News

Famed dancer and dance teacher Kalasuri Rajini Selvanayagam has passed away, aged 71.

Rajini Selvanayagam, who was dubbed the Queen of Dance, was also honored with Kala Keerthi and Vishwa Kala Keerthi awards.

Born and raised in Balangoda, she entered the world of arts and left her mark as an extremely talented teacher who gifted her knowledge to the students of Sri Lanka.

Funeral arrangements of Kalasuri Rajini Selvanayagam will be announced later.

The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) first-ever female chair Maria Fernanda Garza arrived yesterday on an official visit to Sri Lanka.

The ICC, representing 170 countries with a corporate membership of 45 million companies, is the largest and most influential business organization globally.

During her visit, Garza will meet with key officials.

The ICC which represents 170 countries, has had a pivotal role in fostering business growth in the country for the past 68 years.

The ICC is the only organization to be represented in the United Nations, World Trade Organisation and World Intellectual Property Organisation.

Public security minister Tiran Alles said the president consulted him before granting a three-week service extension to police chief C.D. Wickramaratne.

Alles reacted as baseless to certain social media reports that claim he was unaware of the decision.

The minister said the president had lengthy discussions with him regarding the matter prior to his (Alles) overseas visit last week, with the president too, due to go to China within days.

A decision was taken there to appoint Wickramaratne on an acting capacity for three weeks until their return home.

Alles added that extending the IGP’s tenure until the end of this month would not be a problem.

Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Ajith Mannaperuma has been suspended from Parliament proceedings for a period of four (04) weeks from today.

Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena informed Parliament today that MP Mannaperuma will be removed from Parliament today and will be suspended for 4 weeks.

The Speaker further said that the decision has been taken due to MP Mannaperuma’s unruly behaviour during Parliament proceedings this morning.

A tense situation arose in Parliament after Public Security Minister Tiran Alles refused to answer a question posed by MP Manapperuma.

The tense situation continued despite the Speaker urging MP Manapperuma to move away from the centre of the chamber and settle down.

The Speaker was, thereafter, forced to adjourn Parliament for a period of 10 minutes.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe announced the commencement of the construction of a temple and a Stupa in Henan Province, China, designed to embody traditional Sri Lankan architectural elements reminiscent of the historic “White Horse” temple.

This temple complex is recognized as China’s first Buddhist shrine. The decision to undertake this project was made during a recent discussion held in Beijing, in which President Wickremesinghe engaged with the head of the “White Horse” temple, His Holiness Yin Lee.

The initial stone for this temple’s construction was laid during the tenure of Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe as Prime Minister, with Mr. Karu Jayasuriya, the then speaker, officiating the ceremony. Regrettably, the project had been put on hold, but now, under the leadership of President Wickremesinghe, it is set to recommence, with new plans in the making.

The President also emphasized that this temple will house copies of Buddhist Pali scriptures, which were brought from Sri Lanka to China by the renowned monk Faxian. These invaluable scriptures will find their new home in this temple, marking a significant cultural exchange between the two nations.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who is on an official four-day trip to China, led a delegation to Huawei’s research and development centre in Beijing today (17).

An agreement was signed during the visit, formalizing Huawei’s support for the digitization of Sri Lankan schools.

Simon Lin, Senior Vice President of Huawei technologies and President of Huawei Asia Pacific, announced his company’s readiness to support an annual study program aimed at nurturing software and hardware engineers in Sri Lanka.

He mentioned that Huawei has already initiated collaborations with several Sri Lankan universities, not only in academic assistance but also in providing technology and infrastructure.

Emphasizing the crucial role of both the Chinese Government and Huawei in supporting Sri Lanka’s digital education system and green energy production, President Wickremesinghe stressed the need for Sri Lanka to build a competitive digital and green economy to face the challenges of the future, adding that the foundational work for this transformation is already underway.

