By Shamindra Ferdinando The government has requested UN intervention to prevent the large Indian fishing fleet from poaching in Sri Lankan waters. Fisheries Minister Douglas Devananda has made the request on behalf of the Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa government. A statement issued by the Fisheries Ministry on 16 Oct., quoted Devananda as having told UN Resident Coordinator in […]

A special gazette notification has been published declaring the supply of electricity and all related services, the supply or distribution of petroleum products and fuel, and health services as essential services.

Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekera in a message on ‘X’ (formerly Twitter) has said that the government, Ministry of Power and Energy or the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation  has not held any discussion to re-introduce the National Fuel Pass, QR system  or any quota system

The government has reportedly drawn attention to protecting the existing fuel stocks in the country due to the uncertainty of fuel supplies in the world market as a result of the escalating war situation in Gaza.

Israel was warned by Egypt of potential violence three days before Hamas’ deadly cross-border raid, a US congressional panel chairman has said. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee head Michael McCaul told reporters of the alleged warning. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu described the reports as “absolutely false”. Israeli intelligence services are under scrutiny for ...

President Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday issued orders to police to provide necessary security measures for Israelis in Sri Lanka The President issued the directive during his briefing to the Cabinet of Ministers, the President’s Media Division (PMD) said. PMD said: In a briefing to the Cabinet, President Ranil Wickremesinghe expressed deep concern over the recent attacks […]

Israel’s military has warned that Hamas militants from Gaza are still fighting inside Israel after they infiltrated southern communities and left a reported 250 people dead. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told Israelis they are going into a “long and difficult war”. Hundreds of gunmen burst into southern Israel, killing soldiers and civilians, and taking […]

President Ranil Wickremesinghe delivered a powerful speech emphasizing the importance of unity and development for the country’s future when he attended the 150th-anniversary celebration of St. Michael College in Batticaloa on Saturday (07) . The president commended the school for its diverse student body and its role in promoting harmony among different communities. The president […]

The United States said it was “disturbed” by a Russian envoy’s announcement that Moscow will reverse its ratification of a 1996 treaty that banned the testing of nuclear weapons. Russia’s envoy to the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), Mikhail Ulyanov, said on Friday that Moscow will revoke its ratification of the pact. The announcement by Ulyanov […]

Two more accidents in Kuliyapitiya and Kajugama Five persons died when a tree fell on a bus on Duplication Road, Colombo, yesterday. The bus was heading to Deniyaya from Colombo. The bus left Colombo Fort around 5.30 am. When it stopped near the bus halt near Clifford Avenue, about 20 minutes later, a Roarosiya tree, […]

President Ranil Wickremesinghe addressed the 5th Forum of Ministers & Environment Authorities of the Asia Pacific at the Shangri La Hotel in Colombo today (05), delivering a passionate speech that emphasized three crucial points: the urgency of the climate crisis, Sri Lanka’s ambitious climate plans and the dire state of global biodiversity. President Wickremesinghe opened […]

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President Ranil Wickremesinghe has said all media should engage in a discussion on whether to enter into international agreements or work within the country’s legal framework. He said so at the felicitation ceremony to honour one of the most distinguished figures in Sri Lankan journalism, Edmund Ranasinghe, the founding Editor of ‘Divaina’ newspaper and former […]

By Saman Indrajith Opposition and SJB leader Sajith Premadasa told Parliament yesterday that Sri Lanka had failed to secure the crucial second tranche of a $3 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund as the country was still being ruled by the same corrupt family regime, which had bankrupted the economy. Premadasa said that the […]

The price of oil will continue to stay elevated as demand for energy increases, says the secretary general of Opec+. Opec+ is a group of 23 oil-exporting countries which decides how much crude oil to sell on the world market. “We see demand growing about 2.4 million barrels a day,” Haitham Al Ghais told the […]

By Jehan Perera The government has allocated Rs 11 billion in the provisional budget for next year for the presidential elections due in September. This is a positive indication that the government intends to hold those elections.  Free and fair elections being held when due is a core concept of a functioning democracy. This was […]

The All-Island Three-Wheeler Drivers Association says that although the fuel prices were increased, any revisions will not be made to the three-wheeler fares.