Category: Local News

United National Party (UNP) Leader and former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday called for a South Asian centre for virus research and disease control to be established in Sri Lanka, pointing out that Sri Lanka and the region needs to be better prepared to face any future health crisis.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said a policy decision has to be taken to legalise the cannabis in Sri Lanka in order to develop it as a medicinal crop in the future.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has accepted a proposal by 22 port trade unions aimed at resolving a crisis over the proposed handing over of the East Container Terminal (ECT) at the Colombo harbour to India’s Adani Group.

Sri Lanka will not be governed according to the dictates of other countries and organisations, Highways Minister Johnston Fernando said.

Three more COVID-19 related deaths have been reported in Sri Lanka, the Department of Government Information confirmed a short while ago.

Three persons were killed when a car veered off the road and crashed into a concrete pillar near the Air Force Camp in Ekala, Ja-Ela, police said.

A gazette notification has been issued banning the use of several plastic and polyethene products from the 31st of March 2021.

The JVP says Sri Lanka should retain absolute ownership of all Container Terminals of the Colombo Harbour.

An extraordinary gazette was issued yesterday (30) declaring the operations of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) as essential services.

Eight more COVID-19 related deaths have been reported in Sri Lanka, the Department of Government Information confirmed a short while ago.

Minister of Industries Wimal Weerawansa will be leading a special discussion today (January 30) on the issue pertaining to the Eastern Container Terminal of Colombo Port.

Leader of the JVP Anura Kumara Dissanayake says a series of island wide protests have been organised from Monday against the government’s decision to vest a stake of the East Container Terminal of the Colombo Port to an Indian firm.

The Samagi Jana Balawegaya yesterday said it was happy that India had donated 500,000 Covid-19 vaccines, but SJB General Secretary, MP Ranjith Maddumabandara told The Island that the East Container Terminal of the Colombo Port should not be bartered for the vaccine.

Jaffna District MP and former Chief Minister of the Northern Province, C.V. Wigneswaran, welcomed Minister Admiral Sarath Weerasekara’s suggestion that youth above 18 years be given military training.

Strict legal measures will be taken against a person who has brought pet birds into the country without following proper animal quarantine regulations, Police Media Spokesperson DIG Ajith Rohana yesterday (29) said.

Eight more COVID-19 related deaths have been reported in Sri Lanka, the Department of Government Information confirmed a short while ago.