Sri Lanka

COLOMBO: Police have arrested a retired Sri Lankan Army officer for being behind a scam to send former military personnel to serve in the Russian army amidst the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

The former major and a civilian were arrested by the police’s criminal investigation department for taking money from individuals to send them to Russia for military service.

It was reported last month that over a hundred former military men from Sri Lanka were serving on both sides of the Russia-Ukraine war.

Colombo, Mar 28 (PTI) Chinese President Xi Jinping has assured continuous support to Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena for Sri Lanka's efforts for “political and socio-economic progress” and also said Beijing will stand for safeguarding the island nation's territorial integrity and sovereignty.

Colombo, Mar 28 (PTI) A firebrand Sri Lankan Buddhist majority hardliner monk was on Thursday sentenced to four years of rigorous imprisonment for his Islamophobic comments made in 2016.

Galagodatte Gnanasara, 49, was additionally fined Rupees 1,00,000 by the High Court here.

The monk, who was running an anti-Muslim minority campaign since 2012, was charged for comments made at a press conference held in March 2016.

Colombo, Mar 24 (PTI) Sri Lanka’s former President Maithripala Sirisena will face police questioning on Monday on his recent remarks on the 2019 Easter Sunday suicide bombings that he was "aware” of the masterminds of the attacks that killed 270 people, including 11 Indians.

Sirisena, 72, was president between 2015 January and 2019 November. He had previously denied any knowledge of the attacks. Police chief Deshabandu Tennakoon told reporters on Sunday that Sirisena’s statement would be recorded on Monday.

COLOMBO, Mac 5 (NNN-XINHUA) – Sri Lanka’s cabinet, approved a proposal to absorb SriLankan Airlines’ outstanding debt of 510 million U.S. dollars, by the government, a minister said, today.

Minister of Ports, Shipping and Aviation, Nimal Siripala de Silva, told the media that, the cabinet approval was also given to allocate funds to maintain services of the national carrier for another six months.

COLOMBO, Jan 14 (NNN-XINHUA) – The Sri Lankan navy apprehended 12 Indian fishermen, and seized three trawlers last night, while they were poaching in the country’s territorial waters, the navy said in a statement, today.

The arrests were made in the seas off the Kovilan Point Lighthouse, in the northern city of Jaffna, during the navy’s special operation, to chase away Indian poaching trawlers from Sri Lankan waters, the navy said.

COLOMBO, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lankan police have arrested 217 suspects with narcotics within 500 meters of selected schools in a special operation, police said in a press release on Saturday.

Police said that between Dec. 18 and Dec. 25, they educated workers and owners of business establishments where students congregate about the importance of creating a drug-free environment for children.

The establishments were located in 45 police divisions where drug use is prevalent, with 30,000 workers and owners having been educated, police said.

COLOMBO, Dec 16 (NNN-XINHUA) – Air Arabia has been operating direct flights between Abu Dhabi and Colombo, every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, Sri Lanka’s Foreign Ministry said, yesterday.

The ministry said, Air Arabia launched its first direct flight from Abu Dhabi to Colombo on Dec 8, this year, from the Abu Dhabi International Airport.

The first flight from Abu Dhabi to Colombo was welcomed by a water cannon salute, upon arrival at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA).

COLOMBO, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka experienced a countrywide power failure due to a breakdown in the transmission line on Saturday, the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) said.

The CEB, the country's power supplier, said it would take a few hours to restore power supply throughout the country, adding that it regretted the inconvenience caused to consumers.

Local media said the widespread power failure occurred at around 5 p.m. on Saturday, and power supply has been restored to several areas.

COLOMBO, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- Saudi Arabia's national carrier would recommence flights to Sri Lanka very soon, said the Sri Lankan foreign ministry here on Wednesday.

Minister of Economy and Planning of Saudi Arabia Faisal bin Alibrahim made the announcement during his visit to Sri Lanka, and the move will contribute to capturing a sizable market of Saudi travelers to Sri Lanka, said the foreign ministry in a press release.