Defence counsel appearing for the accused arrested in connection with the murder of former TNA Jaffna district MP Nadaraja Raviraj raised issues relating to the credibility of the state witness in the case suggesting that he has given false statements to police. Witness Wijeya Wickrema Manamperige Sanjaya Preethi Viraj who was made a state witness in the Raviraj murder trial was yesterday cross-examined by defence counsel before Colombo Additional Magistrate Thilina Gamage.

The witness stated in Court that he had given two statements to CID on May 21 and 22, 2008 but didn't reveal the truth behind the killing of former MP since he was in fear of his life. However, he admitted that he compelled to reveal all details in 2015, since he felt the situation in the country had changed drastically. Meanwhile, the witness accepted the fact that he had associated with several members of the LTTE-Karuna faction who were involved in the murder, but denied his subsequent association with them. When the defence asked whether he was having several court cases over the abduction of persons, transporting of cannabis and vehicle robberies, the witness said he was having a number of pending cases. Further magisterial inquiry into the matter was fixed for January 29.

At the previous magisterial inquiry, the state witness affirmed Court that the officers attached to the Naval intelligence camp in Laundry Watta in Gangaramaya conspired to commit the murder of Raviraj. He admitted that he saw the former MP being shot by the remanded suspect Gamini Seneviratne at Manning Town in Narahenpita. The state witness stated that he received instructions to accompany the gunman on a motorcycle and to kill an LTTE member. He said he rode the motorcycle with the gunman. The state witness admitted that until the shooting that took place in Narahenpita, he was not aware of the person who was going to be killed. The CID filed charge sheets in Court against seven accused including four Navy personnel, two ex-LTTE cadres affiliated to the Karuna faction for allegedly conspiring to commit the murder of the former TNA MP.

The Attorney General had given instructions to conduct a non-summary inquiry in respect of the seven accused, namely Palana Sami Suresh, Hettiarachchilage Prasath Chandana Kumara, Gamini Seneviratne, Pradeep Chaminda, Sivakanthan Vivekanandan alias Charan, Fabian Royston Tusen and Sampath Munasinghe. Parliamentarian Raviraj was shot dead near his residence Manning Town in Narahenpita in 2006 when he was driving his vehicle along Martha Road. The CID had recovered the trishaw and the weapon allegedly used in the killing of the former parliamentarian.

Sri Lanka has reached a final restructuring agreement for $5.8 billion of debt with its bilateral lenders' Official Creditor Committee in Paris. According to the President’s Media Division, the agreement was finalized a short while ago.

Foreign Minister Ali Sabry is scheduled to undertake an official visit to Japan from July 1, the Foreign Affairs Ministry said. They said the visit will be made on an invitation extended by Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa,

A fatal accident on Tuesday night resulted in the deaths of three persons and left two others injured when a lorry collided with a parked bus on the A9 road in Mankulam, according to police.

Police fired tear gas and used water cannons at the teachers’ and principals’ union members who staged a protest near the Lotus roundabout, Colombo.

A sailor sustained fatal wounds and a Navy Dora damaged due to the aggressive maneuvering of a poaching Indian bottom trawler during a pre-dawn operation by the Sri Lanka Navy to seize the intruding vessel in the seas off Delft Island in Jaffna yesterday, the Navy said.

The Ceylon Teachers’ Union (CTU) has announced that the trade union action launched by teachers and principals will continue tomorrow as well.

Speculation is rife within the political circles of an imminent cabinet reshuffle in the coming weeks, the Daily Mirror learns.

A total of 946 people belonging to 432 families have been affected by the drought, the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said. They said the people in the Karachchi divisional secretariat of the Killinochchi district in the Northern Province have been affected.

Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena appointed four new district secretaries for the Colombo, Kalutara, Jaffna, and Kilinochchi districts.

The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) observed that Members of Parliament should not interfere with the functions of the judiciary or the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) by making statements under the protection of Parliamentary Privileges.

The Cabinet gave approval for the signing of the debt restructuring agreements with the relevant parties, a Minister said. President Ranil Wickremesinghe briefed the Cabinet at its meeting held on Monday evening.

A Special Parliamentary Sitting has been scheduled for July 2, 2024, at 9:30 AM, at the request of the Prime Minister, according to the Communication Department of Parliament.

The results of the 2023 (2024) GCE Ordinary Level Examination will be released within the next 10 days, the Department of Examinations announced.

The Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) is to take disciplinary action against its Chairman Sarath Fonseka this week, Party General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara said yesterday.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe will address the nation on Wednesday, June 26, to brief on the country's economic challenges and provide an update on the foreign debt restructuring efforts.

Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Gampaha District organisers made a formal request from the party hierarchy to remove Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka from the party with immediate effect.

Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) MP Sathasivam Viyalendiran was sworn in as the State Minister of Trade and Environment. The ceremony took place at the Presidential Secretariat, with President Ranil Wickremesinghe administering the oath of office.

While refuting claims that the National People's Power (NPP) has a deal with President Ranil Wickremesinghe, NPP General Secretary Tilvin Silva said the real deal is with Wickremesinghe and the Rajapaksas.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe will resend his recommendation, to extend Attorney General Sanjay Rajaratnam’s term of office, by another six months, a senior official at the President’s Office confirmed. The President is planning to do this, as per powers entrusted to him by the Constitution, the official clarified.

Sri Lanka has once again declined to accept the external evidence-gathering mechanism established by UN Human Rights Council resolutions 46/1 and 51/1, emphasizing significant legal and political implications for all nations involved.