Sri Lanka’s state-run power firm has imposed daily power cuts for the first time in more than two years as a drought has slashed hydro-power output, highlighting the government’s failure to build new power plants, officials said on Monday.

Former Deputy Governor of Central Bank Sri Lanka P. Samarasiri, Perpetual Treasuries Limited (PTL) Chairman Geoffrey Aloysius and three directors of PTL were remanded till April 5 by Colombo Chief Magistrate.

Geoffrey Aloysius, the Chairman of the Perpetual Treasuries Ltd. has been arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department in connection with the Central bank Bond scam.

The defence and the prosecution in the case filed against former Parliamentarian Tissa Attanayake, for forging the signatures of the then-common candidate Maithripala Sirisena and Leader of the United National Party Ranil Wickresminghe, have agreed to conclude judicial proceedings amicably.

Minister Gayantha Karunatileka says the working committee and the parliamentary group will decide on the next United National Party Presidential candidate.

Former Deputy Governor of Central Bank P. Samarasiri and three Directors of Perpetual Treasuries Limited (PTL) have been arrested over the bond scam, the police spokesperson said.

Sri Lanka began construction Sunday of a nearly $4 billion oil refinery it hopes will revive foreign interest in its shipping facilities after Beijing’s takeover of a nearby port spooked international investors.

The CEB states that intermittent power cuts in the morning and in the afternoon will be in effect until the current power crisis is resolved.

Permission for Rishard Bathuideen to clear the Wilpattu jungle had been given in 2012 by Basil Rajapaksa, Leader of the House Public Enterprises, Kandyan Heritage and Kandy Development Minister, Lakshman Kiriella told Parliament yesterday.

President Maithripala Sirisena’s controversial announcement last month that drug traffickers in Sri Lanka would be executed drew international attention. Renewing an older pledge, he sought to lift a four decade-long moratorium on capital punishment in the island

Sri Lanka’s limited-overs captain Lasith Malinga says he is ready to sacrifice his earnings from the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL) in order to win a place in the country’s World Cup squad.

Media Spokesman of the Ministry of Power, Energy and Enterprise Development Sulakshana Jayawardene has resigned from the post with effect from 21 March, informed sources said.

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) demanded yesterday that foreign judges be included in a special court to investigate war crimes, a day after the United Nations (UN) again granted Sri Lanka more time for a much-delayed probe.

Sri Lanka signed a $989-million loan with China’s Exim Bank on Friday to build a highway linking the centre of the Indian Ocean island to a Chinese-built seaport in the south, the Sri Lankan finance ministry said.

A discussion was held between UNP Leaders including Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and the leaders of the JVP at the office of the Prime Minister today (22nd) regarding the 20th amendment to the Constitution that includes proposals to abolish the executive presidential system.