Negombo divisional narcotic unit arrested a person, aged 51 years with 2.6 kgs of heroin valued at Rs. 25 million at Poruthota, Kochchikade yesterday evening.

The appointment of Mahinda Rajapaksa as Prime Minister of Sri Lanka was unusual, but it was not unconstitutional, British Lord Naseby told the media yesterday.

The United National Party yesterday called a special media breifing to explain the present political crisis within the country.

Sri Lanka’s parliamentary speaker has called the president’s sacking of the prime minister to bring a former leader back to power a non-violent coup d’etat.

United People’s Freedom Alliance’s Manusha Nanayakkara has resigned from his post as Deputy Minister a short while ago.

President Maithripala Sirisena declared with confidence said that he has the majority of 113 Members of Parliament to form a formidable government.

SriLankan Airlines incurred a loss of USD 41 million in the 2011/12 financial year due to operating flights between Colombo and London during off season, the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) on irregularities at SriLankan Airlines, SriLankan Catering and Mihin Lanka was informed, yesterday.

President Maithripala Sirisena stated that 113 majority of the new government has already been established.

Minister Dinesh Gunawardena has assumed duties as the New Leader of the House at his office in the Parliament.

In a defiant announcement, the United National Party today claimed that Speaker of House Karu Jayasuriya has recognised, the Leader of the UNP as the legitimate Prime Minister of Sri Lanka.

UNP MPs Heshan Withanage and Palitha Thewarapperuma have been arrested over the incident of assaulting Major Ajith Prasanna, stated Police Spokesperson.

Sri Lanka’s sacked Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has warned time is running out to avert a “bloodbath” while voicing hope that parliament will resolve a damaging constitutional crisis in the coming days.

The new government has a short term of office and since the government needs to be strengthened, it has to go before the people soon, Former Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa said.

Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena has ordered the suspended parliament to reconvene on Nov. 14, clearing the way for a vote on his decision to sack the elected prime minister and replace him with wartime nationalist Mahinda Rajapaksa.

President Maithripala Sirisena has issued a gazette to reconvene the prorogued parliament. Accordingly, the parliament will reconvene on November 14th at 10 am.

Sri Lanka’s deposed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said the United States and Japan had frozen more than a billion dollars of development aid after his abrupt dismissal raised doubts about the future of democracy in the island.