Nov 17 (DN) The Supreme Court has not issued a determination cancelling the President�s decree on dissolution of Parliament for an election. What it has done is temporarily halting it with an interim decision, former Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva said yesterday. Asked how Parliamentary proceedings may be carried out given such an order being issued, Silva said, �they could have sought an interim injunction from the Supreme Court, but such orders have not been issued by it.� more..

Nov 17 (CI) Keaton Jennings believes the second Test at Pallekele is set up for a bit of a thriller after a gripping fourth day was brought to an early close by rain with the match very much in the balance. By the close, SL needed another 75 runs to square the series with three wickets in hand, one of them being the unconventional and aggressive wicketkeeper, Niroshan Dickwella, who has the range of strokes required to overcome the spinning conditions and get his side across the line. more..

Nov 17 (DM) The Office of the PM yesterday said there is a 12-step standard procedure which should be followed by the parliament when constitutionally passing a No-Confidence Motion (NCM) against a prime minister. In a statement, PM's Secretary S. Amarasekara said the NCM should be first handed over to the speaker with at least 20 signatures. �The second step is Speaker consulting Parliament General Secretary more..

Nov 17 (PSL) National Dairy Farmers� Conference organized to empower the local dairy farmers was held under the patronage of President Sirisena at the Shalika Ground in Narahenpita, today (16). This kind of conference was held for the first time in the history of Sri Lanka. President symbolically handed over the dividends of Milko Dairy Farmers� Societies to the farmers and the presentation of scholarships for the children of the farmers was also held under the President�s patronage. more..

Nov 17 (AD) Former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa says that Mahinda Rajapaksa could have become PM with a two-thirds majority in Parliament if he had waited for elections in a year and a half, but questioned whether the country could wait that long. He made these comments while addressing a seminar of the Eliya (light) organisation today. He stated that some people ask whether Mahinda Rajapaksa could have taken the premiership with a 2/3rds majority if he had waited for more..

Nov 17 (DM) The US have underscored the importance of increasing shared regional interests with Japan, India and Australia to achieve an outcome to political developments in Sri Lanka which is consistent with democratic principles. The US has also emphasized advancing shared regional interests in supporting the new Maldivian Govt. These sentiments had been conveyed when senior officials from the US, Australia, India, more..

Nov 17 (LG) Namal Rajapaksa, the son of PM Mahinda Rajapaksa is in Maldives to attend the inauguration of Maldivian President-elect Ibrahim Mohamed Solih (Ibu). He arrived in Maldives last Friday. Other high-level delegates from Sri Lanka in Maldives to attend Solih�s inauguration this Saturday evening include former President Chandrika Kumaratunga and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Sarath Amunugama. Over 300 high-level delegates from 46 countries are expected to attend more..

Nov 17 (AD) Prez Sirisena has instructed the heads of state institutions not to allow the affairs of the public sector and public services to weaken at any point to coordinate those affairs formally and efficiently through proper planning and goals. President issued these instructions during a special discussion with the heads of state institutions including the Ministerial Secretaries, District Secretaries and Chief Secretaries at the Presidential Secretariat today, more..

Nov 17 (AD) PM Mahinda Rajapaksa says that forcibly or unlawfully removing him from the Premiership will not be an easy task. He stated this during an event held at the Kasagala Raja Maha Vihara in Weeraketiya, yesterday. He stated that today the Parliament is similar to a comedy hall and that he is prepared to give up the Premiership if a no-confidence motion is presented in a legal manner. more..

Nov 17 (FT) The Central Bank this week warned against the moderation in tourism earnings and workers� remittances. Earning from tourism up to the first eight months was $ 2.93 billion, up by 12.5%. However, by end October, Central Bank estimated it to be $ 3.5 billion, up by 10.7% from $ 3.16 billion in the first 10 months of last year. Tourist arrivals in October managed to grow by a disappointing 0.5% to 153,123 whilst the first 10 months figure was 1.8 million, up by 10.6%. more..

Nov 17 (DM) Speaker Karu Jayasuriya said yesterday that he would not be intimidated by any threats or obstacles placed in his way and would safeguard the democracy even by sacrificing his life. In a statement issued after yesterday�s riotous incidents inside the chamber of the Parliament where UPFA members prevented him from taking his seat, the Speaker said he earnestly requested the people of the country who loved their motherland to maintain peace in the country. more..

Nov 17 (CI) A week after coach Chandika Hathurusingha praised the progress Angelo Mathews had made on his fitness and attitude since being axed from the ODI team, Mathews has claimed that his preparation for the ongoing Tests, in which he has now hit three half-centuries in four innings, was no different than usual. Essentially, Mathews still appears to be indignant about being dropped following SL's exit at the Asia Cup. more..

Nov 18 (SO) The khaki-clad, tightly-knit squad of young policemen looked like a classical Greek military phalanx in battle formation as it slowly pushed its way into the Chamber of Parliament last Friday. Inside the phalanx, crouched Speaker of Parliament Karu Jayasuriya, caught up in probably the most bizarre escapade of his political life. Indeed, the police squad seemed to actually fulfil that aggressive role of a charging combat formation: the constables were not there to quell more..

