Ranil, Sajith or Karu for presidency: Hesha

United National Party (UNP) MP Hesha Withanage said yesterday his party would pick one of its three leaders - Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, Deputy Leader Sajith Premadasa or Speaker Karu Jayasuriya as its presidential candidate.

Complaint to Pope is a fake: Mangala

Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera has complained to the CID asking it to investigate the fabrication of a parliament letterhead on which his signature had also been forged.

Mangala’s complaint against Cardinal - Wimal asks Govt to respond

The government should respond to Minister Mangala Samaraweera who had complained to Pope Francis against Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, Joint Opposition MP Wimal Weerawansa said yesterday.

Eastern terminal of Colombo Port won’t be sold to any country: Govt.

The eastern terminal of the Colombo Port will not be sold to any foreign country, not even to India or Japan, the Ports and Shipping Ministry informed parliament today.

Summoning intelligence officers before PSC can’t be approved: Prez

President Maithripala Sirisena said summoning intelligence officers before a Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) and revealing intelligence information before it cannot be approved.

SLPP-SLFP to discuss institutional structure

The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) today discussed the institutional structure of the proposed political alliance to be formed in view of the presidential elections, party officials said.

Easter Sunday attacks - Will punish those who failed to prevent it: PS

The Presidential Secretariat (PS) has said necessary action will be taken against those held responsible for the failure to prevent the Easter Sunday attack based on the findings of the committee appointed by President Maithripala Sirisena no sooner the Attorney General’s opinion is received, Chief Government Whip Gayantha Karunathilake told Parliament today.

President calls for emergency cabinet meeting

President Maithripala Sirisena has called for an emergency cabinet meeting to be held this evening, sources said.

Heavy rains up to 200 mm likely in several areas

Heavy rains of up to 200 mm may be expected in districts of Kalutara, Ratnapura, Galle, Matara and Kegalle with the south-west monsoonal conditions gradually establishing over the island, the Meteorology Department said today.

Wijeyadasa raises concerns over national security

MP Wijeyadasa Rajapaksa has written to Speaker Karu Jayasuriya about an imminent risk to national security.

Bond scam: AG to file indictments against Mahendran, Aloysius

The indictments against ten suspects including Central Bank’s former governor Arjuna Mahendran, Perpetual Treasuries Ltd., owner Arjun Aloysius and its CEO Kasun Palisena have been prepared and will be filed in the High Court by the Attorney General in connection with Treasury bond scam.

402 iPhones, 17,400 SIM cards seized in Eththukala

Communication equipment including 402 brand new iPhones was seized from a house at Eththukala in Negombo today, Police Spokesman Ruwan Gunasekara said.

IGP challenges compulsory leave: SC fixes June 24 for support on FR

The Supreme Court today re-fixed the support for granting leave to proceed on June 24 on the fundamental rights violation petition filed by IGP Pujith Jayasundara challenging the action of being sent on compulsory leave.

31 people injured in bus accident

At least thirty-one people including 26 school children were injured when a ‘Sisu Seriya’ school bus they were travelling in collided head-on with a bus transporting garment employees at Thalgodapitiya in Gokarella this morning, police said.

SriLankan Airlines world’s most punctual airline

The SriLankan Airlines has been named as the world’s most punctual airline with 90.75 per cent of its flights in May 2019 being ‘on-time’ throughout its route network, SriLankan Airlines said.

Special traffic plan for Modi’s visit on Sunday

A special traffic plan will be implemented on Sunday restricting vehicular movement in and around Colombo in view of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit, Police said.

’Prompt action upon tip-off would have averted Easter Sunday mayhem’

There were many among the group who had vandalised the Buddha statues in an around Mawanella, were known to me and when I inquired from them what made them commit this act, they invited me also to join their group, said Mohamed Razik Mohamed Thaslim of Mawanella who was critically injured by the alleged shooting by the extremist group suspecting him of having provided tip-off to the police.

Complaints received to committee: 3 against Rishad, 1 against Salley

The complaints received by the three-member committee appointed to investigate complaints against former Western Province Governor Azath Salley, former Eastern Province Governor M. L. A. M. Hizbullah and former Minister Rishad Bathiudeen had risen to four as of yesterday, Police Spokesman SP Ruwan Gunasekera said.

India, SL to focus on countering Jihadi terrorism

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his way home from the Maldives, would arrive in Sri Lanka on June 9 and discuss about bilateral cooperation on countering ‘Jihadi terrorism’ among other topics.

Bodies of Zaharan’s brothers to be exhumed today

The bodies of the two brothers of the alleged leader of the National Thowheed Jamaath (NTJ) Zaharan Hashim, who blew themselves up in the Sainthamarathu Village in Ampara, which were buried at the Ampara General Cemetery, are to be exhumed today (7).

President promised to clear me and give a DPL post if resigned: Pujith

IGP Pujith Jayasundara who testified before the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) appointed to look into the Easter Sunday attacks yesterday said President Maithripala Sirisena offered him an ambassador’s post and to clear him if he accepts the responsibility for the failure to prevent the bomb attacks on April 21 and resigned from his post.

Sterilisation claims against Dr. Shafi: Team of medical experts to examine women accusers

A committee comprising medical experts led by the Colombo Chief Judicial Medical Officer will examine the women who lodged complaints against Dr. Mohamed Shafi stating that he had sterilised them, Police Spokesman SP Ruwan Gunasekara said yesterday.

Prez told me not to attend NSC meeting convened by PM - Hemasiri Fernando

Former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando said yesterday that he did not inform the President on the intelligence information on the imminent suicide attack on Easter Sunday because he assumed that the Firector of the State Intelligence Services (SIS) must have informed the President on the matter, as it has been the practice

HR situation in Sri Lanka was mixed in 2018: UK

The latest Foreign and Commonwealth Office report of the UK said the human rights situation in Sri Lanka was mixed in 2018 with key concerns including increased inter-communal tensions and slow delivery of key reconciliation commitments.

Will reveal UNP Presidential Candidate next Saturday: Wedaarachchi

State Minister Dilip Wedaarachchi today said that UNP is to announce its presidential candidate next Saturday (8) in Anuradhapura in the presence of Minister Sajith Premadasa.

Eight Muslim ministers handover letters of resignation

Except for Minister Kabir Hashim, all other eight Muslim ministers have handed over their letters of resignation to the Presidential Secretariat by this evening, sources said.

UK no longer advises against all but essential SL travel

The UK said today its Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) no longer advised British travellers and tourists against all but essential travel to Sri Lanka.

Govt. to ban 'Wadu Madu' and chainsaws

Legal and administrative steps would be taken by the government shortly to prohibit the import of tree cutting machines, chainsaws, mechanical saws and the carpenter sheds popularly known as ‘wadu maduwa’, in a bid to protect the environment - in particular, the forest density of the country, President Maithripala Sirisena declared today.

Getting parents to provide security at schools should be stopped: Ministry

Since armed forces, police and the Civil Defence Force personnel have been deployed for the safety of school children, there is no need of parents to be called to schools to provide security, the Education Ministry said today.

SLFP parliamentary group requests Prez to contest

The parliamentary group of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), in a memorandum signed by several MPs, has requested President Maithripala Sirisena to contest the next presidential election.