Mar 9 (CT) Sunday Leader, last week apologised to Gotabaya Rajapaksa for a series of articles written in the newspapers in 2006 on the purchase of MIG 27 aircraft for the Sri Lankan Air Force. The unqualified apology was carried in the Leader newspaper of 8.3.2015. At the outset Romesh de Silva PC with GG Arulpragasam appeared for the newspaper and Lasantha. Initially Gotabaya informed court that he would give evidence via video link from the Defence Ministry which was more..

Mar 9 (SL) WHAT might become of the Carlton International Sevens? The annual rugby extravaganza, to be sure, is included in SLRFU’s calendar of events for this year, just as it was each year since its 2010-inauguration. In a few short years, its glamour was swiftly enhanced, thanks to the largesse it received during Rajapaksa-rule, chiefly in the area of sponsorship requirements. But with the termination of Rajapaksa’s reign, the eldest Rajapaksa sibling’s apparent disinterest more..

Mar 9 (SO) I feel honoured that you have invited me today to speak about women and building inclusive societies where women have equal opportunities while commemorating International Women’s Day which falls in the next two days. We have talked of women's rights, equal opportunities for women in every sphere and I would say, in a very insisted and continued manner for nearly two centuries, we have talked of equal rights, more..

Mar 9 (CT) The proposed 19th Amendment, a draft of which is now available for discussion, will definitely be a watershed in democratic transformation in Sri Lanka and vindicates the mandate given by the people to the newly elected President Maithripala Sirisena and his UNP/SLFP/JHU coalition govt. The Amendment intends to change, among other democratic measures, the much controversial and problematic executive presidential system. more..

Mar 9 (SL) Fifty one days have passed, and 49 remain to fulfill the election promises of the 100-day reform introduced by the newly elected regime in Sri Lanka. People are questioning the delay in implementing certain key promises, and the public is concerned that this may be another unfulfilled election promise. According to a top constitutional lawyer, Dr Wickramaratne, the proposed simultaneous implementation of both constitutional and electoral reforms lacks practicality. more..

Mar 9 (CT) As the 28th Sessions of the UNHRC are currently underway and the new govt scored a victory by postponing the review of the report on Sri Lanka until September, former Minister of Human Rights, Mahinda Samarasinghe, highlighted the errors of his regime which made Sri Lanka a pariah State in the eyes of the international community. Samarasinghe said, new govt managed to do in 50 days what they could not more..

Mar 9 (ST) Two urgent Bills put to the House for approval within the span of less than a month, is a cause for concern, however progressive the legislation maybe. While there may be some justification for pushing as urgent legislation, amendments to the National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol which made it mandatory to carry pictorial warnings covering 80% of cigarette packets, as related regulations had been debated earlier, the decision to introduce more..

Mar 9 (ST) As we ready ourselves for a package of reforms in yet another stage of our profoundly unhappy history of constitution-making, particular cautions appear to be timely. Sri Lankans are generally cynical regarding matters of the Constitution. The reason for this is simple. Unlike across the Palk Straits for example where the Indian Constitution was conceived of by visionary thinkers who had the interests of their teeming multitudes at heart, at no point did Sri Lanka’s Constitution, more..

Mar 9 (CT) Minister of Justice, Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe says when JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake told him that they had no money for the election campaign in 2010, he gave Rs 2.5 million to Anura, in front of Sunil Handunnetti. Q: JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake challenged you for a debate. Is it still on? A: I accepted it. Later, MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake met the President and the PM and agreed for a settlement. more..

Mar 9 (Island) PM Ranil Wickremesinghe has stirred up a real hornets’ nest with his recent warning that the Indian fishers who illegally enter the Sri Lankan waters may be shot and the Navy should not be faulted for stern action against them. He has struck a responsive chord with those who have realistically assessed the issue of illegal fishing. With a few more days to go for PM Narendra Modi’s Sri Lanka visit, Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj, who came here the other day, more..