Nov 18 (CT) Today is the 23rd day of the political impasse caused after Prez Sirisena�s sacking of his Premier Ranil Wickremesinghe and appointed former President Rajapaksa in his stead, after markets closed on 26 Oct. In its wake, in the interbank foreign exchange (FX) market, the spot rupee, the tenure of choice, has weakened by Rs 3.70-3.80 (2.14-2.20%) to close the weekend at Rs 176.60/80 to the US dollar in two-way quotes led by foreign investors exits from financial markets, more..

Nov 18 (SO) Minister of Public Administration, Home Affairs and Justice Susil Premajayantha said that the Govt�s position regarding the present political crisis, is to have an early election and get a mandate from the people. Q: How do you view Friday�s pandemonium in Parliament? A: The Govt MPs were protesting against the Speaker�s conduct because he did not listen to the ruling party members. more..

Nov 18 (Island) What SL�s leaders do to themselves and their reputations is largely their own business and is of less concern to the country as a whole. But making SL�s name mud both at home and abroad, as they have been doing in parliament for three days between Wednesday and Friday last week, is something that affects all the people. The whole country was privy to the unspeakably rowdy and violent behavior of a section of our lawmakers thanks to the live telecasts of parliamentary more..

Nov 18 (ST) My dear Karu, I thought of writing to you because you too are writing letters and issuing statements, while this paradise of ours continues to stumble from one crisis to another, thanks to Aiyo Sirisena�s foolish and hasty actions which are motivated by his desire to cling on to the top job for another five years. I know you are in a difficult situation, being the focus of all attention because Aiyo Sirisena chose first to prorogue Parliament and then to dissolve it, more..

Nov 18 (SO) Following the proclamation by the President a week ago to hold general elections dissolving Parliament as a solution to the current political instability, the National Election Commission is once again in the spotlight. Supreme Court (SC) temporarily suspended the dissolution of Parliament and holding of elections, after several political parties led by the UNF and the JVP filed petitions against the decision of the President. more..

Nov 18 (ST) The secretly plotted Great October Revolution of the President has not just backfired on him, but it has turned the country of which he is the Head of State, upside down, and inside out. In what has been a rare instance in the democratic world of a Head of State and of Govt bringing his own Govt down, the blame for the constitutional, political and countrywide pandemonium brought about by the knee-jerk reaction of Oct 26, 2018 must rest squarely at his doorstep and no one else�s. more..

Nov 18 (ST) A video doing the rounds on the Internet shows rowdy scenes in Uganda�s Parliament where members attack each other, jumping on tables and seats. With today�s fake news, one wonders whether this an accurate reflection of what may have happened. But if it was, and furthermore was shocking to see, SL�s Parliament stooped to that level on Thursday. It was a day of shame as the nation watched the events unfold in our Parliament on TV, with brawls more..

Nov 18 (SO) Ranil Wickremesinghe would not be the UNP leader for an eternity, but he is almost there. When he was asked this week about his current status in the political Order, he said, he is Number 1. It�s this mentality of entitlement that has pushed the country into the current impasse, with the majority of people being held hostage to the whims of a cabal of Colombo based politicos, and their enablers. The story is not very edifying. But let�s begin at the beginning. more..

Nov 18 (ST) At the end of day four of a fascinating Test, it would be slightly off the mark to say that the second Test at Pallekelle is tantalizingly poised. Niroshan Dickwella is still there but with his combination of risky sweeps and audacious reverse hits, it would be difficult to rely solely on him to get the required runs. He has young Akila Dananjaya, whose batting has come on in leaps and bounds and lusty batting of his skipper to help steer the team over the line. more..

Nov 18 (CT) The political crisis gripping this country continues into its fourth week with very little hope of an early resolution. It is now a stand-off with Parliament dominated by Members staunchly opposed to Mahinda Rajapaksa, who was appointed PM by President Sirisena on 26 Oct and the Executive which is not recognizing that fact. The previous week had been dominated by the news of who would hit the magic number of 113 MPs more..

Nov 18 (Island) The constitutional gridlock that gripped the country since Oct 26 showed signs of coming to an end with the President telling the UNP and their allies when they met in at the Presidential Secretariat on Thursday that they should firstly remove from the no confidence motion presented by the JVP the first clause which declared unconstitutional and illegal the dismissal of Mr. Ranil Wickremasinghe and the appointment of former President Rajapaksa as the PM because more..

Nov 18 (SO) The Sri Lankan cricketers who had their limited-over cricket status dented when England beat them prior to the Test series, saw their Test cricket aspirations hit out of the ground by England who thrashed them by 211 runs in the first of three Tests at the Galle International Stadium last Friday. In the midst of the gloom comes the news that Akila Dananjaya who bowls a cocktail of deliveries has been reported for a suspect action. His problem stems from the fact that more..

Nov 18 (Island) Some of the young players that England have brought to SL for the ongoing bilateral series have had an impact on the tour. The likes of Sam Curran, Ben Foakes, Rory Burns, Keaton Jennings and Jack Leach have come up with match-winning performances with SL playing catch up cricket. Curran and Foakes have been so good that they have managed to keep some of England�s finest players like Stuart Broad & Jonny Bairstow more..

