Sri Lankan police have launched a probe into the death of a US Air Force pilot whose body was discovered in a hotel room in capital Colombo last week, an official said.

Ratnapura District MPs John Seneviratne and Pavitra Wanniarachchi yesterday pledged their support for the on-going campaign to bring back former President Mahinda Rajapaksa as the UPFA’s prime ministerial candidate at the next parliamentary election.

‘Dheepan’ has won the top prize at the 68th Cannes Film Festival, the Palme d’Or. The Jacques Audiard-directed drama, which centres on refugees fleeing post-civil war Sri Lanka for a life in France, surprisingly claimed the coveted award…

Presiding over the Monaragala District Sri Lanka Freedom Party Convention held Saturday (23rd) at the Library Auditorium in Monaragala, the President declared that he is meticulously discharging his obligations on behalf of the country and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party.

The pro-Mahinda Rajapaksa faction in the Sri Lanka Freedom Party is seeking nomination even for its members currently in custody, a spokesman said yesterday.

Democratic Party leader, Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka says he will contest the next Parliament elections.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday revealed that former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal had hidden Rs. 2.7 trillion worth of Treasury Bonds for the benefit of their cronies.

Leader of the Opposition Nimal Siripala de Silva said yesterday that Ranil Wickremesinghe became the Prime Minister due to the benevolence of President Maithripala Sirisena as it is impossible for a party that does not command the majority support in Parliament to appoint its leader as the Prime Minister.

The Attorney General yesterday stalled the arrest of Parliamentarian Tiran Alles after the Supreme Court noticed the Police on the strength of a Fundamental Rights petition filed by the Parliamentarian.

SLFP Parliamentarians Dilan Perera, C.B. Rathnayake, Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena and Pavithra Wanniarachchi have resigned from their respective ministerial portfolios.

President Maithripala Sirisena yesterday said he was in talks with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to remove the last paragraph of the gazette notification pertaining to the Police Financial Crimes Investigation Division.

Jaffna residents protested opposite the Jaffna Courts complex yesterday (20) demanding the death sentence for all those responsible for the rape and murder of 18-year-old Sivaloganaadan Vithiya, a student of the Jaffna Kayts Punkuduthivu Maha Vidyalaya.