Category: Local News

At least 19 persons have been hospitalised with injuries after a passenger transport bus caught fire in the early hours this morning at Kahagolla in Diyatalawa, the Police Spokesman said.

The ‘Reconciliation Channel,’a new Tamil language channel under the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC) was launched yesterday, presided over by President Maithripala Sirisena.

A Tamil asylum seeker appears set for deportation to Sri Lanka after the UN committee against torture withdrew a request to Australia to halt his removal while it investigated the risk of him being tortured upon return.

Former President and MP Mahinda Rajapaksa today said it was none other than President Maithripala Sirisena who keeps Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in his post without ousting him.

Sri Lanka gas companies say that they expect to hold discussions with relevant authorities today (20) with regard to increasing the prices of LG gas cylinders.

The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) led by President Maithripala Sirisena on Monday ended days of political uncertainty in the country, saying it would continue to be a part of the unity government to push for “major changes” within the government.

Leader of Opposition and senior Tamil politician R. Sampanthan on Monday said he was “alarmed” at former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s recent pre-poll campaign in which he told the Sinhalese electorate that “a Tamil Eelam would bloom following the local authority elections”.

Parliament will take up a special adjournment debate from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. today on the prevailing political crisis.

Documents pertaining to payments made by Mendis Distilleries owned by Arjun Aloysious to a set of MPs from government and opposition has been recovered and are being held by President Maithripala Sirisena,Deputy Minister Ranjan Ramanayake said yesterday.

The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) has decided to leave the National Government, party spokesman MP Thilanga Sumathipala said.

Chief organizer of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), Basil Rajapaksa said that the 19A that was brought in by the incumbent Government should be ‘re-amended’ as it was enacted to prevent the Rajapaksas from returning to power.

While highlighting the need to introduce political reforms, Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) General Secreatry and Minister, Patali Champika Ranawaka said yesterday the government should be humble enough to accept the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) as the main opposition in Parliament.

The Sri Lankan government on Friday released 109 of the 136 Indian fishermen who were arrested on charges of poaching in the country’s territorial waters. The released fishermen are likely to be repatriated in the coming days.

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said on Friday he planned to stay in office and reshuffle his cabinet in the wake of a stinging loss in local elections for both parties in the ruling coalition.

Joint Opposition (JO) leaders said after meeting with President Maithripala Sirisena they will support a United Peoples’ Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government.

President Maithripala Sirisena says programmes will be implemented in the future to serve the people, together with all the people’s representatives who contested for the Local Government election under the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) led United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA).