Category: Local News

Minister of Finance Ravi Karunanayake yesterday denied allegations raised by opposition lawmaker and JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake in relation to obtaining 58 vehicles on operational leases, which is supposed to save the state money.

Thirty-two Sri Lankan Muslims from “well-educated and elite” families have joined Islamic State in Syria, the justice minister told parliament on Friday, promising that the government would clamp down on extremists.

The government has allocated Rs 1,275 Million to pay compensation for people affected due to the Salawa Blast and already Rs 875 million has been paid.

Former Sri Lankan Ambassador to the USA, Jaliya Wickramasuriya was arrested by the Financial Crimes Investigations Division (FCID) last night over a financial fraud, Police said.

The JVP demanded to know yesterday why the state officials tasked with providing luxury vehicles to 58 MPs supporting the government should not be accused of fraud.

Sri Lanka’s plans for establishing a Colombo International Financial City will pave way for future economic growth and is a symbol of confidence, a leading European official said here Thursday.

Sri Lanka’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced new measures on Thursday to encourage companies to list their shares on the Colombo Stock Exchange after earlier changes failed to raise market liquidity.

We should strengthen our country’s borders, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe said.

A United Nations committee that monitors acts of torture in member countries grilled an intelligence chief Wednesday over the alleged abuse of detainees during Sri Lanka’s bloody civil war

Sri Lanka has awarded refined oil products term supply contracts to Singapore-based Petrochina International and India’s Reliance Industries Ltd, official government documents showed on Wednesday.

A Sub inspector was shot dead and two other policemen injured when a group of unidentified gunmen opened fire at a police vehicle at Maspotha in Kurunegala last night, police said.

There is no military backing for the ‘Aava ‘ group in Jaffna, but investigations are on to find out whether those who left the Army have joined it, State Defence Minister Ruwan Wijewardena said in Parliament yesterday.

Tamil Nadu Government has requested the Centre to ask the Sri Lankan government to release over 100 fishing boats, which are still in custody of the island nation.

Luxury vehicles should be fined a minimum of Rs. 10,000 with different fines being imposed according to vehicle categories if the government is not prepared to change the rule proposed in the 2017 Budget, the Ceylon Motorcyclists’ Association (CMA) stated.

Lanka Private Bus Owners’ Association President Gemunu Wijeratne while vehemently opposing the minimum traffic fine increase up to Rs. 2500, however said the LPBOA will talk to the Finance Minister to iron out the issue.

Responding to a demand made by private bus operators to abolish the proposed minimum traffic fine of 2,500 rupees, Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake said that the proposal was made to save the lives of motorists as well as pedestrians and that the decision won’t be changed.