Nov 26 (CT) After several delays and countless obstacles during the past few months, SL�s own franchise based T20 tournament, the Lanka Premier League, will finally see the light of day with the first match of the five-team based tournament set to be played at 8:00 p.m. in Sooriyawewa today. The build-up for the tournament has been chaotic, as the tournament was initially announced to commence a couple of years back, more..

Nov 26 (Island) Sri Lanka�s most innovative bank, HNB PLC, announced that it had successfully linked its increasingly popular digital Payment App, SOLO, with the newly launched Lanka QR standard. Working in unison with the entire Sri Lankan banking and financial industry, the launch of Lanka QR is set to accelerate the adoption of QR code payments across the entire country and lay the foundation for the rapid expansion of digital wallets and cashless payments in Sri Lanka. more..

Nov 26 (TM) During the Budget 2021 reading on 17 Nov, PM and Finance Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa stated that a key policy priority of the Govt is to gradually reduce the foreign exchange utilised on the importation of milk powder, which amounts to more than $ 300 million per annum (Rs. 55 billion), and to meet the increasing demand for liquid milk through domestic dairy production. �Directing the large foreign exchange outflow utilised in the importation of milk powder to local farmers more..

Nov 26 (Island) A former SL cricketer is under probe after his alleged attempt to entice a player into corrupt practice in inaugural LPL tournament that will get underway today at Hambantota. Former player � an off-spinner with a dodgy action � had represented SL frequently from 2012 to 2016 before being discarded after being reported for a suspect action. He has featured in various T-20 leagues since losing his spot in the SL side. more..

Nov 26 (FT) The Hotels Association of SL (THASL) hailed the budget as a pragmatic financial road map with a view to creating more job opportunities for the country�s youth and preserving foreign exchange by encouraging local businesses to invest in areas to curb imports. �The Budget has created a level playing field for local entrepreneurs to compete against foreign players and given commitment to the business community of a stable tax regime for a period of 5 years,� more..

Nov 26 (FT) The Govt yesterday welcomed $ 165 million support to COVID-hit small and medium enterprises in Sri Lanka from the Asian Development Bank (ADB). �The govt highly appreciates ADB�s long-term commitment to supporting Sri Lanka�s development. SMEs will be essential to recovery from COVID-19. The new loan from ADB will help the govt�s efforts of supporting SMEs in and after the COVID-19 pandemic,� said Finance Ministry Secretary S.R. Attygalle. more..

Nov 26 (MoD) Raising concerns into widespread illegal forest resources degradation, Defence Secretary Kamal Gunaratne said, attention into deforestation is imperative and it is vital to identify such attempts before logging. He said, �The Prez has alerted Tri-Forces and Police to thwart such attempts and therefore it would be monitored using aerial assets of the SL Air Force (SLAF)�. Defence Secy while addressing District Secretaries more..

Nov 26 (DN) The govt has once again rightly reactivated the proposal to launch the much looked forward Maintenance, Repair & Operations (MRO) facility for the Mattala Rajapaksa Int'l airport (MRIA). State Minister D. V. Chanaka, said that under the new proposal the govt will lay the foundation for the MRO. �Together with Airport & Aviation SL (AASL) and SriLankan Airlines, the govt will initially fund US$ 50 million to build the key infrastructure at MRIA for the MRO facility early next year.� more..

Nov 26 (CT) Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) is hoping to increase the number of participating teams for the Lanka Premier League (LPL) next season, Ravin Wickramaratne, Tournament Director of LPL said. �This is not the final formation as these five teams are for this year only. We have plans to increase the number of teams from next year or may be from the third year�, said Ravin Wickramaratne. LPL 2020 will see five franchises � Colombo Kings, Dambulla Vikings, Galle Gladiators, Jaffna Stallions and more..

Nov 26 (FT) Total number of COVID-19 patients identified in the island crossed the 21,000 mark yesterday, with the identification of 502 new cases. Yesterday�s COVID-19 cases were associates of the Peliyagoda COVID-19 cluster. This brings the total number of patients identified from the Divulapitiya and Peliyagoda dual cluster to 17,938. In addition to the dual cluster, 1,506 SL returnees from abroad, 950 Navy personnel and more..

