Sri Lanka

Chennai, Aug 14 (PTI) The state of emergency imposed in Colombo after the April 21 Easter blasts that killed 290 people will be lifted later this month, Sri Lankan Minister John Amaratunga said here on Wednesday.

"Our security forces, police, intelligence were able to apprehend and catch all those terrorists (involved in the attack). They were taken into custody and now they are being produced before the court of law," the minister for Tourism, Wildlife and Christian Religious Affairs said.

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Nandasena Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who was a livewire in Sri Lanka’s military campaign to end a long civil war but faces allegations of human rights violations, was nominated Sunday as the opposition’s candidate for the presidential election scheduled for later this year.

Gotabaya, a brother of former strongman President Mahinda Rajapaksa, was a powerful defense bureaucrat under his brother’s government, which defeated the Tamil Tiger rebels’ 26-year insurgency in 2009.

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka announced Wednesday it will give a one-month free visa on arrival to visitors from nearly 50 countries in its latest effort to revive the island nation’s lucrative tourism industry that was badly hit by the Easter bomb attacks that killed 263 people.

Tourism Minister John Amaratunga said tourists or those visiting for business purposes could get their free visa on arrival or applying online. The measure will be effective for six months, starting from Thursday.

Rameswaram Jul 28 (PTI) Seven Tamil Nadu fishermen were arrested on Sunday by Sri Lankan naval personnel off Nedunthivu for allegedly fishing in the island nation's territorial waters.

The fishermen claimed they had crossed the International Maritime Boundary Line due to strong winds and rough seas.

However the Lankan navalmen charged them with poaching in their territory, seized their boat and arrested them, fisheries department officials said.

COLOMBO, July 10 (Xinhua) -- The World Health Organization (WHO) Wednesday said that Sri Lanka had successfully eliminated measles from the island country.

The WHO praised Sri Lanka's achievement in a statement at a time when measles cases were increasing globally.

The WHO South-East Asia Regional Director Dr. Poonam Khetrapal Singh said Sri Lanka's success demonstrated its commitment, the determination of its health workforce and parents to protect children against measles.

1 July 2019; AFP: Sri Lanka's police chief and a top defence official should be tried for "grave crimes against humanity" over failure to prevent Easter bombings that killed 258, the state prosecutor said Monday.

Dappula de Livera said Inspector-General of Police Pujith Jayasundara and Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando failed to act on advance warnings of the deadly April 21 suicide attacks.

Colombo, Jun 11 (PTI) The Sri Lankan government on Tuesday began the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) investigation into the security lapses surrounding the Easter Sunday suicide attacks that killed 258 people including 11 Indians, despite strong objection by President Maithripala Sirisena.

President Sirisena, who is the head of the Cabinet, warned last week that he would not attend the Cabinet unless the government took immediate action to halt the parliamentary investigation.

9 June 2019; DW: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was received Sunday by his Sri Lankan counterpart, Ranil Wickremesinghe, as he arrived in Colombo after completing his Maldives trip.

Modi's Maldives and Sri Lanka visits are his first since he was re-elected as prime minister in May.

The Indian prime minister was scheduled to hold talks with President Maithripala Sirisena and opposition leaders as well.

8 June 2019; AFP: Sri Lanka's president has sacked the national intelligence chief and will not cooperate with a parliamentary investigation into security lapses before the Easter suicide bombings, officials said Saturday.

Maithripala Sirisena summoned an emergency cabinet meeting on Friday night to oppose a parliamentary select committee probe into the April 21 attacks that killed 258 people, including 45 foreigners, and wounded nearly 500.

New Delhi, May 31 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to travel to Colombo on June 9, Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena said on Friday.

Sirisena, who was here to attend Modi's swearing-in ceremony, told reporters that Sri Lanka was eagerly waiting to welcome the Indian leader.

The Sri Lankan President said he has received information that Modi will be travelling to Colombo on June 9 on his return from Maldives.