Nov 9 (CI) Ben Stokes' maiden World Cup century dragged England from the brink of another ignominious display and ultimately to victory over Netherlands, keeping their Champions Trophy qualification hopes intact. His 129-run stand for the seventh wicket with Chris Woakes lifted England from 192 for 6 to 339 for 9 in Pune, after they had lost five wickets for 59 runs in the space of 15 overs, and handed the 2019 champions just their second win of this edition with one game remaining. more..

Nov 9 (CT) International Master (IM) Susal de Silva of Nalanda College and M. Esandi Newansa of Dharmasoka College emerged Open and Women’s Champions at the Sri Lanka National Rapid Chess Championship 2023 held at Ananda Vidyalaya Kottawa yesterday. The event was expertly organised by the Chess Federation of Sri Lanka. The tournament featured a substantial cash fund of Rs 160,000.00 and offered prestigious certificates, medals and trophies to the champions. more..

Nov 9 (Island) SL are back in Bangalore, the venue where they humbled defending champions England to record one of their two wins in the 2023 World Cup campaign. Today they will meet NZ, who after a brilliant start to the tournament have stumbled against a few teams and are battling to book a semi-final berth. After the loss to Bangladesh in Delhi, SL are in danger zone as they can not afford to finish ninth or tenth and if they do, there won’t be a Champions Trophy slot for them in 2025. more..

Nov 9 (DN) SL team led by Kusal Mendis will play their final World Cup match against NZ which is scheduled to be held today in Bangalore and will commence at 2 pm. The current weather pattern in Bangalore could affect the game as both teams are determined to give it their all. NZ is striving for a victory that would pave their way to the semi-finals, while the SL team has already set its sights on preparing for the upcoming Champions Trophy scheduled for 2025 in Pakistan. more..

Nov 9 (ST) The unevenly rising prices and surge in demand for goods and services in the face of an erosion of income have created hardships among the working class. A string of demands has been placed ahead of the budget, while strikes and protests are continuing. Ven. Tempitiye Sugathananda Thera, general secretary of Joint Health Workers Union (JHWU), said that their demands mainly spanned 10 requests, more..

Nov 9 (FT) Chef and restaurateur Dharshan Munidasa has been awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays, for the 2023 Autumn Conferment, according to a communique issued by the Govt of Japan. The award was conferred upon Chef Munidasa in recognition of his distinguished contributions to promoting Japanese Food Culture in Sri Lanka as well as to the bilateral relations between Japan and Sri Lanka. The order, which was founded in 1875 by Emperor Meiji, more..

Nov 9 (FT) Former SL Tourism Chairperson Kimarli Fernando suggested yesterday to consider switching the Prez’s Nuwara Eliya residence into a hotel as an option if demand arises for additional accommodation. She voiced her concerns over the Government’s decision to convert the historic Nuwara Eliya Post Office into a hotel, acknowledging the excess room capacity in upcountry city. “Nuwara Eliya currently has excess room capacity. Should there be a need for more rooms, more..

Nov 9 (TM) Postmaster General S.R.W.M.R.P. Sathkumara, issuing a statement, has stated that no post office owned by the Dept of Posts will be closed and that the President’s Secretary has been informed of the agreement to hand over the Nuwara Eliya post office building to Urban Development Authority (UDA) in order to allow for a more effective investment opportunity as per the Govt’s policy. more..

Nov 9 (FT) National Movement of Social Justice Chairman and former Speaker of Parliament, Karu Jayasuriya reaffirmed his call for the abolition of the Executive Presidency in SL. Jayasuriya emphasised that the Executive Presidency should be abolished promptly, aligning with the path advocated by the late Maduluwawe Sobitha Thera, a staunch advocate of this cause. He called on the country’s citizens to come forward and take immediate steps to ensure the abolishment of the system. more..

Nov 9 (TM) Following the Board of Directors of the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) deciding to remove Dr. Vijith Gunasekera as its Director General (DG) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), he has been recalled to the Ministry of Health. Sources within the NMRA told The Daily Morning yesterday that its Director Board had decided to remove Dr. Gunasekera on Tuesday. With the said decision, sources stated that he (Dr. Gunasekera) had been recalled to Ministry. more..

Nov 9 (DN) Sri Lanka can annually save over USD 60 million spent on palm oil and coconut oil imports if the government relaxes the restrictions imposed on the palm oil industry that was implemented several years ago. “Currently there is a ban on new palm oil plantations and if this ban is lifted the plantation companies can replant under sustainable development strategies. This in turn will firstly help to reduce imports and save forex to Sri Lanka, said Oil Palm Producers Association. more..

Nov 9 (FT) Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Deputy National Organiser and MP S.M. Marikkar yesterday accused President Ranil Wickremesinghe of manipulating surveys to depict that a victory in elections can only be achieved through a coalition of the UNP and SJB. MP claimed Wickremesinghe is apprehensive about the SJB and has thus assembled a team to carry out a survey that suggests victory can only be attained through a coalition between UNP led by him and SJB. more..

