Category: Local News

I believe that I would be fielded as the United National Party (UNP) presidential candidate with the blessings of Party leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and Speaker Karu Jayasuriya and with the consent of other party members, UNP Deputy Leader Minister Sajith Premadasa said yesterday.

Government created history yesterday (5), albeit on a negative note – all Ministers who were supposed to provide answers for 15 Oral Questions failed to attend Sittings and as a result not a single question out of the 15 listed in the Order Paper was answered yesterday.

Prime Minister and UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe has instructed top leaders of his party and the United National Front to get ready for the Elpitiya Pradeshiya Sabha election and focus on winning it by giving priority to it over yet to be declared presidential election.

President Maithripala Sirisena said in Polonnaruwa yesterday that during the last five years of his stewardship he has built up an environment of freedom within the country to enable the Judicial sector to arrive at independent and impartial decisions without any political influence or interference.

Unidentified gunmen on a motorcycle have opened fire at two police officers on duty at Panathugama area in Akuressa.

Former UPFA MP Sajin de Vass Gunawardena has been granted bail by the Colombo High Court after being served indictment over money laundering charges.

Housing, Construction and Cultural Affairs Minister Sajith Premadasa yesterday denied Opposition allegations on misappropriation of money regarding the Central Cultural Fund in Parliament.

People should decide whether or not to elect Gotabaya Rajapaksa as President taking into account the service he rendered in his capacity as the former Defence Secretary, opposition leader Mahinda Rajapaksa said yesterday.

Government coffers suffered a loss of around Rs. 4 billion owing to a decision made by the Department of Registration of Motor Vehicles to extend a contract given to a private company to issue smart driver licences, an investigation conducted by the Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) has revealed.

The country’s urgent need today is for everyone to join hands without communal or religious differences to dispel poverty and live in peace. This is also the essence of Prophet Mohammed’s teachings, President Maithiripala Sirisena told the World Bohra Convention yesterday.

Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) has served the letters to disciplinary action against 5 National List Members of Parliament who had left the party, says SLFP General Secretary MP Dayasiri Jayasekara.

Sri Lanka’s Centre for Human Rights and Research says over 500,000 people in Sri Lanka do not possess National Identity Cards.

President Maithripala Sirisena said that a new path for development should be selected and the people should try and understand which political structure possesses such a vision. He said that the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) should form a political movement free of corruption, malpractices and unethical political practices.

President Maithripala Sirisena has agreed to appear before the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) mandated to probe the terror attacks on Easter Sunday.

President Counsel Sanjeeva Jayawardena yesterday informed the Supreme Court that intelligence agencies had warned former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando and IGP Pujith Jayasundara 97 times between 2016 and April 2019, that Islamic extremists of National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ), lead by Zharan Hashim were planning to carry out attacks in the country.

An Australian general in charge of combating illegal migration said Tuesday that there’s been an increase in the number of Sri Lankans seeking to enter Australia illegally by boat in recent months.