A report by Sri Lankan bank Capital Alliance has said that India and China would likely be the source of the majority of tourist arrivals in the coming years.

Arrivals from Western Europe are expected to taper off with a decreasing rate of growth. The report pointed out that the financial crisis does not seem to have had an impact on tourists travelling abroad from Europe.

In a written statement released today, the National President of the Sikh Students Federation of India, Parmjeet Singh Gazi, called for a cancellation of the death sentence issued to Murugan, Santhan and Perarivalan.

Sri Lanka’s trade deficit in the first half of 2011 widened 62.7 percent to $4.25 billion.

See The Island's report here.

Export earnings grew 35 percent to $ 5.06 billion, but imports grew faster at 46 percent to $9.3 billon.

Expatriates' remittances ($2.5bn) were greater than earnings from garments ($2 bn).

The Madras High Court stayed the execution of the three Tamils sentenced to death for their alleged part in the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi on Tuesday.

The execution was due to take place on the 9th September.

The interim stay of 8 weeks was announced in order to give time for consideration of petitions submitted by the three accused - Perarivalan, Santhan and Murugan.

Tamil Nadu chief minister, Jayalalithaa, stated Monday that India's President alone had the power to grant clemency to the 3 Tamils, sentenced to death for their alleged part in the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi.

Responding to the growing calls from across the political spectrum urging the chief minister to intervene, Jayalalithaa rejected the notion that Article 161 of the Indian constitution gave any such powers to the State government or chief minister.

"I don't have any power to alter the Presidential order rejecting the mercy petitions of the three -- Murugan, Perarivalan and Santhan, " she told the Tamil Nadu Assembly.

Quoting directly from a Home Ministry directive, Jayalalithaa stated:

"However, if there is a change of circumstances or if any new material is available, the condemned person himself or anyone on his behalf may make a fresh application to the President for reconsideration of the earlier order."

"Once the President has rejected a mercy petition, all future applications in this behalf should be addressed to and would be dealt with by the President."

Speaking at the JHU's 8th party convention, general secretary Champika Ranawaka urged the party to develop a Sri Lanka that will 'suit our culture [and] people'.

Referring to 'certain forces' attempting to take Sri Lanka into a 'dark future' through forceful constitutional changes and a 'mental operation' against the government, he rallied JHU members to 'protect the peace we gained'.

Extracts from Ranawaka's address:

“As long as [war crimes perpetrators] are alive – however old they are, however long ago their crimes were committed – justice would seem to be served by punishment.

“Reconciliations and amnesties are a postponement of justice in the hope that the victims' relatives will die off and their descendants will lose all interest in the outrages of the past. Unlikely. Who now remembers the Armenians, Hitler asked? Millions of people, is my reply.”

The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, J. Jayalalitha, recently stated that she does not have the power to commute the death sentences on three people for their alleged roles in the assassination of former Premier Rajiv Gandhi.

Technically, it is the Governor of Tamil Nadu who has this power. But the Tamil Nadu council of ministers can so advice the Governor. 

"It is likely that corruption and political patronage are significant factors playing into the focus on Hambantota.  Often when Chinese companies win contracts, their success is due in part on their widespread distribution of graft to senior Sri Lankan government officials."

"While it is currently unknown to what extent President Mahinda Rajapaksa is involved in Hambantota development, it seems logical that his hand is also out when commercial enterprises, especially the Chinese, jockey for contracts and projects."