Colombo among first 9 destinations to join Emirates’ A350 network

Colombo will be among the first set of destinations to be served by Emirates’ A350 aircraft entering service in September 2024, the airline announced yesterday.

Concerns emerge on unauthorised players entering local lubricant sector

While Sri Lanka’s petroleum industry awaits the establishment of a new regulator, concerns are being raised about the potential for unauthorised players to enter the market, particularly in the lubricant sector.

VFS gears up to promote Sri Lanka amid visa woes

VFS Global, which is currently facing a backlash, vows to boost Sri Lanka’s global image through a robust marketing plan with Sri Lanka Tourism. However, the details remain under wraps from the tourism authorities, Mirror Business learns.

UK’s Indo-Pacific Regional Director meets Anura Kumara

Indo-Pacific Regional Director of the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Ben Mellor met NPP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the JVP Head Office this afternoon.

Sri Lanka, Scotland gear up for big final that decides Women’s T20 World Cup groups

Sri Lanka and Scotland will battle it out in the final of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier 2024 at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi

Singapore to send team to study Sri Lanka’s airport and immigration systems

Public Security Minister Tiran Alles said today that the Singapore government has agreed to send a five-member team to Sri Lanka to conduct a comprehensive study of the country’s airport and immigration systems.

Heat index forecast warns of extreme caution levels for 12 districts

While issuing a heat index forecast until tomorrow evening, it has been indicated today that the temperature experienced by the human body is forecast to rise to the extreme caution level, the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre of the Meteorology Department said.

Sri Lanka to retain existing visa fee

The Cabinet decided to uphold the existing visa fee of USD 50 for a 30-day visa for foreign visitors to Sri Lanka, the President’s Media Division announced today.

UNFPA and Japan partner to enhance healthcare access

In a collaborative effort to bolster healthcare accessibility, UNFPA Sri Lanka, with financial backing from the Government of Japan, orchestrated the official handover of three ’’Health on Wheels’’ trucks to the Ministry of Health.

University system heading for a standstill

The university system’s administration is on the brink of a standstill due to trade union actions initiated by the Joint Committee of University Trade Unions and the University Executive Officers’ Association (UEOA), UEOA President M. W. Vanninayake said.

Key players return to Scotland’s squad for T20 World Cup

Top-order batter Michael Jones and fast bowler Brad Wheal make a return to Scotland’s T20I squad for the upcoming mega event in West Indies and USA.

Uganda name squad for historic T20 World Cup appearance

Brian Masaba holds the honour of leading Uganda in their first appearance at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, with their 15-player squad locked in.

VFS Global is here to stay for at least 12 years, says Tiran

Despite widespread accusations of handing over the contract for on-arrival visa issuance to VFS Global, Public Security Minister Tiran Alles maintained today that VFS Global, the foreign company now responsible for handling on-arrival visas on behalf of Sri Lanka at the BIA, will continue to operate for at least 12 years.

Spring Awakening...

IDM Nations Campus International organized a lively event titled ’’Spring Awakening’’ at the Police Park Grounds in Colombo to commemorate the Sinhala and Tamil New Year. This significant event, led by Dr. V. Janagan, Chairman of IDM Nations Campus International drew a large audience including esteemed faculty members, hundreds of students and notable guests.

Nalanda College emerges victorious at SLASU Novices Waterpolo Championship 2024

The Under 11 Waterpolo team from Nalanda College, Colombo emerged victorious at the SLASU Novices Waterpolo Championship 2024.

Applications called for appointment of members to Office of Missing Persons

Applications from eligible persons are called for to fill the vacancies for the posts of members in the Office on Missing Persons (OMP), the Communications Department of Parliament said.

Action will be taken against man who caused disturbance: Minister

Action will be taken against the person who caused a disturbance at the visa issuing section at the Katunayake Airport, Public Security Minister Tiran Alles said today.

Man who spoke out on visa issue at BIA summoned to record statement

The man who spoke out at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) recently against the takeover of the on-arrival visa issuance process by an Indian company has been summoned to the Katunayake Airport Police to record a statement.

O/L exam begins...

The GCE Ordinary Level (O/L) examinations began this morning across the country. Candidates were seen arriving at examination centres in the Colombo district. Pix by Kithsiri De Mel

Two children taken hostage by father rescued after nine-hour operation

Two children who were taken hostage by a father in Jalthara, Hanwella were rescued by the STF after a nine-hour operation.

LRT Project : Sri Lanka keen but Japan not

Uncertainty looms over the relaunch of the Japan -financed light rail project (LRT) even after the country’s debt restructuring process is concluded since Japan has decided not to discuss it , according to an official of the Japanese government.

Controversy over ERPM exam annulment: SLMC President accused of nepotism

The annulment of the Surgery Long and Short Cases components of the ERPM Part B Examination conducted at the Examinations Centre of the Eastern University (Batticaloa) has sparked outrage and accusations of nepotism.

On-arrival visa fiasco drains VFS Global’s confidence in Sri Lanka

VFS Global which has been caught in the center of controversy in the on arrival visa issuance at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) has raised serious concerns with the Public Security Ministry led by Tiran Alles stating that while they were a reputed global company, they were shocked to be left victimized as the on arrival visa saga took a turn for the worse.

Sri Lanka overcome determined UAE to seal Women’s T20 World Cup spot

Sri Lanka joined Scotland as the two teams to head to the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 from the Qualifier tournament in Abu Dhabi – the duo will now contest in the final on Tuesday.

Tourist arrivals miss 200,000 mark in April

Sri Lanka tourism witnessed a drop in momentum in April with the number of international visitors falling below the 200,000....

SLA confident of Olympic qualification despite UAE debacle

Sri Lanka’s elite athletes, Yupun Abeykoon, Tharushi Karunarathna, Nadeesha Ramanayake, and Gayanthika Abeyrathna, failed to reach the Olympic standards following an unimpressive performance at the UAE Grand Prix held at the Police Grounds in Dubai.

Sri Lanka face unusual dilemma

Moving into World Cup tournaments, Sri Lanka selectors have traditionally faced difficult challenges in relation to squad selection. From time to time, the selectors have made tough calls; some of which have paid off and some turned out to be shocking mistakes - such as leaving out a young Wanindu Hasaranga as a reserve player to include Jeffery Vandersay and Jeevan Mendis in the squad for the ODI World Cup in 2019.

New year festival

Dam Street Police and the local Community Committee celebrated their New Year festival at Gunasinghepura. Pix by Nimalsiri Edirisinghe

Expert committee to study free tourist visa programme

Colombo, The Sri Lankan government has established an expert committee tasked with exploring the viability of implementing free tourist visas in a bid to boost tourism in the country.

Matara Hospital gets state-of-the-art CT scanner worth Rs. 200 Mn

The Matara District General Hospital introduced its latest addition, a cutting-edge CT Scanner, worth Rs. 200 million, which is poised to help reduce the backlog of patients.