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Sri Lanka cricket’s anti-corruption unit detained five Indian spectators on suspicion of match-fixing during Sunday’s third and final women’s ODI between the hosts and India, an official said.

The five were initially asked to leave the ground at Katunayake, just north of the capital Colombo, and later detained by police for investigations, the official said.“We felt their behaviour was suspicious at the grounds and all of them were seen excessively communicating on their phones,” the Sri Lanka cricket official, who declined to be named, told AFP. “We exercised our right to remove them from the ground and the police took over the investigation.”

Authorities believe that the suspects may have had links with foreign gambling operations. Betting on sports is illegal in Sri Lanka. Police said they were questioning the suspects.Sri Lanka won Sunday’s match by three wickets, but India won the three-match tournament 2-1.

Last month, two Indians were apprehended in Sri Lanka after officials spotted them behaving suspiciously and making repeated calls on their mobile phones during a domestic T20 tournament match.

Since last month Sri Lanka Cricket has deployed more anti-corruption officials at match venues.Sri Lanka has also announced plans for tougher laws against sports corruption and a special police unit to deal with match-fixing following an Al-Jazeera documentary in May exposing corruption in global cricket in which three Sri Lankan officials were filmed agreeing to sway matches.

Sri Lanka's national airline said on Wednesday that it has stopped serving cashews after the President Maithripala Sirisena flew into a rage over nuts served to him on a flight to Colombo.

"Returning from Kathmandu, I was served some cashews on board a SriLankan flight, but it was so bad even a dog wouldn't eat it," Maithripala Sirisena said on Monday.

"I want to know who authorised the purchase of these nuts," the President told a meeting of farmers.

An airline spokesman said it has responded by clearing its stock of cashews -- only served in business class -- and would change its Dubai-based supplier.

This is not the first time that the nuts served by the airline have prompted outrage.

In 2014, a South Korean heiress famously ordered a Korean Air plane back to its gate to eject a cabin crew member after she was served nuts still in their packet.

Last month, Colombo renewed its search for an equity investor in the loss-making and heavily indebted SriLankan after the International Monetary Fund warned that the airline was dragging the country's economy down.

In May last year, attempts to privatize the national carrier collapsed after a US private equity firm withdrew its bid for a 49-percent stake.
The airline was profitable before Mahinda Rajapakse, when he was president, cancelled a management agreement with Emirates in 2008 following a personal dispute.

The carrier had refused to bump fare-paying passengers and give their seats to Rajapakse's family.

Rajapakse removed the Emirates-appointed chief executive of Sri Lankan and made his brother-in-law Nishantha Wickremasinghe the head of the company.

Wickremasinghe is now under investigation for corruption and mismanagement.

In an interesting move of the bilateral relation between India and Sri Lanka, the policymakers in New Delhi are now advocating to form the new alliance between the incumbent President of Sri Lanka Maithripala Sirisena and his predecessor former President Mahinda Rajapaksa who was in New Delhi to address an event organised by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, last week, reliable sources based in New Delhi said the Sri Lanka Guardian reported.

In an earlier attempt the New Delhi wing on Sri Lanka was mapping to support the booming young leaders in the United National Party to further shrink Rajapaksa’s political power but the recent comment by its leadership gave a negative signal.

Prime Minister Wickramasinghe, the leader of the UNP reaffirmed that he will hand over the leadership of the party to young leaders in 2030. Therefore, the Indian strategies on Sri Lanka are redesigning the next move where they have decided to take Rajapaksa into the larger picture.

However, “nothing has been finalized,” sources added. “We are passing the hour of need to re-engineer the political structure in Sri Lanka to enhance our friendship,” sources further added.

Meanwhile, “how you are going to win the heart and mine of the Tamil people if you are planning to come back to govern your respective nation, a top man who met with Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa in New Delhi asked,” a reliable source said.

Rajapaksa as a politician who never kept zipped mouth in any situation, responses quickly with detailed answers about the help he has done to the Tamil Community. But, unfortunately, the answer was not well received.

Meanwhile, there was a detailed discussion with Rajapaksa about the Chinese influence in the Island.

Imagine the next presidential poll in 2020, President Sirisena as a candidate promoting Rajapaksa as his Prime Minister, a key level political source in New Delhi nodded.

Source : Sri Lanka Guardian

A troop of naval personnel attached to SLNS Gotabhya in the Eastern Naval Command rescued a Whale Shark (Rhincodon Typus) that was stranded to Alampil beach area in Mulaithivu and supported it to swim deep waters, on Monday. 

