Popular actor Tennyson Cooray passes away at 68

Popular actor and film director Tennyson Cooray has passed away at the age of 68 years while receiving treatment at the National Hospital, Colombo, earlier today (28).



STF kept in the dark about foreign intelligence warning, threat posed by Zahran, NTJ, etc. – Ex-SDIG Latheef

Former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando, former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Pujith Jayasundara or former Director of the State Intelligence Service (SIS), Senior DIG Nilantha Jayawardena had not properly conveyed the reliable intelligence information about the possible terrorist attacks to the Special Task Force (STF)



Airlines, hotels told to stick to guidelines

The COVID-19 control Task Force has issued a fresh reminder to airlines and hotels to strictly adhere to the guidelines when taking in guests, aimed at preventing a reoccurrence of last week’s incident in Matara, a topmost official said yesterday.



People didn’t grant govt power for destruction – JVP

The JVP says the public did not grant the present government a two thirds majority at the Parliamentary Election to destroy the country.



Sri Lanka returns containers of illegal waste to Britain

Sri Lanka has shipped back to Britain container-loads of waste that the government said was brought into the island in violation of international laws governing the shipping of hazardous material.



Police confined to their duties – Chamal Rajapaksa

Minister of Irrigation and State Minister of Internal Security, Home Affairs and Disaster Management Chamal Rajapaksa said that of the 84,000 policemen, almost 38,000 have been deployed for work which is outside their legitimate duties



Sri Lanka seeks fresh currency swap facility, deferment of debt payments from India

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa sought an additional currency swap facility and deferment of debt payments from India during an online bilateral summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, Indian officials said.



Maximum retail price for coconut gazetted

The Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) has published an Extraordinary Gazette notification pertaining to the revision of Maximum Retail Prices (MRP) of coconut.



Udaya questions why CPC prevented from entering LPG market

Energy Minister Udaya Gammanpila recently alleged that the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) had suffered Rs 37 mn loss due to an abortive bid made by the state enterprise to enter the LPG (liquid petroleum gas) in 2008.



Justice Ministry does not interfere in judicial cases – Minister

Unlike during the previous regime, the current Justice Minister does not give phone calls to anyone and the Justice Ministry does not get involved in judicial cases, said Justice Minister Ali Sabry.



Sri Lanka arrests three accused of killing leopard for asthma cure

Sri Lankan police on Friday arrested three people suspected of trapping and killing an endangered leopard and trying to sell its meat as a cure for asthma.



Russian crew member confirmed COVID-19 negative in final PCR test

The Russian national who earlier tested positive for COVID-19 in Matara, has been tested negative in the final PCR test conducted on him, Army Commander Shavendra Silva said today (25).



Government will ease imports restrictions gradually, but priority to local industry – Cabraal

The Government will gradually ease restrictions on imports that were put in place to reduce the outflow of foreign exchange, but it will be done in a manner that the emerging local businesses are not negatively impacted, State Minister of Money, Capital Markets and State Enterprise Reforms Ajith Nivard Cabraal told Parliament yesterday.



Speaker should be independent – Anura Kumara

National People’s Power (NPP) Leader, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, yesterday (24), alleged in Parliament that Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena was biased towards the Government.



UNP not decided on National List slot yet – Akila

Denying claims made by former Minister John Amaratunge that he will be UNP’s national list member, the UNP General Secretary Akila Viraj Kariyawasam yesterday said no such decision has been made by the party as yet.



President stresses need for educational reforms

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has emphasized the need to reform the country’s education system in order to create a citizen who can optimally contribute to the future world, the economy and development.