Defence Min. says ‘Lankan sniper’ was not in military

The Sri Lankan who was arrested in the Maldives, identified as a sniper, was not attached to the Sri Lankan military, the Defence Ministry said today.

Video: Avant Garde: Statement by two ministers not opinion of Govt. Rajitha

Cabinet Spokesman and Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne said today the statements made by two ministers in parliament on the Avant-Garde floating Armoury did not in anyway reflect the opinion of the Government on the matter.

Video: Protective sticker on bottles of liquor

Cabinet has approved a proposal by Minister Ravi Karunanayaketo affix a protective label (Sticker) on each legally manufactured bottle of arrack and on bottles of imported liquor before being released by the Customs to prevent illegally manufactured liquor entering the market.

Video: Wijeyadasa to sue SF

In a response to Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka’s allegation that Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe had obtained bribes from Avant Garde Maritime Services (Pvt) Ltd., the minister said today he would sue Field Marshal Fonseka demanding Rs.500 million in damages for making a derogatory statement against him.

31 injured in collision between two buses

Thirty one passengers were injured in a head-on collision between two private busses at the Hathamuna Junction on the Polonnaruwa-Colombo Road this morning, Police said.

Pro-SL Tamil activist hurls slipper at Ex-Indian security advisor

A pro-Sri Lankan Tamil activist who hurled a slipper at former National Security Advisor M. K. Narayanan has been remanded to 15 days' judicial custody, Chennai Police said yesterday.

Video: PRECIFAC summons Damitha

Actress Damitha Abeyratne has arrived at the Presidential Commission of Inquiry to Investigate and Inquire into Serious Acts of Fraud, Corruption and Abuse of Power, State Resources and Privileges (PRECIFAC) to give a statement with regard to the investigations it is carrying out into a complaint about fraud and corruption at SriLankan Airlines.

Ex-navy commander at PRECIFAC

A statement is being recorded from former navy commander Somathilake Dissanayake by the PRECIFAC on the floating armoury belonging to Rakna Arakshaka Lanka Ltd.

MP Chatura named a suspect

Gampaha District UNP Parliamentarian Chatura Senaratne who is alleged to have threatened with death a group of young men in custody at the Ragama police was yesterday named as a suspect by police that made a further report in connection with the incident before Negombo Chief Magistrate Purnima Paranagamage.

Money is the root of all evil

Several top former officials of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) including Presidents Upali and Jayantha Dharmadasa and Secretary Nishantha Ranatunga have come under criticism from the three member panel that inquired on the allegations of corruption at SLC from January 2012 to April 2015.

Drunken husband kills wife over denim trouser

A highly intoxicated husband, seeing his wife dressed in a Denim trouser is alleged to have lost his temper and assaulted her with an iron pole killing her on the spot, Police said.

UN Group to assist probes into disappearances in SL

A team from the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID) headed by its Vice President, Bernard Duhaime, will arrive in the Island next Monday (9) for a 10-day-visit to facilitate investigations into issues related to disappearances, the Foreign Ministry said.

Tense situation at Cabinet meeting on Avant-Garde

A tense situation prevailed at yesterday's Cabinet meeting over the Avant-Garde controversy amid several ministers, including Ministers Patali Champika Ranawaka and Rajitha Senaratne, criticising the government’s stance on this matter.

SLC elections on 3rd January 2016

The election to appoint office-bearers to Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) is fixed for the 3rd of January 2016, Sports Minister Dayasiri Jayasekera has said.

A pension scheme through the fund on the cards

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe presenting the Government’s mid-term economic plan in Parliament today announced major changes to be introduced to the social security sector under which the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) and the Employees Trust Fund (ETF) would be amalgamated to set up a new National Retirement Gratuity Fund and to introduce a new pension scheme.

Video: Kumar: It’s all political says FSP

Granting Sri Lankan citizenship to Kumar Gunaratnam was not a question of law, but a political consideration, Frontline Social Party (FSP) Politburo member Pubudu Jagoda said today.

Video: Ghosts of previous regime chases private bus: Wijeratne

No political revolution had taken place in the country, while the shadow operations of Mahinda Rajapaksa had emerged especially in the transport sector, Lanka Private Bus Owners' Association Chairman Gemunu Wijeratne said today.

Video: Police acknowledges HNDA attack, claims HNDA, Jathika Balaya

The Jathika Balaya Organisation and the HNDA Students today said the Police had acknowledged at the Human Rights Commission, the responsibility for attacking HNDA students during the protest held last Thursday.

Video: SF hits out at Marapana

Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka today hit out at Law and Order Minister Tilak Marapana and Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe saying that if what they said in parliament over the Avant-Garde floating armoury ship was true, then an inquiry should be launched against the police and action taken against them.

Video: PM launches third generation economy

While pledging that it would build a third generation economy in the coming years, the Government today announced key changes in the economic grounds aimed at realising these goals.

Opposition MPs walk out over Financial Acts

A group of Opposition MPs led by UPFA MP Dinesh Gunawardane left Parliament chamber a short while ago in protest over several Financial Acts which are being debated in Parliament.

One killed, one injured in elevator collapse

One person had been killed another injured when a construction site elevator collapsed in Wellawatta yesterday, the Police said.

Maldives arrests SL sniper after weapons bust

Police have arrested a Sri Lankan sniper from the Maldives days after a sniper rifle bullet was found in the biggest weapons bust in the country's recent history.

Video: Heavy traffic in Maradana

Heavy traffic was reported in Maradana due to a protest by the workers of 14 estates belonging to Agalawatta Plantations outside the head office premises demanding their ETF/EPF dues, the Police said.

Video: Body recovered with stab injuries

The body of a 28-year-old man with stab injuries on the neck, was recovered from an abandoned paddy field near the Tumbovila Bridge in Piliyandala this morning, Police said.

Video: FCID unit 2 OIC apologises to court

The FCID unit two OIC who was noticed to show cause as to why they had violated court procedure by producing former President’s Secretary Lalith Weeratunge and Former TRC Director General Anusha Pelpita in High Court without producing them before a Magistrate, today apologised to Colombo Additional Magistrate Nishantha Pieris following an explanation.

Soma Edirisinghe passes away

Chairperson of the EAP Group of companies and prominent entrepreneur Soma Edirisinghe (76) passed away at a private hospital this morning.

A/L student files rights petition against police

The schoolboy who was arrested on suspicion with the Seya Sadewmi’s murder in Kotadeniyawa, yesterday filed a fundamental rights petition in Supreme Court demanding a compensation of Rs.10 million and exemplary/punitive costs.

Avant-Garde raid similar to millennium city affair: Marapana

Law and Order Minister Tilak Marapana today told Parliament that the Police had raided the Avant-Garde floating armoury ship at the Galle Harbour soon after the election to 'score point'. While dismissing allegations over the whole matter, the Minister stated that it was similar to the millennium city affair in 2002. “The reality was that,” he said.

Video: Student protest influenced Kumar's arrest: FSP

Front line Socialist Party (FSP) Politburo member Duminda Nagamuwa said today FSP Central Committee member Kumar Gunaratnam, who was engaged in active politics for the last couple of months was arrested due to the influence on the Government after the recent attack at the protest launched by the HNDA students.