A group of 160 Sri Lankan military personnel and their families took off for the Buddhist pilgrimage center of Bodh Gaya in India on Sunday for a three-day visit, giving Indo-Lankan “military diplomacy” a new, pleasant and spiritual dimension.…
Adding a spiritual dimension to Indo-Lankan military diplomacy
Yameen says he will take more foreign loans if needed for development
The Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen on Sunday declared that he is not afraid to take more loans if these are needed for the development in the island nation. "I will take on more loans to fulfill the needs of the people," he said promising more development projects ahead of the Presidential elections slated for September 23. The Maldives external debt is already US$ 1.18 billion causing concern in the IMF.…
Why India and Tamil National Alliance oppose Chinese housing project in North Lanka
India and the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) have told the Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe that his government’s decision to award to a Chinese company a contract to build 40,000 houses for war-displaced people in the Tamil-speaking Northern and Eastern Provinces is flawed, impractical and unsuited to the climate and culture of the area.…
India expresses concern over huge Chinese housing project in Sri Lanka’s north-east
Colombo, June 24 (Sunday Times) – India has raised concern at the highest levels of the Sri Lankan Government about the manner in which a contract to build 40,000 houses in the North and East was recently awarded without tender to a Chinese company that has no history of building houses in the country. The […]…
Two arrested for killing rare leopard in Sri Lanka, hunt on for other perpetrators
Colombo, June 24 (newsin.asia) – Two people have been arrested over the brutal killing of a rare leopard in Killinochchi, in northern Sri Lanka, last week, while the police is on the hunt for several other suspects, the police said Sunday. A Police Spokesperson told newsin.asia the two arrested were residents of Killinochchi. The Killinochchi […]…
Saudi women hit the road as driving ban is lifted
Women in Saudi Arabia are now allowed to drive for the first time after the religiously conservative kingdom overturned the world’s only ban on female motorists. The lifting of the prohibition on Sunday, which follows a sweeping crackdown on prominent women’s rights activists who staunchly advocated for the right to drive, was first announced last year as […]…
Sri Lanka aims to strengthen local businesses, improve spending power
Colombo, June 23 (newsin.asia) – Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has assured of rapid development in the next 18 months as the government aims to strengthen local entrepreneurs, local media reported Saturday. Speaking at the launch of ‘Enterprise Sri Lanka’, Wickremesinghe said the country would look at expanding economic opportunities by strengthening local businesses […]…
Sri Lankan Police hunt for leopard killers
Colombo, June 23 (newsin.asia) – The Sri Lankan Police on Saturday said it had launched an investigation into the killing of a rare leopard by a group of villagers in Killinochchi, in northern Sri Lanka, earlier this week, and would soon arrest the perpetrators. Police Spokesperson, SP Ruwan Gunasekara told newsin.asia the Killinochchi Magistrate’s Court had […]…
Activists worry as India speeds up environmental clearances for industries
India is fast-tracking environmental clearances for projects like power plants and coal mines in a bid to propel growth. But this has set off alarm bells among environmentalists and affected residents who say the decisions are being made too quickly, reports Reuters.…
Lankan President Sirisena graces Yoga Day event in Colombo
Hundreds of people participated in the International Yoga Day event here on Saturday with Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena as the Chief Guest. People from all walks of life performed various Yoga asanas under the direction of the Sri Lankan yoga exponent Vyasa. The two- hour long program concluded with a unique synthesis of Kathak dance from India and Kandyan dance of Sri Lanka to signify the deep cultural bond between the two neighbors. …
India reduces supply of essential commodities to Maldives in accordance with average annual use
India has drastically reduced the supply of essential commodities to the Maldives for 2018-19 going by a clause in the trade agreement which says that the annual supply could be determined on the basis of the average "lifting" of the goods in the past three years ,writes Devirupa Mitra in The Wire.…
Confusion in Maldivian opposition ranks is to Yameen’s advantage
The key requirement for victory is unity in thought and action –an attribute which the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives under President Yameen has displayed and which the opposition appears to be lacking now in the critical last few months before the Presidential election.…
10,000 people perform Yoga at the Bangabandhu Stadium in Dhaka, Bangladesh
A record 10,000 enthusiasts joined and practiced yoga on the International Yoga Day at Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka. Earlier the record turnout was around 5,000 last year. Mumpy Dey, teacher of Indian Culture at Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre or IGCC, conducted the Common Yoga Protocol. Demonstration of yoga asanas were also performed by yoga students of the IGCC and other yoga institutes in Dhaka.…
