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Thursday, Jun 01, 2023 | Last Update : 06:33 PM IST

Rajapaksa said that the region as a whole requires to forge new avenues of cooperation to steer the Organization to be more effective in addressing the emerging challenges. (Photo: File)

Lanka firmly committed to SAARC, says Gotabaya Rajapaksa

SAARC is regional intergovernmental organisation and geopolitical union of states in South Asia, including, India and Pakistan.

09 Dec 2019 3:03 PM

Gotabaya Rajapaksa also confirmed that he wants to renegotiate the agreement with China about the strategic Hambantota port south of Colombo that serves the key shipping lanes between Europe and Asia. (Photo: File)

Invest in Sri Lanka to keep China at bay, says Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa

Sri Lanka has traditionally been allied to India but became close to China, securing about USD 7 billion in loans and investment.

02 Dec 2019 12:37 PM

Mahinda Rajapaksa has returned to power as prime minister after leading his younger brother's successful election campaign. (Photo: FIle)

Top detective, who probed officials under Mahinda's rule, flees Lanka after ‘threats’

Inspector Nishantha Silva has sought asylum in Switzerland, according to media reports.

26 Nov 2019 2:06 PM

Rajapaksa said he wanted to work very closely with both India and China. (Photo: File)

Sri Lanka won’t do anything that will harm India’s interests: Gotabaya Rajapaksa

Rajapaksa, who is considered pro-China, said he wanted Sri Lanka to be a 'neutral country' and work with all the countries.

26 Nov 2019 9:15 AM

Mahinda Rajapaksa is credited with a military victory ending a 26-year separatist civil war with ethnic Tamil rebels during his presidency from 2005 to 2015. (Photo: ANI)

Credited with ending civil war, Mahinda Rajapaksa sworn-in as Lanka Prime Minister

Ranil Wickremesinghe stepped down as prime minister earlier Thursday to clear the way for the president to form his government.

21 Nov 2019 2:16 PM

Mahinda Rajapaksa has served as president from 2005 to 2015. (Photo: File)

Sri Lanka's Mahinda Rajapaksa will be sworn as PM today

Leaders of the parties that backed Gotabaya during the presidential polls will be given preference in the Cabinet.

21 Nov 2019 10:32 AM

Voters can choose up to three candidates in their preferential order. The candidate who polls 50 per cent plus one vote as the first preference will be declared the winner. (Representational Image)

In 1st polls since Easter attacks, Sri Lankans up for tomorrow's showdown

Nearly 16 million people are eligible to vote for the president from among a record 35 candidates.

15 Nov 2019 1:07 PM

New Zealand were not able to overcome from early blows and kept losing wickets on a regular interval. (Photo: AP/PTI)

Malinga's fifer guides Sri Lanka to defeat New Zealand by 37 runs

Chasing a target of 126 runs, New Zealand were bundled out for 88.

07 Sep 2019 8:28 AM

The island nation was put under a state of emergency for a period of four months from April to August. (Photo: File)

293 suspects arrested in connection with Lanka's Easter Sunday attacks

'Moves were also underway to freeze 6 billion Sri Lankan rupees worth of assets belonging to the suspects,' the police spokesman said.

06 Sep 2019 10:14 AM

Ross Taylor played a knock of 48 runs off just 29 balls, allowing New Zealand to defeat Sri Lanka by five wickets in the first T20I of the three-match series. (Photo:AFP)

Ross Taylor's quick fire knock help New Zealand defeat Sri Lanka in 1st T20I

Chasing 175, New Zealand got off to the worst start possible as Lasith Malinga rattled the stumps of Colin Munro (0) in the very first over.

02 Sep 2019 12:13 PM

36-year-old Lasith Malinga scalped the wicket of Colin de Grandhomme in the 14th over of the Kiwi innings to achieve the feat. (Photo:AFP)

Lasith Malinga crosses Shahid Afridi to be highest wicket-taker in T20Is

Earlier in the match, the pacer had also dismissed Colin Munro to equal Afridi's record.

02 Sep 2019 12:04 PM

Sri Lanka's parliament is currently investigating security lapses that led to the Easter attacks despite intelligence warnings. (Photo: File)

Sri Lanka ends emergency four months after Easter attacks

President Maithripala Sirisena has been extending the emergency on 22nd of each month since April 21 attacks on 3 hotels and 3 churches.

23 Aug 2019 1:22 PM

The presidential elections in the island nation is scheduled to be held before December 9, 2019, as the incumbent president Sirisena's term of office will end on January 9, 2020. (Photo: ANI)

Still not decided to contest Presidential polls: Sirisena

Sirisena made the statement while addressing the representatives of his party, Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), Daily Mirror reported.

07 Aug 2019 3:03 PM

"The first phase of the Slave Island Redevelopment Project, Metro Homes was inaugurated today and handed over to the beneficiaries by the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Hon. Ranil Wickremesinghe," a statement by the Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka read. (Photo: ANI/Indian High Commission)

626 families in Sri Lanka given houses built by Tata

The Sri Lankan Prime Minister thanked the Indian government for the development partnership assistance over the years.

02 Aug 2019 12:18 PM

The fishermen are expected to be handed over to Assistant Director of Fisheries in Jaffna for further action. (Photo: Representative Image/ANI)

Sri Lankan Navy arrests 4 Indian fishermen

The apprehended fishermen were handed over to a Sri Lanka Coast Guard craft and were later escorted to the naval base SLNS Elara.

02 Aug 2019 11:53 AM

Sri Lankan vegetable and fruit sellers wait for buyers at a market place in Colombo, Sri Lanka. (Photo: AP)

Easter Day attacks endanger Sri Lanka economic recovery

They have devastated Sri Lanka's vital tourism industry, source of jobs for many, and are hindering foreign investment.

30 Jul 2019 3:37 PM

Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera told parliament the importer of the waste had reshipped about 180 tonnes of raw garbage to India and Dubai in 2017 and 2018. (Representational Image)

Parts of illegal waste sent from UK offloaded to India, Dubai: Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka's pushback comes as Indonesia and the Philippines also returned shipments of foreign rubbish to their ports of origin.

27 Jul 2019 1:07 PM

In a statement last week, Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena alleged the attacks 'were the work of international drug dealers' to sabotage his anti-narcotics drive. (Photo: AP)

Attackers of Sri Lanka Easter Sunday bombings were inspired by ISIS

NTJ leader Zahran Hashim made a video with fellow NTJ members pledging allegiance to ISIL leader Abu Bakr Al-Bagdadi.

25 Jul 2019 8:58 AM

Easter Sunday terrorist attacks, Srilanka. (Photo: AFP)

Sri Lanka’s Easter Sunday attacks were meant for international audience

The terror that visited Sri Lanka in April 2019 was something that local people had hoped was long consigned to the past.

19 Jul 2019 4:39 PM

Sirisena’s office said the day after the bombings that local terrorists and international terror groups were responsible for the attacks. (Photo: AP | File)

Sri Lankan President claims drug gangs behind Easter bombings

The statement comes amid a nationwide narcotics crackdown, with President aiming to reintroduce capital punishment for drug offences.

16 Jul 2019 9:15 AM

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Mohan Guruswamy