On the information given by Mullaitivu Fisheries Inspector Mohan Kumara to the Naval Detachment in Alampil, the distressed Shark was guided about 03 nautical miles into the sea by Naval personnel attached to SLNS Gotabhya with a strenuous attempt under the directives of its Commanding Officer.

This creature is a one of the largest species belongs to the Shark family and weighs about 9000 Kg and about 9m in length. Their lifetime is around 70-100 years and included in the Red List as well.

In a special ceremony held on September 14, 2018, at Batticaloa District, High Commissioner of India Taranjit Singh Sandhu dedicated houses built under the Indian Housing Project in Batticaloa for possession by beneficiaries.
 
Government of India has committed a total of 4000 houses in the Eastern Province. This is in addition to 42000 houses built under grants by Government of India in the North and 14000 currently constructing also under grants in the Upcountry.
 
Earlier during his visit to Trincomalee, High commissioner met the Governor of Eastern Province, addressed the gathering of Eastern Province officers and took blessings at Thiru Koneswaran Temple.
 
The High Commissioner was the Chief Guest at the convocation ceremony of Eastern University, Batticaloa and addressed the gathering. He paid respects to the Gandhi statue at Batticaloa. He met the representatives of TNA from Eastern Province and had a brief discussion with a delegation from various Mosque Federations.
 
High Commissioner also visited the Trade Facilitation Center by first ever cooperative society of war affected women in the eastern province in Kallady. Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) –an Indian based community based organization, with the grant assistance of LKR 197 million from the Government of India has executed the project. The objective is to empower war affected women by building their capacities in vocations, leadership, entrepreneurial and management skills by setting up Trade Facilitation Center and Community Learning Centre in Batticaloa and Ampara, which helps them to provide skills and value chain support to provide livelihood opportunities. 
 
Under the project, SEWA has trained 40 war affected/destitute women trainees from Batticaloa District. These women were trained in various vocational subjects such as Textiles and Garments; Surface Ornamentation; Agro food processing; Computers; Enterprise Development; Solar lantern and Roof rain water harvesting. 
 
Other projects undertaken by India in the social sector include construction of surgical unit in teaching Hospital Batticaloa, Upgradation of Swami Vipulananda Aesthetic School in Batticaloa, construction of 3400 toilets in Batticaloa District, and Model village in all three districts.
 
India’s overall commitment of assistance to Sri Lanka for people-oriented development partnership projects stands at a total of around US$ 3 billion, out of which US$ 550 million is pure grant assistance.

Sri Lanka’s Central Bank on Monday refuted a report that the island nation was at risk of an impending currency crisis. 

In a report compiled by Nomura Holdings Inc. Sri Lanka, South Africa, Argentina, Pakistan, Egypt, Turkey and Ukraine were identified as countries most at risk with Sri Lanka being described as having the worst outlook “due to still-weak fiscal finances and a very fragile external position”. Senior Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, Dr. P. Nandalal Weerasinghe pointed out a serious anomaly in the Nomura report. He stated that Sri Lanka’s debt is nowhere near the US $ 160 billion figure quoted by Nomura.

Dr. Weerasinghe also pointed out that the actual figure is estimated at US $ 14.3 billion.

"Given the fact that Sri Lanka’s short term external debt is nowhere near the US$ 160 billion figure that Nomura analysts have quoted, it appears that Nomura Holdings have made a serious computational error with regard to Sri Lanka’s external vulnerability,” Dr. Weerasinghe said.
“As such an erroneous report could to trigger an unwarranted panic amongst investors, particularly in the context of current volatile global market conditions, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka has already written to Nomura Holdings, and requested them to correct this error without any delay.”

JVP MP Bimal Ratnayake has announced that the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) will field its own candidate for the upcoming presidential polls. 

The MP claimed the party is prepared to fully support the implementation of the 20th amendment to the constitution which will abolish the executive presidency. However he said failing which the party will field its own candidate at the upcoming election. 
 
He also said however the party has not made the decision as to who will be put forward as the Presidential candidate and will discuss prior to making such a decision.
 
He also confirmed the candidate will be a JVP member and will not be a common candidate as previously. 
 
