Internet giant Google on Tuesday announced that its popular street view feature for Sri Lanka is active and available on Google Maps. The launch brings the total number of countries where street view is available to 76."We are delighted to bring imagery of Sri Lanka to Street View on Google Maps" said Helena Lersch, manager (Public Policy) at Google in an official statement.The new street view allows people around the world to view and experience the infamous bustle of downtown Colombo, the cool tea plantation hills, the rich history and beautiful and diverse landscapes of Sri Lanka in 360-degree panoramic imagery from their phone, tablet or computer.

To capture this imagery, Google drove close to 50,000 kilometres across every state and province in Sri Lanka starting from December 2014 and finished in February this year. By bringing Street View to Sri Lanka, Google hopes to create a new way of showcasing Sri Lanka's beauty to the world while helping strengthen the country's already burgeoning tourism trade, the statement said.

Sri Lanka has become a popular tourism destination, with the numbers of tourists heading to the island nation growing by almost 20 percent each year. In 2015, 1.8 million tourists visited the country. "Sri Lanka is already a popular tourist destination, and we hope Street View will make the country even more accessible to people interested in exploring and visiting here. Whether you continue your journey in Google Maps or are inspired to visit in person, we invite you to enjoy the Land of Lions" Lersch added.

Highlights of the Street View of Sri Lanka are available at the following link: http://www.google.com/maps/streetview/#sri-lanka-highlights

The Ilankai Thamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) appointed former MP Mavai Senathirajah as the head of the party’s Central Committee. According to reports, C. V. K. Sivagnanam was also appointed as the Acting Leader of ITAK.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has summoned Yoshitha Rajapaksa, the second son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, to record a statement regarding the ownership of a government-owned land in Kataragama.

The National People's Power (NPP) government now has a struggle with state officials to safeguard the NPP's policies, whereas the NPP had to struggle on the streets for the rights of the people before taking over power, Minister of Industries Sunil Handunnetti said today.

Sulochana Gamage, a former member of the Western Provincial Council, who was arrested while allegedly accepting a bribe, has been ordered to be remanded in custody along with another individual until January 6, 2025. The Hulftsdorp Additional Magistrate issued the remand order following their arrest on bribery charges.

SLPP Parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa, paid his last respects to Dr. Manmohan Singh, the former Prime Minister of India, at the Congress Party headquarters in New Delhi today.

A jet-powered drone, believed to be a target drone used for military training, was discovered floating in Sri Lanka’s eastern waters near Trincomalee.

Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe paid his last respects to former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi today. He also met Indian Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi at Singh's residence.

A Sri Lankan woman with health issues caused a plane to make an emergency landing at the Erbil International Airport on Wednesday. She died in the Kurdish capital hours later, according to Sri Lanka’s honorary consul.

Sri Lankan President Anura Dissanayake expressed interest in joining BRICS in a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the republic's ambassador to Moscow Pakir Amza told RIA Novosti.

While the Government has pledged to initiate a fresh investigation into the murder of rugby player Wasim Thajudeen, it has yet to reach out to the Thajudeen family or their lawyer regarding the ongoing cases and the promised new probe, The Daily Morning learnt.