Mar 9 (ST) The 81st Battle of the Saints clash between traditional rivals St. Joseph’s and St. Peter’s ended in a tame draw at the P. Sara Stadium yesterday. The outcome of the match was visible at the halfway stage of the second session and later when the Josephians set an impossible target of 193 in 26 overs for the Peterites. The morning session of play saw St. Peter’s resuming on their overnight score of 215 for 7 with overnight pair Sachin Dalpethado and Taneesha Werakoon who more..

Mar 9 (CI) When pondering the most storied opponents at the 2015 World Cup, a few spring instantly to mind - India v Pakistan, Australia v South Africa, England against practically anybody. But a compelling case can be made for Australia and Sri Lanka as the two most enduring combatants at the tournament, a classical battle between a cricketing behemoth and a more recently emergent force, a clash of cultures and of cricketing styles. more..

Mar 9 (CT) The stock market is in tatters, interest rates are on the rise and there is continuing depreciating pressure on the rupee. Since the election of President Maithripala Sirisena to office two months ago on 8 January 2015, the benchmark ASPI has fallen by 4.2% to 7,183.50 points and the more sensitive S&P SL 20 Index by 1.8% to 4,109.98 points as at Friday. Shareholder wealth lost during this period has amounted to Rs 148.1 billion or by 4.6% to Rs 3.04 trillion. more..

Mar 9 (Island) There is much discussion about the size of the Cabinet. Should it be 20, 30, 40 or even more? Are there any objective criteria to decide on this issue? It is helpful to ask what is the role of a Minister. A Minister according to the British- American tradition of governance is to involve himself in policy making in the Ministry he is in charge of. The detailed supervision of the Department is the function of the Head of the Department under the general supervision of more..

Mar 9 (DN) Dialog Axiata, clinched two Global awards at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) held in Barcelona Spain. The lineup of Global Award winners and nominees featured the world’s leading mobile operators, innovators and solutions providers. The Global mobile industry is held in Barcelona annually, for MWC, with the 2015 edition attracting a record 93,000 delegates and over 2,000 exhibitors. more..

Mar 9 (CT) The reduction of the duties in imported canned fish has threatened the local fishing industry, a frontline local manufacturer charged. Sri Lanka is a country which is surrounded by the sea and now the country is surrounded by imported canned fish from China. The fish canning industry in particular is threatened by the new duty reduction of Rs. 50.00 per kilo on canned fish imports. This leaves the both local fisherman and the canners in a bind as some canning factories have more..

Mar 9 (DN) Traditional rivals Ananda College and Nalanda College shared honours as they played out a draw in their 86th annual inter-school big match concluded at Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) grounds in Maitland Place yesterday. Nalandians resuming their overnight innings of 112 for 3 scored 239 runs in 84.2 overs with right hand batsman Kavindu Bandara scoring a half century. His knock which came in 78 deliveries was studded with eight hits to the ropes. more..

Mar 9 (FT) Sri Lanka’s bilateral trade with European Union smashed the crucial $5 b barrier for the first time in trade history last year and a visiting top EU Trade personality vowed no less than his personal engagement to solve teething issues in bilateral trade. To reclaim its EU fishery exports, Sri Lanka has also commenced dispatching monthly progress reports to EU in earnest. “With the new Govt of President Maithripala Sirisena, more..

Mar 9 (CT) In the backdrop of the Sri Lanka Tourism - Tea Board tie up last week, at a historic meeting after many years of working in isolation Sri Lanka Tourism and Sri Lanka airlines agreed for a mutually beneficial joint marketing programme at a meeting at ITB in Berlin. Together, the global promotional budget will exceed a 5 billion rupees which will give a strong push to the agenda of both state entities and a big win for brand Sri Lanka given that research reveal that connectivity is a key more..

Mar 9 (FT) The National Chamber of Exporters of Sri Lanka (NCE), the only private sector chamber which exclusively serves exporters, visited Tokyo from 23 to 28 Feb with a business delegation. The delegates comprised various products sectors and the delegation was led by President Sarada De Silva and Secretary General Shiham Marikar. The following companies comprised the delegation: Blue Diamond Jewellery, Faga Tyres, LAUGFS, PRIPA Organic, Uniceyl and Khalhari Enterprise. more..

