Jan 10 (CT) Sri Lankan batsmen Niroshan Dickwella (up one place to 26th), Thisara Perera (up 22 places to 65th), Kusal Perera (up seven places to 66th) and Danushka Gunathilaka (up 11 places to 82nd) and Captain Lasith Malinga (three places to 46) have moved up in the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s ODI Player Rankings after the recent New Zealand series. The Indian pair of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, tops the batting list, while fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah heads the bowling list. more..

Jan 10 (Island) The JVP has torn into SL’s Ambassador to Russia Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka, who, it says, backed the 26 Oct. govt change. It has, however, stopped short of explaining how he did so. Is it referring to his political writings? There is no love lost between the JVP and Dr. Jayatilleka and, we believe, the former has sought to settle old scores. There has been no formal complaint against Ambassador Jayatilleka as far as we are aware. He is no stranger to controversy and more..

Jan 10 (FT) Central Bank is focusing on boosting its reserves with a $400 million swap arrangement with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) under its SAARC swap facility and negotiating for a further $1 billion from the same source to boost reserves ahead of debt repayments expected to start next week. Central Bank has also requested a further bilateral SWAP arrangement of $1 billion between the RBI and more..

Jan 10 (FT) The SL consumer can benefit only when the small scale rice miller is safeguarded. “We praise Minister Rishad Bathiudeen for promptly looking into this issue and clarifying it,” said Namal Karunaratne of Lanka Govijana Sansadaya (All island Farmers’ Federation-AIFF) on 9 Jan. Karunaratne was speaking after a meeting with the Minister of Industry & Commerce, Resettlement of Protracted Displaced Persons & Co-operative Development Rishad Bathiudeen more..

Jan 10 (CT) Committee members of Sri Lanka Olympians (SLO) met the newly appointed Sports Minister Harin Fernando on 8 Jan at the SL Bureau of Foreign Employment, to discuss their plans for the New Year. “Before laying down our plans, we educated the new Sports Minister about the purpose of SLO and our aims. He was very happy with us coming forward to uplift sports in SL and showed great interest in our activity,” said President of SLO, veteran athlete Sriyani Kulawansa. more..

Jan 10 (Island) Amidst the TNA’s effort to retain the the Opposition Leader’s post, former Prez Rajapaksa met two members of the European Parliament, in his capacity as the Opposition Leader. A foreign Ministry statement, confirmed the meeting they had with Rajapaksa."At the invitation of the Govt of Sri Lanka, members of the Friends of Sri Lanka Group of the European Parliament Geoffrey Van Orden, MEP and more..

Jan 10 (DN) HNB was recently awarded by the prestigious Euromoney Magazine as the Market Leader in Trade Finance and Best Service in Trade Finance in Sri Lanka for the year 2019. These are a testimony to HNB’s pioneering role as the preferred bank for Trade Services. HNB is also the recipient of Euromoney Magazine’s Best Cash Management Bank in Sri Lanka for 2018. Euromoney Magazine is recognised globally as the most influential financial magazine and more..

Jan 10 (DM) The controversial tariff revision by the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA), which rattled exporters and importers alike, has been suspended after the industry lobbied against the move, Mirror Business learns. The decision to suspend the higher tariffs for three months has been reached after the Ports, Shipping and Southern Development Ministry Secretary Dr. Parakrama Dissanayake met with the industry representatives along with senior SLPA management. more..

Jan 10 (DM) The brother of President Maithripala Sirisena and Araliya Group of Companies Chairman Dudley Sirisena yesterday announced his plans to launch an anti-corruption organisation by joining hands with scholars, professionals, media and business community aiming to put a stop to corrupt activities carried out by politicians and officials and to direct the govt on the path of good governance to accelerate more..

