Category: Local News

Sri Lanka will step up efforts to revive a stalled free trade pact with Singapore, President Ranil Wickremesinghe told the city state’s premier on Tuesday, his office said in a statement.

A massive fire has broken out at Kajimawatte Flats in Thotalanga this evening (September 27), the fire brigade said.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is ready to provide further financial support to Sri Lanka, a top official of the regional lender said on Tuesday, as the Indian Ocean nation battles its worst economic crisis in more than seven decades.

A senior airport security officer who attempted to smuggle eight gold biscuits weighing one kilogram, worth around Rs. 20 million, was arrested while leaving the Katunayake airport by Sri Lanka Customs Narcotics Control Division today (September 27).

The third Coal power plant in Norochcholai has been shut down due to a technical fault, the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) said.

A member of the Rajanganaya Pradeshiya Sabha has been arrested in connection with the attempted armed robbery of Rs. 22.3 million in cash near a private bank in Thambuththegama yesterday (September 26), police said.

Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe says that discussion on restructuring Sri Lanka’s bilateral debt has already commenced with India and China at a lower level and that he is visiting Japan to discuss their role in the process.

Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe held bilateral talks with Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong a short while ago, the President’s Media Division (PMD) says.

Two suspects who were fleeing after stealing Rs. 20 Million from a private bank in Tambuttegama were arrested by a Sri Lankan Police officer.

Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekera says that Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) will take legal action regarding the allegations made by Chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL), Janaka Ratnayake regarding the quality of imported crude oil.

The Supreme Court today (September 26) decided not to proceed with legal action against President Ranil Wickremesinghe in respect of several Fundamental Rights petitions filed over Easter Sunday attacks as he is the incumbent President.

Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe left the country early this morning (September 26) on an official visit to Japan and the Philippines.

While claiming that the international community must rise above the narrow national agenda, India said that, for its part, is taking exceptional measures at exceptional times to help its neighbours including Sri Lanka.

Claiming that a recent report indicated that at least 32 Sri Lankan citizens go abroad every hour, Chairman of the National Movement for a Just Society Karu Jayasuriya said it was a sign of a country’s rapid decline.

Sri Lanka’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ali Sabry said that confronted with overlapping challenges, developing countries and their economies are at extreme risk with Governments facing debt-default and financial collapse due to a lack of access to adequate capital, while people face rising poverty, unemployment, hunger and education disruption.

Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe is scheduled to leave for Japan tonight (September 25) for a three-day official visit.