Newspaper
The Island
Duffy four-for leads New Zealand to 3-1 series win
\"A beautiful summer's day,\" Jacob Duffy said as the tree tops and the cloud cover Lexchanged high-fives and the temperature just about strayed out of single digits. Dunedin was a picture postcard, provided you were a fast bowler.
1 min |
November 14, 2025
The Island
'CBL- Munchee' power 2026 MCA D division league cricket tournament
For the 6th consecutive year ‘Munchee’ Ceylon Biscuits’ flagship brand will power the Mercantile Cricket Association, D division league cricket tournament.
1 min |
November 14, 2025
The Island
Traffic chaos in Kandy: Urgent government intervention needed
Air pollution in Kandy has reached unprecedentedly higher levels and health authorities have voiced their concern on several occasions about the issue of increasing respiratory diseases. Kandy does not have major industries or power plants and the sole contributor to air pollution is the large number of motor vehicles. The increase in air pollution in Kandy can be attributed to increasing traffic congestion and traffic jams. Combustion of petrol and diesel in motor vehicles produces carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and fine particles. When vehicles move in traffic jams, the familiar sight of black smoke coming from these vehicles is clearly visible to our naked eye. However, the most dangerous air pollutants are the fine particles which we cannot see with our naked eye and technically known as the PM 2.5 fraction composed of particles with diameters less than 2.5 micrometres (1 micrometer is one millionths of a metre). These are respirable going right into our lungs and then to the bloodstream. Such particles have severe impacts on the lungs and the heart. Exposure can result in coughing or difficulty in breathing, aggravated asthma, development of other chronic respiratory diseases, chronic heart diseases and stroke. In addition, these fine particles which are made up of carbon adsorb various unburnt hydrocarbons in petrol and diesel and some compounds such as the polyaromatic hydrocarbons are well known carcinogens. The PM2.5 level is often considered as the single most important parameter to determine air quality of a city and the level recorded for Kandy on 12-11-2025 was 50 microgrammes per cubic metre which is five times higher than the WHO standard of 10 microgrammes per cubic metre for healthy air. This parameter is typically used in the calculation of the air quality index (AQI) of a locality. It is possible to get the current AQI levels of major Sri Lankan cities from the internet web sites.
3 min |
November 14, 2025
The Island
Sri Lanka's tobacco trap: The $500 million fiscal sinkhole
While many nations struggle with high smoking rates, Sweden has carved a unique and successful path, poised to become Europe's first \"smoke-free\" country with just 5.3% of adults smoking. The question at the heart of the recent \"Quit Like Sweden\" roundtable in Colombo was not whether this success can be replicated, but how South Asia can adapt this model to avert a looming public health crisis.
2 min |
November 14, 2025
The Island
ComBank posts impactful 9-month results with strong loan book growth
The Commercial Bank of Ceylon group has reported gross income of Rs. 268.49 Bn. and net interest income of Rs. 103.48 Bn. at the end of the third quarter of 2025, with strong year-on-year growth of 34.60% in the loan book and curtailed interest expenses contributing to an impressive nine-month performance.
2 min |
November 14, 2025
The Island
Water at the heart of climate resilience
In climate summits like the annual Conference of the Parties (COPs) have historically laid predominant emphasis on reducing carbon emissions, increasing the capacities for renewable energy, and establishing finance mechanisms.
5 min |
November 14, 2025
The Island
LOLC Finance reports robust half-year results with Rs. 14 Billion Profit After Tax
LOLC Finance PLC, Sri Lanka's largest and most profitable non-bank financial institution (NBFI), delivered a strong performance for the six months ended 30th September 2025, reflecting steady growth across key business lines and improved profitability amid a competitive operating environment.
1 min |
November 14, 2025
The Island
SL signals readiness to host ‘new class of global luxury’
Colombo’s skyline has a new jewel — the Sapphire Residences, where apartments start at USD 1.2 million and rise to nearly USD 3 million for the larger units.
2 min |
November 14, 2025
The Island
NDB Bank partners with Browns EV to drive the future of electric vehicles in Sri Lanka
NDB Bank has entered into a strategic partnership with Browns EV (Pvt) Ltd. through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), reinforcing its commitment to supporting sustainable and affordable leasing solutions in Sri Lanka. This collaboration will enable customers to access Browns EV’s newly launched Wuling Electric Vehicle range with attractive
1 min |
November 14, 2025
The Island
Smashing faces into cakes
It happens at celebrations everywhere: cakes arrive, candles are blown out, guests cheer—and someone playfully shoves the birthday person's face into the cake.
2 min |
November 14, 2025
The Island
GMOA unhappy with Budget 2026, decides on trade union measures, beginning Monday
Alleging that the NPP government's 2026 Budget had completely neglected medical specialists, the Government Medical Officers' Association (GMOA) yesterday (12) called all medical specialists for a meeting on Friday (14) at the GMOA main office, in Colombo.
1 min |
November 13, 2025
The Island
Pakistan Taliban claims responsibility for Islamabad suicide blast
The attack was claimed by the Pakistan Taliban, known as Tehreeke-Taliban Pakistan.
