Police raid party and seize heroin, eight arrested

US offers funding to promote accountability

The United States has offered funds to organisations to conduct programs which will?will support promoting reconciliation and advancing transparency and accountability in Sri Lanka. The Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL) at the US State Department said that?approximately $750,000?will be made available for the project. DRL?s goal is to facilitate cooperation across religious and ethnic lines to advance reconciliation so that all citizens of Sri Lanka can live with each other in

19 Jun, 2015

State Department faces visa system issue

The US Department of State?s Bureau of Consular Affairs is currently experiencing ?technical problems with its visa systems, the US Embassy in Colombo said. The Embassy said that the issue is not specific to any particular country or visa category?and?apologized for the inconvenience adding that it is working urgently to correct the problem and restore full operability. Currently, U.S. embassies are unable to print most nonimmigrant visas and process online applications submitted after June 8,

19 Jun, 2015

Lanka will pursue omnidirectional foreign policy

Sri Lanka will pursue an “omnidirectional foreign policy” that serves its own interests, not those of either of its huge neighbors, Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera told The Nikkei Asian Review on his recent visit to Japan. Six months have passed since Maithripala Sirisena won a dramatic presidential election against incumbent Mahinda Rajapaksa, whose authoritarian bent, nepotism and personalization of power contributed to his loss. Whereas the previous government’s foreign policy hewed tow

19 Jun, 2015