The Permanent High Court Trial-at-Bar hearing high profile today discharged the former Samurdhi Commissioner Neil Bandara Hapuhinna from all charges filed against him.

Senior State Counsel Udara Karunathilaka today informed Colombo Chief Magistrate Ranga Dissanayake that a case had been filed in Dubai against former Sri Lankan Ambassador to Russia Udayanga Weeratunga, in order to bring him back to Sri Lanka.

UPFA MP Ananda Aluthgamage in parliament today proposed an amendment to the presidential elections law and accordingly said it should be amended to include a provision that a candidate should be a parent to be eligible to contest such a poll.

The Supreme Court today rejected the fundamental rights petition put forward by the aunt of Makandure Madush seeking an order preventing the arrest of Makandure Madush by Sri Lankan authorities.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet said today that a newspaper article quoting a senior Sri Lankan official “seriously misrepresents” her discussion of the recent UN Human Rights Office report on Sri Lanka with a government

Singer Amal Perera’s son Nadeemal Perera was detained by the CID on his arrival to the country from Dubai and was released after recording his statement, Police Spokesman SP Ruwan Gunasekera said.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi revealed that country’s scientists shot down a low orbit satellite 300 km away in space.

The 30-year-old Wijesinghe Arachchige Niroshani alias ’Aruni Baba’, the wife of underworld figure Kudu Roshan and Salinda Dharmasiri alias Thel Chooti were arrested by the STF for possession of heroin.

Australian Test cricketer Bruce Yardley has died after a long battle with cancer.

A conclusive decision had not yet been taken regarding former Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa contesting as a candidate at the upcoming Presidential Election, Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa said.

Singer Amal Perera’s son Nadeemal Perera and a prison officer who were arrested in Dubai with drug kingpin Makandure Madush, have been deported to Sri Lanka yesterday, Police Spokesman SP Ruwan Gunasekera said.

The power cut schedule in the Colombo zones had not been prepared because there is an existing self electricity generation scheme operating in Colombo, Power and Ministry senior official said yesterday.

The Cabinet yesterday decided to allocate Rs.1200 million from the treasury to the Plantation Industries Ministry to make the daily additional payment of Rs.50 to estate workers as demanded by estate workers’ trade unions.

A permanent solution would be given for the schedule daily power cuts by April 10, Power and Energy Minister Ravi Karunanayake said yesterday.

President Maithripala Sirisena presiding at yesterday’s Cabinet meeting is reported to have blamed the current power crisis on the squabbling between the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) and the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB).

Western Province Road Passenger Transport Authority said yesterday new laws would be introduced from April 1 to make it compulsory to paint private buses in blue.

Opposition MP Sarath Amunugama, who was a member of the Sri Lankan delegation to the UNHRC, told Parliament today that Sri Lanka did not agree to a time frame to implement what it promised through the resolution adopted in Geneva.

The Meteorology Department today issued an ’Extreme Caution’ hot weather advisory to most parts of the North-Western and Western Provinces and the Mannar, Vavuniya, Mullaitivu, Anuradhapura, Monaragala and Hambantota districts.

Sri Lankan restaurant Ministry of Crab was ranked 35th place at Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants’’ award ceremony held in Macau a short while ago.

Opposition MP Mahinda Samarasinghe said today the inclusion of the wording, ‘notes with appreciation in the Secretary General’s report’ mentioned in the joint resolution recently presented to the UNHRC and approved was a mistake.

The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) has suspended the project to trigger artificial rain over the Mausakelle and Castlereagh catchment area, a senior CEB officer told Daily Mirror today.

Court of Appeal today deferred for May 6 the writ petition filed by former defence secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa challenging the order of the Permanent High Court Trial-at-Bar in the D.A. Rajapaksa Museum Case.

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) today commended the government for rejecting the establishment of hybrid courts as proposed by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and said setting up of hybrid courts would put the country into a trap.

The Examinations Department said today the results of the 2018 GCE O/L examination would be released on Thursday (28).

The water supply in Colombo 13,14 and 15 would be interrupted for nine hours from 9.00 p.m. today to 6.00 a.m. tomorrow (27), owing to essential maintenance work, the National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) said.

At a time when the country has plunged into darkness owing to inclement weather, the Cabinet last week approved the construction of a floating solar power plant with a capacity of 100MWs using Canadian technology, it is learnt.

The Navy recovered a stock of 1,232 kg of beedi leaves, floating in the sea off the Udappuwa Coast in Chilaw, yesterday, the Navy said.

A heated argument erupted in Parliament yesterday between Hambantota District UPFA Parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa and Deputy Minister of Development Strategies and International Trade Nalin Bandara over the Hambantota-Oman Oil Refinery.

President Maithripala Sirisena said that the Government has decided to cancel the Garde 5 Scholarship exam according to one of his proposals.

The Sri Lanka Army - Indian Army Joint training exercise MITRASHAKTI - VI would be held at Diyatalawa from tomorrow till April 8, the Indian High Commission said in a press release today.