Cabinet approves VAT Bill

The Valued Added Tax (Amendment) Bill, which was approved by the Cabinet today will be presented in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake said.

Batch of SL refugees return from TN today

Ninety individuals of 35 families, who had fled to Tamil Nadu, India during the conflict period, will return to Sri Lanka today through the voluntary repatriation programme facilitated by the UNHRC, the Ministry of Resettlement said.

Suspected war criminals from SL living freely in UK

Scores of suspected war criminals involved in bloody conflicts in Sri Lanka, Libya, Afghanistan, Rwanda and Serbia seeking to live in Britain escaped deportation thanks to a series of blunders, Daily Mail reported today.

83-year-old man dies from 3rd floor fall at H’tota hospital

An 83-year-old man fell to his death from the third floor of the Hambanthota Base Hospital early this morning after been admitted for treatment on September 8.

Two children go missing in Uppuweli

Two children aged 9 and 11 had gone missing since last evening, after they left to return home following a tuition class in Uppuweli, Trincomalee.

'Majority of motor cycle accidents took place during daytime'

More than 50% of the persons who had died due to motor bicycle accidents in the first seven months of this year, had been victims of road mishaps during day time, National Council for Road Safety Chairman Dr. Sisira Kodagoda said.

TB spreading in Colombo: CMC

Tuberculosis (TB) which is an airborne disease is spreading in some parts of the Colombo City, Colombo Municipality's Chief Medical Officer Dr. Ruwan Wijemuni said yesterday.

Govt. drafts Constitution according to Al-Hussein's whims: Wimal

National Freedom Front (NFF) leader Wimal Weerawansa, yesterday, charged that the government was in a hurry to draft a new Constitution, to satisfy the whims and fancies of UN Human Rights Commissioner Zeid Ra'ad Al-Hussein.

SL Security Forces will increase role in UN Peace-Keeping: Ruwan

The Sri Lankan security forces which are expected to increase its role in the UN Peace-keeping Mission is to be deployed in the Mali Islands shortly, State Minister for Defense, Ruwan Wijewardene said on Sunday.

Indian Minister to visit SL soon

Indian Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will arrive in Sri Lanka soon to participate in talks on the proposed Economic and Technology Cooperation Agreement (ETCA) to be signed between the two countries, Acting Foreign Affairs Minister Harsha de Silva told Daily Mirror.

Residents of Bamba flats in two minds on re-development

An event organized on Sunday by the Bambalapitiya flats’ Welfare Association to collect signatures from residents for a memorandum to be sent to the President against the Re-development of Bambalapitiya Flats ended inconclusively.

Bolivian woman caught with Rs. 40M. worth of cocaine

A stock of cocaine worth over Rs.40 million which a Bolivian woman tried to smuggle into the country through the Bandaranaike International Airport was seized by Customs officials last evening.

Why is the Govt. silent: PHU

The Foreign Affairs Ministry is remaining silent in the wake of the Danish Immigration Department recognizing Tamil Eelam as one of the countries from which foreigners could apply for a visa to enter Denmark, the Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) said today.

Youth dies in freak accident

A 21-year-old youth was killed today when he fell from a three-storey building and landed on the iron rods projecting out of the parapet wall in Kirulapone, police said.

Hirunika posts a ‘shot in the head’ photo

A photo of the late Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra, which shows a gunshot wound in the head, was posted on Facebook by his daughter UNP MP Hirunika Premachandra yesterday.

More SL women go for beer: President

President Maithripala Sirisena today lamented the fact that an increasing number of Sri Lankan women were taking to drinking beer even though it was heartening to see a decline in the smoking habit.

Lab burner explodes injuring nurse in Badulla

A staff nurse had been injured at the lab of the Badulla General Hospital following a spirit burner explosion, hospital sources said.

Jayampathy new Air Force Commander

President Maithripala Sirisena today appointed Air Vice Marshal Kapila Jayampathy as Commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force.

Assault on envoy: Lax security, corruption blamed for poor Malaysian response

An appalling lack of security at the Kuala Lumpur Airport (KLIA) and a corrupt Malaysian administration are blamed for the brutal assault on the Sri Lankan High Commissioner in Malaysia, Ibrahim Sahib Ansar, by a group of local Indian Tamil radicals at airport on September 4.

MR shouldn’t seek office, but support SLFP: Duminda

Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) General Secretary Minister Duminda Dissanayake said the SLFP, expects former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, will cooperate with the party rather than seeking office at future elections.

Parliament to undergo refurbishment

Parliament will be closed for sessions in the third week of October due to refurbishment of the buildings, informed sources said yesterday.  

Paranagama Com. recommends Int’l technical assistance and observers

The Maxwell Paranagama Presidential Commission on Missing Persons has strongly recommended in its final report that in the event of Sri Lanka were to set up a purely domestic tribunal without the participation of any foreign judges, there must be an international technical assistance and observers to ensure the acceptance of the mechanism, the Daily Mirror learns.

New legislation to restructure State Ventures: PM

The government will introduce legislation to deal with the process of converting loss making state ventures into viable entities under a new formula, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said in Parliament last week.  

President to address UN General Assembly

President Maithripala Sirisena is scheduled to visit New York, US to attend the 71st General Assembly of the United Nations (UN). He will address the UN General Assembly on September 21.

Disappearance of youth in custody: H'tota OIC transferred

Four police officers including the OIC of Hambantota police had been transferred pending an inquiry into the disappearance of a youth who was in police custody over a theft he allegedly involved in.

Police probe into double murder in Eravur

The police have launched an investigation into the murder of a 55-year -old woman and her 32-year-old daughter in Eravur, Batticaloa last evening, Police said.

Medical student's body found

The body of a 27-year-old medical student of Colombo University 's Medical Faculty was found in a hostel at Norris Canal Road in Colombo-10, Police said today.

16-year-old drowns in suspicious manner

A sixteen-year-old boy had allegedly drowned in Kande Ela falls in Nuwara Eliya yesterday, while he was on a picnic with his friends, the Police said.

UPFA member arrested over assault

Former UPFA member of the Kolonna Pradeshiya Sabha and two others were arrested today on charges of allegedly assaulting to a youth.

Drought affects 15,790

More than 15,790 individuals (4781 families) are facing a severe shortage of drinking water due to drought conditions in Polonnaruwa district.