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Three people have died in two separate incidents involving sharp weapons reported in Panichchankulam and Sittandi, police said.

In Panichchankulam, within the Mankulam Police Division, an elderly married couple was fatally injured during an attack at their residence yesterday morning (24).

Police said the couple suffered serious injuries after being assaulted with a sharp weapon. They were subsequently taken to the Mankulam Base Hospital, where both later died.

The victims were identified as a 70-year-old man and his 68-year-old wife, both from Panichchankulam in the Mankulam area.

The circumstances surrounding the attack and the motive for the killings remain unclear. Mankulam Police are continuing investigations to determine the circumstances of the incident and locate those responsible.

Meanwhile, a separate fatal attack was reported in Sittandi, under the Santhively Police Division.

According to police, a man attacked his wife with a sharp weapon yesterday afternoon, causing fatal injuries. The victim was a 32-year-old woman from the Sittandi area.

Initial investigations indicate that the incident may have stemmed from a family dispute.

Police have arrested the suspect and recovered the knife allegedly used in the attack. Santhively Police are conducting further investigations into the circumstances surrounding the woman's death.

The Colombo Permanent High Court Trial-at-Bar has convicted 15 accused in the long-running case over the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks, with one defendant receiving 260 years of rigorous imprisonment.

The three-member bench, comprising High Court Judges Navaratne Marasinghe, Ramanathan Kannan and Sujeewa Nissanka, delivered the final judgment yesterday (22).

The court found that the prosecution had established beyond reasonable doubt the charges against the 15 accused, including allegations relating to conspiracy, providing assistance and support, and conducting extremist lectures.

Five of the convicted accused were sentenced to 200 years of rigorous imprisonment each, while another five received 220 years each. Four others were sentenced to 240 years each.

Abdul Manaf Mohamed Firdous received the longest individual sentence, with the court imposing 260 years of rigorous imprisonment.

Those sentenced to 200 years each were Mohamed Anwar Mohamed Rizkan, Mohamed Mansoor Mohamed Samsudeen, Huseinul Rizvi Khalid Sameer, Mohamed Hanifa Zainul Abdeen and Kachchi Mohamed Mohamed Jemsith.

Naufar Moulavi, identified in the case as an ideological mentor of Zahran Hashim and a subsequent leader of the extremist group, was among those sentenced to 220 years. Mohamed Ramish Mohamed Sajith, Abdul Latheef Mohamed Safi, Mohamed Mustafa Mohamed Haris and Rasiq Raza Hussein also received 220-year sentences.

Mohamed Saribu Adam Lebbe alias Gafoor Mama, Hayathu Mohamed Ahmed Milhan, Mohamed Ibrahim Sadiq Abdullah and Mohamed Ibrahim Zahid Abdul Haq were each sentenced to 240 years.

In addition to the prison terms, the court ordered the confiscation of all movable and immovable property belonging to the 15 convicted accused, effective from the time the judgment was delivered.

The case was instituted in 2019 against 25 individuals, including Mohamed Ibrahim Mohamed Naufar alias Naufar Moulavi, over offences connected to the Easter Sunday attacks.

More than 23,270 charges had been filed against the accused, relating to alleged conspiracy, assistance and other activities connected to the attacks, which targeted three Catholic churches and three major hotels in Colombo, along with other locations.

During the lengthy trial, 2,309 prosecution witnesses gave evidence, with the recording of evidence concluding on August 24.

Delivering the judgment, the presiding judge said the three-member bench had reached its decision unanimously after carefully considering the evidence presented during the proceedings.

The court, however, acquitted and ordered the release of nine other accused after determining that the prosecution had failed to prove the charges against them beyond reasonable doubt.

Following the sentencing proceedings, the 15 convicted accused were taken into the custody of prison officials and transported to Welikada Prison at around 2.30 a.m. today.

Leader of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Sajith Premadasa has pledged that his party would repeal the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution if it forms the next government.

Premadasa made these remarks while addressing thousands of SJB supporters who gathered near Parliament at Polduwa Junction, Battaramulla, yesterday (24) to protest against the proposed amendment, coinciding with the Bill being taken up for debate in the House.

The Opposition Leader said that even if the amendment was passed, an SJB government would move to scrap it.

He noted that the proposed changes would undermine democracy and judicial independence while enabling an excessive concentration of political power within the Executive.

He further alleged that the amendment was designed to pave the way for a one party state, placing the country under the control of a single political force.

Speaking to the large crowd despite heavy rain, Premadasa said the protest had been conducted peacefully and that there was no intention among demonstrators to resort to violence, adding that they had assembled solely to protect democracy.

He challenged the government to prove its confidence in facing the electorate by holding long delayed Provincial Council elections.

He also accused groups aligned with the government of attempting to suppress turnout at the rally through public statements and other discouraging measures.

Premadasa said the SJB remained open to working with any democratic and corruption free political force committed to the country's progress and public welfare, referring to ongoing discussions on cooperation among Opposition parties, including the United National Party.

SJB General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara said the protest had been organised specifically against the proposed amendment, which the party viewed as a measure capable of opening the door to authoritarian rule.

