Dec 19 (DM) Condemning the decision of Israel to shift its capital from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem which is considered sacred by the Christians, the Archbishop of Colombo Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith said this city does not belong to one group of people. “The Catholic church is of the opinion that Jerusalem should not be a city which belongs to one group of people and therefore we cannot approve the recent developments with regard to this city,” he said. USA has now accepted it as Israel’s capital. more..

Dec 19 (DN) Four faculties of the Rajarata University of Sri Lanka in Mihintale were decided to be closed today with immediate effect due to the spread of a viral flue. At least 200 students were reported to have fallen ill during the past few weeks as the infectious fever spread through the student population. The university premises will be closed until December 26. Students were notified to leave hostels by 4 p.m. today and to return to hostels on December 26 at 4 p.m. more..

Dec 19 (CI) India haven't lost a bilateral series in any format in 2017, but that's only if you discount the one-off T20I against West Indies in Kingston, where an Evin Lewis century blew them away. A 6-4 T20 record this year would suggest this Indian side is at its most vulnerable in the shortest format. Sri Lanka, having let slip a few chances to push India harder than they did in the ODIs, should therefore allow themselves to feel just a bit more..

Dec 19 (CT) Daham Sirisena, son of Prez Sirisena, participated in a programme organized by the Youth Front of SLFP held at the party’s headquarters yesterday. The younger Sirisena, who has shown a fascination for the limelight that has led to his presidential father being accused of nepotism and promoting family politics, has posted photographs on FB of himself on the stage at the above event. Facebook post mentions that the event was held to create awareness about LG elections. more..

Dec 19 (AD) 72961 residents of Mullaitivu have been registered as voters for the upcoming LG elections. 7261 voters will chose 41 representatives for Pudukuduirippu, Karadiyanpathu, Thunukai and Manthai east PCs. Accordingly 33867 will vote to appoint 12 representatives to Pudukuduirippu PC, 26773 will vote to appoint 13 representatives to Karadiyanpathu PC, 7137 will vote to appoint 8 representatives to Thunkai PC and 5184 will vote to appoint 8 members to Manthai east PC. more..

Dec 19 (DM) The Ministry of Education today released the Sinhala and Tamil medium cut-off marks for the 2017 Grade 5 Scholarship examination. The Grade 5 Scholarship exam was held on Aug 16. Royal College, Colombo: 187; Dharmaraja College, Kandy: 186; Ananda College, Colombo: 184; Visakha Vidyalaya, Colombo: 189; Mahamaya Girl’s College, Kandy: 186; Devi Balika Vidyalaya, Colombo: 185; more..

Dec 19 (Island) Special Police Investigations Unit yesterday interrogated Lalith Weeratunge, Secretary to the former President Rajapaksa on am allegedly fraudulent transaction amounting to Rs. 444 million in purchasing vehicles for MPs during the previous regime. Weeratune had been questioned for over four hours from 9.45 a.m. to 1.45 p.m. over the purchase of eight SUVs for eight MPs in 2008. Investigation is being conducted under the supervision of SSP Mevan Silva. more..

Dec 19 (CT) National Movement for Consumer Rights Protection (NMCRP) claimed that the prices of 48 drugs that were previously reduced had recently been hiked in a Govt issued Special Gazette notification. The Chairperson of the Movement noted that these 48 drugs saw a reduction of prices in Oct 2016 under the 1989/61 Special Gazette Notification. He noted that despite this much praised Govt policy, the drug prices have recently seen an increase under another more..

Dec 19 (DM) A joint Cabinet paper submitted by Ministers Sarath Amunugama and Ranjith Siyambalapitiya today seeking approval to construct two coal power plants at Sampur in Trinco & Norochcholai in Puttalam had been differed due to the absence of the Finance Minister. Prez Sirisena is reported to have said the construction of the two coal power plants with an installed capacity of 1,200 MWs more..