1 min |
November 13, 2025
The Island
Utilisation of Consolidated Fund for estate workers' incentives challenged
SJB MP warns Budget Chief may end up behind bars
1 min |
November 13, 2025
The Island
LPL franchise owner in hot water over fixing bid
The Attorney General yesterday filed indictments in the Colombo High Court against Tamim Rahman, the owner of the Dambulla Thunders, for allegedly attempting to influence a player to fix a match during last year's Lanka Premier League (LPL).
1 min |
November 13, 2025
The Island
Delhi explosion 'premature' as suspect in rush due to police raids
The death toll in the car explosion near New Delhi's Red Fort stands at 13, and the investigation has been handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
1 min |
November 13, 2025
The Island
House sexual harassment case: Employees allege standard disciplinary procedures ignored
Serious concerns have emerged in Parliament over alleged irregularities in the handling of a sexual harassment inquiry involving several staff members of the legislature’s Information Systems and Management Department.
1 min |
November 13, 2025
The Island
Pakistan alleges 'India proxies' behind Islamabad bombing
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has blamed India for the suicide attack that struck outside the district and sessions court building in Islamabad on Tuesday afternoon, AI Jazeera reported.
1 min |
November 13, 2025
The Island
Oxford Walk raises $13,000 for rural communities in Sri Lanka
After a week of typical British rain, on Sunday 2 November 2025 the clouds parted, and a glorious Autumnal sun rose splicing together the blue skies over the historical and beautiful city of Oxford, England.
4 min |
November 13, 2025
The Island
Sri Lanka and Latvia sign agreement on transfer of sentenced persons
Deepening bilateral cooperation between Sri Lanka and Latvia in the field of consular and legal affairs, the Agreement on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons between the two countries has been signed on 11 November, 2025, at the High Commission of Sri Lanka in New Delhi.
1 min |
November 13, 2025
The Island
More than 500 calls to 1995 Forest Protection Hotline in 10 Days
The Ministry of Environment's “Vanasurakuma” (Forest Protection) initiative has received an overwhelming public response, with over 500 calls made to the 1995 short code hotline within just 10 days of its launch, according to Environment Minister Dr. Dhammika Patabendi.
1 min |
November 13, 2025
The Island
Case related to Easter Sunday carnage: Court directs CID not to arrest ex-DMI officer without consulting AG
The Court of Appeal on Tuesday (11) directed the Attorney General and Counsel for Colonel Kelum Maddumage to file any objections to the case, before 11 December, and any counterarguments before 14 January, 2026, in respect of the writ petition filed by the wartime member of the Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI).
1 min |
November 13, 2025
The Island
Miss Universe 2025 More 'surprises' before Crowning day!
Unexpected events seem to have cropped up at this year's Miss Universe pageant and there could be more 'surprises' before the crowning day - Friday, 21st November, 2025, at the at the Impact Challenger Hall, in Pak Kret, Nonthaburi, Thailand.
1 min |
November 13, 2025
The Island
Causing Rs 4.7 mn loss to SLIC: Prasanna R arrested, granted bail
Former Minister Prasanna Ranatunga, who was arrested by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC), yesterday (12) on allegations of loss of over Rs. 4.7 million to the Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation (SLIC), was granted bail.
1 min |
November 13, 2025
The Island
Beauty ... with Ice Cubes
This week I've decided to give The Island readers a few simple homemade beauty tips with ice cubes and water.
1 min |
November 13, 2025
The Island
BBC in trouble again!
BBC is in trouble again; this time with the most powerful person in the world. Donald Trump has given an ultimatum to the BBC over a blunder it should have corrected and apologized for, a long time ago, which it did not do for reasons best known, perhaps, only to the hierarchy of the BBC.
4 min |
November 13, 2025
The Island
Four apprehended with smuggled pharmaceutical products
The Navy detected a consignment of smuggled items, a dinghy, and apprehended four suspects during a search operation conducted in the Ippantivu and Karuwalakuda areas in Kalpitiya.
1 min |
November 13, 2025
The Island
Browns’ General Trading honoured at Construct Exhibition 2025
Browns General Trading was proud to have been recognised as the ‘Best Displayed Stall,’ under the Hardware & Tools category at the renowned Construct Exhibition 2025, held recently at the BMICH.
1 min |
November 13, 2025
The Island
Mark and Comm presents strategic communications framework to Deputy Minister for Sri Lanka’s USD15b digital economy transformation
Mark and Comm (Pvt) Ltd, Sri Lanka's leading boutique public relations (PR) and communications agency, presented a comprehensive Strategic Communications and PR framework to Deputy Minister of Digital Economy, Hon. Eranga Weeraratne.
1 min |
November 13, 2025
The Island
Tokyo Cement Group and Foundation of Goodness: A decade of nurturing cricketing dreams
Tokyo Cement Group extended the sponsorship of Cricket Coaching Camps with the Foundation of Goodness (FoG) for the 10th consecutive year.
1 min |
November 13, 2025
The Island
Siyapatha Finance shines once again - crowned 'Best Employer Brand' for third consecutive year
Siyapatha Finance PLC has once again emerged victorious, securing the title of \"Best Employer Brand\" for the third consecutive year at the recently concluded Employer Branding Awards 2025. The accolade recognizes the company's outstanding practices and innovative strategies in employer branding, reaffirming its strong commitment to employee engagement, retention, and creating an inspiring workplace culture.
1 min |