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In a reply to BJP State president K. Annamalai’s letter on the fishermen issue, Union External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said the Centre was taking every possible effort to safeguard Indian fishermen. In the letter, he said the safety and welfare of Indian fishermen were of the utmost priority to the Centre. The matter of early release and repatriation of the fishermen was constantly being raised with the Sri Lankan government at all levels. He also pointed out that India has urged Sri Lanka to convene the next…

President Calls for Nationwide Promotion of Religious and Cultural Enlightenment In response to a request by President Anura Kumara Disanayake, it has been decided to hold a special exposition of the Sacred Tooth Relic for the general public from April 18 to 27. The exposition will be open to the public on April 18 from 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. and from April 19 to 27, daily from 12 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. A preliminary discussion on the event took place at the President's House in Kandy, under the patronage of President Anura…

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky met with the UK's King Charles III on Sunday, shortly after taking part in key defense talks with European leaders, Buckingham Palace said. The king "received the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky," at his Sandringham House Estate in east England, said the statement, with the leader having flown by helicopter from London after talks ended. European leaders closed ranks in support of Kyiv at a London summit, where they pledged to spend more on security and assemble a coalition…

Spinner Varun Chakravarthy returned figures of 5-42 as India beat New Zealand by 44 runs to set up a semi-final clash with Australia in the Champions Trophy. India won all three of their group matches to top Group A and will play the first semi-final of the 50-over tournament in Dubai on Tuesday. "Important to finish on a high," India skipper Rohit Sharma said after the win. "New Zealand are a good team who are playing some good cricket. Very important to get a good result, we played a perfect game." New Zealand…

Coach Brendon McCullum backed Jos Buttler to play a big role for England after standing down as the team's white-ball captain following a dismal Champions Trophy campaign. England suffered a third straight defeat on Saturday, losing to South Africa by seven wickets after a limp display in Karachi to finish bottom of Group B and without a single point. With their exit already confirmed, England slumped to 179 all out in 38.2 overs, with Joe Root making a top score of 37. South Africa chased down the target in 29.1…

Sri Lankan police were searching for their chief after a court order for his arrest was issued over the killing of an officer during a botched raid, an official said in an AFP report. Inspector-General of Police Deshabandu Tennakoon has been missing since a magistrate in the island's south ordered his arrest on Friday, following allegations that he had ordered the raid on Dec. 31, 2023. "We went to his home to carry out the arrest warrant, but he had gone into hiding, leaving behind his bodyguards," a senior officer…

The auction for 14 luxury vehicles belonging to the President’s Office, six decommissioned vehicles, and various spare parts was held recently. This decision was made to reduce government expenditure and promote financial accountability. Accordingly, 15 vehicles were auctioned yesterday, including nine Defender Jeeps, one Volvo Jeep, a Chrysler car, a Mahindra Bolero, a Rosa bus, a Discovery vehicle, and a Toyota car. The auction for the remaining vehicles is scheduled to take place soon. These vehicles were not…

The Adani Group’s Sri Lanka project, as revealed by parliamentarian Mano Ganesan of the Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA), goes beyond merely producing energy for the Sri Lankan grid. It also involves energy exports to India. Ganesan criticized the government for sending the wrong signals to the world with the exit of Adani Green Energy. He asserted that the truth was that Adani dropped the project. He questioned President Anura Kumara Disanayake's visit to the UAE and his subsequent return, wondering if any…

Sri Lanka's president received a boost from Washington, with the International Monetary Fund greenlighting a roughly $330 million payout under an existing loan agreement. The IMF board approved the latest review of an existing four-year loan agreement, noting in a statement that Sri Lanka's program performance "has been strong" and that almost all quantitative targets had been met. The IMF said that the board gives Sri Lanka "immediate access" to around $334 million to support its economic policies and reform program,…

Volodymyr Zelensky said that his relations with the US could still be repaired after President Donald Trump shouted at him in an angry White House meltdown, accusing the Ukrainian leader of refusing to make peace with Russia. "Of course," Zelensky said when asked in a Fox News interview if the relationship with Trump could be salvaged. US-Ukrainian ties are about "more than two presidents," he said, adding that Ukraine badly needs Washington's help in the fight against Russia's far bigger and better-armed military.…

