Category: News

  • Dubai police recover rare $20 million blue diamond stolen by a Sri Lankan security guard and smuggled to Sri Lanka

    Dubai police recover rare $20 million blue diamond stolen by a Sri Lankan security guard and smuggled to Sri Lanka

    uly 26, Colombo: The Dubai Police said they have recovered a rare blue diamond estimated to be worth $20 million which was stolen from a city company’s vault by a Sri Lankan security guard and smuggled to Sri Lanka in a shoebox.

    The diamond was stolen by a Sri Lankan who worked as security guard at a money transfer company pulling off a near-impossible theft from the vault of the company, an Associated Press report said.

    Police said Thursday a guard with the money transfer company secreted the 9.33-carat diamond out of the vault on May 25 and passed it off to a relative who smuggled it out of the country inside a pair of sneakers in a shoebox.

    A video of the investigation released by the police shows an officer taking the sports shoe out of its box and recovering the pouch containing the diamond that is hidden inside.

    After over 120 interviews and the review of 8,620 hours of CCTV footage – some showing the theft in progress – police say they were able to trace the suspect.

    Colonel Mohammed Aqil Ahli, deputy director of the department of criminal investigation, told Khaleej Times that the police were notified about the daring theft from the company�s vault at its headquarters in Jebel Ali.

    The company officials were baffled by the crime, as the suspect had to go through multiple layers of security gates to get to the vault.

    As per the security protocol in place, the number of employees authorized to pass through to the vault reduced with the passage of each gate. The final gate could only be opened by three security guards together: The first had to have a key, the second a manual secret code and the third an electronic code that automatically changed frequently.

    Despite these security precautions, the suspect managed to enter the vault and carry out the theft. After the police identified him, they came to know that he had cut off contact with all of his acquaintances. The police managed to trace him and arrested him.

    During his interrogation, the suspect told the police that he carried out the theft a week before he was to go on vacation. The plan was to escape to his home country to “realize his dream of becoming a millionaire”.

    Though the police did not disclose how he managed to bypass all the security layers, Col Ahli said the suspect’s background as a security guard helped him carry out the theft.

    It was not immediately clear how the diamond was recovered from Sri Lanka.

  • Singapore and Sri Lanka sign free trade agreement

    Singapore and Sri Lanka sign free trade agreement

    COLOMBO: Singapore and Sri Lanka signed a free trade agreement on Tuesday (Jan 23) which will deepen economic ties and facilitates greater trade flows between the two countries.

    The Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (SLSFTA) was signed by Singapore’s Minister for Trade and Industry (Industry) S Iswaran and Sri Lanka’s Minister for Development Strategies and International Trade Malik Samarawickrama.

    Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena witnessed the signing in Colombo.

    With the deal inked, Singapore and Sri Lanka companies will gain greater access to each other’s markets across many sectors, said Singapore’s Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) in a news release.

  • Growth of Digital Marketing In Sri Lanka

    Growth of Digital Marketing In Sri Lanka

    Back in the times of classic advertising, you needed to be concerned about digital marketing impressions and total return on investment (ROI) of your efforts, optimizing your job according to your limited funds and the limited options available. Technology has forced us to believe Digital and proceed for internet advertising, where new metrics have been defined, together with yet restricted resources, but infinite options that gave far more complicated significance for optimization.

    Social networking digital marketing plays a critical part in’digital advertising’ in sri lanka which it’s altered the online ecosystem. It’s made a parallel world where one’s planet isn’t confined by his/her encompassing but hordes of things occurring over the web and social websites. For the millennials being relevant and obtaining social acceptance for something that they do is becoming more significant. The period spent by an ordinary consumer on social websites is 2.5 hours (50% of the everyday online time) which makes it the most prime destination online.

    One should know the unique opportunities and the way it differs from other websites. A company should join conversations and eventually become a part of a neighbourhood, instead of being a company’outsider’ who attempts to sell aggressively. The platform should make an individual voice to your enterprise since Facebook users prefer to speak to others — to not an impartial organization. Your company Facebook page has to have the ability to compose in a voice which seems genuine and likeable, employing a style which is suitable for your enterprise.

    A Facebook webpage is a terrific free advertising tool for companies. These pages allow companies identify themselves not only through list merchandise offerings and solutions but also by sharing hyperlinks, pictures and articles on a customizable site to provide a much better feeling of a company’ personality and personality.

