Category: Local News

Politics.co.uk – By Alex Gangitano The Commonwealth’s decision to hold a heads of government meeting in the Sri Lankan city of Colombo was wrong, according to a new report. A foreign affairs committee report today looked at evidence of serious human rights abuses in the country, whose capital is to hold the 2013 Commonwealth heads […]

COLOMBO, Nov 13 (Reuters) – Sri Lanka’s state-run oil firm Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) said on Tuesday that a $60 million arbitration award to Deutsche Bank (Xetra: 514000 – news) early this month was against the island nation’s government and not against the firm. […]

By R. K. Radhakrishnan Sri Lanka granted India consular access to its prisoners at the Welikada prison, the site of bloody clashes that left 27 dead and over 40 injured on Friday. High Commission officials made a physical verification of the 39 prisoners and said that they were all unharmed. […]

Galle District Senior Superintendent of Police Vaas Gunawardena has been transferred to Ratnapura District effective immediately, police spokesman said. […]

Deepavali, known as the Festival of Light, has special significance as an expression of spiritual richness in the Hindu tradition, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said in a message to mark Deepavali. The President said:“It marks the victory of good over evil, and bringing the light of knowledge over the darkness of ignorance that are the eternal […]

Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake said in open court today that she will withdraw from hearing all cases pertaining to depositors of Golden Key and Ceylinco Shriram. Bandaranayake on Thursday denied financial wrongdoing alleged in an impeachment brought by the ruling party, vowing to remain in office and defend her innocence. […]

Sri Lankan delegationled by Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa met the Chinese Defence Minister Liang Guanglie on Sunday (11) in Beijing. At this meeting China and Sri Lanka strengthened their defence relations by pledging to boost relations between the two countries and their militaries. […]

President Mahinda Rajapaksa said his government will do its utmost to ensure the well-being of War Heroes and their families. “Our War Heroes fought fearlessly to secure the Motherland and leave a country for all to live in peace and without fear,” he said at the opening of the third Abimansala in Kamburupitiya on Saturday. […]

The Government yesterday appointed a three-member high-powered committee to probe the violence at the Welikada Prison which led to the death of 27 inmates on Friday evening. […]

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — A shootout between rioting prisoners and security forces at a prison in Sri Lanka’s capital killed at least 27 inmates, while police said Saturday that they arrested five prisoners who had managed to escape and were searching for others. […]

Onlanka News – By Janaka Alahapperuma (Photos by Sudath Silva) Four foreign envoys including three new Ambassadors and a High Commissioner handed over their credentials to President Mahinda Rajapaksa on 09 November. The ceremony for the handing over of credentials by the new diplomats was held at the President’s Office, Presidential Secretariat in Colombo under […]

At least 13 people have died in clashes between inmates and guards at Sri Lanka’s Welikada prison in the capital Colombo, hospital officials say. The violence was sparked when police commandos attempted to conduct a search at the prison. […]

Several people are feared dead after a shootout between the STF and prison inmates a short while ago. The shootout had occured when inmates attempted to break out from the Prison. […]

Parliamentarian Arjuna Ranatunga has resigned from the post of Deputy Leader of the Democratic Party while Parliamentarian Tiran Alles has resigned from the post of Secretary of the Party. […]

A Sri Lankan student will spend at least 18 months behind bars for sexually assaulting a passenger while he was working as a taxi driver in Perth. […]

Onlanka News – By Janaka Alahapperuma (Pix by: Sudath Silva) President Mahinda Rajapaksa as Minister of Finance presented the Budget Report for the year 2013 in parliament today on 08 November. This is Sri Lanka’s 66th Budget and the 8th Budget presented by President Rajapaksa in his capacity as the Minister of Finance & Planning, […]