Mar 9 (CI) There was the opening revolution in 1996. A wrist-spinning offbreak bowler who claimed more wickets than anyone else - in ODIs as well as Tests. Even in this current squad, Sri Lanka have a man whose action is singularly fit for delivering yorkers. The modern progenitor of the carrom ball is also among them. It is a team that has a proud history of innovation. Of outwitting opponents when they can't outplay them. more..

Mar 9 (Island) A world class Chinese company expressed confidence that they would be one of the top competitors, if not the best, to win a bid to provide LED lights to Sri Lanka’s street lamps. The products, compared with ordinary sodium light, could save between 60 and 80% of the electricity cost. Shanghai Hanjing Optoelectric Technology spokesman, Bill Hu disclosed this when his Board- Board of Directors of Shanghai Hanjing - joined hands last week with Hanjing Green Lanka to more..

Mar 9 (FT) Dileepa Wijesundera will assume duties as the new Group CEO of Sri Lanka Telecom today. He replaces Lalith De Silva who has resigned effective 13 March. De Silva joined SLT as Group CEO in 2013, making him the first local to hold that position following the company’s privatisation in 1996. Dileepa has a proven track record of turning corporate ventures into profitable and well established organisations, stemming from his experience across the continents. more..

Mar 9 (DM) Against the backdrop of the controversial bond issue, deputy Economic Affairs and Policy Planning Minister, Harsha de Silva said frauds in the stock exchange and the bond market seemed to be continuing. He said he had spoken out against such manipulations and violations during the previous regime, but it had ignored his complaints. Dr. de Silva said his ministry would investigate the bond issue. more..

Mar 9 (CT) All Ceylon Medical Officers' Association (ACMOA) stated they were mooting long and short term plans to prevent medical officers from migrating. Secretary General of the ACMOA, Dr. Jayantha Bandara said that this plan will be presented to the govt in the near future and will address the problems faced by doctors. According to Dr.Bandara, doctors of this country cannot maintain professional status and they were compelled to do more jobs to earn. more..

Mar 9 (DN) Nutrition packs each worth Rs. 2,000 will be granted to pregnant mothers for a period of 10 months as per the Budgetary proposal to provide a nutrition allowance of Rs. 20,000 for pregnant mothers, Child Affairs State Minister Rosy Senanayake said. Addressing a press conference yesterday, minister said it has been decided to provide the monthly allocation as a nutritional package determined by nutritional experts and obstetrics and gynecology consultants. more..

Mar 9 (DM) Permission from the Swiss and Saudi govts to check secret bank accounts of those who had deposited money swindled from development projects would be requested by the relevant authorities, UNP MP Sujeewa Senasinghe said in a rally in Moratuwa. He alleged that what he called fraudulent projects, including the Mattala Airport, Hambantota Habour, and Norochcholai Power Plant were launched more..

Mar 9 (ST) Sri Lanka’s Treasury has been directed to prepare necessary guidelines to grant 2015 interim budgetary concessions given to elderly citizens, low and middle income earners by next month, Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake said. Treasury and Central Bank are working closely to clarify some of the issues that have arisen in the waiver of interest for gold pawned for less than Rs. 200,000, 8% interest above the lending rates for credit cards, 50% waver of bus fares more..

Mar 9 (DN) Govt is doing its best to save the lives of the three Sri Lankans who are on death row in Saudi Arabia, Minister Thalatha Atukorale said. She said her ministry along with the Foreign Ministry is looking into the possibility of changing the death sentence to life imprisonment. “We have requested the Saudi govt to get the three men serve the life imprisonment sentence in a Sri Lanka prison,” Atukorale added. “I have informed the President and the Prime Minister in this regard,” she said. more..

Mar 9 (Island) Police Headquarters transferred 23 senior officers with immediate effect. Among them are four DIGs, 18 SSPs and a SP. Accordingly, DIG P. D.A.K. Senaratne has been transferred from Acting DIG Western Province (South) to DIG Traffic Division, DIG H. D. K. S. Jayasekera from DIG Trincomalee to DIG Western Province (South), DIG V. Indran from DIG Welfare Division to DIG Trincomalee and more..

