2015 Speedway Grand Prix of Scandinavia, Results, Heat details
e: retired or mechanical failure • m: exclusion for exceeding two minute time allowance • t: exclusion for touching the tapes • x: other exclusion • f: fellns: non-starter • nc: non-classifySemi-finals: Heat 21: Riders placed 1st, 4th, 6th & 7th in the intermediate classification (after 20 heats)Heat 22: Riders placed 2nd, 3rd, 5th & 8th in the intermediate classification (after 20 heats)Big Final (heat 23): The first and second placed riders in each of the Semi-Finals


2015 Speedway Grand Prix of Slovenia
The 2015 Mitas Slovenian FIM Speedway Grand Prix was the ninth race of the 2015 Speedway Grand Prix season. It took place on September 12 at the Matija Gubec Stadium in Krško, Slovenia.


2015 Speedway Grand Prix of Slovenia, Riders
First reserve Peter Kildemand replaced Jarosław Hampel, who had injured himself during the 2015 Speedway World Cup. The Speedway Grand Prix Commission also nominated Aleksander Čonda as the wild card, and Denis Štojs and Žiga Kovačič both as Track Reserves.


2015 Speedway Grand Prix of Slovenia, Results
The Grand Prix was won by Greg Hancock, who beat Tai Woffinden, Peter Kildemand and Nicki Pedersen in the final. Hancock only dropped one point in the entire meeting, finishing to Jason Doyle in heat 18. Overall, Woffinden extended his lead in the world title race to 25 points, with Hancock leapfrogging Pedersen into second place.


2015 Speedway Grand Prix of Slovenia, Results, Heat details
e: retired or mechanical failure • m: exclusion for exceeding two minute time allowance • t: exclusion for touching the tapes • x: other exclusion • f: fellns: non-starter • nc: non-classifySemi-finals: Heat 21: Riders placed 1st, 4th, 6th & 7th in the intermediate classification (after 20 heats)Heat 22: Riders placed 2nd, 3rd, 5th & 8th in the intermediate classification (after 20 heats)Big Final (heat 23): The first and second placed riders in each of the Semi-Finals


2015 Speedway Grand Prix of Sweden
The 2015 Swedish FIM Speedway Grand Prix was the sixth race of the 2015 Speedway Grand Prix season. It took place on July 25 at the G&B Arena in Målilla, Sweden.


2015 Speedway Grand Prix of Sweden, Riders
First reserve Peter Kildemand replaced Jarosław Hampel, who had injured himself during the 2015 Speedway World Cup. The Speedway Grand Prix Commission also nominated Antonio Lindbäck as the wild card, and Linus Sundström and Peter Ljung both as Track Reserves.


2015 Speedway Grand Prix of Sweden, Results
The Grand Prix was won by Nicki Pedersen, who beat Tai Woffinden, Antonio Lindbäck and Matej Žagar in the final. Woffinden had initially top scored with 13 points during the qualifying rides, however Pedersen outgated his rivals in the final and stayed ahead to claim the top spot on the podium. Despite finishing second, Woffinden maintained his nine-point lead over Pedersen in the race for the world title.


2015 Speedway Grand Prix of Sweden, Results, Heat details
e: retired or mechanical failure • m: exclusion for exceeding two minute time allowance • t: exclusion for touching the tapes • x: other exclusion • f: fellns: non-starter • nc: non-classifySemi-finals: Heat 21: Riders placed 1st, 4th, 6th & 7th in the intermediate classification (after 20 heats)Heat 22: Riders placed 2nd, 3rd, 5th & 8th in the intermediate classification (after 20 heats)Big Final (heat 23): The first and second placed riders in each of the Semi-Finals


2015 Speedway World Cup
The 2015 Monster Energy FIM Speedway World Cup (SWC) was the fifteenth FIM Speedway World Cup, the annual international speedway world championship tournament. It took place between 6 June and 14 June 2015 and involved nine national teams. It was won by Sweden, the first time they have achieved success since 2004. They beat hosts and defending champions Denmark by two points, while Poland edged out Australia to claim third.


2015 Speedway World Cup, Tournament
The final was delayed from 13 Jun until 14 Jun after rain caused the meeting to be abandoned.


2015 Speedway World Cup Event 1
Event One of the 2015 Monster Energy FIM Speedway World Cup was the opening race of the 2015 edition of the Speedway World Cup. It was run on June 6 at Stadion Miejski in Gniezno, Poland and was won by Sweden from hosts Poland, Russia, and the Czech Republic. As a result, Sweden progressed directly to the 2015 Speedway World Cup Final, while Poland and Russia progressed to the 2015 Speedway World Cup Race-off. The Czech Republic were eliminated.


2015 Speedway World Cup Event 1
Sweden were led to victory by Linus Sundström and Antonio Lindbäck, both of whom scored double figures. They were supported by Peter Ljung and Andreas Jonsson, who scored nine and eight points respectively. The meeting was somewhat overshadowed by an injury to Polish captain Jarosław Hampel, who broke his leg in two places after colliding with Russia's Vitaly Belousov in just the fourth heat of the meeting. As a result, Poland were forced to ride the rest of the meeting with just three riders.


2015 Speedway World Cup Event 2
Event Two of the 2015 Monster Energy FIM Speedway World Cup was the second race of the 2015 edition of the Speedway World Cup. It was run on June 8 at the Adrian Flux Arena in King's Lynn, Great Britain and was won by Australia from hosts Great Britain, the United States, and Latvia. As a result, Australia progressed directly to the 2015 Speedway World Cup Final, while Great Britain and the United States progressed to the 2015 Speedway World Cup Race-off. Latvia were eliminated.


2015 Speedway World Cup Event 2
Australia were led to victory by Jason Doyle, and he was well supported by Nick Morris, Troy Batchelor and former world champion Chris Holder. Tai Woffinden and Chris Harris top scored for the hosts, while reigning world champion Greg Hancock starred for the United States.


2015 Speedway World Cup Final
The 2015 Monster Energy FIM Speedway World Cup Final was the last and final race of the 2015 edition of the Speedway World Cup. It was staged on June 14 at the Vojens Speedway Center in Vojens, Denmark, after the initial staging on June 13 was abandoned due to heavy rain. It was won by Sweden, the first time they have achieved success since 2004. They beat hosts and defending champions Denmark by two points, while Poland edged out Australia to claim third.


2015 Speedway World Cup Final
Sweden were led to success by captain Andreas Jonsson and the returning Fredrik Lindgren, while Antonio Lindbäck and Linus Sundström also contributed vital points. With just two heats remaining it looked likely that Denmark would retain their title as they held a four-point lead over the Swedes. Kenneth Bjerre suffered an engine failure in heat 19 though, while Lindgren went on to win the heat and reduce the gap to a single point. Danish captain Niels-Kristian Iversen was then excluded from the final heat, and Jonsson won the re-run to secure a two-point victory for Sweden.


2015 Speedway World Cup Race-off
The 2015 Monster Energy FIM Speedway World Cup Race Off was the third race of the 2015 edition of the Speedway World Cup. It was run on June 11 at the Vojens Speedway Center in Vojens, Denmark and was won by Poland from Great Britain, the United States, and Russia. As a result, Poland progressed to the 2015 Speedway World Cup Final, where they will join hosts and defending champions Denmark, Event One winners Sweden and Event Two winners Australia. Great Britain finished second, but were eliminated from the competition along with the United States and Russia.


2015 Speedway World Cup Race-off
Poland were led to victory by stand-in captain Maciej Janowski, and he was well supported by Krzysztof Buczkowski, Przemysław Pawlicki and Bartosz Zmarzlik, who all scored double figures. Great Britain's Tai Woffinden was the star of the meeting, scoring an unbeaten 21-point maximum. His haul was not enough for his country though, as they fell short of reaching the final by five points. Russia were forced to compete with just three riders after Artem Laguta fell ill and Grigory Laguta broke down en route to the track.


2015 Spelthorne Borough Council election
The 2015 Spelthorne Borough Council election took place on 7 May 2015 to elect all members of Spelthorne Borough Council in England as one of the 2015 local elections, held simultaneously with the General Election.


2015 Spelthorne Borough Council election, Results
Counting three intermittent by-elections (resulting in a Conservative gain and hold and a Liberal Democrat hold) and five defections from the governing party group in the 2011-2015 period (Cllrs Budd, D. Grant, Forsbrey, Rough and Sexton) the results saw these net changes:


2015 Spengler Cup
The 89th Spengler Cup was an ice hockey competition held in Davos, Switzerland between 26 and 31 December 2015. All matches were played at HC Davos's home known as Vaillant Arena. Six competing teams were split into two groups of three (in the round-robin series). The two groups, named Torriani and Cattini, are named after legendary Swiss hockey players Richard 'Bibi' Torriani and the Cattini brothers, Hans and Ferdinand.


2015 Spengler Cup, Teams participating
The list of teams that participated in the tournament are as listed.


2015 Spengler Cup, Statistics, Scoring leaders
GP = Games Played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points


2015 Spike For Peace International Beach Volleyball Tournament
The 2015 Spike For Peace International Beach Volleyball Tournament was an international women's beach volleyball tournament hosted in Pasig, Metro Manila, Philippines from November 29 to December 3, 2015.


2015 Spike For Peace International Beach Volleyball Tournament
The tournament staged by the Philippine Sports Commission thru its beach volleyball consultant Eric Lecain and backed by the FIVB, AVC, POC and the local volleyball federation, the Larong Volleyball sa Pilipinas, Inc. (LVPI) was staged indoors at the PhilSports Arena. 300 m3 (11,000 cu ft) of sand from the Southwoods Golf Course was used for a beach volleyball court which was installed on top of the wooden floor of arena. This was to meet the international standard that calls for a court with sand at least 0.30 m (0.98 ft) thick.


2015 Spike For Peace International Beach Volleyball Tournament
The opening ceremonies held last November 30 was well attended by PSC Chairman Richie Garcia, POC board members Cynthia Carrion and Julian Camacho, LVPI Vice President Peter Cayco and LVPI board members Jeff Tamayo, Ricky Palou and Tatz Suzara.


2015 Spike For Peace International Beach Volleyball Tournament, Participants
14 regular teams (some of them are also playing in the 2016 Rio Olympic qualifiers) participated in the tournament. Canada, China, Poland and Switzerland were also invited but didn't confirm its participation. For the Philippine delegation, Lecain also considered to add the services of Alyssa Valdez and Jovelyn Gonzaga in one of the national teams but was not able to confirmed participation from the two.


2015 Spike For Peace International Beach Volleyball Tournament, Officials
Aside from this, the LVPI helped in the technical aspects of the tournament, including the officiating and the equipment. The organizers paid the sanction fee from the FIVB for the exhibition tournament.


2015 Spike For Peace International Beach Volleyball Tournament, Preliminary round
The 14 teams were divided into 4 pools (3 teams, 3 teams, 4 teams and 4 teams).


