Colombo Mayor Rosy Senanayake yesterday instructed the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) Commissioner to suspend all fines charged from parking meters in the city.

JVP MP Vijitha Herath yesterday rejected the statement made by Minister Rajitha Senaratne where he compared the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) with the LTTE and said it was surprising for the minister, who had led a terrorist outfit known as “Pra” to make such a statement.

Parallel arrangements have been finalized by the Army with the cooperation of sister services, Police and Civil Security Department to commemorate all fallen War Heroes who laid their precious lives against LTTE terrorism in a fitting mega ‘Aaloka Pooja’ (lighting) ceremony at Kelaniya Raja Maha Viharaya on Saturday (19) evening to coincide with the main ceremony on National War Heroes’ Day (May 19) at Battaramulla.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday said that the country was trapped in a vicious cycle of debt due to flaws in the economic management and policies of the previous Mahinda Rajapaksa regime.

A man who failed to pay a parking fee of Rs. 30 at a parking slot in Wellawatte, has been fined Rs. 10,120 after a lapse of 13 days.

SriLankan Airlines wish to inform all passengers, to arrive at the airport three hours prior to the departure time effective today, 17th May 2018, 12.00pm onwards until further notice.

The All Ceylon Private Bus Association yesterday announced that it had called off the bus strike which was scheduled to commence today as the Transport Ministry had agreed to a 12.5 percent bus fare increase and a minimum fare of Rs.12. The bus operators demanded a 15 percent increase and a Rs.15 minimum fare.

Sri Lanka is looking at the possibility of controlling droughts and floods through the use of Chinese technology, local media quoting Minister of Primary Industries and Social Welfare Daya Gamage said on Wednesday.

Iran has agreed to build a new oil refinery for Sri Lanka in addition to upgrading its ageing 50,000 barrel per day (bpd) state-owned refinery, Sri Lankan cabinet spokesman Rajitha Senaratne said on Wednesday.

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa has made a press release on recent fuel price hike by stating “Following the recent increase in fuel prices, transport costs and the prices of goods and services have started rising.”

Speaker Karu Jayasuriya said yesterday that senior journalist Keith Noyahr’s life was saved because of his intervention when Keith was abducted and he is prepared any moment to give a statement on this incident.

Former State Timber Corporation (STC) Chairman Anuruddha Polgampola was arrested last night by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), Police said.

The JVP yesterday called on people to take to the streets against the exploitation by the government of the masses to cover the cost of its extravagance and frauds.

Lieutenant General Mahesh Senanayake took over as the 22nd Commander of the Sri Lankan Army in June 2017. The conduct of the army in the past, during the island’s civil war that it ended by defeating the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in 2009, and its contentious presence and role in the country’s Tamil-majority north and east since then continue to dominate the discourse around post-war resettlement and reconciliation.

The Cabinet approval was granted today to increase bus fares by 6.56 per cent with effect from tomorrow.