Justice Minister Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakse, PC, had a heated argument with visiting UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Counter Terrorism Ben Emmerson, QC, over UN intervention here as regards promotion and protection of human rights.

The World Bank has decided to entrust Sri Lanka a loan worth USD 1,340 million as aid to enhance financial and technological stability, for a period of three years, in effect from July 1, this year, the Finance Ministry said in a statement.

Sri Lanka’s prime minister said on Wednesday Buddhism will remain paramount in the bitterly divided island, seeking to head off protests led by the powerful Buddhist clergy against proposed changes to the constitution.

Reiterating its stand on Katchatheevu, the Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday strongly opposed the recent legislation passed by the Sri Lankan government, which restricts certain fishing practices, and asserted that it would retrieve the ceded islet from the neighbouring island nation.

The Sri Lankan rupee recovered from early falls to close slightly firmer on Tuesday as dollar selling by a foreign bank and exporters outweighed importer demand for the U.S. currency, dealers said.

Dozens of groundsmen at Sri Lanka’s Hambantota cricket stadium have complained that they were ordered to give back their uniforms before being paid — even though they were wearing them at the time.

Two Policemen have been interdicted following Sunday’s killing of a youth in Vadamarachchi East and a tense situation prevailed in the area yesterday.

President Maithripala Sirisena says the Government will take steps to provide rice at a concessionary rate to the public by importing rice from other countries, if the price of rice goes up in the local market further, as the paddy production decreased due to the recent droughts.

Professor Carlo Fonseka on Monday insisted the representatives of the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) not to go ahead with the scheduled strike following the end of his term in office as the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC).

Having identified the need for developing the infrastructure such as rural roads, medium and small size irrigation and rural and urban water supply, the Government of Sri Lanka has decided to implement Rural Infrastructure Development Project in Emerging Regions and Kalu Ganga Water Supply Expansion Project (I).

The Sri Lankan authorities plan to return 42 seized boats belonging to Tamil Nadu fishermen within a week, Indian BJP State unit president Tamilisai Soundararajan said.

One person was killed at Manalkadu,Point Pedro when Police opened fire at an illegal sand transporting truck, which disobeyed a police signal to stop, Police sources said.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami has expressed concern over a Sri Lankan fisheries bill that could prevent Indian fishermen from exercising their traditional fishing rights in the Palk Bay.

The government will go ahead with the completion of the Uma Oya Multi-purpose Development Project as the majority of work has already been completed, Mahaweli Development State Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said yesterday.