2015 Spike For Peace International Beach Volleyball Tournament, Final round, Quarterfinals
The pairings of the quarter finals were determined through the drawing of lots. Each tie consist of one team which topped the pool in the preliminary round and a winner from the contenders bracket.


2015 Spikers' Turf
The Spikers' Turf 1st Season is the inaugural season of the men's volleyball league Spikers' Turf, the counterpart of the women's Shakey's V-League. In 2014, the Shakey's V-League introduced a men's division during its 21st conference. The following year, Sports Vision, the organizers of the Shakey's V-League decided to spin-off the men's vision as a separate tournament, giving birth to the Spikers' Turf.


2015 Spikers' Turf, Open conference
The Open Conference, which started on April 5, 2015 was the inaugural conference of the Spikers' Turf.


2015 Spikers' Turf, Collegiate conference
The Spikers’ Turf Collegiate Conference was the 2nd conference of the Spikers' Turf which started on July 13, 2015  and ended on September 27, 2015 at the Filoil Flying V Arena in San Juan.


2015 Spikers' Turf, Reinforced conference
The Spikers’ Turf Reinforced Open Conference was the 3rd conference of the Spikers' Turf that started on October 10, 2015 at the Filoil Flying V Arena in San Juan.


2015 Spokane Shock season
The 2015 Spokane Shock season was the tenth season for the arena football franchise, and the sixth in the Arena Football League. The team was coached by Andy Olson and played their home games at the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena. The Shock finished with a 7–11 record, but finished second in the Pacific division for a second straight year and once again qualified for the playoffs.


2015 Spokane Shock season, Schedule, Regular season
The 2015 regular season schedule was released on December 19, 2014.


2015 Spokane Shock season, Roster
Rookies in italics updated August 14, 201524 Active, 15 Inactive


2015 SpongeBob SquarePants 400
The 2015 SpongeBob SquarePants 400 was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held on May 9, 2015, ending shortly after midnight on May 10, 2015 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas. Contested over 267 laps on the 1.5 mile (2.4 km) asphalt speedway, it was the 11th race of the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. Jimmie Johnson won the race, his third of the season. Kevin Harvick finished second. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. finished third. Jeff Gordon and Joey Logano rounded out the top five.


2015 SpongeBob SquarePants 400
Joey Logano won the pole for the race. He led 29 laps on his way to a fifth-place finish. Martin Truex, Jr. led 95 laps in the first of four straight races in which he led the most laps on his way to a ninth-place finish. The race had 16 lead changes among ten different drivers, as well as nine caution flag periods for 49 laps. There was one red flag period for two hours, 16 minutes and 30 seconds for heavy rain.


2015 SpongeBob SquarePants 400
This was the 73rd career victory for Jimmie Johnson, third at Kansas Speedway and sixth at the track for Hendrick Motorsports. This win moved Johnson up to third in the points standings. Chevrolet left Kansas with a 44-point lead over Ford in the manufacturer standings.


2015 SpongeBob SquarePants 400
The SpongeBob SquarePants 400 was carried by Fox Sports on the cable/satellite Fox Sports 1 network for the American television audience. The radio broadcast for the race was carried by the Motor Racing Network and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio.


2015 SpongeBob SquarePants 400, Report, Background
Kansas Speedway is a 1.5-mile (2.4 km) tri-oval race track in Kansas City, Kansas. It was built in 2001 and it currently hosts two annual NASCAR race weekends. The Verizon IndyCar Series also raced at here until 2011. The speedway is owned and operated by the International Speedway Corporation.


2015 SpongeBob SquarePants 400, Report, Background
Kevin Harvick entered Kansas with a 40-point lead over Martin Truex Jr. after a fourth-place finish at Talladega. Jimmie Johnson entered 52 back following a runner-up finish the week before at Talladega. Joey Logano entered 59 back. Dale Earnhardt Jr. entered 75 back after winning the previous week at Talladega.


2015 SpongeBob SquarePants 400, Report, Background, Entry list
The entry list for the SpongeBob SquarePants 400 was released on Monday, May 4 at 2:52 p.m. Eastern time. Forty-four cars were entered for the race. Erik Jones, who drove in relief of Denny Hamlin at the 2015 Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway, made his official Sprint Cup Series debut in the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. Joey Gase returned to the No. 32 Go FAS Racing Ford after Bobby Labonte drove it the previous race at Talladega Superspeedway.


2015 SpongeBob SquarePants 400, Report, Background, Entry list
Ty Dillon made his first Cup start since the 2015 Daytona 500 in the No. 33 Hillman-Circle Sport LLC Chevrolet. Brett Moffitt returned to the No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford that he drove in Las Vegas and Phoenix. David Ragan moved to the No. 55 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota after driving the No. 18 Toyota the last nine races.


2015 SpongeBob SquarePants 400, Practice, First practice
Kevin Harvick was the fastest in the first practice session with a time of 28.306 and a speed of 190.772 mph (307.018 km/h).


2015 SpongeBob SquarePants 400, Practice, Final practice
Erik Jones, making his official Sprint Cup Series debut, was the fastest in the final practice session with a time of 28.227 and a speed of 191.306 mph (307.877 km/h). “There’s been a lot of people that have been involved over the past few weeks to get me ready for this,” Jones told Fox Sports 1. “I think a lot of it was preparing mentally, watching videos, watching tape, talking to Kyle (Busch) and my teammates and just trying to get the best information I could out of everybody. It’s pretty cool to be fastest in practice. I know it’s only practice, but it’s still pretty cool. … There’s a lot of great race car drivers. It’s just really an honor to be fastest this practice.”


2015 SpongeBob SquarePants 400, Qualifying
Joey Logano won the pole with a time of 28.067 and a speed of 192.397 mph (309.633 km/h). “We just kind of swung for the fence in the last round and the car drove awesome,” said Logano, who won his twelfth career pole. “It’s not very often you get a car that’s just perfect. I came off Turn 4 and I didn’t know how to go faster than that. … It was a great run, our fourth pole of the season. We just need to rack up some more wins.”


2015 SpongeBob SquarePants 400, Qualifying
“We had our best speed in our last run so that was what we were looking for,” said Kasey Kahne, who turned a lap of 191.911 mph (308.851 km/h). “We’ve been getting better every week I think and that improvement will hopefully carry here to Kansas tomorrow night. We have a fast car and I’m excited.” “I just couldn’t quite find the speed in the last round,” Martin Truex Jr. said. “So, the guys did a good job and we have a good starting spot for tomorrow night.


2015 SpongeBob SquarePants 400, Qualifying
This track has been good to me and hopefully we can do better than we’ve been doing. It’s been good.” “We just got a little better speed in our car and this racetrack has been pretty good for us,” said Greg Biffle, who became the first Roush Fenway Racing driver to make a final round of qualifying this season. “We barely made the first round and barely made the second and then I just drove it – over drove it. I just said I was going to go for it.”


2015 SpongeBob SquarePants 400, Qualifying
“It would make our life so much easier starting up front and having a good pit stall pick,” Jimmie Johnson said. “Middle of the pack……we will fire our way through there and grind it out like we always do and try and I am sure get a great finish out of it. But we know we need to get better on Fridays.” Brendan Gaughan failed to qualify for the race.


2015 SpongeBob SquarePants 400, Race, First half, Start
The race was scheduled to start at 7:46 p.m., but the threat of weather moved the start time up to 7:36. The race started at 7:39 when Joey Logano led the field to the green flag. Going into turn 3, Jimmie Johnson got loose and about took out teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. He was saved by the first caution of the race flew on lap eight for a two car wreck on the backstretch and turn 4. Exiting turn 2, Jeb Burton had a left-front flat and spun out on the backstretch, however at that point the race stayed green. Teammate J. J. Yeley spun and made contact with the wall in turn 4, which caused the caution.


2015 SpongeBob SquarePants 400, Race, First half, Start
The race restarted on lap 13. Alex Bowman dropped to the apron on the front stretch for electrical issues that dropped him to 42nd. The second caution of the race flew on lap 26. This was a scheduled competition caution. Most of the leaders took just two tires on this stop.


2015 SpongeBob SquarePants 400, Race, First half, Threat of rain
The race restarted on lap 30. Kurt Busch went ahead of Logano in turn 3 and took the lead on lap 31. Teammate Kevin Harvick passed him in turn 1 to take the lead on lap 51. Martin Truex Jr. took the lead on lap 58. He hit pit road on lap 79 to pit. This handed the lead to Brad Keselowski. He just about missed pit road trying to enter and handed the lead to Matt Kenseth. He ducked onto pit road on lap 82 and handed the lead to rookie teammate Erik Jones. The lead cycled back to Martin Truex Jr. on lap 84. Michael McDowell was tagged for speeding and served a drive-through penalty.


2015 SpongeBob SquarePants 400, Race, First half, Threat of rain
The third caution of the race flew on lap 95 for a one car spin on the front stretch. Exiting turn 4, Jeb Burton got loose and spun down through the grass. Dale Earnhardt Jr. got back on the lead lap being the first car a lap down. Despite having just been on pit road, all of the lead lap cars pitted. Most took just two tires. Joey Logano was tagged for his crew being over the wall too soon. He was forced to restart from the tail-end of the field. Just before the race was to restart, rain started pouring and the race was red flagged on lap 99. Lightning in the area forced the spotters, camera people and fans to get to cover. The red flag lasted for two hours, 15 minutes and 30 seconds.


2015 SpongeBob SquarePants 400, Race, First half, Restart
The drivers were called back to their cars at 10:30 p.m. The engines were re-fired at 10:58. The red flag was lifted and the cars rolled off pit road at 11:00. The race restarted on lap 108. The fourth caution of the race flew on lap 118 for a one car spin on the front stretch. Exiting turn 4, David Ragan got loose and spun through the grass. He came to a rest on the race logo in the middle of the front stretch. Brad Keselowski opted not to pit and took the lead.


2015 SpongeBob SquarePants 400, Race, First half, Restart
The race restarted on lap 128. The fifth caution of the race flew on lap 131 for a multi-car wreck exiting turn 2. Matt Kenseth got sideways after suffering a flat left-front tire exiting 2 and was able to save it. Tony Stewart, trying to avoid Kenseth, got turned by Brett Moffitt into the wall.


2015 SpongeBob SquarePants 400, Race, Second half, Halfway
The race restarted on lap 135. Brad Keselowski surrendered the lead on lap 164 to pit and handed it to Martin Truex Jr. He ducked onto pit road on lap 176. This handed the lead to Carl Edwards. The sixth caution of the race flew on lap 184 for a single car wreck in turn 3. Going through turn 3, Clint Bowyer came down on Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and spun out. He was tagged again by Stenhouse who was trying to avoid hitting him further and spun around even more.


