newslanka.org

Jan 31, Colombo: India’s High Commission in Colombo has announced 135 undergraduate and post- graduate scholarships for meritorious Sri Lankan nationals to study in India under the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) scholarship scheme.

Jan 31, Colombo: Nurses of Sri Lanka Government Nursing Officers’ Union held a protest today demanding the government to reform the nursing profession, grant promotions and prevent political interferences.

Jan 31, Colombo: Sri Lanka, which depends on the Iranian crude for almost all its oil requirement, is considering the country’s options as Iran’s economy has started to suffer by the combined United States and European Union sanctions on that country’s oil exports and banking.

Jan 31, Colombo: Sri Lanka’s inflation as measured by consumer prices in Colombo declined further in January this year to a lowest in two years, figures released Tuesday by the Statistics Department of the Central Bank showed.

Jan 31, Colombo: Sri Lanka’s major Tamil political party, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) says that President Mahinda Rajapaksa should stop vacillating in finding a political solution to the ethnic issue and honor the undertaking given to the TNA.

Jan 31, Colombo: Sri Lanka’s Marxist party Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) today dismissed the proposal made by President Mahinda Rajapaksa to convene an all party conference to discuss a solution to the ethnic issue saying it is a futile exercise.

Jan 31, Colombo: The trade union representatives of non-academic staff of Sri Lanka’s universities will meet today in Colombo to discuss the trade union actions to be initiated over the salary issues.

Jan 31, Colombo: People’s Movement for Democracy is planning to hold a massive protest demonstration in Colombo demanding the release of former Army Commander and presidential candidate Sarath Fonseka.

Jan 31, Colombo: Sri Lanka Government Nursing Officers’ Union will hold agitations over nine demands today outside 30 major hospitals island wide, says the Chairman of the union Saman Rathnapriya.

Jan 31, Colombo: Sri Lanka Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremasinghe says that the International Monetary Fund has rejected to release the last tranche of the IMF stand-by arrangement since the government failed to maintain the stability of the economy.

Jan 31, Colombo: A legislator of Sri Lanka’s main opposition United National Party (UNP) has dismissed statements made by Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal on the International Monetary Fund stand-by arrangement (SBA).

Jan 31, Colombo: Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has said that an all party conference would be convened soon to discuss the solution to the national issue.

Jan 31, Colombo: Sri Lanka’s Health Ministry and the Police have commenced a joint operation to crackdown on medical doctors practicing in the country without registration.

Jan 31, Colombo: Three ministers of the Sri Lankan government are to leave for the member states of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) next week to counteract the Tamil diaspora propaganda being carried out against the country, reported Sinhala nationalist daily The Divaina.

Jan 30, Colombo: Sri Lanka will be one of the 14 countries to participate in a multilateral naval exercise conducted by India every other year to strengthen the cooperation among the region’s navies.

Jan 30, Colombo: The United Nations sponsored training workshop on climate change for the representatives of Asia region commenced today in Colombo and it will be held until February 03.

Jan 30, Colombo: Sri Lanka today launched a national action plan on education formulated in collaboration with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Jan 30, Trincomalee: The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the government agency providing U.S. economic and humanitarian assistance worldwide, recently conducted a training program for the food producers in the Eastern province of Sri Lanka and assisted them to receive their certification.

> Jan 30, Colombo: Former world champion boxer in both the cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions, Evander Holyfield who is on a visit to Sri Lanka called on President Mahinda Rajapaksa at Temple Trees today.

Jan 30, Colombo: The Central Bank of Sri Lanka has decided not to draw the remainder of the US$ 2.6 billion given by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) due to the higher interest rate the Bank has to pay if the last tranche was received.

Jan 30, Colombo: The Central Bank of Sri Lanka has decided not to draw the remainder of the US$ 2.6 billion given by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) due to the higher interest rate the Bank has to pay if the last tranche was received.

> Jan 30, Colombo: A new luxury city bus service will commence next month on six routes identified as the main corridors to the capital Colombo city, says Sri Lanka Ministry of Transport.

Jan 30, Colombo: A Sri Lankan court today decided to hear a petition filed against the appointment of the main opposition United National Party (UNP) Leader Ranil Wickremasinghe.

Jan 30, Polonnaruwa: Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has instructed officials of the Livestock and Rural Community Development Ministry to urgently launch a programme to promote the consumption of liquid milk among the people.

Jan 30, Colombo: A parliamentarian of Sri Lanka’s major Tamil constituent Tamil National Alliance (TNA) said the party will not participate in the proposed Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) to seek solutions to the ethnic issue until the government expresses its stance.

Jan 30, Colombo: Sri Lanka political sources say that several government coalition parties are in a dialogue aiming to join hands against the power devolution proposals expected to be set forth.

Jan 30, Colombo: Sri Lanka Ministry of Health has decided to change basic educational qualifications for recruitment of nurses from the Tamil-dominated Northern and Eastern Provinces.

Jan 30, Colombo: Leader of Sri Lanka’s main opposition United National Party (UNP) Ranil Wickremasinghe has made it compulsory for all party members to participate in the protest campaign to be organized by the UNP next month against the alleged lawlessness in the country.

Jan 30, Colombo: Trade unions affiliated to Sri Lanka’s nursing sector say that nurses in state hospitals island wide will launch a strike on February 9th and 10th.

Jan 30, Colombo: President of Sri Lanka Mahinda Rajapaksa says that the government would provide a political solution according to the requirement of the country.

