Parliament sessions to be telecast live from today

Parliament sessions will be telecast live on State TV for one hour from today  following a decision madeby the Consultative Committee on Parliamentary Affairs, sources said.They said the sessions would be telecast live via Rupavahini TV channel on an experimental basis.

Japanese vehicle prices going up and up

The value -- which would include the base value plus taxes -- of imported Japanese Vehicles was bound to increase by between Rs.0.7 million and Rs.1.2 million when taking into account the government’s decision to charge duties on the Customs value determined by the Customs Director General based on the prices furnished by the vehicle manufacturers, Vehicle Importers’ Association Co-Secretary Nishantha Perera said yesterday.

Ship carrying weapons seized off Galle

Navy Commander Ravindra Wijegunaratne said Today the Navy had launched an investigation into the Sri Lankan-flagged ship carrying a stock of 810 weapons taken into custody after being spotted in the sea some 12 nautical miles off Galle on Tuesday.

Only furnace oil contamination in Kelaniya

Investigations had revealed that water in the Kelani River only contained traces of furnace oil, Minister of Water Supply and Water Management Rauff Hakeem informed Parliament today.

Presidential Secretariat clarifies renovation charges

The Presidential Secretariat in a communiqué on reports regarding the Rs.180 million requested to repair the new President’s residence said the building had to be renovated by merging two old houses so as to be made suitable for the use of a President.

Reject UNHRC resolution: Somawansa

Janatha Sevaka Pakshaya General Secretary Somawansa Amarasinghe today said all the political parties should come together to reject the UNHRC resolution in order to prevent Sri Lanka from becoming a colony again.

FEB busts foreign employment racket

A racket where Sri Lankans were sent to Kuwait on tourist visas for employment in that country has been busted by the Foreign Employment Bureau (FEB).

Janaka Bandara remanded

UPFA MP Janaka Bandara Thennakoon, who was arrested yesterday in connection with a murder in 1999, was remanded till October 20 by the Colombo Chief Magistrate today.

Video: Lalith Weeratunga and Palpita released on bail

Former presidential secretary Lalith Weeratunga and former Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) director general Anusha Palpita, produced in the Colombo High Court on charges of misappropriating Rs.620 million were released on bail today.

Grade Five scholarship winners

Three students scored 196 marks and become island first in the Grade Five Scholarship examination conducted in August, 2015, the Department of Examinations said.

Video: Abandoned infant found

An infant girl, aged about 18 days has been found abandoned by a road near the Dangolla Junction in Peradeniya.

Kondaya’s DNA doesn’t match

The Minuwangoda Magistrate said today that the DNA samples obtained from Dunesh Priyashantha alias ‘Kondaya’ did not match with the DNA obtained from the two strands of hair recovered from the body of five-year-old Seya Sadewmi.

Court permits Gota to change caption on FR petition

The Supreme Court yesterday permitted former defence secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa to amend the caption on his petition with regard to an imminent arrest and detention by the Financial Crime Investigation Division (FCID).

Grade-5 Scholarship results and cut- off marks released

The Examination Department announced that Grade 5 Scholarship results-2015 have been released and could be obtained from www.doenets.lk or www.results.exams.gov.lk.

Temporary halt to Death Sentence

Sri Lanka has decided to temporary halt the enforcement of death sentence following a request made by the UN from all its member states and to be in line with the current global trends, Minister of Justice Wijedasa Rajapaksa informed Parliament yesterday.

Video: SL sleuths say Maldives explosion pre-planned

The investigation, carried out by a team of four Sri Lankans on the explosion in the Maldivian President Yameen Abdul Gayoom’s speedboat on September 28, had revealed that it had been pre-planned and was not due to a technical fault in the boat’s engine as claimed earlier.

Lankan pilgrim's body found in Mecca

The body of the Sri Lankan pilgrim who went missing along with with his wife following the stampede in Mecca in Saudi Arabia on September 24 has been identified by a relative of his at the mortuary in Mecca, Muslim Religious Affairs Minister Abdul Haleem said today.

Four trains on northern line cancelled

Four night trains on the northern line were cancelled this evening because of a derailment between the Galgamuwa and Ambanpola railway stations, the Railway Control Room said.

Video: IGP told to pay Rs.25,000 each to two JVP activists

The Supreme Court said today the ignorance of the law was not an excuse and ordered the IGP to pay a compensation of Rs.25,000 to each of the two JVP activists arrested by the Police for pasting posters which read, "Stop Media Oppression and Restore Democracy".

Janaka Bandara arrested

UPFA parliamentarian Janaka Bandara Tennakoon was today arrested by the CID in connection with a killing that had taken place in 1999.

Tourist bathing in the nude arrested at H'Kaduwa

A foreign tourist sea bathing in the nude off the Hikkaduwa beach was arrested based on a complaint made to the police. He was produced before Galle Magistrate Kesara Samaradivakara and released on a personal bail of Rs.100,000.

Traffic at Town Hall

Heavy traffic was reported in the Town Hall area due to a protest by the students of the Visual and Performing Arts University, Colombo outside the University Grant Commission (UGC) in Colombo 7.

Video: Parliament adjourned for 10 mins

Parliament was adjourned for 10 minutes following a tense situation when a group of United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) MPs protested inside the chamber with a banner which stated ‘No hybrid courts.’

Hangman interviews on the 13th

Twenty four applications had been received for two vacancies for the post of hangman in the Department of Prisons, Prisons Commissioner Rohana Pushpakumara said.

E01 Kokmaduwa- Imaduwa still closed for traffic

The Kokmaduwa and Imaduwa sector of the Southern Expressway (E01) near the 114 km post would be remain closed until further notice due to landslides, the NBRO said today.

Video: Kondaya’s brother brought to do a DNA test

Samantha Jayalath, the elder brother of Dunesh Priyashantha alias ‘Kondaya’, who is in remand custody in connection with the killing of Seya Sadewmi, was brought to the Borella Genetech Institute for a DNA test a short while ago.

PM delivers memorial speech in Japanese Parliament

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe who is on a five-day official visit to Japan, delivered a Special Memorial Speech to the parliamentarians of the Japanese National Diet today. Previously, only two state leaders have been given the opportunity to address the Japanese Parliament.   

Ready to quit NDA if it helps SL Tamils: Ramadoss

PMK MP Anbumani Ramadoss on Monday has said he was ready to quit the BJP-led NDA alliance if his decision could help find a permanent solution to the problems of the Sri Lankan Tamils, the Hindu said.

CID to inspect Giritale Army Camp

The CID has said as part of its ongoing investigations into the fate that had befallen journalist Pragneeth Eknaligoda who had gone missing, it would inspect the Giritale Army Intelligence Corps Camp where he was alleged to have been detained.

Vehicle import levies to be applied after Budget: Ravi

The import duty rates on vehicles, to be imposed in this year’s Budget, would be applied to all the vehicles that reach Sri Lankan shores after the budget was produced, Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake said today.