2015 SpongeBob SquarePants 400, Race, Second half, Halfway
The race restarted with 77 laps to go. The seventh caution of the race flew for Erik Jones hitting the wall in the tri-oval. Exiting turn 4, his car got loose. He overcorrected and turned head first into the wall. Jones took the car to the garage. “I learned a lot about racing upfront and racing these guys,” Jones said later on Fox Sports 1. “I just got loose off 4 and lost it. It’s my fault. I’m ready to do another one. I hope we get a shot at it.”


2015 SpongeBob SquarePants 400, Race, Second half, Fourth quarter
The race restarted with 67 laps to go. Denny Hamlin suffered damage on the restart and pitted to repair it. He crashed in turn 1 and brought out the eighth caution with 60 laps to go. “I think we blew a left-front tire,” Hamlin told FOX Sports 1. He was unhappy with how long it took for NASCAR to throw a caution. “I blew it off of Turn 4, spun out, hit the wall at the start-finish line. I keep spinning, keep hitting the wall and I can’t figure out why everyone is still coming at 200 (mph). I look and the green light is on. They didn’t throw a caution until seven seconds after I wrecked. Luckily no one hit us in the door.” Kyle Larson exited pit road with the lead.


2015 SpongeBob SquarePants 400, Race, Second half, Fourth quarter
The race restarted with 55 laps to go. Kevin Harvick took back the lead with 54 laps to go. The ninth caution of the race flew with twelve laps to go when Stenhouse Jr. slammed the wall in turn 2. Jimmie Johnson opted not to pit when Harvick did under caution and assumed the lead. Paul Menard was tagged for an uncontrolled tire and forced to drop to the tail-end of the field for the restart.


2015 SpongeBob SquarePants 400, Race, Second half, Fourth quarter
After waiving the restart with seven to go, the race restarted with six laps to go. Jimmie Johnson held off a hard charging Kevin Harvick for his 73rd career victory.


2015 SpongeBob SquarePants 400, Race, Post-race, Driver comments
“It was a long hard night of racing and fighting for track position,” Johnson said. “Once we got up front, we were able to hang on for the final eight or nine laps, whatever it was.” Martin Truex Jr. finished ninth after leading a race high 95 laps. “Yeah, definitely not the finish we wanted, obviously, but proud of the guys for the weekend we had, just had good speed all weekend, brought a brand new car here and just proud of that,” Truex Jr. said.


2015 SpongeBob SquarePants 400, Race, Post-race, Driver comments
“It's kind of disappointing, but at the same time proud of the way we ran, and I think it's something we can build off of. We should have either stayed out or took new tires. We probably did the worst thing you could have done there with just staying out and getting gas only, because we ended up being the last guy with no tires. Everybody else behind us had two and they ate us up on the restart. If we'd have taken two, we probably would have come out sixth, been in a pretty good position.”


2015 SpongeBob SquarePants 400, Media, Television
Fox Sports covered their fifth race at Kansas Speedway. Mike Joy, Larry McReynolds and Darrell Waltrip had the call in the booth for the race. Jamie Little, Chris Neville and Matt Yocum handled the pit road duties for the television side. Due to a Major League Baseball game running long on Fox Sports 1, the first 22 minutes of the broadcast was shown on Fox News Channel. The race switched back over to Fox Sports 1 as intended when the ballgame was over.


2015 SpongeBob SquarePants 400, Media, Radio
MRN had the radio call for the race, which was simulcast on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio. Joe Moore, Jeff Striegle and Rusty Wallace called the race in the booth when the field was racing through the tri-oval. Dave Moody called the race from a billboard outside of turn 2 when the field was racing through turns 1 and 2. Kurt Becker called the race from a billboard outside of turn 3 when the field was racing through turns 3 and 4. Alex Hayden, Winston Kelley and Steve Post worked pit road for MRN.


2015 Sport 1 Open
The 2015 Sport 1 Open was a professional tennis tournament played on clay courts. It was the 23rd edition of the tournament which was part of the 2015 ATP Challenger Tour. It took place in Scheveningen, Netherlands between 20 and 26 July 2015.


2015 Sport 1 Open, Singles main draw entrants, Other entrants
The following players received wildcards into the singles main draw:


2015 Sport 1 Open – Doubles
Matwé Middelkoop and Boy Westerhof are the defending champions, but chose not to participate this year.


2015 Sport 1 Open – Doubles
Ariel Behar and Eduardo Dischinger won the title defeating, after Aslan Karatsev and Andrey Kuznetsov retired in the final.


2015 Sport 1 Open – Singles
David Goffin was the defending champion, but he did not participate this year.


2015 Sport 1 Open – Singles
Nikoloz Basilashvili won the tournament. He defeating Andrey Kuznetsov in the final, after saving three match points.


2015 Sport Club Corinthians Paulista season
The 2015 season was the 106th season in the history of Sport Club Corinthians Paulista.


2015 Sport Club Corinthians Paulista season, Background, Squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2015 Sport Club Corinthians Paulista season, Campeonato Paulista
For the 2015 Campeonato Paulista, the 20 teams are divided in four groups of 5 teams (A, B, C, D). They will face all teams, except those that are in their own group, with the top two teams from each group qualifying for the quarter-finals, where they will face each other. The top teams from each group will host the match. The best campaign also guarantees the home advantage for the semi-final as well as hosting the second leg of the finals.


2015 Sport Club Corinthians Paulista season, Copa do Brasil
Due to being qualified to the 2015 Copa Libertadores, Corinthians entered the competition on the Round of 16.


2015 Sporting Kansas City season
The 2015 Sporting Kansas City season was the twentieth season of the team's existence in Major League Soccer and the fifth year played under the Sporting Kansas City moniker.


2015 Sporting Kansas City season
Due to the dissolution of Chivas USA and MLS expansion to New York and Orlando, Sporting Kansas City moved to the Western Conference. Sporting was a member of the Western Conference for its first nine seasons before moving to the Eastern Conference for the previous ten seasons.


2015 Sporting Kansas City season, Squad, First team roster
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Squad correct as of October 13, 2015.


2015 Sporting Kansas City season, Competitions, U.S. Open Cup
Host team listed firstBold = winner* = after extra time, ( ) = penalty shootout score


2015 SportsCar Grand Prix
The 2015 Mobil 1 SportsCar Grand Prix presented by Hawk Performance was a professional sports car racing event held at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park near Bowmanville, Ontario on July 12, 2015. The race was the seventh round of the 2015 United SportsCar Championship season and the event marked the 30th IMSA sanctioned sports car race held at the facility.


2015 SportsCar Grand Prix, Race background
For 2015, the Tudor Championship race featured the Prototype (P) and GT Le Mans (GTLM) classes alongside the Prototype Challenge (PC) class which replaced the GT Daytona (GTD) class which competed at the 2014 edition of the Grand Prix.


2015 SportsCar Grand Prix, Race background
The weekend also included races for the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge, Cooper Tires Prototype Lites, Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA, and the Mazda MX-5 Cup.


2015 SportsCar Grand Prix, Report, Race summary
The race was won overall by Jordan Taylor and Ricky Taylor, driving a Corvette Daytona Prototype for Wayne Taylor Racing. They finished just ahead of a similar car driven by Action Express Racing pairing Dane Cameron and Eric Curran, while the podium was completed by the Ligier JS P2 of Michael Shank Racing, driven by Oswaldo Negri Jr. and John Pew.


2015 SportsCar Grand Prix, Report, Race summary
In eighth place overall, CORE Autosport won the Prototype Challenge class with drivers Jon Bennett and Colin Braun, while the GT Le Mans honors were taken by Porsche North America – run by CORE Autosport – in twelfth place overall, with a Porsche 911 RSR driven by Patrick Pilet and Nick Tandy.


2015 SportsCar Grand Prix, Media, Television
The race was broadcast live by Fox Sports on Fox Sports 1 in the United States and on Fox Sports Racing in Canada, Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. The event was televised internationally by Motors TV in Europe and Network Ten in Australia.


2015 SportsCar Grand Prix, Media, Radio
The race was broadcast by IMSA Radio with announcers John Hindhaugh and Jeremy Shaw calling the race on IMSA.tv and radiolemans.com, which was simulcast on Sirius channel 117 satellite radio and on 90.7 FM at the track.


2015 Springfield Lasers season
The 2015 Springfield Lasers season was the 20th season of the franchise in World TeamTennis (WTT).


2015 Springfield Lasers season
The Lasers had 3 wins and 11 losses, the worst record in WTT in 2015, and failed to qualify for the playoffs.


2015 Springfield Lasers season, Season recap, Trade for Isner and draft
At the WTT Draft on March 16, 2015, it was announced that the Lasers had acquired the top-ranked American player John Isner in a trade with the Boston Lobsters for undisclosed consideration which was presumably financial, since no other players or draft choices were moved in connection with the deal. As the trade was announced, Isner said, "I’m really looking forward to joining the Springfield Lasers. I know Springfield has first-class tennis fans and the Lasers have been extremely close to bringing home the King Trophy the past couple of seasons. I’m very hopeful to help put them over the top in 2015." In the roster portion of the draft, the Lasers protected Anna-Lena Grönefeld and Michael Russell and selected Andre Begemann and roster-exempt player Alison Riske.


2015 Springfield Lasers season, Season recap, Other player transactions
On May 12, 2015, the Lasers signed Shelby Rogers as a substitute player. Rogers was a member of the 2014 WTT Champion Washington Kastles.


2015 Springfield Lasers season, Season recap, Other player transactions
On July 10, 2015, the Lasers announced that Rogers would miss the 2015 season due to an injury. In her place, the Lasers signed Varvara Lepchenko and Sachia Vickery as substitute players.


2015 Springfield Lasers season, Season recap, A season of struggles
Things didn't go well for the Lasers from the start of the season. They lost their first four matches with three of those losses coming at home. They finally broke through with a win in front of the home fans on July 17, against the San Diego Aviators. Anna-Lena Grönefeld and Sachia Vickery earned a key 5–1 set win in women's doubles to help the cause. Grönefeld teamed with Andre Begemann in mixed doubles to win the final set in a tiebreaker and close out the victory.


2015 Springfield Lasers season, Season recap, A season of struggles
On the evening following their first victory, the Lasers visited the Austin Aces, who entered the match with 4 wins and 0 losses. Grönefeld and Vickery continued their solid play by taking the opening set of women's doubles, 5–2. Vickery followed with a 5–1 set win in women's singles, and the Lasers had a 10–3 lead after two sets. But the Aces turns things around from there. They won the next two sets to cut the Lasers' lead to 16–13 heading to the final set. Teymuraz Gabashvili overpowered Michael Russell in the final set of men's singles, 5–2, to tie the match at 18 and send it to a super tiebreaker. Gabashvili dominated the super tiebreaker, 7–1, as the Aces dealt the Lasers a heartbreaking 19–18 defeat.


2015 Springfield Lasers season, Season recap, A season of struggles
After the loss, the Lasers visited the Philadelphia Freedoms the next evening. The Freedoms won the first two sets to take a 10–6 lead. Russell and Begemann won the men's doubles set, 5–3, to cut the lead to 13–11. The Freedoms won the women's doubles set in a tiebreaker and took an 18–15 lead to the final set. In the men's singles, Russell redeemed himself after letting the previous match get away. He earned a 5–1 set win over Robby Ginepri that won the match for the Lasers in stunning fashion, 20–19.


