Parliamentarian Ven. Athuraliye Rathana Thera said yesterday he would support, at the next presidential election, the candidate who could face Islamic extremism firmly.

Three persons including 2 females have died while another two sustained injuries in a collision between a van and a tipper truck.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said, in Jaffna, yesterday, that the Podujana Peramuna Presidential candidate Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and his brother Mahinda Rajapaksa had asked for another mandate from the people, saying that they wanted to strengthen the country’s security, but when they were in power they protected only themselves and those close to them.

Minister of Economic Reforms and Public Distribution Dr. Harsha De Silva says the Presidential candidate fielded by the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna, former Secretary of Defence Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s name is not in the list of US citizens who have revoked their citizenship.

The European Commission, through its Instrument contributing to Stability and Peace, has allocated 8.5 million euros to support Sri Lankan efforts to prevent violent extremism, build community resilience, and promote peace and tolerance.

A 26-year-old Sri Lankan national who had arrived at the Chennai city last month is missing. Based on the complaint by his mother, the Airport police have launched a search for the man.

The formation of the United National Party (UNP) led alliance, Democratic National Front (DNF), is being further delayed, and as a result, nominating a Presidential candidate has also been postponed, sources said.

Transport and Civil Aviation Minister Arjuna Ranatunge yesterday alleged that the bigwigs in the Finance Ministry had been trying to pull the rug under the feet of Transport Ministry officials during the last one and a half months.

A skeletal 70-year-old elephant has been withdrawn from a high-profile annual Buddhist pageant in Sri Lanka following a social media firestorm against parading the feeble animal.

A 27-year-old army soldier on duty at the Ministry of Defence in Colombo Fort has reportedly committed suicide by shooting himself this morning.

Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka said yesterday he was willing to be the presidential candidate if his name was proposed by the United National Party (UNP) led alliance.

Pressure is mounting on Prime Minister and UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe to select Minister Sajith Premadasa as the UNP presidential candidate.

The government has decided to revise the price of fuel according to the fuel price formula. The new fuel prices will be in effect from midnight today (13).

The price formula committee is scheduled to meet this evening for the monthly fuel price revision, the Finance Ministry said.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday asked whether SLPP Presidential nominee Gotabaya Rajapaksa would seek pardon for all the sins committed by the previous Rajapaksa regime.

Minister and the Leader of the Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) Mano Ganesan said that he is not ready to go to the cemetery with the United National Party (UNP) if they do not take a correct decision.