Tag: Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka's President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Friday declared a state of emergency in the country giving the security forces wide authority to arrest and detain suspects with immediate effect.

In recent weeks, Sri Lanka fisher organisations had stepped up pressure on the government to take steps to stop the Indian fishermen from entering Sri Lankan waters.

Visiting on the invitation of Sri Lanka's Foreign Affairs Minister, G.L. Peiris, Jaishankar's visit follows Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa's visit to India early this month and last December and Minister Peiris' visit to India in February

The Coast Guard saved them using a hovercraft and gave them food at the Coast Guard camp and then handed over to the police who shifted them to the Mandapam Camp. The rescued persons said that there were several refugees who were ready to sail to India.

The Sri Lankan Central Bank presented the cabinet of ministers earlier this week a set of proposals to overcome the current foreign exchange and fuel shortages, local media reported.

Sixty-three Indian Fishermen from Tamil Nadu were arrested and remanded to judicial custody by the Sri Lankan Navy in December 2021, and 53 of these fishermen are still in an isolation centre of the Sri Lankan government after being released from prison.

The fishermen also demanded that the Government of India provide compensation to the boats that are under custody of Sri Lankan authorities.

Sri Lanka is currently experiencing a shortage of almost all essentials due to a shortage of dollars to pay for the imports.

Sri Lanka is currently experiencing a shortage of almost all essentials due to a shortage of dollars to pay for the imports.

Participating at the event in Colombo, in the presence of the island nation's Transport Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi, Indian Deputy High Commissioner, Vinod K. Jacob, recalled the recent statement of Indian External Affairs Minister, Dr. S Jaishankar that "India would support Sri Lanka in difficult times" is an affirmation of the Neighborhood First policy in the current context.

In August 2021, the country opened its borders for fully vaccinated travellers and the next month it also removed the mandatory on-arrival PCR tests.

The World Bank estimates 500,000 people have fallen below the poverty line since the beginning of the pandemic, the equivalent of five years' progress in fighting poverty.

Sri Lanka's foreign exchange reserves further dropped to $1,587 million in November 2021 - the lowest since May 2009. In October, Sri Lanka's forex reserves stood at $2,269.2 million recorded in October. The country's forex reserves are just enough to cater to a month's imports.

These visuals are from a kite-flying session gone wrong at Point Pedro in Sri Lanka. Reports said that a man was blown away by strong winds while flying a huge kite.

The National Gem and Jewellery Authority, the state-run institute, certified the immensely valuable gem stone and plans are underway to sell it at an international market.