Nov 11 (DM) None of those Muslim youth who underwent ISIS training in Syria participated in the Easter Sunday attacks as per the investigations carried out just after the attacks, former PM Ranil Wickremesinghe said today. He made this remark in response to the allegation made by Minister Sarath Weerasekera that the previous govt neglected the Muslim youth who have undergone ISIS training in Syria would launch a terror attack in SL, said none of these youth have participated in the attack. more..

Nov 11 (EN) SL�s recently appointed One Country, One Law presidential task force led by a controversial Buddhist monk may be a step towards further division between communities rather than a means to bring them closer, opposition MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake said. �This is serious. Some communities have expressed opposition to this committee and have shared their concerns. We must govern not in a direction more..

Nov 11 (EN) Ceylon Chamber of Commerce said it was partnering with the International Labor Organization and the United States to encourage youth entrepreneurship. Ceylon Chamber of Commerce has entered in a two-year partnership with ILO�s South Asia Leadership in Entrepreneurship program (SALE) to promote entrepreneurship among youth. �We see entrepreneurship as the most important catalyst of economic development as it is more..

Nov 11 (EN) SL�s rupee swap discounts have widened over the past few days while sporadic interbank trades have been seen at the official non-credible pegged rate of 203 to the US dollar, market participants said. SL�s rupee is under pressure from unprecedented money printing involving outright finance of the budget gap and monetizing of past deficits by putting price controls on maturing bonds of past deficits. Swap rates are at a discount over continued tightness in dollar availability more..

Nov 11 (EN) Three more deaths have been reported due to the prevailing adverse weather in Sri Lanka, bringing the death toll to 25, with red alerts for landslides have been issued to Kegalle, Kandy and Kurunegala districts. DMC Deputy Director Pradeep Kodippili told reporters that out of the 25 deaths, 12 were due to drowning. �Most of the deaths were due to people going for a swim or a boat ride in the flood areas,� more..

Nov 11 (Island) Chairman of the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Lands and Land Development S.M. Chandrasena said early this week that the necessary legal amendments would be made soon to pay the real value to the land owners when acquiring property for development activities. Minister also stated that there were allegations from various parties that the compensation received for the acquisition of the property was not sufficient. more..

Nov 11 (Kyodo) The family of a Sri Lankan woman who died in March while being detained at an immigration center in central Japan filed a criminal complaint on Tuesday against senior officials of the facility, accusing them of causing her death by failing to provide appropriate medical care. The treatment of Ratnayake Liyanage Wishma Sandamali, 33, by the Nagoya Regional Immigration Services Bureau amounted to willful negligence, according to her two younger sisters Poornima and Wayomi. more..

Nov 11 (EN) A controversial top police officer in charge of Colombo has been hired by the Cricket Board on a monthly retainer in violation of govt regulations, parliament was told Thursday. Opposition legislator Harin Fernando tabled Sri Lanka Cricket documents showing the Colombo�s SDIG Deshabandu Tennakoon had a side gig as �advisor to the Security Consultant of SLC� on a monthly retainer of 150,000 rupees. more..

Nov 11 (TM) Having a meter in every three-wheeler used for passenger transport and is plying along routes in the Western Province (WP) would be compulsory from 15 Jan 2022 onwards, with islandwide metered three-wheeler coverage expected to be concluded by 22 June 2022. All-Island Three-Wheeler Drivers� Union Chairman Lalith Dharmasekera told The Morning that this was a long-awaited decision from the Govt. �We requested to regulate our service for more..

Nov 11 (DM) Former captain Mahela Jayawardena today questioned the player selection of the Lanka Premier League 2021 following the dropping of several key SL players from the player draft including Kusal Janith Perera and Dinesh Chandimal. The player draft of the second edition of the LPL 2021 was held yesterday and several SL players such as Kusal Janith Perera, Dinesh Chandimal, Minod Bhanuka, Angelo Mathews, Dhananjaya De Silva, Akila Dhananjaya, more..

Nov 11 (TM) Owing to the increase in prices of liquid petroleum gas (LPG), there is now an increased demand for firewood, according to firewood sellers, some of whom claimed that meeting the exponential demand has become so arduous that they have halted sales. Several sellers who spoke with The Morning in this regard said that overall, the demand for firewood has increased exponentially, and that meeting the demand more..

Nov 11 (DM) The process of assessing damages caused to the environment by the X-Press Pearl disaster would be completed by the end of December or beginning of January and steps would be taken to recover compensation from the owners of the vessel, Minister Ali Sabri said. He told Parliament that SL had already recieved the first interim claim of Rs.720 million and action has already been taken to claim the second interim claim as well. Responding to a question raised by more..

