Jan 11 (TOI) Picturesque beaches, tropical landscape, red soil, tea estates, stinging seafood curries and even string hoppers - Kerala and Sri Lanka could be mirror images across the Indian Ocean. But Sri Lanka's reputation for instability meant that most Indian and foreign travelers picked God's Own Country over the teardrop-shaped isle. But now with a quarter-century of violence well behind it, Sri Lanka appears to be stealing a march over Kerala, and giving even popular Goa more..

Jan 11 (NS) Contrary to certain media reports and claims by spokespersons of President Maithripala Sirisena, ex-LTTE leader Selvarasah Pathmananthan, alias Kumaran Pathmanathan, alias �KP� has not left Sri Lanka but is still in Kilinochchi under protective custody, it has been revealed. Certain media reports, both local and foreign, had stated yesterday that KP had left the country through the VIP Lounge at the BIA. more..

Jan 11 (PTI) Amid chants of Buddham Sharanam Gachchami, people from 11 countries on Saturday walked through a 13-km forest trail which Lord Gautama Buddha had taken to reach Rajgir from Bodh Gaya around 2,543 years ago. Over 500 pilgrims converged on Jethian in Rajgir district, around 100 km southeast of Patna, for the journey, marking the success of the first-ever Buddha Heritage Walk introduced by the Bihar State Tourism Development Corporation (BSTDC). more..

Jan 11 (Island) Govt of Republic of Korea (ROK) commended the peaceful and democratic presidential election in Sri Lanka and congratulated Maithripala Sirisena on his inauguration as President of Sri Lanka. "The Govt of ROK wishes to further enhance friendly bilateral relations with the Govt of Sri Lanka", an official statement said. "The ROK welcomes the peaceful and democratic election held on 8 January with the active participation of the people of Sri Lanka. more..

Jan 11 (CG) The Tamil Diaspora have called on the new Govt and President Maithripala Sirisena to engage with the Diaspora in good faith and in a meaningful and constructive way. Reacting to the defeat of President Rajapaksa at the election, the Global Tamil Forum (GTF) said that the Tamils and Tamil speaking Muslims had rejected the way the minority communities were treated under former Govt by coming out and voting more..

Jan 11 (National) The last time the Pope visited Sri Lanka was in 1995, when John Paul II toured the country. He arrived mere weeks after a new president, Chandrika Kumaratunga, had been elected. This time around, there is a new Pope, who arrives in Colombo on Tuesday, and there is a newly elected president to welcome him. The outgoing president Mahinda Rajapaksa probably imagined he would be welcoming the Catholic leader. But, in an election upset, it is his former ally, more..

Jan 11 (TVNZ) The peaceful transition of power in Sri Lanka this weekend has been welcomed by NZ's foreign minister. The election's clear result was respected by all sides, Murray McCully said in congratulating President Sirisena on his victory. "New Zealand congratulates the people of Sri Lanka for demonstrating their commitment to peace and stability. "NZ and Sri Lanka have a close relationship, built on people-to-people links, dairy co-operation, and our shared love of cricket." more..

Jan 11 (CG) Commonwealth observers said that an inadequate electoral and legal framework coupled with an unequal pre-electoral environment means that the Presidential election in Sri Lanka did not comply with all the key benchmarks for democratic elections. Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, Chair of the Commonwealth Observer Group said that high voter turnout of 81.52% reflects positively on SL people�s strong commitment more..

Jan 11 (NS) Police today said they will continue to hunt for those involved in election violence incidents. According to Police Spokesperson SSP Ajith Rohana, the Police were continuing to hunt for a provincial councilor and the chairman of the Kahawatta Pradeshiya Sabha who are alleged to be involved in the shooting and subsequent death of a supporter of President Maithreepala Sirisena in Kahawatta. Two Police teams are currently in search for these individuals, he said. more..

Jan 11 (NS) The new govt led by President Maithripala Sirisena will stick to the promised �100 Day Program� and create an environment where justice and compassion reigns, key backers of his campaign said yesterday. SLFP stalwart Maithripala Sirisena who secured victory on Thursday�s polls was sworn in as the sixth Executive President of Sri Lanka on Friday at Independence Square. He appointed Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe as the Prime Minister immediately afterwards. more..

