Man kept in poultry run

The Police had released yesterday (14) morning a seventy-year-old man living in an empty poultry run in a backyard of a house at the Kuruppu Junction in Polonnaruwa.

Video: I couldn't do much work as former CM blocked me: Hirunika

Colombo District MP Hirunika Premachandra said today she could not complete some of the work she had initiated because the funds allocated for it by the Western Provincial Council were blocked by the then Chief Minister after she decided to support President Maithripala Sirisena at the last Presidential Election.

Video: Mano Ganesan meets hunger strikers

Minister Mano Ganesan visited the ex-LTTE cadres who began a hunger strike on Monday (12) at the Magazine Prison. He said a discussion would be held after a committee meeting on the 20th, regarding the strike.

MR at PRECIFAC tomorrow

Former president Mahinda Rajapaksa and five others have been summoned to meet the Presidential Commission of Inquiry to Investigate and Inquire into Serious Acts of Fraud, Corruption and Abuse of Power, State Resources and Privileges (PRECIFAC) tomorrow over the ITN controversy.

Video: SF calls for legal action against AG

Democratic Party (DP) leader and former Army Commander Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka said today they would take legal action against the Attorney General over his disrespect for the law of the country.

LG terms extended till 31st Dec.

The term of office of some 21 local government bodies which was scheduled to expire on Friday and two another scheduled to expire on October 31 had been extended until December 31, Local Government and Provincial Council Minister Faizer Mustapha said.

Won’t be surprised if Karuna, Douglas arrested: TNA

TNA MP M.A. Sumanthiran today said that he wouldn’t be surprised if former Minister Douglas Devananda or former Deputy Minister Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan were arrested in the wake of the arrest of Former Eastern Province Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan on Sunday.

FCID questions five former SL envoys

Four former security forces’ commanders and a retired Major General who were appointed to Sri Lankan missions overseas were questioned by The Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) over their involvement in politics.

Video: Pillayan detained till Nov.4

Colombo Chief Magistrate today extended the detention of former Chief Minister of the Eastern Province Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan till November 4.

Shooting at Wellampitya

The individual who was shot dead at Gothami Road in Wellampitya, Tuesday night (13) had been identified as Muttusamy Perumal alias Chandra (47) of Wattala, the Police said.

DNA matches that of Kondaya’s brother

Minuwangoda Magistrate D.A. Ruwanpathirana said the DNA samples obtained from Saman Jayalath, the brother of Dunesh Priyashantha alias ‘Kondaya’, has matched the DNA obtained from the two strands of hair recovered from the body of Seya Sadewmi.

MIA warehouses will soon be handed back: PMB

The Paddy Marketing Board (PMB) said today the Mattala International Airport warehouse complex would be released soon because tenders were being called from rice millers countrywide for the sale of paddy stocks including those at Mattala.

Five SL fishermen arrested by India

A Sri Lankan fishing boat along with five fishermen onboard was apprehended by the Indian Coast Guard Ship Rajveer off Vakalapudi coast in Andhra Pradesh with 700 kg of fish on Tuesday.

Tamil Tiger in Toronto ordered to deport for terrorism

A member of the Tamil Tigers who was allegedly sent to Toronto to run the Sri Lankan guerrilla group’s Canadian front organization has been ordered deported for terrorism, according to documents filed in the Federal Court.

Video: Wele Suda sentenced to death

Gampola Vidanage Samantha Kumara alias Wele Suda was sentenced to death by Colombo High Court Judge Preethi Padman Surasena today on charges of possessing of 7.05 grams of heroin in Mount Lavinia in 2008.

Rakna Lanka GM sacked

The general manager of the security firm Rakna Lanka -- Major General Gamini Jayasundera (Rtd) has been removed from his post with immediate effect for giving false evidence during an inquiry held by the Presidential Commission Probing Acts of Serious Fraud and Corruption.

​New traffic plan in Rajagiriya area suspended

The new traffic plan along Sri Jayewardenepura Road from parliament and Battaramulla towards Colombo, that was implemented since last Monday, has been suspended, police said.

Code of conduct for MPs soon: Speaker

Speaker Karu Jayasuriya is reported to have told a delegation of civil society representatives yesterday that he would introduce a Code of Conduct for MPs soon.

Demo in France by former detainees: TNA

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) said today that last Friday's demonstration in France against a meeting between its MPs and Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization (TELO) provincial councillors, was carried out by some of those who had been harassed while being detained in TELO camps in the 1990s.

New traffic plan a success with few snags: Police

The new traffic plan along Sri Jayewardenepura Road from parliament and Battaramulla towards Colombo and Maharagama on the High Level Road was successful though some snags along the Sri Jayewardenepura Road near Baseline Road have to be straightened out, Police said.

Pope appoints new bishop to Jaffna

Pope Francis has appointed a new bishop to the Diocese of Jaffna in northern Sri Lanka.  Monsignor Justin Bernard Gnanapragasam, the Vicar General of the diocese is the new bishop of Jaffna. 

Police to launch probe on arms ship

A police investigation would be launched into the arms ship Avant Garde which is currently under the custody of the Sri Lanka Navy, Police Spokesman Ruwan Gunasekara said today.

Ex-minister Velayudhan passes away

Former State Minister of Plantation Industries K. Velayudhan has passed away today at the age of 65 while undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Chennai, India.

Video: Hangmen: 14 interviewed for two posts

Prisons Department said today 14 applicants for the two vacant posts of Hangmen were interviewed by a three-member panel comprising officials of the Public Administration and Home Affairs Ministry, Justice Ministry and Prisons Department at the Prisons Head Office.

Japan to help lankan reconciliation efforts

Sri Lanka should look towards the future as well while looking back at what happened during the final days of the armed conflict, Japanese Ambassador Kenichi Suganuma said today.

Video: Will continue to eradicate drug trafficking: Ruwan

State Minister of Defence, Ruwan Wijewardene today said Sri Lanka would continue working with countries in the Indian Ocean Region and the Global Maritime Crimes Programme of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to eradicate drug trafficking and maritime crimes from the region.

Stay order on full-face helmet ban extended

The interim order issued staying the operation of the police circular banning the use of full-face helmets, was extended till November 2 by the Appeal Court today.

Magistrate recalls warrant on Gnanasara Thera

Fort Magistrate Priyantha Liyanage has recalled the arrest warrant issued on Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) General Secretary Ven.Galagodaatte Gnanasara Thera and ordered him to appear in Court at the next hearing date.

Video: Armed man robs bank in Dambulla

A man wearing a mask and armed with a hand grenade has robbed Rs.797,000 from a private bank in Dambulla and abducted an employee as well, Police said.

Presidential Media Deputy Director Herath resigns

Presidential Media Deputy Director Osala Herath has resigned from his post with effect from October 7, Presidential Media Unit said today.