Category: Local News

The State-imposed thorny ban on social media looks set to drag on till at least Thursday (15 March), after a high-level meeting yesterday failed to agree on a timeline for restrictions, despite numerous pleas from the private sector, rights activists and top diplomats.

President Maithripala Sirisena after attending the Founding Conference of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) in New Delhi met with the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

The UN’s political chief on Sunday condemned anti-Muslim violence that has targeted mosques and businesses in Sri Lanka as he wrapped up a three-day visit to the island-nation.

Vandals attacked a Muslim-owned restaurant in Sri Lanka on Sunday in an alleged “hate crime”, police said, as tensions remain high across the island following a week of violent riots.

The Indian President Ram Nath Kovind says the current President Maithripala Sirisena has been able to deliver long term benefits to Sri Lanka while establishing peace and reconciliation in the country.

Five persons were killed after a boat in which they were picking flowers capsized on Periyakulam tank in Nilaveli.

The latest wave of anti-Muslim riots that triggered curfews and a nation-wide state of emergency has damaged Sri Lanka’s international image and was a major blow to the economy, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said.

In the aftermath of communal clashes, the government is hoping to introduce fresh legislation to ensure a code of conduct for the operation of social media websites in line with international best practices, Law and Order Minister Ranjith Madduma Bandara said yesterday.

JVP yesterday (09) in parliament called on Muslim leaders to raise their voices against extremists in the their community.

Tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka exceeded 200,000 in February, a 19.3 percent growth compared to the same period last year, mainly due to a strong rise from China, statistics from the Sri Lanka Tourism Ministry showed here Friday.

A curfew will be imposed in the Kandy administrative district, excluding the Kandy Municipal Council area, from 8.00pm today until 5.00am tomorrow (10), the Police Spokesman said.

As normalcy was returning fast, Lieutenant General Mahesh Senanayake, Commander of the Army went to trouble-torn Kandy yesterday morning (8) and took stock of developments taking place in the aftermath of violence that sparked off in the general areas of Digana, Galaha, Katugastota, Menikhinna, Ambetenna, Akurana, Poojapitiya and a few other affected areas.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday said action will be taken to pay compensation to the victims affected by the unrest in several areas in the Kandy district.

Sri Lanka’s Neville Fernando Teaching Hospital belonging to the country’s only private medical school is up for sale valued at 3.55 billion rupees.

One person died while another two were wounded following a shooting incident at Kotahena in Colombo.

The main suspect accused of instigating the incidents in Kandy has been arrested this morning along with 9 other suspects.