Jan 11 (Island) Campaigning in the Jaffna peninsula, Mahinda Rajapaksa had asked Tamils to vote for a "known devil" instead of voting for an unknown angel. Indians who dealt with him after he won his second term in 2010 found his too-clever-by-half tactics so exasperating that they now say they would have preferred to deal with just about anybody other than such a vain and immodest man who had so much to be modest about. more..

Jan 11 (AN) There was widespread jubilation among the 500,000-strong Sri Lankan expatriate community in the Kingdom as they savored the victory of Maithripala Sirisena over incumbent Mahinda Rajapaksa in the presidential elections on Thursday. For the expatriates, it was a long night on Thursday. Such was their excitement that they remained glued to their television sets until the wee hours of Friday. As soon as the results were declared and it became clear that Rajapaksa had more..

Jan 11 (SL) Presidential Commission to Investigate into Complaints Regarding Missing Persons is to submit an interim report to the new President to consult him on the future of the commission. The chairman of the Missing Persons Commission, Maxwell Paranagama said that he would not be able to decide the continuation of the commission and therefore would submit an interim report to the new President to consult him if the investigations of the commission should be continued. more..

Jan 11 (Island) UPFA urged newly appointed President Maithripala Sirisena not to do away with post-war security measures in place to thwart possible attempts to propagate separatism. NFF leader Wimal Weerawansa, insisted that national security shouldn�t be a political issue regardless of varying political strategies adopted by different political parties. He reminded that the armed forces had been in a pathetic state more..

Jan 11 (Hindu) President Maithripala Sirisena will travel to New Delhi next month on his first State visit abroad. Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited Mr. Sirisena when he called to congratulate the latter on his election victory on Friday, a political aide of the newly elected President said. Sri Lanka also plans to release �soon� 15 Indian fishermen in its custody, said Rajitha Senaratne, who is tipped to be an important member of the Sirisena Cabinet. SL�s relations with India are set to improve more..

Jan 11 (Island) Premier Ranil Wickremesinghe has assured former President Mahinda Rajapaksa as well as his brother, Gotabhaya, former Secretary Defence, of their security. The assurance was given when Wickremesinghe met the then President Mahinda Rajapaksa at Temple Trees on Friday morning to arrange the smooth transfer of power. Senior UPFA sources said that Wickremesinghe has made the offer with the consent of the then president-elect Maithripala Sirisena. more..

Jan 11 (CT) The new Cabinet of Ministers, under President Maithripala Sirisena, will be appointed tomorrow, General Secretary of JHU, Champika Ranawaka, said. 30 ministers would be picked from the MPs to form the Cabinet. This appears to be a slight deviation from his election manifesto where he had proposed to reduce the number of ministers to 25. "We have had to appoint 30 ministers to this interim Cabinet as there were a large number more..

Jan 11 (CT) "Although we lost the Presidential Election, nothing has changed in the party's organizational structure and Mahinda Rajapaksa remains as the President of the SLFP," current General Secretary of the SLFP, Anura Priyadarshana Yapa told the media yesterday. "If the post of Speaker of Parliament is to undergo any changes, it should be effected through Parliament. It should be done with the concurrence of the majority of the members," said Nimal Siripala de Silva. more..

Jan 11 (SL) An advanced team from the Vatican reviewed the final arrangements for the visit of Pope Francis to Sri Lanka this week. MP John Amaratunge said that a local delegation had met the visiting Vatican advance team at the Archbishops house yesterday and finalized the arrangements. He said that extensive arrangements are underway which will also include a liturgical ceremony at the Shrine of Our Lady of Madhu and an inter-faith meeting with leaders of all major religions in more..

Jan 11 (CT) New govt has decided not to provide military escort to any politician other than the President and the PM. Thus, only President Sirisena and PM Ranil Wickremesinghe will be provided with a security contingent from the Army or the STF for their security while police personnel of the Ministerial Security Division (MSD) will be deployed for other ministers. Dr. Rajitha Senaratne said people would hereafter not witness or more..

