Category: Local News

Twenty-four Indian fishermen were arrested by the Sri Lankan Naval personnel on Sunday for allegedly crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line and fishing in Sri Lankan waters.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday ruled out the possibility of “a hybrid court” stating it was not politically feasible.

Sri Lanka won the “Most Popular Tourism Destination Award” at the Guangzhou International Travel Fair (GITF) held recently in the southern Chinese city, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement Friday.

Thirteen Indian fishermen were today arrested by the Sri Lankan navy, prompting the Tamil Nadu government to dash off a letter to the Centre seeking its intervention.

UPFA General Secretary Mahinda Amaraweera said a split within the SLFP was becoming more imminent as the Joint Opposition (JO) continued to work against the SLFP.

The Sri Lankan rupee fell on Thursday in dull trade, snapping four consecutive sessions of gains, as importer dollar demand surpassed greenback sales by exporters, dealers said.

Sri Lanka has approved reforms to make loss-making state firms more efficient and put them on a path towards autonomy, in line with International Monetary Fund conditions for a $1.5 billion loan

Health Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne has received an assurance from a major importer to slash the price of surgical equipment, a linear accelerator, the previous government had ordered, by USD 8 million.

Sri Lanka’s cabinet has approved the awarding of a $180 million deal for three offshore patrol vessels for the country’s coast guard to Colombo Dockyard , a government document said on Wednesday.

The historic ceremony to declare about 82 heroes of the 1818 Uva-Wellassa Rebellion, who were sentenced to the capital punishment and were expatriated, as patriots will be held today (1st Mar.) in Kandy under the patronage of President Maithripala Sirisena.

The vehicle believed to have been used by the gunmen in Monday’s shooting in Kalutara was yesterday found abandoned in Moragahahena, Police said.

Draft legislation on the Truth-Seeking Commission is to be presented to Cabinet within the next two months, said Foreign Affairs Minister Mangala Samaraweera at the High-Level Segment of the 34th Session of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva yesterday.

Colombo: Hundreds of Tamil people, mostly relatives of those who disappeared during Sri Lanka’s civil war, on Tuesday held protest outside the missions of India

“After being elected, the current government has taken several steps to provide welfare facilities and grant benefits to the war heroes throughout the last two years. With that the government will not be complacent and will continue to take every possible action for their welfare in the future too”, says President Maithripala Sirisena.

President Maithripala Sirisena has assured that the lands in Kepapaulavu and Pudukuduirippu will be handed over to the people in the area within two days, Opposition Leader R Sampanthan said yesterday.

Sri Lanka is seeking higher bids to restructure its state-owned loss-making airline, the finance minister said on Monday, after three short-listed firms failed to give “sizable” bids.