newslanka.org

Aug 25, Colombo: India’s MDMK general secretary Vaiko has denied the statement made by former arms procurer of the terror outfit LTTE, Kumaran Pathamanathan, alias KP that he was against a ceasefire between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan forces.

Aug 25, Kandy: Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa with the First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa and son Yoshitha Rajapaksa view the tusker Nedungamuwa Raja carrying the Sacred Tooth Relic Casket in the Esala Maha Randoli Perahera from a special platform at President’s House in Kandy Tuesday night.

Aug 24, Colombo: The World Food Programme (WFP) has offered financial assistance to construct six warehouses to store this season’s bumper paddy harvest in Sri Lanka.

Aug 24, Colombo: The World Food Programme (WFP) has offered financial assistance to construct six warehouses to store this season’s bumper paddy harvest in Sri Lanka.

Aug 24, Kandy: The final Randoli Perahera of the historic Esala Festival of Kandy will parade the streets this evening.

Aug 24, Kandy: The final Randoli Perahera of the historic Esala Festival of Kandy will parade the streets this evening.

Aug 24, Muttur: A minor explosion occurred in Ittikulam of Muttur in Eastern Sri Lanka when a backhoe clearing the land at a UN project site ran over a buried mine, Muttur police said.

Aug 24, Muttur: A minor explosion occurred in Ittikulam of Muttur in Eastern Sri Lanka when a backhoe clearing the land at a UN project site ran over a buried mine, Muttur police said.

Aug 24, Kandy: Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa and First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa participated in the Esala Poya Day Dharma Deshana delivered by Ven Naranpanawe Ananda Thero of Asgiriya Temple Tuesday (24) at President’s House in Kandy.

Aug 24, Charsadda, Pakistan: A Sri Lankan medical team is in Pakistan treating flood affected patients in the Charsadda District Hospital in North West Pakistan, close to the Afghan border .

Aug 24, Vavuniya: Sri Lanka’s Power and Energy Ministry initiative to crackdown on electricity consumers involved illegally tapping electricity has proven successful with hundreds of arrests being made from all parts of the island.

Aug 24, Colombo: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi has said that former LTTE Leader Kumaran Pathmanathan alias KP has to explain facts relating to the war.

Aug 24, Colombo: Sri Lanka’s External Affairs Ministry has said that the Sri Lankan mission in Kenya is currently negotiating with the pirates for assurances about the Sri Lankan crew onboard the Panama flagged merchant vessel which was hijacked by Somali pirates early in the month.

Aug 24, Colombo: Two Sri Lankans have appealed to Australia’s High Court to reconsider them for asylum and challenged as unfair the handling of their refugee claims offshore, the Australian media reported today.

Aug 24, Colombo: The main constituent party of Sri Lanka’s ruling alliance, Sri Lanka Freedom Party is to mark its 59th anniversary on September 2nd, Minister Susil Premajayantha announced yesterday.

Aug 24, Colombo: Sri Lanka’s Economic Development Minister and Senior Adviser to President, Basil Rajapaksa is to leave for India today on an official visit.

Aug 24, Matara: Sri Lanka police have arrested the main suspect of the recent assault on Matara District Deputy Tax Commissioner of the Inland Revenue Department.

Aug 23, Colombo: Reaching out to a friendly neighbor in need Sri Lanka on Sunday afternoon air lifted the second consignment of flood relief to Pakistan affected by the worst floods in decades.

Aug 23, Colombo: An International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission today concluded its visit to Sri Lanka to conduct discussions for the fourth review of the IMF’s USD 2.6 billion Stand-By Arrangement approved in July last year, and expressed satisfaction with Sri Lanka’s economic progress.

Aug 23, Colombo: The United States has donated equipment worth 674 million rupees ($6 million) to Sri Lanka Air Force to enhance maritime security.

Aug 23, Colombo: A United National Party delegation led by the Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremasinghe met President Mahinda Rajapaksa at Temple Trees Monday afternoon.

Aug 23, Colombo: Former head of Sri Lanka’s Peace Secretariat Professor Rajiva Wijesinha giving evidence before the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission Monday said that the ceasefire agreement (CFA) of 2002 was a good idea, but was a failure mainly due to then Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe’s inability to integrate it.

Aug 23, Matara: Several suspects involved in the recent attack on the Deputy Tax Commissioner of the Inland Revenue Department in Matara have surrendered to courts.

Aug 23, Colombo: A Sri Lankan court Monday granted bail to a main opposition United National Party (UNP) legislator who has been in remand custody since December 2009.

Aug 23, Colombo: Following the news of the discolouring and some fading of the famed Sigiriya frescoes, President Mahinda Rajapaksa carried out an observation and inspection tour of the World Heritage Site today (23), to assess the current state of the frescoes and identify ways of preserving them.

Aug 23, Colombo: The Sri Lankan government says resettlement of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the Mannar district is 99 percent complete and only 145 families remain to be resettled.

Aug 23, Colombo: The Sri Lankan government says that the displaced civilians who fled the war abandoning their vehicles in the special security zone of the northern Wanni region can claim them back from today.

Aug 22, Colombo: A delegation of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference led by its President Archbishop of Colombo Malcolm Ranjith, met with President Mahinda Rajapaksa at Temple Trees Sunday evening to discuss current issues in the North and East.

Aug 22, Colombo: Sri Lanka and India will sign a memorandum of Agreement (Mou) to resume the ferry service between Sri Lanka’s Thalaimannar of the northwestern coast and Rameswaram in South India.

Aug 22, Colombo: Sri Lankan government is taking measures to introduce new salary scales for government employees in order to rectify the salary anomalies prevailing in the public sector, a government official has claimed.

