News

Indian Coast Guard ships to visit Colombo & Galle

Published

5 months ago

December 20, 2024

editor

Indian Coast Guard Ships Vaibhav and Abhiraj, an Offshore Patrol Vessel and Fast Patrol Vessel are scheduled to visit Colombo from Dec. 23-27, 2024 and Galle from Dec. 29, 2024 – Jan. 02, 2025.

The Commanding Officers of the Indian Coast Guard Ships, Commandant Navtej Singh Sohal and Commandant (JG) S Sujith will be calling on Director General Sri Lanka Coast Guard and other Senior Officers.

Further, joint training on VBSS, Fire Fighting and Damage Control, Maritime Pollution Response and various professional interactions will be conducted during the visit.

A statement issued by the Indian High Commission in this regard, further notes :
The ships would host reception onboard for guests from Sri Lanka including senior officials from defence hierarchy and civil administration. The ship will organise yoga event to showcase Yoga demonstration for achieving physical, mental and spiritual well being.The ships will also carry out social interactions like Beach Cleaning and Walkathon during the visit towards awareness against marine plastic pollution under “Puneet Sagar Abhiyan”. In addition, Post departure a SAGAREX with Sri Lanka Coast Guard Ship off Colombo is also planned on 27 December 2024.

In order to further the people to people connect and enhance awareness about the Indian Coast Guard and its capability, the ships will be open for a visit by Sri Lanka Coast Guard personnel.

The visit of the Indian Coast Guard Ships is also significant in view of the potential for cooperation between India and Sri Lanka for augmenting capabilities of Sri Lanka Coast Guard for efficiently addressing shared challenges for maritime security in the region.

It may be recalled that Indian Naval Submarine Vela had earlier visited Colombo from 10-13 November 2024. Visits by Indian Navy and Coast Guardvessels to Sri Lanka aim to consolidate camaraderie and interoperability between the two neighbouring friendly Navies, which is in keeping with India’s SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) doctrine and ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy.

News

Indian HC issues statement on ‘Operation Sindoor’

Published

41 minutes ago

May 7, 2025

editor

The Indian High Commission in Colombo has issued a statement on the ‘Operation Sindoor’ launched by the Indian Armed Forces targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

According to the statement, 09 sites have been targeted.

The statement further notes :

“Our actions have been focused, measured and non- escalatory in nature. No Pakistani military facilities have been targeted. India has demonstrated considerable restraint in selection of targets and method of execution.”

“These steps come in the wake of the barbaric Pahalgam terrorist attack in which 25 Indians and one Nepali citizen were murdered. We are living up to the commitment that those responsible for this attack will be held accountable.”

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Prasanna Ranaweera remanded (Update)

Published

50 minutes ago

May 7, 2025

editor

Former State Minister Prasanna Ranaweera has been remanded until May 19 by the Mahara Magistrate’s Court.

He had surrendered to the court earlier today (May 07).

(Previous news 2025 May 07 –11.00.a.m.)

Prasanna Ranaweera surrenders to court

Former State Minister Prasanna Ranaweera has surrendered to the Mahara Magistrate’s Court today (May 07).

Previously, an open warrant was issued for Ranaweera’s arrest over allegedly selling a plot of state-owned land in Kiribathgoda to a private party by forging documents.

Several persons including former Minister Mervyn Silva are currently in remand custody over the incident.

Related News :

Open arrest warrants for Prasanna & Milroy

News

NPP leads at CMC but fails to secure majority

Published

4 hours ago

May 7, 2025

editor

The National People’s Power (NPP) has won the most number of seats in the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC), but has not obtained enough to form a majority.
The party secured 48 seats with over 81,000 votes, which is about 36.9% of the total.

The Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) came in second with 29 seats, followed by the United National Party (UNP) with 13 seats. The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) and Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) won five and four seats respectively. Meanwhile, Independent & minor parties have secured 20 seats.

The CMC is Sri Lanka’s largest and oldest local government body.