Category: Local News

Senior State Counsel Priyantha Nawana informed President of the Court of Appeal Wijith Malalgoda yesterday (31) that nothing had come to light with regard to Shanmugam Kumaran Tharmalingam alias Kumaran Pathmanathan, a Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam leader’s involvement in terrorist activities.

The inaugural sitting of the eighth parliament will commence at 9.30 a.m. today and Members of Parliament have been asked to be present by 9.00 am.

National Freedom Front (NFF) Leader Wimal Weerawansa today said President Maithripala Sirisena has allowed Opposition MPs to appoint the Opposition Leader.

Leaders representing three constituents of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) have rejected the stand of the U.S., which favoured a domestic investigation mechanism on alleged crimes during the final stages of the Eelam War.

Opposing the gifting away of an Indian Coast Guard ship to Sri Lanka, Indian MDMK chief Vaiko today said it was a “betrayal” of Eelam Tamils and Tamil Nadu fishermen the Press Trust of India reported.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has ordered the Urban Development Authority (UDA) to stop demolishing old buildings in Colombo City.

Deputy General Secretary of the United National Party (UNP), and MP elect for the Kurunegala District Akila Viraj Kariyawasam said that there is no rush to form a national government as long as the outcome is positive. However, he added that failing to reach a consensus with the SLFP, the UNP has the capacity to form a government on its own.

“Aim for the moon and hit the stars” was the Sri Lanka Freedom Party’s rule when it negotiated for ministerial portfolios with the UNP to form a national unity government.

DMK chief Karunanidhi today condemned the US government’s reported proposal for support to a domestic probe by Sri Lanka into alleged war crimes rather than going in for an international investigation.

The Sri Lankan rupee fell on Friday as a state-run bank, through which the central bank usually directs the market, raised the currency’s peg against the dollar by 15 cents, allowing the exchange rate to depreciate to 134.30.

Two lawsuits filed by Duminda Dissanayake and professor Vishwa Warnapala who obtained an enjoining order restricting Anura Priyadarshana Yapa and Susil Premajayantha functioning as SLFP and UPFA general secretaries respectively were today withdrawn by the plaintiffs.

A resolution calling for international intervention to probe alleged war crimes, moved by a Tamil National Alliance member at a meeting of the Northern Provincial Council, fell through.

The Galle Magistrate on Thursday (27) lifted the foreign travel ban imposed on former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa over allegations he used a commercial floating armoury.

Breaking what seemed to be a ‘deadlock’ in the national government formation, UNP Chairman and MP elect Malik Samarawickrema said yesterday that an agreement was reached with the SLFP over its mechanism after extensive discussions.

US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Nisha Biswalcalled on Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena at the Presidential Secretariat on Tuesday (25) evening. She was accompanied by the Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Tom Malinowski.

Former UPFA MP Sarana Gunawardane was further remanded till September 9 by the Gampha Chief Magistrate Tikiria K Jayatilake today for allegedly assaulting a man in Gampaha during the election campaign period.