The protest began around 9 a.m. and ran alongside parliamentary proceedings on the Bill, which are set to continue today.

The Supreme Court has ruled that the amendment does not require approval by referendum and can be passed with a special majority in Parliament.

The protest led to considerable traffic congestion on roads surrounding Parliament and Polduwa Junction, while security was significantly tightened across the parliamentary complex, with a heavy police presence visible at both the junction and the main entrance to Parliament.

Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa has been further remanded until September 30 in connection with a money laundering investigation linked to the procurement of Airbus aircraft for SriLankan Airlines.

The order was issued by Fort Magistrate Pasan Amarasena today (23), after Rajapaksa was produced before the court.

The court had been scheduled to deliver its decision on the MP’s bail application today. However, the Magistrate ordered that he remain in remand custody until September 30.

The case was filed by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act in relation to alleged financial irregularities surrounding the acquisition of Airbus aircraft by SriLankan Airlines.

Rajapaksa was previously ordered to remain in remand custody until September 23 after being named as a suspect in the investigation.

The Airbus-related proceedings are separate from another case being investigated by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) concerning the same transaction. Rajapaksa was also remanded in that case following his arrest earlier this month.

A High Court Trial-at-Bar has convicted 15 accused in the case concerning the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks, imposing lengthy prison sentences ranging from 200 to 260 years.

The verdict was delivered by a three-member Trial-at-Bar comprising High Court Justices Navaratne Marasinghe, Ramanathan Kannan and Sujeewa Nishshanka.

The first accused was sentenced to 220 years of rigorous imprisonment, while the second, third, fourth and fifth accused were each sentenced to 240 years.

The sixth and seventh accused received 200 years each, while the eighth accused was sentenced to 260 years. The ninth and tenth accused were each given 220 years.

The eleventh and fifteenth accused were sentenced to 200 years each, while the sixteenth, eighteenth and nineteenth accused received 220, 220 and 200 years respectively.

The court also ordered the confiscation of the properties belonging to all 15 convicted accused.

At the same time, nine other individuals who had been indicted in connection with the attacks were acquitted and released. They were identified as Husainul Rizvi Khalid Sameer, Mohamed Sawahir Mohamed Hassan alias Abu Dawood, Mohamed Iftikhar Mohamed Insaf alias Abu Mohamed, Zainul Abdeen Mohamed Jaseen, Mohamed Mustafa Mohamed Rizwan, Meera Zaheed Mohamed Nafli alias Abu Sana, Mohamed Ameen Ayantullah, Mohamed Ansardeen Hilmi and Mohamed Akram Ahakkam.

The judgment relates to the Easter Sunday attacks of April 21, 2019, in which suicide bombers targeted three Catholic churches and three major hotels in Colombo. The attacks killed 269 people and injured more than 500 others.

Nine suicide bombers, including National Thawheed Jamaath leader Zahran Hashim, carried out the coordinated attacks, which drew widespread international attention.

Legal proceedings were initiated in 2019 against 24 accused over more than 23,270 charges. The charges included allegedly conspiring to carry out the attacks, providing assistance and abetment, promoting extremist ideologies and creating discord between communities.

The prosecution presented evidence from 2,309 witnesses in the case filed by the Attorney General, which included former National Thawheed Jamaath figure Naufer Moulavi among the accused.

The reading of the judgment began before the Trial-at-Bar at around 12.30 p.m. yesterday. Presiding Judge Navaratne Marasinghe told court that, given the extensive nature of the judgment, only the key matters would be read out in open court.

He noted that the indictment served on the accused consisted of nine volumes and approximately 8,900 pages.

The court considered allegations relating to the conduct of workshops, the maintenance of safe houses and activities involving extremist lectures and weapons training prior to the Easter Sunday attacks.

Explaining the court’s consideration of the alleged conspiracy, Judge Marasinghe said that individuals involved in a conspiracy did not necessarily have to be physically together or participate at the same stage. He noted that an agreement to commit an offence could be formed directly or implicitly and that individuals who became involved at different stages could all become parties to the conspiracy.

The Trial-at-Bar subsequently considered the individual defence submissions made by the accused.

The court rejected the defence pleas of 15 accused, resulting in their convictions, while the defence pleas of the nine acquitted accused were accepted.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has said he intends to build public confidence by remaining genuine rather than attempting to portray an image that does not reflect who he really is.

In a Facebook message, the President emphasized that sincerity is a fundamental part of establishing trust that can be maintained over the long term.

He said he wanted to gain the confidence of the public by openly presenting himself as he truly is.

According to Dissanayake, creating an artificial image could ultimately undermine that confidence, as public trust would weaken if people eventually discovered a different reality.

The President also expressed his belief that the government would gain the trust of a larger number of people by the end of its tenure than the number who initially supported it at the time it came to power.

At least 11 people have been killed in a mass shooting in a residential building near the South African city of Durban.

Gunmen stormed a house in the KwaMakhutha township late on Tuesday and opened fire on 14 people. Ten were killed at the scene and four were taken to hospital, where one later died from their injuries, police said.