Jan 10 (Island) The committee, which probed the violent incidents during the Parliament sessions on the 14-16 of Nov 2018, has prepared its report besides the one by police. Deputy Speaker Ananda Kumarasiri said that the two reports would be submitted to Speaker Karu Jayasuriya when he returned from Malta where he is attending a meeting of Speakers of the Commonwealth member states. The committee has scrutinised the video footage on the violent incidents in preparing the report, more..

Jan 10 (CT) Enterprise Asia, the leading NGO for entrepreneurship in Asia, bestowed recognition on SL’s home-grown household staple, Supirivicky, at their recently-conducted International Innovation Awards for 2018. Supirivicky won in the Product category and present to receive the award was Group MD, Asoka Hettigoda. “This award is a testimony of my family’s untiring efforts to preserve our age-old traditions and remedies in a modern form, one that would appeal to both local and more..

Jan 10 (DN) Sri Lanka desperately in need of wicket-taking bowlers in the middle overs ahead of the World Cup are anxious to clear the bowling action of spinner Akila Dananjaya in order to have him up and ready for the upcoming South African ODI series. Sri Lanka’s lack of such a bowler was quite evident in the recently concluded three ODI matches against NZ where the hosts ran up totals in excess of 300 to win the series 3-0. more..

Jan 10 (DN) A protest held opposite the Castle Street Maternity Hospital in connection with a death of a pregnant mother with twins. The protestors claimed that the mother died due to negligence on the part of the hospital staff. The pregnant mother from Meegoda and her twins had died at Ward Seven of the Castle Street Maternity Hospital. Family members and relations of the dead woman said the mother and her twins died due to the negligence of doctors. more..

Jan 10 (EN) Migrant worker departures from SL have fallen marginally but women going abroad as housemaids have seen double-digit growth in 2018, data released by the state foreign employment bureau shows. Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment said 211,502 persons left for work abroad in 2018 against 211,992 a year earlier, and female workers had fallen to 66,971 from 68,319. But official departures as housemaids have risen to 64,965 in 2018 from 55,884 a year earlier. more..

Jan 10 (FT) Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera will leave for Washington on Friday to get the $1.5 billion IMF External Fund Facility (EFF) back on track. He will be meeting IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde, Deputy Managing Director Mitsuhiro Furusawa, Asia Pacific Department Director Chanyong Rhee, Teal Leader Manuel Goretti, and other members of the IMF Sri Lanka Team, the Finance Ministry said. more..

Jan 10 (DN) Laizhou City Laiyu Chemical Co. Ltd, China, Zetryl Chem.Phils, Philippines and Araliya Agro Holdings (Pvt) Ltd, Sri Lanka will set up a manufacturing plant in Sri Lanka next year. The three companies would invest around Rs. 360 million to set up this plant in Polonnaruwa. President Philippines’ Zetryl Chem.Phils, Danton Pajarillaga said that they will utilize paddy husk, vegetable waste and other locally found material to manufacture fertilizer. more..

Jan 10 (CT) Commenting on recent social media posts about wives of two famous cricketers in the National Team, Minister Harin Fernando stated that it’s a shame that these things are happening. “Recently a problem has occurred with the wives of the cricketers. I request you all to keep your wives at home and play cricket on the playground. We are shamed of the things that happened. When it happens the world sees our country as a crazy country. Problems occur, but keep them at more..

Jan 10 (FT) The Finance Ministry announced a slew of amendments to the Inland Revenue Act passed in 2017. The summary of Cabinet-approved amendments to the Inland Revenue Act included Withholding Tax (WHT) on earnings from Govt securities exempt of any gain including interest, discount or capital gain earned by non-residents of sovereign bonds in local and foreign currency issued by or on behalf of the Govt: more..

Jan 10 (NR) The SLPP claims the govt is preparing to increase electricity and water tariffs through various legislations. MP Ramesh Pathirana said the present administration is preparing to introduce a pricing formula for electricity and water tariffs. He said accordingly the public will be forced to pay higher rates in future. On a separate note, MP Pathirana added the govt is able to expedite the conduct of provincial council election through legitimate channels. more..

