Category: Local News

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will offer island nations in the Indian Ocean a broad range of military and civilian assistance next week in a bid to wrest back some of the influence China has gained by spending billions of dollars in the region.

Speaking at the Cabinet media briefing today, Cabinet Media Spokesperson Minister Rajitha Senaratne elaborated on a new electoral system. The Minister added that a decision was arrived at following discussions between the President, Attorney General, Elections Commissioner and relevant factions, to introduce a new electoral system.

The Cabinet approval was granted last night to suspend the Chinese funded Colombo Port City Project, a minister said.

President Maithripala Sirisena told Parliament yesterday that a powerful politician of the previous regime had taken a bribe of one billion rupees to shelve the national drug policy draft Bill.

The only agreement I signed is with the people of this country, there are no other agreements with either Tamil or Muslim political parties, President Maithripala Sirisena made these comments at the Eastern District Committee meeting held at the Trincomalee District Secretariat, March 3, 2015.

The President and Prime Minister has directed the authorities concerned to conduct investigations into the activities of Avant-Garde Maritime Service (Pvt) Ltd impartially and independently and arrest those found guilty of any misdeeds.

Police have launched an investigation following the death of a 17-year-old girl after falling off the 6th floor at the Muwadora Uyana housing complex in Grandpass.

UPFA MP Rohitha Abeygunawardena has been reportedly questioned by the Bribery Commission today over a complaint made against him.

The Colombo Crime Division (CCD) has summoned former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s son Lt. Yoshitha Rajapaksa to record a statement in conncetion with the light aircraft, that was found from the Economic Centre at Narahenpita on January 13.

The SLFP had banned its MPs, Provincial Councillors or local government members from attending pro-Mahinda Rajapaksa rallies organised by other political parties in the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) without prior approval, SLFP General Secretary MP Anura Priyadarshana Yapa said yesterday.

Colombo district UPFA parliamentarian Duminda Silva and 12 others were today indicted in the Colombo High Court on 17 charges in the killing of former presidential advisor Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra and four others at Walpola, Mulleriyawa in 2011.

The former leader of the LTTE Women’s Sea Tiger Wing, Jeyaganesh Murugesu Pakeerathy, has been arrested at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Katunayake while attempting to leave the country for France.

Customs have seized a stock of 16 000 liters of ethanol, at the Orugodawaththa customs terminal. The container in which the ethanol had been stored, had been imported under the name of a deceased wharf clerk.

Two armed motorcyclists wearing face-covered helmets are reported to have robbed a private bank at Attidiya in Mount Lavinia of Rs.1 million a short while ago.

UPFA MP Namal Rajapaksa while asserting that President Maithripala Sirisena would find solutions to the fishermen issue said that postponing talks will affect Northern fishermen most.

Banks and several financial institutions informed Colombo Chief Magistrate, Gihan Pilapitiya that Colombo District SLFP MP, Duminda Silva did not conduct his accounts and financial transactions through their channels.