Jan 30, Colombo: Education Minister of Sri Lanka Bandula Gunawardena has disclosed that the government has chosen 6,000 schools island wide to develop under a special program following a scientific mapping exercise.

Jan 30, Colombo: Deputy Speaker of Sri Lanka parliament Chandima Weerakkody says that a small group of people envious of the rapid development taking place in the country following the end of the war creates unrest.

Jan 29, Colombo: The United States Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues, Stephen J. Rapp will be in Sri Lanka next week, unconfirmed reports say.

Jan 29, Colombo: Deputy Leader of Sri Lanka’s major opposition United National Party (UNP) Sajith Premadasa has admitted that the party’s Working Committee election held in December for top party positions had been conducted in a fair manner.

Jan 29, Colombo: Sri Lanka’s major Tamil constituent Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP Suresh Premachandran says that the party is ready to discuss with the ruling party of the Eastern Provincial Council about the power devolution and the political solution to the ethnic problem.

Jan 29, Colombo: The Sri Lankan government says there was no logical reason in continuing talks with the major Tamil party, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) on finding a political solution to the ethnic issue when the final solution would be decided by the proposed parliamentary select committee (PSC).

Jan 29, Colombo: The Sri Lankan government is to brief the international community on the progress made with regard to human rights concerns and the reconciliation process in the country at the United National Human Rights Council (UNHRC) sessions in Geneva on February 27th.

Jan 29, Colombo: Sri Lanka’s main opposition United National Party (UNP) says the government needs to inform parliament and the country if it was looking at a political solution that goes beyond the 13th Amendment to the Constitution.

Jan 29, Colombo: Superintendent at the Magazine Remand Prison in Sri Lanka Emil Ranjan Lamahewa says he would work to wipe out drug peddling from the Magazine Prison and clean up the prison from drug rackets.

Jan 29, Colombo: The Sri Lankan government dismissed claims made by the main opposition United National Party (UNP) that there would be repercussions in handing all key development projects to the Chinese government.

Jan 29, Colombo: A trade union affiliated to Sri Lanka’s power sector warns of strike action by the employees of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) if the salaries of the Board’s management are increased over the 25 percent announced by the government.

Jan 29, Colombo: Sri Lanka will hold a two-day international meeting on the tea industry with the participation of officials from major tea producing and consuming countries in the world.

Jan 29, Colombo: Sri Lanka’s major Tamil party, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) is to participate in the 19th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to be held in Geneva from 27 February - 23 March 2012.

Jan 28, Colombo: Preliminary investigations carried out to probe the riots in Sri Lanka’s main remand prison have revealed a carefully coordinated internal plan for the uprising, a government minister said.

Jan 28, Colombo: Over two years after eradicating terrorism form the country, Sri Lanka is taking measures to develop tourism in the former conflict-affected areas to economically strengthen the region and provide employment to the inhabitants.

Jan 27, Colombo: A Sri Lankan visa applicant was arrested for using deception and counterfeit documents to apply for a UK visa on 9 January, 2012, the British High Commission said in a press release Friday.

Jan 28, Colombo: Environment Minister of Sri Lanka Anura Priyadarshana Yapa says the country’s current excessive consumption of water would make it a highly expensive commodity in the near future.

Jan 28, Colombo: Sri Lanka’s Marxist party Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) says government was not interested in finding a political solution to the ethnic issue and wanted it to continue to avoid other key issues.

Jan 28, Colombo: Sri Lanka’s main opposition United National Party (UNP) says the government is to give a stake in Chinese funded development projects to the government of China in lieu of the monies needed to be paid for loan payments.

Jan 28, Colombo: As a gesture of goodwill Sri Lanka has donated US$ 50,000 to the Philippine Government to assist that country’s disaster relief operations following the disastrous flooding caused by the Typhoon Washi last month.

Jan 28, Colombo: Sri Lanka major opposition United National Party (UNP) leader Ranil Wickremasinghe will meet the chief prelates of the Malwatte and Asgiriya Chapters of Siyam sect today.

Jan 28, Colombo: Sri Lanka’s state owned Lanka Electricity Company (LECO) has taken steps to install a solar power system in the Presidents’ official residence Temple Trees.

Jan 28, Colombo: Sri Lanka Coast Conservation Department says that the government has allocated Rs. 500 million to implement measures to strengthen the coastal safety and to prevent the sea erosion.

Jan 28, Colombo: Sri Lanka’s petroleum authority Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) plans to resume bunkering operations which it stopped in 2008.

Jan 28, Colombo: Government medical officers in Sri Lanka warn that the country is facing the risk of losing the services of many doctors due to the failure to provide them with their due allowances and other perks.

Jan 28, Colombo: A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka seeking the withdrawal of the controversial 2011 GCE Advanced Level examination results and the release of fresh results.

Jan 27, Colombo: Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Heath has temporarily suspended the sale and used of a heart drug imported from Pakistan for safety reasons following the reports of recent deaths from a heart drug in Pakistan.

Jan 27, Moneragala: Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa says he is committed to safeguard the country’s sovereignty and he will not hesitate to take any decision to protect the people and the country from any threat.

Jan 27, Colombo: Sri Lanka Navy has again come to the aid of four Indian fishermen distressed in the seas off the northern coast of Jaffna Peninsula.

Jan 27, Colombo: Sultanate of Oman has assured that it was prepared to help Sri Lanka to meet its gas and oil needs in the event of a fuel crisis brought on by the United States sanctions on Iran’s oil exports.