Aug 22, Colombo: Sri Lanka police today recorded a statement from Sri Lanka’s opposition United National Party Hambantota District parliamentarian Sajith Premadasa over the recent suicide of a party activist.

Aug 22, Batticaloa: Tamil political parties operating in the Eastern Province in Sri Lanka, especially, in the Batticaloa District had held a discussion with the military about security concerns in the area.

Aug 22, Dambulla: Sri Lanka beat India by 8 wickets today in the 5th ODI of the triangular series to seal a place in the final.

Aug 22, Colombo: Sri Lanka’s Inland Revenue Department (IRD) officers are to continue with their agitation campaigns until the police arrest the suspects involved in the attack on Deputy Tax Commissioner in Matara recently.

Aug 22, Colombo: The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) special disciplinary committee inquiring into the conduct of former deputy minister Mervyn Silva is to reconvene today.

Aug 22, Colombo: Sri Lanka’s Epidemiology Unit of the Health Ministry has warned of a re-emergence of the Influenza A (H1N1) virus in the country.

Aug 21, Colombo: The distributor of ‘The Economist’ international economic magazine in Sri Lanka, Vijitha Yapa Bookstore says that Sri Lanka Customs have not released the latest issue of the magazine.

Aug 21, Colombo: Sri Lanka Ministry of Higher Education says that the reputed international universities will be granted permission to open their branches in Sri Lanka.

Aug 21, Chennai: Fishermen from India’s Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka are currently engaged in discussions from August 20 – 22 to resolve the issues arising from both groups fishing in the Palk Bay area.

Aug 21, Colombo: Sri Lanka Foreign Secretary Romesh Jayasinghe announced to media today that India’s Foreign Affairs Minister S. M. Krishna would visit Sri Lanka on an official tour in October this year.

Aug 21, Colombo: The second court martial against former Sri Lanka Army Commander Sarath Fonseka to inquire into alleged irregularities in military procurements during his tenure as Army Chief was convened today (21).

Aug 21, Colombo: The International Cricket Council today ruled that Sri Lanka’s cricket captain Kumar Sangakkara is not guilty of breaching the ICC Code of Conduct during the rained-out 4th ODI against New Zealand in Dambulla on Friday.

Aug 21, Colombo: Sri Lankan authorities have received over 100 complaints regarding various alleged corruption and malpractices taking place in the 48 local government bodies in the Western Province, Local Government Services Commissioner H. Sumanapala has said.

Aug 21, Kandy: Sri Lankan prison officials fatally shot a prisoner who attempted to escape from the maximum security Bogambara Prison in Kandy this morning.

Aug 21, Colombo: Sri Lankan maids who were working in Lebanon without valid visas have returned to the country today (21) using the amnesty period offered by Lebanon.

Aug 21, Colombo: Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa hosted the Iftar Dinner for the Muslims observing Ramadan at the Temple Trees on Friday night. President Rajapaksa is seen here surrounded by a large group of Muslim devotees including parliamentarians and foreign diplomats participating in breaking the fast.

Aug 21, Colombo: The Government of China has granted 7.41 billion rupees (about 66 million dollars) to renovate and upgrade facilities of hospitals in the war-ravaged Northern and Eastern provinces of Sri Lanka, the local media reported.

Aug 20, Colombo: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of Japan are providing financial assistance to help Sri Lanka restore infrastructure and provide livelihood training for thousands of internally displaced people resettled in their homes in the war-ravaged Northern region.

Aug 20, Puttalam: United States forces in Sri Lanka for Operation Pacific Angel will present a local school with a power generator, computers, and associated equipment, according to U.S. officials.

Aug 20, Colombo: Indian High Commissioner Ashok K. Kantha Thursday (19) ceremonially inaugurated the India-assisted upgradation of Galle-Matara segment of Sri Lanka’s southern coastal railway line.

Aug 20, Colombo: Kuok Khoon-Ean, the Chairman/CEO of Asia Pacific’s leading luxury hotel group, Hong Kong-based Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, called on President Mahinda Rajapaksa today at the Temple Trees.

Aug 20, Colombo: Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the Temple Trees today appointed two new organizers of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), main constituent party of ruling alliance, for the North and East.

Aug 20, Colombo: Sri Lankan government today said that over 235,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) have been resettled do far and the resettlement of the remaining IDPs is to be completed by the end of September.

Aug 20, Colombo: Sri Lanka’s Chief Government Whip Dinesh Gunawardena requested main opposition United National Party parliamentarian Ravi Karunanayaka to withdraw a question listed in the Order Book of Parliament.

Aug 20, Colombo: Sri Lanka’s Democratic National Alliance (DNA) parliamentarian Sarath Fonseka told parliament today that his parliamentary privileges have been breached again.

Aug 20, Dambulla: Pouring rain has halted Sri Lanka’s drive against New Zealand in the 4th One-Day International today at the Dambulla International Stadium.

Aug 20, Colombo: Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau announced that a group of about 100 Sri Lankan workers who were overstaying in Lebanon without valid visa were to arrive in Sri Lanka today.

Aug 20, Colombo: Sri Lanka Private Bus Owners’ Association warned the passenger transport authorities that they will go into trade union action if the regulatory body fails to formulate a time-table for Private Buses in the Western Province within a fortnight.

Aug 20, Colombo: Sri Lanka Examination Commissioner Anura Edirisinghe said that all arrangements are ready for the Grade Five Scholarship examination scheduled to be held on August 22.

Aug 20, Colombo: India’s High Commissioner in Sri Lanka Ashok K. Kantha and Sri Lanka Foreign Secretary Romesh Jayasinghe exchanged the documents pertaining to setting up of Indian consulates in Jaffna and Hambanthota today at the Ministry of External Affairs in Colombo.