(Ravaya)

Sri Lanka has introduced a procedure for re-payment of the 15% VAT to foreign tourists on their departure for the goods purchased by them during their stay in Sri Lanka. The system will be implemented with effect from Tuesday (11), the Ministry of Finance and Media said today.

Minister of Finance and Media Mangala Samaraweera will open the special counter at the departure terminal of the Katunayake Bandaranaike International Airport by tomorrow evening.

This procedure is another budget proposal of the 2018 budget that has come to fruition and will be implemented by the Department of Inland Revenue (IRD).  Businesses are required to register with the IRD under this programme for repayment of VAT to become eligible under this scheme.

18 shops that sold goods and garments have already been registered under the Department of Inland Revenue in order to be qualified under this procedure.  Any enterprise that is willing to be stakeholders of  this system can register under the Department of Inland Revenue based on their permanent VAT number.

Under the VAT refund process, foreign tourists must present the tax refund forms obtained at customs offices, along with the VAT receipts issued by participating shops and the items purchased, to customs offices, along with the VAT receipts issued by participating shops and the items purchased, to customs officers to be checked and stamped upon departure from Sri Lanka.

The objective of this programme is to attract more foreign tourists to Sri Lanka to bolster the island nation's effort of positioning itself as a vibrant trading hub of Asia, in line with the Budget Proposals of 2018.

A minor earth tremor has been felt near Trincomalee bay early this morning (15), stated Geological Survey and Mines Bureau. According to the Bureau’s Director General Dr. Chandrawimal Siriwardena, the tremor measured between 3.5 and 3.8 on the Richter Scale.

The tremor had occurred at around 12.35 am today and it has been recorded in Hakmana, Mahakanadarawa and Pallekele seismic stations as well, he said. The Director General confirms that no harm has been reported from this earth tremor.

Indian Railways will supply modern locomotives and train sets worth USD 82.64 million for the supply of 160 passenger coaches from India under concessional financing. 

Sri Lankan Railway Department signed an agreement to purchase these compartments under the Indian credit line project and they would be purchased from the RITES Company of India. 

The company had earlier exported 20 DMU train sets, three locomotives to Sri Lanka, besides providing expertise for setting up railway maintenance facilities and training of the island nation's railway officials during the period 2008-12.

(AFP) - Animal sacrifices at Hindu temples could be banned in Sri Lanka under new plans announced Wednesday, after growing protests over the rituals from the country's Buddhist majority as well as moderate Hindus.

The cabinet approved a proposal put forward by the Hindu Religious Affairs minister to outlaw the ancient practice that is still observed at several temples across the country.

"The legal draughtsman was asked to prepare a bill to ban animal and bird sacrifices at Hindu temples," the government said in a statement.
During religious festivals, some devout Hindus sacrifice goats, chickens and buffalos, expecting good fortune in return.


AFP/File | Hindus constitute about 12 percent of Sri Lanka's 21 million population, which is mainly Buddhist

But the practice has offended animal rights activists, as well as many other Sri Lankans.

Although there is currently no clear law prohibiting animal sacrifices at places of worship, Sri Lankan courts from time to time have issued temporary bans on such practices.

Hindus constitute about 12 percent of Sri Lanka's 21 million population, which is mainly Buddhist.

Muslims, the third largest religious group in the country, also conduct ritualistic animal sacrifices -- although it appears the law would apply only to Hindus.

The country has experienced waves of religious tension in recent years, with anti-Muslim riots in March leaving three people dead and hundreds of mosques, homes and businesses reduced to ashes.

Inspector General Pujith Jayasundara and the National Police Commission (NPC) has been asked to resolve their issues in two weeks time. The duo was summoned before the constitutional council after widespread reports of disagreements between them with the IGP failing to implement certain recommendations made by the NPC. 

National Police Commission (NPC) and Inspector General of Police (IGP) Pujith Jayasundara appeared before the council on Thursday. 

Among the issues between them were problems pertaining to the promotion of Kilinochchi SSP Palitha Siriwardena, promotions of 129 officers subjected to political revenge, removal of OIC Narammala from his post, investigations into educational qualifications of DIG Nalaka De Silva and the Suspension of OIC Statistics Division.

According to Police sources IGP Jayasundara has been blocking several of the recommendations on various grounds. Sources say for example the list containing 129 names of officers who claim to have been subjected to political revenge by the previous government, however, includes names of certain police officers known to have had close connections to the earlier regime, creating serious doubts regarding the vetting process utilized by the NPC to recommend promotion on the basis.