Dec 19 (DM) For the first time in Sri Lanka, a representative of the Telegu-speaking community in SL will be fielded as a candidate at the local govet elections. He is being fielded by the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) to the Talawa PS in Anuradhapura. Rajarata University’s Prof. Channa Jayasumana said he had garnered the support of this community to the SLPP at the election. Prof. Jayasumana who works closely with the SLPP said this community was influential more..

Dec 19 (EN) State-owned refiner Ceylon petroleum Corporation has bought 14,000 metric tonnes of aviation fuel from the local unit of Indian Oil Corporation to maintain stocks owing to a hike in demand. The Ministry of Petroleum Resource Development said the fuel, bought from Lanka IOC, was being unloaded and had met the required quality standards. The tanker which brought the stock of fuel had berthed on Dec 10. The first sample drawn to test the fuel did not meet more..

Dec 19 (NST) Malaysia will send a mission to help rebuild the formerly war-torn Northern Province in SL, PM Datuk Seri Razak. Mission will determine the assistance required to aid the people in Jaffna particularly, who had been affected by the civil war, Najib added. The assistance could be in the form of micro-financing to single mothers akin to the Amanah Ikhtiar initiative, training for ex-army personnel & public housing. more..

Dec 19 (SLN) The second phase of Indian – SL Navy Joint Hydrographic Survey which got off the ground on 26 Oct 2017 with the arrival of Indian Naval Ship Sutlej in Sri Lanka, came to a successful end today. Accordingly, the prepared fair sheet containing the soundings from the hydrographic survey was handed over to the Commander of the Navy, Vice Admiral Sirimevan Ranasinghe by the Commanding Officer INS Sutlej, Captain Tribhuvan Singh at the Naval Headquarters. more..

Dec 19 (TS) Sri Lanka is interested in implementing the same electronic court system that has been used by Malaysia since 2009, said Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said. According to Minister in the PM's department, Sri Lanka’s interest clearly demonstrated that the e-Courts Online Filing system is recognised internationally. "The govt to govt (G2G) cooperation is not only beneficial to both countries, but it will also make the judicial system more effective and efficient," she said more..

Dec 19 (Bernama) PM Datuk Seri Razak describes his official visit to Sri Lanka as very successful in opening investment opportunities to Malaysia as that country is now on the eve of economic recovery. He said that during his meeting with SL President Sirisena yesterday, several consensus had been reached including the efforts to realise Int'l Free Trade Agreement (FTA). "I see SL as a nation that has many similarities with us more..

Dec 19 (AD) Former Foreign Minister Prof. G.L.Peiris stated that Russia mercilessly imposed an import ban on Sri Lanka due to the failed foreign policies of the current govt. He stated that the Russian import ban will be increasingly problematic to Sri Lanka as the tea exporting network greatly depends on the revenue generated by Russian markets. He further stated that as the volume of exported tea to Russia amounts to at least 25% of the annual tea exported by Sri Lanka. more..

Dec 19 (TS) Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has launched Sri Lanka’s biggest digital venture capital fund. Known as the Dialog Axiata Digital Innovation Fund (DADIF), the US$15mil (RM61mil) fund sponsored by Malaysian-owned Dialog Axiata Plc will be used to invest in Sri Lankan digital startups. “It will fund the expansion of game-changing, best-in-class digital businesses in Sri Lanka,” the PM said in his speech during his visit to Dialog Axiata’s office here on Tuesday. more..

Dec 19 (NDTV) Captain Thisara Perera insisted that his side would look to flush out the negativity following heavy defeats in the preceding Tests and ODIs and is confident of a comeback in the T20I series. SL lost the Test series 1-0 that was followed by the one-dayers which the visitors lost 2-1 against India. SL caught India unawares with a surprise bowling effort in the first ODI, but could not capitalise on the momentum. more..

Dec 20 (CT) Run up to the LG Elections has been plagued with controversy mainly due to the delay of over two and a half years in calling for such Elections. Mercifully nominations have now been called for and the Elections are scheduled to be held in Feb 2018. A delimitation of Local Govt wards had been carried out by the previous Govt. Minister Faizer Musthapha appointed a panel headed by Asoka Pieris to review the previous delimitation which review process dragged on for several more..

