Feb 28 (ENS) Taking a tough stand on video piracy, actor and producer Sarath Kumar said that most of the ripping and uploading of Tamil movies to the Internet was being done in Europe by Lankan Tamils. In a very direct insinuation, the chief of the South Indian Film Artistes Association said, “We have stood up and fought for the rights of Sri Lankan Tamils, but they are now ripping our movies and putting them online. Most of the copying of our Tamil films is done in Europe, in countries like more..

Feb 28 (Xinhua) A Maldivian opposition party delegation arrived in Sri Lanka and held discussions with PM Ranil Wickremesinghe on the present political crisis in the Maldives. Former Speaker of Parliament and a member of the opposition MDP Abdullah Shahid said that the delegation also held talks with the diplomatic community on Thursday and urged them to help secure the release of opposition leader more..

Feb 28 (ICC) After a slow start against New Zealand in this ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, I am starting to like what I am seeing from Sri Lanka. True, since that heavy loss to the co-hosts on the opening day of the tournament Sri Lanka have played two of the less-fancied sides in their pool in Afghanistan and Bangladesh. And in the Afghanistan match it took an excellent partnership between Mahela Jayawardena and Angelo Mathews to haul the team out of trouble. But a win is a win whether it is by 10 wickets more..

Feb 28 (ES) A mother-of-two who died in a hit and run crash fled Sri Lanka’s civil war eight years ago and had only recently been reunited with her husband and daughter in London. Subahari Sothilingam, 44, was struck by a silver C-class Mercedes outside her home in Hendon on her way to work at 6am yesterday. She suffered multiple head injuries and died in hospital shortly afterwards. Mrs Sothilingam, a caterer, moved to London in 2006 at the height of the Govt clampdown more..

Feb 28 (CT) Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) has filed legal action against Former Chairman of the Lanka Electricity Company (LECO) Champani Padmasekera and General Manager Susantha Perera, as well as another two officials, under Clause 70 of the Bribery Act, at the Supreme Court. CIABOC has filed a Court case based on a complaint made by trade unions of LECO more..

Feb 28 (eTN) With the view of developing new product segment for UK travelers, Sri Lanka Tourism took a strategic decision in partnership with the industry to showcase Sri Lanka as a premium travel destination in the UK’s original and largest wedding event, The National Wedding Show, in London last week. By exhibiting images of "one island and a thousand treasures,” Sri Lanka Tourism offered UK couples and their families a unique insight into the country on wedding and honeymoon insights more..

Feb 28 (CG) US Secretary of State John Kerry has noted the progress in Sri Lanka after the new Government took office. Kerry was speaking before the Foreign Affairs Committee of the US House of Representatives in Congress. “I see more democracy in places where it was non-existent or troubled – big changes in Sri Lanka and other countries. We can run the list. But I hope you will sense that it is not all doom and gloom that we are looking at. Tough issues? Yes. more..

Feb 28 (ENS) Chief Minister O Panneerselvam sought urgent intervention of PM Narendra Modi to ensure the early release of fishermen from TN and their boats held by Lankan Navy on Feb 26. “It is unfortunate that this incident has taken place even after the change of regime in Sri Lanka. The festive mood on the eve of St. Antony’s Festival in Katchatheevu has been completely vitiated by actions of SL Navy,” more..

Feb 28 (DN) President Maithripala Sirisena will visit the northern and eastern areas starting on March 3, his first visit to the former war battered provinces since assuming office on January 9. President Sirisena will chair a meeting at the Jaffna District Secretariat on March 3 attended by government officials, politicians and other stakeholders involved in various development activities in the area, according to Cabinet Spokesman Dr. Rajitha Senaratne. more..

Feb 28 (CM) Sri Lanka’s newly elected President Maithripala Sirisena is scheduled to visit London on March 7. He is expected to attend the Commonwealth Day celebrations on March 9 as the Chair of the Commonwealth. Justice Minister Wijedasa Rajapakse, in an interview with the BBC Sinhala Service has confirmed the visit of President Sirisena to London on the invitation of the Queen. “The President is arriving in London on March 7 on the invitation of the Queen. more..

