A German court convicted a Sri Lankan man Monday of accessory to murder in the 2005 killing of the Sri Lanka’s former Foreign Minister, Lakshman Kadirgamar for providing his assassins with crucial information.

Retired High Court Judge Padmini Ranawaka arrived at the Colombo Crime Division (CCD) to record a statement regarding the controversial phone recordings involving MP Ranjan Ramanayake.

The Supreme Court seven-judge-bench headed by Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya today granted time till March 6 for former President Maithripala Sirisena and former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe to file objections against the fundamental rights petitions filed over the Easter Sunday attacks.

State Minister Keheliya Rambukwella and former State Printing Corporation Chairman Jayampathy Bandara have been released from the case filed by the Commission to Investigated Allegations of Bribery and Corruption on charges of misappropriating state funds.

Former Secretary to the Ministry of Defence Hemasiri Fernando and Inspector General of Police Pujith Jayasundara, who were arrested and remanded over the Easter Sunday bombings, have been further remanded until the 3rd of February.

The CCD has recorded a nearly 5 hour long statement from the current high court judge of the Embilipitiya high court, justice Gihan Pilapitiya who is said to have been in conversation regarding court matters with MP Ranjan Ramanayake.

All unemployed graduates will be provided with Government jobs on an immediate basis in order to get their contribution to strengthen the national economy, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said.

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, yesterday, expressed surprise at the UNP’s sudden aversion to the MCC pact. Issuing a press release, Rajapaksa said that Opposition Leader, Sajith Premadasa, who was the Deputy Leader of the UNP and key member of the UNP Cabinet, before the Presidential election, had been silent on the MCC pact promoted by the former government.

The European Union had assured that it would continue with the GSP+ tax concessions to Sri Lanka until 2023, Minister Prasanna Ranatunga said today.

India will provide US$ 50 million to Sri Lanka to buy military equipment to boost the country’s security.

Amidst the Sajith Premadasa Faction threatening to break away, the  UNP said yesterday that it would contest the next General Election under the ‘Elephant’ symbol  and in partnership with like- minded parties.

The Bar Association of Sri Lanka has asserted factions should not be permitted to attack the entire judicial system in the country based merely on isolated incidents.

The Health Ministry has cautioned Sri Lankans to be vigilant of the warnings that are issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) of a new coronavirus which originated in China.

United National Front (UNF) leaders have decided to form an alliance headed by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, Parliamentarian Mano Ganesan revealed in a twitter message.

Most of the UNP MPs believe that Ranil Wickremesinghe should quit the party leadership, MP Ajith P. Perera told the media, yesterday. He was commenting on the fact that 52 UNP MPs had supported the appointment of MP Sajith Premadasa as the UNP leader, on Thursday.

Five of the thirteen defendants named in the Avant Garde case filed for maintaining a floating armoury, have been released by the Special Permanent High Court-at-bar.