SRI LANKA NEWS IN BRIEF (JANUARY 2019) – Compiled by Victor Melder Foreign reserves had declined by USD 1 billion within the 51-day political crisis completely upsetting the debt management plans of the country, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said, yesterday, making a ministerial statement in Parliament. The PM said he was confident of overcoming all the challenges in the economic front and the government would present a “people-friendly budget”. Wickremesinghe remained focused on stabilising the rupee. “The rupee depreciated by 3.8 percent within the 51 days of the crisis while other currencies gained value. From October 26 to December 16, 2018, USD 312.9 million in Treasury Guarantees, USD 29.1 million in Treasury Bills and USD 29.8 million in Treasury Bonds flowed out of the country. We previously had ...
Victor Melder
VICTOR MELDER SRI LANKA LIBRARY 7, Benambra Street, Broadmeadows, Vic 3047, Australia. Telephone + 61 3 9309 4040 E-mail < melder.rjvm1935@bigpond.com > Web Site < www.vmsl-library.com > THOSE WISHING TO DONATE BOOKS & OTHER PUBLICATIONS TO THIS LIBRARY, PLEASE CONTACT ME AT ABOVE ADDRESS, BY EMAIL OR TELEPHONE. Thank You. ACQUISITIONS FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER 2018 BOOKS A Heritage of Song, Book 2 . The Musical Journeys of Musicians with Sri Lankan Roots who have performed mainly in English, compiled by Ishan Bahar, 2017 (Donated by Dallas Achilles, Clayton South) A Naturalists Guide to the Reptiles of Sri Lanka by Anslem de Silva & Kanishka Ukuwela, 2017. A Field Guide to the Bats of Sri Lanka by Wipula Bandara Yapa, 2017 (No’s 2 & 3, Donated by Roger Thiedeman, Keysborough, Vic) Kakiyan, The Story of a Crow by Elmo Jayawardena, 2018 (Donated by the Author, Moratuwa, Sri Lanka) ...
SRI LANKA CRICKET NEWS – (DECEMBER 2018) – Compiled by Victor Melder Sri Lanka’s off-spinner Akila Dananjaya has been suspended from international cricket with immediate effect after an independent assessment has found his bowling action to be illegal, the International Cricket Council (ICC) today announced. The ICC said 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 Regulations For The Review of Bowlers Reported with Suspect Illegal Bowling Actions, Dananjaya’s international suspension will also be recognised and enforced by all National Cricket Federations for domestic cricket events played in their own jurisdiction. However, according to Article 11.5 of the Regulations and with the consent of the Sri Lanka Cricket, Dananjaya may be able to bowl in domestic cricket events played under the auspices of the SLC,” it said. Dananjaya was reported with a suspect ...
SRI LANKA NEWS IN BRIEF (DECEMBER) 2018) – Compiled by Victor Melder One-year no pay leave will be granted to female public officers to obtain fertility treatment to have a baby, according to a decision taken by the Cabinet recently. The Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs has, in a circular informed all state institutions that the rules have been revised to include this benefit for women employees in the public sector. No-pay leave up to one year would be granted for female public officers to spend in or out of the island to obtain treatments for sub fertility on the recommendations of a Consultant Obstetrician & Gynaecologist. These provisions are effective from November 21, 2018. Fertility transition in Sri Lanka began in the mid-1960s and the declining trend continued over the decades. The Demographic ...
SRI LANKA NEWS IN BRIEF NOVEMBER 2018 Compiled by Victor Melder The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) recently computed the prices of residential, commercial and industrial lands, using per perch bare land prices (collected from the Government Valuation Department) and determined that the overall land price in the Colombo District has gone up by 16.3%, year-on-year. The computing of the three sub-indices has taken into consideration the diverse ways of land-use and the comparability of the quality of lands. The CBSL periodically compiles and analyses several indicators in order to monitor the developments in the real estate sector. Accordingly, the Land Price Index (LPI) (base year 1998) had been compiled annually from 1998-2008 and bi-annually from 2009-2017, covering 50 centres of five DS divisions in the Colombo District. With the increasing importance of monitoring land prices, geographical coverage of the LPI has been expanded to 82 centres covering the ...
All Saints Church, Borella: Where the carillon chimes Source: Sunday Observer, November 4, 2018 The residents around Campbell Park have grown up with a familiar tone, the glorious pealing of the bells of All Saints Church. For decades this sanctuary has spiritually empowered thousands of Catholics. One of her unique distinctions in terms of worship is that her parishioners and clergy have celebrated 3,000 novenas to Our Lady of Perpetual Help, in 2011. One can visit this church via Baseline Road or the turn off at Punchi Borella Junction. Fr. Ivan Perera, the resident priest explained the history of the church and her rewarding novena. Early beginnings A majority of churches in Sri Lanka are the fruits of spiritual labour of dedicated friars and priests. Such is the story of this church, as well. The building dates back to the latter part of the 18th ...
SRI LANKA NEWS IN BRIEF – (OCTOBER) 2018) Compiled by Victor Melder. The total number of tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka during September reached 149,087, posting a 2.8% year-on-year growth, while pushing cumulative arrivals to over 1.7 million, latest data released by the Government said.. In September the largest source market for tourists was India, followed by China and the United Kingdom. As at 30 September, 1,731,922 tourists had visited Sri Lanka for this year – an 11.6% growth over last year when 1,551,931 tourists had visited the country during the same period. Asia and Pacific continued to be the largest source of tourist traffic to Sri Lanka with 47% of the total traffic received in September 2018, while Europe accounted for 43% of the total traffic, America 6%, Middle East 3% and Africa 1%. India, China, the United Kingdom, Australia and Germany were Sri Lanka’s top five international tourist ...
SRI LANKA NEWS IN BRIEF – SEPTEMBER 2018 – Compiled by Victor Melder Wildlife officials will be armed with Russian-made Kalashnikov AK 47 assault rifles under a Rs. 42 million project to protect elephants from poachers and to save human lives in the human-elephant conflict, the Cabinet has decided. These weapons, more sophisticated than the standard issue of Chinese-made T-56 assault rifles, are to be bought on a recommendation by Sustainable Development, Wildlife and Regional Development Minister, Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka. The total number of AK 47s to be imported is 2,568. Field Marshal Fonseka’s Deputy Minister, Palitha Thevarapperuma, told the Sunday Times that the purchase of assault rifles would be connected with the human-elephant conflict, caused mainly as a result of people encroaching ...
SRI LANKA CRICKET NEWS (AUGUST 2018) – Compiled by Victor Melder The touring South Africans beat Sri Lanka by 4 wickets to win the second One-Day International, played at Rangiri International Stadium, Dambulla. Scores: Sri Lanka – 244/8 in 50 Overs (Mathews 79no, Dickwella 69, Phehlukwayo 3/45, Ngidi 3/50, Mulder 1/26, Rabada 1/48) South Africa – 24/6 in 42.5 Overs (de Kok 87, du Plessis 49, Amla 43, Duminy 32,Dananjaya 3/60, Perera 1/34, Lakmal 1/39, Rajitha 1/44) Player of the Match: Quinton de Kok (South Africa) The touring South Africans beat Sri Lanka by 70 runs to win the third One-Day International, played at Pallekelle International Stadium, Kandy. Scores: South Africa – 363/7 in 50 Overs (Hendricks 102, Duminy 92, Miller 51, ...
CLASSIFIED NOTICES – AUGUST 2018 Click on the image below to view the paper cuttings in larger font ...
