SLFP General Secretary Dayasiri Jayasekera says the reaction of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) to the deteriorating financial crisis and a spate of other contentious issues have compelled some members of the ruling coalition to make a set of alternative proposals dubbed a national declaration.

The Government is to consider providing financial relief to over one thousand Ukranian tourists now in Sri Lanka on holiday and unable to go back to their war-torn country.

Fully vaccinated travellers for COVID-19 arriving in Sri Lanka from overseas will not be required to undergo PCR or Rapid Antigen Tests prior to arrival from March 01, 2022.

“I regret the current power cuts, but it is inevitable unless there is a serious commitment to add to the national grid in terms of renewable energy sources etc”, said Ajith Nivard Cabraal

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa yesterday instructed Minister of Agriculture Mahindananda Aluthgamage and State Minister of Livestock, Farm Promotion and Dairy & Egg Related Industries D.B. Herath to immediately increase the price paid to dairy farmers for milk supplied by improving productivity at Milco.

Lanka Indian Oil Company (LIOC) has decided to increase prices of Diesel by Rs. 15 per Litre and Petrol by Rs. 20 per Litre with effect from midnight on Friday (February 25).

In late November 2019, after winning Sri Lanka’s presidential election and months ahead of a parliamentary ballot that would again test his popularity, Gotabaya Rajapaksa gathered his cabinet and made good on a campaign promise to slash taxes.

The Foreign Ministry has instructed the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Ankara, Turkey which is concurrently accredited to Kyiv, to take appropriate measures to coordinate the safe passage of the remaining Sri Lankan nationals in Ukraine.

Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa yesterday questioned the Government if it had a plan to get the country out of the current economic crisis as well as deal with the implications of the war in Ukraine on Sri Lanka.

Veteran journalist Bandula Padmakumara has passed away at the age of 71.

The Parliamentary debate was adjourned for 10 minutes today (February 24) due to MP Harin Fernando’s attempt to convince the Parliament of the impact of power cuts on the public, by bringing a torch to the Parliament.

Ahead of a visit by Sri Lanka finance minister Basil Rajapaksa to India this week, the two countries are close to finalizing three defence-related agreements and arrangements that are expected to boost cooperation for maritime security.

Veteran journalist Sunil Madhawa Premathilaka passed away last night (February 23).