Jan 11 (Island) The writer was an investigative journalist who worked closely with Lasantha Wickrematunge at �The Sunday Leader� from 2006 until shortly after the latter�s assassination on 6 January 2009. January 8, 2009 was a Thursday, the day by which material for the inside pages of �The Sunday Leader� had to be submitted. I was at home, my caffeine fuelled fingers pounding at my keyboard when my phone vibrated with a chilling message from my father. more..

Jan 11 (Island) Warm congratulations to the Common Opposition, especially Maithripala Sirisena, Ranil Wickremesinghe, Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga and Mangala Samaraweera from all Sri Lankans for democracy. Through their leadership they have restored democracy to a land where many of us thought it was dead. Mr. Wickremasinghe in his gentlemanly way has rightly acknowledged that Sri Lanka proved its credentials as a mature, peaceful more..

Jan 11 (Island) Dr. Wickrema Weerasooria, a well known lawyer, legal academic and author of some twenty legal texts, who served in several senior public-sector positions and was also Sri Lanka�s High Commissioner to Australia and New Zealand, stated before the presidential election that regardless of who wins the election, race relations and media freedom must be given priority in the next govt�s agenda. more..

Jan 11 (TOI) Mahinda Rajapaksa's electoral debacle may well be one of the biggest intelligence failures of Sri Lankan security agencies as it has been learned that the idea of fielding a common opposition candidate for the presidential election was shaping up since June 2014. Rajapaksa's nearly decade-long reign came to an end when he was defeated by his one-time confidante Maithripala Sirisena in a closely fought election. more..

Jan 11 (CG) UNP MP Ranjan Ramanayake has slammed President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe for being �diplomatic� and saying that former President Rajapaksa had gracefully stepped down after losing the Presidential election. On the contrary, Ramanayake claims Rajapaksa had reportedly attempted to retain his power and not allow Sirisena to be elected President. more..

Jan 11 (SL) Born to parents who came from Ganemulla in Siyane Koralayala to Luxauyana farming community in Polonnaruwa, Maithripala Sirisena grew to be a clever and smart person with every passing day in his life. The destiny made him to be born few hours after the official inception of the SLFP � on the 5th of Sep, 1951. Maithripala Sirisena who was elected as the President of Sri Lanka on Jan 8 more..

Jan 11 (CI) Kumar Sangakkara has reclaimed the top position in the ICC Test Players Rankings, following his double-century in the second Test against New Zealand in Wellington, which the hosts won by 193 runs. Though Sri Lanka lost the series 2-0, Sangakkara's 203 in the first innings of the second Test helped him move up to 909 points in the rankings. Sangakkara managed just 12 runs in total from other 3 innings, more..

Jan 11 (CI) Sri Lanka discovered that at Hagley Oval what goes for New Zealand's Test team goes for their ODI outfit as well: the hosts' seamers are deadly dangerous in the early overs, and while the New Zealand top order is daunting, their lower-middle order can turn matches on their own too. Brendon McCullum's fast bowlers made Sri Lanka regret choosing to bat on a pitch sporting grass, reducing the visitors to 82 for 4 in more..

Jan 11 (AFP) Sri Lanka's newly-elected president Maithripala Sirisena has secured a parliamentary majority essential for radical constitutional reforms, officials say. The president-elect's spokesman, Rajitha Senaratne, said more than 40 parliamentarians have shifted their allegiance from Mr Sirisena's predecessor, Mahinda Rajapakse, whom he unseated in Thursday's presidential election. more..

Jan 11 (AM) In what seems to be the biggest crossover in the political history of the country, over 20 MPs of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party today pledged support to President Maithripala Sirisena and made him the new Chairman of the party. Among the group who pledged support to the President were Sarath Amunugama, Athauda Seneviratne, Reginald Cooray, T.B. Ekanayake, Wijith Wijayamuni Soysa, S.B. Navinna, more..