Feb 28 (CT) EPDP Leader Douglas Devananda, has slammed the TNA saying the political outfit was misleading the people in the North and East by adopting a double standard. He said the genocide resolution passed by the TNA at the NPC and the Alliance's latest political activities have clearly indicated that it was misleading the people in the North and East. "Right through the TNA was misleading the people in the North & East by more..

Feb 28 (DM) Priceless elephants and especially the majestic tuskers have been part of SL’s culture, traditions and civilisation for thousands of years. After the silent rainbow revolution of the people on Jan 8, shocking revelations are being made not about Hora Ali or rogue elephants but about Ali Horu or those involved in the mega corruption regime where elephants also were robbed and given to VIPs who indulged in some strange pasttime or distorted perception of status symbol. more..

Feb 28 (DM) PM Ranil Wickremesinghe’s last week comments on the conduct of several Sinhala print media have generated a wider public debate mainly in the social media. Premier Wickremesinghe alarmed several sections of the Sinhala print media not to add fuel to racism in a bid to topple or challenge his regime of cohabitation. The way he expressed his sentiments could be seen as a direct threat to the free press while some would find logic behind his arguments. more..

Feb 28 (SL) Earlier this week, the UNHRC agreed to Prince Zeid’s request to defer consideration of his office’s investigation into the end of the conflict in Sri Lanka to the summer. UK was a main sponsor of the resolution setting up the investigation and we remain committed to it. Those who provided information to the investigation – and especially those who did so in the face of intimidation – may find the delay difficult to accept. more..

Feb 28 (Island) The navy apprehended 86 Indian fishermen along with ten fishing craft east of Mullaitivu on Thursday night––the first action since President Sirisena’s first official visit to India. Navy spokesman said that a cluster of Indian boats had been detected about seven nautical miles off the Mullaitivu coat. The arrested persons had been handed over to fisheries authorities at Kankesanthurai & Trincomalee. more..

Feb 28 (DBS) TNA Leader R Sampanthan MP and TNA National MP MA Sumanthiran won many hearts and minds by participating in the official Independence day ceremony on Feb 4th. The diplomatic community in Colombo hailed it as a commendable symbolic gesture towards ethnic reconciliation in a land torn asunder by decades of communal strife and bloodshed. The small step taken by Sampanthan and Sumanthiran was more..

Feb 28 (DM) Public Order Minister John Amaratunga said a probe will be launched into the manner in which diplomatic passports had been issued during the previous regime to non-diplomats. He said that he would obtain the list of individuals to whom diplomatic passports had been issued during the previous regime and check them against the regulations in circulars detailing the eligibility for a ‘light red passport’. more..

Feb 28 (CT) JHU said if anyone has a problem about the appointment of Ranil Wickremesinghe to the office of PM, they can bring a no-confidence motion against him. National Organizer of the JHU, Nishantha Sri Warnasinghe, said PM Wickremesinghe was appointed to the post by President Maithripala Sirisena in accordance with the agreement he had with the UNP and if that appointment has created any issues, more..

Feb 28 (ST) The large white building is like any other along Thimbirigasyaya Road, Colombo 5. But at No. 473, a small team along with sophisticated equipment on its mezzanine floor is set to take gene technology in Sri Lanka to a different level. It is at Credence Genomics that the very first case of Li Fraumeni Syndrome was detected in a 21-year-old three months ago, Sunday Times learns, during a visit to its laboratory more..

Feb 28 (Reuters) The toe-crusher is hitting the target, the bouncer is coming out well and, most importantly, the wicket column is swelling again. Three games into the World Cup and Sri Lanka's calculated gamble on Lasith Malinga appears to be paying off. Sanath Jayasuria knew exactly what he and his colleagues on the selection committee were doing when they picked the paceman with bleached, straw-coloured hair more..

