News in brief

Defence Secy live on Derana

Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa will be featured live on 360 today at 9.30 p.m. on Derana. He will discuss various issues including matters pertaining to National Defence.

People will also get a chance to speak to him live and ask questions during the programme.

360 also won the award for the Best Current Affairs during the recently concluded Sumathi Tele Awards.

14 LTTE suspects further remanded

Fourteen LTTE suspects who were taken into custody by the French anti-terrorist Police were further remanded for another four months until the first week of December to enable the police to complete investigations and frame charges against the suspects. A conviction would mean a maximum period of ten years in jail.

Duty on leather imports

The Government will impose 'Import Duty' on all leather and leather related products commercially brought in to the country. This initiative was implemented to protect local leather manufacturers and expand demand in the local market.

International conference

Sri Lanka will host the International Conference on Countering Terrorism from October 18-20 this year at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH) in Colombo. The theme of the conference is 'Terrorism: A Challenge to Democratically Elected Governments'. Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayake will be the chief guest at the inaugural session.