In Pakistan, Yoga Rises Above Its Indian Origins
Yoga is immensely popular in all cities of Pakistan; a yoga teacher named Shamshad Haider claims to run 50 yoga clubs in Punjab, and International Yoga Day has been celebrated in Pakistan for three years in a row. Yoga is practiced all the way from Chitral in the north to Karachi in the south. There’s a whole crop of younger teachers now equipped with training from India, Thailand and Bali, as well as from yoga schools in North America and Britain. Teachers at swank studios in Karachi attract students through Facebook pages and affiliations with the International Yoga Alliance.…
“Minister of Crab” offers authentic local cuisine in Sri Lanka
by Zhu Ruiqing, Jamila Najmuddin Colombo, June 22 (Xinhua) — For those who hear its name for the first time, “Ministry of Crab” sounds like a government department. Located in the 400-year-old Dutch Hospital Shopping Precinct in Sri Lanka’s capital…
Bollywood blockbuster “Three idiots” is set for a sequel
One of the highest grossing Bollywood films of all time, Rajkumar Hirani’s 3 Idiots is all set for a sequel. Released in 2009, the film has a cult following of its own and an entire generation of youngsters growing up with it. 3 Idiots remains one of most popular films even in its many TV re-runs. The director is currently working on the script of the sequel of Aamir Khan, R Madhavan and Sharman Joshi-starrer. Hirani was asked a question while promoting his upcoming film Sanju.…
“Sky is the limit for Maldives-China cooperation”: Maldivian NGO
The Maldives and China have always enjoyed a healthy, mutually beneficial relationship, which has reached to a historic level over the past few years, said the Vice President of the NGO, Maldives China Trade and Cultural Organization (MCTCO) Midhuam Saud. He told Xinhua in a recent interview that in the future, "with sky being the limit", infinite possibilities lie in cooperation between the two countries.…
India expresses concern over huge Chinese housing project in Sri Lanka’s north-east
Sri Lanka aims to strengthen local businesses, improve spending power
“Minister of Crab” offers authentic local cuisine in Sri Lanka
IMF says raising Sri Lanka’s female labor force will boost economic growth
“Sky is the limit for Maldives-China cooperation”: Maldivian NGO
Chinese company pays last tranche of US$ 584 million for Hambantota port
Intricacies of India’s relations with China
Sino-Indian bilateral trade should touch US$ 100 billion by 2020, Xi tells Modi
10,000 people perform Yoga at the Bangabandhu Stadium in Dhaka, Bangladesh
International Criminal Court asks Myanmar if it has jurisdiction to try Rohingya deportation case
Nixon opposed India’s military action in Bangladesh because it would “set a bad precedent”
Roots of democracy deficit in Bangladesh
In Pakistan, Yoga Rises Above Its Indian Origins
Bollywood blockbuster “Three idiots” is set for a sequel
Pakistan continues to be ahead of India in number of nuclear warheads: SIPRI
Big retailers are betting on India’s online grocery market but logistics pose a major challenge
BJP scuttled Kashmir government to sharpen Hindu-Muslim divide ahead of crucial polls
Bollywood genre “Muslim social” disappeared with the waning of Urdu in India
UN rights commission asks India and Pakistan to respect Kashmiris’ right to self-determination
India rejects UN report on Kashmir calling for international inquiry into alleged rights abuses
Yameen says he will take more foreign loans if needed for development
The Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen on Sunday declared that he is not afraid to take more loans if these are needed for the development in the island nation. "I will take on more loans to fulfill the needs of the people," he said promising more development projects ahead of the Presidential elections slated for September 23. The Maldives external debt is already US$ 1.18 billion causing concern in the IMF.…
Sri Lankan shares end low
Colombo, June 22 (newsin.asia) – Shares at the Colombo Stock Exchange ended 0.01 percent lower amid a weak market turnover on Friday. The All Share Price Index ended 6,228.2, down by 1 point. John Keells Holdings emerged as the top…
Foreign Exchange Rates in Sri Lanka
Colombo, June 22 (newsin.asia) – The following are the foreign exchange rates against the Sri Lankan rupee released by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka on Friday. Buying Selling Australian Dollar 115.43 120.10 Canadian Dollar 117.92 122.07 Chinese Yuan…
England breaks its own world record for the highest team total in one-day cricket.
Jonny Bairstow and Alex Hales hailed "another very special day" at Trent Bridge, after capitalizing on the pristine batting conditions at their favorite ground for ODI cricket and smashing England's own record for the highest team total in one-day cricket. After being asked to bat first in the third ODI - on the grounds that Tim Paine, Australia's captain, didn't know what would constitute enough runs on what was self-evidently a belter of a pitch - England rampaged to a massive total of 481 for 6, beating by 37 runs the previous record of 444 for 3 that they made here against Pakistan in 2016, reports espncricinfo.…