Justice Minister Ali Sabry PC yesterday said that the government had decided to allow anyone or any institution affected by the X-Press Pearl vessel disaster to claim damages separately.

The Colombo High Court yesterday released the Captain of the wrecked Singaporean-flagged container vessel, the MV X-Press Pearl, on a Rs. 2 million personal bond and ordered him to surrender his passport to the Courts.

Justice Arjuna Obeysekera was sworn in as a Supreme Court Judge before President Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the Presidential Secretariat this morning (14).

Bahrain has temporarily halted the issuance of new work permits for people from ‘red list’ countries including Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka Navy has seized 237 kilograms and 500 grams of Kerala Cannabis valued at Rs. 71 million along with 03 suspects and a dinghy during a special operation conducted in seas north of Point Pedro today (June 14).

Minister of Youth and Sports Namal Rajapaksa says the government has formulated a plan to bring in additional foreign exchange to the country.

The Tamil Nadu state police and Central intelligence agencies have stepped up vigil after threats of an armed group trying to infiltrate from Sri Lanka were received, Indian media reports said.

Opposition MP Eran Wickramaratne charged that the Government failed to pass on the benefit of low oil prices last year to the people but was quick to burden them with the higher prices this year.

It would have been better if fuel prices remained as it was, Youth and Sports Minister Namal Rajapaksa said in Koggala.

It has been decided to pay a Rs 5,000 allowance to the members of fisher families who have been affected by the MV X-Press Pearl cargo ship fire incident.

The President’s Media Division (PMD) says fuel prices were increased as part of the programme to strengthen the local economy.

More than 200kg of heroin has been seized and nine suspects have been arrested by Police in a special operation in Mirissa in Weligama this morning.

The Health Ministry has decided to increase the capacity of providing oxygen for medical purposes in view of a dramatic increase of the requirements needed to treat COVID-19 patients, officials said.

The COVID-19 death toll in Sri Lanka climbed to 2,136 with 63 more deaths being confirmed by the Director-General of Health Services today (13), the Government Information Department said.

The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna has demanded the Minister of Energy to resign from his post, since yesterday’s fuel price increase has created several issues in the country.