Category: Local News

China’s top diplomat in the country yesterday said that the world’s second largest economy is prepared to commit over US $ 5 billion in foreign direct investments (FDIs) over the medium to long term for special economic zones, if the Sri Lankan government is prepared to authorize them.

Chief Minister of Northern Province, C.V. Vigneswaran, has managed to get a separate meeting with the visiting UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, after being clubbed together with other leaders of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) for a full-scale official session with the UN chief when he comes to Jaffna on September 2.

Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, accompanied by Mrs. Ban Soon-taek, will arrive in Sri Lanka today 31 August for an official visit.

The new head of the United Nations environment agency, Erik Solheim, says that he had gained valuable lessons, including the importance of dialogue and compromise while serving as a negotiator of the peace process in Sri Lanka.

The United Nations, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and the Sri Lankan government have combined to sideline Sri Lanka’s Northern Province Chief Minister C.V.Wigneswaran in the itinerary drawn up for the visit of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to Sri Lanka from August 31 to September 2.

Sri Lanka is planning to begin testing its first web-based disaster damage and loss reporting system by the end of the year, authorities say.

Human rights activists and families of missing people rallied in Sri Lanka on Tuesday (August 30) in support of an office recently set up to independently investigate the cases of thousands of people who vanished during the government’s long conflict with Tamil Tiger rebels.

India’s MDMK general secretary Vaiko has urged the United Nations Human Right Council (UNHRC) and the Red Cross Society to inquire into the disappearance of Tamils in the last phase of war in Sri Lanka and the alleged poisoning of 107 LTTE cadres.

Taking a swipe at moves by the joint opposition to from a new party headed by ex-president Mahinda Rajapaksa, Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne said yesterday such attempts were not conducive for a person who was 70 years of age.

Sri Lanka police on Monday arrested a 17-year old school boy on suspicion of hacking into the president’s official website, demanding that his university entrance examination dates not be changed, officials said on Monday.

Sri Lanka’s new draft Constitution could be presented in Parliament before the next budget which would be announced by mid-November this year, Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera has said while hoping that it will celebrate the country’s diversity.

The government will introduce a new model to run the plantation companies soon, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said yesterday.

World Health Organization (WHO) has donated four mobile hospitals and medical equipments worth Rs.80 million to the Ministry of Health.

Pakistani police said on Sunday that three Islamists suspected of being behind an attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in the city of Lahore in 2009 had been killed during a shootout.

The Sri Lankan Embassy in Doha has advised employers to be cautious about online advertisements for recruitment of maids and urged them to verify details with the mission.

Tamils continue to face discrimination in Sri Lanka, a UN committee stated recently, and questioned the island-country if Indian Tamils were allowed to get back to their homeland – while reviewing a report on the anti-discrimination efforts undertaken by the country.