Feb 28 (Island) JHU-led National Council for a Clean Tomorrow is planning to launch a new campaign to ensure that Maithripala-Ranil administration achieved its much publicised objectives in constitutional reforms, good governance and accountability. JHU is represented by Minister Champika Ranawaka in the decision making National Executive Council (NEC). Leader of the movement Ahureliye Rathana Thera, more..

Feb 28 (DM) Controversial leftist party activist Kumar Gunaratnam, who went underground defying immigration laws is learnt to have allegedly stolen the identity of another man who already lives in Australia by the name Noel Mudalige. Frontline Socialist Party (FSP) Central Committee Member Gunaratnam who took an alias to return to Sri Lanka early in 2011 arrived in the country as an Australian citizen. more..

Feb 28 (Island) Former Minister Dinesh Gunawardena has challenged PM Ranil Wickremesinghe to probe those whom he named in Parliament as being responsible for the assassination of journalist Lasantha Wickrematunge few years ago. Wickrematunge was fatally attacked by unidentified armed men in broad day light at Attidiya on Jan 8, 2009 and he succumbed to his injures at the Kalubowila Hospital a few hours later. more..

Feb 28 (CT) Minister Rajitha Senaratne telling the press that he’s unaware of the plight of slum dwellers whose shanties in Colombo were demolished by the authorities earlier in the week is appalling. This is in relation to the clearing of the Nawa Niwasa housing scheme at the Henamulla area of Madampitiya, Colombo, also called the Modara/Mutwal Somaliyawatte, as reported by this newspaper. For a Cabinet spokesman to say that he was unaware of the plight of hapless slum more..

Feb 28 (CT) Concerns have been raised as to whether the Northern province Chief Minister CV Wigneswaran has violated a treasury circular in forwarding funds allocated for several projects for 2014 to be continued until March 2015. This week the Opposition leader of the Council, S. Thavarajah had pointed out that the financial statements of the Northern Provincial Council as at December 31, 2014 published in the Council website contains distorted accounts. more..

Feb 28 (CT) In giving necessary context to Sri Lanka’s draft Right to Information (RTI) law disseminated by the current Govt in order to obtain feedback from citizens, a few matters need to be clarified. In substantial respects, this draft is the 2003/2004 Bill of the UNF administration. This is quite evident by the insertion of the Legislative Draftsman’s Department, LDO Number 23/2003 on the left hand side of the Bill. The 2003/2004 Bill was finalized by a committee headed by more..

Feb 28 (CT) The sensibility of the resolution passed by the NPC requesting “the ongoing UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights Investigation on Sri Lanka to investigate the claim of genocide and recommend appropriate investigations and prosecutions by the International Criminal Court” has come to a major focus as it is done barely a month after the presidential elections when the TNA and the NPC opted to support Maithripala Sirisen’s candidacy for the Presidency. more..

Feb 28 (Island) Justice and Labour Relations Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, PC, has said in London that the government hasn’t decided to launch a fresh investigation into accountability issues during eelam war IV. Minister Rajapakshe was responding to a query in an interview with BBC. Minister was taking part in a programme on events connected with 800th anniversary of the signing of Magna Carta. more..

Feb 28 (DM) The outer perimeter wall of Temple Trees that was embedded with potted tropical bushes as part of the beautification operations conducted by the previous regime during the CHOGM 2013 was removed due to high maintenance cost. PM's Media Secretary Saman Athaudahetti said the foliage will be sent to the Gampaha Botanical Garden. He said millions of money is required monthly for its maintenance and since it is neither beneficial to the people nor more..

Feb 28 (Island) Leader of the JVP Anura Kumara Dissanayake said recently in Kandy that the dissolution of parliament on April 23, as announced earlier by the Prime Minister was a must. MP Dissanayake, addressing a meeting held in Kandy, said the formation of a national govt by the UNP and the SLFP should not be used as a reason for postponing the general election in violation of the promise made earlier that the parliament would be dissolved on April 23. more..