Nov 11 (Island) Police say those who had been involved in Tuesday�s unruly protest within the Kaduwela Magistrate�s court premises would be dealt with in terms of the Administration of Justice Law, the Penal Code and the Public Property Act. Police spokesman SSP Nihal Thalduwa said so after the Registrar of the Kaduwela Magistrate�s Court lodged a complaint with the local police regarding Tuesday�s incident. The police are also inquiring whether the protesters caused any damage more..

Nov 11 (AD) A special gazette notification has been published, making it compulsory to obtain prior approval of relevant authorities for public gatherings, activities, events or similar places of meetings. The regulation was made by Minister Keheliya Rambukwella under sections 2 and 3 of the Quarantine and Prevention of Diseases Ordinance (Chapter 222). Accordingly, permission should be sought for the maximum number of persons more..

Nov 11 (TM) Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunga said that the Covid-19 booster third dose is expected to be given to those engaged in the tourism and aviation sector before the end of this month. He emphasised that this would make Sri Lanka a safe haven for tourists. The meeting was organised by the SL Tourism Promotion Bureau with the aim of attracting more tourists to Sri Lanka this coming winter season. Nearly 100 French travel agencies and journalists participated in the event. more..

Nov 11 (AD) The draft bill to extend the retirement age of private sector employees to 60 years, has been passed in Parliament with amendments. The Bill had been presented in parliament by the Minister of Labour on 22nd of Oct, 2021. On Tuesday, the Minimum Retirement Age of Workers Bill had received the approval of the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Labour for the purpose of being presented to Parliament. The Termination of Employment of Workmen more..

Nov 12 (DM) The Tamil community celebrated Deepavali starting Nov 4 with the festivities lasting for five days. The Tamils in Sri Lanka might have forgotten to fight for their cause, but they remember to celebrate their traditional festivals. The Govt wants to portray to the outside world that lives of the minority Tamils in Sri Lanka are slowly returning to normalcy after a civil war and that people belonging to different faiths and communities can look forward to a life of dignity in the island. more..

Nov 12 (DM) Nov 11 marked Remembrance Day. For some time we�ve not seen the poppy flower being sold at street corners and at junctions where there are traffic lights. The reason for this is the Covid pandemic. If we consider the result of the absence of such activity it means that there will be no revenue from such sales; the proceeds from these sales go to funding the welfare of both retired and disabled military personnel in SL. SL is part of the Commonwealth; a group of countries more..

Nov 12 (TM) Even though the incidence of children dropping out of schools due to economic and social challenges has declined when compared with the situation in the past, this issue still persists, and the Covid-19 pandemic has become a new factor that contributes to worsening it. Although effective measures to address this situation have already been identified, the lack of resources the Govt can provide calls for more..

Nov 12 (TM) The people remain hopeful that the 2022 Budget that is being presented today (12), which is also the first budget coming as a recovery budget following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, would reduce the economic burden on their shoulders. However, this Budget comes in a context where the Govt�s ability to do that has decreased, while the people�s expectation for the same has increased, unlike in the pre-pandemic era. That is precisely why SL needs to consider more..

Nov 12 (DM) Prez Rajapaksa on Nov 6 has changed the composition of membership and the Terms of Reference of the Presidential Task Force he had appointed to implement the highly controversial One Country, One Law concept. Earlier he was criticized by political parties and various civil society organizations for not making the Task Force reflect the pluralistic character of the SL society and absence of gender equity in the composition of membership of it, as no Tamil representatives more..

Nov 12 (Roar) The great melding of literature and science comes in the form of science fiction; from interstellar worlds filled with exotic alien life forms, to travelling through time and grappling with vast social conflicts of genetically advanced superhumans, this literary genre has fueled the minds of many over the years. While science fiction has, is, and will always be widely consumed in the West, in other parts of more..

Nov 12 (CT) Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa will present Budget 2022 in Parliament today amidst the COVID-19 pandemic which has wreaked havoc on the economy. According to ADB�s South Asia Director General Kenichi Yokoyama, the pandemic caused over 200,000 job losses in the travel and tourism sectors alone, tens of thousands of overseas workers to return home, the domestic service sector to suffer with a 40% drop in accommodation and restaurant earnings more..

Nov 12 (Island) The govt is acting as if it had solved all the burning problems the country is beset with; it has undertaken to unveil the draft of the proposed Constitution, before the end of this year. PM Mahinda Rajapaksa himself said so in Parliament on Wednesday. Why is the govt in such a mighty hurry? Why isn�t it equally keen to fulfil the other election promises, which are legion. The govt is like an overloaded tuk-tuk fitted with a lorry horn. It makes all the noise in the world, more..

Nov 12 (CT) The world on December 14, 2008 watched on TV with baited breath, how the Iraqi journalist Muntadhar al-Zaidi threw both of his shoes at Bush at a press conference held at Iraqi PM Nouri al-Maliki�s palace to protest against US dictatorship and its puppet regime. In Ukraine, in 2015, activists and radicals, supporters of a draft law entitled Cleaning Up the Govt, devised a challenge of their own, throwing politicians in dumpsters to protest Ukraine�s rampant corruption. more..

