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Sri Lanka repatriated 40 Iranian sailors after rescuing them from a distressed vessel off its southern coast and providing them with medical care. "They departed by air early on Saturday," a foreign ministry spokesman told reporters here on Sunday. The Embassy of Iran had funded the logistical arrangements for the departure, he said. All 40 sailors received medical attention before returning to Iran, the spokesman said. Sri Lankan authorities launched a humanitarian operation after receiving information about a merchant vessel in distress about 24 nautical miles off Galle, a port city on the island nation's southern coast. The repatriation comes amid heightened scrutiny of Iranian vessels operating in waters around Sri Lanka following a series of maritime incidents involving Iranian naval ships and concerns over US sanctions on vessels linked to Iran. In March, Iranian naval vessel IRIS Dena was sunk by a US submarine outside Sri Lankan waters, killing at least 84 Iranian sailors
A Sri Lankan court on Wednesday ordered authorities to take necessary steps to obtain an Interpol Red Notice against former finance minister Basil Rajapaksa in connection with the alleged misuse of funds belonging to the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau. The Fort Magistrate's Court asked that warrants be issued for the arrest of 71-year-old Rajapaksa in English and Sinhala following submissions made in court over an alleged misappropriation of public funds in 2014. The orders against Rajapaksa, the younger brother of former presidents Mahinda and Gotabaya Rajapaksa, were issued following submissions made by the CID regarding the ongoing investigation. The case relates to allegations that Sri Lankan Rupee 7.8 million allocated to the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau in 2014 was misused to provide 12,000 T-shirts for the Uva Provincial Council election, instead of being spent on the Bureau's promotional activities. The Rajapaksa family is currently facing a spate of court cases f
India and Sri Lanka will leverage their cooperative sector networks to strengthen the supply of essential commodities and ensure food security across the island nation, the Indian High Commission said on Tuesday. The National Co-operative Exports Limited (NCEL), an umbrella body of Indian co-operatives in overseas markets, has signed an agreement with COOPFED, the apex federation of consumer cooperative societies in Sri Lanka, to strengthen cooperation in the supply of essential commodities, food security and cooperative development, the High Commission said. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) provides for a framework for leveraging the cooperative networks and expertise of the two organisations. "Under this partnership, essential food items will be supplied from India to Sri Lanka through the cooperative networks of NCEL and help minimise shortages and improve availability at affordable prices," the Indian mission said. In addition to the supply of agricultural and food ...
India's exports to key free trade agreement (FTA) partner countries witnessed strong growth in the first quarter of 2026-27, with outbound shipments to Singapore and Sri Lanka more than doubling, according to the commerce ministry data. India has so far signed 17 FTAs with a number of countries and groups, including Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, Mauritius, the UAE, Australia, the European Union, Asean and the EFTA bloc. Out of this, 16 are operational. The data showed that exports to Singapore surged 101.2 per cent to USD 6.52 billion during April-June 2026, from USD 3.24 billion in the year-ago period, while shipments to Sri Lanka rose 123.8 per cent to USD 2.35 billion from USD 1.05 billion. The shipments to the ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) region grew 61.6 per cent to USD 14.61 billion in the first quarter of this fiscal, from USD 9.04 billion in April-June 2025-26. Exports to the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) region rose 36.6 per cent to USD 8.40 ..
An Indian fishing vessel with 11 crew members met with an accident in Sri Lankan waters, prompting a rescue operation by the island nation's navy, according to an official statement on Thursday. According to the Sri Lanka Navy, the trawler had reportedly crossed the International Maritime Boundary Line into Sri Lankan waters and allegedly engaged in bottom trawling before it ran aground. The incident occurred on a coastal reef off Delft Island, also known as Neduntheevu, located in the Palk Strait off the northern coast of mainland Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan Navy's media spokesman Commander Chaminda Walakuluge claimed the Indian vessel was engaged in illegal fishing activities in Sri Lankan waters and met with an accident, with 11 people on board, adding that the incident occurred on Wednesday. "Due to the impact of grounding on the reef, the trawler has sustained partial structural damage," the Sri Lanka Navy said in the statement. However, the situation has not reached a critical sta
The Sri Lankan government has imposed a 50 per cent surcharge on vehicle imports - excluding motorbikes and three-wheelers - considering the continuing slide of the country's currency. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who is also the finance minister, in a notification on Saturday said "by this order levy on imported goods specified in the schedule here to a surcharge at the rate of 50 per cent on applicable customs duty effect from May 16 for a period of three months". The rupee has seen over 3 per cent depreciation against the dollar by mid this month due to prevailing external pressures - primarily the Iran war, which has led to a massive surge in fuel import bill. The rupee, which was 309 to 310 against the dollar at the beginning of the year, currently stands at over 322. Calling it a "temporary" measure, deputy finance minister Anil Jayantha Fernando told reporters that the move is effectively aimed at making importers delay purchases for three months - a move that could .
An Indian Navy submarine, Sindhukesari, has arrived at the port of Colombo for Operational Turnarounds, the Sri Lankan Navy said in a statement issued on Monday. The Sri Lankan Navy welcomed the Indian submarine with full naval traditions on its arrival on Sunday. The submarine's crew is scheduled to participate in a variety of programmes organised by the Sri Lanka Navy, including visits to several tourist attractions in the island nation. "#INSSindhukesari, a submarine of the #IndianNavy, arrived at the Port of #Colombo for Operational Turnarounds and was welcomed by the @srilanka_navy with full naval honours," High Commission of India in Sri Lanka posted on social media. The navies of India and Sri Lanka have recently executed deep-sea dives, enhancing joint capabilities in underwater search, rescue and salvage operations, as part of a bilateral naval exercise held off the coast of Colombo.
