Latest Sri Lanka News and Top Stories

The Sri Lankan navy on Wednesday apprehended nine Tamil Nadu fishermen and their boat on charges of trespassing into the territorial waters of the island nation, marine police sources at Mandapam in India has said.

Gampola Vidanage Samantha Kumara alias Wele Suda was sentenced to death by Colombo High Court today on charges of possessing of 7.05 grams of heroin in Mount Lavinia in 2008.

Speaker Karu Jayasuriya is reported to have told a delegation of civil society representatives yesterday that he would introduce a Code of Conduct for MPs soon.

With duty for electric vehicles (EV) maintaining around 5 percent, registration of EVs in September has recorded a heavy toll.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe has said that a Compassionate Council will be established to solicit advice and guidance for all religions respecting the proposals of other countries.

General Secretary of the Bodu Bala Sena, Ven, Galagodaatte Gnanasara Thera, who was issued an arrest warrant for not appearing in court, surrendered to the Fort Magistrate’s Court a short while ago.

D.M.S. Dissanayake, Senior Assistant Secretary in the Defence Ministry and the officer-in-charge of Civil Security, has come under investigation over the controversy surrounding the Avant Garde Maritime Services Limited.

An arrest warrant has been issued against General Secretary of Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thera, a short while ago.

Sri Lanka’s finance minister has signed an extraordinary gazette to change the basis on which customs calculates the value of certain motor vehicles, therefore prices of some vehicles may increase by almost 50 percent, car dealers said.

TN Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Sunday urged Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to accord highest priority to the release of 54 Tamil Nadu fishermen and their 34 boats from the Sri Lankan custody.

Former Eastern Province Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillayan was arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department short while ago when he arrived at the CID office in Colombo this evening to give a statement, police media said.

Leader of Opposition and Tamil National Alliance leader R. Sampanthan has called for the involvement of the Tamil Nadu government to settle the issue of alleged poaching by fishermen from India, especially Tamil Nadu, in the territorial waters of Sri Lanka.

Governor of the Central Bank, Arjuna Mahendran, yesterday assured all Sri Lankan expatriates that their savings would not be taxed if they decided to remit their savings here.

Sri Lanka’s vehicle imports will drop by at least 90 percent after the government changes the way it calculates the value of certain motor vehicles, officials said on Friday.

Sri Lanka will continue to pursue a friendly policy towards China and promote all kinds of cooperation between the two countries, Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena has said.

The retirement age should be increased to 65 years, Foreign Affairs Deputy Minister Dr. Harsha de Silva said while speaking at the National Pensioners’ Day Symposium at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institution.