleon Bonaparte when he ruled France in the 19th Century has been sold for €1.9m ($2.1m; £1.7m) at auction in Paris.

Shakira: Singer settles Spanish tax fraud case with $7.5m fine

Colombian pop star Shakira has reached a deal with Spanish prosecutors to settle a tax fraud case, just as her trial was about to begin.

Spate of accidents lead to 12,000 deaths annually

Approximately 01 million hospital admissions and 12,000 deaths are reported per year in the country due to various accidents, Health Minister Dr. Ramesh Pathirana revealed.

40-litre fuel subsidy for farmers whose crops were damaged in Yala season

The Agriculture Ministry has decided to provide 40 litres of diesel as subsidy per hectare free of charge for each farmer whose crops were damaged during the last Yala season.

Minister gives undertaking not to take action on interim committee until Wednesday

Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe, through his lawyer, gave an undertaking today not to take any further steps regarding the gazette notification issued by the Minister appointing an interim committee to Sri Lanka Cricket, until November 22.

WC Team of Tournament includes Dilshan Madushanka; 6 Indians included

The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 delivered some phenomenal individual performances across seven weeks of high-class international action, and here is the official ICC Team of the Tournament.

Date fixed for debate on Value Added Tax (Amendment) Bill

The debate on the second reading of the Value Added Tax (Amendment) Bill and Finance Bill was fixed for December 10, the Parliament Communications Department said.

CID arrests Medical Supplies Division Director

Director of the Medical Supplies Division of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Kapila Wickramanayaka and three others were arrested by the CID over the Immunoglobulin import case, police said.

’Will resign if allegations proven’: COPE Chairman

Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa and Chairman of the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) Prof. Ranjith Bandara engaged in a heated argument in Parliament during which fresh allegations were hurled against each other.

Boss of Australian telecom giant quits after nationwide outage

The chief executive of Australian telecom giant Optus has resigned after a nationwide outage this month.

Dr. Palitha Mahipala assumes duties as new Health Secretary

Dr. Palitha Gunarathna Mahipala assumed duties as the new Secretary to the Ministry of Health a short while ago.

Over 2,000 teenage mothers reported in Sri Lanka: Geetha

Some 2,087 teenaged mothers were reported in Sri Lanka in 2022 according to the Family Health Bureau, State Minister Geetha Kumarasinghe said today.

SLC responds to Sports Minister's revelations; calls for fair probe

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has once again responded to Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe’s disclosure of confidential letters sent by the SLC to the International Cricket Council (ICC) before the suspension of Sri Lanka Cricket.

Dengue cases in Sri Lanka top 73,000

The tally of dengue cases recorded for 2023 has surpassed the 73,000 mark, according to the Epidemiology Unit.

’Seek my permission to bring outsiders for meetings’: Speaker to Committee chairpersons

Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena today announced that chairpersons of all committees should seek his permission to get outsiders to participate in meetings.

Milei wins Argentina presidential run-off election

Far-right libertarian outsider Javier Milei has won Argentina’s presidential run-off poll, according to provisional results.

Opposition MPs sign motion requesting a PSC to probe cricket crisis

Some members have embarked on an endeavor to hand over a motion to Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana calling for the appointment of a select committee to probe the cricket crisis, Daily Mirror learns.

State denied substantial VAT revenue collected from consumers

In what appears to be a staggering disclosure, the number of VAT (value-added tax) files registered is found to be way below the actual figure denying substantial revenue collected from end consumers of goods and services to the state coffers, an official said.

Government revenue surges by 43.5%, yet expanding budget deficit spurs VAT hike

The government’s revenue in the first eight months saw a robust 43.5 percent increase, but the budget deficit continued to stretch higher, forcing the government to double down on the revenue based fiscal consolidation path it subscribed to with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) by raising the Value-Added Tax (TAX) from next year.

Minister accuses Shammi of issuing threats

Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe said that he had received threats from Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) President Shammi Silva and National Sports Council Director Sudhath Chandrasekara in a new turn of events between the two parties.

India star named Player of the Tournament at ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup

Kohli’s brilliance with the bat was a defining feature of the tournament, with India’s number three scoring at least a half-century in nine of his 11 innings.

No possibility of sugar shortage in country: Siyambalapitiya

According to the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA), there is a stock of about 19,000 metric tons of sugar available in the country. Therefore, there is no possibility of a sugar shortage in the country, Finance State Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya said.

Australia stun hosts India to win sixth title

Australia stunned hosts India in Ahmedabad to win the men’s Cricket World Cup for a sixth time.

Six emergency sluice gates open in Kalawewa

With the higher rainfall in the catchment areas around Kalawewa, two emergency sluice gates were opened six feet each on the instructions of the Bowatthenna Irrigation Engineer. Currently, the total water capacity of Kalawewa is 86,916 acre-feet.

Will not support political parties to bring people to their rallies: Gemunu

The Lanka Private Bus Owners’ Association (LPBOA) has decided not to provide buses to any political party to bring people to their rallies and meetings in the future.

Sudden flood situation in low-lying areas of Maha Oya valley

Due to the considerable rainfall in some upstream and middle-reach catchment areas of the Maha Oya basin, there is a possibility of sudden flood situations occurring in low-lying areas of the Maha Oya valley in Alawwa, Diwulapitiya, Meerigama, Pannala, Wennappuwa, Negombo, Katana and Dankotuwa D/S Divisions, the Irrigation Department said.

Train services on main line from Colombo limited to Polgahawela

The up-and-down train services on the mainline have been disrupted between Polgahawela and Rambukkana due to a train derailment, the Railways Department said.