Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa said today the 1.12 billion USD earned from the lease of the Hambantota port was to go to the treasury to meet the day to day expenditure of the government instead of paying the loan taken to build the port.

The next general elections will be held in three years and those attempting to destabilize the country and disrupt public life through protests and strikes must realize they will not be allowed to change this government until 2020, President Maithrip

Ven. Watareka Vijitha Thera was arrested by the Colombo Fort police for allegedly behaving in a violent manner outside the Presidential Secretariat this afternoon.

The government has decided to remove various taxes imposed on 47 essential food items including rice, sugar, potatoes and big onions and to impose a special commodity tax to provide relief to the consumers.

The Railway Engine Drivers Union’s indefinite strike scheduled to be held from midnight today, was suspended following a written assurance given by the Deputy Transport Minister, the Locomotive Engineering Operators’ Union (LEOU) said.

We will continue to support the Unity Government and protect it till 2020 even if the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) decides to leave the alliance, the Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) led by Minister Mano Ganesan said today.

Foreign Affairs Minister Ravi Karunanayake should resign without waiting for the No-Confidence Motion which would be brought against him for allegedly indulging the funds obtained from the Central Bank (CB) Bond Scam, the Joint Opposition said today.

Two suspects were arrested from the Jaffna and Kopai areas this morning in connection with the assault on two police constables in Kopay, Jaffna last week, Police said.

The Railway Engine Drivers Union yesterday announced that they would launch an indefinite strike from tonight over several demands including the operation of Chinese power sets having problems with their break system.

Former EPF Superintendent A. Jayalath told the Commission of Inquiry that former Governor Arjun Mahendran had threatened him to appoint Saman Kumara, the controversial dealer, for EPF Front Office operations in 2015.

Sports Minister Dayasiri Jayasekara said yesterday Foreign Affairs Minister Ravi Karunanayake should resign until the Bond Commission’s probe was completed and that he would support a no-faith motion if brought against Minister Karunanayake.

The ongoing drought could affect the whole country especially if the paddy production goes down by 50 per cent, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said yesterday.

The Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) yesterday said the Hambantota Port agreement signed with the China Merchant Company was corrupt and that it was evident an ‘Aloysius’ was behind this deal.

The Disaster Management Centre (DMC) today issued a warning of possible landslides in the Ratnapura and surrounding areas due to heavy rainfall that exceeded 100 mm in the Sabaragamuwa province.

President Maithripala Sirisena today said everybody should keep in their minds that his blessing is essential to form a new government though some groups are dreaming of changing the numbers in Parliament and capture power to form a government.

President’s Counsel Anuja Premaratne, appearing for Arjun Aloysius today informed the PCoI that according to his instructions Mr. Aloysius has forgotten the password of his Apple Account.

IGP Pujith Jayasundare who is on a visit to Jaffna today said that the main suspect involved in the attack on two police constables in Kopay was a former LTTE member.

While declaring August 2 as the National Protest Day against SAITM, the SAITM Virodi Jana Pawra (SVJP) today said that protests and black band campaigns will be held across the island.

Public Enterprises Development Minister Kabir Hashim said today the United National Party (UNP) had no issues in securing parliamentary majority but their aim was to continue to function as a Unity Government to find solutions to national issues face

Cabin crew members aboard SriLankan flight enroute to Colombo from Kochi  on Sunday had managed to successfully avert a major incident which is believed to have been caused by the ignition of a lithium battery pack or mobile phones in a passenge

Five suspects were arrested by the Police yesterday for several offenses including the assault of a group of Coast Guards and damaging a police checkpoint at Point Pedro.

Lanka Private Bus Owners’ Association (LPBOA) lodge a complaint to the Bribery Commission a short while ago over the National Transport Commission (NTC) and Transport Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva on the irregularities taken place when issui

A man who allegedly attempted to steal piglets from a piggery at Pussallawa in Kosgama, was shot dead by a security guard early this morning.

The allies of the national unity government should concentrate on the country's development instead of turning on one another, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said yesterday.

The 1978 Constitution, as amended to date, is not clear about the appointment of a Delimitation Commission (DC) or to specify a mandate for such a commission, DC annual performance report for the year 2016 has revealed.

Despite the signing of US$1.1 billion deal to lease the southern Hambantota port to China, Ceylon Petroleum Corporation's (CPC) trade union Collective today expressed their concerns whether they were hoodwinked by the President Maithripala Sirise

The total number of people affected by the prevailing drought had increased over one million, the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) census said today.

Two Police Constables, attached to the Kopay Police Station had been hacked and assaulted by an unidentified sword gang in the Kopay area this afternoon, the Police said.

President Maithripala Sirisena had instructed relevant authorities to distribute dry rations to the people who were affected by the prevailing drought in the country, the President’s Media Division said

The Convener of the students union attached to the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences of the Ruhuna University had been remanded yesterday until August 11 by the Matara Magistrate.