Dec 8 (IT) Foreign Minister Sarath Amunugama dispelled concerns of China taking over a strategic port located on the southern part of the island nation and of Colombo drifting into Beijing's sphere of influence. India will always be SL's first choice, Amunugama said. Amunugama underlined that Sri Lanka does not want to be dragged into military and strategic interests of any country and that Sri Lanka will protect its sovereignty. more..

Dec 8 (CT) The National Dengue Control Programme (NDP) expressed concern regarding the increasing number of mosquito breeding sites � mainly in the Western Province. Consultant Community Physician of the NDP, Preshila Samaraweera responding to questions said the rains experienced since the end of last month were worrisome owing to the mounting number of mosquito breeding sites. more..

Dec 8 (AD) The Leader of the SLMC, Rauff Hakeem, states that they cannot accept President�s appointment of Mahinda Rajapaksa as the PM. MP Hakeem said that they should somehow resolve the crisis that has occurred. He also stated that the action to be taken if they do not receive the vote of the majority, should be discussed as well. Stating that some attempt should be made to resolve issues with both parties, more..

Dec 8 (DM) Former Chief Justice Sarath N Silva said the President had been vested with powers to dissolve Parliament under 33 (2) C of the 19th Amendment. He said that this special provision was incorporated into the Constitution under duties, powers and functions of the President in accordance with the judgment of the Supreme Court. He said this special provision says that �in addition to the powers, duties & functions more..

Dec 8 (Hindu) PM Ranil Wickremesinghe said he is willing to work with President Sirisena, who abruptly sacked him on Oct 26, if given a chance to prove his majority in Parliament. Caught in an unprecedented power struggle, Mr. Wickremesinghe is trying to claim legitimacy as the PM, after Mr. Sirisena appointed former Prez Rajapaksa in his place and subsequently prorogued Parliament until Nov 16. more..

Dec 8 (AD) Another group of MPs were sworn in as Cabinet Ministers and State Ministers before President Maithripala Sirisena today at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo. Accordingly, two new ministers and 5 new state ministers were appointed. Bandula Gunawardena was appointed the Minister of International Trade and Investment Promotion while Susil Premajayantha received the ministerial portfolios of Public Administration, more..

Nov 8 (CT) Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe recently said the country�s education mechanism does not impart the required Arts and Culture knowledge to children and went on to say that if literature should not be studied merely as a subject and that should be inculcated in them. Minister�s statement is a fact as the country�s education mechanism does not contribute to the holistic development of a child, but instead it compels him to enter a rat race by making him cram books more..

Nov 8 (FT) The recent decision by the Prez to appoint a PM following a changing of the composition of the Cabinet of Ministers and the simultaneous prorogation of the Parliament has caused a mayhem leading to a tense political situation. Several parties in addition to the parliamentarians representing different segments of the society seem to be seriously involved in this embroil. Latest is the exacerbation of the confusion consequential to Speaker�s announcement more..

Nov 8 (NR) US citizens in Colombo have been warned of possible traffic congestion along several roads owing to a planned vehicle procession organised by several political groups today. The US Embassy in Colombo issuing an advisory said the planned vehicle procession travelling from Galle Face Green to Parliament that commenced at noon today will likely result in heavy traffic along the roads and possible road closures. Issuing a statement on its official website the US Embassy said more..

Nov 8 (NR) The UNP says the country�s forward path has been derailed by the President�s action on the 26th of Oct. MP Sujeewa Senasinghe said the President must respect the mandate given by 6.2 million voters. MP Senasinghe noted UNP supporters voted for the President and not to elect Mahinda Rajapaksa as the PM. He stressed if the President had concerns there were ways to solve them adding that�s how one should engage in politics. more..

Nov 8 (CI) On the third day of a Galle Test that has defied most predictions, Keaton Jennings produced an exceptional, unbeaten hundred, Ben Stokes provided a half-century and Ben Foakes and Jos Buttler made middling contributions to propel England to a virtually unassailable position. The visitors were 446 runs ahead at stumps, with Sri Lanka's having had to bat seven overs following a declaration, as the day waned. more..

Nov 8 (NR) Owner of Perpetual Treasuries Limited Arjun Aloysius and CEO Kasun Palisena, arrested over the controversial Central Bank Bond issuance, have been further remanded until the 21st of Nov. The order was issued by Colombo Fort Magistrate Ranga Dissanayake. Meanwhile, the Magistrate has ordered the CID to expedite investigations into the case. Magistrate today granted permission for PTL Chairman Geoffrey Aloysius to leave overseas, after considering a motion submitted by defence. more..

Nov 8 (AD) A 32-year-old suspect has been arrested along with 75 grams and 130 milligrams of heroin valued at around Rs 1 million at Angulana. Suspect was nabbed following a raid carried last evening by officers of the Walana anti-vice squad, based on information received, at a house located on Podujana Mawatha, Angulana. The arrested suspect has been identified as Wanni Arachchi Dinesh Perera alias Sana. Four luxury vehicles found at the suspect�s house was also taken into custody more..

