Mar 14 (CT) Minister of Foreign Employment Promotion and Welfare, Thalatha Atukorala said that she is disappointed with the current status of the foreign employment sector due to its corrupt activities. Attending a media briefing, she said that a large number of people mostly women leave the country due to the country's fragile economic status. She said that the government will fulfil the given promises of the 100-day programme before the deadline is exceeded. more..

Mar 14 (CT) Three Indian Air Force helicopters have arrived in the country for Indian PM Narendra Modi's travels out of Colombo. PM Modi will travel to Thalaimannar, Jaffna and Anuradhapura in an Indian Air Force chopper. He will leave for Jaffna after inaugurating the train service between Medawachchiya and Mannar today. Modi will land in Jaffna at the Jaffna Municipal Grounds, situated in the close proximity to more..

Mar 14 (CT) Police personnel are not happy with the sudden transfer and recall, of senior officers that has been taking place in department. Within 24 hours of being transferred, the officers have been recalled and sent back to their earlier areas. This procedure has irked police personnel. A high ranking officer at Police Headquarters said the transfers from police officer to high ranking DIG of Police are being carried out by the Secretary to the Ministry of Law and Order. more..

Mar 14 (Island) President Maithripala Sirisena will meet all constituent parties of the UPFA this evening to discuss constitutional reforms and arrangements for the forthcoming general election. Opposition Leader Nimal Siripala de Silva said that the draft constitutional reforms proposed by the SLFP would be presented to the UPFA at today’s meeting schedule to start at 4.30pm at the party head office. Silva said that the SLFP’s constitutional reforms committee headed by him had already more..

Mar 14 (Hindu) PM Narendra Modi has asked Sri Lanka’s Tamils to be patient with the new govt in Colombo. He met senior leaders of the TNA — the main party representing northern Tamils — in Colombo on Friday. Pointing to the beginning of change in the country following the victory of President Sirisena in the elections, Mr. Modi reportedly said TNA should help that change take place, and not derail the process. more..

Mar 14 (DN) An incumbent Chief Minister of a Provincial Council cannot be removed by the Governor or affidavits and replaced by another as stated in section 154E4 of the Constitution, said Central Province Chief Minister Sarath Ekanayake referring to the affidavit submitted by 32 Provincial Council members requesting his replacement. Ekanayake said if he was involved in any irregularity or there were any allegations against him, the correct thing for councillors to more..

Mar 14 (CT) The JHU charges that the lawyers appointed to the three-member Committee by the Prime Minister, to inquire into the alleged financial fraud in issuing Treasury Bonds, lack knowledge of financial laws and banking and that it will not be possible to expect an impartial investigation from them. National Organizer of the JHU Nishantha Sri Warnasinghe, emphasized that PM Ranil Wickremesinghe should take the total responsibility regarding the financial fraud, which more..

Mar 14 (DM) Financial misappropriations that had allegedly been committed during the purchase of four MiG airplanes from Ukraine in 2006, is being probed by Police Financial Fraud Investigation Division. A complaint had been lodged, which alleged that a financial misappropriation worth over 14.5 million USD had been committed through this deal. “Therefore, those involved in this deal will be probed,” Police said. more..

Mar 14 (CT) A person named Ali Roshan, who was the main suspect in a racket involving the capture of elephant calves, while they were suckling and selling them for hundreds of thousands of rupees, was taken into custody by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) at Maharagama. CID investigations have revealed that, certain details have been erased and false information has been entered into the Wildlife Department registration list of tame elephants. more..

Mar 14 (DM) JVP Leader and National Executive Council (NEC) member Anura Kumara Dissanayake today said the Council had not taken any decision ‘in his presence’ to arrest former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa. He said he arrived at the Council meeting held on Wednesday late but assured there was no decision taken on the arrest of Mr. Rajapaksa. “Though I was late, I was briefed by others who were already there on the discussions which were held. more..

