Feb 28 (Island) Two Japanese MPs, president, New Renaissance Party, member of the House of Councilors, Arai Hiroyuki and govt MP, Shimpei Matsushita, in Colombo last week, met the press recently. Invited by chairman, Sri Lanka–Japan Friendship Association, Sunil Gamage and addressing the press, Arai Hiroyuki said their visit was, at this stage of Sri Lanka’s economic development, important to further cement friendly ties between both countries. more..

Feb 28 (GDI) President Maithripala Sirisena instructed the IGP to strictly operate the laws and regulations on prevention of unauthorized mining and transportation of sand. He said the mining and sand transportation had become a mafia, emphasizing that quick attention should be paid for prevention of the environmental pollution resulted due to indiscriminate mining. The president noticed that the political authority and govt officials have responsibility to more..

Feb 28 (MoD) The Secretary to the Ministry of Defence Mr. BMUD Basnayake arrived at the Sandahiru Stupa construction site today morning (27) during his visit to the sacred city of Anuradhapura. Mr. Basnayake was briefed on the duties and the logistic support performed to erect the Stupa with a power point presentation at the Sandahiru Stupa premises by Lt. Colonel Mohan Kumara, engineering officer who has been entrusted the overall construction work. more..

Feb 28 (FT) Deputy Minister Dr. Harsha de Silva declared that the new Govt was keen to ensure that more people invested and benefited from a well regulated stock market. He made this observation in his remarks at a ceremony where the Special Envoy to India and South Asia on Infrastructure, PM’s Department, Govt of Malaysia Dato’ Seri Utama Samy Vellu rang the ceremonial opening bell of the Colombo Stock Exchange at the start of trading yesterday. more..

Feb 28 (AFP) The number of teams taking part in the 2019 World Cup hasn't been finalised, the International Cricket Council told AFP on Friday as it responded to growing criticism that its proposed cut risked damaging the sport's development. Cricket chiefs have come under fire for their plan to reduce the number of teams involved in England in four years' time to 10 from the 14 taking part in the ongoing tournament in Australia and New Zealand. more..

Feb 28 (LR) SL-born Damindra Dias was among 19 persons who received the Governor General’s Caring Canadian Award earlier this month in Toronto. The award established in 1995, “recognizes living Canadians and permanent residents who have made a significant, sustained, unpaid contribution to their community, in Canada or abroad,” according to Governor General’s office. “Often working behind the scenes, these individuals volunteer their time and efforts to help their fellow citizens. more..

Feb 28 (FT) In a bid to fast track development, the Govt yesterday insisted it would ease visa processes and dual citizenship to encourage returnees from Sri Lanka’s influential diaspora. “We want to make this country a ‘welcome home’ for Sri Lankans living across the world. We would receive them as people who could help us with expertise, knowledge, transfer of technology and also bring in capital,” Deputy Minister Eran Wickramaratne said. more..

Feb 28 (CT) The TNA says passing the resolution has nothing to do with the TNA having a smooth relationship with the Central Government. This cannot be accepted. You show one face to the Northern Province and a different face to the Central Government. Already the TNA has got a strained relationship with Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi Districts. When Mavai Senathiraja went to those places on routine political work, people had shown their displeasure and anger. more..

Feb 28 (Island) The Port City project is fast being identified both as a fiasco in planning and a major threat to Colombo and Sri Lanka itself. At a time when the focus of the world is being drawn to environmental sustainability, the reduction of carbon emissions, and the protection of nature, the Port city is emerging as a huge departure from and a definite threat to all of this. Who wanted this Port City? Was there ever a national need for this? Has it ever been mentioned in more..

Feb 28 (Island) The recent Nugegoda rally in favour of former President Rajapaksa would of course have been meticulously organized, but all the same the immensity of the crowd that assembled there was beyond dispute immensely impressive. It becomes all the more impressive when we bear in mind that the organizers did not have the resources of the SLFP but only of three small parties whose voting strength is negligible. These facts, taken together with the fact that thousands go on more..

Feb 28 (Island) Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne says he is bitterly disappointed by the snail’s pace at which drug dealers, rapists, murderers and the plunderers of public wealth are being probed. He minced no words when he said so at Thursday’s post-Cabinet press briefing. He has struck a responsive chord with the public who wanted all anti-social elements dealt with appropriately after last month’s presidential election. Old habits die hard. Former Minister Senaratne has used more..

Feb 28 (SL) “If my body is to be cremated, please do it in Borella. I prefer to be near Devi Balika which I love so much. Set fire to every book of mine together with my body. Spend for my funeral from the money in my bank account. Please don’t allow anyone from the Sabaragamuwa University to participate in my funeral. What I may inherit, please donate to the Maharagama Cancer Hospital.” This is a part of a letter which 25-year-old Amali Chathurika more..

