Dec 10 (DN) President Sirisena said that he will honourably accept whatever ruling given by the Supreme Court on the petitions filed against the Gazette notification issued by him to dissolve Parliament and take future political actions according to it. He said he is not happy about the administrative process vested in the President as a single individual under the Constitution as it should not be so in a country, more..

Dec 10 (DM) In the aftermath First World War (1914 - 1918) in which 15 - 19 million lives were lost, the League of Nations (LN), an intergovernmental organisation wasfounded on January 10, 1920. The League’s goals included disarmament, preventing war through collective security, settling disputes among nations through negotiation and improving global welfare. The goal of the LN was to prevent wars through disarmament, collective security and negotiation. more..

Dec 10 (DM) The present Constitutional imbroglio has given rise to a spate of constitutional opinions being expressed by legal experts some genuine others spurious. Democracy is said to be, endangered and the Sovereignty of the people is much spoken of. One wonders what the People in the so called peripheries, i.e. in the northern and eastern parts of the country and in the rural hinterland make of this. Do these constitutional controversies have the surreal quality of more..

Dec 10 (CT) Party Leaders of the former President Rajapaksa faction are on their toes in anticipation of an election, irrespective of the pending decision of the Supreme Court with regard to the dissolution of Parliament. The Party Leaders met yesterday at the SLPP office in Battaramulla, to discuss their future political stance. Former MP Basil Rajapaksa also attended the discussion along with several incumbent MPs. more..

Dec 10 (Island) The govt urged President Sirisena, who is also the Commander-in-Chief of armed forces to ensure national security as the country struggled to cope up with political and constitutional crisis. Minister Bandula Gunawardena appealed to Prez on behalf of the govt. Asserting that some sections of the security sector acted contrary to presidential directives, Minister warned of dire consequences unless more..

Dec 10 (AD) Los Angeles County Museum of Art is presenting The Jeweled Isle: Art from Sri Lanka, the first comprehensive survey of SL art organized by a U.S. museum. Drawn in part from LACMA’s collection of SL art, and including numerous domestic and international loans, the exhibition presents some 240 works addressing nearly two millennia of SL history. In 2009, Sri Lanka emerged from a nearly 30 year-long civil war more..

Dec 10 (EN) SL’s political crisis is not good for economic growth but investors see early elections could be positive for the stock market, according to Tundra Fund, a Swedish based fund focussing on less well-known frontier markets. “Many were surprised that Sri Lanka, in the midst of what constitutes a constitutional crisis, was one of the winners during the month and rose almost 3%,” fund said in its latest monthly commentary. more..

Dec 10 (AD) From being second largest importer of SL Tea or renowned Ceylon Tea, the OPEC’s second-largest oil producer – Iraq that suffered a political crisis and a warfare from 2003 since American Invasion has emerged as SL’s number one tea buyer which was reflected in the Jan - Oct 2018 official tea export statistics. Iraq was number 2 to Turkey in both 2016 and 2017 but had become the top on the list in 2018 so far. more..

Dec 10 (EN) Sri Lanka's forex reserves dropped by US$ 884.9 million in Nov 2018, to US$ 7,018.38 million amid a statutory reserve cut and more liquidity injections. In November the central bank cut the statutory reserve ratio and injected what an official said was an estimated 90 billion rupees of cash at zero interest rate in to the banking system to permanently sterilize liquidity shortages generated by earlier interventions. more..

Dec 10 (CT) Tamil National People’s Front Batticaloa District Organizer Suresh Tharmalingam hinted that there are several para military groups which murdered and terrified the people of the Eastern Province in the ‘90s, that have not officially handed over their weapons and it is high time the Govt confiscates those weapons. The news of 35-year-old Niroshan Indika and 28-year-old Ganesh Dinesh, who were killed whilst on duty, more..

Dec 10 (DM) Ven. Ittepane Dhammalankara Thera, Mahanayake of the Kotte Parshwaya of the Kalyani Dharma Gree Maha Sanga Sabha told SLPP leader Mahinda Rajapaksa that Sri Lankans who are a part of a great history cannot accept the ugly incidents that took place recently within the chamber of the Parliament. He reminded the former President who visited the Thera at his Temple, Sri Dharmavijayaloka Viharaya at more..

Dec 10 (ST) Rs. 2,800 million worth Suraksha insurance scheme launched last yr to provide medical cover for Govt school students has become the latest casualty of the ongoing political turmoil. The Education Ministry launched the scheme in 2017 and offered insurance cover valid from Oct 1, 2017 to Sept 30, 2018. However as 2018 draws to an end, students have not received their insurance cards for the next year. more..

Dec 10 (AD) A lawyer has filed a petition before the Supreme Court challenging the Speaker’s decision to convene the parliament despite a pending restraining order. The petition has been put forward stating that Speaker Karu Jayasuriya has acted in Contempt of Court by reconvening the parliament when there is a pending restraining order issued on the act. Reportedly, the petition has been filed by Attorney at Law Aruna Laksiri. more..