Nov 18 (ST) Eshan Pieris has joined Absolute Racing for this year�s F3 Asian Championship certified by FIA Winter Series. The 20-year-old Colombo-native graduates from Asian Formula Renault Series, in which he completed his maiden single seater season. Pieris is Sri Lanka�s number one motor racing prospect and he is following in the footsteps of many of today�s promising young drivers by competing in the Asian top junior single-seater category. more..

Nov 18 (DM) The Frontline Socialist Party (FSP) should first put into words as to why they want to work with the JVP and should accept us as leftists, JVP MP Sunil Handunnetti said. FSP Education Secretary Pubudu Jayagoda recently said in a news briefing that they were ready to work with the JVP or any party who call themselves leftists at this juncture where the county was embroiled in a devastating showdown in terms of politics, the economy and the Constitution. more..

Nov 18 (Island) CID is expected to be called in to probe six officials of Lanka Sathosa, who had allegedly submitted forged degree certificates, mainly from top British universities, to secure senior management positions with a six-figure remuneration. They have now been interdicted by the management after the govt-owned, giant retail chain�s auditors checked with the overseas universities concerned and discovered that more..

Nov 18 (SO) It is with profound grief and regret that the Sunday Observer records the death of one of SL�s most senior journalists Sarath Malalasekera. Sarath was one of the most senior journalists who covered the Courts, predominantly the Supreme Court and also the Police. Sarath who was suffering from a bout of pneumonia, was 80 years at the time of his death. Over 50 of those 80 years were spent in the media, mostly in the Daily News with a brief stint at the now defunct Nation on Sunday. more..

Nov 18 (ST) Reeling from three weeks of political turmoil Sri Lanka�s tourism industry has witnessed cancellations though few, while heading towards the peak winter season. Added to this is a further delay in the global promotion campaign that makes one wonder if this is not So Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka had projected about 250,000 arrivals in December going by the previous years� figures for the season. But officials at Sri Lanka Tourism note that figures will drop. more..

Nov 18 (ST) Speaker Karu Jayasuriya will appoint a committee of MPs drawn from all sides to inquire into the incident in Parliament where MP Palitha Thevarapperuma was seen with what appeared to be a sharp instrument in his hand during the fracas in the House on Thursday. Parliament officials said the Speaker had called for all the video footage which showed the object in the MPs hand and would study it before referring more..

Nov 18 (CT) With the growing trend of travelling around the world, cruise tourism is becoming a fastest growing segment in the tourism industry and can make a significant contribution to a destination�s economy. As cruise lines are increasingly looking for new destinations, cruise tourism can offer opportunities to developing countries with harbour facilities and proper marketing. According to a report issued in 2012 by the Research Center for Coastal Tourism, cruise tourism is a luxurious form more..

Nov 18 (Hindu) The recent political turmoil in Sri Lanka is proving to be a hurdle for the Indian automobile industry, which has been in discussions with the govt there to rebuild the market as an attractive export destination. Sri Lanka, which was among the largest export markets for vehicle manufacturers in 2011-12, has seen demand for India made cars fall sharply, following certain policy decisions that made it impossible for Indian automakers to remain competitive. more..

Nov 18 (CT) UNP MP Lakshman Kiriella said that they have a clear majority of 113 and it is MP Mahinda Rajapaksa who took oaths as the new Prime Minister, but he is unable to show his majority even after being given three chances in Parliament. At a media briefing held at the Temple Trees, Kiriella said that if another PM is appointed, he firstly should show that he has the majority, but in Rajapaksa�s case, he failed. more..

Nov 18 (Island) The 46th Consultative Committee Meeting (CCM) of the Colombo Plan hosted by the Govt of Vietnam was concluded successfully in Hanoi. The Plenary Sessions of the meeting were held from October 30-31. Twenty two Member States representing Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Nepal, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, US and Vietnam took part in the conference. more..

Nov 18 (Island) Business Today magazine which has for two decades ranked the top companies quoted on the Colombo Stock Exchange this year made four special recognition awards to four well known businessmen at its Awards Night concluded last Monday at the Shangri La Hotel in Colombo. These awards were made to Messrs. Sohli Captain, leading industrialist who together with related parties is the biggest single shareholder of John Keells Holdings, Indra Kumar Silva (Indra Traders), more..

Nov 18 (ST) If there is one thing that business leaders and entrepreneurs detest is insecurity in the macro environment. Businesses run according to forecasts and situations about the future. However, as much as businesses take into account uncertainty, the one thing all want to avoid at all costs is the volatility in the macro environment stemming from political stalemate, extremism, and political dysfunction. more..

Nov 18 (CB) The contrast in the batting approach and abilities of the two teams was quite blatant from the very beginning, carried on through the powerplay overs - WI's 72/0 to SL's 33/2 - and went all the way to the end, by when the defending champions had an 83-run victory that confirmed their qualification for the semifinal of the Women's World T20 at home. Windies captain Stafanie Taylor's simple summary of We did come to the party today, doesn't begin to explain the absolute devastation more..