Feb 28 (NS) News that the UNHRC has agreed to a request made by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to postpone publication of the report of a UN investigation into war crimes in Sri Lanka was cheered by some in Sri Lanka. Elsewhere there was chagrin, for example an outfit calling itself Sri Lanka Campaign has expressed disappointment. Let’s begin with the disappointment. Well, let’s begin with the disappointed. It is no secret that the Sri Lanka Campaign is a misnamed outfit. more..

Feb 28 (FT) It is 27 Feb; the new Govt has clocked 50 days of power and it is opportune to review its performance during this period. If one is to go by the rumblings and the ramblings in Colombo, there is increasing disillusionment with the UNP-dominated new Govt. The previous Govt, try as they did, was unsuccessful in converting the Colombians from their deeply-entrenched UNP loyalties. This was amply evidenced by the results in the presidential election and at various elections in the past. more..

Feb 28 (CT) Although fuel prices were reduced, it is a question, whether the benefit of fuel price reduction had transferred to the general public. Bus fares were reduced only by 7% to 8% while the Transport Minister assured that the three-wheeler fares would also go down by 10%. However, despite the minister's statement about fare reduction, three-wheeler commuters complained that fares have not been reduced to date. Akalanka, who travel by more..

Feb 28 (CT) M.H.M. Ashraff was in a village called in Sammanthurai. He had his education in the Eastern Province. Ashraff began his political career with S.J.V. Chlevanayakam the Tamil leader. He campaigned ardently for Tamil Eelam. He described himself as Amirthalingam's younger brother. But his connection with the TULF strained gradually and he left them completely. He was founder and leader of the All Ceylon Muslim Congress. He was an eminent lawyer with more..

Feb 28 (CT) There is one single difference between the Ministry of Finance and all other Ministries of the government. What is it? That is, the Ministry of Finance handles what is known as macroeconomic fundamentals. The functions of all other ministries have microeconomic dimension. Why the people should care for this difference? Let us investigate this matter with a view to find an accurate answer to the question mentioned in the caption. more..

Feb 28 (SO) The decision to defer the human rights report on Sri Lanka by six months by UN Human Rights High Commissioner Prince Zeid Ra'ad Zeid al-Hussein, received mixed reactions from different stake holders here in the domestic front as well as elsewhere. The Govt immediately welcomed the reciprocation while two key sponsors of the March 2014 resolution which mandated the investigation and report, the US and the UK, aligned with High Commissioner more..

Feb 28 (CT) The citizens in Sri Lanka are being kept in the dark as to the nature of the project known as ‘Colombo Port City Project’ (CPCP) which was launched in a hurry by the former President in Sept. 2014. An EIA report, which is an essential condition prior to receiving the official approval to launch a major project, is said to have been prepared but was never made available to the public. Thus, in the case of CPCP, the usual procedure has not been followed. more..

Feb 28 (CT) The Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka, Mangala Samaraweera, is scheduled to speak on the opening day of the 28th session of the UNHRC, in Geneva, on 2 March 2015. With my experience of Sri Lanka and the UN Human Rights forums, I predict that the following will be said. Many facts and realities will not be disclosed to this august forum. 1 – Mangala Samaraweera will inform the UN HRC that a new President has been elected by all communities – Singhalese, Tamil and Muslims. more..

Feb 27 (PTI) China today proposed trilateral cooperation involving India and Sri Lanka for regional stability as the new government in Colombo sought to re-balance its ties with China, preferring to follow a "non-aligned" policy. "China is open-minded about trilateral cooperation between China, India (and) Sri Lanka," Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said during a joint press conference with Sri Lankan counterpart Mangala Samaraweera. more..

Feb 27 (AD) Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa today said that not only politicians but even their wives and children have to be safeguarded from the govt now as they are being “harassed” one by one. He was referring to the recent arrest of former Minister Wimal Weerawansa’s wife Shashi Weerawansa on charges of falsifying documents to obtain a diplomatic passport. Speaking to reporters after visiting Mrs. Weerawansa at the Colombo National Hospital, Rajapaksa said more..

Feb 27 (DM) Former Minister Wimal Weerawansa’s wife Shashi Weerawansa was released on bail, with two sureties of Rs 500,000 each by the Colombo Magistrate’s court, today. Despite two sureties, she was ordered to furnish a bail bond of Rs 15000. Moreover Chief Magistrate Gihan Pilapitiya ordered Shashi Weerawansa to report at the CID every Friday. Shashi Weeransa was arrested at a private hospital in Malabe over the charges of obtaining diplomatic and general passports illegally. more..

