Trade union action by dairy farmers and union leaders were temporarily suspended when Minister of Rural Economic Development Vijith Wijayamuni Zoysa pledged to provide speedy solutions to several of their demands including putting a stop to importing cows.

A Sri Lankan court on Thursday jailed for six months a Buddhist monk accused of inciting violence against Muslims after finding him guilty of intimidating the wife of a missing journalist, in a case seen as a test of the independence of the judiciary.

The General Secretary of the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) organisation, Venerable Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thero, has been sentenced to 1 year rigorous imprisonment to be ended in 6 months, for threatening Sandya Ekneligoda.

Co-cabinet Minister Rajitha Senaratne said the previous regime’s tactics in dealing with the underworld had not worked and that all governments face a challenge when dealing with the underworld.

The import of chicken, eggs, canned fish and dry-fish will soon be stopped, Fisheries Minister Wijith Vijayamuni Soysa said.

Megapolis and Western Development Minister Champika Ranawaka yesterday urged President Maithripala Sirisena to appoint a Presidential Commission with extraordinary powers to investigate the alleged coal scams that took place from 2009 to 2016.

Former Inspector General of Police Jayantha Wickramaratne will be arrested over the alleged involvement in the murder of senior journalist Lasantha Wickramatunge, if sufficient evidence is collected, Senior State Counsel (SSC)Janaka Bandara revealed to the Mount Lavinia Magistrate yesterday (12).

The vehicle used by the gunmen, who shot the chief incumbent of the Kataragama Kiriwehera Rajamaha Viharaya Venerable Kobawaka Damminda Thera and another monk, has been discovered by the Police.

Outgoing US Ambassador Atul Keshap has told former President Mahinda Rajapaksa that his brother, Gotabhaya was very unpopular.

The chief incumbent of the Kataragama Kiriwehera Rajamaha Viharaya Ven. Kobawaka Damminda Thera and another monk have been hospitalised after being shot at by an unidentified gunman, Police said.

Former Minister Mervin Silva said yesterday he would leave the country if former defense secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa becomes the President in 2020.

TV presenter and journalist Mahesh Nishshanka has been arrested by Kadawatha Police.

Two new State Ministers and five Deputy Ministers were sworn in before President Maithripala Sirisena at the Presidential Secretariat, today.
The list of new ministers is as follows:

Postal services have come to a standstill owing to the strike launched by postal workers based on several demands, the United Postal Trade Unions’ Front said.

If the authorities fail to provide a favourable response, the CEB Engineers who are currently on a work to rule campaign will decide to suspend work at the Norochcholai coal power plant today, said the CEB Engineers’ Union President Athula Wanniarachchi.