The European Union (EU) has pledged Rs. 5.4 billion (EUR 29.7 million) to reduce poverty in Uva and Central Provinces by improving both living conditions and food security.

The Ministry of Health says the prices of expensive medical drugs will be reduced in the near future.

Five weapons including two repeater rifles and a t-56 weapon had been robbed from the wildlife officers’ armoury at Wasgamuwa National Park last night.

The second heart transplant planned at the Kandy General Hospital was abandoned at the last minute yesterday due to a tug-o-war between consultants not to remove the beneficiary’s heart. This situation has arisen even after the heart was harvested from the donor and fixed to a machine pending the transplant.

The construction of the maiden fish breeding centre in Sri Lanka commenced recently at Sevanapitiya in Polonnaruwa.

The government is now planning to provide tax incentives to prospective foreign direct investors and local investors to invest in the North that had been devastated by the three decade war, Deputy Minister of National Policies and Economic Affairs Dr Harsha de Silva said.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe informed Parliament yesterday that the Local Government elections would be held in January, while the Party leaders would take a decision on the fate of the Provincial Council polls.

The Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) will be replaced soon with a new counter terrorism law, Law and Order Minister Sagala Ratnayaka said in Parliament yesterday.

President Maithripala Sirisena called upon the international community to seriously consider the tremendous progress made by the government towards reconciliation, restoration of democratic freedoms

A considerable amount of data has been missing from the two mobile phones handed over by former Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran to the Presidential Commission of Inquiry, probing the controversial treasury bond scam.

The main objective of the Education Ministry is to ensure a better future for children to enable them lead a happy life with their feet firmly on the ground safeguarding ourness.

The agreement on looking for missing persons is effective for the future and not the past said Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

There are no reports of Rohingya Muslims fleeing to Sri Lanka in the wake of a mass exodus taking place in Myanmar’s Rakhine state, Foreign Affairs State Minister Wasantha Senanayake said.

President Maithripala Sirisena will leave for New York, US today (17th Sept.) to attend the 72nd General Assembly of the United Nations (UN).

Parliamentarian Hirunika Premachandra has written to Health Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne calling for the transfer of the prison hospital doctor.