Feb 27 (PTI) Sri Lanka has shifted its foreign policy "back to centre" in the interest of its people, Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera said today as he dismissed the notion that the new govt is moving away from China to warm up ties with India. On his first visit to Beijing after the new SL govt headed by President Sirisena took over replacing pro-China Rajapaksa regime, Samaraweera today held extensive talks with more..

Feb 27 (DM) The JHU said it would oppose any move to resettle the Tamils who fled to India during the 1983 insurrection, on the basis that this matter was settled through an agreement signed with J.N. Dixit. JHU national organizer Nishantha Sri Warnasinghe said according to the agreement, India had agreed to grant Indian Citizenship to the Tamils who fled to India while the Sri Lankan Govt had agreed to grant Sri Lankan Citizenship to Tamils of Indian origin and added that more..

Feb 27 (CG) The Canadian Tamil Congress (CTC) has strongly condemned the burning of effigies and images of TNA leaders, R Sampanthan and M A Sumanthiran. CTC says it believe these acts are aimed at weakening the democratically elected leadership of Tamil people in Sri Lanka and thereby silencing the democratic wishes of Tamil people. “In the last presidential elections, the Tamil people voted in large numbers to bring about change, as per the advice of these very TNA leaders. more..

Feb 27 (AD) According to the proposed constitutional reforms currently under discussion, the President will always act on the advice of the PM, however may request the PM to reconsider advice given to him and request Parliament to reconsider a Bill presented to him for assent. 19th amendment to the Constitution primarily aimed at abolishing executive presidency in the country is expected be tabled in more..

Feb 27 (AM) MP V. Muralitharan alias Karuna Amman stated that the massacre of more than 600 unarmed policemen after they had surrendered to the LTTE can be considered as a war crime. Taking part in a live political talk show, he said that while massacres that took place under Pol Pot in Cambodia and using chemical weapons against the Kurdish people in Iraq could be considered war crimes, the last stages of the war in Sri Lanka did not see war crimes committed by SL Forces. more..

Feb 27 (CT) Minister of Ports, Shipping and Aviation, Arjuna Ranatunga, stated that he would not allow anybody to misuse property owned by the ministry. A private airline company had rented the runway and the aero yard, attached to the Ratmalana Airport, but had not paid dues, amounting to Rs 24 million, to the authorities, and continued to utilize the runway and the aero yard. The ministry however, has decided to continue to rent the runway and the aero yard to more..

Feb 27 (SCMP) Beijing is committed to launching maritime cooperation with Sri Lanka amid concerns over the cancellation of a port development project in Colombo led by a Chinese company. In talks today with SL Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera – on his first official visit to Beijing – China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi said two nations were all-time friends who could withstand both domestic and international changes. more..

Feb 27 (Island) Key findings of a new report released by the Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) shows that more than half of the enamel paint samples contained lead concentrations above 600 parts per million (ppm), the legal limit for lead in enamel paints permitted to be sold in Sri Lanka. CEJ Executive Director Hemantha Withanage said that eight of the 15 brands had a lead content beyond the recommended standard and that was a cause for grave concern, especially for children, more..

Feb 27 (GDI) The govt has taken a series of steps to control and prevent the renal disease that is spreading mostly among the agriculture community in the country. President Maithripala Sirisena said the treatment and preventive routines for kidney patients had been radically progressed while a Presidential Task Force has been established and national level projects have been propelled in this respect. President was participating in an event Wednesday at the Gall Face Hotel more..

Feb 27 (DM) Court of Appeal today issued notice on the Respondents to the writ petition filed by General Sarath Fonseka on the restoration of his parliamentary seat with the case fixed for March 9. The General said his rights were unfairly removed under a corrupt regime and that he was confident that the new regime will restore justice. “Petition we filed was against the removal of my rights by the corrupt former head of state more..

Feb 27 (Island) The Elections Department had never miscounted votes at any election whether the election observers were in Sri Lanka during the poll or not and its officials were totally independent, Election Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya said on Wednesday. Addressing the launch of the Electoral Integrity, a review of the abuse of state resources and selected integrity issues during 2015 Presidential Election by Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL) at the BMICH, more..

Feb 27 (CG) National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka (NCEASL) has welcomed the appointment of a Coordinator for Charismatic, Evangelical and Pentecostal Christian Churches by Minister John Amaratunga. Established in 1952, NCEASL represents a constituency of traditional and non-traditional Evangelical churches that has been present in the country for over a century. NCEASL noted that in the recent past, there has been a significant trend of increasing religious more..