Sri Lanka mulls visa-free entry to Indians, other tourist-friendly nations

Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has appointed a task force to study the possibility of granting visa-free entry to visitors from certain tourist friendly nations in order to boost arrivals, authorities said on Monday.

Tourism Minister John Amaratunga said that some of the countries under consideration are India, China along with some other European and West Asian nations, reports Xinhua news agency.

Amaratunga said this proposal was aimed at encouraging more people to visit Sri Lanka and avoid "chaos" at the immigration.

Following recommendations from the task force, this proposal may be implemented in the off season months of October to November and March to April, the minister said.

He further said the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) was currently working on this plan.

Additionally, the Minister said the government was also in discussion with airlines, tour operators and hotels to provide low cost packages.

Muslims offer prayers in Kandy under Sri Lankan Army protection

Sri Lankan troops today guarded mosques and facilitated Friday prayers as authorities stepped up security in the violence-hit Muslim neighbourhoods in Kandy district after four days of riots that have left at least two people dead. Several homes, businesses and mosques in the hilly Kandy district have been damaged in anti-Muslim riots, since Monday. The violence erupted after the death of a Buddhist Sinhalese man last week. To rein in communal violence, a state of emergency has been imposed by President Maithripala Sirisena's government.

A large number of Muslim-owned businesses in the island nation remained shut in protest against attacks by mainly Buddhist Sinhalese, but some shops in the Muslim neighbourhood opened today.
Army personnel and police constables patrolled outside mosques in Kandy where prayers were offered in open grounds in many places because mosques had been burnt or vandalised.
About 3,000 police, 2,500 army personnel and 750 special task forces have been deployed in Kandy to bring the situation under control.

"There were no incidents during the Friday prayers," a police official said, adding that investigators had stepped up the search for those who took part in the violence. 

Curfew temporarily lifted in Sri Lankan city of Kandy

The Sri Lankan Police on Thursday temporarily lifted the curfew in Kandy district, imposed following deadly communal clashes which left three dead and several injured.

A police official told Xinhua news agency that with the heavy security presence in the district, tensions had eased with no major incidents reported on Wednesday night.

The curfew, which was in place since Sunday evening, was lifted at 10 a.m. but would be re-imposed at 6 p.m., in order to maintain law and order, the official added.

Big Bad Wolf, world's biggest book sale begins in Colombo with 1.5 mn books

The world's biggest book sale got underway in the Sri Lankan capital on Thursday with 1.5 million books on sale.

Founded by Managing Director Andrew Yap and Executive Director Jacqueline Ng in Malaysia, the Big Bad Wolf sale is aimed at encouraging the reading of English books at reasonable prices, reports Xinhua news agency.
This year's sale, inaugurated by Education Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam, will be open 24 hours a day, providing book enthusiasts with the opportunity to shop non-stop for 10 consecutive days. It will end on October 15.

The Big Bad Wolf is in collaboration with ProRead Lanka (Pvt) Ltd, a firm with a mission of spreading knowledge with affordable books, and the Ministry of Education.

The Big Bad Wolf held its first sale in 2009 in Malaysia's Selangor state. It has also been held in Thailand and Indonesia.
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