Public requested to handover swords to police

The police have requested the general public to handover any illegal swords and Kris knives in their possession to the nearest police station today or tomorrow, the Police Media Unit said today.

Minister of Law and Order - Prez rejects request to appoint SF

President Maithripala Sirisena is reported to have refused Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s request to appoint UNP MP Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka as the Law and Order Minister.

Arrival of FETO terrorists - SL disregarded Turkish warnings: GL

Amid reports of the government’s failure to act on specific intelligence on Easter Sunday’s bomb attacks, information has now surfaced that the defence authorities had also ignored Turkish government alerts that 50 members of the Fethullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) had arrived in Sri Lanka.

Criticizing Prez not an offence: Counsel

UNP-affiliated National Lawyers’ Association Secretary Nissanka Nanayakkara, who visited the Fort Police Station where three suspects were detained for possessing letters allegedly defamatory of the President, said criticizing the President was not an offence.

Explosives found buried in mosque backyard

Three locally made bombs and 100 grams of ammonia were found buried in the backyard of a mosque at Welipenna last night , police said.

Some Govt. MPs slinging mud at Prez: Dayasiri

SLFP General Secretary and MP Dayasiri Jayasekara said yesterday there was a concerted effort to sling mud at President Maithripala Sirsena by a section of the government led by Minister Lakshman Kiriella.

Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs Ministry to regulate Madrasas

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has instructed that Madrasas should be regulated by the Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs Ministry and not by the Education Ministry, Education Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam said yesterday.

Easter Sunday attacks - The JVP to question the PM

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) will question Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on the Easter Sunday bomb attacks in Parliament next week, JVP MP Vijitha Herath said yesterday.

Orders given to strengthen security in the East: PM

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said yesterday that orders were given to tighten security in the East soon after the bombs went off at churches in Colombo on Easter Sunday.

Extremists planning attacks on bridges in Colombo: police

Islamist extremists in Sri Lanka are believed to be planning attacks on bridges in Colombo, the authorities said, as they warned that several conspirators in the Easter Sunday bombings which killed 257 people were still at large.

Sainthamaruthu Hideout - Cop who gave info promoted

The Kalmunai Traffic Police Constable, who provided vital information on the terrorist hideout in Sainthamarthu was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and awarded Rs.500,000, Police Spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said.

Law and Order Minister - 59 UNF MPs to request Prez to appoint SF

Fifty nine United National Front MPs including some senior ministers are expected to hand over a written request to President Maithripala Sirisena on Monday requesting him to appoint Filed Marshall Sarath Fonseka as the Minister of Law and Order.

Will consider tax waivers to support tourism after blasts: Mangala

We will consider a tax amnesty program for the tourism industry in a bid to help companies recover from the Easter Sunday terrorist attacks that killed more than 250 people, Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera said.

Indian ’hate preacher’ Zakir Naik charged with money laundering

Indian prosecutors have charged controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik with money laundering, BBC reported.

Easter Sunday attacks - AG declines to appear for IGP, DIG

The Attorney General today declined to appear for IGP Pujith Jayasundara and Special Security Division DIG Priyalal Dasanayake in the fundamental rights petition filed in the Supreme Court despite a request made by the Director of the Police Legal Division.

600 letters found at CME had nothing defamatory: Kiriella

Referring to the arrest of three suspects attached to the Public Enterprise Development Ministry with 600 letters at the Central Mail Exchange (CME) in Pettah on Thursday, Minister Lakshman Kiriella said as far as he was aware the letters did not contain any racist ideologies or defamatory remarks against anyone or anti-government propaganda.

Special Economic Corridor - US denies Wimal’s claim

The United States are not operating a ‘special economic corridor’ in Sri Lanka as claimed by Opposition MP Wimal Weerawansa, a spokesperson for the US Embassy said.

Defamatory letters: Computer, photocopy machine seized

The computer and the photocopy machine which were believed to be used to prepare defamatory letters against the President were seized from the Ministry of Public Enterprises at the World Trade Centre in Colombo today, Police Spokesman SP Ruwan Gunasekera said.

Occupancy rate of hotels down 70 percent: THASL

In the aftermath of the Easter Sunday terror attacks, the occupancy rate of hotels has declined by 70 percent countrywide, Hotels Association of Sri Lanka (THASL) President Sanath Ukwatte said.

Criticizing President not an offence: Counsel

Attorney-at-law Nissanka Nanayakkara, who visited the Fort Police Station where three suspects were detained for possessing letters defamatory against the President, said criticizing the President was not an offence.

Students Union president, secretary arrested with Prabhakaran’s posters

The president and the secretary of the Jaffna University Students’ Union had been arrested by the Kopai Police on charges of having in their possession posters containing the picture of former LTTE leader Vellupillai Prabhakaran, the Kopai Police said.

Central Province NTJ financial controller arrested

A 40-year-old man, who is alleged to have been in charge of the finances of the National Thawheed Jamaath (NTJ) organisation in the Central Province, was arrested by police in the early hours of yesterday in Gampola.

Defamatory letters: Suspects handed over to CCD

The three suspects who were arrested yesterday along with 600 letters containing defamatory remarks against the President at the Central Mail Exchange (CME) in Pettah, were handed over to the Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) today for further investigations, Police Spokesman SP Ruwan Gunasekera said.

Four foreigners arrested over visa violations

Four foreign nationals have been arrested in the Awissawella and Grandpass areas over visa violations yesterday, police said.

No mercy on fake news mongers on terror attack: Eran

State Minister of Finance Eran Wickramaratne yesterday said the government would not hesitate to take stern actions against those who are involved in posting fake news, thereby they would become a threat to national security.

Zahran gave sister Rs.2 mn prior to bombings

National Thawheed Jamaath (NTJ) leader Mohamed Zahran Hashim had reportedly given his sister, Mohamed Cassim Mohamed Niyas Madaniya, a sum of Rs.2 million when he met her on April 12 in Colombo prior to the suicide bombings on Easter Sunday, police investigations had revealed.

Illegal deals signed to transfer SLIIT to private entity: Wijeyadasa

The Mahapola Higher Education Scholarship Trust Fund had incurred a loss of Rs. 48,000 million until now after signing two illegal agreements to transfer Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT) to a separate private entity during the first 100 days of the ‘Yahapalana’ government, former Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe informed the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) to investigate corruption of the current administration yester

1,669 Madrasas, 317 Arabic schools registered under Ministry: Director

Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs Director M.R.M.Malik said that there are 1,669 Islam ‘Madrasa’ schools and 317 Arabic schools registered under the Department of Muslim religious and Cultural Affairs all over the country.

All visa-violating foreigners ordered to be deported

Internal and Home Affairs Minister Vajira Abeywardana yesterday instructed the Controller of Emigration and Immigration to take steps to deport all foreigners remaining in the country without visas and those overstaying their visas, under the prevailing security situation.

20 explosive laden vehicles in North?

All vehicles entering and exiting the Northern region are being subjected to rigorous inspection after the intelligence services had received information that 20 explosive-laden vehicles had entered the North from the South, the Army said.