Mar 26 (DC) Parties barring the BJP welcomed the cancellation of super star Rajinikanth’s Sri Lankan trip to participate in a function to inaugurate 150 houses constructed by a private firm Lyca for island Tamils. Three leaders mentioned in the statement of Rajinikanth-MDMK general secretary Vaiko, VCK leader Thol. Thirumavalavan and TVK leader T. Velmurugan- welcomed the cancellation, while state BJP state president Tamilisai Soundarrajan said actor should not have cancelled more..

Mar 26 (ST) One of the main tasks for President Sirisena, who returned yesterday from an official visit to the Russian Federation, will be to re-shuffle the Cabinet of Ministers. Ahead of his departure to Moscow, Sirisena had discussed the issue at length with PM Ranil Wickremesinghe on more than one occasion. The focus at these discussions has been on the portfolios allotted to ministers representing the UNP. more..

Mar 26 (Island) It is not only the ides of March that is new in Sri Lanka. Remember the old example of syllogistic fallacy: "It is either raining or not raining now. But it is not raining now. Therefore, it is raining now"! We can now make a fallacy example out of the govt’s current predicament: "Either the govt agreed to foreign judges in 2015, or it did not agree. Now it is saying it did not agree. Therefore, the govt must indeed have agreed to foreign judges in 2015"! In any event, foreign judges more..

Mar 26 (Island) My national identity card was issued in 1996, over 20 years ago. It’s the first and only one I’ve ever had. Photo is already of a person largely unrecognisable even to me. The information written on the card has faded. The lamination, unsurprisingly, is coming undone at the edges. And yet, this ageing slice of plastic remains a vital piece of documentation I have to carry around at all times. I also have a passport, more recently issued and the fifth I’ve had since 1997. more..

Mar 26 (Island) Duminda Silva, the former MP sentenced to death over the Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra murder, remains in the prison hospital with on-and-off repercussions of the serious injuries he suffered in the Kolonnawa shootout which cost two lives and injured several more. Here his father, Lal Silva, discusses his son’s plight. Q: What is Duminda’s present condition? There are stories that his health is a matter of great concern. more..

Mar 26 (ST) The Govt will introduce a host of laws from this year to modernise the country’s legal system, PM Ranil Wickremesinghe said yesterday. Speaking at the 43rd Annual Convocation of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) and the induction of the BASL’s new President last evening, PM who was the Chief Guest said while Sri Lanka could be proud of having the oldest legal tradition in Asia, more..

Mar 26 (SLN) The Sri Lanka Navy, having taken over the duty of facilitating On-board Security Teams (OBST) 16 months ago, earned Rs 3 billion, only from the Galle operations centre, for the Sri Lankan Govt to-date. The duty undertaken was an extension of maritime security operations in which the Navy got actively involved in keeping our waters safe and secure for maritime commons and freedom of navigation. more..

Mar 26 (SL) It has now been revealed that the Founding Editor of The Sunday Leader Lasantha Manilal Wickrematunge had been killed not by a bullet but by a sharp instrument. The latest JMO report has exposed that Wickrematunge had been stabbed thrice on the right side of his head with a sharp instrument before and after he fell on to the front passenger seat in his vehicle. CID meanwhile informed Mt. Lavinia Magistrate more..

Mar 26 (ST) Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, who successfully moved the Cabinet of Ministers to acquire a 17-acre Malwana property that was to go under an auctioneer’s hammer was in for a rude shock this week. Himself a lawyer, Rajapakshe had wanted the state to take over the land and a partly built house allegedly belonging to former Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa. more..

Mar 26 (SO) A decision by Lanka Salu Sala not to meet its obligation of paying a bill of nearly Rs. 2.5 billion, owed to an Indian marketing agency, has entangled the Ministry of Industries and Commerce, in a tar ball that has now gone to higher echelons of the Govt to be unravelled. Indian Marketing Agency claimed to have supplied textiles worth Rs. 2.5 billion to meet work orders issued by Salu Sala since 2015. more..

