Sri Lanka refuses visa to top US official

Sri Lanka refuses visa to top US official

The Sri Lankan government has refused to issue a visa to US Ambassador at Large for Women’s Issues, Catherine Russell, forcing her to cancel a high-level visit scheduled for Feb 10-11. “It is regrettable that the government of Sri Lanka has refused to grant a visa to Ambassador Catherine Russell for this trip,” Xinhua cited […]

Sri Lanka accuses diplomats of interfering in its affairs

Sri Lanka accuses diplomats of interfering in its affairs

The Sri Lankan government Sunday accused some diplomats of interfering in the country’s domestic affairs, Xinhua reported. Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa said that there is a section of the international community that wants to try and force its own agenda on Sri Lanka. The ministry of defence quoted Rajapaksa as saying that major portion of […]

Australian student raped in Sri Lanka

Australian student raped in Sri Lanka

apAn Australian student was raped by a tour guide in Sri lanka’s Ambalagonda town, a media report here said. The student, who was on a study tour to the island nation, complained to police that she was raped by a tour guide under a solitary rock in the beach, according to a report in colombopage.com […]

Little progress on rights in Sri Lanka: report

Little progress on rights in Sri Lanka: report

Sri Lanka made little progress in 2013 in accountability for serious human rights abuses committed during the civil war that ended in 2009, Human Rights Watch said Tuesday. As the UN and international condemnation escalated, human rights activists and journalists critical of the government continued to face intimidation and threats, it said in its World […]

Maldives president to visit Sri Lanka

Maldives president to visit Sri Lanka

Maldives President  will Tuesday begin a three-day visit to Sri Lanka, his first tour to that country since assuming office, in an effort to strengthen bilateral relations and enhance business and investment ties between the two countries. Yameen, along with his wife Fathimath Ibrahim, will visit Sri Lanka Jan 21-23 on the invitation of Sri […]

India, Sri Lanka release jailed fishermen

India, Sri Lanka release jailed fishermen

India and Sri Lanka Friday continued the exchange of jailed fishermen ahead of talks between fishing communities of the two nations here Jan 20. A statement by the Tamil Nadu government said 121 Indian fishermen were released by Sri Lanka Friday. They would reach home in a couple of days. India on its part released […]

India, Sri Lanka release 52 fishermen each

India, Sri Lanka release 52 fishermen each

India and Sri Lanka Monday released 52 fishermen each, as part of a goodwill gesture to tide over an issue that has caused tension in ties. The move was announced in New Delhi by External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin. The move comes ahead of the Tamil festival of Pongal and a meeting between the […]

India, Sri Lanka to release 20 fishermen each

India, Sri Lanka to release 20 fishermen each

India and Sri Lanka are to release 20 of each other’s fishermen, marking the beginning of a reciprocal process to tide over an issue that has caused tension in bilateral ties. The gesture comes ahead of the Tamil festival of Pongal, and was announced here by the external affairs ministry spokesperson. “As a goodwill measure […]

Sri Lanka to release jailed Tamil Nadu fishermen

Sri Lanka to release jailed Tamil Nadu fishermen

Steps will be taken in a day or two by the Sri Lankan government to release 275 Indian fishermen in Sri Lankan jails, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa said Saturday. The Tamil Nadu government is also taking steps to release 179 arrested Sri Lankan fishermen so that talks between fishermen of the two nations […]

Sri Lankan president leaves for Middle East

Sri Lankan president leaves for Middle East

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa Saturday left for an official visit to the Middle East ahead of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) session in Geneva, the president’s office said. The UNHRC session in March is expected to discuss Sri Lanka, where the military has been accused of killing a large number of innocents in […]