2015 Springfield Lasers season, Season recap, A season of struggles
After losing their next two matches, the Lasers hosted the Freedoms on July 24. It was marquee player John Isner who made the difference for the Lasers. He teamed with Begemann for a 5–2 set win in men's doubles that gave the Lasers a 14–11 lead after three sets. The Freedoms took the fourth set of women's doubles, 5–2, to tie the match at 16. In the final set, Isner beat Ginepri, 5–2, to give the Lasers a 21–18 victory that improved their record to 3 wins and 7 losses.


2015 Springfield Lasers season, Season recap, A season of struggles
The following evening, the Lasers were eliminated from WTT playoff contention when the California Dream defeated the Boston Lobsters, 21–19, in extended play, a match which ended during the Lasers' 25–17 home loss to the Aviators.


2015 Springfield Lasers season, Season recap, A season of struggles
The loss to the Aviators was the first of four consecutive losses by the Lasers to close the season.


2015 Springfield Lasers season, Draft picks
Since the Lasers were the Western Conference champions in 2014, they selected next to last (sixth) in each round of the draft. Unlike previous seasons in which WTT conducted its Marquee Player Draft and its Roster Player Draft on different dates about one month apart, the league conducted a single draft at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in Indian Wells, California on March 16, 2015. The selections made by the Lasers are shown in the table below.


2015 Springfield Lasers season, Statistics
Players are listed in order of their game-winning percentage provided they played in at least 40% of the Lasers' games in that event, which is the WTT minimum for qualification for league leaders in individual statistical categories.


2015 Sprint Unlimited
The 2015 Sprint Unlimited at Daytona was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car race held on February 14, 2015, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. Contested over 75 laps, it was the first exhibition race of the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. Matt Kenseth took the victory ahead of Martin Truex, Jr.. Carl Edwards, Casey Mears, and Kyle Larson rounded out the top five.


2015 Sprint Unlimited, Report, Background
The track, Daytona International Speedway, is one of six superspeedways to hold NASCAR races, the others being Michigan International Speedway, Auto Club Speedway, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Pocono Raceway and Talladega Superspeedway. The standard track at Daytona International Speedway is a four-turn superspeedway that is 2.5 miles (4.0 km) long. The track's turns are banked at 31 degrees, while the front stretch, the location of the finish line, is banked at 18 degrees. Denny Hamlin was the defending race winner.


2015 Sprint Unlimited, Report, Format and eligibility
The race is 75 laps in length, and was divided into two segments; the first was 25 laps and the second was 50 laps. The race was open to those drivers who won a pole in the 2014 season or had won the Sprint Unlimited previously. Two new changes were announced in December. The field was expanded to those who have won the pole for the Daytona 500 previously and/or were in the Chase in 2014.


2015 Sprint Unlimited, Report, Entry list
The entry list for the Sprint Unlimited was released on December 17, 2014. Twenty-five drivers were eligible for the race.


2015 Sprint Unlimited, Starting lineup
The starting lineup was determined by a random draw. Paul Menard drew the top spot.


2015 Sprint Unlimited, Practice, First practice
Kurt Busch was the fastest in the first practice session with a time of 44.832 and a speed of 200.749 mph (323.074 km/h). Tony Stewart was called to the NASCAR hauler for ignoring the black flag which was shown to him, as he did not weigh in before the session. Per NASCAR regulations, all drivers had to weigh in before the start of the season to calculate the minimum car weights. This was normally done during January Preseason Thunder, but it was canceled in 2015. Stewart took to Twitter to express his frustration upon exiting his car.


2015 Sprint Unlimited, Practice, Final practice
Jeff Gordon was the fastest in the final practice session with a time of 45.740 and a speed of 196.764 mph (316.661 km/h).


2015 Sprint Unlimited, Race, First segment
The race started at 8:35 p.m. Eastern time with Paul Menard leading the field to the green. With a push from Matt Kenseth on the inside lane, Brad Keselowski took the lead on lap nine. Kenseth jumped to the outside lane to pass Keselowski for the lead on lap eleven, before Martin Truex, Jr. utilized a slingshot move to pass Kenseth for the lead the next lap. Kenseth used a push on the bottom to retake the lead on lap 15 but could not maintain the lead as he fell back and handed Truex, Jr. the lead.


2015 Sprint Unlimited, Race, First segment
The first caution of the race flew on lap 22 for a single car wreck on the front stretch. Coming to the start-finish line, Kyle Larson made contact with Brad Keselowski, while trying to merge into the top lane of cars. When Keselowski tried to correct it, he destroyed his car's splitter when it dug into the grass. He turned back onto the track and hit the wall. Austin Dillon rear-ended Kyle Busch trying to avoid Keselowski.


2015 Sprint Unlimited, Race, Second segment, The Big One
As the caution came out three laps before the scheduled end of the first segment, NASCAR counted this caution as the competition caution. Upon exiting his car, Keselowski told reporters that he had made contact with Larson and teammate Joey Logano and that he "couldn't tell if someone made contact with me from behind". Keselowski also described the crash as "just part of racing at Daytona" and that his team would "be ready to go when it counts in the [Daytona] 500".


2015 Sprint Unlimited, Race, Second segment, The Big One
Jamie McMurray earned the dubious honor of being the first driver penalized under NASCAR's new pit road monitoring system, as his pit crew was found to be over the wall too soon. Ryan Newman was also penalized for driving through too many pit boxes before reaching his own. The race restarted on lap 30, with Dale Earnhardt, Jr. at the head of the race. Truex, Jr. ducked underneath Earnhardt, Jr. to take back the lead on lap 41, before the second caution of the race flew on lap 45 for The Big One, involving twelve cars.


2015 Sprint Unlimited, Race, Second segment, The Big One
Greg Biffle got into the back of Jamie McMurray enough to turn him; McMurray overcorrected and turned back onto the tri-oval. Aric Almirola, Clint Bowyer, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, defending race winner Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne, McMurray, Paul Menard, Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. and Tony Stewart were all taken out or sustained damage in the crash.


2015 Sprint Unlimited, Race, Second segment, The Big One
McMurray stated that Biffle has "got me loose a couple of times before" but that it was customary for Daytona racing, adding that "you're fighting for every position every lap and he just got into me a little too hard off four and I couldn't hang on to it". Bowyer – having been involved in the crash after his car was hit by Menard – told reporters that he saw a car backwards and became involved in the wreck.


2015 Sprint Unlimited, Race, Second segment, The Big One
Bowyer added that the cars "don't seem to like to go through the grass very well" and that he was "just starting to have some fun and get up through them". This necessitated the race being red flagged for almost 15 minutes; teams were allowed to work on their cars, as the Sprint Unlimited was a non-points race.


2015 Sprint Unlimited, Race, Second segment, Final laps
The race restarted with 27 laps to go. Kenseth dive bombed around Truex to take back the lead with 19 laps to go, before the third caution of the race flew with 14 laps to go after Stenhouse, Jr. spun out in turn 3 and took out three other cars with him.


2015 Sprint Unlimited, Race, Second segment, Final laps
The race restarted with nine laps to go, before the fourth caution of the race flew with seven laps to go after Stewart got loose exiting turn 2 and collected Biffle, who hit the inside retaining wall in a manner similar to Danica Patrick in the 2012 Gatorade Duels. Kurt Busch was also taken out in this wreck. The red flag was displayed a second time; after a five-minute delay, Kenseth held off the field until the end of the race, to win ahead of Truex, Jr. and Carl Edwards.


2015 Sprint Unlimited, Race, Second segment, Final laps
Only 12 of the race's 25 starters were running at the finish of the event. Kenseth described his victory as "great to win at Daytona anytime" and "a great way to start off the year". Truex, Jr. stated that his runner-up finish was the "most fun I have had in a race car in a long, long time".


2015 Sprint Unlimited, Race, Post-race
Following the race, Kevin Harvick confronted Joey Logano on pit road after Logano pushed him into the wall with two laps to go. One of Logano's crew members pulled him away from Harvick to prevent the argument from escalating. Harvick stated that "you can't just drive somebody straight in the corner into the fence" and that Logano "kind of did the same thing to me at Talladega". Logano referred to Harvick as "an instigator" and that the incident was "the same old crap". Danica Patrick also seemed to be upset with Logano after the race, but he did not understand why.


2015 Sri Lanka Football Premier League
2015 Sri Lanka Football Premier League (also known as 2015 Dialog Champions League for sponsorship reasons) was the 31st season of Sri Lanka Football Premier League. Solid SC of Anuradhapura were the defending champions.


2015 Sri Lanka Football Premier League
2015 Season was different from the previous season. In this season 22 teams compete in two groups of 11 as Group A and B. Top 4 teams from each groups qualify for the Super 8 round. Each team competes with one-another in round-robin format. Team with the best record at the end of Super 8 would become the champion.


2015 Sri Lanka Football Premier League
The defending champions in the previous tournament Soild SC was eliminated in the First round. The champions of this tournament will qualify for preliminary round of AFC Cup.


2015 Sri Lanka Football Premier League
Colombo FC emerged champions of the Dialog Champions League 2015 by a solitary goal difference with Renown SC.


2015 Sri Lanka Football Premier League, Awards
The winners of the competition were given a cash award of Rs. 750000 while the runners-up received Rs. 500000. Individual awards:


2015 Sri Lankan parliamentary election
Parliamentary elections were held in Sri Lanka on 17 August 2015, ten months ahead of schedule, to elect 225 members to Sri Lanka's 15th Parliament.


2015 Sri Lankan parliamentary election
The United National Party (UNP) led United National Front for Good Governance (UNFGG) won 106 seats, an increase of 46 since the 2010 election, but failed to secure a majority in Parliament. The United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) won 95 seats, a decline of 49. The Tamil National Alliance (TNA), the largest party representing Sri Lankan Tamils, won 16 seats, an increase of two from 2010. The remaining eight seats were won by Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (6), Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (1) and Eelam People's Democratic Party (1). Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, leader of the UNFGG and UNP, was able to form a national government with the support of UPFA MPs loyal to President Maithripala Sirisena.


2015 Sri Lankan parliamentary election, Background
The last parliamentary election was held in April 2010. The incumbent United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA), buoyed by the military defeat of the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, won a landslide victory, securing 144 seats in the legislature. In September 2010 the UPFA, with the support of some opposition MPs, passed the eighteenth amendment to the constitution, increasing the powers of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, leader of the UPFA, and removing the two term limit on the presidency. The UPFA was also able to impeach the chief justice, allowing Rajapaksa to appoint an ally as chief justice.