Nov 9 (DM) According to reports, Power and Energy Ministry is expediting the signing of documents for a MOUs with India's Adani Group to establish a new wind power plant in the Mannar basin with a capacity of 250 MW, SLPP MP Prof. Charitha Herath said. He said the Ministry is ready to complete the signing of all agreements before Nov 25. According to the 2009 Electricity Act, a bit of a process should be followed for more..

Nov 9 (FT) FPC member Prof. G.L. Peiris claimed yesterday that the Anti-corruption bill, which was passed in parliament this week, cannot be implemented in its current state without amending at least 11 provisions. “The Govt asserts it is the most comprehensive in South Asia, but the truth is that the Anti-Corruption Act cannot be put into action due to 11 inherent flaws. Without amending these provisions, initiating the implementation of the act is impossible,” he contended. more..

Nov 9 (CT) All post offices in the Nuwara Eliya District, including the Nuwara Eliya main post office, were closed as employees staged a token strike in protest against the Govt’s efforts turn the historic post office into a hotel. Meanwhile, an Extraordinary Gazette Notification designating postal services as an essential service was released yesterday, disclosed Minister Bandula Gunawardena. Minister confirmed that he has already submitted a request for the Gazette Notification. more..

Nov 9 (DM) With a parliamentary debate seeking the resignation of the incumbent Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) administration looming, SLC Vice President Ravin Wickramaratne said they would seek legal advice if they were asked to resign. Parliament is set to debate a resolution tomorrow, which will be moved by Leader of Opposition SJB MP Sajith Premadasa, amidst mounting public pressure for the SLC administration to be sacked. “We will seek legal advice,” was the short answer given more..

Nov 9 (Island) Opposition MP Champika Ranawaka claimed in Parliament that it was the Committee on Ways and Means that had paved the way for the collection of a part of the Rs 6,721 million to be collected from five liquor manufacturing companies which have defaulted on their taxes. Ranawaka said it was the Ways and Means Committee which recommended that bottles of liquor with counterfeit stickers should be confiscated. “We also revealed that counterfeit stickers were the main reason more..

Nov 9 (DM) Permission has been granted to unload a stock of substandard diesel at the Kolonnawa refinery, despite both the initial and subsequent tests conducted by Ceylon Petroleum Storage Terminals ltd (CPSTL) laboratory indicating a failure to meet the required quality standards, trade unions said. SJB affiliated Samagi United Trade Union Force (SUTUF) convener, Ananda Palitha said that both the fuel samples sent for testing at more..

Nov 9 (DM) A High Court in Bangladesh has issued a ruling against the former Pakistan cricketer Waqar Younis. This ruling came in response to critical remarks made by Waqar about Bangladesh cricket and their team captain, Shakib Al Hasan, during their recent World Cup match against SL. In that match, SL's Angelo Mathews was controversially given a "timed out" dismissal, marking the first instance of this type of dismissal in the 146-year history of international cricket. more..

Nov 9 (Island) The country was descending into anarchy with no IGP to head the Police Dept, NFF leader Wimal Weerawansa told Parliament. “There is no legitimate IGP in this country today . We call on the government not to play with law and order,” MP Weerawansa said. Weerwansa said that the Constitutional Council had not approved a service extension for the incumbent IGP. “Without Constitutional Council approval an IGP cannot be appointed. Prez is the appointing official but more..

Nov 9 (PMD) In a bid to address and resolve the ongoing crisis in SL's popular sport of cricket, Sri Lanka Cricket is to be governed by a Board of Directors comprising 18 members. The proposed changes were outlined in a report drafted by a committee headed by Justice K.T. Chitrasiri, which was formally handed over to the Chairman of the Cabinet Sub-Committee, Minister Ali Sabry, by Prez's Secretary Saman Ekanayake on Tuesday. more..

Nov 9 (AD) The entry road to Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) head office has been temporarily closed. As such, entry to Maitland Place has been cordoned off from Vidya Mawatha. Police and army personnel have been deployed to the area to beef up security and to prevent a protest planned to be staged in front of the cricket board’s head office. Meanwhile, it was reported that Ven. Battaramulle Seelarathana Thero had tried to visit the SLC head office to hand over a letter in respect of the ongoing issue. more..

Nov 9 (FT) While the country eagerly awaits the 2024 Budget, one trend I have observed is the absence of an evaluation of the previous year’s budget and the failure to capture the lessons learned. Year after year, we witness captive themes being presented and a set of numbers that are forgotten halfway through the year. Budget 2024 will be a challenge as 40% of the country is teetering in poverty, and two-thirds of households in Sri Lanka are reducing their consumption, more..

