According to the diplomatic level discussions held by the Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardana and Fisheries Minister Douglas Devananda during their visits to China, the Chinese Government donated 75000 nets, and the Minister of Fisheries has taken measures to distribute the nets to the Fishing communities in the Northern and Eastern provinces.
It has been decided to provide these nets to the District Assistant Directors of the Department of Fisheries and accordingly, 26700 packs of nets for the Jaffna District, 15100 packs of nets for Trincomalee District, 7800 packs of nets for Mannar District, 9850 packs of nets Batticaloa District, 4650 packs of nets for Mulaitheevu District, 5600 Packs of nets for Kalmunai District and 5300 packs of nets for Kilinochchi District, will be distributed.
These nets have already arrived in Sri Lanka and the transportation of the stock of nets to Northern and Eastern Provinces is being carried out by now. 16200 bags of rice 50 kg each received under the aid of the Chinese Government to encourage the Fishing families in the North and East. Accordingly, the rice will be distributed to 1335 families from Jaffna District, 265 families from Kilinochchi District, 390 families from Mannar District, 233 families from Mullaitheevu District, and 492 families from Batticaloa District, and each family will receive 20 kg of rice.
Minister Douglas Devananda has instructed the Assistant Directors of the Fisheries Department to distribute the rice through Fishermen’s Societies.
The discussion convened by the Minister in this regard was attended by the Secretary to the Ministry of Fisheries Mr. Nishantha Wickremasinghe, the Director General of the Fisheries Department Mr. Susantha Kahawaththa, and the Assistant Directors of the fisheries department in Northern and Eastern Provinces.(dailynews.lk) (Except for the headline, this story, originally published by dailynews.lk has not been edited by SLM staff)
In line with the “Clean Sri Lanka” programme, the government plans to upgrade the Colombo Central Bus Stand within the next year.
In line with the same initiative, 50 major bus stands nationwide are scheduled for renovation, with assistance from the Sri Lanka Air Force.
The renovation of the Colombo Central Bus Stand will include the refurbishment of key facilities such as the canteen, rest area, ticket counters, administrative unit, operations room and driver quarters.
Established in 1964, the Colombo Central Bus Stand spans 1.42 hectares and currently handles between 1,500 to 2,000 buses daily.
These details were revealed during a discussion held yesterday (June 23) at the Presidential Secretariat on the “Clean Sri Lanka” programme.
The meeting was attended by Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation Bimal Rathnayake, Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Air Vice Marshal (Retired) Sampath Thuyacontha, Secretary of Defence, Senior Officers of the Sri Lanka Air Force and other government officials. (President’s Media Division)
Oil prices fell sharply to their lowest in more than a week on Tuesday as U.S. President Donald Trump said a ceasefire has been agreed between Iran and Israel, alleviating worries of supply disruptions in the Middle East – a major oil-producing region. Brent crude futures were down $2.08, or 2.9%, at $69.40 a barrel around 0330 GMT, after earlier tumbling more than 4% and touching its lowest level since June 11.
U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude declined $2.03, or 3.0%, to $66.48 per barrel, having dived 6% to its weakest level since June 9 earlier in the session.
Mr. Volker Türk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, held a meeting with Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, at the Prime Minister’s Office on 23 June.
Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya welcomed the High Commissioner and reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to working constructively with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). She noted that the recent political transition marks a significant shift in Sri Lanka’s political culture, rooted in a historic mandate received from all communities.
The Prime Minister outlined the Government’s focus on three key pillars: alleviating rural poverty, advancing digitalization, and pursuing legal and political reforms alongside the necessary social transformation and institutional changes. She reiterated the Government’s commitment to protecting and promoting the full spectrum of human rights, including social, educational, health, and economic rights, and emphasized that reconciliation remains a priority, supported by strengthening domestic mechanisms such as the Office for Missing Persons (OMP), the Office for Reparations (OR), and the Office for National Unity and Reconciliation (ONUR).
High Commissioner Volker Türk expressed appreciation for Sri Lanka’s continued engagement and reaffirmed the importance of collaboration in advancing human rights, democratic governance, and national reconciliation.
The meeting was attended by Mr. Marc-André Franche, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Sri Lanka, and other officials from the United Nations. The Sri Lankan delegation included Mr. Pradeep Saputhanthri, Secretary to the Prime Minister; Ms. Aruni Ranaraja, Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment & Tourism; and senior officials from the Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.