Nov 15 (CI) Mitchell Marsh stands tall in his stance, collar popped. This is Marsh's first World Cup final and when his first ball arrives, he is in the midst of a storm: Australia have lost Aaron Finch early on and Adam Milne, New Zealand's fastest bowler, is at the top of his mark ready to test out his perceived weakness against hard lengths. Milne bangs his first ball in halfway down at 89mph/144kph, straying onto Marsh's hips. Glenn Phillips is riding the boundary at deep backward square leg and more..

Nov 15 (FT) COVID-19 vaccines were administered to 46,664 persons on Saturday and 63.36% of the country�s population has received both vaccine doses. Our World in Data states that 73.76% of the population has received the first dose. 15,874,038 persons have received the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 13,648,423 persons have received the second dose. Booster shots have been administered to 111,319 persons, with the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine being used for the third dose. more..

Nov 15 (FT) Central Bank denied speculation that worker remittances will be forcibly converted into rupees under the proposed Securitised Financing Arrangement (SFA) as completely unfounded. CBSL said unfounded speculation is being spread by parties with vested interests that the recently announced request for proposals (RFP) in relation to the SFA is aimed at converting all worker remittances into rupees more..

Nov 15 (AD) State Katina ceremony and the festival of saffron colouring of robes were held under the patronage of Prez Rajapaksa at the Sri Miyugunarama Raja Maha Viharaya, Colabagama in Kurunegala, today (14). This is considered to be the second occasion since the reign of King Parakramabahu II to hold a Katina ceremony sponsored by the state. It is the tradition since the days of ancient kings to cultivate cotton, spin yarn and use the cotton cloth woven from yarn to more..

Nov 15 (TOI) Crime Branch-CID police from Coimbatore arrested Chanuka Thananayaka alias Ladiya alias Ladim, 38, a close aide of Sri Lankan underworld don Angoda Lokka, from Bengaluru on Saturday. Police said Chanuka Thananayaka, hailing from Athurugiriya in Colombo was a most wanted criminal in Sri Lanka. The sleuths arrested another man, identified as T Gopalakrishnan alias Jayapal, 46 for providing shelter to Thananayaka in Bengaluru. more..

Nov 15 (FT) The country�s premier private sector lobby group, the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, yesterday welcomed the broader policy continuity in Budget 2022 but flagged off concerns over several contentious proposals calling for review. Ceylon Chamber said the Budget 2022 presented by Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa has signalled policy continuity in terms of maintaining mainstream corporate tax rates and more..

Nov 15 (FT) The private sector and analysts over the weekend emphasised imposing a surcharge on income tax was more rational than on a specific profit threshold as Budget 2022 has been proposed. In a bid to raise Rs. 100 billion, Minister Basil Rajapaksa mooted a retrospective one-time tax surcharge of 25% on persons and companies with a taxable income over Rs. 2 billion for FY21. He said around 65 companies would come under the proposal, which is the second-largest (30%) more..

Nov 15 (FT) UNP Chairman and former Minister Vajira Abeywardena on Saturday said Budget 2022 has pushed the country to a very dangerous place and has not presented any solutions to the burning issues of the people. He claimed that the Govt has once again created an era of long queues to purchase essential food items, like milk powder, gas and cement, whilst noting that Budget 2022 would pave the way for a gloomy future where people would suffer severely. more..

Nov 15 (CT) Muttiah Muralitharan hailed former SL captain Mahela Jayawardene after the latter was recently inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame. Jayawardene, 44, was inducted into the Hall of Fame honours by the ICC along with former South Africa captain Shaun Pollock and former England women�s team player Janette Brittin. Muralitharan, who is the highest wicket-taker in int'l cricket, hailed his former captain in a letter of appreciation that was published on the official website of ICC. more..

