Palaly airbase can be developed into a regional airport without further appropriation of land, an Indian government research team has recommended to the Sri Lankan government.

Opportunities for developing Palaly were studied by an Indian government-sponsored team, led by Chennai Airport director Deepak Shastri, in March last year.

A Chief Buddhist prelate commended Sri Lanka President Sirisena’s pledge to protect former army commander Jagath Jayasuriya from any war crimes prosecution, reports dailymirror.lk.

Ven Ella Gunawansa Thera further condemned statements by Field Marshal Minister Sarath Fonseka accusing Jayasuriya of being responsible for war crimes. Dismissing findings of the UN investigation into Sri Lanka's atrocities, he said, 

Sri Lanka's proposed New Inland Revenue Act will stop ministers from being able to grant discretionary tax concessions, the country's finance minister was quoted by LBO as saying. 

The move is aimed at ensuring the system of tax concessions is not subject to abuse. 

Under the new Act, there will be 8 concessionary loan schemes for specific workers, including small and medium scale industrialists, farmers, journalists and entrepreneurs. 

Sri Lanka's State Minister of Defence, Ruwan Wijewardene on Saturday attempted to distance the government from statements made by the minister and Field Marshall Sarath Fonseka, stating that Mr Fonseka had been expressing his "own personal view. 

Mr Fonseka last week said he was prepared to stand as a witness against the former military general Jagath Jayasuriya who had to flee Brazil after human rights organisations filed law suits in Brazil, Peru and Chile over allegations of war crimes. 

Sri Lanka's prime minister on Saturday announced the draft 20th Amendment to the constitution would be amended to ensure that the provincial council elections would take place by the end of next year. 

The proposed Amendment seeks to hold all nine PC elections on the same day. Mr Wickremesinghe's comment came after the proposed Amendment faced widespread criticism from local bodies to election monitors who condemned the postponement of elections. 

The Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) this week called for the Field Marshall Sarath Fonseka to be arrested "for withholding evidence in connection with the war crime charges levelled against former army commander (Rtd) General Jagath Jayasuriya, the Daily Mirror reported. 

"Mr Fonseka betrayed the Army for the second time and therefore could be known as the biggest traitor in the world," the PHU leader Udaya Gammanpila told the paper. 

Sri Lanka’s ambassador to the United Nations maintained that security forces “never” deployed cluster munitions during the island’s armed conflict, whilst stating his government was currently reviewing the process of acceding to the convention banning their use in Geneva today.

The Sri Lankan Army has released a school being used as an army base in the Kankensanthurai area, although the lands surrounding the school remain occupied by the army.

The granting of GSP+ trade concessions and the lifting of a ban on Sri Lanka’s fishing exports by the European Union has opened up access to a market worth Rs. 7 billion claims a Sri Lankan minister.

Sri Lanka’s Minister of Primary Industries Daya Gamage made the claim whilst speaking to shrimp farmers in Puttalam who have come under pressure due to ongoing dry weather.

Sri Lanka’s Court of Appeals has said it will hear the case on the murder of Tamil National Alliance MP Nadarajah Raviraj in December of this year, more than 11 years after his assassination.

The appeal, lodged by Shashikala Raviraj, the wife of the murdered parliamentarian, challenges the Colombo High Court's judgment on the case last year. An all Sinhala jury had acquitted three navy intelligence officials and two members of the Karuna group accused of the murder after a month long trial.