The country is rapidly deteriorating today, said former President Mahinda Rajapaksa addressing an event in Kosgama, yesterday (14).

President Maithripala Sirisena while speaking to a gathering in Mahara on Saturday (13) wanted to know how many politicians dare to come up on stage and say they are clean and that they do not plunder the wealth of the people and charged that such politicians were scarce these days.

The Court of appeal will be announcing its decision on the 30th of November with regard to the large-scale fraud which allegedly took place by misusing duty-free permits given to the heads of organizations and state employees.

Northern Province Chief Minister C. V. Vigneswaran has called upon the TNA to demand the release of all Tamil political prisoners, as a condition to lend its support to the Government during the forthcoming Budget.

Top Joint Opposition spokesman Bandula Gunawardena yesterday said that wartime Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa should be their presidential candidate at the 2019 national election.

India and Sri Lanka signed two Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) yesterday to build 1,200 houses through 50 model villages, using Indian grant assistance of 600 million Sri Lankan rupees. The MoUs were signed by India’s High Commissioner Taranjit Singh Sandhu and Housing and Construction Ministry Secretary Bernard Vasantha in the presence of Minister Sajith Premadasa.

If there was a possibility, Lasith Malinga enhanced his reputation as a death-bowling genius with a fine spell on Saturday against England. England, who were cruising at 190 for 3 in the 37th over, were restricted to 278 for 9, with Malinga’s 5 for 44 stopping the visitors from going for a final flourish.

Senior Supreme Court Justice Nalin Perera took oaths as the new Chief Justice before President Maithripala Sirisena at the President’s Official Residence, yesterday (12).

Sri Lankan Rupee has depreciated further against the US Dollar, informed the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL).

The Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) today imposed maximum retail prices for non-packeted and packeted white sugar as Rs.100 and Rs.105 respectively per kilogramme with effect from midnight today.

At least 50 passengers were injured when an SLTB and a private bus collided head on at Lunugamwehera on the Hambanthota-Wellawaya Main Road this afternoon, police said.

President Vladimir Putin says Russia maintains traditionally friendly relations with Sri Lanka and is interested in closer trade and economic cooperation, including in fishery, agriculture and tourism.

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday said at present there was only a proposal on the table to form a coalition government and re-iterated that there had been no discussions in this regard as yet.