Nov 15 (Island) SL Govt Officers� Trade Union Association (SLGOTUA) warned that it would go on strike without giving notice, if the govt did not increase the salaries of govt servants through the 2022 Budget. Secretary of the SLGOTUA, B.A.P. Basnayake made the demand while writing to Prez Rajapaksa and Minister Basil Rajapaksa. The letter stated that the govt Budget had ignored the public sector. �Right now, most Sri Lankans find it hard to survive, especially wage earners. more..

Nov 15 (AD) Minister Vasudeva Nanayakkara says that the Budget presented by the Minister Basil Rajapaksa is an extraordinary one and is beyond the tradition. He said the budget proposal has grappled with the main issues and it has provided certain measures and certain allocations in order to overcome some of the most important problems which affect the people. Minister said he believes a huge amount of funds more..

Nov 15 (AM) With the number of cases and deaths showing a marginal increase day by day despite vaccination, Health authorities warn of a dark period ahead if the situation is not nipped in the bud. COVID-19 Coordinator, Director of Technical Services of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Anwar Hamdani said there is a slight increase in hospitalisation of COVID patients. �30% of total treatment centres of 176 has been occupied at present,� he said. more..

Nov 15 (CT) Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa said increasing relief for public servants will have to wait until next year because the country�s public service has become a burden. Finance Minister highlighted that awarding funds to public officials in some way means taking money away from the general public and no public funds can be spent on the public service for another year. Finance Minister stated that the public sector has become a burden on the country & that public must recognise this fact. more..

Nov 15 (CT) Petroleum trade unions claimed that due to the depletion of crude oil stored at Sapugaskanda Oil Refinery, production will be halted today for the first time. According to Ananda Palitha, Convener of the Petroleum Trade Union Collective, there may be an oil shortage in the near future as a result. He further said shortage was not a result of scarcity but because Minister Udaya Gammanpila, delayed importing crude oil on time. more..

Nov 15 (DM) In a strict responsive measure, the Chief of Excise has ordered a spree of detections to be conducted countrywide in the coming weeks, to address the mushrooming illicit liquor industry that thrived during the recent Covid lockdowns. Excise Commissioner General (ECG) M. J. Gunasiri has ordered all his senior officials including the Commissioners, Deputy and Assistant Commissioners heading countrywide divisions and ranges to commence a spree of detections. more..

Nov 15 (DM) As many as 8000 Covid-19 patients sought treatment at Ayurveda hospital in Navinna, Maharagama but none of them succumbed to the disease, a minister said. State Minister Sisira Jayakodi said it proved the efficacy of Ayurvedic medicine in the management of Covid-19 patients. He made these remarks while addressing the activists of his political party Mahajana Eksath Peramuna which is an ally of the govt on Saturday in Kottawa, Colombo. more..

Nov 15 (Island) Minister Udaya Gammanpila has reiterated that the rebel group within the SLPP parliamentary group would continue its role regardless of consequences. The leader of PHU Gammanpila has stressed that their right to function as a dissident group was in line with an assurance given to the electorate in the run-up to the last parliamentary election in Aug 2020. According to the Minister, PHU and NFF more..

Nov 15 (FT) Aseni, whiz kid in economics, and her grandpa, Sarath Mahatthaya, are in dialogue on issues relating to cryptocurrencies and related matters. They had found that sovereign govts are against these alternative currencies because they compete with the monopoly profits currently earned by these governments via currency issues known as seigniorage. Such profits earned by alternative currency issuers are private gains, while those earned by sovereign govts are public gains. more..

Nov 15 (FT) Budget proposals presented by the Minister of Finance Basil Rajapaksa, according to several analysts, make a huge effort to avoid penalising the population at the lower end of the income bracket and focuses on several proposals aimed at moving from an import dominant economy towards a manufacturing economy with greater emphasis on the export of goods and services and import substitution in identified sectors. This is certainly what Sri Lanka needs. more..

