Jan 1 (FT) The dawn of the New Year brings hopes of an end to the protracted wage stand-off in the plantation sector, with estate trade unions indicating that they are willing to consider alternative options put forward by the Regional Planation Companies (RPCs) to achieve their demand of Rs. 1000 a day. �Despite refusing to move away from the Rs. 1000 basic wage, trade unions have shown their willingness for more..

Jan 1 (AD) The Department of Registration of Persons (DRP) has decided to issue �smart identity cards� island-wide from today (01) onwards. Commissioner General of DRP Viyani Gunathilaka stated that the trial launch of smart identity cards had been a success in Western and Sabaragamuwa provinces. Accordingly, the DRP has decided to implement this new system across the island from today. more..

Jan 1 (ST) UNP trade union Jathika Sevaka Sangamaya (JSS) is on a collision course with its president Akila Viraj Kariyawasam, after he raised queries about the manner in which the union runs Hotel de Buhari in Maradana and proposed that it be handed over to a new management. Hotel de Buhari, a decades-old restaurant famous for its biriyani and generous leg of chicken, has been run by the JSS since the early 90s. more..

Jan 1 (Island) Central Bank of SL had taken steps to amend section 04 of the Registered Stock and Security Ordinance (RSSO) in a bid to address a number of concerns on the issuance of Treasury Bonds, CBSL Governor Dr. Indrajit Coomaraswamy told the PCoI. "The issues with that section has been highlighted by this PCoI and the one on the Bond Issue. So, we have done some amendments. We sent the draft to the AG more..

Jan 1 (ICC) The ICC today confirmed the sides that have qualified directly for the ICC Men�s T20 World Cup 2020 to be held in Australia, based on the MRF Tyres ICC Men�s T20I Team Rankings as on 31 Dec 2018. As per the qualification criteria set for the tournament, Australia and the other nine top-ranked sides have ensured direct qualification. The top eight make it straight to the Super 12s stage while the remaining two more..

Jan 1 (Island) The final report of the expert committee appointed by President Sirisena to look into the SL - Singapore Free Trade Agreement (SLSFTA) had confirmed the fears expressed by SL professionals, GMOA said. GMOA Secretary, Haritha Aluthge said: "Sri Lankan professionals have opposed this FTA because of the threats it poses to the economy. We have said that this FTA is akin to 1815 pact with the British. more..

Jan 1 (DN) The matter of using Chinese instead of Tamil in the name board of Metro Colombo Solid Waste Management Project is being dealt with the Project Manager and the Chinese Embassy, Minister Mano Ganesan said. He said that he instructed the Chairman of Official Languages Commission to immediately contact the Project Manager of Sanitary Landfill site in Aruwakkalu, Puttalam. more..

Jan 1 (DM) Perpetual Treasuries Ltd�s (PTL) Owner Arjun Aloysius and CEO Kasun Palisena, who were arrested by the CID over the Central Bank bond scam, have been ordered to be released on exceptional bail by Colombo Chief Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne after being in remand custody for more than ten months. They were released under one million cash bail, four sureties of two million for each suspect with a travel ban. more..

Jan 2 (GV) 2018 saw ethno-nationalism, the role of technology in moderating hate speech and freedom of expression and the impact of foreign debt, including China�s Belt and Road Initiative remain key topics in global discourse. It also saw a growing movement of women speaking out about workplace harassment and sexual assault, through the #MeToo hashtag. Though many questioned the effectiveness of the movement, there was no denying its power. All of these conversations impacted Sri Lanka more..

Jan 2 (CT) Though the constitutional crisis that arose from the conspiracy hatched between the President and Rajapakse which brought the country to the brink of civil war has ended due to the Supreme Court interpreting the provisions of the constitution on the dissolution of Parliament, the political crisis that emerged out of it has not receded. Supreme Court has held that the President cannot dissolve Parliament within the first four and a half years of the life of Parliament unless more..

