Malaysia is ready to explore new investment opportunities in Sri Lanka, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said.

MDMK chief Vaiko on Thursday urged Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to use diplomatic channels to ensure the Sri Lankan government does not add tough penal provisions to a 1979 law that could affect the lives of Tamil fishermen crossing maritime borders.

Sri Lanka can expect large-scale investments across various sectors next year and around 50 investment projects will come Sri Lanka’s in January, Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake said.

The China Merchant Company will absorb all workers of the Hambantota Port after the take over on January 7 next year, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said today.

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa says that the recent incident at the Hambantota Port can be seen as the first instance of the navy being used to sabotage a strike action.

Ports and Shipping Minister Arjuna Ranatunge yesterday set an ultimatum to the employees who are carrying out a protest at the Hambantota port to report to work by 2.00 p.m today (Thursday) or be treated as having vacated their posts.

President Maithripala Sirisena said the Government is taking steps to provide ample resources and the requisite guidance in building the future generation of our country as human resources equipped with high professional and technical knowledge.

The International Federation of Journalists today demanded “immediate action” against Sri Lankan Navy chief who allegedly assaulted a journalist who was covering a strike by port workers in the country’s southern Hambantota port.

Naval personnel on Tuesday (13th Dec.) rendered assistance to load 1,086 cars and jeeps onboard a South Korean Vehicles Carrier, ‘Glovis Phoenix’, which arrived at the outer harbor of Hambantota on 11th December.

The government is keeping a close watch on the activities of certain websites in social media, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said.

President Mathripala Sirisena who is scheduled to visit Malaysia from December 15 to 17 is scheduled to sign several bilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Malaysian government.

Health Minister Rajitha Senarathne recently visited the drug manufacturing companies which have entered into agreements with the State Pharmaceuticals Corporation (SPC) to domestically manufacture the necessary drug for the country by 2019.

Cricket legend Arjuna Ranatunga announced Monday he was reviving his bid to build a record-breaking 100-metre tall Christmas tree in Sri Lanka’s capital despite opposition from the Catholic church.

Defence Secretary Karunasena Hettiarachchi has called for a full report from the Navy Commander Vice Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne, regarding the controversial incident that took place on Saturday (10) at the Hambantota Magampura Harbour.

Former defence secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa commenting on the yesterday’s incident which took place at the protest held at the Hambantota harbour said the government was defending the Navy’s unlawful action.

Sri Lanka’s coalition government on Saturday won the final vote on its 2017 budget which aims to boost revenue and cut the fiscal deficit to 4.6 percent of GDP from this year’s 5.4 percent with a more than two-thirds majority.