Nov 16 (AD) The govt has decided to reopen all the remaining grades in govt schools will from next week, Minister Dinesh Gunawardane says. His remarks came during the second reading debate of Budget 2022 in Parliament this morning. At present, in-person academic activities are conducted for students in primary schools, primary sections of schools as well as in A/L and O/L classes. Accordingly, schools across the island will be fully functional from next week, more..

Nov 16 (AD) Riyaj Bathiudeen, the brother of MP Rishad Bathiudeen, has been released from detention order under strict conditions by the Supreme Court. CID had arrested the former minister and his brother on Apr 24, 2021 over their alleged links to the Easter Sunday terror attacks in 2019. The duo was initially detained for 72 hours under the provisions of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). However, the CID later obtained permission to detain the two brothers for more..

Nov 16 (DM) China�s Qingdao Seawin Biotech Group, the fertilizer company caught in the midst of controversy with SL�s Agriculture Ministry has warned to lodge a complaint against SL at the FAO of the United Nations, if the National Plant Quarantine Service (NPQS) does not rectify its report over the company�s organic fertiliser, which it has called inaccurate, causing loss of reputation and goodwill. This matter which is of national and public more..

Nov 16 (SLN) A special operation mounted by the SL Navy in the seas off Sandbanks, Talaimannar this morning (15) has led to the apprehension of 03 suspects aboard a dinghy with about 03kg and 100g of Crystal Methamphetamine, also known as �Ice�. SL Navy said a group of SLN Marines attached to SLNS Thammanna in the North Central Naval Command had intercepted a suspicious dinghy in the seas off Sandbanks, Talaimannar this morning. During further search of the dinghy, more..

Nov 16 (AD) Police says court orders have been obtained from several courts preventing the SJB from holding protest rallies tomorrow (16). Police Spokesman said that court orders have been obtained from the Hulftsdorp Magistrate�s Court 05, Mahara Magistrate�s Court 01 & 02, Kaduwela Magistrate�s Court and the Homagama Magistrate�s Court. However, the Maligakanda Magistrate�s Court, the Gangodawila Magistrate�s Court and the Colombo Chief Magistrate have rejected more..

Nov 16 (AD) SL Covid-19 Technical Committee has granted approval for the use of oral antiviral pill in SL. Merck�s molnupiravir is the first oral antiviral medication to be approved for the treatment of Covid-19. State Minister Channa Jayasumana said that in response to his letter seeking the panel�s opinion on the usage of molnupiravir for Covid-19 management in SL, Director General of Health Services today informed him that more..

Nov 16 (DM) A body of a girl was recovered from the Kondaipitti beach in Mannar yesterday. The body of the 22-year old girl's was identified by her mother and she is a resident of Jaffna. Several fishermen had seen her falling from the bridge on Saturday. Though the fishermen rushed in search of her, couldn't locate the girl. The body of the girl washed asore on the following day. The Mannar Police said the CCTV footages have revealed that the girl was seen with a man at the Mannar Bus Stand more..

Nov 16 (EN) Sri Lanka�s state-owned enterprises are a burden on the economy which is eating 75 billion rupees in tax money to maintain but many do not provide a return, Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa has said. �There are approximately 300 state-owned enterprises in our country,� Rajapaksa said in a budget for 2022. �These enterprises are engaged in the provision of various products and services. Most of these institutions do not provide returns on the investments made by the govt.� more..

Nov 16 (DM) As plans are afoot to digitalize the entire court and judicial system in SL in order to expedite legal proceedings and cases, the process to call for tenders by leading IT companies in Sri Lanka has been marred in corruption allegedly by a techinical committee which has been appointed within the Ministry of Technology who have shortlisted two companies within a matter of weeks. Following a directive by Prez Rajapaksa, more..

Nov 16 (Island) Minister Basil Rajapaksa said on Saturday that the govt would not be defaulting on the country�s debt repayment. Addressing the media at the Ministry of Finance, Minister said that various solutions including the halt of vehicle imports had been resorted to, but those had failed to yield a clear solution with regard to the country�s foreign reserves crisis and debt servicing. �We think that this issue will persist next year as well, but we expect to resolve it without obtaining loans,� more..