Dec 10 (CT) Sri Lanka is still struggling to come out of the adverse political situation as a result of the political tsunami which had struck the Parliament, and turned the country’s governance upside down a month ago. As the country is nearing the fourteenth year of the tsunami devastation, the late US President George H.W. Bush who visited the Island on Feb 2005, commenting on the destruction caused by the natural disaster said that SL being a country popular with tourists all efforts more..

Dec 10 (FT) This is an edited version of the Prof. H.A. de S. Gunasekara 2018 Oration delivered at the Univ of Peradeniya on 4 Dec. Professor H A de S Gunasekara, popularly known as HAdeS, was a legend in economics in Sri Lanka. The doctoral thesis From Dependent Currency to Central Banking in Ceylon, which he submitted to the University of London, was a seminal contribution to the setting of the monetary and financial system in an economy that was transformed from feudalism to more..

Dec 10 (CT) Daily Mirror, SL’s largest selling privately owned daily newspaper, has removed the video of Prez Sirisena’s controversial video from its Facebook page after increasing pressure from President’s Media Division (PMD), Colombo Telegraph can now reveal. In the video interview that went viral over the weekend, Sirisena was caught on record saying former President Rajapaksa could not show a parliamentary majority, as the MPs demanded higher bribes than expected. more..

Dec 10 (AD) A shootout has occurred near a housing complex in the Modara at around 3 pm today. Police stated that two persons who arrived on a motorbike had opened fire at a group travelling on a three-wheeler. Reportedly, six persons including a female had sustained injuries in the incident and had been admitted to the National Hospital in Colombo. A group of four males from Colombo 15, aged 31, 28, 30 and 26, had been travelling on the three-wheeler when the shootout occurred. more..

Dec 10 (EN) President Sirisena Monday faced a new challenge from an unexpected source questioning his mental condition to govt country as a political crisis triggered by him dragged without any sign of resolution. A public interest case was filed by a woman activist identified as Thakshila Jayawardena who argued that irrational behavior of the president was due to severe stress of adjusting to an urban life style, more..

Dec 10 (EN) Auditors M/s Amarasekera & Company, Chartered Accountants, have given a qualified opinion on the annual report for 2017-18 of SL’s Anilana Hotels & Properties which has run up big losses. Auditors have also flagged as a key audit matter revaluation of freehold lands and investment property of the firm, whose annual report has just been released to the stock exchange. Singapore’s SOMAP Int'l Pte Ltd recently acquired control of Anilana Hotels & Properties in a private more..

Dec 10 (DM) UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe today informed UNP MPs, provincial councillors and organizers that a mass protest rally participated by members of several political parties and civil society organizations will be held in Colombo on Monday (17). According to what the UNP leaders told those gathered at Temple Trees, the protesters will march from all over the country for the rally at Galle Face Green. “Our lawyers have informed us that the Supreme Court decision on the petition more..

Dec 10 (AD) Court of Appeal informed that the verdict on the preliminary objections filed pertaining to the Contempt of Court petition against the former Chief Minister of NPC C.V. Wigneswaran and other NPC members, on the 31st of Jan 2019. The petition was to be heard before Justices Kumudini Wickramasinghe and Janak de Silva today. However, due to the absentia of Justice Wickramasinghe at the hearing, more..

Dec 10 (Island) UNP National Organiser and MP Navin Dissanayake has demanded that changes be effected to the UNP’s structure and the party make the best use of its Deputy Leader Sajith Premadasa. Dissanayake said, at a meeting of the UNP’s Hatton-Muskeliya organisation over the weekend, that UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe was adept at what he called playing games inside the party, but could not do so outside. He recalled that Wickremesinghe had polled 40 votes as against his later father more..

Dec 10 (DM) UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe would not be appointed as the PM even if the confidence motion would be passed in Parliament, PHU said today. The UNP is to move a Confidence Motion on Wednesday in Parliament pledging solidarity with its leader Ranil Wickremesinghe as the PM. PHU Leader Udaya Gammanpila said according to the internal sources of the UNP, the MPs who would vote in favour of the motion were to file a Fundamental Rights petition in the SC more..

Dec 10 (PMD) President Sirisena says necessary steps should be instantly taken to implement the recently taken decision to enforce the death penalty against the persons who still engaged in drug trafficking activities even after they have been convicted on the death penalty, for the future of the country, the nation and future generation. Prez further said that due to the failure of the relevant institutions to submit more..

Dec 10 (Island) A new book Field Guide to the Butterflies of SL authored by the island’s renowned Lepidopterist duo, George Michael and Nancy van der Poorten, will be launched on Thursday Dec 20 at 6 pm at the Met Department Auditorium, Colombo 7. A must for nature lovers, this new field guide allows the casual observer to correctly identify the butterflies observed in the field. More advanced naturalists will learn key identification points for the more difficult species. more..

Dec 10 (AM) Former Central Provincial Council Minister Thilina Bandara Tennakoon obtained membership with the UNP. Tennakoon met UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe this morning at Temple Trees and obtained party membership. UNP MP Lakshman Kiriella and General Secretary Akila Viraj Kariyawasam were present when Tennakoon met Wickremesinghe this morning. He is a nephew of UPFA MP and Rajapaksa loyalist Janaka Bandara Tennakoon. more..

