Sri Lanka’s next President must put human rights at the heart of their policies, Amnesty International (AI) said yesterday (18).

United National Party Member of Parliament Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe announced today at a special media briefing held in Colombo today that he would support the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna Presidential Candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the upcoming Presidential Election.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) and Ceylon Workers’ Congress (CWC) in order to work in tandem for the upcoming presidential election.

Three suspects have been arrested along with 30kg of heroin from a house at Ul-Elapola area in Divulapitiya, says the Police Spokesperson SP Ruwan Gunasekara.

The government will present a vote on account in parliament on October 23 to allocate government expenses for the first quarter of next year, the Speaker’s Office said yesterday.

A majority of parties who have made proposals for Constitutional reforms have come to an agreement on the devolution of power within a unitary Sri Lanka, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe told journalists in Jaffna.

Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera yesterday warned of dire consequences unless accountability allegations, levelled against Lankan military were properly investigated.

The Jaffna International Airport was declared open by President Maithripala Sirisena in Palaly today (17).Prime Minister Ranil Wickresminghe, Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation Arjuna Ranatunga along with other dignitaries graced the inaugural event.

The Police Special Task Force (STF) has arrested four suspects from Katubedda and Kawdana areas along with 683g of heroin.

A solid national security policy is a top priority for Sri Lanka, Megapolis and Western Development Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka said.

Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Presidential candidate, Gotabaya Rajapaksa says that under his rule, the existing VAT will be reduced to 8 per cent, and taxes imposed on salaries of labourers and middle-class workers will be removed.

Sri Lanka’s election chief said Wednesday that he has asked for an explanation from the defense ministry on why the army commander features in an advertisement promoting a candidate for next month’s presidential election.

The Chairman of Avant-Garde Maritime Services Nissanka Senadhipathi, who had been staying in Singapore, was arrested upon his arrival in Sri Lanka.

Chairman of the Election Commission Mahinda Deshapriya today announced that the final results of the 2019 Presidential Election will likely to be released before noon on the 18th of November.

A Sri Lankan Tamil refugee family, including two toddlers born in Australia, remain in detention thousands of kilometres off the country’s northwestern coast, despite a United Nations request that the family be allowed to return to the rural Australian town where they have lived for the past three years.