Nov 26 (CT) A loss of Rs 85 billion has been incurred by the CEB in 2019 due to the non-construction of power plants since 2015, CEB officials informed the COPE. COPE had summoned CEB officials to look into the Lakvijaya Power Plant and its environmental impact. It was also found that Rs 26 million has to be spent annually to spray water on the fly ash. When COPE Chairman, Dr. Charitha Herath queried about the mechanism of putting 6,580,000 tonnes of fly ash stored more..

Nov 26 (CI) Angelo Mathews will absolutely be bowling through the course of the Lanka Premier League, even if Andre Russell - the tournament's star player and Mathews' Colombo Kings teammate - will take it easy with the ball initially. Kings will play in the tournament opener against Kandy Tuskers on Thursday, and the team's two high-profile seam-bowling allrounders appear key to the franchise's fortunes, on first glance. Mathews had bowled during the WI tour of SL in February more..

Nov 26 (CT) Former Prez Maithripala Sirisena admitted that the arrests of the former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando and former IGP Pujith Jayasundara, over failing to prevent the Easter Sunday bombings, were not justified when there were many officials responsible for not preventing the terror attacks. When Sirisena testified, before the PCoI, yesterday, Attorney-at-Law Dilshan Jayasuriya, appearing for Fernando, more..

Nov 26 (AD) SL�s death toll from the coronavirus has risen to 96 as two infected persons have succumbed to the disease. The deceased are a 45-year-old woman from Colombo 12, and an 80-year-old man from the Pannipitya area. The woman had passed away at the Colombo National Hospital on November 23 from a cardiac arrest caused by COVID-19. The male had been transferred from the Sri J'pura Hospital to the Pimbura Base Hospital upon being diagnosed as a Covid-19 patient. more..

Nov 26 (AD) A meeting held at the Ministry of Trade today (25) revealed that the current prices of sanitary napkins will remain the same. At the meeting, local manufacturers of sanitary napkins have pointed out that the 30% tax imposed on sanitary napkins by the previous government has been reduced by 15% from the current budget. The remaining 15% has been imposed as a Cess Tax. However, the current prices of sanitary napkins in the market have not changed, they added. more..

Nov 26 (FT) The continued detention of former CID Director Shani Abeysekara was political victimisation, charged SJB MP Harin Fernando. He questioned how former EP Chief Minister S. Chandrakanthan alias Pillayan was granted bail on Tuesday but Abeysekera remained in custody. He was joined by former UNP MP Wijayapala Hettiarachchi. Fernando called on the Govt on behalf of the SJB to provide more..

Nov 26 (Island) Gotabaya Rajapaksa administration was trying to intimidate media institutions by threatening to pull out govt advertisements, SJB MP Manusha Nanayakkara told Parliament. Tabling a circular issued by Dr. P.B. Jayasundera, Secretary to the Prez on canceling advertisements given to media institutions, the SJB MP said it was an attempt to undermine the independence of the media. Nanayakkara said that advertisements were a major source of revenue for media more..

Nov 26 (Island) National Thawheed Jamaat (NTJ) and its leader Zahran Hashim supported Former Prez Sirisena and the SLMC at the 2015 elections, former EP Governor M.L.A.M Hizbullah, told the PCoI. Hizbullah was giving evidence before the PCoI for the second day. �Zahran supported the SLMC at the 2015 general election. After the UNP-led coalition won the election, NTJ members fought with our supporters. Several people were injured during the clash, including Zahran�s brother. more..

Nov 26 (CT) Former Prez Maithripala Sirisena said, he believes a powerful foreign country or some other force was behind the 21 Apr 2019, Easter Sunday Bombings and National Thowheed Jama�ath (NTJ) Leader Zaharan Hashim. He also said, intelligence officials from countries such as the US, India and UK had arrived in the country a few days after the Easter Sunday Bombings, adding that it was extremely problematic that none of more..