Nov 16 (DM) Colombo Chief Magistrate Buddika Sri Ragala today refused to ban the protest which will be held by the SJB tomorrow at Hyde Park. Magistrate Buddhika Sri Ragala issued this order considering the submissions made by Senior Deputy Solicitor General (DSG) Deleepa Pieris and perusing the documents filed by the Attorney General in Court. The Magistrate observed that even though the DSG had stated that protest would violate the directions made by the Health Service more..

Nov 16 (EN) Sri Lanka will reopen schools for students in all grades starting next week as 70% of pupils grades 11 to 13 have been vaccinated, a minister said, as health officials implored parents to send their increasingly screen-addicted children back to school. Education Minister Dinesh Gunawardena told parliament that 240,000 teachers are also fully vaccinated. �Next week, we are opening schools for other grades. more..

Nov 15 (AD) Rev. Father Cyril Gamini Fernando has left the premises of the CID, a short while ago, after recording a statement. He left the CID after giving a statement for around seven hours, Ada Derana reporter said. Speaking to reporters outside, Father Cyril Gamini said that he is scheduled to appear before the CID once against tomorrow (16). He had arrived at the CID this morning (15) to record a statement in connection with a complaint filed by the country�s intelligence chief. more..

Nov 16 (TM) Bar Association of SL (BASL) made a request to Prez Rajapaksa to consider appointing a widely accepted person by the community to fill the vacant role of a Chairperson at the Human Rights Commission of SL (HRCSL), while underscoring the important of said position. They made this known via a letter addressed to Prez Rajapaksa dated today (15). The letter stated that the HRCSL which was established by Act no. 21 of 1996 plays an important role in the promotion of human rights in SL, more..

Nov 16 (EN) Sri Lanka�s imports were US$ 1,526 million in Sept 2021, hardly changed from US$ 1,525 million a year earlier, but was lower than in 2019, official data showed as money printing continued to put pressure on a currency peg at 203 to the US dollar. The balance of payments deficit, which is roughly the foreign reserves lost when printed money is redeemed by the central bank for dollars was US$ 2.57 billion in Sept 2020, more..

Nov 16 (Island) UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe told Parliament that the agreement between the Govt and the US Company New Fortress Energy (NFE) was an illegal agreement. �Any agreement that violates the country�s laws is illegal. This agreement has violated the laws of the country therefore it is illegal,� UNP leader said. Raising a privilege issue, the UNP leader said that the agreement had been entered into in violation of the provisions of Parliament more..

Nov 16 (DM) The Mirigama-Kurunegala section of the Central Expressway will be opened this month, Highways Minister Johnston Fernando said today. He told Parliament that the Central Expressway from Colombo to Kandy will be completely opened during the next two years. The minister said this while responding to a question raised by Chief Opposition Whip Lakshman Kiriella whether the Mirigama-Kurunegala section of the Central Expressway would be opened soon as more..

Nov 15 (EN) SJB is determined to go ahead with a mass rally cum protest planned for Tuesday (16) despite what the party claims are govt attempts to block it, party spokesmen said. The event was originally supposed to take the form of a number of protest marches in different parts of the country culminating in a mass rally at Hyde Park grounds, Colombo, against the accursed govt. But the public health department of CMC more..

Nov 15 (Island) JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake said that a group of wheeler-dealers was responsible for teh collapse of industries and enterprises. Addressing the 32nd Ill Maha Viru Samaruwa commemoration to mark the assassination of thousands of JVP cadres, including the party�s pioneer leader Rohana Wijeweera by the then UNP govt in the 1989-90 period, Dissanayake said: �Today, farmers, entrepreneurs, industrialists or traders cannot earn the profits they deserve more..