Nov 8 (DM) While saying that he was aware of the incident that occurred at the fourth floor of the CEYPETCO House on Oct 28, former Petroleum Minister Arjuna Ranatunga claimed that spreading of false news relating to the incident had tarnished his and his family�s image. After showing CCTV footage at a media briefing in Colombo today he said the people who were involved in the incident were roaming free and the person who tried more..

Nov 8 (AM) Twelve Muslim MPs representing the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) and All Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMC) have let for Mecca on a pilgrimage. Sources said the MPs would return to the country on November 12 or 13, just before the floor vote in Parliament which will determine the government's strength in the House. Before they left for Mecca, all Muslim MPs representing the two parties pledged their support to UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe. more..

Nov 8 (CI) James Anderson has been given a second demerit point in as many Tests after being found to have shown dissent in Galle. Anderson was seen to throw the ball into the ground after a disagreement with umpire Chris Gaffaney following a warning for running on the pitch. He was subsequently found to have violated Article 2.8 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to "showing dissent at an umpire's decision during more..

Nov 8 (AD) Minister S.B. Dissanayake has been appointed as the Chief Govt Whip, according to MP Dilan Perera. He said that the minister will officially assume duties in that position tomorrow. Last week, the UPFA Parliamentary Group had decided to appoint MP Dinesh Gunawardena as the Leader of House while they had decided to postpone the appointment of the Chief Government Whip by several days. Dissanayake was also appointed as the Minister of Highways and more..

Nov 8 (AD) Former Northern Province Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran has handed over a letter marking his withdrawal from ITAK. Reportedly, he had handed over the letter to Leader of ITAK Mavai Senathirajah at the TNA part office in Jaffna, this morning. After handing over the letter, Wigneswaran has stated that his future political activities will be conducted under his newly formed party Tamil Makkal Koottani (TMK). However, he will not keep away from political activities in Northern more..

Nov 8 (AFP) Having crushed the Tamil Tigers' rebellion, former president and skilled political operator Mahinda Rajapaksa is nothing short of a messiah for many Sri Lankans. But ahead of his possible second coming, others are full of dread. The mustachioed and charismatic Mr Rajapaksa came roaring back into national life last month when he was appointed PM, triggering a constitutional crisis as more..

Nov 8 (DM) The National University Teachers� Association (NUTA) yesterday complained to the Bribery Commission against Speaker Karu Jayasuriya. NUTA, in its complaint signed by three University academics, said the Speaker�s acts, done in favour of the wrongful or unlawful benefit or to confer a favour or advantage to former PM Ranil Wickremesinghe, would amount to corruption as defined by Section 70 of the Bribery Act as amended by Act No 20 of 1994. more..

Nov 8 (NR) The JHU says the general public are eagerly awaiting a floor test when Parliament reconvenes on the 14th of Nov. Vice Chairman of the JHU, Karunarathna Paranawithana said, several UPFA factions are attempting to derail the Parliamentary democracy. He said a vote must be taken on the 14th to end the present political instability in the country. He added at a time that the country is anticipating a solution, groups are proposing various other matters to delay more..

Nov 8 (DM) Three UPFA stalwarts today vowed that there will be no dissolution of Parliament, early Presidential or General election or a referendum to come over the current political and constitutional crisis and added however that the new govt would do its utmost to hold the Provincial Council polls as early as possible. Minister S.B. Dissanayaka, MPs Dilan Perera and Thilanga Sumathipala told the media more..

Nov 8 (DM) Some ex-UNP ministers were attempting to mislead the public by proclaiming that the country was leading towards anarchy, Minister Susil Premajayantha said today. He said it was during their Govt that the country stagnated and remained in anarchy. �Ex-UNP ministers including ousted premier Ranil Wickremesinghe pretend to be genuine and smart before envoys and international community and tell them that SL has shifted to the Westminster system from the Prez system,� more..

Nov 8 (AD) Minister S.B. Dissanayake says that they invited every member of the UNP apart from former PM Ranil Wickremesinghe to crossover and support the new govt. �We invited everyone except Ranil. That is my duty,� he said. However, he added that they never offered to pay money to any MP to crossover and that no one even asked him about such a thing. Dissanayake further said that the govt will not be going for a general election at this moment and that despite the existence of more..

Nov 8 (CI) Thus far in the Test, SL's spinners have possibly been outperformed by England's. That is suggested by the statistics - England's spinners have taken their wickets at 18.5 apiece, while SL's average 42.25 in the Test. But it is also the opinion of SL's own spin bowling coach, Piyal Wijetunge. The reason, he feels, is that Sri Lanka's slow bowlers did not adapt well to their own surface. England's spinners, meanwhile, more..