Jan 2 (SO) While millions of people in the coastal regions of the Indian Ocean countries mourned their dead last Wednesday, the 14th anniversary of the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami, V. Sivalingam of Pandiruppu, Kalmunai in the Eastern province and his family also joined them but with the looming uncertainty on whether or not his son Krishanth alias Seenu lost in the tsunami waves on Dec 26, 2004, is alive or not. more..

Jan 2 (CT) I came to know of the late comrade Prins Gunasekara through the large amount of work he did in the social transformation that took place in 1956, while representing the Habaraduwa electorate in the Galle district. He was a joint-secretary of the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (MEP) established in 1956 and was a contemporary and a follower of Mr SWRD Bandaranaike and comrade Philip Gunawardena. In the General Elections of March 1960, he contested and won the more..

Jan 2 (CT) Happy New Year to all Ceylon Today readers. If you picked up this paper as a New Year�s resolution to read more; congratulations! And greetings to all the citizens of the globe for a glorious New Year - filled with all the anticipation and excitement of what tomorrow might unfold. 2019; is definitely a year that we the people of SL look forward to, especially with the political and economic episodes last year leaving most of us in the lurch, like a suspense filled TV soap. more..

Jan 2 (CT) State officials serving in the Galle Fort allege that responsible State institutions are not doing their administrative duties properly in connection with the lands and buildings in the beautiful Galle Fort, which is a UNESCO world heritage site, representing a number of historic eras. They also pointed out that as a result of brokers getting involved in selling off lands in Galle Fort at massive prices to foreigners, more..

Jan 2 (CT) The now defunct Yahapalana govt, in their foolishness, pledged to the international community in Geneva in Oct 2015, to entertain foreign jurists to investigate alleged human rights violations committed by the Govt and its agents, including the security forces and the Police, especially during the closing stages of its successful war against LTTE terrorism in 2009. Thereafter, the UNHRC gave SL time till a session of theirs due in Mar 2017, to have its house in order by then. more..

Jan 2 (CT) By inferring that the TNA wants to retain the office of the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, the Opposition SLPP may have said more than it may have wanted. That owes not to the conclusion, but to the cause cited by the SLPP. In doing so, the SLPP has once again addressed the party�s Southern Sinhala constituency, convinced as it was about the Tamils continuing not to vote for Party Boss and former President Mahinda Rajapaksa. more..

Jan 2 (CT) Nobody will disagree if I say that the Accelerated Mahaweli Development Project is the greatest development achievement the country has realised after Independence. Without this gigantic project, thousands of hectares of land in the Dry Zone would have remained bare, and the country would have been in darkness due to limited power generation before the project. Considering the flood risk, area below Mahiyanganaya, stretching down to Trinco, could have faced a severe flood, more..

Jan 2 (Island) The people of this country did not accept the overturning of power, enacted on the 26th of Oct 2018 as a political victory. Only the people, paid and instigated by the politicians to light crackers, did so. Nobody spontaneously came forward to celebrate it. After the news of the dissolution of the Parliament they became still more silent. Considering the results of the last provincial council elections, the overturning of political power on the 26th Oct should have produced more..

Jan 2 (Island) Speaker Karu Jayasuriya recently asserted that the relationship between Prez Sirisena and PM Wickremesinghe turned sour in the run up to the last LG polls in Feb 2018. Jayasuriya said so addressing religious leaders at his official residence, on Dec 26. A statement issued by the Speaker�s Office, on Dec 28, quoted Jayasuriya as having said that he, at every possible opportunity, intervened to improve situation more..

Jan 2 (DM) There was a time when the New Year dawned the phone would ring and beep incessantly. It still does, but not at the same rate it did, say five years back, unless it�s loaded with social media apps. The once ubiquitous SMS has been replaced by Whatsapp, Facebook and other web based messaging systems. We still get our electronic New Year greetings � the New Year would not be the same without them, but they come in different formats. more..