Mar 26 (SO) The Batticaloa airport will be opened as a civil airport by the end of next month, Civil Aviation Authority, Director General of Civil Aviation and CEO H.M.C. Nimalsiri said. He said the airport has been vested with the CAA and steps are being taken to segregate civil and military operations so that the airport could be operated as a fully civil airport. It will be opened by Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva. more..

Mar 26 (ST) An international company through which SriLankan Airlines extended leases on three A330-200 aircraft has filed action in London after the national carrier attempted to overturn the contracts saying they were not legally binding. This transpires against the backdrop of a major clash within SriLankan’s board of directors, with a faction saying CEO Suren Ratwatte signed the contracts without approval–a charge that more..

Mar 26 (EN) An Indian navy oceanographic vessel will survey seas off Sri Lanka's southern coast in a joint exercise with the island's navy and generate data to update navigational charts. "The survey will be useful in enhancing the level of navigational safety of all ships visiting Sri Lanka," India's High Commission in Colombo said. The survey is to update all the navigational charts covering the southern Sri Lankan waters more..

Mar 26 (ST) Controversial businessman Nandana Lokuwithana has agreed to pay a higher lease premium for the Horana land earmarked for his tyre factory, export more of his output and develop site infrastructure at his cost. Mr. Lokuwithana consented to the new terms in negotiations with the BOI. He will now deposit Rs 210 million upfront as lease premium as opposed to the Rs 170 million earlier pledged. more..

Mar 27 (ST) Exactly four days after Prabhakaran’s body was found floating among the mangroves by the banks of the Nanthikadal lagoon on May 19, 2009, the then Secretary General of the UN, Ban Ki-moon arrived in Lanka to search amongst the Tiger debris of defeat, possible clues to determine whether triumphant Lanka had played the war game according to the Queensberry Rules. After Ban Ki-moon had met the then President Rajapaksa, a joint statement by SL Govt and UN was issued more..

Mar 27 (CT) A Quiet Revolution (Yale University Press, 2011) is by Leila Ahmed, an Egyptian-American; Professor of Divinity at Harvard University. Unless otherwise made explicit, what follows is from this study. The work’s focus is mainly from the 20th century onwards, with much of the reference being related to Egypt (to a lesser degree to Saudi Arabia) and the USA. The hijab and veil are emblems of Islam though, of course, there are pious Muslim women who don’t wear the hijab. more..

Mar 27 (SO) Statistics of the National STD/AIDS Control Program Show that the cumulative HIV cases of children, reported in the country by end 2016, is 80% of which 60% of children go to school without any issues. Total number infected in SL by the end of 2016 is 2,557. In 2016, 20 youth (15-24 years) were reported with HIV (2 females & 18 males), in the previous year 91/249 (36%) were due to male to male sex. more..

Mar 27 (ST) Despite Govt of Sri Lanka’s proud boast to the contrary during requests to renew the EU GSP Plus trade facility and at numerous United Nations briefings, revisions made to the draft Counter-Terror Act (CTA) fail to address major Rule of Law concerns in substance. Dangerously vague and overbroad definitions of what constitutes terrorism and terrorism-related offences are left intact. Indisputably this remains a law drafted for the protection of a Govt in power, more..

Mar 27 (Island) The yahapalana government has drawn heavy flak from its detractors, who say it is inefficient. But, this, we believe, is a claim reeking of prejudice and jealousy. What some frustrated politicians, suffering from political cold turkey, say about their rivals who are enjoying power and living off the fat of the land, are to be taken with a pinch of salt—cum grano salis! The incumbent administration has proved, beyond doubt, that it is as efficient as its predecessor in some respects. more..

Mar 27 (CT) Co-Founder of South Asian Centre for Legal Studies Niran Anketell who has litigated human rights, constitutional law, and civil cases in Sri Lankan Courts for over seven years speaks to Ceylon Today on the govt co sponsoring the UNHRC's resolution 30/1. Anketell who also pursued a LL.M in International Legal Studies at New York University and worked at the International Co-Prosecutor's Office at more..