2015 Sri Lankan parliamentary election, Background
In November 2014 Rajapaksa called a presidential election, two years ahead of schedule, seeking an unprecedented third term. In a surprise move Maithripala Sirisena, Rajapaksa's Minister of Health, was put up as the common opposition candidate. At the election in January 2015 Sirisena inflicted a shock defeat on Rajapaksa. Sirisena subsequently formed a government dominated by the opposition United National Party (UNP). In March 2015 Sirisena formed a national government by appointing ministers from the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, the main constituent of the UPFA.


2015 Sri Lankan parliamentary election, Background
In his election manifesto Sirisena had promised a 100-day reform program after which parliament would be dissolved on 23 April 2015. However, Srisena and his  government faced opposition from a large contingent of legislators loyal to Rajapaksa, and, although some reforms, such as the curtailing of presidential powers and re-introducing the two term limit, were introduced by the passing of the nineteenth amendment, others, notably electoral reforms, were not carried out. With electoral reforms stalled and the 100-day reform program falling behind schedule, the UNP started calling for parliamentary elections. Sirisena dissolved parliament on 26 June 2015.


2015 Sri Lankan parliamentary election, Electoral system
196 MPs were elected from 22 multi-member electoral districts using the D'Hondt method with an open list, a proportional representation system. The remaining 29 seats were allocated to contesting parties and independent groups in proportion to their share of the national vote.


2015 Sri Lankan parliamentary election, Details
Nominations took place between 6 July 2015 and 13 July 2015. Postal voting took place on 5 August 2015 and 6 August 2015 except for school teachers who cast their postal votes on 3 August 2015. The date of the election was set for 17 August 2015. 15,044,490 Sri Lankans were eligible to vote at the election. 12,314 polling stations and 1,600 counting centres were used. Nearly 200,000 state employees and over 70,000 police officers were deployed on election duties.


2015 Sri Lankan parliamentary election, Details
The new parliament is expected to meet on 1 September 2015.


2015 Sri Lankan parliamentary election, Contesting parties
A total of 6,151 candidates from 21 registered political parties (3,653) and 201 independent groups (2,498) competed for the 196 district seats. The nominations of 12 registered political parties and 24 independent groups were rejected. The UPFA, United National Front for Good Governance and Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) contested in all 22 electoral districts.


2015 Sri Lankan parliamentary election, Contesting parties, United People's Freedom Alliance
The ruling UPFA suffered a series of defections to the opposition during the 2015 presidential election. After the election the UPFA and its main constituent, the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), pledged support for newly elected President Sirisena's reform program. Sirisena became chairman/leader of the SLFP on 16 January 2015 and of the UPFA on 14 March 2015. However, large sections of the UPFA/SLFP remained loyal to former President Rajapaksa. They called for Rajapaksa to be made the UPFA's prime ministerial candidate at the forthcoming parliamentary election.


2015 Sri Lankan parliamentary election, Contesting parties, United People's Freedom Alliance
This alarmed those members of the UPFA/SLPF who had supported Sirisena during the presidential election. They urged Sirisena to prevent Rajapaksa's return to politics but Sirisena remained silent on the matter. After the parliamentary election was called it was announced that Rajapaksa would contest but not as the prime ministerial candidate which would be decided after the election. Feeling "betrayed" by Sirisena, his supporters in the UPFA/SLFP allied themselves with the UNP to form the United National Front for Good Governance.


2015 Sri Lankan parliamentary election, Contesting parties, United National Front for Good Governance
The UNP had contested past parliamentary elections in alliance with smaller parties representing ethnic minorities but many of these had defected to the UPFA after the election. Prior to this election being called the UNP had claimed it would contest the election on its own. However, after the election had been called it started forming alliances with minority parties including the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) and Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA).


2015 Sri Lankan parliamentary election, Contesting parties, United National Front for Good Governance
On 12 July 2015 the UNP, SLMC and TPA signed agreements with the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) and anti-Rajapaksa members of the SLFP to form the United National Front for Good Governance (UNFGG) to contest the election. The All Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMC) also contested with the UNFGG. The UNFGG is believed to have had the tacit support of President Sirisena but officially he has pledged to be neutral.


2015 Sri Lankan parliamentary election, Contesting parties, United National Front for Good Governance
The UNFGG had originally been established by the renaming of the JHU after it left the UPFA. It was registered as a political party with the diamond symbol. Despite this the UNFGG contested the election under the name and elephant symbol of the UNP. UNFGG general-secretary Champika Ranawaka has stated that the JHU name and its conch symbol will be revived after the election.


2015 Sri Lankan parliamentary election, Contesting parties, Other parties
The Tamil National Alliance, the largest party representing the Sri Lankan Tamils, contested in the five electoral districts in the north and east and was aiming to win 20 seats. The JVP, which had contested the two previous parliamentary elections in alliances, contested this election on its own. Sarath Fonseka's Democratic Party contested in all but three electoral districts.


2015 Sri Lankan parliamentary election, Contesting parties, Other parties
The SLMC, despite being a member of the UNFGG, contested on its own in two electoral districts. Similarly, the ACMC contested on its own in one electoral district. The Ceylon Workers' Congress, a member of the UPFA, contested on its own in three electoral districts.


2015 Sri Lankan parliamentary election, Contesting parties, Other parties
The Sinhalese Buddhist nationalist Bodu Bala Sena allied with the United Lanka Great Council (Eksath Lanka Maha Sabha) to contest as the Buddhist People's Front (Bodu Jana Peramuna) in 16 electoral districts.


2015 Sri Lankan parliamentary election, Violence and violations of election laws
Thushara Devalegama, a UNP supporter, was attacked and killed by an unidentified group on 29 June 2015 in Nivithigala, Ratnapura District. Two people (Siththi Maheema and Bulathsinghalalage Niroshan Sampath) were killed and around dozen others injured when gunmen arriving in two vehicles opened fire into a crowd attending an election rally for UNP candidate Ravi Karunanayake at Kotahena on 31 July 2015. According to the police the incident was a clash between rival underworld gangs. Jamaldeen Ameer, a supporter of UNFGG candidate Ali Ameer, was shot dead by two gunmen in Oddamavadi, Valaichchenai on 15 August 2015.


2015 Sri Lankan parliamentary election, Violence and violations of election laws
Election monitors received 1,500 complaints of assaults, misuse of state resources and other violations of election laws and over 700 were arrested for election-related offences.


2015 Sri Lankan parliamentary election, Results
The UNFGG became the largest group in Parliament after securing 45.66% of votes and 106 seats whilst the UPFA won 42.38% of votes and 95 seats. Rajapaksa quickly conceded defeat in his attempt to become Prime Minister.


2015 Sri Lankan parliamentary election, Results
The result left the UNFGG seven seats short of a majority in Parliament. However, on 20 August 2015 the central committee of the SLFP agreed to form a national government with the UNP for two years. Wickremesinghe was sworn in as Prime Minister on 21 August 2015. Immediately afterwards a memorandum of understanding to work together in Parliament was signed by acting SLFP general secretary Duminda Dissanayake and UNP general secretary Kabir Hashim.


2015 Sri Lankan presidential election
Presidential elections were held in Sri Lanka on 8 January 2015, two years ahead of schedule. The incumbent President Mahinda Rajapaksa was the United People's Freedom Alliance's candidate, seeking a third term in office. The United National Party (UNP)-led opposition coalition chose to field Maithripala Sirisena, the former Minister of Health in Rajapaksa's government and general secretary of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) – the main constituent party of the UPFA – as its common candidate.


2015 Sri Lankan presidential election
Sirisena was declared the winner after receiving 51.28% of all votes cast compared to Rajapaksa's 47.58%. The result was generally seen as an upset. When Rajapaksa called the election in November 2014 he had looked certain to win. On 11 January 2015 the new government announced a special investigation into allegations of an attempted coup by Rajapaksa.


2015 Sri Lankan presidential election, Background
According to the constitution, the normal term of office for a president is six years, although an incumbent serving a second term may call an election at any time after four years in office. In November 2009, buoyed by the government's defeat of the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in May 2009, incumbent Mahinda Rajapaksa called an early presidential election. In the elections held in January 2010 Rajapaksa secured a second term in office, defeating common opposition candidate Sarath Fonseka. In February 2010 the Supreme Court ruled that Rajapaksa's second term would begin in November 2010, and was accordingly sworn in on 19 November 2010.


2015 Sri Lankan presidential election, Background
In September 2010 Parliament, which was controlled by Rajapaksa's UPFA, passed the eighteenth amendment to the constitution, removing the two term limit on presidents, allowing Rajapaksa to run for a third term.


2015 Sri Lankan presidential election, Background
There was speculation in mid-2014 that Rajapaksa would call another early presidential election: on 20 October 2014 Minister of Mass Media and Information Keheliya Rambukwella confirmed that the election would be held in January 2015. Critics of Rajapaksa, including the Bar Association and former Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva, claimed that he could not stand for re-election as he had won his second term before the eighteenth amendment to the constitution had been passed. In early November 2014 Rajapaksa sought the Supreme Court's opinion on whether he could stand for re-election. The court ruled that Rajapaksa could stand for re-election. The independence of the Supreme Court has been questioned since the UPFA impeached former Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake, allowing Rajapaksa to appoint an ally and legal adviser, former Attorney General Mohan Peiris, as Chief Justice.


2015 Sri Lankan presidential election, Background
On 20 November 2014 Rajapaksa issued a proclamation calling for a presidential election at which he would seek re-election. The following day election commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya announced that nominations would be taken on 8 December 2014 and that the election would be held on 8 January 2015.


2015 Sri Lankan presidential election, Background
15,044,490 Sri Lankans were eligible to vote at the election. Postal voting was held on 23 and 24 December 2014. Foreign monitors were invited to observe the election but not from the United Nations.


2015 Sri Lankan presidential election, Background, Electoral system
The Sri Lankan president is elected using a form of instant-runoff voting. Voters can rank up to three candidates, and if no candidate wins a majority in the first round of voting, second and third preferences from ballots whose first preference candidate has been eliminated are used to determine the winner. There are 12,314 polling stations in the 22 electoral districts.


2015 Sri Lankan presidential election, Background, Concurrent events
The election had caused uncertainty over the planned visit of Pope Francis to Sri Lanka, due to take place from 13 to 15 January 2015. Prior to the election being called the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka had urged all sides not to politicise the papal visit. After the election had been called posters appeared showing the Pope blessing Rajapaksa. The Catholic church has condemned the posters and called for their removal.


2015 Sri Lankan presidential election, Background, Concurrent events
In the last two weeks of December 2014 central, eastern and northern Sri Lanka were hit by the worst floods since 1956, resulting in several deaths and the displacement of over one million people. Some local election monitoring groups have expressed concern that the displaced may not be able to vote at the election. The Election Commissioner has however said that no candidate, their representative or lawyers had complained and that there was no reason to postpone the election.


2015 Sri Lankan presidential election, Candidates
Nineteen nominations were received from by the Elections Department on 8 December 2014, all of which were accepted. Seventeen candidates were from registered political parties and two were independents.