Jan 2 (Island) Several successful drug busting operations have been reported, during the last few months, the latest being Monday�s one in Dehiwala, where 278 kilos of hell dust were detected and two foreigners taken into custody. On Dec 6, two suspects were arrested in Beruwala with 230 kilos of heroin. The Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) and the STF deserve public plaudits for their determined efforts to neutralise the netherworld of narcotics, against tremendous odds. more..

Jan 2 (DN) Chief selector Ashantha de Mel blamed the present domestic structure for the poor batting techniques displayed by the SL batsmen against short-pitched bowling in New Zealand where Sri Lanka lost the two-Test series 1-0. De Mel was of the view that the Lankan batsmen should have batted out the last two days of the second Test at Christchurch as they had done in the first Test at Wellington. more..

Jan 2 (CT) Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR), together with its main sponsor Dialog Axiata PLC, conducted a two-day training programme targeting potential Rugby Match Commissioners. Programme, Introductory Course for Rugby Football Match Commissioners was held on 15/16 December at the Dialog Axiata Auditorium. All 26 who participated, had been involved in the sport at the highest level. Some of the topics covered were: Introduction to Sri Lanka Rugby, Introduction to Match Commissioning, more..

Jan 2 (Island) Dilshan Madusanka of Vijayaba Central, Hungama has found a place in the Sri Lanka Under-19 team for the upcoming Youth series against Australia. The left-arm pacie is the only player picked from a school not playing in premier Under 19 schools cricket tournaments. He has been picked in the team captained by St. Joseph Vaz�s, Wennappuwa all rounder Nipun Dananjaya after doing well in the Under-23 Inter Provincial tournament. Currently he is playing for BRC. more..

Jan 2 (DN) SL�s chairman of cricket selectors Ashantha de Mel said that apart from finding a batsman to replace the injured Angelo Mathews they also need to find an opening partner for Dimuth Karunaratne for the upcoming two-Test series against Australia later this month. Mathews has been ruled out for four weeks with a grade two strain on his left hamstring which he picked up while batting in SL�s 2nd innings more..

Jan 2 (EN) SL's maize output for 2018 is estimated to top 300,000 metric tonnes, up 61% from 2017 when the country went through a severe drought. Maize output for the Yala minor agricultural season which falls in the second half of the year was estimated to be 32,402 metric tonnes up 22 percent from 46,533 metric tonnes of 2017, by Dept of Agriculture. Most of the maize is produced in the Maha or main agricultural season, where cultivation is currently underway for 2019. more..

Jan 2 (Island) With the retirement of chairman Susantha Ratnayake on Dec 31st 2018, further to 4 decades of service at John Keells Group, JKH announced the following appointments, with effect from Jan 1, 2019. Krishan Balendra as chairman of John Keells Holdings and Gihan Cooray will assume office as deputy chairman in addition to his role as Group Finance Director of John Keells Holdings. Krishan Balendra was appointed as deputy chairman of JKH on Jan 1, 2018 and more..

Jan 2 (FT) In the next ten years, the Megapolis and Western Development Ministry has planned projects worth Rs. 10 trillion, Minister Champika Ranawaka said. Addressing the Ministry staff at the start of the New Year, he had noted that 2019 is likely to be a pivotal year, with both elections and high debt repayments converging during the next twelve months. However, he noted that Govt was preparing to meet these challenges, more..

Jan 2 (DN) We were once the proud examples on the cricket field with our electric fielding that was the envy of every cricketing nation and power batting that won us the 1996 cricket World Cup. Every nation looked up to us as a role model country to emulate. But somewhere down the line despite the outstanding achievements on the field by our cricketers, the cricket administration began to deteriorate with businessmen and politicians getting into the stream of holding office and more..