Jan 10 (DN) Ministry of Law and Order under President Maithripala Sirisena has launched an investigation into an incident where a private jet had landed and taken off from the Air Force base in Trincomalee without the required authorisation. The private jet had landed at the Trincomalee Air Force base and was said to be carrying investors from Singapore, China and Hong Kong. SLFP Media spokesperson Mahinda Samarasinghe described the incident as a threat to national security and more..

Jan 10 (Island) Prez Sirisena will soon request Speaker Karu Jayasuriya, in writing, to take tangible measures to enact the Presidential Inquiry Commission Amendment Act to enable the speedy prosecution of those responsible for treasury bond scams perpetrated in 2015 & 2016. Prez will take the issue up with the party leaders via the Speaker against backdrop of Prez himself accusing parliament of sabotaging more..

Jan 10 (Island) Constitutional Assembly will meet, at 10.30 am tomorrow with Deputy Speaker Ananda Kumarasiri presiding. The expert panel report, which contains draft constitutional proposals, will be tabled by PM during the sitting. The views of political parties are also given in the report and the report will be available in all three languages. Speaker Karu Jayasuriya is the Chairman of the Constitutional Assembly, but since he is out of the country, Deputy Speaker will chair the sittings. more..

Jan 10 (CT) The Govt yesterday, refuted allegations made by two TNA MPs S. Shritharan and Shanthi Sriskandarajah that Sri Lankan Security Forces used cluster bombs and chemical weapons during the last stage of the war. The TNA MPs during the Second Reading of Chemical Weapons Convention (Amendment) Bill, while claiming that there is evidence to the effect, queried as to why the Security Forces are afraid of an international inquiry if these allegations are not true. more..

Jan 10 (Island) Minister Lakshman Kiriella told Parliament, that both main parties had agreed to hold the elections under the proportional representation (PR) system. In answer to a question raised by UPFA MP Dinesh Gunawardena, Minister said that both parties had reached agreement at the party leaders’ meeting. MP raised a question regarding the failure on the part of the Delimitation Review Committee, headed by PM more..

Jan 10 (DM) One of the United States’ founding fathers, statesmen and civic activists Benjamin Franklin has said an investment in knowledge pays the best interest. Albert Einstein a genius in modern science has pointed out that education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school. The radical philosopher Malcolm X also agrees that education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today while US publisher Malcolm more..

Jan 10 (DM) Recently, Subo De Zoysa made an interesting comment on my commentating predilections pertaining to Kolombians and others. He said, when you write in English, you speak AT the Kolombians. When you write in Sinhala, you speak TO the people. My response was, I write TO and AT all kinds of people, Kolombians included (even though they are not named in the TO-pieces, I admit). I should have added In Sinhala and in English. In any event, Subo got me thinking more..

Jan 10 (DM) The 30-year ethnic conflict that ripped the island nation apart, prompted many families to flee and find base elsewhere. Many Tamil families found safe ground in Norway, Canada and other countries and amid challenges, they started their lives from scratch. Born in Jaffna and having left for Norway at the age of three, the young Khamshajiny Gunaratnam, best-known by her nickname Kamzy looked at these events from more..

Jan 10 (DM) The Operations Manager of a popular Indian restaurant-Indian Summer- along Horton Place, Colombo 7 was arrested yesterday for maintaining the restaurant in a deplorable manner, violating food and safety regulations, the Colombo Municipality’s Health Dept said. Cinnamon Gardens and Borella area Medical Officer of Health Dr. Subash Mendis said expired, spoilt and rotten vegetables, fruits & meat more..

Jan 10 (ST) A coconut plucker suspected of setting fire to a pet dog and killing it was set to face a magistrate yesterday over the horrific act amid renewed calls for the Animal Welfare Bill to be passed. Police said they had in the past received a complaint about the dog’s constant barking. The arrested man, a resident of Koppara Handiya in Negombo where the dog’s owners lived, was arrested after neighbours told police more..

