State Minister of Primary Health Care, Epidemics, and COVID-19 Disease Control Dr. Sudarshini Fernandopulle has decided to cancel her son's wedding reception which was scheduled to be held at a five-star hotel in Colombo this evening, family sources said.

Colombo Fort Magistrate Ranga Dissanayake yesterday issued warrants for the arrests of former MP Ravi Karunanayake, Arjuna Mahendran, Arjun Aloysius and seven others in connection with the Central Bank bond scam. 

He said the arrest warrants were issued under Section 139 (3) and 139 (1) (a) of the Criminal Procedure Code. 

He Attorney General today directed the acting IGP to obtain warrants for the arrest of several people including former minister Ravi Karunanayaka, former Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran, Perpetual Treasuries Limited (PTL) owner Arjun Aloysius, PTL CEO Kasun Palisena and former Public Debt Department (PDD) Director Sarathchandra in connection with the Central Bank bond scam.

The second interim report of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry appointed to probe Easter Sunday attacks was handed over to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the Presidential Secretariat today (02).

The first interim report was handed over on December 20th, 2020.

The Commission was appointed by the former President Maithripala Sirisena on September 22nd, 2019 to investigate the series of attacks that took place on Easter Sunday same year and to recommend necessary actions.

A number of protesting groups from state institutions daily hold agitation campaigns in front of the Presidential Secretariat and as a result, the staff has to devote more time to these agitators than performing their duties, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said.

He said the relevant ministries should be held responsible for these demonstrations.

President Rajapaksa said this at a function held at the Parliament yesterday to present awards to government bodies with high performance.

He further said Parliament has full control over public funds and the media report cases regarding financial mismanagement found in certain government institutions.

“The Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) has an important role to play in revealing whether state assets are safeguarded against frauds occurring in excess of the expenditure approved by the Parliament,” he said.

President Maithripala Sirisena has called an all-party conference with the participation of all political parties represented in the Parliament, in order to discuss the current political crisis in the country, Presidential Media Division said.

Parliamentarian Rajitha Senaratne says that president's invitation for a discussion at the presidential secretariat this morning (15) has been declined by party leaders.

Although it was decided last evening to attend the discussion, party leaders have later decided to boycott it, as a mark of protest against the letter sent by the president to the Speaker last night.

Speaker Karu Jayasuriya today announced that the no-confidence motion brought in against

UNP MP Mangala Samaraweera yesterday charged that a sum of Rs.4 billion had gone out of Sri Lanka as the net outflow from the equity market as a result of the decision by President Maithripala Sirisena to appoint a new Prime Minister.

“This reaction by foreign investors will have a negative effect on the Sri Lankan economy especially in the face of the prevailing global economic crisis,” Mr. Samaraweera said in a statement issued last evening.