Nov 26 (FT) Leapfrogging is a favourite action word we usually use to indicate the desire to move ahead with little bit of speed and jump disregarding the normal to get ahead of the curve, etc. Most of the time in our minds hearing the word may conjure up something big being planned or expected. These days there is no normal situation but only plenty of issues in a highly dynamic setting. While the virus is displaying the power of the exponential, being a step ahead is complicated. more..

Nov 26 (FT) A Muslim funeral is the simplest form of a dignified send-off of the loved one. It does not involve a myriad of complicated and elaborate rituals, traditions, embalming of the body, retaining the corpse for several days and superstitious practices. Between cremation and burial, the bottom line is simple and clear. Is there authenticated and accepted scientific evidence that burial is safe? If yes, then permit burial. And, if there will be a problem, find a safe win-win solution. more..

Nov 26 (AD) Police Media Spokesman DIG Ajith Rohana says that they have received reports of certain individuals who are ignoring requests for them to undergo PCR testing. The DIG said that investigations are underway to arrest such persons. Further, legal action will be taken against those who refuse PCR testing, under quarantine laws, he added. Meanwhile, 29 Grama Niladhari Divisions islandwide have been declared as isolated areas. 13 Grama Niladhari Divisions in C'mbo District, more..

Nov 26 (DN) A discussion on the need to amend the National Dangerous Drugs Control Act to suit the current situation in the country was held under the guidance of the Minister of Justice Presidents Counsel Ali Sabry at the Ministry of Justice yesterday. Senior officials representing the National Dangerous Drugs Control Board, Police, AG�s Dept, Govt Analyst�s Dept and the Ministry of Health expressed their views on the need to amend the National Dangerous Drugs Control Act to more..

Nov 26 (DM) The OIC of the Kollupitiya Police Crime Division who was admitted to the Colombo National Hospital due to a sudden illness has passed away this morning. Police Spokesman DIG Ajith Rohana said Chief Inspector Nishantha (42) was collapsed and hospitalized due to a sudden illness while exercising at the Galle Face. The postmortem examination into death to be conducted It was revealed that more..

Nov 26 (AD) State Minister Rear Admiral (Retd) Dr. Sarath Weerasekara has been sworn in as the new Cabinet Minister of Public Security. He took oath as a new Minister before Prez Rajapaksa at the Presidential Secretariat. Weerasekara had been serving as the State Minister of Provincial Councils and Local Govt Affairs. On Monday, the Prez had issued an Extraordinary Gazette, establishing two new ministries � Ministry of Public Security and Ministry of Technology. more..

Nov 26 (Island) Justice Minister Ali Sabry and Ratnapura District SJB MP Hesha Withanage had a heated argument on Tuesday over an allegation that one of Sabry�s relatives who had passed away from COVID-19 had been buried, while other Muslims victims of COVID-19 were cremated. Participating in the third reading debate on Budget 2021, MP Withanage alleged that one of Sabry�s relatives in Ratmalana who had died from COVID-19 was buried in contravention of health regulations. more..

Nov 26 (NR) National Security Adviser Ajit Doval will be in Colombo on Friday for trilateral discussions among India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Maldivian Defence Minister Mariya Ahmed Didi will also travel to Colombo, while the Sri Lankan side will be represented at the highest levels by Prez Rajapaksa and PM Rajapaksa. This is Mr. Doval�s second official visit to Sri Lanka this year. He was here in January � on the heels of more..

Nov 26 (AD) Minister Chamal Rajapaksa has taken oath as the new State Minister of Defence, Home Affairs and Disaster Management. This will be in addition to his Cabinet portfolio as Minister of Irrigation. He previously held the state ministerial portfolio of Internal Security, Home Affairs and Disaster Management. He has been sworn into the new position before President Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the Presidential Secretariat, a short while ago. more..

Nov 26 (AD) The decision whether there will be a revision of the G.C.E. O/L examination dates will be decided within the upcoming days, says Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris. It was previously decided that the O/L exam will be held from the 18th to the 27th of Jan in 2021. However, considering the COVID-19 situation in the country, it may change, according to the Minister. He said that if the commencement of schools in the Western Province and other isolated areas of the country is further delayed, more..

