Category: Local News

Law and Order Minister Ranjith Madduma Bandara has recommended the National Police Commission (NPC) to suspend DIG Nalaka Silva, based on the ongoing investigation into the alleged plot to assassinate President Maithripala Sirisena and former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

Former Minister and UPFA MP Johnston Fernando and two other defendants who were remanded for the misuse of Sathosa material were acquitted and released by the Kurunegala High Court.

Hours after President Maithripala Sirisena met and donated Rs.1 million to the family members of Police sergeant Sanath Gunawardena who was suspended following his violent behavior with a T-56 in the Thebuwana area on October 3, he has been reinstated by Inspector General of Police (IGP) Pujith Jayasundara last evening.

President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe had a heated argument, at yesterday’s Cabinet meeting, over the East Terminal of the Colombo port to India, according to well informed sources.

The Chairman of the National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB), K.A. Ansar said a Cabinet Subcommittee has been appointed to introduce a tariff for the units of water used by consumers, as water bills have not been amended since 2012.

Police Sergeant Sanath Gunawardena who was temporarily suspended following his unruly manner over the releasing of a lorry transporting sand by the Thebuwana OIC on October 3 , met with President Maithripala Sirisena at the Presidential Secretariat, today (16).

The doctor, who was involved in the Boralesgamuwa accident in which a Police Inspector was killed, was further remanded till October 30 by the Gangodawila Magistrate today.

The Government had been deprived an income amounting to approximately Rs.197 billion due to taxes in default as at the end of last year, the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) performance report for the year 2017 indicated.

Popular singer professor Amara Ranathunga, wife of Dr. Dayaratne Ranathunga passed away last night at age 79. Funeral on Thursday (Family members).

The present crisis cannot be resolved by forming a caretaker government with Mahinda Rajapakass as the PM, the JVP says.

The country is rapidly deteriorating today, said former President Mahinda Rajapaksa addressing an event in Kosgama, yesterday (14).

President Maithripala Sirisena while speaking to a gathering in Mahara on Saturday (13) wanted to know how many politicians dare to come up on stage and say they are clean and that they do not plunder the wealth of the people and charged that such politicians were scarce these days.

The Court of appeal will be announcing its decision on the 30th of November with regard to the large-scale fraud which allegedly took place by misusing duty-free permits given to the heads of organizations and state employees.

Northern Province Chief Minister C. V. Vigneswaran has called upon the TNA to demand the release of all Tamil political prisoners, as a condition to lend its support to the Government during the forthcoming Budget.

Top Joint Opposition spokesman Bandula Gunawardena yesterday said that wartime Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa should be their presidential candidate at the 2019 national election.

India and Sri Lanka signed two Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) yesterday to build 1,200 houses through 50 model villages, using Indian grant assistance of 600 million Sri Lankan rupees. The MoUs were signed by India’s High Commissioner Taranjit Singh Sandhu and Housing and Construction Ministry Secretary Bernard Vasantha in the presence of Minister Sajith Premadasa.