Yahapalana power struggle facilitated Easter Sunday carnage – Catholic Church

Archbishop of Colombo Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, in a statement, in Sinhala read out at churches, on Sunday, Feb 23, called for a thorough investigation to find out why the political leadership and the security authorities had failed to act in spite of having specific intelligence on the Easter Sunday carnage.



Bus collides with van on A9 road – 5 killed 20 injured

Five people were killed and 20 others injured when a SLTB bus and a van collided on the Kandy-Jaffna (A-9) main road in Omanthai.



Matara-Hambantota extension of Southern Expressway declared open

The Matara-Hambantota section of the Southern Expressway was vested with the public a short while ago.



Sri Lanka briefs UN rights official on resolution pullout

A Sri Lankan diplomat has briefed the president of the U.N. Human Rights Council on the government’s decision to withdraw from a 2015 resolution calling for an investigation into alleged human rights violations committed during the country’s long civil war.



Suspect arrested over a ransom remanded

The suspect arrested for allegedly attempting to threaten and obtain a ransom of Rs. 500,000 from Anuradhapura District Parliamentarian Ishak Rahman, has been remanded till the 5th of Match.



Tolls for new extension of Southern Expressway gazetted

Toll charges for the newly constructed Matara-Mattala-Hambantota extension of the Southern Expressway have been gazetted.



‘Sinkhole’ company wins BIA terminal contract

A Japanese construction company that built a subway which later collapsed and was also found guilty of bid-rigging is set to construct the second terminal at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA).



Maximum retail price for imported big onions declared

The Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) has set a maximum retail price for imported big onions.



3 suspects arrested over Constable’s murder

Another suspect has been arrested over the abduction and murder of a Constable attached to the Kadawatha Police in Bulugoda, Verahera.



US travel ban on Lt. Gen. Shavendra Silva based on unverified allegations, unfair – Ambassador Perera

Reiterating that the controversial travel ban imposed on Army Commander Lt. Gen. Shavendra Silva hadn’t been based on independently verified information, but on the much-disputed OISL Report of 2015 and other organizations. Sri Lanka’s Ambassador in Washington Rodney Perera on Thursday, Feb 20, urged the United States to verify the authenticity of its sources of information.



Defence Ministry to submit a new Cabinet paper to solve pension issues of disabled soldiers

Defence Ministry will submit a new Cabinet paper to solve existing issues related to pensions and allowances to disabled persons of armed forces and the police, soon.



Fire in Muthurajawela reserve destroys many acres of mangroves

A fire that has erupted in the Muthurajawela nature reserve has caused heavy damages to the mangrove lands and biodiversity surrounding the environment.



Permanent appointments for Samurdhi Officers

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa says his aim is to eradicate poverty with the creation of a people-centric economy.



Immediate ban of the Burqa recommended

The Sectoral Oversight Committee on National Security has proposed to immediately ban attire such as the burqa, and suspend registration of political parties on ethnic and religious basis.



Body of missing constable found from Werahera

The body of the police constable (37), who was reported missing from Kadawatha area since last Sunday (16), has been found in Werahera, Pannala.



Ex-District Judge gets 16-year RI over bribery offences

Former Homagama District Judge Sunil Abeysinghe and his then-security officer have been sentenced to 16-year rigorous imprisonment for accepting a bribe of Rs. 300,000 back in 2013.