Mar 27 (Island) Indian press carried anxious commentaries about the recent visit of Chinese Defence Minister General Chang Wanquan to SL. India Today observed that this visit took place amidst warnings issued by the Chinese media to the effect that Beijing will fight back if New Delhi tries to interfere in China’s relations with other South Asian countries. New Indian Express speculated that the purpose of Chinese Defence Minister’s visit could be to re-establish military ties with Colombo. more..

Mar 27 (SO) Kiribathgoda has received its own Burger King restaurant, following the opening of the 14th such outlet in Sri Lanka at a prime location in this bustling suburb, by master franchisee Softlogic Restaurants (Pvt) Ltd., a fully-owned subsidiary of Softlogic Holdings. “Kiribathgoda is a bustling community full of activity, with an affluent and cosmopolitan populace. It is therefore the perfect new addition in Burger King’s expansion strategy for SL,” said a spokesperson for the company. more..

Mar 27 (CT) A scenario analysis undoubtedly can be used effectively to visualize the future under different possible conditions and make recommendations for policy decisions. In that sense, it is a planning tool. One of the main exponents of this method, Peter Schwartz, called it The Art of the Long View (1991). However, the scientific or the objective aspects of such an exercise also should not be denied. The practice shows that this method is more effective in planning business or other organizations, more..

Mar 27 (SO) It was heartening reading the headlines in a daily on Tuesday 21 March: CID informs Magistrate’s court: special military intelligence team killed Lasantha. We, the public of free Sri Lanka, are not blood thirsty seekers of revenge; nor do we ghoulishly take delight in the smell of blood. We are in reality full of the milk of human kindness sloshing around in our veins and we possess metta. But we like it when verminous rats we abhor are caught. And there were and are plenty of these sorts more..

Mar 27 (Roar) The H1N1 influenza virus has reared its head again, with 400 patients reported from the North alone earlier this month. In January, two deaths were reported from Kandy. Moreover, authorities have been on alert since the number of patients tested positive for the H1N1 influenza virus in the Maldives rose to 176; the BIA quarantine division has stepped up surveillance for passengers from the Maldives. more..

Mar 27 (Island) An official delegation from the European Investment Bank (EIB), the world's largest international public lending institution which supports long-term investment across a range of areas globally, is due to arrive in Colombo today. Minister Malik Samarawickrama told The Island Financial Review that the government looks forward to obtaining the EIB's backing for transformational infrastructure in the country such as Megapolis. "EIB is a policy-driven bank which supports more..

Mar 27 (FT) India, which sees itself as a net provider of security in the Indian Ocean region, and Sri Lanka can do a lot together, India’s High Commissioner to SL Taranjit Singh Sandhu says. Delivering a speech at the Bandaranaike Centre for International Studies on India’s Global Outlook on Saturday, the High Commissioner said there was a huge window of opportunity for India-Sri Lanka ties. “We will soon be launching a SAARC communications and meteorology satellite, more..

Mar 27 (ST) Sri Lanka’s tourism sector can heave a sigh of relief. After nearly seven years, SL Tourism in May will launch a comprehensive destination campaign initially through digital platforms and thereafter through all media. The aggressive digital marketing promotion campaign will focus on boosting markets like Germany, Western Europe, Middle East, China and India, said Sutheash Balasubramaniam, more..

Mar 27 (DM) Bodies of two pilgrims who went to India were received at BIA Airport last night. One of those identified as Samarasinghege David (62), a resident from Walasmulla while the other was of 67-year-old P D. Somawathi, a resident in Omaragolla, Malsiripura. The bodies were flown to Sri Lanka via flight (UL 1196) SriLankan airlines around 7 pm. Airport health officials said that around ten Sri Lankans die in a month in India due to harsh weather conditions and lack of medical care. more..