Jan 2 (Island) In a pioneering move, Merchant Bank of Sri Lanka & Finance PLC (MBSL) constructed a Stock market Index: the MBSL MIDCAP Index, which measures the aggregate price level and price movements of medium size companies listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE). The index which came into operation in the Year 1999 is revised annually and looks at the Middle Range Market Capitalization, Liquidity and the Profitability of the firms to be included in MBSL MIDCAP Index. more..

Jan 2 (SLN) Rear Admiral Piyal De Silva, on being promoted to the rank of Vice Admiral, was appointed as the 23rd Commander of the SL Navy by His Excellency Maithripala Sirisena, President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces today (1). The new Commander of the Navy received the letter of appointment from the President at the President�s Official Residence yesterday. Accordingly, he is expected to assume duties more..

Jan 2 (ST) What a Year! It was So Sri Lanka. We had fun and games in our Parliament. Grabbing the Speaker�s Chair and throwing chili powdered-water has become the pastime of some of our revered politicians. And to think we voted them in. We had two PMs and one disgruntled and myopic President. And to think we voted them in. Our August assembly at Diyawanna acted truly like GOATs, and this is not an acronym, but the real thing. The idiocy of our politicians has cost the economy more..

Jan 2 (DM) The annual financial statement of the SLPP will be handed over to the Election Commission - this has never been done by any political party in SL, SLPP National Organiser Basil Rajapaksa said. He said this was the first time that a political party had done something like this. "As a party, we are keen to promote transparency. The financial statement will be distributed among members of the party which functions under the guidance and leadership of former prez more..

Jan 2 (Island) Civil society organization Yuthukama reiterated that only an early parliamentary election could restore political stability. Yuthukama convenor Gevindu Cumaratunga said that both the UNP and its ally the JVP repeatedly declared readiness to face parliamentary polls though they weren�t prepared to do so under a Rajapaksa administration. He said now that Rajapaksa had quit premiership on Dec 15, more..

Jan 2 (CT) Some people are joking when they say that they have built more houses than R. Premadasa, Minister Sajith Premadasa said. He was speaking at the handing over of houses at 145 Divineguma and 146 Hirukiranagama Ihalagama, Kekirawa. He said that people should not be fooled by such statements. Though several years ago, some people blamed saying that the houses built by R. Premadasa were like rooster cages, even Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva added more..

Jan 2 (DM) Nearly 493 accidents were reported to the Colombo National Hospital on New Year's Eve. It is a three per cent decrease when compared with 512 accidents reported last year. National Hospital Coordinator Pushpa Ramyani de Soysa said 119 road accidents were reported during the period. A similar number of road accidents were reported last year as well. The 44 domestic accidents reported this year is a 49 per cent decrease when compared with last year. more..

Jan 2 (EN) Sri Lanka is looking to resume talks with the IMF after a three year deal was suspended as the central bank failed to meet forex reserve targets and a constitutional crisis erupted. "We have indicated that we would like to commence talks," State Minister Eran Wickremeratne said. SL had said it was about to sign the next section of the deal in late October when Prez Sirisena de-stabilized economy more..

Jan 2 (AD) Sri Lanka�s television news industry was brought closer to international standards on January 01, 2019 by the country�s most trusted news provider - Ada Derana, through the unveiling of the new state-of-the-art news studio. Starting today, the new innovative Ada Derana news bulletin will be brought to you from one of South Asia�s largest news studios, which was declared open today at the TV Derana premises in a brief ceremony graced by SL cricket legend Mahela Jayawardena. more..

Jan 2 (LBO) Colombo Consumer Price Index was down to 2.8% in December 2018 from 3.3% in November 2018, data shows. �gThe YoY inflation as measured by CCPI is 2.8% in Dec 2018 and inflation calculated for Nov was 3.3%,� latest data from the Dept of Census and Statistics (DCS) said. YoY inflation of Food Group has decreased from �1% in Nov 2018 to �]1.5% in Dec 2018 and that of Non�-food Group has decrease from 5.2% in Nov to 4.8% in December during this period. more..