Category: Local News

Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif has directed the authorities concerned to make immediate arrangements for provision of emergency relief to the Sri Lankan flood victims.

Today, the Vesak Day, the Buddhists the world over elebrate the Birth, Enlightenment and the Mahaparinirvana of the Gauthama Buddha, the greatest religious visionary lived 2560 years ago, with unparallelled compassion and kindness towards the fellow human beings, President Maithripala Sirisena stated in a message to mark Vesak.

India was on Friday sending two naval ships and a C-17 aircraft with relief material like medicines and tents along with teams of rescue experts to Sri Lanka which has been severely battered by tropical cyclone Roanu.

The Russian Emergency Situations Ministry is ready to provide assistance to Sri Lanka to remove the aftermath of a quite devastating flood, which was caused by the tropical cyclone.

Japan will lend Sri Lanka more than $3.5 billion, mostly to finance development, Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake said on Thursday, as the island nation tries to reduce its debt costs and avert a balance of payments crisis.

Sri Lanka will cancel plans for a 500 megawatt Indian-built coal-fired power plant at its strategic eastern port city of Trincomalee and will instead opt for a liquefied natural gas (LNG) power plant, a cabinet minister said late on Tuesday.

Around 150 people are feared dead after more than three days of heavy rain triggered two landslides in central Sri Lanka, disaster officials said on Wednesday as rescuers stopped work after recovering more than a dozen bodies.

I call upon the government to stop persecuting our armed forces personnel and to release those who have been wrongfully arrested and detained, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa said.

Remains of thirteen persons have been recovered from the Aranayaka landslide so far, the police confirmed a short while ago.

‘A Reminiscence of Reconciliation’, a cultural presentation of victory by the tri forces, police and civil security department will be held today (18) evening at the Independence Square premises in Colombo.

Sri Lankan rupee forwards ended weaker on Tuesday on dollar demand from importers, but the currency was expected to stabilise in June after money from an IMF loan flows in, the country’s finance minister said.

A landslide in Sri Lanka, triggered by more than three days of rain, buried three villages in a central district and the death toll is yet to be determined, government officials and area residents said on Tuesday.

President Maithripala Sirisena instructed officials to keep every section vigilant to be able to face any emergency disaster caused by the prevailing adverse weather condition.

Sri Lankan rupee forwards ended weaker on Monday on dollar demand from importers, but the decline was limited due to moral suasion by the central bank, dealers said.

The Central Bank (CB) destroyed 110.5 million soiled currency notes bearing a face value of Rs.16.46 billion in an attempt to maintain its clean currency note policy.

State Finance Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena yesterday told The Island that the government intended to raise Rs 100 bn through the increase in Value Added Tax (VAT).