The Sri Lankan navy has arrested four fishermen from Tamil Nadu for allegedly smuggling cannabis.

Former Deputy Minister of Mass Media and Communication Shantha Bandara denied news reports that he will be leaving the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) to join the United National Party (UNP).

Sri Lanka’s August elections have been timed to stop a comeback by war-time president Mahinda Rajapaksa, who remarkably may see his popularity rise in coming months if criticized for war crimes in a U.N report, said government sources.

The Elections Secretariat has decided to apply the election laws from today. The relevant regulations have been informed to the political parties and independent groups.

President Maithripala Sirisena said yesterday that the Bandaranaike family did everything for the country without corruption and fraud.

Addressing a gathering of people at Moragahamula Dhammapala Buddhist Centre in Kandy recently, the former President said Prime Minister Wickremesinghe went about saying that the Rajapaksas should be buried.

President Maithripala Sirisena’s decision to allow his predecessor Mahinda Rajapaksa to contest the August 17 parliamentary elections on the United People’s Freedom Alliance ticket has caused ripples within his own ‘rainbow’ coalition.

JVP central committee member Sunil Handunnetti said they were not surprised by the decision taken to give nominations to former President Mahinda Rajapaksa under the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA).

The UPFA yesterday announced that it had decided to field former President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the forthcoming general election.

The on-going controversy over the investigation carried out by a special 13-member committee into alleged Central Bank bond scam has taken a new turn with former Chairman of the parliamentary Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) Dew Gunasekera deciding to go public today.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe had asked the Election Commissioner to inform him of the government’s expense for the bullet proof vehicle used by him until the election is held.

President Maithripala Sirisena has apparently rejected to give nominations to former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, sources said.

China recognises India’s special role in stabilising the strategic Indian Ocean region but the perception that it is India’s “backyard” may result in clashes, Chinese military officials and experts have cautioned.

Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake said recently that the new government under President Maithripala Sirisena has neither halted nor terminated any development projects.

Former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga yesterday denied reports that she too would contest the election if former President Mahinda Rajapaksa was to do so.