President Ranil Wickremesinghe has convened a pivotal meeting with leaders of accepted political parties to discuss the proposals put forth by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) with its high-level delegation, a statement from the President’s Media Division (PMD) said.
UNP Chairman and Member of Parliament Vajira Abeywardene yesterday announced that he will launch another book shortly which relates how the incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe became President of Sri Lanka after the ‘ Aragalaya’(
A 19-year-old student from Sri Lanka has been charged with stabbing six Sri Lankans living in Ottawa, Canada, killing five of them including a two-and-a-half-month old infant, in Ottawa, Canada. Ottawa
The “Air Tattoo - 2024’’ educational and technical exhibition, held in conjunction with the 73rd anniversary of the Sri Lanka Air Force, was inaugurated on Thursday at the Muttraweli Ground in Jaffna. Air Marshal Udeni Rajapaksa, Commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force, presented a symbolic aircraft souvenir to a schoolgirl, inspiring her dream of becoming an aviator.
SLPP MP Rohitha Abeygunawardane was elected chairman of the Committee on Public Enterprises with majority votes at the inaugural meeting held at the parliament Complex yesterday. The name of MP Abeygunawardane was proposed by MP Mahindananda Aluthgamage and was seconded by MP Sanjeeva Edirimanna. Opposition MP Gamini Waleboda was proposed by MP Hesha Vithanage and was seconded by MP Dilan Perera. MP Abeygunawardane was elected the Chairman with m
Steps are being taken to introduce a mechanism to pay the connection charge for new electricity connections through an instalment payment scheme, Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera said yesterday. He told Parliament that the proposal to introduce the instalment payment scheme has been approved by the Board of Directors of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) and that it will be announced by next week. Responding to an oral question r
Contradicting the Power and Energy Minister’s claim that the electricity re-connection fee was reduced to Rs. 800 this year, newly appointed Anuradhapura District MP M.C. Muthukumarana said he has paid Rs. 3,000 as reconnection fee two months ago. MP Muthukumarana told this in Parliament after Minister Kanchana Wijesekera said that the reconnection fee which was Rs. 3,000 earlier was reduced to Rs. 1,300 last year and that it was further reduce
Cultural event at the Mahotsav Sri Lanka concluded the fifth edition of the International Gita Mahotsav on March 4, 2024, marking the largest iteration of the event ever held outside of India. The four-day celebration, held in Colombo, aimed to promote the message of peace, fraternity, and harmony enshrined within the Bhagavad Gita. This collaborative effort involved the Kurukshetra Development Board of Haryana (India), Sri Lanka’s Ministry
As part of its efforts to restore fairness and confidence in Sri Lanka’s tax administration, the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) will intensify scrutiny of tax compliance among high-net-worth individuals in the country, IRD Commissioner General W.A. Sepalika Chandrasekara said. She said the programme aims to ensure that the affluent contribute their fair share and fulfil their tax obligations accurately. “The IRD has established a High Wealth Ind
A Fundamental Rights petition has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking an order preventing Deshabandu Tennakoon from functioning as the Inspector General of Police. The Anti Corruption Movement affiliated to the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) filed this petition further seeking a declaration that newly appointed IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon is unfit to hold public office including any post in the Sri Lanka Police Force. Convener of Anti Corrupti
Former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has acknowledged his shortcomings in appointing key defence personnel, including General Shavendra Silva and General (Retd.) Kamal Gunaratne in his tell-all memoir “The Conspiracy to Oust Me” launched yesterday (March 7). Rajapaksa recounts the dramatic circumstances which led to his ousting in 2022, describing it as a first-hand experience of an internationally-sponsored regime change operation. Rajapaks
President Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday announced that he will meet the opposition parties on Monday to discuss Sri Lanka’s engagement with the IMF and the creators on the debt restructuring process. “I have heeded the request made by Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Harsha de Silva who has made a very good proposal. He requested that I get the opposition involved in the negotiations with regard to debt restructuring. Therefore I will meet op
BBC News, Toronto - Canadian police are treating the deaths of four children and two adults at a house in Ottawa as homicides. Officers were responding to an emergency call placed at approximately 22:52 local time (03:52 GMT) on Wednesday when they found the six people. Ottawa police chief Eric Stubbs has described the incident as a ’’mass shooting’’.