    Your FB company page is a fantastic place to come up with your new identity and reveal your human side. Today Facebook has introduced two brands unique Facebook attributes which are altering the character of electronic advertising. The’Immediate Article’ tool, allowing publishers to make appealing mobile-first articles right on the system and live-streaming video fad has takeoff (enables verified users to flow videos for their network in real-time). Both of these attributes are quickly peaking, and they’re reshaping the digital marketing and advertising campaigns.

    Twitter

    Twitter has been useful in keeping its growth concerning active users but has neglected to interpret such expansion into earnings growth. As crowd-based merchandise (like some of those other programs ), the core power of Twitter lies within its variety of active consumers; however, as a profitable company, revenue generation is the top priority. Twitter has been shifting its efficacy in various ways, including many attributes, whether inside the net application or its cellular application that is their competitive edge.

    Many users and professionals have perceived this measure as an effort to replicate Facebook’s expertise. Years past, Twitter was going to implement a characteristic very similar to Facebook’s webpages, to assist brands market their services and products on the stage.

    The brand new likes’ rather than favourites’ edit, might be read like a completely different story.

    In all scenarios, Twitter has enabled many companies to prosper and anticipated to improve its power in various geographic places.

    LinkedIn

    In a previous couple of decades LinkedIn has enhanced its customers’ experience on the stage, assisting professionals land on current projects, hire new workers, construct their networks and market their own companies. It has undoubtedly represented on the organization’s generated earnings, bringing in its position as the 2nd most significant revenue-generating social networking platform, following Facebook.

    One thing we know for sure is that the effects of Pulse’s integration to LinkedIn, allowing for more user-centred posts to be revealed to every user, according to their careers, businesses and reading tastes. In the majority of the contemporary business-to-business (B2B) markets, it’d be hard not to consider incorporating LinkedIn’s Pulse in your digital marketing strategy in Sri Lanka. Even for a few B2C entrepreneurs, the stage was successfully used for promotion purposes.

    Google professionals have analyzed the precision of their new technology contrary to the validity of their own. The machine has scored 80 percent of proper outcomes when Google 80 manufacturers have scored 70 percent of appropriate results, a new age where you can observe a system outperforming its creators. This should be contemplated within your next search engine optimization strategy, understanding that about 75% of search queries on Google include three to five words, the motor would usually have sufficient input to find out the consumer’s intention.

    best digital marketing company sri lanka is www.seosrilanka.net becoming ever more popular in the industry and rightly so. If you understand the requirement of the digital campaign properly, it can work amazing things for your industry over the your competition of the industry. Therefore its essential to undented key element of seo campaign to reach your online goals throughout the company you are working with,

    However, how can you know whether your social networking plan is successful? How can you measure its own success?

    Check participation of lovers

    While the amount of buffs can be a step of your advertising success, a more precise measure is how much your supporters are interacting with your page/profile — quantity of enjoys, stocks, retweets and pokes can be a sign of how successful your campaign will be. The more your buffs participate with your brand, the more curious they are in your small business and the more probable they are going to be to purchase your merchandise.

    Assess visitors to your site

    the principal goal of any societal medial advertising and digital marketing campaign would be to send visitors to your site. So check your data (via Google Analytics) to observe just how a lot of your traffic is coming out of societal programs and is there some growth as the time you have intensified your societal campaigns. So get your site ready . You can opt for cloud hosting since it’s flexible enough to take care of abrupt spikes in traffic.

    Assess conversions

    Obtaining traffic is excellent but what if they are useless to youpersonally? The next thing to do would be to assess if your customers will be taking the desired actions. It might also be to create them download an e-book, take part in a competition or even sign up for your newsletter. No matter the aim might be, you will want to check that it’s being achieved.

    If your digital marketing effort is getting you considerable traffic but the majority of the traffic are rebounding off your site, then it can not be called a successful effort.

    Selecting the most appropriate platform

    there are lots of things that lead to the achievement of any digital marketing effort in sri lanka, however, the most significant one is the option of the platform. Every social networking platform has its own attributes and brings a particular sort of audience, so in the event that you would like to be successful, you have to understand what matches your company the very best.

    So how can you be certain you select appropriate? Listed below are a Couple of factors you need to consider:

    You are able to perform a study of All of the criteria and decide which platform matches the demographics of your target client the best

    Know your articles

    When you are on social networking, you market your company via articles. Hence that the sort of content you produce will decide on the platform you select. For example:

    Know exactly what you need

    Do you wish to enhance SEO? Would you like more people to walk in your shop? Would you need to target smaller markets rather than the societal giants mentioned previously? Would you wish to create connections with other companies? Knowing what you need will determine what societal platform matches best.