Dec 20 (CT) Tea is our pride, for which we can be proud of for the reason that it is the best tea on the Globe. It is the duty of every Sri Lankan – especially the Diplomatic Missions worldwide to defend and promote our silver inherited as much as the beauty of Sri Lanka which is no match to other. Sri Lanka Tea is unique due to unique flavour, colour and character which cannot be readily found elsewhere. The humidity, cool temperature, sunshine, and rainfall (two monsoons) more..

Dec 20 (SO) Central Environmental Authority officials and health sources have expressed dismay at the presence of banned plastic items floating around the country despite repeated warnings to illegal vendors and manufacturers to stop producing and distributing them to the local public. “Although the amount is less than in previous years, there still is a lot of banned plastics, especially, in densely populated areas,” more..

Dec 20 (CT) I was asked last week by the European Union (EU) to attend an exhibition about celebrating partnerships, and attended, though I left early, when the speeches began. I was not sure why I was asked to attend, since the invitation was for development partners and the TVEC was not involved in the project. But as I looked around the exhibition, I realized that, as Charles Ryder put it in Brideshead Revisited, "I had been there before; I knew all about it." And it brought back fond more..

Dec 20 (Island) Lord Naseby recently took up Geneva Resolution 30/1(Promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in SL) with the UNSG Antonio Guterres as SL struggled to cope up with the Oct 12, 2017, revelations in the House of Lords, pertaining to the war against the LTTE. The combined armed forces brought the war to a successful conclusion on the morning of May 19, 2009. In the wake of the UK disclosure, SL should have immediately called for a thorough more..

Dec 20 (CT) Higher education has been recognized as one of the engines for development across the world. However, Sri Lanka has constantly lagged behind other Asian countries when it comes to investment in the quality of education. Ceylon Today met the State Minister of Higher Education, Mohan Lal Grero to discuss matters pertaining to the education system. Q: Govt states that developing higher education and more..

Dec 20 (Island) Beetles seem to be causing serious problems to the incumbent government. The German Beetle, which was expected to come here about three years ago, bringing loads and loads of forex, has let it down badly. (Volkswagen has since come to be dubbed Hoaxwagen.) Worse, another beetle, a real one at that, is likely to aggravate the country’s foreign exchange woes. A khapra beetle has caused Sri Lanka’s tea supplies to Russia to be restricted, we are told. more..

Dec 20 (ST) Plunged to the deepest depths of despair, now they have been raised to unimaginable heights. “A terrible curse on my life has turned out to be the greatest blessing,” is the opening line with which 49-year-old Dilhan Fernando guides us through a life challenged to the very core by vitiligo or leucoderma. For Sri Lankans it is plain kabara as derogatorily called by all and sundry and is accompanied by looks of distaste and aversion. What helped Dilhan and his dearest more..

Dec 20 (FT) Central Investments and Finance Plc is objecting to the Central Bank’s decision to cancel its licence. In a disclosure to the CSE, the company said the CIFL Board lodged an objection as per section 37 (2) of the Finance Business Act. “Our objections were primarily based on legal grounds and also stated several others based on factual grounds,” said CIFL, which had a 14-day window to object following the CB decision. The company has requested the Monetary Board of the CBSL more..

Dec 20 (FT) Sampath Bank yesterday announced an unprecedented move to raise a mammoth Rs. 20 billion to boost its capital via equity and debt issues, hot on the heels of raking in Rs. 6 billion via debentures last week. The third largest private bank and one of the industry’s best performing so far this year, Sampath Bank announced a three for 13 Rights Issue at Rs. 250 each. The move will involve the issuance of 50.13 million shares and raise Rs. 12.5 billion. more..

Dec 20 (CT) PM Ranil Wickremesinghe seemed genuinely overwhelmed with the cheque he received for leasing the Magampura Port for 99 years with massive tax concessions to the Chinese. He proudly touted the huge board dressed as a cheque as money he got into the country. Indeed here is a man without a grasp on value of our national treasures. Nor does he seem to realize the minimal impact more..

