Sri Lanka’s central bank cut its key interest rates on Friday, in a surprise move to boost sluggish growth after the country’s tourism sector and investments plummeted following the Easter day attacks.

The Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) revealed yesterday that a staggering Rs.160 million had been paid as salaries to 85 employees of the National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) who were recruited as ministerial coordinating officers of Subject Minister Rauff Hakeem since 2015.

The new Commander of the Sri Lanka Army, Lt. General Shavendra Silva, in his message to his troops and to the public as the 23rd Commander of the Army, has vowed to protect the country from all threats whilst adding that he would re-organise military intelligence units and raise them to an elevated level in keeping with strategies of international armies.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, yesterday, urged the leaders of the UNF constituents to finalise the draft of the constitution of the proposed Democratic National Front (DNF).

The passenger boat service operating on the Beira Lake from Union Place to Colombo Fort has been launched under the patronage of PM Ranil Wickremesinghe a short while ago.

The Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) will begin a 24-hour token strike island-wide over several demands from 8 this morning.

United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) MP Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe yesterday (21) told Parliament that the USA has no power to order Sri Lanka as to who the Commander of the Tri-Forces should be or should not be.

SriLankan had become a drain on the economy, and the situation had been exacerbated by compensation paid for terminating an airbus deal, Parliament was told, yesterday.

The joint proposal tabled by Minister of Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs Abdul Haleem and Minister of Justice and Prison Reforms Thalatha Atukorale to amend the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act has received the approval of the Cabinet of Ministers.

Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation Arjuna Ranathunga speaking with journalists after the conclusion of a media briefing held at Temple Trees said that it was his view that the UNP lacked discipline.

Sri Lanka’s government on Tuesday hit out at foreign criticism of its appointment of a general accused of war abuses as the new army commander.

Sri Lanka’s per capital income had increased by between 50% and 100% due to the right economic policies of the government, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said, at meetig in Mawathagama.

The appointment of Sri Lankan Lieutenant-General Shavendra Silva as Commander of the country’s army is deeply troubling, UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet said in a statement released on Monday, adding that the military leader had been given the role despite “serious allegations of gross violations of international human rights and humanitarian law against him and his troops during the war”.

An Army Special Forces soldier who had been on parachute training at the Uhana Air Force Base in Ampara has died of a sudden fall, the Army said.

State Minister Ranjan Ramanayake says the United National Party will name its candidate after a Presidential Election is called.