A top US official said yesterday that his country planned to direct US$ 39 million to Sri Lanka to support maritime security, freedom of navigation, and maritime awareness as part of its Bay of Bengal initiative.

A Sri Lankan Tamil couple in Oman donates a house built at a cost of 10 lakhs (one million) to a disabled army soldier who lost his right leg to a land mine in Muhamale in Jaffna in 2006.

The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) has called on Sri Lanka’s President, Maithripala Sirisena, to retract his recent pronouncement that executions would resume in the country notwithstanding a moratorium on capital punishment that has lasted 43 years.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has informed the court yesterday (12) that former DIG Nalaka de Silva, who was arrested in connection with the alleged VIP assassination plot, has had close ties with singer Amal Perera and ‘Makandure Madush’.

The Ministry of Justice and Prison Reforms has taken steps to acquire a new hangman’s noose from overseas. The Ministry said the measure was taken in response to a notice issued by the Sri Lanka Standards Institution which said that the present noose was unsuitable for use.

68 kilo grams of Kerala Ganja worth 7 million rupees were recovered this morning inside a luxury SUV which crashed into the Maradana Pedestrian bridge.

The UNP, yesterday, asked its political rivals why Treasury Bond scam suspect, Perpetual Treasuries Limited (PTL) owner, Arjuna Aloysius, had been invited to the church wedding of Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa’s youngest son, Rohitha to Tatyana.

A close accomplice of underworld figure Kanjipani Imran was arrested by the STF yesterday (13) afternoon, in Maligawatte, Police Media Spokesman Superintendent of Police Ruwan Gunasekara said.

A top US commander has advocated sustained American engagement with Sri Lanka despite the political and ethnic turmoil in the island nation posing a challenge to bilateral ties, amid increasing Chinese influence in the strategically important Indo-Pacific region.

Two suspects were arrested by the Nochchiyagama Police while transporting 5kg of Ganja from Halmillakulama, Nochchiyagama.

The Deputy leader of the Tamil progressive alliance non state minister V. Radakrishnan says that an agreement in principle, was arrived at, on assuring an allowance from the government for estate workers through the upcoming budget.

UNP Parliamentarian Chaminda Wijesiri, who has been accused of assaulting a Police Constable, arrived at the Bandarawela Magistrate’s Court, a short while ago.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday stressed that the Judiciary will not be made a football for bankrupt politicians. The Prime Minister added that the Judiciary should not be turned into a political football.

If I hold the power to monitor capital expenditure, I would give priority to uplift the public transport like train and bus services instead of constructing highways, expressways and flyovers, Megapolis and Western Development Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka said.

Finance and Media Minister Mangala Samaraweera has appointed a seven member committee headed by Wijayananda Jayaweera to monitor the working of state media institutions. This committee will monitor state media institutions and ensure that they are truly engaged in public service.