Sri Lanka's Finance Ministry has said that the computer system of the External Resources Department has been hacked by cyber hackers who gained unauthorised access and carried out a theft involving a foreign currency payment. The Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development on Wednesday said it has already lodged complaints with law enforcement agencies and other relevant institutions regarding the theft. "Cyber hackers have gained unauthorised access to the computer system of an External Resources Department within the institution," the ministry statement said. The statement came to be issued after the opposition claimed that USD 2.5 million of treasury funds had gone to an account other than the relevant foreign debt repayment account of Australian origin. A group of opposition lawyers wrote to the speaker of parliament that in September 2025, Sri Lanka was due to pay USD 22.9 million dollars to a creditor. USD 2.5 million, being a partial payment of that amount, had b
Over 230 sailors of two Iranian Naval vessels distressed in Sri Lanka after a US submarine attack and engine failure respectively have been repatriated, defence officials said here Wednesday. A total of 238 sailors were sent back on board a Turkish Airliner late on Tuesday night. On March 4, Iran's naval ship 'Iris Dena' was attacked by the US killing 84 on board outside Sri Lanka's international waters. As many as 32 others were rescued by Sri Lanka. Then three days later, Iran's second ship 'Iris Bushehr' was allowed into Sri Lanka waters after it reported an engine failure. Over 200 on board the second ship were accommodated at Welisara, a Naval facility outside Colombo. The 238 repatriated on Tuesday were sailors from both ships, defence officials said. A group of 'Iris Dena' survivors were accommodated at Koggala, a Sri Lankan Airforce facility near the southern port of Galle. They were receiving treatment at the national hospital in Galle. On March 14, the Iranian embassy i
At least 12 more Indian fishermen have been arrested and their trawler confiscated by the Sri Lankan Navy for alleged poaching in Sri Lankan waters. "During an operation conducted in the dark hours of April 11, the Sri Lanka Navy seized one Indian fishing boat and apprehended 12 Indian fishermen while they were poaching in Sri Lankan waters off Kovilam in Karainagar Jaffna," an official statement said. On April 8, at least 10 Indian fishermen were arrested and their trawler confiscated by the Sri Lankan Navy for alleged poaching in Sri Lankan waters in the sea area North of Mannar on Wednesday. So far, this year the Sri Lankan Navy has seized 16 trawlers and arrested 112 Indian fishermen for alleged poaching. The fishermen issue is a contentious one in the ties between India and Sri Lanka, with Lankan Navy personnel even firing at Indian fishermen in the Palk Strait and seizing their boats in several alleged incidents of illegally entering Sri Lankan territorial waters. The Palk .
Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Santosh Jha took part in the signing of the MoU for Cooperation between Colombo Dockyard and Dredging Corporation of India.The High Commission said on Tuesday that the Indian maritime sector also stands to benefit from the high skill set of the Colombo Dockyard.In a post on X, the High Commission said, "High Commissioner Santosh Jha witnessed the signing of the MoU for Cooperation between Colombo Dockyard & Dredging Corporation of India. The MoU will provide a pathway for Colombo Dockyard to benefit from the enhanced business volumes of the Indian maritime industry. The Indian maritime sector will also benefit from the high skill set of the Colombo Dockyard. The MoU showcases the strengthening of the India-Sri Lanka economic & commercial partnership, contributing to the mutual benefit of both countries."Sri Lanka has also acknowledged India's support in maintaining fuel supplies to the country during a period of global uncertainty, ...
Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Sunday thanked Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for sending an oil shipment to ease the fuel supply disruptions in the Island nation caused by the West Asia conflict. A shipment of 38,000 MT of fuel, comprising 20,000 MT of diesel and 18,000 MT of petrol, arrived in Colombo on Saturday, as an emergency support through the local operation of Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Lanka IOC (LIOC). "Spoke with PM @narendramodi a few days ago about the fuel supply disruptions Sri Lanka is facing due to the Middle East conflict. Grateful for India's swift support. 38,000 MT of fuel arrived in Colombo yesterday," Dissanayake posted on social media. The Sri Lankan President also thanked External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar for his support. "My thanks also to EAM @DrSJaishankar for his close coordination", he said. Earlier, Sri Lanka also held talks with Jaishankar to seek assistance on energy sustainability in view of the volatile situation i
The Sri Lankan government on Sunday urged the public to use fuel and electricity sparingly to cushion potential shortages amid volatile global oil markets. This came as the island nation raised fuel retail prices at midnight, the second such hike in a week. As a conservation measure, the government had rationed fuel retail distribution based on a QR code issued for each vehicle. "We urge the public to consume electricity and fuel mindfully and limit energy consumption to a minimum," said government spokesman and minister Nalinda Jayatissa. He warned against hoarding fuel and sought information on such attempts. The minister's statement comes in the backdrop of Iran's ongoing war with the US and Israel, which has led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a strategically important choke point for the world's energy supplies. With the two cost escalations, the fuel retail prices are set to return to the levels of the 2022 economic crisis, when the island nation declared its first-