Category: Local News

The Opposition today said the moves by the UNP to get the executive presidency abolished by requesting the President to do so was an attempt to cover up its inability to face the presidential election.

Judicial Medical Officer (JMO) Dr. Sinniah Sivaruban, who was arrested by the Jaffna Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) while serving at the Palai Hospital, has requested TID officers to increase the security of Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Presidential candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

Police recovered three claymore mines and a small pressure bomb at Paragammala forest reserve in Pannala this afternoon, police said.

It is reported that there was a meeting between President Maithripala Sirisena and Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa last night.

Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka says the country will face an economic crisis if it fails to honour international debt repayments due in September this year.

Sri Lanka has enlisted French major Total and Norway’s Equinor to study the hydrocarbon potential of two blocks, saying it aims to start oil production in the island nation in 2023.

INTERPOL Secretary General, Jurgen Stock, has presented the INTERPOL Medal to President Maithripala Sirisena at the President’s Office in Colombo, yesterday (27).

A 3.5% levy is to be slapped on all foreign purchase transactions with credit or debit cards. The Government has Gazetted an amendment to the Finance Act of 2018 last week to impose the ‘Foreign Commercial Transactions Levy’ on every transaction through a card payment for purchase any goods or services from outside the country.

Non-Cabinet ministers Sujeewa Senasinghe and Ajith P. Perera had not violated the UNP constitution, party Chairman Kabir Hashim said, yesterday.

The United National Party (UNP) has decided to launch disciplinary inquiries against ministers Ajith P. Perera and Sujeewa Senasinghe for criticizing the party’s leadership and its decisions.

The 7th round of talks between the Sri Lanka Freedom Party and the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna pertaining to forming a common alliance held at the office of the Leader of the Opposition in Colombo.

Islamic clerics in Sri Lanka are asking Muslim women to continue to avoid wearing face veils until the government clarifies whether they can wear them again now that emergency rule has ended four months after the Easter attacks.

A man fatally shot Tuesday night in the Uptown area, possibly during a robbery, was identified by police Thursday as Janath Liyanage, 32, of Garden Grove.

The Financial Crimes Investigations Division (FCID) yesterday informed Colombo Chief Magistrate Lanka Jayaratna that more than Rs. 4 billion had been received from foreign countries and credited to one account of a state bank in Sri Lanka on behalf of the university being constructed in Punani area in Batticaloa by Batticaloa Campus (Pvt) Company which is said to be owned by the former governor of Eastern Province, M.L.M.Hizbulla. But, the amount now lying to the credit of that account is said to be Rs. 36,000.

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.