News

United National Party deputy general secretary Ruwan Wijewardena has expressed his desire to lead the party after his cousin and Sri Lanka''s former prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe decided to resign from the UNP leadership after 26 years at the helm following its crushing defeat in the parliamentary election.

Attorney-at-Law Lalith U. Gamage, The Governor of the Central Province Lalith U. Gamage has temporarily suspended the Mayor of the Matale Municipal Council, Daljith Nandalal Aluvihare, from holding his post with immediate effect. In Extraordinary Gazette dated the 25th and issued today, Retired High Court Judge Sarojini Kusala Weerawardena was appointed to inquire and report within 3 months time, whether the Mayor of the Municipal Council Matale has committed any misdeeds described in Section 277(1) of the amended Municipal Council Ordinance (Chapter 252).

It adds the Commission shall have the powers of a Commission appointed under the Inquiry of Commission Act, pertaining to this inquiry.

The Extraordinary Gazette further noted, Sandanam Prakash presently the Deputy Mayor of the Matale Municipal Council, is directed to perform the duties and use of powers of the Mayor of the Matale Municipal Council with immediate effect.

Sri Lanka’s new government headed by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa faces adaunting task of finding and implementing solutions to the country's power crisis taking necessary action against official perpetrators for countrywide blackouts in the past and present.

SLPP MP Pramitha Bandara Tennakoon has introduced a Private Member's Bill declaring the minimum age of marriage for children as 18 years.

Sri Lanka’s former Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera has accused the newly elected government of lacking an economic vision as state revenue fell by two thirds this year, with the economy showing negative growth.

Colombo district MP and senior politician Susil Premajayantha was yesterday (26) assigned the state ministerial portfolio that was first assigned to MP Wijedasa Rajapakshe.

A cold war is brewing between Minister Namal Rajapaksa and Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage,  the 'Lanka Lead News' website maintained under the guidance of Minister Wimal Weerawansa reported.

Land value in the Colombo district has been hit by the COVID-19 pandemic making it a victim with the annual growth rate declining during the first half of this year. This has brought down the prices of residential, commercial and industrial properties, the Central Bank data showed .

The US’ first-ever sanctioning of Chinese companies involved in building artificial islands in South China Sea may affect the fate of several of Beijing’s under-construction One Belt, One Road (OBOR) projects including the strategically-sensitive Port City Colombo project.

Sri Lanka will be facing a tyre shortage soon as a result of the prevailing restrictions on imports imposed by the government to promote import substitution and prevent foreign exchange out flows, several tyre dealers, traders and buyers complained.

The Cabinet of Ministers this week granted approval to the construction of two flyovers estimated to cost around Rs. 6 billion near the railway station in Slave Island in Colombo.

The proposal to construct these flyovers was submitted to the Cabinet of Ministers by the Minister of Highways.

The flyovers will be constructed above the railway tracks along Sri Uttarananda Mawatha and Justice Akbar Mawatha in Slave Island.

The flyover constructed near Sri Uttarananda Mawatha will be 420m in length, while the flyover near the Justice Akbar Mawatha will be 350m in length.

The two flyovers are expected to help address the daily traffic congestion reported from the area.

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday (25) called on the first time parliamentarians to cast aside their personal and political agendas and support the passage of the proposed new Constitution.