Sri Lanka

COLOMBO, Dec. 14 (Xinhua) -- The World Food Program (WFP) Executive Board has approved Sri Lanka's Country Strategic Plan (CSP) for the period between 2023 and December 2027, the President's Media Division (PMD) said on Wednesday.

The CSP, which is valued at 74.87 million U.S. dollars, is aligned with the national policy framework and consistent with the UN Sustainable Development Corporation Framework for Sri Lanka 2023-2027, the PMD said.

COLOMBO, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- Representatives of international financial institutions agreed that Sri Lanka needs a coordinated assistance program to come out of the current economic crisis, the President's Media Division (PMD) said in a statement on Tuesday.

The agreement was reached following a round table discussion held among representatives of the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe in Colombo on Tuesday, said the PMD.

COLOMBO, Dec. 3 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's Department of Meteorology on Saturday issued an advisory for severe lightning in parts of the country for the coming 24 hours.

The department said the lightning will be accompanied by strong winds and thundershowers, advising the public to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by lightning.

The department said that in the past few months several people had died from lightning strikes.

The department also said heavy showers above 100 millimeters are likely at some places in several provinces and districts.

COLOMBO, Nov 29 (NNN-XINHUA) – A super luxury cruise ship arrived at Colombo Port, today, carrying over 2,000 passengers, the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) said.

The “Mein Schiff 5” owned by a German operator, docked at the Sri Lankan capital, in the wee hours of today, with ceremonies and cultural shows planned throughout the day.

Officials from the SLPA said, the ship received a ceremonious welcome at the Colombo Port, and the passengers would be offered excursions for the majority of the locations, and tours covering Colombo, the south and the central highlands.

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — The Sri Lankan government is being urged to drop charges against two protest leaders detained for more than three months following the anti-government demonstrations that engulfed the island nation earlier this year.

Amnesty International also renewed its call for Sri Lanka to repeal the harsh, civil war-era Prevention of Terrorism Act under which the two protest leaders are being held.

Wasantha Mudalige and Galwewa Siridhamma, both university student leaders, were arrested in August and have been detained for more than 90 days under the PTA.

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka’s navy said Monday that about 300 suspected migrants have been rescued by Singapore authorities after their boat started sinking.

Navy spokesperson Indika de Silva said a Sri Lankan citizen in the boat contacted the navy on Monday and said they were in distress, and the Maritime Rescue Coordination Center in Colombo sought help from Singapore, Vietnam and the Philippines.

Singapore authorities later notified Sri Lanka that the people on board the boat had been rescued and were heading to Vietnam.

COLOMBO, Oct. 18 (Xinhua) -- Around 38 percent of Sri Lankans live in landslide-prone areas, a senior scientist from the National Building Research Organization (NBRO) warned on Tuesday.

Dr. Wasantha Senadeera, a senior scientist from NBRO, said that 30 percent of Sri Lanka's landmass is prone to landslides and 14 districts in the country are prone to landslides, especially those in the central part of the country.

COLOMBO, Oct 2 (NNN-XINHUA) – Sri Lankan Navy, yesterday, rescued 35 people on board a ferry that capsized in the seas off north-western Sri Lanka.

The ferry was travelling between a chain of islets.

The police said that, the ferry was old and had started leaking, soon after it left the shore.

Most of the passengers on board were seasonal fishermen and businessmen, involved in the fishing industry.

No one was seriously injured.

The Navy and police are investigating what caused the ferry to leak.

COLOMBO, Sept 28 (NNN-XINHUA) – At least 80 houses were destroyed, due to a fire that broke out in a highly populous area in Colombo, last night, with around 220 people displaced, Sri Lankan police said.

The fire broke out at the Kajeemawatte Flats in Thotalanga, at around 8.00 p.m. (1430 GMT) yesterday, and it took firefighters several hours to get the fire under control. Twelve fire trucks were deployed.

No casualties were reported in the incident, and those affected are housed in community centres and places of worship.

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — A Sri Lankan court issued a summons on Friday ordering an ex-president to appear in a case alleging he failed to prevent suicide bomb attacks in 2019 that killed nearly 270 people.

The court ordered ex-President Maithripala Sirisena to appear on Oct. 14 in a complaint filed by a Catholic priest and a worshipper saying his negligence led to the near-simultaneous bomb blasts in three churches and three tourist hotels on Easter Sunday 2019.