2015 Sri Lankan presidential election, Candidates, Mahinda Rajapaksa
The incumbent Mahinda Rajapaksa will contest as the UPFA candidate, seeking an unprecedented third term. He has also received the backing of a number of small constituent parties of the UPFA including the Ceylon Workers' Congress, Communist Party, Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP), National Freedom Front, National Union of Workers and the Up-Country People's Front. On nomination day, 8 December 2014, two opposition MPs, Tissa Attanayake and Jayantha Ketagoda, defected to the government to support Rajapaksa. Attanayake was later appointed Minister of Health — the post previously held by Sirisena. Rajapaksa has also received the support of the Buddhist extremist Bodu Bala Sena.


2015 Sri Lankan presidential election, Candidates, Mahinda Rajapaksa
However, the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) withdrew from UPFA government on 18 November 2014 citing Rajapaksa's refusal to reform the executive presidency and enact reforms to promote accountability. After much hesitation the All Ceylon Muslim Congress and Sri Lanka Muslim Congress also withdrew from the UPFA government, on 22 and 28 December 2014 respectively, blaming the government's failure to protect Sri Lankan Muslims from Sinhalese Buddhist extremists.


2015 Sri Lankan presidential election, Candidates, Mahinda Rajapaksa
Rajapaksa released his manifesto, titled Mahinda's Vision — The World Winning Path, on 23 December 2014 at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall. The manifesto pledges to introduce a new constitution within one year of being elected but the executive presidency won't be abolished — it will be amended and the "weakness" in the parliamentary system eliminated. A naval force and a special security force will be set up, with the help of the army, to tackle drug trafficking and other organised crime. The manifesto also pledges to establish a transparent, judicial inquiry into the alleged war crimes during the final stages of the Sri Lankan Civil War but Rajapaksa has refused to co-operate with UN investigation.


2015 Sri Lankan presidential election, Candidates, Maithripala Sirisena
In the run up to the election being called several names had been suggested for nomination as the common opposition candidate: former president Chandrika Kumaratunga, UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, UNP Leadership Council Chairman Karu Jayasuriya, former Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake and leader of the National Movement for Social Justice Maduluwawe Sobitha Thero. However, on 21 November 2014, after the election had been called, Maithripala Sirisena, was revealed as the common opposition candidate by the UNP. Sirisena had been Minister of Health in Rajapaksa's government and general secretary of the SLFP before defecting to the opposition coalition.


2015 Sri Lankan presidential election, Candidates, Maithripala Sirisena
Sirisena immediately received the support of former president Chandrika Kumaratunga and several UPFA MPs that had defected alongside him (Duminda Dissanayake, M. K. D. S. Gunawardena, Wasantha Senanayake, Rajitha Senaratne, Rajiva Wijesinha). Sirisena and the other UPFA MPs were stripped of their ministerial positions and expelled from the SLFP. On 30 November minister Navin Dissanayake resigned from the UPFA government and defected to the opposition to support Sirisena. Two deputy ministers, Palani Digambaran and Velusami Radhakrishnan, resigned from the UPFA government on 10 December 2014 to support Sirisena. Two other deputy ministers, Faiszer Musthapha and Nandimithra Ekanayake, resigned from the UPFA government, on 31 December 2014 and 1 January 2015 respectively, to support Sirisena. Sirisena received the support of UPFA MP Achala Jagodage on 2 January 2015.


2015 Sri Lankan presidential election, Candidates, Maithripala Sirisena
Sirisena has pledged to abolish the executive presidency within 100 days of being elected, repeal the controversial eighteenth amendment, re-instate the seventeenth amendment and appoint UNP leader Ranil Wickremasinghe as Prime Minister. On 1 December 2014 Sirisena signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with 36 opposition parties/civic groups promising to abolish the executive presidency, hold parliamentary elections, form an all-party national government and carry out various political reforms.


2015 Sri Lankan presidential election, Candidates, Maithripala Sirisena
Signatories to the MOU include the UNP, Sarath Fonseka's Democratic Party, Democratic People's Front, Azath Salley's Muslim Tamil National Alliance, Free Media Movement, Federation of University Teachers Association as well as dissident groups of the LSSP and Communist Party. The following day the JHU announced that it was supporting Sirisena in the presidential election. On 30 December 2014 the Tamil National Alliance, the largest political party representing the Sri Lankan Tamil people, endorsed Sirisena.


2015 Sri Lankan presidential election, Candidates, Maithripala Sirisena
Sirisena is to contest as the New Democratic Front (NDF) candidate under its swan symbol. Common opposition candidate Sarath Fonseka contested the 2010 presidential election as a NDF candidate under its swan symbol.


2015 Sri Lankan presidential election, Candidates, Maithripala Sirisena
Sirisena released his manifesto, titled A Compassionate Maithri Governance — A Stable Country, on 19 December 2014 at a rally at Viharamahadevi Park. The main pledge in the manifesto is the replacement of the executive presidency with a Westminster style cabinet but the manifesto acknowledges that Sirisena would need the support of the parliament to amend the constitution. The manifesto also makes a commitment to replace the open list proportional representation system with a mixture of first-past-the-post and PR for electing MPs. Parliamentary elections will be held in April 2015 after the constitution has been amended.


2015 Sri Lankan presidential election, Candidates, Maithripala Sirisena
Independent commissions will be established to oversee the judiciary, police, elections department, Auditor-General's Department and Attorney-General's Department. The Commission on Bribery and Corruption will be strengthened and political diplomatic appointments annulled. Populist measures in the manifesto include a commitment to write-off 50% of farmers' loans, reduce fuel prices by removing taxes and a salary increase of Rs.10,000 for public servants. Public spending on health would increase from 1.8% of GDP to 3% of GDP whilst that on education would increase from 1.7% of GDP to 6% of GDP. The manifesto also states that the casino licences granted to Kerry Packer's Crown Resort and John Keells Holdings's Water Front will be cancelled. Political victims during Rajapaks's rule, including Sarath Fonseka and Shirani Bandaranayake, would be re-appointed.


2015 Sri Lankan presidential election, Candidates, Maithripala Sirisena
In a separate document Sirisena has pledged that, whilst resisting any international investigation, he would establish an independent domestic inquiry into the alleged war crimes during the final stages of the Sri Lankan Civil War.


2015 Sri Lankan presidential election, Candidates, Minor candidates
The remaining seventeen candidates are from minor political parties or independents.


2015 Sri Lankan presidential election, Candidates, Minor candidates
Some of the minor candidates are "dummy candidates" who have been fielded by the two main candidates so that they may obtain maximum benefits of being a candidate, such as free slots on state television, two agents at every polling booth and assigning counting agents.


2015 Sri Lankan presidential election, Conduct
This election, like past Sri Lankan elections, has been characterised by violence, misuse of state resources and other violations of election laws. Local election monitoring groups described the violations as shameless and condemned the police for their inaction. The government accused some local election monitoring groups of being biased in favour of the opposition candidate and of being funded by foreign countries. The International Crisis Group warned that the tighter the election, the more violent it would be and should Rajapaksa lose he may use the military or the "politically-compliant" Supreme Court to retain power.


2015 Sri Lankan presidential election, Conduct
However, Rajapaksa stated that, although he expected not to lose, he would hand over power peacefully should he do so. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on the Sri Lankan government to ensure "the peaceful and credible conduct" of the election. Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma called for "transparency, a level playing field, and adherence to the laws and norms that govern a credible and peaceful election". The European Union's heads of mission in Colombo issued a joint statement on 2 January 2015 calling for a "peaceful, credible and transparent" election.


2015 Sri Lankan presidential election, Conduct
By 31 December 2014 the Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE) had recorded 1,007 incidents of election law violations of which 105 related to violence, including 19 incidents involving firearms. CaFFE has accused the police of allowing government supporters to attack the opposition. The People's Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) recorded 730 cases of violations by 3 January 2015 including 197 incidents of violence. The Center for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV) had recorded 420 incidents between 20 November 2014 and 5 January 2015. The police had received 214 complaints up to 2 January 2015 and arrested 92 people who were all subsequently released on bail.


2015 Sri Lankan presidential election, Conduct
According to analysts and opposition parties Rajapaksa was using the Sri Lankan military to depress opposition turnout, particularly amongst the Tamils in the north and east of the country. On 4 January 2015 international election monitors reported that they had received complaints of voter intimidation and that the army had set up 400 roadblocks to prevent Tamils from voting.


2015 Sri Lankan presidential election, Conduct
After voting had finished election commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya declared the poll to be "peaceful" and the election to be "free and fair". However, according to CMEV some voters in the north were prevented from voting.


2015 Sri Lankan presidential election, Conduct, Election monitors
104 election monitors from the South Asian Election Monitoring Forum, South Asian Election Monitoring Association, Asian Election Monitoring Network and the Commonwealth arrived in Sri Lanka on 27 December 2014. Monitors from the European Election Monitoring Association are also expected to be called upon. The Election Commissioner offered six election monitoring groups the opportunity to monitor the count at only 300 of the 1,200 counting centres.


2015 Sri Lankan presidential election, Conduct, Election monitors
After polling Commonwealth observers said the election was not fully democratic because of the inadequate electoral and legal framework and the unequal pre-electoral environment.


2015 Sri Lankan presidential election, Conduct, Violence
A Buddhist vihara in Borella belonging to JHU MP Athuraliye Rathana Thero was attacked on 20 November 2014, two days after the JHU left the UPFA government. On the evening of 21 November 2014 UNP member Chamila Ranasinghe was shot at Maggona in Payagala as UNP supporters celebrated the crossover of UPFA MPs to the opposition. The houses of two UNP supporters from Madampe, Milton and Sudeh Priyankara, were shot at on the night of 22/23 November 2014. The office of UNP MP M. H. A. Haleem in Mawilmada was shot at in the early hours of 25 November 2014.


2015 Sri Lankan presidential election, Conduct, Violence
A rice truck belonging Sirisena's brother Dudley Sirisena and its crew were attacked in Marandagahamula on 29 November 2014. A group of UNP supporters were attacked by UPFA supporters in Gelioya on the night of 30 November 2014. UPFA local councillor Shiron Fernando, who had defected to the opposition to support Sirisena, was attacked at his home in Bolewatte near Wennappuwa.


2015 Sri Lankan presidential election, Conduct, Violence
On the morning of 17 December 2014 a stage that Sirisena had been intending to use for a rally at Wanduramba near Galle was set on fire along with a vehicle by an unidentified group, and three workers installing the stage were abducted. Three suspects were arrested but were then taken from police custody by Deputy Minister Nishantha Muthuhettigama. Despite an arrest warrant being issued for his arrest, Muthuhettigama left Sri Lanka for Singapore on 26 December 2014. He was arrested on 28 December 2014 after returning to Sri Lanka but was released the following day.