The Sri Lankan delegation was also briefed on Huawei’s international services and their latest technological advancements.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Sabry, Minister of Transport and Mass Media Dr Bandula Gunawardena, National Security Advisor and Chief of Presidential Staff Sagala Ratnayaka were also present on this occasion.

A committee has been appointed under the Deputy Speaker to look into the incident that is alleged to have taken place between State Minister Diana Gamage and SJB MP Sujith Sanjaya Perera, Speaker of Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana announced.

State Minister Diana Gamage had earlier accused that SJB MP Sujith Sanjaya Perera assaulted her in Parliament.

The general public is now able to lodge complaints pertaining to the misconduct of police personnel via the ‘118’ hotline, the Police Media Division announced today.

The hotline was initially introduced by the Ministry of Public Security for members of the public to submit complaints concerning various crimes.

However, the same hotline can now be used to lodge complaints regarding the misconduct of police officers, as per a press release issued by the Police Media Division.

It further states that information can be provided anonymously, if required, and that the confidentiality of the information obtained through complaints lodged via the 24-hour hotline will be safeguarded.

The electricity tariffs have been increased effective Friday (20), by between 18 to 20%.

The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka revised electricity tariffs after assessing the facts presented by the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB).

The most notable revision is the higher percentage of increase in tariffs for low-consumption consumers.

Under the new tariffs, a household that consumes 30 units of electricity will pay 540 rupees, up from 450 rupees. This is a 90-rupee increase, or 20%.

Consumers who consume 60 units or more will see their tariffs increase by 18%.

For example, an entity that previously received a bill of 4470 rupees will now be charged 5280 rupees.

This is an increase of 810 rupees, or 18%.

The Embassy of Sri Lanka in Lebanon has requested Sri Lankans working in southern Lebanon to immediately register themselves with the Embassy.

The appeal has been made by the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Beirut in view of the escalating violence between Israel and Palestine.

Sri Lankans working in southern Lebanon have been advised to provide their names and their contact numbers to the Embassy.

The Sri Lankan Embassy has introduced the following hotlines and email addresses to assist Sri Lankans working in southern Lebanon;

070386754 071960810
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Friday met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing.

During the bilateral discussions, both leaders pledged to further consolidate the strong partnership and extensive cooperation between Sri Lanka and China. Meanwhile, Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang expressed profound gratitude for Sri Lanka’s enduring support through the historic Rubber-Rice Pact with the People’s Republic of China when he met President Wickremesinghe yesterday (19).

Emphasizing that the Chinese people will always remember this gesture of goodwill, Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang assured that China remains committed to extending its supportive hand to Sri Lanka.

Reaffirming China’s unwavering support for the development of the Colombo Port City and Hambantota Port within the framework of the “Belt and Road Initiative”, the Chinese Vice Premier expressed confidence in the successful realization of both projects under the leadership of President Ranil Wickremesinghe.

President Wickremesinghe underscored the historical significance of the China-Sri Lanka Rubber-Rice Agreement, the first foreign commercial agreement entered into by Sri Lanka. He underscored the importance of establishing new commercial relations that align with the shared principles of both nations.

The President expressed deep appreciation for China’s invaluable support in the face of the economic challenges confronting Sri Lanka. He emphasized the enduring and strengthened friendship between Sri Lanka and China, particularly under the leadership of President Xi Jinping.

He also emphasized Sri Lanka’s commitment to preserving the identity and peace of the Indian Ocean region, advocating for the prevention of any power struggles in the area.

President Wickremesinghe further highlighted Sri Lanka’s aspiration to enter into a free trade agreement with China. He also pointed out that Sri Lanka is actively pursuing membership in the Regional Economic Relations Organization (RCEP).

Ali Zahir Moulana was sworn in as a Member of Parliament a short while ago.

He was sworn in before Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana.

The appointment was announced by the National Election Commission through an Extraordinary Gazette notification.

He was appointed to fill the MP seat left vacant following the expulsion of Naseer Ahamed, following a court order.