Jan 3 (Island) Leader of the JVP breakaway group, Frontline Socialist Party (FSP), Kumar Gunaratnam alias Noel Mudalige, has returned to Sri Lanka, compounding the JVP�s woes. In an interview with this newspaper he has made no bones about the fact that he is here to cause another split in the JVP which, he says, is busy digging its own political grave. The JVP and the FSP are acting like two greedy siblings engaged in a quarrel over a bankrupt family business! more..

Jan 3 (CI) A Mahela Jayawardene hundred at the SSC, a Rangana Herath five-for in Galle, a manful overseas record for Kumar Sangakkara, and a double-digit batting collapse: beyond these, there are few certainties in Sri Lankan cricket. Fans have dared not expect much more. Except that 2014 was different. It was kinda great. There were deflating losses too, particularly towards the back end, but in characteristic SL style, more..

Jan 3 (ST) On the subject of Lankan cricketers being housed in New Zealand on Sri Lanka Cricket�s account for six days along with their spouses prior to the World Cup, the Lankan cricket authority has sent the following clarification. �During their stay on completion of the NZ series the players and support staff will remain and the cost will be covered by SLC [Accommodation, and allowances] and the players and support staff can have their wives along with them and the cost of air ticket will more..

Jan 3 (ST) The race for the national billiards title for almost over two decades has been a one-sided affair with Khobala Hewamunage Sirisoma, popularly known as K.H. Sirisoma or �Sira� who lifted the plum for a record 23rd time a few days ago, having little opposition since he first won it in 1985. Sirisoma who has been involved with the cue game since 1979 for three and a half decades, set the new record of winning the national billiards title of 17 in 2006, eclipsing M.J.M. Lafir. more..

Jan 3 (ST) In those early days of cricket, when the shepherds played a game which they called cricket, the basic rule for a batsman to get out was the ball hitting the wicket. The wicket was the gate to their meadow where they herded their sheep. Four hundred years hence we do accept that the game has evolved, to the level of a professional sport played by a variety of people all around the globe. But, still what I cannot understand is how they could say that more..

Jan 3 (Island) There is much expectation that this would be a year of history, which is in the making. Come Jan 8 � just five days ahead � history will be made in one way or the other. Either with the victory of Mahinda Rajapaksa, as the first ever third term Executive President of Sri Lanka, or the rise of the name of Maithree � with all that it means in our culture and despite efforts to scrap it heard on public radio � to the heights of executive office, which he pledges to be rid of with speed. more..

Jan 3 (FT) Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute for International Relations and Strategic Studies (LKIIRSS) released its annual flagship research journal, the �Kadirgamar Review� on 1 January. Launched in 2012, this year the Institute published its third volume. Asanga Abeyagoonasekera the Executive Director of the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute, presented the Kadirgamar Review, to Suganthie Kadirgamar. The Kadirgamar Review is a scholarly journal published annually. more..

Jan 3 (ST) While a heated debate has emerged over the exorbitant cost of constructing the northern railway and other highways, the Railway Track and Bridge Managers� Union said it had submitted a proposal in 2011 to the government urging the authorities to use their skills instead of importing skills for these mega projects. In a series of articles appearing in the Business Times, economists and railway experts pointed out more..

Jan 3 (Island) "It is important to make people feel appreciated; it is through this that we enable them to achieve their fullest potential", Lalith De Silva, Group CEO of SLT said recently as he stressed on the need for such values to be inculcated in our society, starting from the younger generations. He made these comments at an awards ceremony held for SLT's recently concluded art and essay competition on the theme 'Kalaguna Salakeema'. This competition, held for school children in more..

Jan 3 (FT) SriLankan Airlines in its unbending mission to maintain the highest standards as the trademark national carrier has renewed its registration under the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) and IATA Safety Audit for Ground operations (ISAGO) for the years 2015-2016 in conformity with standards introduced by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to maintain aviation safety and quality. IOSA assess the airline on eight operational scopes and ISAGO level of more..

Jan 3 (Island) A sustained military presence in the Northern and Eastern province was needed to ensure peace and stability, a senior security forces officer said. Those who had been demanding lowering of Jaffna deployment were silent on gradual re-positioning of Jaffna based divisions beginning late 2008. In fact, the army had repositioned troops with more than 60% of its strength there have now moved out of more..

Jan 3 (CT) If Sri Lanka gets good governance, an open economy and foreign relations right, then the tangible effects of economic growth will be felt by its people, market sources told Ceylon FT. This also will then help Sri Lanka to achieve the five hub status as proposed by the Govt of Sri Lanka's Mahinda Chinthana policy document, they said. Those are of being recognized as a maritime hub, air hub, knowledge hub, energy hub and a commercial hub. more..

Jan 3 (CT) They want Mahinda to return to power by forcing the Northerners not to vote, as they did in 2005. "Did you read Tamilnet?" A Sri Lankan diplomat recently asked this from a journalist. "Why?" "You read and call me." The journalist replied, "I read Tamilnet. The Tigers appear to be on the stand they were in 2005." He sounded as if terrified by a nightmare. Diplomat laughed without saying a word. It is not difficult to understand the LTTE's position when Tamilnet is read. more..

