Maithri faction to support UNP after poll: Aluvihare

Deputy Minister Wasantha Aluvihare said today that President Maithripala Sirisena has assured that the SLFP faction backing him would support the UNP after its election victory.

Decision on exhuming Thajudeen’s body tomorrow

The order on the exhuming of the body of slain national ruggerite Wasim Thajudeen is to be delivered tomorrow by Colombo Additional Magistrate Nishantha Peiris.

RADA director suffers from mental distress: Lawyer

The counsel appearing for Reconstruction and Development Agency’s (RADA) former Finance and Administration Director Dr. Jayantha Samarasinghe today informed the Colombo Fort Magistrate that his client was suffering from mental distress and receiving treatment at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) in Angoda.

Vendor hacked to death in Wattala

A 46-year-old vendor from the Welisara Economic Centre was hacked to death while travelling in a three-wheeler with his child in Mabola, Wattala early this morning, the police said.

TMC plans stir for release of fishermen from Lankan jail

The Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC) will stage State-wide agitation if the 14 Rameswaram fishermen arrested by the Sri Lankan navy on a charge of poaching on June 2 were not released at the end of their judicial remand on August 13, party president G.K. Vasan has said.

MPs and other candidates to be provided secuity

The security of former parliamentarians will be restored concerning the grave threat posed to their lives in the aftermath of the Kotahena shooting which killed two UNP supporters and injured 12 others, the police said.

Customs bust unique narcotics smuggling attempt

A unique method of trafficking narcotics was exposed when Sri Lanka Customs seized rolls of metal fencing mesh which contained heroin inside its cables

Kotahena shooting: No arrests yet

No arrests have been made in connection with the Kotahena shooting which killed two people and injured 12 others despite repeated claims that underworld gangsters were involved in the fracas.

Lankan arrested with foreign currency worth Rs. 4.6m

A Sri Lankan man was arrested at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) by the Customs while attempting to smuggle out foreign currency worth Rs.4.6 million concealed inside his hand baggage this evening.

Litro Gas demands Rs.1bn from Bandula

The chairman of Litro Gas Lanka Ltd, Mr. Shalila Moonesinghe, on Monday, sent a letter of demand to former minister Bandula Gunawardena demanding Rs. one billion as damages over several allegations he had made concerning the company.

UN assistance to NE only through Govt. Mahishini

The government today said that if any project is being done by the United Nations as assistance for the resettled people in Northern Province, it would be done through the Ministry of Resettlement of the central government not through the Northern Provincial Council.

C’wealth expects SL to hold credible poll

Commonwealth Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma said yesterday he expected Sri Lanka to conduct a credible poll and vote-counting andupholdelection laws during and after the election was concluded.

Video: UNFGG denounces Kotahena shooting

The United National Front for Good Governance (UNFGG) today denounced the Kotahena shooting incident in which two people lost their lives and said no candidate should be involved with underworld figures during their election campaign.

Ravi Jayawardena new SLRC chairman

Ravi Jayawardena today assumed duties as the Sri Lankan Rupavahini Cooperation (SLRC) Chairman after the resignation of the former Chairman Somaratne Dissanayake.

Video: UPFA wants Ranil et al to take poison

The United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) said today it was illegal for the Prime Minister to lay the foundation stone of the Central Expressway.

Rishad issued notice on Wilpattu issue

The Court of Appeal today issued notice on Minister Rishad Bathiudeen to appear in court on September 16 following a writ petition filed against illegal removal of forest cover and illegal re settlement in Wilpattu National Park.

SC approves govt’s GK payment plan

Supreme Court today approved the government’s repayment plan to pay the 41 percent of deposits to the depositors of the Golden Key company and terminated the court proceeding.

Two Lankans held in fake notes racket

A day after busting a fake currency circulation and drug trafficking gang by arresting four people, the police have arrested five more, including the prime accused, on Tuesday while launching a dragnet for five others to pin down the entire network.

Employer offers SL maid for sale online in Saudi

A Saudi employer offered his Sri Lankan housemaid for sale for SR25,000 (Dh25,00) in an advertisement he published on a local auction website.

Sajin Vass further remanded

Former UPFA MP Sajin de Vass Gunawardane was further remanded till August 11 by the Colombo Chief Magistrate today on charges of misusing 22 vehicles belonging to the Presidential Secretariat.

21 injured in collision

Twenty one passengers were hospitalized after two buses had collided head-on at Radawadunna in Nittambuwa on the Colombo-Kurunegala main road this morning, police said.

Coal Tender: PAB refuses to sit

The fifty billion rupee per year tender to supply coal to the Lakvijaya power plant into Norochcholai for three years has run into a yet another controversy with the members of the Procurement Appeal Board (PAB) refusing to sit following allegations made in the media against the PAB by Power and Energy Ministry Secretary Dr. B. M. S Batagoda and a member of the Standing Cabinet Appointed Procurement Committee (SCAPC).

Colombo might become a Chicago : UPFA

The UPFA yesterday charged that the Colombo city which recorded a high development rate would soon become a city like Chicago where there are frequent clashes because of the UNP administration.

Rameswaram-T'mannar road, rail link a reality soon!

A road and rail link between India's Rameswaram and Sri Lanka's Thalaimannar could be a reality soon as the government of India has asked Asian Development Bank to carry out pre-feasibility study for financing the project across Palk Strait between India and Sri Lanka.

Police hunt Wele Suda's money launderers

Four people suspected to have aided and abetted notorious drug kingpin Gampola Vidanage Samantha Kumara alias ‘Wele Suda’ to launder large sums of money earned through the narcotics trade are being wanted by the police.

Govt. denies UPFA claims on highway

Highways and Investment Promotion Minister Kabir Hashim today denied the allegations levelled by the UPFA that the government had misappropriated funds allocated for the construction of the central expressway and had bypassed formalities when implementing the project.

Sujeewa may be reliant on MR: Ravi

While denying any links with underworld gangsters, Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake said today said fellow candidate and Deputy Justice Minister Sujeewa Senasinghe might be reliant on ex-president Mahinda Rajapaksa for some reason because he denied Mr. Rajapaksa’s involvement in the Kotahena shooting.

Will leave no room for separatism: MR

While warning the unitary character of the Constitution would be compromised under the rule of Prime Minister and UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, former President and UPFA Elections Committee Chairman Mahinda Rajapaksa today pledged he would leave no room for separatism.

Thajudeen's killing: CID seeks AG's advice

The CID which is investigating the death of former Havelocks Sports Club Rugby Captain and Sri Lanka Ruggerite Wasim Thajudeen has sought the Attorney General’s advice to exhume his body in connection with the magisterial inquiry, police sources said.

68% of the candidates declare assets

Election Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya today informed political party representatives that 68 per cent of the candidates had declared their assets.