Request of Rs.364 million to shift Ministry of Power turned down

Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera has yesterday vehemently protested against the Cabinet paper presented by Minister Ravi Karunanayake requesting for Rs 364 million from the Treasury to shift the Ministry of Power, Energy and Business Development to another location.

Gotabaya returns

Former defence secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa who underwent a heart surgery in Singapore, arrived in the island earlier in the day.

Easter Sunday bomb attacks: Rs. 50 billion revenue loss

The Easter Sunday bomb attacks had caused the government a revenue loss of Rs. 50 billion, a report which was submitted to parliament by the Ministry of Finance revealed yesterday.

I didn’t know about UNP plans to form alliance: Kabir

Highways, Road Development and Petroleum Resources Minister Kabir Hashim, who is also the Chairman of the United National Party (UNP), is reported to have taken a swipe at the party hierarchy for planning to form an alliance with the like-minded parties without his knowledge.

Alliance - SLFP-SLPP must compromise on policy: Dayasiri

SLFP General Secretary Dayasiri Jayasekara said yesterday party leaders like President Maithripala Sirisena, Mahinda Rajapaksa and Basil Rajapaksa must arrive at a compromise on the policies of the proposed alliance.

Foreign garbage - Prez should ask CID to probe: Opposition

The Opposition today requested President Maithripala Sirisena to instruct the CID to launch an investigation into the foreign garbage issue.

Speaker stops meetings with UN special rapporteur

Speaker Karu Jayasuriya today informed parliament that he had instructed the relevant authorities not to go ahead with the meeting between judicial officers including the Chief Justice and the visiting UN special rapporteur on the Rights of Freedom of Association, Clement Nyaltessoi.

Cancel 2013 gazette allowing garbage import: JVP

While urging the government to reveal the number of containers of garbage imported to Sri Lanka, JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake also urged the government to cancel the gazette notice issued in 2013 which had permitted such imports.

Safe houses - Rs.5 mn reward to person who gave info

Acting IGP C.D. Wickramaratna has decided to pay a reward of Rs.5 million to the person who provided information which led to the recovery of explosives from two safe houses at Samanthurai and Nintavur in Ampara, Police Spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said.

Resolution to annex Port City to Colombo Div. Sec. passed

The resolution brought in to annex the stretch of land of the Port City to the Colombo Divisional Secretariat in the Colombo Administrative District was passed in parliament today without a vote.

Poya Days, Sundays: Bill banning tuition classes presented to parliament

The Holidays (Amendment) Bill, which prohibits tuition classes on Poya Days and Sundays, was presented to parliament today.

Boris Johnson elected new leader of Conservative party

Boris Johnson will become Britain’s next prime minister after being elected leader of the Conservative party, defeating Jeremy Hunt in the party’s leadership contest, the Guardian reported a short while ago.

SLC security delegation to visit Pakistan in August

A security delegation of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) would visit Pakistan in August to conduct a security assessment to seek the possibility of playing the upcoming two-match Test series, foreign news agencies reported yesterday.

Colombo completely safe: Bangladesh captain Tamim

Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal on Tuesday praised the security arrangements in Sri Lanka ahead of the three-match ODI series in Colombo starting Friday, India Today reported.

SC orders SLMC to register students graduated from accepted foreign universities

The Supreme Court today ordered the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) to register the students who obtained medical degrees from accepted foreign universities and the students who passed the SLMC qualifying examination.

16-hour water cut in Colombo

A 16-hour water cut would be imposed from 6.00 p.m today to 10 a.m tomorrow in Colombo 3, 4, 5, 6 and Hokandara areas, the National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) announced today.

I am a leader with strong backbone: President

President Maithripala Sirisena said yesterday even though some people tried to show that he was a leader without a strong backbone, he had shown that he was a leader with a strong backbone on several occasions including at the 2015 Presidential Election.

Manipai clash: Three ’Awa Gang’ members arrested

Three individuals suspected to be members of the ’Aava Gang’ were arrested by the Kopai police last evening over a clash with the police at Manipai in Jaffna last Saturday (20), police said.

Presidential poll between Nov. 15 and Dec. 7, says EC

Elections Commission (EC) Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya said yesterday his office would conduct the presidential election on a date between November 15 and December 7.

Animal cruelty done in the name of religious beliefs should be stopped: Sobitha Thera

All forms of animal cruelty carried out in the name of religious beliefs should be put to an end and parliament should pass the Animal Welfare Bill without further delay to make such possible, Ven. Omalpe Sobitha Thera said yesterday.

UNP will pick presidential candidate soon: Ranil

Following a proposal by some UNP parliamentary group members yesterday to name Deputy Leader Saijth Premadasa as a presidential candidate, Prime Minister (PM) Ranil Wickremesinghe said an official decision on the candidature would be made soon.

130 garbage containers released to Hayleys Free Zone: Customs

A total of 130 out of 241 garbage containers imported from the UK had been released by Customs to the Hayleys Free Zone company and were found in the Hayleys storage premises in the Katunayake Export Processing Zone 4, Customs officials said yesterday.

Parliament meals cost Rs.120mn annual, Rs.9mn for water

A total of Rs. 120 million is spent annually in parliament for food and beverages, parliament finance officers have estimated. Food and beverages are consumed by MPs, parliamentary staff and visitors to parliament, of which 75 per cent of the cost goes to feeding the staff.

SLPP to ink MoUs with 18 JO dissident groups on Friday

In preparation for the presidential poll, the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) will sign a memorandum of understanding on Friday with 18 political parties that are currently outside the joint opposition, a party official said yesterday.

JVP urges Govt. to dispose waste safely

While claiming that it was not possible to return the controversial clinical waste brought to Sri Lanka in accordance with the Basel Convention, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) today urged the government to destroy them safely, before causing more environmental hazards.

Malinga informs SLC of decision to retire from ODIs

Veteran cricketer Lasith Malinga today said he officially informed Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) that he would retire from One Day Internationals after the first ODI against Bangladesh at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on July 26.

Orphaned children into national schools: Minister

Education Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam instructed its officials to make arrangements to enrol orphaned children who are residing in state-registered or sponsored orphanages into the national schools today.

Hayleys Free Zone slams garbage shipment allegations

While stressing that Hayleys Free Zone Limited (HFZ) had no connection to the 102 containers lying at the Port of Colombo, Hayleys Advantis Limited Managing Director Ruwan Waidyaratne said out of the 130 container loads of used mattresses currently stored at HFZ yard premises, the company had processed and re-exported 29 containers up to now.

Easter attack probe: AG calls for detailed report

The Attorney General (AG) has instructed the Acting IGP to submit a detailed report on the progress of the criminal investigation conducted into the Easter terror attacks, Coordinating Officer to AG, SC Nishara Jayaratne told Daily Mirror.

Gazette issued extending state of emergency

President Maithripala Sirisena today issued an extraordinary gazette extending the State of Emergency by another month.