Category: Local News

The Sri Lankan rupee fell on Friday as a state-run bank, through which the central bank usually directs the market, raised the currency’s peg against the dollar by 15 cents, allowing the exchange rate to depreciate to 134.30.

Two lawsuits filed by Duminda Dissanayake and professor Vishwa Warnapala who obtained an enjoining order restricting Anura Priyadarshana Yapa and Susil Premajayantha functioning as SLFP and UPFA general secretaries respectively were today withdrawn by the plaintiffs.

A resolution calling for international intervention to probe alleged war crimes, moved by a Tamil National Alliance member at a meeting of the Northern Provincial Council, fell through.

The Galle Magistrate on Thursday (27) lifted the foreign travel ban imposed on former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa over allegations he used a commercial floating armoury.

Breaking what seemed to be a ‘deadlock’ in the national government formation, UNP Chairman and MP elect Malik Samarawickrema said yesterday that an agreement was reached with the SLFP over its mechanism after extensive discussions.

US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Nisha Biswalcalled on Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena at the Presidential Secretariat on Tuesday (25) evening. She was accompanied by the Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Tom Malinowski.

Former UPFA MP Sarana Gunawardane was further remanded till September 9 by the Gampha Chief Magistrate Tikiria K Jayatilake today for allegedly assaulting a man in Gampaha during the election campaign period.

Sri Lanka’s foreign minister told visiting American diplomats on Tuesday about steps the island nation is taking to address allegations of human rights violations during its brutal, quarter century-long civil war.

Susil Premajayantha, in a letter to president Maithripala Sirisena, says he will resign from his post as general secretary of the United Peoples Freedom Alliance.

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair has assured to appear on behalf of Sri Lanka in eliminating misconceptions in the world. He gave this assurance during a meeting with President Maithripala Sirisena.

Sri Lanka’s police Monday arrested four army personnel, including two senior officers, in connection with the disappearance of a dissident cartoonist that triggered international condemnation of the island’s rights record.

President Maithripala Sirisena offered the position of High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to the United Kingdom a short while ago. President made the offer speaking at the farewell ceremony held at the end of the second test match for the cricketing legend.

Former ministers Mangala Samaraweera, Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe and D.M. Swaminathan were today sworn in as ministers of the new government by President Maithripala Sirisena.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa, former Defence Secretary has arrived at the Special Presidential Commission of Inquiry into Large Scale Corruption and Fraud, a short while ago.

There is no legal basis for international investigation within Sri Lanka; it has to be domestic, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe said in an interview to the Hindu.

President Maithripala Sirisena is to receive an advanced copy of the UNHRC war crimes report early this week, informed diplomatic sources said.