Jan 10 (CT) Two female witnesses yesterday, identified the main suspect who had masqueraded under the nickname Annachchi, involved in the abduction and disappearance of 11 youths in 2008 and 2009 from Colombo. When the case was called up before Colombo Fort Acting Magistrate Priyantha Liyanage, the main suspect was identified by the two witnesses Thayagaraja Parameswari and Thyagaraja Jaya. more..

Jan 10 (AD) Minister of Education Akila Viraj Kariyawasam has responded to the challenge issued by UPFA MP Bandula Gunawadena for the latter to take part in a debate with him. Gunawadena, a former education minister, had challenged Kariyawasam to a televised debate after the minister criticized his comments regarding a student of an international school obtaining the best results in Arts at 2018 Advanced Level examination. more..

Jan 10 (CT) A district-wise preliminary assessment of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) revealed that the Colombo District was at high risk for all tested STIs. The STIs tested in the study included HIV and AIDS, genital herpes, non-gonococcal infections, genital warts, early and late syphilis (early being if a patient has been infected for a year or less during the primary or secondary stages), gonorrhoea, and trichomoniasis. more..

Jan 10 (Island) There was no evidence to prove that the Sri Lankan security forces used cluster bombs or chemical weapons during the war, said State Minister of Defence, Ruwan Wijewardena in response to claims made by TNA MPs during the debate on amendments to the chemical weapons convention in parliament. "SL forces did not use chemical weapons during the war and although there are allegations that more..

Jan 10 (CT) The SLBFE issuing a press release stated that in comparison to 2017, the number of Sri Lankans emplaning for overseas employment had shown a marked decline during last year. The SLBFE stated that the number of those leaving for foreign employment in 2018 had declined by 0.24 per cent compared to those from 2017. The Bureau stated that in 2017, a total of 211,502 Sri Lankans had taken wing for overseas jobs, more..

Jan 10 (EN) Sri Lanka is one of four Asian countries particularly vulnerable to shifts in global borrowing conditions, with low foreign exchange reserves and large debt requirements threatening its ability to refinance loans, Moody’s Investors Service said. “For Sri Lanka, further political tension could also spark capital outflows and raise the country's risk premia, exacerbating tight financing conditions,” the rating agency said. more..

Jan 10 (NR) PM Ranil Wickremesinghe says the govt has several challenges ahead in 2019. He said during the 51 day coup Sri Lanka lost US$ 1,000 million in foreign reserves. PM said when the UNP led govt took over in Jan 2015; the country was in a dangerous debt trap, adding the govt took steps to systematically escape this debt burden. PM said the govt was able to save the port and airport from being taken over by more..

Jan 10 (CT) A free trade agreement (FTA) is a treaty signed between two countries to enable bilateral trade and to eliminate tariffs and trade barriers, completely. The objective of FTAs is to create an open competitive international marketplace. The expected objectives and the benefits of the FTA can be derived if a country is competitive and productive to sustain in the international market. Under-developed countries or developing countries with debilitated economic conditions cannot derive more..

Jan 10 (DM) A 16-year-old student of Budugehinna Central College in Galkiriyagama, was killed when a concrete post at the school grounds fell on him last evening. Investigations revealed that the student was injured when a concrete post at the school’s sports pavilion that was under construction, fell on the student while he was engaged in sports activities. Police said the Grade-11 student, Sashidu Krishan Karunathilake, a resident of Watagala, died after admission to the Galewela Hospital. more..

Jan 10 (AD) Newly appointed Governor for the Northern Province Suren Ragawan says that where there is no law, there is no democracy. Sinhalese and Tamils, everyone should work together, he said. Name boards of all govt institutions in the Northern Province should be printed in both Sinhala and Tamil languages, stated the Governor. He says that this is important as it is of convenience to both Sinhalese people who arrive from the South and the Tamil people who live in the North. more..