Mar 14 (AFP) Narendra Modi will travel to Jaffna on Saturday, becoming the first Indian PM to visit SL's Tamil heartland, a day after urging greater autonomy for the island's biggest minority after a decades-long ethnic war. Modi, who is only the second foreign leader to visit the battle-scarred region, will launch construction of a cultural centre and hand over houses to 50,000 families that lost their homes in the decades of fighting. more..

Mar 14 (DM) As President Maithripala Sirisena presided at a guard-of-honour for the visiting Indian PM Narendra Modi at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday, a symbolically important spectacle was the temporarily abandoned multimillion dollar Colombo Port City project. Chinese govt and the new SL govt are embroiled in a controversy over this huge project with many independent analysts saying the biggest issue is a priceless one – the environmental impact assessment. more..

Mar 14 (DM) During the Great Game of the 19th century when Britain and Russia tried to outdo each other in wooing Afghanistan, a political cartoon published in Punch, or the London Charivari on November 30, 1878 showed Afghanistan’s Emir Sher Ali Khan between a lion representing Britain and a bear representing Russia. The caption below the sketch read: Save me from my friends. The cartoon can be Lankanised depicting President Maithripala Sirisena standing between more..

Mar 14 (DBS) The phenomenon of Traitorization in Tamil Nationalist Politics has raised its ugly head again. I use the word traitorization instead of treachery or treason in order to differentiate between those who are actually treacherous or really committing treason as opposed to those being accused or labelled as traitorous or traitors. The reality is that most persons dubbed as traitors or thurogigal by their political more..

Mar 14 (ST) Schoolchildren and undergraduates will receive awareness in medicines and its safe usage, under the new National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) Act passed in Parliament on Friday. Chairman of the Committee that drafted the Act, Dr Palitha Abeykoon told Education Times, this Act is the first in the Health sector to focus on public awareness on safe use of medicines. more..

Mar 14 (SL) The Secretary to the Commission, H.W. Gunadasa said that the protest was staged on baseless facts. However he added that the commission summoned a few representatives of the protesters and discussed the matters with them. He dismissed the claims of the protesters who questioned the effectiveness and credibility of the process followed by the commission. more..

Mar 14 (CT) The People's Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) Thursday launched their 12 March Declaration consisting of criteria for political parties when choosing to nominate a candidate to public office at the BMICH. PM Ranil Wickremesinghe signed the declaration on behalf of the UNP while Leader of the Opposition, Nimal Siripala de Silva and Susil Premajayantha endorsed it on behalf of SLFP & UPFA respectively. more..

Mar 14 (Island) Opposition Leader Nimal Siripala de Silva yesterday said that Narendra Modi had obtained an absolute majority in Loka Sabha, which was only a distant dream for the previous govts of India, as a result of his dynamism, dedication and determination. As a result the stability so created has influenced not only India but the region as a whole, De Silva said. The following is the text of the Opposition Leader’s statement: more..

Mar 14 (Island) PM Modi’s historic visit to Sri Lanka could induce a speedy resolution of the humanitarian and political concerns of the Tamil people, the UK headquarters Global Tamil Forum (GTF) said. GTF statement issued by spokesman Suren Surendiran: "PM Narendra Modi’s visit to Sri Lanka, the first bilateral visit by an Indian Prime Minister in over 25 years, is undoubtedly an event of enormous significance. more..

Mar 14 (PTI) PM Narendra Modi on Saturday paid a visit to Sri Lanka’s ancient capital Anuradhapura and offered prayers at the sacred Mahabodhi tree in a move aimed at projecting India’s Buddhist links in the region. Accompanied by Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena, Mr. Modi, attired in a spotless white kurta-pyjama, spent about 30 minutes at the Mahabodhi tree temple in Lanka’s north central holy town and perform rituals. more..

Mar 14 (Island) Proposals and methodology were spelt out yesterday when the Cabinet took up the issue of granting Dual Citizenship. The Cabinet approved the proposal tabled by Minister John Amaratunga. Under the latest guidelines, those with educational or professional qualifications will get preference. Those who own properties here to the tune of Rs. 2.5 million or more or Rs. 2.5 million deposited more..

