President Mahinda Rajapaksa has overruled his Police Chief Mahinda Balasuriya and directed that the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) continue with investigations into the assault on a senior official of the Department of Inland Revenue in Matara.

A Development Authority is to be set up for the City of Colombo. The move may see the abolition of the centuries-old Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) and the proposed statutory authority being vested with all functions now being exercised by the CMC.