​If I can't appoint a Minister, I don’t need such a post-MR

Commenting on the charge of providing MP Tissa Attanayake a ministerial post as a bribe, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Sunday said that there was no point of holding presidency if he cannot appoint a Minister. 

PM’s committee report on Arjuna biased - JHU

The Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) yesterday rejected the report by Prime Minister-appointed committee on Central Bank Governor’s alleged involvement in the Bond sale issue and said the report was biased, and therefore it cannot be accepted.

​SLC expresses shock over withholding funds by ICC

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) today said that they were shocked by the ‘purported decision’ of the  International Cricket Council (ICC) to withheld monies lawfully due to SLC by way of the financial distributions for the T20 World Cup 2014 and the World Cup 2015 citing ‘alleged’ political interference.

Video: ASP’s mansion proposal postponed

Sri Lanka Labour Party Leader and businessman A.S.P. Liyanage today said that he had decided to postpone the offer to hand over his ‘Peacock Mansion’ at Nawala to former President Mahinda Rajapaksa due to certain circumstances, which had arisen recently.

Landslide warning for six districts

A landslide warning has been issued by the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) this afternoon for six districts for the next 24 hours due to heavy rains.

Flight carrying SL refugees to Cambodia cancelled

The $40 million Australia-Cambodia refugee deal caught a snag on Monday when the first chartered flight to relocate detainees from Nauru to the Asian kingdom was cancelled, the Asian Correspondent said.

BC summons Shashi

National Freedom Front (NFF) Leader Wimal Weerawansa said today his wife Shashi had been summoned to the Bribery Commission to record a statement on several allegations.

BC DG summoned to House

The Director General (DG) of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption Ms. Dilrukshi Dias Wickramasinghe has been asked to be present at the Parliament by the Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa a short while ago.

Court order to check Gamini Senarath’s accounts

Police Financial Crimes Investigations Division (FCID) today obtained a court order to examine the accounts of former presidential chief-of-staff Gamini Sedara Senarath, his close relatives and their business establishments in more than 80 banks and financial institutions.

Petition signed by 60 UPFA MPs handed over to President

A petition, against the summoning of former president Mahinda Rajapaksa by the Bribery commission, was handed over to President Maithripala Sirisena in Parliament a short while ago.

MR unlikely to report to the BC

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa is unlikely to report to the Bribery Commission (BC) though it had summoned him to do so on April 24, his spokesman Rohan Weliwita said today.

Video: CCD wants ASP’s statement

The Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) had summoned businessman and Sri Lanka Labour Party Leader A.S.P. Liyanage to record a statement under the Money Laundering Act to find whether he had sold his residence to Rs. 450 million.

Update: MPs want written assurance

UPFA MP T.B. Ekanayake who is one of the MPs carrying out the protest said it would not be called off until President Maithripala Sirisena assured them in writing of former president Mahinda Rajapaksa’s safety and security.

Another landslide in Haldummulla

A five-acre rubber land had been destroyed in a landslide reported in Damminiyathenna, Haldummulla this morning, the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said.

Man kills mother and sister

A man alleged to have hacked to death his 52-year-old mother and 32-year-old sister in their house at Pundalu Oya in Kothmale last night, the police said.

Parliamentary dissolution only after electoral reforms:MS

President Maitripala Sirisena assured yesterday that he would not dissolve Parliament until the electoral reforms were enacted, a party leader said yesterday.

Mahinda and Gota summoned by Bribery Commission

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and former Defense Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa have been asked to report to the Bribery Commission (BC) this week to record statements over various allegations against them, highly placed sources said.

Minority parties to hold discussions on electoral process with Govt.

Minority Parties which met today to discuss electoral reforms had decided to form a joint committee to work with the government in designing a new electoral process.

Video: Give priority to 19A: Sobitha Thera tells MPs

It is ideal if we can simultaneously abolish the executive presidency and adopt a new electoral system but at the moment we should prioritise the enactment of 19th Amendment, National Movement for Social Justice Leader Ven.Maduluwawe SobithaThera said today.

Dead body found inside a Bambalapitiya school

A body of a 44 year-old woman, attached to the minor staff of a leading school in Bambalapitiya has been found inside the school's store room, Police said.

Lovers in fatal jump at Diyaluma Falls

An 18-year-old girl and her boy friend had reportedly jumped off from the Diyaluma Waterfall in Koslanda this afternoon in a suicide attempt and the body of the girl was found a short while ago, police said.

No decision to remove any party member-Susil

UPFA General Secretary Susil Premajayantha today denied reports that the UPFA was preparing to remove certain parties from the alliance or that certain members were preparing to quit it.

​Potta Naufer wins a Bakmaha event

The notorious under-world gangster M .N. Naufer alias Potta Naufer, who is sentenced to death for the killing of High Court Judge Sarath Ambepitiya had won the first place in the music cards game, an event which is similar to musical chairs game at a Bak Maha Ulele organised by the Badulla Prisoners’ Welfare Association. 

No secret accounts in any foreign bank-MR

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa today rejected allegations that he, his wife or sons maintained illegal or secret offshore accounts in any foreign bank.

No direct involvement by Mahendran-Committee

The committee of eminent lawyers which inquired into the 30-year Treasury Bond issuance has said that Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran had no direct role in deciding to accept bids over and above the one billion rupees stipulated in the 30-year bond tender and accept up to 10 billion rupees.

Video: I will not join Somawansa-Tilvin

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramauna (JVP) General Secretary Tilvin Silva today denied reports that he and two other senior members of the party had decided to resign from the JVP to join with its former leader Somawansa Amarasinghe.

Hundreds feared dead after boat capsizes

Hundreds of people are feared to have drowned after a boat carrying up to 700 migrants capsized in the Mediterranean Sea, the Italian coastguard says.

Video: Something is better than nothing-Tilvin

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) today said the 19th Amendment to the Constitution was not a perfect piece of legislation but should be enacted as it fulfilled people’s aspirations to some extent.

​SL bound 600 kg of sea cucumber seized in TN

A stock of 600 kg of fully processed sea cucumber, worth Rs 12 lakh in the illegal market, has been seized from a fishing hamlet near Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu and one person arrested on the charge of stocking it with a plan to smuggle it to Sri Lanka. 

Debate on 19th A postponed

The Parliamentary debate on the 19th Amendment, which was scheduled for debate tomorrow, had been postponed for Tuesday, consequent to an All Party Meeting chaired by President Maithripala Sirisena this morning.