COPE will present a landmark report: Ajith P. Perera

The Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) would present a landmark report which will hold all those responsible for the alleged bond scam culpable and call for their arrest, said Deputy Minister and COPE member Ajith P Perera at a media briefing last evening.

Separate lane for buses from December: Gemunu

The Megapolis and Western Region Development Minister had approved the separate lane for buses during peak hours from Battaramulla to Colombo Fort from December 1, Lanka Private Bus Owners’ Association Chairman (LPBOA) Gemunu Wijeyaratne said yesterday.

JHU wants total crackdown on ex-LTTEers in NE

The Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) today claimed that ex-LTTE cadres might be behind the criminal activities taking place in the Northern and Eastern Provinces and called for a total crackdown on the 12,600 of them who were released after rehabilitation.

Govt. must be judged by its actions and not on statements made: Mangala

Commenting on the controversial speech made by the President recently, Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera today requested the government be judged on its actions and not on the statements made.

Police investigating ‘AAVA gangsters' in Jaffna

The Police have launched an investigation into the group called the ‘AAVA Gangsters’ which has claimed the responsibility for the sword attack on the two police officers at the Chunnakam market.

Short stint for tinted glasses

A week long operation inspecting vehicles with tinted or curtained front windows was launched countrywide by the police today.

Only minimal force if vehicles disregard order to stop: IGP

Rejecting reports that the police had no right to shoot at a vehicle for disregarding an order to stop, IGP Pujith Jayasundara said today the police could use minimal and necessary force in such cases.

UNP protecting 'Ali Baba' in bond scam: JVP

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) today accused the UNP members in the parliamentary Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) of attempting to protect “Ali Baba” and recommend action only against a few of the thieves involved in the bond scam.

Sergeant hit on face with bottle, hospitalised

A sergeant attached to the Kilinochchi Police was hospitalised after he was assaulted with a bottle on the face by a drunken man outside the Kilinochchi Hospital this evening.

Range Bandara’s son released on bail

UNP Minister Palitha Range Bandara’s son Yasodha and another suspect were released on bail today by Anamaduwa Magistrate Janani Wijethunge.

PM assures impartial probe on Jaffna killing

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe today assured Parliament that an independent inquiry would be conducted into the deaths of the two Jaffna University students.

Interim order preventing KP from leaving SL extended

The interim order issued directing the Controller of Immigration and Emigration preventing LTTE’s former arms procurer Kumaran Pathmanathan (KP) from leaving the country, was extended till December 16 by the Appeals Court today.

Sri Lanka gets more generous this year

Sri Lanka has moved up three notches and ranked fifth in the 2016 World Giving Index (WGI) compiled by the UK based Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) and released on Monday.

Kahatagaha miners launch underground hunger strike

Some 75 workers at the Kahatagaha Graphite Mine in Dodangaslanda today launched a hunger strike 1,132 feet underground, against an alleged move by the government to privatize the Kahatagaha Graphite Lanka limited.  

VAT Bill complies with Constitution: SC

The Supreme Court has informed the Speaker that the VAT Amendment Bill complies with the Constitution, Deputy Speaker Thilanga Sumathipala informed Parliament today.  

‘AAVA’ claims responsibility for sword attack on Jaffna Policemen

A group calling themselves the ‘AAVA Gangsters’ has claimed responsibility for the sword attack on two police officers in the Chunnakam market area.  

Gunmen kill 59 in attack on police academy in Pakistan

At least 59 people were killed and more than 100 wounded when gunmen wearing suicide vests stormed a Pakistani police training academy in the southwestern city of Quetta and took hostages, government officials said on Tuesday.

I spoke according to my conscience: President

President Maithripala Sirisena, in an exclusive interview with Lankadeepa, said the speech he made at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute (SLFI) with regard to the FCID action on heads of forces was drawn from his conscience.

Chillie granted bail, two more cases filed

Singer Thilanka Vidusha also known as Chillie was granted bail after he was remanded two weeks ago for assaulting an elderly man.

Hartal in Jaffna today

Shops in the Northern Province have decided to close their business establishments today as a mark of protest against the deaths of two university student, Northern PC member M. K. Shivajilingam said.

India may relax visa norms for SL monks

Days after the visit of  Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, the Indian government is examining a proposal to relax the visa regime for Buddhist monks from Sri Lanka.

Player management a core issue – Sumathipala

Player management, or the lack thereof, by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) over the last three years had contributed to the current injury crisis being faced by the national team, SLC President Thilanga Sumathipala said yesterday, on the eve of the team’s departure for a tour of Zimbabwe.   

Founding UN values must be upheld to overcome problems: Mangala

The founding principles of the United Nations such as pluralism, human rights, respect for diversity and the principle of working together should be upheld in order to overcome the problems faced by the world at present, Foreign Affairs Minister Mangala Samaraweera said today.

Minister Range Bandara’s son arrested following accident

UNP Minister Palitha Range Bandara’s son Yasodha and three others had been arrested by the Anamaduwa Police this evening in connection with a road accident in which a 42-year-old man had been killed.

Take action against Arjun Aloysius: COPE

Members of the Parliamentary Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) today held former Central Bank (CB) Governor Arjuna Mahendran's son-in-law Arjun Aloysius and other directors of Perpetual Treasuries responsible for the controversial CB Bond Scam, UNP member of COPE and Deputy Minister Ajith P. Perera said.

Four remanded for beating sexually abused woman

Four members of the administrative panel of the Jummah Mosque in Nallandaluwa, Puttalam were remanded indefinitely by Puttalam Magistrate Bandula Gunaratne today -- on charges of beating a woman, who had earlier been sexually abused, with a coconut spathe bowl (hanassa).

CSN’s broadcasting license cancelled

The broadcasting license of the Carlton Sports Network (CSN) Channel has been cancelled as it had failed to adapt to the regulations, the Government Information Department today said.  

Bond Scam: Handunnetti walks out of COPE meeting

Parliamentary Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) Chairman MP Sunil Handunnetti walked out of today’s COPE meeting in protest over several UNP MPs allegedly influencing Auditor General to withdraw his statement from the COPE report on Central Bank (CB) Bond Sale Scam.

Ex-mayor, 3 others remanded for operating brothel

Batticaloa’s former mayor Sivageetha Prabhakaran, her husband E.  Prabhakaran and two others were remanded till November 7 today on charges of operating a brothel at her residence in Batticaloa.

‘Pearl of Norway’ arrives in SL

Sørlandet, the oldest of the three Norwegian Tall Ships and the oldest full rigged ship in the world still in operation has arrived in Colombo yesterday, the Royal Norwegian Embassy said.