Two CID teams to arrest Ravi, eight others over bond scam

Two teams of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) officials are searching to arrest former MP Ravi Karunanayake and eight others over the Central Bank bond scam, Police Spokesman SP Jaliya Senarathna said today.

Kerala coronavirus patients recovered without drugs: Expert

The three people from Kerala who contracted coronavirus (Covid-19) recovered without the use of any drugs, and India has adequate supply of the combination of two antiretroviral drugs used to treat HIV and AIDS and are being used to treat Sars-CoV-2, said a scientist at one of the labs run by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on the condition of anonymity, the Indian media reported.

Bakers from Sri Lanka feel the heat

Three Sri Lankan bakers who moved to a quiet town in Romania to work in a bread factory have unexpectedly found themselves at the centre of an anti-immigration storm, the BBC reported.

Quarter of Italian population put under virus lockdown

More than 15 million people were placed under forced quarantine in northern Italy early Sunday as the government approved drastic measures in an attempt to halt the spread of the deadly coronavirus that is sweeping the globe.

Coronavirus threat - Induces UAE based billionaire postpone SL visit

Lulu Group International Chairman and Managing Director, UAE based Indian billionaire, Yusuff Ali has postponed this month’s visit to Sri Lanka to discuss millions of dollars worth of investments with the government amid fears of the global coronavirus threat, the Daily Mirror learns.

Passengers from Italy, Korea, Iran to be sent to Batti Campus for quarantine

All passengers arriving from Italy, South Korea and Iran would be sent to the Batticaloa Private University and the Kandakadu Rehabilitation Centre to be quarantined for 14 days for coronavirus, the Health Ministry said.

No Lankans or foreigners infected by coronovirus

None of the Sri Lankans or foreigners who had arrived in Sri Lanka from coronavirus-affected countries such as Korea, Italy or China were found to have been infected by the deadly virus though 14 Sri Lankans and two foreigners were under medical observation at several hospitals, Chief Epidemiologist Dr. Sudath Samaraweera said yesterday.

PTL Director arrested, remanded

Perpetual Treasuries Limited (PTL) Director Muthuraja Surendran was arrested over the Central Bank bond scam by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) today.

K’negala Hospital Director planning to contest election

The United National Party (UNP) is to complain to the Election Commission against the Kurunegala Hospital Director who is planning to contest the election on the SLPP ticket while being employed in the government sector.

UNP informs EC that it will contest general elections

UNP General Secretary Akila Viraj Kariyawasam has informed the Election Commission today that the UNP will contest for all 22 districts at the upcoming General Elections, party sources said.

600 kg of heroin; mastermind surrenders

The mastermind, in the import of 600 kilograms of heroin, which was seized by the Sri Lanka Navy in the international waters recently, surrendered to the Police Narcotic Bureau (PNB0 on Thursday evening, informed sources said.

General election - NPP to contest in all districts: Anura

The National Peoples Power (NPP) Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake said yesterday they were preparing to contest the general election in all districts and would field candidates, who are educated, principled and untainted by fraud and corruption.

Security in North-East tightened after unearthing assassination plot

Security in North and East has been tightened since last Thursday following the arrest of six prominent former LTTE cadres on charges of planning to assassinate a prominent Tamil politician in the North, informed sources said.

Hashim, Rahaman deny any ties with extremists

A former UNP MP and a former minister yesterday denied the reports citing proceedings of the PCoI on the Easter Sunday attacks which alleged that they had been associated with extremists.

Correct decisions at correct time: Sajith

The correct decisions will be taken at the correct time, Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Leader Sajith Premadasa said today in response to a suggestion by former MP Kumara Welgama who called for a joint opposition alliance.

Lankadeepa wins most popular newspaper award

Our sister papers Daily Lankadeepa and the Sunday Lankadeepa won the most popular newspaper award for the fourteenth consecutive year at ‘SLIM-Nielsen People’s Awards 2020’.

President grants power to Treasury Secretary to incur all expenditures

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa today (06) granted the legal authority to the Secretary of the Treasury to incur all the expenditures of the government including the cost of Election for a period of three months beginning March 6, 2020.

Foreign Minister briefs envoys on COVID- 19 preventive measures

Minister of Foreign Relations Dinesh Gunawardena has briefed the Diplomatic community on the situation of the COVID-19 epidemic and the preventive measures the Government of Sri Lanka contemplates taking, the Foreign Relations Ministry said.

SriLankan Airlines suspends flights to China due to current market conditions

SriLankan Airlines has temporarily suspended its services between Sri Lanka and China from March 10 to April 30, 2020 due to current market conditions driven by significant reduction in worldwide travel to and from China.

Formulate scientific mechanism to contain Covid-19: President instructs officials

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has instructed members of the special task force set up to monitor and discuss preventive measures against Covid – 19 virus in Sri Lanka to formulate a scientific mechanism to prevent the disease entering the country.

SriLankan Airlines cancels flights to Jeddah from March 15 -April 30

SriLankan Airlines today announced that it had cancelled its flights to Jeddah from March 15 - April 30 following restrictions being set in place by the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) of Saudi Arabia on the entry of foreign nationals into Saudi Arabia, in view of the present Coronavirus pandemic.

Arrest warrant issued on Ravi

Colombo Fort Magistrate Ranga Dissanayake issued arrest warrants on MP Ravi Karunanayake and nine others over the Central Bank bond scam.

Special HC Trial-at-Bar issues warrant to arrest PCoI secretary

The Special High Court Trial-at-Bar today issued a warrant to arrest the Secretary of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) into incidents of political victimization for not appearing in Court.

General election: SLFPers ask MS not to contest

Several senior SLFP leaders who met at the official residence of a Cabinet minister at Mahagamasekara Mawatha in Colombo have decided to request former president Maithripala Sirisena not to contest the general election but enter Parliament through the SLPP national list.

Decision on issuing arrest warrants on Ravi, others at 2.30pm

Colombo Fort Magistrate Ranga Dissanayake postponed the court session till 2.30 p.m. today to deliver the decision whether to issue arrest warrants on MP Ravi Karunanayake and 11 others over the Central Bank bond scam.

Clinton reveals he had sex with Lewinsky to manage anxieties

Former US President Bill Clinton has said that his affair with Monica Lewinsky was one of the ’things I did to manage my anxieties’, Daily Mail reported yesterday.

China has made eating wild animals illegal after the coronavirus outbreak

A strict ban on the consumption and farming of wild animals is being rolled out across China in the wake of the deadly coronavirus epidemic, which is believed to have started at a wildlife market in Wuhan.

Special quarantine team for Katchatheevu feast

As many as 3,000 pilgrims from India are scheduled to attend the annual Katchatheevu feast, a special quarantine team of the Health Ministry has been sent as a precautionary measure to prevent the spread of coronavirus, the Navy said yesterday.

Heavy traffic in front of Leprosy Hospital, Hendala

Heavy traffic was reported along the road in front of the Leprosy Hospital in Hendala, Wattala due to a protest organised by the residents against the government’s move to declare the hospital as a quarantine centre for coronavirus.

President questions EC’s move to stop graduate training programme

President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa yesterday said that the directive by the Elections Commission to stop the training programme for graduate recruits to the government service was wrong.