Venerable Uduwe Dhammaloka thera has been acquitted of all charges related to the case filed against the possession of an elephant calf without a valid license.

The Colombo Magistrate directed the Police to request Interpol assistance to arrest the five main suspects involved in the largest heroin haul valued at more than Rs. 3,533 million which was seized last Sunday (24).

The International Monetary Fund has agreed to extend Sri Lanka’s $1.5 billion loan program by one year and has reached staff level agreement to disburse the sixth tranche of the loan, government and diplomatic sources told Reuters on Friday.

The group which includes underworld gang leader Maakandurey Madhush, vocalist Amal Perera and his son Nadeemaal, who were arrested by Dubai police are to be detained for another month.

President Maithripala Sirisena said that the government would facilitate multi-national companies such as Maersk A/S to expand container transshipment through the Port of Colombo as that would be of immense help to Sri Lankan economy.

Ambassador Samantha Power, yesterday, said that last year’s political crisis in Sri Lanka had raised alarm bells all around the world.

Five Members of Parliament across party lines today published their declarations of assets and liabilities in public.

Police fired water cannons to disperse a protest staged by Lanka Teachers Union in front of the Education Ministry in Battaramulla this morning.

A 29-year-old Police Countable attached to the Maharagama Police Traffic Unit, has committed suicide by shooting himself this morning.

Southern Provincial Councillor Krishantha Pushpakumara was arrested this morning after he surrendered to the Police through a lawyer.

A special discussion has been scheduled to take place between President Maithripala Sirisena, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa along with other political leaders this afternoon at the Presidential secretariat.

A 27-year-old person has been arrested in Kuliyapitiya area while transporting 10 kg of heroin valued at Rs.120 million.

Former Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal, yesterday, said that besides his successor Arjuna Mahendran several others had to be held responsible for the biggest ever financial crime – the bond scams.

SriLankan Airlines has cancelled flights to the Pakistani cities of Karachi and Lahore scheduled for Thursday (February 28) following the temporary closure of Pakistani airspace by the Civil Aviation Authority of Pakistan.