Over 400 hospitalized in Batti

Cigarette prices to go up by Rs. 7 from today

The price of a cigarette is?to go up by Rs. 7 from today, the Ministry of Finance announced. Last week the Government said Cabinet had approved imposing the 15% VAT increase on the price of cigarettes. The production tax on?cigarettes had also been increased by Rs. 5 per?cigarette since last week. Meanwhile, the Finance Ministry said that a beer manufacturing company in the country which was fully affected by the recent flood has been provided the opportunity to import beer with taxes and oth

04 Oct, 2016

Switzerland signs deal with Sri Lanka to repatriate refugees

Swiss Justice Minister Simonetta Sommaruga and Sri Lankan Interior Minister Seneviratne Bandara Nawinne have signed a bilateral immigration treaty in Colombo. It will cover, among other things, the repatriation of Sri Lankans who have to leave Switzerland,?swissinfo reported. Sommaruga, who is on a three-day visit to Sri Lanka, said the agreement would basically enshrine the current practice. ?What we are codifying with this immigration agreement are the formalities on how the repatriations a

04 Oct, 2016

Parliament questions alleged statement by Wigneswaran

Parliament today raised questions over a statement allegedly made by Northern Province Chief Minister C V Wigneswaran. Opposition Parliamentarian Dinesh Gunawardena said that?Wigneswaran had made a statement which is a threat to the unity in?the country. Wigneswaran was reported to have said that Sinhalese communities must not be settled in Tamil dominated areas in the North, nor should Buddhist Temples be erected. Leader of the House Lakshman Kiriella said that Prime Minister Ranil Wickremes

04 Oct, 2016