Sri Lanka’s outgoing Bank of Ceylon Bank of Ceylon chairman has stated that rates of default on state loans were almost zero in the North-East, a stark contrast to the rest of the country.

Gamini Wickramasinghe was quoted as saying,

A Russian nuclear power team will visit Sri Lanka laster this month to inspect the energy sector output on the island.

The Russian ambassador Alexander Kerchava last month offered Russia's assistance to Sri Lanka in trade, energy, economy and the social sector, reported ColomboPage.

The visiting team of nuclear scientists is to support Sri Lanka’s power and energy sector.

The governor of the Central Bank, Ajith Cabraal, said that the Sri Lankan economy would grow to $100bn by 2016 and predicted a bright future for the country.

“If Sri Lanka is successful over the next three years, the country would surely be the next “Break-out Nation” and the ‘Wonder of Asia,” Mr. Cabraal said.

Suresh Premachandran, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP, has said that international intervention is needed to reach a political solution in Sri Lanka, reports Uthayan.

In response to questions on whether the TNA would participate in the upcoming Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC), Premachandran stated that international influence would be essential to negotiating a political solution with a government that shows no intention of power-sharing.

There has been uproar and anger amongst Buddhist clergy and trade union leaders over the government's official calendar, which does not include Poya days (full moon days) as holidays for public servants and private sector employees.

The national organiser of the Bodu Bala Sena, the Ven. Vitarandeniya Nanda, said:

The decision of when to resume operations at the University of Jaffna will be taken after Thaipongal, reports Uthayan.

The university's Faculty of Arts concluded that too many 'complications' would arise, should teaching go on as normal while students were being held under anti-terrorism laws, and so a date to reopen will be decided after the festival of Thaipongal.

The Commander of the Sri Lankan Army, Lt Gen Jagath Jayasuriya, extended his New Year wishes to the armed forces.

Jayasuriya, in a speech at the army headquarters, expressed his pride in the dedication his forces had shown to development projects in the country.

The General also pledged that more training, both domestically and internationally, would be provided for the army.

The Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapakse has joined his brother in accusing foreign conspiracies for bringing the country into disrepute.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of a building, he also claimed that all Sri Lankans are now living in harmony.

“This is the country of our birth. So, the responsibility of protecting peace and harmony lies in our hands,

Sri Lanka’s Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa has offered his services to India’s army, proposing to train their armed forces in ‘counter insurgency’.

Rajapaksa made the proposal to share Sri Lanka’s expertise in the field, (dubbed “the Sri Lanka option”), when the head of the Indian Army came to visit Sri Lanka earlier this month.

Speaking to the head of the third largest active armed forces in the world, Rajapaksa said,