Mar 14 (DM) Sri Lanka is envisaging a new governing system based on cooperation of all political parties, PM Ranil Wickremesinghe told visiting Indian PM Narendra Modi yesterday. PM Wickremesinghe told the Indian Premier who addressed the Parliament that our country was looking for something more than Westminster System of Governance. “We are looking towards adopting a cooperative style of governance more..

Mar 14 (PTI) PM Narendra Modi on Saturday flagged off a train service at the north-western Sri Lankan town of Talaimannar – the closest point to India – restored after decades of civil war, completing the reconstruction of the entire Northern Province Railway Line. Accompanied by Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena, Modi also unveiled a plaque inaugurating Talaimannar 1650 Pier Railway station. more..

Mar 14 (CT) The lead story on this newspaper's yesterday's edition was the TNA's request for Indian PM Narendra Modi's intervention to solve the island's national or Tamil question. Modi was in Sri Lanka on a whistle-stop two-day visit which ended today. Regarding the national question, it seemingly affects the sensitivities of the Tamils living in the North and the island's majority Sinhalese in the first place, simultaneously. It doesn't affect only one community. more..

Mar 14 (CT) As soon as Mr. Maithripala Sirisena became the President, the TNA and the British Tamil Forum (BTF) issued statements and reminded President-elect the need to “urgently” address the minority’s concerns. BTF stated that only a political solution recognising the right to self-determination of the Tamil nation in Sri Lanka can address core issues of autonomy to the Tamil people, de-militarisation of the Tamil areas and cooperation with the UNHRS’s international inquiry. more..

Mar 14 (CI) Captain Angelo Mathews has overcome the Achilles concern that forced him off the field early during Scotland's innings on Thursday, team manager Michael de Zoysa has said. However, Rangana Herath's availability for the quarter-final against South Africa on March 18 has not yet been confirmed. Herath had the stitches on his spinning finger removed on Friday, but although it had been hoped he would resume bowling more..

Mar 14 (CT) Money markets need laws, rules and regulations. The integrity, competence and judgment of the Monetary Authority is what is at stake today. Lee Kwan Yew in his memoirs describes how he set up the capital market in Singapore and dismissed critics who complained of overregulation. ‘In Hong Kong what is not expressly forbidden is permitted; in Singapore what is not expressly not permitted is forbidden’. To take up the assignment, Arjuna Mahendran gave up a lucrative career more..

Mar 14 (CI) The camera panned to the Australian dressing room. The sky was gloomy, the rain was getting heavier and the covers were on for two hours in Hobart. Steven Smith and Shane Watson looked nervous. More than they had been for the two and a half hours and 25.4 overs that Scotland batted. It began as a chilly day and the wind that buffeted Nick Knight's suit at the toss stayed on to ward off the bad weather and clear passage for Australia's march into avoiding a quarter-final bout with SA. more..

Mar 14 (CT) The prospects of the IMF looking to give Sri Lanka a new facility may be reviewed by the year end only and not earlier than that. This was said by IMF's Mission Chief to Sri Lanka Todd Schneider addressing reporters after the end of a 10 day visit to Sri Lanka on Wednesday. He glossed over reports that Sri Lanka was currently seeking a new fund facility to the tune of US$1-4 billion. Schneider's contention was that more..

Mar 14 (CI) Brendan Taylor was given one final reminder of how frustrating it can be to play for Zimbabwe: in his final match before he goes Kolpak, Taylor scored an excellent century to rescue Zimbabwe from 33 for 3, then saw five wickets fall for 52 after him; with the ball Zimbabwe had India down at 92 for 4, but then the fielding let his side down to lose with eight balls to spare. This was India's biggest test so far. Taylor's 138 off 110 balls, only the first time a Zimbabwean has more..