    For example, if you’d like SEO, then it is Google+; should you desire walk-ins then you are going to need to join social networks such as Yelp and FourSquare; should you would like smaller markets, then the ideal place to begin would be Reddit; and finally, LinkedIn can help you make these very important business connections.

    This guarantees that you reach to a larger audience

    Analyse all outcomes to make improvements where required. Evaluate your numbers with everything you anticipated. Benchmark against your competition, campaigns or products in order for your stakeholders can quickly understand what these numbers mean. It’s very important that you utilize the analytical advertising tools which are available to assemble data now and use that info to form continually future advertising campaigns toward being exceptionally successful ones.

  • Why SEO Is More Important Than Ever for E-Commerce Business in Sri Lanka

    Why SEO Is More Important Than Ever for E-Commerce Business in Sri Lanka

    In today’s digital age, e-commerce businesses in Sri Lanka face stiff competition to attract and engage with potential customers online. With businesses relying heavily on their websites as the primary point of contact with their customers, implementing an effective search engine optimization (SEO) strategy has become more important than ever before. SEO plays a critical role in improving the visibility of a website on search engine result pages, driving organic traffic, and ultimately increasing conversions and sales. With the increasing use of smartphones and the rise of mobile e-commerce, SEO has become even more vital as customers are relying on search engines to research, compare and purchase products. In the highly competitive e-commerce landscape in Sri Lanka, a well-executed SEO strategy can differentiate a business from its competitors and elevate its online presence. This blog post will explore the importance of SEO for e-commerce businesses in Sri Lanka and provide insights into some of the key strategies that businesses can employ to boost their search engine rankings and drive more traffic and revenue. By taking a strategic approach

    1. SEO improves website visibility and increases organic traffic

    SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is an essential element of any e-commerce business strategy in Sri Lanka today. Effective SEO Sri Lanka can improve the visibility of your website and increase organic traffic from search engines like Google. Organic traffic is crucial for e-commerce businesses in Sri Lanka, and it’s cost-effective compared to paid advertising. The majority of Sri Lankan internet users search for products and services on Google, and your business can benefit from this fact by optimizing your website for SEO. A well-implemented SEO strategy can help your e-commerce business in Sri Lanka rank higher in Google search results, which can lead to increased brand exposure, credibility, and enhanced sales potential. In other words, SEO is more important than ever for e-commerce businesses in Sri Lanka, and if you aren’t optimizing your website for SEO, you could be losing out on significant business opportunities.

    2. SEO helps customers to find products more easily

    SEO (search engine optimization) is crucial for e-commerce businesses in Sri Lanka. A well-optimized website can help customers to find products more easily and ultimately lead to increased sales and revenue. Through effective keywords research, optimization of product descriptions, and building high-quality backlinks, businesses can improve their website’s search engine ranking, making it more visible to potential customers. For instance, if a customer searches for “best smartphones in Sri Lanka,” an e-commerce website that has implemented effective SEO strategies is more likely to appear in the top search results, making it easier for customers to find and purchase the products they are looking for. Therefore, investing in SEO in Sri Lanka is essential for e-commerce businesses looking to gain a competitive edge in the online market.

    3. SEO can help build a strong online presence

    In today’s digital age, it has become more important than ever for e-commerce businesses to build a strong online presence. And when it comes to online visibility, search engine optimization (SEO) is an essential tool that can help businesses in Sri Lanka to achieve their goals. With the right SEO strategies, businesses can improve their website’s rankings on search engine results pages (SERPs) and attract more targeted traffic to their site, thereby increasing the chances of converting leads into sales. SEO in Sri Lanka requires a deep understanding of local trends, competitive analysis in the market and the latest algorithm updates from popular search engines such as Google. E-commerce businesses should invest in optimizing their websites for both on-page and off-page SEO factors to stay ahead of their competitors and reach their desired audience. In summary, SEO in Sri Lanka can help businesses build a strong online presence and achieve long-term success in the e-commerce industry.