The meeting among President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) leaders Mahinda Rajapaksa and Basil Rajapaksa ended with no final decision on the formation of an alliance ahead of the pending national elections, Daily Mirror learns . The three leaders met yesterday to discuss outstanding political matters ahead of the presidential elections slated to be conducted later this year . Daily Mirror learns that the two SLPP lea
Sri Lanka has experienced a significant surge in HIV/AIDS cases in 2023 recording close to 700 cases. According to the National STD/AIDS Control Programme, Sri Lanka has logged 694 cases reflecting a 13 per cent increase compared to the year 2022, which saw 607 cases. Out of the cases reported in 2023, 91 males and five females fall within the age range of 15-24, while the remaining cases are individuals above 25 years old. The male-to-female ra
Empowering Women! ‘The Road to Rights’ Hosts Inspiring Event for International Women’s Day 2024 at One Galle Face In commemoration of International Women’s Day 2024, ‘The Road to Rights,’ a prominent youth organization dedicated to advancing human rights, social justice and sustainable development is gearing up for a momentous event at One Galle Face Mall, Shangri-La. This year’s theme, “Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress,” underscores the
Indonesian Ambassador in Sri Lanka Dewi Gustina Tobing on Tuesday evening (05) visited the Seven Virgin hill range in Norton Bridge and commemorated the victims of the plane crash on December 04, 1974 which claimed the lives of 191 passengers. The DC 08 Martinair aircraft with 191 passengers including the crew on board flying from Indonesia crashed into the Seven Virgins mountain range at the dead of night killing all of them. The bodies recov
By Ajith Siriwardana The gross salary of the lowest ranking employee of the Central Bank, that of an Office Assistant - Grade 1, has been increased by 29.53 per cent up to Rs. 188,827 Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardane said today. Responding to a question by SJB MP S.M. Marikkar, he told Parliament that the gross salary of the Deputy Governor has been increased by 76.97 per cent upto Rs.1,728,419. The Prime Minister said the Central Bank employe
Basil Rajapaksa who spearheads the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) , along with former President Mahinda Rajapaksa will meet President Ranil Wickremesinghe this evening to discuss the future political arrangements between the two sides ahead of the presidential and parliamentary elections. Basil Rajapaksa, who was in the United States, arrived in the country on Tuesday. The meeting takes place at a time when electoral alliances are being form
British Conservative peer Lord Michael Naseby on Tuesday called on the British government to assist Sri Lanka by way of updating Britain’s Travel Advisory on Sri Lanka to provide more accurate information, in order to better assist the country. “It is the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) comments on that country (Sri Lanka) that currently cause me concern because they refer to the fact that protests are going on when t
A female student of Meepagama Jayanthi Vidyalaya in Kalawana had a fall accidentally in school last morning and died. The victim Dissanayake Mudiyanselage Imalka Sathsarani (13) from Kukulegama in Kalawana was a grade eight student. She had been admitted in a unconscious state to Kalawana Base Hospital only to be pronounced already dead. Police said the cause of death could be established after the postmortem emanation which was to be held
Former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa who was ousted from power will release his book today titled ‘The conspiracy to oust me from the Presidency’. “This book explains the first hand experience of an internationally sponsored regime change operation,” the former President said. In a statement to the press, he said,” I wish to announce the publication of my book titled “The conspiracy to oust me from the Presidency”. Foreign intervention has wei
Claiming that the discussions on the restructuring of domestic and foreign loans would reach a successful resolution soon, President Ranil Wickremesinghe said yesterday the government’s goal is to obtain temporary relief from debt defaults from 2023 to 2027. Making a special statement in Parliament, he said the government’s plan is to diligently work towards repaying the loans in the period from 2027 to 2042. “There are critics who question th
The Sri Lanka Postal Department is offering citizens the chance to design postal stamps featuring their own photographs or events, with a creation cost of Rs.2000, said Postmaster General Ruwan Sathkumara. Addressing an event organized in Colombo to unveil a stamp for Hatton National Bank (HNB), he announced that individuals can now acquire a sheet of stamps with 20 stamps tailored for special occasions like weddings, gatherings, and parties or
The examination which appointed and promoted those up to the present rank of Assistant Excise Commissioner is illegitimate, a former SJB MP said yesterday. Samagi Jana Balawegaya Deputy General Secretary Mujibur Rahman told the media that even the Public Service Commission appeals inquiry authority has admitted that the examination was not legitimate and some of the excise officers have already gone to court against this matter. Rahman said the P
The Health Ministry urged individuals aged 50 and above to undergo regular eye checks to keep glaucoma at bay. This was said by Dr. Palitha Mahipala, Secretary of the Ministry of Health during a special press conference held at the National Eye Hospital last morning. Stressing the significance of early detection, Dr. Mahipala highlighted that it is imperative, particularly for those with a family history of glaucoma, to prioritize eye health
Canada issues travel advisory over serious risk in Arugam Bay
More countries issue travel advisories
Sri Lanka Tourism invites global travellers for upcoming season
Russian embassy urges citizens to stay vigilant in Arugam Bay
US Embassy issues travel warning for Arugam Bay
Warning of a terror attack: Govt springs into action on multiple fronts
Tourism industry on edge as travel advisories mount
Israelis top tourist arrivals in Arugam Bay, but reduced now