Nov 9 (AD) Seylan Bank enables the Colombo Motor Show as the official Banking Partner for the sixth consecutive year. Colombo Motor Show 2023 is set to rev up the engines of excitement from the 17th to the 19th of November at Sirimavo Bandaranaike Convention Centre, promising to be an exhilarating experience for auto enthusiasts and the general public, running from 10 am to 10 pm each day. Serving as the Official Banking Partner, Seylan Bank will offer a comprehensive range of banking more..

Nov 9 (FT) Hypocritically attacking the UN Human Rights Council in 2023 for double-standards while having co-sponsored a Resolution with the West in 2015 agreeing to special courts with foreign judges, foreign prosecutors and foreign investigators, won’t save Ranil’s presidency. Here’s the ground-reality: “The approval rating of the government fell from 21% in June 2023 to 9% in October 2023, according to the latest round of the Gallup style Mood of the Nation poll of Verité Research. more..

Nov 9 (AD) Minister Roshan Ranasinghe has accused a group of senior officials of SLC of attempting to withdraw USD 2 million from a state bank account, in a supposed bid to flee the country. Speaking during the ongoing Parliamentary debate regarding the removal of SLC’s Office Bearers, Minister revealed that he had received information that a group of SLC officials are currently attempting to obtain USD 2 million from more..

Nov 9 (EN) Historic Bogambara Prison building, which was refurbished at UDA expense, should be handed over to the Dalanda Maligawa at expense cost, minister Prasanna Ranathunga said. Ranatunga instructed officials “to recover the money spent on the historically valuable Kandy Bogambara prison building repaired by UDA and hand it over to the Dalanda Maligawa or use it for another investment project,” at a Ministerial Advisory Committee on Urban Development and more..

Nov 9 (AD) A final decision relating to the recent war of words and claims of alleged assaults involving State Minister Diana Gamage and SJB MPs Sujith Sanjaya Perera and Rohana Bandara in parliamentary premises will be given today (09). This remark was made by Deputy Speaker Ajith Rajapakse, the chairman of the committee appointed by Speaker of Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena to look into the matter. The committee consists of MPs Chamal Rajapaksa, more..

Nov 9 (AD) Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has hit back at Minister Roshan Ranasinghe’s recent allegations regarding the purported fund transfer of USD 2 million from its account, vehemently denying any such attempts. Issuing a statement in this regard on Thursday, the cricket board categorically denied any attempt to transfer funds from its accounts to third party accounts. Highlighting that any such fund transfers more..

Nov 9 (AD) Ministry of Health has reported an increase in the number of diabetes patients in SL, as per the results obtained through a recent survey. Dr. Arundika Senaratne revealed that 14.6% of the country’s population suffers from diabetes, according to the survey. Further explaining the survey in question, Dr. Senaratne noted that survey is conducted every five years, on a sample representing persons aged between 18 and 69 in the country, with the approval of the WHO. more..

Nov 9 (DM) The remains of Sujith Yatawara, a Sri Lankan national who tragically lost his life during the Israel-Hamas conflict, were brought back to the island earlier today. Yatawara's disappearance initially sparked concerns that he had been taken hostage by the Palestinian militant group Hamas. However, it was later confirmed that he had tragically lost his life in Israel. SL citizen had been missing since Oct 7th, the day when Hamas militants breached the blockade from the Gaza Strip more..

Nov 9 (EN) The Sri Lankan govt is in discussions with various bodies to establish water supply to the island’s north through the River for Jaffna policy, which was proposed by an engineer decades ago. “There is an acute water shortage in the north. To mitigate this dangerous situation, we are in discussions on how to implement the River for Jaffna project which was proposed by professor Arumugam,” PM Dinesh Gunawardena said in parliament on Wednesday. more..

Nov 9 (EN) None of the casino owners are given any kind of tax concession, and they have to pay 70% of their income as tax, State Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya said. He said that requests have been made by several casino owners to cut the amount of tax to be collected during the Covid-19 pandemic period, and it has now been forwarded to the Attorney General. Casinos had operated without any regulations, but they have begun operating according to a regulation from this year. more..

Nov 9 (AD) The joint proposal regarding the removal of the Office Bearers of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) brought forth by the government and the opposition, has been passed unanimously in Parliament without a vote. The proposal was submitted to the Parliament by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa this morning. Accordingly, the debate on the motion titled Removal of corrupt Office Bearers including President from SLC more..

Nov 9 (EN) SL’s plan to hike value added tax to 18% to help maintain a large public sector and military is a better option that raising income tax which will kill consumption (killing a recovery), kill investment (killing long term growth). A hike in value added tax still leaves money in the hands of wage earners and others giving them the freedom to make economic decisions and spend. A 3% hike in VAT to 18% is less damaging on the people than a 5% inflation tax, which the country’s inflationist more..