Dec 20 (DN) The labour model in the country must be restructured in order for the country to move forward economically, said CB Governor Dr. Indrajit Coomaraswamy at the SLEA last week. Further, he chastised both the govt and the domestic private sectors for facilitating what he called deficits in both execution and trust, respectively. He was speaking to members of the private and public sectors, gathered for a seminar organized by SLEA on the future direction of economic policy in SL. more..

Dec 20 (Island) Tea consignments from Sri Lanka to Russia were found to have a Khapra beetle a few days ago. Consequently, Russia restricted the importation of agricultural products from Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan tea, which accounts for about 23% of the Russian tea market, has earned a substantial amount of foreign exchange this year. The current situation, therefore, has affected not only the country’s foreign exchange reserves but also its image as a tea exporter. more..

Dec 20 (DN) President Thilanga Sumathipala said that Sri Lanka Cricket was today a stable institution and could carry on without being dependent on anyone for the next 5-10 years. “I am proud to say that today we are not indebted to anyone. We have settled all our debts. Our financial position is very strong and the SLC can continue for the next 5-10 years without depending on anyone,” said Sumathipala. more..

Dec 20 (DN) Have we done enough to sensitize the people in general and the youth in particular, to the adverse effects of drugs? This question came into this writer’s mind when he browsed through the report issued by the National Dangerous Drug Control Board on the drug abuse situation in SL for 2016. Last year, 79,378 suspects were arrested for drug-related offences. Almost half of them were from western province. The report says we have around 200,000 cannabis and 45,000 heroin users. more..

Dec 20 (Island) Authorities, coaches, selectors and mostly players hold yourselves accountable…. Your fans are fed up of waiting. It’s time to push the envelope. Cricket has been Lanka’s crowning jewel for a long time. What we as a nation were so proud of. The day Arjuna Ranatunga hoisted that World Cup, was a day that changed a lot of our lives. It brought a nation together in the midst of so much strife and division. Devoid of religion and race, the SL people embraced Muttiah Muralitharan, more..

Dec 20 (Island) The long wait for the arrival of the Messiah who will redeem SL cricket from its current predicament has ended. Former Test opener Chandika Hathurusingha today will formally take over as SL’s Head Coach in Colombo. Millions of admirers of SL cricket will be desperately hoping that he will take a team that is in total shambles into the Promised Land. Hathurusingha arrives with an Alex Ferguson like reputation. more..

Dec 20 (Island) He won the title at the Junior Nationals and then played second fiddle to leading contender Anura Dharshana at the All Schools Games Athletics Championships. In a year of fluctuating fortunes he could not be on the podium competing against senior athletes. But at the year-end analysis, Lumbini College athlete Tharusha Dhananjaya has an enviable record as the only school athlete to have won an Asian Athletics Championship medal. more..

Dec 20 (Island) Authorities charged with drafting a new constitution for Sri Lanka are 'shaky' on the issue of women's representation and have rejected appeals by the representatives of women's organizations that a separate chapter on women's rights be incorporated in the new constitution, veteran women's rights campaigner Rohini Weerasinghe said. 'Rather than seek to increasingly empower SL's women the present deliberators on the new constitution have lumped more..

Dec 20 (DM) The entire country should urge the govt to hand over the SriLankan Airlines to the AirAsia which is a low-cost Airline as the national carrier is a financial burden to the country, Minister Champika Ranawaka said. Ranawaka said SriLankan Airline is continuously making heavy losses. He said it lost millions in several operations including when purchasing aircraft and it incurred a loss of Rs. 28 billion last year as well. more..

Dec 20 (DN) SL’s premier squash players Ravindu Laksiri and Mihiliya Methsarani took major honours at the 37th National Squash Championship 2017 worked off at the Sugathadasa Stadium Squash Court Complex yesterday. SL’s top squash title holder Mihiliya Methsarani met familiar opponent Fathoum Issadeen in the Women’s Open final and won it for the fifth time when she defeated her opponent 11/6, 11/6 and 11/10. In similar fashion Ravindu Laksiri beat Shamil Wakeel more..