Nov 12 (FT) Chief of Defence Staff and Army Commander Gen. Shavendra Silva on Wednesday during his visit to the SFHQ-Jaffna, was invited by the 51 Division HQ to lay the foundation stone for construction of a new house for a former LTTE member living in Chunnakam, Jaffna. The project coordinated by Brigadier General Staff SFHQ - J Brig. Presanna Gunarathne and to be financially patronised by the famous philanthropist, Thyagendran Vamadewa of Jaffna, more..

Nov 12 (FT) SL�s tourism industry is expecting over 200,000 tourists in the last two months of the year, banking on greater air connectivity, promotional activities, eased travel restrictions and successful vaccination rollout efforts. �We are expecting around 200,000 tourists from November to December,� Minister Prasanna Ranatunga said. He also said that the industry had earned over $ 130 million since the reopening of the borders more..

Nov 12 (Island) The newly appointed Finance Minister will present the Budget for 2022 on Nov 12, 2022. Over the years, the public has come to expect concessions whenever a Budget is presented. The corporate sector usually canvasses for the corporation tax rate to be reduced and various incentives to facilitate new investments and expand current operations. Those employed in the private sector hope that the single person tax-free allowance will be increased and more..

Nov 12 (FT) MAS Holdings announced that one of its subsidiaries, MAS Brands, which owns and operates the retail lingerie business under the brand amant�, was acquired by Reliance Retail Ventures, subsidiary of the Ambani-owned Reliance Industries. The amant� business, which was established by MAS in 2007/8, engages in the retail and wholesale distribution of premium lingerie brands amant�, Ultimo and every d� by amant�. The company sells its product through its own stores and more..

Nov 12 (ST) Dozens of desperate Sri Lankans unable to buy domestic gas canisters have been lining up at petrol stations in some cities for kerosene while venting their fury at the govt. But as the days wore on and stocks dwindled, filling stations imposed limits on kerosene buyers. Some in Colombo who joined long lines while carrying cans and bottles in the scorching heat are angry there is no cooking gas. more..

Nov 12 (Island) The impressive national records established at the 99th National Athletics Championships were a welcome sign for track and field sport as it looks forward to overcoming the Covid 19 related setbacks ahead of a crucial and historical year. However, of the remarkable achievements recorded at the second and final leg of the championships, only two performances stand tall enough to match top Asian standards. SL�s athletics fraternity had to wait for 24 long yrs more..

Nov 12 (FT) The Hotels Association of SL (THASL) is looking for further support from the Govt via Budget 2022 to be presented today, with a plea to restructure the long-term debt of the industry. �The industry is expecting support from the Govt for long-term debt restructuring by way of waiving the accumulated interest during the closure of our businesses and re-profiling the outstanding capital into a longer payment period with lower interest,� THASL President Sanath Ukwatte said. more..

Nov 12 (FT) COVID-19 vaccines were administered to 30,020 persons on Wednesday and 63.25% of the country�s total population has received both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine. 73.62% of the population has received the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. 93.1% of the country�s population over the age of 20 has received both vaccine doses. The first dose has been administered to 15,837,790 persons and the second dose has been administered to 13,604,891 persons. more..

Nov 12 (TM) Three suspects have been arrested in connection with an incident of an alleged forced eviction of a family from a land in Kollupitiya during the early hours of yesterday, whilst family members, claiming ownership to the land, allege powerful political forces, a rich businessman, and even cops were involved in the matter. �A complaint has been received by the Police Headquarters about an incident that occurred early yesterday morning, where about 50 people have forcibly kicked more..

Nov 12 (TM) �Very interesting picks and none picks in Lanka Premier League (LPL) Twenty20 draft last evening. (It�s) difficult for a country to progress when you take one step forward and five steps backwards. Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) officials should not forget this is a domestic tournament to develop genuine talent,� tweeted National Sports Council (NSC) Chairman Mahela Jayawardene on LPL player draft that took place on Monday. more..

Nov 12 (DN) SL�s champion leg spinner Wanindu Hasaranga achieved a career-high rating of 173 and moved to the third position at T20 all-rounder rankings. The 24-year-old Hasaranga who is also the number one T20 bowler has been in superb form in the T20 World Cup having 16 wickets including a hat-trick against South Africa. Plus, he impressed with the bat scoring 119 runs with a half-century (71 against Ireland) in eight matches with an average of 23. 80. Hasanaga who was promoted to more..

Nov 12 (AD) India-SL Parliamentary Friendship Association for the 9th Parliament of Sri Lanka was established today at the Parliament complex under the patronage of the Speaker of Parliament, Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana. High Commissioner of India to SL, Gopal Baglay was invited as the Guest of Honour at the meeting, the Indian High Commission in Colombo said. The meeting was attended by more than 100 MPs and included several Ministers, State Ministers and MPs. more..