An Australian Federal Court judge has granted an extended injunction preventing the deportation of a Tamil family from Darwin to Sri Lanka until after another court hearing next Wednesday.

Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera, yesterday, said he saw nothing wrong in the conflict between two groups in the government over the presidential candidate to be named. He said so in response to a question, raised by The Island, at a hurriedly summoned press conference at the Finance Ministry.

All party leaders have unanimously approved the draft Constitution of the proposed new United National Front alliance that would be led by the UNP to contest the Presidential elections and the Presidential Candidate will be announced on the day the alliance is formed, Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine Minister Rajitha Senaratne announced yesterday.

The Archbishop of Canterbury emphasized the need for Christian unity on Thursday as he paid tribute to the victims of the Easter Sunday bomb attacks at a Roman Catholic church in Sri Lanka.

Parliamentarians S.B. Dissanayake and Dilan Perera, have obtained the membership of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) from the National Organizer of SLPP, former Minister Basil Rajapaksa.

The Japanese government will provide a grant of 1 billion Japanese Yen (approximately Rs. 1.6 billion) to Sri Lanka, to strengthen counterterrorism capabilities and public security.

A person has been arrested in Wattala, Hendala with ‘Ice’ and ‘Hashish’ worth over Rs. 15 million.

The Opposition today said the moves by the UNP to get the executive presidency abolished by requesting the President to do so was an attempt to cover up its inability to face the presidential election.

Judicial Medical Officer (JMO) Dr. Sinniah Sivaruban, who was arrested by the Jaffna Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) while serving at the Palai Hospital, has requested TID officers to increase the security of Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Presidential candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

Police recovered three claymore mines and a small pressure bomb at Paragammala forest reserve in Pannala this afternoon, police said.

It is reported that there was a meeting between President Maithripala Sirisena and Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa last night.

Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka says the country will face an economic crisis if it fails to honour international debt repayments due in September this year.

Sri Lanka has enlisted French major Total and Norway’s Equinor to study the hydrocarbon potential of two blocks, saying it aims to start oil production in the island nation in 2023.

INTERPOL Secretary General, Jurgen Stock, has presented the INTERPOL Medal to President Maithripala Sirisena at the President’s Office in Colombo, yesterday (27).

A 3.5% levy is to be slapped on all foreign purchase transactions with credit or debit cards. The Government has Gazetted an amendment to the Finance Act of 2018 last week to impose the ‘Foreign Commercial Transactions Levy’ on every transaction through a card payment for purchase any goods or services from outside the country.