Nov 8 (DM) Prez Sirisena has appointed Mahinda Rajapaksa as the new PM under Sections 42(4) and 43(3) of the Constitution and published it in the Gazette, and therefore Speaker Karu Jayasuriya has to go by the gazette notification, Dr. Nalin de Silva said today. Asked for a comment on the current political situation, Dr. de Silva who analyzes politics, said the Speaker had no powers from either the Constitution or the Standing Orders of Parliament to go against the President. more..

Nov 8 (CT) Certain projects carried out by the previous Govt that benefited the country will be continued after the adjustment of certain oversights, said Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe yesterday. He added that whilst the Gamperaliya Project has been introduced to a few areas under the previous regime, the current Govt will ensure that necessary finances will reach the remaining areas as well for project implementation. He also said that the President has requested that more..

Nov 8 (DM) The UNP will explore the possibility of removing President Sirinsena in conformity with Article 38 (2) of the Constitution, the party�s media spokesman Harin Fernando said today. Article 38(2) says, �Any MP may, by a writing addressed to the Speaker, give notice of a resolution alleging that the President is permanently incapable of discharging the functions of his office by reason of mental or physical infirmity or more..

Nov 9 (FT) As we struggle to put it down in black and white today, the writing on the wall is still visible if fading. It suggests that Sri Lanka as an emerging democratic republic has been weighed in the scales and found wanting in the balance. And not simply because a despicable coup threw us off equilibrium. But because our myriad responses indicate a nation-state deeply riven. There is much to be said for democracy: the worst form of govt � except for all the others. more..

Nov 9 (Island) The outcome of the 2015 general election was such that no political party secured a majority to form a govt. Consequently, it became a matter of necessity to form a coalition. This led to the two political parties with the largest majorities (UNFGG with 106 and UPFA with 95) to commit to the formation of a National Govt under provisions of Article 46 (4) and 46 (5). These constitutional provisions not only helped form a majority govt but also created the opportunity to increase more..

Nov 9 (CT) Former Minister Rajitha Senaratne says the new PM Mahinda Rajapaksa has been appointed violating the provisions in the Constitution and is now struggling to find a majority. Q: What happened to the Yahapalana Govt? Why were, you all chased away from govt at an unexpected moment? A: This was done by the President, at a time when no one expected it. Those in the SLFP also say they were unaware of it more..

Nov 9 (CT) Despite every defence of the act, there can be no denying the fact that Prez Sirisena�s surprise decision to sack PM Ranil Wickremesinghe and replace him with his SLFP predecessor Mahinda Rajapaksa is nothing short of a constitutional coup. The President, though only next to the Supreme Court, is considered the watchdog of the Constitution and the Nation�s democracy, but in one single stroke, he has questioned the underlying principles of SL�s nationhood more..

Nov 9 (CT) I am feeling lost and so is my dear nation, still failing to realize the sheer folly of entrusting it to those who are not fit even to manage a wayside shop, let alone this Pearl of the Indian Ocean. A coalition of disparate parties has crumbled into disarray with dirty political games being played; sadly in the name of democracy. With the latest political crisis, country may well be re-entering the era of deep fracturing of polity, a climate that bred authoritarianism and more..

Nov 9 (Roar) We meet Hassan Esufally on a grey and windy afternoon. There is a steady drizzle of rain, and puddles are filling the streets. It is the sort of day that is ripe for curling up indoors with a mug of hot coffee, but Hassan greets us in his running gear. �I will be heading to the Swimming Club for a workout after we talk,� he explains, as he ushers us inside. It is Thursday, so he will be doing a strengthening and more..

Nov 9 (CT) I have long realized that good outcomes are swiftly perverted. This has been the case in particular with regard to the results of national elections, whether the party I voted for won or lost. The only exception was the election of President Premadasa in 1988, when the Liberal Party supported Mrs. Bandaranaike, and indeed wrote a large part of her manifesto. Premadasa proved a capable President, in the short period during which he could actually work, after overcoming more..

Nov 9 (DM) Who is the winner of the current political game? No doubt, it is President Maithripala Sirisena, in spite of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa seeming to be. Before the President unseated PM Ranil Wickremesinghe to replace him with Rajapaksa on Oct 26, he had virtually been left destitute politically, with a bleak future. The return of Rajapaksa which the President himself feared once, had been only a matter of time, after the Feb 10 Local Govt elections. more..

Nov 9 (CT) I am feeling lost and so is my dear nation, still failing to realize the sheer folly of entrusting it to those who are not fit even to manage a wayside shop, let alone this Pearl of the Indian Ocean. A coalition of disparate parties has crumbled into disarray with dirty political games being played; sadly in the name of democracy. With the latest political crisis, country may well be re-entering the era of deep fracturing of polity, a climate that bred authoritarianism and more..