An alleged Sri Lankan people smuggler who helped organise the boat on which Australian officials allegedly paid crew more than $US30,000 ($NZ44,576.52) to turn back from New Zealand has been sentenced to five and a half years, the New Zealand wire reported. Kugan, also known as Vishvanathan Thineshkumar, was described by prosecutors as the "mastermind" behind the failed journey on which 65 asylum seekers boarded a boat bound for New Zealand in May last year. During the voyage, the boat's crew claim they were intercepted by the Australian Border force who paid them cash to turn back.

In sentencing Kugan at Rote Ndao District Court in Indonesia this week, Chief Judge Ary Wahyu Irawan found he had been responsible for recruiting the immigrants and collecting money, the report said. "What the defendant did, as a Sri Lankan citizen, could encourage the act of recruiting immigrants as well as the smuggling of foreign people illegally in Indonesia," the judge was quoted in the report as saying. Kugan is the last of seven men to face sentencing over the case, which was the focus of a Senate inquiry in Canberra last month.

Five Indonesian fisherman told their trial late last year they were handed $US32,000 ($NZ47,548.29) in cash by Australian officials to turn the boat back and never repeat the venture.The captain, Yohanis Humiang, 35, has previously said he negotiated the payment, which was given as capital to start a new business.The crew were each sentenced to five years in January, while Yohanis was jailed for five years and eight months. Kugan's lawyer Yanto Ekon said his client would appeal his sentence as he wasn't the "main actor" in the smuggling case. Prosecutor Alexander Sale said they would also request a review of the sentence as it fell way below the 13 years they had been pushing for.

The government will conduct fresh probes into the scams involved in the import of a stock of biofertilizer from China and in the introduction of organic farming during the time of former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, a minister said yesterday.

Cabinet spokesman Minister Nalinda Jayatissa said today that the people will know whether the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) MPs had sought assistance from the President’s Fund as claimed by SJB MP Dayasiri Jayasekara when the rest of the list is released soon.

The circular issued by the Western Province Education Zonal Ministry prohibiting private tutoring classes for students by school teachers, along with the letter issued by the Education Ministry regarding modulators, has been withdrawn, Parliamentarian Mahinda Jayasinghe said.

Adding further controversy to the misuse of the President’s Fund, Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Dayasiri Jayasekera yesterday said some of JVP members also sought assistance from the President’s funds prior to 2010.

In response to queries about the potential introduction of new taxes on imported vehicles, Cabinet Spokesman Nalinda Jayathissa said today that the Finance Ministry will make an official announcement regarding taxes in the future.

In response to widespread concerns regarding the alleged presence of Israeli soldier Gal Ferenbook in Colombo, police said that they have not received any verified information on the matter.

The Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) is set to add one of its overhauled and upgraded Kfir multirole combat aircraft to its fleet within the first three months of next year, the Daily Mirror learns.

The tri-forces security provided to former Presidents will be removed from today as announced by Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala. The Defence Ministry said instructions regarding the matter have been issued to the Commanders of the tri-forces. The Defence Ministry said only police security will be assigned for the security of former Presidents.

The Ministry of Education announced that the second stage of the third term for the 2024 academic year in all government and government-approved private schools will commence on January 2, 2025. The term is set to run for three weeks, concluding on January 24, 2025.

A female student and another woman were killed after being struck by an express train at the Anuradhapura New Town Railway Station. The victims were part of a group from Ratnapura attending a taekwondo tournament at the Anuradhapura Public Ground.