Jan 3 (CT) Two businessmen became parties to the highest-ever bet placed on a presidential election, having officially, in the presence of a President's Counsel in Colombo, wagered a sum of Rs 1 billion. The forthcoming presidential election has been the most vibrant topic as of late, and many bets have been placed. Sources indicate that Hambantota, Galle, Matara, Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa have also more..

Jan 3 (Island) Petitioner N. Kodituwakku, Attorney-at-law of Nugegoda, yesterday withdrew ta petition he had earlier filed in the Court of Appeal complaining against Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya for having allowed President Rajapaksa to seek a third term. The petitioner had wanted the candidature of President Mahinda Rajapksa cancelled by Court. Among the respondents were the Commissioner of Elections, the IGP, the former Chief Justice more..

Jan 3 (Island) The Deputy Solicitor General, Arjuna Obeysekera, yesterday told the Court of Appeal that the IGP had promptly responded to the undertaking given to the Court to remove election-related hoardings and posters from all the places included in the list, given by the Bar Association of Sri Lanka and photographs of cleared places were submitted. The Deputy Solicitor General, appeared for the Attorney General the Commissioner of Elections and the IGP, made respondents in a Writ more..

Jan 3 (Island) Alleging that more than half of 19 candidates in the presidential fray hadn�t been actively promoting their candidature with three of them having already pledged their support to another candidate, Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya, has intervened to prevent President Rajapaksa and Opposition presidential candidate Maithripala Sirisena from exploiting the situation. more..

Jan 3 (FT) Common opposition presidential candidate Maithripala Sirisena on Thursday said the end of the current despotic regime is nearing and a new Government will be in power next week. Addressing a public rally in Borella presidential candidate of the NDF said that the reign of President Mahinda Rajapaksa will come to an end in another seven days. Sirisena noted that the current administration is attempting to seek another eight years in office by calling for early elections. more..

Jan 3 (ENS) Come April 2015, selected Student Police Cadets (SPC) in the state will have an all-expenses paid trip to Sri Lanka. During the week-long tour, the cadets will have an interaction programme with SL president Rajapaksa who had sought the state�s help to emulate the programme in the island nation. SPC state nodal officer DIG P Vijayan said the tour programme was part of the island nation�s plan to replicate the project. �We have been asked to send a 25-member more..

Jan 3 (Island) UNP trade union Jathika Sevaka Sangamaya (JSS) yesterday met in special session at Sirikotha and unanimously resolved to back NDF Presidential candidate Maithripala Sirisena. Head of UNP Trade Unions Joseph Michael Perera MP said that it was heartening to see all JSS members uniting as never before and pledging their support to Sirisena. JSS members obviously see a great future for them under more..

Jan 3 (CT) The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) condemned the 30 December attack on lawyer Channa Galappattige by two relatives of a Cabinet minister. Galappattige was attacked at Nawalapitiya, when returning home after attending an Opposition election rally. Galappattige is in a critical condition and he is receiving treatment at the intensive care unit of Kandy General Hospital, the BASL revealed. Galappattige's head and a leg were injured in the attack. more..

Jan 3 (CT) The forthcoming election was about getting rid of the LTTE which killed people and a government that has killed the economy, JHU Secretary Champika Ranawaka said. The TNA's decision to support Opposition common candidate Maithripala Sirisena presented no issue to the JHU, he said. There was no hidden agreement between the TNA and the common Opposition candidate. The TNA had in mind the need for democracy, good governance and the rule of law. more..

Jan 3 (Island) President Rajapaksa yesterday pledged to restore the honour and dignity of the people of Jaffna and the Northern Province. He was addressing the Momentum Forum in Jaffna for professionals in Jaffna. President Rajapaksa said that support would also be given to set up high tech industries and business off-shoring centres so that new high-paying employment opportunities could be created for the seeking more..

Jan 3 (DM) As the campaign for the crucial January 8 presidential election enters its final stretch a disturbing feature is the extent to which election laws are being violated or blatantly abused, mainly by ruling party politicians, heads of state, departments and corporations. One of the main independent election monitoring groups, the PAFFREL said yesterday it had received as many as 612 complaints of violations of election laws. PAFFREL�s Executive Director, Rohana Hettiarachchi more..

Jan 3 (CT) There may be certain statistics which Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal dished out at a function yesterday that may require fine tuning. For instance, he said that the exchange rate weakened by 0.26% on a year on year (YoY) basis last year, which may not be quite accurate as per the market movement of the ER. Cabraal said this in the course of delivering CBSL's Monetary and Financial Sector Vision for the six year period from 2015 to 2020, at the BMICH yesterday. more..

Jan 3 (DM) Extremism, a centralized power structure and insufficient powers in his ministry had led him to offer his support to Common Opposition Candidate Maithripala Sirisena at the upcoming Presidential Election. Following are some excerpts of an interview with former Deputy Minister for Investment Promotion, Faizer Mustapha. Q: Let�s talk about your cross-over. Why did you decide to support Maithripala Sirisena? more..

