The effective date of the Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (SLSFTA) should be postponed to ensure the removal of any detrimental clauses, MP Bandula Gunawardana said today.

An organization identifying themselves as Women for Justice yesterday filed a petition in the Court of Appeal seeking a Quo Warranto order to unseat former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe from his parliamentarian seat.

Colombo Fort Magistrate today issued notice directing the CID to be present in the Fort Magistrate's Court on December 19 for the inquiry into the bail application filed in court by former DIG Nalaka Silva’s counsel.

President Maithripala Sirisena today instructed the relevant authorities to avoid any shortages of essential food items in the market during the festive season and to provide the essential food items at reasonable prices without increasing their prices.

A compliant was lodged at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) today against the false rumors that a close associate of Gotabaya Rajapaksa was allegedly involved in an incident where a large heroin haul weighing 231.5 kilogrammes was seized at Beruwala on December 5.

The report of the Experts Committee appointed to look into the Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (SLSFTA) has highlighted the agreement has been rushed without proper consent of stakeholder institutions, President Maithripala Sirisena said today.

Sri Lanka’s off-spinner Akila Dananjaya has been suspended from international cricket with immediate effect after an independent assessment has found his bowling action to be illegal, the International Cricket Council (ICC) today announced.  

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) said today the President’s claim that  19th  Amendment to the Constitution was brought in haste was baseless and said it was discussed for months prior to its approval in Parliament.

The Court of Appeal's restraining order had only stopped the prime minister and the ministers from functioning in their offices and had not declared them unlawful, the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) chairman G. L. Peiris said today.

The Department of Railways today introduced an SMS hotline 070-4445454 to inform about locations of elephant herds on railway lines countrywide with the help of the Department of Wildlife Conservation.

A 36-year-old Sri Lankan housemaid in Bahrain has claimed that she was tortured and forced into prostitution for almost two years, the Gulf Daily News reported on Monday. The victim says she survived only on bread and was made to sleep with up to 20 men every day.

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak was arrested by the country’s anti-graft agency over alleged “tampering” of the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) audit report, Channel News Asia reported a short while ago.

United National Party (UNP) leader Ranil Wickremesinghe would not be appointed as the Prime Minster even if the confidence motion would be passed in Parliament, Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) said today.

At least five persons including a woman were injured after two gunmen opened fire at them in Modara a short while ago, Police said.

The first comprehensive survey of Sri Lankan art organized by a US museum-The Jewelled Isle: Art from Sri Lanka-would be presented by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), Art Daily reported on Monday.

A 40-year-old man had been arrested with nine fire arms including a MP5K weapon used for VIP protection and a stock ammunition in Beruwala, the Police said.

A Mexican model and volunteer was crowned Miss World at a glitzy event on the tropical Chinese island of Hainan on Saturday.

Three persons were killed and another five persons were injured in two accidents involving the same car at Mount Lavinia on the Colombo-Galle Main road early this morning, Police said.

A three-member team of the CID and Government Analyst Department had left for Hong Kong to recover voice recordings, deleted from the Operations Director of the Anti-Corruption Force Namal Kumara’s mobile phone.

President’s Counsel K. Kanag Iswaran yesterday countering the arguments of the respondents and the intervernient petitioners underlined the fact that the immunity conferred on the Executive President was only on his person and not on his acts or actions.

The UNP said yesterday it was opposed to the proposal made by President Maithripala Sirisena to amend the 19th Amendment to the constitution.

Three children, who walked into the Pottuvil Police Station complaining of starvation and begging for food were given police protection.

The interim order issued by the Supreme Court suspending the Gazette on the dissolution of parliament is to be in effect until judgement is delivered.

President Maithripala Sirisena today ruled out a snap presidential election despite several parties such as the United National Party (UNP) urging him to so.

The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) today criticized United National Party (UNP) Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe for meeting foreign ambassadors and high commissioners at Temple Trees on Wednesday.

An external Ordinary Level examination candidate and an invigilator had been arrested for allegedly using a mobile phone to answer the English question paper in a school in Balangoda, Police said.

The Supreme Court today ordered to take up the case filed against UNP Parliamentarian Ranjan Ramanayake on contempt of court charges on February 26.

The owner of the boat, which was allegedly used to transfer 231 kgs of heroin off the coast of Beruwala, was arrested in Yatiyanthota today. Police said the 44-year-old suspect Dulip Samantha, a resident of Beruwala, had Rs.1.5 million in cash in his possession.

The interim order issued by the Supreme Court suspending the Gazette on dissolution of parliament has been extended till December 10.

The All Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMC) yesterday said that they did not have any personal liking for United National Party Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe but they stood with the UNP chiefly to safeguard democracy and to uphold the Constitution that has been violated repeatedly.

The case filed against former State Minister Vijayakala Maheswaran over her controversial statements regarding the LTTE was postponed until February 22 by Colombo Chief Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne today.

The hearing of the Fundamental Rights (FR) Petitions filed against the dissolution of parliament commenced for the fourth day today in the Supreme Court a short while ago.

Ninety-six suspects including eight women had been sentenced to death by Magistrate’s Courts across the country during the period of 2008 to 2018 after being found guilty of possession of toxic drugs, Police Spokesman SP Ruwan Gunasekera said today.

Former President Chandrika Kumaratunga has claimed that she had not been invited for the special convention of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), which was held at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium last Tuesday, December 4.

A commission would be appointed to look into the alleged undemocratic actions taken by the Speaker, the Parliament General Secretary and the Sergeant-at-Arms when they are elected to office, MP Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena said today.