Senior U.S. diplomat Richard Verma on Friday met Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Foreign Minister Ali Sabry in Colombo, and discussed Sri Lanka’s economic recovery and progress on its IMF program, the U.S. State Department said.

The United States Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources, Richard Verma, who called on Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe, expressed appreciation for the efforts undertaken by the Sri Lankan Government to revitalize the economy.

Diana Gamage, the Minister of State for Tourism emphasized the critical role of nightlife in driving economic growth, citing it as a cornerstone of the night economy.

Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) MP Johnston Fernando said today that the complaint made by the late State Minister Sanath Nishantha’s wife regarding the death of her husband must be investigated soon.

Engineer Noel Priyantha has tendered his resignation as the spokesperson of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), this move confirmed by Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera via his X handle (formerly Twitter).

Sri Lanka said on Wednesday it had exported tea worth US$20 million to Iran to partially repay its US$251 million oil debts, with Colombo saying Tehran’s visiting foreign minister had expressed “satisfaction” at the deal.

Tiran Alles, the Minister of Public Security in Sri Lanka, emphasized his unwavering commitment to continue operations aimed at suppressing drugs, tackling the underworld, and preventing violence against women and children, regardless of any pressure encountered.

Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe appointed Rear Admiral Pradeep Rathnayake as the Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Navy effective from January 16, 2024.

The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) is planning to reduce electricity tariff by nearly 20 percent through the new proposals of the CEB which is due to be submitted to the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) on Thursday (February 22).

Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera told Parliament on Tuesday (February 20) that the electricity tariffs will be reduced by a greater amount than previously mentioned.

The English language is to be considered for conducting legal proceedings and maintaining records in certain courts in Sri Lanka, the Government Information Department said on Tuesday (February 20).

Education Minister Dr. Susil Premajayantha announced the initiation of a pilot project for digitizing education, scheduled to commence in March.

The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka on Tuesday (February 20) has informed Speaker of Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena that certain sections of the proposed Anti-Terrorism Bill conflict with the Constitution.

A 38-year-old individual was injured in a shooting near a housing complex at Ananda Rajakaruna Mawatha in Borella last night (February 19) and was admitted to the National Hospital, Colombo for treatment, police said.

Julie Chung, the United States Ambassador to Sri Lanka, has expressed deep concern over the recently passed Online Safety Bill in the Sri Lankan Parliament, citing three main areas of concern.