Amid a proliferation of development deals in Sri Lanka, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa says his country and Japan could work on more projects together, including hospitals and highways.

The Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) is soon to be replaced with a more powerful and permanent Bureau with a mandate to investigate financial crimes, Co-Cabinet Spokesman Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne said yesterday.

Italian tyre manufacturer Marangoni is seeking to establish a $75 million tyre production plant in Sri Lanka under the Board of Investment that is expected to create about 1,000 direct employment opportunities.

A Sri Lankan precious gems dealer is staring at financial ruin after his HK$6 million haul of uninsured precious sapphires and rubies was snatched in a daylight robbery in Tsim Sha Tsui, South China Morning Post reported.

As a politician who was first elected to Government in 1977, I have closely observed key political developments in the global landscape over the past 40 years or so.

The Government has increased the concessionary vehicle permits to Public Servants from the current US$25,000 to US$45,000 in a new circular to be issued shortly by the Treasury’s Trade and Investment Policy Department.

Former leader of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and General Secretary of the People’s Servants Party, Somawansa Amarasinghe has passed away at the age of 73.

An influential group of Sri Lankan academics and professionals Tuesday called on the president to remove the country’s controversial central bank chief over long-running insider trading allegations.

Former Minister Keheliya Rambukwella arrived at the FCID this morning after he was summoned in connection with a probe of claiming Rs.20 million from the President’s Fund as compensation for his accident in Australia.

The trade union action staged by the Postal Trade Union Coalition will continue until the authorities deliver the promises made to them, Convener of the union front Chinthaka Bandara said.

On April 1, the Sri Lankan government paid 300 million rupees ($2 million) as a premium to buy its first national natural disaster cover from the country’s National Insurance Trust Fund.

The initiative launched by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in Maharagama to seek public assistance for the purchase of a Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scanner, which received the support of Manusath Derana, has achieved its target of getting Rs.200 million as of today (13).

President Maithripala Sirisena made clear in an interview with the Sunday Times that any technical assistance to the proposed inquiry into alleged war crimes would be without any commitments or conditions attached.

Sri Lanka needs special courts to expedite trials of graft cases involving former strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa’s aides who were allegedly indulged in mass- scale corruption, a senior minister has said.

The Vehicle Importers Association of Sri Lanka and Vehicle Importers Association of Lanka summoning a joint press conference on Saturday welcomed the pledge made by Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake to waive the 10% vehicle re-export tax.

R.Sampanthan, chief of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and Leader of Opposition in the Sri Lankan parliament, complained in parliament, that qualified Tamils are not getting government jobs.