Will Sri Lanka turn to SMS storm warnings after ‘night from hell’?

In the early evening of Nov. 29, Ajith Dias, an office worker in Colombo, started receiving warnings on Facebook of a brewing storm nearing Sri Lanka’s southern coast.



Railway strike called off

Railway trade unions have decided to call off the strike action. The decision to call off the strike was made following a special discussion with the Cabinet sub-committee appointed to look into the matter.



UN officials visited LTTE detainees– Did not visit two naval officers in prison

The United Nations (UN) did not visit the Naval Officers, Cmdr Dasanayaka and Lt. Cmdr Sumith Ranasinghe who are in prison but it was reported that they had visited the LTTE detainees at the same location, rear admiral (Rtd) Sarath Weerasekara said.



Two more arrested in betel leaf import scam

LAHORE: National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Lahore, Tuesday arrested two more betel leaf importers for causing a loss of Rs26.757 million to national exchequer by evading/miscalculating custom duty liable on import of betel leaf in a Rs2.6 billion corruption case.



President requests striking railway workers to return to work

President Maithripala Sirisena has requested all workers engaging in the railway strike action to report for work, taking into consideration the inconvenience caused to students who are to sit for the G.C.E. Ordinary Level examinations, as well as the inconvenience experienced by the general commuters.



All parties that were elected into power failed miserably – Anura Kumara

Leader of the JVP Anura Kumara Dissanayake stated that all the political parties that were elected into power failed to fulfill the needs of the people.



NFF in deep crisis

The National Freedom Front (NFF), led by Wimal Weerawansa MP yesterday plunged into deeper crisis with the party’s Deputy Leader Weerakumara Dissanayake and NFF National Organiser Piyasiri Wijenayake joining the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP).



Police step in as railway strike action reaches day four

The Railway Department states that nearly 20 trains to be used by office goers have been added to the service today for the convenience of the commuters.



Korea offers USD 14 Million for Garbage Collection Compactors to Sri Lanka

The Export-Import Bank of Korea approved USD 14 million for supply of garbage collection compactors to Sri Lanka. This project will provide 190 garbage compactors to local authorities in all nine Provinces of Sri Lanka in order to collect and transfer large amount of waste to dumping sites in an efficient and economical manner.



Perera lauds Lakmal after emphatic ODI win

Dharamsala: New captain Thisara Perera Sunday hailed Suranga Lakmal as Sri Lanka’s premier fast bowler after he led the visitors to a seven-wicket win over India in the first one-day international.



Foreign experts to fight bribes, corruption

The Government was mulling obtaining the assistance of external experts to carry out investigations on corruption, Minister of Law and Order Sagala Ratnayake said over the weekend.



Sri Lanka hands port formally to Chinese firm, receives $292 million

Sri Lanka formally handed over commercial activities in its main southern port to a Chinese company on Saturday and received $292 million out of a $1.12 billion deal, Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera said.



Swift relief for farmers affected by extreme weather- PM

A mechanism to provide relief for farming families affected by extreme weather will be developed within two weeks, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said.



Sri Lanka parliament backs tax exemptions for port deal with Chinese

Sri Lanka’s parliament approved on Friday a raft of tax concessions for a Chinese-led joint venture which will handle the southern port of Hambantota under a $1.1 billion deal that has sparked public anger and concerns in India and elsewhere.



Sri Lankan pleads guilty to bomb threat on flight

A Sri Lankan man who threatened to set off a bomb onboard a flight from Melbourne is facing a maximum 20 years’ jail after pleading guilty to attempting to take control of an aircraft.



Electric car plant, lithium battery factory in Lanka soon – Dr Yaddehige

Richard Pieris & Company PLC plans to invest between Rs 15 to 20 billion in several unique projects in the next three years that will see electric cars, lithium batteries and Oud perfume manufactured in Sri Lanka