2015 Sri Lankan presidential election, Conduct, Violence
The UNP's headquarters Sirikotha was attacked on 24 December 2014 by members of the Patriotic National Front and the Federation of National Organizers (FNO) resulting in over 30 injuries on both sides. The FNO is believed to be an affiliate of the National Freedom Front, a member of the UPFA government. On 20 December 2014 UPFA supporters tried to sabotage an opposition rally in Haputale before attacking UNP supporters resulting in five injuries. A group of opposition activists were attacked on 21 December 2014 at the bus halt in Hambantota by government supporters led by Hambantota mayor Eraj Ravindra Fernando.


2015 Sri Lankan presidential election, Conduct, Violence
Fernando was arrested the following day but released on bail on 24 December 2014. On the night of 23/24 December 2014 an unidentified group fired shots at the stage that Sirisena had been intending to use for a rally at Kolonnawa. Sirisena's election office in Batticaloa was attacked on the morning of 24 December 2014 by a group of around 30 unidentified people armed with firearms and petrol bombs.


2015 Sri Lankan presidential election, Conduct, Violence
The house in Beruwala that former president Chandrika Kumaratunga and provincial councillor Hirunika Premachandra, who had defected to support Sirisena, were dining in was stoned by UPFA supporters on 26 December 2014. Later that night clashes broke in Beruwala out between UPFA and UNP supporters resulting in the Special Task Force being deployed in the town the following day. Sirisena's election office in Irrakandi was attacked on the night of 27/28 December 2014. On the night of 28 December 2014 Sirisena supporters were attacked following a rally at Nidangala near Mahiyangana, resulting in three injuries.


2015 Sri Lankan presidential election, Conduct, Violence
A group of artists distributing leaflets for the Sirisena in Kumbukgate near Kurunegala were attacked by UPFA supporters on 29 December 2014 as police officers looked on. On 30 December 2014 clashes broke in Polonnaruwa between two groups Buddhist monks, one supporting Rajapaksa and the other Sirisena, during which an election monitor was attacked and threatened by supporters of Deputy Minister Siripala Gamalath.


2015 Sri Lankan presidential election, Conduct, Violence
An opposition rally on 2 January 2015 in Pelmadulla was stoned by government supporters, seriously injuring at least 20, whilst Sirisena was addressing the rally. Unidentified individuals fired shots at the house of UPFA provincial councillor Lakshman Wendaruwa, who had earlier pledged support for Sirisena, on the night of 2 January 2015, injuring a security guard. As Sirisena was leaving a rally at Aralaganwila on 3 January 2015 a group of government supporters arrived in a jeep and fired shots at the rally, injuring a bystander and damaging vehicles.


2015 Sri Lankan presidential election, Conduct, Violence
On 5 January 2015 three people setting up a stage for a Sirisena rally in Kahawatta were injured when unidentified people fired shots at them. Arrest warrants were issued for three UPFA politicians, including deputy minister Premalal Jayasekara, in connection with the shooting. One of the victims, Shantha Dodamgoda, succumbed to injuries and died on 7 January 2015.


2015 Sri Lankan presidential election, Conduct, Violence
On election day, 8 January 2015, explosions were reported at three locations — Navaladi junction near Alvai, Nelukkulam Kalaimagal Maha Vidyalayam near Vavuniya and Beruwala. Two women were assaulted by UPFA supporters, including deputy minister Sarana Gunawardena, in Yatiyana.


2015 Sri Lankan presidential election, Conduct, Media abuse
On 22 November 2014, PEO TV internet protocol television network (IPTV) and Dialog TV satellite television network had reportedly blocked the Sirasa TV from broadcasting the Satana programme which interviewed the common opposition candidate Sirisena and several other members of opposition. Tisara Samal Somaratne, a journalist for Hiru TV and Ada newspaper, was attacked by UPFA supporters in Eppawala on 5 December 2014 and later threatened by UPFA supporters whilst receiving hospital treatment.


2015 Sri Lankan presidential election, Conduct, Media abuse
The 30 November 2014 edition of the Ravaya newspaper contained a story claiming that the State Intelligence Service had carried out a survey which showed that the opposition candidate would win the election by 59% to 41%. The editor of the paper K. W. Janaranjana was later interrogated about the story by the Criminal Investigation Department. According to Ravaya, newspaper distributors had been threatened not to sell the paper.


2015 Sri Lankan presidential election, Conduct, Media abuse
On nomination day, 8 December 2014, all English and Sinhala language newspapers in the country carried a front-page promotion of Rajapaksa's war victory whilst Tamil language newspapers carried an advertisement showing Rajapaksa re-opening the railway line to Jaffna. All TV stations in Sri Lanka had planned to broadcast Janapathi Janahamuwa, a programme featuring Rajapaksa, on the evening of 5 January 2015, the last legal day of campaigning, which would have prevented other candidates from having access TV. However, on 5 January 2015 the district court in Kaduwela issued an enjoining order barring the stations from broadcasting the programme.


2015 Sri Lankan presidential election, Conduct, Media abuse
Naushad Amith, a journalist working for Wijeya Newspapers, was assaulted by government supporters in Maligawatta on 6 January 2015 as police officers stood by.


2015 Sri Lankan presidential election, Conduct, Misuse of state resources
Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL) has documented incidents of state employees, including those from Road Development Authority and the Sri Lanka Civil Security Force, carrying out election propaganda work for the Rajapaksa campaign. TISL has also alleged that over 1,000 buses belonging to the state-owned Sri Lanka Transport Board had been used to transport people long distances to attend Rajapaksa rallies. TISL has complained to the Election Commissioner regarding state-owned TV stations (Rupavahini and Independent Television Network (ITN)) carrying live broadcasts of Rajapaksa rallies — a violation of election laws. The Election Commissioner has asked the state broadcasters not to broadcast programmes supporting Rajapaksa. According to TISL government officials were distributing free mobile phones on behalf of the Rajapaksa campaign.


2015 Sri Lankan presidential election, Conduct, Misuse of state resources
The UNP has alleged that employees of the state-owned Sri Lanka Ports Authority are being used for election propaganda work for the Rajapaksa campaign. The Jathika Sevaka Sangamaya (a pro-UNP trade union) has alleged that more than 1,000 employees of Colombo Port have been transferred to carry out election work for the Rajapaksa campaign.


2015 Sri Lankan presidential election, Conduct, Misuse of state resources
Government employees have been photographed by The Sunday Times putting up Rajapaksa posters on the Southern Expressway. The newspaper has also reported that several senior diplomats had been recalled to Sri Lanka to work on Rajapaksa's campaign. CaFFE has claimed that 44 prisoners from Galle Prison were used to erect the stage for a Rajapaksa rally at Kamburupitiya on 14 December 2014. CaFFE has also alleged that senior government officials are openly campaigning for Rajapaksa. Rajapaksa's manifesto launch on 23 December 2014 was broadcast live on the state-owned Rupavahini TV station. The opposition has alleged that the army is campaigning for Rajapaksa, a charge the army has denied. The army was found to have used state money to post Rajapaksa campaign propaganda to hundreds of thousands of soldiers and their families.


2015 Sri Lankan presidential election, Conduct, Misuse of state resources
The Sri Lankan government has denied that state resources are being used on the Rajapaksa campaign.


2015 Sri Lankan presidential election, Results
Sirsena was declared the winner after receiving 51.28% of all votes cast compared to Rajapaksa's 47.58%. However, approximately 58% of Sinhalese voted for Rajapaksa while 84% of minority voters chose Sirisena. Turnout was 81.52%, the highest for a Sri Lankan presidential election and significantly more than the 2010 presidential election. Sirsena was the winner in 12 electoral districts whilst Rajapaksa was victorious in the remaining 10.


2015 Sri Lankan presidential election, Results
Rajapaksa had earlier conceded defeat after meeting Wickremesinghe and assuring him of a smooth transition of power. Rajapaksa then left his official residence Temple Trees. He also vacated President's House.


2015 Sri Lankan presidential election, Results
Sirisena was sworn in as Sri Lanka's sixth executive president before Supreme Court judge K. Sripavan in Independence Square, Colombo at 6.20pm on 9 January 2015. It is custom for the president to be sworn in before the chief justice but Sirisena had refused to be sworn in before Chief Justice Peiris who had been appointed by Rajapaksa after the controversial impeachment of the previous chief justice. Immediately afterwards, Wickremesinghe was sworn in as Sri Lanka's new prime minister before Sirisena. After being sworn in Sirisena stated that he would only serve one term.


2015 Sri Lankan presidential election, Aftermath, Attempted coup
According to Mangala Samaraweera and Rajitha Senaratne, senior figures in the Sirisena campaign, Rajapaksa attempted to stage a coup in order to stay in power when it became clear he was going to lose the election. They allege that Rajapaksa and his brother Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, the Defence Secretary, summoned Commander of the Army Daya Ratnayake, Inspector General of Police N. K. Illangakoon and Attorney General Yuwanjana Wanasundera to Temple Trees at around 1 am on 9 January 2015. Rajapaksa allegedly pressured the three officials to deploy troops, annul the election results and declare a state of emergency but they refused. According to the Colombo Telegraph Rajapaksa also wanted to dissolve parliament. It was only then Rajapaksa decided to concede defeat and summoned Wickremesinghe to assure him of a smooth transition of power.


2015 Sri Lankan presidential election, Aftermath, Attempted coup
A spokesman for Rajapaksa has denied the allegations as baseless. The army and police have also denied the allegations. The new government is to investigate the alleged coup attempt.


2015 Sri Lankan presidential election, Aftermath, Departures and resignations
Central Bank governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal  who had openly campaigned for Rajapaksa, resigned from his position on 9 January 2015. Minister of Foreign Employment Dilan Perera also resigned. The controversial Treasury Secretary P.B. Jayasundera fled to Singapore on election day. He was replaced by Arjuna Mahendran. B.M.U.D. Basnayake was appointed Defence Secretary, replacing Rajapaksa's brother Gotabhaya Rajapaksa. Lanka Hospitals Corporation, whose biggest shareholder is the state-owned Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation, announced on 9 January 2015 that its chairman (Gotabhaya Rajapaksa) and vice chair person (Roshini Cabraal, wife of Ajith Nivard Cabraal) had resigned.


2015 Sri Lankan presidential election, Aftermath, Departures and resignations
Basil Rajapaksa, Minister of Economic Development and another brother of Mahinda Rajapaksa, and his wife left Sri Lanka for the USA on 11 January 2015. Basil Rajapaksa holds US-Sri Lankan dual citizenship. Senior diplomats who had returned to Sri Lanka to support the Rajapaksa election campaign left the country on the same day. Two of aides of Sarath Fonseka, Major General Mahesh Senanayake and Brigadier Duminda Keppetiwalana, who had fled Sri Lanka after the 2010 presidential election, returned to Sri Lanka on 10 January 2015.


