• Five arrested for possessing illegal firearms in Amparai

    Five people were arrested on charges of possessing illegal firearms in the Thirukkovil area of Amparai district on Saturday morning.

    Thirukkovil police raided houses located in Kanchirankuda, Thambiluvil, Vinayagapuram and Thirukkovil.

    Police claimed to have recovered five locally-made firearms, for which five people were arrested. Police said the arrested would be produced in court.

  • Tamils reviving ancient temple threatened by Buddhist monks

    Tamil villagers conducted a special worship at the Athi Ayan Temple, Kurunthur Hill, Kumulamunai, Mullaitivu earlier this month. The temple is of historical significance for the Tamil people, but like many ancient monuments is in the Tamil homeland is coming under attack from Buddist colonisation.

  • Sri Lanka pushes for lifting of US ban on army commander

    Sri Lanka’s foreign minister confirmed that his government has already sought to lift a travel ban placed on accused war criminal Shavendra Silva, as he responded to questions in parliament urging the government to lobby the USA on the issue.

  • Bonds slump in Sri Lanka ahead of Pompeo visit

    Sri Lanka’s bonds have tumbled ahead of a visit tot the island by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, as the island’s already struggling economy lurched further into crisis.

  • Rajapaksa claims LTTE is ‘very active’ and calls on Britain to maintain ban

    Sri Lanka’s prime minister and accused war criminal Mahinda Rajapaksa claimed that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) are “very active” and poses a “great threat to the national security of any country,” as he called on British authorities to ensure a ban was kept on the organisation after a ruling found that the decision was “flawed” and unlawful.

  • Salman Khan expands interests in Sri Lanka with purchase of cricket franchise

    Bollywood actor Salman Khan, who has previously campaigned for Mahinda Rajapaksa in 2014, expanded his interests in Sri Lanka this week, by purchasing the Kandy Tuskers cricket franchise in the Lanka Premier League.

    In 2014 the Bollywood actor Salman Khan and Sri Lankan actress Jacqueline Fernandez campaigned for Rajapaksa as he sought re-election as president on the invitation of Rajapaksa's son Namal. It was the first time that a Bollywood actor promised to campaign for a Sri Lankan leader. When Salman was asked about his views of Mahina Rajapaksa at the time, he stated "the president is an amazing man and he is one of the most humble people that I have met."

  • Indian bank exits Sri Lanka as economic crisis worsens
    <p>India’s ICICI Bank Limited has withdrawn from Sri Lanka’s capital, Colombo, according to the island’s banking regulator, Economy Next reports.&nbsp;</p> <p>The bank's licence will be cancelled with effect from October 23, 2020. In 2019, both the ICICI bank and Axis bank applied to exit Sri Lanka.&nbsp;</p>
  • India conducts joint navy military exercises with Sri Lanka in Trincomalee

    India and Sri Lanka’s navies conducted a three-day military exercise off the coast of Trincomalee from the 19-21 Oct as part of the 8th anniversary of the bilateral agreement known as SLINEX.

  • Sajith Premadasa calls for repeal of US travel ban on Sri Lankan army commander

    Ahead of US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo’s, visit to Sri Lanka, the country’s opposition leader Sajith Premadasa has urged the government to push for a repeal on the US travel ban imposed on Sri Lankan army commander, Shavendra Silva, and his immediate family.

  • Senior Kilinochchi education official arrested for sexual harassment released on bail

    A senior education official, who was arrested for sexually harassing a married woman, was released on bail by Jaffna Magistrate Court on Thursday.

  • Crossovers in parliament as Sri Lanka passes 20th Amendment

    Sri Lanka’s parliament passed the 20th Amendment to the Constitution on Thursday, a move that will see the presidential office currently occupied by Gotabaya Rajapaksa significantly strengthened, as Opposition parliamentarians were amongst those joining the regime to vote in favour.

  • Amnesty urges US Secretary of State to address 'deteriorating human rights situation' during his visit to Sri Lanka

    Amnesty International have called on the US Secretary of State to address the 'deteriorating human rights situation' in Sri Lanka during his visit next week.

  • IPKF massacre at Jaffna Hospital commemorated

    The 33rd anniversary of the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) massacre was marked at the Jaffna Hospital, with staff and family members holding a commemorative ceremony on Wednesday, in memory of the dozens killed.

  • Mullaitivu fishermen set sail in search of missing colleagues

    Several Tamil fishermen in Mullaitivu have set sail in search of two missing colleagues, as the district's Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and the Sri Lankan Navy failed to take action on the disappearances.

  • Tamil MPs speak out against 20 Amendment

    Tamil parliamentarians from the TNA (Tamil National Alliance) and the TNPF (Tamil National People's Front) spoke out against the 20th Amendment today as it passed with a two-thirds majority needed. 

    The latest count states that 156 parliamentarians voted for the amendment with 65 votes against.

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