Sri Lanka

COLOMBO, Jan 22 (NNN-XINHUA) – Sri Lanka earned a record 5.3 billion U.S. dollars from its apparel exports in 2019, showing a 5.1 percent year on year increase, according to the Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF).

However, a slight decline in export earnings was recorded in Dec, 2019, due to a slowdown in the key EU and U.S. markets, while retail sales in Sri Lanka’s largest apparel export market, the United Kingdom, remained sluggish because of Brexit, the report seen on Wednesday (today), said.

COLOMBO, January 14. /TASS/: Moscow is ready to contribute to launching dialogue between Washington and Tehran if the sides show interest in this, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told a news conference on Tuesday.

"We are calling on the US and Iran to show restraint and solve all problems through dialogue," Lavrov said. "Many tried and continue trying to contribute to launching contacts between the United States and Iran to ease tensions," he said, stressing: "[We] are also ready to help if the sides show a real interest in this."

COLOMBO, Jan 12 (NNN-SLNEWS) – The highest number of elephant deaths in Sri Lanka’s history occurred in 2019, when 361 deaths were recorded, local media quoted the Centre for Environment and Nature Studies, as saying.

Media reports said that, over 100 people were killed in the human-elephant conflict in the same period.

Killing wild elephants is an offence, punishable by death, in Sri Lanka, but there have been regular reports of angry villagers poisoning or shooting marauding jumbos.

Colombo, Jan 3 (PTI) At least four people were killed when a Sri Lanka Air Force plane crashed in the central hilly area of Haputhale on Friday.

The Chinese built Y-12 aircraft was flying to the east coast when it crashed in a mountainous area, killing all four people on board, officials said.

The plane had departed on a reconnaissance mission from the southern military airport at Weerawila when it crashed.

COLOMBO, Jan 2 (NNN-BERNAMA) — Sri Lanka’s Transport Ministry, on Wednesday launched a mega project across the island country to convert railway stations into green projects as part of a beautification programme, Xinhua news agency reported.

Transport Minister Mahinda Amaraweera, quoted in local media reports said that he had instructed all railway department officials to launch the project, starting from the Dematagoda Railway station, in capital Colombo.

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, Nov 26 (NNN-SLNEWS) – Sri Lanka’s Central Bank chief, Indrajit Coomaraswamy, has tendered his resignation, and will step down from the post next month, local media reports said here today (Tuesday).

Coomaraswamy tendered his resignation, citing personal reasons, and is expected to function till mid Dec.

He was appointed as the Central Bank chief in July, 2016, replacing Arjuna Mahendran, who faced charges of being involved in a mega bond scam.

Colombo, Nov 25 (PTI) Sri Lanka will work with India and it won't do anything that will harm its interests, newly elected President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has said ahead of his visit to New Delhi later this week.

Rajapaksa, who is considered pro-China, said he wanted Sri Lanka to be a "neutral country" and work with all the countries.

"We will work with India as a friendly country and won't do anything that will harm India's interests," said Rajapaksa, who will travel to New Delhi on November 29 on his first official trip abroad as Sri Lankan President.

COLOMBO, Nov 23 (NNN-XINHUA) – Sri Lankan President, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, on Friday, appointed a new 16-member cabinet, which will function till the next parliamentary election is announced.

The new ministers took oaths in front of the president at the Presidential Secretariat in the capital, Colombo.

Former President, Mahinda Rajapaksa, who was appointed as new prime minister was appointed as the new minister of Finance, Economic Affairs, Policy Development, Buddha Sasana, Cultural, Water Supply and Urban Development and Housing Affairs.

Colombo, Nov 20, GANASHAKTI: Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe will resign on Thursday, his office said on Wednesday, days after the ruling party's candidate lost the presidential election to Gotabhaya Rajapaksa.

"Wickremesinghe will resign from his position tomorrow," his office said.

He was under pressure to quit and handover the government to the opposite camp after Rajapaksa won the presidential election on Saturday.

Rajapaksa defeated Wickremesinghe's deputy Sajith Premadasa.

Colombo, Nov 17 (AFP) Sri Lanka's former wartime defence secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa took an early lead Sunday in a fiercely fought presidential election conducted under high security seven months after deadly Islamist attacks.

Rajapaksa, the main opposition candidate, was leading with 52.87 percent while housing minister Sajith Premadasa had 39.67 percent out of half a million votes counted, according to the Election Commission.

Leftist Anura Kumara Dissanayake was in third place with 4.69 percent. There were 32 other candidates for the top job.