Mar 9 (ENS) Former Union Minster V Narayanasamy has urged PM Narendra Modi to cancel his proposed visit to Sri Lanka and condemned Lankan PM Ranil Wickremesinghe’s statement that the Indian fishermen trespassing into Lankan waters should be shot down. In a statement, he took strong exception to Wickremesinghe’s comments and said that just because the Modi govt sought to reap a good relationship with the neighbouring countries, tiny island nation more..

Mar 9 (Island) Talks Govt Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) had held with Finance Secretary, Public Administration Ministry Secretary, Pay Commission Secretary Bandu Wijeratne, Govt Nursing Officers’ Association (GNOA) President Saman Ratnapriya and Public Service United Nurses Union (PSUNU) President Ven. Muruttetuwe Ananda Thera were fruitful and all stakeholders were of the view that the Disturbance, Availability & Transport Allowance (DAT) should be given more..

Mar 9 (TOI) PM Narendra Modi's upcoming visit to SL, first by an Indian PM in nearly 30 years and the first ever to Jaffna, has raised huge expectations among Tamils there. There is hope that something substantial will happen in de-escalating military presence in Tamil areas, returning land under military control and rehabilitation, and devolution of powers to northern areas. But Modi has so far played his cards more..

Mar 9 (GDI) President Maithripala Sirisena, as Chair-in-Office of the Commonwealth, will attend the Commonwealth Day celebrations in London today. Sri Lanka is head of the Commonwealth following the CHOGM hosted by Sri Lanka in Nov 2013. President Sirisena will take a new message of democracy and stronger Commonwealth relations following his election in the Presidential poll of Jan 8. He will convey the upsurge of Commonwealth values in Sri Lanka, with the new govt more..

Mar 9 (Hindu) Political parties across the spectrum have urged the Central and Puducherry govts to take steps to get the fishermen of Karaikal and Nagapattinam districts, who were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy, released at the earliest. A. Bhaskaran, president, Karaikal District Congress Committee, said the govt should convene bilateral talks between Indian fishermen and their counterparts in Sri Lanka to find amicable solution to various issues affecting the fishermen. more..

Mar 9 (Island) President Maithripala Sirisena and the govt are seeking British support for the post-war national reconciliation process to woo influential Tamil groups based in UK. President Maitripala Sirisena and FM Mangala Samaraweera are in UK for talks with British PM David Cameron to explore ways and means of securing the support of the Diaspora groups. Meeting will take place at No 10, Downing Street tomorrow more..

Mar 9 (DM) Errant and corrupt politicians who surrounded Mahinda Rajapaksa was the immediate reason for his election loss. Unlike other instances, it was not Rajapaksa as the President, who became unpopular among the people, but his govt. In J.R. Jayewardene’s case, it was Jayewardene people detested. It was the same with Premadasa and CBK. But the number of people who still visit the Carlton House to meet and greet Rajapaksa shows this was not the case for him. more..

Mar 9 (DM) Wimal Weerawansa has warned that we are now losing our hard-earned freedom. In a public rally held in Kandy on Friday to campaign for the prime-ministerial candidacy of Mahinda Rajapaksa, the Rajapaksa confidante asked people to get behind the ex-president to win their freedom back. I have been wondering as to what freedom Mr. Weerawansa has been talking about. Finally, I managed to jot down some of those potential freedoms he could have meant. more..

Mar 9 (DM) State Minister for Defence Ruwan Wijewardene asserted that his wings have not been clipped as some media reports had suggested and said that his political future would be decided by the people. Q: To start off with there has been an issue about the subjects that come under your purview, can you give us some clarity in to it? A: There have been a lot of stories that have been going around to the effect that my more..

Mar 9 (SL) We celebrate the International Women’s Day today (8). However the question which the Sri Lankan women’s movement has been asking for many years is whether women are excluded from the Sri Lankan politics, among other issues. Sri Lanka has a female population of about 52%, yet their overall representation in politics is barely visible. Only 5.8% of women representation in SL parliament, more..