The GSP+ is coming up for review mid this year with the government mustering all its resources to make sure the GSP+ continues for another three years even as the west shows growing concern over human rights violations and civilian casualties of war.

Sri Lankans travelling abroad would soon have the luxury of avoiding traffic snarls on the Colombo-Katunayake road by popping into an exclusive train straight to the airport – baggage and all – if a mega US$750 million infrastructure project being promoted by the Bank of Ceylon (BOC) gets off the ground.

With the cancellation of the Cease-Fire Agreement (CFA), which anyway was not working, and escalating clashes between government troops and the LTTE, there is no doubt that war is at our doorstep.The authorities have alerted the nation to a state of high alert with roadblocks, security checks and extra security at schools.