— Everyone is responsible for revitalizing the economy and the fractured social fabric. — President instructs the District Secretaries President Anura Kumara Disanayake directed the District Secretaries to allocate Rs. 1,400 billion in recurrent expenditure for implementing productive projects at the grassroots level over the next eight months. The President made these remarks during a discussion with the District Secretaries at the Presidential Secretariat. The President also emphasized that developing the rural…

• There Will Be No Opportunity for Nationalism or Extremism to Resurface in the Country • The Simultaneous Operation of Several Criminal Gangs Raises Suspicion of a Conspiracy • The Current Government Has Ended the Era of Inhumanity and Paved the Way for Discipline - The President States in Parliament President Anura Kumara Dissanayake affirmed that the National People's Power (NPP) government is committed to eradicating the criminal underworld within the legal state. The President emphasized that nationalism and…

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy arrived in the United States on Thursday ahead of talks with U.S. President Donald Trump on an agreement to develop minerals and rare earths, Interfax Ukraine news agency reported, quoting flight data. Donald Trump took a softer tone on Ukraine truce talks on Thursday as he hosted British Prime Minister Keir Starmer — but refused to give any firm commitments on the US security guarantees Europe desperately wants. In an upbeat meeting, the US president handed Starmer a win on a…

A discussion on the current security situation in the country was held at the Presidential Secretariat between President Anura Kumara Disanayake and senior officials of the Sri Lanka Air Force. The meeting focused on future security measures, with in-depth discussions on enhancing the Sri Lanka Air Force as a maritime security air force within the Indian Ocean region. The Air Force's support for operations conducted by the Sri Lanka Army and Navy was also extensively deliberated. Additionally, the meeting addressed…

A meeting was held at the Presidential Secretariat between President Anura Kumara Disanayake and the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA). The meeting addressed the proposals presented in the current budget regarding doctors’ salaries and allowances, as well as the challenges faced by medical professionals in fulfilling their duties. Attending the discussion were Minister of Health and Mass Media, Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa, Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, President of the GMOA Dr.…

A Landmark Step toward Strengthening Regional Youth Collaboration High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka Santosh Jha met the Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports, Hon. Sunil Kumara Gamage, at India House. The Hon. Minister was accompanied by Deputy Minister of Youth Affairs Eranga Gunasekara who led Sri Lanka’s 10-member delegation to the BIMSTEC Youth Summit. The Summit was hosted by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India, from Feb. 7 to 11, at the Mahatma Mandir Convention Centre in…

Singaporean authorities have refused to extradite former Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran to Sri Lanka, citing legal limitations within their judicial system. This decision presents a significant hurdle for the Sri Lankan government in its efforts to investigate the 2015 bond scam, which resulted in a financial loss of Rs. 10 billion. The Sri Lankan Attorney General’s Department had formally requested Mahendran’s extradition due to his alleged involvement in the fraudulent bond issuance under the Yahapalana…

The Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president Vijay said his party would eliminate “feudal lords” from politics in a democratic manner in 2026 Assembly elections. Addressing an event organised to mark the commencement of second year of his party at a private resort in Poonjeri near Mamallapuram, Mr. Vijay said nowadays, politicians are becoming feudal lords, unlike in the past when only feudal lords entered politics. Without having any concerns about the welfare of people and national interest, they focus only on money, he…

As part of the government's long-term commitment to promoting economic stability and improving public service delivery, a workshop on knowledge exchange for public enterprises was held at the Miloda Academy of Financial Studies in Colombo. The Presidential Secretariat organized this workshop with the MBA Alumni Association of the University of Colombo. It focused on enhancing public enterprises' efficiency, accountability, and contribution to national economic development through institutional governance, financial…

England's Jos Buttler said he will discuss his future as white-ball captain with team management after his side lost to Afghanistan to crash out of the Champions Trophy. England suffered their second straight defeat in the 50-over tournament, losing a nail-biting match by eight runs in a virtual knockout clash in Lahore. Afghanistan repeated their giant-killing act against England after their famous win over the then-defending champions in India's 2023 ODI World Cup. The latest loss sealed a second group-phase exit…