Sri Lanka regains ICC Status

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) regained its ICC Status, after nine months of being relegated to observer status, SLC President Shammi Silva tweeted.

PM offers prayers at Tirumala

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and his wife Maitree Wickremesinghe, were among the ministers and some of the top officials on Saturday who reached the temple city of Tirupati in India to offer worship to Lord Venkateswara.

Police to continue deploying WPCs at protests

Commenting on the police move to deploy women police constables to disperse protesting university students recently, police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekara said it was done as female university students were also engaged in the protest.

Lalkantha remanded

JVP Politbureau member K.D. Lalkantha, who was arrested on charges of driving under the influence of liquor, was remanded till March 14 today.

Strengthening PC system - Committee to submit proposals

There being no consensus among the main political parties on abolishing the executive presidency and on electoral reforms, President Maithripala Sirisena appointed a high-level committee on Thursday to recommend how the provincial council system could be strengthened through constitutional measures, a TNA MP said yesterday.

Ravi blames CB for the ETI mess

While severely criticizing the Central Bank for its handling of the Edirisinghe Trust Investment (ETI) deal, Power, Energy and Business Development Minister Ravi Karunanayaka yesterday vowed to expose what went wrong in the ETI deal.

PCoI - Needs time to compile report so no daily sittings

Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) on SriLankan airlines, SriLankan catering and Mihin Lanka needs adequate time to compile its report and as such will not hold daily sittings, PCoI Chairman Anil Goonaratne said yesterday.

Prez wants special court to hear drug crimes cases

President Maithripala Sirisena has stressed the need of establishment of a special court to hear cases related to drug crimes and expect to discuss this matter at the next cabinet meeting.

Suraksha Insurance Scheme defrauds Rs.2,300 Mn: Wijeyadasa

Opposition MP Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe yesterday charged that the much-touted ‘Suraksha Insurance Scheme’ launched for 4.5 million students has defrauded Rs.2,300 million in 2018 and as such it was proper for President Maithripala Sirisena to suspend the insurance scheme.

SL should start making plans to control its future debt services: PM

Sri Lanka should start making plans to control its future debt services once the current debt issue is settled, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said today at Kuliyapitiya where he handed over buildings to 200 schools.

Pakistan hands over captured pilot to India

Pakistan has handed over a captured pilot to Indian authorities at the Wagah border, a move aimed at de-escalating tensions after days of hostilities with its South Asian neighbor, Al Jazeera reported.

JVP’s 20A has weaknesses: SLPP

The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) said today though there could be some who wish to see the executive presidency abolished, they may oppose the 20th Amendment brought by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) because it contained several weaknesses.

Lalkantha arrested for drunk driving

JVP politbureau member K.D. Lalkantha was arrested this afternoon on charges of driving under the influence of liquor after his vehicle had met with an accident injuring two women in Anuradhapura, Police Spokesman Ruwan Gunasekara said.

34 school boys arrested after they entered a girls’ school

About 34 students of two schools were taken into custody today for allegedly entering Methodist College in Kollupitiya and behaving in an unruly manner.

Indian envoy briefs SL leaders on terror attack

Indian High commissioner Taranjit Singh Sandhu today met Sri Lankan leaders including President Maithripala Sirisena and briefed him about the terrorist attack in Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir and subsequent development, during the week, informed sources said.

Elephant calf: Uduwe Dhammaloka Thera acquitted

The Colombo High Court today acquitted the Ven Uduwe Dhammaloka Thera in the case filed against him on charges of possessing an elephant calf without a valid permit.

Two arrested over Rs.7000 mn gem robbery

Two more suspects were arrested in Peliyagoda today on charges of aiding and abetting in the Rs.7,000 million-diamond and gem robbery, Police Spokesman Ruwan Gunasekara said.

Hong Kong bound private jet makes emergency landing at BIA

A private jet that was on its way to Hong Kong made an emergency landing at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), Katunayake today. Eleven people including two pilots were onboard the jet, Airport Duty Manager said.

Interpol assistance sought to arrest Kosgoda Sujee, 4 others

The Colombo Magistrate directed the police to request Interpol assistance to arrest the five main suspects involved in the largest heroin haul valued at more than Rs. 3,533 million which was seized last Sunday (24).

SL judiciary stood by Constitution during recent political crisis: Samantha Power

Sri Lanka’s judiciary stood by the Constitution and enforced the rule of law with great independence and seriousness of purpose during the recent political crisis, Human Rights Activist Samantha Power said yesterday.

Portuguese couple slammed for hanging out of moving train in SL

A Portuguese travelling couple has defended themselves after they were slammed for hanging out of a moving train in Sri Lanka just so they could capture the perfect picture for Instagram, Daily Mail reported.

SL reaches staff level agreement with IMF on 5th tranche

Sri Lanka has reached a staff level agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on the fifth review of the US $ 1.5 billion 3-year Extended Fund Facility (EEF) the country entered in June 2016.

PM to visit Tirumala

Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Ranil Wickremesinghe will be offering prayers to Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala during his two-day visit to the temple city, scheduled on March 2 and 3.

Starting political life in opposition benefited Mangala: President

The occasion of the completion of 30 years in politics by Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera was celebrated last afternoon at the BMICH.

Wijeyadasa wants CoI appointed to probe activities of CC

Former Justice and Higher Education Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe yesterday said he would make a request to President Maithripala Sirisena to appoint a Commission of Inquiry to probe the behaviour and activities of the Constitutional Council (CC) as it has been totally politicised.

Prez started to attack CC after aligning with MR: Anura

JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake said yesterday that President Maithripala Sirisena did not have any issue with the Constitutional Council (CC) for the past three years and that he had started to criticise it only after he joined hands with the Rajapaksa faction.

CA fixes order over the maintainability of Avant Garde case

The order on the revision application which raised the legal issue of the maintainability of the Avant Garde case, was fixed to be delivered on June 14, 2019, by the Court of Appeal yesterday.

Ravi makes statement to CID unit of SriLankan Commission

Power, Energy and Business Development Minister Ravi Karunanayake provided statements to the CID unit attached to the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) on irregularities at SriLankan Airlines, SriLankan Catering and Mihin Lanka today.

Amal Perera, son, others remanded for one month in Dubai

Singer Amal Perera, his son and others who were under Dubai Police custody, have been ordered to be remanded for one month after they were produced to before the Dubai Court today, Sri Lankan Counsel Shabdika Wellappili said.

Five MPs make their asset declarations public

A group of five members of parliament from across party lines came together today to publish their declarations of assets and liabilities in the public domain, Transparency International Sri Lanka said.