Jan 3 (DM) Minister Douglas Devananda, in an interview with, said the practical engagement with the present govt would be the way to resolve the problems confronting the Tamil people in the North. He charged that the NPC, during its 16-month administration had been unable to deliver enough to the people. Mr. Devananda, who is the leader of EPDP, has been a longstanding ally of the govt. more..

Jan 3 (DM) TNA Leader R. Sampanthan said that the TNA was prepared to fully cooperate with the Govt in resolving the Tamil question within a United, Undivided Sri Lanka. �The TNA is the authentic representative of the Tamil People,� he said. �Our decision is based upon certain fundamental issues pertaining to the country as a whole -- issues pertaining to good governance, democracy, supremacy of Parliament, more..

Jan 3 (Island) Of all those rogue elements supporting common opposition presidential candidate Maithripala Sirisena, the TNA was the biggest fraud, leader of the FSP Kumar Gunaratnam said yesterday. "The TNA has been duping the Tamil people for decades and that could be seen from its decision to support Sirisena," Gunaratnam said. He said the TNA posed as the guardian of the Tamil people championing more..

Jan 3 (NYT) When I met Watareka Vijitha Thero in early 2014 in a suburb of Colombo, the Sri Lankan capital, he had been in hiding for nearly five months. The gentle-voiced monk had spoken out against anti-Muslim fearmongering by a hard-line group called the Buddhist Power Force, known by its Sinhalese initials BBS Mr. Vijitha�s car was attacked in retaliation, and he narrowly escaped. �What does it mean for Buddhism if more..

Jan 3 (Island) Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris yesterday alleged that Opposition presidential candidate Maithripala Sirisena had accommodated the TNA and SLMC in his camp at the expense of national interest. He warned that the country was facing an unprecedented crisis due to the SLMC joining Maithripala Sirisena�s camp after having quit the govt over President Rajapaksa�s refusal to amalgamate Kalmunai, more..

Jan 3 (CG) Multiple sources from both political camps told �Asian Mirror� that there will be more crossovers in the next 72 hours. Opposition sources said that several heavyweights of the ruling party, who hold cabinet portfolios, have agreed to join the Common Opposition before January 5. Some are expected to join the final election rally of Common Candidate Maithripala Sirisena which will take place on January 5. more..

Jan 3 (DM) Education Minister Bandula Gunawardana yesterday claimed that the proposed policies of the Common Opposition Candidate were a step towards the end of the free education system in the country. He said Common Opposition Candidate Maithripala Sirisena�s manifesto has proposed a soft bank loan scheme for A/L qualified students who fail university entrance by a whisker. He blamed the media, the FUTA, more..

Jan 3 (CI) Given that there was not much difference in the colour of the pitch from the adjoining square, it was a "pretty easy decision" for Angelo Mathews to bowl after winning the toss at Basin Reserve. Add to that overcast skies and the conditions appeared tailor-made for seamers. That decision seemed to have backfired as no swing or seam was apparent and New Zealand were untroubled till after lunch, scoring at more..

Jan 3 (CG) Tamil diaspora is split on if the Tamils should vote at the Presidential election next week and who they should support. Most diaspora groups refused to openly back the decision taken by the TNA to support common opposition Presidential candidate Maithripala Sirisena at the Jan 8 election. Global Tamil Forum (GTF), a very influential diaspora organisation based in London, which had earlier called on Tamils to vote, more..

Jan 3 (CT) The closure by the LTTE, of the sluice-gates of Mavil Aru on July 26, 2006, was a crucial turning point in the Sri Lankan Civil War. By August 2006, the govt of President Rajapaksa committed to battle the LTTE to reopen the anicut (sluice gate) of Mavil Aru reservoir, which supply drinking and farming water to more than 15,000 families living south of Mavil Aru. President Rajapaksa provided exemplary political leadership to the battling govt troops through his sibling Gotabaya more..

Jan 3 (CT) As we move towards the presidential election on January 8, two years ahead of schedule, we need to carefully consider what we are standing for. To the credit of the Rajapaksa regime, with the end of the war in 2009, there has been some widespread development of infrastructure. Despite these developments there are many disturbing aspects. The development of infrastructure has come at the cost of heavy indebtedness. Colombo City �cleaning up� has displaced many more..

Jan 3 (CT) We believe that the Presidential Election in January 2015 is an opportunity given to all people in Sri Lanka to make an important, significant and a creative decision, in respect of the future of their own country and her people. The run up to the election thus far has not been satisfactory or acceptable at all, from the point of view of the people of the country. It appears that the people have been taken for granted and are being treated as objects with no sense of intelligence or ability to more..

Jan 3 (CT) It was a rare occasion of transcending the ethnic divide and coming together, at least in a small way, to express their concerns about the possible vote rigging on the Election Day and in the counting, among other matters. They have called upon the govt and particularly the President as the Head of the Commonwealth to ensure a free and fair election having realized that so far the election campaigning has been marred by violence against the opposition supporters, more..