Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has denied claims by Indonesian police that Australian Customs officials paid thousands of dollars to people smugglers to take asylum seekers back to Indonesia, ABC News reported.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday urged the Opposition to select between a no confidence motion or general election rather than pursuing both and constantly criticising the Government for exceeding its 100-day mandate.
President Maithripala Sirisena said that we must further develop our education policy with a comprehensive understanding about national and international requirements.
Former Minister Basil Rajapaksa and three other officials, who were arrested on charges of misappropriation of Divi Neguma funds, have been further remanded until June 18 by the Kaduwala Magistrate’s Court.
Australian officials had allegedly paid tens of thousands of dollars to people smugglers to turn a boat full of asylum seekers including Sri Lankan refugees back to Indonesia, Fairfax reported on Wednesday.
Internal revenue increased during the first five months this year by 21 percent in comparison to the corresponding period last year, Economic Affairs and Policy Planning Deputy Minister Harsha de Silva said yesterday.
China’s defence minister told the head of the Sri Lankan navy on Tuesday he wanted to ensure a “continuous and stable” development of military ties, after Sri Lanka ruled out future Chinese submarine visits to the country.
Sri Lanka’s new government has held talks with Tamil diaspora groups in London, discussing at length needs of those displaced during the war against the LTTE.
UPFA Southern Province Minister D.V. Upul was arrested by the CID today on charges of threatening to stone the officers attached to the Police FCID to death, Police Spokesman Ruwan Gunasekara said.
Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake yesterday claimed that some of the signatures of the No Confidence Motion against Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe collected by the Opposition were fakes.