    4. SEO can increase brand awareness and trustworthiness

    One of the top reasons why SEO is more important than ever for e-commerce businesses in Sri Lanka is that it can increase brand awareness and trustworthiness. With the rise of e-commerce platforms, consumers are becoming reliant on online searches to find products and services. This means that it is essential for e-commerce businesses in Sri Lanka to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs) to be more visible to their target audience. By implementing effective SEO strategies, businesses can optimize their website content and improve their rankings, leading to increased online visibility and brand awareness. In addition, when a business ranks higher in the SERPs, it can create a perception of trustworthiness in the eyes of the consumer. This leads to increased customer confidence in the brand and can ultimately result in higher conversions and profits for the business. Overall, choosing to invest in SEO in Sri Lanka can play a crucial role in building brand recognition and credibility, two key factors that can determine the success of an e-commerce business in today’s competitive landscape.

    5. SEO allows for targeted marketing


    SEO is becoming an increasingly crucial component of digital marketing strategies in Sri Lanka. Among its many benefits, one of the biggest advantages SEO brings to e-commerce businesses is the ability to perform targeted marketing. Modern consumers are highly likely to use search engines when searching for the products or services they need. Through careful keyword research and optimization, SEO Sri Lanka allows businesses to optimize their online presence and target the right audience effectively. With accurate tracking tools and analytics, businesses can track marketing performance and tailor their strategies to specific user demographics, behaviors and preferences. While traditional advertising tends to use a scattergun approach to reach as many people as possible, SEO Sri Lanka allows businesses to specifically target those who are actively looking for their products or services, converting leads into paying customers more quickly and efficiently.

    6. SEO helps to improve overall user experience

    In today’s digital age, having a strong online presence is essential for any e-commerce business in Sri Lanka. This is where ecommerce SEO Sri Lanka comes in. Not only does it assist in the ranking of your website in search engines, but it also improves the overall user experience on your site. By optimizing your website’s structure, content, and navigational elements, you can create a seamless and user-friendly experience for visitors. This, in turn, leads to increased customer satisfaction and loyalty, as well as higher conversion rates. When users can easily find the products or services they are looking for and navigate through your site without any confusion or frustration, they are more likely to make a purchase and return in the future. With SEO playing such a crucial role in improving the user experience, it’s more important than ever for e-commerce businesses in Sri Lanka to prioritize and invest in this aspect of digital marketing.

    7. SEO helps businesses to stand out against competitors

    In the highly competitive world of e-commerce in Sri Lanka, standing out against competitors can be a difficult challenge. That’s where SEO Sri Lanka comes in – optimizing a website for search engines can help businesses increase their visibility online and draw in more potential customers. By appearing at the top of search engine results pages, businesses can grab the attention of customers who are actively searching for the products or services they offer. In addition, SEO Sri Lanka helps to build brand credibility and trust, as appearing on the top pages of search results is often seen as an indication of a reputable and trustworthy business. With the increasing importance of online presence, SEO Sri Lanka has become more important than ever for e-commerce businesses looking to succeed in the digital marketplace.

    8. SEO can help to reduce advertising costs

    One of the most compelling reasons to invest in SEO for your e-commerce business in Sri Lanka is that it can help you reduce advertising costs. When you optimize your website for SEO, you are essentially making it easier for search engines to understand what your site is about and what products or services you offer. As a result, your site will appear higher in organic search results, which means you are less reliant on paid advertising to generate traffic and sales. This can translate to significant cost savings over time, particularly if you are currently spending a lot of money on paid search campaigns or other forms of online advertising. By investing in SEO in Sri Lanka, you can build a long-term strategy that will help you reduce your advertising costs and improve your bottom line.

    9. SEO provides businesses with valuable insights

    In today’s competitive business landscape, having a strong online presence is crucial to the success of any e-commerce business in Sri Lanka. Fortunately, one of the most effective ways to boost your online visibility is through SEO. Not only does SEO help your website rank higher in search engine results pages, but it also provides businesses with valuable insights that can inform their online strategies. For example, by analyzing keyword data and user behavior, you can identify which products or services are most in demand, what search terms your target audience is using, and which pages on your website are most popular. Armed with this information, you can optimize your website and marketing campaigns to better meet the needs of your customers in Sri Lanka. Ultimately, by leveraging SEO, you can gain a competitive edge in the e-commerce marketplace, bolster your brand, and drive sales growth in Sri Lanka.

