Japan will act as a sincere friend of Sri Lanka during challenging times the latter may have to go through, Japanese Prime minister Shinz Abe said yesterday.

Sri Lanka’s Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake has invited Sri Lankans and Indians who had to take back their deposits from banks in Switzerland to place their funds in Sri Lanka.

Expressing concern over repeated incidents of fishermen from the State being captured by the Sri Lankan Navy, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his personal intervention to secure their release and safeguard the traditional fishing rights of Tamil Nadu fishermen.

Price of a cigarette has been increased by Rs 3 from Rs 30 to Rs. 33 while a liter of beer by Rs. 40 (alcohol below 5%) and a liter of beer by Rs 60 (alcohol over 5%) from today, the Finance Ministry said.

Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (MEP) leader Dinesh Gunawardena, MP, yesterday, said that the country could bring to the notice of the war crimes court envisaged for Sri Lanka, the circumstances under which the armed forces had brought the LTTE to its knees in May 2009.

President Maithripala Sirisena yesterday (2) said that the country had achieved a great victory at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) as the international community expressed high appreciation of the steps taken by the government since January.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe has said that the international has endorsed that Sri Lanka is a country in which democracy is in force.

UNHRC resolutions on Sri Lanka are proposed without sufficient understanding with regard to the functioning judicial system of the country, said Transport Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva.

Sri Lanka said on Thursday it would heed a U.N. resolution urging it to establish a credible judicial process, including foreign judges and prosecutors, to investigate alleged war crimes during its conflict with Tamil rebels that ended in 2009.

A nation or a community of people will receive high recognition in the world through the love and care given by its people or society to children. The foremost value of human civilization is the tenderness and love for children.

Our new vision for the country involves achieving the twin objectives of sustainable development and reconciliation, President Maithripala Sirisena said addressing the 70th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York yesterday.

Sri Lanka must investigate reports of secret places of detention and set up a “credible and independent” body to clarify the fate of people missing since the long war that ended in 2009, the United Nations said on Wednesday.

US President Barak Obama commended the commitment and efforts taken by President Maithripala Sirisena to strengthen good governance and democracy in Sri Lanka.

A U.S.-backed resolution at the United Nations that seeks justice for victims of Sri Lanka’s 26-year civil war has been softened to keep its government on board and allay the concerns of powerful neighbour India, sources say.

The Finance Ministry should increase the taxes on imported food containing excessive sugar, salt and oil to control rapid spread of Non Communicable Diseases (NCD’s) in Sri Lanka, Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne said.

NEW DELHI: India is likely to back Sri Lanka on the United Nations Human Rights Council resolution over alleged war crimes if it is put to vote in Geneva on Thursday, officials said, attributing the decision to measures taken by the new government in Colombo to empower Tamil minorities.