Dec 10 (Island) The discovery of two pieces of human bones, bound by a cable, has caused serious concern to the experts engaged in excavating the Mannar mass grave; they wonder whether some of the people buried there had been tortured. The two pieces of bone were recovered on Friday (7). Mannar District Judge M. Swarnaraj visited the grave site to inspect the skeletal remains. The two bones had been stored securely for further more..

Dec 10 (FT) Sri Lanka clinched three coveted gold and seven merit awards at the recently concluded Asia Pacific ICT Alliance Awards (APICTA) 2018 in Guangzhou, China, the Federation of Information Technology Industry Sri Lanka (FITIS), and BCS Chartered Institute for IT Sri Lanka (BCSSL) announced. Infoseek Ltd., DirectPay Ltd., and University of Sri J'pura undergraduate Dulan Dias won gold awards. Merit award winners are Pulz Technology, Epic Lanka Ltd., more..

Dec 10 (Island) The National Peace Council yesterday maintained that the country had to find a solution that was both constitutional and just, while pointing out that the parliamentary majority had made it clear through written and verbal statements that their choice was indeed former PM Wickremesinghe. Full text of the NPC statement: The political crisis that commenced with President Maithripala Sirisena’s decision to dismiss Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe continues. more..

Dec 10 (CI) Danushka Gunathilaka found form with a dominant display at the top of the order, while Angelo Mathews and Kusal Mendis were also among the runs, as the 3-day warm-up match against New Zealand XI petered to a draw in Napier. Gunathilaka's rapid second innings 77-ball 83, inclusive of 12 boundaries and a six, was a timely knock for a player looking to regain the trust of the SLC leadership, more..

Dec 10 (DM) President Maithripala Sirisena will request Chief Justice Nalin Perera through the Attorney General to deliver the order on the dissolution of parliament without delay, MP Wimal Weerawansa said today. He told a news briefing that the President would make the request tomorrow morning. MP Weerawansa said the entire country was waiting for the SC ruling on the Fundamental Rights petitions filed against the dissolution of parliament. more..

Dec 10 (NR) UNP MP Ravi Karunanayake says a state bank is attempting to obtain a 750 million US dollar loan, at a time that there is no legitimate govt. Speaking at a media breifing at the Temple Trees MP Karunanayake said attempts to obtain such funds is illegal. The MP said the only thing the state bank is trying to achieve is to add this to the foreign exchange rate that is decreasing rapidly, while claiming in the tender that it is for Sri Lanka development bonds. more..

Dec 10 (ICC) The ICC today announced that an independent assessment has found the bowling action of SL’s off-spinner Akila Dananjaya to be illegal and, as such he has been suspended from bowling in international cricket with immediate effect. The assessment revealed that his deliveries exceeded the 15 degrees level of tolerance permitted under the regulations. In accordance with Article 11.1 of the ICC more..

Dec 10 (AD) Four individuals have been arrested in Kandy, along with 11 elephant pearls estimated to be worth over Rs 40 million. The arrest was made by the officers of the Crime Prevention Unit of Kandy Police Division during an undercover operation. Three of the suspects, who had been in possession of 08 elephant pearls at the time of the arrest, were taken into custody near the Balagolla stadium, while the other suspect was arrested in Kandy town along with three elephant pearls. more..

Dec 10 (NR) The report on the SL-Singapore Free Trade Agreement has been handed over to President Maithripala Sirisena. President’s Media Division says a five-member committee headed by WD Lakshman handed over the report this evening. Prez Sirisena on the 11th of August appointed the committee of experts to study the Singapore Free Trade Agreement. President appointed the Committee after taking into consideration views expressed by various parties over the issue. more..

Dec 10 (DM) JVP said today the Prez’s claim that 19th Amendment was brought in haste was baseless and said it was discussed for months prior to its approval in Parliament. JVP MP Vijitha Herath said that the President was trying to take the credit for positives in 19A while passing the buck on the negatives to others. “The discussions on the 19A were ongoing even before the death of Ven. Maduluwawe Sobitha Thera. more..

Dec 11 (CT) The country being on the verge of imminent division due to envisaged constitutional reform was one of the main justifications of the backdoor seizure of power of October 26 by members of the hitherto opposition who are now members of the govt. The threat they alleged came from the constitutional reform process. This is a process that has been continuing since the former govt got elected in 2015, though it is now at a standstill due the political crisis. more..

Dec 11 (Island) The President appears to believe that he still possesses the full executive powers he derived from the Constitution when he was elected to his office in Jan 2015. Three months later, he sat during a tumultuous session in Parliament and witnessed the passage of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, introduced by the Govt of which he was the Head.That Amendment removed all his executive powers except three which he still enjoys: the power to appoint ambassadors, . more..

Dec 11 (SO) During World War II, the British Empire had clearly understood the strategic importance of Sri Lanka in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and the necessity of a navy to ensure the Sea Lines of Communication (SLOC) or key maritime passageways lying in the vicinity of this teardrop island. It is with this glimmer of hope, the Ceylon Naval Volunteer Force (CNVF) was set up in 1937 and after World War II the CNVF was more..