    10. SEO can boost overall website performance and sales

    SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is an essential component of an e-commerce business’s digital marketing strategy in Sri Lanka. The implementation of SEO tactics can significantly enhance the overall website performance and sales. With rapid advancements in the digital world, competition has increased, accentuating the need for businesses to stand out from the crowd. The proper incorporation of SEO techniques can help businesses rank higher in search engine results pages, thus gaining visibility over their competitors. In Sri Lanka, SEO has become more critical than ever before, with a growing number of people relying on online shopping to meet their needs. Therefore, it is vital for e-commerce businesses in Sri Lanka to invest in SEO to stay ahead of their competitors and attract more customers to their website.

    In conclusion, SEO is more important than ever for e-commerce businesses in Sri Lanka. As more and more consumers turn to online shopping, it’s critical for businesses to have a strong online presence and optimize their website for search engines. By investing in SEO strategies such as keyword research, on-page optimization, link building, and local SEO, e-commerce businesses can improve their search engine rankings, attract more organic traffic, and ultimately drive more revenue. As the Sri Lankan e-commerce industry continues to grow rapidly, businesses that prioritize SEO will be better positioned to succeed in the competitive online marketplace.

  • Registration of Persons Dept initiates one-day service for student IDs

    Registration of Persons Dept initiates one-day service for student IDs

    The Department of Registration of persons has facilitated a one-day service for students sitting for the upcoming Ordinary Level Examinations to obtain their ID cards.

    Commissioner General Viyani Gunathilake said that IDs could be obtained at the main office of the department on November 25.

    The Commissioner General notes that the ID card need not be collected by the ID holder himself.

    He further noted the ID cards can be obtained with a letter authorised by the Grama Niladhari officer verifying the relationship between the ID holder and the one obtaining the ID card from the main office.

  • Ward Place closed due to students’ protest

    Ward Place closed due to students’ protest

    Ward Place in Colombo has been closed for traffic from Town Hall due to a protest by university students, Ada Derana reporter said.

    The Inter University Students’ Federation (IUSF) organised the protest march in Colombo today (21), demanding solutions for the issues of South Eastern University students.

    The agitation is also against the recent statements of the Minister of Higher Education Wijedasa Rajapakse, according to the IUSF Convener Lahiru Weerasekera.

    The Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court today allowed university students to hold their protest without inconveniencing the public, after a court order was sought by Fort Police.

    The protesting students were also barred from entering any public institutions.

  • Moon-Chan Kim in seek of commercial opportunities in Sri Lanka

    Moon-Chan Kim in seek of commercial opportunities in Sri Lanka

    Mr. Moon Chan Kim the Co-founder and technical adviser of E&D Co., Ltd, a company which provides environment and energy technology solutions.  Its products include EnDsel-PF, a device that reduces the particulate matter, carbon monoxide, and hydrocarbon emissions from diesel vehicles; and EnDsel-PPF, a solution for emission control from light and medium duty diesel vehicles. He developed and commercialized automobile environmental catalysts and single type DPF, and P-DPF system.

    Moon Chan Kim a citizen of Korea with a brooch of the Sri Lankan flag tagged on his jacket, is now in the course for commercial opportunities in Sri Lanka along with directing Korean firms to invest in such commercial opportunities he discovers to be fitting.

    Korea is also one of Sri Lanka’s leading donors of Official Development Assistance (ODA). Korean ODA has contributed to Sri Lanka’s development process through the Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF), and grant assistance via the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). There are many lessons that our lawmakers and people can learn from Korea. When World War II ended, Korea was way behind both Sri Lanka and Japan in terms of economic growth.

    Mr. Moon-Chan Kim in 1993 graduated from Yondsei University, Seoul Korea with a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering a study of the hydrocracking and the hydrodesulphurization over NiPtMo, CoPtMo catalysts supported on HZSM-5, LaY, and r-Al2O3, and their acidic characterization.

    Following his graduation, Moon-Chan Kim in 1995 became the professor of Environmental Engineering at the Cheongju University in Korea executing many national projects for the environmental catalysts and renewable energy.

    Been the founder and CEO of ENFC CO., Ltd. In 2005 and also the founder and CEO of the Oil City., Ltd. In 2012, Mr. Moon-Chan Kim is now the Asian region policy officer of International Biographical Center a publisher owned by Melrose Press Ltd that specializes in producing biographical publications, such as the Dictionary of International Biography, Great Men and Women of Science and other vanity awards.

    Sri Lanka in the modern era has become a center of attraction for foreign investments as a part of a South Asian trio with high potential for growth. Korean business leaders have already expressed their strong interest in investing in Sri Lanka.