Mar 14 (CT) The National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) has commenced investigations into the gang rape of a 16-year old girl – who subsequently fell ill and died- in Wanni, following media reports and an online petition that was initiated due to the inaction of the law enforcement authorities over the incident. Children’s Affairs State Minister Rosy Senanayake releasing an update on her official Facebook page over the incident said the NCPA Chairman has notified her that more..

Mar 14 (Island) President Sirisena’s 100-day programme should not be a barrier to fulfil all promises made during the election, including constitutional changes coupled with electoral reforms, repealing of executive presidential powers and appointing commissions for judiciary, bribery and corruption and public service, Minister Champika Ranawaka recently said. He said that the all promises made on January 8 should be more..

Mar 14 (AT) Ambassador Oshadhi Alahapperuma paid a farewell call on Ambassador Helena Sångeland, the Director-General of the Asia Pacific Division of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, on conclusion of his tour of duty as Ambassador of Sri Lanka in Sweden. On behalf of the Swedish Government, Ambassador Sångeland stated that she would appreciate the services rendered in strengthening the relations between Sri Lanka and Sweden during his tenure as Ambassador. more..

Mar 14 (GN) President Sirisena’s plan to consult, but not involve, the UN as it proceeds to conduct an internal inquiry into alleged war crimes and human rights abuses, committed during the army’s offensive against the LTTE, is a measure that is half commendable. Sirisena’s latest move follows his decision to rehabilitate citizens displaced by decades of conflict and release land previously owned by Tamils but taken over by the state during its military campaigns back to their rightful owners. more..

Mar 14 (CG) The NPC has called for land and police powers to be given to the provinces, similar to the Indian system of devolution. Indian PM Narendra Modi, during his visit to Sri Lanka, had called for the early and full implementation of the 13th Amendment to the constitution. However Northern Province Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran told Modi today that the 13th Amendment cannot be the final solution. more..

Mar 14 (CT) Information has been revealed on how drug money was used to maintain gold jewellery shops in Negombo and buy houses worth millions of rupees, when the mastermind behind a large-scale drug racket was taken into custody. The arrest was made in Katana, Negombo, on Tuesday, 10 March, subsequent to a long-drawn-out investigation conducted by a group of officers attached to the Police Narcotics Bureau. The stock of heroin worth Rs 4.5 million, which was found more..

Mar 14 (ST) Universities of Colombo, Peradeniya and Moratuwa are among the top Lankan universities and Degree-awarding universities/colleges in a world ranking for top university websites. The ‘Webometrics Ranking of World Universities is an initiative of the cybermetric lab of the Spanish National Research Council, the largest public research body in Spain. The ranking is conducted taking into account both the volume of web contents & impact of web publications. more..

Mar 14 (Xinhua) A protest was staged in Jaffna town on Saturday when Indian PM Narendra Modi was on a landmark visit to the area as part of a two- day visit to Sri Lanka. Families of those reportedly missing in the Sri Lankan war staged the protest calling for India's intervention to put pressure on the govt to find those missing. The protesters also urged India to address the fishermen issue and put pressure on the SL govt to more..

Mar 14 (ANI) Major General (retd.) S.R. Sinho, a defence expert, on Saturday said the visit of PM Narendra Modi to Sri Lanka should be seen as a good gesture on the part of as India, and added that the bilateral relationship between India and its neighbours has improved. "It is a very good gesture and sign because not only Sri Lanka, our relations have improved with most of the neighbouring countries. Now, the PM has signed a number of agreements which is very forth coming. more..

Mar 14 (Hindu) A boat owner here has alleged that the Sri Lankan Navy threw a petrol bomb at his boat while fishing near Katchatheevu along with three of his crew members around 4 p.m. on Wednesday. M. Arokiyam of Thangachimadam lodged a complaint with the Fisheries Department here on Friday alleging that the Sri Lankan Navy threw a polythene bag filled with petrol at his boat. The bag fell on the silencer and caught fire. The fire was put out before it could spread. more..