Australia wins Test series against Sri Lanka

Michael Hussey guides Australia to a five-wicket
win and Test series clean sweep over Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka vs Australia

Retiring champion Mike Hussey fittingly guided Australia to a five-wicket win over Sri Lanka, completing a sweep of the three-test series. Set 141 to win at the Sydney Cricket Ground, Australia reached that target for the loss of five wickets. Hussey’s 27 not out delighted the crowd in his farewell appearance but it was Mitchell Johnson who hit his only run to clinch the win.

Sri Lanka spinners Rangana Herath and Tillakaratne Dilshan made Australia work hard to reach the target but the outcome was never in genuine doubt despite wickets falling regularly. 

Sri Lanka was left to rue its lack of runs in both innings and still has not won a test in Australia in 14 attempts. 

A tally of 10,505 fans turned out for Hussey's final day heroics, taking the total for the Sydney Test to nearly 88,000.

Read More

Sri Lanka personal income tax now very low

Sri Lanka personal income tax now very low

New income tax rates

The Secretary to the Treasury Dr P B Jayasundera said, Sri Lanka's personal income tax rates are now very low and eligible persons should start paying taxes voluntarily.
Sri Lanka is becoming a service economy made up of self-employed and professionals working in legal, healthcare, education or information technology and income tax payments had to be voluntary.

Income up to 50,000 rupees a month was completely exempt and those earning up to 100,000 has to pay only 2%,P B  Jayasundera said.

politicians,doctors, lawyers and other professional were now beginning to pay income taxes voluntarily.

Under Sri Lanka's pay as you earn scheme (PAYE) a person with 100,000 rupee of income has to pay 2333 rupees a month. A person earning 150,000 rupees has to pay 7,000 rupees and a person earning 200,000 has to pay 14,000 rupees a month.

Read More

Sri Lankan and Indian websites hacked

Sri Lankan and Indian webSites hacked

Grey Hat hacker

A Bangladesh hacker group known as ‘Bangladesh Grey Hat Hackers’ has made an online claim that they had hacked 22 Sri Lankan Government sites after a Sri Lankan hacker challenged them.

The affected domains represent the sites of the Public Service Commission, the Department of Sports, the Department of Agriculture, the Ministry of Health and some private sector websites.


“Some so-called hacker from Sri-Lanka challenged us that their country’s gov sites are too secured and unbreachable. We defaced the 22 gov sites to show them and to prove them ‘No system is secured from us.’ We also urge the government of Sri-Lanka to increase the security of their sites,” the Grey Hat hackers said in a statement.

Grey Hat hacker

Grey Hat Hackers are hackers that have designed their own good reasons to hack computers and networks. They're like Robin Hoods of today's age. They can be seen as a mixture of White Hat and Black Hat Hackers. Grey Hat Hackers can perform good for some individuals which enables it to even cause damage based on their approach. One example is, Grey Hat Hackers commonly hack sites they will feel is socially bad like adult and gambling sites. Some from these breed of hackers hack systems and networks, find out the weaknesses and loop holes and report them to the particular organizations or owners. This is done exclusively for getting recognition, showing-off or some of their own motives and dreams.

Now some of the affected websites have been restored

Read More

PSC has no authority to find a Judge guilty

PSC has no authority to find a Judge guilty

Impeachment against the Chief Justice Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake

The Parliament Select Committee (PSC) has no legal authority to inquire into allegations on CJ because standing order 78(A) is not law Court of Appeal said. The Court of Appeal December 21, 2012 observed that it has the jurisdiction to hear the writ petition filed by Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake challenging the findings of the PSC and as such issued notices on the Speaker and PSC members returnable today.
President of the Court of Appeal S. Sriskandarajah, and justices Anil Gooneratne and A.W.A. Salaam heard submissions in support of the motion by Counsel for the Chief Justice, Romesh De Silva PC.

Read More

UNP PSC members will not appear in Court of Appeal today

UNP PSC members will not appear in Court of Appeal today

Impeachment against the Chief Justice Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake

Sri Lanka’s main opposition, the United National Party (UNP) members, representing the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) that probed allegations against Chief Justice, Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake last month, have decided not to appear in Court of Appeal today. The members representing the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), however, will make their representations to Court.

UNP General Secretary, Tissa Attanayake, said yesterday “We will not attend court tomorrow as it is a matter concerning parliament. Our leader will be making a special statement on this”

“This does not mean that we have changed our opposition on the impeachment ruling. We still maintain that it was an unfair trial”, Mr. Attanayake added.

The Court of Appeal issued notices to the 11 PSC members to appear in court today. 

Read More

Tamils plan to protest at SCG third Test

Tamils plan to protest at SCG third Test

Third Test Australia vs Sri Lanka

Tamil protesters and their supporters plan rally outside the Sydney Cricket Ground, calling for the Sri Lankan cricket team to be barred from world competition.

The Boycott Sri Lankan Cricket Campaign (BSLCC) expects protesters to converge at 9.30am (AEDT) on Thursday, the first day of the third Test between Australia and Sri Lanka. 
The Tamil Youth Organisation said in a statement on Wednesday the protest was to highlight the persecution of Tamils by the Sri Lankan government. 
Spokesman Kartheeban Arul said protesters want the Australian government and Cricket Australia to halt all future tours and matches involving Sri Lanka. Mr Arul said a ban should remain until the Sri Lankan government agreed to a United Nations demand for an independent inquiry into war crimes during the nation's civil war and until it stops persecuting Tamils. "We also demand that the Australian government end its inhumane and illegal treatment of Tamils who are fleeing persecution and seeking asylum in Australia," he said. The close connections between the Sri Lankan government and the cricket team justified bringing politics into sport, Mr Arul said.

Read More

Election for Central and Northwestern PCs in April 2013

Election for Central and Northwestern PCs in April 2013

Provincial Council elections

Sri Lanka will hold election for the Central and Northwestern Provincial Councils in April 2013, a local News reported today.The elections of these two Provincial Councils were held in April 2009 and their mandate is to end in April 2014. However, the government has decided to go for early elections.
Currently ruling United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) has 36 seats in Central Provincial Council while opposition United National Party (UNP) holds 22 seats. In Northwestern Provincial Council, UPFA has 37 seats, UNP 14 and Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) has one seat. The Eastern, North Central and Sabaragamuwa Provinces held elections for the respective councils in September 2012. The government has said that election for the Northern Provincial Council, which currently does not have an elected administration system, will be held by September 2013.

Read More