    Sri Lanka with an economy worth of $278.415 billion and a per capita GDP of about $11,068.996, Sri Lanka has a strong growth rate in recent years. Sri Lanka’s economic future can be seen as a services hub to produce goods which plug into regional and global value chains and a center for high-value agricultural products such as fruits, vegetables and dairy contributing the rapid growth of the tourism and export sectors.

    With an unemployment rate of 4.2%, with foreign firms inclined towards investing in Sri Lankan businesses seeking for opportunities, it will in return be an opportunity for the unemployed population in the country to seek for job opportunities which will contribute towards the economy of the country as a benefit.

    In 2010, as the research scientist for the Department of Chemical Engineering, MIT in Cambridge, USA, Moon Chan Kim executed and commercialized power generation system by fast pyrolysis with waste biomass and MSW and emulsion fuel for IMO Tier 3 regulations.

    The country’s geographically strategic location near two high-growth regions (India and Southeast Asia), and its tourist potential, as well as the measures taken by the government, creation of free zones, reduction of food subsidies and other consumer goods, are factors that draws the eyes of foreign investors towards Sri Lanka.

    Moon Chan Kim is a professional in areas such dissociation catalyst of waste plastics and woody fiber for producing diesel oil, heterogeneous catalysts for environmental fields such as reducing NOx, CO, dioxin, ozone, VOCs (volatile organic carbons), and toxic materials. Further, he has entitled The Da Vinci Diamond Award (IBC 2016), Great Men and Women of Science Award, and furthermore. Hence, his knowledge and participation in the commercial sector will be beneficial for Sri Lanka.

  • Mass grave in Mannar in Northern Sri Lanka unearths 300 human skeletons

    Mass grave in Mannar in Northern Sri Lanka unearths 300 human skeletons

    Jan 16, Colombo: Skeletal remains of 300 people and human bones have been unearthed as of today from the mass grave found in Mannar in Northern Sri Lanka after the grave area has been expanded for a second time since the excavations began on May 28 last year, Senior Judicial Medical Officer Shaminda Rajapaksa said.

    The excavations at the mass grave resumed Wednesday (16th) after temporarily suspending the activities on January 11.

    Until today excavations have been carried out for 130 days and skeletal remains belonging to 300 individuals have been unearthed from the mass grave at the old Sathosa building site, the official said.

    Out of this total, skeletal remains of 294 individuals have been systematically removed and currently sealed and placed in a special chamber at the Mannar Magistrate’s Court complex, Dr. Rajapaksa said. Remains of 23 bodies believed to be children’s have been separated.

    Speaking about taking samples to the United States for carbon dating, Dr. Rajapaksa said, under the Mannar Magistrate’s orders bone samples were collected in the presence of a group of forensic medicine specialists and a special team of government attorneys.

    He said the bone samples for the radio carbon dating were obtained under observation of all relevant parties in order to ensure transparency.

    The official said excavations may be temporarily suspended while he will be away taking the samples to the U.S. and a decision will be made after discussions with the magistrate this week.

    Following the discovery of human remains on 26 March 2018 at the old Sathosa building in Mannar, the excavation of the site started on 28 May 2018 under the supervision of Mannar magistrate. Excavations continued after the site was expanded twice.

  • Sri Lanka rejects fears of China’s ‘debt-trap diplomacy’ in belt and road projects

    Sri Lanka rejects fears of China’s ‘debt-trap diplomacy’ in belt and road projects

    Kodituwakku was speaking to the South China Morning Post at the Sri Lankan embassy in Beijing earlier this month, before the devastating Easter Sunday bombings, which have so far killed at least 290 people.

    Sri Lanka’s debts include loan repayments to individual nation lenders such as Japan and China, as well as to multilateral financial institutions like the IMF.

  • Two foreign nationals drown in sea

    Two foreign nationals drown in sea

    Two foreigners drowned in two separate incidents in the seas off Koggala and Thalpe in Habaraduwa last morning (29), the Habaraduwa Police said.

    A Dutch woman who was rescued by the life guards when she was being pulled by the strong currents in the sea succumbed to serious injuries upon admission to Karapita Teaching Hospital.

    The 67-year-old Dutch woman had been bathing in the sea off a Tourist Hotel in Koggala- Habaraduwa.

    Meanwhile, a 53-year-old tourist from Poland was rescued by the residents when he was drowning in the sea off Thalpe area.

    However he too was pronounced dead upon admission to Karapita Teaching Hospital. 

    The autopsies of the two victims were performed at the Karapitiya Hospital today (30), the police said.