2015 Sri Lankan presidential election, Aftermath, Departures and resignations
Rajpal Abeynayake and Dinesh Weerawansa, editors of the state-owned Daily News and Sunday Observer newspapers which had run a venomous campaign against Sirisena in the run up to the election, failed to show up for work on 9 January 2015 and had vanished. After Sirisena's victory the Daily News made an abrupt u-turn, praising Sirisena and criticising Rajapaksa. Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation chairman Hudson Samarasinghe and Deputy General Manager of ITN Sudharman Radaliyagoda had fled the country according to the Colombo Telegraph. Somaratne Dissanayake, who had worked for the Rajapaksa regime before defecting to support Sirisena, was appointed chairman of the state-owned Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation.


2015 Sri Lankan presidential election, Aftermath, Departures and resignations
The new administration has said that a special unit will be established to investigate large scale corruption during the Rajapaksa regime.


2015 Sri Lankan presidential election, Aftermath, Departures and resignations
On 10 January 2015 minister Nimal Siripala de Silva announced that the UPFA would support Sirisena's 100-day programme unconditionally. Addressing the nation from Temple of the Tooth the following day, Sirisena invited all political parties to join to form a national unity government. Shortly afterwards a group of 21 SLFP MPs pledged their support for Sirisena. According to Sirisena's team has enough support in parliament to secure a majority.


2015 Sri Lankan presidential election, Alleged role of R&AW
It was alleged by a Sri Lankan newspaper The Sunday Times, that Indian spy agency Research and Analysis Wing had a played in role in uniting the opposition, to bring about the defeat of Mahinda Rajapaksa. There had been growing concern in the India, on the increasing influence of its economic and military rival China in Sri Lankan affairs. Rajapaksa further upped the ante by allowing 2 Chinese submarines to dock in 2014, without informing India, in spite of a stand still agreement to this effect between India and Sri Lanka.


2015 Sri Lankan presidential election, Alleged role of R&AW
The growing Chinese tilt of Rajapaksa was viewed by India with unease. Further, it was alleged, that R&AW Chief of Station in Colombo, helped co-ordination of talks within the opposition, and convincing former PM Ranil Wickremesinghe not to stand against Rajapaksa, but to choose a common opposition candidate, who had better chances of winning. The agent is also alleged to have been in touch with Chandrika Kumaratunga, who played a key role in convincing Maithripala Sirisena to be the common candidate. Further, it was alleged, that the Rajapaksa government had expelled the involved R&AW Colombo station chief in the run-up to presidential election.


2015 Sri Lankan presidential election, Alleged role of R&AW
However these allegations were denied by the Indian Government and the new Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera.


2015 Sriwijaya F.C. season
The 2015 Sriwijaya season  is the 10th season in the club's football history, the 10th consecutive season in the top-flight Liga Indonesia season and the 7th season competing in the Indonesia Super League.


2015 Sriwijaya F.C. season, Review and events, Pre–2015
On 1 December, Sriwijaya announced that Benny Dollo had been appointed as the new manager for the 2015 season.


2015 St Albans City and District Council election
The 2015 St Albans City and District Council election took place on 7 May 2015 to elect members of St Albans City and District Council in England. This was on the same day as other local elections.


2015 St Edmundsbury Borough Council election
The 2015 St. Edmundsbury Borough Council election took place on 7 May 2015 to elect members of the St. Edmundsbury Borough Council in England. It was held on the same day as other local elections.


2015 St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council election
The 2015 St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council election took place on 7 May 2015 to elect members of St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council in England. This was on the same day as other local elections.


2015 St Helens RLFC season
The 2015 St Helens R.F.C. season is the club's 141st in its history; its 120th in rugby league. The Saints entered the season as defending champions after winning the Super League XIX title against Wigan Warriors 14-6 at Old Trafford after also winning the minor-premiership by topping the Super League ladder. Following the departure of previous head coach Nathan Brown, Saints entered the season with a new coach, former Saints player Keiron Cunningham


2015 St Helens RLFC season
Saints began the defence of their title by playing the Catalans Dragons at Langtree Park which they won. In February Saints played the South Sydney Rabbitohs in the World Club Challenge which they lost 35-0.


2015 St Helens RLFC season, Preseason
Saints played two pre-season games to warm up for their title-defence. Both games were played at Langtree Park with the first match against Widnes Vikings ending in a 16-20 defeat and the second, against rivals Wigan Warriors ending in a 28-12 victory.


2015 St Helens RLFC season, Standings, Regular season
The 2015 Super League season will see teams play every other team twice each, once home and once away, whilst playing one team for a third time at the Magic Weekend, which is a bonus round. After 23 games the league table is frozen and the teams are split up into 2 of the 3 "Super 8's". Teams finishing in the top 8 will go on to contest "Super League" and will all retain a place in the 2016 competition, as they go on to play 7 more games each, as they compete for a place in the Grand Final.


2015 St Helens RLFC season, Standings, Regular season
Teams finishing in the bottom four (9-12) will be put alongside the top 4 teams from the 2015 Championship, in "The Qualifiers" Super 8 group. Where these teams will reset their season standings to 0 and also play 7 extra games each, as they attempt to earn a place in the 2016 Super League competition.


2015 St Helens RLFC season, Standings, Super 8's
The Super League Super 8's sees the top 8 teams from the Super League play 7 games each. Each team's points are carried over and after the 7 additional games, the top 4 teams will contest the play off semi finals with the team in 1st hosting the team in 4th, and the team finishing 2nd hosting the 3rd placed team; the winners of these semi finals will contest the Super League Grand Final at Old Trafford. Teams finishing 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th after the 7 additional games will take no further part in the 2015 season and will play in Super League again in 2016.


2015 St Kilda Football Club season
The St Kilda Football Club's 2015 season was its 119th season in the Australian Football League (AFL), formerly called the Victorian Football League (VFL).


2015 St Kilda Football Club season, List changes
The following summarises all player changes between the conclusion of the 2014 season and the commencement of the 2015 season.


2015 St Kilda Football Club season, Season summary, Pre-season matches
The first two practice matches were played as part of the 2015 NAB Challenge, and were played under modified pre-season rules, including nine-point goals. The final practice match was not part of the NAB Challenge, and was played under premiership season rules.


2015 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season
The 2015 season was St. Patrick's Athletic F.C. 's 86th year in existence and was the Supersaint's 64th consecutive season in the top-flight of Irish football. It was the fourth year that Liam Buckley was the team's manager (in his current spell), following replacing Pete Mahon in December 2011. The Saints aimed to retain their FAI Cup, President's Cup and Leinster Senior Cup titles that were won during the 2014 season. Pats also competed in the UEFA Europa League and the EA Sports Cup.


2015 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season
The 2015 League of Ireland fixtures were released on 16 December 2014, with the Saints' first game being an away fixture against South Dublin rivals Shamrock Rovers on 6 March 2015. The season turned out to be a very disappointing one for players, management and fans alike as the Saints finished of way off the top of the league, only securing European football on the final day, were knocked out of the FAI Cup at the early stages and failed to get past the first hurdle in the Europa League.


2015 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season
However they did win the 2015 League of Ireland Cup on penalties versus Galway United on 19 September 2015, completing the set of trophies for manager Liam Buckley, meaning he has won every trophy possible to win with the Saints in the last three seasons. During the season, the team also set a club record winning streak in the league that stretched 9 games, beating the previous record of 8.


2015 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, Squad, Squad statistics, Appearances, goals and cards
Number in brackets represents (appearances of which were substituted ON). Last Updated – 8 November 2015


2015 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, Squad, Squad statistics, Captains
Last updated: 8 November 2015Source: Competitive match reports. Competitive matches onlyMatches started as captain onlyCountry: FIFA nationality; No. : Squad number; P: Position; Name: Player name; No. Games: Number of games started as captain.


2015 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, Club, Kit
Supplier: UmbroSponsor(s): Clune Construction Company L.P. (Front of Jersey), Iceland (Sleeve of jersey)


2015 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, Club, Kit
The club's Home kit was retained from the 2014 season, with the 2014 Away kit becoming the Third kit for 2015 and a new Away kit released for the season.


2015 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, Club, Kit
Key:LOI=League of IrelandFAI=FAI CupEAC= EA Sports CupUEL=Europa LeagueLSC=Leinster Senior CupPRC=President's CupFRN=Friendly


2015 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, Competitions, League of Ireland
The 2015 League of Ireland fixtures were announced on 16 December 2014. St Patrick's Athletic were revealed to have a Dublin Derby against Shamrock Rovers away from home on the first day of the season. The Saints' first home fixture would be against Bray Wanderers on the second day of the season.


2015 St Peter Port North by-election
The 2015 St Peter Port North by-election was held in the States of Guernsey district of St Peter Port North on 2 December 2015 following the death of deputy Martin Storey in July 2015.


2015 St Peter Port North by-election
3,224 residents were eligible to vote, a reduction to 86% of those who had been eligible for the 2012 election. There was some controversy over holding a by-election as the cost is estimated at £51,100 to elect someone to sit as a deputy for just five months, especially when the number of deputies and therefore seats will be reduced in April 2016.


2015 St Peter Port North by-election
There were three by-election candidates, Mike Henderson, David Noakes, and Charles Parkinson. There were 3,220 registered voters and the turnout was 883 (27%). Parkinson won with 571 votes, Henderson received 184, and Noakes 109.


2015 St. Francis Brooklyn Terriers men's soccer team
The 2015 St. Francis Brooklyn Terriers men's soccer team represented St. Francis College during the 2015 NCAA Division I men's soccer season. The Terrier's home games were played at Brooklyn Bridge Park, Pier 5. The team has been a member of the Northeast Conference since 1981 and was coached by Tom Giovatto, who was in his ninth year at the helm of the Terriers. In 2014, St. Francis Brooklyn won the NEC Tournament Championship and played in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. For 2015, St. Francis Brooklyn was voted as the NEC preseason favorite by the league's head coaches. The Terriers, which have won six NEC Tournament titles in their history, received five first place votes in the annual poll.


2015 St. Francis Brooklyn Terriers men's soccer team
The Terriers ended their season at 10–4–4 overall and  3–2–2 in conference play. The Terriers qualified for the NEC Tournament with the 4th seed and lost to LIU Brooklyn in the semifinals on penalty kicks after two overtime periods. Of note, the Terriers ended the season first in the country in Shutout Percentage and were nationally ranked after winning their first nine games.


2015 St. Francis Brooklyn Terriers men's soccer team, Regular season
The Terriers started the season unbeaten in their first 9 games and as a result were ranked at 22nd Nationally by the NSCAA Top 25 Coaches Poll for the first time in the Tom Giovatto era. After the national ranking, the Terriers were stunned by a double-overtime loss to NJIT. The loss brought St. Francis Brooklyn to a 7–1–2 record and marked the end of their non-conference schedule. Between their rise and fall in national rankings St. Francis Brooklyn and LIU Brooklyn co-hosted the first annual Brooklyn Bridge Cup. The field included UMass Lowell, St. Bonaventure and both Brooklyn teams. St. Francis went on to win the inaugural Brooklyn Bridge Cup.