UNP MP John Amaratunga had said he was ready to resign as the party organiser for Wattala and hand over the reins to a young party member.

The police and the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) are conducting investigations into the alleged incident of threatening a local employee of the Swiss Embassy in Sri Lanka by unknown assailants, the Foreign Ministry (FM) said.

The railway service which had been suspended due to derailment of the Colombo-bound Yal Devi express train between Galgamuwa and Ambanpola stations had resumed from this morning, the Railway Operations Superintendent Gamini Seneviratne said.

President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa is leaving for India on a two-day official visit today, Presidential Media Unit said.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is likely to prorogue parliament soon to begin a new session along with his maiden speech to the House, Daily Mirror learns.

The government today said it was unaware of the incident where an employee of the Swiss Embassy in Sri Lanka was detained forcefully and threatened.

A local employee of the Swiss Embassy in Sri Lanka has been temporarily kidnapped and threatened by unknown assailants in what the Swiss Foreign Ministry has called a “serious and unacceptable attack”, Swissinfo news reported today.

The government will develop the Mattala Airport as a cargo hub and a training facility for aeronautical engineering in partnership with the private sector, a minister said today.

UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe is to meet the party MPs in small groups to review the presidential election results and to decide on revamping the party, UNP General Secretary Akila Viraj Kariyawasam said today.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa appointed secretaries to 20 ministries and handed over the letters of appointment at the Presidential Secretariat today.

Sri Lanka’s new interim government has dismissed a statement made by a leading official in the US State Department who has claimed that the controversial MCC agreement would be launched in Sri Lanka soon.

Seventeen chairpersons who were appointed for district development committees by President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa received their appointment letters at the Presidential Secretariat this afternoon, Presidential Media Division said.

The train services on the Nothern Railway Line was temporarily halted due to the derailment of the Colombo-bound Yal Devi express train from Kankesanthurai (KKS) / Jaffna this afternoon, The Railways Department said.

The new caretaker government today announced a heap of tax concessions which included the annulment of Nation Building Tax (NBT), Capital Gain Tax, Withholding Tax and the reduction of VAT to 8 per cent from 15.

The Examination Department today announced the date of holding the GCE Ordinary Level Examination in December for the year 2019.

The Chief of the Veddha Community Uruwarige Vanniyala Eththo mentioned the importance of having a secure place to deposit the human skulls and bones

Ministers Bandula Gunawardane and Ramesh Pathirana were appointed as Cabinet spokesmen by the new government, sources said.

The ministers should execute duties bearing in mind that ministry portfolios were not privileges but responsibilities, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa today said speaking after the new State and deputy ministers were sworn in at the Presidential Secreta

The Colombo Special Trial-at-Bar today served indictments on nine army officials over the allegations of ‘kidnapping and conspiring to murder’ journalist Prageeth Ekneligoda during a time between January 25 to 27, 2010.

Speaker Karu Jayasuriya in a tweet said leader of the United National Front for Good Governance (UNFGG) Ranil Wickremesinghe was recognised as the leader of the opposition upholding established Parliamentary traditions.

The controversial Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Compact, which caused a huge uproar particularly prior to the recently concluded presidential election, would be soon launched in Sri Lanka, according a top US State Department official.

Thirty-five state ministers and three deputy ministers were sworn in before President Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the Presidential Secretariat this morning.

It was reported that Mahaveerar Day celebration was held at the Jaffna University premises despite the directive made by the Jaffna University Vice-Chancellor.

Japan is reported to have begun discussions with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa for the purpose of reviving projects that did not take off during the former government mainly because of bureaucratic hurdles.

Sri Lankan cricket legend Muttiah Muralitharan is among the three new governors tipped to be appointed to three provinces shortly by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

The new ministry secretaries are reported to be appointed today by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa after the swearing-in of the state ministers.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is reported to have instructed his ministers to review all agreements signed during the UNF government and renegotiate them if they violate the constitution

The meeting of UNP current leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and former Deputy Leader Sajith Premadasa with the Speaker Karu Jayasuriya was put off yesterday as Mr. Premadasa was indisposed.

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has said it is prepared to hold talks with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on the concerns of the Tamil community but are yet to receive an invitation for discussions either with the President or the Prime Minister, TNA

Several UNP-affiliated university dons yesterday called for unity among the party and for a collective approach to review and revamp it.