News

Special cabinet meeting to discuss landslide tragedy

Government to care for surviving children

A special cabinet meeting will be chaired by President Mahinda Rajapaksa to discuss the Mihiriyabedda landslide that killed scores of people and destroyed more than hundred houses, and large number of persons still missing. This was announced in Parliament by Chief Whip, Minister Dinesh Gunawardena.

Describing this as the worst natural disaster in recent times, he said President Rajapaksa has instructed officials to take full responsibility for orphaned children. He visited the site of landslide this morning and will issue a statement on future action soon.

President visits landslide affected area

President Mahinda Rajapaksa visited landslide affected Miriyabedda area in Haldummulla at 9.30 this morning (October 30). He visited the landslide affected area with Minister of Disaster Management, Mahinda Amaraweera and discussed rescue and relief operations.

President Rajapaksa expressed his sympathies to the landslide victims and bereaved families in Haldummulla of Badulla District.

Pope's visit to Sri Lanka confirmed

The Catholic Church yesterday confirmed that the Pope Francis will visit Sri Lanka from January 13-15 as scheduled.

The Archbishop of Colombo, Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith presiding at the Presbyterian meeting of the Archdiocese of Colombo held Monday 27th October 2014 at the Archbishop’s House, confirmed the visit of Pope Francis to Sri Lanka on 13th & 14th January 2015.

Govt takes swift measures for rescue and relief in Haldummulla landslide

More than 500 soldiers of the Army 11 Division were deployed in the rescue operations at the site of a massive landslide in Koslanda, Haldummulla that buried a string of line rooms along with some 200 to 300 people just after dawn yesterday (Oct. 29).

According to Police, over 70 line rooms went under the rubble in one of the most damaging landslides in the natural disaster prone Badulla District. As this was being written, nine bodies had so far been recovered from under the mounds of mud and rubble.

MOU with China to boost rubber industry

The Sri Lanka Rubber Research Institute signed a Memorandum of Understanding with China’s state-owned CETC International for the development of the RRI. The collaboration with CETC will include infrastructure development, upgrading of essential equipment and technical assistance.

The proposed laboratory complex is expected to provide facilities to all stakeholders in the rubber sector including the SME sector, rubber product manufacturers including large-scale manufacturers, rubber-based trading companies, rubber importers, research and development personnel, university students and academia.

Jaffna among leading railway stations, earning higher income

Jaffna is among the leading railway stations that is earning a higher income. Accordingly, the income received from Yaal Devi within 13 days exceeded 7.5 million rupees.

The Yaal Devi resumed operations to Jaffna after a lapse of 24 years on the 13th of this month, under the auspices of the President. The train operates eight trips daily between Jaffna and Colombo. The passengers display a keen enthusiasm to travel in Yaal Devi.

Equal opportunities to Muslims for pilgrimage to Mecca - President

President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday (Oct. 28) said that he would devise a method that ensures equal opportunities for Muslims when they undertake the pilgrimage to Mecca.

While the rich travel to Mecca many times, the less affluent do not get so much as a single opportunity, President Rajapaksa observed.

He added that he would devise a means which enables the less affluent to engage in the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their lifetime.

Highlights of the Budget 2015

Budget - 2015

President Mahinda Rajapaksa presented the tenth Budget - Budget 2015 last Friday which was a development oriented Budget focussing on the needs of all citizens alike. The Budget presentation received a thundering ovation in Parliament while the people of this country were also overwhelmed with it. A salary increase of Rs 3000 upto Rs 30,000 is envisaged for those with low salaries enabling them to earn a monthly salary of Rs 30,000.

MEDIA STATEMENT

The Ministry of External Affairs is surprised at some of the recent statements on the outcome of the case filed by the LTTE in 2011 at the General Court of the European Union in which the Council of the European Union was the defendant supported by the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the European Commission as interveners. These statements by interested parties are based on an inaccurate premise.

The Ministry of External Affairs wishes to state that from the outset of the case being filed, legal advice and expert opinion were sought from within the European Union system and specialist European lawyers. Accordingly, the Government of Sri Lanka took action in the most effective manner available, by providing material of a substantive nature to the defendant and the interveners on a regular basis. This was in accordance with Sri Lanka being a non-member state of the European Union and having therefore to meet special conditions, contrary to the national interest of Sri Lanka, in order to be allowed to intervene itself in cases before the General Court of the European Union.