Feb 28 (CI) Is Lasith Malinga hero or pariah? Where does Sri Lanka stand on that as a nation? Because through the course of the World Cup it has become clear that in opposition dressing rooms, in foreign stadiums, cafes, and bars, there is rarely much dispute: he is admired - even celebrated. Now, as Sri Lanka move into a more intense phase of their campaign, which increasingly appears as if it will be defined by Malinga's more..

Feb 28 (CT) Ministry of Disaster Management has ordered Jaffna District Secretary, Sundaram Arumainayagam, to prepare a map of the affected areas of water contamination in Jaffna, in order to declare the area as a 'disaster zone' through a gazette notification, to avoid further pollution and prevent the oil leak from spreading to the other areas in the peninsula. Minister of Disaster Management, John Amaratunga, said the Jaffna District Secretary was instructed to identify more..

Feb 28 (CI) This was the match the 2015 World Cup was crying out for, a competitive contest between two major sides, and the co-hosts played out a thriller in front of a packed and partisan Auckland crowd. The game had everything: perfect weather, a full house, a flurry of early boundaries followed by eye-popping collapses, sensational swing bowling, clever spin bowling, and perhaps the calmest batsman in the world hitting one of the fastest bowlers in the world for a straight six to more..

Feb 28 (CG) The TNA had talks today with UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman, on several issues, including on the proposed domestic investigation on the war in Sri Lanka. TNA MP Suresh Premachandran said that the TNA informed the top UN official that they had no faith in a domestic probe. Feltman however had told the TNA that the Govt had given an assurance the domestic probe will meet more..

Feb 28 (AFP) Sri Lanka coach Marvan Atapattu has insisted his side won't underestimate a faltering England when the teams meet in the World Cup in Wellington on Sunday. England have yet to beat a Test nation at the tournament so far, having been thrashed by co-hosts Australia (111 runs) and New Zealand (eight wickets) before seeing off Scotland last time out. Sri Lanka, the 1996 champions, were also beaten by New Zealand before defeating Afghanistan and Bangladesh to more..

Feb 28 (CI) 6: Matches England have won against Sri Lanka in the World Cup - the most they have won against any team. However, they have lost their previous two World Cup matches against Sri Lanka. Their win-loss ratio of 2.0 against Sri Lanka is their second best in the World Cup against Test teams after against West Indies, whom they have beaten in five games out of six. 7-3: Sri Lanka's win-loss record against England in the last-ten ODIs between the two teams. more..

Feb 28 (CI) If social media is to be believed, England's players have been enjoying themselves in Wellington. Several have been spotted in bars and restaurants. Others have been snapped on the waterfront. Perhaps they're hoping to feel comfortable in the city in which they suffered the massacre at NZ's hands, eight days ago. Maybe they're hoping to keep minds fresh and loose, still hoping to mount a World Cup surge. more..

Feb 28 (CI) By winning the toss and choosing to bat first, UAE put to rest all the speculation there might have been around what kind of monstrous total India might post, but they collected undesired milestones nonetheless. Playing for the first time on what is reputed to be the fastest pitch in the world, UAE struggled against the extra bounce available to the quicks and spinners alike. R Ashwin registered his best figures in an ODI, and UAE stumbled to their lowest total in ODIs and lowest against India more..

Feb 28 (CG) The Govt said it was deeply saddened by the loss of over 187 lives, injury to over 129 people and damage to property resulting from the deadly avalanches that occurred in the Panjshir, Nuristan, Badakhshan Provinces in Afghanistan. A statement by the Foreign Ministry said that Sri Lanka has extended its deepest condolences to the families of those bereaved and wished the injured a speedy recovery. Sri Lanka also expressed confidence that those affected would rebuild more..