President Maithripala Sirisena requested all striking railway trade unions to return to work considering the inconvenience caused to Ordinary Level students who are sitting for the examination today (12).  Many concerned parties voiced their distress over the ongoing railway strike as children who rely on the railway service to get to their examination centers will be left desolate.  The President made a request from the railway trade unions to call off the strike as many children will be affected by the strike action.&nbs...

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SL partner with US to end AIDS

The Governments of Sri Lanka and the US launched a two-year HIV/AIDS Technical Assistance Partnership on December 8, to fast track the government efforts to end AIDS by 2025, the US Embassy said on Tuesday.   The Embassy said the US Agency for International Development (USAID) would help to transfer promising solutions, new technical skills and innovations to contribute towards ending AIDS in Sri Lanka, through the President’s Emergency Fund for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). USAID Sri Lanka Mission Director Andrew Sisson said they have been working closely with the Sri Lankan Government on a number of social and economic development efforts. “This partnership...

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Largest number of elephants, tuskers killed during this govt.: Sudaththa Thera

The largest number of elephants and tuskers were killed after the Yahapalanaya government came to office and after appointment of Gamini Jayawickrama Perera as the Wildlife Minister, the convener of the national movement to protect tamed elephants, Magalkande Sudaththa Thera said today. While speaking at a media briefing at Rajagiriya, the Thera said, another four more tuskers had been killed after killing the iconic Galagamuwe 'Dala Puttuwa' recently. “According to the statistics and other information obtained from the Wild Life Department, same number of elephants have been disappeared. Special search operations are being conducted with the support of several army teams,” the Thera said. “After...

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JVP condemns remarks made by Vigneswaran

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) has severely condemned the remarks made by Northern Province Chief Minister C.V. Vigneswaran at a rally held in Jaffna last week, in a bid to spread racism. Speaking at a press conference held at the head office of the JVP at Pelawatta today (27) MP Tilvin Silva said the views expressed by Vigneswaran are not that of the people in the North and the East. “The statement made by the Chief Minister of the Northern Provincial Council is one that gives a stimulant to the communalists in the South and such revolting statements made at a time when all Sinhalese, Tamil, and other people strive to achieve national unity should be condemned,” he added...

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India values ECTA agreement with SL - Nirmala

Sri Lanka’s decision to scrap a joint venture coal power plant project will not deter India’s future investment plans in the country, the Indian government said today.  Commerce minister Nirmala Sitharaman stated this at the end of her three-day visit here after meeting Sri Lankan minister of international Trade Malik Samarawickrema and other officials. The proposed Economic and Technological Cooperation Agreement (ETCA) and issues concerning the existing FTA between India and Sri Lanka were subjects among the talks.  “India understands Sri Lanka’s need to move from coal power to more renewable power generation sources,” Sitharaman said adding that India would also explore the...

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