UPFA General Secretary and Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said yesterday that SLFP will be contesting as a separate party at the forthcoming Provincial Council election. He was addressing a media briefing held in Colombo yesterday. He said the SLFP Central Committee recently had a lengthy discussion on the reorganization of the party.

Sri Lanka has got a fresh complaint from India

India yesterday (20), agreed to extend its support to Sri Lanka to legally tackle cricket match-fixing and betting. During the official meeting with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, Indian Home Affairs Minister Rajnat Singh said India would like to grant the technical and security assistance, followed by Indian authorities to tackle malpractices in Sri Lanka Cricket, following a request made by Minister of Petroleum Resources Development Arjuna Ranatunga.

Sri Lankan commander heading the UN peacekeeping force in Mali Lt.Col. Kalana Aumunupura will be brought to the country once an official communiqu

With only two days for the term of the TNA-held Northern Provincial Council (NPC) to end, the party

There is suspicion currently, over two ministers who had leaked false information regarding the Cabinet meeting discussions, said Minister Mahinda Amaraweera. He further said that once the President has established full information regarding them, he would take a decision regarding the two of them. Minister Amaraweera said this addressing the SLFP meeting in Devundara, Matara.

Police say they won

The United Nations has asked the government of Sri Lanka to immediately repatriate the commander of the country's contingent in the UN Peacekeeping Mission in Mali. In response to questions received regarding the commander of the Sri Lankan contingent in Mali, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric at the regular press briefing on Friday said that the U.N. has made the request to repatriate the Sri Lankan Commander following a review of the human rights background of him.

The Supreme Court yesterday (19) postponed to 8 November the hearing of the appeal petition filed by Northern Province Chief Minister, C.V. Wigneswaran. The appeal was taken up before a three-Judge Bench, comprising Justices Eva Wanasundera, Prasanna Jayawardena and L.T.B. Dehideniya.

President Maithripala Sirisena has heightened his security following reports of an assassination plot involving an alleged Indian intelligence operative, his advisor said Thursday. Maithripala Sirisena took the undisclosed security measures after a police informant claimed that a senior officer discussed with him plans to kill the President, advisor Shiral Lakthilaka said.

Doctors from, approximately, 100 Government health institutions in the Northern Province are up in arms against the Northern Provincial Council

The United States (US) Dollar in retail trade as reflected by the greenback

UPFA General Secretary and Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera, yesterday, said the SLFP Central Committee, which met on Tuesday, had not discussed a written request by the 15-member dissident group that the party break ranks with the UNP. Addressing a news conference, the Minister said that though a proposal had been made, no decision had yet been taken to either reject or accept it.

Mannar JMO Shaminda Rajapaksa says that the Mannar Chief Magistrate

Seven Tamils who were arrested in relation to the alleged possession of an LTTE flag and ammunition in Oddusuddan have had their charges dropped by the Mullaitivu court. A total of 19 Tamils were arrested over the incident in which an LTTE flag and ammunition were allegedly transported in a three-wheeler. Of these, 7 have had their charges dropped by the Mullaitivu court. The remaining 12 have had their remand extended until October 29.

A frontline organiser of the recent commemorations in Jaffna of Thileepan

Congress party president Rahul Gandhi today called on Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in New Delhi. Chairperson of the United Progressive Alliance, Sonia Gandhi, was also present in the meeting, along with former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and senior Congress party leader Anand Sharma. Prime Minister Wickremesinghe is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday.

The case, which was taken up against former Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa at the Special High Court today over the alleged misappropriation of public funds for the construction of the D. A. Rajapaksa memorial museum at Weeraketiya, was postponed till November 9.

The Colombo Fort Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne today (19) ordered the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne to be produced in court. He had so far not been produced in court and the Magistrate had told the CID to get the main persons behind the abduction of the 11 youths and not the small fries.

President Maithripala Sirisena has agreed to convene a special high level meeting next week to take a decision on the request to release the persons detained for a long time under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). The President had given this undertaking when a TNA delegation led by Opposition Leader R.Sampanthan met the President at the Parliamentary Complex yesterday.

Indian High Commissioner in Colombo Taranjit Singh Sandhu yesterday met President Maithripala Sirisena in the wake of media reports of an alleged Indian assassination attempt on the Sri Lankan leader. The Presidential Media Division (PMD) and the Foreign Ministry in statements issued yesterday assured there was no basis for these reports. The following is the text of the PMD statement:

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe today left for India on a three-day official visit. He is expected to meet Prime Minister Modi and defence authorities there.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi

The Joint Opposition (JO) today said the Indian national, who claimed of a plot to assassinate President Maithripala Sirisena, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his family members, was identified as an India

While rejecting accusations by various parties over the selling of Trincomalee Oil Tank Farm to India, Petroleum Minister Arjuna Ranatunga said the Ministry has not decided to sell the oil tanks which are not being used. Speaking to the Media at the Ministry yesterday, Minister Ranatunga said his Ministry had no intention to sell the Trincomalee Oil Tank Farm and will not engage in any agreement that brings disadvantage to the country.

: In a move that might seriously impair Indo-Lanka relations, Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena on Tuesday accused India

The Court of Appeal yesterday (16) decided to announce its decision on the initial objections raised by the petitioners, in connection with the case filed against Northern Province Chief Minister C.V. Vigneswaran and Ministers of the Northern Provincial Council Anandi Sasitharan and C. Sivanesan, in connection with the Contempt of Court charges, on 10 December.

The Government today clarified reports made by President Maithripala Sirisena on the East Terminal of the Colombo Port and possible links between the Indian RAW agency and an alleged plot to assassinate him. The cabinet office said that there was no comment made by the President refusing to give the East Terminal of the Colombo Port to India. Meanwhile, cabinet spokesman Dr. Rajitha Senaratne said that the President never said the RAW agency was behind a plot to kill the President.