The USS O’kane of the United States Navy arrived at the Colombo Port on a replenishment visit on Wednesday (21), Sri Lanka’s Navy said.

“The Sri Lanka Navy warmly welcomed the ship upon its arrival,” the Navy said. “Following the completion of replenishments, she is scheduled to depart the island on 22nd August.”

USS O’kane is an 154-meter Arleigh Burke-class destroyer operated by a crew of 328 personnel. The ship is commanded by Commander Richard Ray.

The warship follows the USS Spruance which arrived at the Colombo Port on Aug 19.

Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are warships that can conduct various mission sets, including anti-submarine warfare, anti-air warfare, and anti-surface warfare.

The USA has been moving military craft to the region in anticipation of a broader war in the middle east/west Asia, foreign media have reported.

The Election Commission has no issue with the ‘Gas Cylinder’ symbol chosen by President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who is running as an independent candidate in the upcoming Presidential Election, Election Commission Chairman, R.M.A.L. Rathnayake said yesterday (20).

He explained that the gazette notification published for the Presidential Election has two sections: the first part lists the symbols of recognised political parties, and the second part details the symbols available to other parties and independent candidates.

According to Rathnayake, any political party or independent candidate can choose a symbol from the second part, and this does not violate election laws.

He also addressed concerns about the ‘Gas Cylinder’ symbol, noting that it had been an issue in the past during the Local Government Elections. However, he clarified that the gazette for the Local Government Elections and the one for the Presidential Election were issued separately on two different occasions.

Rathnayake further assured that since these symbols were published in two distinct gazettes, no legal issues would arise regarding their use on the ballot.

The Indian High Commission said that the government of India had extended a grant assistance of USD 63.65 million to the government of Sri Lanka for rehabilitation of the KKS Harbour, which was earlier envisaged to be undertaken under a Line of Credit.

This is in line with India’s commitment to supporting Sri Lanka’s economic recovery and its journey towards progress and prosperity, in close partnership with India. The HC spokesperson said so in a press release that dealt with the resumption of the passenger ferry service between Nagapattinam in India and Kankesanthurai (KKS).

The ferry service that has been launched in October 2023, was relaunched on August 16, 2024.

The spokesperson said: “The ferry ‘Sivagangai’ run by a private operator, IndSri Ferry Services, completed its maiden journey between Nagapattinam and KKS in approximately 4 hours with around 50 passengers on board. The passengers were welcomed at the KKS port by the Consul General of India in Jaffna.

This resumption of ferry service is a testament to the broader effort to enhance maritime connectivity between India and Sri Lanka. In order to make the service more affordable for passengers, Government of India has decided to provide financial assistance of over LKR 25 million per month, for a period of one year, to cover relevant charges and operating costs at Nagapattinam port. Similarly, Government of Sri Lanka has reduced the deviation tax currently charged to passengers leaving Sri Lanka by passenger vessels and ships.

The resumption of this service underscores the commitment of both countries to strengthening bilateral relations through improved connectivity, as highlighted in the vision document for economic partnership jointly adopted during the visit of the President of Sri Lanka to India in July 2023. Future plans include the exploration of additional routes and services that will further expand connectivity and economic collaboration.”

The Cabinet has decided to allow 35 countries visa free access into Sri Lanka from October 1, 2024, Adviser to the Ministry of Tourism Harin Fernando said.

The countries include Germany, Netherlands, Australia, India, China and Japan.

Santosh Jha, the High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka, reaffirmed India’s commitment to respecting the choices of the Sri Lankan people and maintaining strong bilateral relations, regardless of the governing bodies in either country.

He made these comments following a meeting with the Mahanayake Thero’s in Kandy.

“It is Sri Lankan people’s choice and Sri Lanka will decide, and we will respect whatever the Sri Lankan people decide. So we work with the government, which is chosen by the Sri Lankan people. Our friendship is primarily with all of Sri Lanka, for all of Sri Lankan people,” Jha stated.

Addressing the ambitious project of building a bridge connecting India and Sri Lanka, Jha clarified the timeline and expectations.

“This is something that will take time. It’s a long gestation period. It’s a very big project. So it’s not a matter of one or two years. I didn’t say two years. I can’t even say how long it will take. It may take five years, six years, whatever. It depends on both sides working together. It will be done purely with mutual agreement and understanding. So there is no question of this moving faster or, you know, it will go at its own speed,” he explained.