Category: Local News

Sri Lanka’s rupee, which is hovering near a record low after being floated by the central bank last week, will be brought to an acceptable level before too long, Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake said on Wednesday.

The import tax on a kilo of potatoes has been increased by Rs.10 with effect from last night, while the tax on a kilo of sugar has been increased by Rs. 12, the Finance Ministry said today.

Three cabinet ministers were sworn in before President Maithripala Sirisena a short while ago.

DMK today opposed any move by the US to bring in a revised resolution in a UN rights body on a probe into alleged rights violations in Sri Lanka, as reported in the media, and said India should not support it.

In view of the recent media reports on the steps taken by Attorney General Y.J.W. Wijayatilake, P.C. with regard to the Avant Garde case, as well as the investigation and prosecution of Shanmugam Kumaran Tharmalingam alias Kumaran Padmanathan (KP)…

The mobile phone of rugby player Wasim Thajudeen had been found in Agarapathana, Nuwara Eliya, the CID said today.

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) wants an international court to try cases of war crimes identified by the investigations conducted by the Office of the High Commissioner’s Investigation for Human Rights on Sri Lanka (OISL) and not another international “investigation”, senior TNA leader, Mavai Senathirajah, clarified on Monday.

The Magisterial inquiry with respect to the floating armory of the Avant Garde Maritime Services (Pvt) Ltd has been terminated after the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) apprised the Court that it would not proceed with the case under AG’s advice.

Sri Lanka will maintain the close relationship with China that provided strong support to help Sri Lanka end its 30-year civil war with the Tamil Tiger rebels in May 2009, a leading military officer has said.

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe will on his first official overseas tour here next week.

Former Sri Lankan president Chandrika Bandarnaike Kumaratunga is in India for her first visit since the surprise defeat of her successor Mahinda Rajapaksa, a man who was once a close associate and now a political enemy whose regime she was instrumental in overturning.

Responding to declaration made by the Attorney General’s Department that there was no substantial evidence to prosecute Kumaran Pathmanathan alias KP, the former chief procurer for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and considered its international face, former Army Commander, Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka said there was enough evidence to commit him for trial.

DMK President M Karunanidhi today welcomed the appointment of Tamil National Alliance leader R Sampanthan as the Leader of Opposition in Sri Lankan Parliament, saying it has given hope for the Tamils in the island nation.

The historic National Government formulated with the joining of the country’s two main political parties is capable of finding solutions to the issues faced by Sri Lanka at national and international level, said Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday.

The swearing in ceremony of the new Cabinet of the National Government commenced at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo, a short while ago.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said India attaches the highest importance to its relations with Sri Lanka and looks forward to taking the ties to new heights as he received former President Chandrika Kumaratunga in New Delhi.