Mar 27 (CT) It was in the mid-eighties that several interesting developments took place in Jaffna between the Army and the LTTE to the surprise of the people of Jaffna and the country at large. At the early stages of the Tamil militancy apart from its original presence in Palaly, Army gradually began to increase its strength by putting up its barracks in Jaffna's coastal area of Gurunagar. However, with the escalation of attacks carried out by the Tamil militants in Jaffna, more..

Mar 27 (Island) Fielding woes have hurt Sri Lanka deeply in the ongoing bilateral series against Bangladesh. Someone joked in twitter the other day that the Sri Lankans are so sloppy that they can’t even catch a cold. Yet, it’s a mystery why they are not playing the best fielder in the country, who has recovered from injury. Alas! This fielder is not even in the squad! Sharp in the 30 yard circle and quick and athletic protecting the boundary, more..

Mar 27 (DN) Angelo Perera, the Sri Lanka Cricket Emerging XI skipper expressed confidence that with the players he has in his team they were confident of winning the Emerging teams Asia Cup tournament to be held in Bangladesh from today till April 4. “The past couple of weeks we practiced well and we hope to bring the cup to our country,” said Perera at a press conference held at the SSC prior to the team’s departure on Saturday. “We have talented young batting stars like more..

Mar 27 (DM) Neville Fernando-Sri Lanka Russian Friendship Hospital in Malabe is not a teaching hospital sanctioned by the Health Ministry, Parliament was informed yesterday . A teaching hospital is one which provides practical training to medical students. This was revealed by Deputy Minister Faizal Cassim in response to a question asked by JVP MP Nalinda Jayatissa in the House. Dr. Jayatissa asked why the Health Ministry had failed to take action against this hospital more..

Mar 27 (FT) The apparent boom in the luxury apartments market is not a bubble the industry claims, with future buildings pointing to great potential and investments despite some concerns. The success so far and the optimistic future outlook of the SL real estate market was shared among prospective investors in Hong Kong and Australia by leading promoters Indocean Developers (Altair) and the upcoming CHEC Port City Colombo more..

Mar 27 (CT) Govt has decided to maintain national carrier SriLankan Airlines' current fleet position in the long term until the GOSL decides on its new managing partner, SriLankan Airlines CEO Suren Ratwatte said. SriLankan Airlines currently has 23 aircraft (all under operating lease) in the operating fleet, consisting of six A330-200, seven A330-300, six A320-200 and three A321-230 aircraft. Deputy Minister Eran Wickremeratne recently said that a global private equity firm TPG Capital more..

Mar 27 (ST) Sri Lanka needs to have investment stability with a quiet and stable legal environment, French Ambassador Jean Marin Schuh said. “SL is on (the) right path of politics and constitutional reforms and commitments regarding human rights,” but legal stability remains to be addressed, he said. One of the main constraints by French Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) investments was that resident visas are provided only for one year and a request has been made to extend more..

Mar 27 (ENS) Urging PM Narendra Modi to take up the issue of detention of fishermen and impounding of their boats at the highest diplomatic level with Sri Lanka, Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami on Sunday sought early action for a permanent solution to the problem and long-term diversification measures on a war footing. In the wake of 12 fishermen from Jagathapattinam and Kottaipattinam in Pudukottai district more..

Mar 27 (DM) If all prisoners, whose bail applications were refused, go on hunger strike, we would have to implement a new law call Hunger Strike Law, Deputy Minister Ajith P. Perera said at the opening ceremony of seven multipurpose buildings recently. The Deputy Minister made the above remark and said people should obey the law and order, if they respected the courts. “It is pointless to speak politics in courts. What we should do is hire a good lawyer and speak the law,” he said. more..

Mar 27 (GDI) Several Police OICs have been transferred considering the service requirement. They have been transferred in accordance with the recommendation made by the IGP Pujith Jayasundara under the approval granted by the National Police Commission. Accordingly, the Chief Inspector of Police J.A.S.N.K. Jayasinghe has been transferred to SL Police College Kalutara from Achchuweli police station. Inspector of Police H.R.P. Senanayake has been transferred to more..