Category: Local News

Simmering ethno-religious tensions in Sri Lanka require urgent action by the authorities to strengthen respect for freedom of religion or belief in Sri Lanka, says UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief Ahmed Shaheed.

Since the tragic Easter Sunday attacks, the country celebrated Vesak, Poson, Esala Perahera, and Madhu festivals without any terrorist or anti-social incident, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe pointed out yesterday after inaugurating a major new irrigation and water resources project in the lower Malvathu Oya region, near Tantirimalai.

How many families living in this country have become debtors now? Housing, Construction and Cultural Affairs Minister Sajith Premadasa queried at a public event yesterday adding that this situation would change once he is elected President by December this year.

Speaker Karu Jayasuriya had informed the United National Party (UNP) that he will contest the upcoming Presidential Election with the aim of abolishing the Executive Presidency, if the Presidential candidacy is given to him with the unanimous agreement of the UNP.

Joint Opposition lawmaker MP Shehan Semasinghe, yesterday, apologised for preventing the media from covering SLPP Youth Convention held at the Nelum Pokuna theatre, on Saturday (24), in support of Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s presidential candidature.

Chennai: Five persons, including a woman, have been detained for questioning as the police in Tamil Nadu and Kerala continued their close screening of people and places in the hope of securing clues relating to the reported infiltration of six Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists through the sea route from Sri Lanka.

United National Party Chairman Kabir Hashim on Friday handed over amendments to the proposed Democratic National Front (DNF) from the Sajith Premadasa faction, as party leader Ranil Wickremesinghe said yesterday that the formation of the alliance was now at its “final stage.”

Presidential Candidate of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna Gotabaya Rajapaksa says if elected he will revitalise all intelligence units to avoid another terror attack on Sri Lanka soil.

The government didn’t allow the economy to suffer although the country had to face many obstacles, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said yesterday.

President Maithripala Sirisena has ordered Tri-Forces personnel to be deployed and stationed island-wide to maintain public security, despite the decision to no longer extend the State of Emergency.

Sri Lanka on Friday withdrew an emergency law imposed after Easter Sunday attacks, a military spokesman said, signifying the return of calm to the island nation which is set to vote in a new head of state later this year.

Tamil Nadu police have circulated among the force a photo of a potential suspect in connection with intelligence inputs from a Central agency that six Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists have intruded into the State and camped in Coimbatore, The Hindu reported yesterday.

Sri Lanka Muslim Congress Parliamentarians Faizal Cassim and Seyed Ali Zahir Moulana, who resigned from their State Ministerial portfolios two months ago, were sworn in to their previous posts again before President Maithripala Sirisena at the Presidential Secretariat, today (23).

The Colombo High Court today sentenced notorious drug kingpin Mohamed Najim Mohamed Imran alias ‘Kanjipani Imran’ to 6 years in prison for the possession and trafficking of 5.3 kg of cannabis.

Sri Lanka’s central bank cut its key interest rates on Friday, in a surprise move to boost sluggish growth after the country’s tourism sector and investments plummeted following the Easter day attacks.

The Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) revealed yesterday that a staggering Rs.160 million had been paid as salaries to 85 employees of the National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) who were recruited as ministerial coordinating officers of Subject Minister Rauff Hakeem since 2015.