July 22, Colombo: The loss incurred to the Sri Lanka Ports Authority by the nine day long work to rule campaign launched by the port workers has reached an estimate of 300 million rupees according to the Sri Lanka Ports Authority sources.

Sixteen container ships have been turned to other harbours in the region due to the go slow campaign by the Colombo Port workers, said the Deputy Chairman of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority R.M.P.B. Wickrama.

The work to rule campaign continued even after the Colombo District Court issued an injunction against ten trade unions including the Jathika Sewaka Sangamaya, attached to the opposition United National Party, banning intimidation of the workers who were ready to work.

(Source: colombopage)

July 20, Colombo: Sri Lanka will hold the 34th Annual Session of the International Pepper Community.

The Cabinet has granted approval to a memorandum submitted by Agriculture Development Minister Chamal Rajapaksa on the holding of the annual session. The session will be held in September for four days with 200 participants.

At this session Sri Lankan producers and exporters will be able to strengthen connections directly with the international community and thereby create an opportunity for exchanging technical know-how and diversification strategies.

Sri Lanka has been a member of this organisation since 1988. Brazil, India, Indonesia, Vietnam and Malaysia are the other members.

(Source: colombopage)

July 21, Colombo: Visiting Sri Lanka Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe has held talks with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi.

After the meeting, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Navtej Sarna told reporters, ?During the discussions, we have looked at his views on where the peace process is going in Sri Lanka and how he would think the parties can be brought back to a dialogue.?

Later Wickremesinghe, who is on a two-day tour, also met UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Minister of State for External Affairs E. Ahamed.

(Source: colombopage)

July 21, Colombo: The United States today announced that it will provide technical assistance to create a language and information technology (IT) resource center to train 400 members of the Buddhist clergy in the English and Tamil languages and IT, as well as to introduce peace-building tools and techniques.

In a statement, it said, ?The United States is working to help build the capacity of monks dedicated to opening dialogues and finding non-violent solutions to the conflict. The Buddhist ethical principles of non-violence and peaceful co-existence can play a positive role in the formation of a multi-ethnic, multi-religious and pluralistic Sri Lanka. The Buddhist clergy will have tremendous influence in educating and shaping the attitudes of Sri Lankans about peace and inter-ethnic relations.?

(Source: colombopage)

Colombo, 22 July, (Asiantribune.com): Embassy of Italy in Sri Lanka recently urged the local job seekers to use safe and proper methods in immigrating to Italy.

Ambassador of Italy in Sri Lanka Pio Mariani told the ?Asian Tribune? that Sri Lankans are mostly welcome as they are good workers in Italy. ?We have experienced a 43 per cent increase in visa issued to enter Italy, compared to the first half last year. As per Italian authorities there are 120,000 to 130,000 Sri Lankan workers in Italy. Most of them are illegal workers but have no criminal involvements in Italy which would force them for deportation,? he said.Applicants for visa could be seen in front of the Embassy of Italy, located in Jawatte Road, Colombo 07.

(Source: asiantribune)

July 19, Colombo: Switzerland Minister and deputy head of mission (multilateral affairs) in The Hague, Ruth Flint-Ledergerber, has been appointed extraordinary and plenipotentiary ambassador of Switzerland to Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

The Swiss Embassy in Colombo said she will be resident in Colombo. Mrs. Flint-Ledergerber will take up her post at the end of August. She follows Ambassador Bernardino Regazzoni, who was recently appointed head of mission in Jakarta.

Since October 2001, she has been deputy to the Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in The Hague, with the rank of minister. She has also been deputy representative for the embassy's multilateral dossiers since 2004.

(Source: colombopage)

July 18, Colombo: The Sri Lankan government says it has taken action to bring back numbers of Sri Lankans in Lebanon due to rising violence there.

Spokesperson for the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Jemini Pandya said, ?The IOM had been approached by governments including Bangladesh, the Philippines and Sri Lanka to help their nationals who want to leave Lebanon.

?With the situation extremely fluid, the Sri Lankan government said it expects the numbers of its nationals wanting to leave Lebanon to reach the thousands,? she said.

There are an estimated 80,000 Sri Lankan migrants in Lebanon, said Pandya.

(Source: colombopage)