Police said some of the victims were on their watch in connection with illegal activities, which they could not "divulge at the moment to protect investigations which have been launched".

While the motive of the shooting has not yet confirmed, the police said they could not rule out a "feud between rival groupings".

"Information available at this stage suggests that 13 men and one woman, who is believed to be pregnant, were reportedly having a party inside a house when three men arrived and opened fire on them," the police said in a statement. The woman is among those who died.

A local TV reporter from the eNCA channel at the scene said the gunmen had set fire to a vehicle belonging to one of the victims before fleeing, with footage showing the burnt-out car.

South Africa has one of the world's highest murder rates, with police data showing a murder rate equivalent to more than 60 deaths a day.

In recent weeks, the gruesome discovery of at least nine murdered women, with some of the bodies dumped by the roadside, has heightened fears in the country.

Last year, nine people were killed in a mass shooting at a tavern in Johannesburg.

Source: BBC

The main opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) organised a protest march and rally at Polduwa Junction in Battaramulla this morning to demand that the government immediately withdraw the proposed 22nd Constitutional Amendment.

A large crowd gathered on the Parliament access road despite adverse weather and torrential rain. The demonstration caused heavy traffic congestion in the surrounding area. Reports had circulated over recent days stating that various groups would refrain from participating, yet opposition activists and civil society representatives attended the event.

Opposition stance on constitutional amendment

Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa recently outlined the core reasons behind the agitation.

He stressed that the proposed 22nd Constitutional Amendment threatens to cause a severe setback to the democratic structure of Sri Lanka, judicial independence, and the rule of law.

The Opposition Leader noted that protecting public fundamental rights and the independence of state institutions remains essential in a democracy, even though the government holds a two-thirds majority in Parliament.

Representatives at the rally emphasized that governance must not be confined to a single political centre.

They also stressed that constitutional checks and balances must operate without hindrance.

Future steps

The Opposition maintains that constitutional reform demands broad public consultation, advice from legal experts, and adherence to democratic traditions.

Opposition activists declared their intention to challenge the draft amendment through upcoming parliamentary debates as well as through legal and democratic avenues.

Parliamentarian Faiszer Musthapha (PC) and Upul Kumarapperuma (PC) have launched a high-level diplomatic intervention to save Anojan Sivarasa, a Sri Lankan youth sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia over a social media post.

The decision to send the senior legal experts as special diplomatic envoys followed direct intervention by the President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath, who officially announced the mission in Parliament yesterday (22).

Funding the critical diplomatic mission out of their own personal resources rather than state funds, the envoys are scheduled to fly to Saudi Arabia in the coming days to plead for the young man's life.

Former Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed has also pledged his complete backing during a meeting with the two special envoys in the Maldives today (23).

During the discussions, former President Nasheed acknowledged that while the social media post posed a serious grievance to the Muslim community, he would intervene on strictly humanitarian grounds to assist the youth.

The crucial meeting in the Maldives marked the first official step in the international effort to secure royal clemency or a sentence reduction prior to the legal team's arrival in Saudi Arabia.

Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa met an International Monetary Fund (IMF) delegation at the Opposition Leader's Office in Parliament today (23) to discuss Sri Lanka's economic stability following the conclusion of the current Extended Fund Facility programme.

The high-level meeting brought together key representatives from both sides as the IMF continues its structured engagement with the country.

Mission Chief Evan Papageorgiou led the IMF delegation alongside Resident Representative Martha Woldemichael and other officials.

A Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) delegation including Parliamentarians Harsha de Silva, Kabir Hashim, and Harshana Rajakaruna accompanied the Opposition Leader.

The engagement took place ahead of the scheduled seventh review in October 2026 and the eighth review in March 2027.

Focus on post-2027 economic strategy

Both parties examined the structural framework necessary to protect the nation from future external shocks once the present financing facility expires in March 2027.

The discussions centred on debt sustainability, foreign exchange reserves, fiscal conditions, and external sector performance.

They evaluated specific economic targets required by the end of the current arrangement to ensure sound public finances and manageable external debt burdens.

Premadasa questioned the IMF regarding the exact quantitative indicators that would mark a successful transition away from IMF financial assistance.

He requested details on the specific circumstances that might require a successor financing programme beyond the current cycle.

Protecting vulnerable citizens and businesses

Premadasa argued that tax policies and fiscal consolidation measures must not impose an unfair burden on working class citizens and low-income households.

He said that the progress of IMF reforms should be evaluated through real improvements in poverty reduction, employment, and everyday living costs rather than top-level macroeconomic figures alone.

He highlighted the severe debt challenges confronting micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises across the island.

Premadasa urged international lenders to support policies that protect local entrepreneurship and bolster domestic production capacity.

He called for reliable, timely household data to enable evidence-based policymaking that actively tracks social welfare impacts.

He asserted that true economic recovery requires a shift from basic stabilization toward inclusive growth that elevates household incomes across all segments of society.

The Opposition Leader stressed that macroeconomic discipline remains vital, but must directly translate into tangible economic security for the general public.