Nov 26 (AD) Former President Maithripala Sirisena was accused of attempting to shift blame, as well as key decision-making responsibilities, to save himself, and for his selective memory of events in the days leading up to the Easter attacks. He cross-examined by attorneys representing former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando, and former IGP Pujith Jayasundara at the PCoI probing the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks. more..

Nov 26 (DM) Govt of Switzerland extending its support to Sri Lanka in addressing the unprecedented impact of COVID-19, has funded the installation of new, semi-automated Roche Diagnostics RT PCR-Testing machines at BIA, Embassy of Switzerland to SL and the Maldives said. Switzerland govt also provided 39,000 COVID RT-PCR test kits. This collaboration is a testimony to the excellent long term bi-lateral relationship as well as the ongoing Migration Partnership more..

Nov 26 (CT) Prez Maithripala Sirisena removed me from the post of security adviser within a week, after I pointed out that there were certain shortcomings in the State Intelligence Service (SIS) and its Director, Senior DIG Nilantha Jayawardena, retired Senior DIG Nimal Lewke, who was a security adviser to former Prez Sirisena said. He was testifying before the PCoI on 24 Nov. Lewke was appointed by Sirisena as a security adviser in Sept 2017, and had been serving in the post for nearly one year. more..

Nov 26 (EN) The UNHRC has written to the Sri Lankan govt seeking details about a complaint made by a Sri Lankan parent regarding the violation of the rights of a child, in this case involving corporal punishment. The case is highlighting the issue of corporal punishment in Sri Lanka�s schools which continues despite an official ban. The UNHRC has registered the complaint and it has now sought a response to the complaint from the SL govt. more..

Nov 26 (CT) Former Prez Maithripala Sirisena was questioned at the PCoI into Easter Sunday Bombings, regarding his visit to the Tirupati Temple of Lord Venkateswara in India on 16 April 2019, on his way to a hospital in Singapore to seek medical treatment. This was when he testified before the Commission on 24 Nov. Attorney-at-Law Dilshan Jayasuriya, appearing for former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando, cross-examined Sirisena and asked him whether he had gone abroad on more..

Nov 26 (CT) A total of 1,500 Sri Lankans are stranded in Tamil Nadu, unable to return to the island because of COVID-19, the Fisheries Ministry said on 23 Nov. In this connection, Fisheries Minister Douglas Devananda, after speaking to Prez Rajapaksa and PM Rajapaksa, has taken steps to bring down those stranded Sri Lankans. Meanwhile, Govt has allocated Rs 3,000 million to carpet a one-kilometre stretch of roadway connecting Arali with Kurikattuvan, to build a bridge connecting more..

Nov 26 (Island) Olympic medalist, Susanthika Jayasinghe, had been unaware, until yesterday, that her IAAF World Cup bronze was upgraded to a silver more than a decade ago. Jayasinghe said in an interview with The Island, �I won a bronze in Madrid. Had the winner of the race been disqualified then my bronze would have been upgraded to silver.� When The Island informed her that the World Athletics had in fact upgraded more..

Nov 26 (DM) All operations and other services of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority�s (SLPA) terminals and all other sister terminals at the Port of Colombo are swiftly returning to normal, the SLPA, South Asia Gateway Terminal and Colombo Int'l Container Terminal said in a joint statement. Due to the current Covid-19 pandemic situation in the country, terminals in the Port faced an impact to its operations over the last week. Subsequently, collective action with decisive measures more..

Nov 26 (EN) SL will start directed lending under the policy of the current administration and will mandate a ceiling 7% rate for housing loans of salaries workers the central bank said. �The Board also recognised the need to promote economic sectors with higher growth and earning potential, and in this regard, decided to introduce lending targets in the near future for selected sectors in conformity with the policies of the Govt,� central bank said in its Nov 2020 monetary policy statement. more..

Nov 26 (AD) Health Ministry has confirmed that 342 new cases of novel coronavirus have been identified today, marking another grim milestone in the Minuwangoda-Peliyagoda COVID-19 cluster. All new cases are associates of previously detected patients from Peliyagoda Fish Market Covid-19 cluster. This brings the total number of cases from Minuwangoda and Peliyagoda cluster to 18,280. more..