Jan 11 (BBC) After a decade in charge of his country, Mahinda Rajapaksa has been dumped out of office in a shock election defeat. The BBC's former Sri Lanka correspondent Charles Haviland assesses his time in office, and the challenges he leaves to his successor. "It became apparent that [the security forces] were all keen to see the back of Mahinda Rajapaksa," says a worker at a counting station in Colombo who spent the day more..

Jan 11 (CT) The country's political scene took a dramatic turn on 8 January when the voters exercised their franchise to change the incumbent President. The minorities played a key role in that change. In the southern part of the country it appeared to be a close battle between Mahinda Rajapaksa and Maithripala Sirisena. However, the minority votes in the North and East ensured that the incumbent was removed more..

Jan 11 (CT) I write this before the results of the Presidential Election are known and I assume President Sirisena will address these challenges. But since it is conceivable that President Rajapaksa might be declared the winner, and might be able to convince our people as well as the world that he was fairly elected, I hope that he too will think of these matters and not continue with the mixture as before. In particular he must make it clear that he will no longer rule through an oligarchy of family and more..

Jan 11 (CT) What is the significance of Pope Francis� visit? What is going to be his message to Sri Lankans: Buddhists, Hindus, and Muslims? Is he going to share the message of �Compassion, Forgiveness, and Mercy�? Compassion (Maithri), forgiveness, and mercy are the recurrent, common themes in all religions. Pope Francis� visit coincides with a watershed moment, both politically and spiritually, in Sri Lanka. Politically, it is not the time to gloat, avenge, or take revenge; spiritually, more..

Jan 11 (MoD) Former Secretary to the Ministry of Environment and Renewable Energy Mr. BMUD Basnayaka assumed his duties auspiciously as the Secretary to the Ministry of Defence and Urban Development in a function held at the Defence Ministry premises. Mr. Basnayaka, a renowned member of the Sri Lanka Administrative Service who is having a vast experience with a service of over 33 years. more..

Jan 11 (AM) Danasiri Amaratunga, Mayor of Dehiwala- Mt. Lavinia Municipal Council, and several other supporters of the UPFA are engaging in a propaganda campaign on social media, inciting communal feelings against the Tamil community of SL. Amaratunga and his fellow UPFA supporters have shared old pictures of Pro-LTTE protests in other countries to portray that the Tamil Diaspora members are celebrating the victory of newly elected President Maithripala Sirisena. more..

Jan 11 (Xinhua) Chinese Premier Li Keqiang offered congratulations to Ranil Wickremesinghe on his assumption of Sri Lanka's premiership. In his congratulatory message, Li said that as traditional friendly neighbors, China and Sri Lanka will mark the upcoming 58th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations. China and Sri Lanka have maintained close contact and frequent exchanges at various levels and conducted fruitful cooperation in various areas, Li said, more..

Jan 11 (Reuters) Sri Lanka's new govt promised a tolerant new era of religious harmony and political freedom for the Indian Ocean island nation after years of mounting repression under the decade-old regime defeated in an election on Friday. In an address to the nation on Sunday, President Maithripala Sirisena vowed to put an end to the corruption and nepotism that marred the reputation of his predecessor Mahinda Rajapkasa, more..

Jan 11 (DM) The Police Department said today that Colombo � Negambo Road will be closed from 6 p.m. on January 12 to noon of January 13 due to the visit of the Pope. SSP Ajith Rohana said during the time Katunayake- Colombo Expressway could be used toll free for all vehicles including three-wheelers and motor-cycles. SSP Rohana said vehicles traveling towards to Colombo from Negombo and Chillaw via Colombo � Negambo Road would be opened until 5 am on Jan 13. more..

Jan 11 (EN) President Maithripala Sirisena had demarcated the operational scope of defence, finance and information ministries, as a first step in formulating the number of ministries in the new administration. Urban development has been dropped from defence. The decision published in the state gazette said other areas and state departments will remain with the President until decisions are made. Rajitha Senaratne, a close ally of the President Sirisena told reporters more..